A couple of months ago, my teen daughter’s Girl Scout Troop “bridged” from Seniors to Ambassadors, the highest level in Girl Scouts. It turned out to be a lovely mother/daughter affair. For the ceremony, each girl was asked to do a small presentation to the group: read a poem, share a photo, an art project, etc. Something that could be used as a vehicle to express thoughts about their Girl Scout experience. My daughter shared her creation~ a beautiful mobile that consisted of a large ring with long strips of fabric and ribbon woven onto it vertically streaming down. It looked like a cross between a hanging lantern and a dream catcher. She explained that it represented little girls clothing and playful nature. Then she read us her poem:
The little girls like to wear ribbons in their hair.
Dancing and dreaming their way through life, they take themselves to other worlds full of mystery and magic.
Creation and exploration are their playgrounds.
Knowing no limits, their free spirits, full of love, can be seen through their smiling faces.
Don’t lose sight of that little girl who wears ribbons in her hair, because she knows you better than anyone.
How beautiful is that? I had no clue in advance to what she had prepared, but needless to say, there were a few tears and most of them were mine. In that moment, more than ever, I realized what a thoughtful, confident, insightful, introspective and wonderful young woman my daughter has grown into. Who says parenting during the teenage years is scary? Well, I admit, at times it can be, but there are also great highs and proud moments. This was one of them.
Here’s a great recipe my girl discovered through Epicurious. While not necessarily “healthy”, these cookies do contain REAL food ingredients and we all need a special treat every once in awhile. My daughter made these for her Girl Scout troop. Weeks before she and my niece baked them for my parents 60th wedding anniversary and wrapped them in beautiful tulle and violet ribbons for party favors. They looked festive and tasted heavenly. The European-style butter pushes the already incredible crumbly richness of classic shortbread to a whole new level. Since then, my daughter has made the recipe 4 times. It’s a keeper…and so is she.
Vanilla Shortbread Cookies via Bon Appetit 2003
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour (you could try Gluten Free flour, but I have not tested yet)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted European-style butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
Sift flour, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing until just blended each time. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Roll each half into 6-inch-long log; wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Position racks in top third and center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Cut each log crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on 2 heavy large baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart (cookies will spread very little). Bake cookies 9 minutes. Reverse baking sheets; bake just until cookies turn golden brown at edges, about 9 minutes longer. Cool cookies on sheets 1 minute. Using thin metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks; cool.
