Ice and Cookies

So the good thing about living in Texas is that occasionally around this time of year we get a really bad ice storm. We got our first one last night. It rains, or drizzles in this case and then the temp drops and ta da you have a day off to be lazy! Pretty much all schools including colleges have closed and if they do then most people who live far from work just stay home. Or like where I work, they sent everyone home at noon, cause it's supposed to be bad again today. And you really don't want to be out with the crazy Texans who think they can drive on ice with. So here I am at 2 pm still in my pajamas.

When I was growing up my mom would make these cookies called Ranger Cookies (they are really called Texas Ranger cookies...not the baseball team..the law enforcement kind). They are seriously like one of the best cookies you will ever eat...if made properly. If you tell people what is in them they don't sound so good. Almost boring....but believe me they are worth every calorie. They were so good that she would use them to "encourage" school officicals to put us in the classes with the teacher she wanted. It pretty much worked...except for me..I got some of the not so great ones...but that is another story.
Anyway, we I moved out into the big wide world and out on my own I attempted to make them. They would never work out like moms. They were good but not as fluffy and chewy. I went 8 years never making a perfect Ranger cookie and thinking what cooking failure I was. I wondered if it had to do with the humidty in Texas vs. the dryness in Utah. Well now that I am back in Texas I had decided I was going to succeed at making a fabulous Ranger cookie. So I told mom I was going to make them and while I was out she got some of the ingredients from the store. I start to make them and she's watching to me see if maybe she can see why they aren't turing out. Well here's one for starters! She decides to tell me that you can't use instant oats. You have to use the "old fashioned" kind. Hmm that would have been nice to know....8 YEARS AGO!

Also you have to make the cookies exactly like the recipie says. You mix it together in groups. Something I didn't ever really do.

Well and what do ya know! They turned out! Almost as perfect as hers but next time I will mix it as the recipie says. I might have make them several times to perfect them....

So, I will share with you this recipie with you and you must try and perfect them yourselves...because they are worth perfecting..

Texas Ranger Cookies

Mix and cream together:
1 cup shortening (no subtitutions)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add and mix well to the above mixture:
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a separate bowl, combine and sift:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a separate bowl, combine:
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup Rice Krispies

Mix and add to the above ingredients. Roll into balls and mash with fork onto a
greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

I usally take them out right at 8 minutes even if they look a little uncooked, that way they are super soft the next day. You can also added chopped pecans, but I prefer them without!

SHE'S ALIVE

It really is sad that it takes a comment from yall to spur me on to update my blog. I really have no excuse not to update, it just was so boring I hated to look at it! But I have revived it with some cuteness! I also have not posted any pics from Christmas, so even though January is almost over...here ya go! I promise to do better!

I took Samantha and her friend downtown Fort Worth to see the Christmas lights. I felt sorry for that snowman, because he was ironically probably sweating to death in that costume. It was as nice night, maybe only in the 70s.

Downtown FW is one of my favorite places to go, especially at night. It's a great view.

This is where I found them, reading Twilight. I really tried to distract them withsome thing else but they wouldn't fall for it. I personally think they are too young to read it, if they do
I am afraid they will get the idea that men like Edward actually exist!
They don't need to be disappointed so young!

One of Samantha's favorite things to do is go hunting with my dad. She is surprisingly really interested in it. Usually they are hunting deer or wild hog. Early (and I mean very early) on Christmas they go this one...and brought it home to skin and smoke! I have to say that I have seen more than my fair share of dead animals hanging upside down "draining". Samantha is such a little trooper and spends hours with her "papa" skinning and doing what ever else they do to it!

I had to get a pic of her in her "mighty hunter" outfit. She's such a Texas girl!

I think she must have gotten hot in her hunting clothes because she ended up in her pajamas. I would imagine she had good reasoning behind it. She was probably more concerned about missing out on getting the pig on the smoker than getting the pig on her pajamas.
After all, she could care less if she gets dirty...she's got a job to do...
Ah, a job well done! Her daddy must be so proud!

And finally, to top of the Christmas season! Dad all gussied up for a fancy outing!

Mom was laughing so hard she was crying. Dad puts up with a lot from this women in his house!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

BORING!

Ok, So I know my blog looks boring. Maybe because it's January...January is boring. Or it could be that every time I tried to change it, it was going to delete all my widgets. And I really don't feel like messing with it right now! So for now it will be boring.