SugarPlum's Playdate

In the mid-1950's, Dr. Seuss was working his magic as a producer of children's books. As I grew up in the 1960's, I read most of them (How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Green Eggs & Ham, The Cat in the Hat, Hop on Pop, etc.). I outgrew Dr. Seuss before I could get around to reading Horton Hears A Who!

Well, I can now add this book to my booklist since I had occasion to check out the movie version on Saturday night when I took the SugarPlum and one of her girlfriends out on a playdate, so their mothers could have a Mom's Night Out.

So while they gorged on nachos, popcorn, Twizzlers, and Coca-Cola's, I sat intently and took in the magic that was Horton. The movie has a pretty simple premise: Horton comes across a speck which houses Whoville, but no one believes him. It was a pretty cool concept where the largest animal in the jungle has to protect the smallest speck. The moral of the story: a person is a person, no matter how small.

Surprise. Surprise. It works... probably the best children's movie that I've seen since Shrek 2! Excellent, well made flick with a cool message. Unfortunately, the SugarPlum and her friend were more enamored with their brush with celebrity since we went to the same movie theater that hosted the premier of Tyler Perry's latest flick (Meet the Browns): "We met Tyler Perry! We met Tyler Perry! We met Tyler Perry!" I guess all the kids in her class will know more about the us not being on the guest list to meet Tyler Perry than about Horton and Mayor of Whoville.

After the movie, we traipsed over to Johnny Rockets for some burgers and milkshakes. We rode home with the two of them singing along with the "High School Musical 2" soundtrack. We made it home a scant two hours before their mothers rolled in.

Incidently, Horton Hears a Who was the top grossing movie of the weekend with $45 million in receipts!

SugarPlum & Candy Cane Cookies

The SugarPlum's school is out this week for the holidays. For the past couple of days, SugarPlum and one of her friends from her class are engaged in an extended playdate (3 days and counting...). Monday was the movie "Enchanted" and shopping at the mall. Yesterday was "Alvin & The Chipmunks" and shopping at the mall. Today was the Waffle House for breakfast, accompanying me to the barbershop, a couple of intense rounds of Hullabuloo, getting their nails did (my daughter has a small Christmas tree painted on her big toe nails), whipping up some chocolate milkshakes, and baking some cookies out of her friend's Christmas Cookies Cookbook.

Imagine the division of labor between 6- and 7-year old Montessori School students while trying to modify a recipe on the fly, successfully mixing all of the ingredients, facilitating the construction of candy canes made of dough, and then baking one batch of cookies. One breaks the eggs, while the other mixes them in a bowl. One measures the flour, while the other measures the sugar. I added the peppermint extract to the recipe, so that the cookies will taste more like a real candy cane.

The girls didn't appreciate the final product (it was more fun making them and they didn't look enough like a candy cane to them), but my wife and I really enjoyed the cookies. They are buttery, light, with a hint of almond and peppermint in each bite. I'll have a few tonight with a glass of milk after the girls are tucked into bed.

plezWorld Candy Cane Cookie recipe:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon red food coloring

Beat together sugar and margarine until creamy with an electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract; set aside. Mix flour and baking powder; stir into butter & sugar mixture. Divide dough in halves: mix almond extract to one half, mix peppermint extract and food coloring with the other half. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Divide each half into 32 pieces; (and here comes the hard part) roll each into a 5-inch rope. Twist together one red and one plain rope and bend end to form candy canes. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container. Makes 2-1/2 dozen candy canes.

I have no idea what tomorrow will bring!