I have been invited by my friend and former co-worker to travel with her to China where her daughter and son-in-law are teaching in Shanghai. It's been rather short notice, relatively, but we have secured the necessary Visa and other travel documents and are on our way until the New Year. So, I am ending out the year on a high note. Can't wait to see what next year brings! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
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These bite-size cookies are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and taste like brownies with just a hint of peppermint flavor. It might be just a little too easy to pop in your mouth - over and over again. Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 Tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/4 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate pieces 1 Tablespoon shortening 1/2 cup crushed candy canes (about 6) It's time again for some Christmas cooking and I've located a few new recipes I'd like to try. I'm starting with a variation on a shortbread cookie. The light, buttery dough has cashews incorporated into it, as does the caramel filling. This cookie would be good for any occasion, but I'm betting they'll be a hit with Santa. Also at an upcoming Christmas party I'll be attending next week, if they last that long.
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I remember the excitement of visiting the public library as a child. The magic and suspense of reading favorites like The Velvet Room and The Secret Garden tugged at my imagination. Biographies of George Washington Carver and Betsy Ross allowed me to see the lives of those who came before me and to appreciate their accomplishments. Poetry collections like my favorite The Tall Book of Poems, which I took with me on sleepovers, introduced me to a range of poetry where I could consider how the placement and rhythm of words affected your mood – sometimes bouncy, other times melancholy. Plus, I really loved the way that book felt in my small hands. My goal in writing children’s books, I think, is an attempt to recreate those feelings, those early years of reading books where everything seemed possible.
I received an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University and won the Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award from SCBWI. I worked as a Children's Librarian for 20 years and still prefer to read books written for young people. I have two Cavapoo dogs named Prince Albert and Daisy Wu, and a black kitten named Mortimer. I am married and split time between homes with my husband Rod in Dayton, OH and in Cadiz, KY where we enjoy our pontoon boat on Lake Barkley.
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