Today is our youngest son's 24th birthday. Where has the time gone? I really don't know. He came into our life as a very big surprise, but he has been a joy and a blessing to us. We had two daughters aged 15 and 13, and a son aged 10 when Tyler was born. He always thought he was grown up because he spent so much of his time with his siblings and their friends. He was only one year old the summer of our hometown's first all city summer musical, Music Man. Dress rehearsal week, he sat in my lap ever so still. Watching, listening, learning. The next summer when he was 2, he could sing tidbits of the songs from Hello Dolly by the end of that first week. He was totally absorbed in all the acting, dancing and music that he was surrounded by. He was in his first show at age 3 as a child in a burning house in The Outsiders. That same year, he danced with the villagers from Anatevka in Fiddler on the Roof. He looked like a cricket up on the stage, dancing in a circle with everyone, but he knew the choreography! He was hooked.
Tyler played basketball, baseball and football. His grandpa took him to play golf and saw that he had lessons. He is blessed with natural athletic ability, but when it came time to decide which sport to play in high school, he chose acting, singing and dancing. What a surprise! He also is blessed with a beautiful voice and participated in the school choir. His athletic abilities give him a natural grace on stage.
Now, he is all grown up, working in Nashville, writing songs, singing when the opportunity arises, others are singing his songs. We went to lunch today, taking Tyler and his girlfriend to a terrific barbecue restaurant of his choosing. I watched his easy smile, listened to his wicked sense of humor and admired his good looks. How could it have possibly been 24 years ago. Where is that sweet little boy with the curly hair, standing on the hearth of the fireplace singing into the poker from the fireplace tools?
He is all grown up and his mother could not love him any more.
Because we were always on a limited budget, I did not buy many prepared foods - especially snack foods . Everything was baked from scratch. Not only was it cheaper, it was healthier if that is possible when it comes to sweets. At least there were no preservatives or corn syrup in what they ate. I did sometimes cheat on frosting because of time constraints. Tyler's favorite cookies are a from a recipe I found many, many years ago in a magazine. Could not tell you what magazine any more. The recipe is written in my book I started 41 years ago when we were first married. It is tattered, stuffed full of cut out magazine recipes, and pieces of paper. There are no empty pages to write on any more and haven't been for years. I keep a rubber band around it to keep it from exploding. Whenever it was Tyler's turn to choose what I was going to bake, he always chose these cookies.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 pkg large marshmallows, cut in half with kitchen scissors, approximately 18 whole marshmallows for 36 1/2 marshmallows.
1 can fudge frosting mix.
To make:
Sift dry ingredients together. Beat well by hand vegetable oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, milk and add to dry ingredients. Do not use a mixer. Add nuts. Drop by spoonsful onto greased cookie sheet. After baking 8 minutes at 350, remove from oven and press 1/2 marshmallow into each cookie. Return to oven 2 minutes longer. Cool and frost. This recipe makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.
You can frost with homemade chocolate buttercream frosting, which I have done. I often use Duncan Hines fudge frosting. It's quicker and easier. This recipe doubles easily. These cookies were always requested by our friends at get togethers. They are really, really good! The cookie has a brownie like texture and there is the hidden surprise of the marshmallow when you bite into them.
Thanks for letting me walk down memory lane today. I hope you will give Tyler's favorite cookies a try, especially if you have a birthday celebration anytime soon. I know you will love them!!
Everyday Donna
Things to Remember:
There is nothing better than cookies and milk, unless it's cookies and a cup of hot coffee! Yum!! And, they will always make you think of someone you love.
