With Love, Sugar Cookies

If you were ask me what my childhood memories of Valentine's day are, first I would tell you how  it stressed me out trying to make sure I didn't give the boys in class lovey dovey valentine card. In the 90's,  Valentines were just more romantic, not like the generic ones they have now. Hmm...... maybe that's why I ended up marrying one of those boys! (A total good thing by the way!!)  

Anyways, in second grade I had fruit themed valentine cards (yes, fruit themed, I'm sure my Mom found them on clearance the March before).  I painstakingly made sure that the boys' cards were very clear about me NOT being in love with them. I felt pretty confident in my choices, so I placed the valentines into each decorated box. While I was enjoying my haul of conversation hearts, it started..... the snickering. The boys were in a huddle giggling and saying "Lacee thinks that you and her go together like peaches and cream! HAHAHA!". Oh! The humiliation of being accused of thinking Eric & I went together like peaches and cream when I certainly DID NOT think we went together like peaches and cream! Poor Eric's face was red and I had a renewed dislike for this stupid day. Not even the compliments and sugar from the conversations hearts were worth this humiliation. And that's coming from a girl who LOVES compliments and sugar!
        The second memory I would share with you, is  that after the stressful day at school I would come home to the house smelling like these cookies. The scent of sugar & butter & a pinch of nutmeg would welcome me as if to say "It's ok, you're home now". In fact, this happened every Valentine's Day. While I was away at school, dodging cupid's arrows, Mom was home adding baking these lovelies to her (already way too long) to do list. When we got home, she would have some of them frosted and ready to enjoy. The rest we would get to decorate, nothing too extravagant, mostly Red Hots and pink frosting. There in Mom's kitchen basking in her warmth, devouring cookie after cookie. It's no wonder food is my love language!

So let's getting bakin!

 (Bonus points if you actually have a little sweetheart to "help"!)

Mom's Cut Out Sugar Cookies

1 1/4 cup butter softened

2 eggs

4 tsp baking powder

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

5 cups flour

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

Cream butter, sugar, & eggs, beat until nice and fluffy. Stir together dry ingredients and add to butter mixture alternately with milk. 

If dough is sticky, add flour until easy to work with. 

Roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8 minutes or until puffed, but not browned. 

Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing. 

Yield: Approximately 5 dozen cookies (yes, 5 dozen and growing up, we made sure not a single one of them saw February 15th!)

That's how thick I like to roll em!

Here you can see what I mean by puffed, but not browned.

 Oh my heart! Look at that soft cookie and the specks of nutmeg!

By the way, while I am partial to these on Valentine's Day, you certainly can make them anytime you want to show someone some love!

Mom's Potato Soup

        This soup plays a very important role in my life, seriously. Mom made this soup often during our 9 month long winters that we have in beautiful Montana. And it just so happened that a certain cute boy would come home with me and eat Mom's potato soup. In fact, this boy loved this soup so much that he just knew he had to have it for the rest of his life! So, he asked the daughter of the holder of the recipe to marry him! And that's our love story, in a nutshell or in a bowl, I don't know.
        Luckily for me, this recipe is so easy, which is probably why Mom fed us it so often. Now I get to make it often, including every birthday for the past couple years for our oldest son. He too totally falls for me when I bring this soup to the table! So give it a try, see what it'll do for you!

  Mom's Potato Soup
6 potatoes diced
1 onion diced
4 celery stalks diced
 2 chicken bouillon cubes or 5 cups chicken broth
 8oz cream cheese
 2 12oz cans evaporated milk
1/2 cup bacon crumbles

 Add veggies to 5 cups water, with bouillon cubes, or broth. Bring to a boil and cook until veggies are tender, around 15 minutes. Turn heat to low, add cream cheese, allow to melt*. Next add evaporated milk and bacon, heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
 Enjoy!

*Note: I like the cream cheese fully incorporated while my husband likes to find little morsels of cream cheese in his soup.
 Disclaimer: The "magical" power of this soup is not guaranteed. Sorry.