Happy Halloween Cat

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, 
May luck be yours on Halloween. 

Author Unknown

Cat often dances a Halloween jig across the floor with her back arched and her tail up, but would she do it for me with the camera poised for a perfect Halloween blog shot? Noooooo. Her expression was one of disbelief: "You're asking meeeeee, the Divine Cat, to dance for youuuuu, a mere mortal? I think not." Nor would she deign to be wrapped in Cleopatra veils or be photographed with the loot basket -- although she did investigate it once the camera was put away. Halloween is all about imagination, so I must leave it to your powers of visualization to conjure up images of other, not so divine, cats on this all hallows eve.

Happy Halloween!

Witch's Smile

What does a witch ask for in a hotel?

Broom service.

You may wonder why the witch is smiling (notwithstanding the bad joke): it's because she's seeing the first sunlight in five days. It broke through the gray, rainy skies just about sunset this evening. Ilhumdulila!

Travels of the Inexplicable

A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.

Tim Cahill, American travel writer

The day began with a lovely walk through a misty graveyard with the Time Traveller . . . don't ask me to try to explain our relationship. ;-)

Driving along misty highways, I then met a friend and we wandered the main street of old Elora, a picturesque, nineteenth-century town set along the Grand River.

Along our route we opened many doors into numerous boutiques, a French creperie, and a patisserie, all the while chatting, getting caught up on the news. C'est bon!

The town is caught up in Halloween spirit, sometimes in an odd sort of way as with this mermaid taking her shark for a walk. Don't ask me to try to explain. ;-)

Warming on a Cool Evening

Life gives us brief moments with another .  . . but sometimes in those brief moments we get memories that last a lifetime.

Author Unknown

On a cool, wet evening, the Time Traveller and I met with Cairo friends at TT's favourite Thai restaurant. Lots of laughter and shared memories coupled with delicious coconut mushroom soup warmed body and soul.

What's Your Favourite Colour?

My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.

Dave Barry, American author and humor columnist

M&Ms didn't exist in Canada when I was a kid; instead my treat was called Smarties, sold in boxes of colourful hard-shelled chocolate pieces, made by the Rowntree company. I loved the sound made by shaking the 'beans' in their box. Then I would open the box and pick out one or two -- I think I even shared a few with my brother ;-) -- but I always saved the red ones until last. Obviously I was not unique because somewhere in time the commercial ditty rose:  

"When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last? Do you suck them very slowly, or crunch them very fast? Eat the candy-coated chocolate? But tell me when I ask: when you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?"

If you remember the ditty, I bet you will be singing it all day now. ;-)

M&Ms emigrated from the US to Canada in 1980; by that time I was in university. They were a delicious treat -- one which I didn't dare allow myself too often -- but because M&Ms are sold in small bags that make only a boring crinkle sound, they can't replace Smarties in my heart.

Notwithstanding my heart, Mom predicts that these cookies will sell very well at the church bazaar.


M&M Cookies
Makes: about 30 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup golden shortening
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups candy-coated milk chocolate pieces*

* Note: I have not tried using Smarties, so I can't comment on the relative merits of Smarties vs M&Ms.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, shortening, butter and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add 3/4 cup of M&M candies.
3. Drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Slightly push a few candies on top of each dough ball with remaining candies.
4. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

Source: All Recipes website

Day of Rest

We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne.

Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor (121-180)

This was a no-cookie day. After a very thoughtful church service about doing whatever we can to help our fellow man (i.e., Love thy Neighbour), the Time Traveller and I took a leisurely drive into the Niagara Peninsula, sharing memories of the concord grapes from our youths.

The Time Traveller wanted to buy some so we ducked into two vineyards, but no one was working. Then we visited a winery, where the grapes offered at the tasting bar lacked flavour; but perhaps that's the secret of good wine, because the wine of our youth (made with concord grapes) was pretty bad. Finally, in Vineland, a roadside vendor had baskets of the vine's last harvest. TT simply had to fight off the bees to carry a basket away.

Driving a little further, we came to Port Dalhousie where we took a quiet walk along the long pier, admiring Lake Ontario's vista, the lighthouses, and the ships anchored in the distance, waiting to enter the Welland Canal to continue their journeys to Chicago and other western ports. In the foreground we contemplated a mallard couple, paddling through life, together.

After a great dinner of mussels at Murphy's restaurant, we walked back out along the pier and sat on one of the memorial benches, each dedicated to someone loved, and each welcoming visitors to stop, rest, and enjoy the world around them. We watched the sun set into the lake's molten surface and were thankful we were raised in such a great land.

For Love (and Chocolate)

Forget love... I'd rather fall in chocolate!

Author Unknown

This is how it all started. I could immerse myself in today's chocolate dough. I came across this recipe on the Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker blog and reading her story I knew I had to try Aunt Viola's cookies because I related to the story of childhood raids of Christmas cookies stored in the family freezer. I snarfed countless chocolate macaroons from the depths of the chest freezer weeks before holiday guests came to visit. Nor was my brother an innocent bystander, even though he may try to convince our mother otherwise.

The first batch turned out pretty good, although not quite as illustrated on the original recipe. Oh well, in my imagination they look like chocolate snow-covered mountains. For the second batch I thought a little more chocolate was required . . .

So I added some white chocolate boulders to the mountain and crowned each with a heart. You might have guessed that these will be taken to the bridal shower, although I could say that the hearts represent a love of chocolate.


Chocolate Cookies with Boiled Butter Frosting
Makes: about 30 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup shortening
1 - 8 oz bag white chocolate chips, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat sugar, egg, milk and vanilla together.
3. Sift flour, salt, cocoa and soda together and add.
4. Melt shortening and add last. Beat until smooth. If desired, add white chocolate chips.
5. Drop by teaspoonful on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Frosting:
(Makes enough frosting for 2 batches of cookies.)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Boil sugar, butter, milk and salt vigorously.
2. Remove from heat and beat in vanilla and powdered sugar.
3. For firmer frosting, wait for about 1 hour. Spoon frosting onto cookies.

Source: Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker blog