What to Do When It's Too Cold to Think

First thing this morning, I turned on the TV to see if there was any delays in schools.  It was supposed to be cold...no d@mn cold...today.  So cold that my middle daughter's middle school canceled their ski trip for today on TUESDAY because of the predicted windchill.  Apparently the moon was in the seventh sun, and Jupiter aligned with Mars because the weather people got it right.

This morning's temperature: -21 degrees F.  Boys and girls, that is temperature NOT wind chill.

And no, school was not canceled, or delayed (well, here.  Apparently we're of the hearty, farmer variety stock of people because down in Rochester, where SIL lives, THEY had a delay.  But they're ALWAYS closing schools down there so not surprising.)  We had a "hold your breath" moment where I MIGHT have had to run the boy to school as his truck did not initially start, but it ended up starting.  Hopefully he can get it started after school.  I got Beanie to school and came home.  A little bereft as I actually have the laundry done *shock*, AND the house cleaned *SHOCK*.  What to do, what to do...

So I got 2 lbs of mahi-mahi marinating for fish tacos for dinner.  

Going through my email today, Martha Stewart's cookie recipe of the day is Snickerdoodles and since we're out of cookies, I decided to make them.  What an easy cookie to make that almost everyone has the ingredients on hand at any given time.

Here's the recipe:
Snickerdoodles
Preheat oven to 400
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour (I use unbleached)
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Sift all ingredients together.
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter (I used salted and cut down on the salt to 1/8 tsp)
Blend together.
Add 1 1/2 cup sugar
Beat until fluffy.
Add 2 eggs
Beat til well mixed.
Add flour mixture in 1/3s.  Blend until well mixed.
Mix 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbs cinnamon in a bowl.  Measure out 1 Tbs cookie dough and roll to form a ball, roll ball in cinnamon sugar until WELL coated and put on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 for about 10-11 minutes.

 A couple things to keep in mind:
1.  you CAN replace the shortening with butter but you have to add more flour (how much more, I don't know) or the cookies will spread ALOT and be really flat.
2.  I can fit 15 cookies on a 10x15 jelly roll pan.  Plenty of room for them to spread.  Pan does NOT need to be sprayed.  Martha said to use silpat or parchment paper.  Pshaw...not necessary.
3.  My pan(s) are aluminum and light colored.  The color of your pan will determine how long you cook them (dark pans absorb heat and will cook faster and browner).  Adjust your cooking time accordingly.
4.  The cookies will puff up but then flatten out a little when they cool.
5.  The recipe was on Martha's website, but so you know, it is the exact same recipe from the Betty Crocker cookie cookbook.


The results?  All this buttery, cinnamony goodness.

 Don't think.  Just do it.