Grandma’s Brown Sugar Drops

It's that time of year! Treasured memories flood my mind when December rolls around and this year, well, this year is a bit different. You see, it's my first year as an orphan. To be orphaned at 57 years of age is a blessing, but still, those wistful feelings can't be ignored. I remember it like yesterday, Mom would teach all day and come home to bake cookies, dozens and dozens of cookies and some peanut brittle, fudge and divinity. I remember laying in bed, watching the sparkle of the Christmas tree lights, listening to the Christmas albums playing on the record player and smelling Mom's creations. It just doesn't get any better than that.

As a child I was a picky eater, but I loved almost all of my mother's Christmas baking. The exception was a brown sugar drop cookie filled with pecans and fruit. I didn't keep the recipe. Thank goodness my 89 year old aunt still has it, because my tastes have changed. Aunt Lea can't bake anymore, so a dear friend and I went yesterday and did some baking for her. Now she has some of her favorite Christmas cookies to give out as in years past. It was a special day creating new memories for this old orphaned girl.

I'd like to share Mom's 'almost lost' cookie recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Grandma’s Brown Sugar Drops

Mix thoroughly:
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar 
2 eggs

Stir in:

½ cup sour milk, buttermilk

or water

Sift together:

3 1/2 to 4 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Chill at least one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet  Bake until set -- 8-10 minutes.

Holiday Fruit

Add in:

1 ½ cups broken pecans

2 cups candied cherries (red and green)

2 cups dates

Place one pecan half on top of each. Make these smaller.

Jeweled Cookies

Add in:

4 cups cut up gum drops

One half gum drop on top of each.

Jeweled Cookies

Perfect Peanut Brittle

Peanut Blossoms

May your holiday season be filled with precious memories of time spent with loved ones. 

Merry Christmas to all!

Linda <><

Mothers Day Afterthoughts

At the end of our family's long Mothers' Day weekend I thanked my sweet husband and precious daughters for putting up with me and my 'plans'. My oldest said, "I love you, just not your plans! It would have been a lot easier to make you a card and get flowers!" Ultimately, I think she's glad we did what we did and her little sis is recovering. We didn't get many pictures with us, the little one doesn't like her pic taken. But the memories will remain in our hearts for all time. 

Doing the Free Them 5K made us all a little more aware of a world outside our own seemingly sheltered lives. We were able to exceed our team goal with folks donating over $500 in our team's name. Race day brought perfect weather, delicious food trucks, a petting zoo, cheerful participants and a sold out race. The girls learned that a 5K is no biggie and we are planning to do this one again next year.

Mother's Day was a bluebird day for hiking, or as my husband corrected me, climbing Mount Si. It was four miles up with an elevation gain of 3500 feet. We got some photos, but none with us. I promise we did it! We will have that memory forever! Luckily, the aches will only last a day or two. At the top is a boulder field and beyond it what they call the haystack. Even though we didn't attempt the haystack I feel like it was a major accomplishment. Here are some pics hubby and I got.

A view up Old Si trail

Mossy trees along the trail

View of North Bend area

Looking back at Snoqualmie Pass

View Back to Seattle

Here's Mount Si from Rattlesnake Ledge, on a hike we did last summer.

Feet selfie

The after hike plan was to eat cherry pie at Twede's Cafe in North Bend, the famed diner from Twin Peaks. It was crazy busy and we decided it should be rainy/misty/drizzly to get the true Twin Peaks ambiance, so we moved on and found a great little place, Chicago Pastrami, in Issaquah just down the road that had the best hot dogs. Now, I dearly love hot dogs, but I only eat one or two a year. I had just finished a ridiculous 8 mile hike so anything probably would have made me happy, but that Nathan's hot dog  with a Limonata and potato salad was a perfect Mother's Day meal!

At the end of the day, the best part of Mother's Day weekend was simply spending it with my dear family. God has blessed me with two grown daughters who put up with my hair brained ideas and a hubby just crazy enough to help me work out the details.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord:

for this is right."

Ephesians 6:1

May your May be filled with joyful memories!

Linda <><

Greek Salad with Farro and Kale

Greek salad is a quick, healthy salad with lots of variations. It's also one of my husbands favorites and can easily be made as a main dish. We've been creating this version or something like it quite a bit lately. Throw in some chicken to make it even more protein packed.

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

(or a pint of halved cherry tomatoes)

1 large cucumber, chopped

1/4 to 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup  Kalamata olives, halved (or to taste)

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 big handfuls kale, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cup cooked farro

2 tablespoons dried oregano 

olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper

feta or crumbled goat cheese

Mix all ingredients up to the oregano and add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese. Serve intermediately or chill. It's better the second and third day. 

We also like it with brown rice or quinoa instead of the farro. I slice my onion with a simple mandolin slicer, one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. There are no exact amounts to make this salad perfect. It's much better with home grown tomatoes, but I've got a long wait for that. I usually put the tomato and pepper starts in after Mother's Day. Here in the Pacific Northwest growing tomatoes is an art and the season is short. Wish me luck! And have a great Mother's Day weekend.

Doodle of our backyard on my daughter's Economic's notebook

Linda <><

Mother's Day

Here in the Pacific Northwest we are enjoying sunshine and 70's for the first time this year. The garden is going in thus I must keep this short and sweet.

As an adult I rarely got to spend Mother's Day with my own mom. She lived too far away. I would send a corsage for her to wear to church and call. Now, she has been gone for two years and I still miss her dearly. So far I've been blessed to spend most Mother's Days with the two precious ones who call me Mom.

1994 waiting for the parade to pass with Mom & daughters

This year we have a full weekend planned. First, there is this:

We are a team: Family of 4

We live such a sheltered life, it is unimaginable what is happening right now on this planet. If you feel inspired to help with a small donation that would be awesome! Every little bit helps!

Next on our agenda is the annual Mother's Day hike. Weather permitting we'll be hiking Mount Si. 

Mount Si

If all goes as planned I will follow up with some pics of our adventures. 

I hope your May basket is filled with sweets and blessings!

Linda <><

Oatmeal Love

Do you have a favorite way to fix oatmeal? I've seen more than I can count, from the oatmeal box to the internet, but my favorite came to me in a different way. It is made with old fashioned oats and it's quick. It makes me wonder why folks ever use the individual packets with all of their unhealthy additions except in extreme situations on the road and such. 

I was buying oats in bulk at our local grocery store when an elderly man told me how he makes it.  He said he simply puts one half cup old fashioned oats with one cup milk or water and microwaves it 5 minutes. It works great and it's pretty much how I always make oatmeal now! Here are two twists on it we love. This makes two small servings or one large serving.

Chocolate Cherry Microwave Oatmeal

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 tablespoon chia or ground flax seeds (optional)

2 tablespoons cacao or cocoa

1 tablespoon maca (optional)

1 tablespoon maple syrup (or to taste)

1 cup milk (your choice: soy, almond, cow's milk

         --I like almond)

1 cup frozen cherries (fresh in season)

chopped almonds

Oatmeal Ingredients 

Mix all ingredients except almonds in a large microwave bowl and microwave on high 5 minutes. Stir, divide in 2 bowls and top with nuts.

Apple Cinnamon Microwave Oatmeal

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 tablespoon chia or ground flax seeds (optional)

1 tablespoon maca

1 tablespoon cinnamon (or to taste)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 cup milk (your choice: soy, almond, cow's milk

         --I like almond)

1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

2/3 cup applesauce (or to taste)

toasted walnuts

Mix all ingredients except walnuts in a large microwave bowl and microwave on high 5 minutes. Stir, divide in 2 bowls and top with nuts.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Our mornings are early and quick so this is a great, healthy fast breakfast! Do you have any quick healthy breakfasts? I'm always looking for variety. We eat everything from frittatas to smoothies. On the road we'll often just eat fresh fruit and a hard boiled egg.

It's just one other gift from my mom. I never miss breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. Mom would actually cook a big breakfast for the whole family before leaving for a day of teaching high school. Thanks again, Mom, for instilling in me this healthy habit!

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.

1 Corinthians 6:19

Linda <><

Music Makes Pictures, a Love Story

"Music makes pictures and often tells stories

All of it magic and all of it true

And all of the pictures and all of the stories

All of the magic, the music is you"

                        ~John Denver

Music has always been dear to me. My husband says we should all have a sound track to our lives. My daughter is a professional pianist, quite talented I might humbly add. We've always surrounded ourselves with music, diverse melodies to carry us through all the times of our lives. I heard one of my favorites on my run the other day and it brought happy tears to my eyes. It reminded me of my parents love story. Mom passed away last year just three days before my folks sixty-sixth wedding anniversary. How they found each other is another story.

My father's childhood home -- Courthouse and Jail Rock in the distance

My dad grew up in a sod house along the Oregon Trail. In 1938 they lost the homestead to the dust bowl and auctioned off their belongings preparing to move to Oregon. Just days before my dad graduated from high school my grandfather was killed in a car accident while helping someone else auction off their things. My grandmother was hospitalized for some time. Dad wandered for a while and ended up in California building airplanes during WWII. 

Mom graduated from the University of Nebraska

Mom grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska and became a teacher. She taught high school typing and shorthand in a small town. There she fell in love with a farm boy who went off to fight. He was killed in Italy at the end of the war. She had resigned herself to life as an old maid school teacher.

Eventually, she was transferred to Bridgeport, Nebraska which happened to be my Dad's hometown. When a young man wanted to date her best friend she said she would only go if he found someone to go with my mom. It just so happened that Dad was in town to visit my grandmother for Christmas, so he was enlisted.

They went on that blind date and married six months later. The rest is, well, you know...

Lettie and Lester June 1946

Last June when I was visiting Dad he was reminiscing with me about the opportunities he had passed up and all those 'what ifs' that never really help. I played God Bless the Broken Road for him. He had never heard the song before, but he had lived it and he completely understood it. 

Happily Ever After

My brothers and I, our spouses, children and grandchildren are all grateful for that broken road that brought my folks together. 

Linda<><

Mason Jar Gold -- Recipe Edition #1

Mom's Rhubarb Preserves
circa 2003

The basement walls were lined with Mason jars filled with pickles, peaches, preserves and tomatoes. Mom was a teacher and spent the summers gardening, freezing and canning. We would never go hungry. Though not wealthy we were rich in love, faith and, of course, food. 

Mason jars are practical, but I also have a deep sentimental attachment to these glass jars, the rubber ring and the metal band. When I left home for college and eventually marriage Mom lavished me with her canned goods with one stipulation. The empty jars were to be returned. Mason jars were gold to Mom. 

I think Mason jars are gold, too. But if I give you one please keep it! Just promise me you'll use it. The uses are infinite. In my house we use them as drinking glasses, leftover storage, salad makers, button holders and on and on. Here's one of my new favorites.

The other day I found this recipe for Coconut Chia Seed Pudding and put my own spin on it. My chocolate loving family adores this:

CHOCOLATE CHIA SEED PUDDING

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1-2 tbsp sweetener (I like honey or maple syrup)
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 3 tbsp cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 2 tsp maca powder(optional)
• assorted additions: fresh raspberries, dried fruit, nuts, dark chocolate chips, cacao nibs, hemp hearts...

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the milks and sweetener in a jar and put the lid on and shake the jar. 
2. Add the chia seeds, cacao powder, and maca powder and shake again.
3. Refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours).This is when the magic happens; it turns into a tapioca-like pudding.
4. Serve in a bowl with chosen additions and enjoy!

Can you say chocolate for breakfast?

Do you have favorite mason jar recipes? What unique use do you have for mason jars?