A Taste of Childhood

When I was young my mother would make the most wonderful sugar cookies from a children's cookbook that we owned. I remember these being a special treat and raved about them to everyone who I would talk about cookies with. So about a year or two ago, when I happened to find the cookbook in a second hand bookstore, I knew I had to buy it. And I knew that I had to make the cookies again. Just to see.

Well it took me a year or so to get around to it but today was the day. I stopped by the store this evening and picked up all the ingredients I needed. At home I was reminded of my mother as I started mixing the Crisco and the sugar together. Somehow that act makes me think of my mother baking. Then adding the rest of the ingredients. Rather than two dozen or so teaspoon sized cookies, I went with a baker dozen of tablespoon sized ones. After twenty minutes or so they came out and I waited impatiently for them to cool. Jeff didn't care for his terribly, but I thought they had the same melt in your mouth sweetness to them that I remember. What I didn't remember was that they were so crisp. After a couple more (just to make sure they were good) I realized why I didn't remember the crispiness. We never really let her bake them. We were always too busy eating the dough to get that far. Ah live and learn. It will make wonderful cookie dough.

The cookies were just a sweet end to a perfect day. It was just beautiful outside: warm, sunny, with a bit of a breeze. Jeff and I headed out to breakfast and then ran some errands around town. After that we headed home to clean up the porch and put up the screen on the front door. I'm so excited to be able to have the door open and have a breeze blow through. We wasted a day watching the birds, reading, and juggling out on the front porch. One odd thing was that we had a number of turkey vultures circling in the area. We normally see them near the creek but today they got really low near our complex, below the roof lines even. We think they were looking for our kitty who had wisely decided to go in a bit before. Sadly by the time I grabbed the camera to take some video they had moved on. A quiet day, a peaceful day, and I would dare say a perfect day.

Roof Ice and Snow Cream....

Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Salmonella.


I drove into work this morning with my iPod blaring and an icicle wedged into my mitten. Right as I was walking out the door I noticed a beautiful array of icicles right over my head and I just had to grab one. Any of my family will tell you that I have strange icicle addiction. I love them. My mother has been known to stash a particularly pretty one in the freezer for me to eat when I come over. They are one of those great outdoor snacks.



My older brother (a doctor) started calling them roof ice as a way to remind me of where they came from. Roofs are dirty, covered in dust and grime and bird droppings. And of course icicles are dirty. I still eat them. I've grabbed them off strange houses and eaten them. It's not that I'm not worried about getting sick....it's just that...no I'm actually not worried about getting sick. It is the same for me with cookie dough. I think it's a crime to bake cookies. Cookie dough is the greatest treat on earth, particularly with chocolate chips. And I'm constantly remind by others of the salmonella risk that comes from eating cookie dough. I just don't care. I figure I've gone 32 years now eating cookie dough and never had salmonella. I like those odds.

I'm a big fan of eating food I find outdoors. Mulberries are my favorite summer fruit and they can only be found outdoors. No one packages and sells mulberries. They are just too delicate. So when I find a mulberry tree I stop and eat for a while. Perhaps some of the joy is foraging for my own food. Or the fact that this is as natural as food can get. We have a focus on eating Organic in the US but most people would refuse to eat berries that they find on a tree. How much more Organic (natural) can you get?


And the worry of salmonella brings me to my favorite outdoor winter treat. Snow Cream. This is recipe that Jeff and his family introduced me too and I have to say I'm hooked. You need snow, particularly freshly fallen snow. The big flake kind that's somewhat heavy. Leave a big soup pot outside in the falling snow and then collect the rest from the top layer that has fallen. Mix in an egg (raw), sugar (normally 1-2 cups) and a tablespoon or so of vanilla. Mix and eat. It is unbelievably good. But most people can't get past the raw egg. Now I will admit that the first time you see a bit of yolk in your snow cream it's a little offputting. Even I was a little unsure, but if you get past the fear of salmonella or any other diseases, there are some great natural treats out there for you. Icicles and snow cream, making winter more enjoyable for the last 30 years.