There he was in front of me, eyes intensely locked to mine.
His body convulsed like he was touching an electric fence down in the back paddock. Convulsing in time with the deep thumping bass. The twisting colourful lights bounced off his eyes. When he widened them it gave him a slightly manic look. I awkwardly looked away, thinking he must have been doing this for quite some time for everyone dancing here, but no. He only had eyes for me. He had followed my shift of focus and was again in my line of sight, seemingly getting closer.
His body convulsing from one side to another, his eyes locked again, and he grinned from ear to ear this time. Using his hands in some odd dance like feature that made me think of a baby dinosaur. He was trying to impress me that was for sure. I stifled a giggle. I didn’t want to offend him, but it really was hard not to laugh at his intensity of moves.
The thumping music, darkened corners, squeals of happiness, flashing colourful lights and this odd little red head who was trying his very best to impress me with his dance moves. Except this wasn’t a night club, those club days were but a foggy memory, and that red head was pint sized, lucky to be 3 foot tall. I was at Monkey Boy’s school disco, and currently surrounded by about 200 squealing five, six, and seven year olds and their siblings.
I had Little Monkey perched on my hip clinging to me as only a little monkey could. Too dark and too noisy for him.
Monkey Boy looked on with big wide eyes. Uninterested, when a pretty little class mate tried to gently take him by the hand and coerce him to dance in the centre with her. He clung on to his mama’s leg, (not sure how long that will last.) She looked hurt on the second attempt to try and convince him to dance with her. Flicking her long hair, as she moved off into the heaving dance floor.
Some boys were break dancing. Girls were jumping and giggling in circles. One girl did her very best robot to two unimpressed older boys, and all the shy kids stood by and watched from the side shadows.
Swap the venue, add another metre in height to everyone and not really much had changed since back in my nightclub days. Except here, no stink of spilt beer and vodka mixers.
(I did however, suspect a little too much diluted apple juice… and clearly that little convulsing pint-sized red head may have had a drop too much.)
lemon vanilla stars
200g softened butter
150g sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp lemon rind
225g (1 3/4 cup) plain flour
Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla and lemon. Then mix through the flour. Chill in fridge for a little while wrapped in plastic (if weather is warm) and then roll out (I find rolling between two sheets of baking paper easiest, as it’s a sticky dough), cut out stars and bake at 170C for 20 minutes.
This dough also freezes easily into a log, then just cut off rounds to bake as you need them.
Aaah, that does bring back memories. It’s amazing how loud those school discoes can get!! 🙂
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So very loud, and with a whole bunch of music I didn’t know…didn’t I feel like an old bugger.
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Woah, for a second there I was worried I couldn’t take the heat and was going to have to get out of the kitchen! I love how simple these cookies are. Perfect for spring.
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🙂 Super simple and good for any old time of year.
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Umm, I actually meant to say summer. But they’re perfect for any season!
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Yum, they look so good! Aww, your poor little monkey, disco-shock!
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Disco shock, that’s exactly what it was!
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Today’s to-do list has just got one item longer. (Well, I really do need to get rid of some lemons).
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Just made these. Delicious. I think I have just eaten my body weight in sugar and butter. ; )
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How good are you 🙂 Thank you for making these so quickly!
It does cross my mind when I make these, about the body weight in butter and sugar as well, but than I think the alternative is buying something with a paragraph of ingredients. A whole heap of butter and sugar is just fine!
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What a pity the unselfconscious dancing doesn’t always continue. I probably would have been one of the kids watching from the side – if we had had stuff like this when I was growing up.
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I think my Monkey Boy maybe a side watcher for some time to come, even though he dances up a storm at home.
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Oh dear, school discos sound painful – I don’t remember them when I was at primary school – wonder if I have just blanked them out or if we had them – would prefer to sit at home and eat lemon stars
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At least when they are that age, there is a time limit. No dancing until dawn…
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Love your style of writing 🙂 And these cookies look so perfect and irresistible!
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Thanks Maria.
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LOL – wonderful description. Isn’t it amazing what moves the little ‘uns can make – before they become inhibited 🙂
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I’m not sure some of the kids dancing, will ever know the word inhibited.
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Aww I absolutely loved this story-you reeled me in from the very first sentence! 😀 I remember going to one and it was a very funny and awkward memory-and I never even attempted break dancing or the robot 😛
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It was pretty funny watching the break dancing/robot action. I think they will be the ones to watching in 15 years time 🙂
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Great tale of passion and drama! Tall Small (my nephew) shows me his moves when egged on and the intensity is quite breathtaking. I must try your lemon stars on him next time I see him, they look delicious 😀
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The seriousness of it all can be quite funny. Does Tall Small beatbox? Monkey Boy likes trying to impress me with that one.
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You were brave to enter the assault of the senses that a school disco can be! This year I had a girls’ night and hubby had to enter the dark, sweaty, tribal thumping lair. Funny description about The Redhead. I bet he’ll be a real spunk 10 years from now!
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Dark sweaty tribal thumping air, yep that was very much it….with a quite a few high pitched squeals thrown in.
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Heeheeeeeee! For a moment I thought you were telling us about meeting Monkey Dad! 🙂
Those lemon stars sound great!
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Now that would be a whooooole other story Mrs Bok 😉
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oh school discos – made all the better by lemon cookie stars! Just to let you know…you won the baobag giveaway! Email me your address and I’ll get it sent to you in the next few days x
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Oh that’s a bit exciting!
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What a little sweetheart! Keep having those cuddles whilst they are being offered. I love love love the stars, my girls will adore making these, I can almost taste them wish I had one here with my cup of tea. Loving the blog.
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Thanks Chutney and Spice, that’s really kind 🙂
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Ahhhhhh… You had me from the get go there. I was picturing Mr HG dancing, you seemed to be describing him to a T. 🙂 LOL.
Love the Vanilla Stars, so yummy.
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Oh now I’d love to hear YOUR story Anna 🙂
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Oh I might just make a batch of these for my childrens’ party this weekend – love the simple recipe. Thanks!
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Dead easy, and the kiddo’s seem to like star shaped stuff.
Have fun at the party.
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Such a simple recipe, and I like things that I can freeze! I remember elementary school dances, so sweet 🙂
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This made me smile – as did the reference to diluted apple juice. I was brought up on it and still sometimes crave the flavour when I’m very thirsty! The stars look delcious too.
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