YES, I DID!

MMMHHMMM – I am certifiably crazy.

tray one - double deep - approximately 35 cookies each tray

(Either that or else have a serious case of cabin fever.)

tray two - even has 2 on the right that do not have chocolate (for someone special)

I baked – again.

Melting snowman cookies – again.

Mini Snowman - these are fun - but so not worth the trouble,
they are too fussy to handle. 

I did twice as many.

And 2 different sizes.

You might not notice these are about half as big - 7 or 8 small guys per plate

I just had to try out a tiny size that uses a whole mini marshmallow for a head. Yes, I did buy more sprinkles. I need only the tiny round ones for buttons. Do you want some colored sugar, or dinosaurs? I will never use either.

compare the cookies on the left  with the cookie on the right,
on the right the head and buttons, and cookie itself  are smaller

My kitchen needs serious help. I may need to call FEMA about that – did they change acronyms again? DAVID is good about that kind of thing too. LOL!!

When days are gray there is something that drives me to turn on the oven and throw sugar and butter around with a mixer.  Shortbread is the easiest thing ever – AND it tastes good. I like easy a lot. If that isn't enough sugar and fat be sure to add frosting, butter cream frosting, with real butter.

Fatso

I just pat these into ‘puddles’ and frost them while they are warm so that the icing ‘melts’ a little – cutting wait times - FAST! I like fast! In fact I love easy AND fast!

Not so ...

Especially if you can add in cute.

All kinds of personalities - is this one excited or ticked off?

These fellas develop their own personality as creativity arrives – or is that boredom – or both? And if the microwaved marshmallow (half only) gets ‘weird’ – just roll with it. Is that wrinkled bend eyebrows or a double chin? Have a look at this one below with a bubble that made a perfect hole for a snowman mouth!

Bubble as open mouth

Yes, I did make a few frown. 
I like smiles better though.

Yes, I did give them to all the people I VT.
And my companion.
And a couple of neighbors.

3 - 4 large snowmen per plate (and the plate is a bit larger too)

Temple workers that share the shifts we work on get to make sure I don’t eat any more of such baking. Yes, I did. I gave them all away in self defense. Want some? Hurry on over – I only have a few left that didn't fit in the boxes.


SHORTBREAD (for a press)
3 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
2 cups butter
drop of vanilla

Cream butter with mixer. Add all dry ingredients gradually, then add vanilla. Bake at 325 degrees F on an UNGREASED pan for about 15 minutes (only 7 minutes in my convection oven) or when light brown on bottom (can be seen on very edge when done). Be careful about how much flour you put in. I start out with 2 cups and add enough more to make sure the dough handles well - but not too stiff. The cookies can be very tender. Leave them on a flat surface while frosting to avoid too much breakage.

TIP: Buy only the best ingredients. If the flour, butter and sugar 'taste' good your cookies will taste good. Cheaper ingredients often do not have as nice a flavor as better quality ingredients. Particularly beware of generic  powdered sugar (especially be wary of WalMart brand). It often gives food a more starchy (cardboard) flavor.

32 MINUTES 5 SECONDS

-
I am saved by Grace.

The grace of Jesus Christ.

This BYU devotional explains how.

I am not perfect.
I am practicing.
I am in a process of change.

The grace of Jesus Christ allows me to.
It saves me.
And everyone.

Dalin H Oaks says, "The repenting sinner must suffer for his sins but this suffering has a different purpose than punishment or payment. It's purpose is change." 'The Lord's Way' page 223

I am saved, just like you.
We all may be saved.
His grace is sufficient.
It is enough.
It is all we need.
Christ's grace!

Are we changed by it?

Thank you Brad Wilcox.
Thanks for your encouraging helpful words:

"... Don't quit.
You keep trying...
Look for the Lord and his perfect strength ...

Don't search for someone to blame.
Search for someone to help you.
Seek Christ and as you do ...
You will feel his enabling power ..."

Find " ... His amazing grace."

And thanks also, to everyone else that helped me find this powerful video. It is long by today's standards.

Most videos are 2 - 3 minutes. This is 10 X 3 minutes. You will NEVER regret making time to see this.

With Brother Wilcox and so many others I invite,

"Come, come ye Saints,
No toil nor labor fear...
Grace shall be, as your day ..."

Hymn 30, LDS Hymnbook

AFTER WINTER

-
After winter spring always comes.

I am again thinking spring.
I know it is not yet.
Christmas is just past and put away.

There is no evidence either.
No self respecting flower is peeking out in January.
At least not around here.

Days are dim and blue frozen.
But the light is returning.
Each day there is a little bit more light.

After the smaller  'head balls' melt and fall, the bodies start to slide and tip

Snowmen have melted and their heads have fallen off.

I must here give credit to Papa - he knows I love snowmen.
He built these while shoveling the driveway after the last snow.
He had to carry some of the snow from out back to the front.

Mr. Snowman had a gaping hole between his ribs and belt.
It is always interesting to see how much melts, how fast ...

After a murderous bully attack

And this is now the only snow pile for miles around.

I hope the attacking bullies did not injure themselves.
The snow was wet and then froze hard into ice.

Notice the snowball is still intact!

As I peer out at them;
they remind me spring is coming.

I head to the kitchen to remind everyone
to think spring.

Which one would you pick? 

-
I bake 'melting snowman' cookies.
Who will get the first batch?

They are easy and delicious shortbread.

Just butter and sugar - what's not to like?
Oh - and a sliver of a Starburst for a nose.

Think Spring!

Really!

The snowman are disappearing fast!

i-don't

I-don't get it!

I do not understand why anyone pays for an i-anything.
i-don't get it.
i-don't even care - at least not a lot.

i-do wonder.
I wonder about how differently minds work.
I wonder why mine does not seem to grasp i-anything.

What is the big deal?
What is all the fuss?
Is it all just an attempt to look 'cool'?
Or i-ntelligent?
Or i-nteresting?

OK - I will stop now.
BUT REALLY?
There is no substance to the hype.
There really are better, more convenient products.

And it has taken me less than 30 days to figure this out!
Maybe it is the excessive proof reading for correct text.
Maybe it is my instinctive dislike for anything less than discreet -
NOT that I succeed on that point much.

An i-phone does a few tricks, if you can learn them, and then remember them. And otherwise is less functional, and much bigger and less convenient in every way I can find to use an electronic device. There are so many products with more useful, less hassle, less expensive applications - and some of them are intuitive. There really truly are - and a few of them will even fit in your pocket.

Especially if you think like I do - WITH CAPITAL I's.

And I saw one recently that does not have buttons placed in ridiculous configurations and positions that cause every few letters to back space or delete (therefore encouraging auto correct to engage ad-nauseum).

NOTE TO SELF:
AVOID i-everything AND APPLES!

BTW: I developed an allergy to apples (the kind you eat) a few years ago. I find it somewhat ironic that when I see the 'apple' logo (that all i-products so mandatory display prominently) that I can feel the warning tingle on my tongue and tightness in the back of my throat - Thanks Apple for the warning logo. The reminder that ALL apples are deadly to me personally, body and mind,  is sincerely appreciated!

SURRENDER

In the last few months I have noticed we are behind technology -

 AGAIN!!

I have been very, and successfully, resistant to changes that cost money. I have especially avoided anything beginning with the letter ' i '.

NOT INTERESTED - not in the slightest!

We knew we needed to upgrade to a 'smart phone' or become antiquated, out of touch, and definitely oblivious to the reality of the lives of many around us, so we began to price various models and makes available.

Way out of my price range!
Way, way out of doable.

But then along came the season's sales.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear?
You can guess, I bet!

The 'old' version of i-phone was priced at 99 cents.
Sure it required a new contract - so did everything else.
We ran up the white flag of surrender and acquired one.
Not two! One is quite enough to learn with.

Now we have some ideas what would be really nice.
I will keep learning to use my cheap version.

A short time ago my daughter blogged about
"When Ethiopians 'Hack' Android"
I am definitely not an Ethiopian child.
I like instructions.

I like to know what will or will not happen before I touch a button. That was the first steep learning curve btw - touch the 'screen' lightly. Do not press or hold stuff - at least not usually.

Please don't judge me when you see me using it.

It is the cheapest thing on the market.

I don't love it.

I don't hate it.

I am learning!

My New Year's Resolution is to be more Ethiopian.
I am 'touching' and probing and exploring.
I do keep bugging my kids though.
When ever I actually need to know something I ask.
Mostly they are helpful.

Sometimes they tell me to be more Ethiopian.
Or something like that!