3/22/12

It looks as if this will be one of those days that the proof readers must be really on their toes.  Already, and I just started, I used the wrong date.  Maybe I am alert enough  to continue because I did think that it couldn’t be right.  Seems as if I have an outdated calendar still within my reach.  It is just the right size to keep on my computer desk, but I can’t think of a single other reason that it has not been discarded three months ago!   It is gone now!

Those members of St.Mary’s who are over 62 and did not take the time to attend the honorary luncheon cooked and served by the Altar Society missed a real treat consisting of ham loaf, scalloped potatoes, a St. Patrick salad and topped off with peanut butter sheet cake! The attendance was exceedingly small. In trying to justify that, I could  invent only one  possibility.  They called us Senior Saints. I know there were a lot of absent Seniors.  Couldn’t they classify themselves in the “Saints” category?  The luncheon was followed by a challenging presentation by Jean Wise, a speaker, writer and retreat leader, on the reality of Angels in our lives. Stay alert.  Our gratitude is extended to the Altar Society for appreciating us as an important part of our congregation. One qualification for me was really evident.  I went with a daughter and son-in-law!  That really makes me a senior.  Perhaps we should just let the issue of “saint” pass by without discussion.

Since I am on a mission of ridding my home of a number of unnecessary items (mostly so my kids don’t wish they had taken my available cash away from me years ago) I started with a few magazines that are overflowing my lower computer shelf.  At least one of them was really necessary since I did find the recipes that I want to use today in it, even though it is over 10 years old. Maybe next week I will put it in the recyclables.

I have not tried it because red raspberries are about in the middle of my favorite things that I like to eat but I have several friends who often order raspberry tea when eating at a restaurant.  Wouldn’t  you know the first thing I noticed in the perusal of my ancient magazine  (well, I did have a short nap and had to retrieve my magazine from the floor) was a recipe for raspberry tea. This made me think that your Guardian Angel pointed it out to me so you could make your own.
                                               
RASPBERRY TEA
4 quarts water
1 ½  cups sugar
1 package (12 oz.)  frozen, unsweetened red raspberries
10 individual tea bags
¼ cup lemon juice
In a large pan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved.  Add the raspberries, tea bags and the lemon juice.  Cover and steep for 3 to five minutes. Strain. Discard berries and tea bags. Cool over raspberry ice cubes made by gently rinsing the berries, then placing three berries in each section of your ice cube tray then fill the tray with the tea that you just made. Freeze the tray several hours and add several cubes to each glass of tea when serving.

Our speaker today told us that “God gave the angels wings, and he gave us humans chocolate.”  That is no doubt why the page with the recipe for brownie mix jumped out at me with a recipe for walnut brownies and brownie cookies.  It is a recipe that is 50 years older than the date of the magazine, so it will be a good one.
                       
BROWNIE MIX
8 cups sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ cups baking cocoa
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons salt
2 cups shortening (I would use Butter flavored Crisco)
Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening until it is like coarse crumbs. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to  six months.
                  
WALNUT BROWNIES
4 cups  Brownie mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Combine brownie mix, eggs and vanilla.  Mix well. Fold in chips and nuts. Put in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
                                   
BROWNIE CRINKLES
4 cups brownie mix
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Combine ingredients and drop by tablespoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pan to cooking rack. Enjoy your raspberry tea and the chocolate that God gave to us.  Maybe I will wait a week or  two before I part with my Quick Cooking magazine and I will take another look at it.