Mmmm....Cookies

I don't normally associate baking with the summer, but last week it was just the ticket. Meili and I got together and let our munchkins go to town with some good old-fashioned sugar cookies and homemade frosting.

(Della "testing" the dough; notice the splotch of flour above her right eye?)

This cookie recipe came to my family from a friend of my sister's. Though we've lost touch with this particular friend, it seems like she's near whenever we make her cookies. That's one of the things I love best about sharing recipes: it's a way to stay connected to people and remember great times you may have had together.

(Hard at work, making that dino-shaped cookie look "just right")

So break out the cookie cutters and frosting, and enjoy an unexpected summer treat this afternoon!

Lindsay Hunt's Sugar Cookies
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C shortening (I use butter; no offense, Lindsay)
1 egg
1/4 C milk
salt
2 t baking powder
1 t almond (vanilla works too, but almond is the best!)
2 C flour

Cream sugar and shortening. Add egg, milk and almond flavoring. Add dry ingredients. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Grandma Gayzie's Frosting
Beat 2 cubes of butter with 5 tablespoons of milk. Add enough powdered sugar till you reach desired frosting consistency. (it'll be a lot!) And remember, the more obnoxious the color of your frosting, the more fun it is to decorate with it!

(Not surprisingly, this little gal chose pink for her frosting color...)