Stewardship

If you've never had my Grandma's raisin cookies, sent year after year to affirm Christmas in our family, you'll be so glad I know how to reproduce them.  They are the type of favorite-cookie-ever to linger in your taste memory for an entire lifetime, light and fluffy without a hint of oatmeal, never overbaked, in fact perfection falls short of describing them.  Boil 1-1/2 cups of raisins in 1 cup of water until almost dry..., cream 1-1/2 cups of brown sugar with 1 whole cup of shortening..., add 2 eggs and beat well.  Combine 3-1/2 cups of flour with 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each of nutmeg and cloves, also add 1-1/2 tsp baking soda and a little bit of salt.  Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheets, baking at 350 on the bottom rack until puffing up...then moving to the top rack until slightly golden.  Do not overbake these precious gemstones from our family.  Or you'll never, ever get it, you'll forever fail to understand.  And don't get me started on her Monster Cookies.