Thursday, January 31, 2013

A REALLY GOOD BOOK AND A REALLY GOOD BATCH OF COOKIES

A REALLY GOOD BOOK

I don't know what it is about reading a book, the house is quiet, and I have to stop and bake a batch of cookies.  In case you are wondering, I don't sit there and eat them while I am reading.  I'll eat one after they come out of the oven, but that's all.

Last year, I didn't read many of the books in the Northland New Neighbors Book Club that I attend.  So that meant I didn't attend many of the monthly meetings.  Even though I really enjoy the group of women who attend, I just don't enjoy sitting with a group and not really knowing what they are talking about or being able to join in.  (I do like to talk....guess I taught school too long.)

Anyway I read the book for December, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson (yeah I know it was written for children, but when Christmas comes around, everyone is a child).  I love the book.

I decided that this year I would try to do better and read the books. For January we read Emma by Jane Austin.  I made it half way through the book, but did go since I knew the story....I have seen so many adaptations of it on TV.  and I read the Clift Notes online.

For February the book we will be discussing is Too Close to the Falls ---  A Memoir by Catherine Gildiner. 

I usually like to read the book the week (end) before we meet so that everything is fresh on my mind, but our fantastic library system here in the Kansas City area only had a few copies. (I'm not "knocking" our library....it really is fantastic.  They just don't have a lot of copies of some of the books we want to read sometimes.)  Deb who is leading the discussion had her own personal copy, so I took it at the last meeting and said I would "pass it on" when I finished it.  Oh Dear!  That meant I had to read it early.  I took a lot of notes at the beginning, but that slowed me down even more than my "reading every word to myself with expression" way I read.  

I just finished the book (anxious to hear the discussion about the ending) and
 I loved it.  Catherine was born the year after I was, so I could relate to some of what she talked out.  I am not Catholic so I couldn't relate to attending Catholic School, but I am sure some of the book club members did, so will look forward to what they have to say about that part of the story.

Anyway even if you didn't grow up in the 50s, I can't believe you could read this book and not enjoy a "laugh-a-minute".

Oh, and you can make my cookies too.  They  are really, really good, too. 




A REALLY GOOD BATCH OF COOKIES




OATMEAL CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

2/3     cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3     cup light brown sugar (packed)
2        large eggs
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1        teaspoon baking soda
1/2     teaspoon salt
1        6-ounce package dried cranberries (I used a 5-ounce pkg of reduced sugar dried cranberries)
2/3     cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, mixing well.

Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate mixing bowl with a whisk.

Add oat mixture to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition.

Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  (I used my small scoop)

bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. (10 minutes was enough for mine.)

Cool 2 minutes

Remove and finish cooling on wire rack.

Made 3-1/2 dozen.

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