2017 so far, not so good~

Andy brought me primroses and I made him an apple treat

I always like to start the year off right, but it has been a bumpy ride so far.  First, I ,who have had perfect and even low some times, blood pressure have had astoundingly high blood pressure readings for almost two weeks straight. We finally got that under control with the doctor's help. (I think Alleve is the culprit causing the high blood pressure.)  As the doctor went out the door he said if you are taking Alleve or Advil stop until we understand what is going on. Just be careful and read the warnings.

Then, Fergie, one of the family dogs, took a turn for the worse and had to be put to sleep because of an inoperable tumor. We are still not over that loss. Our son, David, lost his 15 year -old dog companion, Gus, three weeks before Fergie's death.  He took that very hard as well.  We do love our dogs.

Now I am getting a cold and have not had one for years.  Enough already! That is enough badness to last a long time. I know there are far worse problems out there.  On a happy note:
(It wasn't a cold after all.  I was allergic to something that went away after several wash loads of pillows and throws.) So things are looking up after all.

I hope your year started off and continues to be perfect.  I will get back to blogging once I get over these afflictions.

Ending 2016

One last holiday setting and then we are done! 

I think this has been the busiest holiday season of any that I can remember. Or maybe it's my age.
I know it is going to take a long while to recoup.

I love these antique plates and have tried for years to find replacements even using a china 'finder' type service.  But, to no avail. This is a good, happy looking after Christmas arrangement. 

We have a new Kroger store and it is wonderful.  They have had so many sales and we have tried several of their delicious seafood and beef fillet offerings.  Their beef fillets that I buy whole and they cut it, clean it and string it to suit my needs.  I usually get three roasts from one of these vacuum packages and having them on sale during the holidays has been perfect. We could practically cut the meat with a fork.  We also bought (several times) their ready-made crab salad.  It is scrumptious with a little kick.  We had over-night guests for a week and a half and those guys could eat!  I am exhausted trying to keep them full, but these salads, our fish chowders and filling beef fillets helped to no end.

Beth, Andy, and I have the place to ourselves until Saturday: Mike, Nate and Adam are skiing in Colorado.  Beth's kids have gone on to other visits having just left a few hours ago.  Matt is busy with his new baby. Nate is about to leave Colorado for Hawaii and then New Zealand after spending a couple of weeks in the Galagos Islands. JD is getting his wisdom teeth out today. He David and Johnna live in Florida, so they were among the scattered this year.

We are looking forward to 2017 and to what our new president will bring to our country.  Let's give him a chance.

Christmas Day 2016

Doris and Alyssa on their way to a movie.

Sweets from New Orleans from Alyssa.

From Beth and Mike for the pergola this summer...

Three of our guys are skiing in Colorado for a week  The Nate leaves there for Hawaii and New Zealand.

Beth's favorite brand TB  


Dinner out Christmas Eve   

Christmas champagne breakfast prepared by Alyssa and Beth.

We went to a movie late in the afternoon and then came home to this for dinner:

Shrimp and grits cooked by Alyssa and Beth.  Really good. They made breakfast for the family.

Merry Christmas from Many Branches

                                                
  New additions to the family Lechler 

                                                                           

Nate, Mike and Adam will be skiing in Colorado for Christmas.

                                                                                                  
                                               

Alyssa and Brooks are now all grown up.                       

New Orleans family.

JD in Florida...

Ham and bean soup

I have a big slow cooker of ham and bean soup burbling away to keep me company while I try out some new bakes today. Nate is home for three days and although he has eaten well on his trip, I want to fill him up because he leaves on Monday for skiing in Colorado, then from there he goes to Hawaii and last of all to New Zealand.
After another round or two of coconut cookies, I am moving into the bars.  Starting with date fills which can also be apricot fills, prune fills, raisin fills or mincemeat fills (Andy would love that.) I think a mixture of several of these might be tasty.  Wish me luck. Still using recipes from the Swift Brookfield booklet.  Here is the filling for the date fill slices.  I am using a variety as you can see.   

This needs a top and then into the oven.  Andy is going to love these.

Ready for 30 minutes in the oven   

My niece, Nancy, blessed us with two boxes of buckeyes today.

Date Fills      

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. soda
1/2 cup water
2  1/2 cups sifted flour
2  1/2 cups old fashioned oats
Mix (they say by hand) I used the mixer until it got too difficult: butter brown sugar, salt, soda and blend.  Stir in water and flour. Add the oats. Mix only enough to blend. (I used my hands at the end.)  This is a stiff dough.  Place one-half of the dough in 5 or 6 spots on the cooky sheet..  Spread the dough with a spatula, I used my hands, until it is evenly distributed and 1/2  inch from the edge of the pan.  Dip palms in flour to pat smooth--I used the bottom of a glass.
Spread the cooled filling on top. Drop remining dough on top and smooth out with your hands.  It's like a big fruit filled sandwich. Secure the edges by packing it tightly around the 'package'. The crust will look bumpy and rough.

Date filling (But I used a mixture.) I used apricots, cranraisins, dates.
1 pound of a variety of dried fruit including dates if you like them
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of water 
1 tablespoons lemon juice
Combine all ingredients and cook until thick. Cool before spreading on top of the dough.

Nate saying adios to Galapagos and hello to Hawaii

                                         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.   

More cookies

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.)

Cookies galore

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.

                        

Christmas Cookie baking time~

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.
                                                                                      

Nate's adventures in Galapagos Islands

                                                                         Sharks!! Today we snorkeled with sea turtles, sting rays and sharks lol. Too bad I don't have a go pro

-0:13

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.

Nate Lechler

20 hrs · 

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