Well, that was a VERY hard decision for me. I just ordered a refurb Gloss Cinnamon Professional 600⢠6-qt. Bowl-Lift Bowl Stand Mixer. I hope I made the right choice! I wanted pretty. But I wanted function, more. I decided if I'm going to CHANGE from my classic 1987 model then I may as well CHANGE. So I opted for a lot more muscle, in case I start to make artisan breads (I have an awesome Zojirushi breadmaker that makes terrific normal breads and my previous 250 watt kitchenaid mixer really wasn't up to kneading much so I never pursued it, plus I never liked the way the "C" hook kneaded, so I wanted to upgrade to a machine with the spiral hook), or use accessories. Then, I decided to go for the soft start, as one of my biggest pet peeves is slopping flour! I can't imagine I'll ever be using this thing for huge batches of things, so I should have way more power and a hefty safety margin on bread kneading for how I'll actually use it. I would like the capacity to fool around with artisan breads, though! I LOVE the grenadine color, but the gloss cinnamon will work just fine too, and while I have a back-in-time vibe to my kitchen, the non-metallic look is actually a bit more appropriate as my vintage vibe is more toward antique than toward mid-century diner/50s where metallic would really resonate.

I have a couple of cookie scoops, but I still prefer the push-off-the-teaspoon-with-my-finger method, LOL. Plus it gives the grandkids a chance to eat too much cookie dough, all filled with raw eggs, before it gets baked, because their job is to roll the cookies into balls before baking. OK, seriously, the cookie scoops are great, I have the stainless steel "ice cream scoop" type and I've had no personal experience with the silicone one you describe, but my secretary has one and loves it. Go figure, I guess it's one of those personal preference things and I sure don't need another gadget to stuff into my kitchen drawers so I probably won't try one either. But it definitely is a cookie scoop. Annie

This lightning deal stuff was essentially new to me. Yes, I got an e-mail from amazon sent at 10:02am today I assume east coast time. I hadn't realized speed was an issue, and yes I see now that the price is back up.

This is the Ranger Cookie recipe from the Wyoming section of my mother's 1949 cookbook: "America Cooks: Favorite Recipes from 48 States." This recipe has been baked by and/or served to 5 generations of our family, so I'd say it is tried and true! I have used other recipes and come back to this one. I have typed the recipe verbatim, including any misspellings. I don't buy shortening, and use butter. I do use a cookie scoop. The recipe does not specify length of cooking time or oven temperature, other than "moderate" oven. RANGER COOKIES 1 cup shortening 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal 2 cups Rice Krispies 1 cup shredded coconut Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix smooth. Add flour sifted with soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Add coconut, oatmeal, and Rice Krispies and mix. The dough will be crumbly. Mold with hands into balls size of a walnut. Place on a greased cooky sheet and press slightly. Bake in a moderate oven. This makes almost enough cookies for a roundup or Cheyenne rodeo. There you have it: what I consider THE Ranger Cookie recipe! :-) Jill in Texas