Red and white balloons to celebrate our retirement
Because I really loved my job, I never thought I’d retire. But the day came and I decided to “follow my bliss” — as soon as I decided what that was. I bid a fond farewell to colleagues who had become friends and the next day, I embraced a life of leisure ... NOT! I’m actually busier now than I ever was and I’ve heard the same thing from other people who’ve retired.
Within a month or two, a friend also retired so we decided to throw ourselves a party and invite all our friends. Those who were still working envied us and those who were retired welcomed us to their ranks. I highly recommend retirement to anyone considering it. It’s not as scary as you imagine and you’ll never be bored!
“The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.” Abe Lemons
The cookies I made for our party were Classic Sugar Cookies, in the shape of balloons and clouds. Those shapes are the perfect symbols of casting off into the unknown. I used vanilla-bean glaze for both the icing and the embellishments. Up, up, and away!
My favorite quotes about retirement:
- “There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.” –Bill Waterson, Calvin & Hobbes
- “The best time to start thinking about your retirement is before the boss does.” –Anonymous
- “Retirement: That's when you return from work one day and say, “Hi, Honey, I'm home — forever.” –Gene Perret
Birthday Tag-a-long
A few days later, I re-purposed the balloon idea — with a slight change in color palette — for a birthday celebration. Balloons are the perfect shape for a birthday party!
Cookie specifics
Classic Sugar Cookie. This classic sugar cookie brings back memories of the Christmas cookies my mother made during the holidays...with a bold vanilla flavor and slightly soft texture, they make me smile every time I eat one.
Symbols of freedom
party balloons, hot-air balloons, clouds
Sizes
The balloons and clouds are about 2½ inches and the hot-air balloons are 3-4 inches.
“Congrats” Messages
cloud cutter; I squished a flower cutter into the shape of a cloud. This was not really a loss of my flower cutter since I have quite a few of those.
My Own (Tweaked) Family Recipe
Classic Sugar Cookie. A recipe based on one from Mrs. Gregor, a neighbor of my mom’s when she was a newlywed.
Cookies
Classic Sugar Cookies: flour, butter, granulated sugar, egg, pure vanilla extract, baking powder, salt
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Glaze: sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring, pure vanilla extract for flavoring
Plate, Box or Bag?
Clear Glass Plate. On this occasion, I arranged the cookies on a clear glass cookie plate so that the cookies themselves were the star and appeared to be floating in the air.
What I’ve learned...
These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find and baked in a small batch of two dozen. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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