Not Sorry to See This One Go!

I got an email today from King Arthur Baking, urging me to “Start the year right with our keto-friendly pancakes for breakfast”!  A very sensible suggestion… except I’ve already planned to make cinnamon rolls and I cannot bring myself to feel that anything keto-friendly is a better idea.

Yes, my diet is going to have to start occupying a great deal of head space soon… but not just yet. For now, I’m still busy trying to suck all the fun out of the holiday that I can.

A very Happy (and hopefully improved) New Year to everyone!

Merry Christmas!

My holiday is fairly buggered up this year - lots of last-minute changes, peculiar timings, and unexpected gaps in festivities - but it’s still been warm and festive and full of heart…

Which is exactly the kind of Christmas I wish for all of you.

I hope this holiday is one for the books, for everyone!

Now on to the annual Christmas Eve carol sing. 

The tune isn’t as lively as some I’ve offered but it’s the chorus that sold this one. After the mess that was 2019, I figure we could all use the reminder.

Peace on Earth

Goodwill Towards Man

Bearer of Sad News

The unhappy news is that Fondles buried her father this past weekend.

She and her mom are doing ok, but her focus right now is on her family, so Fondles is likely to be away from blogging for a while. She says she’s just taking things one day at a time… and wanted to let people know why she hasn’t been around and probably still won’t be for a while. (Tho' I’m sure you could email or leave a comment on her blog if you want to drop a word of support.)

~Condolences and good thoughts to your family, Fondles~

To The Bakers

and everyone else who enjoyed the day:

It would never happen without All of You.

(And I'm very grateful that it does!)

Let Us Eat Cookies...

Welcome to The Ninth Annual 

Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza!

You have to have figured out by now that I really love doing this every year. I also really love the fact that so many of my faithful bakers keep coming back - yet each new exchange also sees one or two new people joining in the fun, as well. That makes me smile, to see that you all seem to enjoy this as much as I do. Thank you for making it so much fun.

Now, on to the cookies ('n' stuff)!

The original plan this year had been to present one short and simple recipe (an eggnog riff on the classic Oreo truffle) and one slightly more involved recipe that is dairy and gluten free. (I have a new family member who’s both lactose and gluten intolerant, and Tiny Woman has recently developed lactose intolerance, as well... not to mention the recent influx of vegetarians and vegans into my social circle. All of which means that increased vigilance is now A Thing for me… because, you know, the holidays weren’t already challenging enough.)

But anyhow, my plan didn’t work out so well. The eggnog truffle recipe turned out to be an absolute flop. Tasty, to be sure, but thoroughly miserable to work with - far too wet, droopy, and unmanageable… even an excess of freezing couldn’t salvage the process. I think the recipe proportions need massaging but unless or until I figure the problem out, there’s no way I’m disseminating this particular recipe. (Altho’ I *will* snack on the resultant misshapen blobs now stored in my freezer- let us not kid ourselves.)

The DF GF Magic Cookie Bars, however, made up for the disappointment - they are super!

The recipe comes from Food, Faith, Fitness

Her recipe, but I’ve been fairly unrestrained about adding my own notes to the directions.

Gingersnap Chocolate Magic Cookie Bars 

     (Paleo, GF, DF) - from Food, Faith, Fitness

Ingredients 

For the topping: 

1 Can Full-fat coconut milk (14 oz) 

1/4 C Honey (or agave for vegan) 

1/4 C Molasses
2 tsp Ground ginger 

1 tsp Cinnamon 

For the bars:

    

2/3 C Pecans
1/3 C Coconut oil, at room temperature (should be like softened butter) 

3 Tbsp Honey (or agave)
3/4 C Coconut flour, sifted
1/2 T Instant coffee
Pinch of salt
1/4 C dairy-free mini chocolate chips (or regular, if DF isn't a concern)

Instructions 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a small cookie sheet. Toast until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. (Watch them! Nuts go from toasty to burned very quickly.) Roughly chop and set aside.

2. Whisk together all of the “topping” ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then, turn the heat down to medium and simmer until the sauce reduced by about half. 

(Jz note: Taylor (FFF lady) estimated this would take 10-15 minutes. That was decidedly not my experience - mine took WAY longer than 15 minutes. The time is not important, however, what matters is that you get the sauce reduced to about about 1.25 cups of liquid. 
Taylor suggests that you keep pouring the sauce out into a large measuring cup to check, then returning to the saucepan until it’s cooked down sufficiently. This struck me as much-too-much of a nuisance, so I made a little measuring device. I put 1 1/4 C of liquid in the saucepan, took a short length of florist’s wire and fitted it so that it just touched the liquid when clipped over the side of the pan. 

the device

But you do you… just cook it down to the right amount, however you measure it.)

3. Take the sauce off the heat and let cool, stirring occasionally. (Helps the cooling and prevents a skin forming, so really… please stir.)

4. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang up the sides to use as a handle when you de-pan the bars. (Note: It helps to spray the bottom of the pan with spray before putting in the parchment paper, to keep it in place.)

5. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the coconut oil and honey until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour, coffee and pinch of salt until a wet dough forms. (By the way, if you're worried about being overwhelmed by the taste of coconut, I've found that refined coconut oil has a much more neutral flavor than the unrefined kind.)

 

6. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. This is one of those doughs that you really need to press with your palms and fingers, so toss all thoughts of dainty out the window. Get right in there with your (well-washed) hands!

7. Bake the crust just until lightly golden brown, about 6-7 mins. (Taylor says 7-8 but mine was just starting to scorch at 7, so I’m dropping it down a bit.)

8. As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, sprinkle the chopped nuts on top, and lightly press them into the crust. Then sprinkle on the chocolate chips.

9. Pour the slightly cooled coconut milk mixture EVENLY over the top of the surface and gently shake the pan to encourage co-mingling. (Or use the “push with the back of a spoon” method I had to adopt - I hadn’t grabbed my potholders and the pan was too hot to hang onto… whoopsie!) 

Just agitate the coconut milk mixture in some manner until it begins to sink between the layers, ok? 

10. Bake until the sides are lightly golden brown, about 25-28 minutes. (The original recipe says 27-28 minutes but again, mine didn’t need that much time. Just check ‘em earlier and add time if need be.)

11. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Then cover with tinfoil and refrigerate overnight. (Don’t skip the refrigerating overnight - the coconut milk mixture really needs the time to chill and thicken.)

12. After the appropriate chilling time, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan, and pull the bars out with the parchment paper handles. Cut into bars. (Taylor suggests 16, I tend to cut smaller bars when it’s for holiday cookie plates. Again - your call.)

the cookies
(eggnog blobs included)

Now, please join me in visiting the rest of the Exchange Crew.

Just remember that there are significant time differences around the world. 

If someone hasn’t posted yet, be patient and check back later.

Baker

Bogey and Bacall

Cat

DelFonte

Fondles

greengirl

Hermione

Katie

Kelly

Lindy

messymimi

Mrs. Fever

Olivia

ronnie

Ryan

Sassy

the bakers

Apparently I Cannot Count

The Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza is actually turning NINE!

Of course, I always make some mistake or other when I post the cookie announcement but I’d really hoped I’d broken the curse this year. At least this is better than getting the dates wrong.

So, chalk it up to another year of keeping holiday traditions and move on, Jz! 

However old it is, there’s still time to sign up if you haven’t already. 

Noon on Monday...

(Assuming you’re willing to share recipes, of course!)

Speaking of Food...

This year…

The Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza Turns Eight!

That’s right - the increasingly inaccurately named 

         Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza 

will celebrate its eighth Blogland appearance on Wednesday, December 5th… 

and I really hope you’ll consider being one of the participants.

It’s simple to play along, really.

All you need to do is to post a recipe for a holiday goodie on the appropriate day.

         (Wednesday, Dec 5th)

Your recipe doesn’t even actually have to be for a cookie. 

Anything that you consider yummy and festive is something I want to know about!

Sign up by noon on Monday, December 3rd in order to get your name on the list of participants. (I need some lead time time to assemble and distribute the list to participants.)

To sign up:

         Email me by noon on Dec 3rd

With this information:

         Your screen name and the URL of your blog. 

         (OK, I also need your email address but I’ll have that if you email, right?)

                  If I don’t get those 3 things, you won’t make the participant list. 

                  (Sorry, but I’m done with chasing people.)

That’s it - just one email, three details, and a post!

     It's gonna be fun!

Wonder No More!

March is traditionally Question & Answer Month here in this little corner of Blogland, so once again, I throw the floor open for questions. If you ask, I’ll do my level best to answer - within the constraints of privacy and good taste, of course. (But I don’t need to caveat that to YOU, do I?)

I still owe greengirl an answer on that question she lobbed at me back in November (I haven’t forgotten, gg!) so that will be coming shortly to start us off. But if anyone else wants to indulge their curiosity AND provide me with a writing prompt, all in one fell swoop, step right on up!

As the Crumbs Settle...

As always, it was fun… and you guys rock! 

I love that so many of you keep coming back, year after year,

I love that we cut across several blogging neighborhoods,

I love that you are all so wonderful about supporting each other,

and I REALLY love all your recipes!

Thank you for making this my happy place, by being here with me.

Cookie Day At Last...

Welcome to the (astonishingly) eighth annual

Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza!

This one is especially significant to me because it was during cookie time last year that my relationship with BG took a nosedive - and I really wasn’t sure how much longer I was going to maintain a presence in blogland. I honestly thought this was going to be “it”… but decided to take it one day at a time and see what happened.

Three-hundred-sixty-four “one day”s later, I’m feeling pretty good about still being here - and ready to celebrate. So, let’s not wait any longer!

Bring on the Cookies!!!

I say that, but actually, I had every intention of bustin’ out this year and doing something other than cookies. (I know!) I’d found this amazing-sounding recipe for little tea tarts, you see… altho’ I had to test drive the recipe first, of course. 

But I was excited (and confident) about these tarts. Simple, easy, and I’d finally get to try my hand at frangipane! It was going to be good, I just knew it. I had even started composing my little tart post in my head already.

While I was at it though, since it was crappy weather outside and I was messing up my kitchen anyhow (not to mention that the oven would already be at the correct temperature,) I decided I’d go ahead and try this other cookie recipe that I’ve had my eye on for a while.

So I made my little tarts... and they were quite tasty. Pleased, I hummed carols and arranged the pretty goodies on a plate, to snap pictures while the cookies baked.

Then… I tried one of said new cookies.

       Holy Mother Of God!!

I took another bite to make sure I hadn’t misunderstood my tastebuds…, 

        and nearly wept tears of joy.

And just like that, plans changed. The tarts were quickly whisked away to make room for the clear winner. So, without further ado, the Jz Holiday Goodie for 2017:

Tahini Shortbread

       It’s like halvah in a cookie… 

       (Did I mention tears of joy?)

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 C) softened butter (I used salted)

1/2 C tahini

1 C granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 C unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tbsp half and half

Directions:

Beat the butter and tahini together until light and creamy.

Next add in the sugar, salt and vanilla, blending until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.

Add in 1 cup of flour, mix until just combined before adding in 1 tablespoon of half and half, then repeat until all of the flour and cream are incorporated.

Tip the cookie dough onto a clean surface and divide in half. Form each portion of dough into roughly a 2x6 log, wrap and refrigerate 45-60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350° and line a metal, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Working with one log at a time, remove the dough from the fridge. Slice cookies 1/2-inch thick (12 cookies) and bake 1-inch apart for 18 to 20 minutes•• or until the tops of your shortbread are slightly golden. Leave cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Once cool, store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.

Yield: 24 cookies

••(The recipe says to bake for 18-20 minutes but I’d start checking at a lot earlier. Of course, my oven was well-preheated and I probably sliced these somewhat thinner than I should have, but mine only took 8-9 minutes to bake. I did the first batch for 15 minutes and scorched the beejeepers out of them. 

       Those tears were decidedly not ones of joy…

(recipe adapted slightly from simplyscratch.com)

***************************************************************

The other thing I’m celebrating in this Cookie Exchange is the return of my friend selkie!

No, she’s not back to actual blogging quite yet… but she did toss in a cookie recipe!

“These are a HUGE hit - all FOUR adult kids requested these for Christmas.

I double the recipe.”

Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

3 oz Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 egg - separated

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)

15 Kraft caramels

2 tbs milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Blend in chocolate, egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Shape dough into ball; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until slightly firm.

Roll dough into 24 balls, each about 1 inch in diameter. Dip each ball in lightly beaten egg white, then in pecans, turning to evenly coat each ball. Place, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets. Use your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon to make a deep indentation in the centre of each ball.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool. 

Meanwhile, melt caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM 1 minute or until caramels are completely melted when stirred. Fill centres of cookies evenly with the caramel mixture. Refrigerate until firm.

***************************************************************

OK, once you finish salivating over these, please go visit the rest of the baking crew 

(and really complicate your goodie-making decisions!)

Just remember that there can be significant time differences around the world. 

If someone hasn’t posted yet, be patient and check back later.

Baker

Bleue

blossom

Bogey and Bacall

Cat

collaredmom

DelFonte

Ella

Greengirl

Katie

Kelly

Lindy

Mrs. Fever

Ms Dixie Wrecked

nilla

Olivia

ronnie

Ryan

Sassy 

~~~
and special, post-deadline, linked here and only here...
Fondles' Last Minute Fruitcake Recipe

A Brief History of Cookies

Wheee!!! It’s time to talk cookie exchange again! 

     (Smile if you like talking about cookies.)

If all you want to know is how to sign up for the exchange, then scroll straight to the baker at the bottom of the post. Meanwhile, I’m going to address the question Olivia lobbed back at me.

Yes, please tell me the story of how the great cookie exchange got started! 

It’s a simple story. I actually thought about doing one the very first Christmas that I was blogging but it felt too ambitious, not to mention “forward” for a nebbishy noob. So I left it - but the next holiday season found the idea still niggling at the back of my mind. It just felt like we needed a vehicle to expand the ways in which we bonded. While a lot of us started our blogs for a single purpose, we are all multi-faceted… and I wanted to see the other facets!

I mentioned my idea while chatting with a then-blogging chum (shout out to Striving For Peace, wherever you are now!) and she encouraged me to Just Do It! - and even offered to give me a hand with getting the word out. (Two newish, largely-unknown blogheads being better than one.)

So, I posted an invitation, crossed my fingers, and sat back to see what would happen. My rule of thumb throughout the years has been that as long as I get six people to join in, we’ll go forward… but I have to admit that I’ve been delighted to hit double-digits every time so far. :-D Participation has fluctuated from year to year but there’s a fairly solid core of stalwart regulars who keep us going strong.

Over the years, we’ve outgrown the cookie container and expanded into candies, cakes, rolls, snacks, appetizers, drinks, liqueurs, and roasts. Indeed, were I blessed with foresight, I would have named this event The Great Online Holiday Goodie Exchange Extravaganza right from the start. But I didn’t, and I can’t be bothered to change it now, so there you go.

The event is open to any blogger who wants to play along. 

(With this caveat: it was started by a then-kinky blogger - and most of the crowd has some sort of connection to kink. You may find some of the bloggers to be somewhat, ummm… “cheeky”... in their approach. *ahem* If you’re not comfortable being associated with that, then just read and drool from the sidelines - I completely understand.)

But… if you’re feeling reckless (and/or peckish) then please do sign up to join us!

The date for this year’s increasingly inaccurately named 
         Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza 
                  is Thursday, December 7th.

The deadline to sign up is noon on Tuesday, December 5th. (To allow for time to assemble and distribute the participant list that people will add to their posts.)

The rules for participating are simple:

         On Dec. 7th - post a recipe for any holiday goodie. 

That’s it for rules.  

         *dusts off hands*

Your recipe doesn’t have to be for a cookie.

Nor do you even need to sign up to join us - you’ll just be doing so in anonymity if you don’t.

To sign up:

         Email me by noon on Dec 5th.  

What I need:

         Your screen name and the URL of your blog. 

         (OK, I also need your email address but I’ll have that if you email, right?)

                  If I don’t get those 3 things, you won’t make the participant list. 

                  (Sorry, but I’m done with chasing people.)

That’s it, tho’.

An email, three details, and one post... and a whole lotta fun will be yours.

And ours. ;-D

On your mark, get set..., BAKE!

LOL Day 2017

Aaaaand…

We’ve landed on Love Our Lurker Days again!

I like to think we have a good relationship, oh Best Beloved Lurkers. I sincerely appreciate you and hope that you know that I’m glad you’re out there, in all your silent comfort and support. I have tried to make a point of being vocal about my fondness for you.

Just in case I’ve been more subtle than I think, however…

All of you.
Be you chatterbox or intriguingly quiet, I am truly glad you are here.

However…

(and this is the part that will pain the lurking souls, but I’m gonna go there anyhow…)

I remind you that love is, after all, a two-way street.

So, as a particular, “Jz Has Had a Hard Year” treat for me, won’t you, my silent majority, please consider a temporary abandonment of your bashful ways and say something to me?
I know, it's not really fair to ask you to celebrate your own special Lurkers day by not-lurking.
But you'll notice that isn't stopping me... :-D  (I am a bitch, after all - check the title!)

I'll help, however... I’ll pepper you with questions to (hopefully) loosen your tongues.

Got any good book suggestions for the upcoming long, cold months?

Perhaps you have some suggestions as to what kind of posts you’d like to see me write more of? (Please keep this realistic, however. “Find a new man and write kinky stuff again!” is gonna get you nothing more than a heartfelt, “your lips to God’s ears!"..., followed by a whole lot of petulant silence of my own.)

Maybe you are wondering about the whys and wherefores of the whole (coming soon!) Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza thing?

Talking Christmas things, I’m actually pretty darned curious about how many of you out there participate in Ugly Christmas Sweater Days?

          Have you done so? Annually or only once, under duress?

          If you don’t participate, why not?

          If you do, what is the ugliest sweater you’ve ever worn?

          Have you ever won the ugliest sweater prize???

                    (I have! :-D)

Any good stain-removal hints you'd be willing to share?

          (you know, food and sweaters...)

You need not limit yourself to these questions, of course.

And, as always, a simple “hello” will do just fine, as well.

(But I really AM curious about those ugly sweaters…)

Thanks for lurking, all!

Banned Books Week 2017

Celebrate your freedom-

Get out there and READ!

(You know Spock would)

Update, Reasons, and Thanks

I got laughing at myself, posting for Love Our Lurkers time, because in truth, I have felt like my own biggest lurker lately. Like many in this corner of Blogland, my well has run low.

Reasons abound, of course.

The biggest is just that I’m plain busy.

At work, those changes I said I hated have resulted in long days that leave me drained, physically and mentally. Plus, I’m also working more hours at my second job. House repairs put serious dents in a girl’s pocketbook and I’m doing what I reasonably can to offset at least a little of that pain. But that means more hours hunched over a desk, squinting at multiple computer screens (oh, for the days when I only had to look at one!) … which kind of dulls the excitement of going home and hunching over a different computer screen as a way to relax. (Altho’ at least there is only one there…)

Then there’s the house itself. 

Besides the usual seasonal tasks of raking, garden clean-up, and gutter clearing, I’m facing some major house repairs and renovations. Most of which involve stuff I can’t do. (“Step away from the electrical, Jz…”) But there is a goodly chunk that I can tackle, so I’ve been chipping away at those parts in my downtime. 

Which, by the way, would go a lot more quickly if my father hadn’t been an “outside the box” thinker when it came to construction. (It’s solid, by God, but to pull it apart…?  BG took a look at some of it and went, “WTF???”  … Yes - Exactly.) Plus, in addition to the interesting construction, I’m also battling the defiance of 60 years worth of rust. My house went from smelling like burnt tar and epoxy to the pungent fumes of assorted penetrating oils. (None of which have been significantly helpful yet.)

It’s just not a quick process. (And I do not own a Sawzall.)

There are also relationship reasons for my silence. 

We’re doing fine. (Altho’ I’m questioning how much longer we will go before the next major intersection is reached.) He’s still molding and crafting… but, well, I just seem to be having fewer and fewer eureka moments that I want to share with the world. (Partially because the ones I do have seem to be additional turns of the same old cogs. This counts as progress of course, but it still ends up sounding like I’m talking circles around the same stinkin’ thing. And that gets tedious for both reader and writer.)

There’s still a whole lot of joy in what we do, and a lot of laughter and caring… just not as many stories at the moment. (Altho I do have an idea for one, if I can finesse it into the form I want!)

Finally, there’s BlogLand itself. 

It’s plain ol’ quieter in my little corner these days - and while I completely understand why that is, a lot of the desire to talk out loud here stems from the interaction it gives me with people. Many a good post has started with a thought that bounces off something that someone else has said, so when fewer people are writing and comments are down (that’s not guilt, just a fact,) there are simply fewer reflective surfaces for the bouncing ball that is my brain. Of course, I can still lob the odd thought out there by myself, but it's just not as much fun to do that when no one returns your serve.

None of which is anyone’s fault - but it is a factor.

Which is a big reason why I am so appreciative of all the LOL Day comments, from lurkers and known quantities alike. Your responses gave me a much-needed boost of blogging energy and I thank you all for that.

In fact, I’m feeling so good about it, I’m gonna bake you all some cookies! :-D

Stay tuned…

Did Someone Say Cookies?

On Wednesday, December 7th 2016,

the seventh celebration of the increasingly inaccurately named

Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza 

Returns!

And I hope that you (yes, you!) will join us.

The rules are pretty simple:

          1- Post a recipe on that day for a holiday goodie. 

That’s it - rules finished.  

       *dusts off hands*

The goodie doesn't have to be a cookie… or even be sweet.

That, in fact, is where the increasing inaccuracy comes in - because we have all KINDS of goodies on offer! (There are many forms of holiday goodie love, after all.)

The one catch is that if you want to get your name on the official list of participants: 

You must contact me (Jz) by Monday, Dec. 5th, with both your name and the address of your blog. (I don’t mind if you do this through the comments section below, but if you do, please make sure that you include an email address at which I can reach you. << why I prefer an email - two birds with one cyber-stone.)

I'll also be happy to post a recipe for anyone who'd rather participate that way.

I hope to hear from you (yes, you!) soon!

Well, This Is Disappointing...

(Note to self: Stop looking at search terms.)

Was it something I said?!?!?

;-p

Nearly A New Year

2015 was an odd one.

Life is always a mixture of both good and bad, of course, but I seemed to have gotten much larger dollops of each this past year, often concurrently.

     Changes at work that I loathe, yet with opportunities to learn and stretch my mind.

     Monetary challenges that are greater than ever, yet that I found a way to address.

     Friends that fell off the map and others that found their way back to the frequent flyer list.

     A relationship that has grown deeper and closer, 

            but with very real issues that have cropped up - which are still largely unresolved.

Yet for all the ups and downs, worries and joys, I still find -- for the first time in many years -- that when I take those little pauses during the day, the ones that are often filled with sighs or a furrowed brow..., I am smiling. Not a broad grin, just a simple, gentle, contented smile.

Over all, I think I liked this year.

So even tho' it's time to ring a new one in, I'm hoping for some carry over. ;-)

Here's to All of Us smiling at the end of 2016!