They can't ALL be winners

Today I woke up feeling - icky. Nothing specific wrong, just kind of achy all over. I decided it would have to be a light day, because there was just no way I was going to get a lot done. So after making the bed, showering and putting on my makeup, and taking the kids to school I washed dishes and made a pan of each kind of Rice Crispie bar. After washing dishes a second time I decided to try a new recipe (Self magazine, December 2006 issue, lemon crisp cookies).

I should have used common sense while making it, but I usually try to follow the recipe exactly the first time and then get creative the next time. The recipe, which I will not list exactly, called for about 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder AND soda, salt, sugar, 1/4 cup butter, one egg yolk, and 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (and the lemon zest). The dough was dry and crumbly, but I pressed it into a log as best I could, wrapped it in plastic, and put it into the refrigerator for the required three hours. At that point I dutifully sliced it into thin slices, brushed each with egg white, and sprinkled them with sugar.

The good news: they SMELL wonderful
The moderate news: they taste all right
The bad news: they are very very ugly to look at

The "log" I had to roll them into wasn't a perfect cylinder, so the cookies are not round. There isn't enough butter in them to cause them to flatten, so whatever you have when you slice is what you have when they're baked. They were still dry and crumbly, so they sort of fell apart when I tried to put them onto the cookie sheets. Oh, and the lemon zest didn't really cook so much as dry out, so they feel like they have coconut in them (which they do not). Like I said, they SMELL wonderful, and that smell is enough to make you want to eat one.


**UPDATE: after they completely cooled the lemon flavor got stronger. They're still ugly to look at, but I think I can get past appearances to have another one.......

It's the little things....

It's really amazing how much of a difference the little unexpected things can make. This morning I had to take my car in for her annual exam (similar to my own, I suspect - they hoist her up and poke around her undercarriage and check the vital signs). My car dealer recently moved to a new location, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I did know that I had a two-hour wait for my car, so I was prepared. I brought my Christmas cards along so I could kill some time by getting them all addressed. At least THAT would be done.....

I was STUNNED by the new waiting area. First, they had several new comfy chairs. Then they had added a couple of small tables and chairs (so people like me would have a place to work). On one wall there was a large flat-panel television (Tyra looked so CLEAR!). They had free coffee and cocoa and juice and treats. I could have just set up camp there for the day - I was all set. But the best thing was ------ FREE CHAIR MASSAGE!! That's right, on Tuesdays they offer free chair massages for their customers who choose to wait for their cars. How great is that? I never would have expected such a treat on a rainy Tuesday, but the thoughtfulness of my car dealership made my whole day. It was wonderful -- I got my work done, I got cappuccino and Cracker Jacks, I got to watch Tyra on a big screen, and I got a free 30-minute massage.

Life is good. ....next time, though, I'm going to make my appointment for a Wednesday. The massage was great, but Wednesday is free MANICURE day. Sweet.