Baking Day With Mama May Makes a Comeback and Ginger Molasses Cookies

I'm so thankful for my friend, Stephanie. 

She has been my kindred spirit, confidant and best friend for many years now. 

We laugh, we cry, we embrace multiple personalities. 

She's a fantastic mama, wife, nurse and hospitality guru. 

Her home is always open

and her heart is always so full of things to share. 

She's gifted in multiple ways and finds ways to exercise those talents. 

It's been awhile since we've done a 

"Baking Day with Mama May" 

event in our middle school ministry. 

But, Josh and I were both soooo excited when she felt it was time to bring those special times back! 

This November was the kick off. 

On the menu: 

Ginger Molasses Cookies with Icing

I've included the recipe below.

Four wonderful ladies joined us for this baking day and it was perfect! 

All went home with a huge plate of cookies they made. 

Thanks Steph for opening up your home to us!! 

I enjoyed the cookies (I was a taste tester!) so much that I have made them twice since then, once for Josh's life group and once for Thanksgiving. 

Ginger Molasses Cookies with Icing

1 1/2 c. shortening

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. molasses

2 eggs

4 tsp. baking soda

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 Tablespoon milk

Icing

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons milk

For the cookies, start by creaming together the shortening and sugar. I used a mixer which was faster than doing it by hand. Then add in the molasses, milk and eggs. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then add them to the wet ingredients. Once the dough is well mixed, roll them into small balls. You can also make them bigger, just adjust the cooking time. Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 7-9 minutes. If you want them a bit chewy, go for the shorter time. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Whisk the icing together until all of the clumps are out. Dip the top of the cookies in the icing, add sprinkles, if desired, before the icing dries. Let them sit on a cooling rack until completely dry. Store in an air tight container or distribute to friends and family! 

Mama May August 2010

Mama May

Oh February....how quickly you past me by...

February just walked away from me, so I thought I would post some pictures of happenings in February...

All through the month of February, Josh and I co-taught on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. It was a fantastic month, full of going deep, tugging on heart strings and making minds think. A good month for our youth to not check their brains in at the door. Our notes are available on our website: http://www.ocec.net/jrhigh
Scroll down to "Love Series."

We also enjoyed a Sunday baptizing four of our junior high girls, all of which I have been blessed to have in my life group this past year...A HUGE BLESSING! It was wonderful to see their families come out and support their decision as well. On the same Sunday, we deemed "Snuggie Sunday" and you guessed it, we were all decked out in snuggies and PJ's.

For Valentines Day, Josh and I made homemade pizza's and he sent me flowers at work! What a sweetheart!

Our Mama May baking day was a blast, even though only two girls were able to make it. Stephanie taught us how to make heart shaped cookies with a cream cheese frosting.

Our junior high drama team "Reel Life in Action" preformed their 2nd Mystery Dessert "Under the Big Top" as a fundraiser for our Warm Springs trip as well as to raise funds for our drama ministry.

I was also able to attend a Barlow Girl and Stellar Kart concert with two of my junior high girls and two mom's and their elementary age daughters...a great girls night out! We walked out wanting to be rock stars!

My Life Group girls also were able to do a service project where we prepared dinner for some folks staying at the church.

PS: SORRY FOR THE DOUBLES....MY COMPUTER WAS BEING WEIRD...AGAIN....