For the Criminally Inane

My mother loves to make cookies. She often creates a cookie platter with a half-dozen or more DIFFERENT cookies. She spends a day or two making them, then she delivers them to all her neighbors and friends. So Christmas cookies are some of my favorite childhood memories. I listed three of my favorite. One I couldn't find my family recipe for, so I just found one online that looked pretty similar. Peppermint Pinwheels or Candy Cane Twists is my favorite Christmas Cookie. I thought I'd share it with you! Now, I've stopped using shortening. I replace with either unsalted butter or cocoa nut oil, depending on the recipe. In this one, using butter will make the cookie crunchier.  Basic Refrigerator dough: ½ c. shortening ½ c. margarine or butter 3 c. flour 1 c. sugar 1 egg 2 Tbls. milk 1 tsp. vanilla ½ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt Cream shortening and margarine with sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together and mix into sugar mixture to make a soft dough. Di

Christmas is a special time of year. I love how we are focused outward in giving service, making sure the poor are taken care of, and tending to our loved-ones. I also love Christmas for the opportunity to give good gifts. My brother's slogan is give them the gift they didn't know they always wanted. That's a high commission to bear. No gift cards could possibly satisfy. One of the hardest groups to buy for I think is teen boys, especially boys who aren't into sports. So I thought I'd offer a few suggestions in my first annual Teen Gift-Guide.  These are a few of my favorites things. Most are around $30 or less. Some of the DVD collections run a little higher. For the TV/Movie buffs: 1. The Office complete series. 2. Harry Potter complete eight movies on DVD. 3. Indiana Jones complete four movies. (Although that last one was fan-fiction.) 4. Avatar: The last airbender  is a favorite around my house. Even my 18 year-old daughter will watch it. I listened to it ove