For the Love of Reading

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February is a month that cherishes love---love of all kinds, including one dear to my heart...the love of reading.

When my children were in school, they participated in a program called D.E.A.R.....standing for: drop everything and read.  The whole school...students, teachers, office staff, maintenance, cafeteria workers and visitors alike took a daily half hour to read.  Silence would come over the whole busy building.  Everyone entered the reading material of their choice. What a lovely tradition. What a way to celebrate and treasure the ability to read. We all entered new worlds of knowledge and imagination.

In short: We were not given rewards for reading...reading was the reward!

My children have gone on to be life-long readers, a wish I have for all their friends.

Readers are life-long learners too. And, in my humble opinion, more interesting people. They are able to juggle many different ideas and viewpoints, and to think in new and creative ways.

So in this month of love, let's celebrate the act of reading and all the treasures it brings!

 

Joanie on a Pony Welcomes All to Mardi Gras!

 

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Have you ever been to New Orleans? I am discovering new treasures with every visit. Mardi Gras is a season here, not a day! It begins every year on January 6th, which happens to be the birthday of the city's unofficial patron saint, Joan of Arc, also known as Jeanne d'Arc and Joanie on a Pony, after the wonderful statue that was a gift from France to the city.

Joanie on her pony

The Krewe de Jeanne D'Arc starts off the parade season with a walking tour through the streets of the French Quarter, led by a lovely lass as Joan...

Joan of 2026, on birthday 614

The parade features scenes from The Maid of Orleans's life, her accomplishments on behalf of France. Marching bands, both 15th century and modern, dancing gargoyles, a dragon, angels, French peasants and plenty of wrong-minded clerics to boo at! They all pass out lovely home-made gifts to parade goers. 

Joan's Angels

Did you know that St. Joan had to wait 500 years for the church to declare her a saint? By that time the suffragists had adopted her, so, yes, they were represented at the parade...

And it looks like New Orleans has decided not to wait another 500 years to declare our own Saint Dolly Parton!

Krewe of Dolly, founded 2020

Happy Mardi Gras from your very own (self-described!) Mardi Gras Museum Queen of New Orleans...

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Baking

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Here in Vermont we are currently in a deep freeze and there's snow on the ground. In short, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I'd like to share with you a wonderful lemon shortbread cookie recipe that was hard won,

To explain: shortly after I moved to Vermont, I was invited to join our local Woman's Club by the owner of our local bookstore (the first pace I visited, naturally!).  Well, this vintage 1901 Woman's Club does marvelous community involvement ... high school senior scholarships, support of shelters, food pantries, art and literature awards for local schoolchildren. We even bake heart-shaped cookies on Valentine's Day and deliver them to hard-working folks at the library, firehouse, police station, government offices.

Which brings me to our stellar town-widereputation as bakers.

But were these famous bakers going to share their secrets with me? Not on your life! I'd try to go at it sideways: "Diane, this velvet cake is so good! How do you get that frosting so smooth and delicious?" Diane proceeds to look both ways as if about to divulge the nuclear code, before she whispers: "Cream cheese." At last...a clue!

Finally, after saying yes to many projects and activities that serve, I was given the ultimate compliment---a recipe to guide me though providing a dessert for our scholarship fundraising Spaghetti Dinner.

I share it with you now, as I've always been terrible at keeping secrets. Here's your guide to the most tangy/sweet, melt in your mouth lemon shortbread cookies you'll ever taste! Merry Christmas and happy baking, dear readers!

Lemon Meltaway Cookies

for the cookies:

1 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 lemon for zest

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the glaze, combine:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1. in large bowl. Cream butter with sugar, Mix in egg. Stir in lemon zest.
2. Add 1/2 cup flour, baking power and salt, until combined. Continue adding flour by 1/2 cup until completely combined.
3. Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure dough, then slightly flatten with your palm.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until cookie center is just set. Cookies will remain light and not get brown. Let the cookies sit for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
5. Once the cookies are cool, dip the tops in the glaze. Let dry and harden.
6.