"no plow" shirt

2009-12-16T20:03:24-05:00

if life was only so simple as the happiness of wearing a favorite top.

mister stripes

2009-12-16T15:21:09-05:00

read this (the dread crew)

2009-12-15T21:22:19-05:00

Okay, so I can hardly write a review six pages in, but six pages in and it's got me. There is not a word out of place and the writing is like a rich custard. I keep paging back and re-reading sentences because the writing is just. that. good. Here's the link to Kate's Dread Crew site. I bought my copy from Amazon.ca and it got here in a speedy two days via DHL. The US edition doesn't come out til April 2010 and that's far too long to wait!

the washables

2009-12-15T16:33:27-05:00

baking from scratch

2009-12-14T22:07:22-05:00

If I had to pick one thing and only one thing to have learned from my mother, it would be this. There is the know-how. There are the recipes. There are the red and white checkered cookbooks that open to the fudge brownie recipe every time. There is the Betty Crocker Cooky Book from the 70's I was thrilled to locate a copy of.

Many years ago I was able to find a set of cookie cutters on ebay similar to those I grew up with. Since then, I've been able to fill in the collection with finds from a local charity thrift store. One of my favorite finds was this angel, my sister's favorite cookie cutter growing up. We always taunted her for the heads would always, always fall off in some portion of the baking or decorating process.

This year I proudly taught my girls the phrase "off with her head" to continue the essential ingredient of irreverence in our holiday baking. These cookies are nearly gone now and I'm gearing up for the next recipe, chocolate crinkles I think.

Here's my adapted recipe using spelt flour. These cookies bake up softer than some other recipes I've tried and wouldn't make the best gingerbread house material I don't think.

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup honey*
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups spelt flour
2tsp soda
1tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1tsp cinnamon

Mix shortening, sugar and molasses thoroughly. Stir in water. Add flour, blend then stir in dry ingredients. Chill for several hours or overnight. Roll on floured surface and bake on lightly greased cookie sheet @350 for 10-13 minutes depending on size of your cookie cutter.

I divide the dough into three or so disks and wrap in plastic or tuck in quart-size ziplocs to chill. It seems easier to warm up the dough a bit and roll it out without having to pry hunks of chilled dough out of the bowl. If it cracks when you start rolling/flipping, it just needs to be warmed up a bit more.

*the original recipe called for 1 1/2c of molasses, but I was running short. I found the substitution made for a milder and less overpowering molasses flavor.

life. photography. motherhood.

"no plow" shirt

mister stripes

read this (the dread crew)

the washables

baking from scratch