Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

                                                                   

With all good intentions, I truly wanted to make a double batch of chocolate chip cookies.  Life happens, time runs away from us and we are forced to relay on Plan B..... translated chocolate chip cookie bars.  When baking, cooking, etc., we should always have a backup plan!

Honestly, if you are making cookies, most of the time it's for famished teenagers, starving men, or PMS /Menopausal women who do not care what shape their sugared delights come in.  The only thing that matters is that they are ready and available!

                                                              Preheat Oven to 350

                                                                  2 1/4 c. Flour

                                                                   1/2 tsp. Salt

                                                                   1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

                                                                    1/2 tsp. Corn Starch

                                                          Mix these and set to one side 

                                                            1 c. Melted Butter (2 bars)

                                                             1/2 c. Granulated Sugar

                                                          1 c. PACKED LIGHT BROWN Sugar

                                                                            2 eggs

                                                               1/4 c. Half & Half

                                                                  2 Tbsp. Pure Vanilla

                                                1 c. Semi-Sweet  1 c. Milk Chocolate Chips

                                                             

                                                             Beat the sugars, eggs, butter,

                                                 vanilla, and eggs until creamy.  Slowly add

                                                the flour mixture.  Add the half & half.  Finally,

                                                fold in the chocolate chips. Spread into a lightly 

                                                  greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes at

                                                                        350 degrees.

These bars are thick and gooey and delicious.  The top should be golden and firm to the touch.

I find them to be a great option to cookies especially if you are hard pressed for time.   It reminds me how I love to make trifle vs. a traditional cake......that recipe will come later.  In the meantime, don't forget to lick the spoon.  It's the best part.  If the raw dough tastes great, it's an indication the baked product will be too!      

                                                       

                                                               

                                                      Opps, more of a spatula than a spoon!

                                                                

How a Pandemic Can Change a Person

If you would have told me two years ago that I would experience a panic attack while attending a small going away party for a close friend's son, I would have chuckled.  Although I have always suffered from some strain of social anxiety, especially with unfamiliar crowds, I'm usually quite comfortable in controlled environments such as a private home.

This particular evening was one of the first in almost 20 months that I had ventured outside my home for an indoor gathering.  While all present were vaccinated, I perused the room and started to feel my face flush with heat.  People were talking and laughing but I couldn't hear their voices. In my twisted brain, I'm thinking, someone could have Covid in this room that doesn't know it yet. Maybe I had it and was putting everyone at risk with my presence.  I knew I had to find a safe place away from all of the action to gather my emotions and take a deep breath.

I found a spot on the couch where I could observe the festivities from a distance. I grabbed several throw pillows to put up a protective border between myself and the other guests. To my surprise, I had a companion who joined me, who happens to be my best friend, who was experiencing the same overwhelming thoughts.  Mind you, I'm the first to exit while she closes down the house! We are polar opposites!!  However, on this cold Saturday night in November, we were on the same page! I felt a tad guilty that it made me feel better that she was almost as panicked as I was! 

A few days later, I started feeling a bit under the weather with an intense headache and chills.  Automatically, I determined I must have Covid!  It turned out to be a 24- hour bug.  It was the longest 24-hour bug I've ever experienced!  I vowed never to go anywhere again, nor would I host a social event at my own home!

It was then that I realized how much this pandemic affected my thoughts and life.

Then it dawned on me how faulty and unrealistic that thinking is.  Illnesses will still come and go. That's part of life that has existed since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. We can't isolate ourselves and never leave our front steps again out of fear of getting sick. Of course, caution and common sense need to be exercised. However, we can't insulate ourselves from society and live in a sterile bubble.  People need people!  We need to nourish our mental health and one way to ensure that is to enjoy the company of good friends and family. Too many have passed away due to loneliness and lack of affection from fellow humans.

If you have reservations about acclimating back to life as we knew it, maybe do it gradually.  Instead of a larger group, maybe invite a friend or two for dessert and coffee.  Whatever avenue you choose, make sure to just do it!

By the way, the party was an incredible send off for such a sweet kid!

I think his favorite present was the one we gave him to remember his Maine family back home! He's pretty fortunate to have these beautiful people hanging on his wall.

With friends like these folks, you can see why people social distance!!

 

 The irony is that my last post was titled, 'Get together as OFTEN as you can'.  

I hope to be sharing more recipes and ideas more frequently.  Have a great day!

 

Get Together As OFTEN As You Can

Left to Right Back Row: Debbie, Alan, Myself

Left to Right Bottom Row: Mom, Charlie, Norma

This picture was taken in July 2018 at my brother, Charlie, and sister in-law, Norma's 50th Anniversary party given to them by their children, Teena, son in-law Roni, and Charlie Jr. in Shapleigh, Maine.

There was a banquet of delicious food and drink. 

There was a large number of family present to include our 90 yr. old mother, Evelyn.

It was a beautiful day.

It was the last time I would see my brother alive.

He was the oldest of five children, followed by my brother, Danny, my brother, Alan, my sister, Debbie, and myself.

There was a 19 year age difference between Charlie and me. He was married and had a family of his own while I was still a toddler. 

He always referred to me as his 'baby sister' and called me 'dear'. Thankfully, we were able to keep in touch through Facebook!  He would often message me at 4am when he knew I'd be awake.  He had a gentleman's farm and loved every acre of it.  I live in the country, too, so we had that in common.

He was a man of many talents.  One being small engine and car repair.  He even helped my husband fix his John Deere via Facebook messenger!! 

He was well known and well loved in his community and on Facebook! 

Charlie was diagnosed with ALS just a short time before the above picture was taken. He had been experiencing symptoms for a long time, but like the trooper he was, he always had hope he'd get better.

While we knew his illness was terminal, we expected to have at least a year or more with him.

Charlie was the family clown who loved to make people laugh and smile.  Even though he suffered greatly, he never dwelled on it or felt sorry for himself.  He continued to smile and make others smile.

While we were enjoying the food and drink that day, Charlie wasn't able to share in it with us. He had a feeding tube placed and was no longer to take anything by mouth. I'm sure that must have been hard for him as he loved to eat!  However, that didn't spoil the day for him.

The message I took away from that day was this:  The most important component is being together. 

In previous blogs, I've commented about the fear of being a host.  Concentrate on the people and not the food and décor.  If comes down to it, just wing it and delegate!!!  No one will judge you for it. 

Honestly, I don't remember all the details about the menu that day.  What I do remember is Charlie's enormous smile to have us all there with him.

Get together with your loved ones as often as you can, for no one knows what the next day will bring.

Charlie passed suddenly on January 22, 2019.

He was truly loved by all. 

Overlook Road

A few days ago, one of my childhood friends lost her mom. A few days later, she lost her first cousin. I sat back and reflected about the time when we lived across from each other on the Overlook Road in Windham,  Maine, during the 70’s on Highland Lake.

Our families were similarly structured. She had brothers and one sister as did I. Our sisters were friends. Her grandmother lived next door. Mine would visit often. When her large Irish/Italian extended family would be regulars in the summer, especially around the 4Th of July,  I was thrilled to be invited over to hang out when they came.  It was during that time that I met her cousin, Kim, who was our age. We would usually fight over Kim. Remember the saying , ‘Three’s a crowd’?

We would play Barbies, ride our bikes, and visit the neighbors. The highlight of the day was going down to the beach.  I think we were outside about 7 hours each day! We knew every one by name on the Overlook Road. A rarity for people today!

One of the major differences was that my family lived there year round, while her family were summer residents. Our move to our camp, which had no plumbing for a period of time, was supposed to be temporary situation. It lasted 4 years!  Life during that period was extremely challenging at times. My dad had good intentions,  but battled an alcohol addiction which made our lives not easy. It wasn't easy for him either. He loved us dearly, but his disease took over all reasoning.  It left us with little to no money. I don’t know how my mom managed not to get completely depressed. She probably was, but would never let us know. She shared what she had even when it was very little. My dad was the same way.

 My mom would throw together the best of what she could find which usually consisted of pork, chicken, or ground beef, potatoes, and a vegetable.  We knew that regardless of how broke we were, we could usually count on dinner every night with those three staples! Our treat of the night was when she'd make her No-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies!

                                         There’s actually 4 items here that I made because I love my stovetop stuffing mix! Notice my portions are kind of off!!  
                                               

I hated to see summer come to a close because that meant I’d have to say goodbye to our summer neighbors and face the cold winter months on the lake with no lights on across the road and no friend! I couldn’t wait until June! With no cable television, internet, or cell phones my sister, brother and I had to keep amused with simple things that surrounded us. My brother, Alan, obtained an old ski-doo one winter that generated hours of fun! He worked at our dads garage and every Friday when he got paid, he would buy me a small present. He is ten years my senior, so he took it upon himself to spoil me. The year he had the ski-doo, he got us matching snowmobile suits! It was an escape from the doldrums of winter. I couldn't wait to get home from school where he would occasionally meet me at the end of our road with the sled!

You can imagine my joy when my friend and her family returned and announced that they would be year-round residents a couple of years later! There was no longer a dark house across the road ! Friday nights consisted of watching the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family. The world back then was so different. Very little anxiety about crime, however, our moms would still turn the outside light on and watch us to ensure a safe return at the end of the evening.


Even though those were economically and emotionally rough years for my family,  we were fortunate to have lived in a gorgeous area of Maine that brought us much joy. We made our own fun.

Little did I know that my future husband, David, visited his grandmother during that same time period on the same lake!

As I said at the outset, my friend lost her mom a few days ago and her cousin, Kim, three days later. She sent me this picture of herself infront of our run down camp that we called our home. She came across it while going through her mother’s things.

My parents did their best to always make people feel welcome. They took in friends from time to time who were experiencing tough times themselves. There is always someone who has it harder out there.

Generosity and kindness is lacking in today’s world. It certainly wasn’t lacking in the little camp on Overlook Road!

Primo Donna Pancakes

We were  visiting with old friends yesterday and they asked if I was still writing this blog. I said ‘yes, it’s been awhile ‘ but soon realized it’s been far too long. While I haven’t stopped cooking and entertaining, I’ve stopped taking the time to devote to writing. With that, I’m back!  Did you miss me?

Getting back to yesterday, our good friends Mark and Donna invited us for the night to a home they housesit at. We hadn’t spent time together for many months and it felt wonderful to catch up. The house is nestled on a peninsula in mid coast Maine. Serene and gorgeous!

Donna, who is a phenomenal cook, had dinner waiting when we arrived. This woman never takes shortcuts! Everything is from scratch and ridiculously perfect! By my own admission, I’m not a seafood lover. My clam cakes are the only ‘seafood’ that I like. When Donna told me she was making haddock, my heart dropped as I thought of plan to A.) Swallow it whole or B.) Find something on the plate I could bury it under like I did as a kid.  To my surprise, I did neither! It was unbelievably good! Wicked Good as a true Mainer would say!!!

After an evening of laughing and crying and laughing we called it a night, complete with a delicious night cap compliments from Mark. We had the privilege to watch the wonders of the ocean only a few yards from our recliners.

  

The next morning, Donna made her ‘Primo Donna Pancakes’!!! Incredible! Complete with real butter and authentic Maine maple syrup! Each cake uniformly shaped and cooked to perfection!    My husband, David, loves pancakes. They are his favorite breakfast ever. Would they gain his approval?

From the look on his face, I would say they were a hit! The famous Donna herself refused to let me take her picture!  So humble and modest. I did get a chance to get a partial shot in.

 

While I didn’t obtain her exact directions, I did manage to score her raw recipe! I did hear her mention something about melting the butter!!

Seriously, I appreciate and love both Donna and Mark. We’ve been friends for 20 years. We’ve had many, many meals together. Many laughs and many tears. They define true friends to the highest level. Salt of the Earth.

David was traveling to DC for business the next morning . While Mark drove  him to the airport, I headed home. I decided to take Donna’s lead and invite our mutual friend , Abby, to  dinner. I had these great plans to make a Donna-Style meal! Yes! I’ll fire up the stove and my Kitchenaid and create my own masterpiece!


I soaked up the view as I left for my house. I couldn’t wait to stop at the market ! I'd make everything from appetizers to dessert......

I have a lot of strengths, but my sense of direction isn’t one of them. Somehow, I drove around in circles for at least an hour. Frustrated and stressed, I finally arrived at the market. With minimal time on my hands, I decided to improvise. I selected a Mrs. Bud’s chicken pot pie, after all, I think Mrs. Bud could possibly be a real person, right? Fairly close to home cooking, right ?

At least I bought the all white meat version! I am a staunch believer of at least serving something fresh from my kitchen. I opted to make a killer salad! Definitely ads the personal touch to the meal!

 

Abby arrived and wasn’t very hungry. She had a late lunch and reached for the salad only! She didn’t even notice the pot pie! Whew! She loved the salad! For all she knew, I slaved all day!

She was in charge of bringing dessert. She proudly will tell anyone her personal cook is ‘Sam’ that is , Samsclub ! She brought the ever-so-delicious chocolate crème wafers!!  Yum!

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter if it’s homemade, partially made, or store bought. Don’t fret over it! Don't let the pressure of what to serve overpower your effort to entertain. The bigger message is that in both meals, two things were needed, time and love. I’m blessed to have a great family, great friends, and a great faith. I try not to take those things for granted. We are all allocated the same amount of time.  One of my goals this year is to make the fullest use of mine! 

It’s good to be back! I’ll be carving out more time for writing here! 

      

Oh Fudge!

                                                                       

Its been a while since my last post...chalk it up to life! We've just received our first snowfall of the
season in Winthrop. I love snow...at least the first snow.... ask me again in a few months! Seriously, I strongly believe that if we choose to live here, enjoy it!!  Embrace it!!

I hope everyone is healthy and happy. I feel very blessed to have a close family, great friends, and wonderful co-workers to share my life with. My true anchor in my life is Jehovah God. He keeps me sane and grounded.

This quick, easy, and cheap recipe I want to share came from my friend, Paula. It is her uncles peanut butter fudge and it is DEADLY! The sugar coma has arrived!!!  This recipe isn't for those watching their sugar intake!! 

                                                   INGREDIENTS

                                                 1 stick of butter
                                                     3 c. Sugar
                                           2/3 c. Evaporated Milk
                                                  1 tsp. Vanilla
                                              1 c. Peanut Butter
                                          1 c. Marshmallow Fluff

In a medium sauce pan,  melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and wait for it to reach a bubbling boil stirring occasionally. Don't be afraid to let it boil, but once it does,  remove from heat and add the vanilla, peanut butter, and fluff. Stir vigorously and pour into a greased 8x8 pan. Refrigerate for an hour . The result is creamy, delicious fudge!  Chocolate lovers can add mini chocolate chips to the top right after pouring in the pan. Either way,  you'll love it.  Thanks, Paula!
                                                         

My mom made fudge pretty regularly when I was a kid.  I remember her love/hate relationship with it that often included trips outside on a winter night to throw the pan on a snow bank to speed up the setting process!!   Oh fudge!! No doubt, she would get distracted with all of us nagging her asking when it would be ready at least 100 times!  Poor mom, she didn't have it easy, but always tried to make the best of what she had. She's still that way to this very day. I learn more from her the older I get, as most people will agree regarding their parents. I'm very fortunate to have her in my life. She's still feisty at 88!!! 

I'm going to try to devote more time here again.  Like I said, life gets busy! However, we all need to take the time to do the things we love.  If only for a few minutes a day!!! 

Hope everyone will TRY this recipe!!  It will make you look like a pro!!!

How Sunday Was Intended To Be Spent

 

Times have certainly changed. Some change is welcome. Who wouldn't agree that technology allows families to stay connected despite being miles apart? However, the downside is we are finding more families see each other less and when they do reunite, there isn't much to tell that hasn't been disclosed on social media.

I recently had the privilege to read my grandmother, Ethel's, diary that was written a few months before her death and my birth over 50 years ago. I felt such a connection with her because our interests are pretty similar. Even though we never met, I could relate to her on many levels. It spoke of visiting family and her love of cooking. She wrote of her desire to have enough money to purchase yarn so she could entertain herself.  It made me think of how people today are going to convey to future generations of what their lives were like. What type of people they are. People no longer write letters, let alone keep diaries. Will our children be able to tell their children about us accurately? I am thankful I had a small glimpse into someone whom I've inherited many interests and traits.

Sundays were spent going to church services, having a nice dinner and then taking a leisurely drive to visit family and friends. Since every moment of their lives weren't documented on the internet, they  had things to share and converse over. Face to face CONVERSATIONS!! Young and old could gather together to listen and learn about their families and friends. Music also played a big part of those times. My aunts and uncles would haul their guitars and accordions around the table and sing their hearts out. They could care less that they weren't American Idol material . They enjoyed being themselves. People may argue they still do these things, but is that really so? How can that be when most are clinging for life to their phones, waiting for the latest feed update, selfie, YouTube video, etc., to upload? People can be in the same room, but still be miles apart emotionally and spiritually. 

I know I've been guilty of these things. While we can't live in a bubble and expect to turn back time, we can work harder to make the best out of the time we spend with the people we care about the most. Why not carve out a block of time to visit, bring a favorite dish, and unplug for the afternoon?

We experienced that recently when a few members of my husband's family came to see us. My sister in-law, Sharon and her husband brought up this gorgeous platter chuck full of goodies!!

While we did take a picture (who wouldn't want to remember this?), our time was spent together listening and being in the moment.

The other point I wanted to share from reading my grandmothers diary is her contentment with the simple things in life. A skein or two of yarn would make her day. She would make things for others while at the same time, keeping herself occupied.

My sister, Debbie, taught me how to crochet when I was seven. We are yarn junkies at their finest. To this day, I feel like my grandmother, though I never knew her, with my love of yarn. She would be alarmed at my collection.... its a bit more than a skein or two. However, I'm positive that if she were alive today, we'd be spending much time together.

This is the beginning of my latest project, an afghan for my granddaughter, Ashley. I've made one for her sister; Jaylin, because I want these girls to remember the times we spent together.

 

My goal over the spring is to try to spend true quality time with my family and friends. Allow our visits to draw us closer, educate, and refresh us. Insist that we step back and unplug!

 

Don't be afraid to call someone, even at the last minute, and see if they are up for company. Bring a simple dish, a plate of vegetables !! The Bible encourages it!! Proverbs 15:17

 

The best gift to give is the gift of our time.

 

Next Sunday, visit and enjoy the company of someone you love. You'll find it to be the best entertainment you can share in.