Thursday, November 18, 2010

Well Fed – Shortcuts

Deb and I divvy up assignments for the retreats. She’s the heart behind them; I’m the check book register. One of my jobs this year was to make sugar cookies. I’ve tried several sugar cookie recipes through the years, and like them, but none of them are very soft three days later. I was in a crunch and decided to buy cookies at the grocery bakery. I told Deb my plan and she said, “You can’t do that! They have to be homemade.” I gave her a resigned look and said, “Deb, you can’t even eat the cookies.” She laughed (Deb always laughs, it's one of the things I most appreciate about her) and said her vote still counted.

Time passed and duties mounted. Making 80+ sugar cookies seemed less and less feasible. I went the Safeway route and didn’t tell Deb.

I frosted them with homemade cream cheese frosting and decorated them with royal icing Raggedy Ann’s and Andy’s. They were really cute.


Especially after they were tied with gingham ribbon in a cellophane bag with a tag. 




After Alyson, Deb’s daughter, had eaten her cookies she came to my table and whispered, “Can I please get the recipe.” Tiffany echoed, “Me, too. Can I get it?”

I laughed and whispered back, “Tell your mom she’s very funny.”

They both looked a bit confused and Alyson said, “What?”

I said, “Tell your mom I get it. She got me.”

Alyson said, “Why would I say that?”

I said, “Didn’t she tell you to come and ask me for the recipe so I’d have to fess up that I bought the cookies after all?”

Alyson said, “Nooooo. All I know is those cookies are good and I want the recipe.”

Sugar cookies with homemade frosting and royal icing toppers – it’s my Safeway shortcut secret and Alyson promised she wouldn't tell. 

Though life could certainly go on without shortcuts, I do appreciate when something comes together easy.

(The royal icing Ann and Andy’s come from The Peppermint Place in Alpine, Utah. They sell seconds there and my sister buys them and gives them to me regularly as a surprise.  She gave me a box of 200 or so and said it cost her less than $5.)

(I took the picture of the Raggedy Ann that sits on my sister’s bed then added cartoon effects, text, and a frame at Photobucket.com, then printed them on cardstock to make the cookie tag.)

11 comments:

michelle said...

Too funny! I love that you thought your friend was teasing you, but they just really liked the cookies! A good shortcut never hurts.

Deidra said...

Hooray for a good shortcut!

And those icing plaques? Amazing. How did they hold up on the frosting after three days? Or did you eat them sooner than that?

Cali said...

Hey,

You forgot to move the pig/apple picture/story to the top. I keep wondering how you always have it at the top, but it doesn't register in Google Reads. Just thought I'd mention it.

Great post and pictures mom.
cali

Julie said...

That's my kind of shortcut! Safeway cookies are really good...better than any sugar cookie I ever made. I love the quote too! Definitely having dessert tonight!

Charity said...

I had to come up with a family recipe for something with lemon for RS enrichment meeting...I tried and tried (for about a week)but couldn't make anything work, after I literally threw my dessert at the wall, my husband went to the grocery store, bought a lemon cake, put it on a nice platter for me and said, "Just tell the RS ladies it's a secret family recipe you can't give away."

To this day, my secret family recipe is lemon cake from Smiths.

--Your Alaskan Friend
Charity

Unknown said...

Those are ADORABLE!

hennchix said...

And they were so yummy!! Shhhhh, don't tell Paul I ate them!

Jill said...

What a great solution to the cookie problem!

melanie said...

I almost thought you were over the edge and made the Raggedy Ann and Andy's too! Made me feel better knowing your sister gave them to you. Yes, shortcuts are nice and more importantly sometimes necessary!

Leslie said...

that is one terrific idea for fabulous cookies! Homemade frosting combined with store cookies and then topped with adorable royal frosting decorations. I'm totally doing this in the future! And for the record - they were soooooo tasty - I just thought whoever made them was super talented in the kitchen.

And you know, I've heard of that place in Alpine but have never stopped there when I'm visiting family. It's on the to-do list now.

Deanna/Mimi said...

I thank you for the gift of having your two friends...Ann and Andy...come to my house via Makenna. What a treat they were. Yummy! You are a master of all your hands touch. Love it!!