February 8, 2010

Season of LOVE; muys caliente
We are enjoying an unusually mild winter -- today the skies were a brilliant robin's egg blue that is more typical in mid summer, certainly not in February! I am soaking up each golden ray like a lazy cat. Local papers quote Dr. Doug Barber's concerns about the polar ice caps' rapid melting -- it appears this is happening far quicker than even the worst case scenario predicted!

NO Fear!
Maybe I am naive, but I think that humanity has far less physical control/effect on the world climate than is calculated/hypothesized. Our Earth is a living, moving, morphing creation; always recreating itself -- I think the rapid speed of communication has just made us all more aware of one another and what is happening around the globe. Climate change is a given -- to exist in static mode would be to negate life as we know it.

Taking care each day
Don't get me wrong -- I do my part to take care of our world. An avid recycler and hater of over-packaging, litter, and commercial excess, I value a nature-based lifestyle. I also believe that all of the good little bits add up -- don't be freaked out that you can't move mountains, and that there is so much that needs to be done, just follow your instincts for wholeness and goodness and do what you can to make a positive difference each day.

A little love, from my kitchen
My little bit of relaxation this evening is making my Valentine cookie dough -- this recipe, which I will share with you, is wonderful and is from my Marvelous Mother Martha (MMM), baker/chef/parent extraordinaire! While my dough is chilling, I am writing to you. Hope you will try these and share a little love and goodness with those in your immediate circle -- I usually bake them one night and decorate the next to make it less arduous. I put in long days and I am up before the sun (which is still significant, even in winter months), so I try hard not to extend my waking hours too often.

MMM's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1-3/4 cups granulated white sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. fine sea salt
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground coriander (my personal addition to this recipe - optional)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
5 cups flour (approximately)

Cream butter with sugar and beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in spices, baking powder, salt, soda and cream of tartar. Gradually mix in the flour. Place the dough in container with a tight fitting lid and chill in fridge for 1-1/2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4" thickness. Cut out cookies with heart-shaped cutter. Bake for 8-10 minutes -- should be light golden, but not browned so watch carefully the last few minutes.

Yield: about 8 dozen medium size cookies -- happy baking and Happy Valentines Day xo xo!

NOTE: I usually do a couple of dozen of these with red sugar sprinkles applied before baking -- a little plainer for those watching sugar intake. The remainder I frost with simple hard icing made from 2 cups icing sugar, a few teaspoons hot water, colouring and and flavoured extract -- such as lemon, vanilla, cinnamon, almond. I usually make 2 or 3 different icing types in assorted pastel colours to make a more exciting presentation.