Cookies and a few other things

Three blog posts in three days!  That's normal for some people, and it used to be normal for me years ago, but definitely not now.  

One thing I've spent a bit of time doing is cookie baking.  First of all I made peanut blossoms, but mixed chocolate chips right into them instead of putting Hershey Kisses on top, and I sprinkled them with red and green sugar.  

Then on Friday evening I made molasses ginger snaps, a childhood favorite of our kids.  But alas, when I pulled the first pan out of the oven they were flat and burnt!

I looked at the recipe and realized that I had doubled every ingredient but the flour!  So I added the flour in, and the rest turned out fine.  I actually had mixed some Christmas cookie decorations right into the batter.  I'm lazy like that.  

On Saturday I packed some Christmas containers full of cookies.  I put a slice of bread into each container to keep them soft and moist.  I had gotten a card for each grandchild, which I signed and put some cash into, and we mailed a box to Portland and one to Sophie in Florida.   I was going to mail one to Destiny too, but she said Alex doesn't like peanut butter, but he loves chocolate chip cookies.   So on Sunday I made some regular Toll House chocolate chip cookies, and on Monday I mailed their box.   I still plan to make more peanut blossoms, this time with Hershey Kisses on top.  Hopefully on Christmas Day we'll make our tour to the rest of our gang to deliver their cookies and cards.   That will be our socially distanced Christmas for this year.  

On one of those days I also made a pot of vegetable soup.  I hadn't thought of making it in a long time, but a friend of ours showed a picture of his on Facebook, and it gave me the idea.   We love it, especially when it gets to be a couple of days old and the flavors have blended together.  

On Sunday after our church services I got the idea to dress up for pictures.  I had gotten a top from Macys this fall that I had kept for Christmas.  And then when I was in Portland, Jeremy got me a dress at Ross that I decided would be my Christmas dress.  But now I might not get to wear them anywhere.  Also we have had a tradition of getting our Christmas picture taken in front of the big tree at Calvary, but since we can't do that either this year, we took our pictures in front of our own tree.  Like I said on Facebook, one of us was a bit more excited about dressing up than the other one was, hahaha!

On Monday afternoon I decided to take a quick stroll around the Penn State Arboretum.  I had never been there in the winter before.  I had the place to myself, except for a group of ladies who were talking and laughing in the overlook pavilion.  I wished I could join them, they were having such a good time!

Look at the lily pond frozen over!

Instead of the fountain there was a Christmas tree!  We must make sure to drive by after dark sometime.  I'm sure it's beautiful lit up.  

That's the entrance to the children's garden across the snowy center lawn.  

Well, that's all for tonight, folks!