Knitting, Singing, the Universe and all....

Something to try out for your spring pot-luck! I'll be bringing these to the Missoula Community Chorus dinner next week..... Chocolate Chip, Cherry & Bacon Cookies 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup dried tart cherries 1/2 cup finely chopped smoked bacon, cooked and well drained (I use pre-cooked bacon from Costco...) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line sheet pans with parchment paper. Sift flour and baking soda into a small bowl; set aside. In your electric mixer, combine the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Stir in the flour. Add the chocolate chips, cherries and bacon. Place heaping tablespoons of the cookie dough on the parchment-lined pans. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie. Ba...

While in Portland last week, Louise, Stella, and I all went to the Korean Jade Sauna in Beaverton - a women's traditional cleansing experience. It is advertised as "no frills" and there is quite a bit of no-frilling about it (see picture - it's a re-cycled 70's rancher!). Still, an exhilarating and refreshing time was had by all three of us - and we agreed to do this as a "Spring Cleanse" every year! First you take a shower, then, still wet, go lie down in the Salt Room: The Salt Room is layered about 3-4 inches deep with Sea Salt and a cloth on top - pillows about the room are also filled with salt. And, it's warmed up to about 100 degrees. You lie down for about 45 minutes, and relax while the salt draws out your toxins. The bags at the top of the photo on the shelf are bags of mugwort - they are also strewn all about the spa - and make things nicely fragrant. Here's a bit of Wikipedia on the properties of MugWort! After the cherry trees bloom ...

is lovely!All the gardens are beginning to bloom, the magnolia trees and clematis vines are fragrantly spilling their scents and petals all about the sidewalks, the rain periodically becomes hail and then a giant rainbow covers the sky and sparkles in the mist.....every time we visit, I am more enamored of this City-of-Roses. We have been spending our Spring Holiday - an extended Easter week!- at Louise and Ned's in Portland, and visiting with Stella and Marcus every spare second!! We had a wonderful Easter morning attending the Episcopal Cathedral service - with a choir of 40 singing Byrd, a mitered-Bishop presiding with 3 assisting Right Reverends (at least 2 were women!), a dozen alter boys, Deacons, incense and crosiers, trumpets, horns, and drums! I am a sucker for good music presented in high style!! And I was so happy to sing and fill my ritual-starved soul in a lovely building with stained glass rose windows and candles and gilt-painted icons crowding out the flowers :-) Th...

Peep Mobile Tower of Peeps JiffyPeePs Where's Waldo? Peeps on the Bus go 'round and 'round; It's a Peeps roast! Peep Salad Slice two cups of fresh strawberries. combine with pieces of 2 fresh oranges and 1 grapefruit . Squeeze the juice of 2 oranges over the fruit. Add chunk (or chopped) pineapple and or fresh blueberries if desired. I also add just a few fresh cherries, sliced from the pits. Over this mixture pour a little Cointreau (orange liqueur - obviously this is optional but adds a LOT to the taste). Mix in 1 cup flaked coconut - gently fold. Chill. Just before serving sprinkle one cup of broken pecans and fold gently. Spoon into individual dishes. Make sure you spoon some of the juice over the fruit. Add two Peeps to each salad, nestled amongst the fruit. Here's a lovely portrayal of The Peep Supper I'm going to try this one of these Easters......

Which one will succeed? I am voting for the 10-31 Project - my birthday-sake :) The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c The 10.31 Project comedycentral.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

somehow this doesn't seem like a prank.... Remember....God wants spiritual fruits not religious nuts.