Karen's Dangling Conversation

A few weeks ago I and a few of my cute co-workers decided to go for a "Girl's Spa Day"! We booked "Bodywraps" and talked about it for weeks, how fun it would be and how many inches we would lose. When they asked if we all wanted to be in the same room we replied sure..it would be more fun that way. We were pumped! The big day arrives and we show up at the appointed hour....little did we know. We each had our own personal body wrapper who escorted us into one big room with four beds and said, "Okay, take off your clothes!" We looked at each other, looked at them and said, "Ummmm, we are not that kind of friends." Hailey didn't mind as she was the only one with regular unmentionables. The rest of us had to don the "paper underwear" that they keep for just such occasions....oh my, it was like wearing a paper thong! We begged for robes...an essential part of any spa experience I have ever had...and were brought some towels ...

I sometimes fantasize about what my favorite Valentine's Day might look like. It is after all my favorite holiday including Christmas. Is it the hearts? How could you find a cuter thing to decorate with....and the colors....some of my favorites, pinks & reds. Is it the tastes? Chocolate, sugar cookies, and more chocolate....yummmmm! Or is it the inevitable flowers that come to my door? Well....maybe! Is it the chance to return to my childhood and play with paper, cutting it into beautiful valentines and frosting sugar cookies? I think so! It's not just one of those things it is all of it together...it is the anticipation of...is he going to remember this year? It is the beauty of he did and it is fantastic! It is writing love notes to my kids and choosing special little gifts to say I love you. It is holding hands after a romantic meal and then walking off into the sunset together. It is a special day to hold all whom I love near and dear. It is a whimsical c...

One of my favorite Valentine treats is a good old fashioned soft sugar cookie decorated in real butter cream frosting. I have the mother of all sugar cookie recipe. It is an old pioneer recipe calling for lard, I use butter and it makes a mammoth amount of cookies, which is perfect for Valentine's so when you give plates and plates away you still have plenty to eat! I top them knee deep in homemade butter cream frosting...yum lots of butter and real vanilla. The perfect loving touch is to decorate them in light pink and white frosting adding any accessories such as sprinkles or colored sugar as needed. It is deeevine! Give it a try anytime but especially for Valentine's Day! Auntie's Sugar Cookies From Famous Mormon Recipes by Winnifred Jardine 7 cups sifted flour 1 pound lard or shortening (I use butter) 5 teaspoons baking powder 4 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 2 cups sugar Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut lard into flour as you wou...