tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72518099388036704592024-03-20T02:40:52.397-04:00The Angel Ladies JournalInspirational thoughts, prayers and resources to give you a boost in your day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-66688755855335361612011-12-26T13:52:00.001-05:002012-01-02T13:22:25.692-05:00The Angels' End of the Year MessageToday in NOTL: Cold with noonish temps a breezy 37F/3C under cloudy grey skies<br />
<br />
<i>Message for the End of the Year<br />
<br />
Dear Ones,<br />
After the festivities of your holiday, you experience the angst of the year's ending. You prepare to welcome the new year with joy, but within your heart is the inevitable tallying of the year now closing.<br />
<br />
What have you accomplished? What have you failed to do? What dreams have lain untended, what goals unmet? As such thoughts fill your mind, it is easy for you to become morose and regretful.<br />
<br />
Beloveds, there is no cause for regret!<br />
<br />
Everything in your life serves the great and noble purpose of your growth and development, of your greater appreciation for and alignment to Love. Of necessity, then, even those actions which disappoint you are not mistakes but merely steps along your path to greater wisdom.<br />
<br />
As you look back upon the year now ending, it is good to recommit to the goals and dreams you have not yet brought to life. Do not stop at this point, Beloveds, but continue examining your life.<br />
<br />
What loving actions have you taken? What efforts have you made to better the world in which you live? How deeply have you cared? What sacrifices have you made for the good of others, and how vigilantly have you regarded yourself through eyes of loving appreciation and<br />
understanding? How well have you loved yourself and others?<br />
<br />
Beloveds, remain grounded in love, regarding all things through this benign lens, and you have much indeed to celebrate!</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-1374373769444587512011-12-24T19:51:00.005-05:002011-12-24T20:10:57.446-05:00A Gift at ChristmasMerry Christmas, everyone! Here is a story from my early teaching days, a story of the tremulous beauty of a child's trust and innocence. I hope you enjoy it.<br />
<br />
It was the late 70s, and I was a young white teacher in a school riddled with problems. The facilities were poorly maintained, the ‘old guard’ among the faculty were shockingly blase, and the racial tensions among the black, white, and native American students often escalated into serious fights involving many students. <br />
<br />
Having been raised relentlessly democratic by my parents, taught to respect all people and to look out for those on the fringe, the underdogs, I entered my classroom filled with ideals that frankly amused the teacher next door - a man with nearly twenty years experience who prided himself on doing as little work as he could. “Don’t wear yourself out,” he advised me. “The A students will get make sure they get their A’s, the flunkies will keep on flunking.” He shrugged. <br />
<br />
His casual dismissal of the students floored me, which only made me part of his routine when I entered the lounge at my planning period. The last hour planning period was a plum planning time, and the other teachers were all veterans who’d ‘earned’ the perk. The teacher I replaced had been one of them but since her promotion to the central office had been made after scheduling had been completed, I had inherited her schedule with its prized end-of-day planning period. <br />
<br />
If a school could have a happy hour, the last hour planning period was it. Little work was done by the vets, who chose to chat and party before going home. They viewed me as a newbie to be enriched by their perspective , and my neighbour teased me mercilessly for my idealism, working habits, and passion for teaching. “Here comes Porche,” he’d say. “She’s going to change the world, starting with 110 [my classroom number]. Come sit here and change mine!” He’d leer teasingly and pat the chair beside him while the others would laugh at my red face. And so it went.<br />
<br />
In the classroom, I devoted myself to teaching not only reading but respect. I taught ladies and gentlemen, I asked for rather than demanded their participation, I recognized a raised hand with ‘Yes, sir?’ or ‘Yes, ma’am?’ I looked for opportunities to apologize to students, something other teachers seemed never to do. I was determined to have a classroom in which every student felt affirmed, validated, and free to risk trying - so many had given up long before I met them. In a school where my students - all too familiar with abuse and violence and disrespect already - were at the mercy of teachers like my neighbour whose casual dismissal and racism went unchallenged by the establishment, it wasn’t easy. <br />
<br />
My dad was a union man who taught me that there were no small jobs, only small minds. The behaviours of other teachers at my school offended me, frankly, when I saw the state of their classrooms. Trash cans overflowed, with trash paper in corners, in aisles, spilling from the shared desks. The students, copying the behaviour of their teachers, treated the cleaning staff like servants; I hated seeing the men and women silently pushing the soft mops down the hall, ignored by staff and students. <br />
<br />
Not here, I promised myself. Not in 110. All paper went into the trash can and when it filled, I sent a volunteer to empty it into the large can at the end of the hall. Paper on the floor? If it was large enough to see, it was large enough to pick up and place in the trash can. “The cleaner is not your mama and not your servant,” I told the students. “She’s a working woman and deserves respect. We show her respect by making her job easier when we can and thanking her for her work on our behalf.”<br />
<br />
It was a new idea for them. Like the teachers, they called her by her first name, something which in the South was recognized as a mark of familiarity or low status. I knew which it was, and I didn’t like it, so I called all the cleaning staff by title and surname. After all, they called no teacher by his or her first name, so why should we not accord them the same respect? The cleaners pooh-poohed the formal terms of address, but I was firm: I was setting an example. <br />
<br />
All was not love-light-peace, though. My students were understandably suspicous, and my own stubborn personality did not allow me to overlook in one what I could address in another. Nor did it allow me to back away from a confrontation. Eventually, though, they realized that, firm as I was - and by firm I mean absolutely unyielding when I felt I was right - I was committed to fair play, equality, and the students themselves. <br />
<br />
Some of the students got it quickly and became supporters; other students, more beaten by life, were slower to recognize my sincerity. One student, Robert, had gotten it quickly. A small boy, he faced some backlash for what other boys viewed as capitulation, but he was undaunted. <br />
<br />
By Christmas, the room was festive with bright colours and sparkles. The mood was warm and relaxed as we worked our way through Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with a promise to let them watch an authentic version - as opposed to a cartoon version - when we finished.<br />
<br />
One day, Robert came in bubbling with excitement. “Guess what, Miss Po’?” he asked. Beaming, he told me that he was part of a small group of singers who would be performing at the Christmas service at his church. “We’re going to sing, ‘Children, Go Where I Send Thee,’” he finished proudly. <br />
<br />
I congratulated him and commented that I was not familiar with that particular carol. “It’s a spiritual,” he corrected me. “I can sing it for you,” he offered. I was delighted and accepted gladly, telling the class to quiet down for a holiday treat.<br />
<br />
Robert went to the front of the class, calling a few names as he went. “Y’all come help me sing,” he ordered. “Y’all go to my church, you know it.” They demurred, hesitant to have their worlds blend in 110. <br />
<br />
One of my girls got up. “I’ll sing with you. C’mon, boy,” she demanded, passing a few slaps to reluctant fellows as she went to the front of the room. In a moment, I had five black children standing hesitantly beside Robert, who took expert control. <br />
<br />
“Y’all clap with me,” he told the class and began to clap. Then he began to sing the old song. I caught my breath with the purity of the children’s innocence as they sang, these children who knew far too much about sex and drugs, who had personal experience of violence and racism and inhumanity - yet who sang with a touching hope that hadn’t yet died.<br />
<br />
The doorway filled with passers by who stopped to listen, and we all clapped enthusiastically when they finished. “Encore! Encore!” I called, explaining that I wanted them to sing it again.<br />
<br />
They did, joined by a few of the students who’d refused earlier. This time they sang with even greater ease and comfort as they swayed and sang to our clapping, Robert doing a solo that would have done any Gospel singer proud. <br />
<br />
Applauding, I went to the front of the room to shake their hands and thank them. “Aw, Lord, we made Miss Po’ cry!” exclaimed one of the girl singers. <br />
<br />
“I only cry when something is really really REALLY good,” I told her and the beaming singers returned to their seats. I settled the class - who wanted to spend the hour singing instead of reading - reflecting that I too had been sent, sent to these young people for whom it was safer not to care. <br />
<br />
We got back to Dickens, although I think he played second fiddle after my students had gifted us with their song. Of all the holidays I celebrated with my students, this shining day was the best: the day my kids opened a door and let me peek into the tender hearts they hid so carefully.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_PrA6Ay1Vc">Here is a children's choir singing the same song. </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-12011834918470433012011-08-30T12:03:00.001-04:002011-08-30T12:17:35.627-04:00Today in NOTL: Another mild day, with noon temps of 77F/25C, a light breeze outside, and sunny skies. Beautiful!<br />
<br />
It's nearly Labour Day. School is already in session in many areas, and soon to begin here. I loved teaching, though I dreaded the first day of school as much as any student. Once I got past the first days of meetings and paperwork, though, I was in my element.<br />
<br />
The worst days of school were ALWAYS the days of teacher meetings, when the administrators talked endlessly about the new trends they wanted us to incorporate into our teaching. Bleech. Most of the administrators in our community had only a few years of classroom experience; one honest principal, discussing his evaluation of my teaching, shrugged and said, "Let's face it: I can't tell you how to be a better teacher. I only taught three years before I became an assistant principal." He was still a rookie teacher when he was placed in charge!<br />
<br />
I remembered that when I was watching The Talk last week. One of the guests was a woman who was violently opposed to the practice of 'last hired, first fired' when it came to teacher layoffs. "Why get rid of the most enthusiastic and energetic teachers?" she asked, and that does sound reasonable - until you think about the ramifications.<br />
<br />
New teachers are undeniably younger than veterans and probably more energetic and enthusiastic. Do these make them better teachers though?<br />
<br />
Let's move the discussion from the classroom to the hospital. New doctors are certainly younger and probably more enthusiastic and energetic than doctors with 10 or 20 years experience. Does that make them better doctors? Would you want a rookie surgeon operating on you?<br />
<br />
As a veteran teacher, I didn't have the starry-eyed enthusiasm I had as a rookie. Instead, I had the competence and satisfaction of many years of successful teaching. I was enthusiasm, but I used it differently.<br />
<br />
When I was a young teacher, I was more rah-rah in my approach and tried to get the students on board through the power of my own excitement and delight. Over the years, though, I learned how to generate THEIR enthusiasm not by being rah-rah myself, but by using discussion and activities and the sort of tricks and techniques good teachers learn - by experience and experimentation.<br />
<br />
When I was a young teacher, the students' apathy and resistance had me gritting my teeth and promising myself a good cry when I got home. As an experienced teacher, I used their own apathy and resistance to break through to hope and willingness. <br />
<br />
As an experienced teacher mentoring newbies, I know that 'last hired, first fired' is in the best interests of the students. Are their apathetic older teachers counting time to retirement? Certainly, but they are far fewer in number than the Talk's guest would like to indicate. Youth vs. experience? I'll take experience every time. <br />
<br />
But school administrators and 'experts' are pushing this idea: "Let's keep the young, enthusiastic teachers and get rid of those fuddy-duddy old teachers who are locked into outdated teaching practices.' Administrators and education 'experts' certainly know the value of an experienced teacher, so why are they promoting this idea? <br />
<br />
It's not about merit, though they may push that idea. It's not about excellence, either, or the welfare of the students. <br />
<br />
It's about money. Although teacher salaries lag behind that of comparable professions, new teachers begin at the bottom of the pay scale. It's cheaper to employ a force of inexperienced teachers than to attract and retain a force of teachers with years of hard-won classroom expertise. <br />
<br />
Like everyone else, schools are hurting for money. Where can they economize? The easiest way is to reduce the payroll - fewer teachers and fewer veterans. And who will suffer? The children, as always. <br />
<br />
I was very disappointed to see this process promoted on The Talk. I hope people won't be fooled. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-21299738769531555612011-07-06T10:28:00.001-04:002011-07-06T10:32:55.150-04:00Today in NOTL: Warm with scant breezes, our high today 81F/27C with rain expected later.<br />
<br />
You have to wonder about people.<br />
<br />
We enjoyed a lovely visit this week with our friends Stacy and Diana. Good company, lots of laughs, you know how it goes when friends visit.<br />
<br />
As the conversation ebbed and flowed, talk turned to movies and Stacy recommended some movie or other to me, which I rejected as one that would make me cry. She denied that it was a sad movie, but I explained that movies needn't be sad to make me cry.<br />
<br />
Which brought up the infamous Big story. You may have seen <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094737/">the Tom Hanks movie, Big</a>. My sister loved the movie and urged me to see it. "It's a comedy," she told me. "I know how you love comedies." Trusting her, I watched the movie - and cried from start to finish. I found it incredibly poignant.<br />
<br />
I was right, too. Just last week, channel surfing, I stopped on a show that looked interesting only to find myself getting verklempt. "What is this rot?" I thought, checking the online tv guide. Big! I knew that movie was sad!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I explained all this to Stacy, who shared that she had cried at Toy Story 3. "Kids' movies are the worst,' I agreed, and she warned me not to watch TS3, as it has a sad part. I figured it would; those movies always do.<br />
<br />
But Stacy was driven by the memory of that movie. Knowing I would never watch Toy Story 3, she began recounting the scene in which the toys end up on a conveyor belt to an incinerator and, being moved to their destruction, clasp each other's hands in solidarity. As soon as she began speaking, I knew what was coming would not be good. "Stop, stop!" I said. "Don't tell me or you'll have me in tears!" I was already tearing up.<br />
<br />
Too late. Having begun the tale, choking back tears, she continued. Hardly able to speak, she finished the story, clasping her hands as the toys had in the movie. "No! Stop stop!" I begged her frantically, dabbing my eyes.<br />
<br />
But no. She was gulping, I was gulping, the tissues were flying. Across the room, however, I looked up to see both Diana and Deborah convulsing with laughter. Deb's face was red with suppressed howls and Diana was shamelessly laughing aloud as Stacey and I fought to control our sobs.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to my point. You really have to wonder about folks...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-7395784760714864432011-03-07T13:03:00.002-05:002011-05-08T19:08:50.105-04:00Lundi Gras: Bread Pudding!Today in NOTL: Cold and clear, with noonish temps of 22F/-5C under sunny blue skies. Gorgeous day!<br />
<br />
I've been having quiet fits here, as I've had trouble getting into the blog lately. Turns out I was logged in under the Absolute Jeanius blog, argh. Quite a relief to have that figured out!<br />
<br />
So: today is Lundi Gras, the day before Mardi Gras... and my family and friends back home will be partying hard, I'm sure. Here, not so much. We'll probably have pancakes tomorrow. *half-hearted confetti toss* Let's see....parades, parties, ***king cake***, beads on one hand.....on the other, a pancake. No contest, imho.<br />
<br />
Anyway, if you're not going to a Mardi Gras parade, don't worry. You can enjoy a little New Orleans right in your own home. Here's a recipe for traditional bread pudding, the kind Mama used to make. Note: it's best with French bread, and a great way to use stale bread.<br />
<br />
<div class="storybody"><span class="storysubhead">Bread Pudding</span> </div><div class="storybody">1 loaf stale French bread </div><div class="storybody">1 cup raisins </div><div class="storybody">2 cups milk </div><div class="storybody">3 eggs beaten </div><div class="storybody">1/2 cup melted butter </div><div class="storybody">1 teaspoon vanilla </div><div class="storybody">1/4 teaspoon salt </div><div class="storybody">1 tablespoon cinnamon </div><div class="storybody">1/2 cup brown sugar</div><div class="storybody"><br />
</div><div class="storybody">Oven 350*F. Brownie pan (8x8, 9x9 or so) buttered. </div><div class="storybody">1. Tear the bread into little pieces into a mixing bowl. Keep some larger bits for the top.</div><div class="storybody">2. Pour the milk over the bread and let it soak.<br />
<b></b>3. Stir the bread, which will break down a bit. That's ok.</div><div class="storybody">4. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients and combine with bread mixture.</div><div class="storybody">5. Pour into buttered pan and add larger bits to top, pressing into the mixture. It's ok if the surface isn't completely smooth. </div><div class="storybody">6. Bake about 40 minutes or so - top will be browned and set. </div><div class="storybody">7. Serve warm or cold with hard sauce, ice cream, whipped cream, etc.</div><div class="storybody"><br />
</div><div class="storybody">Hard Sauce</div><div class="storybody">Hard sauce is basically a runny frosting, imho.</div><div class="storybody">1/2 cup softened butter</div><div class="storybody">1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (icing sugar) </div><div class="storybody">1 teaspoon vanilla</div><div class="storybody">2 or 3 Tablespoons liquor, enough to get the consistency you like.</div><div class="storybody"><br />
</div><div class="storybody">1. Cream the butter and sugar. </div><div class="storybody">2. Add the vanilla and liquor.</div><div class="storybody">Serve over bread pudding.</div><div class="storybody">Rum, whiskey, bourbon, Southern Comfort - all make a lovely delicious sauce. Mmm. </div><div class="storybody"><br />
</div><div class="storybody"></div><div class="storybody"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-38486807867241553492011-02-21T13:00:00.000-05:002011-02-21T13:00:41.886-05:00Finally, An ExplanationToday in NOTL: Cold with occasional flurries and a high of 19F/-7C. Brr!<br />
<br />
Today is Monday, when we normally do our blogtalkradio show, but we're on hiatus. Too much going on, so we're taking a break.<br />
<br />
Yesterday in my reading I came across an interesting article that explains so much for me. Drs.Justin Kruger and David Dunning are psychologists at Cornell University. In 2000 they won the Nobel Prize for their report, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/18/health/among-the-inept-researchers-discover-ignorance-is-bliss.html?pagewanted=1">"Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments."</a><br />
<br />
Basically, their studies demonstrated that not only do unskilled people overestimate their ability, they also fail to realize it when they have failed. Remember those American Idol rejects who storm from the audition raging that their brilliance was unrecognized? Case in point. (Remember Dubya? Case in point.) Highly skilled people, however, tend to underestimate their ability, probably because the old axiom, 'The more you know, the more you realize how little you know" is true.<br />
<br />
The article linked above is a good read. <a href="http://www.psy.fsu.edu/%7Eehrlinger/Self_&_Social_Judgment/Ehrlinger_et_al2008.pdf">You can read the report here, if you like scholarly research.</a> Either way, it makes for some interesting reading. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-59553166045944980072011-02-02T12:52:00.000-05:002011-02-02T12:52:34.963-05:00Snow Day!Today in Notl: Cold with a high of 22F/-5C. The blizzard passed us by, we are expecting about 2 inches/5 cm in all. Lucked out!<br />
<br />
I'm mindful, as I look at the weather today, of how bad it could have been. Years ago, I went to New Jersey to live with a community of sisters so that I could discern whether their life was for me. The convent was situated midway up a wooded mountain, while at the foot was the printery where we worked to support the convent and the shrine's mission. We were located in NW New Jersey, and the winters were ROUGH, particularly for this Southern lass. <br />
<br />
One day, the snow began coming down and there were blizzard warnings, so the office shut down early. Two of the nuns remained to close things down with the business manager and I set off on foot back to the convent.<br />
<br />
It was perhaps a ten or fifteen-minute walk on a snow-free day, but it was cold so I took the shortcut across a large open field, admiring the view of the shrine and convent. I made good time at first, but it wasn't long before the snow really began to pick up, increasing dramatically very quickly.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, I was enveloped in white. Being a voracious reader, I had read of blizzards and tales of hapless travelers caught in snows so heavy they couldn't pick their way across their own back yard to the safety of their homes. I'd read of snows so thick that those out in it couldn't see their hands in front of their faces, and I thought that was a figurative expression intended to mean 'really thick snow.'<br />
<br />
Now, however, I realized what all that meant. As the snow fell around me, it felt as though the very air around me was opaque, as though I were wrapped in cotton batting. Instantly I lost all sense of direction, not knowing where the convent was, where the office was, where *I* was in the field. <br />
<br />
My feet were like lead; unfamiliar with that amount of snow, I was lifting my feet to clear the snow, carrying a mound of heavy wet snow atop each boot. Looking down, I couldn't make out my dark boots, though I could feel the snow as it topped them and slid down inside, wetting my already cold feet. I lifted my hand to see, and indeed, it was as I had read: I couldn't make out my hand at the end of my arm stretched before me.<br />
<br />
I prayed as hard as I had in my life. I knew that the convent was situated in a clearing and that behind it were wooded trails and that the mountain was heavily wooded only a bit beyond the field. Of course, the nuns knew where I was, so that was comfort. If I came to trees, I reasoned, I'd try a different direction till I came back to the open. <br />
<br />
Sure enough, I came to trees. Had I reached the heaviest wooded area up mountain? I turned and encountered more trees. I tried again and found open ground so stumbled along.<br />
<br />
I say stumbled because I was exhausted. I was breathing hard from the exertion of lifting so much snow with each step as well as from the effort not to panic. However, having reached an open spot, I felt that if I continued walking along the open edge, it would lead me to a building - the deserted shrine, the outdoor chapel, the office, or the convent. At that point, I didn't care which it was; any would offer welcome shelter. <br />
<br />
Finally I encountered short growth - a hedge. That meant I was near the convent. Hedges ran along the road up the mountain and lined both the drive to the garage as well as the garage to the visitor parking lot. If I headed back to the woods, the hedge would guide me back in the other direction toward the convent. I was hugely relieved!<br />
<br />
Stumbling along and sometimes within the hedge, I found my way to the garage, but my knocks and calls got no answer. No matter, though. By walking close beside the building, I found my way to the front door and opened it to glad cries.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM1D2lrlJwm6jaLW79fyVtPLMT7sT3ZW9ONAdM0bRcm4qh18I9qvGQw6j6ObuGG0jaTaTo7EWWD2Cd5XB4K_KbzlKLg59gwz7-YznLBJy1omIKs9tkIIsTAX0XakOOD75mZ2RR3ZpkDE/s1600/Paula%2527s+Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM1D2lrlJwm6jaLW79fyVtPLMT7sT3ZW9ONAdM0bRcm4qh18I9qvGQw6j6ObuGG0jaTaTo7EWWD2Cd5XB4K_KbzlKLg59gwz7-YznLBJy1omIKs9tkIIsTAX0XakOOD75mZ2RR3ZpkDE/s320/Paula%2527s+Party.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Instantly I was surrounded by my worried sisters, who took off my coat, scarf, hat and gloves. They wiped the ice from my lashes and brows, sat me down and removed my shoes. One flew to my room to get my slippers, another found a towel to dry my cold wet feet, another pressed a cup of hot tea into my hand.<br />
<br />
Looking up, I saw that several of them were heavily bundled themselves. Worrying for my safety, they had determined to search for me themselves. I had been gone over an hour.<br />
<br />
When the snow had begun to pick up, the nuns decided to return to the convent. They'd scanned the mountain but couldn't see me through the snow and surmised I'd already reached the convent. When they got there and realized I hadn't made back, their surprise had turned to concern and then fear as the minutes ticked by. <br />
<br />
As it turned out, that hedge saved me from heading into the wooded gardens behind the convent. One of the sisters, a Minnesota gal, observed my footprints filling quickly in the snowfall. Had I not found that hedge and followed it, she told me soberly, I could have been lost for many hours in the acres of woodland gardens. She didn't have to say anything more. I knew I'd had a fairly close call. <br />
<br />
So as we watch tv and see the reports coming in from around the country, I remember my one-and-only blizzard experience and sip my coffee gratefully. <br />
<br />
Art today is a few of the pendants going to a jewellery party this weekend. If you are in the GTA or within an hour or two of Niagara and would like to host one of Deb's parties, let us know!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-16769251166735017262011-01-27T12:39:00.001-05:002011-01-27T12:46:50.876-05:00Today in Niagara-on-the-Lake: Cold and cloudy, with a high of 27F/-2C and a few flurries expected.<br />
<br />
This morning we were discussing the story behind the movie, The King's Speech. The writer had been given permission from Queen Mary, the wife of George VI, to make the movie provided that he waited till after her death. Little did he know that would occur some 27 years later! But he was faithful. I find that more inspiring than the story of the king's stutter, actually.<br />
<br />
I was quite pleased that I knew George VI's wife had been the Queen Mum, not having been reared with familial interest in the doings in Buckingham Palace. George VI took the throne after his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Being American, that much I knew, lol.<br />
<br />
Talk turned to the romance of Edward and Wallis - the woman for whom a man gave up the crown. Talk about romance! Deb noted the difference between him and Prince Charles, who noted he wanted to be Camilla's tampon. Where has nobility gone?? <br />
<br />
Channel surfing yesterday, I caught part of Maury, a daytime talk-show. I had thought that it was a cut above the Springer show, which capitalizes on the lack of class and decorum one finds among some people - the ones who lack proper upbringing, education, and refinement. However, the few minutes I caught consisted of Maury reading paternity test results.<br />
<br />
Apparently a fellow had fathered his lady's two children, despite some confusion as to whether his brother was dad of the younger one. He ranted a bit about what a slut she was, while embracing his brother. Apparently he felt it was ok for his brother to be with his lady, just not ok for the lady to say yes. <br />
<br />
Next up was a fellow who'd apparently impregnated a whole gang of women, as they'd said he had to his denial. His fiancee, undaunted by the prospect of marriage to a man who was so indiscriminate as to have six children by five women, began to rush the stage in a yelling match NOT with the scumbag she'd agreed to marry but with the women he'd used and abused - !<br />
<br />
I am appalled by the glorification of coarseness and crass behaviour I see on tv. Saturday Night Live had some black singer last week, and the dancers were just - disgusting. More disgusting was the way he behaved, some stupid male-supremacy pantomime I suppose. <br />
<br />
Why do women and girls tolerate this sort of thing? I understand lack of self-esteem, but I can't believe women gain esteem from men like the zeroes I've seen on such tv. *shudder*<br />
<br />
Yesterday I spent time making mini-pendant watercolours only to discover I have run out of the pendants for the mini paintings! Argh. Back to it today, this time making watercolours for the pendants I HAVE!!! Will have pics tomorrow!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-63148046338909509762011-01-17T10:32:00.002-05:002011-01-17T10:33:56.605-05:00Getting Better All the Time...Today in NOTL: Sunny with a few clouds and cold, with today's high 22F/-5C. *shiver*<br />
<br />
So it's been a tough couple of weeks with this cold/virus making the rounds; I think some of us have had two bouts of it. Bleech! We seem to be peeking out from under though, finally.<br />
<br />
It's hard, though, when you're not able to keep up with the work you do b/c you're ill and you're NOT getting that regular paycheck from the 9-5 grind everyone complains about. We love what we do, but quiet days mean no income. It's a real tightrope to walk when things get slow as they have each year around this time.<br />
<br />
The idea of blocks - that if we're working hard to walk in trust, affirm the good, etc., and NOT seeing prosperity then something is keeping that prosperity from us - is a sticky issue. The Law of Attraction and the Power of Positive Thinking notwithstanding, a lot of folks who are working those are not getting the results the high-powered sales folks like the Secret teachers are - or anywhere close. That's ok; after all, you can only sit in one chair or live in one house at a time, eh? Thoreau would say any more than that is superfluous.<br />
<br />
Still, many spiritual workers mention that they *should* be seeing more satisfying results of their spiritual work than they have. To me, that points to one of the problems right there: they're flowing energy to the lack of satisfying results. Nevertheless, we can always take some action to increase the good in our lives, so I asked the Angels about it, specifically for my abundant life.<br />
<br />
I got an interesting response; basically, they told me to let go the old stuff I was carrying around. I instantly did a forgiveness check, as forgiveness (or the lack thereof) is a huge block to good. Instead, they directed me to my former career as teacher and I realized they were right.<br />
<br />
I loved teaching. I loved my classroom, I loved creating activities for my students, I loved my practice as a learning therapist helping kids to read better and improve their grades. I loved being with other teachers and talking shop. I loved visiting teacher stores and picking up bright posters for my classroom.<br />
<br />
Being a teacher was never a job for me, it was an integral part of me. I said 'I'm a teacher' the way other people say 'I am in the Who's Who' or 'I have won two Oscars.' I was proud to be a teacher and took, my first year, a wonderful woman as a role model, Catherine D. She was gracious and well-spoken, she never raised her voice, she commanded respect from the students and faculty simply by being the person she was. To my rookie eyes, she was the consummate professional and I strove to become a consummate professional in my own right.<br />
<br />
I think I did. I kept myself in the classroom - my laughter and sense of fun, my stubborn refusal to back down from the hard aspects of teaching or to tolerate disrespect, my idealism - but I added her gracious manner of dealing with parents and students, refusing to be drawn into anger, comporting myself with the dignity appropriate to a position which placed me of necessity in the role of model to my students. I am proud of my work in the classroom, proud of my ability to establish rapport and trust with students of all the races in my class.<br />
<br />
It's hard to let that go. When I must introduce myself, I always refer first to the fact that I am a former classroom teacher and second to the fact that I am one of the Angel Ladies.<br />
<br />
And the Angels pointed out I was clinging to the past. I am not a classroom teacher anymore; I do not have a private practice as a learning therapist.<br />
<br />
So I thought about that and decided to do a brain dump. This is a test-taking strategy I used to teach my dyslexic/test-phobic students: as soon as you get the test paper, use the back of a sheet to write formulas, lists, processes, anything you are afraid you won't remember. Once you get it onto paper in usable fashion, you are free to answer the actual questions on the test.<br />
<br />
In my case, as I make the techniques, tips, and strategies that made me successful in the classroom available to others who can use them, I free up energy for other aspects of my life.<br />
<br />
As a learning therapist, I used to create organizers for my students all the time, putting information in a meaningful structure for them or creating a structure they could use to organize information helpfully. Now that I'm creating art, I decided to use my expertise to create an organizer for artists and crafters who offer a variety of products. I called it the Art Genie, lol.<br />
<br />
I'm working now on a guide to assist people in creative problem-solving, to 'thinking outside the box,' if you will. Following that will be a creative writing guide to help folks who have a story get it out of their head and onto paper and other guides and ebooks of successful techniques I've used in and out of the classroom over the years.<br />
<br />
I'll let you know the results. No art today, but <a href="http://www.theweathernetwork.com/your_weather/details/620/3844357/4/caon0476/plpcities/?ref=ugc_city_thumbs">here's a beautiful shot of the local clock tower in the snow, taken by Tom and posted on the weather website.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-2707579485381843552011-01-13T12:15:00.000-05:002011-01-13T12:15:55.897-05:00Prayer PowerToday in NOTL: Cold and cloudy with light snow, our high today 8F/-7C. Lotta snow on the ground but clear roads.<br />
<br />
Such encouraging news about Congresswoman Giffords this morning - that she opened her eyes, touched her husband's ring when asked. She is doing so well, after such a devastating injury. Most people would never have made it to surgery; what makes her situation different?<br />
<br />
Yes, we know about her intern's valuable help and the excellent team she had. We understand how much worse the wound to the head could have been. Still, though, most people with her injury would not have survived. What makes her different?<br />
<br />
One thing we've heard about this admirable woman, over and over, is that she is a very positive person. She looks for the good, we are told. Moreover, she is a person of commitment to the principles of justice and responsibility. To me, that spells deep spirituality. I don't know or care about her religious beliefs; we know lots of religious folks who could pass for the antiChrist. <br />
<br />
This woman, Rep. Giffords, is spiritual: she is connected to Love and that connection expresses through her uplifted outlook and her dedication to not just Democrats but ALL her constituents. Love doesn't play sides, you see, and neither does she. Love is strong; so is she. Her connection to spirit, to Love, is a powerful support to her recovery.<br />
<br />
Also, she has people around the world praying for her. Prayer is powerful, too. Positive loving energy, focused and directed onto a common goal, has tremendous power. It changes things in often amazing ways. <br />
<br />
This is one reason the Angel Ladies remember our friends, family, clients, customers, and benefactors in our prayers throughout every day. I say 'throughout' - on a busy day, we may pray only morning, noon, and night; on slower days, we may pray seven or eight times. Regardless of the number, though, each time we do, we remember our - let's lump them together as friends. *s* <br />
<br />
We pray for your highest, happiest and best. We pray overall for your highest, happiest and best health, wealth, and life. We believe that is part of our ministry. We believe that the prayer technique we use when we do prosperity workshops is one reason people see results. It's not the only reason, of course - you have to practice the skills and techniques we teach - but it's an important one.<br />
<br />
Prayer does create and support change. When we say to a friend, 'I'll say a prayer for you,' we are offering a gift. When we hold each other in heart as we connect to divine Love, we give each other a gift of priceless value. Today, we will pray for you. We hope you will pray for us and our ministry as well. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-25010563759620869502011-01-03T11:48:00.000-05:002011-01-03T11:48:04.574-05:00Reading and Readings...Today in Niagara-on-the-Lake: Cold, with a high of 29F/-1C under mostly sunny skies although clouds will move in later along with light flurries.<br />
<br />
People often ask what is the difference between an Angel Reading and a Tarot Reading. I like both, actually. In an Angel Reading, the information comes from the Angels themselves; I'm not really involved other than to listen and repeat or see and interpret (the Angels often work with symbols although we've worked out a symbolic language, if you will, for broad themes that recur in readings). In a Tarot Reading, the Angels give information but I am involved, too, as I offer the meaning of the card or a particular image that steps forward to be addressed.<br />
<br />
Sometimes we want to know things the Angels won't address. For example, we may want to know the outcome of a particular situation. The Angels won't go there; I understand from them that by telling us the outcome, we would make choices based on that information and they see that as impacting free will. We can use the cards, though, to show us how the energies are flowing and gain insight into how things will turn out - provided the folks involved don't shift things through the decisions they make each day. <br />
<br />
I've been doing Year Ahead readings, which I always enjoy. Taking a look month by month, the cards show the energies that are supporting and blocking us so that we can have a more satisfying year. For example, say that the energies in February are supportive energies are flowing toward innovation and blocking energies are surrounding harmony. Recognizing that would alert me to possible interpersonal conflicts, allowing me to handle situations with greater attention to clarity and respect, thus avoiding disharmony to the best of my ability. I'd also know to pay attention to new ideas and ways of thinking/doing/being in February, recognizing that the flow of energy supported me in embodying new perspectives and perhaps trying new things or implementing changes in my life or work. Helpful stuff!<br />
<br />
Today I am working on the cover for a pdf product I've been developing for a while now. It's geared toward artists and crafters and that is all I'm going to say till I get it up and available at Etsy and here on the website. I've been using it and it is GREAT, she said modestly. *s* Hey, if it's not good stuff, why would I waste time working on it, eh? And if it IS good stuff, why would I keep it a secret? <br />
<br />
Memo to self: Do not be afraid to acknowledge the good things you do and the excellence of the work you do. *thinking about that* Hmm. Anything I don't feel is excellent never makes it to the website or Etsy shop because I wouldn't feel right offering it...so why be shy about saying so? Lord knows enough stuff makes it to the wastepaperbasket or meets the delete key! <br />
<br />
I guess it's because I've met so many people who promote themselves in ways that make me recoil. "Look at me! Look what I can do!" or "Look how much better I am than everyone else! I'm the authority! Nobody talk - I'll hold forth!" That kind of thing makes me take about five steps back on my way to the Exit. I wouldn't feel comfortable promoting my readings, for example, in that fashion.<br />
<br />
My feeling is that while it's true that nobody can do the reading I do, I can't do the reading someone else does. We are all able to do that which is given to us. Deb does a wonderful Angel Amulet reading, which is a far cry from the Meet Your Angel reading I do. I confess that when I was present for one of these, I was blown away. I felt a moment of "Awwwww, that's GREAT! Why aren't my MYA readings that good??" It wasn't till she said later, "I know they're not as good as your MYA readings..." that I realized we were both falling into a major trap: If I can do it, it mustn't be any good. <br />
<br />
Where do we get those ideas? I see it all around us - one friend downplays the fabulousness of her cooking while one shrugs off her ability to handle money and another dismisses praise of her fashion sense. Gotta get over ourselves and recognize that yes, we do some things brilliantly! Just because I have meltdowns over layout doesn't mean I don't have fabulous brainstorming ability. I may not be able to sculpt or paint a Walter Campbell-style watercolour, but I can do fabulous Jean-style watercolours.<br />
<br />
I visit Etsy sometimes just to look at the garp some people are offering with pride, work I'd have tossed into the garbage can instantly. But no, they offer it proudly and you know what? Someone comes along who sees what they do and it sells. It's all about how we see ourselves and our work. If we think it's garp, people will see it as such. <br />
<br />
Now to implement the insight! *gulp*Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-2534224075342701872010-12-30T13:13:00.001-05:002010-12-30T13:15:42.190-05:00Today in NOTL: Warming today to a high of 37F/3C under partly cloudy skies. Continuing warmer through New Year's Day.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WPB9aXn1srb5atfi-pVw8vrveIqZk-xXybkcVrlwuGol6ixgW-7VSysyZXCRsRD6TS5K98MI0bh6lRkoPdKLg1z51zSRS4fLYJCdGJQ7l4t2GlCScIYPS0JpW8PlncPz-wQee4hAn-I/s1600/trees+kari+k+tech.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WPB9aXn1srb5atfi-pVw8vrveIqZk-xXybkcVrlwuGol6ixgW-7VSysyZXCRsRD6TS5K98MI0bh6lRkoPdKLg1z51zSRS4fLYJCdGJQ7l4t2GlCScIYPS0JpW8PlncPz-wQee4hAn-I/s200/trees+kari+k+tech.JPG" width="166" /></a>In the church year, Christmas lasts till January 6, when Epiphany begins. To me, that has always meant to keep the tree up and to keep celebrating till the season ends. I hate to see a darkened Christmas tree, and since we spend so much time preparing for the holiday, I like the idea of keeping the joy going.<br />
<br />
Spiritually, too, though, the seasons make sense for us. Christmas is when the Light is born - in the world, and hopefully, in us, too. Christmas time, the days after the holiday, is a good time to welcome Love more deeply into our lives. It's a good time, too, to reflect and consider how we hold and spread the light of Love. Even on a secular basis, it's the time to consider preparing for the New Year and therefore a time of reflection and resolution. <br />
<br />
Epiphany celebrates the Wise Men finding the Baby and offering their gifts. This season lasts all the way till Ash Wednesday. It's a time liturgically to examine the Gospels and find how God is revealed in Jesus. Spiritually, it's a time for us to take action to follow our path, to shine the light of Love more brightly in our hearts, in our words, in our actions. It's the time that we keep the resolutions we set for the New Year.<br />
<br />
The big resolution, for me, is to act on my beliefs. It's so easy to lose sight of the spiritual and fall back into a human way of thinking and feeling. That's how we get locked into fear and anger, and while it's perfectly natural to do so, it's human nature we're trying to see beyond.<br />
<br />
I'm reminded of Mrs. Pepper scolding Joel when he complained about wanting to study but yielding to temptation and invitations to play instead. 'I'd be master of myself, at least!' his mother returned, with some scorn, as I recall. She wasn't being ugly, despite the way it sounds to our ears. Back in the day when Margaret Sidney wrote (she died in the early 1920s, I believe), people placed great store on personal discipline.<br />
<br />
It was an era in which children grew up on No rather than Yes. The children of that era were members of a generation marked by productivity and economic growth as well as a permissiveness toward their own children, who grew up with significantly more Yes than No. And that generation said No even less to their own children, in turn.<br />
<br />
The result? Well, you can look around and judge for yourself. For myself, I'm going to give greater voice to my inner Mamsy and try harder listen to her guidance.<br />
<br />
Art today is my attempt to follow the guidance of an artist with whom I've just completed a trade. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-17125458549730222792010-12-29T14:41:00.001-05:002010-12-29T19:49:14.571-05:00OY!Today in NOTL: Cold and freezing, with our temps right at 32F/0C. A bit breezy, as well.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkzQQqfwXlA1i0KRZNkIuujKlTr26Jc_VXct4ymjFbLOeckwEiPkbUlfLvADoo36jl-tzZ_2B3ngCk2FCMQ3UWpmli8g34YIwdRe3BMDUaQBJxbNtCWuV5ppH85LUMGYhOZ5QWLYppTI/s1600/blue+pear+kari+k.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkzQQqfwXlA1i0KRZNkIuujKlTr26Jc_VXct4ymjFbLOeckwEiPkbUlfLvADoo36jl-tzZ_2B3ngCk2FCMQ3UWpmli8g34YIwdRe3BMDUaQBJxbNtCWuV5ppH85LUMGYhOZ5QWLYppTI/s1600/blue+pear+kari+k.JPG" /></a>So, are you cookied out? I don't think it's possible, personally, but all good things must come to an end and so no more cookies for a while, I think. Maybe it's time for 24 days of diet tips! NOT.<br />
<br />
As we move into a new year, I am thinking about resolutions. I don't usually make them, in fact I pretty much never do. Change can be scary enough without creating more, huh? And yet...this year I'm really feeling a need to take the reins of my life in a more focused way, to run my life instead of it running me. I'm not sure what that means for my 2011, but I'll be working on it.<br />
<br />
Yesterday was the first anniversary of my father's death. I spent time thinking about him, remembering, talking to him in spirit. I know that on the other side, they look upon their lives with us in understanding and compassion; it's harder for us, I think.<br />
<br />
As a teen, I butt heads with my dad a lot. Both of us stubborn, both with strong opinions, both bright enough to offer a good debate...Dad always laughed and called it mental exercise or discussion, but being an emotional teenager, I would get angry. I always walked a tightrope in that he frustrated the daylights out of me...and even as I groaned, I respected his integrity and intelligence and shared his sense of humour.<br />
<br />
As a young woman, I was lucky enough to travel with Dad twice, once to Mexico City and once to Miami Beach. Both times, I took advantage of a free ticket to his company's convention - Mama had gone with him many years via train, bu when the company decided members must fly, she balked, being terrified of flying.<br />
<br />
Despite our history of head-butting, though, both trips were utterly delightful. Dad was a fun and courteous companion. Both us being interested in the history of the cities we visited, there were no disagreements over which sights to see or locations to visit. We talked and talked and it was good.<br />
<br />
(OMG, as I'm typing the tv is on. An ad for some Michael Jackson cd just aired, with the voice-over intoning, 'The greatest music of all time.' Really?? Michael Jackson?? of ALL time? I wouldn't even consider his work the greatest music of OUR time, although it'd certainly rank up in the top echelon of pop, I would think. But of ALL time? Sheesh.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, it was nice to think of those trips and how lovely it was that we had the time together. I love you, Dad.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-88435877799380729362010-12-22T11:51:00.001-05:002011-05-08T18:48:39.960-04:00Day 24: Cookie Finale - Pecan and Praline and Anise, oh myToday in NOTL: Cold with a high of only 26F/-3C and a dusting of snow expected over the afternoon. It's looking like Christmas!<br />
<br />
Well, today is the last of the 24 Days of Cookies. As promised, here is a fitting end to this series: a roundup of last-minute cookies and treats you can make in a flash!<br />
<br />
A few cookie tips:<br />
-Ovens bake differently. When using a new recipe, always watch the first batch carefully, testing a few minutes before the shorter baking time given. Don't be afraid to bake them as long as need be to achieve the result you want, but do remember that they will continue baking a bit after being removed from the oven. <br />
-Never store soft and crisp cookies together.<br />
-Cookies which may stick should be stored in layers with waxed paper between each layer.<br />
-Plain cookies may be 'dressed up' with drizzles of melted chocolate chips (or other flavoured candy coating), coconut, nuts, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, crushed candy canes, etc. <br />
-Home-baked cookies are a wonderful gift! Package them in holiday cello bags, pop a batch onto an inexpensive holiday paper plate or disposable tray with saran covering, or present them in a nice serving dish. Keep a few holiday cello bags and glitzy bows in the kitchen, and you'll be prepared for unexpected gifts through the season!<br />
<br />
Anise Cookies<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
1 tsp anise extract<br />
<br />
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
<br />
Glaze (recipe follows)<br />
Sprinkles<br />
<br />
Glaze Whisk 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 4 to 5 tsp milk and 1 tsp anise extract in a small bowl until smooth.<br />
<br />
Oven: 325* Sheets: Nonstick cooking spray<br />
<br />
1. In large bowl of mixer, blend first five ingredients.<br />
2. Using low speed, add the next three till blended well.<br />
3. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.<br />
4. Bake 8-10 minutes, till bottoms are golden. Cool completely on wire rack.<br />
5. Dip cooled cookies in glaze and sprinkle with nonpareils. <br />
When glaze is completely set, store in tightly covered tin.<br />
Cookie dough (or baked cookies) may be frozen.<br />
<br />
NOTE: These are sturdy cookies, they last well, and they travel well.<br />
<br />
Pecan Balls<br />
1 cup butter<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
2 cups flour<br />
3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 to 2 cups pecans, broken into small pieces<br />
<br />
1. Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla, blending well.<br />
2. Add flour and salt, in several portions, mixing to form a smooth dough.<br />
3. Shape dough into one-inch rounds and bake 8-10 minutes till golden brown.<br />
4. Immediately roll baked cookies in confectioner's sugar(icing sugar) to coat.<br />
<br />
Praline Cookies <br />
<br />
1/2 cup margarine<br />
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed<br />
1 egg<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped<br />
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted<br />
pinch of salt<br />
<br />
1. Mix margarine, sugar, egg, and vanilla until creamy.<br />
2. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well, then place in fridge to chill an hour or so.<br />
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375*F.<br />
3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, placing on cookie sheet 3 inches apart.<br />
4. Bake 8-10 minutes or till browned.<br />
<br />
<br />
Happy Holidays, everyone!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-23850001541402304802010-12-21T13:04:00.002-05:002011-05-08T18:34:23.944-04:00Cookie Day 23....Oh, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Cherry ShortbreadToday in NOTL: Cold, with highs today of 26F/-3C under partly cloudy skies. Not much chance of snow today; maybe tomorrow though.<br />
<br />
The 24 Days of Cookies has been a real challenge for me. I've had to pick and choose from hundreds of recipes in my collection, a collection begun when I was a first-year teacher planning my first New Year's Day brunch for family and friends. I scoured cookbooks for recipes, but being a Cancerian, I didn't want cookbook cookies: I wanted secret family recipes that had been handed down for years and years.<br />
<br />
I hounded the teachers in my school. I begged recipes from the women in my women's group. The ladies at church were reminded week after week of recipes they'd promised. It became a treasure hunt.<br />
<br />
At garage sales, I asked for old cookbooks and handwritten recipes. Once, I got especially lucky. I was at an estate sale and the organizers obviously were not cooks, as they'd gathered together the deceased owner's recipe file, her clippings, her small recipe booklets, and a binder filled with recipe-treasure into a box they sold for a dollar - to me!!!<br />
<br />
Ah, what a pleasure to browse through her recipes, carefully clipped from newspapers and magazines. That she had been a lady of means became obvious from the many recipes written on stationery from chi-chi hotels. Some were full recipes, with notes about the person who'd given it. Others were personal speculation, lists of ingredients she tasted in dishes for which the recipes were not forthcoming.<br />
<br />
Another time, a good friend who doesn't cook gifted me with her mother's cookbooks and notebooks filled with recipe after recipe after recipe, all in her mom's hand. Over the years, I've found homes for many of these, but some I have kept, remembering Mrs. M and her scotch shortbreads as I browse the old books.<br />
<br />
Visiting with friends' mothers always ended up with my begging recipes. Usually I'd get a couple; sometimes I got a treasure trove, like the cinnamon bun and butter tart recipes I got from one friend's mom with the caution that I did NOT have permission to share them (and I never have). I've shared plenty of the baked goodies, though, and they are indeed the treasures Mrs. R promised me they were. The cuccidati, Italian fig cookies, come from the mom of my oldest friend, who as a child comforted a tearful little Jean sitting beside her in our kindergarten classroom.<br />
<br />
Each year, our cookie platter is like a visit with absent loved ones, some far away and some on the other side. There are Gram's shortbreads and my mom's teacakes mingling with Mrs. M's shortbread and Mrs. R's butter tarts. The mystery traveler's sugar cookies and Mrs. B's snickerdoodles and Ms. S's oatmeal lace cookies sit beside a batch of vintage-recipe cuccidati from Miss Jenny. I bake their cookies, praying for them as I do, and inviting the spirits of those on the other side to visit with us for one more Christmas.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow is the last day of cookies....but I will make it a cookie-lalapalooza, I promise. (And if you have any family recipes hanging around looking to be treasured by new eyes....you can send it to me at Box 1856, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0 Canada or email it to me at atcjean[at]gmail.com.) <br />
<br />
Today's cookie is a variation on shortbread, and they are both delicious and quick to make. No mixer needed for these!<br />
<br />
Cherry Shortbreads<br />
<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
2 teaspoons almond extract<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
2 cups flour<br />
1/2 cup icing sugar<br />
maraschino cherries - 1 jar <br />
<br />
1. Dry the cherries on paper towels - as dry as you can get them.<br />
2. Mix ingredients, reserving cherries for later. If the dough gets soft, place in fridge to firm up.<br />
3. Take a spoonful of dough, flatten, and wrap around a cherry rolling to make a ball.<br />
4. Place cookies on sheets sprayed lightly with baking coating.<br />
5. Bake 15 minutes at 350 or till golden.<br />
<br />
If you want to finish these off nicely, try this: <br />
Cherry Glaze<br />
In a small bowl, whisk together<br />
<div style="color: white; padding-left: 20px;">2/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar<br />
2 tablespoons juice from marachino cherries<br />
1 teaspoon finely minced cherries (optional)</div>Dip cookies into glaze and add sprinkles, minced nuts, coconut, etc.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-63576956245263011922010-12-20T12:53:00.004-05:002011-05-08T18:31:48.842-04:00Cookie Day 22 - Butter Cookies with variationsToday in NOTL: Cold with a high of 29F/-1C under grey skies with some snow. It will clear a bit as the day goes on, though.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNirWAlvI0SptTWQ6YXeZKPgIOXf0JZ9Bv0Q2twOtFDrM38rMqyo83xdA4omNdzFwUfmLrQg54XiTHhxNDAbC7zQjj8d18at0uQqhCohzJnlORMkjvDyAGDXsSv1VCRyuPRU8bpnZVLPk/s1600/land%2527s+end.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNirWAlvI0SptTWQ6YXeZKPgIOXf0JZ9Bv0Q2twOtFDrM38rMqyo83xdA4omNdzFwUfmLrQg54XiTHhxNDAbC7zQjj8d18at0uQqhCohzJnlORMkjvDyAGDXsSv1VCRyuPRU8bpnZVLPk/s320/land%2527s+end.JPG" width="242" /></a>The Big Day is looming....are you feeling pressed for time? If you are hoping to have a home-baked cookie tray, don't despair. Make it easy by spending an hour or so just making batches of your chosen cookie doughs. Pop them into zipper bags, being careful to label each with name of cookie, oven temp, baking time and any special baking instructions. Store the bags in the fridge and make batches as desired over the coming days. Today's cookie is the perfect place to start.<br />
<br />
These cookies are easy to make, and they allow you to get two different cookies from one recipe. <br />
<br />
Butter Cookie with variations<br />
2 1/2 cups sifted flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 cup butter<br />
1 1/2 cups sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
<br />
<br />
For cherry cookies:<br />
1/2 cup chopped candied cherries<br />
<br />
For chocolate nut cookies: <br />
1/2 cup chopped pecans<br />
1 square (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate, melted<br />
<br />
<br />
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.<br />
Cream butter; add sugar a small amount at a time and cream well after each addition.<br />
Add egg and vanilla; beat until fluffy.<br />
Blend in dry ingredients.<br />
<br />
Divide dough into two equal portions.<br />
To one half of dough mix in cherries; to the second half add pecans and chocolate.<br />
Chill dough until each portion can be shaped into 2 rolls, 12 inches long.<br />
Wrap in waxed paper. Chill until firm.<br />
<br />
To bake, cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet.<br />
Bake at 375* for 10 minutes or till lightly brown.<br />
Makes about 8 dozen.<br />
<br />
Art today is for a swap, a sunset silhouette.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-21307241991829778992010-12-17T12:00:00.005-05:002011-05-08T18:54:18.082-04:00Cookies, Day 21 - Snickerdoodle<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"></span></span>Today in NOTL: Cold, with noonish temps a chilly 27F/-2C. It isn't snowing though...<br />
<br />
Did the blogtalkradio show alone today as Deb is in Toronto making arrangements to trade in the van for a newer used vehicle. Here's hoping she gets a wonderful, reliable car that will be a joy for many years.<br />
<br />
Doing the radio show alone is always terrifying. I am not a microphone kinda gal. But...we say we're doing a show, so it has to be something pretty major like illness before I can cancel the show with a good heart. I'd rather do the show than disappoint people.<br />
<br />
Today's show was on the message of the Angels at Christmas. Actually, the last three shows focused on elements of the Angels' message. Today was the conclusion: Peace on Earth to men of goodwill. The old song says, though, 'good will to men,' which is a big difference....peace and goodwill to men vs. peace to men of goodwill. Research time!<br />
<br />
I did a fair bit of reading in my search for the most accurate translation. One translation was coming out on top, and I found a Christian site offering an explanation of the translation. I'll post one paragraph of their explanation here:<br />
<i><span class="content" style="color: white;"><span class="content">Along with the glory that the angels of heaven give to God, there is to be peace on earth. But to whom? The Greek phrase is only three words, and is literally translated, “among men of goodwill.” The truth being communicated is there is peace from God to people with whom He has goodwill. Modern versions try to express this idea, with, in my opinion, varying degrees of success, but the point is that God’s peace is not to everyone; it is for those who have turned their hearts to Him. This fits perfectly with the Old Testament prophecies and predictions of the coming Messiah, who was foretold to be a warrior for God, delivering His people while destroying His enemies.</span></span></i><br />
(from http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=890_<br />
<br />
I had to laugh. This paragraph is such a perfect representation of what is wrong with religion. First, they get the angels' message: Peace on earth 'among men of goodwill'. Seems clear enough, but no: 'men of goodwill' becomes people with whom God has goodwill - as though there are people with whom God does not have goodwill, this God who made and loves everyone?? Oh, no. By twisting the very words they hold as authentic, they end up with a message that effectively excludes everybody but the Christian folks who have turned their hearts to Creator/Him in the way that the writers of this site deem worthy - who are, I suppose in this site's worldview, God's enemies who will be destroyed. Good grief. <br />
<br />
And there's the difference between God and people. I don't think some folks can tolerate the idea of God loving folks they don't. LOL Control, eh? Anyway, that was my morning adventure, and I think my brain needs a good long rest!<br />
<br />
I'll be working on Christmas crafting today...as soon as I get a good cookie recipe up for you. And today's cookie is a five-star winner: Snickerdoodles! How could anyone not love a cookie called a snickerdoodle?<br />
<br />
This is an old recipe, about 60 years or so as far as I can determine. There are tons of recipes for snickerdoodles with all kinds of flourishes and so on, but this one remains our favourite. <br />
<br />
Snickerdoodles <br />
<br />
1 cup shortening<br />
1 1/2 cups white sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
2 teaspoons cream of tartar<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
2 tablespoons white sugar<br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
Directions<br />
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).<br />
2 In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir in the eggs. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the cinnamon. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, then roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar. Place them onto an unprepared cookie sheet, two inches apart. <br />
3 Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be slightly brown. Remove from sheets to cool on wire racks. <br />
<br />
Yup, you can vary the daylights out of this cookie, but why would you want to? Once you taste its lusciousness, you will fall in cookie-love. Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-59792003969058420702010-12-16T13:28:00.009-05:002011-05-08T18:46:56.378-04:00Cookies....Day 20 - RugelachToday in NOTL: Cold with noon temps at 26F/-3C under cloudy skies with light breezes. Brrr! <br />
<br />
I've been busy making Christmas gifts for friends, simple things I think they'll like. We've got the tree up, and it is really looking Christmas-y here. Soon it will be smelling like the holidays, once we start baking up goodies to share and enjoy.<br />
<br />
When I make holiday cookie platters, I like to steer away from the usual chocolate chip cookies and gingerbread men. I've accumulated a file of cookies from around the world and old family recipes from friends and acquaintances whose treats I've enjoyed at parties and whom I begged for the recipes!<br />
<br />
Rugelach is a wonderful cookie, a traditional Jewish treat. It lends itself well to variety, since the fillings are what give it flavour. While the topping given is a sprinkle of sugar, consider skipping that step and, instead, drizzling chocolate over the tops. You can also just sprinkle a little cocoa or confectioner's/icing sugar over the tops of the cookies before you serve the cookies. <br />
<br />
When people eat these delicious cookies, they assume you have spent hours slaving in the kitchen creating them. As much as I like cookies, I especially like any cookie that looks and tastes as thought they were major culinary efforts when they were really easy and quick. These cookies fit that bill completely! <br />
<br />
Rugelach<br />
Dough:<br />
16 oz Cream cheese<br />
1 lb Butter, unsalted softened<br />
8 cup Flour<br />
<br />
Traditional filling:<br />
Stir together<br />
1/2 c. sugar<br />
1/2 c. seedless raisins<br />
1 t. cinnamon<br />
1 c. finely chopped walnuts<br />
<br />
Topping:<br />
<br />
1 egg, lightly beaten<br />
2 teaspoons milk <br />
granulated sugar (or cinnamon sugar mix)<br />
<br />
Filling variations:<br />
- fruit flavoured jam<br />
-sugar/cinnamon mix (4 tablespoons melted butter to 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon, mixed)<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="c_ingredients"><tbody>
<tr><td class="c_ingredQty"></td><td class="c_ingredDesc"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="c_ingredAlt"></td><td class="c_ingredQty"></td><td class="c_ingredDesc"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="c_ingredAlt"></td><td class="c_ingredQty"></td><td class="c_ingredDesc"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>-grated chocolate and minced nuts<br />
<br />
Oven: 400F. Cookies sheets prepared with parchment, waxed, or kraft paper liners.<br />
<br />
1. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth.<br />
2. Add 5 cups of flour, mixing to combine. Add remaining flour in small batches stopping when<br />
dough no longer sticks to sides of bowl (not all flour may be needed). If dough remains sticky<br />
after all the flour is used, add a little extra flour.<br />
3. Remove dough from mixing bowl; divide into four equal pieces and wrap tightly in plastic<br />
wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.<br />
<br />
To finish cookies:<br />
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough, one piece at a time, to<br />
rectangles of 1/8" thickness. With a sharp paring knife, score dough into small about 3 inches.<br />
5. Place a dab (about a teaspoon) of chosen filling in center of square. <br />
5. Roll up each square from corner to corner, bending it into a crescent shape. Brush with egg wash.<br />
6. Combine sugar and cinnamon, or use sugar only, sprinkling about a teaspoon over each crescent.<br />
7. Bake on paper-lined baking sheets for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Cool on<br />
baking racks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-67003928284159884582010-12-15T12:14:00.003-05:002011-05-08T18:43:00.440-04:00Day 18 and Day 19 Cookies - Cinnamon,cookies and Sugar CookiesToday in NOTL: Cold, with noon temps at 22F/ -5C. Breezy but not bad! Cloudy skies with snowsqualls possible overnight.<br />
<br />
Here is a recipe the school cafeteria lady gave me for sugar cookies. It makes a lot of cookies, so you know that that means! VARIATIONS! <br />
Sugar Cookies<br />
3 cups sugar<br />
1 1/2 cups shortening<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 1/2 cups milk (we used whole milk)<br />
6 teaspoons vanilla<br />
6 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
9 cups flour<br />
<br />
Cream sugar, shortening, eggs and vanilla together.<br />
<br />
In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add to cream mixture, alternating<br />
with the milk (you may have to add a little more flour for stiffness). Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or<br />
overnight.<br />
<br />
Take small amount of dough from refrigerator and roll in flour, then roll to desired thickness -- cut<br />
with cookie cutter (Taylor likes her sugar cookies thick, rolling the dough out to about 1/4 inch, so<br />
we did the same).<br />
<br />
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Bottoms of cookies should be lightly brown. Makes<br />
about 6 to 7 dozen, depending on size of cookie cutters.<br />
<br />
Icing<br />
<br />
1 cup shortening<br />
2 teaspoons almond flavoring<br />
4 cups powdered sugar<br />
2 tablespoons milk<br />
<br />
Cream shortening and milk together. Add powdered sugar and beat till smooth. Add almond<br />
flavoring. Ice and decorate as desired.<br />
<br />
Vary the cookies by using different frosting some, drizzling with chocolate on others, dipping, adding sprinkles or nuts or coconut, etc. Also, try different add-ins in portions of dough - adding cherries and cherry juice to one batch, chocolate to another, orange or lemon zest with extract to a third, etc. There's enough dough here to have a cookie factory on your kitchen table!<br />
<br />
Here's another cookie, since yesterday I was down with a cold:<br />
<br />
Cinnabites<br />
<br />
1/2 cup butter<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 cups flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1 cup walnuts -- chopped<br />
1 cup raisins<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350*<br />
1. Cream butter and sugar, add egg.<br />
2. Mix in dry ingredients, stir in nuts and raisins.<br />
3. Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet sprayed with coating.<br />
4. Bake 10-12 minutes till golden brown.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-84630984230258537542010-12-13T12:01:00.012-05:002011-05-08T18:44:23.546-04:00Day 17 of Cookies: Oatmeal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIculcscqJcurijEHGI5PbzPPDJoYuJrKV61vqsw2qU08dhm2tLV1M7F6b-GoHfYqiXl7HPyT9TJVTKKrxn0glqStFZlmcmCjn0lh3cpfZ5N27mKhPbVG7XLsjM-MkXDN3vdp3H9pJ1pA/s1600/christmas+tree.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIculcscqJcurijEHGI5PbzPPDJoYuJrKV61vqsw2qU08dhm2tLV1M7F6b-GoHfYqiXl7HPyT9TJVTKKrxn0glqStFZlmcmCjn0lh3cpfZ5N27mKhPbVG7XLsjM-MkXDN3vdp3H9pJ1pA/s200/christmas+tree.2.JPG" width="145" /></a>Today in NOTL: Cold...with nearly noonish temps right at 13F/-10C and snow falling. It may warm up but only a degree or two.<br />
<br />
We just finished the blogtalkradio show; we have done parts 1 and 2 and will finish up on Friday. Then...we'll see what the angels have next to say!<br />
<br />
I think next year I will not dedicate 24 days to cookies. Spending hours browsing the hundreds and hundreds of cookie recipes I have to pick out only 24 is NOT wise when one is trying to decrease the amount of sugar one ingests! Not that I'm diving into cookies, but I sure am WANTING to dive into cookies...lol.<br />
<br />
With that in mind, then, today's cookie is far healthier than most others. It has sugar, of course, and is delicious, so you don't want to clear a platter of 'em....but it does have fiber and healthy ingredients, so it isn't ALL bad...<br />
<br />
Guiltless Wonders (Oatmeal Cookies)<br />
<br />
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup regular flour (all purpose)<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/3 cup vegetable oil<br />
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed firmly<br />
1 egg (I use large or jumbo eggs)<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1/2 cup oats (not the instant or quick oats)<br />
1/2 cup raisins<br />
1/2 cup walnuts (pecans or other nuts work as well)<br />
<br />
Oven at 350F. Cookie sheets sprayed with nonstick coating or lined with waxed/parchment or<br />
silicone sheets<br />
<br />
1. In large bowl, beat with fork: oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla.<br />
2. Add flour in portions, stirring to combine. <br />
3. Add oats, raisins, and nuts, stirring to mix well into the dough.<br />
4. Drop cookies onto sheets, about 2 inches apart.<br />
5. Bake till browned, about 8-10 minutes for small cookies.<br />
6. Cool on cookie sheet one or two minutes to set edges, then place on rack until completely<br />
cooled. <br />
<br />
Store in tightly covered container.<br />
<br />
These cookies blend both white and whole wheat flour; you can use all whole wheat if you like. Now, despite being labeled healthy, these cookies are first and foremost DELICIOUS! Plus, the nuts and raisins give them that lumpy bumpy look that is so very appealing in a cookie. YUM. <br />
<br />
Today we're busy implementing changes to the website/newsletter. If you haven't subscribed to the newsletter, now's the time! <br />
<br />
Art today is a card I did for a Christmas swap; the sparkly silver tinsel doesn't show, nor the shine on the ornaments. I had been challenged to do a Christmas tree and protested that I couldn't do it justice. Said my friend, you did Christmas trees when you were a kid...so do a kiddie version of a Christmas tree! I did and while part of me groans to see it, part of me likes the little-kid energy of it. Christmas trees bring out the little kid in us - if they're the right kind of Christmas tree, that is!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-15795688261470418932010-12-10T12:23:00.002-05:002011-05-08T18:56:20.182-04:00Cookies Day 16 - Sugar CookiesToday in NOTL: Cloudy and cool, with temps rising to a high of 36F/2C this afternoon and perhaps a bit of snow later.<br />
<br />
We received a gift of books yesterday - two boxes of books ranging from pop culture and entertainment to various approaches to spirituality. What fun! Some were old and yellowed, and others were in perfect, mint condition. This prompted us to take a look at our own bookshelves and put a few titles out on the sale shelves in the showroom. <br />
<br />
Of course, some books have just outlived their usefulness. I have several books in such terrible condition - broken spines, pages loose or missing, that kind of thing - that their greatest value is no longer in the story they tell but in the materials of their composition. Time to recycle!<br />
<br />
You may have noticed the pear card I put up yesterday - scroll down to see it if not - which was painted on an old, early 1900s page of Kipling. Using the pages as supports for painting, drawing, etc., is perhaps my favourite use for no-longer-readable books.<br />
<br />
Of course, I can't paint on ALL those scrumptious pages, so I'll be going through my craft items and putting some destash packages onto Etsy in the coming days and weeks. Look for them in my shop, absolutejeanius.etsy.com<br />
<br />
And speaking of scrumptious, here is a really nice sugar cookie recipe. Sugar cookies are fabulous for hurried bakers because they are simple to make and endlessly variable. Here is a basic sugar cookie recipe with variations following.<br />
<br />
<br />
SUGAR COOKIES<br />
<br />
1 cup butter, softened<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
3 cups sifted flour<br />
1 tsp. baking powder<br />
1/3 cup milk<br />
Oven 350F.<br />
<br />
1. Cream butter. Add sugar in portions, mixing till smooth.<br />
2. Add egg yolks and vanilla, mixing well.<br />
3. Add dry ingredients, blending well.<br />
4. Chill 1 hour.<br />
5. Roll to 1/8 inch on well-floured surface with floured rolling pin.<br />
6. Cut cookies with glass or cutters and place on cookie sheets prepared with paper, silicone, or nonstick spray.<br />
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350F.<br />
8. Cool on racks, decorating when completely cooled.<br />
Makes about 5 dozen. Store in tightly covered container.<br />
<br />
Variations:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEv4RSMS5ltyTQth6YgE3pgxtf0Ylw1mfc5AIwCP6ZNqfmTTq3aA0nJIN_BQJUWDVE858DBE9P9N_AxoQkCs2g3eZ3igWlrr70r7KHE4LOy-j5orgpMoolZzrBpIRR7iIvOvwVdkzKGc/s1600/blue+pear+branch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEv4RSMS5ltyTQth6YgE3pgxtf0Ylw1mfc5AIwCP6ZNqfmTTq3aA0nJIN_BQJUWDVE858DBE9P9N_AxoQkCs2g3eZ3igWlrr70r7KHE4LOy-j5orgpMoolZzrBpIRR7iIvOvwVdkzKGc/s1600/blue+pear+branch.JPG" /></a>Almond cookies: Use almond extract instead of vanilla. Add 1-2 cups finely diced ground nuts to dough.<br />
Pecan cookies: Use brown sugar instead of granulated. Add 1-2 cups finely diced ground nuts to dough. <br />
Lemon cookies: Use lemon extract instead of vanilla. Add 1-2 teaspoons grated lemon peel to dough. (If you have no lemon extract, you can use 2 or 3 teaspoons of lemon juice instead)<br />
Peppermint cookies: Use peppermint extract instead of vanilla. Add crushed candy canes to dough. <br />
Coconut cookies: Add 1 cup flaked coconut to dough.<br />
Chocolate cookies: Add 3 tablespoons more milk plus 3 squares of melted chocolate before adding dry ingredients. <br />
Cherry cookies: Add 2 tbsp. juice from a jar of maraschino cherries to wet mixture and minced cherries to mixture.<br />
<br />
You can also vary the cookies by varying the decorations. Frost some, leave some plain. Add different kinds of purchased sprinkles to the cookies. Use nuts instead of sprinkles on some. Press a pecan half into the frosting for some cookies. <br />
<br />
Melt some chocolate chips. Drizzle melted chocolate over some of the cookies; dip others halfway into the chocolate. Sprinkle crushed candy cane, chopped nuts, coconut, etc. over the chocolate before it hardens.<br />
<br />
You can see how this one recipe can provide an entire cookie party's worth of cookies!<br />
<br />
Art today is another blue pear.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-32803987445106478542010-12-09T13:47:00.002-05:002011-05-08T18:45:43.492-04:00Cookies Day 15 - Pecan YummiesToday in NOTL: Cold with a high of 24F/-4C under sunny skies. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTo9Z7yBgFEezhovJx8BGoeJK7-FiGQzZkkYaiU_OJKPESSj078yHH8QSsgkidSvI97aKOCCMwSlJM6pEtglIXxuzpngsPn5x0bondm0ZF4qn20mAX8n8odad6X94oqKMthZXAuuLw9cQ/s1600/blue+pear+text.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTo9Z7yBgFEezhovJx8BGoeJK7-FiGQzZkkYaiU_OJKPESSj078yHH8QSsgkidSvI97aKOCCMwSlJM6pEtglIXxuzpngsPn5x0bondm0ZF4qn20mAX8n8odad6X94oqKMthZXAuuLw9cQ/s1600/blue+pear+text.JPG" /></a>Hectic isn't the word for this week. Deb has been looking for a qualified repairman to get the van ready for provincial certification, now that she owns it. Or maybe getting a different used van. Or not. It's been a scary week of juggling options and costs and pros and cons and we'll be glad when it's all said and done, whatever *it* is.<br />
<br />
I got a call from a friend who has been battling serious illness for two years. She got her doctors to send her home but she is so exhausted from fighting so long. Hard not to worry about her, though she keeps saying everything is ok. Prayers and angels her way.<br />
<br />
And in the midst of it all, getting ready for Christmas, making packages to send to family, goodies to offer for sale this weekend, when we'll be open 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.<br />
<br />
Pecan Yummies<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
1 cup margarine, softened<br />
3 eggs<br />
3 1/2 cups flour<br />
1 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
1 cup chopped pecans<br />
<br />
Oven 375F.<br />
<br />
1. In large mixing bowl, cream sugars, shortening, and eggs; set aside.<br />
2. In second bowl, sift or stir dry ingredients together<br />
3. Add to creamed sugar mixture about 1/3 buttermilk then 1/3 flour mixture, combining till smooth. Repeat with remaining milk and flour.<br />
4. Stir nuts into mixture.<br />
5. Drop onto cookie sheet prepared with paper or non-stick spray.<br />
6. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Variations:<br />
Use any type nuts desired, or susbstitute dried fruits, cherries, coconut, chips etc.<br />
Frost if desired. <br />
<br />
Art for today is a blue pear on vintage paper, a page from Kipling.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-32309605315178411982010-12-08T13:48:00.001-05:002011-05-08T19:07:24.794-04:00Cookies Day 14 - Cream Cheese CookiesToday in NOTL: Cold at noon, with temps right at 24F/-4C under partly cloudy skies. No wind today, and no snow predicted, though the lawns are still mostly white.<br />
<br />
Busy day today, but here are cookies for you to try...<br />
<br />
Cream Cheese Cookies<br />
<br />
1/2 cup butter or margarine<br />
1 small pkg. cream cheese, softened<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup chopped pecans<br />
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Oven at 350*<br />
<br />
1. Blend butter and cream cheese.<br />
2. Mix flour, sugar and nuts.<br />
3. Mix together.<br />
4. Drop by teaspoonfulls onto ungreased cookie sheet.<br />
5. Bake 10-12 minutes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-70097908218114805552010-12-07T11:52:00.002-05:002011-05-08T18:38:01.981-04:00Cookies Day 13 - Coconut BonBonsToday in NOTL: Cold outside, with highs of 27F/-2C and occasional flurries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1drJwD6aSd0pOgyYtnSk8R3sVJIS3Bsh23blrDJ6VF9YZsczSNxNIpzOBfbWrfVgKgSqaClz93ic_C47sVxoCSWfGzbkPrhWrt9LR-Hiao1x9xN64XufnzE8s2EkRbtvB1ApZlD-foY/s1600/snowman+twinchy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1drJwD6aSd0pOgyYtnSk8R3sVJIS3Bsh23blrDJ6VF9YZsczSNxNIpzOBfbWrfVgKgSqaClz93ic_C47sVxoCSWfGzbkPrhWrt9LR-Hiao1x9xN64XufnzE8s2EkRbtvB1ApZlD-foY/s1600/snowman+twinchy.JPG" /></a>I love Niagara. It snowed here yesterday; today the lawns and rooftops are white with snow but the roads are clear and dry. Now this is the way it oughtta be! Soon, if we don't get more snow, what's here will disappear and we'll have the pleasure of another 'first' snowfall when another front moves through. In Newmarket, the snow was amazing - but it piled up and never left. This is much nicer - and less dangerous!<br />
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I just realized that I can label the posts with the names of the cookies to make it easier for folks to find the recipe they want. DUH! Honestly, I am so behind the times, lol. I will work on that today and then get back to gift-making. <br />
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<br />
Today I'm feeling like a nut - a coconut, to be precise. I love coconut, and so this easy-peasy bon-bon recipe is perfect for Day 13 - lucky you!<br />
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Coconut BonBons <br />
1/2 c butter<br />
2 c confectioners' sugar<br />
3 c coconut<br />
1 tablespoon milk<br />
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted <br />
<br />
1. Melt butter in microwave or on stove. Remove from heat and add sugar, coconut and milk. Mix well.<br />
2. Shape mixture into balls, about 1 teaspoon makes a nice size. Push your thumb into the center to make a little well. Set onto waxed paper on cookie sheet.<br />
3. Melt chocolate, and put a small amount into the depression on each bonbon.<br />
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4. Place in fridge to harden. Store in fridge in container with tight lid.<br />
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NOTES:<br />
- These freeze well.<br />
- Instead of coconut, try chow mein noodles, nuts, etc. <br />
- Other sweet mixtures can be used in place of chocolate - frosting, jam, cream cheese, Nutella, etc.<br />
- Wrapping the coconut 'dough' around chocolate chips, nuts, etc., works well, too.<br />
- Drizzling chocolate over the top adds an elegant finish. <br />
<br />
This is a fun recipe to use with younger family members. They can get creative with sprinkles and chocolate candies. Lots of folks don't bake because of the mess, but kids love to help in the kitchen at this time of year. This is a perfect recipe for family fun at the kitchen table or counter because there is no huge cleanup involved - just the pan or bowl and a few spoons. If you have younger ones at home, give this one a try. Together you can make a memory to warm your hearts all year long.<br />
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Art today is a snowman mini 2 inches square.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7251809938803670459.post-62132739679496825532010-12-06T12:02:00.002-05:002011-05-08T18:32:20.048-04:00Cookies Day 12 -Carrot CookiesToday in NOTL: Cold, with 11:30ish temps at 26F/-3C, and snowing. It's a winter wonderland!<br />
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It will be a busy day today; I've been making holiday gifts and am not exactly finished yet. Not to mention wanting to make a few things for this weekend's holiday sale! We have to make room for Christmas, so we'll be having sale prices on rosaries, bracelets, angels, and art pendants. If you're looking to drive out to enjoy Niagara at the holidays, be sure to stop in this weekend! I think Deb said the hours were from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.<br />
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Today's recipe uses a cake mix base. The nice thing about using cake mixes is that you don't have to start measuring flour and soda, etc. - just crack in those eggs, pour the oil and you're ready to drop cookies onto the sheet.<br />
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If you are going to make cookies from mix, start with a good cake mix. Dollar store cheap mixes tend not to be as tasty as Betty's or Duncan's. You can boost the cookie flavour even more by using extracts and spices. <br />
Use add-ins to vary the cookies to your tastes.<br />
<br />
There are lots of kinds of cake mix out there, and you probably tend to purchase only yellow or chocolate. Take another look at the array, next time you're out shopping, and think COOKIES! <br />
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If you love carrot cake, you'll love today's cookies. Don't forget the cream cheese frosting!<br />
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Carrot Cookies (from cake mix)<br />
1 pkg carrot cake mix (18.25 oz)<br />
1/2 cup oil<br />
2 large eggs<br />
<br />
Optional add-ins: <br />
1 cup raisins<br />
1 cup grated carrot (peeled first) <br />
1 cup pecans <br />
1/2 cup coconut<br />
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or just add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice to taste)<br />
<br />
<br />
Oven 350*F<br />
Cookie sheets prepared with waxed or parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.<br />
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1. Using the large bowl of your mixer, beat together 1/2 the cake mix with oil, eggs, and any spices on medium speed 1-2 minutes. Remove from mixer.<br />
2. Add remaining cake mix and any desired add-ins, stirring till combined to make dough. <br />
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto sheets, 2 inches apart.<br />
4. Bake 10-14 minutes, till edges are set but centers soft.<br />
5. Cool on sheet 2 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely.<br />
6. Frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0