Senior Center Festivities

By Nancy K. Crevier

December 19 and 20 gave members of the Newtown Senior Center two more reasons to celebrate the season. On Tuesday, December 19, members lined up dozens of festively decorated cookies for the annual cookie swap. Mexican wedding cakes, peppermint candy cookies, cream cheese cookies tipped with chocolate shots, and Christmas sugar cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar were just a few of the offerings laid out to share, along with one cookie with a name that said it all: Terrific Cookies.

On Wednesday, December 20, the fun continued with the Christmas Bingo Party. Santa, Mrs Claus, and Santa’s helpers were on hand to spin the wheel and call the numbers as center members huddled over their bingo cards in hopes for being the first to shout out “Bingo!” Prizes selected by one of Santa’s elves included holiday mugs, seasonal dishtowels, Christmas figurines, and festive candy packages. Bingo was followed by hors d’oeuvres, dessert, and coffee. A sing-a-long highlighted by “The Twelve Days of Christmas, in which painted representations of each of the twelve days posted on long stakes were held high, wrapped up the afternoon of merriment.

Eileen Willig’s Terrific Cookies

1c margarine                                                     1 ts baking soda

1c sugar                                                              1 ts cream of tartar

1 c packed brown sugar                                   ¾ ts salt

1 c salad oil                                                       1 c. Rice Krispies cereal

1 egg                                                                    1 c. coconut

1 ts vanilla                                                        1 c. quick oatmeal

3 ½ c flour

Cream the margarine, sugar, and brown sugar. Add oil, egg, and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and add to butter mixture.

Stir in Rice Krispies, coconut, and oatmeal.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350.