Baking in the Air

Here's a question about Christmas baking. Thinking of Christmases past, what would you say is your ever-favorite holiday treat? And what would be your most poignant memory connected to baking or cooking this time of year?

For me, it's the whole idea of making Christmas fruitcake... the excitement that swirled around the kitchen table as Mom and Grandma would spend the day before measuring, chopping, and mixing all the fruit, peel, raisins and nuts. Little hands would sneak the odd cherry or almond.... usually to the mild chiding to get your hands out of there.

Then would come the measuring of brown paper to line the loaf pans (of course now I use parchment), greasing them down...

 

Pouring in the lovely batter, and then watching as the pans with their rich treasure slide into the oven. The anticipation built as we all seemed to be waiting for the spiced fragrance to begin wafting through the kitchen ... those exotic smells of cinnamon and cloves and ginger.

Nowadays fruitcake seems to get a bad rap around these parts, but both my hubby and I love fruitcake, and we always look forward to cutting generous slices to eat with steaming cups of black tea on a wintry afternoon.

The photos here are for a light fruitcake -- you can find the recipe here.

On that spicy note, I'm away,

Brenda

xox

Was That A Glimpse?

Or was that a Flicker?

Yes, yes.... I do believe this handsome fellow who landed on the seed bag near our arbor is indeed a northern flicker.  A species that I don't think has ever visited our yard before. So what a treat to catch sight of this beauty the other day. Notice the heart-shaped red marking on his head...striking, isn't it?

 With a pose like that, I'm thinking he's asking,
"So, which pose do you think makes me look handsomer?

My right profile...

...or my left?

Mr. Flicker, no matter which angle, you were worth meeting!  Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you come again real soon!

Wishing you glimpses and flickers of your own fine feathered friends,

Brenda

Sleepy Farewells

  

Do you ever go into your garden after a frost has taken the bloom off everything in it?  Do you murmur a little thank you to all your flowers, trees and shrubs, not to mention the odd bumblebee who might be making its rounds one last time? 

To offer a grateful whisper to them for having made your little corner of the world a beautiful place...

I almost imagine that they offer sleepy nods in response as they nestle in for a well-deserved rest until Spring.

I took the above photos a couple of weeks ago...before the snow arrived...and forgot to post.

All things that are beautiful
~ think on these things ~

and give thanks!

Wishing you a beautiful day,
Brenda
xox

 

Sugar and Spice Cinnamon Buns

VOILA!  I did it.  Remember I mentioned yesterday that I just might have to make cinnamon buns as it was such a blustery shivery day outside.  (It didn't take much arm twisting either!)

So between finishing off a book and its companion book review for my evening class, I had fun rolling out a small batch of these toothsome morsels, much to the delight of everyone in the household.

The recipe is posted over on my food site should you have the urge for something warm and delicious.

Here's wishing you sugar and spice and everything nice,

Brenda
xox

 

Decidedly Winter

Can you tell ... it's here in earnest now!

With temperatures well below freezing, bone-chilling winds from the northwest, and the skies heavy with snow (which the weatherman promises is sure to dump before day's end) it's a day for staying close to the home fires, if at all possible. And I'm very grateful that I can today.

The other day when the first real snow flurried around us like a tempest in the teapot -- creating a whiteout for a while and leaving its frosted signature on everything in sight -- I thought later it would been a fun time to take some kids and dogs for a tromp down some nature path.

Well today... not so much.  It's decidedly nippy out there.  I know, as I just got back from topping up bird feeders. Rather, it's a morning for staying inside, keeping the twinkle lights on all day, and putting on a bit of seasonal music, something like Vivaldi's Winter from Four Seasons, and then enjoying that second cup of coffee, as blogging friend Sandy always loves to say.

Here's wishing you joy for the journey... 

and everything you need pertaining to life and goodness!

Brenda

xox

Blogging Tip: How To Change Photo Sizes

This tip is for Blogger users

Ever notice bloggers who display their beautiful photos in big, bold, eye-catching sizes? Yet when you load a photo and you want to make it x-large, it's too big and it spills over into the sidebar... which certainly isn't attractive. But when you click on medium, it's too small?

How can you change the size to fit your blog column?

With a little poking, prodding, and praying for wisdom, I figured out that I could 'safely' change the size of the photo in the HTML code. Believe me, when I figured this out, I knew next to nothing about html code. So we tread carefully here.

If you're asking the same question, here's how to do it:

1.  Load your photo into your post.

 

2.  Click on the photo and select X-Large.

3.  Look for the tabs COMPOSE and HTML at the top of your post toolbar.

4. Click on HTML tab. Don't be afraid at what you see... I know it can look a little scary with all those symbols, but if you scroll through that mess until you see a code that has the words 'height' and 'width' in it... that's the code for your photo. It will look something like this:

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUnUQN5e_M5mxn5Noz4bvvJ2LsrT_YTbKH3zzQB5vwxAMtPUTKIeGg320kqkoWlh9n7hN6CYbD80uy7XVoKqDbyA3H57ekCk6ZR1kkR9fbdsVJTv8OUAZh-DearFEzKpdykiVcdQ9Z7Fm/s1600/342945mr2z51864q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUnUQN5e_M5mxn5Noz4bvvJ2LsrT_YTbKH3zzQB5vwxAMtPUTKIeGg320kqkoWlh9n7hN6CYbD80uy7XVoKqDbyA3H57ekCk6ZR1kkR9fbdsVJTv8OUAZh-DearFEzKpdykiVcdQ9Z7Fm/s320/342945mr2z51864q.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>

Notice the numbers in red -- 398 and 640. These indicate the height and width of your photo. The numbers are what you can safely change to make it fit the space in your posting column, and still look stunning and luxurious.

For my blog post column size, I usually need to change the width from 640 to 590. You might need to experiment a little. I don't usually change the height, but you can experiment if you want to make it longer as well. Just be careful not to change the proportions so much that it changes the perception.

Remember, you only change those numbers, nothing else, unless you know your way around HTML.  If something does go weird, click on the 'undo' button (backwards arrow) to bring it back to the original.

5.  Once you've discovered the magic size that works for you, that's all you need to do. Now click back on COMPOSE tab and make sure it's the size you want. Carry on with your posting, preview, and hit Publish.

NB.  You can also do this with video or YouTube uploads. Just always watch for the words 'height' and 'width' and change the size to fit your column.

Another Option. One blogger said she actually changed the size of her column so the photos would fit properly. Either way would work. You would change in your template settings. 

Hope this simple tip helps!

Brenda

God Knows How To Find You

In those times I can't seem to find God,

I rest in the assurance He knows how to find me.

~ Neva Coyle

I went through my greeting card collection the other day in search of a card I could send to a friend who'd been on my mind. I didn't find anything suitable for her but I did find a note card with the above quote.

I went to put the cards away, but felt drawn to first share the quote here. Perhaps there is someone who is reading this who needs to see these comforting words. If that's you, I pray you peace for your mind and heart for He is closer to you than even the mention of His name. Whisper it right now... Jesus.

Hugs,

Brenda

xox

Remembering...

Lest we forget....

 As we commemorate sacrifices past and present,
I am pleased to share these two Remembrance Day poems

written by my beautiful nieces...

It’s Not Fair, But…

It’s not fair, my country was invaded.
It’s not fair, my freedom was faded.
It’s not fair, soldiers had to sacrifice.
It’s not fair, parents had to pay the price.
It’s not fair, when families have to say goodbye.
It’s not fair, when people die!

But, I’m glad that it is done!
I’m glad, that I don’t have to worry about anybody’s gun.
I’m glad, my freedom is restored.
I’m glad, for this reward.
I’m glad, that I am free.
I’m glad my father came home to me!

by Chiante, age 12

A Sacrifice

They march in single file to the battlefield.
Their family hopes that at least they would come home alive.
The weapons come out, the tanks start roaring, the battle has begun.

They come home from the war, never the same as they were before.
Their families are thankful they came home, some with wounds, some without.
Their lives forever changed.
We are thankful for the sacrifice they have made.

by Sierra, age 9

Beagle Bailey The Best

THIS YOU'VE GOT TO SEE...

Not your usual 'play dead' trick --  Bailey takes it to a new level.

If you've seen it already, hey, it's worth a second laugh.

Note -- watch her front paw when her human buddy lifts it.

BTW,  I heard it told (based on neurological reseach now out there), YES, it's totally possible to teach an 'old' dog new tricks. Because our brain can always form new furrows to accommodate new ideas and new habits. So no more excuses.

Enjoy your day... here's to learning something new today!

Brenda

xox

Figuring Life Out

Today I offer you this little gift of a short video I found on YouTube. Although Figuring Life Out is the trailer for Ann Voskamp's recently-released book One Thousand Gifts, I think it's really too beautiful to be called a 'trailer'. Ann's poignant words and accompanying photos are sure to lift your spirit as she shares the marvels and joy found in a thousand gifts... or as I like to put it  'catching glimpses of heaven in unexpected places'. I was so moved I had to watch it more than once.

I hope you enjoy,
Brenda

For other links you might like to check out:

A Letter From Ann

One Thousand Gifts website

An Interview with Ann, Part 1

An Interview with Ann, Part II