Baking with Children :: Sugar Cookies

In a previous post, I mentioned the acclaimed children's musician Andrew Best and Emerson the Moose. While at his outdoor concert last weekend, we were given Emerson the Moose cookie cutters along with a recipe for Sugar Cookies.

My youngest son was thrilled to receive such a wonderful gift, because like his father, cooking is his forte, passion, delight - you name it! He asked me several days in a row, "Mommy, can we make moose cookies?" of which I would respond, "Sure, in a bit," or "Tomorrow, definitely." Well, tomorrow finally came and we had some extra time so I asked him, "Hey sweetheart, do you want to make cookies?" I wish you could have seen how his eyes lit up!

I had him read the recipe card to me (we're working on reading skills right now) and he got out each ingredient after he read the card. He measured and added and mixed everything together. Then, he rolled out the dough on the counter. "Mom, this feels so nice. Can we make cookies each week?" I told him we may have to work it in to his schedule. Then, he cut out the cookies carefully so as not to hurt Emerson.

One or two Emersons lost limbs, but he was quick to reattach them. I placed the cookie sheet into the oven and he started rolling out more dough. We went through half the cookie dough when he decided to freeze the other half for next week; he's definitely a planner, like his Mom!

This was a wonderful recipe. It blended easily, rolled out smooth, and held it shape well. Plus, it tasted great (even our dog, Duchess, thinks so)!

If you haven't discovered Andrew Best and his Emerson the Moose, I suggest you should! Thanks Andrew for such a fun gift!

Emerson the Moose Sugar Cookies:

1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 Cup sour cream

4 3/4 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla, and sour cream. Blend in dry ingredients. Roll to desired thickness; cut into shapes. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

(This recipe is not my own. It was provided as a gift, along with the cookie cutter, by Andrew Best.)

Springtime Adventures :: A Wildflower Hunt

Springtime in Texas yields amazing blooms, especially after all the rain we have received. So, once the drizzle stopped and the blue sky returned, we headed outdoors for a wildflower hunt.

This year, I thought we would do a different type of flower collection in an effort to preserve nature’s beauty; and easily share our collection with others. Instead of the typical ‘pick the flower and press’ mantra, the boys and I are creating a digital flower journal - photographing living flowers and incorporating all the pertinent information about them to form a compendium.

We started out on the Paul G. Boorman Trail in Longview this afternoon. Along the way, we snapped a few splendid beauties. The neatest aspect of our hunt included finding birds’ nests, butterflies, a variety of feathered friends, and even a gentleman on a unicycle.

 

Our two mile trek, peppered with conversations about animals’ habitats, types of airplanes, and even waterfalls, was a nice break from the daily routine. There was even a reference or two made about the Hundred Acre Wood and the Lorax. It is often interesting what other learning takes place while on a simple walk observing flowers. The boys became Naturalists today.

 While we still have more flowers to discover, we are off to a great start. I can’t wait to share the finished collection with you.

Do you have a special wildflower hot-spot you visit each year? I’d love to hear about it!