#2 Shhh! Don't wake the princess!

Today, as Queen Mother, I'm in charge of the castle. As my little princess goes down for a nap, I'm reminded of life a generation ago when my days were totally centred around another's most basic needs of food, sleep, a clean diaper, protection and love.  It grounds you in a way no other experience can.  If everyone started life with that feeling of someone else's unconditional love and protection and then had that chance to "pass it on", our world would be a better place.  Putting others ahead of yourself - as Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing!" 

#1 "This is the practice school of writing...

...Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Some days you don’t want to run and you resist every step of the three miles, but you do it anyway. You practice whether you want to or not. You don’t wait around for inspiration and a deep desire to run … That’s how writing is too … One of the main aims in writing practice is to learn to trust your own mind and body..."

 Writing Down the Bones  by Natalie Goldberg

100 days... 100 words...  by 1:00 p.m.

Don't dream.  Do.

Natalie Goldberg

Chocolate Chip Cookies

After how many years, I treated myself to a new mixer!  With company in the house, I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies and test out the mixer at the same time.  This recipe is an old favourite from a western Canadian cookbook first published in 1988.  Jean Pare has published more cookbooks than probably anyone else in Canada.  The recipes are simple, dependable and good.  I've been disappointed only a few times over many years.  Each book has its own focus.  This recipe is from her COOKIES book. The original version has nuts, but I don't include those.  Here's a picture of Jean...

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1  1/2   cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and brown sugar.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate.)

Stir in the dry ingredients, then add the chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Ginger Beer

Wonderful day yesterday!  It truly felt like the first day of summer.  To celebrate Mother's Day, we had a great meal, gathered around the BBQ.  I'm not a beer drinker, but I really enjoyed trying Royal Jamaican Ginger Beer for the first time.  If you're expecting beer, you'll probably be disappointed, but if you enjoy tall, cold drinks that aren't too sweet, you might like this one.  It definitely has a strong ginger taste.  This one is 5% alcohol.

PS....At Superstore, you can get a non-alcoholic Jamaican ginger beer that is also quite good.

Mini Dessert Hunt

I love dessert, but not the calories, so I decided to cruise around and find some miniature dessert ideas this morning.  Here's an idea from Marilyn at 4 You With Love.  Shaker Lemon Mini Cheesecakes!  I've made mini cheesecakes with vanilla wafers in a muffin tin before.  Topped with cherry pie filling, they're tasty and popular at Christmas.  Marilyn's idea of paper thin lemon slices and sugar left over night and then boiled up into a delicious lemony topping was appealing.  With some fresh berries on the side, this would be a great summer dessert.  Check out Marilyn's recipe, complete with pictures, using the link below.

Shaker Lemon Mini Cheesecakes

Saskatoon Bread Pudding

Looking for some comfort food that's easy and quick to make? Try this recipe for bread pudding.  I've used Saskatoons, but other fruit could easily be substituted. 


Heat oven to 325 degrees; grease an 8x8 inch pan.


2  eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup sugar


Beat eggs well.  Stir in melted butter, vanilla and milk.  Add sugar and beat well.


Fill pan with cubed bread.  I used 2/3 of a whole wheat baguette.  Pour egg mixture over bread and allow to soak for 30 minutes.  Add 1 cup of Saskatoons. Bake for 60 - 80 minutes, uncovered.


Cut into 9 pieces and serve with ice cream.


Excellent warm or cold.  Enjoy!

Tomorrow promises to be a beautiful spring day, a great one to spend outdoors.  This photo is from last year, but the garden definitely does not look like this right now. : )