Sunday Randomness #344 : Inconsistencies Pop Up Again!

* I bought a 32 pack of Hostess twinkies and cupcakes from Costco-something I buy every few years or so.  By day 2 there were only 9 of the 16 cupcakes left.  I had eaten 1, Daisy replied "What cupcakes?",  Mica said "I may have eaten 2...maybe 3.  There's still the twinkies left!"  About 10 minutes later Hedgehog comes upstairs and upon questioning her she responses with the following: "I had 2, maybe 3 and then blurts out, but there are the twinkies!"  With almost identical answers you'd think they were sisters.  So what's the obsession with the cupcakes versus the untouched twinkies?!?

*Me to Hedgehog when I had bought a large piece of fresh ginger: "The way you (hedgehog) are sniffing that raw ginger is just indecent!"

*Mica: "I stayed home from FHE (Family Home Evening with her singles ward) to read about coffee!"  (Coffee is discouraged in LDS teachings. Her reading was for a plant class.)

*Daisy, looking very proud of herself, "I had extra energy so I decided to brush my hair!" And then in true movie star style she pretended she was fluffing imaginary curls in her hair.

-Hedgehog about a former math teacher's presentation of the lesson material: "The teacher would turn off the lights for the presentation and she had a soft, soothing voice.  I usually got put in the back of the classroom so it was quite the struggle (to stay awake!).

-Mica: "Answering physics questions online is like slots.  You're like, 'let it be the right one...come on..., come on..., Yes! when it's the right answer and grumbling when it's not and you have to try again."

*Comments from Hedgehog from a past class about herself and another ginger student and the teacher using examples to make points about slavery: "Myself and the other ginger would be the slaves because we would stick out in a crowd.  If we had a baby it's hair would be the perfect color.  She (the teacher) would take the children with that perfect ginger hair color (for slavery)."

*Daisy commenting after swimming a few laps with me: "I have insect legs." "What?!?"  "I have insect legs-you know, they are thin and stick-like, insect legs!"

-Mica upon pressure from a religious activity to encourage more dating: "For the dating box I could just say I'm already in a relationship.  I just wouldn't say with what or whom."  She continued with this statement: "Right now I want to be in a relationship with more sleep."

*Daisy upon getting a Herbst appliance as part of her braces treatment: "It's like the chamber of secrets in here with all the twists and turns and corners." http://www.orthocenters.org/appliances.php

(DISCLAIMER: Many of these instances happened in the past-for example, Daisy brushes her hair now with daily regularity and the teacher events are definitely in the past.  But some things are likely not to change.  Hedgehog would probably still be happy sniffing ginger.  I sometimes wonder if she buys exotic spices and teas just because she likes the scents. And answering homework questions online is still a dicey business sometimes.)

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #10 Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Last cookie for the Christmas cookies for 2016.

Chocolate dipped Macaroons

1 package (14 oz.) sweetened flaked coconut

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sweetened cream of coconut or sweetened condensed milk  ( I used the sweetened condensed milk)

¾ tsp. almond or vanilla extract

Dipping chocolate (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine coconut and flour together in large bowl.  Stir in cream of coconut or milk and extract.  Drop by tablespoons onto well-greased or parchment lined cookie sheets about an 1 inch apart.  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom of cookies and tops starting to brown at the tips.  Cool on rack.  Temper chocolate and dip bottom of cookies into tempered chocolate.  Let set up. 

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #9 Holiday Spiced Snickerdoodles

Holiday Spiced Snickerdoodles

3 cups flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened ( I used 6 tbsp. butter and ½ cup butter flavored shortening so the cookies wouldn’t spread so much when baking)

1 1/3 cup sugar plus ¼ cup, divided

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cloves

Combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  In separate bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.  Add flour mixture on low speed just until blended. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar with spices in separate bowl.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar/spice mixture, place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are puffed but still slightly soft.  Cool on wire rack

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #8 Sour Cream Sprinkle Bars

Sour Cream Sprinkle Bars

1 box (15.25 oz.) yellow cake mix

¾ cup sour cream

½ cup butter, softened

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 egg

¾ cup white baking chips

¼ cup colored sprinkles, plus extra for garnish

1 can (16 oz.) cream cheese frosting

Grease 13" x 9" pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix cake mix, sour cream, butter and nutmeg.  Add in egg.  Fold in chips and sprinkles and then spread evenly in pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on rack in pan.  Frost and sprinkle on remaining sprinkles.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies! Christmas Cookie #7 Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter, softened  (I cut it down to 6 TBSP. butter)

1 egg

½ tsp. almond extract

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup white baking chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy then add in extract and egg and blend.  Meanwhile, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix just until blended.  Fold in cranberries and chips.  Drop by Tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 8- 10 minutes or until edges turn light brown and cookies look set and not moist.  Cool on wire rack.