Black pepper cookies...who'd have thunk?

Do you ever collect recipes, thinking to yourself, "Oh, I HAVE to try this!" You save the recipe and there it sits, in your recipe box, or book, or Pinterest board. The problem with those recipes, if you didn't try it beforehand, is you didn't try it beforehand so you have no idea how it will turn out. Time marches on. Then one day, you see that recipe you had to have so long ago and finally decide today is the day. And when you do, one of two things will happen; it will either take you totally by surprise and be shockingly, mouth watering, yumminess. Or it will be a total flop. 

Those are the kind of recipes I tend to collect. And this is one that I've had for at least fifteen years, if not longer. I know this because it's a Marlboro Country Store recipe, that likely came from a carton of cigarettes I purchased before I quit in 2004.

While sorting through Christmas cookie recipes this month, I came across this recipe as I do every year. This time, I decided to give it a try.

Who knew black pepper works so well in a cookie? It does, and these are amazingly good. Everyone who tries them, wants more. They remind me of a ginger snap cookie, with just a hint of warmth from the black pepper.

Surprise.

File this under, you just never know...

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Sentimental Gifts

For the subject of this week's photo shoot, John Scalzi asked us to share a photo of a treasured gift.  After giving it much thought, the choice was obvious. 
The figurines below are all from my sister, Chris.  Silly as it may sound, I treasure each one, and they mean the world to me...because they are from her.  The oldest is the little girl hugging a bird, with the word 'Love' written on the base.  If my memory serves me right, Chris gave this to me sometime between 1982-1984.  Next are two cats from Avon, which she gave me in 1986, the year we fulfilled a childhood dream of getting an apartment together.  And last, but not least, is the pair of jumping dolphins, which I believe she gave me about ten years ago.

I'm not really a nicknack person, but I love these.  And with the exception of a small chip on the Siamese cat's ear, I've taken extra good care of them over the many years.  There was one other gift Chris gave me many years ago, for Christmas in 1978, the year our mother died.  It was the first Christmas we ever spent apart.  For years it was my most treasured gift ever and I had it for almost 30 years.  But a few years ago it was accidently destroyed.  It was a simple small plaque, with a color drawing of a little bunny sitting in a witch's type kettle, over a raging fire, with a very worried look on it's face.  Next to the drawing were the words, "I'm in a stew without you."  I loved it, because I felt the same way.
To some people, they are just junk.  To me, these simple gifts are a token of my sister's love and appreciation...for who I am, what I am, and what I'll always be, to her.  They are me, and they serve as a constant reminder of the memories we've made together over the years.  Whether together, or apart.