Ode to my Grandma DeeDee and one of her awesome recipes

I have been blessed with 2 sets of amazing grandparents that I love dearly. I have never lived close to them--most of my life I have lived about a 2 days drive away, except during college when I was 45 minutes away. They have all had a huge impact on my life and influenced me in so many ways even though we never lived close. This should give hope to those who do not live near Grandpa or Grandma. You don't need to live close to make them an important part of your child's life. Anyway, today I want to tell you about one of my amazing grandparents--DeeDee, my grandma. Legend tells that the name DeeDee came from me. I was privileged enough to be the oldest of many grandchildren on that side, and when I was starting to talk my family members kept trying to get me to say "Dearie" for DeeDee because for some reason the women in my family don't like the name "Grandma" it makes them feel old, thus we have a Dearie, a DeeDee and a Nana instead of Grandmas on my mom's side. Anyway, DeeDee's mom was called Dearie, and she wanted to be called the same, but being the young tyke I was, I couldn't get Dearie out, instead it came out "DeeDee", and she said "That is good enough" and it stuck. Any of my family members can correct me on this story if I am wrong, but that is the way I was always told it :)

DeeDee is an amazing person. She is the stuff legend is made of. If she had one penny for every cookie she has made in her life, she would be a multi-millionaire--I kid you not. She can whip up a batch of the world's best chocolate chips cookies with her eyes closed in no time flat. She would have a small fortune for all the money she has spent on chocolate chips. Many of you have not met her personally, but you know of her amazing generosity and talents, cookies, hot pads, pillowcases--just to name a few. A few years ago she called me up and asked how many friends I had and how many kids each of those friends had. For years I have been in a Girls Night Out group where we get together once a month. DeeDee knew of my GNO friends, and so I counted up friends and kids and gave her the number. In a matter of weeks I received a box full of 24 handmade by DeeDee Christmas pillowcases with a special poem that goes with them (the poem and pillowcase story will have to wait for another post--it is great). So I got to play Santa and hand out Christmas pillowcases to all my friends' kids. Then a few years later she called me up again with the same questions "How many friends do you have?" I gave her the number, and a few weeks later I received another box full of sets of crocheted hot pads. Again I got to play Santa and give out homemade hot pads to all my friends. My friends like DeeDee, I think :)

DeeDee's cookies are amazing. She has made them and sent them all over the world when different children and grandchildren have gone traveling, or to different friends all over the world. Growing up we always got packages from DeeDee filled with individually wrapped chocolate chip cookies or her frosted sugar cookies. Individually wrapped--you know you are loved when you get an individually wrapped cookie! She has probably spent a small fortune on plastic wrap too. DeeDee is so great at sending packages. I remember once when I was in high school I was away from home for a month in the summer at a nerd camp. DeeDee sent me packages while I was there. One of those packages had a big package of blue and white BYU labeled peanut M&Ms. Where did she find those? I have no idea, but I still have the package wrapping in my scrapbook. It was just awesome beyond words to get those being so far from home, and you all know what a big BYU fan I am :) I think I cried. Anyway, the point of this post is to honor an amazing woman, and I hope to be like her when I grow up. The last couple of years have been challenging for DeeDee because she lost the sight in one eye, but she didn't let that slow her down. She still makes cookies, hot pads, pillowcases, and sends packages. Her faith, love, and generosity inspire me and my family. This Friday she has to have surgery on her shoulder from the fall she took when she visited us last month (see my older posts), and I know she would appreciate your prayers. She is amazing--like I said, the stuff legend is made of. My cookies never taste quite as good as hers, but I keep trying. I haven't meet a chocolate chip cookie I didn't like, but I wanted to share with you her sugar cookie recipe. I have tried many different sugar cookie recipes, and this is by far the best. DeeDee always frosts them with a cream cheese frosting, which makes them just divine, but a butter cream works well too if no cream cheese is to be found :) When I was making my pumpkin shaped cookies last week, this is the recipe I used. I hope you enjoy and feel the love from DeeDee!

DeeDee's Sour Cream Cookies (okay, I have no idea why they are called Sour Cream cookies, because DeeDee never uses sour cream in them, but if you ever ask her for the recipe she will call them Sour Cream cookies, so I am just passing it on. . .)

1/2 cup blue bonnet margarine, or butter

1 cup sugar

3 1/4 cups flour

1 tes baking powder

1/2 tes. soda

1/2 tes. salt

1/4 tes. nutmeg

1/2 cup sour cream (but DeeDee and I don't use that, we use 1/2 cup milk plus 1 Tbl vinegar mixed together)

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Add dry ingredients alternating with milk/sour cream. Flour surface and roll 1/4 inch thick, but with cookie cutters. Bake 425 for 5-6 minutes--bottom should be a pretty golden brown--not dark.