My guilty pleasure........

Ever since I can remember the process of baking cookies made it all better. If I was sad, heart broken or lonely my mom would bring me into the kitchen and we would bake.

We sometimes did not even talk. My mom did things from scratch. I love organizing the bowls, spoons, all the ingredients. Feeling the oven warm.

By the time the mixing started whatever was weighing my heart down do not seem so big.

Our favorite Cookie Recipes :

Spicy Hermits: 1/2 cup Crisco shortening, 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed), 1 large grade a egg, 2 tablespoons water.

cream shortening and sugar, mix in egg, then water, set aside.

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 3/4 cup raisins, 1/2 cup broken walnuts.

pre-heat oven to 375, sift together dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture, stir in raisins and nuts, Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Make about 40 cookies.

Our kitchen was a focal point not just for bad or sad times but celebrations as well.

Ever year my Dad had Pie frenzy. He would bake so many flavors all from scratch. all pie dough had to be done by scratch. Apple, pumpkin, chocolate, pecan, peach, banana cream, and on and on.

We had so much joy in that space, the gang all chipped in. Neighbors, family, friends from near and far.

My Dad past away in 1991 and my mom moved to O.K. to be close to her sister, my brothers and sisters are all scatter about , even my kids are grown and off doing their own thing. So now it is just me, but I still bake.

My sister, Sheila, has kept the pie frenzy going but she renamed it pie fest and all the neighbors in Scottsdale can't wait to dig in.

Coming up next issue our favorite fourth of July cake and drinks.

Lisa Sabrina Fults

Special Ts and Sports