When All Else Fails - It's Back To Basics

Happy 2011, everyone!!

We had a white Christmas in Georgia.

All of the grandkids were sick with the flu when I arrived

and couldn't play outside.

That makes snow a kind of a cruel joke!

I ended up in the hospital for four days, with Bronchitis.

When I came back, I had several more days of bed-rest.

The little grandbrats were better by then (thank God!)

and came to my room, to bless me with their smiles!

There's nothing better!!

(OK, maybe a piece of cheesecake is a close second.)

Then the cable was down for three days.

No TV.

No internet.

Seriously?!

To keep busy I started knitting the little one a scarf.

I was told she likes to 'accessorize'. I'm all for that!

My granddaughter (who just turned eight on Christmas Day)

decided she wanted to learn to knit.

(I may need to borrow that outfit!)

My six year old grandson, not to be outdone, picked up the needles too.

Then he used them as swords.

The finished scarf.

Let's see if she likes it...

Yes! A smile!

She gave the floor a good wipe with it.

A quick shake.

Let's try it as a hat. A nice fit indeed.

And it can keep my knees warm.

I have an idea!

Let me see how far apart I can spread the stitches,

with my bony little fingers!!

Or, maybe I can wear it like this.

Yes, definitely like this!

Thank you! I love it! It's SO me!!

The cable still wasn't working, so I knitted another scarf.

This one was for my son's friend.

I'd knitted him one last year, but he said "a dog tore it up".

In my vivid imagination, I saw a rabid dog, teeth gnarling, leaping at his throat!

When, in actuality,

he'd left it where a dog could reach it and use it as a chew-toy.

Boring.

My granddaughter wanted to help again.

(I just want to kiss that adorable little hand!)

The TV is working, the internet is up and running,

the scarves are completed, the kids are healthy again

and I felt good enough to write another blog-post!!

2011 is going to be a good year!!!!!!!! :-]

Happy New Year to you all!!

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you!)

Signing off for now,

gabriele

Wishing You Holiday Hugs & Kisses!

I've got mine!!!!

And in the spirit of Christmas, I leave you with this beautiful carol...

"SIIIIIIIIII - HIIIIIIIII - LEEEEENT NIIIIIIGHT......"

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you!)

Signing off for now,

gabriele

Raw-Food Marzipan For The Holidays

One of my absolute favorite memories, as a little kid growing up in Europe,

was the Marzipan I would get at Christmas!

It came in the shapes of little red apples, yellow bananas, green pears, etc..

It made my heart smile.

Imagine my excitement, when I discovered the recipe,

in my newest raw-food dessert book!! (I did the happy-dance!)

Here are the ingredients the recipe calls for.

What is in the blurry bottle, you ask? I'll never tell. :)

(It was something I needed for a sauce I was going to make and accidentally

stuck it up there with everything else. Duh!)

I put the shredded coconut into my very cool BlendTec blender -

and blended it until it was a powder. (All of two seconds.)

I placed the remaining ingredients (minus the mystery-bottle stuff)

into the blender and let it blend until they were smooth.

Then I transferred it to the food-processor.

I let it do its thing, until the mixture began to stick together.

It was a bit moist, so I placed it on a paper towel and let it soak-up some of the moisture.

(I took a little nibble... ok... a big nibble. Mmmmmmm!!)

I rolled it into two logs.

And sliced them into little pieces.

I made a tiny apple, banana and pear - for the kid in me. :)

I rolled the remainder into little balls.

Then coated some in shredded coconut.

Yummm!!

I wondered how it would taste, rolled in raw cacao.

(Can't go wrong with chocolate, right?!)

I put the Marzipan balls in the little plastic bag -

And gave them a little shake, rattle & roll.

And here they are.

I liked the ones dipped in the coconut.

I really liked the ones rolled in cacao.

But my favorites were the original ones, without any coating at all.

I suppose it's because those are the ones that hold the kid-memories for me.

This is my newest, favorite raw-dessert book! (With the Marzipan recipe.)

It's by the fabulous raw-food chef, Matthew Kenney.

He has several raw-food books, which are sooo good!!

This will take you to his website with a ton of recipes!

(By the way, Matthew puts a raspberry center in his Marzipan!!)

I hope that whatever desserts you decide to make,

they'll turn out better than anything you've ever made before!

(And if not, there's always someone whose taste-buds are shot.)

I wish you and your loved-ones a wonderful, happy and healthy Holiday Season!

May all your dreams come true!!!!

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day.

Don't clean it up too quickly."

- Andy Rooney

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you!)

Signing off for now,

gabriele