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Today was the big Cookie Exchange at work.  My first one ever.  It was so totally worth it.  I have a giant box filled with an assortment of all kinds of cookies.   Awesome!  In the words of Mr. Lou... "Best Day Ever!"  Okay so now that you know that I completed the challenge at hand and reached the ultimate prize of going home with a whopping 108 cookies let me take you back to Saturday at the start of my journey into the cookie exchange extravaganza.  I decided to make Mom's awesome gingersnap cookies.  They make a ton and are SUPER DELICIOUS, and from the recipe they appeared to be fairly easy.  I say this with a pain because me "so-called" easy cookies turned into a tear fest.  You think you are emotional ugh you got nothing on me sister.  Cookies bring me to tears every time.  As we know I don't like to bake.  I bake because it makes my kids happy but it drives me insane.  I am not good at baking and try to avoid baking at all cost.   I thought, however, that since I have watched Mom make these cookies a bazillion times I would be fine and have instant success.  I don't know what the problem was but it turned into a mess.  The first batch I cooked up were thin as rails.  They burnt up and after fanning out the smoke and dumping the cookies into the trash I tried batch number two.  For whatever reason they were sticky I mean sticky!  When I tried to roll them into loaves they stuck all over the place (and all over Lou, because he had to help me and Quinnie because she didn't want to be left out either).  I tried improvising and roll them on wax paper and then transfer the wax paper to a cookie sheet to avoid them sticking to the counter and not getting onto the cookie sheet, etc etc. blah blah blah..... umm yeah wax paper is not like parchment paper (don't use as a substitute).  These cookies also burnt to a crisp (they did rise however) I salvaged what I could and then threw the rest away.  Admist the cleanup of the sticky fingers and throwing the burnt cookies into the trash, fanning the smoke to get a clean breath and I get a phone call from Mom telling me that she was at Embassy Suites and was missing us (oh such a good story for another day)... insert tears here... she was like sorry for making you cry.  You know those moments when you just need a mom to come and save the day, boy did I have one of those, but she couldn't come because she is a million gazillion miles away.  (I know I am the one that took a job in another country.. aka NE, but I still miss being 20 min away from mom and dad).  Well, I quickly hung up, cleaned up my mess (2 batches, 120 cookies in the trash later) and went down to my room and took a nap snuggled with Quinnie.  And then the next day arrived and as much as I wanted to give up I still had to make 108 cookies for my cookie exchange, so I called my little sister for encouragment and advice and she says to me "how can you mess up gingersnaps"... really thanks Tia.  So I put my big girl panties on and tried again.  SUCCESS.  Third time was the charm and by my fourth batch (yep 240 cookies later) I believe I have mastered (okay slight exagertation) the art of the gingersnap strip.  I was so proud of my self with my individual packaged goodies  = 108 cookies for 27 people.  Until my Buffalo says to me  "I used to like the smell of gingersnaps but I think I have smelled it to much and these taste a little burnt, Grandma's are better."  OH goodness thank you Mr. Buffalo, again insert tears here.   All I could say to that was, yeah you're right Grandma's are better.   Well at least all my cookies got snatched up today at work.  I was even asked to distribute my recipe.   So I may not be the perfect baker but when push comes to shove I get the job done. 

Mom's FABULOUS "raccoon approved" Gingersnap Strips

1 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1/4 Cup molasses

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

2 Cups flour

1/4 Cup sugar

Heat oven to 375degrees.  Mix 1 Cup sugar, oil, molasses, and egg.  Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Divide dough into halves.  Shape 1 half into 2 strips about 15"x 3" about 3" apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle each strip with 1 tbsp. sugar.  Bake until edges are light brown and tops appear cracked 6-7 min. for soft cookies.  Cool 2 min. Cut each strip crosswise into 1" slices. Remove from cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Store cookies in a tightly covered dish.  Makes about 5 dozen.  ENJOY

So that's my story, hope it makes you smile.  I am such a worthless baker.  I guess I will stick to cooking dinner.  Although honestly it makes me happy when I get home from work and C has something simmering away on the stove.  Makes me heart smile!  He is so good to me.  Maybe someday I'll get my groove back. But for now I am okay eating my husband's cooking, mom's baking, and my sister's homemade goodies!  I am so spoiled!!!!!  LOVE it.