Cookie Baking

 has started here. A tradition at this time of year.

I pulled out the old favorite recipes and added a new one this year that I got from my sister in law for biscotti.  I'll make those in miniature so they don't take up much room on the plates I'll prepare to share cookies with neighbors, the guys at the recycle center and the post office.

I've made three batches so far: oatmeal almond,

peanut butter,

and molasses (not pictured).  They go in the freezer for now.

I like using King Arthur flour both all purpose and white whole wheat. It's a local company across the Connecticut River in Vermont.

What are you baking this holiday season?

Ghost Sign

 

We spotted this ghost sign in Concord on Monday. It looks like a sign painted upon another sign.

Does that say Black Label Gift Shop?

And at the bottom of the sign is the direction to go to find it?  "Just Around Corner"?

Concord in December

 I had to go to Concord, our state capital, on Monday to be re-fingerprinted. Apparently the fingerprints I had taken at a local police station didn't pass FBI scrutiny in September.  Didn't find this out until the end of November and rather than paying another $50 at the local police station, Dan drove me to the Criminal Records office to have them done for $10.  You may be asking why I'm doing this?  Necessary to pass a criminal background check including fingerprints in order to volunteer at my granddaughters' school.

We made it an outing of sorts by returning to a restaurant we'd visited in 2021, The Barley House, across the street from the capitol.

We finished eating just before 3. My appointment was at 1:10.

Here is the poorest excuse for a Christmas tree we've ever seen. But the bigger surprise was this manger scene on the capitol grounds.

Someone must figure that giving time to Winter Solstice celebrants evens this out.  

No menorah or Kwanzaa candles in sight.

In the pavement in front of this arch was a time capsule.  I don't think I'll be around to read about when it gets opened in 2065.  Will you be around then?

Red Sky

Monday's sunset.  We rarely see these but when we do we enjoy them.

Rain or snow showers coming overnight.