Still Kicking

[catsittingstill]

Hi all,

I'm alive. I finally got some time off work (I have 10 weeks of comp time coming) starting last week. In no particular order, here are some updates:

I'm planning to go to Philcon.

I'm going to build a canoe. A friend is letting me use her barn (which was outfitted by her ex-husband as a wood shop) and I have three books and a set of plans for making the mold. I am in the process of making the strongback (the backbone of the mold) but one of the 1 by 4s I bought is bent, and it's very important that the strongback be *straight*. I'll probably get a new 1 by 4 today.

I've taken up knitting socks.

I got in a lot of canoeing after Mom died; she loved canoeing, and the wilderness, and it seemed like a good way to honor her memory. It doesn't hurt that I love canoeing too. The best time to go is in the fall when the air is cooling down but the water is still warm (potential hypothermia issues if you fall in cold water) and most of the bugs are dead.

A new acquaintance kindly loaned me a solo canoe, which is a darn sight easier to get on and off the car by myself. It turns out one of my neighbors is really into kayaking, so we went on a lot of short trips together. I even went canoe camping (by myself) one night on an island in Cherokee Lake. It was marvelous, though I couldn't sleep worth a darn, not being used to the water lapping peacefully on the shore and such.

For Thanksgiving, I made my first pumpkin pies (just followed the directions on the back of the can and used a store-bought shortbread crust). They came out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I don't like turkey much, and it was just the two of us, so I made rock cornish hens stuffed with orange (actually a tangerine--an orange works for a chicken but is too big for cornish hens), and rice pilaf and veggies.

I ended up with Mom's recipe box, since Dad and Jake didn't cook much. Dad asked last week if I could find Mom's recipe for lemon cookies, because he's learning to cook and her cookies were very popular. It turns out they're called "Moppen"--at least, that's what she wrote at the top of the card. I made some and they came out great. Kip and I have been eating them by the handful, which can't be good for us, as they're mostly butter and sugar, with lemon zest for flavor and a little flour to help them stay together in the oven. But they're *so* good. I was walking around the house singing "All of my life I've made dangerous cookies (*munch*); All of my life I've made dangerous cookies..."

Well, that's it for now--the washer has stopped, and I need to go hang up the laundry.

Comments

[beige-alert.livejournal.com]

Sounds wonderful. I only got out in my kayak once this year, and here in Wisconsin the kayak season is definitely over, what with the ice and all.

I am now going to be singing Dangerous Cookies all day! Stuck...in...head... (I finally bought a copy of your songbook, so I've got lots of other songs to think about, too.)

[callibr8]

Has the songbook arrived safely? I hope?

[beige-alert.livejournal.com]

Yup, two days ago, safe and sound. It's just chock full of songs. Plenty to keep the fingers and voice busy.

Thanks!

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

*grin*

It's been a lot colder this week; I think sunday was probably canoeing season's last gasp.

[rms-butterfly.livejournal.com]

Dangerous cookies! That's great. And the cookies sound yummy, too.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

They're dangerously yummy :-)

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

Canoeing and cookies.. What a combo. I don't suppose you'd share the recipie for the cookies? Pretty please? Especially with some one who had the same birthday as you?

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Moppen (This was written on the top of the card. Perhaps it is the name for the cookies. Perhaps it is just some dutch word that translates as "Dangerous Cookies"

1 lb butter
2 cups sugar
4 1/4 cups self-rising flour
grated peel of 3 lemons.

Mix the dry ingredients first, then cut, rub, mash in the butter. Finish by kneading until the dough sticks together and comes off your hands. Roll into logs about 1 1/4 inch in diameter--roll the logs in a little sugar. Chill in the fridge until they are no longer droopy. Cut rounds off the end, like slicing a carrot. Bake the rounds at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or a bit less.

It does not seem to be necessary to grease the cookie sheet.

[dan-ad-nauseam.livejournal.com]

Dangerous Cookies? I'm afraid to think what Moonwulf (who appears not to have LJ) would do with that.

[tnatj.livejournal.com]

I just can't help it ...

"Give me of your bark, O Birch-tree!
Of your yellow bark, O Birch-tree!
Growing by the rushing river,
Tall and stately in the valley!
I a light canoe will build me,
Build a swift Cheemaun for sailing,
That shall float on the river,
Like a yellow leaf in Autumn,
Like a yellow water-lily!
..."

— Longfellow, The Song of Hiawatha

Do have as good luck with the new canoe as you have with the cookies!

Er —

Give me of your fruit, lemón-tree!
Of your yellow fruit, lemón-tree! ...

— no.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

"Give me of your wood, O cedar
Of your fragrant wood, O cedar..."

:-)

[tnatj.livejournal.com]

"Give me of your moppen, Cat
Of your tasty moppen ..."

:-)

[randwolf.livejournal.com]

Well, hey, good to hear from you. Have a good time at Philcon. Solo canoe sounds like a good idea; one of the people at our Thanksgiving dinner (vegetarian, since Kier (gf) doesn't like turkey either and vegetarian dan_ad_nauseam was in attendance) signed us up to help load his canoe a few months bad. Damn thing must have weighed over 300 pounds.

...you may have inspired me to write my own update, after I finish making todays notes in my paper journal...

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

A canoe gone bad and a turkey that weighed 300 lbs. Wow.

But even a big turkey wouldn't weigh that much. But neither would any canoe I ever heard of. Was this some kind of Polynesian war canoe or something?

[randwolf.livejournal.com]

Well, definitely a super-turkey.

From canoes, I know not, but it was big, and it was heavy.

Hippo birdie two ewes!

[callibr8]

Where and when is Philcon?

Good to hear from you! Glad you're finally getting some time off. I hope that you'll have a nicer holiday season as a result.

My favorite "sugar cookie" recipe uses lemon zest too. Hmm, there may be cookie baking in my future. A good excuse to dig out the stand mixer I guess; right now I can't handle the mechanics of working with a hand mixer, after all.

Any chance you might be able to proof the two song transcriptions I sent a while back? Would like to have your input on them...

[gorgeousgary]

December 9th-11th in Philadelphia (PA). Which interestingly enough will be the first time a con has fallen right on my birthday (the 10th).

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Philcon is in Philadelphia, Dec 9-11.

So far having time off has been great. I feel like I'm getting a lot done, but getting some rest too.

Right--I've been meaning to get to the songs. Real soon now (TM).

[pondside.livejournal.com]

Welcome back to the land of the "not at work all the time"'s...

Dinner sounded great -- drop in and cook one for us :) -- you could come to V-Con in October and then cook us a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner - we've got a great kitchen for doing it in and we'd love to see you (hint hint hint)

Glad to hear about the canoeing, looking forward to hearing progress on the build.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Alas, I have no idea what my schedule will be like in October. I didn't even make it to OVFF last October, in part because of the demands of work.

[folkmew.livejournal.com]

You know, I think I could really get into canoeing someday. I've always enjoyed it when I've gone.

Can I please have your recipe for the lemon cookies!? We have an annual traditional cookie in Ed's family called "lemon bonbons" but they are kind of dry and unexciting except for the lemon frosting. So I'm looking for a suitable substitute. ;-)

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

I posted it in one of my replies above. Let me know what you think.

[folkmew.livejournal.com]

Ah thanks! Got it. I also happened to forget that you are Dutch! Now I *really* have to try them. :)

I'll let you know how they come out. The "lemon bon bons" cookie recipe we have comes out quite dry but not in a nice buttery shortbread kind of way, just sort of too dry. So I'll be excited to try these.