Long Distance Grandmothers and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am a long distance grandmother as I only see my grandchildren two or three times a year.  Sometimes I feel as if I am some kind of misfit when I mention that to a grandmother that lives in the same town or even the same neighborhood as their grandchildren.  That look they give me reminds me of the look I would get from stay-at-home moms when I was a working mom in the 70’s and 80’s. It is almost as if they do not know how to relate to me and sometimes I think they really feel sorry for me. It was very hard for me at first when I realized there were so many everyday things that I would miss.  However, I have accepted this situation and try to make the best of it.  I think a lot of that comes from the wisdom of being 69 years old.  If I whined or complained about the situation, it wouldn’t change a thing.

Our grandchildren came for a visit at Christmas and we had a good time with them.  I have a granddaughter that is five and a grandson that is 8.  We will probably not see them again until sometime next Summer.  We have a good relationship with our grandchildren as we send them packages for holidays when we aren’t together.  We usually Skype with them to watch them open their birthday gifts from us.

I wanted to share a grandmother recipe with you today.  So I tried to think of something I would like to make for my grandchildren if they lived down the street.  I chose this recipe from Miss Kay’s Duck Commander Kitchen for chocolate chip cookies.  Nothing smells any better than chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven and nothing tastes better than warm chocolate chip cookies. Miss Kay is a grandmother too and her children live close to her so I am sure she has made these cookies many times for them.

I would be thrilled if my circumstances would change and our grandchildren would be nearby.  That isn’t the way things are now and I enjoy watching them grow up from a distance.  Last summer they went on vacation and decided on their on to buy little mementos for me and Mr. D.  And at Christmas my daughter told me she made deviled eggs for Thanksgiving and when my grandson tasted them he said he knew who made the best deviled eggs.  She asked him who was that and he said Grandma.  That made this Grandma very happy.

I am thankful that I have two grandchildren and they live in the US.  My grandson lived in Africa the first two years of his life and my granddaughter was born in France.  However, now I think they will stay stateside so you can see that I am pleased they are somewhere in the USA.  I think being a long distance grandmother helps me to see my grandchildren more objectively.  They are typical normal kids and I try not to put them on a pedestal and I don’t share pictures of them all the time.

However, I do believe pictures are worth a thousand words and here are some pictures of our grandchildren from their last visit. Mr. D got a selfie stick for Christmas and we had fun taking pictures with it.

Before I post this, I want to say my heart goes out to grandmothers and Grandfathers everywhere that for any number of circumstances are raising their grandchildren.  I see examples of that everyday and I see Grands that have postponed retirement and many other luxuries of retirement because of that responsibility.  They are truly dedicated and wonderful Grands.

Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas Trees from Nature, Sugar Cookie Dough or Paper Plates

First of all, last Saturday Mr. D and I rode up to Meadow of the Dan Virginia.  I have blogged about it many times and shared how much we enjoy Nancy’s Candy Kitchen (a wonderful candy shop) and Chateau Morrisette ( A winery in a beautiful location).  We debated on whether I should take my camera and I decided not to as I have blogged about that area so many times.

However, as we were riding through Jefferson North Carolina, I started to see Christmas Tree Farms and realized I needed to share those pictures with you.  It may be something we take for granted here but it might be something you haven’t every seen.  Here are a few of the picture that were taken in North Carolina and Virginia. In the first picture the dots in the pasture are cows and I loved having a picture of the trees and the cows together in the same area.  No matter the time of year, I always enjoy visiting this area of the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia.

Below I am sharing with you two of my favorite sugar cookie recipes.  The first one is a sugar cookie recipe I started making for and with my daughter when she was growing up.  We had some disastrous messes in the kitchen when she started to helping me to make them when she was around two years old and by the way, she is 41 now.  The flavor of the cookie is so rich and wonderful. I always use the almond and vanilla extract combination and it gives the cookies more flavor.

 

The following recipe is for Mr. D and he enjoys the thumbprint cookies that I have been making for him since we realized he was diabetic.  Instead of using the equal I now use the baking splenda in these cookies.  I will make them for Mr. D this weekend.

And going along with the Christmas tree theme, I have seen this craft many times during the season and I love the idea of making a tree out of  a paper plate.  I think our daycare toddler class will do this for their parents.  I wanted to share it because I think it would be a fun thing to share with the young ones in your life.  I don’t think they would be quite as messy as the sugar cookies. There is a link to the website and specific instructions at the bottom of the picture.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Ms. Kay’s Grandmotherly Recipes: Blackberry Jam Cake – Nutty Good Oatmeal Cookies

On Monday, I shared a few recipes from Miss Kay’s Duck Commander Kitchen Cookbook.  As I read through her cookbook, I saw how much she loved her grandchildren and how much she loved her Granny.  That really touched me and I wanted to share a couple of recipes from the cookbook relating to Grandmothers.

The first recipe is for Nutty Good Oatmeal Cookies and Miss Kay talks about how her grandchildren and children raid her cookie jar when they come to visit.  I think this recipe looks wonderful and I can see why her family always looks for cookies when they visit.

 

 

The next recipe is for Miss Kay’s Granny’s Blackberry Jam Cake.  It sounds wonderful and has more ingredients than the blackberry wine cake that I am familiar with.  I think this recipe is a real keeper. I also love the way Kay remembers her Granny with so much love and happy memories.

 

I am so thankful for Grandmothers that have close relationships with their grandchildren.  We are only able to see our grandchildren a couple of times a year and many times I envy my friends that see their grandchildren on a consistent basis..  I don’t think there is any relationship more special than the one between a grandmother and grandchild.

I enjoyed this cookbook and I have to say that I admire Miss Kay and think she is a loving caring Southern lady that loves to cook.

By the way, I know Memorial Day is fast approaching.  I will share a few of my favorite summer cookout recipes tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by.

Geri’s Czechoslovakian Cookies

This must be friendship week at our house.  I shared a recipe from a friend, Geri, on Monday and she gave me the recipe I am sharing with you today.  I am sharing her comments concerning the recipe and she said it is a Christmas favorite at her house.  As I was reading the recipe, I remembered eating these bar cookies when Geri shared them with our family.  I remember the consistency of the cookie portion to be the same as shortbread.  Geri’s cookies were light and the jam added just enough sweetness to make them extra tasty.

 

Geri shared with me that her Aunt Lora and her grandmother married brothers so they had the same maiden name and married name.

Geri is such a dedicated homemaker that does so much to enrich the lives of her family.  I know that she is older than me and probably in her 70’s but she is very active and contributes in so many different ways.  She takes care of her home, is involved in her church and is part of the local Quilter’s guild.

I do want to share a funny story she told me.  As we are in the same age group, we discussed how many people are on special diets right now.  She told me her son that is a nurse had a test done and he is allergic to yeast.  Then she said her husband, Harry, that is 81 decided to have a test done to see if there was anything that he might need to stay away from.  The test results showed he is allergic to eggs even though he has eaten them his whole life and does not have any type of digestive problem at all.  She said now when she cooks for her family including her son and husband she just puts the food on the table and says, “Here is what I fixed, just do the best you can.”  That made me laugh out loud and I think she just put the ball in their court so they could deal with their digestive problems.  Geri is a very concerned caring person but if you are in your 70’s and prepare a meal for your family, that is an accomplishment in itself and should be appreciated.  I know her family and I am sure she is loved and appreciated.

Yesterday, I had lunch with another friend and there we were sitting in Cracker Barrel just having the best time and laughing out loud at so many different things.  Friendship and laughter are two great combinations.  I hope you are able to spend time with a very special friend soon.  Thanks for stopping by.

Chocolate Creme Cakes – Stash Some For A Special Day

My friend Dixie and I have a tradition of meeting once a month for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  We have been doing this for quite some time and enjoy spending the time together.  We talk about lots of things and in December I told her that I was looking for a recipe for whoopee pies for my grandson when he visited and I could not fine one.  She immediately remembered a recipe she had clipped that would be a good option.  She scanned that to me and it really makes me laugh sometimes to think of how technical we can be even though we are in our mid 60’s.

As I read the recipe, I thought a good option for my grandson would be to bake chocolate chip cookies and put the filling in them because he loves chocolate chip cookies.  I was also pressed for time and buying prepared cookie dough was a good option for me too.  When he arrived, I was a little disappointed when he realized he did not like them.  I did not strike out though because my granddaughter loved them.  I had other goodies baked that my grandson loved.

As I am sitting here in North Carolina, waiting, waiting, waiting and waiting for a snowstorm, I thought this would be a good option for a snowy day, Valentines Day or as an after school snack.  This can always be prepared and frozen for a special occasion or for a snow day, should that ever happen.

In the South when snow is forecasted everyone gets so excited and we all go out and get milk and bread.  The excitement builds until the snow begins and of course the kids love playing in the snow.  The snow for our area has been forecasted since last weekend and I haven’t seen a flake yet.  That is all everyone is talking about and I am getting a little impatient. I want it to come and just be over with.

I am so thankful I have friends like Dixie that I can depend on because sometimes even with all the weather technology, you sure can’t depend on the weather forecast or the possibility of snow.  I have printed the recipe below from my scanned copy that I received from Dixie and I am also giving you a link to the recipe that I found on the Taste of Home website: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-creme-cakes

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies – What An Awesome Weekend Treat!!

I spend lots of time browsing through cookbooks and recipes and sometimes I see something that is absolutely awesome.  The recipe I am sharing with you today is from a magazine that is included in the daily subscription of our local paper.  The name of the magazine is Relish and I enjoy reading the magazine as it’s byline is “celebrating America’s Love of Food.”  I think the first thing that caught my attention about this recipe was the memory of our school cafeteria peanut butter cookies..  I loved those cookies and always think of them when I see a peanut butter cookie recipe.  Little did I know they were made with sugar, peanut butter and an egg.  This recipe is something my husband could try because it has oats in it and that is a good choice for him as a diabetic.  I also like the fact that the amount of sugar in the cookie recipe is not very substantial.  If you only wanted to make the cookies that would be a possible option.

So on this last Friday of January, let’s celebrate the day and the weekend with a batch of batch of homemade cookies.  YUM! YUM!