First you make the dough and let it refrigerate for several hours, or stick it in the freezer to speed up the process.

Then it’s rolled out, and cut out into shapes using cookie cutters that align with the season or occasion.

Once cooled, icing is made, colored, poured into piping bags, and artfully iced onto the cookies. Any decoration will do, as no matter the neatness it all tastes the same.

Then festively wrapped them up to give to friends!

This is the second day this month that the threat of ice has immobilized the weak, warm blooded Houstonians. My gym is closed, schools are closed, businesses are opening late, people are stocking their pantry for impending doom, and every news station warns not to go out unless it is an emergency. I am not sure if it has even dropped below freezing, or even rained today. So the only solution for this madness is to make pancakes and stay inside from the crazy, over prepared girl scout inhabitants of this city.

My family has always made our pancakes from this simple recipe:

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1 cup flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 TBS sugar

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 TBS vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients until batter is well mixed, but still lumpy. Heat griddle or skillet to medium high heat. Cook until bubbles appear, then flip and cook until golden.

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I am not sure where it originated, but it has withstood the test of time and hungry stomachs. Over the years with our changing tastes there have been additions of: chocolate chips during the sweet-tooth childhood, strawberries during Sunday Wimbledon watch parties, and banana-chocolate chip- pecan for Elvis inspired creations via Austin, TX. Today, my freezer was stocked with frozen blueberries, so they were my mix-in of choice.

I hope you will agree with me that nothing beats a pile of warm pancakes, hot off the griddle on a day like today.