Patriotic Cookies: Home is Where the Heart is

I talked about my amazing English teacher Mrs. Smith in my blog post for Williams Syndrome Awareness cookies, but she isn't the only incredible English teacher I was blessed to have in my life!  Mrs. Johnston taught me British Literature my senior year of high school.  I enjoyed her class so much, not just because we were able to talk her into getting donuts on a few occasions, but also because she was one of those teachers you could tell genuinely loved and cared about you.  Because of wonderful Facebook, I was recently able to reconnect with Mrs. Johnston!

Mrs. Johnston has family visiting all the way from Maine and Florida.  Because they don't get to make it home to Texas very often, she wanted to make them a Texas goodie bag to take back home with them.  I thought that was such a sweet idea and I was honored that she wanted my cookies to be a part of it!  Since they will be here over the 4th, a patriotic spin on the cookies was only natural.  Mrs. Johnston had seen my Going Away cookies for my friend Jenny and together we came up with the concept.



 

The stars have sanding sugar on the white border.  This not only made them pop and tie them in with the USA cookies, but it adds a nice crunch to the cookie as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy this time with your family, Mrs. Johnston, and thank you so much for letting me be a part of giving your family a little piece of Texas to bring home with them!

Going Away Cookies: Part Two

As you found out in my previous blog post, my dear friend Jenny is moving.  We had her going away party last Saturday, and I really wanted to make her something special.  I contacted the girls in the playgroup that are closest to Jenny and asked them to let me know what they are going to miss most about her.  The responses poured in and that is a true reflection in the amazing friend, mother, and person she is.  

I was inspired by subway art that I've seen a lot on Pinterest.  I try to use that look to cram all the many reasons we will miss Jenny.  I also listed ones below that didn't make it to the cookies.

·       I'll miss her laugh.

·       I'll miss seeing Mark with a peanut butter spoon.

·       I'll miss how welcoming and accepting she is.  She was one of the first moms to make me feel like a part of the group. 

·       I'll miss her playing with James & making him laugh when she knows he's driving me nuts.

·       I'll miss her warm, welcoming smile.

·       I'll miss her loud laugh. 

·       I'll miss the way she made mothering look easy. 

·       I'll miss her butterscotch oatmeal cookies. 

·       I'll really miss her at all meet-ups and get-togethers. It won't be the same.

·       I'll miss the box of HEB honey grahams she always had with her.

·       I'll miss knowing there's someone else who wants to get out every day.

·       I'll miss her outgoing personality that will step up when I am being a scaredy cat.

·       I'll miss borrowing her computer all the time.

·       I'll miss her always saying Mark and Virginia look like Cabbage Patch kids.

·       I'll miss seeing her at all the meetups. She always puts a smile on his face!

·       I'll miss her funny one liners - "I don't know if Mark is brave or stupid"

·       I'll miss the desperate "I have to get out of the house" phone calls/ fb messages.

·       I'll miss how she can make me laugh when I want nothing more than to pout and be sad.

Jenny, there are so very many reasons we will miss you, but I would need a much, much bigger cookie to share them all with you!  My heart is breaking that you are moving away, but I came across a quote that Winnie the Pooh wisely said that summed it up perfectly: 

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

Going Away Cookies: Part One

It is a very, very sad day in the Supak house.  My friend Jenny is moving away and with her she is taking her two precious boys, Mark and Luke.  

I first met Jenny back in October when she joined our play group.  Jenny is one of those people that you meet and you immediately feel like you've known her forever.  She has one of the warmest, most welcoming personalities and I am pretty sure she does not know a stranger. Also, and probably most importantly, she shares my desperation to get out of the house every day.  This means seeing her and her boys on a daily basis has become a staple in my life.  There is definitely going to be a big void once they move.  Fortunately, they are moving to College Station, which isn't too far from San Antonio, so visits are going to be frequent!  

In under three hours, we can be in College Station.  Correction- we will be in College Station for our visits!

No matter what language you say it in, it's very hard to say good bye. Hopefully, having a sweet treat will make it a little easier.