Crispy Ginger Cookies Plus

found via Google images

I was serenaded very early this morning by my husband's brother and one of his sons who had begun taking off the old shingles from our roof ~ after all, they have to work while the sun is shining, or in this case, while the rain or snow are NOT falling :)

While they were working outside, I was baking inside ~ a batch of crispy ginger cookies looking exactly as pictured above as well as a batch of bon bons which are an almondy, rich tasting melt in your mouth cookie that are a snap to make and take very little time to bake.

I took out some samples for them to munch on while they were working and my BIL told me that we were probably due for a new roof a couple of years ago as the old shingles were not coming off in sheets but in CRUMBS!!

This time around, my husband has chosen to have steel roofing put on ~ the colour is guaranteed to last for a minimum of 30 years and the roofing material itself will last far longer than shingles, there was such a vast array of colours and it cost less than shingles :)

They had the perfect day to work as the sun actually shone for a couple of hours and it wasn't too cold ~ the back was completed today so they'll return tomorrow to complete the front of the house.

I'll keep a couple of today's banana-cranberry-walnut muffins to add to their plate of cookies ~ all that cold air and hard works makes guys very hungry!!

Trust everyone is doing well :)

Heart Strings

All visits must come to an end and saying good-bye is never easy, as I proved yesterday :(

When you live on opposite sides of the country to your Mom and you're both getting older, you appreciate even more the time that you are blessed to spend together!!

My mom is no longer able to get around as easily as when she was younger so we spent a lot of time just doing everyday things but doing them T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R which makes all the difference :)

We did dishes, cut up veggies, did laundry, LAUGHED A LOT, made beds, baked muffins, ate muffins, REMINISCED A LOT, talked, listened, went shopping a bit.  She even had fun helping me with some of my crafts and I crocheted her several dishcloths to take home!

She was as excited as I was when I received my very 1st wholesale order for 11 of my recycled Etsy creations for a soon-to-open boutique located FAR AWAY from me.

It's much quieter around our house today .... I miss her already and am off to baker her favourite muffins!!

Blessings to all,

A Part of Our Domestic Happiness

It's a beautiful, warm, sunny crisp autumn day in my neck of the woods and since I have lots of apples to use up quickly, I made a 9" Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Pie . . .as well as a small 2 crust apple pie especially for my dear husband's *take-to-work* lunch tomorrow ~

After all, Jane Austen did say that "good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness!"

I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if mine qualify :o)

A Perfect Day for Baking

Photo courtesy of Kraft

The weather was mild today and gray and cloudy ~ a perfect afternoon for baking, especially since I'm having a few friends over tomorrow evening!  I baked 7 layer squares as well as a mince pie from my freezer and made pineapple refrigerator dessert.

I don't even think I've had the fans on much today ~ not sure if that means fall is in the air or it's just an unusual day?!

Tomorrow morning a friend is giving me a ride to the hospital for blood tests and then Friday I go into the city for an echo-cardiogram ~ an ultrasound of the heart.

Being in the city, I'm anticipating doing some shopping at my favourite thrift store and perhaps popping into Michaels' craft store to see what's new or on sale :o)

The Joys in Everyday Activities

It's been a typical day here ...

• I've done a bit of housework
• done 2 loads of laundry; chopped and sliced everything for tonight's homemade pizza
• sliced everything up for my husband's salad for work tomorrow
• baked a batch of yummy muffins which I've already put in the freezer
• answered a genealogy query in my position as a volunteer transcriber of old church register records for a small parish in Cornwall, England
• spread 3 huge bags of topsoil around my front garden plants
• watered my patio tomato plant that is FULL of growing tomatoes
• thanked my most recent Etsy customer for her purchase

and best of all, chatted with my daughter on the phone!!

Tuesday Happenings

I've almost finished the invitations my daughter asked me to make for the Bridal Shower she is holding for her friend -- unfortunately I miscalculated and need 4 more sheets of card stock to do the rest!!

Sometime later today, a friend of ours is to arrive for a few days' visit. He is the young Jewish fellow I mentioned before who trusted Christ as his Saviour a few years ago ... it was his story and others like it that really made me want to read The Search by Lorna Simcox.

So, in preparation for this evening, I've got beef-veggie soup simmering in my slow cooker and I baked 2 apple-cinnamon coffee cakes and 1 simple white cake. One of the coffee cakes will be going to my son who shares an apartment with a childhood friend here in town while the others will be for our *company* ... :o)

EDITED to EXPLAIN BETTER -- Tonight we also have to go to our weekly prayer meeting and Bible study so I'm off to set the table and get things around here organized so we can leave as soon as my DH swallows the last of his soup as he gets home so late!

Have a great day and week :o)

The flower painting is by Barbara Mock, courtesy of AllPosters.com

Coffee Cake Disaster Rescue

I made my simple white cake and it turned out beautifully!

This morning I noted that I had some apples that needed to be used up soon, so I decided to make a favourite apple cinnamon coffee cake recipe that only needs hand mixing and always turns out well.

I decided to double the recipe as I often do, but this time, I decided to pour it into a well greased bundt pan so that it would have a great appearance.

When the buzzer rang , I removed it from the oven and after letting it cool a bit, turned over the pan so the cake could slip out and rest on the plate.

BIG PROBLEM ... the cake did NOT slide out ... in fact, it didn't even budge :o(

Now what was I going to do to rescue the cake? It seemed that nothing worked, no matter what I tried!

Only about 1/3 of the cake slid out and the other 2/3 sat there, looking at me as if to say, "What are you going to do now!??"

Well, presentation of a dessert is pleasant to the eyes but I asked myself what was more important ~ flavour or looks? The former won out and I scooped out the rest and after it cooled a bit, but before it hardened, I slid the whole lump into a container and placed it in the fridge until tomorrow.

My dessert plans have changed ~ we're now going to have warm apple cinnamon coffee cake CRUMBLE with either vanilla ice cream or whipping cream :o)

In the early days when I was a young bride, I would have been in a panic but now with more experience behind me, I know that things like this are not what makes a good dinner.

It's the people surrounding the table and the wonderful conversation that make a good dinner as long as the meat is not burnt and the food is cooked :o)

Blessings,

Weekend Plans

My husband has an extra day off this weekend so in a few minutes I'm off to bake a simple white cake from a recipe that my daughter brought home from school many years ago.

It's more leisurely baking ahead of time for Sunday dinner and it'll go great with raspberries and whipped cream :o)

We've been invited out for supper on Monday and will be visiting an elderly friend who lives in a nursing home this weekend so our time will be busy.

My sister's birthday is Sunday but we live on opposite sides of the country and she's not online so I'll phone her to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow but hopefully we'll get some sunshine before the long weekend is over so we can complete some yard work :o)

Of course, I remind myself as I type this, all these plans are only as the Lord allows ... for He could return for us at any moment!!

Blessings,

A Sunny Wednesday Here

Photography by Michael Paul

I guess you could say I had a BAK-A-RAMA around here today :o)

For some odd reason, I feel more like baking and such when the sun is shining than when it's cold, dreary and cloudy outside ... I know! It doesn't make sense ~ should be the other way around!

Because I'm having a few friends over for an informal lunch on Friday, I decided to get all my baking done today and made muffins, cupcakes, chocolate-oatmeal clusters and chocolate-caramel cracker squares. I'll ice and decorate the cupcakes tomorrow.

An interesting tidbit is that I've just had my 1st international customer ~ a woman from Australia just purchased one of my Butterfly Whimsy Collages ~ and I was so excited.

My daughter asked me yesterday if I could make 30 bridal shower invitations for a personal shower that she's hosting for a friend late next month so that will be a first too!

I just finished reading Revelation 22 yesterday so have begun again with Genesis and going through the Psalms at the same time.

The latter were what I read consistently the almost 7 months I lived in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant and the wondrous words of the Psalms never ceased to encourage, strengthen and keep me, each and every day, no matter what the particular circumstances!

Trust each of you are having a great day and meditating on the amazing love we experience and share in Christ as you go about your day, just as I have been.

Blessings,

Baking and a Yorkie Guest

I've been doing quite a bit of baking recently and with our warmish temps for this time of year, have been blessed to be able to leave the inner door open with the storm door closed to let MORE of the sun in.

We have had a friend staying with us for awhile who has a delightful little Yorkshire terrier --- at first this little dog made me think of our own wonderful dog that we had to put to sleep several years ago and wonder about getting another.

Then I remembered what the Post-Transplant Clinic had/has to say about pets, especially cats ~ if you can live without them, you're better off after a heart transplant, but if you cannot live without them, get a dog and just remember to WASH your hands FREQUENTLY!

Well, between the Swine flu, regular frequent handwashing as per Clinic suggestions and having a dog around the house once again, I might never get away from soap and the sink :o(

So, in my case after these many years being *pet-free*, it's just easier to not start all over again.

Trust your day is special in some way,

Rainy Day and Monday Highlights

Upon waking today, the sound of the pouring rain echoed through my open bedroom window and I realized the air was not humid and it was cooler than it has been for weeks!

I accepted this unexpected gift like a breath of fresh, cool air in the midst of a rather hot and humid summer and turned on my oven and started baking!

I had *2* almost ripe bananas so I made banana-raspberry muffins with walnuts and butterscotch mini chips for added crunch and flavour.

Because I always like to have something on hand in my freezer JUST IN CASE, I made 4 mini lemon cakes and 6 giant cupcakes which can all be iced at a later date for visiting the elderly, birthday surprises or whatever comes along . . .

I used my bread machine to make pizza dough and with some basic toppings and stretchy mozzarella cheese, that's what we enjoyed for supper!

I iced one of the mini cakes and sprinkled some flaked coconut on top and we all enjoyed our *little bites* . . . tiny sizes like that are enough that you don' feel like you missed out on anything, but they're not big enough to make you feel stuffed :o)

Blessings,

Banana Muffins

By reqest, here's my favourite [so far] banana muffin recipe ~

* 2 Large or 3 Small bananas and 1 cup sugar, MASHED TOGETHER.

* 2 c flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp baking soda
* pinch salt

* 1/2 c oil
* 1 egg

DIRECTIONS:

• Blend together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Beat egg with a fork then add to oil and stir together.
• Add egg/oil mixture to mashed banana/sugar mixture.
• Pour banana mixture into dry ingredients and blend together until moistened.

By changing what you add at this point, you can ensure that your muffins are different every time!

I always add a handful of walnut pieces.

Sometimes I'll throw in chocolate chips like I did this time or butterscotch or white choco chips, or coconut or . . . Use your IMAGINATION and what you have on hand in the fridge or cupboard.

I have sometimes only had 2 small bananas to mash and then used a couple of spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt or sour cream or orange juice to make up the liquid measure.

Come up with your own variations ~ I just use the banana muffin recipe as my base because they turn out so moist :o)

Blessings,

Success At Last

They may be a little dusty because the dough was a bit softer than I expected, but otherwise, I am pleased with how they turned out :o)

I got late my mother-in-law's recipe from one of her daughters and I cut it in half *just in case* it wasn't what I wanted.

I made it up in the evening and let it sit in the fridge overnight and by the next afternoon, it was the easiest dough to work with, once I kneaded in more flour, that is :o)

GINGERBREAD MEN

• 1 c. margarine [softened 1st]
  
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. molasses
• 4 c. flour
• 3 tsp. ginger
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. milk WITH 2 tsp. baking soda;1 tsp. salt;1 tsp. cinnamon
  

1. Cream together the softened margarine, brown sugar and molasses.
2. Blend together the flour and ginger.
3. Mix the baking soda, salt and cinnamon into the milk.
4. Beat the egg with a fork and mix into the milk mixture.
5. Add the milk mixture into the sugar/margarine mixture and blend.
6. Add the flour into the bowl and mix well.

Chill overnight. Roll out and cut in desired shapes.

Bake at 350 deg. for about 10 minutes, depending on your oven :o)

[Check them to be sure because mine tend to be browner on the bottom than I'd like because of my oven ... I should really use an oven thermometer!]

As I mentioned above, I divided this in half and it still made about 16-18 medium gingerbread men which is enough for our family. They can be decorated however you like once they are cooled.

I decided to ice these sparingly and I've frozen the rest so my daughter and I can decorate them once she's here :o)



The same day I made these, I made another batch of microwave chocolate fudge and this time I added about 1/2 cup of pecan pieces when I added the vanilla extract ~ it is delcious :o)

I tried a different shortbread recipe as well and am very glad that I made only half the recipe because they are definitely NOT a favourite! I'm going to stick to my own grandmother's tried and true shortbread recipe and make a batch next week.

Between Friday night and Saturday morning we received about 14 inches of snow and I will breathe a sigh of relief when I get our new snow tires put on this Tuesday because they make a huge difference on these snowy and sometimes, very icy, roads :o)

Blessings,

Peanut Brittle + Easy Microwave Fudge

MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE

• 1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts [I used regular salted peanuts]
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 pinch salt [didn't use because of salted peanuts but you *can*]
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
  

1. Grease a baking sheet, and set aside.
   
2. In a glass bowl, combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt.
   
3. Cook in microwave for 6 to 7 minutes on High (700 W); mixture should be bubbly and peanuts browned.
   
4. Stir in butter and vanilla; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
5. Quickly stir in baking soda, just until mixture is foamy.
   
6. Pour immediately onto greased baking sheet.
   

Let cool 15 minutes, or until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

MICROWAVE EASY CHOCOLATE FUDGE

• 4 cups icing
  
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  

1. Grease a 9x9 inch dish.**
2. In a bowl, blend together icing sugar and cocoa.
   
3. In a microwave safe bowl, heat milk and butter until butter is melted, about 2 minutes.
   
4. Stir in vanilla and stir vigorously until smooth. [I used electric beater for a wee bit]
5. Pour into prepared dish.[mine didn't *pour* but had to be *plopped out* into the dish]
   

Chill in freezer 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

**I found that placing parchment paper on bottom of dish was better than greasing it because it made lifting out the fudge so much easier for perfect cutting :o)

FUDGE VARIATIONS:

• Instead of vanilla extract, try peppermint or almond.
• Add pecan or walnut pieces when adding the extract.

I made both of these last evening and they were so simple that even I couldn't ruin them!

Be warned though that these should be *stored away* for gifts or the holidays otherwise you will be nibbling :o)

Blessings,

My Next Heart Biopsy

It's amazing how quickly time flies ~ it's already time for my next biopsy, tomorrow morning!

I thought today was going to be a bit more *laid back* than my usual Mondays with just laundry and purchasing a few needed grocery items, but it turned out differently than I expected.

A friend of mine went in early this morning for day surgery and once she gets home, isn't supposed to lift anything heavy for about 6 weeks.

I clearly remember how it felt to return home from the hospital and have a meal already prepared for my family . . .

Well, I had some leftover homemade spaghetti sauce in the fridge so whipped up a casserole for a supper meal for her family. I included a half dozen dinner rolls from the freezer as well as some ready-for-the-pot broccoli and cauliflower which should round off the meal just fine.

I got some of the tiny cakes I had put in the freezer weeks ago and since they turned out kind of flat, I iced 3 and decided they'd be better renamed giant cupcakes :o)

I had 2 ripening bananas sitting on the counter so whipped up a batch of experimental banana-based muffins, adding a few handfuls of chopped walnuts, flaked coconut, white chocolate chips and a couple of spoonfuls of raspberry-blackberry jam and french vanilla yogurt to make up for the fact that I was missing the needed 3rd banana!

My son had 1 with his coffee this afternoon and said they were delicious -- which was good, because I had already dropped everything off to my friend's house :o)

I'll be going to the city tonight to stay at the small hotel that the hospital uses for out-of-town patients who have appointments very early the following morning early.

Once the biopsy is complete, I'll have to lay flat for 1.5 hours because they are planning to go through the groin rather than my neck and there's more chance of bleeding afterwards.

Once I get the OK, I'll head over to the Heart Transplant Clinic for my check-up by the nurse and the cardiologist.

I usually get the biopsy results the following day, and needless to say, I'm hoping they show that things are under control once again in the *lack of rejection* department and that I'll be able to decrease my dose of prednisone once again. The side effects are just not pleasant . . . although I am very thankful that they do work so very well.

But, only time will tell.

BANANA MUFFIN base recipe

2 large or 3 small bananas + 1 c. sugar, mashed together well.

1 egg
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 c. oil

Mix all together well.
Bake @ 350 degree oven until done
[about 20-30 minutes depending on size of muffin cups]

~ VARIATIONS ~

You can add about 1/4 cup of anything that strikes your fancy!

I usually add:

• walnut pieces
• flaked coconut
• white or milk, chocolate chips

Blessings to all,

Yummy Bread Pudding -- A Cool Weather Treat

This afternoon I had some time after making a batch of muffins and of cupcakes AND I had some days-old bread to use up, so I began to search for bread pudding recipes.

I came across one that was a little unusual and decided to experiment and according to my son who has already tried it ---- one word = DELICIOUS!!

The recipe is pretty straightforward but I made several changes to suit what I had on hand at that moment.

I used an 8 x 8 glass pan and filled it to 1/2 full with torn bits of white and honey-oatmeal bread and crusts. I did all that before I found a recipe, so had to put some margarine on a paper towel and literally LIFT the torn pieces in order to *butter the baking dish*!!

I then sprinkled as evenly as possible over the bread in quantities of choice:

• Skor bits
• Raisins
• Cinnamon
• Flaked coconut

I decreased the milk to 2 cups and the eggs to 2 and used oil instead of melted butter and only approx. 1/4 to 1/3 cup and used 1/4 cup white and 1/3 cup brown sugars and 1 tsp. vanilla. Because of all the other toppings, I didn't bother using chocolate chips ... they just didn't seem to go with cinnamon :o)

When all blended together, I poured the custard mixture over the bread mixture, and smooshed the bread down into it so everything was well soaked.

Into the oven it all went for about 30-40 minutes on 350 degrees. When it was removed, everything was puffed up and fabulous looking but as it cooled, it *plopped down* ... yet when eaten, was still tasty -- Best served WARM with plenty of whipping cream or ice cream :o)

Enjoy!!

Making Bread

MAKING BREAD

Some labour gathers to itself a light:
This I have found where, women, making bread,
Perform anew an ancient, simple rite
That men and little children may be fed.
Something about the handling of white flour
Is beautiful: the thought of sun on wheat -
The shining silver of a quick, late shower -
A great mill glimmering through the harvest heat -

And old as time- a fadeless picture still:
The gold of grain crushed fine beneath a stone -
Two women grinding at an ancient mill,
And one is taken - one is left alone -
Oh, always, somewhere - women have made bread
That men and little children might be fed.

~ Grace Noll Crowell ~
Cinnamon buns are very similar to bread, don't you think?
I made 3 *rings* today,
plus some chocolate walnut brownies.