Flashback Friday: Great-Grandma's Chewy Ginger Cookies

Flashback Friday: Revisiting a recipe from long ago

I wasn't lying when I said there was an abundance of old molasses cookie recipes in the family.  This one comes from my great-grandma on my mom's side.  Around age 20 she came over from Norway and got her first job as a cook for a doctor's family.  The family lived in St. Paul but brought her with to cook when they stayed at their resort home in Maine.  She also accompanied them as first cook aboard ship on the Great Lakes.  The details have been lost to time, but I still have some of her recipes like these ginger cookies.

 I've made more than my fair share of molasses cookies, yet I've never seen one utilizing a crisscross fork pattern.  Flattening with a fork is usually reserved for peanut butter cookies, but I was pleasantly surprised by its use here.  Many molasses cookie recipes call for chilling the dough, but these cookies can be baked immediately.  I'm generally not a fan of cloves and was hesitant to add a whole teaspoon.  Once again I was pleasantly surprised and found the blend of spices to be just right.

Thursday's Thoughts: Spring Flowers

Thursday's Thoughts: a taste of what I'm thinking

Last year at this time I was outside taking pictures of all the spring flowers.  I can hardly wait to give it another shot this year.  Though a decent portion of the snow is gone, the flowers aren't exactly in full bloom yet, are they?  That doesn't mean we can't enjoy some spring colors right now.  Below are some of my favorites from last year.  I have a few hung around the house until this year's blossoms open.

Sunshine!

 I used these two on the coasters I made for Christmas.  I'm afraid I'll ruin them if I actually use them as coasters, so they're hanging on the wall like tiles.  Whatever, it works.

This planter was an Easter gift, also from last year. 

This tree is right outside our kitchen window.  Quite the view for washing dishes. 

Ahhh, I can almost smell the flowering crab blossoms now.  That has got to be one of my favorite scents, along with lilacs.   Even better than freshly baked cookies, don't you think? 

Food for Thought: "What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable." -Joseph Addison

Random Recipe Wednesday: Butterfly Pretzels

I don't know about you, but I'm definitely ready for spring.  The sun and chirping birds have caught on, but somehow the temperature missed the memo.  Perhaps we can make some spring treats as an extra hint.  Dear weather, dipped pretzels are not just for Christmas.  Please join us in a delightful celebration called spring.  We'll provide treats, all you need to bring are warmer temperatures.

Don't worry I'm not (that) crazy, I actually made these butterfly dipped pretzels to go along with our Easter evening snack spread.  They're simple to make, though a bit time consuming.  I was already flitting from project to project in the kitchen so why not throw in one more, right?

Tuesday's Twist: Easter Leftovers

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.

I have countless recipes to share with you, but every last inch of our fridge is packed with Easter leftovers.  It would be slightly ridiculous for me to make more food for you today.  I mean, I like you and all, but you're going to get leftovers.  Actually, sharing leftovers means you're practically family.  I'm not even going disguise these leftovers by turning them into something new.  We're just going to reheat and eat.  Or maybe we'll just eat them cold.  I don't know, what do you feel like?  I'm kind of thinking cold, but I suppose you can pick since I've already had them a few times.

While these leftovers taste great, they look a little, well, leftover.  I didn't bother with pictures on Easter so I'll just give you a recap of the recipes and events of the day.

* This Lemon Orzo with Asparagus is the only thing that looks, what shall we say, not-quite-as-leftoverish?  What's not to love about a dish that's flavorful, simple and comes together quickly?  I guess I can dig out the camera, but only for this one or we'll never empty out that fridge.

* These hot cross buns were one of the first things I ever made with candied ginger.  Needless to say I've been hooked (and slightly obsessed) with it ever since.  Candied ginger, golden raisins and dried cranberries are kneaded into a whole wheat dough flavored with spices and orange and lemon zest.  But you should have some of the leftover plain white rolls, I don't really want to share these.

*Save room for red potatoes roasted with rosemary and a touch of honey.  Sorry, no recipe here, I just chopped, tossed and roasted.

* The same goes for the salad, minus the roasting of course.  Chopped romaine layered with sweet peas, crunchy celery, radish slivers, green onion and a sprinkle of cashews, lightly dressed with a dill vinaigrette.

* I also threw together a quick fruit platter with strawberries, red and green grape clusters, fresh pineapple and oranges.

* Oh yeah, I almost forgot, ham.  Just help yourself.

* I'll even get you a clean plate for dessert, Grasshopper (mint) pie.  Well, sort of.  The crust was too hard and the filling didn't really set up, not a recipe I'd use again.  But if you throw the leftovers in the freezer it's just about right.  Actually, forget the plate, let's just eat it right out of the pan.

My mom's coworker brought us this fresh herb pot, ahhh so fragrant.  Rosemary and oregano have poked through so far, but the label has quite a few others listed.  Let's hope I can keep it alive long enough to see what else comes up.

After dinner we spent the afternoon viewing old family slides from the 60's and 70's.  My aunt and uncle have been diligently sorting boxes and boxes of slides from my grandma's house.  It was fun to see pictures of my dad's side of the family and hear the stories that went along with them.  After a few hours of that we got out the munchies like this Cranberry Orange Party Mix.

Food for Thought: "If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come." -C.S. Lewis

Mindful Monday: Thoughts from Easter

Mindful Monday: On Monday's I'm going to share what's been on my mind. I by no means have any of this figured out, I'm just thinking out loud here.

Each time you see or hear something familiar there is a chance to to gain new perspective and insight.  This weekend several things stuck out to me regarding Easter.  Though I've heard them all before, I hadn't really stopped to reflect or ponder their significance.  Below is the shortened version of a few things that made my wheels start turning.  I'd like to spend more personal time digging deeper and applying these thoughts to my my own life.

1. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, yet he still chose him as a disciple.  I have to wonder how this influenced their interactions.  If I knew someone would ultimately betray me I would always keep them at an arms length.  Yet I suspect Jesus showed Judas just as much love and respect as he did to the other disciples.

2. I've been having a hard time lately making my quite time a priority.  I use the excuse of being too tired or not having 'enough' time.  At the Good Friday service I couldn't help but notice the words Jesus spoke to the disciples in the garden.

"Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. 'Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?' he asked Peter. 'Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.' " (Matthew 26:40-41) 

 I am no different. How many times have I struggled to stay awake during a service?  How many times do I fall asleep praying or stay in bed just a few more minutes instead of making morning quiet time a priority?

3. It's hard to comprehend the extreme physical pain Christ went through during the crucifixion.  While this bodily torment was excruciating, the mental and spiritual anguish he went through as he took on the guilt, shame and punishment of all mankind was even more intense.  Even more intense. (plus it happened at the same time as the physical torture)

Food for Thought: "If the cross was the end of the story, we would have no hope. But the cross isn't the end. Jesus didn't escape from death; he conquered it and opened the way to heaven for all who will dare to believe. The truth of this moment, if we let it sweep over us, is stunning." -Steven James