Working off the Blahs!

I have been feeling a mite poorly as of late so in order to get my mind off of my ailing body, I needed to find something to do.  There had to be something that I could do that would not involve high physical labor but where I could at least feel a bit productive during this lapse in energy.  I had no inclination whatsoever to go outside in the muggy heat nor did I wish to drag out the mop and bucket.  My ideal task for the day would be something low energy but with a lot of showy productivity!  I had to make folks at least think I was doing something important!  So....I baked!  Baking is one of those things that I find truly relaxing.  It lets my mind wander to wherever it desires.  As long as I keep some semblance of order with a recipe, it usually turns out well..at least edible!  Today, however, I would follow a recipe closely since the brain seemed a bit addled.

While searching for a suitable recipe, I came across a very old, ragged cookbook.  It was just a binder that was filled with newspaper and magazine clippings and handwritten recipes.  Each recipe either had "Good!" or "Bad" inked in beside it.  This tickled me a bit as I wondered just why the "Bad" recipes were kept in the first place!  Why not just toss something that tasted horrendous instead of keeping it and going through the trouble of labeling as such?  It did make life easier for me, however!  The old cookbook once belonged to a lady named Mrs. Cora Elmer Enochs.  She was a friend of the family's from way..way back. All throughout this cookbook were recipes labeled as Mrs.Cerenich's Pecan Pie or Mrs.Nekoris' Apple Snow (?) or Elsie's Pickled Cucumbers. Pages were dedicated to helpful tips! Things like "Using starch as a cleanser", "How to clean brass" and "How to get rid of Pill Bugs"! (The Pill Bug thing was almost disconcerting as it called for " bran, molasses and arsenic".  This was to be mashed together and spread on the baseboards inside your house!  Hmmm..not sure I want to go around spreading arsenic, bran and molasses around my house!)  Still, I thumbed through the pages until I found one recipe that was rather interesting.  "Lemon Spritz Cookies" sounded yummy!  I read down the ingredients..seemed simple enough...uhhhh..cornmeal?  I had never had cookies made with cornmeal before so this was chosen!

Later, the taste test!  The Lemon Spritz Cookies were actually quite tasty!  The texture was a bit different but once I got over the "grit" feeling, I found that I liked the tidbits! The Lemon Spritzes were set on the table next to some Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches that I had made as an experiment!  They, too, were tasty!   The question, though, was about the cornmeal creations. I called Michael downstairs..his would be the decisive vote..keep the recipe or mark with a "Bad".  He agreed that the texture would take a bit of getting used to but the overall taste was palatable!  (His word.)  I will be honest and say that although he found them "palatable", he immediately filled a plate with the Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches and headed back upstairs. That stands to reason though, as I find that most young men love chocolate and well, the cookie sandwiches were cream-filled and three inches in diameter!  More more of a man-sized cookie than my small Lemon Spritzes!  I think I will delve back into Mrs. Enochs' cookbook and while away the hours while trying to recuperate from my malady!