Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Leaning Libra

Life is a Lemon Drop Cookie.  Stop rolling your eyes and hear me out. 

Everyone knows the reference to bitter/sweet.  It’s used during those times that have elements of both happiness and sadness.  But I’m talking about something a little different, sweet and sour.  No bitter here.  I’m not talking about a sad element to a happy occasion or a happy element to a sad occasion.  Sweet and sour are both good, just in different ways.  How many sweet and sour candies are sold every day?  All those people can’t be wrong.

Now there are many sweet elements to having teenagers.  I can’t think of any right now but there are.  There’s plenty of sour too.  Not the bitter or unpleasant moments, I’m just referring to pucker-able moments.  When you find yourself in one of those situations that are both sweet and sour, you are at the core of what I’m getting it.  These are your Lemon Drop Cookie moments.

For instance when the School Principal calls and says he wants to talk to me about a fight that occurred after school.  Breathe in ... breathe out … Do.  Not.  Cry … breathe in ... breathe out … He wants to see the video he heard my son took of the fight.  Huh?  My kid wasn’t in a fight (he claims it was actually staged for taping), but he did use poor judgement.  A really good teaching moment (once my heart slowed down a bit).  Sweet and sour.

Or the very first time your other child takes the car. He leaves right after dinner to go to an AP review class at school. School is 1/2 a mile up, literally at the top of your street but you’re sitting at the window at 8:00 pm watching for him to come home anyway.  It's dark out and you almost miss him until he's actually pulling into your driveway… without his lights on. He’s safe, everyone else is safe, but maybe we better have a little reminder discussion.  Sweet and sour.

Lemon Drop Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe

Lemon Drop Cookies


Sour is a great taste.  We may pucker, but we smile when we do it.  It serves its purpose, to get our attention.  And sweet, well I bet there isn’t a person alive I have to sell that taste to.  But a Lemon Drop Cookie, that’s sweet and sour all at once.  The buttery sweet of the cookie, the hint of lemon in the dough and then the surprise… the crunch of a little piece of the candy.  But here’s what makes it so great.  No even split here.  It’s a UNeven balancing act. You have the power and the responsibility.  You MUST tip the scales.  There’s got to be more sweet than sour.  Always.  Because this is war and sweet MUST win.  And if I have anything to say about it, in life and in cookies, it will.


Leaning Libra | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics
Lemon Drop Cookie

                                         ©www.BakingInATornado.com



Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened                                    3/4 tsp salt
1 stick margarine, softened                              2 2/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups sugar                                            1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs                                                           1tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla                                                   6oz box of LemonHead candies, crushed
1 tsp lemon extract

Topping:  1 1/3 cups powdered sugar mixed with 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
*Cream butter, margarine, sugar, eggs, vanilla and lemon extract.
*Stir in the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powderuntil mixed.  Stir in the candy pieces. 
*Refrigerate one hour.
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cover cookie sheets with parchment.
*Roll dough into balls (makes about 50 so half of them per cookie sheet).  Place on cookie sheets and gently flatten slightly with your palm.
*Bake for approx. 11 minutes.  Cool on parchment for 2 mins before moving off cookie sheet.
*Cool cookies and brush with topping.


Adapted from cjaneinthekitchen.blogspot.com
(adapted from the cookbook “5 Star Recipes from Well-Known Latter-Day Saints”)



28 comments:

  1. Hi Karen! Have hopped over from Blogger to say hi :-)
    I loved this post, you've written it very well and enjoyed reading every word of it. My oldest is 10 so a few more years (hopefully) and I will be saying your words :-) Please tell me it's not that bad, lol.
    Have a wonderful weekend Karen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Raquel, thanks for the comment. Don't worry, it's not that bad, as long as you have a way to relieve stress...do you bake?

      Delete
  2. Life is made up of sweet and sour moments..Guess we have to embrace and learn so much from both. I remember one lesson that goes something like this: If life gives you a lemon, learn how to make a lemonade or in your case, a lemon drop cookie! Great weekend to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ric, I guess one person's lemonade is another person's Lemon Drop Cookie!

      Delete
  3. I love this article and this parallel between life and lemon cookie. Oh, and I wouldn't mind trying them of course, they look delicious. I have no kids on my own but I can clearly recognize those moments when they come :) And You are right Karen the sweet always win!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Like the cookies, Lemon Drop Cookie moments aren't just for Moms!

      Delete
  4. a post well written. I don't have kids but i know those moments will come but have seen my friend who has 3 teenagers going through this sweet and sour moments. I hope whnei get there it will not be soo bad....Nice blog and Happy Blogging :)

    http://elenee-michelle.blogspot.dk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bet if you do have kids you'll find something to make you smile through the sour moments, too!

      Delete
  5. Your post literally just blew my mind, I was reading it and then all of a sudden you told me how to make cookies, It could purely be a case of timing, but i was just thinking "i wonder how you make cookies" and Wham you tell me :).

    Life is mixed with sweet and the bitter, but i guess you need to know one to truly enjoy the other :)
    Great post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you decide to try the recipe, the cookies really are delish!

      Delete
    2. i have to get over my fear of what happened last time i tried to cook something first haha :D

      Delete
    3. If everyone is still alive you're doing as well as the rest of us!

      Delete
  6. Love the lucid and candid way you right stuff! Great blog, amazing recipe! Am gonna try this one! I always have loved the sweet/sour combination!!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. My oldest son is 13 and I keep wishing time would stand still...I know there will be many sweet and sour moments in the next few years. Your cookies look great and I love that you added crunchy candies to them!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hate that old saying "time flies" because it's so cliche, but it's just so true.

      Delete
  8. I love lemon and my Dad would go nuts for these!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These really are great, I hope yo try them!

      Delete
    2. Your Lemon Drop cookies are a runner up in the 12 Days of Christmas link up! Congrats! Feel free to stop on over for a button. Sarah

      Delete
  9. thank you for sharing the cookie recipe.. was wondering why the combo of butter/margarine? i don't usually use margarine.. wondering if i could just make them with butter?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The combo of butter and margarine is just my personal preference. You can absolutely use just butter.

      Delete
  10. Teenagers = moments of sweet AND sour. I <3 this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You would know, you've got more than double the number of teenagers I have!

      Delete
  11. Ohh those learning experiences. Every time a teacher calls or I get an email, I get stressed even before a word comes out of their mouth.

    I will tell you lemon is my favorite flavoring in most things. My mouth is now watering for those cookies. I mean literally, I almost taste the sweet and sour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, doesn't your heart just stop as soon as you realize it's someone from the school?

      And the cookies, they're a favorite for sure.

      Delete
  12. SO SO SO true!!!! We've been having a lot of those sour moments mixed in with a few sweet lately. But at least they aren't bitter! ;)

    I really want some lemon drop cookies now!!!! LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I bring an assortment of cookies somewhere,these always end up being a favorite.

      Delete

Warning: Comment at your own risk. I have Comment Moderation, meaning I approve all comments before they show up here. So go ahead, I'm not scared!