Gingerbread Cookie Recipe (Eggless)

Marie's Gingerbread Cookies

Cream together:

1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)
1/2 c. plus 1 T. raw sugar (I use Maui Sugar in the Raw)
[substitute packed brown sugar if no other available]
1/2 c. unsulphured molasses
1 1/2 T. yoghurt (lowfat or full-fat)
Then add:
1/4 c. cold water

Mix in separate bowl:
3 c. unbleached white flour
1 teas. gr. cinnamon
1 teas. gr. ginger
1/4 teas. gr. cloves
1 teas. baking soda
a little less than 1/2 teas. salt

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend thoroughly. Divide the dough into two balls and flatten slightly. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until stiff.

To bake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease cookie sheets (if not using non-stick pans).

Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface, using flour on top of dough to keep rolling pin from sticking. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters, and dust off flour before placing onto baking pan.

Bake at least 5 minutes, then check after that every 2 minutes. I can't give you an exact time, as it depends upon your choice of pan and the thickness of your cookie. I made mine about 1/4" thick. As soon as the top springs back, they are done. When cooked properly, these are so moist. If overbaked, they will be dry but good for dunking in milk. Try not to overbake because the bottoms will start to scorch.

My granddaughter loves these for an after school snack.

Halloween Freebie

I stitched this Tanya Anderson (The Sampler Girl) freebie on black Aida. It's finished as a (stuffed pillow) hanging sign. I think I overstuffed it a little, but I was in a rush to get it finished.

The reverse is stitched with DMC Glow-in-the-Dark floss. This is the side that faces outwards (as it hangs in our window). I modeled the "B" after Tanya's alphabet and the ghost is my own creation.

I know people don't like Aida. I don't either. It's very stiff to stitch upon. However, it's the only black fabric that I had.

I wrote to the Michaels craft store corporation and told them that stitching on linen has been preferred by cross stitchers for some years. I asked them to stock our local Michaels with some basic colors of linen, i.e. pink, pale blue, mint green. They said they would consult with their buyers. The last time I went shopping there not even white linen was in stock.

Halloween Is Here

Although I haven't blogged in some time, I was stitching on several projects. Above is the freebie "Quaker Boo," by Tanya Anderson (The Sampler Girl). I left out some of her motifs and added some of my own: the witch's hat, the bat, and the crescent moon. I wanted the sampler to have more Halloween motifs instead of her geometric designs. I stitched this on 28-ct. white Monaco fabric. I used the cotton Monaco because I'm saving my small stash of linen for stitching my own smalls and for exchanges with other stitchers.

I want to finish it as a hanging but don't have the money right now to get the pumpkin-shaped metal bell pull that I saw advertised on a cross stitch supplies website. I really like the way the colors pop on the white background, and I found the Monaco easy to stitch upon.

Scrumptious Eggless Carrot Cake Recipe

I made this yesterday. My granddaughter liked it so much that she has requested it to be the cake for her next birthday. This is my own recipe.

Marie's Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease & flour two 9" round cake pans.

Mix together by hand:

4 T. yoghurt(make one of them a heaping tablespoon)
1 c. vegetable oil (I recommend sunflower, but safflower is OK if nothing else; never canola)
1 teaspoon gr. cinnamon
1 3/4 c. sugar (I use boxed "Sugar-in-the-Raw" Maui raw sugar)
4 c. grated carrots (nearly all of a 1-lb. bag)
Optional: 2/3 c. chopped walnuts

Mix in a separate bowl:

2 c. white all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a little less than 1/2 teaspoon salt

* * * * * *
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly by hand. Spoon into the two pans and bake. Check after 15-16 minutes, then lower heat to 325 degrees and bake 5-7 minutes more or until done (when the top springs back when touched). I used Wilton aluminum pans and they cooked quickly, so watch them after 15 minutes.

This cake is great plain, or you can frost with a cream cheese icing (recipe available on the Web). It's such a pretty orange that you could shape and decorate it to look like a jack-o-lantern.

Halloween Exchange from Jayne N.

Yesterday I received my HOE Halloween exchange that was mailed from England (only took a week). The fabric will be put to good use when I create Halloween and autumn-themed decorations for our living room. Yes, I needed embroidery scissors!! Jayne N. must be a little psychic. I love humbugs and this one is very cute. The other sides sport a witch and a jack-o-lantern.

HOE Halloween Exchange

I stayed up very late last night finishing my HOE Halloween Exchange and I was so tired this morning that I FORGOT to take a picture of the finished item before packing it up. Dear exchange partner, please take a good picture of the stitched item itself so that I can have a copy of it.

Halloween Musings

Last night I began a JBW pumpkin design as part of the Friday Night Stitch-a-thon group. Today I'll be working to get my HOE Halloween Exchange sewn together and packed up, as well as sew a (stitched) Halloween sign.

This will be our first Halloween in this apartment complex and people are already decorating their doors and windows. I realized that we will need a LOT of candy to give out. Last year we were much more isolated (down a gravel country lane), and had not one single trick-or-treater! I enjoy going to the door and giving out the treats.

I remember from my childhood that a whole candy bar was only a nickel. One family used to keep them slightly warm in the oven for us! Our paper grocery bag full of Halloween candy lasted about a whole month because we were allowed to have only one piece per day.

I've got a Martha Stewart Halloween book from the library and have recipes to copy, as well as some templates for decorating ideas.

Spooky Time is Coming!

I finished the stitching of "Spooky Time." I substituted the cat button for the suggested spider, used DMC white instead of oatmeal for the top of the candy corn, and sewed on silver-lined glass beads instead of glittery thread.

I embroidered the eyes with black and glow-in-the-dark thread, as a substitute for the eye buttons. Now it needs to be finished into a ?

Cascades Raptor Center

Here are two photos taken at the Cascades Raptor Center, Eugene (OR), located near Spencer's Butte. The top picture shows a species of hawk. The bottom one shows a few of the shaded cages and a path. The center is located on the side of a hill and the paths are steep.

I was really happy to be able to visit this non-profit center and see so many raptors. Here in WV I see turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, and perhaps another small hawk. The Raptor Center cares for many birds who were brought in injured (usually) and either rehabilitates them to be returned to the wild, or keeps them lifelong, if their injuries are too severe.

I saw many species of hawks and owls, as well as bald and golden eagles. The place serves as an educational center on birds of prey for the Eugene area and hosts many students during the school year.

We asked about the bags of feathers that we saw pinned to the walls of the supply sections of the cages and were told that even though they are approved to care for these special birds, they are not allowed to keep the feathers from certain species, such as eagles. Those feathers are sent to a federal facility in Colorado. Native Americans who need the feathers for spiritual ceremonies must make formal, written requests for them. It was unclear to me if non-Native Americans are entitled to request feathers as well.

They provide a sitting bench in front of one of the bald eagle cages. It was awesome to just sit and contemplate this magnificent bird.

The gift shop sells a wonderful variety or raptor-themed merchandise, including reproductions of pencil drawings of some raptors at a reasonable $8! If you ever visit Eugene, I recommend a visit here. You will not be disappointed.

More Halloween Stitching

I started "Spooky Time," a freebie by Lizzie Kate.

Quaker Hedgehog WIP

This is the "Quaker hedgehog" freebie from the Workbasket. I need a new regular (pillow) pincushion, so I'll finish him as one. It seems appropriate that a spiny creature should hold pins.

Some interesting facts about hedgehogs may be found here. A hedgehog is not the same as an American porcupine.

Poems for the First Day of Autumn

"Autumn is always too early."

---from Autumn, by Adam Zagajewski
(trans. by Renata Gorcynski)
source: www.poetryfoundation.org

"The milkweed pods are breaking

And the bits of silken down

Float off upon the autumn breeze

Across the meadows brown."

----from The Milkweed, by Cecil Cavendish
source: www.egreenway.com