The Simple Woman's Daybook . . .

FOR TODAY, October 26th, 2009 ...

Outside My Window...
It is dark and very, very still. Our clocks went behind an hour on Saturday evening so it is now very dark quite early on in the evening and it should be getting lighter earlier in the morning, although with it just being past five am . . . I am sure it is still far too early for the sun to rise. (I know, I'm crazy, but getting up at this time is the only way I can get the things done that I need to do each day!)

I am thinking...
About how life can change so very quickly and how you never know what lies ahead, good or bad. Ten years ago around this time my last marriage broke up. It was a frightening time for me, but also an exciting time. I had no idea of what lay around the corner, but I did know who was in control and I left it all to Him. I had to, for without my faith, I may have been tempted to give up. I have been blessed a hundred times over since then.

I am thankful for...
A heart that seeks and knows, and the strength I have of my convictions.

From the kitchen...
There's a coffee cake (not with coffee in it Angie, lol) on the counter that I made for Todd yesterday, and some bran muffins that I have been enjoying in the mornings, but that's about all on the baking front! Todd says he's gained weight! That's a first. I call him the stick man coz he can eat and eat, whatever he wants . . . and never gain an ounce!

I am wearing...
Pink jammies and my new slippers. I thought it was about time I got a pair. Those croc sandles are not all that warm in the winter and I am the type of person that if my toes are cold . . . I'm cold all over!!


I am creating...
I got some cards done and ready for mailing and have looked through my art course material, getting ready to get started on that. It's all very exciting. I have ordered a hundred cards to be printed. I am thinking I may be able to offer them a bit cheaper than the handmade ones and so possibly more people will want them. They won't quite have the charm of the handmade ones, but people don't really want to pay for charm I am thinking. I have only done Christmas Cards. They will have a Christmas message printed inside and I will be able to sell them 6 for £10.

I am going...
Busy week ahead with a new baby up at the big house and extra people around. I will get to cook a lot more than usual so that's good, coz I like cooking as you know! There was not supposed to be any Seminary this week, because it is Stake Temple week, but with both my students having been away last week on holidays I am having Seminary this Thursday night anyways so that we don't get behind. I think Todd is going to the Temple on Friday evening with the High Priests and then Saturday our Stake Conference starts, so busy, busy, busy!! They do say there's no rest for the wicked, so I must be really bad! haha

I am reading...



This is a book that I had previously read a long time ago. I have also seen the film a long time ago, starring Jane Fonda. It's a really good book though and I don't mind reading good books several times over. It's kind of like visiting with a good friend, familiar and comforting. It is about a backwoods Kentucky woman, named Gertie Nevel and how she copes with change in her life. I find her very inspiring. She goes from living in poverty in the hills of Kentucky to living in poverty in the confusion and chaos of Detroit City in wartime America. Through it all she battles fiercly to protect those things that are most precious to her . . . her children and her heritage . . . and through it all I am amazed and inspired to see her triumphant ability to be able to create beauty in the face of ugliness and despair. I highly recommend.


I am hoping...
That I can get my art studio finished this week. (It sounds funny to call it that, but that's just what it is!) I got a commission done on Saturday and was able to give it to it's recipient yesterday. Thankfully she was pleased with it. I never know how a person is going to take it, or if they will really like it. I don't reckon I see them as being what they are. I am far too familiar with my own work for it to look all that special to me. I usually have to wait several days after finishing something and then go back to it to have a look for me to be able to truly appreciate it for what it is. It was really nice being able to work in a designated area, although I did find that there is a bit too much light up there and it was hard to see without closing the curtains. I may have to get myself a lamp of some sort that will cut down on glare.

I am hearing...
I am hearing nothing but the ticking of the clock, the humming of the refrigerator and the clicking of my keys. It is so very quiet in here. Even Jess isn't snoring for a change. In fact I had to check a few minutes ago to see if she was here, or if I had accidentally forgot to bring her in from her her morning ablutions!!!

Around the house...
I have fabric waiting to be made into a doll. I want to make a special Christmas Doll and I had better get cracking on it, or it will be Easter!!!

One of my favorite things...
is collecting Cream and Sugar dishes. I have quite a few, mostly collected from second hand shops and yard sales.



These little bluebirds are my favourite ones of all. I Just adore them, even though the sugar one has a chipped beak. They just make me smile every time I see them! I had another set that was white and had red cherries on each piece, but alas, they broke on the move over here. I also had a lovely little blue fireking set, but the creamer for that broke as well, I only have the sugar bowl left now. It was a bit upsetting at first, but you know what they say . . . never cry over spilt milk, or broken dishes . . . ☺

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Work, scripture study, my art course and hopefully a bit of play! Sounds like a good mix to me!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



This is a picture of a Ruby Throated Humming Bird sitting on my cousin's husband's hand! It had gotten into the Gazebo and couldn't get out. It kept flying around and around until it was so exhausted it just had to rest and it decided to rest on his hand. Amazing isn't it!!! This was a few years ago now, but I am amazed again each time I see it. I miss hummingbirds over here. Whenever we go to my mom's I hang up a hummingbird feeder on her front porch so that Todd can see them and so that I can enjoy them too. I find them completely fascinating!

And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Day Book for today. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!)

Here's that tasty coffee cake I baked for Todd yesterday. He was very British and had a piece of it, warm, with lashings of double cream. They sure love their cream poured over their desserts here. We always whipped and sweetened ours back home and so it was a bit strange for me at first to just pour it un-sweetened and liquidy over things, but I have gotten used to it now and quite like it that way now, however infrequently I indulge in it.



*Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake*
Serves 12
Printable Recipe

This is lovely for breakfast on these cooler mornings. You can add nuts to the topping if you wish.

Cake:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 TBS butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (If using frozen, do not thaw)
Streusel:
1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs
(Over here in the UK, use digestive biscuit crumbs)
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 TBS butter, softened



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Butter and flour a 9 inch round cake tin. Set aside.

Make the streusel first. Place the crumbs, sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl. Cut in the butter until it has the texture of small peas. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar for the cake together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Beat the egg and milk together. Make a well in the centre of the crumb mixture and add the wet ingredients all at once. Stir with a fork just to moisten. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the berries, leaving a 1 inch border free all the way around the edge. Sprinkle the streusel over the blueberries. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the streusel is nicely browned and the cake tests done when a toothpick is inserted in the centre.

Let cool completely before serving. Store in a sealed container.



Pop on over to The English Kitchen to check out the most amazing dish ever. This is soooooo delicious!!!

Marie's Sunday Six

I just love Sunday's and being able to share with you some of the blessings that I have received in the previous week. I am grateful for them every day of course, but setting aside a special day to dwell on some of them is a blessing in and of itself. So without further adieu I give you my Sunday Six Smile Makers for this past week!



The clocks going back one hour this week, last night in fact, makes me smile. It means one extra hour that I get to do whatever I want with! I could have stayed in bed an extra hour, or I could bake, or paint, or whatever! It's an extra hour and I get to do what I want with it! Hooray for extra hours! And to think, the other day I was just wishing that I could have some extra time to get all the things done that I need to get done!



Texting with my son. A hundred years ago, even twenty years ago, being separated from your family, like I am over here in England, was very hard. A hundred years ago, telephones were rare things, and even twenty years ago, being able to call someone on the telephone from such a distance away was a rare and expensive procedure. Thank goodness for modern technology which means that we are never much more than a few seconds away from communication with our loved ones. I will be bustling around at work that that little tell tale beep will sound and I can pick up my phone and there right at my fingertips will be a special message from my boy! My oldest son and I are very close and it's so nice to be able to send him special messages and to receive special messages from him. It helps me not to feel so isolated from my family and each message makes me smile in a very big way! And to think I resisted getting one of those new fangled cell phones for a very long time!! I could not live without mine now!



All around me people have been suffering with colds and flu. Thankfully up til now (fingers crossed) I have been able to resist their germs. Lots of handwashing and disinfectant hand gel works to help keep the germs at bay, as does increasing my vitamin C intake. I cannot afford to be sick like that. I am the only cook at work, and so when I am ill, I pretty much have to go to work anyways, and there is nothing worse than having to be on your feet all day when you are feeling blah . . . blah . . . blah, and all you want to do is have a hot bath and go to bed. I've had to do it in the past, and it is no fun. Thankfully I am not a person that gets ill very often! So for today I am smiling because thus far, I've been germ free. I hope and pray it continues!!!




The scales continue to go down. That really makes me smile. I try hard not to weigh myself every day, but every few days curiosity gets the better of me, and I just have to have a peek. It makes me smile to see that the needle hasn't gone up, but it really makes me smile to see that the needle has gone down, even if it is only a pound! I can live with a pound a week! That means 52 pounds in a year, which can't be bad! I'm slowly disappearing, and that does make me very happy.



Every Tuesday, my good friend Lura, from Grammy's News, and I get to speak on the telephone. She was away visiting her family for a couple of weeks, and I surely missed our conversations. This past Tuesday she was back and we got to talk for a bit. It was so nice to hear her voice and to catch up with all her goings on and to share all mine with her! She is such a ray of light in my life and I surely am blessed to have her in it. I just love her to bits! You know when you meet someone for the first time and you have that feeling that you have always known them? That kindred spirit kind of a feeling? Well, Lura and I have always felt that way about each other. She is a kindred spirit friend and means the world to me. It kind of sucks that she lives a whole half a world away, but again . . . we are blessed because of modern technology, for it means that we are never further apart than the tips of our fingers, some punched numbers and voices thru the ether!



Blogging and getting to talk to each you every morning makes me smile in a very big way! It has opened up such a wonderful window in my life and blessed me in so many ways. I just love being able to share with each of you and to make new friends. I love visiting your pages in return, and reading your words and about all that you do. Blogging is about sharing and friendship and learning and growing. I learn so much from your pages, and I get to see and experience things I never would have without your words and pictures. Blogging has enriched my life in so very many ways. I am so thankful that I decided to jump in with both feet some four years ago now and start blogging. I love each of my readers, and I am so grateful to all of you for helping to fill a void in my life, and for the love that you so generously share with me, with your comments, with your own words and blogs, and just knowing that you are there. I adore you, my sweet invisible friends, and I am so thankful for each and every one of you!



Oh, I got the surprise of a new cookbook in the post yesterday!! I just love anything to do with the Amish and when I saw this new cookbook on Amazon, I was sorely tempted to get it. I just could not resist actually. It arrived yesterday and right away I was thumbing through it's pages.




Everything looks so yummy and delicious and it was not long before I had my flour, sugar and eggs out and was baking a recipe from it's pages. Oh my, but these are yummy! Delicious Honey Squares with a most fabulous glaze that uses mayonnaise of all things! I know! Wierd! But my oh my, these are soooo scrummy!!



*Honey Bars*
Makes 2 dozen
Printable Recipe

These are deliciously filled with honey flavour and toasty nuts. The glaze is unusual but incredibly tasty as well!

Bars:
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Glaze:
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS water
2 TBS mayonnaise



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. You will need an ungreased jelly roll pan or 9 by 13 inch pan.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon together until well blended. Beat the egg, vegetable oil and honey together. Pour over the dry mixture and stir until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the nuts. Spread into the pan. (You do not need to grease it) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the sifted icing sugar, vanilla, water and mayonnaise until smooth and creamy. Spread over the bars while still warm.

Cut into bars to serve. Store in a tightly sealed container. Will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.



Over on The English Kitchen I've been glazing parsnips with brown sugar and butter! My, but these are some good!

Happy Sabbath Day everyone!

Knives and spoons bring pantaloons . . .

I grew up with a very superstitious mother, although at the time I would not have known that was what it was. I only knew that everyday occurrences were always accompanied with a "saying" or two . . . like for instance "Knives and spoons bring pantaloons, and forks bring gentle ladies." If we were to drop any cutlery at all, it meant a visitor was coming. A fork meant it would be a lady and knives or spoons would bring gentlemen. It was good luck to put on a piece of clothing inside out, but woe betide us if we dast to change it around to right side out . . . for our luck would then change as well. Shoes on the table??? Definitely bad luck, as was spilling the salt. You had to throw a pinch over your shoulder without looking to undo the spell . . . although I cannot remember exactly which shoulder it took! I thought it would be fun this morning to mention a few others that I can remember.

The opening of a door of it's own accord indicated that a visitor was on the way, whilst the slamming of the same door would damage the spirit of the house and not allowed.



When baking bread, it is wise to remember . . . "She that pricks bread with fork or knife; will never be a happy maid or wife." A loaf that splits open while it is in the oven warns of a death to come in the family; a loaf with a hollow centre presages a death; it is unlucky to turn a loaf upside down after cutting the first slice, for this will cause the head of the household to fall illl; if a loaf crumbles in your hand as you are cutting it, there is going to be a quarrel before too long; and if you drop a slice of bread buttered side up . . . a visitor will arrive in due time!

When you have finished eating your boiled egg this morning, be sure the crush the shell or push a spoon through the bottom to avoide bad luck. This stems from the belief that witches collect up the empty shells and use them to go to sea and wreak havoc on hapless mariners. Also, make sure you don't bring any boiled eggs into the house after dark . . . it's bad luck!



To stir a teapot anti-clockwise will stir up a quarrel. If two women pour from the same pot, one of them will have a baby within a year. (uh oh) My mother believed in "reading tea leaves" to predict the future and also cards. Many hours were spent in these pursuits. She had a special deck on cards on the dresser in her bedroom, and God help the person who dared to tamper with them!

Crossing two knifes was bad luck as was giving a knife to someone as a present, or receiving one as a present, for that act would mean a "cutting" of the friendship . . . an action remedied only by passing a coin in return.

If two spoons are found in a teacup, there will be a wedding in the family. If you drop one and it lands with the bowl upwards, you are in for a pleasant surprise.

Members of the opposite sex should never dry themselves with the same towel as this will invariably lead to a quarrel between them.



When washing up, if you break a plate or cup you can expect another breakage before the day is through . . . unless . . . you deliberately break or smash some other small item to avoide the bad luck!!

When rising from the table take care not to upset your chair, for this is a sign that you have lied at sometime during your dinnertime conversation! Anyone who lies down on a table will die within a year; any engaged girl who sits on a table whilst talking to her fiance risks losing him. To place your chair back against the wall or fold your napkin after a meal at a friends home, will prevent you from ever visting there again.



To break a mirror resulted in seven years bad luck. Be sure to cover over any mirrors in a room where someone has died, for to look in such a mirror means that the seer will similarly die.

It's extremely unlucky to pass anyone on the stairs. (be sure to cross your fingers if you do!) Stumbling on the staircase is said to be good luck though and there will be a wedding in the household before too long!



Singing in the bath leads to sorrow before day is through, and sadly the girl who splashes water on herself whilst she is washing up . . . well, she will marry a drunkard.

Make sure you always get out of your bed on the right side, to get out on the left is associated with the devil. But, if you can't avoid having to do so . . . make sure you put on your right sock and shoe first!



Place any china ornaments of animals so that they are facing away from the doorway. If place facing it, they will allow all the luck to run out of the house. It is extremely unlucky to sweep any dirt or dust directly out of the house as this will carry any good luck out with it. Sweet such waste into the centre of the room, and collect it up in a pan to avoide such repercussions! However if you bring a new broom home, make sure you sweep some dirt into the house first, for this is good luck!



A bird that flies into a house, fortells an important message, whereas if one hits your window and dies . . . there's sure to be a death in the family. If a bird poops on your car, it's good luck! Likewise if it poops on your head!

Seeing one crow is bad, two is lucky, three means good health, four brings wealth, five mean sickness and six . . . well bad luck to you, you're a goner for sure!



A peacock feather has an evil eye at the end. Never bring one into the house. Wishes made on the first robins of the spring come true. Eating carrots improves your night vision. Fish is brain food, chewing gum swallowed remains in your body for seven years, eating the crust of the bread makes your hair curl, a pimple on the tongue means you have lied, holding a buttercup beneath the chin can indicate whether you like butter or not . . . I could go on and on, but I won't!

This richly embroidered childhood surely never did us any harm, but it did make for an interesting life. Whilst these things may or may not be true, it doesn't really matter much in the scheme of things. I know I shall never drop a piece of cutlery without hearing my mother's gentle voice whispering . . . knive and spoons bring pantaloons . . .

Now, I better go and get dressed. A little bird just sat on the windowsill and I am sure to be getting some company real soon!!

This is a recipe from my Big Blue Binder. I can't remember where it came from, only that it's incredibly easy and very delicious! This was pretty much the only way I could get my kids to eat oatmeal when they were growing up.



*Amish Baked Oatmeal*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is probably one of the most delicious ways you are ever going to be able to eat your morning oats! I'm not sure if it's really an Amish recipe or not, but I can attest to it's goodness. I always had to double the recipe as my kids loved it! It tastes very similar to oatmeal cookies. Yummy!!

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
warm milk and fresh fruit to serve

Pre-heat the oven to 350*F/180*C. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan very well. Set aside.

Combine the oats, sugar, milk, butter, egg, baking powder, salt and vanilla together in a bowl. Mix well. Spread into the buttered dish. Bake until lightly browned, some 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm, spooned into bowls, with a topping of warm milk, fruit and some brown sugar if you wish.

Note - You can add some spices if you wish. From time to time I like to add 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg.



There's a tasty upside down apricot cake baking over in The English Kitchen today. Be sure to check it out!!

Happy Saturday everyone. Don't go stepping on any cracks, and do make sure to avoid any black cats!

Words of wisdom to share on a Friday . . .

"It is often better not to see an insult than to attempt to avenge it."

This was a warning given by Seneca the Younger, who died in AD65. Although a great many years have passed since he first issued it, the wisdom of his words has stayed strong, and they are no less worthy of emulation now, than they were then.

"A true friend will never take offence or harbour a grudge. Real love makes allowances, suspends judgement and withholds uncharitable comments."

A bit of advice found in these modern times. Probably a lot easier said than done I would think, but, well worth practicing and making the effort to keep, until it becomes a natural habit to us . . .

The French have put it best of all in this old proverb . . .

"Write injuries in the sand . . . kindnesses in marble."



We had a really busy afternoon here yesterday. I got home from work, and we had to dash off right away to get to the Chiropodist in time. When we got back from there afterwards, I started working on organizing my studio upstairs. It's something that I've wanted to do for a while, so that I don't have to keep working at the kitchen table, and having to move my things back and forth all the time.

Anyways, one thing led to another, and before we knew it, we'd set up my studio on a table up in the upstairs lounge, which led to us moving the telly out of there and down into our bedroom, which led to us taking down the clothing rail that we had in there holding all our extra coats and things, which led to us weeding out the wheat from the chaff so to speak, and getting rid of things we no longer wore . . . funny how that goes eh? You start off doing one thing and end up doing half a dozen others! Is that just me, or does that happen to you too??

I made up this muffin mix yesterday. It's a recipe I've had for a long time. I used to have my own coffee shop way back in the day, and I always had a bucket of this waiting in the refrigerator to be baked into fresh muffins each morning. They're nice and moist and quite, quite delicious! (although they don't photograph well!)



*Six Week Bran Muffins*
Makes 8 cups of batter
Printable Recipe

This mixture is really handy to have in the fridge, ready to bake up fresh muffins whenever the mood strikes you. In truth, these muffins are so very good, that the batter never lasts as long as six weeks!

1 cup boiling water
2 cups raisin bran cereal
1 cup all bran cereal
1/2 cup plus 1 TBS vegetable shortening, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans (Optional)
1/2 cup extra raisins (or even more if you wish. I like lots of raisins in mine.)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla



Mix the two brans in a large bowl. Pour over the boiling water. Let stand for about ten minutes before stirring in all the remaining ingredients in the order given. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.

When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Butter whatever size muffin pan you are using generously. Scoop out the batter into the muffin cups filling them 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Let sit in the cups for about 5 minutes before loosening the muffins and tipping them out onto a wire rack. Eat warm. Delicious!



There's a mighty tasty side dish cooking over at The English Kitchen today!

The Autumn Wind . . .

"The hazy, cloudless skies of Indian Summer. Leaves scurrying down the street before the wind. The cold shiver of the Arctic Blast. Indian Summer. The last warmth of the sun. Chilly mornings and glorious warm afternoons. The harvest moon. The hunter's moon. The rainy season. Dry corn stalks clattering in the wind. The touch of frost on grass and windowpane. The smell of burning leaves."
~Keith C Heidorn

Most gardens look the same this time of year. After a spell of windy autumn weather . . . leaves are blown everywhere. It's hard to know just where to start clearing it all up. It all looks such a mess . . . and then . . . suddenly the wind will blow and we'll find that the leaves have been blown up into neat little piles against the garden walls and hedgerows . . . well, almost neat at any rate!



It's a bit like life really. Sudden change can whip into our lives like the wind of an autumn storm . . . bringing chaos that seems pretty hard to deal with. Most times if we wait, with patience and time, life will settle back down again . . . order will return . . . and everything may often end up as being even better than it was before the change.

"Give wind and tide a chance to change."
~Richard E Byrd, American aviator and explorer

I reckon those are wise words to follow.



Yesterday when we got out of the car after having done some shopping for the big house where I work, I noticed a small scrap of pink paper laying on the back seat of the car. It was a lovely little handwritten thankyou note from the sister missionaries. What a thoughtful and special gesture. That's the difference between male and female I guess . . . a man will thank you verbally, and that is enough . . . but a woman will add that extra little gesture that really touches your heart. I just thought it was so sweet.

Speaking of sweet, here's a tasty cookie recipe that is sure to bowl your family over. If you like big, chewy cookies then this is the recipe for you. Of course you can make them smaller and cooking them for a bit longer will make them crispy, but . . . once in a while I just love to eat a chewy cookie. I can't explain it . . . it's just one of my little quirks! These are wonderful fresh from the oven with a tall glass of cold milk . . . sigh . . .



*Chewy White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies*
Makes about 24 large cookies, or 36 smaller ones
Printable Recipe

Sometimes you want a cookie that is crisp and crunchy, but then again, other times you want one that is moreishly chewy. I like to use Green and Black's white chocolate in these. It's incredibly good.

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup soft light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white chocolate, chopped (about 8 1/2 ounces)
1 cup dried cranberries



Preheat oven to 180*C/350*F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Sift fthe flour, soda and salt into medium bowl. Set aside.

Using electric mixer, beat the butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Fold in the chocolate bits and the cranberries.

For large cookies, drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 21/2 inches apart. (If you want smaller cookies, drop dough by level tablespoonfuls onto the sheets, spacing them approx. 11/2 inches apart.)

Bake cookies until just golden, about 13 to 14 minutes for large cookies and about 10 to 12 minutes for small cookies. Let them cool on the baking sheets before transferring them to an airtight container to store.



Got a jar of mincmeat in the cupboard??? It's not just for Christmas you know! Check out The English Kitchen to see what I am talking about!