The last time YOU cleaned YOUR windows . . .

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.

The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. 'That laundry is not very clean', she said. 'She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap'

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: 'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?'

The husband said, 'I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.'

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

Makes sense . . .

There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you."
---Will Rogers

I wonder . . .

We have a rule in our home. We only have dessert on the weekend whether it be a dish of ice cream or a freshly baked pie or cake. On Mondays through Friday, don't even ask if you want to avoid the disappointment of a negative reply. The children are being raised with this rule and they know more than an extra sweet will be lost if they nag.

There have been times, however, when an extra dessert was forthcoming during the weekdays because of a holiday or other special occasion. The children greatly enjoyed this break but it doesn't take them long to consider this the new rule! Any break from the usual discipline sends them on a quest for more and more laxness in their upbringing. It is very seldom considered a rare treat but a stepping stone to more freedom.

When I was checking my calendar, I noticed that Holy Days of Obligation are not always an obligation for us anymore. Making time for Mass on a Holy Day in my childhood was often a challenge between school and parents' jobs but we always managed it. Now, when ever a Holy Day falls on an 'awkward' day, the diocese make it easier for us by canceling our obligation. I often wonder if, we, as grown ups view it much the same as children and treats. Do we strive to live within a certain discipline or do we adjust our discipline to fit our lives?

Quote for the day . . .

"Those thinkers who cannot believe in any gods often assert that the love of humanity would be in itself sufficient for them; and so, perhaps, it would, if they had it."

G. K. Chesterton

Sunshine in the kitchen . . .

The weatherman was wrong and the intial forecast of clearing skies provided us with pouring rain throughout the morning. We don't use the central heat - no bail out for budget-minded people - so baking provides a win/win situation. Nothing like keeping warm and getting something good to eat.

Our faithful orange tree gave us a good harvest this year so I knew that any baking project should include oranges in some shape or form. I decided on a Sunshine Cake. Easy recipe that required the warmth of the oven and made a good room freshener. Baking cake smell beats out floral sprays any day!

Sunshine Cake

1 box yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Grated zest from two oranges
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or use vegetable spray on two 8-inch round cake pans.

Combine all the ingredients and mix well without over beating. Pour into prepared pans and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the top springs back when gently pressed. Cool in the pans on a rack. You can frost and layer them with your favorite canned frosting or ice them with a lemon/orange glaze.

Lemon/Orange Glaze
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teasoon grated orange zest
Enough fresh lemon juice to form a spreadable icing.

Rainy Days and Quilting . . .

I took advantage of the rainy day to spend it inside working on quilts. And, yes, it is plural. I have this problem. I get an idea for a quilt and just have to drop everything in order to get the concept down in 'fabric'. Often, in the middle of the creative surge', another idea strikes and the first quilt gets set aside. Today, I actually finished a full-sized quilt and got two others pinned and ready for hand sewing. I did NOT start a new one today . . . although the temptation was there!

I decided one of the Lenten 'sacrifices' would be to finish up ALL my pending sewing projects before I cut into another length of fabric in the quest of a new idea. I have a feeling this will be much harder than avoiding chocolate and eating out.

Rainy days . . .

Almost two months into 2009 and the warmer months are soon to follow. Rain in the forecast today! It may be one of the last really cold days in which to do something to make the house cozy. Easy math - Cold weather plus heat times oven equals cookie baking! A fast, easy recipe that is a stand-by in my kitchen is cut out sugar cookies. They are easy to make and fun for the children to do. Add warm hearts and fun to the math to complete your answer!

Easy Roll-Out Cookies

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs with vanilla. Add baking powder and flour one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be stiff; blend last flour in by hand. Do not chill dough.

Roll out a portion of dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Dip cookie cutters in flour before each use. Bake coolies on ungreased cookie sheet for approximately 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

Variations:
A teaspoon or so of peppermint extract makes a refreshing cookie when frosted with vanilla icing.

For chocolate cookies, stir in 3 ounces of melted baking chocolate into the batter before adding the eggs. If dough is too stiff, add water a teaspoon at a time.