FAMILY BAKE DAY 2015

Anthony displaying his peanut butter cookies

A moment before the shot above, Aunt Wanda's dog, Abby, rushes in to sniff his crotch.

     I'm posting this way after the fact, but I think we did this on December 12th, the Saturday before my last week of work before winter break. I wanted to have homemade stuff to give coworkers and students.

Mom in her cute apron

     Mom, Anthony and I all gathered at Aunt Wanda's house, and made all sorts of good stuff. Lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies, pretzels dipped in stuff, peanut butter cookies, and various other cookie-like things. I'm getting over a flu right now, so I can't think too much about that, or it'll be barf time again.
     But we made lots of great stuff and had a really good time.

Aunt Wanda presiding over baking supplies

     This has been a tradition with us for the last five years or so, to gather for "Family Bake Day" sometime around mid-December.

Me with my chocolate chip cookies

Mom and me working on the pretzel goo

YOU CAN'T CATCH ME: Vintage Cookie Cutters

"YUM, YUM, LEAP FOR JOY, TRY AND CATCH THE GINGER BOY"

     In December we had Family Bake Day at Aunt Wanda's house, and she keeps turning up all these awesome old antique things every time we turn around. I don't know where she keeps finding them, because we've helped her clear out her garage and stuff several times. But her late husband lived in that house for many years, and apparently never threw anything away, and even kept things in their original packaging forever, when not in use.
     I love this old "Ginger Boy" cookie cutter. Is that racist? Somehow, calling him a Ginger Boy instead of a GingerBREAD Boy seems like it could be offensive to gingers. But, not being a ginger, who gives a shit?

"GINGERBREAD BOY COOKIES" & "DECORATING FROSTING"

     Dude, there's even a recipe on the back!

Note the weaponry and strange hat.

     This other one is probably not quite as old, but still of vintage stock, I think. I don't understand its weird hat. And why do we have to bring guns into it? Stop the violence, Gingerbread Boy.

ANTHONY'S BIRTHDAY (stuff I made for it)

     This is a way belated post, because Anthony's birthday is August 22nd. I sort of forgot I had started this post. Now it's Halloween, and we're waiting to see if we get (m)any trick-or-treaters, so I'm just sittin' here killing time.

     Here's the peanut butter and chocolate cake I made:

Recipe below, at end of post...

     Below is one of the presents I wrapped to make it look like a happy little birthday fellow. I feel this is something Martha Stewart might do if she had a sense of humor, or was human.
     (But don't get me wrong, I love Martha just the way she is. Stern, exacting, made of steel...)

     Here's another whimsical birthday fellow I made. Notice he even has weak little arms and legs made of glittery tinsel! He can't really walk with them. But he makes the best of his short existence. He will soon be torn apart.

My special secret for Anthony's cake was to substitute PEANUT BUTTER CHIPS for the regular ol' chocolate chips. Because Anthony is a peanut butter fiend, and that cake is loaded with chocolate enough already.

     Incidentally, the recipe card you see above is from a cookbook put together by a bunch of parents as some sort of fund-raiser I think, way back when I was in 6th grade at Cambridge Elementary in Orange, CA. (I'm 42 now, so that was, like, a LONG time ago.) We've kept that recipe in our family ever since because it's goooood, you guys!