The Polar Vortex - SABOTAGE!

Sabotage!  So, the Polar Vortex continues in Austin and it is really putting a kink in my "nutritional" aspirations.  That is, I have a desire and longing to "eat clean" (I feel healthier just using that phrase), but everything in me just wants to bake and eat cookies!  With a sudden change in the weather from pleasant winter days to hail, sleet and even a little snow, my inner Barefoot Contessa immediately came out (not that I can cook like her, but I like to eat like she cooks).  So, the cooking and eating began yesterday after I picked up my kids from school.  First, we baked my grandmother's famous "tea cakes."  These are yummy little delights that are somewhere between a shortbread cookie and a biscuit. When I was in grade school I actually didn't like really sweet things (I would much rather just have seconds on mashed potatoes!), so my grandmother would make these for me.  She would pick me up from school and when I got back to her house there they would be on the kitchen counter waiting on me.  When we made these yesterday I limited my kids (not myself unfortunately) to 2 cookies - no matter how much they whined for more, I said no.  There were no such limits when I ate these in my grandmother's kitchen as a child.  I made a pot of coffee at 5pm and enjoyed several of these little beauties...later, I enjoyed a glass (ok, maybe 2) of wine and a few more.  My plan was to do my long run today so I wasn't hugely concerned, but then my husband called and said he was stuck out of town.  So, the next day did not start with a nice long 20 miler as intended, instead, it started with cinnamon rolls!    School was cancelled after all and there were 7 kids running around my yard.  It's really about the kids.  I tried not to eat one, but seriously, it's a "snow day" I can't be expected to eat like a bird.  What if we are snowed in for days and I can't get to the store?  I better bulk up now - survival. Some days you just have to roll with it....I just got a call from my neighbor who invited us over for "comfort food" - there may have been a mention of homemade french onion soup...looks like today (and yesterday) are going to be my days to let it roll!  

Mamaw's Tea Cakes

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Shortening (yes, for real....but luckily you can use butter as alternative)

1 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 Egg

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 Tsp Cream of Tarter

1/4 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

Cream shortening/butter and sugar; then mix in egg, milk and vanilla until smooth.  Sift together all dry ingredients into a large bowl then slowly add dry mixture to the sugar/butter mix.  Mix all well.  Roll out dough onto lightly floured surface or between sheets of wax paper to about 1/8 thickness.  Cut with large round cookie cutter or large glass cup.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes.