Cookie Craze

I'm craving cookies, particularly snowball cookies.  But not the usual pecan-and-powdered sugar variety--peanut butter, almond, lemon, maple, cherry, chocolate-chocolate!  Mmmm, a veritable blizzard of cookies.  I'm also having an almond thing and searched my Pinterest board for almond cookies; so many to choose, but I was taken with a few especially.  I doubt I'll make most of them, or even any, depending on the craziness of the next ten days.  But as I've said before, I like reading recipes as much as making or even eating them sometimes.


Peanut Butter Snowballs from Southern Living

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter (wonder if you could sub Nutella?)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Stir in chunky peanut butter until blended.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to peanut butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Roll dough into 60 (1-inch) balls; place 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Dust with white edible glitter, if desired.
Chicago Magazine's Maple Pecan Snowballs

2 sticks (232 grams) good quality butter, unsalted (I used lightly salted), room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more as needed for rolling
Zest of half an orange (I used 2 teaspoons and would not use more)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (I used 250 grams)
1 1/2 cups ground pecans, toast before grinding (140 grams)

INSTRUCTIONS
With a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Beat in the orange zest, maple syrup, vanilla and salt.
By hand, stir in the flour until fully blended, then stir in the pecans.
Cover bowl and chill dough for about 30 minutes.
Using a rounded tablespoon OR a medium size cookie scoop, scoop out 24 rounds.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake cookies for 20 minutes or until they are golden.
I baked the cookies in a convection toaster oven and they were done in 18 minutes.
Remove cookies from the tray and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Roll cookies in reserved powdered sugar.

No-Bake Chocolate-Kahlua Snowballs

1/3 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
One 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
3/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
Additional powdered sugar


In medium bowl, mix Kahlua, corn syrup and instant coffee granules until well blended.
In medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, powdered sugar and almonds. Mix well.
Pour coffee mixture over crumb mixture, blending well.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
Roll each ball in powdered sugar two times, making certain to coat each cookie well.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight covered container for up to 1 week.

Almond Snowballs from Food Network

3/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, sliced and softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Pulse the almonds and sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Add the butter and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the dough off the inside of the bowl, if needed. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and pulse to combine. Add the flour and salt and pulse to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of waxed paper and roll into a log about 15 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut the chilled dough into 1/2-inch pieces and roll by hand into balls. Space the cookies evenly on the prepared baking sheets and bake until slightly golden, rotating the sheets once, 15 to 20 minutes. Put the confectioners' sugar in a pie plate. Briefly cool the cookies on a rack, then gently toss in the confectioners' sugar until evenly coated. Return to rack, cool to room temperature, and then toss again in the confectioners' sugar.

Taste of Home's Cherry Snowball Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 jar (6 ounces) maraschino cherries without stems, drained and halved
Additional confectioners' sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar; gradually add flour. Shape a tablespoonful of dough around each cherry, forming a ball. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.Bake at 325° for 18-20 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

Double-Chocolate Snowballs from Crazy for Crust

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Special Dark, use your favorite)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Additional powdered sugar, for rolling (about 1 – 1 1/2 cups)


Preaheat oven to 375°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together. Stir in the chocolate chips. If dough is too soft, chill it until you can work it easily with your hands.
Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place on prepared cookie sheet.
Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes until bottoms are just slightly brown and the tops are no longer glossy. Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes, until you can handle them. Fill a small bowl with 1 cup powdered sugar and roll each cookie in the sugar until coated. Place on a rack to cool. (Once cookies are cooled, you may want to re-roll them in more powdered sugar.)

Lemon Snowballs from Cooking Classy

2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp (24g) cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (8 oz) butter, softened
2/3 cup (84g) powdered sugar
Zest of 2 lemons (about 4 tsp)
2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (68g) finely chopped almonds
1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar, for coating


In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter on medium speed until creamy, about 20 seconds. Blend in 2/3 cup powdered sugar. Mix in lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla extract. With mixer set on low speed slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combine. Stir in almonds. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes, preheat oven to 350 degrees halfway through chilling.
Scoop dough out 1 Tbsp at a time and roll into a ball, then place balls on Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2-inches apart and bake in preheated oven for 14 - 16 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes then while cookies are still warm, pour 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar into a bowl and roll cookies in powdered sugar. Transfer to a wire rack to cool then once cookies are cool, roll in powdered sugar once more, this time to generously coat (I pressed it into the powdered sugar to give it a thick coating). Store cookies in an airtight container.

Chocolate Espresso Snowballs from Delish

2 stick softened unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
½ c. sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1¾ c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. Unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. instant espresso powder
½ tsp. salt
2 c. finely chopped pecans
Confectioners' sugar, for coating
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt until thoroughly blended. Stir in the pecans. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 cookie sheets. Working in batches, roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls, and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 15 minutes, until the tops are dry and the cookies are slightly firm to the touch. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely; roll in confectioners' sugar to coat.

Nutella Snowballs from Life Made Sweeter

1/2 cup Nutella, frozen into 1/2 teaspoon portions
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly - spoon & level method)
1 cup finely chopped pecans (or nuts of your choice)
More powdered sugar for rolling cookies - about 1/3 - 1/2 cup

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Scoop sixteen 1/3 - 1/2 teaspoon sized balls of Nutella and place them on the baking sheet. Place baking sheet in freezer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line another large (or two medium) baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
In a stand mixer or using your hand mixer, cream butter and sugar together, until light and fluffy - about 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and slowly add flour and mix until just combined. Fold in chopped pecans. beating at low speed, scraping bowl as necessary, until well mixed.
Scoop out ONE tablespoon sized dough balls and flatten in your palm. Place ONE frozen Nutella ball and place into the middle of each dough ball. (Work with one frozen Nutella ball at a time and keep the rest in the freezer so they stay frozen)
Add another ONE tablespoon of cookie dough on top and press the sides together and wrap dough around and roll into balls.
Place on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used up. Chill entire baking sheet in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Bake cookies for 14-15 minutes until bottoms are just slightly brown - rotating pans halfway through. Be careful not to over-bake.
Remove from oven and cool on baking pan for about 2 minutes until you can handle them comfortably with your hands.
Meanwhile, sift 1/3 cup icing sugar into a medium bowl. While cookies are still warm, roll them in icing sugar. Place cookies on cooling rack, once they have cooled completely, roll them in icing sugar again.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.

Classic Scottish Shortbread from King Arthur Flour

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
generous 1/2 teaspoon salt*
1 cup oats, traditional or quick
1 1/2 cups flour
*If you use salted butter, reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan.
The easiest way to make the dough is in a food processor. Place all of the ingredients into the work bowl, and process to make a smooth, sticky dough.
If you don't have a food processor, grind the oats in a blender before using. If you don't have a blender or food processor, use quick oats, rather than traditional. Combine the oats with the remaining ingredients, and mix until smooth.
Press the dough into the prepared pan, and score it into 16 wedges. A knife or baker's bench knife, dipped in water between cuts, is the tool to use here.
Bake the shortbread for 35 to 40 minutes, until it's firm and golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a piece of parchment, or a clean work surface. Cut all the way through the score marks to make wedges. Place them on a rack to cool completely.
Yield: 16 shortbread wedges.

Almond Fantasy Bars

Makes about 3 dozen

½ cup packed almond paste (about 5 oz; not marzipan), coarsely crumbled
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, room temperature
1 egg yolk, white reserved
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Reserved egg white, lightly beaten
½ cup sliced almonds (about 1 ½ ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on 2 opposite sides, and butter foil.

2. Pulse almond paste in food processor until broken up into small bits. Add salt and ¼ cup sugar and continue to pulse until finely ground, about 1 minute.

3. In an electric stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together butter and remaining ½ cup sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. Add almond mixture, egg yolk, and almond extract. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.

5. Reduce speed to low, add flour and mix until combined.

6. Spread batter evenly in pan with offset spatula. Brush some of lightly beaten egg white over batter and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Press lightly to adhere.

7. Bake until top is golden, 40-45 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Transfer with foil to cutting board, discard foil. Cut into bars.

Note: Cookies keep, layered between parchment, in airtight container at room temperature 4 days. Freeze for 2 months wrapped in foil in plastic ziptop bag.


Almond and Rose Petal Squares
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
3 egg whites
1 1/4 cups ground almonds
2 tbsp. rose petal jam (or your favorite jam or preserve)
3/4 cup shortcrust/pie pastry or try puff pastry in a pinch.
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, pat into 8″ or 9″ square pan.
Prick the pastry with a fork and spread jam evenly over top.
Sift the icing sugar and mix in the ground almonds in a small bowl.
In a grease-free metal bowl whisk the eggs whites until stiff, then fold in the almond and icing sugar mixture.
Spread over the prepared pastry and sprinkle the slivered almonds.
Bake for an hour until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares.


Cardamom and Rose Tea Cookies by Meredith Steele
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups walnuts, finely chopped (the smaller the better)
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
2 1/2 teaspoons rose water
1/4 (1 stick) pound butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, walnuts, sugar, and cardamom. Add the vanilla extract, rose water, and butter in small pieces. With your hands, combine everything together until it resembles a coarse meal.
Form the dough into 1 inch balls by gently squeezing the dough together and rolling it between your hands. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Once the cookies are finished baking, carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool slightly.
Place the powdered sugar on a plate for rolling. Once the cookies have cooled but are still warm to the touch, roll the cookies in the sugar until evenly coated. Return the cookies to the cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll them once again in the powdered sugar for a second coat. Serve

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies*
Recipe from Deb’s mom, Smitten Kitchen

3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (225 grams) lightly salted butter, softened (Deb note: I don’t really see “lightly salted” much these days, so I used one stick salted, one stick unsalted)
1 1/2 (300 grams) cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (approximately 60 grams — weights can vary a bit depending on brand. I use the “good” stuff–Droste, Galler or Valrhona –but I can assure you that my mother only used Hershey’s growing up, so your choice)

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Whisk dry flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in mixer. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

Roll out cookie dough on floured counter. Cut into desired shapes, brushing extra deposits of flour off the top. (It does disappear once baked, though, so don’t overly fret if they go into the oven looking white.) Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes (the former for 1/8-inch thick cookies, the latter for 1/4-inch cookies) until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

* According to my mother’s recipe, they’re called chocolate sugar cookies but I do not feel that it does them justice.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies from Smitten Kitchen
Barely adapted, just a bunch of extra notes, from the Ovenly cookbook

Yield 26 to 28 cookies with a 1 2/3 tablespoon or #40 scoop. (I halved the recipe and regret it so much.)

1 3/4 cups (335 grams) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (450 grams) smooth peanut butter (see note at end)
Coarse-grained sea salt, to finish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then the peanut butter until smooth and completely incorporated; you shouldn’t be able to see any ribbons of peanut butter. Ovenly says you know the dough is ready when it has the consistency of Play-Doh, but I can tell you as the mom of a Play-Doh fanatic that mine was thinner, softer.

If you’d like to get those pretty striations across the top of the cookies, chill the dough by freezing it in its bowl for 15 minutes, stirring it once (so the edges don’t freeze first), before scooping it. If you’re not obsessed with these markings, you can scoop it right away. Scoop or spoon the dough into balls — Ovenly uses about a 1/4-cup scoop (probably #16); I use a 1 2/3 tablespoons or #40 scoop. Place on prepared pan. For the tallest final shape, place the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.

Sprinkle the dough balls lightly with coarse-grained sea salt just before baking. Bake smaller cookies for 14 to 15 minutes and larger for 18 to 20. When finished, cookies should be golden at edges. They’ll need to set on the sheet for a minute or two before they can be lifted intact to a cooling sheet. Trust me, you should let these cool completely before eating so the different textures (crisp outside, soft inside) can set up.

Do ahead: You can definitely make the dough in advance and either refrigerate it for a couple days or freeze it longer. However, if I were going to freeze it, I’d probably go ahead and scoop it first. You can bake them right from the freezer.

About chilling the dough: The Ovenly recipe says you can scoop and bake the cookies right away, but they keep their shape better if you chill them in the freezer for 15 minutes first. I tried it with and without and did find a better dome and final shape with the 15 minutes after. However, I was incredibly charmed by the striated marks from the cookie scoop on top of the cookie I bought last weekend, as well as in the photo in their book, and I realized that I couldn’t get it at home with just-mixed dough; you’ll get more of a blob shape from your scoop. So, I also chilled the dough for 15 minutes before scooping it and was then satisfied with the shape. It’s not necessary unless you’re as taken with top pattern as I am.

Two questions I suspect someone will ask very soon: Can you make this with all-natural peanut butter and can you make this with almond or a nut butter? The answer to both is yes, however, the authors themselves warn that you’ll get the best final shape and texture from a smooth, thick processed peanut butter like Skippy (their recommendation; updated to note, thanks to a commenter suggestion, that the 16.3-ounce jar of Skippy is estimated to contain 1 3/4 cups, saving you some measuring). I suspect an almond or cashew butter will have a similar effect as natural peanut butter. 

The Other Owl

Here is the second owl I've seen this season, this one spotted on a lamp post as I searched with my friend Mommy Goose.  Beautiful, even on an overcast day.

Holiday Party

It's always a great night.  This year, the food was even better.

Vegetarian meatball with polenta and pesto

Meatball with marinara had noodles and zucchini noodles

Hanger steak on stick

Fried Mac on stick with cheese sauce

Chicken taco with queso fresco

Shrimp taco

Spam fried rice

Poke bowl

Bacon bao

Cincinnati hot dog

Banh mi hot dog

Tijuana hot dog

Tachos

Ham and grilled cheese with aioli

Grilled cheese with guac

Chicken parmesan ball

Cheeseburger ball

Chicken nuggets

Kettle chips

Ranch popcorn

Cheddar popcorn

Apple crisp popcorn

Sweet butter popcorn

Glitter doughnuts

Chocolate unicorn pudding

White chocolate unicorn pudding

Cake pop

Cookie pop

Eclair with candy strip

Caramel eclair with popcorn

Unicorn toast (like glitter frosting on toast)

Jungle juice

Advent Update

We're definitely making headway.

1. Make wreath with boxwood branches.
2. Put up Christmas tree--Done.  And it looks lovely.
3. Church cookie cafe--Done.  Our favorites are hazelnut shortbread, cherry cookies, jam thumbprints.
4. Put up lawn decorations--Done.  There is a new Snowy Owl figure for this year.  And they look great in the snow.
5. Send Christmas cards.
6. Holiday horse picture photo shoot for Sis--Done.  Oh, how cute the pictures are!
7. See new Star Wars.
8. Attend holiday strings concert at school--Done.  Saw the first concert at the other school on Thursday (they needed extra cello and violin players); will see the concert at their school tonight.
9. Participate in Girl Scout holiday service field trip--Yep, made cards with and sang to the seniors.
10. Go to office holiday party--Done.  The food, oh, the food.  
11. Celebrate my birthday.
12. Read A Christmas Carol.
13. Watch Little Women.
14. Attend Bud's Piano recital--Done.  He played "Midwinter Memories," very nice.
15. OSV Candlelight tour.
16. Deliver gifts to vet, etc.
17. Keep looking for Snowy Owls--DONE!  We've seen two.  Best. Year. Ever.
18. Go to church vespers service.
19. Have holiday game night.
20. Celebrate Solstice
21. Put up Christmas Lego Village on table--Done.  There are a lot of horses and penguins in it this year.
22. Make gingerbread houses
23. Bake Christmas cookies
24. Choose a family charity for Advent of Gratitude

Bittersweet

My hospice patient died this morning, after several weeks of decline.  I'd been visiting her once a week for about 20 months, talking about her family, her career, her travels.  She loved to eat and I was usually there for lunch; lobster, black olives, pistachio ice cream were her favorites.  And we listened to Harry Belafonte songs every time, singing and swaying along.  I will always remember her when I hear his music, which I'm listening to now in memoriam.  I will miss her, but I am glad she is free from suffering.  My thoughts and prayers are with her wonderful family.

SNOWY SUCCESS!!!!

Leaving church yesterday, I asked Sis to check my email to see if there were any updates from my bird listserv.  "There are owls at the beach," she said.

"Owls plural?" I asked incredulously.

Yes.  Two owls.

We were 30 minutes away from the beach and I worried we wouldn't get there in time.

But we did.  Oh, yes, we did.

Well, one of the owls had already departed, but the other was comfortable on a jetty, ignoring the pack of photographers about 30 yards away.

Most of the photos here were taken with a zoom; the first photo is with my cell phone and gives a better indication of how far away we actually were.  It is very important not to get too close to a Snowy--do not try to flush the bird for a flight shot or take a close-up without a zoom lens.  This can stress the bird--which is indicated by the owl staring at you, moving its feet, standing up--and lead to the owl's death.  We've already lost a few owls here in CT, perhaps in part due to human stressors.  It's best to stay a few dozen yards (20-30 yards) at least.  If you see an owl thin or in distress, contact one of these organizations.

But seeing these birds in person is truly magical.  The real Hedwig!  They are not nocturnal so you can go owling during the day.  They like to be near water and marshland, where the voles, mice, etc. that they eat are.  So look around rocks or logs near beaches or tidal areas.  Better yet, look for a clump of photographers!  It's best to have some binoculars and you'll need a zoom lens, if a great photo is your goal.  I just like to see them; the photos below were by Mama and Bud, who both liked trying to capture the experience with a good camera.  

You should have plenty of chances this year to see a Snowy.  Audubon indicates it's an irruption year, which means more owls than usual will make their way down from the Arctic in search of food.  Many of them will be juveniles making the trip for the first time and inexperienced with humans, hence the high mortality rate.   Here in Connecticut, we'll probably be seeing them through March or so, depending on the weather.  

Last note:  black flecks indicate a juvenile or female; the all-white owls are usually adult males.

Happy owling!  This is just the beginning.

The New Advent Activities

With twin tweens in the house, I have a feeling our Advent Activities will be a little different this year.  Already, Sis has said she doesn't want to host the cookie-decorating party that we've had for years.  It was always a chaotic, messy, fun evening.  Bittersweet to say goodbye to it.  And I imagine that's the way some of our activities will go.  In fact, this is more "my" list than "ours" now.

There is one thing I want to try as a family--an Advent of Gratitude exercise that I saw on FB.  I think it's a thought-provoking activity in this time of abundance.  When we're done, we'll have to think of a charity to which to donate it.

Our New Advent Activities List

1. Make wreath with boxwood branches.
2. Put up Christmas tree.
3. Church cookie cafe.
4. Put up lawn decorations.
5. Send Christmas cards.
6. Holiday horse picture photo shoot for Sis.
7. See new Star Wars.
8. Attend holiday strings concert at school.
9. Participate in Girl Scout holiday service field trip.
10. Go to office holiday party.
11. Celebrate my birthday.
12. Read A Christmas Carol.
13. Watch Little Women.
14. Attend Bud's Pianp recital.
15. OSV Candlelight tour.
16. Deliver gifts to vet, etc.
17. Keep looking for Snowy Owls.
18. Go to church vespers service.
19. Have holiday game night.
20. Celebrate Solstice
21. Put up Christmas Lego Village on table.
22. Make gingerbread houses
23. Bake Christmas cookies
24. Choose a family charity for Advent of Gratitude

(For comparison:  2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.) 

WOOT!

I've been accepted to the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program for the spring!!!!  Yay!  I'm very excited, though I'm also a bit apprehensive about juggling 400 hours in five months, plus parenting.  But the kids are older and I have their support and Mama's.  I really can't wait.  I've even started my "things to do before CPE" list.  Yay!!!

Belated Thanksgiving

What a wonderfully odd Thanksgiving we had!  I didn't cook the meal, for the first time in something like 20 years.  My BIL Goo cooked.  On Saturday.

And it was marvelous.

He mainly cooked my recipes, but he did a few of his owns.  Lots of appetizers, most of them cheese.  He had a cheese platter, a bake brie, a traditional caprese platter, crackers with salmon and cheese and dill, dates stuffed with goat cheese and pecans.  Plus the Chex Mix I brought.  It's a good thing the turkey took extra long so that we could eat a lot of them all!

For the main dinner, we had turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, yams, and cranberry sauce, plus roasted beets with goat cheese and also this amazing roasted squash and kale salad with spiced nuts, cranberries, and maple viniagrette.  I loved the spiced nuts all on their own, but they were especially good on the salad.  Sis ate the squash all alone.  The green bean casserole was made with French cut beans, which cooked more easily.  

And it really was delightful not to cook, not to host.  I helped, of course, as did we all.  Sis really enjoyed being in the kitchen with Goo.  She made the gravy all by herself and helped with the yams and pumpkin pasties.  Bud helped with the beets.  Goo is really good about teaching and guiding the kids, and worked with them on knife skills ("open stance," how to hold the knife, proper ettiquette.)  And we all chatted all the while.  Goo's kitchen is open to the living room, so that he wasn't cut off from the socializing like we can be at my house.  And, unlike when I cook, he didn't quite clean as he went!  But then he is a bachelor.  And an amazing cook.

I wish it wasn't quite so late when we were done--it was after 9 pm when we finished eating dinner--so that we skipped dessert together and didn't have much time to chat together.  I think we were all tired.  But I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  Maybe he can do Thanksgiving and I can do Christmas.  It would be nice to share.  As Sis noted, I wasn't as grumpy or stressful about cooking.  And that makes the holiday better for all of us.

(Except maybe Goo, who more than once acknowledged that it was a lot of work and he didn't know how I'd done it all those years.  With a lot of help, I'd say, and not as much good grace.)


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Roasted Squash and Kale Salad with Spiced Nuts, Cranberries, and Maple Viniagrette from Serious Eats

• 2 1/2 pounds (1 kilogram, about 1 large or 2 medium) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, quartered, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch (about 8 ounces; 250 grams) lacinato or curly kale
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces; 250 grams) pecans
• 1 small shallot, finely minced (about 2 tablespoons; 20 grams)
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon (10 grams) whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sherry vinegar
• 1 cup (about 6 ounces; 200 grams) dried cranberries or cherries

1. 1.
   Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash pieces with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until squash is tender throughout and well browned around the edges, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before attempting to remove from foil. Carefully remove squash from foil using a thin metal spatula and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
2. 2.
   Meanwhile, pick leaves off of kale stems into a large bowl and roughly tear with hands; discard stems. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and massage until well-coated in oil. Transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until wilted and crisp in some spots, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to bowl with squash.
3. 3.
   Combine cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add nuts and 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml), season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, then add to bowl with squash and kale.
4. 4.
   In a medium bowl, whisk together shallot, maple syrup, mustard, and vinegar. Whisking constantly, drizzle in remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. 5.
   Add cranberries to bowl with squash, kale, and nuts. Toss with half of dressing, taste, and add more dressing as desired. The dressed salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature or briefly microwave until warm before serving.

Today's Surprise

What a day.  It started with FB posts about the death of a bright star in our local firmament.  I'm not upset by hearing about it online--it's no harder for me than a phone call or newspaper obituary--just sad in general, as I explained in an earlier post.

And so I stayed home from hospice, because I was down and a bit teary.  My chaplain supervisor encourages us to take time for things like this.  So I did.

I went to PT, getting in because of a canceled appointment, and then ran some errands.  I got home around 12:40 and logged in . . . only to find an email asking if I could confirm for my CPE interview--TODAY, at 1 PM!  Apparently, I'd missed the initial email last week.  And so I said yes, even though I had no preparation.

I interviewed with a chaplain at an NYC hospital and two other applicants via video conferencing (thank heavens my laptop was charged and easily compatible!)  I've had interviews but never a group interview (and I don't usually like skype/facetime stuff.)  And there was a mock verbatim for us to discuss and analyze.  My analysis differed significantly from the others (one who was a minister, another who had a DDiv!), which made me a little nervous.  But the interviewer said he sided with me and thought the chaplain in the mock scenario was avoiding and denying issues raised with the patient.  Whew.  Now I'm even more excited about the possibility of CPE, about which I hope to hear soon.

Coincidentally, the woman who died had received treatment at the interviewer's hospital, though I don't know if she knew the chaplain. And I wouldn't have been home except . . . .

Rest in Peace

I checked FB this morning and discovered that an acquaintance who has children the same age as mine had died this morning, after five years of advanced colon cancer.  She had a bright and kind smile that I will always remember.  I had been following her journey on mostly on FB (conversation was much lighter in person), each devastating update, never any really good news.  It was a very hard road for her. I am sad this morning for her, for her severe pain and suffering these last months and years, but especially for the young blond boy who was in class with my kids.  But I hurt for her because she won't get to see him grow up.  I'm sad for any mom who has to leave "early," knowing that most of my reactions are about loss and mortality in general, not just about her.  But I'm glad she's past the pain. And I am so sorry for her family and many friends. May she be at peace.  May her family and friends be comforted.

Bake Off!

We're not cooking Thanksgiving, but we have tried some new recipes recently. In fact, Sis is a baking fiend. She's on Pinterest a lot, choosing recipes, planning what to make next. We even had a Great Brownie Bake-Off; she made our regular recipe and I made Mama Teacher's special brownies. It was a tie, but the fun part was pretending we were on the Great British Bake Off, one of our favorite shows--Bud even interviewed us! She makes great crepes, especially in our new ceramic non-stick skillet, and has a recent thing for micorwavable mug cakes, which I don't quite understand. 

Perhaps she should start her own baking blog!

Mama Teacher's Special Brownies

1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate 




3/4 cup butter or margarine 



2 cups sugar 



3 eggs 



1 tsp. vanilla 



1 cup flour 




Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with aluminum foil with ends of foil extending over sides. 

Spray foil with cooking spray.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is

melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour

and nuts; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not

overbake.) Cool completely. Use foil handles to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

Molten Nutella Lava Mug Cake

• from Kirbie's Cravings
• 4 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup Nutella
• 3 tbsp fat free milk

Preheat oven to 350F. In an oven-safe mug (it won't rise too high, so an 8 oz is fine), add all four ingredients. Mix with a mini whisk vigorously until batter is completely mixed and smooth.

Place mug on a baking sheet and then place into oven. Bake for approximately 16-18 minutes (mine took exactly 17 1/2 minutes). Watch the cake carefully towards the end. You want the cake to have puffed up except the center, which should still look dark and not completely set (but no longer wet, like photo above). Let cake cool a few moments before eating. You can top with powdered sugar and eat with ice cream if desired.

Molten Chocolate Lava Mug Cake
from Girl on Gourmet

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch of salt
3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup vanilla bean ice cream (optional)

Combine the butter, egg, and cream together in a coffee mug until well combined. Add the flour and sugar and keep stirring. Add the cocoa, vanilla, and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Place the mug in a microwave and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the mug from the microwave and let it sit for a few minutes to cool.
Top the cake with the ice cream, grab a spoon, and dig in.

Sis's #1 Crepes

from Sweet as Honey

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (230g)
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract optional
1 teaspoon white sugar optional
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter melted or vegetable oil of your choice

In a large bowl add the flour, eggs, salt, vanilla extract, melted butter and sugar if used.

Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat in the milk gradually until a smooth batter form with no lumps.
Heat a lightly buttered crepes pan over medium/high heat.
Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, then tip and rotate the pan to spread batter as thinly as possible.

Brown on both sides about 1-2 minutes on each sides and serve hot with your favorite fillings

Recipe Notes

Store: you can cook all the crepes then store them in the fridge, on a plate covered with plastic wrap. It store well up to 2 days.

Filling ideas: jam, chocolate spread, honey, maple syrup, apple compote, fruits, nut butters, whipped cream, ice cream, nuts, coconut and more!

Chocolate Lava Cakes

from Sally's Baking Addiction

6 ounces (170g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup (115g; 1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60g) confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks²
optional for topping: ice cream, raspberries, and/or chocolate syrup

Spray each ramekin with nonstick cooking spray and dust with cocoa powder. This ensures the cakes will seamlessly come out of the ramekins when inverted onto a plate in step 7. *Or spray half of a 12-count muffin pan and dust with cocoa powder. If baking in a muffin pan, the recipe will yield 6 cakes.

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).

Coarsely chop the chocolate. Place butter into a medium heat-proof bowl, then add chopped chocolate on top. Microwave on high in 10 second increments, stirring after each until completely smooth. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together until combined in another small bowl. Pour the flour mixture and eggs into the bowl of chocolate. Slowly stir everything together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. If there are any lumps, gently use your whisk to rid them. The batter will be slightly thick.

Spoon chocolate batter evenly into each prepared ramekin or muffin cup.

Place ramekins onto a baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes until the sides appear solid and firm-- the tops will still look soft. *If baking in a muffin pan, the cakes only take about 8-10 minutes.
Allow to cool for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted plate and turn over. Use an oven mitt because those ramekins are hot! The cakes should release easily from the ramekin. *If you used a muffin pan, use a spoon to release the cakes from the pan and place each upside down on plates.
Add toppings. Serve immediately.

Make ahead tip and freezing: You can prepare the batter through step 4. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Allow to come to room temperature before continuing with step 5. You can freeze the baked lava cakes for up to 3 months. Allow them to cool completely before freezing. Re-heat in the microwave.

Recipe Notes:

Make sure to use high quality chocolate, not chocolate chips. You won't have much "lava" with chocolate chips! I suggest high quality chocolate baking bars sold in the baking aisle such as Baker's, Ghirardelli, Nestle, or Lindt. They're all typically sold in 4 ounce bars, so you will need 1 and 1/2 bars total.

A note on the eggs-- for this recipe, you need 2 whole eggs plus an addition 2 egg yolks. After 10-14 minutes in an oven this hot, the eggs should be cooked to 160°F which is considered safe to eat. If you're concerned, you can take the temperature to be sure!

At the End

My hospice patient, who broke her leg a few weeks ago, is declining.  And now she has a bad cold which compromises her breathing.  She was exhausted and uncomfortable.  It hurt to see her.  And I'm not sure I'll see her again.  So I said goodbye to her as I left, wishing her ease and peace.

I've had a lot of touching experiences at my in-patient hospice job in the last week or so--laughing with a patient and her friends who I interrupted during "girl talk" (they worried that they'd shocked me), admiring a man's dogs with him and his partner, listening to a daughter talk about her dying dad as her best friend, listening to several children describe the family reunions of their large and close family of which their mom was the matriarch, talking to a family member about embracing the goodness of life even in the dark times.

Lambeth thinks I'm morbid for thinking about the end of my life so much, but I think perhaps it's a way of understanding death, and therefore life, in some small way.  And I don't want to leave my family or myself less prepared than they could be (though of course, you're hardly ever really prepared and it's hard regardless.)

Some things I see as a chaplain:

• chaplains and various staff notice if there are no flowers or photos by the bedside--those things, as much as visitors, indicates support and love of the patient.  So, bring on the flowers and photos, blankets and stuffed animals, cards and signs.  One of my patients has a digital photo frame which holds many photos of her loved ones;
• a tip from a social-worker friend of mine: even if a patient can't eat or drink, sometimes they can still taste--swab their mouths with a favorite drink or flavor.  I don't know what mine would be; I can think of several (chai, chocolate, vanilla pound cake);
• to continue the tour of the senses, I must mention hearing, which is supposedly the last to go.  Favorite music on a player, favorite movie on the tv, someone reading a favorite book--these all bring smiles.  I routinely sing to hospice patients and they love it (and think I have a pretty voice, which is kind);

-=-=-=-=-

I wrote the above after my visit last week; my hospice patient is still hanging on and so I will see her tomorrow.  I didn't finishe it because I was focused on my CPE application, which I submitted today.  If all goes well--and I don't know how long it will take for me to hear--I should start in February.  

A friend of mine is having a double masectomy today to fight an aggressive breast cancer.  I've been thinking of her and all of the people struggling this holiday season.  There were a lot of family and friends at hospice this morning, visiting patients.  But one of the patients whose daughter I'd talked to several times had died.  And I think of my uncle and his widow.  And the woman in town struggling with advanced cancer.  And the family I took a meal to as part of my church lay ministry.  

And so I've been saving tonglen meditation.  Tonglen is a Tibetan practice with three parts where you open your heart, breathe in grief etc./breathe out love etc., and then breathe for a specific person or incident.

I breathe in darkness; I breathe out light.I breathe in suffocating, dank heat; I breathe out a refreshing breeze.I breathe in fetid, foul air; I breathe out freshness, the scent of the spring.I breathe in fear; I breathe out strength.I breathe in grief; I breathe out comfort.I breathe in despair; I breathe out hope.I breathe in hospitals; I breathe out home.I breathe in crisis ; I breathe out peace.

Thanksgiving Week

I keep forgetting that it's Thanksgiving because I'm not cooking the big dinner this year.  My brother-in-law is!  He's got his own place now and more free time and so he wanted to host.  And I'm thrilled.  Though, I kept forgetting that Thanksgiving was this week.  I'm sure we'll help with the cooking.  Sis has promised to bring the rolls; I'm thinking of baking an almond cake that we like.

Family dinner isn't until Saturday, though, so we'll spend Thursday in our pjs, watching the parade, and eating some food we have ordered from a local soul food place.  Mama wants to get out the Christmas decorations and be ready early this year (which makes sense because we don't have many free days in December.)  We'll see if we muster that much energy.

The kids had energy on Sunday and helped make 200+ pies for a local soup kitchen with the children's service team at church!  It's one of our favorite service projects.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Prayers for Mommy Goose

My friend, Mommy Goose, I pray for a successful surgery and easy-as-possible recovery on Monday.  We love you and are thinking of you.

May you be strong.  May you be healed.  May you be comforted.  May you be free from suffering.

May your family be strong.  May your family be comforted.  May your family be free from suffering.

Planning for the Ending after the End

My uncle has been laid to rest, in a two-day combination of memorial service, visitation, and graveside service, with a BBQ meal after.  My mom and her siblings helped my aunt plan the services and write the obituary, all of which was made more difficult by the fact that none of it had been discussed beforehand with my uncle, and that my aunt and uncle didn't belong to a faith community or identify with any particular cultural traditions.   So everything had to be designed from scratch, from service to venue to officiant; I'm sure it was exhausting.  But I understand that they helped each other, made the tough choices, and created a lovely celebration of my uncle's life.

As my mom has long said, funerals are for the survivors.  But I do think it helps ease the mind of the main mourners if the service reflects or even has input from the deceased.  My folks are not interested in church or religious funerals for themselves, obviously.  In fact, my dad says his obituary can read "1940- [date]," which doesn't really make for a great remembrance, so unless he leaves us one, we'll have to write it.  My mom, as she frequently explains, is interested in the dash between the dates, so I can see some kind of celebration with lots of photographs and an obituary with lots of detail (not just dates, places, and survivors.)  Both talk about being sprinkled somewhere (over the duck pond at Wildwood for my dad), so gravesites and stones aren't in the cards.  My mom has never believed in leaving flowers in cemeteries anyway; she always buys herself a poinsettia for Christmas and lily for Easter instead of leaving them at her parents' graves.

I've already tried my hand at my own obituary; it definitely needs to be amended and shortened.  I'd love to write an ethical will  to leave behind, beyond just my distribution of belongings.   And I've thought before, often when I'm waiting for a funeral to begin or I'm leaving a wake, about what I want by way of comemoration.  I like UU funerals--some music, some readings ("Wild Geese" by Wendell Barry, or Mary Oliver's precious life poem), an Order of Service with a picture and a favorite quote or poem, a short eulogy, the invitation for attendees to share a story.  I remember music playing as people gathered for my paternal grandmother's funeral, gentle Christmas tunes as she died in December about a week before Christmas.  I'd love to have a selection of music playing as people gathered--things I like (musicals, Indigo Girls, Wham!, who knows)--and maybe accompanying a slideshow (like in Love Actually.)  Maybe give people a CD of the music (or the contemporary music tech.)  And pass outsome of my books that my family aren't keeping, with a special bookplate.  Or a copy of my favorite recipes.  Yes, I like the idea of funeral favors, not just little prayer cards.  There should be food.  Lots of food and drink, perhaps in the church social hall, though I go back and forth from a real dinner to just a dessert bar.  I would love it if people hung out and really talked, not just nibbled and left.  I do like the Jewish tradition of sitting shiva, a casual and informal gathering in support of the family, with food, conversation, a few readings.   I go back and forth about what do do with my body--I love old cemeteries and headstones but also feel that they are a waste of land and resources (all that fertilizer and water!) that few visit anymore; still, I might like being buried under a bench with a quote as a headstone so people could sit comfortably and enjoy the view--let it be pretty.  The idea of cremation gives me the heebiejeebies because of the fire, but I don't mind being ashes.  And then there are all these new ideas--being buried as a tree, being "bio-cremated" with alkali not fire, etc.  I don't mind being sprinkled anywhere (not sure where exactly?) or being in a pretty cannister (something Wedgewood-esque would be perfect.)  And leave my Facebook page and blog up as a memorial.

So I guess I have given it all some thought, which I think is a good thing.  Have you?

The Unexpected

Just a quick note to explain the last week or so:  my Uncle died suddenly, which was a surprise despite his being ill the last few years, and so my mom's trip to visit was canceled--just as she arrived at the airport up here--so that she could return to support her sister through this devastating loss. A big shout-out to Granny Quinn for helping out during the initial chaos; you are a true friend!

About the same time, we got word that my mother-in-law needs rather emergency eye surgery, for glaucoma-like symptoms have built up in her eye since her last eye surgery (Lambeth, I know that will sound familiar.)  That surgery is tomorrow.

So, instead of a happy, fun-filled visit, we had some tears, worries, and Mama under the weather with a head cold--though at least my back is giving me no more trouble, another quite unexpected happening, and I am pretty much back to normal, cautiously optimistic.

And we went to see Thor Ragnorak as compensation, which we really thoroughly enjoyed.

Plus, happy birthday to my sister, Aunt Banana!

Gommie is Coming!

My mom will be here tomorrow through Wednesday.  It's her annual fall trip, though it didn't feel much like fall today at 70F.  We'll be taking it easy--she turned her ankle last week at Wildwood.  So between her bum foot and my back, which is much better, we aren't up for the kind of huge fall trip we took a year or so ago in Vermont.  Besides, my dad's not coming.  I think he's waiting for the spring visit.  Because, for the first time, we won't be seeing them in December.  Short school vacations coupled with high airline prices plus it's Aunt Banana's year to have them on the actual day just meant that a holiday trip didn't make sense.

Yep, changes . . .

Plus, this is the first year I'm not cooking Thanksgiving dinner!  Nope, my brother-in-law Goo has his own place, his own kitchen, and now his own feast to prepare.  To accomodate his doctor schedule, we'll be celebrating on Saturday.  Which means we can sit around in PJs watching the parade, a stress-free day.  Change can be good.