Wicked Good

I have some "Wicked" good stuff to share this weekend.  I had the best early weekend with my favorite daughter, mom, and sister.  Now I only have one of each of these gals, so therefor I can make the statement that they are truly my favorites!!  My mom recently celebrated her 29th birthday again,  (actually she is 61, and beautiful as can be.) and Hollie suggested we make a mother daughter night of it and go see Wicked.  I have heard all about this play from Hollie, Katie, and my jogging bud Erin.  All three said it was "amazing!" and a must see.  Well Wicked is coming to SLC next week and we thought that was the perfect time to see it, but..... Any of you who tried to get tickets know it was sold out in a few hours, and the tickets that are being sold now are at outrageous prices.  Hollie called to say she found 6 tickets for $500.  Wow! Until we found out it was $500 per ticket.  Not for the 6 together.  We soon decided that making a trip to Portland OR. for the play was the way to go.  We had amazing seats.  3rd. row back almost dead center.  We could have seen Glinda's panties if we wanted too we were so close.  It was so great.  The music is great and Emma and I haven't been able to stop singing all weekend.  At my house when there are only children and husbands around I sound just like Elphy, and Glinda.  It is amazing how good I sound.  I don't know why I wasn't cast for the show:)  

We had a ton of fun.  We even did a little shopping.  That is a little out of character for me or my mom, but Emma was having so much fun.  She got a cute new outfit for the play that night and she was stunning.   Hollie and my mom got hit on by some man on our way back to the hotel, and that was quite exciting.  Actually a little scary, but nothing came of it.  I even wore high heels for the occasion.  They killed my piggies, but it was the look I was going for.  When my friend Erin went with her sisters they all bought slut boots for their show.  You know...the pointy patent leather boots that only go half way up your leg.  Very sexy!  I almost took Erin up on her offer of letting me wear hers, but instead I went for the heels.  My fabulous neighbor Collette will be very proud of me when I tell her:)

I was trying to think of a recipe to go along with this post and I came up with the perfect one. Since I was with my favorite sister this week I thought I would share her talents with you. Hollie is a fantastic cook.  If I have a good recipe it is usually from her.   I can always count on her for a great recipe idea.  Every time I have a Macey's class to teach, Hollie is the first one to be called for an idea.  She never disappoints.  Whenever I get a new recipe from her I rarely give her any credit.  I usually take it all. That's the only good thing about her living in Boise.  No one knows her, or that I have a secret arsenal of recipe wealth in her.  Can you imagine if she lived in my area.  Everyone would know who the true cook was:)  When I was barely married it was Hollie who I told that one day I wanted to go to a church pot luck and have everyone there say, "Did you taste Lisa Clawson's da da da da da?"  That is still the Garner family joke, and at most of our family gatherings that comment is repeated over and over and over.  

Hollie is the best cookie maker in the world.  When we were younger she made cookies all the time.  She says she never learned to cook until she went away to college, but she was born knowing how to make cookies.  One of my favorite Garner classics is the Snickerdoodle.  This recipe actually came from the cooking 4H we took as kids.  Every week about 9 little girls would meet at a different home and learn a new cooking technique.  To this day I still remember a lot of the rules and recipes we learned in 4H.  It was a valuable class for a bunch of giggly little girls.

This Snickerdoodle is a bit different than the cinnamon sugar coated ones you are used to. There is highly secret ingredient in them that makes them "Wicked!"  Almond extract.  That is a Garner secret ingredient.  It goes into everything.  Orange juice, whipped cream, and Snickerdoodles.  Sometimes it even goes into Black Forest Trifle, but that is another fabulously funny post!  The Snickerdoodles will become your new favorite, and think of Hollie when you make them.  She is the cookie goddess.  All size 6 of her.  (Crap maybe she's a 4!  But she is the cutest cookie maker you'll meet!)  

Snickerdoodles the Wicked Garner Way

1 c. shortening

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 c. flour

1 t. soda

2 t. cream of tartar

1/2 t. salt

2 t. almond extract

Cream the first three ingredients together.  Add the rest and mix until combined.  Roll cookies in just sugar and bake at 400' F. for 8-10 mins.  The best!   Another favorite is to add the zest of 1 lemon to the dough and lemon extract instead of almond.  Fantastic!!