Thank you gift!

Well friends, I am finally starting to cook and bake again!  I know that may not seem significant to you………but to me this is huge!  I have always enjoyed baking and generally liked to cook a healthy, yummy meal for my family.  But last spring………I could not muster the wisdom to plan a meal, or the strength to carry it out.  Life was so crazy busy……with both kids playing a varsity spring sport, taking care of Curt, working full time, planning and attending all the graduation and senior awards ceremonies, Madi’s 16th birthday, laundry, paying the bills, taking care of the financial planning for college, yard work…you get the idea.  I just could not even manage to think of what to make, my brain was total mush.  I know it seems hard to understand how that can be, but you are going to have to trust me on this one. 🙂

So that is where  dear friends stepped up and made meals for us. Our Sunday school class brought dinner once  a week, a dear friend has faithfully brought us dinner twice a month for the last TWO YEARS and other thoughtful friends who saw the need and just called at the right time to say they were bringing us dinner.   OH it was SO HELPFUL!

Really it wasn’t until Mid August did I slowly start to emerge from the chaos of late spring and June, and start to cook again.  When your life is in an upheaval there is something so comforting about a good home cooked meal.  Thank you dear friends for giving that to us!

It’s also nice to be able to cook a little again.  When you are daily dealing with the onslaught of a terminal disease and the ramifications of all that accompanies that you crave a normal routine. And cooking seems to give us some degree of normalcy.  So I wanted to share with all of you one of my all time favorite fall recipes.  I have made these DELICIOUS cookies twice this fall.  They are always gone in a day.  So as a way of saying THANK YOU to everyone, enjoy this recipe this fall…..really go ahead and make them.  Trust me they will be gone in a day 🙂

Pumpkin Cookies

 I usually throw a little whole wheat flour in also, but you can use white flour. The whole wheat is used to try and convince me that they are healthy, so then I can eat more of them!! Remember to make the frosting as listed, it is what makes the cookies so good…….and it tastes yummy on it’s own also!!

1 cup of pumpkin

1/2 c. of butter ( softened)

1 1/2 c of sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. of white flour

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. of raisins ( to soften, boil 1/2 c. of water and add raisins, and let sit about 5 min., drain, and add to mixture)

Frosting

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. butter

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 to 2 tbsp. half & half

1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl combine, granulated sugar, pumpkin, 1/2 c. butter, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Beat at low speed, until soft dough forms. Gently stir raisins into mixture. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookie is set. Cool completely.

Frosting – In a 1 qt. saucepan, combine brown sugar, 1/4c. butter. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture can be stirred smooth. Do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth. Spread frosting evenly on cookies and ENJOY!!!

Also I just had to sneak these pictures of Madi’s Homecoming into this post.  Poor Curt had to endure what no man should have to do……he  had to shop with Madi  and I for a homecoming dress for almost 3 hours and then had to endure round 2 when we looked for shoes.  So after all of that he was happy to pose with his daughter for a picture before the big dance.