"Sunny" Florida?

We’re again in Florida to spend the holidays with our grandsons. Seeing our daughter and her husband as well is a nice bonus. Avoiding the Montana winter is also very much appreciated, although so far the Montana winter hasn’t been bad. However, Florida is currently cooler than we’re used to, with grey skies and winds reminiscent of home. They received a paltry 2.65” of rain yesterday.

Recently, in one of my columns, I mentioned how two of our three daughters have vastly outdone me in plant acquisitions. I believe this Florida girl of ours has the most. And she’s constantly propagating more from plants she already owns. There are multiple rooting glasses here and there in the house. The wind has been knocking over a couple huge plants on the lanai. One is remaining tipped over for now, the other has been moved closer to the house “until the wind stops,” which at home, would be permanently. (I left my huge aloe vera pot tipped on its side almost all summer.)

We haven’t really done much here, yet. We arrived Thursday afternoon, and were whisked off to the older grandson’s hockey practice. We then watched his team win two games Saturday. He had three assist on their four goals in the first game. There’s a parent/child scrimmage with the younger boys’ team Monday evening we’ll watch.

I’m not up to doing plant research on this lazy Sunday, so I’ll fill my space with this recipe I used recently. I brought a few of these cookies along with us to help me survive the long flights when there wasn’t time between the two to purchase any food. Dennis had his own treats. And ginger is good for you (helps settle the stomach among other benefits), and I can attest these cookies taste great.

Lemon Ginger Cookies

1 2/3 C flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 C sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 Tbl lemon juice

1 Tbl lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbl finely minced crystallized ginger

Whisk the first five ingredients together and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together, about 1 minute. Add in the egg, juice, and zest. Beat on high, scraping down the sides often, until combined. Add the dry to the wet on low until combined. Roll scant tablespoons of dough into balls. Dip the tops lightly into the crystallized ginger. Place on a plate, cover, and chill at least 1 hour, up to 4 days.

Bake at 350°, 3” apart, for 11-13 minutes. Sides should be lightly browned but the centers will still look soft. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then fully on wire rack. Drizzle with a glaze made of 3/4 C powdered sugar with 1 1/2 Tbl lemon juice. If too thick, add more juice. If too thin, add more sugar. Will stay fresh, covered, up to 3 days at room temp, or 1 week in the fridge. Or freeze up to 3 months.

You can leave out the ginger (both kinds) and allspice to make just lemon cookies. But I haven’t done that. The original recipe author swears that will work.