Wednesday Medley for March 27

 

Yes, it's Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Medley at Your Friend from Florida.  Terri comes up with the questions and bloggers answer them on their own blogs.  Why not head over and get the questions so you can join in this week?  The focus is on names, beginning with the celebration of

NATIONAL JOE DAY!

Enjoy a cup of “joe” with all of your friends named Joe, Jo, Joette, Joey, Joseph, Josephine, Johanna, Joann, Jodie or any variant of the name Joe every year on March 27th, National Joe Day.

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1.  Who is your favorite "Joe/Jo" and what can you tell us about him or her?

That's an easy one; it's my daughter Joanna, at left in photo below, which was taken in Nevada this past fall.    She lives in Nevada and has six children ranging in age from 3 to 12.  She homeschools, plays piano for her church, helps her hubby with his business, and much, much more.  A busy gal and one of my favorite people.

2.  Who were you named for and do you or did you know that person?

I'm told I was named for my great-aunt Sadie, pictured below in her high school graduation photo.  See the diploma in her hand? She was my grandfather's beloved older sister, but she died as a young woman, long before I was born.

3.  Do you have a middle name and do you like it/use it?

I do have a middle name and I do like it, though I seldom use it.

4.  Have you ever named your car?  Tell us about it, please!

 Oh, yes!  We frequently have named our vehicles, though we don't always do so.  Right now my husband's old plow truck (seen below) is named Old Red.  We once had an older Lincoln that we named Mary Todd.

5.  Tell us the name of a fictional character you have never forgotten and why you remember it so well.

Probably the first fictional character I remember well  would be Jo March from Little Women.  Not sure why I remember her so well.  I guess I identified with her in many ways as far as liking to write, enjoying the outdoors, not liking a lot of fuss with my clothes, etc.  In Jo's Boys,  I remember thinking (after reading the book a few times) that she was so wise as a mother and as a sort of  housemother at the school she and her husband ran.  I also loved that she and Laurie stayed close friends through the years.

My copies of Little Women and Jo's Boys from girlhood

In this illustration from Little Women, Jo would be the one standing at left.

6.  Share something random with us about your week.

Let's see ... it's a very, very busy one due to a memorial service for a friend at our church.  Lots of details to help with.   It's our blessing and privilege to do so, but the week is very busy.  So far, it's also been a beautiful, blue sky and sunshine week -- but very cold and windy!  Still plenty of snow up here too, along with the mud.  The photo below was taken last Wednesday along our walking route.

And so ends another Wednesday Medley!

Friday five for March 22

Time for another Friday five!

Last week my daughter Carrie,  at Life on a Back Road, posted what she titled the "Tired Edition" of Friday Five.  This week, I've got to admit that I'm feeling pretty much like that myself.   But to continue ...

1.  Time last Friday evening with our dear friends Sam and Jenn.  Just a joyful time of sharing a meal and simple Bible study.  (This seems to appear in my Friday five often, because it's always such a blessing!)

2.  A great day of fellowship at church on Sunday.  We had visitors which is always encouraging, a great message from the book of James, and a productive, agreeable annual business meeting in the afternoon.  It was my week to bring snacks for the coffee break, and you can read about some of that (and get recipes, if you like) here: Weekend baking report.

3.  Great walking weather this week.  We got out three times (it's raining today and my friend was out of town on Monday) but on Tuesday we went for twice our usual amount of time, so I'm counting that as four times.  Below you see scenes from Wednesday.

4.  Getting out for a breakfast sandwich with my hubby yesterday at a favorite local spot.  This was quite possibly the best breakfast sandwich I've ever consumed, made on a homemade English muffin.

5.  Maple sugaring season getting underway here in New Hampshire.  There is nothing like real maple syrup!  The illustration at the top of this post is from a Tasha Tudor calendar, and she depicts what I remember from my childhood very well.  This is Maple Weekend in our state, and thankfully the sap has started to run so there will be sap to boil in the sugarhouses this weekend.  Mr. T and I are hoping to visit a friend's sugarhouse, but we will see!

And that wraps up this week's Friday five! 

Springing into the Wednesday Medley

So it's Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Medley at Your Friend from Florida!   Terri asks the questions and bloggers come up with their own answers. 

Why not join in this week?  The theme is all things Spring!  Just go over to Terri's blog, get the questions, then copy, paste, and answer them on your own blog.  Then you can go back to Terri's and link up, if you like.

1.  The first spring flowers are usually daffodils, dandelions, lilies, tulips, iris. and lilacs. Which one of those choices is your favorite?  Have you seen any yet?

 Of these, I think daffodils are my favorites.  Lilacs are later here; we tend not to see them until the end of May or so.  Have I seen any spring flowers yet?  Only in the grocery store! 

The daffodils below are from pots of Easter daffodils that my parents tossed out years ago.  They now bloom every year in the nearby field and have spread over time.  It's always fun to watch for them to appear.

2.  What is your least favorite thing about spring?

That's an easy one -- my least favorite thing about spring here in New Hampshire is the MUD that's everywhere.  It's an ugly time of year up here.

3.  Okay, what puts a spring in your step?

I would say a sunny, blue-sky day that is not too hot to go for a nice long walk. The photo below was taken in March 2012, and how I wish I could go for a walk by this lake right now.

4.  What is your favorite springtime song?

The hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today."

5.  What really says spring to you?

Hearing the spring peepers (frogs) in nearby swampy areas. When that happens, even if there is snow on the ground, we know spring is truly here.

And I also love seeing the various Spring wildflowers appear, like the Bird-on-the-Wing and the Painted Trillium below.

6.  Tell us something random about your week.

I'm getting used to having my hubby home quite a bit since it's "mud season" for New Hampshire loggers.   He's been studying for messages, baking cookies, going for snowshoe treks, and more, rather than working at a muddy job site.  (Photo below is from 2010.)

And so ends another Wednesday Medley.  Happy first day of spring, everyone!

Weekend baking report: Chocolate Chai Tea Loaf and more

Photo from Taste of Home

This Sunday it was my turn to provide the snacks for our coffee break at church.  I made several baked items in addition to taking cheese and crackers and a large container of fresh strawberries.

All of the baked goods went over well, but this Chocolate Chai Tea Loaf was absolutely amazing.  Thankfully I had left one smaller loaf at home!

I made just a couple of tiny changes in this recipe which is linked above.  Instead of 2 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate, I just used 2 ounces (1/3 cup) of semisweet chocolate chips because it was simpler.  Also -- the chai latte tea mix (Oregon Chai)  I used came in packets, so I measured it by the tablespoon right from the packet.  When it came to the frosting, the recipe called for only 1 tablespoon, but there was more than that left in the package -- nearly another tablespoon, I would say.  I just used it all in the frosting rather than have a small amount left in the packet.  No doubt it gave the frosting a more pronounced flavor of tea and spices, but it was delicious!  Also, I made this recipe gluten free by means of the Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour.

Although I carefully measured my loaf pans to be sure they were the size called for in the recipe, I still ended up with batter left over, so I used another, smaller loaf pan for the extras.  If you didn't have one, you could probably make a couple of muffins with the excess batter.

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Since yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, I also took along a pan of Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread which also went over very well.  It goes over well at home, so I was pretty sure people at church would also enjoy it.  This recipe doesn't rise as high as traditional Irish soda bread, but it has a rugged rustic look.

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And then lastly I made a pan of very simple Cheese Danish.  Here is what you need for this recipe:

SIMPLE CHEESE DANISH SQUARES
2 cans crescent roll dough
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter
Cinnamon-sugar for the top

Unroll 1 can of the crescent rolls and press into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 pan.  Press carefully to seal all of the perforations.

In a bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.  A beater will work but using a wooden spoon works just as well.  Spread the cream cheese over the dough in the pan.

Open the second can of crescent rolls and arrange the dough over the top.  Seal perforations if you can, but you don't have to get too finicky about it.

Spread the melted butter over the top as evenly as you can, then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon-sugar.  Bake at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes.

These always go over well.  I have a perfectly wonderful recipe for traditional Cheese Danish pastries (find it here: Cheese Danish) but it is a lot of work.  I may make those for Easter, but for just an ordinary Sunday the quick recipe works fine.

And that was my weekend baking!  You might enjoy trying these recipes, too.

Friday five for the fifteenth of March

Wonderful graphic from Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

Since I  did a "Monday musings " post to play catch-up with noting some blessings from my week, I'm going to have to look a little more closely at the past few days to come up with a Friday five.  Here goes:

1. Nice warm temperatures so we could get out and walk several days this week.

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2.  A busy but blessed day on Sunday.  Although our pianists are away at college, we do have accompaniment from a guitar (sometimes two), penny whistle, and now a trombone as a young man who has recently joined us plays that instrument.  It's really quite surprising how nice they all sound together!  And it is light-years better than no accompaniment!

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3.  Seeing God provide strength and wisdom for very busy days this week.

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4.  New contacts in our pastoral search.  Who knows where any of them will go, but it's just a blessing to be reminded that God has the right man out there and will bring him to us in His timing.

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5.  Seeing answers to prayer  this week including this very simple prayer that God would give my daughter some blogging time.  She has blogged frequently in the past week and even joined in on the Wednesday Medley!  Visit her blog here: Life on a Back Road.

               

And there you have this week's Friday five!  Happy St. Patrick's Day if I don't get back here before Sunday!

March goals (better late than never, right?)

Okay, so just this morning in my quiet time, somehow the thought came to me that I had never posted about my goals for March.  How crazy is that?  I guess my life has just been a little busy.  So, in the spirit of better late than never, here goes with some March goals:

* Do a March Scripture writing challenge
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones

* Read the March chapters in the Daily Walk Bible

* Continue our discipleship study with new believers

* Help a recently widowed friend with her husband's memorial service and life in general
* Continue study for Sunday School -- A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus
* Get to bed by 9 pm each night  
* Limit sugar
* Drink enough water each day

 * Walk and/or exercise each day

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week (with some help from Clean Mama)
* Do something creative each day
* Post in this blog as often as possible
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones

* Spend a little time on some UFO craft projects
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items

* Keep up with Etsy and trust bookkeeping
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able

* Continue to encourage and support my hubby as he works through a pastoral search for our church
* Clean church and set up for fellowship time

* Help set up for and serve at our friend's memorial service
* Continue to sort out and declutter my dad's house, hopefully taking many loads to the dump and thrift store and consolidating the remaining items yet to dispose of;  work on estate
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating

* Possibly plan a spring getaway
  

HEALTHY HABITS FOR MARCH:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully/get enough sleep
WORD FOR 2019: Courage

 

And here is how February went:

* Do a February Scripture writing challenge -- done!
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones -- haven't learned four new ones

* Read the February chapters in the Daily Walk Bible -- done!

* Continue our discipleship study with new believers -- done!
* Continue study for Sunday School -- A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus -- done!
* Get to bed by 9 pm each night   -- not done
* Limit sugar -- not done consistently
* Drink enough water each day -- not done consistently

 * Walk and/or exercise each day  -- not each day, but we have done a lot of walking

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week (with some help from Clean Mama) --  not done
* Do something creative each day -- done!
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- eleven times isn't bad; -- done!
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible -- four times is pretty good; -- done!
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones -- done!
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items -- done!

* Do Etsy and trust bookkeeping -- done!
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- done!
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able -- need to work on this more

* Continue to encourage and support my hubby as he works through a pastoral search for our church -- done!
* Clean church and set up for fellowship time -- done!
* Continue to sort out and declutter my dad's house, hopefully taking many loads to the dump and thrift store and consolidating the remaining items yet to dispose of;  work on estate -- done!
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating -- done!

FEBRUARY'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully/get enough sleep
WORD FOR 2019: Courage

 

Wednesday Medley for March 13

 Incredibly, it's Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Medley at Your Friend from Florida!   Terri asks the questions and bloggers come up with their own answers. 

Why not join in this week?  Just go over to Terri's blog, get the questions, then copy, paste, and answer them on your own blog.  Then you can go back to Terri's and link up, if you like.

 Terri often builds her theme for the Medley on whatever "National Day" is being observed on that date.  March 13th is National Good Samaritan Day, also known as Good Samaritan Involvement Day. It's a day for unselfish actions to help those in need and to celebrate kindness.

As you likely know, the term “good Samaritan” comes from the Bible parable where a Samaritan helped a stranger who had been robbed and beaten and left to die by the side of the road.  The Samaritan not only cleaned the man’s wounds and clothed him, but took him to an inn where he paid for the man’s care.

Today this term is used to describe those who perform acts of kindness for folks in need, especially those who are strangers.  So, here are the questions:

1.  When did someone come to your rescue and can you tell us about it?

This was a number of years ago.  It was literally a dark and stormy December night.  My husband had driven me in his truck to a ladies' Christmas fellowship at church because the roads were so bad.  We had dropped another lady off and were headed home, when his truck died.  The truck he had at the time was very prone to leaving people beside the road.  We didn't have a cell phone back then so we walked to Walmart (the closest business and quite a hike uphill) to use the phone and call someone to help us out, or maybe AAA, I don't remember.  But a lady who was just leaving the parking lot saw us walking and offered us a ride home.  We thought she was an angel in disguise when we got into the car and Christian music was playing!  It turned out that she was a fellow believer and that she and her husband worked at a local Bible Conference.

2.  When did you help someone out of a jam and can you tell us about it?

Let me think ...  this is an unusual one from many years ago that came to my mind.  My husband, teen daughters (at the time) and I were shopping in a Christian bookstore in our state's capital city, about an hour from our home.  It was raining very hard at the time.  Something rather strange happened in that the store got a call from a woman who needed good Samaritans to come to her rescue.  Kind of odd that she would call a Christian bookstore to find one!   I can't remember why, but she was unable to get home from her job in one of the state offices.  I can't remember if her car had died, or what.  It turned out that she lived in the same town as we do, so we said we would go to the office and drive her home.  The trip home seemed to take forever, as it was simply pouring and we could not see even with the windshield wipers going full tilt.  We finally got there and my husband made sure she got in safely.  He said the house reeked of cats.  We never ever heard from or saw that woman again. 

 
3.  What are your thoughts on being a good Samaritan?  Some states (like Florida) have even passed Good Samaritan laws so you don't get into trouble with the law for trying to help someone.

I used to think quite differently about being a good Samaritan than I do now.   I am not as likely to want to help a stranger by the side of the road, for example, knowing that this is sometimes a setup and one can be attacked, robbed, carjacked, or whatever.  I wouldn't do this if I was driving by myself anyway, but am not likely to want my husband to help someone in that circumstance either.

4.  Thursday is National Pi Day.  It's a fun play on the date 3.14.  Will you have some pie to celebrate?

Probably not on Thursday, but I will likely make a pie on Friday.  I'm thinking of this one:

It's what our family calls Reese’s Pie -- chocolate and peanut butter to the max.  The photo below, from Taste of Home, shows the vanilla version of this pie -- but chocolate is the way to go!

 5.  Did you know that Pi is the most studied number in mathematics?  Are you good with numbers?  

 I think I did know it was the most studied number in mathematics.  And no, I am pathetic with numbers.  I'm okay with basic math, but that's about it.

 6.  Tell us something random about your week.

 Hmmm ....  it's been busy! And I've accomplished very little in the way of housework.  Usually I do quite a bit of cleaning on Fridays when we have our friends over for supper and Bible study, but this week they couldn't come and I was too tired to do much cleaning.  Since then, it's been all downhill!  I think I'm finally getting on top of it again.

Monday musings

 The lovely graphic above is by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings.

 I didn't find time to do a Friday five post this past week.  I really missed it.  So  today I'm doing "Monday musings" instead, just jumping into what my friend Arlene calls The Stream (as in stream of consciousness).  The only streams actually running up here in New Hampshire right now are on the roadsides, as yesterday's snow melts in today's warm sun.  And I actually dipped a toe -- really, my entire foot -- into more than one of those on my walk this morning.  My socks and sneakers were soaked.

So, in no particular order, here are a few things from today and the past week.  No idea if I'll end up with five, six, or three.  This is the stream, after all.

1.Slow Cooker Clam Chowder! 

Photo from The Spruce

This is a delicious recipe that I have simmering in the slow cooker right now.  I had a dental procedure today, something that I hadn't been planning on.  A situation was discovered during a routine cleaning last Thursday and was repaired today.  I thought I'd play it safe and make a nice slow cooker soup for tonight's supper.  This chowder recipe is one that my daughter and I made one time in Nevada and it is SO good.  It tastes just about like the chowder at our local seafood place.

2.  Courage -- yep, my word for 2019 -- for the above-mentioned dental procedure. 

from Little Birdie Blessings

I'm a real wimp when it comes to the dentist.  Very bad childhood experiences with dentists have left their indelible impression upon me.  It takes music, headphones, prayer, and plenty of courage for me to face a procedure.  So thankful for my wonderful dentist and for God-given courage!

3.  Essaic Tea.   Link and photo are both from Amazon.

Mr. T and I have been taking this for a couple of months.  Essiac tea is a mixture of four different roots, bark and leaves used as a health tonic. It is used as an anticancer treatment, but is also used to treat other serious health problems. We started taking it just for general wellness -- one takes a capful a day.  One thing it is supposed to help a lot with is inflammation throughout the body.  And today I had proof that it's doing just that, when my dentist commended me for taking such good care of my mouth and noted that there was no inflammation or bleeding.  This has not always been the case.  I do try to take good care of my teeth and gums but some days I fail miserably.  I truly feel that the difference must be the Essiac Tea.


4.  A few (a very few) minutes for creativity this past weekend.  I enjoy using free printables to add a seasonal touch to a picture frame in our front hallway.  I wanted one with a maple sugaring theme and ended up putting together one of my own using Canva.  Not 100% sure if I will stick with this one or make another, but for now, this one, using an image from a vintage Christmas card, is framed and on the wall and I'm enjoying it.

5.  The opportunity to celebrate a birthday with two teenage grandchildren this past week.  They share a birthday -- March 5 -- but are three years apart in age.  We celebrated one after school on the actual day, when granddaughter Sarah and her sister came over for ice cream with hot fudge and a present with card.  The other was celebrated on Saturday night with grandson Sam and his family over cheeseburgers, chips, pasta salad and a truly decadent chocolate cake put together by Sam and his mom. (The image below is not Sam's cake,)

6.  The comfort God has given as we lost a dear friend early Friday morning.  We are rejoicing for him, but it's hard for those left behind, and his widow particularly needs our prayers.  However, we will see our dear brother in the Lord again some day!

Another from Abby

7.  Another free photo book code from Shutterfly that enabled me to make a second one of these:

My blogging time is about up and it's time to shift to working on my Sunday School lesson, so I'll get going.  Hope you are all having a good Monday!

Encouragement from my quiet time

 I’ve been working through a Scripture journaling schedule for March,  from Heidi St. John.  It’s titled “Legacy: A Life Well Lived.”  A good goal for any of us, but the older I grow the more conscious I become of the importance of leaving a spiritual legacy.

Today’s passage of Scripture was Proverbs 3:1-8.  As I wrote it out and then journaled through it using the SOAP method of Bible study, I knew that God wanted me to share this with you, my blog readers.  So here goes:


S=         "My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments.
      "For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
      "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.
       "So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
       "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.
       "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.
       "Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
       "It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."

O=  I noticed in my Scofield study Bible that Scofield had titled chapter 3 “The rewards of wisdom”.  So as I read verses 1-8, I mentally broke down the verses into two categories: wise actions and their rewards.

Verse 1: Wise actions: Don’t forget God’s law; keep His commandments from the heart.
Verse 2: Their rewards: Length of days; long life; peace.

Verse 3: Wise actions: Don’t forsake mercy and truth; bind them to you; write them upon your heart.
Verse 4: Their rewards: You will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Verse 5-6a: Wise actions: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t lean to your own understanding; Acknowledge God in all your ways.
Verse 6: Their rewards: God will direct your paths.

Verse 7: Wise actions: Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord; depart from evil.
Verse 8: Their rewards: Good spiritual health; excellent spiritual nourishment.

A=  The application is pretty obvious.  Pay attention to God’s Word.  Take it into your heart and make it a part of your life.  Don’t be wise in your own eyes or try to lean to your own understanding.  Instead, fear the Lord, trust in Him, and depart from evil.

As we do these things, we will find favor with God, experience His leading and guidance, and see Him bless us with vibrant spiritual health.  Who wouldn’t want that?

P=  "Lord, I thank and praise You for giving me these verses this morning.  They are a blessing and an encouragement to me, and exactly what I need to counsel someone else today.  I thank You in Jesus' name, Amen."

Does this seem too basic?  I think I would go beyond basic and say that it's absolutely vital.  A person could chew on all of this for a lifetime, it seems to me.  I hope that these simple thoughts have been a blessing to someone else today!

Sandwiching in the Wednesday Medley

  Yes, today is 

NATIONAL OREO COOKIE DAY

They tell us to be ready to observe the day by having our glasses of milk handy as it is National Oreo Cookie Day.  This day is recognized across the nation each year on March 6th.

(I must admit I have neither Oreos nor milk on hand.  We ran out of milk last night, and I never drink it anyway, so I will not be celebrating this day appropriately!)

As we all know, the Oreo sandwich cookie is made up of two chocolate disks containing a sweet cream filling and is loved by millions.  Since its introduction, the Oreo cookie has become the best-selling cookie in the United States.

The National Biscuit Company (today known as Nabisco) first developed and produced the “Oreo Biscuit” in 1912 at its Chelsea factory in New York City. Today, the block on which the factory was located is known as “Oreo Way”.

 So I'm sandwiching in time to write a blog post for the Wednesday Medley with its Oreo cookie theme.  Would you like to join in too?  Head on over to  at Your Friend from Florida!   Terri asks the questions and bloggers come up with their own answers. 

Just go over to Terri's blog, get the questions, then copy, paste, and answer them on your own blog.  Then you can go back to Terri's and link up, if you like.   Here goes!

1.  Are you able to pass by a plate of cookies and not take one or are you a bit of a 'Cookie Monster'?

There are cookies I can pass by, and then there are cookies that I cannot pass by.  I can pass by almost any storebought cookie (other that Girl Scout cookies or maybe the maple leaf cookies by Dare).  I could pass by a plate of homemade cookies too depending on what kind they are.

But I could not  pass by these: Lemon Thumbprint Cookies that I tried for the first time this past Christmas.

2.  Tell us about your favorite cookie. Have your tastes changed since you were a kid?

I think that they probably have.  When I was a kid there did not seem to be as many varieties of homemade (and definitely not as many varieties of store bought) cookies as now.   My grandmother made a chocolate cookie that we all loved, a cake-like dark chocolate drop cookie which she frosted with a shiny white icing.  Back then, I probably would have said those were my favorite cookie.

It's funny but I don't even really like soft cookies anymore, except possibly for a good molasses drop cookie.  I much prefer a chewy, not necessarily crunchy cookie.  Like these below, that I created to resemble a favorite cookie from the hometown bakery of my childhood:

Find my recipe here: Toffee Crackle Cookies.

3.  Enquiring minds want to know if you are a dunker and, if so, do you dunk in milk, coffee, or tea?

I am not really a dunker.  Guess I might occasionally do so with a really crunchy cookie like a biscotti, but in general, I don't dunk.   And I would never dunk a cookie or anything else in milk, as I just don't drink it.

4.  It is that time of year and they are selling them on every corner and in front of every store!  Do you buy Girl Scout cookies and if you do, which is your favorite?

We haven't purchased any this year (those boxes DO seem to get smaller every year!) but we usually do.  Samoas are probably our favorite.  If, like us, you crave the taste of Samoas year round, give these a try:  Homemade Samoa Bars!  The recipe is from Jocelyn at  Inside BruCrew Life, one of the most prolific bakers out there.

 But we like the thin mint Girl Scout cookies a lot also.

And -- for an even better chocolate mint cookie, try these: Chocolate Mint Crisps.  They are actually not all that crispy, more chewy with the mint glaze on top.  Highly recommended!
 

 
5.  Raw cookie dough.  Yay or Nay? 

  I know that nowadays it's not just the raw eggs that are the issue with raw cookie dough.  Now FLOUR has issues!  This is just plain unacceptable!  So ... should I even admit this?  I do occasionally taste the raw cookie dough.  I guess I should probably be more concerned about it than I am.

I definitely wouldn't eat the "dough" for these crocheted Oreos (above and below) that I made for the grandkids.
6.  Please tell us something random about your week!!

Still winter up here.   It is nice, however, to see the sun brighter and stronger and having a melting effect on all the snow.  My hubby plows our driveway and yard with an aging plow truck but he is literally running out of places to put the snow.  On Saturday he hired a neighbor to come up with a tractor and bucket and move our snow around in advance of Monday's storm.
 

Our snowy woods

And there's this week's Wednesday Medley!