Xmas

Making Gingerbread Men Tonight

Storybook Gingerbread Men

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 3/4 cup molasses
* 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Cream shortening and sugar. Sift flour with salt, soda and spices. Blend flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with molasses and water. Chill at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
3. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with large 6-8 inch gingerbreadmen cookie cutters. Lift onto lightly greased cookie sheet with broad spatula.
4. Bake above oven center for about 12 minutes or until cookies spring back lightly in center. Do not overcook, they won’t stay soft. Remove from sheets. Cool on wire racks. Makes 10 men 6-8 inches tall.

The batter seemed too dry so I added water. Might be too much now. They are in the fridge, will see how they look in the morning when I get set to roll them out. I have a cookie cutter for gingerbreadmen and a Xmas tree. I plan to use a knife to cut out a pattern for a couple of gingerbread house cookies too.

Angel in Red


Pretty angel. This is the gift tag on the Xmas bags I bought today. Just finished the shopping for Christmas, I think. Bought what I need for the Secret Santa at work and something for Terry Lynn and something to finish off for Sherry Lynn too. I might still get something for Zack, not sure what I already have as I have been getting a few things here and there.

Droodles for Xmas

I didn’t hear the explosion in downtown Barrie last night though I was working about a block away from the five corners where the taxi driver said it happened. I saw plenty of smoke and flashing lights as we drove along a street north of Dunlop. It smelled good, like a wood burning fireplace, not a lot of chemical smells then and where I was at the time. I left work about 20 minutes after it happened. Then forgot to check for information online about it until now when Lucy mentioned it. I guess I will hear about it at work as I am soon leaving to catch the bus.

I was working on sending out Christmas cards today. Most of them are ready to go, realized I had forgotten one and will see if I still have time to hunt down the address. Still have to hunt for a postal code for a last family card but at least it is in the area so not getting late for sending those out yet.

I made droodles in some of the cards. (Droodles = drawings by a not quite drooling idiot). They aren’t all awful and at least it will give everyone something to laugh about. If certain other people (like Skye) want a card they need to send me their address really soon. The mail box is right at my bus stop today, very convenient at this time of year.