What I Did While the President Was Bullshitting the Rest of the Country

I had much more important things to do. First off, my eleven year old niece usually stops off at my house after school in the afternoon. She stops by to say hello and practice the piano (and the drums now too). We goof around and she often helps me out at the barn and even in the truck patch. She's a great kid. The relationship of the maternal uncle is one of the most important family connections in traditional Apache culture. As the uncle it's my job to make sure that she knows there is always an adult who is completely on her side. Even if I think she's done something wrong, I'm on her side. That's how it works. Before she left to go home this afternoon I got a call from my sister saying that they had something come up with my nephew that required them to go to the high school. Could the girl stay with me? Of course she can.

We goofed around. Fed the horses, picked some veggies from the garden, played with the dogs, went in and fixed dinner. I looked at the clock and it was Presidential bullshitting time. I decided to watch the Spurs/Nuggets game instead. I like Alan Iverson a lot more than George Bush. As a matter of fact A.I. would probably make a better president. I mean, after all, he's been in the league for a while now and he hasn't lost his temper and killed Dick Bavetta for some of the stupid game changing calls he makes, but I digress. I like Tim Duncan more than George W. Bush too, but he's from the Virgin Islands and couldn't be President. We could make an amendment to allow it but that would open the door for both Arnold and Henry Kissenger. Better to leave that door closed.

Since the big screen TV and the HD box are best viewed from the kitchen that's where we were. My niece loves sports. She's a gritty little striker in her local soccer league and loves baseball too. She started really getting into the game. I told her when the Nuggets come down to Phoenix we'll work it out with her parents so she can come to the game with me.

Being a multitasker, while the game was on we decided to make cookies. Not just any cookies mind you, but cookies with a family history. These are "Pal" cookies. My youngest sister was a real surprise to my folks. She came along well after we thought there weren't going to be any more kids. She was very bright, and growing up in a house that was mostly full of people that were way older than her she was also very articulate. She wanted to do big people stuff. She didn't just want older brothers and sisters, she wanted Pals. One of the things she would do with me was cook. One time while we were making these particular cookies she said "We're doing this together because we are pals. These are my Pal Cookies." They've been that ever since. My niece said "Let's make some Pal Cookies." I said "Of course my darling."

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup baker's sugar (regular ganulated will do)
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (and I do hope that you're grinding your spices fresh by now)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (dried and ground works here though)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
brown and baker's suger mixed half and half

Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer on medium. Reduce the speed to a stir and add the molasses and the egg. Mix at a stir until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, one at a time and increase the speed to medium again. You should have a beautiful, fragrant dark brown soft dough that begins to clean the side of the bowl. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

(We're going to do this part tomorrow afternoon)

Heat the oven to 375° and take the dough from the fridge. Pinch out and roll it into one inch balls, roll the balls in the loose half and half mixture of brown and white sugar and put onto a well greased baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. This makes about four dozen. Have plenty of milk or Earl Grey tea handy.

The Spurs won. I bet the President was his usual stupid lying asshole self. My niece and I had a great time.

3B's