cookies! and pies! and breads! oh! my!!

My friend, Adria, is an arts instructor. She teaches children and adults in a variety of materials and methods. She herself does commissions for others, mostly preferring charcoal and pencil sketchings as her most beautiful and meaningful work. She is an amazing person, godly woman, wonderful wife, fantastic mother, and extraordinary friend.

She is bringing her two lil girls out to the farm tomorrow morning. The eldest of the two girls is nine {and a half, mizz debRAH} and she will be making a soft oatmeal cookie that will be complex enough to challenge her, but simple enough for her to make the dough and bake them with minimal assistance. She will be able to use the cookies in her own attempts to raise funds so that she can go on a week long camping trip next year. Also, cookie baking is a requirement for one of the modules she is completing for her group (which is like girl scouts, but I think is called "path finders" or some such). She's terribly excited, and memom and I have already prepared a small area for her, set aside the ingredients and got all the cups and spoons and things ready. Everyone's kitchen is their own, so she can't very well be expected to know where I keep the vanilla and the oatmeal, y'know?

Her lil sister, my lil'st friend, is four {and a half, mizzzzz debRAHHHHH}. She is very inquisitive and does not want to be left to the side on anything (and really, who can blame her?) but I want each girl to do their own cookies, so that they each have something that is really THEIRS. For my lil'st friend, I've decided on a simple recipe of three ingredients. She can open and mix all the ingredients because there is NO measuring involved. She can take her time and DO it all by HERSELF!! Which is important, y'know? Cuz she's a big girl now. Her cookies will be a soft vanilla cookie with chocolate chips. Yum! Fun to make, fun to bake, and fun to EAT!!

Memom and I have already baked pumpkin breads, soft butterscotch cookies, soft chocolate cookies with dark chocolate chips, and peanut butter oatmeal cookies with raisins. I've mixed up a batch of pina colado cookies and a double batch of soft chocolate chip cookies ready for baking in the morning. At the moment, we are listening to Alice in Wonderland and mom is tracing quilt blocks for me using a cabbage rose pattern. I am about ready to call it a night and hang my apron til the morrow!