Recipe Request

Rye Shortbread ready for the oven.

I had a request for recipes, I thought I would give you my oldest favorite and my newest favorite cookie recipes. I'll start with my newest Rye Shortbread. This recipe was given to me by the women who sells Wolfgang"s Grain and flours an Enderby company. 

Rye Shortbread

I changed the recipe from 2 cups rye flour to 1 cup rye flour and 1 cup oat flour, I love oat shortbread and I like the change.

Pre heat oven to 300 F. Line two 8" cake pans with parchment paper.

1 cup butter, softened (My preference is Earth Balance, soy free)

1 cup brown sugar

1cup rye flour

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup corn flour

Icing sugar (Wholesome sweeteners has a sugar without cornstarch) Optional

Place butter and brown sugar into a bowl cream thoroughly. Mix the flours together and stir into the creamed butter and sugar. Divide the dough into two pieces. Press each piece of dough evenly into the prepared cake pans. I cut each into 12 pieces and poked each piece with a fork. Sprinkle Icing sugar on the centers. Bake in the pre heated oven until the tops of the cakes are golden brown, and the edges turn a slightly darker brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. In my oven 50 minutes is good. 

Cut the shortbread again while it is still warm and cool, sprinkle more  icing sugar on top and store in a tightly sealed cookie tin or container lined with parchment or waxed paper 

Viennese Nut Balls( Christmas)ready for the oven

The recipe Sue Ellen wrote 33 years ago, now covered in batter with torn and crinkled edges.

 When I was a kid in Cincinnati Mom would buy the most delicate cookies at Christmas time, we called them crescents. Sometimes they were shaped like a crescent moon and some times they were balls covered in icing sugar. I loved those cookies. In 1978 I lived in the very small village of Oona River on Porcher Island. One of my neighbor's Sue Ellen had a recipe for my favorite Christmas cookies and she was willing to share it with me. 

Viennese Nut Balls (Christmas)

Set the oven for 300 F

Cream thoroughly 1 cup of butter

Add

1/4 cup of sugar

11/2 cups flour

1 cup ground nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts or black walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well. Shape into balls the size of large marbles Roll in Confectioner's sugar. Place on cookie sheet . Bake 35 minutes, cool and roll in confectioners sugar again makes 36 cookies.

Viennese Nut Balls and Rye Shortbread all ready to eat.

Enjoy.

Organic Produce and Crafts in Enderby

Today was a great day for shopping in Enderby. We had a Christmas crafts show at the Enderby Seniors Hall. It's also on tomorrow December 4th from 9:00am till 3:00 pm.You  can buy:

knitting,

finely carved wood ear rings,

pickled vegetables,

apples,

Reindeer and mice,

Lampworking glass beads and pendents, by Back Porch Beadery,

wooden angels,

A great selection of the best cotton dish clothes.

Garlic in the form of wreathes, vinegars, and pickled. Woven baskets, by Skye Farms,

Lobo's pet treats, even little muffins,

Christmas cookies of many shapes and sizes, all wrapped in plastic,

Jewels by Lynn

book marks to go in those books you bought for the kids( of any age)

 When I was done at the crafts show I walked over to the Legion where they have a Farmers market on Fridays. One in the morning 10 am to 1-pm and one in the afternoon 3 to 6 pm. I go to both morning and afternoon for the variety.

I bought Rye flour and she gave me a receipt for rye shortbread. I have made it a few times and it is very good.

Icelandic wool knited and felted.

Tocino Alpacas, knights and yarns

Plum balls, fruit cake, scarves, etc.

Helge Hodal and his beautiful wood laminated boxes with exotic woods.

I walked home through the wet snow with a bag full of goodies. Now I will be off to the afternoon Farmers market to get my baking and more organic produce for the week.


http://www.tocinalpacas.com/

Winter Cold

Winter is upon us and this morning the thermometer in the Smart said it was -16c. My feet have been toasty warm in my old purple gigantic felt packs. My "hand me down" snow pants that I got from Yolanda after she grew out of them years a go (She was bigger than me at 11 years old) along with pants, long johns, thick socks, vest, coat, scarf, hat and mittens all keep me warm out of doors. Only my face gets cold and sometimes my fingers. Mateo has a new jacket, but seams to love the snow, when he gets in it all he wants to do is run. Or his feet are cold and running keeps his feet off the grown. He didn't want to linger outside this morning.

Now that this rock face is covered in ice Mateo refrains from his role as Mountain Goat.

The moon has been amazingly beautiful.

A simple seasonal decoration for the front porch. The cedar boughs filled the house with a wonderful scent as I was making it. 

Today the sun keeps peeking in and out and it feels good on my skin and my soul. Keep warm and safe on these cold dark days.

Remembrance Day In Enderby November 11, 2010

Being new to Enderby I didn't recognize many of the faces in the crowed. A lot were familiar but I had only seen them in passing. I couldn't help but be teary eyed at a few moments. The Prime Ministers letter seemed more like a formality he had to do, so everyone would know he was the leader of the forces.

Many names were called for the wreath Laying.

The crowd watching as the parade leaves proudly holding their flags.

The parade minus the flag bearers, you can see the large equipment in the background on George. Major road changes.



The patricpants were dressed in their finest, (loved the gloves) while some of the crowd, say no more.



Getting ready for the parade

Enderby had a great turn out on this cold November 11th for the Remembrance Day Service.

Getting Things Done

 This is for Phil who has been ill, and is curious about our new place.

The bed room was a pleasant green and white with a heavy stinky forest green blind.

before we moved in

The night we moved in.

 

I spent days painting. The top walls are Cromwell Grey ,and the wainscoting is hemp seed. I just touched up the white. I spent two days hanging the drapery rod and making the drapes. It was so nice to have the drapes finished after having tissue paper taped to the windows. The room is darker and quieter at night. My art work blends in with the walls and the furniture has a warm look aginst the darker color.

The living room looking into the kitchen the night we moved in.

Living room before we bought the house.

Living room now. The bricks look better with the red wall, the lavender didn't do anything for the chimney.

We still have pictures to hang.

Kitchen the night we moved in with the stinky broken blinds.

The dysfunctional closet in the kitchen entrance the night we moved in.

The closet was one of the first things to be done, it's now functional but I couldn't do anything about the narrow depth. I'm contemplating panels to hang in front of the closet.

Eating area with the new top down, bottom up blinds. I love them. They are a double layer for more insulation, from cold and heat.

My collection of tines hides the back of the gas range.

View from the kitchen window.

Back yard gate connected to the hay bale wall.

Gate with the view of the cliffs behind.

The hay bale wall with a face, do you see it?

Just a block up form our house on Stanley Ave. We don't have to go far for a fabulous view, we don't even have to leave the house. But I do, I walk every day with the dog, and I never know who or what I might come across and what adventures we might get into. Now that the weather is getting colder I hope to get more done in the house. On a beautiful day I want to be outside so I have done a lot of work in the large yard, It does look better.