Welcome to Sundays with the Lechlers. This blog shares recipes and events in our lives. It's written for family and friends and people who like to cook and read about good food. We all live busy lives, so we set aside Sundays to rekindle.
NATE RETURNED FROM GALAPAGOS iSLANDS TODAY; STAYING THREE DAYS THEN OFF TO SKI WITH HIS FATHER AND BROTHER IN COLORADO. AFTER THAT IT'S HAWAII AND THEN NEW ZEALAND.
His last meal on the islands fresh from the docks.
Nate saying adios to Galapagos and Aloha to Hawaii today.
I started baking the minute I had had my coffee and fed the dogs. Coconut crisps is another great recipe from the Swift Brookfield company. I am going to look up that company because in all their recipe they feature their dairy products. I expect it might have been an Illinois company, but I am not sure. If you are a cookie baker, getting your hands on a copy of this booklet would be a feather in your hat because they are delicious recipes and very easy. Stay tuned. I am on the move today. These two batches turned out differently. If you want a slightly chewy cookie bake less time; if you want a crisp cookie as advertised, bake a little longer obviously.
Coconut crisp cookies 350 for 10 -15 minutes depending on your oven. Watch them. 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar 12 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda dab of salt if your butter has no salt 1/4 tsp, nutmeg 1 cup oats 1 cup coconut Mix first three ingredients and then add the egg and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, nutmeg, then mix. Add the oats and coconut and mix. Use a small ice cream scoop to put the cookies on the baking sheet covered with parchment. No butter or grease because there is so much in the cookies. I am trying to see if I can print these recipes from the little booklet so you can all have a go at these recipes. See if this appears clear enough, please. (No, I can enlarge it on Facebook, but don't know how to do it on the blog.)
I have gone crazy baking cookies. I rediscovered a little copied Swift cookie recipe booklet. Every single recipe is simply delicious. I once thought the Butterscotch Dessert Cookies were the best, but I had not tried many others. Today I strayed to spicy molasses drop cookies which I re- named Boozy raisin cream cookies. I changed a couple of things that only made the family swoon. Tomorrow it is on to date drops. I must say years before I tried Banana Oatmeal Cookies which were easy but not memorable. Also, a pineapple one did not float my boat, but I intend to try them all. I hope I never lose this booklet which LaVonn Rogers copied and gave to me years ago, with thanks. Recipe for the best so far: Spicy molasses Drop Cookies (or Boozy Raisin Cream Cookies) 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup molasses 3 eggs 4 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup sour milk (I used sour cream with success.) 1 cup raisins ( I soaked them in a little liquor and used the plump raisins and the bit of booze in the batter.) 400 degrees for around 10-12 minutes--watch them carefully Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour with dry ingredients and add to shortening mixture with milk (or sour cream.) Add raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cooky sheet. I used a small ice cream scoop. These are special! Look back. I will add to this post as discoveries are made. Mrs. Field's chocolate chip cookies.
Madeleine, our first great grandchild, smelled cookies and came to visit for the first time last night.
Years ago my two nieces, Nancy and Linda, and I started baking cookies every week end right after Thanksgiving. We made thousands, ate some but gave most of them away. Andy and I and the boys would drive down to McConnelsville on Friday night and off we would go baking in our pajamas for comfort and fun. Then that got hectic and I started baking at home leaving a trail of cookies where ever I went. That was lonesome and when we moved to Many Branches I found a fellow baker across the street and for a few years we baked together. After that I was done with cookies for many years. My sister-in-law, Sally came to Columbus with a jar of Mrs. Field's cookies and I was hooked again. You know the story about that recipe I am sure. Well, it's a great recipe and I am baking it today for Alyssa and Brooks and their friends who will be coming home soon for Christmas. It only calls for a pound of butter and two bags of chocolate chips and five cups of oats and four cups of flour--it may kill my work horse mixer, but we are still going to plow through it once Andy gets back with the 4 jumbo eggs the recipe need, plus the usual additions for cookies. Everything is ready and waiting, come on Andy. Below: My favorite dessert cookie, Butterscotch Dessert Cookie. Better the second day and beyond.
Sharks!! Today we snorkeled with sea turtles, sting rays and sharks lol. Too bad I don't have a go pro
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Nate manages to find the girls; this one is Jamie FROM OHIO, teaching English in the Galapagos Islands,
Note the bird eating Nate's breakfast. They are very aggressive seeing as how they were there first. Far left: cigarette men to remind people this is pristine land, but the irresponsible drop them anyway.
Nate travels alone but always meets someone great along the way. Above with Nate and Gabriella.
Every day I discover something new and perfect in this wonderful place. I still have yet to upload any of the incredible pictures from my camera. But I am looking forward to sharing them when I get the chance. It has changed my life being here, and if you ever get the chance I highly recommend visiting the Galapagos Islands
A lot has been happening in the Lechler family over Thanksgiving holiday: a first great-grandchild, Madeleline Elizabeth, and a family party here on Thanksgiving Day, and a family party in New Orleans, and now Nate Lechler has started his winter travels arriving in South America this morning. (AND, OSU beat Michigan Saturday!) NOTE: Matt, Stacy and their new baby were in shut down on OSU campus while a hatchet man ran wild and was killed by an alert OSU policeman. They are at home and safe. What next? Nate in South America.
The airlines messed up my flight so now I am spending a day in mainland Ecuador. They compensated heavily though and hooked me up with a sweet hotel with free gourmet food. TO THE RIGHT: BANANA FLOWER
traveling to 
