angelbaby0930

So, Mare, what is maple sugar? It sounds marvelous! Is it maple syrup crystallized or similar? And maybe something I could also use in baking recipes? I am looking into gifts-in-a-jar, and maple sugar might be a good thing to give someone, if I had a recipe in which they could use it, like yours. I've used the recipe below mainly for Christmas, but you could use these in T-Day stuffing or sweet potato casserole etc -- for those who like raisins in their dishes. It's a simple recipe for Rum Raisins, and I sent jars to my family last year: Rum Raisins Loosely fill a large jar or bowl with lid, with raisins, making sure to stir them up and break the clumps into individual pieces. Pour enough rum over them to come about halfway up the level of the raisins. [use a rum with a really nice flavor, like Cap'n Morgans spiced rum.] Cover and let sit on counter for a couple of weeks, stirring to bring the bottom raisins up to the top, and "basting" them with the rum once a day if you think of it. [i suppose a "fast soak" could be done by heating the raisins in the microwave first, getting them to soften before you pour the rum over them.] Put them into jars or other containers and you're set. I use a spoonful or two in hot cereal, or about a half-cup to a cup could be used in baking cakes / muffins etc, or in puddings. Alie Jo, hunting in the recipe box and cook books...

Quote: Thanks, I hope there is something good around that corner.. I acquired some nicely marketable computer skills while at the Church, so I am looking forward to putting them to use again. But who said I was halfway done? Alie Jo

There are actually five books in this series, or is it six? These are the ones I know about: 1. Cross Stitch (1991) -- aka The Outlander 2. Dragonfly in Amber (1991) 3. Voyager (1993) 4. The Drums of Autumn (1996) 5. The Fiery Cross (2001) Anyway, the first four are on my To Be Read pile, but haven't gotten to them yet. The premise is fascinating! Alie Jo

Are we related, west? Alie Jo

I am making a cap for our sweet little Church cleaning lady, who has cancer. CCL has started chemo, and will shortly be losing her hair. She asked for "deep red" yarn, so I am going for yarn tomorrow when I get my decaf tea.

Thanks and

I got my PM too. And now without that doc visit hanging over me, I can go full steam ahead... Alie Jo

Thankfully, I am fine, no serious problem.

Just to Update Everyone: It will be a bit longer than I thought, before I get the News. My doctor didn't work in the clinic today. So I won't find out my results until tomorrow afternoon. Fortunately they called the house to reschedule this morning -- my sweetie took the call while I was at work -- so we didn't have to make the trek down there, only to be turned away. Piffle! My relatives, my Church people, my gen contacts, *my sweetie's* gen contacts, his friend [since high school], many of you here, and a couple of my blog-Friends too. I am hangin' in there, and I appreciate it all so much! Frazzle-Jo

I'm usually the one telling her "Weight Watchers means you can have anything you want, if you only account for the points." AKA wicked stuff in moderation. And ooooh, are those dark chocolates? They look virtually wicked, in the best way! Try one, Mom...

Letting go..? OMG, this is a hard one for me... as you might guess.

She's a Weight Watchers success story, so she'll probably go for the muffins and fruit. It all looks yummy though. Umm, what kind of coffeecake? Alie Jo

And here's some for you, and for the others -- I know there're a few I missed answering. This is such a help! Alie Jo, off to fix a simple dinner...

I do make lists, and some of them work out, while others just overwhelm me. Maybe what I need to do is write *about* the activities, so as to see what priority to properly give them. Hmm.... I tend to -- like the MrsS ladies -- "journal" in my notes to others. My family and friends, my extended [gen] cousins and even my sweetie's family. I may try some brainstorming tonight [write for a certain number of minutes without lifting pen from paper, it can bring out what's really on your mind], that might help. Thanks, Ginger! Alie Jo

Okay, can I get it in a grocery store, or do I need to look in, say, a health food store? Alie Jo ...sitting with a cup of SleepyTime tea beside her -- it has a surprisingly spritely aroma, for such a soothing brew!

Alie Jo:

Anybody have an idea what I can do for anxiety? I have been to the doc and had a chest x-ray and bloodwork done -- no I don't know what's wrong -- and now I must wait 9 days until my next doc appointment [the 27th], to find out the results. I have some lavender scent that I spray in my sheets, that helps to relax me some at night, but what can I do during the day? My sweetie is allergic to most scents [he has to sleep in a recliner at night, so is not exposed to the lavender-scented sheets]. Maybe something warm and soothing to drink? I need to switch from coffee at least part of the time anyway. I get too much caffeine already, and that can't help the jangling either. But I don't like drinks that are too sweet, like hot choc. I love music... maybe some ideas about calming music, if you have any. I know this is not the forum for it, but any good Bible verses or Momilies I could print out and put up around my kitchen might be good too. Any help *much* appreciated! Alie Jo PS: My sister's into Tarot, and she says my card is The Fool, which means a new beginning or a change in direction. And after I stopped giggling about it, I realized it could very well be true...

This is so cool! And you can find zillions of quotes, recipes, and even recipe cards to print off [with instructions for how to use the mixes] online. My sister did the mix-in-a-jar thing for Christmas last year, and I wanted to do it this year... now I have more ideas than I can use! Alie Jo

Isn't that the truth? My Dad said he would tell me something about my Mom's mother that he knew, but that he would wait until after she was gone... I guess so that it could not hurt her. I prompted him to tell me, but he refused. Well, Dad is gone, and Grandma is still with us. It's just frustrating. [He couldn't trust me not to hurt my own Grandmother?] What would he have said? I suspect it had to do with her time in a sanitarium -- she had scarlet fever in college or something, and it affected her later -- while Mom was growing up, but not at all sure... Mom is still alive, but she was the baby of the family, so she was not privy to a lot of the goings-on, the way the older children might be. I interviewed my Great-grandma Mary [Dochterman] Early, in the late 1970s, and she gave me a gold mine of info on her lines.. but some things I just didn't know enough [at age 13] to ask for more of, while she was there to answer. [she died in 1982.] Like when she said her Great-grandma was "a Wilmeth" I didn't think to ask what GG-ma's first name was. Makes it hard to search for her now! Okay, enough OT for now... Alie Jo

Actually, this was only partly the case with my Irish Earley line. John Earley came to Ontario

This looks like it will take some searching... but we didn't get into the gen "business" to avoid searching, did we? for bringing it to our attention! Alie Jo