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!