Thursday, February 2, 2012

Groundhog Day 2012

Happy Groundhog Day!  I have enjoyed celebrating Groundhog Day since grade school, I look forward to hearing what the Groundhog predicts.  Will it be an early spring?  Will I have a bit more winter?  You can watch the big event at Gobbler's Knob and see what Punxsutawney Phil predicts at www.groundhog.org .

When the kids where younger we always had fun stories and activities planned for Groundhog Day.  My latest favorite Groundhog Day book is Groundhog Day! by Gail Gibbons.  I really enjoy Gail Gibbon's books, always full of great information. Her book about Groundhog Day is full of interesting facts about the holiday and its history, as well as facts about groundhogs.


This book is a fun read for both children and adults alike, me and hubby both read through it while it was sitting out today, fun quick way to absorb little facts about Groundhog Day.

Here is my Amazon affiliate link for more info on this book.


Another fun Groundhog Day tradition we have enjoyed for the last few years, is baking a batch of Groundhog frosted sugar cookies.  I found a very easy sugar cookie recipe online a few years ago that I enjoy using for our Groundhog cookies - here is the link for The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies recipe.  This recipe makes a lot, so I only made a half batch, which still made a little over 3 dozen cookies.

Here they are right out of the oven.


In years past I have piped on frosting, this year I decided on a Maple Glaze with a current for the eye.


The Maple Glaze is very easy- I used about a pound of powdered sugar, and thinned it with a little milk, and flavored with Maple flavoring about 3/4 of a teaspoon and maybe a drop more if needed- I use Mapleine brand , we love maple frosting and glaze.   If your glaze is too thin add more powdered sugar, if it is too thick add more milk.  Super easy. :)

I found the groundhog cookie cutter at Amazon, here is my affiliate link for this cute little cookie cutter.




In addition to watching the famous Phil's predictions I will also be tuning in to local news to find out what the Oregon Zoo's hedgehog predicts.  Whether an early spring or not, I plan on starting Spring cleaning next week, and am looking forward to the upcoming spring holidays.

I would love to hear your customs for this day, anyone live near Phil? Maybe you have your own local weather predicting critter?

Here is a link to my Groundhog Day 2010 post.


25 comments:

  1. I love these cookies, April. Very cute and the maple glaze is something I'd like to try.

    Thanks so much for sharing with us at Rural Thursdays! :)

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  2. Your cookies are adorable and sound so tasty!

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  3. April, these are just adorable! Now I wish I had a groundhog cookie cutter! We had a little groundhog made from a ritz cracker and peanuts show up in our Muffin Tin Monday this week, but it wasn't quite as cute as yours! Thanks for joining in on Rural Thursday!

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  4. Those little cookies are so cute, April! I think he'll predict an early spring. We really haven't had a winter yet. At least we can hope! We had some friends that never celebrated the traditional holidays, but for Groundhog's Day they always handed out sausage (ground hog) and made the cutest cards. I used to make porcupine meatballs for dinner. For some reason I thought porcupines were pretty close to groundhogs.

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  5. those cookies are just so cute. As I didn't grow up in Canada, Groundhog day is just another day for me here, although we do have our own Wiarton WIllie not far from us!!

    Gill in Canda

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  6. You know what we are doing for Groundhog's day? Eating a birthday cake. Today is my mother in law's birthday. ha ha ha

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  7. Nice post! I love the cookie cutter! So nice to celebrate this in the midst of winter. Well, phil the groundhog said 6 more weeks :(. ha. I grew up 10 miles north of phil's town of punxy (as we called it). Since the movie came out, the festival turned into one of drinking and drunkenness! (not an aspect to ponder though!) It is neat to learn oregon Zoo makes it's own prediction. I hear Canada knows of this holiday too. love,andrea

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  8. C'mon spring! Can't wait. Very cute project.

    Thanks so much for taking the time to share at Pin'Inspiration Thursday. Hope to see you on Saturday to help "Beat the Winter Blues". Have an awesome day.

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  9. i'll have to get that book for my boys, it's their birthday today! those cookies are too cute to eat!

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  10. I love your groundhog cookies and the maple glaze sounds yummy! :)

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  11. Happy Groundhog Day! Here in North Alabama we have "Sand Mountain Sam"...not a groundhog, but an oppossum!!!! Only in the south! I love the groundhog cookies!

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  12. Wow, April, you did a lot. We did a small craft and I explained about Groundhog Day to Hazel today. We will definitely look for this book next year though.

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  13. Over from Meri's Share the Joy. I love the idea of a rural Thursday since I live in rural central Kentucky but not much going on at our house since all the grands are grown and I am diabetic and don't eat cookies but I will enjoy reading these posts. Two of our local weather men were in PA today for the celebrations. Haven't had any winter here yet, as a matter of fact. blessings
    QMM

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  14. Never saw/heard of GH cookies but I'm a cookie a holic...so I'll be getting that recipe!...:)JP

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  15. What a fun way to celebrate the day. My post was about traditions with the day also.

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  16. Greetings from another Oregonian! Love your groundhog cookies...that looks like a lot of work to me. ;-)

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  17. Thanks everyone for all of your kind comments!! Looks like another 6 weeks of winter for us. We have had some February winter storms around here in the past, so I guess I better enjoy the sunshine we are having right now, the weather man just said it would be sunny and in the mid 50s for the next few days. Hope everyone had a nice day! :)

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  18. i could use a snack. they look so yummy. (:

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  19. :) These are so super cute! Happy you linked to Things I've Done Thursday this week.
    Melanie

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  20. Your cookies sound wonderful. The glaze really would be wonderful on them.

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  21. That IS the best rolled sugar cookie recipe. I used it at Christmas time too. Your little groundhogs are adorable.

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