There is something quite meaningful when a recipe is shared and given, it truly creates a connection between two hearts, whether the loved ones have been separated by the miles or by death (like Grandma and me), we can think of one another as we create tasty foods.
Like every person that loses a loved one, I wonder, “Can Grandma see me right now?” “Does she know I’m a stay at home mom with seven children?” I would sure love to spend an afternoon with her again and show her the little ones that she didn’t get a chance to meet, Sethie and Sarah Joy.
But, how wonderful, that Sethie and Sarah helped me make HER cookies, yesterday? On a day in which I felt down in the dumps, I found Seth at the mixer, getting ready to make something. I took *the advice*, and even though there was not a fiber in my tired body&soul that wanted to dirty a bowl, or cookie sheets, I pulled out the recipe and got to work.
Ladies, if you’re feeling blue? Get in the kitchen and bake! If you’re anything like me, it will cheer you up as you put your thoughts into a recipe, handle the ingredients, laugh at your babies tasting molasses straight from the jar, and bake something yummy for the children coming home from school.
(Even if you burn the last tray, it’s worth it.)
Thanks, Grandma, for the tried and true recipe. You always seemed to have some yummy baked good for Grandpa, ready for us to share. I love you and can’t wait to see you again someday!
Grandma’s Soft Molasses Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
(cream these together, then add the following):
4 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice or cloves
3/4 cup sour milk (milk with a little vinegar in it)
Mix well, until smooth. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 until just set (for very soft, chewy cookies) or edges are browned (for more solid, cake-like cookies).
For burned cookies: put your last tray in the oven and then go change a diaper, pick up a mess, and read a book until you smell smoke.
Also yesterday, our baby girl discovered a yellow jacket here in the house on the floor, crawling around so conveniently for nature study. Before I knew what was happening, she was screaming in agony. She had touched the *pretty little buggy* and it stung her terribly! I found the stinger in the tip of her tender middle finger….I pulled it right out and ran her finger under cold water, gave her Motrin, held her, patted her, but it took a while to settle down. Bee stings hurt!
About an hour later, we were outside on the driveway watching the boys play. I happened to look at Sarah, and she was so quietly pitiful, studying her big finger (swollen).
“What’s that over there? This finger feels so strange.”
“It looks strange, too. I’m pretty concerned about it.”
“Maybe I can find something else to do, I don’t know.”
“Ugh. I just can’t get my mind off the pain!”
“Mama, please kiss it! I seem to remember your kisses having magic powers.”
(so that took care of that)……..
…..And this is what the boys were doing:
I know it’s pretty obvious, but just in case you need a clue……(smiles)……they were industriously making valuable money! They have collected bottle caps and they were hammering them flat and thin. (the red ones are worth the most, because there are fewer red ones) Then, Davy was cutting them and folding them into a pie-shape. Why not leave them in circles, you ask? “Because the stuffed animals can’t hold them unless they are folded up!” Oh, yes, why didn’t I think of that myself?
I love busy boys, when they are busy doing something this harmless and precious!
Pictures (taken yesterday) of Seth William, age 2 years and 8 months:
What a boy!
Thank you, dear friends, for stopping by today here at my place in blogland. I hope you try the cookies!
Have a great day,
Love, Shan
Good to be Home 
Awwww….that finger deserved a lot of kisses. :)Every time I cook chicken and dumplings I feel close to my gram…her memories…her big pot that I kept to cook them in, using her recipe and the smell of the food makes it feel like she’s here. š I love that.Your boys “money” is ingenious!!! š
Cute! I haven’t made molasses cookies in a long time. Isn’t it traditional to burn the last tray? Poor finger…a lesson learned the hard way. Not all bugs are nice.
Oh her poor little finger. =( Bee stings do hurt!Your cookie picture looks so warm and cozy. The cookies look good too!Happy Tuesday to you.. =)
Mmmm – YUMMY!!! I LOVE molasses cookies. I loved Seth’s pictures at the end. And poor sweet Sarah… š¦ Glad her mommy was close to give her some lovin’. š
Dear little gal, getting stung like that. If it ever happens again here’s a tip…..try not to pick off the stinger with your fingers as it sqeezes the sack with the venom and releases more into the wound. Take a credit card, license, edge of a table knife, something thin like that and scrape it off at the base. Then hold a penny on it for a some minutes. It really does work to keep the swelling down.
Would you believe that you cannot buy Molasses in Denmark? Yep. So sorry your little tootsie got stung. That is NASTY! Loved your recipe, though, and I had to chuckle about the last batch that burned. When I made molasses cookies, I liked to put big, fat raisins in them! Blessings!
Dear Shanda, sometimes I want to comment but I don’t really know how. My daughter is trying to teach me. I love your family so much, and I love how you mother them and share the stories with us. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the recipe…I’ll be sure to try it! And will think of you with your little ones as we make them here in our kitchen:) Poor little sarah….what a sweetie..she looked so sad:) I’m sure mamas kiss does posess healing powers.Have a wonderful day!
Molasses cookies never last long in this house. Usually my husband eats them all even before the littles and I get to them! My sister just sent me an old family recipe for apple cake, passed down from our great-aunt. Nothing tastes quite as good as a recipe that has fed several generations of one’s own family.(Much sympathy to Sarah with the bee sting – I had a few nasty encounters with yellow jackets as a kid, and I still remember them today! We always put toothpaste on the stings, and it worked surprisingly well to take away the pain.)
mmmmmmolasses cookies….One of my fave comfort foods.Perfect for an autumn day.May have to make some.
Mmm those cookies look scrumptous! I love the pic of them helping. š Poor Sarah! Those pictures are adorable though. We actually use toothpaste for stings too! And it works like a charm. Crazy, huh? Have a great day!!!
O_O COOKIES!!! :D:D
My husband’s great grandmother made tray after tray of molasses cookies while he was growing up. A few years ago we finally found someone who had inherited the recipe. True to old fashioned grandmothers, the written recipe was more of a “guideline” than recipe. I worked, tweaking it over the last few years and finally, last Christmas, nailed it. They are not flat like yours, but a bit puffy and cake-like. Your recipe looks good too though and I might have to try those. I will just call them something else as not to offend the molasses cookie purist (my husband, lol).Hope the finger is better today.
Enjoyed seeing your pictures here, and those cookies look quite wonderful! Very pretty header too…
Oh, Molasses cookies sound wonderful for fall!! I have also been getting a craving for Fall harvest Cake (got that recipe from you too…) YUM. The sounds, smells and flavors of fall are my fav.
I hope you are feeling better.. I had a rough day yesterday myself.. i was completely worn out! Baking is so good for the soul.. i just love to get in the kitchen and bake with the kids! Your cookies look amazing and kids and I will have to try this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. Poor little Sarah.. hope her finger is better.. I can’t believe how big Seth is.. so adorable.
I too have a recipe of the same kind of cookies my grandmother were the best
Oh, my, I made molasses cookies just today! My recipe is very similar. Also made a big batch of Oatmeal Macaroons (with oatmeal, choc. and butterscotch chips, a little molasses and cinnamon etc.) Yum! Have some ready to take to one of the schools for the teachers, took some to new neighbors, some to older neighbors, some to my kids, some to a carry-in tonight and have about a dozen for myself! And they disappeared just like THAT!
great captions!
Those cookies look and sound delicious. It’s lovely to get productive in the kitchen, especially when feeling a bit blue. Hope your feeling better.Sorry to hear Sarah was stung by a yellow jacket. We don’t have them here, just bees and wasps (I would say they are similar) and boy do they hurt. I use charcoal powder which draws out the poison. I’m going to jot down your recipe and hopefully make some today or tomorrow. God Bless, Angela (Australia).
Poor Sarah that would hurt!!! Love your picture stories!I do feel that way about recipies, and prefer the ones in my box that came from friends and relatives.Sorry about that last batch! LOL!
baking is tiring but it always seems to put me in a better mood too. In the summer it’s just too how to turn on the oven but this fall weather definitely makes me want to be in the kitchen more. I have figured out if you use parchment paper on the cookie sheets, you don’t have to wash those and your left with only the mixer bowl and a few little thing to put in the dishwasher…tip from a girl who likes to do things the easiest way :Pgreat pictures of seth too!
Can hardly wait to see you all! Love your stories of life. Hope that finger is back to normal. We have found mud or baking soda paste help with stings. Love to you, Jenny …leaving in the AM.
I’ve been stung by a yellow jacket (baby) and a wasp. I was at the pool when the bee stung me (in my armpit, as I prepared to dive – eeeek!) and the wasp sting happened at home. I immediately made a paste of baking soda and water and pat it on the sting. It kind of neutralized the venom and stopped the pain immediately. I don’t know if a bee sting is different, but, God forbid, it should happen to your family in the future, you might try that simple paste.So jealous of Jenny’s visit with you! Pouting in Oklahoma! LOL!