New additions for me this year: OKEECHOBEE BOBBERS Moist coconut and a touch of orange add tropical flavors to these rich butter cookies. 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes!) 3 large eggs 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1-1/2 tsp. orange extract 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup flaked coconut 1 Tblsp. finely grated orange zest Heat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients except flour and coconut in large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in flour and coconut by hand until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Makes 5 dozen cookies. Recipe courtesy of Land O Lakes®. SPICY CARDAMOM CRISPS These Scandinavian spice cookies are great to have with a fresh brewed cup of coffee. 1-1/3 cups sugar 1 cup butter, softened 1 egg 2 Tblsp. dark corn syrup 1 Tblsp. water 1 tsp. vanilla 3 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 3 tsp. ground cardamom 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. ground cloves Sliced almonds Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add egg, corn syrup, water and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining ingredients except almonds. Beat until well mixed. Divide dough into thirds. Shape each third into 1/2-inch thick squares. Wrap each square in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (1 to 2 hours). Heat oven to 375° F. Roll out dough, one-third at a time, on lightly floured surface (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 12x10-inch rectangle. Cut into 2-inch squares using pastry cutter or sharp knife; cut squares diagonally in half to form triangles. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Lightly press almonds into center of each cookie. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned and cookies are set. Yield: 7-1/2 dozen cookies. © 1997 Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Priceless..I have similar pics of my grandaughter baking with me...I just let her go and have fun...It's amazing how fast soap and water cleans them up. But in the meantime what wonderful memories I have!

oh to have them all that young again...the 16 yo want's some fancy eyeshadow with chocolate..OMG the darn thing is her entire $50...are you kidding me?? worse is her sister wanted a $150 fitbit...well that isn't happening! with 9 kids to buy for I have to keep a strict budget...now the littlest one 3, wanted a glitter hair Barbie (another omg) but at least I had enough left for her safety helmet for her trike...her brother wanted a sta rwars art kit...had a coupon for that...kind of made me mad though...had generic one at Costco that was huge...but as dh said star wars is on the hot list...ds1 wh just got divorced this year hasn't sent me a list for his 2...as much as dh hates them, they love money...(and have a LOT less to spend these days, sigh)

The week before Christmas my father, God bless him, used to take one night after work to make Spritz cookies with us kids. It was always green Christmas Trees and pink Flowers. They went into foil lined tins that my grandmother saved from the very old days of fruit cake or purchased "fancy cookie" giving. I have the blue container that looks like Wedgwood. In 1965 part of our Christmas present was my parents getting tickets for us to go see THE SOUND OF MUSIC over an hour away in the next state. It snowed that entire day but my "never day die" father didn't falter and we were some of the only people on the road that night. My mother brought the cookie tins and passed out those green and pink Spritz cookies to all of us through the movie. Precious memory...