My Friend in Episcopal News!

So Rev. Fran is quoted in an article from ENS. You can read more from Fran by linking to her "Notes From the UP Road" blog on my list.

Sacred Pastries? It's Shrove Tuesday!

My friend Progressive Pragmatist put up a post on pancakes this afternoon. She's right - convervative or liberal, progressive or orthodox, Episcopalians are eatin' pancakes today!

Some Episcopalians are running races with pancakes. Why, on earth, would we run around flipping pancakes? Apparently, a frazzled housewife in Olney, England was cooking her pancake lunch on the last day before Lent when the church bell rang, calling folks to the mid-day service of confession. Still holding her skillet, she took off running down the street to the church and the rest is history. Since that 1445 event, Olney has become famous for its pancake race. (Some 300 years later, Olney would also be the place where John Newton wrote the words for Amazing Grace.) The race inspired folks in Liberal, Kansas to try a version of their and now ladies from Olney compete with ladies from Liberal each year, racing and flipping their way down the street.

I had hoped to enjoy another pastry on Fat Tuesday this year. It's almost a sacred pastry. It's a terrific cake recipe that's been used at a church bazaar for many years. My cake wasn't quite as good as the one my friend bakes - I have some practicing to do - but it was pretty darn good! It's one of those cakes that is even better several days after baking. I was all set to share my attempt with friends today. Don't you know, I got home last night to find that the dog had taught me a lesson for leaving her alone all day by pulling my cake from the counter and finishing it off! So, I'll wait 'til after Lent for my next attempt at baking butter cake.

Great Weekend!

After several days of "all schools are closed due to weather," getting out of town to visit the daughters was terrific! One high point of the weekend was some time spent with Hannah. I'll post more about the weekend, but in the meantime, in case of insomnia, meditate on this photo!

Loving You On Valentine's Day

Here's to you!
On this Valentine's Day, I hope you'll have someone to call you sweetheart and someone who will be yours. Above all, I hope someone says "I love you" to you and that you will say "I love you" to your special someone(s). Don't limit yourself to romance - it's a day for love freely given and love generously accepted. We will all be enriched.

The cookies are made from a recipe my family calls "Roger's Mother's Ginger Cookies." We don't get to see Roger much but we think of his family whenever we make these cookies! The dough is wonderfully manageable. I bought the cookie cutter from Williams Sonoma last year. It has interchangeable presses to make the words. Enjoy!

Roger's Mother's Ginger Cookies
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses

Combine dry ingredients. Cream together shortening, sugar and molasses. Stir in the dry ingredients. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out.
Bake at 350º for 8-10 minutes.

More Hannah...

New mom.
That "one picture/thousand words" thing says it all.
She's a natural.

New dad.
See above.
However, I also think this one could be titled, Look what I've got!

New grandma.
Hey, little one.










Home.
Dressed in the pink outfit from the aunties.