What Shall We Bake Today?

Food 1 Minute

Every year I try and make one new cookie for Christmas—that way I have a lot of “testers” to let me know if it’s a keeper or not.  This year I’m trying Oatmeal Coconut Cookies!

Ingredients

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugars until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture. Stir in oats and coconut.

Divide dough into 4 portions. On a lightly floured surface, shape each into a 6-in.-long log. Wrap in waxed paper; freeze 2 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/2-in. slices, reshaping as needed. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

ENJOY!

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Published by pat frederick

Published

62 thoughts on “What Shall We Bake Today?”

    1. Morning, Pat! Woke up to 31 this morning here, looks like partly cloudy. Most of the snow from yesterday has melted – I expect the rest will be gone by the end of the day.

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  7. Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Monday announced a $12 billion bailout for farmers struggling with the impact of his tariffs.

    “I’m delighted to announce this afternoon that the United States will be taking a small portion of the hundreds of billions of dollars we receive in tariffs… We’re going to use that money to provide $12B in economic assistance to American farmers,” he said.

    Trump confirmed the plans during a roundtable meeting with the Cabinet at the White House. $11 billion will go to crop farmers as part of the Farmer Bridge Assistance program while the remaining $1 billion will cover other crops, The Hill reported.”

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  8. Just The News: “Georgia state Sen. Colton Moore, R, on Monday announced that he would run for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, R-Ga., House seat following her decision to resign in January.

    Moore announced his candidacy in a video post in which he outlined his stances as “100% Pro-Trump, 100% Pro-Life, 100% Pro-Gun, Deport all illegals,
    Cheap gas and groceries.”

    Greene has declined to seek reelection and plans to leave office early amid her ongoing feud with President Donald Trump and her disillusionment with the GOP as a whole.

    Moore is well-known in state politics, due largely to his disputes with state GOP leaders over Fulton County District Attorney Fani WIllis’s now-defunct case against President Donald Trump. He was arrested in January this year for entering the state House for Gov. Brian Kemp’s, R-Ga., state of the state address, despite a ban on his entry.”

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  9. Just The News: “Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that his state has formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist organizations, following a similar move by Texas. 

    Texas became the first state to label the groups as foreign terrorist organizations last month, which forbids both organizations and their affiliates from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas and allows increased enforcement against the groups.

    DeSantis said the new designation is in effect “immediately.” 

    “Florida is designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations,” he wrote on X. “Florida agencies are hereby directed to undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by these organizations, including denying privileges or resources to anyone providing material support.”

    Neither group has been formally declared a terrorist organization by the federal government. CAIR is considered one of the largest Muslim Civil Rights advocacy groups in the country.”

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  10. EXCERPT: “Last week, a Catholic church in Massachusetts made headlines with its Nativity display — in which Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were replaced by an empty manger and an anti-ICE poster. Now, it seems the church’s pastor is refusing to take down the display for the time being, against the wishes of his church authority.

    St. Susanna, located in the Boston suburb of Dedham, “displayed a Nativity scene outside the church with an empty manger and a sign that says, ‘ICE was here,’” Fox News reported Wednesday. The implication, of course, is that the baby Savior was either apprehended or threatened by federal immigration agents.

    “The Holy Family is safe in The Sanctuary of our church,” the sign below the “ICE was here” poster reads, “followed by contact information for a group that monitors immigration operations in the state.”

    Father Stephen Josoma, the pastor at St. Susanna, reportedly told Fox that “the church’s peace and justice group” puts together a display each year. They “try to see what [it would] be like if Christ was born into the context of the world today” and ask, “what would he be facing?” he said.

    The display’s ultimate message is clear: In a modern-day context, Jesus, his mother Mary, and (earthly) father Joseph would be considered migrants — a family of refugees crossing borders only to face being nabbed by law enforcement officers amid Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown. If that rubs you the wrong way, you’re the problem, at least according to Josoma, who told Fox that if the display of “religious art” “evokes a strong reaction, it’s maybe good to take a look at that.”

    On Friday, the Archdiocese of Boston condemned the display, which was reportedly put up without its permission. According to Fox, the Archdiocese’s secretary for communications and public affairs issued a statement calling for “the display [to] be removed, and the manger restored to its proper sacred purpose.” ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons has also spoken out against the politicized nativity. On Monday, Josoma defended the display and indicated it would stay in place while “waiting for an opportunity of dialogue and clarity with [Arch]bishop [Richard] Henning before reaching any final decisions,” according to a press conference video posted by MassLive. He did signal the display would come down “if the circus continues and then there’s threats … anything like that.”

    ‘It Does Not Make Historical Sense’

    This is hardly the first time professing Christians have exploited the biblical narrative to essentially justify allowing millions of illegal aliens into the U.S. And, following a year of horrific leftist political violence, including against ICE agents, speaking out against this manipulative endeavor has never been more important.

    At the very least, anyone who has actually read the biblical account of Christ’s birth (hopefully that includes Father Josoma?) knows how seriously historically flawed it is to cast Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as modern-day migrants…..”

    https://thefederalist.com/2025/12/09/its-historically-and-theologically-ridiculous-to-compare-the-holy-family-to-illegal-immigrants/

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  12. EXCERPT: “On Friday the Supreme Court agreed to review a case that could finally force a long, overdue reckoning with how the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause has been interpreted for more than a century. The case arises from leftist challenges to President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship.

    Democrats have responded to the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case as expected. “For more than 150 years, our Constitution has spoken plainly: everyone born on American soil has an equal claim to the rights of citizenship from their first breath,” Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi posted.

    New York Attorney General Letitia James posted: “Birthright citizenship is a fundamental right of our Constitution, and it’s under attack by the Trump administration.” Former California Rep. Katie Porter said: “Birthright citizenship is literally written into the Constitution. There is no debate to be had: if you are born here, you are a citizen.”

    But “birthright citizenship” is not “literally written into the Constitution,” and the framers of the amendment would likely be aghast to see how their work has been exploited by the left to facilitate and legitimize a mass invasion.

    The 14th Amendment was written to guarantee citizenship to formerly enslaved Americans and their children. To that end, its first sentence reads: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” But it surely was not intended to be a blanket citizenship grant.

    Sen. Benjamin Wade introduced the citizenship clause on May 23, 1866, believing that the amendment needed a clear definition of citizenship because the broader guarantees of the 14th Amendment depended on it. Wade originally proposed using this language: “persons born in the United States or naturalized by the laws thereof.”

    Such language may have lent slightly more credence to the left’s claim that anyone born here is a citizen. But that’s not what the amendment says. In fact, Sen. Jacob Howard, upon receiving Wade’s proposal, added the “subject to the jurisdiction” clause.

    As Edward Erler points out in his book The United States in Crisis: Citizenship, Immigration, and the Nation State, the addition meant “at a minimum, that not all persons born in the United States were automatically citizens.”

    During the debate on the clause, Howard said during opening remarks that “I do not propose to say anything on that subject except that the question of citizenship has been so fully discussed in this body as not to need any further elucidation, in my opinion.”

    “This amendment which I have offered is simply declaratory of what I regard as the law of the land already, that every person born within the limits of the United States, and subject to their jurisdiction, is by virtue of natural law and national law a citizen of the United States,” Howard continued. “This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the Government of the United States, but will include every other class of persons.”……”

    https://thefederalist.com/2025/12/08/senator-who-helped-write-birthright-citizenship-clause-specifically-said-it-doesnt-include-aliens/

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  13. Just The News: “At least four Senate Judiciary subcommittees are expected to hold hearings regarding former Special Counsel Jack Smith and his Arctic Frost investigation early next year, Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Monday.

    The hearings come after Republicans learned that Smith subpoenaed phone records of multiple GOP senators during his investigation, including Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott.

    Blackburn is expected to chair one of the hearings in early 2026, and Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who also had his phone records subpoenaed, is expected to lead another hearing, according to Politico.

    “Arctic Frost was a runaway train that swept up information from hundreds of innocent people simply because of their political affiliation,” Grassley said. “Congress and the American people want answers, and sunshine is the best disinfectant. The Senate Judiciary Committee is leading this investigation to find out exactly what went wrong, so that bad actors can be held accountable and this sort of political witch hunt never happens again.”

    It is not clear if Smith will testify in front of the full Senate Judiciary panel, but he is expected to sit for a deposition behind closed doors with investigators for the House Judiciary Committee next week.”

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  14. Just The News: “A federal judge on Tuesday allowed the Justice Department to publicly release records from Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking case. Maxwell, an associate of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

    Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled after the DOJ asked in November to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits from Maxwell and Epstein’s cases, in addition to investigative materials, The Associated Press reported.

    The decision means the records could be made public within 10 days.”

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  17. “Egypt, Iran To Face Off In World Cup’s First-Ever Gay-Pride Match”

    Not The Bee, Hamilton Porter, Dec 8, 2025

    Image for article: Egypt, Iran To Face Off In World Cup's First-Ever Gay-Pride Match

    “FIFA scheduled a gay pride game for this year’s World Cup and you’ll never guess which countries are suiting up for it.

    Two countries that imprison gays (Iran executes them).

    This gay game was planned well in advance…

    …but by the time the names were drawn and stadiums selected, after the draw we got Egypt v. Iran.

    From Outsports:

    Both Egypt and Iran criminalize gay relationships. In Iran, capital punishment is still the maximum penalty under the law.

    According to the Human Dignity Trust, there is evidence in recent years of the enforcement of their respective laws in each of the two nations.

    A match between countries that vociferously oppose Pride presents a complex scenario for Seattle organizers, who have set up a Pride Match Advisory Committee (PMAC) to ‘shape the communications, community activations, and cultural programming’ for the festivities.

    The game is on June 26, which apparently is “Pride Weekend.”

    Egypt doesn’t explicitly forbid homosexuality, though many are imprisoned on “immorality” charges for participating in gay lifestyle. In Iran, it’s so illegal to be gay that some gay men “transition” to female to avoid punishment, which sometimes includes execution.

    Qatar will also be playing games in Seattle during the group stage.

    And of course, because equity is liberals’ favorite:

    Hedda McLendon is Seattle FWC26’s Senior Vice President of Legacy. She told Outsports that organizers are ‘working with small businesses so the region’s LGBTQ+-owned enterprises are ready to benefit from the tournament’s unprecedented visitor surge.’

    To which some may reply: Isn’t everything about soccer gay anyways?

    Bring on the comments:

    🤣🤣🤣

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  19. oh my…I can’t comprehend ANYONE paying to watch this garbage!

    Freedom Ring

    December 9, 2025 10:58 am

    This is example is why Netflix should not be allowed to by WB.

    Netflix describes its new movie, Queen of Coal, this way: “A trans woman dreams of working the coal mines – “I’ve always wanted to mine coal .. as much as I’ve wanted to be a woman” – but in a town steeped in superstition which says women cannot work underground Carlita must fight to earn her place.

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  22. ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸
    @BarronTNews_
    Commentary account
    🚨 JUST IN: Kavanaugh and Alito just TORCHED the entire “independent commission” scam and the left is panicking because this is a HUGE win for President Trump

    They went straight for the jugular. The question was simple: can Congress just slap the word “independent” on ANY Cabinet office and basically wipe out presidential power?

    Kavanaugh wasn’t having it.
    “Independent agencies aren’t accountable to the people. They’re not elected. Yet they’re exercising MASSIVE power over liberty and billion-dollar industries.”

    Then Turley sums it up: Kavanaugh and Alito made SHORT WORK of the defenders.
    Can Congress make ANY department “independent”?
    Can they give them 20-year terms?
    Every time the justices pressed, the other side COLLAPSED.

    This is the Supreme Court reminding Washington who actually runs the executive branch.

    Trump needed this. And he got it.p

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  23. unfricking believable!

    FTA

    President Donald Trump’s remarks on Somali refugees set off a fresh political fight in Vermont this week, but the real flashpoint quickly became a local school district’s decision to raise a Somali flag on public property.

    The Winooski School District hoisted the foreign flag Friday, calling it a show of solidarity with Somali families in the community after Trump criticized refugee programs while discussing multimillion-dollar welfare fraud allegations in Minnesota.

    “We’re gonna go the wrong way if we keep taking garbage into our country,” Trump said last week. “They have destroyed Minnesota.”

    While progressive activists and local officials framed the flag-raising as a welcoming gesture, the move triggered swift backlash online, particularly on X, where critics blasted the district for using public space to fly a non-American flag.

    One user urged others to intervene, posting: “Contact them,” alongside a link to the school district’s website.

    Others were far less restrained.

    “Cut 100% of any funding. And prosecute the enemy for raising a foreign flag with our tax dollars,” wrote Terry K., whose comment drew dozens of views within an hour.

    Another X user, posting under the name ThePolishDrunk, called the display “Absolutely un-American and shameful!”

    “This BS has to stop,” added Max Creel in a separate post reacting to the flag.

    https://revolver.news/2025/12/watch-us-school-district-lowers-american-flag-and-raises-somali-flag/

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  24. Just The News: “United States Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon announced Monday that the Justice Department has created a Second Amendment section in her office, which is aimed at protecting the right for Americans to bear arms.

    The move comes after the Trump administration created a Second Amendment Task Force to protect the rights of gun owners earlier this year. Dhillon said she has been working to establish the Second Amendment section of her division since she joined the administration. 

    The assistant attorney general said that she agrees with Attorney General Pam Bondi’s statement that the Second Amendment should not be treated as a “second-hand right.” 

    “The Second Amendment was ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, and yet it has received less attention from the Supreme Court than some of our other important civil rights,” she said in a video on X. “Everyone here knows that common sense teaches us that a criminal is less likely to attack a house that is guarded by an armed citizen. 

    “The right to bear arms [also] equalizes the ability of those of us, women, people with disabilities and others who might otherwise be more vulnerable, to be able to protect ourselves,” she added.

    Dhillon vowed to protect the constitutional right of Americans to bear arms for lawful purposes, and said her division has already sued Los Angeles for its multi-year delays in granting concealed carry permits and supported a couple of other cases in Hawaii and Illinois.

    The assistant attorney general also claimed that in some cases, concealed carry permits can cost citizens thousands of dollars.”

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  25. Just The News: “The conservative legal nonprofit First Liberty Institute announced Monday that its client, Shields of Strength, has reached a major settlement with the Defense Department to resume production of its military-themed dog tags with Bible verses.

    The group did not specify how much the settlement was worth, but said it was a “multi-million dollar settlement.” The settlement comes after production of the dog tags was halted following a complaint from an anti-religious group in 2019.

    “This is a great victory not only for Shields of Strength and its owner, Kenny Vaughan, but also for the brave men and women of our armed forces and their families,” Erin Smith, Associate Counsel for First Liberty Institute, said in a press release. “Our servicemembers, and their families, wear Shields of Strength dog tags as a reminder of the selfless service and sacrifice of those who protect our freedom and a reminder of their faith and trust in God.”

    The settlement agreement gives Shields of Strength a license to produce the dog tags while the department will correct its licensing policy to allow the religious dog tags and ensure a process is in place to renew licenses in the future.

    “Shields of Strength has been a source of strength and encouragement for our military heroes for over 25 years,” Vaughan said. “Every dog tag we ever made was at the request of the troops and their families and it was our honor to do so. We are blessed that we can once again meet the needs of our fighting men and women.” 

    The nonprofit said more than 4 million Shields of Strength dog tags have been distributed altogether so far, with two million donated by Shields.”

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  29. “Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a bold stand for Florida’s sovereignty, pushing forward with new legislation aimed at banning the enforcement of Sharia law in the state. 

    The proposed law, known as the “No Shari’a Act,” reaffirms that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme legal authority in Florida, preventing any foreign or religious laws from creeping into the state’s judicial system. DeSantis’ firm stance sends a strong message: Florida will remain a beacon of constitutional rights, untouched by foreign religious influence.”

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  30. “A seemingly unfazed black bear crashed a Christmas parade route in Tennessee, becoming the star of the show in front of a crowd of onlookers, none of whom seem to understand how dangerous these bears can actually be. The bear made a surprise appearance at the 50th annual Christmas parade in Gatlinburg on Friday. Videos posted to social media captured stunned onlookers whipping out their phones as the mammal made the cleared road its runway, adorned with holiday lights. Crowds on the side of the roadway – which was empty except for the wandering bear – were heard yelling as the creature calmly strutted off into a parking lot.

    The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said that the bear caught on camera has possibly gotten used to human contact and may need to be put down if it sees humans as a source of food.

    “That bear is, at some point, going to come in physical contact with a human and probably have to be ‘put down” (a nice way of saying killed) for its actions, so help us keep bears wild, keep them alive, and hopefully we can enjoy seeing them in and around people with out them exhibiting any human habituation which is what you’re seeing here,” Matt Cameron, a representative of the agency said.

    “Santa arrives to entertain Allied troops on Christmas on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Island”

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  31. 🌊 What 2.1 Million People Look Like — Rio de Janeiro, Lady Gaga Concert

    A single human ocean.
    A biological hard drive of screaming and sweating.
    Just looking at the photo triggers claustrophobia in my DNA.

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