Peanut Butter Granola Bars

School starts this week in Topeka. Ah, I remember the days of trying to get kids out the door and off to school. With my stepkids from my first marriage, it was often the time when I found out they needed something, such as poster board or a shoe box, or lunch for a field trip along with a “I need you to sign this permission slip” request.

Today, this is my idea of back-to-school supplies! 

Many years ago in New Hampshire, while working on an article featuring healthy lunchbox fare, I came across this recipe for Peanut Butter Granola Bars, and one for Apple, Oatmeal and Coconut Muffins I posted in the past. Both recipes are easy to make, full of whole grains, and sweetened with honey instead of sugar.

I made up a batch both and tried them out on the neighborhood kids. (My stepkids were grown-up by then.) They devoured them and asked me to make a second batch of each.

  

I still make these granola bars. They are a tasty, quick breakfast to get the day started, or a healthy snack for a mid-afternoon slump.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Adapted from The School Lunchbox Cookbook by Miriam Jacobs.

           

This recipe calls for oat bran. I found the Bob’s Red Mill brand in the natural products section of the grocery store.

Makes 10 bars

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup oat bran

1/4 cup dry nonfat milk powder

1/2 cup raisins (dried cranberries also work well)

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter)

1/4 cup extra-light-tasting olive oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

           

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch-square baking pan.

           

Mix together the oats, oat bran and dry milk in a large bowl. Add the raisins and mix well again, making sure the raisins are separated.

           

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the honey, peanut butter, oil and vanilla until well combined. (If the peanut butter is stiff, microwave the bowl for 10 seconds to raise the temperature a bit so the ingredients will mix together. Do not let the mixture get hot.) Add the egg, and mix well.

           

Pour the wet mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well combined. Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes.

           

Take the granola bars out of the oven and score into bars with the edge of a spatula. Let the bars cool completely in the pan, and then turn them out onto a cutting board. Separate into individual bars and store in an airtight container.

Grown-up Milkshake and Ice Cream

Summer is winding down. How can I tell? Because all of the back-to-school signs are there: Sales on clothes and school supplies. School registration announcements in the newspaper. And, if I listen carefully, I can hear the cheering of parents anticipating the first day of school and the return to a normal schedule.

Here are two summer-ending recipes to help adults celebrate this unofficial season. The Hard Chocolate Milkshake Cocktail recipe was originally created by The New Hampshire Ex many years ago, and was a big hit with the neighbors. We spent many a summer evening sipping on the frosty beverage and fighting off the mosquitoes while the kids played on my front lawn or road their bikes up and down our small-town street.

 

I have since tinkered with the recipe a bit. This is not a traditional blended shake, but a cocktail where the ingredients are mixed in a cocktail shaker (or, in my case, by pouring the mixture between two glasses until it is combined and frothy.) A word of caution: This is a potent drink! Like a Long Island Iced Tea, it is more alcohol than other ingredients. The recipe makes one large drink, but can also be easily divided between two glasses.

As I was testing the milkshake recipe, I wondered, “Wouldn’t this make a tasty grown-up ice cream?”

After some research, I came up with the right alcohol measurements to allow this Hard Ice Cream recipe to reach the correct consistency. It doesn’t pack the punch you get from the milkshake, and even though there is chocolate syrup in the mix, it doesn’t have a strong chocolate flavor. However, this ice cream has an elegant, adult taste perfect for the end of summer.

Hard Chocolate Milkshake Cocktail

Serves 1 or 2

1 ounce creme de cacao

1 ounce Kahlua

1 ounce Frangelico

1/2 ounce vodka

3 ounces cream, or half and half

1 squirt chocolate syrup (about 1 tablespoon), plus more for garnish

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add the ingredients. Shake until blended and frothy. Squirt a line of chocolate syrup around the inside rim of a clean tall glass. Pour in the milkshake mixture. Add a straw and serve. 

Hard Ice Cream

Serves 6 to 8

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 ounce crème de cacao

1 ounce Kahlua

1/2 ounce Frangelico

3 tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 cups heavy cream

In a medium bowl, add the milk, sugar, and salt. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Prepare in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions to a soft-serve consistency. Spoon into an airtight container and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Scoop into bowls and serve. 

  

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Comfort…warmth…memories. 

All these come to mind with a whiff of cinnamon.

For many years, I have sprinkled a little cinnamon on my coffee grounds to flavor my morning cup. Even in the summer, I will make cinnamon coffee to wrap myself in this aroma that inspires images of crisp autumn air, brilliant blue sky, colorful leaves, pumpkin pie, and Christmas cheer. As the seasons change, the more cinnamon coffee starts my day.

Ever since The Picky Eater passed away last year, I drink cinnamon coffee almost every day.

 

I often wondered why I find this spice so comforting. Then I read The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig. The main character, pastry chef Claire “Neely” O’Neil, can read people’s feelings through flavors. Then she customizes a delicious confection in the flavor to fit the person. In the book, her character explained:

 “When I lived in New York and went to Chinatown, I learned that these flavors and their meanings were actually a foundation of ancient Chinese medicine.

           

Salty translated to fear and the frantic energy that tries to compensate for it or hide it.

            

Sweet was the first flavor we recognized from our mother’s milk, and to which we turned when we were worried and unsure or depressed.

            

Sour usually meant anger and frustration.

            

Bitter signified matters of the heart, from simply feeling unloved to the most overwhelming loss of a great love. Most spices, along with coffee and chocolate, had some bitterness in their flavor profile. Even sugar, when it cooked too long, turned bitter. But to me, spice was for grief, because it lingered longest.”

In the book, Neely associates cinnamon with remembering.

Perhaps my longing for cinnamon makes sense.

During one scene in the book, the characters enjoyed a sour cream coffee cake full of cinnamon, and I knew I had to make one myself. This recipe is inspired by one I found from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. I like how she baked it in a tube pan instead of a bundt or cake pan. However, I wanted more cinnamon flavor than I found in her recipe. And I didn’t have sour cream on hand, but yogurt worked just as well.

This coffee cake is moist, flavorful, and delicious. I shared it with some of my neighbors, and they

agreed.

I see myself making it often in the future.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Serves 8 to 10

For streusel:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup chopped pecans

For cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups plan whole-milk yogurt

For glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Set aside.

To make the streusel: Place all of the ingredients except the pecans into a bowl. Using your fingers, a pastry cutter, or two knives, break up the butter bits into the rest of the ingredients until crumbly. Stir in the pecans. Set in the refrigerator until needed.

To make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until blended. Mix in the vanilla and the yogurt. Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, and blend until just combined. Scrape the side and bottom with a spatula to make sure all of the ingredients are blended.

Remove the streusel from the refrigerator. Spoon half of the cake batter into the prepared tube pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle in half of the streusel mixture, and then spoon the remaining cake batter into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture over the top. Place in the oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. To make the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. The mixture should be slightly runny.

Remove the cake from the plan onto a serving dish or cake stand. Drizzle the glaze over the top.   

Sunset Boulevard Cocktail

I’ve written in the past about how much I enjoy reading cozy mysteries with recipes included in the plot line. As I finish each book, I copy the dishes that catch my eye with my printer, and then I pass along the book to another genre fan. On my desk is a file folder full of tasty ideas I look forward to testing out in the kitchen.

Recently I finished the latest in Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva series, The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss. It was fun to get back in touch with Sophie Winston, party planner and domestic how-to columnist, and the cast of characters in her life. Yes, there was a dead body, and yes, there were lots of recipes. Lots of chocolate recipes. A chocoholic’s dream! 

Once again I longed for Sophie’s kitchen, complete with fireplace, in her Old Town Alexandria, Virginia home, and her pantry/freezer/refrigerator full of ingredients that allowed her to feed her friends at a moment’s notice. I enjoyed this latest adventure very much. Every time I finish a Diva mystery, I begin the countdown to the next one.

I copied many of the chocolate recipes from this book, but none of them seemed suited for summer. So I went to my file and found this cocktail recipe from an earlier Davis book, The Diva Diggs up the Dirt.

The Sunset Boulevard Cocktail is similar to my Woo Woo Cocktail, but with orange juice slowly poured in to give the drink its sunset effect. The original recipe has double the amount of vodka, but I found it overpowered the peach schnapps flavor and was a bit harsh. After tinkering with the amount, the drink was perfect for my tastes.

I wanted to get a sunset in the photos, but the cloudy sky didn’t cooperate. No matter. The Sunset Boulevard Cocktail was a lovely, flavorful substitute.

Yield: 1

Author: Linda Ditch

Sunset Boulevard Cocktail

A summer cocktail adapted from one found in The Diva Digs Up the Dirt by Krista Davis.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce peach schnapps
• 1 ounce vodka
• 3 ounces cranberry juice
• 1 ounce orange juice

Instructions

1. Pour the schnapps, vodka, and cranberry juice into a tall glass filled with ice. Slowly pour in the
2. orange juice to get the sunset look.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Cherry Oatmeal Muffins

A true sign of a food lover is how long it takes them to explore a new food shop. For me, it can take an hour or more depending on the size of the store. I go up and down every aisle looking carefully at what is offered. Most of the time I purchase way more stuff than I intended, but I leave happy with a multitude of recipe ideas spinning around in my mind.

When I visit Mom at her Sedalia, Missouri apartment, we often venture a few miles to the east on U.S. Highway 50 to Tipton and the Dutch Bakery and Bulk Food Store. Owned by a Mennonite family, the store has been around for more than 25 years.

This place is ingredient heaven. Besides the bakery, with its delicious aromas filling the air, and fresh produce section, there are aisle after aisle of bulk food items, already bagged and ready to buy. I always come home with a grocery sack full of ingredients—some I need and some I want to play around with in recipes.

Dried cherries and pecans from my last visit inspired this recipe for Cherry Oatmeal Muffins. It is based on a basic oatmeal muffin recipe I got from the parent of one of my preschool students in New Hampshire many, many years ago. I added dried cherries, chopped pecans and cinnamon to the mix, with tasty results.

What I like most about this recipe is it makes not-too-sweet muffins. For me, this is the perfect breakfast muffin, as opposed to the more common ones that are almost like eating cake. (Actually, I have eaten cake for breakfast before, usually the morning after my birthday. Isn't that a rule?)

The recipe is easy to mix up, making it possible to bake a batch while the coffee brews. Served with milk, tea, or coffee, these Cherry Oatmeal Muffins are a delicious way to start the day.

Cherry Oatmeal Muffins

Makes 12

 

1 cup milk

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, well-beaten

1/4 cup oil

1 cup dried cherries (chopped if the cherries are very big)

1 cup chopped pecans

Pour the milk into a measuring cup or small bowl. Add the oatmeal, stir, and let stand for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the cups of a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. To the milk-oatmeal mixture, add the egg and oil, and stir to combine. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until the ingredients are just combined. Then fold in the dried cherries and pecans.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown. Serve warm.

Skillet Jambalaya

There is something about New Orleans that makes me long for summer, even though both times I've visited were in the winter. Maybe it’s the ornate iron balconies, people slowly strolling down Bourbon Street, and jazz music flowing out club doors. Perhaps it’s the spicy seasonings of home-style dishes.

Jambalaya is a favorite NOLA dish I’ve made for years. The original recipe isn’t difficult, but this skillet version is even simpler since it utilizes leftover rice. (Now you have something to do with those containers of white rice that always seem to be left after every take-out Chinese meal.) Everything is cooked in the skillet, so clean-up is minimal. Best of all, the taste is…wow! 

Yield: 4

Author: Linda Ditch

Skillet Jambalaya

A simple meal to let the good times roll!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (see recipe below)
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
• 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups cooked rice

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery. Saute until tender and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a bit until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the diced tomatoes and Creole seasoning. Add the smoked sausage and cook until it’s heated through. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Then stir in the rice and continue to cook until the shrimp is cooked and the rice is warm. Serve.
2. Almost Emeril Lagasse’s Creole Spice Mix
3. Makes 2/3 cup
4. 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
5. 2 tablespoons salt
6. 2 tablespoons garlic powder
7. 1 tablespoon black pepper
8. 1 tablespoon onion powder
9. 1 tablespoon dried oregano
10. 1 tablespoon dried thyme
11. 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
12. Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine well. Store in an air-tight container. (I use a Mason jar.)

Created using The Recipes Generator

Recipes for Summertime Living

Ah, it summer and the living is easy…or so the saying goes. Frankly, I’m not a fan of the heat and humidity. Give me a foot of snow any day!

However, summertime holidays like July 4^th are a great excuse to enjoy some dishes perfect for this time of year. Besides my Creole Shrimp Boil and Peach Sangria recipes, here are some of my favorites for this holiday weekend and the rest of the season:

Aunt Mabel’s Honey Fruit Salad Dressing is a not-to-sweet topping to enhance the fruit’s natural

flavors.

Iced Tea Sangria mixes two of my favorite summer beverages…tea and chilled wine.

Southern Frost is a terrific heat-buster cocktail.

BBQ Ribs with my homemade rub and sauce.

Birthday Baked Beans was created for The Picky Eater’s birthday, and he would ask me to make “his” baked beans all summer long.

Mamaw’s Broccoli Salad is requested at almost every family cookout.

A Rustic Peach Tart has all the taste of pie without the hassle of a perfect crust.

Peach Sangria

Recently I went to a dinner party with a lovely group of ladies. It was a hot, steamy evening, where the sweat glistens on your face and runs down the middle of your back. The plan was to eat dinner in the hostess’s beautiful garden, but the heat sent us quickly back inside to the relief of an air conditioned dining room.

As each guest arrived, we were served a glass of this refreshing peach sangria. It was the perfect beverage to temper the sweltering temperatures—flavorful but not too heavy and sweet.

The original recipe uses fresh fruits, but I think frozen would work just as well when the fruit is out of season. I also think it will be fun to play with the mix of ingredients throughout the summer, such as switching to white wine and using flavored vodkas.

I’ve written in the past about my dislike of summer. This sangria may just be the ticket to help me survive the blistering months ahead.

Peach Sangria

Adapted from Southern Living recipe

1 bottle rośe wine

3/4 cup vodka

1/2 cup peach nectar

6 tablespoons thawed frozen lemonade concentrate

2 tablespoons sugar

1 pound ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (or 3 cups frozen)

1 6-ounce package fresh raspberries (or 1 cup frozen)

2 cups chilled club soda

In a pitcher, add the wine, vodka, nectar, lemonade concentrate, and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the peaches and raspberries, and then cover the pitcher and chill for 8 hours. Add the club soda at serving time. Serve in a wine glass or over ice in a tall glass.

Creole Shrimp Boil

I will never forget the look on my New Hampshire friends’ faces as I dumped our meal onto a newspaper-lined picnic table. The look said, “Have you lost your mind?”

However, it’s the traditional—and fun—way to enjoy a Creole Shrimp Boil. Everyone can reach in for a handful of shrimp, corn on the cob, potato, or sausage, all seasoned with zippy Creole flavors. Plates are optional. All you really need is cocktail sauce, lemon wedges, and butter, plus plenty of napkins. (Paper towels are even better.)

For this particular feast, I doubled (maybe tripled, I don’t exactly remember) my recipe to feed all of my guests. The cooking was done in a large pot over a propane burner—the type also used for deep-

frying turkey.

The recipe in its normal size can be cooked in pot on a grill’s side burner or the stove top. Thanks to inspiration from a post on the Family Fresh Meals blog, I’ve switched to making this meal in my slow cooker—perfect for my downtown, no-outdoor-space, Topeka apartment. I use my version of Emeril Lagasse’s Essence seasoning to give the dish its zip, but you could also use Old Bay or any other seasoning of your choice.

Creole Shrimp Boil is simple to make, so it works as a weeknight family meal as well as one for a weekend gathering. Yes, you can serve the boil on a large platter or in a bowl, but at least once try dumping it onto the table. You’ll create an instant memory.    

Creole Shrimp Boil

Serves 4

1 12-ounce bottle of beer (I used a pale ale.)

7 cups water

1/4 cup Creole seasoning (see recipe below or use your favorite)

2 lemons

1 head of garlic, cut in half

1 onion, quartered

2 bay leaves

1 pound red or new potatoes, large ones cut in half

4 ears of corn, husked and halved

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound raw unpeeled large shrimp

Salt, to taste

Cocktail sauce

Butter

Lemon wedges

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, add the beer, water, and Creole seasoning. Whisk to combine. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the pot. Add the lemon halves, garlic, onion, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the corn and sausage. Simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender. Add the shrimp, cover the pot, and simmer until the shrimp is just done, about 5 minutes.  

Strain off the liquid from the pot, or remove the ingredients using a slotted spoon or strainer. Pour the ingredients onto the middle of a table covered with newspaper or parchment paper, or serve on a large platter. Sprinkle salt over the top, to taste. Serve with cocktail sauce and butter.

To make in a slow cooker: Add the beer, water, and seasoning into the slow cooker. Whisk to combine. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the pot. Add the lemon halves, garlic, onion, bay leaves and potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Add the corn and sausage pieces. Cover and cook for an additional 2 hours.

Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp. Cook for another 30 minutes. Serve as above.

Almost Emeril Lagasse’s Creole Spice Mix

Makes 2/3 cup

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine will. Store in an air-tight container.

The Year of Firsts

Today marks the one year anniversary of The Picky Eater’s death, and with it the end of my “Year of Firsts.” I’ve made it through the first holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries without the love of my life. And I have been forever changed.

The first three months after Mike died, I was in a fog. I don’t remember much about what went on. I know friends took me to lunch, and the Ditch family took me to dinner and invited me to all of the family gatherings. I binge-watched Downton Abbey and read many books for the temporary escape they offered, but mostly I spent each day trying to get to the next, because I knew the sadness and pain would ease with each passing moment. I just had to hang on.  

I spent a lot of time sitting in a rocking chair at my bedroom window looking out over downtown Topeka at all hours of the day and night. That was my comfort place. I cried gallons of tears there, raged at Mike for leaving me so soon, worked through the guilt over things I should have done differently (only to realize everything happened the way it was meant to), and, mostly, remembered all of the wonderful moments we shared. I talked to Mike a lot. I still do. If my neighbors can hear me, they must all think I’ve lost my mind. J

What has helped me get through this year the most is being with people who shared their Mike stories with me, and who let me talk freely about my memories, too. Some of the tales were funny and sweet, while others were touching or even a bit sad. All of them made Mike feel close. I needed the comfort those stories brought to my heart from those who also loved and cared for him.

About six months into the first year, I started to feel more like myself. The sadness was there (still is), but it wasn’t as overwhelming as in the beginning.     

Now I start year two without my love, my biggest fan, my knight in shining armor. I’ve entered uncharted water, where I can no longer think back to what “we” were doing this time last year because there was no “we” from June 12, 2014 on.

I’m living “our” life by writing full time and teaching writing workshops, which Mike and I had planned on my doing all along. Unfortunately, the happiness I feel with each success is tempered by the thought he isn’t here to share it with me.

 

While I can think and dream about what the future holds when it comes to my career, everything else I take one day at a time. Yes, I still have days when the sadness overwhelms me. When I just have to give in and wait for a better day tomorrow. Then sometimes I feel guilty when, because my day has been busy and full, I forget to think about him for a time. At other moments, he fills my heart so much I know his spirit is walking along side me.

The meaning of “bad times” has changed for me. Negative things happen to all of us, but now I understand what “it could have been so much worse” truly means. Because that “so much worse” happened one year ago.

When something bad happens now, I point to the sky and say to Mike, “You promised you were my guardian angel, so you had better help me through this.”

And he always does, with God’s help.

To mark the end of this year, I have moved my wedding band to join Mike’s on the chain I wear around my neck. It fits perfectly inside his, protected much the same way as he protected me. My beautiful blue topaz engagement ring now resides on my right hand.  

I still miss him more than words can express, and some days more than I can stand. As hard and traumatic as it was to let him go one year ago, I would go through it all again as long as it meant I wouldn’t miss a single moment of our time together. No matter what the future brings, Mike will always have a place in my heart. I will love him forever.

Finally, but most important, let me thank all of those who were key in helping me through this year. I want to start with the entire Ditch family, for rallying around me in support on that terrible day one year ago (the funeral home had never seen that many people show up to plan a service!) and on every holiday and family gathering since. Thank you Steve, Greg, Lisa, Scott, Rocky, Quintin, and Kim, plus your spouses and kids, for continuing to make me feel a part of the family. I would have never made it through this year without you. And to Greg, Lisa, and Steve, for taking charge of arranging all of the funeral details and finances, so all I had to do was approve or adjust some of the finer points. Also, thank you for supporting my choices and making the whole process go smoothly.

I also want to thank my friends, both those here in the Midwest and in New England, plus my blogging, writing and foodie friends whom I only know via the World Wide Web. Whenever I felt sadness and despair, I knew all I had to do was say something on Facebook and the encouragement would roll in. And thank you for the phone calls, emails, and lunch dates throughout the year. I hope you understand how much that meant to me, and I hope you know if I didn’t return a phone call, answer an email, or make a lunch date, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to. It was because I couldn’t.       

Now to thank some specific people:

First, my mom. Think about it…my dad died three months before Mike. So, she not only had to deal with her own grief, but then that of her oldest daughter. Her support, both emotional and financial, was key to my survival. Sometimes I think I would still be curled up in a ball of tears on the floor without her. I love you, Mom.

My sister-in-law, Lisa, who is not only family but also my best friend. Mike knew we would be great friends—he said so before I even met you! Since the day he introduced us, you have never hesitated to come running when I needed you, even if it was just to meet and talk over a cup of coffee. Your friendship means the world to me…more than I can express.

Also, to my brother-in-law, Don, for your friendship and support, plus for letting me join the family fantasy football league. Not only was it fun, but it made me feel even more connected to the family…and Mike. (Who knew I’d win all those games!)

Next, my brother-in-law, Greg, because you answered the phone. Soon after Mike died, while the police and paramedics were still swarming around the apartment waiting for the coroner to arrive, I realized it was time to start telling people he was gone. I didn’t want to do it. I kept thinking about how my phone call was going to change everyone’s normal day into one of the saddest they would face. How could I inflict that kind of pain on others? Especially before 5 a.m. I made one phone call after another…and no one answered their phone. They either didn’t hear it or slept through it. One after another, no answer, no answer, no answer, until finally you answered the phone…and instantly became my hero. Not only were you there on the other end of the line, but through your own sadness you took on the burden of spreading the news to the rest of the family. Hearing the grief in your voice made me feel less alone, and you saved me from going through that horrible task over and over while the fog of grief settled on my heart, for which I will always be grateful.

My stepson, Mike Jr., has been a rock through it all. He took on the responsibility of telling his sister and mom the sad news, which couldn’t have been easy. Now he answers all of my emails about my writing business and life in general. Plus, he lets me in on his fantasy golf fun for the major tournaments, which helps me feel connected both to him and his dad. Thanks Picky Eater, Jr. J

Plus Jennifer, Anthony, and Brad, thank you for asking me to lunch, hanging out with me on the Carnival Magic, and taking the time to talk to me and ask questions about my life. You guys are amazing.

Thank you to my fellow residents in Kansan Towers, our own little community within the larger downtown neighborhood. Many of you stopped to wish me well even though our only contact was occasionally riding together in the elevator. A special thank you goes to the manager, Teena, who stayed with me that terrible morning a year ago as I processed the worst event of my life. A big thanks also goes to my neighbor Jan, who is always there to share a drink when I need her, and to the unstoppable Marge Heeney, whose spirit is an inspiration.

And a final thanks to the leadership and congregation at Grace Cathedral, for your warm welcome, acceptance, and positive message. When I was searching for a church home to find comfort after Mike’s death, God led me to your door.

Everyone, thank you for your patience, understanding and support. Please don’t go anywhere! I may need you even more in the year to come.

The journey continues…  

Blissful Cranberry Cookies

Lately my appetite has been stuck on cookies. For some reason, when a sweet craving strikes, I want homemade cookies dunked in ice cold milk.

Perhaps it's the time of year. While cookies take center stage at Christmas, I think summer is cookie season. These sweet morsels are easier to make than pies and handier to transport than ice cream. Need dessert for a picnic? Want a treat to munch on at the lake or beach? Cookies are the answer!

Once you know a basic cookie dough recipe, what kind it becomes is completely up to your imagination…or what’s in the pantry at the time. For example, these Blissful Cranberry Cookies were inspired by the Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars. To my basic cookie dough, I added dried cranberries, white and semi-sweet chocolate chips, and walnuts. However, you could add any dried fruit, chips, nuts and flavorings to make your own signature cookie.

Blissful Cranberry Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen

Basic cookie dough:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Additions:

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli.)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

To make the basic dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.

Add the dried cranberries, chips and nuts, and mix for just a moment to combine.

Drop rounded teaspoons of the cookie dough onto the baking sheets. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the cookie sheets and swapping shelves halfway through baking. Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to sit on the baking sheets for two minutes. Then place them on racks to cool. Store in an air-tight container.