Both of the boys are hanging around the house this summer, Noah (14) when he's not doing research at UNT for Wunpen , for 3 days a week, and Ben (11) full time. So I get this call at the lab:

"Dad, where the molasses."
"Next to the sugar."
"To cream butter and sugar do you melt the butter?"
"No, cut it up and toss it in the mixer at room temperature. Beat it into the sugar."
"Okay"
"Noah, what are you doing?"
"There was nothing good in the frig so I am making ginger snaps. Do we have any sausage?"
"Yes, in the meat freezer."
"Can we eat some?"
"Of course"
Aside: "Hey slaveling, go light the grill. He said in the big freezer"
"Okay. Bye."

Later I get home and find a batch of ginger snaps cooling while the two of them are finishing cooking 2 pounds of venison sausage on the grill. Lunch they said. I had a peanut butter sandwich. The goddess said last week they made a cake.

Noah's Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 well beaten eggs
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoon vinegar
3/75 cups flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
4 tsp ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg, molasses and vinegar. Stir well. Sift together the rest of the stuff and add. Mix until blended. Make into 3/4 inch blas and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cook for 12 minutes in a preheated 325 F oven. Remove and sprinkle with sugar.

Next time they are going to try freshly grated ginger...