When I started this $1,200 challenge at the beginning of the month I forgot that we would have to celebrate Father's Day and Jacob's 5th birthday this month. We never throw elaborate bashes or buy real expensive presents anyway but this time around we needed to be more creative.
For Father's Day today I am making Ben a steak dinner (steak, hot dogs for the kids, sweet corn, breadsticks, pea salad, and cut up strawberries.) which will only cost $14-$15 for all of us. You can barely buy one dinner for that price at a restaurant.
I found a DVD set of All In The Family in my closet that I had intended to give him for Christmas but gave him today instead. Since we don't have cable he likes to watch shows that he used to watch on cable when he was younger. Shows like Sanford and Son, The Cosby Show, All In The Family, Three's Company, Seinfeld, and so on. I typically get him a season or two of a show for Christmas and his birthday. I've found the best prices to be on Deep Discount and the shipping is always free. I'm not getting paid to advertise for them, I just really like their website. And I hear that until tomorrow you can get 25% off many titles by just entering code 25MORE when checking out. See more details at their site.
For my dad I decided to make a double batch (it ended up being about four dozen cookies) of his all time favorite cookie (well, it probably ties with peanut butter cookies). He loves the Ginger Snaps that I started making a few years ago. As a matter of fact, everyone who tries them loves them and they are so simple to make. He can hide them from everyone else in the family by freezing them and pulling one out whenever he likes. :)
Ginger Snaps
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1 c. white sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/3 c. white sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl mix together 1 c. sugar and oil. Add egg and beat well. Stir in molasses. Ass 2 cups flour, baking soda, and spice.
Shape dough into small balls. Roll in 1/3 c. sugar. Place 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until tops crack.
My biggest hint is to use Organic Blackstrap Molasses. It has a different taste and everyone who has tried to duplicate my recipe says theirs don't taste anything like mine (since they use regular molasses). It has to be the differences in molasses. This picture was of cookies made without the organic blackstrap molasses since I was out. They turn out much lighter than the ones I make with the organic stuff and they do taste different. Still yummy...just not the same!
What did you all do to celebrate Father's Day?
I love those cookies! I have a recipe that I love...I'll have to get it out and compare! :o)
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