You always need to take a stand . . .

Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.

Margaret Thatcher

A few of my favorite things . . .

Even though they are starting to put out the holiday items before summer is totally over, I have to admit I like browsing and thinking about what I'm going to buy/need . . . once it goes on sale. The one thing I do buy ahead are any different, new, or unusual baking items for holiday goodies. Today, they not only had peanut butter chips on sale but candy cane crunch add-ins for cookies as well as chocolate mint chips. They are residing in my freezer awaiting their Christmas debut.

I also noticed they had pumpkin-flavored marshmallows! At first, I thought it was kind of silly but on reflection, imagined they would make fantastic rice crispy cereal treats. Next trip to the store . . . I did purchase pumpkin pudding mix. I have a recipe, which I plan to share, that used instant pudding mix and I'm thinking about how I can work this favor into the cookie.

I needed another skein of yard to complete a shawl. It was a cream color and a specific brand of yarn, no problem with that. I located the yarn and grab one of the cream colors skeins. It looked sort of all right but it wasn't entirely right. I checked the label: Very Vanilla instead of the Off White I was looking for. I stared at the eight or ten skeins of yard in the 'cream-colored' section and wondered how far off the color was from the Off White and it is would even be noticeable just being a small part of the fringe. I hopefully thought it might be the new name for the old color. Suddenly, I stared more closely at the pile of yarn and two of them were very, very, very slightly different. I grabbed one and it read Off White! Saved by a blessing sent my way!

Dinner is a Friday family favorite which we haven't thought to have in a long time. It is basically cubed potatoes, cubed. You braise them in a large frying pan until they are golden and just about cooked through and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste. To that, you add a cup or so of grated cheddar cheese and stir until it is melted. Then you add two or three eggs and continue cooking and stirring until it is done! Goes great with a salad dressed with lemon and honey.

Off to the rest of my day with prayers that everyone has a good ending to their day and a happy weekend ahead. God bless!

Angel Biscuits

This is a more elaborate recipe for biscuits but the use of yeast and buttermilk certainly make a difference to the good and is worth the time and trouble.

Angel Biscuits

1 tablespoon yeast
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons lukewarm water
4 tablespoons sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour, approximately
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cup buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in water. Into a large mixing bowl, combine flour with other dry ingredients. Cut in shortening, add buttermilk and then the yeast mixture. Stir until combined. Knead on lightly-floured board until smooth and roll out to about ½ inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Christmas Craft for Little Ones . . .

Children always want to help especially with the Christmas preparations. This is a simple craft that can be used to decorate packages, give a little gifts from earnest childish hands, or even put on the tree.

Pipe Cleaner Ornaments

Using one red and one white pipe cleaner, twist the red one around the white one. Bend top over to make a candy cane shaped ornament.   You can finish it off with a bit of ribbon.

An easy project for eager little ones!

So much truth in the first quote . . .

"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
-- Albert Einstein

"The penalty for success is to be bored by the people who used to snub you."
-- Nancy Astor

Always have to laugh a bit and, perhaps, sigh . . .

I wonder about people exclaiming over something that is 'going to last a lifetime'! A lifetime is in the eye of the beholder and who is in charge of 'beholding' us? A green banana could last us a lifetime if God so wills us to join Him in eternity before that banana ripens. Every time, a person tells me how they finally got everything in order and enough in the bank,  in the cupboards, etc. to last them until death . . . I'm reminded about the parable of the man who filled all his silos and felt great contentment only to have God ask him why he put everything into this earthly endeaver as he was being called this very night.

Like the majority of the world, I will still plan hopefully ahead. I'm already making plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas . . . My earthly plans may please God or he might be shaking His head and saying, "Why all this material preparation when you may be called this very night?"

Well, I'm not planning an early demise but try to keep in mind that my thoughts, words, actions, and prayers will be more meaningful to my family now than in eternity. It doesn't change me noticeably to meditate on these thoughts. It does compel me do do better in what I should be doing and performing my tasks in a cheerful timely manner. I figure if I can go a whole month without anyone yelling, "Are there any clean socks?" or "Did you forget to buy milk?", I'm half a step better than I was the month before!

Just my random thoughts for today! Right now, I'm pretty sure I will be around for dinner which reminds me . . . it's time to fix dinner!

Every angel . . .

Every flower has an angel that bends over and whispers, "grow, grow."

The Talmud

Winter's Day Vegetable Soup

I can eat soup must any time of the year but a hot bowl of something tasty on a dreary, cold day seems to be extra good. If you can manage a loaf of fresh bread and butter on the side, so much the better. This recipe really appeals to me because besides being good for you, it tastes good, too.

Winter's Day Vegetable Soup

4 cups water (or chicken stock, beef stock)
1/2 cup barley, uncooked
1 1/2 cups chopped onions (I like the brown-skinned type)
10 peeled cloved of garlic, smashed and chopped
Olive oil as needed (you can use vegetable oil, too)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white potatoes, cut into cubes (use the small, new potatoes as they don't get as mushy)
1/2 cup celery, diced
3/4 cups yellow or red (of both!) bell peppers, diced
3/4 cup carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen green beans
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
3/4 cup zucchini, cubed
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup dry sherry (You can use red wine if the sherry isn't available)
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh green onions, chopped both the green and white part
Freshly grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

First thing, you should place the barley in a pot with about 2 1/2 to 3 cups water. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender. This could take up to an hour and a half depending on your barley. Check after an hour.

Heat the oil in a large cooking pot. Add the onions, garlic, salt, and cook until the onions and garlic are tender and just starting to brown. Stir in the potatoes, celery, peppers, carrots, green beans, zucchini, and mushrooms into the onion/garlic mix. Stir to incorporate. Add the spices/herbs and sherry, cooking for a few more moments, stirring often. Add the four cups of water or stock to the pot and simmer until everything is fork tender. This will take 10-15 minutes. Drain the cooked barley and add to the soup and continue heating to warm through. Stir in the parsley and green onions, cook a few minutes more and serve with a good sprinkling of the freshly grated cheese.

Ideas . . .

Chopped cilantro instead of parsley is a nice change of page. Put the pepper flakes on the table, too! Some crushed tortilla chips on each serving wouldn't hurt, either.

If you have leftover diced chicken or beef, you can add that for a heartier soup.

My family never turns down rice in their soup. Cook it separately and let everyone help themselves.

Quotes to set your smile for today . . .

"Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be."
-- William Hazlitt

"Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter because nobody listens."
-- Nick Diamos

"'Tis an ill wind that blows no minds."
-- Malaclypse the Younger

"It is impossible to imagine Goethe or Beethoven being good at billiards or golf."
-- H. L. Mencken

Christmas Craft Idea . . .

Even much worse than a storm or a riot, is a bunch of kids who are suddenly quiet . . . Go find them and try making . . .

Homemade Silly Putty

1 cup Elmer's glue
1 cup liquid starch
food coloring

Put glue and coloring in plastic container. Add starch, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until mixture holds together like putty. Test with your fingers, if too sticky, add more starch in small amounts until mass is smooth and rubbery. Now, you have fun! The putty stretches, bounces and takes transfers off the Sunday comics. Store in an airtight container. A Christmas gift idea for your children to make for their friends?

Sharing the Poetry Corner . . .

Promises

Promises are made
To be broken,
Forgotten,
Neglected.
They are lightly given
To remain unfulfilled.
Unkept promises,
However,
Are really harmless,
Painless,
As long as you are
Not the waiting
Recipient of one.

B. Munsell 773

Mixing your apples with oranges . . .

My husband was visiting family a few years ago. They are all against abortion but have seldom, if ever, voted for a candidate that supported the unborn's right to life. The conversation at the dinner table turned to the subject of life and one of his siblings pointed a finger at my husband and said, "How can you say you are pro-life when you aren't against the death penalty." My husband looked at him and said, "Isn't there a difference between a hardened criminal who finds him or herself on the wrong side of the law and an innocent baby who had no choice in being conceived?"

All too often, we get the same agenda from liberal friends about having so much compassion for the unborn yet none for our fellow man. To me, the subject is not one but two distinct topics and should not be jumbled together for the vote. How many people die from death row vs. how many babies are aborted each and every day? Is there a bit of a difference here? And, how can friends and family throw all rights to life under the bus because a murderer may have to pay for his crime?

When I think pro-life, my thoughts are entirely on the unborn who have been deprived of a voice in this world. A criminal has had a life, has had the opportunity to use his life as he saw fit, and may, at some point, have to pay retribution for their choices. I, personally, would prefer they get life without chance of parole . . . ever and leave it at that. I do not want to mix the unborn with those having earned attention by their violent actions.

It is very sad to me that my relatives do attend church yet would continually jeopardize the lives of millions because they get stuck on a comparsion that doesn't really mesh with the reality. Apples and oranges can't really be compared as they are quite different fruits. Abortion and the death penalty can't really be compared as they are quite different - one deals with the innocent and the other deals with criminals. One has not choice and the other had a life time of choices.

Fun Finish to the Day . . .

"Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything."
-- Charles Kuralt

"Barnum was wrong - it's more like every 30 seconds."
-- Unknown

"Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by examining his wives' mouths."
-- Bertrand Russell

Dinner Prep in PIctures!

Showing off my dinner workings of earlier in the week. All I had was tomatoes, canned chilies, some chicken, flour, and cheese . . . and I was able to turn it into dinner. The fun part was presenting a dish where I had made my own tortillas. Yes, a bit of effort but tastier and cheaper than the ones from the store . . . and I didn't have to make a trip to the store to obtain them. I posted that recipe and it is easy and a fun one to share when the children want time in the kitchen with you. My husband got one plate of leftovers before my son finished off the rest!

A culinary clue: When I made the sauce, I braised the cloves of garlic in a bit of olive oil until they were soft and golden and then ground them into the tomatoes before setting it all to simmer. It seems to take the bitter edge off the garlic and bring out the taste. I do that when I make garlic spread for bread, too. No vampires visiting our house! :-)

Completed Project!

My reason to 'be' is confirmed . . . I finished a long-standing project without mishap or mistake. Initially, I miscalculated the amount of fabric so had to shelve the project until coupons, sales, and a payday arrived and gave permission for a trip to the fabric store. Mission completed!

This is a Christmas tree skirt. You know, something to lay around the base of the tree to look pretty along with the gifts and to avoid that bare look when there is no longer any gifts sitting there. I decided to incorporate Our Lady of Guadeloupe into it. The colors on the 'showing' side just came together with the deep red contracting with the dark green and gold highlights here and there. I've always wanted to make one and finally took the time and effort to fulfill my ambition. Nope, not going under our tree. This is being offered on my Yahoo site. My sewing habit is supported by my sales.

Back to work now. I have a pile of quilts that need various stages of attention and it isn't often have a relatively free day in which to 'play' with my ideas and fabric. A Blessed Day!

A Fall Evening Meal . . .

We had one, crisp morning and I'm already getting excited about pulling out sweaters and getting to wear some of my cooler weather clothing. I'm tired of jeans, tee shirts, and sweating! I'm even more excited about it being comfortable enough to warm up the kitchen with hearty hot meals and bread baking in the oven. This is one of those meals that is usually popular and goes great on a cool, Fall evening. Hey, in California, if it goes down to 70 degrees at this time of the year, we start looking for sled dogs and parkas! :-)

Mexican Bean Soup
Vegetable oil (I prefer olive oil, myself)
1 large onion, chopped
6 peeled cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 packet your favorite taco seasoning mix
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (You can use fresh corn if available)
1 1/2 cups canned white beans (usually come in 15 ounce cans), drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup canned diced chilies (hot or mild, your choice!)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 cup cilantro

Heat a bit of oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Stir in the flour, seasoning mix, and gradually add in the milk until blended. Add everything else except the cilantro. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened. Add the cilantro and serve.

Ideas . . .
Some grated cheddar or favorite Mexican cheese on each serving is good.

Culinary endeavors . . .

When my daughter was twelve, she devised her own culinary list for Christmas 'goodies'. Today, at age 21, she is an excellent cook and, hopefully, has not used any of these ideas in recent meals!

Pine Tree Ice Cream - sharp and fresh.

Reindeer Roast - It was going well until the humane society came.

Chocolate-Covered Partridge - It was okay until you bit into the bird.

Plum Pudding - Due to an error in our holiday cookbook, we had to pay for stomach pumps.

Turkey Surprise - Do you know how bad burnt feathers smell?

Christmas Stuffing - Did you know it’s not always made of cotton?

Summer Squash Pie - An interesting change from pumpkin . . .

Cranberry Sauce - Leftovers from last year . . .

Smashed Potatoes - Stomped by foot.

Mashed Turnips - The bitter end!

If Jesus Came Back . . . Author Unknown

Would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines,
And put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you hide your worldly music
And put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in,
Or would you rush about?
And I wonder if the Savior
Spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing,
The things you always do?
Would you go right on saying
The things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
As it does from day to day?
Would you take Jesus with you
Everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your plans
For just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him
Meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away
Until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay
Forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief
When He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know,
The things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person,
To spend some time with you.

From Blessed John XXIII

It often happens that I wake up at nights, begin to think about a serious problem, and decide I must tell the Pope about it. Then I wake up completely and realize I am the Pope. Pope John XXIII

Cute Quote . . .

Argue not with dragons for thou art crunchy and go well with brie.

When do you want your retribution?

As we grow from childhood, there is an almost certain given in our lives . . . the times we have to make up for a wrong done someone. Unless we approached sainthood at a very early age, there isn’t a person among us who is completely faultless in our dealings with others.

Children like to squabble among themselves and sometimes feelings are hurt or tender egos bruised. However, the arguments that were uppermost at one recess are easily forgiven by the next playtime. Hearts are soothed with a brusque ‘sorry’ or a share in a candy bar. The circumstances are not usually serious but everyone feels better when the disagreement are resolved by word or action.

Growing up encompasses exposure to more and different groups of people. We work hard to either fit in or co-exist peacefully. Problems occur and as mature adults we try to cope with them as they happen, being forgiving or offering forgiveness as needed. In a perfect world, our straying from the accepted social path would be minimal and making up for transgressions would be simple. If we took something, we would pay it back. If we hurt someone’s feelings, we would be sincere in our apologies. If we caused material damage, we would offer retribution before it was exacted from us.

We don’t live in a perfect world. As Christians we have to care as much for our fellow human beings as we do for our own welfare. Most people do try to make up for words or actions that cause pain to another. People do not, however, realize that words can reach a point of no return. Once words leave your mouth, they are independent of your control and the public has access to them as well as their own interpretation. Think about a single Dandelion. One good puff of air will send every one of its fluffy seeds flying. Try getting them back. And each seed will land somewhere and grow as much as it’s environment will allow it.

Words work in exactly the same way. Inspiring words can plant a seed of inspiration in another’s mind. Words of encouragement can give a needed boost. Spoken kindness will soothe a tired or harried heart. Words of gossip can destroy a reputation and place unneeded doubt into the souls of others. Retribution can be accomplished in many instances. A broken vase can be replaced. A borrowed book returned. Can a reputation be so easily repaired? Making up for our shortcomings in dealing with others is very possible, but taking back the words that can destroy another person’s well being cannot be as easily accomplished.

We can’t enter the Gates of Heaven with imperfections on our soul. Perhaps a considered thought now will keep us from suffering retribution after this life.

"Such as ye have sown must ye needs reap." Lydgate 15^th century.

Where Charity and Love Prevail . . .

“The servant of Charity must go to bed each night so tired from work that he will think he has been beaten!” ~St. Louis Guanella

What to do with leftover mashed potatoes . . .

I was about to grab some potatoes and peel them for dinner when I remembered I had about a cup of leftover mashed potatoes from a day or so ago. What could one do with that little when it had to feed three people and provide two work lunches for my husband?

I decided to break up the potatoes and mix in a couple of eggs. Since the potatoes had been salted and spiced for the original meal, all I added was a quarter cup of finely grated Romano cheese. In the frying pan of choice, I braised some diced onion with a bit of olive oil. When the onions were almost tender, I threw in some diced bacon. When the onions and bacon had cooked together nicely, I spread out the potato mixture, mixed it into the onion/bacon and then spread it into a semblance of a pancake. I turned it on low to cook until I finished the rest of the meal cooking. We had steak for dinner (which doesn't happen too often) but all my husband talked about were the potatoes. Just thought I'd share that idea with you.

An almost-Fall today here in Southern California. I think it headed towards 85-plus by afternoon but it was very pleasant after the triple-digit temperatures of a few weeks ago. I could actually bake in the oven without a protest from the family.

After a week without her cellphone, my daughter is back into the social phone circle. Things are back to normal. We call her cell phone and she doesn't answer either because a.) she isn't in the same room as the phone or b.) she has it turned off. Sigh . . . The world goes on, things change . . . but some things never do! :-)

Makes you think . . .

"A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said: 'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together. So the doctor said: 'OK, and what do you want me to do?' She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.' The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.' She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request. Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.' The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!' 'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.' The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb.

My favorite quote for today!

Egotist: A person of low taste, more interested in himself than in me.

Ambrose Bierce

Sharing some poetry!

Thinking

When you want to think,

Don't stand in the midst

of human confusion

Trying on dreams for size.

People will only laugh

And leave.

And you'll wonder

Whether they don't understand

Because they have no feelings

Or if your dreams

Tread on feelings

They don't want understood.

by B. Munsell 1973

Mint Candy Christmas Treats

Although the majority of my Christmas food preparations centers around cookies, I do like to take a day and make candy. This is a very easy one that looks like you went to a huge amount of trouble.

Mint Candy
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips or pieces
1 pound of vanilla candy coating
3/4 cup finely crushed peppermint candy

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Place the chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and melt. Be careful as it will burn unless you take care.

In a larger bowl, melt the candy coating according to the directions on the package. This stuff will brown on you if you don't mind the microwave or pot. Stir in the crushed peppermint candy.

Spread the vanilla coating mix on the prepared baking sheet to an even thickness, not too thin but not chunky, either.

Drizzle over the chocolate and quickly pull a knife through to form a marbled pattern. Refrigerate until firm, remove from foil, and break into pieces. Will store well in a closed container for about two weeks . . . if it lasts that long.

*You can usually find the candy coating in the baking section around the holiday season.
*Candy canes or the red and white, hard mint candies work well for this.

Ideas . . .
The candy coating also comes in chocolate flavor so you could do a brown with white chocolate chip swirls.

Mixing in 1 cup of chopped, toasted almonds into just the vanilla coating (melted) produces a very good almond bark.

Banana Bread - Baking Battle?

My family is always happy to see the last of the bananas growing old and brown on the counter because they know my frugal nature goes into effect and soon the scent of baking banana bread will grace our environment. Such happened this morning only I found myself with  a hesitation . . . which recipe to use! I got jump started on baking when I read a new recipe for banana bread, last night. Today, I remembered by old standby version and compared them. The major difference was using butter or oil. Today, I went by the oil version as I didn't have time to soften the butter but, as I type, I'm wondering if it makes a difference or is it just a personal choice.

Here goes the recipe that is currently baking in the oven.

My Favorite Banana Bread (always subject to change!)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
3 pureed bananas
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of one lemon
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds

Vegetable spray the bottom and about one inch up the sides of a loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, put in all the ingredients. Beat on low for about two minutes until everything is well incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 45-55 minutes.

Banana Walnut Bread (the new one!)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 pureed bananas
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Vegetable oil spray one loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs, beating well. Add the bananas. Put in the rest of the ingredients and beat to just mix. Spread batter in prepared baking pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Oh, such a hopeful thought! :-)

Every woman should marry an archaeologist because she grows increasingly attractive to him as she grows increasingly to resemble a ruin.

Agatha Christie

Another good one . . .

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.

Aldous Huxley

I like it!

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
-- Herm Albright

God's Blessed Us With Another Sunday . . .

Another Sunday has rolled around and we have been blessed in that we are able to worship according to our Faith and share the blessing of this gift of a day with everyone else. I guess it is watching the years line up that makes me stop and appreciate the value of each moment on earth just a bit more.

Father's sermon this morning was interesting and made me stop to think. He said that we all strive to get closer to God and we have to remember that when we find ourselves closer to His graces to not use this 'power' to demean others for not being 'as good' as we currently think we've found ourselves. Kind of knocks your spirituality right out of the park, doesn't it? He said, if I remembering it correctly, that we should be thankful for the advances we make in our own spiritual lives but not judge others based on our human perceptions. He said that a lot of the time, the more one gets into the zeal of their Faith, they often tend to try and get others to see it their way rather than acknowledging that each person is entitled to find God in the paths set for them by God.

I used to attend a much more orthodox parish and never quite matched up to what others thought I should be and was often self-conscious about whether I was doing something right or not,  praying enough Novenas, wearing the right length dress, etc. I found myself attending Mass and worrying about the outside things rather than dwelling on the spiritual and letting God work in me. It was a rough time but it has made me more aware of just leaving people alone even when they might take the rubrics along unheard of paths during Mass, etc.  I keep my nose in my prayerbook and refrain from looking around and making judgments. Okay, I'm definitely a work in progress but I've to the realization that I have to try.

Really Fast and Easy Cake!

On Sundays, I like to do things a bit nicer for dinner and include dessert. However, if I fuss over dessert, the dinner gets neglected in small ways. I've decided, over the years, that the fancier desserts get made during the week when dinner is simpler. On Sundays, concentration is on the main meal with a less complicated but still tasty dessert. I came across this one and am definitely putting it on my 'to do' list for today.

Uncomplicated Cake

1 chocolate cake mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup water
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Vegetable oil spray the baking pans of your choice - two 8 or 9-inch round ones if you want to make a layer cake or an 11x 13 for even less fuss.

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend to mix thoroughly. Don't overbeat it, about two minutes should do it. Spread batter into prepared pans and bake for approximately 20-30 minutes depending on size of your pans and oven heat output. Cake should spring back when touched lightly when done.

Ideas . . .
Although I haven't tried it, I would think a spice cake mix would be good. I might even add a half cup of finely chopped nuts to the batter.

A yellow cake mix with 1/2 cup toasted coconut would be good.

One-half cup of tiny chocolate chips would enhance the value of any cake.

Using orange juice instead of the water would make either the spice or chocolate cake stand out.

An Interesting Approach to Brownies . . .

Found an interesting recipe for brownies. Using the secret ingredient (okay, it's applesauce - you dragged it out of me!), would cut some of the fat content as it replaces a bit of the butter. Besides, chocolate is good for you so what's a few pounds when it comes to our health, right?

Chocolate Applesauce Brownies

1 cup firmly packed borwn sugar
1/2 cup softened butter (not melted!)
2 large eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts, your choice

Vegetable oil spray a 9-inch square baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter and eggs, mixing well. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, folding in the nuts last. Pour into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. Cool completely before cutting into serving pieces.

Ideas . . .
After the brownies exit the oven, a glaze of orange icing makes it interesting. Brush it over a warm not hot pan of brownies and then let cool down for cutting.

1/4 cup of ground raisins makes the brownies taste like a fruit and nut chocolate bar.

Want to be fancy, make or buy a package of fudge frosting and frost the cold brownies before serving. After frosting, let the brownies sit in the refrigerator about 15 minutes to make it easier to cut through the frosting.

Quotes to begin the weekend . . .

"Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul."
-- Marilyn Monroe

"An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations."
-- Charles de Montesquieu

"The only winner in the War of 1812 was Tchaikovsky."
-- Solomon Short

Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds

This is a great recipe to make when you want/need little hostess gifts to take to holiday parties, and such. You just fill small, pretty jars with this treat, decorate with a ribbon, a cute tag, and surprise your hostess. Also good for little gifts for casual friends and neighbors you want to remember.

Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds

1 egg white
1 teaspoon cold water
4 cups almonds
½ cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon, freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly grease one 15x10x1 inch jellyroll pan.

Lightly beat the egg white; add water and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts and stir until well coated. Sift together the sugar, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the nuts and toss to mix. Spread on pan and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Pepper Pasta

This is a recipe for a saving moment in the kitchen - translation: You need to feed the hungry hordes and you have minimum time in which to do it! Bacon will bring in the youth and the gourmet touch with the fresh Basil will impress your husband. Your budget savings for this day will please you.

Pepper Pasta
4 slices bacon, diced
½ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 pound uncooked linguine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil ( fresh makes a difference) or ½ teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Cook diced bacon in a saucepan over medium high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add onions, and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes, undrained; simmer 10 minutes, breaking up tomatoes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of 4 quarts boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Stir basil and cheese into the sauce, and then toss with cooked pasta. Serve with extra grated cheese.

Ideas . . .
Some people like to use diced ham instead of bacon.
Instead of linquine, use  shell or tube noodles for an elegant side dish at dinner.

Paper plate challenges!

Ran across this site which has a lot of cute ideas for children to make things out of ordinary paper plates. I don't think I can interest my almost-eighteen year old in any of the ideas so am passing the torch on to you mothers with more amiable children of the single digit ages!

http://daniellesplace.com/html/paperplate.html

There is intelligent life after homeschooling . . .

Not that I had any doubts about his intelligence, but it was nice to have my son's brains assessed in the public forum and found viable! In other words, he did great on his college assessment test. Language scores were high. Math was in line with the rest of our family none of which ever longed to be math majors.

My son mentioned that between the coffee drink and an energy bar, he felt good during the test although a bit nervous. It was a three-hour test and he finished in under an hour which made the protor wonder how he did. She was pleased that he was quick because he knew the stuff. A great session with a counselor and we are set and hopeful for getting a few classes in the Spring.

On the way home, we got another blessing of sorts. I treated him and myself to a drink and fries since we had missed the lunch hour with all this. The cashier at the drive-thru forgot our fries and the manager gave them to us for free!

As we approached our house, we got yet another blessing of sorts. We couldn't get into the garage because the city was fixing a water pipe leak in the street outside our house. They said they would only be another 20 minutes. Turns out that our day away from home was well-planned by 'someone' because the water had been off in our house for the two or three hours they were working on this . . . and we hadn't been home to be inconvenienced by it. God certainly gave us some great treats today. All this and Adoration, too, on a sunny Friday.

Humbly yours . . .! :-)

My son is taking an assessment test for community college today. I promised to drop by the coffee shop on the way home and get him a caffeine drink of his choice to keep him engergetic and focused. Well, we got to talking on the way home and ended up pulling into the garage before I remembered the promised stop. My son was willing to forget it rather than put me to the trouble of driving back into town. My first thought was, "Oh, good! I don't have to climb back into the van, again!" My second thought was, "A promise is a promise." We headed back down the road where we found a long line in the drive through.

We got our drink order and waited and waited for the person in the car ahead of us to get her order. It took so long, we could only imagine what she could have possibly requested. Finally, they handed her out a very small cup of coffee and she took off. Go figure on that.

Anyway, our turn and my son's cold drink was ready and waiting. I paid and as we are getting ready to drive off, the cashier said, "Oh, wait! We made a hot version of the drink by mistake. Do you want it?" I don't usually go for hot drinks but accepted with thanks. Turns out, after trying it, I do like the warm version so here I am enjoying the fruits of my kept promise to my son!

More so, these days . . .

"We need anything politically important rationed out like Pez: small, sweet, and coming out of a funny, plastic head."
-- Dennis Miller

Friday Challenges . . .

Fridays are the most challenging for me in the kitchen. Cooking something meatless that everyone likes can be difficult. I used to make cheese/spinach lasagna only to discover that after over 30 years of marriage, my husband doesn't care for it! Sigh . . . figures as it is my favorite Friday dinner. Only one of the children like macaroni and cheese. Spaghetti with tomato/vegetable sauce is favored by only two of my four children. I'm not even going to check with my husband on this one! :-) Cheese rice souffle is the preferred choice by only by the parents of this group. Don't get me wrong, I do not cater to the whims and dislikes of the individuals but I do try to space out the menu choices so everyone gets a turn at being happy to come to the dinner table.

I was thinking about making Cheddar/Broccoli soup for today's evening menu. Not sure how my teenage son will take it as anything with hot cheese doesn't thrill him. After reading through the recipe, I'm wondering about it, too. It calls for a Russet potatoe and a sweet potato in providing the texture and thickening agent. The sweet potato is an interesting component. Will it enhance the cheese flavor or will the cheese flavor have a sweet undertone that might not be terrific?

I'm still considering Cheddar/Broccoli soup for dinner but may leave out the sweet potato ingredient for two, important reasons: a.) it sounds weird and, b.) I don't want to drive to the store for just a sweet potato! Hey, it sounds reasonable to me. Of course, I will have that nagging feeling that my good bowl of soup this evening might have been fantastic if only I had gotten that sweet potato.

No catching up on quilting today. My high school graduate is taking the college assessment test for community college. No, there isn't any room for him to actually take a class but he needs to take the test in order to try and sign up for classes . . . and be turned down, in the Spring. He is a bit worried and I can't get him to understand that it is an assessment of what he knows that a test to grade him on his knowledge.

Late start to the morning so I will head out to morning Mass and spend a few moments pondering the value of sweet potatoes in my life!

Oh, so true!

In youth we learn; in age we understand.

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Orange Scented Brownies

I like one-pan batches of cookies because you mix the batter, pour it into the pan, and don’t have to go back and forth to the oven to pull out sheet after sheet of cookies. Mind you, I don’t mind doing that given the end result! On lazy days, however, a pan of brownies is work enough and leaves me time to quilt while it bakes and scents the house with chocolate. These freeze well if you should, by any chance, be able to save any of them for later!

Orange Scented Brownies
5 ounces baking chocolate
2 sticks butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brandy
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch baking pan with vegetable spray.

Melt chocolate and butter together in microwave. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Let it cool for ten minutes. Place sugar in large bowl and mix in eggs, vanilla, brandy, and orange zest by hand until combined. Do not over beat. Add melted chocolate/butter mixture. Add flour until just blended and stir in nuts.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs not wet batter. Cool brownies an hour before cutting.

Makes about a dozen and a half bars.

Almond Butter Cookies

This is a fix-ahead dough for cookies. I like to make up a batch in the morning before I do the breakfast clean up and then bake them later in the day for a surprise treat or dessert. No weird ingredients, just nice, simple cookies.

Almond Butter Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Beat butter with ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled.

Shape dough into ½ inch rolls. Cut off two-inch pieces and taper ends of each before bending them into a crescent shape. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown. When cool, dust with remaining sugar.

Makes approximately two dozen cookies.

Ideas . . .
Instead of the powdered sugar dusting, a drizzle of almond icing is nice.
I've done them with chocolate icing, too. The stripes of dark icing against the pale cookies is pretty.
If you decide on icing, some colorful sprinkles wouldn't be out of bounds.

Quotes Full of Truth . . .

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is stoned to death."
-- Joan D. Vinge

"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work."
-- Richard Bach

"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
-- Benjamin Franklin

Thoughts for a Thursday . . .

I was thinking about the state of the world today. In a lot of ways it was a depressing thought. For a moment it seemed to me that we needed another Lourdes, a Fatima, a miracle or two to bring us reverently to our knees. Upon further reflection, I realized that even an extraordinary miracle would probably not be heeded by those who needed it’s revelations the most. In fact, the years have given us a multitude of miracles that stand tribute to our Faith yet, for some, the world continues in a spiritually downward spiral.

Then on even further contemplation, I realized that the world is full of miracles each and every day. It is the appreciation of the people that is lacking. We definitely do not have a deficiency when it comes to miraculous events!

Our daily miracles start early each morning. We wake up without mishap, healthy and able to pursue the challenges of a new day. The water runs hot and cold, we have food for breakfast and children to love. We have spent a secure night under the guardianship of our angels.

Each person’s day takes it own separate path. Some people experience more outward evidence of God’s continued power, some people quietly enjoy the serenity of it. Every 24 hours of our day are filled with strength, the expected, the hoped for, the unexpected, the longed for and the triumphant rewards of spiritual living. Mini and maxi-miracles color and encompass each moment of our lives.

A new baby is born, a child smiles, the car starts even when the mechanic feels there is no way it can make another trip. It is not just coincidence. These can be some of the miracles of our day.

There are many hectic moments when I watch the hands of the clock approach six in the evening. I'm behind in my dinner preparations. I turn it all over to our Blessed Mother, Mary, and somehow things smooth out before my husband comes home. He thinks it is a miracle that I can cope with all I have to do. He is exactly right! It is a miracle.

We take so many blessings for granted yet continue to watch for something spectacular to happen in our life time. We want a Lanciano, another Eucharistic miracle even though dozens of them have occurred and endure to this day. We attend Mass as often as possible where we do witness a Eucharistic miracle every single time. Do you always take the time to consider it as such?

"Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed." (John Chapter 20, Verse 29)

Good advice from Mark Twain

October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. Other dangerous months are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.

Mark Twain

Easy Way to Asian . . .

I'm not Asian but a lot of my cooking includes Asian dishes. I'm sure a true Asian will not find my offerings totally in line with actual Asian cuisine, but my all-American family enjoy them. Anyway, I just ran across a recipe that looks easy and would have that foreign flavor I keep trying to achieve.

Easy Chicken Satay
1 envelope favorite dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thing strips
10-15 wooden skewers, soaked in water

In a large plastic bag, combine the soup mix, olive oil, brown sugar, peanut butter, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add the chicken and shake to evenly coat the meat. Set bag aside in the refrigerator to marinate for approximately 30 minutes.

Drain the marinade from the chicken. Do not save the marinade. On the wooden skewers, thread on the strips of chicken. You will have to sort of 'weave' the strips on to accommodate them.

Broil in the oven or grill on the barbecue until chicken is done. An Asian dressing would make a simple and easy dipping sauce. There are several varieties in the salad dressing aisle of most supermarkets.

Quotes to Quote . . .

"Every man serves a useful purpose: A miser, for example, makes a wonderful ancestor."
-- Laurence J. Peter

"Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water."
-- W. C. Fields

Pass the Hardtack!

When I was  a child, the concept of 'refrigerator cookies' came into vogue. Refrigerator cookies merely means that you prepare the dough, form it into a roll, and then slice and bake them when the dough is cold. My mother was always interested in trying new things so she mixed up a batch. I don't know if she misread the directions, the recipe hadn't gotten the kinks worked out, or if it was just a bad recipe. The cookies were okay but spread more than desired during baking and were thick and hard. My mother was disappointed but left them on the table and we could help ourselves. She didn't have much hope of the cookies ever getting entirely eaten and was dismayed about the waste of ingredients.

A few hours later, she was surprised to find half the cookies gone! Just as she stood there musing over this, I raced in and grabbed another handful. Curious, she followed me outside and discovered me and a bunch of neighborhood children standing by a billowing old sheet we had attached to the fence. We were all munching on her failed refrigerator cookies. She smiled to herself thinking that, perhaps, the recipe did have some appeal, afterall. As she headed back to the house, she heard one of us shout, "Ahoy, maties! Pass the hardtack!" Hey, pirates need to eat, too!

Anti-depressant thought for the day!

“Depression comes not from having faults but from refusal to face them. There are tens of thousands of persons today suffering from fears which in reality are nothing but the effects of hidden sin. The examination of conscience will cure us of self- deception. It will also cure us of depression!” ~Bishop Fulton Sheen

A head's up . . .

As some of you may, or may not know, Texas has been experiencing a severe drought. Unfortunately, a beautiful central Texas town with 21 homeschooling families lost their homes and possessions due to a massive wildfire. These families had 5 minutes to evacuate their homes.

Below is a link to a website which itemizes their needs as far as homeschool books and supplies are concerned.

http://bastrophomeschoolerswildfirehelp.blogspot.com/p/current-needs.html

A Favorite Prayer . . .

This prayer was posted on-line in 2001 and I've said it ever since. It seems to plead with our Lord for what this world needs right now. Thought I'd share it with you.

O Jesus, Divine Redeemer, be merciful unto us and the whole world. Amen.

O Powerful God! O Holy God! O Immortal God! Have pity on us, and all that are in the whole world. Amen.

Pardon and mercy, O my Jesus! During these present dangers, pour on us Thy most Precious Blood. Amen.

O Eternal Father! Be merciful to us; by the Blood of Jesus Christ, Thy only Son, be merciful to us, we beseech Thee. Amen. Amen. Amen.

A bit of history . . .The Great Boatlift of 9/11

Just discovered this, yesterday, and it is an amazing view of how Americans can pull together without the benefit of government rules, etc. when the need arises. Makes one proud!

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/The-Great-Boatlift-of-9-11

Quilting is happening today . . . I think!

A productive but busy day kept my sewing machine covered and lonely, yesterday. After posting the oatmeal cookie recipe on the blog, I was moved to make said cookies! My teen son asked me to get him some baked treats at the store and I decided that taking the time at home was less expensive and better. It was! I didn't have the pecans called for and used toasted almonds which was perfect for our tastes.

While watching television, I did, finally, complete three prayer shawls I've been working on for the last few months. They have been a fill-in project when my hands weren't full of quilting projects. I finished the fringe on the last one and now have three Christmas gifts for three, dear friends.

I do have an order for a prayer pouch to do but want to get back to my lastes crazy quilt. I'm happy with it, so far, as it seems to be falling together well. I'm on to sewing the borders on each square right now. Don't know how far I will get this week as we have religion class with our pastor this Thursday as well as a booster vaccine for my son and his college assessment test. The week seems to fill up without me even doing a thing to fill in the calender!

Going with baked chicken enchiladas for dinner only I'm using flour tortillas. I saw the recipe for the tortillas on the refrigerator door and it reminded me. The more I can avoid running into the store just for one item, the better off for the budget. I don't know about you all but once I'm in the store, the grocery cart often accumulates more than the one items I needed. Hey, I'm luck if I get home and actually remembered the required item! Yeah, store-bought flour tortillas are about two dollars - temptation is a whole lot more!

Christmas Candy!

One of the nice side effects of the holidays is letting go a bit on our diets and enjoying some of the treats of the season. One of my favorite flavors in the world is chocolate/mint. Here is a recipe that helps you fill that 'need' and provides treats to share with friends.

Chocolate Mint Patties
1 pound of powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Combine the sugar, butter, peppermint and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add the milk and mix to combine. This should work into a pliable 'dough'. Roll into small balls and place on waxed paper. Chill for 15-20 minutes then flatten with the bottom of a glass into a patty. Chill for an additional 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening. Dip the mint patties in the chocolate and place back on the waxed paper to harden. You can also freeze them a bit to hurry up the process. Makes 4-5 dozen depending on the size of your mint patties.

Ideas . . .
Before the chocolate hardens, you can sprinkle them with crushed candy cane treats.
Don't like mint? Think about orange extract with some finely grated zest.
White chocolate chips would make an interesting coating, too.
You can drizzle the chocolate-covered mints with a contrasting melted chocolate.

Enjoy the Ride!

Several of us were talking to our pastor after Mass on Sunday. We got on the subject of forgiveness and 'letting go'. He used the example of bad drivers on the road who take risks and force us to make quick decisions in order to keep body and soul together. The church is on a corner that has a major problem with people running the stop sign and showing little respect for other drivers. Father said he used to get overly irate whenever anyone would cut him off on the freeway, etc. and then decided to cope with the situation as it came up and . . . enjoy the ride, not letting some person's ineptness spoil the trip.

I thought about what he said and realized that we are always traveling throughout the day even if we don't step into a car. People we meet may try to sideswipe us with words or actions and we are constantly given a choice in how we react. I liked Father's idea of not letting anything spoil the ride. The rude people are not likely to change within the moment's contact we have with them on the highway or in the course of our day. It makes so much more sense in the Christian aspect of life to deal with the situations as needed and then get on with our lives leaving a prayer behind for the people who just tried to ruin our day. They aren't as likely to spoil our ride as much as we allow it to happen to ourselves.

Words of Wisdom to Start the Day . . .

"Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody."
-- Franklin P. Adams

"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time."
-- Edith Wharton

"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis."
-- Margaret Bonnano

A different look at the garden . . .

A pretty shadow caught my attention so I had to go get my camera and record all the different shadows the sun was helping to cast in the garden today. How often we walk past the prettier aspects of the day in search of the usual and known ones. Thought I'd share!

Lots of truth in both quotes . . .

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal."
-- Albert Camus

"Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side."
-- Anonymous

All but the kitchen sink cookies . . .

When the weather starts cooling down, I think more about baking. These are a favorite cookie that scents the house wonderfully, is easy to make, and very forgiving when you add or substitute add-in ingredients. Even when I follow the recipe exactly, it always tastes a bit different.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of your favorite granola cereal
1 cup bran flake cereal
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins, your choice!
1/2 cup diced, dried apricots
1/2 cup diced, dried pineapple

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, zest, and vanilla. Blend in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Fold in the oatmeal, granola, cereal, pecans, cranberries, apricots, and pineapple.

With a cookie scoop, your choice of size depending on how big a cookie you want, place balls of dough about 2 inches apart on a vegetable oil sprayed baking sheet or take the easy way out and use parchment paper. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the cookies and your oven capabilities.

These are very hearty cookies and good for an afternoon pick me up, a quick breakfast on the go, and for your children's lunch treat.

Ideas . . .

Toasted almonds and two teaspoons of almond extract would be different.

Adding a half cup of toasted coconut to the above recipe is nice and sort of tropical with the dried fruit.

Sunflower seed, sesame seeds, or peanuts will all give you a different cookie.

I like using bran flake cereal but you can add any kind you like.

Dates instead of the apricots and pineapple is very good especially with the orange zest undertone of the cookie.

Makes a lot, again, depending on what size you make them. Great for bake sales or pot lucks

A beautiful thought . . .

“Love shows us what we have to do. It takes us out of ourselves, makes us emulate the virtues of our Lord, and withdraws us from this world into Him. The reason why so many Christians get no farther than the threshold of virtue is that they will not break the chains that hold them back and will not give themselves up confidently to our Lord's guidance. They feel that if they go to Communion they will be unable to resist the love of Jesus and will be forced to give themselves in return. So they content themselves with books, with words, and do not dare turn to the Master Himself. Oh, my brothers, I pray you to take Jesus Christ Himself for your Teacher! Receive Him within you and let Him direct all your actions.” ~St. Peter Julian Eymard

The Blessing of Monday . . .

When I was working in an office, the constant refrain at the end of every work week was, "Thank goodness, it's Friday!" Being of a rather cynical bent, in those days, I'd quip, "Yeah, but it's only two days until Monday!" This would be met with groans and laughter. Over the years, however, I come to greet Monday mornings with a lot more respect and joy. Reaching Monday means we are given another chance to have a productive week, another chance to do something for our family, another chance to remember to be thankful that we are here to be part of Monday.

Being a mother, Mondays sort of map out my week. I see five days stretching in front of me and, hopefully, they will be filled with accomplishments. I see five days of chances to improve my meal planning. There are five afternoons of sewing. Morning Mass can happen five more times. Although I do plan out we week basically, I tend to dwell on the moment at hand. I try to stop dreading what is ahead and just get today done as well as possible. Believe me, I'm not a saint and there will be many pitfalls along the way but Mondays give me hope. And, if I'm accepting of God's blessings, I can pray that next Monday I will have another chance to see the beginning of the work week loom before me filled with promise.

Easy to believe . . .

You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.

Albert Einstein

Should eggs be separated? Debate! :-)

I used to hate separating eggs. I didn’t mind the separating. It was the question of what to do with the half left over. And it is usually the egg whites. They always seemed to be carefully preserved in a small container until I threw it out three weeks later.

This cookie recipe is a bit pricey as it uses almonds. Depending on the season, some of the warehouse stores carry large bags of them at not too bad a price. Take three cups of almonds and toast them in a 350 degree oven until they scent the air, about ten minutes. Grind them up with 2 cups granulated sugar. Stir the mixture with six egg whites, one teaspoon vanilla and one teaspoon almond extract. The resulting batter should be thick and workable. Refrigerate until ready to use but for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on lightly greased baking sheet. Vegetable sprays work well for this. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet. If they cool too much and stick, just warm them up in the oven and try removing them again. Makes approximately 3 dozen small, chewy cookies without too much fat.

If your budget and refrigerator tell you almonds are not available, walnuts will work although they will produce a moister cookie. And if nuts are totally and definitely out of line, save the egg whites and try to remember to use them to shine up your bread loaves before baking.

Fact or Parable?

Every day, a small ant arrives at work very early and starts work immediately. She produces a lot and she is happy.

The Chief, a lion, was surprised to see that the ant was working without supervision. He thought if the ant can produce so much without supervision, wouldn’t she produce even more if she had a supervisor! So he recruited a cockroach who had extensive experience as supervisor and who was famous for writing excellent reports.

The cockroach’s first decision was to set up a clocking in attendance system. He also needed a secretary to help him write and type his reports and …and he recruited a spider, who managed the archives and monitored all phone calls.

The lion was delighted with the cockroach's reports and asked him to produce graphs to describe production rates and to analyze trends, so that he could use them for presentations at Board‘s meetings.

So the cockroach had to buy a new computer and a laser printer and ... recruited a fly to manage the IT department.

The ant, who had once been so productive and relaxed, hated this new plethora of paperwork and meetings which used up most of her time…!

The lion came to the conclusion that it was high time to nominate a person in charge of the department where the ant worked. The position was given to the cicada, whose first decision was to buy a carpet and an ergonomic chair for his office. The new person in charge, the cicada, also needed a computer and a personal assistant ,who he brought from his previous department, to help him prepare a Work and Budget Control Strategic Optimisation Plan …

The Department where the ant works is now a sad place, where nobody laughs anymore and everybody has become upset... It was at that time that the cicada convinced the boss , the lion, of the absolute necessity to start a climatic study of the environment .

Having reviewed the charges for running the ant’s department , the lion found out that the production was much less than before. So he recruited the owl , a prestigious and renowned consultant to carry out an audit and suggest solutions. The owl spent three months in the department and came up with an enormous report , in several volumes, that concluded : " The department is overstaffed ..."

Guess who the lion fires first? The ant , of course, because she "showed lack of motivation and had a negative attitude".

Adapted from Portuguese by PR. Obrigado Mário.

The Grey-Haired Brigade - Thought Provoking . . .

Grey-Haired Brigade

They like to refer to us as senior citizens, old fogies, geezers, and
in some cases dinosaurs. Some of us are "Baby Boomers" getting ready to retire.

Others have been retired for some time. We walk a little slower these
days and our eyes and hearing are not what they once were. We have worked hard, raised our children, worshiped our God and grown   old together. Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being over the hill, and that is probably true. But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.

In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age. Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience.
We remember the days of telephone party-lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes. For those of you who don't know what an icebox is, today they are electric and referred to as refrigerators. A few even remember when cars were started with a crank. Yes, we lived those days.

We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many. But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off.

We won World War II, fought in Korea and Viet Nam . We can quote The Pledge of Allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so. We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield.

We didn't fight for the Socialist States of America , we fought for the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave." We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag. We know the words to the Star Spangled Banner , America , and America the Beautiful by heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing. We have lived what many of you have only read about in history books and   we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America .

Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it , and now we are going to save it. It is our
country and nobody is going to take it away from us. We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep. There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.

It was the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic Congress.
You fell for the "Hope and Change" which in reality was nothing but "Hype and Lies." You have tasted socialism and seen evil face to face, and have found you don't like it after all. You make a lot of noise, but most are all too interested in their careers or "Climbing the Social Ladder" to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting. Many of those who fell for the "Great Lie" in  2008 are now having buyer's remorse. With all the education we gave you, you didn't have sense enough to see through the lies and instead drank the 'Cool-Aid.' Now you're paying the price and complaining about it. No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and less freedom.

This is what you voted for and this is what you got. We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.

Well, don't worry youngsters, the Grey Haired Brigade is here, and in 2012 we are going to take back our nation. We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we're going, and in 2012 we're  going to the polls by the millions. This land does not belong to the man in the White House nor to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It belongs to "We the People" and "We the People" plan to reclaim our land and our freedom. We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren. So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance, Stand up, put your hand over your heart, honor our  country, and thank God for the old geezers of the "Grey-Haired Brigade."

~Author, Anon. Grey-Haired Brigade Member

Just a hint . . .

Although I do share a lot of recipes in this Blog, my other Blog, Philling Philosophy, is written solely for recipes. If you don't find what you need or want on Crazy Quilts, Catholics, and Cookies, you might check the other one.

Making every moment count . . .

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

Variety Cake!

I like a recipe that is open to my notions! This is such a cake.

Variety Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and continue until well combined. Beat the vanilla and sour cream into the mixture. Sift together the dry ingredients and stir into the butter mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Bake in a 9x13 greased baking pan for approximately 30 minutes or until it bounces back when gently touched.

Variety Ideas . . .
Use another flavor of chocolate chips like dark, mint, peanutbutter, butterscotch.
Add a tablespoon of grated orange zest to the above recipe for a fresh citrus tang.
Substitute a cup of dried cranberries for the chocolate chips.
Use half chocolate chips and half dried cranberries.
Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the above recipe.
Add 1/2 cup toasted coconut and 1/2 cup dried pineapple, finely diced.

What exactly is our job?

I've met some interesting stay-at-home mothers over the years and strange as it may seem, few of them were very interested in cooking meals for their family. They all had 'good' reasons but the bottom line was they were really not seeing to the health of their children and husband. I'm probably more devoted to my time in the kitchen each day because my mother was a working mother and our meals were either fast food on the run or sporadic because her work started around seven every morning and she didn't usually come home until eight at night. For school children, that is a long time to wait for a hot dinner. I didn't want to ever treat my children like that.

I worked until my first child was born and it seemed so natural to me to be the major caregiver for him and to do my best to see that he ate what was good for him rather than what he liked. My husband, early one, had a rule that everyone had to eat a bite of everything to leave the table. If they wanted dessert, they had to finish their vegetables. These rules inspired me to cook and bake healthy but pleasing meals so there would be happy children and a happy husband at mealtime. It took the edge off of any hectic days when we could all come together and share the meal. Sure, we had our arguments with stubborn children. No one liked everything all the time but I felt like I was keeping my commitment to my family and marriage.

I was an okay cook when I got married but I knew how to read and . . . you read cookbooks! It reminded me of when I started work in my single life. I didn't know everything about my job when I first started but I looked for ways to improve. Same with life in the kitchen! It is really depressing when you present someon with a box of homemade cookies or invite them to dinner and their compliment is, "Well, it comes easy tfor you."

Feeding your children is like helping them with their lessons. You feed their mind through books and you have to feed their bodies in a nutrionally valid way in order for them to progress in their learning.

Just my feelings . . . If you get married, part of love, honor, and cherish includes a decent home and proper meals. When the children come, the love, honor, and cherish should spill over into their care, too.

Inspired myself!

I guess posting salad dressing recipes resulted in some self-inspiration for this evening's meal. We had just been shopping so I had some fresh fruit and vegetables at hand. There was also some bacon in the freezer. Since broccoli was my dominant vegetable in the refrigerator, I decided on a cold broccoli salad. My basic recipe was:

About two cups of raw broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
Some crispy fried bacon - use your own judgment on this!
One diced apple with the skin.
One diced pear with the skin.
About 1/2 cup sliced bell peppers (I used red, orange, and yellow baby bell peppers)

I went with the No Cream Dressing I posted earlier today but added some dried dill to it. As you can from the picture, it is ready and waiting in the refrigerator for dinner. My husband likes to snack but, according to the doctor, has to lose a few pounds. I always make extra of these kinds of salad as it fills him out but not out. It's healthy, too.

The rest of dinner? Braised beef and smashed potatoes.

I make my smashed potatoes by peeling and quartering the desired amount needed for dinner. I boil the potatoes in salted water until just tender. With a heavy spoon or potato masher, I break up the potatoes and add some milk, butter, salt, and pepper and continue stirring and mixing. Not exactly whipped potatoes but my family seems to prefer this rougher version. For extra taste, I throw in several peeled garlic cloves into the potatoes as they cook.

A good reminder . . .

"It is not to remain in a golden ciborium that He comes down each day from Heaven, but to find another Heaven, the Heaven of our soul in which He takes delight." ~St. Therese of Lisieux

Fast salad dressing . . .

How many times have we rushed through the kitchen, trying to get the evening meal on the table and open the refrigerator to find there is no salad dressing left in the bottle. Some kind heart has reserved the place for the future, full bottle of dressing by leaving the empty one there. I have a few dinner saving ways to dress a salad even when the salad dressing didn't make the grocery cart that day.

No Cream Dressing
1/2 cup to 1 cup mayo (depends on how much salad you are making)
1-2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown or granulated sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl using a whisk. It is sweet and tangy and does the job when all else fails! Also, you can add your own touches with dried dill, freshly chopped Basil, chili flakes, finely diced tomatoes, finely chopped red onion . . .

 Refreshing Citrus Dressing
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dash of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon honey

Mix all these ingredients and there you have it. It goes well with a Romaine lettuce salad, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

I think God can handle it . . .!

I am ready to meet my maker, but whether my maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

Winston Churchill

German Apple Cake

I've seen so many versions of this recipe over the years and I imagine everyone who comes across it has added their tweaks and changes. I'm no exception! Everyone has their own tastes and bake according to that. This cake is a fantastic dessert but isn't bad with a cup of coffee when you get up in the morning. Cake for breakfast? Hey, it has flour like in bread, and fruit. It's just toast and fruit put together a little differently!

German Apple Cake
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
4 eggs
Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tart, green apples (Peel and slice thinly)

1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Dash cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add everything except the apples and mix thoroughly. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Layer with apples and half the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Pour in the rest of the batter and arrage the apples on top. Sprnkle on the rest of the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 mintues to an hour and a half depending on your oven. Cake should be cooled completely before serving.

Two Days for air conditioning . . .

After more years than I want to remember, we finally found a deal we could afford to replace our 30 year old air conditioning unit. The old unit was so bad that it used a lot of power and gave very, very little in return. About five years ago, we stopped using the air conditioning all together which provided us with some very hot weather . . . in the house! Some summer days found us sweating through 90 degrees inside our house. The only little thing that worried us was the installation and how long would that take. The store assured us it would take only two days . . . and they kept their promise and cleaned up after themselves.

The pictures show the multitude of boxes arriving along with the empty space before the new air conditioning unit was installed. The outside one showed up it's age and is very shabby compared with the new one.

We are still frugal with our power usage because we don't like surprise electric bills! We now set the air conditioning at 82 degrees and are relatively comfortable. Amazing what a change in attitude when you don't have to contend with the heat on a full-time basis. We are blessed!

More favorites for a Friday Morning . . .

"Saying what we think gives us a wider conversational range than saying what we know."
-- Cullen Hightower

"People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news."
-- A. J. Liebling

"Cynics regarded everybody as equally corrupt... Idealists regarded everybody as equally corrupt, except themselves."
-- Robert Anton Wilson

"The report of my death was an exaggeration."
-- Mark Twain

My feelings exactly!

Oh! do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch.

Jane Austen

More of a nightmare than a Catholic Mass . . .

http://youtu.be/rh_nqtp3VrU

I ran across this UTube video in my Internet wanderings, yesterday. What amazed me, besides the disregard for proper liturgy, was the age of the congregation and priest. I would have thought they would have retained a bit more dignity in their lives through the years. And to some of my friends who might chime in with, "But, it would be wonderful for a children's Mass!", I say that the giant puppets would more likely give them nightmares. The whole service had more of a circus quality and the various antics of the liturgical dancers (which is not allowed in the Church), made one forget what the Mass is actually about. I'm all for joy and rejoicing but this seemed contrived and in your face to me. You have to wonder if God is laughing or crying over his earth full of humans!

Carrot Cookies

This is an interesting cookie. It sort of tastes like a pumpkin cookie but fresher or something, not sure. It is definitely a good cookie. If you want to be really elegant, you can glaze the warm cookies with some powdered sugar thinned with lemon juice.

Carrot Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisin or dried cranberries
1 cup grated, raw carrot
1 cup chopped nuts

Cream butter or margaine and sugars well. Add eggs, beating until well combined. Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the butter mixture. Add the raisins, carrots, and nuts.

Drop on lightly grea sed baking sheets, about an inche apart. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees ten to fifteen minutes or until golden. Watch them carefully! Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Jump start to Christmas baking . . .

I seem to find comfort in spiral notebooks and making notes about what I want to bake or cook for Christmas. Nothing put down in my notebook is ever considered etched in stone . . . because I always find something newer, better, or more interesting to try. It does help me to get my thoughts into order. Cookies are the gift we give to our friends for Christmas. They look forward to their cookie plate and area always watching for interesting or different cookies to show up there.

I was browsing through the Internet and came across this site and it looks to have a great variety to suit just about any need. Check it out! http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/top25.php