OK, OK, I'm back.....

Dropped off the blogasphere while battling a wicked cold, so nothing interesting to report except that night cough syrup works- for about 4 hours - and watch the ingredients lists of multiple products as many have acetamitophen and you DON'T want to take too much of that! Pleased to report that I'm on the mend and hope to be back with some news soon. Happy New Year to all, Peg

Diane's Fudge Cookies with a Peppermint Twist!

In preparation for a Cookie Exchange party I dug out some of my favorite standbys.  About 30 years ago my friend Diane gave me her recipe for the BEST FUDGE COOKIES ever! I've made them over and over again, and they are always a big hit.  Super easy, with minimal cleanup due to mixing in a pan and baking on aluminum foil, and you can even safely nibble on the dough as there are no eggs. This recipe makes approximately 2 dozen:
Di's Fudge Cookies
Preheat oven to 350'. Melt 1/2 stick butter and 12 oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips over medium heat in a heavy fry pan (don't skimp on quality here-use real butter and Ghiradelli or better chips), stirring to mix well until smooth. Turn off the heat and mix in 1 cup white flour, 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Optional to add chopped nuts at this stage. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and drop 1 heaping teaspoon of dough for each cookie. As these cookies do not spread much you can postion them closer together than other cookie doughs. Bake 7-10 minutes- do not overbake!! For Christmas this year my variation was to add a peppermint candy to the center of each cookie before baking. These are soft and chewy and oh, so good.

SUPER EASY TOFFEE:  Another fun, nostalgic recipe with just a few ingredients is this one for TOFFEE: Place approx 35 saltine crackers in a single layer on a large cookie sheet that is lightly greased. In a small saucepan melt 1 stick of buttler and 2/3 cup of brown sugar and bring to a boil. Pour over the crackers (I spooned a little over each cracker then spread this around with the back of the spoon). Bake in 350' oven for 7 minutes-watch closely to keep sugar from burning. Sprinkle on 12 oz of chocolate chips, put the cookie sheet back in oven for 1 minute to melt the chips, then spread them around to cover all of the crackers. Sprinkle on about 1 to 1.5 cups of chopped nuts-I used pecans. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour (no more), then break apart into serving pieces. Doesn't this sound like an old-fashion 50's style recipe- you know, from the Campbell soup era? This is real comfort food, and  great emergency recipe for when you need something easy and fast, and other than the hot sugar-butter stage, a good one to make with children.
No wonder I gain 5 lbs at the holidays!

                                       HAPPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

A Spiced-Up Christmas

Between the cold weather coming in and the holidays approaching I decided to get cozy in the kitchen and make up some gifts for friends. What better way to spend a snowy Sunday afternoon! Gathering my packs of spices from Penzeys I set to mixing up some Berbere Spice Mix, a wonderful blend of 9 delicious and aromatic elements: cardamon, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, tumeric, fenugreek, paprika, nutmeg, plus a little cayenne and black pepper.                               

Four ounces of each filled my biggest mixing bowl so I'm madly searching for small jars and expanding my list of recipients! Each jar comes with a card listing the ingredients and a recipe for Ethiopian Inspired Red Lentil Soup from Susan V's Fat Free Vegan website- love her recipes!                              

                                                                                                        

I cut 6" squares of fabric to decorate the jar tops, and put then in small gift bags covered with fabric (wonderunder fused-yes you can do this on paper!).  Ribbons secured the gift card with recipe information.

My kitchen smelled sooooo good! And my friends will have a healthy holiday gift to get them started on their New Year's resolutions to eat better.

Cloth, Paper, Scissors and Me!

I'm so excited to share the news that my August submission to Cloth, paper, Scissors STUDIOS magazine has been published in the Winter 2009 edition! Elizabeth MacCrellish of Squam Art Workshops encouraged me and helped with the photos, so many thanks there. I wanted to show what could be done in a very small space (6'x12') as so many studios featured are larger than many of us can manage. Laurie Coyle's little red bird is seen in 3 photos, and one of my favorite books, a gift from Mary Aarons at Craftside is front and center on my desk. I love being surrounded by my many treasures and can't wait to get cozy in it again this winter.

Back in the Game of Blogging!

Well, I'm back! What wonderful experiences I had this past month globetrotting to see my girls. I just spent the morning catching up on my favorite blogs and decided I'd better get back to my own. I uploaded all my photos to Shutterfly so I won't overwhelm you with them, but here are just a few of my favorites from China.
On my first day in China there was a snow storm! Newspapers reported that the government had seeded the clouds to bring rain due to a bad drought, but cold temps produced several inches of snow instead.

I felt very brave venturing out on my own, taking the very-easy-to-use subway to the Forbidden City and Tiannemen Square. I visited a beautiful and tranquil garden just before entering with the masses.

A side trip from Shanghai took us to a beautiful canal town of TongLi. We wandered the alleyways, stopping in at lovely gardens, watching people go about their day. It was cold and rainy, so lunch at a small noodle shop was a warm respite.
Now it's back to the piles of mail, suitcase to unpack, errands to run as I re-enter life back home.

Follow My Adventures !

FYI: I'm posting photos and short logs of my travels in Turkey and China at
www.turkeyandchina2009.shutterfly.com open access
Visit me there for more news and views. Photo here is Galata Tower built by the Genoese in the mid-14th century.

4,000 Miles for a Hug

It's been over a year since our daughter Sarah left for the Peace Corps in Central Asia. This week we were able to pull off our one and only visit during her 27-month commitment with a rendezvous in Istanbul, Turkey. How wonderful to be able to hug her again! And what a treat to be in this city for 8 days. All the adjectives are true- exotic, colorful, bustling, crowded, and a shoppers paradise.
We've mixed little adventures with lots of down time to just sit and visit. Rick Steve's Istanbul book has been an invaluable help in getting around and feeling comfortable. We rented an apartment from Istanbul Holiday Apartments in a perfect location on a small alleyway filled with little shops, cafes and local color. We are a short tram ride away from the Blue Mosque (see photo above), Hagia Sophia and other sites in the Old Town across the Golden Horn. Our 1885 building is next door to a small mosque so we awake every morning to the call to prayer.
Trip Highlight: Sarah's host family planned a business trip here at the same time so they could meet us. What an honor to meet Chary (Dad), Towshun (Mom, and Kemal (little brother).