Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

We want to sincerely wish everyone a wonder-filled joyous Christmas spent with those you love.

Sincerely,

Melissa and Frederick

Happy Harvest Time!

It's that time of year! Our fall weather has started here in the Pacific Northwest. The air is cool and crisp and it's harvest time. It's a great time of year.
I'm fortunate to have received an abundance of grapes from a friend. I've been making lots of jelly! I've also been making many yummy goodies with apples. I even picked some apples from a wild tree on the road, ah, the pleasures of living in the country.

I've made about 15 jars of grape jelly in the past few days!

We're still offering a complimentary jar of your choice of the many jams and jellies we've made here when you stay with us (through the end of 2008).

We still have availability for the November all group Follow Up. Reserve your room soon, we'd love to hear from you!

Breadmaking for beginners

Irish Soda Bread

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” -James Beard

I love bread, and I love baking breads of all kinds. Of course, I love eating delicious bread, that goes without saying, but baking bread is a whole experience. It's getting your hands dirty, and being a part of the bread when you knead it, and the smell it imparts on your kitchen, is nothing short of heaven.

Unfortunately, many good cooks find bread making elusive. While it is an art, it is also an exact science. If you add too much or too little of this or that, it may result in disaster. Whereas with cooking a stew, you add what suits you, or what you think it needs. A luxury not afforded to the baker.

Well, I'm here to say give it a try! Once you get good at it and find a recipe you like, you may be like a friend of mine who bakes 6 loaves of Italian bread at once and freezes what she won't use within a few days.

Irish soda bread is a good bread to try if you've never baked bread. The recipe is simple and straightforward, even a child could manage it. It has no yeast, and unlike most breads, once you get the ingredients together, you bake it right away, there's no waiting.
The breads crust is coarse and firm, the inside is dense and moist. It lends itself particularly well

to mopping up soup or stew, or simply toasted with butter.

Here's a recipe I use. (Most recipes call for buttermilk, I prefer using yogurt)
Irish Soda Bread
This recipe makes 1 loaf a little over a pound and a half
1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, cut in small pieces
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oats, old fashioned, or quick, (not instant)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
Milk if needed
1. Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl mix all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until fine crumbs form. Stir in whole wheat and oats.
2. Add yogurt, stir gently. If mixture is too dry to hold together, stir in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, just until dough holds together. It should not be sticky.
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead gently 5 times to make a ball. Set onto lightly greased baking sheet, or baking sheet lined with a Silpat liner, or parchment paper.
Pat dough into a 7 inch circle. With a knife cut a large x on top of loaf.
4. Bake in 375 degree oven until well browned, about 45 minutes.
Cool on a rack.

"[Breadbaking is] one of those almost hypnotic businesses, like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you filled with one of the world's sweetest smells...there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of meditation in a music-throbbing chapel. that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread.

"M. F. K. Fisher, The Art of Eating

mixing in the butter

Step 2, the dough was dry, I needed to add exactly 2 teaspoons of milk here

before going in the oven

Dig in!

So you want to try your hand at bread making of all kinds? If you are going to bake, you need a good recipe. So here are some reliable sources for bread making.

For recipes

Bob's Red Mill. This is a good site for all types of bread, including ones made with different grains, they also have gluten free recipes.

King Arthur flour. There is also a lot of reliable recipes on this site.

How To

Baking 911 is a wonderful source of information.

Troubleshooting for homemade bread baking

Troubleshooting for bread machine bread making

We're Jammin!

Rose petal jelly

It's that time of year again, when fruit is falling off trees, and zucchini is growing to be the size of torpedoes, of course this could only mean one thing: it's time for canning! If you are under 30, you might have seen your mother or grandmother do it, either to preserve garden grown vegetables for eating in Winter, or making jams and jellies from fruit grown on overflowing fruit trees. I plan on canning all types of food, but for now, it's lots of jams, jellies, preserves and butters of all kinds. I started when peaches, nectarines and plums were on sale at the local market I decided to make jam. After I tasted the fresh, delicious flavor that homemade jam offers, I vowed never to eat store bought again. As I searched for recipes for common jams for the fruit I purchased, I came across a whole lot of unusual jam and jelly recipes I just had to try.

Here are a few.

Rose Petal Jelly

There was the rose petal jelly, I have a wonderful rose garden, so I figured I already have the ingredients, so I made jelly. I like the taste of rosewater in desserts, so I think it's a winner.

our rose garden

chunky nectarine jam and peach jam

homemade bread... Yum

With all of this jam making of course we had to have fresh homemade bread to eat with it. I just love homemade bread. It makes the house smell wonderful.

apple pie jam

I was gifted with a whole lot of apples from a woman that has a 100 year old apple tree! Wow, does that tree produce tons of apples. I was fortunate enough to take home four bags of them.

kiwi daiquiri jam

I made kiwi daiquiri jam. This was surprisingly super delicious. It's tart, with a hint of lime. I think it's divine.

carrot cake jam

The carrot cake jam I made from home grown carrots. It has carrots, pineapple, pear and spices in it. Frederick really likes this. Which is not surprising because he loves carrot cake.

chamomile lavender jelly

I have lavender growing in our rose garden so I made this chamomile lavender jelly. This is delicate and yummy. The chamomile pairs very nicely with the lavender. This with the rose jelly would be nice with a scone at an afternoon tea party.

I have about 10 different types of jams and jellies in my refrigerator right now! I had a guest recently try all of them on her toast with breakfast. I let her take home her favorite. Now you can too!

From now until the end of the year 2008 I will be giving each guest one jar of their favorite jam or jelly with our compliments!

If you are attending one of the fall follow ups, make your reservations soon, while we still have some availability.

See how my Garden Grows

sage and parsley in containers on the deck

The weather here is just beginning to warm up. It's been an unusually cold Spring. It's hit the local nurseries hard. I went into The Barn a local place we like to purchase plants, and they had frost damage on some of the hydrangeas, due to the unexpected snow in April! It also seems that people weren't so ready to plant a vegetable garden this year.

Better late than never, I say. We've got rhubarb in the ground for the first time! I love that vegetable. I plan to use it for pies. Yum. We have a lot of potatoes, onions, carrots, radishes, lettuce, zucchini, and I know there's more I'm forgetting.

Cooking with fresh herbs is incredibly rewarding. The payoff you recieve in a simple dish like Rosemary Chicken, by using fresh rosemary (and fresh rosemary you've grown yourself is even better) is huge. Fresh basil in a Salad Caprese, crisp sage with a butternut squash ravioli, oh yeah! These are things the warm weather brings. Along with home grown tomatoes. Mmmmm

In the ground we have sage, dill, oregano, mint (2 varieties) lemon verbena, parsley (2 types) rosemary, thyme and more.

radishes

chives, lots of chives, and garlic

The Imagine Inn has two new wonderful additions!

Our new Greyhound, Romeo, (isn't he handsome!)

We have some great new additions to The Imagine Inn!

The first one, is our new beautiful greyhound dog. I have always wanted one of these dogs. When I was young, I'd see the Greyhound Rescue organizations, I'd get a brochure and I would vow that when I was older and owned a home I'd adopt one of these dogs. They are extremely kind and loving, dogs that make wonderful pets after their racing days are over. Romeo is a retired racer. He's exceptionally well trained, does not bark, (I'm not sure he knows he can) and very loving and welcoming to our guests! He falls in love with everyone he meets.

Our new generator

This is addition number 2, a new standby generator! Before we moved here we would have never thought we'd be so excited to get one of these. But after living here for about two years and having the power go out a few too many times, we decided it was time to buy one. This bad boy runs the entire house if the power goes out. It's a great feeling to know that in the event of a power failure, we (and our guests) won't be going without power.

On a side note, Spring is here, and the weather is awesome. We've been working on the vegetable garden. More to come on this soon!

An Important Film, "Water" opens March 21st

"Water is the driving force of all nature."Leonardo da Vinci

WATER Opens March 21st in the following Markets

Yelm Cinemas, Yelm Wa. March 21st
McMenamins Bagdad Theater – Portland, OR March 21st
Arbor 8 at Great Hills Austin, TX - March 21st
Regal Meridian 16 Seattle, WA - March 21st
Laemmle's Sunset 5 West Hollywood, CA - April 18th

A message from Cate Montana about the film Water. Made by one of the creators of "What The Bleep Do We Know?", Betsy Chasse.

Here's a brief summary of the movie-

We fill our coffee mugs, sports bottles, and swimming pools with it. We use it in manufacturing, rely on it for hydropower, and for cooling nuclear reactors. We wash the car, the house, the dog, and the dishes with it. Water is the most mysterious and vital substance on Earth. But it’s obvious from the way we treat it that we don’t really get the vital importance of this deeply exploited resource.

The film Water, however, just might shift our indifference. Through a series of interviews with leading water researchers from Russia, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Israel, the USA, Britain, Austria, Japan, Argentina, China and Tibet, Water brings the extraordinary properties and life-enhancing qualities of H2O to life. It also provides cogent proof that water is a living substance. Kirlean photography and other spectrographic analyses reveal that water’s energy can be destroyed, not only through pollution, but also through the way we treat and deliver it. Forcing water through metal and plastic pipes curtails water’s natural eddying, spiraling flow and breaks down its life force. Distillation, ozonation, chlorine and other processes destroy its life-giving properties. The “purified” water that fills those plastic bottles we buy is essentially dead. Plants watered exclusively with processed bottled water eventually wither away and die.

Water examines research giving scientific credibility to such deeply criticized healing modalities as homeopathy. It also highlights the work of people like Aloise Gruber, Chzan Guohua, and Masaru Emoto, who have been researching water’s ability to absorb energetic impressions from a wide variety of sources, such as words, prayer, meditation, or electronic frequencies.Water challenges historical assumptions, and unveils applications of structured water in agriculture, and the use of impressed water in treatment for the most serious of human diseases. The film even cites research that suggests water has the ability to convey messages faster than light, perhaps linking water with the realms of the Absolute.

One of the most important documentaries of our time, Water is a must-see for anyone who is concerned about health and the future of life on planet Earth.
Cate Montana
===================================================================

Happy St. Patricks Day Cupcakes, and Easter ones too!

Happy St. Patricks Day! I made these cupcakes today to celebrate St. Patricks Day. They are pistachio cupcakes with pistachio frosting and little four leaf clovers I made out of fondant.

These cupcakes I made for Frederick on his birthday a few weeks ago. They are carrot cake, (one of his favorites) with spiced cream cheese frosting.

And since it's St. Patricks Day, here's an Irish Blessing, A Wish For A Friend.

Wishing you a rainbow

For sunlight after showers—

Miles and miles of Irish smiles

For golden happy hours—

Shamrocks at your doorway

For luck and laughter too,

And a host of friends that never ends

Each day your whole life through

Lime Pie, Lemon Buttermilk Cookies and More!

Spring officially starts March 20Th this year, but it sure feels like it's here already. The weather here has been beautiful. The growing season has started and I'm excited to begin working on our garden. I adore having all kinds of fresh herbs on hand. And roses, how I love my roses! Being able to cut fresh flowers feels like such a luxury. My father has given me some dahlia bulbs, and I'm excited to get them planted and growing.

Here are some goodies I made during Blue College in February for our guests. An old fashioned Lime Pie . A very simple, easy and traditional recipe. Tart with a wonderful lime flavor topped with sweetened whipped cream to bring some sweetness to the equation. We had enchiladas for dinner so the lime pie for dessert was a nice finish.

These are Lemon Buttermilk Cookies. Adapted from this recipe. I also added some lemon juice to the frosting and increased the zest for a stronger lemon flavor. They are delicious and have a cake like texture. Perfect with afternoon tea!

A beautiful rainbow I saw recently nearby.

Eckhart Tolle's, "A New Earth" on Oprah's Book Club, And Live Web Event!

Best-selling author and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle has been inspiring readers since he wrote the number one New York Times best-seller The Power of Now. His current book, A New Earth, is the current read for Oprah's book club and a new Live Web Event every Monday night for the next 10 weeks starting March 3rd.

Quoting Oprah.com "Get ready to be awakened! Oprah and author Eckhart Tolle will teach an exclusive online class about his best-selling book A New Earth. Join us every Monday night."

I invite you to join Oprah and myself in our weekly online sessions. We will be studying A New Earth, but not as an academic subject or in order to acquire new theories or beliefs. Our aim is to explore through the teachings of the book the most important question you can ask: What is the purpose of my life and how do I fulfill that purpose? It will be a course in self-exploration and awakening. It will help you see what the dysfunctional patterns are within yourself that create unnecessary conflict and suffering and prevent you from finding true fulfillment. Hopefully, it will also help you access a dimension within yourself that perhaps you didn't know existed or only caught glimpses of on rare occasions. Don't be trapped for the rest of your life within the narrow confines of your personal history and your conditioned personality and allow your life to be transformed from within, through the power of consciousness itself. —Eckhart Tolle

for more info go here

I think this is fantastic that this book and this wonderful author is becoming so mainstream. Conciousness is changing!

The Yelm Food Co-op, More than Meets the Eye

I don't know about you, but when I hear of a Co-op grocery store I think of healthy food, and that's about where it ends for me. I had no idea that this little gem of a store in a town like Yelm would carry gourmet and specialty items I normally would have to travel to the city to buy.

I first wandered into the Yelm Co-op maybe 6 months ago. I was surprised with what I found. They do have healthy food, in fact all of their produce is organic and priced reasonably. Most items in their store are local and organic. And they carry many items that aren't available anywhere else in Yelm. The raw Jersey milk from Dungeness Valley Creamery is very popular. I was told by volunteers that if you've never had raw milk you are in for a treat. The cream even forms to the top, I don't think you could get any fresher or purer unless you milked the cow yourself. (Please call first to make sure they have it, it goes fast!)

But to me it was items like culinary lavender that got me excited. Culinary lavender in Yelm! Geez, I couldn't believe my eyes! Organic crystallized ginger, (this is an ingredient I love for ginger cookies and gingerbread, and other baked goods) , organic cocoa, high quality extracts, and many other ingredients you would otherwise have to travel to Olympia to purchase.

The more I shopped there, the more I discovered how wonderful it really is. This is a store owned by it's members. Here are some facts from the Yelm Co-op's website , "Cooperatives are a specialized form of business with a legal structure that guarantees they will be governed democratically." So I felt not only do they have these great products, but I can feel good about supporting local businesses. Quoting Stay Local.org, "Your dollars spent in locally-owned businesses have three times the impact on your community as dollars spent at national chains. When shopping locally, you simultaneously create jobs, fund more city services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development."

Here's even more good news about the Yelm Co-op. You don't need to be a member. If you choose not to become a member, or you just want to check it out before committing, hey, no problem. You pay an extra 10 percent of the price on the shelf. But if you wish to become a member, the price is for full/regular membership, $135.00, or for Low income/senior, $75.00. That price is not per year, it's for a LIFETIME membership! Lifetime! And you don't even need to pay it at once. You can put $15.00 down and pay it within 12 months.

Another great thing for us with B&B's (and any student attending an event) is they stock up on ranch supplies when events are coming, with items like soup that you add hot water to. Also recently for Blue College shopping they charged foreign students member prices! I took my guests there and they loved it. They bought items like, fruit, soups, and trail mix.

So whether you are a local, or a student attending an event, do yourself a favor and check out the Yelm Food Co-op and see for yourself how wonderful it really is.

Yelm Food Co-op (it's across the street from JZ Rose)
404 1st St.
Yelm
360-400-2210
yelmcoop.com

Hours 10-7 Tues. through Sat.

**EDITED TO ADD- Tom, the manager of the Co-op notified me the payment for membership is now in full at time of application, or pay off in a maximum of 4 payments in a maximum of 6 months.

Jeanna, a wonderful volunteer

The famous Dungeness Valley Creamery Raw Jersey Milk

Unbleached Parchment Paper and waxed paper, and eco-friendly plastic bags!

Lots of Bob's Red Mill products
Organic produce
Beauty Products

These high quality Frontier extracts have a wonderful taste. (I've used the maple to make maple buttercream for pumpkin cupcakes in the fall.)
Culinary Lavender! You can't find this at Safeway. I plan on making Lavender Honey Ice Cream in the Spring.

Let Them Eat Cake

I love to bake anything. But I think my favorite thing has to be cake. I love making it and creating new flavor combinations, but most of all, I love to eat it. And serve it to guests of course! I'm glad when we have guests because to me that means I have an excuse to create a fabulous cake (or other dessert, I do love all desserts!)

Here are some of my latest creations.

white velvet cake with Jasmine Tea Cream

This cake I created for a contest for an online baking group I belong to. The contest was "ingredients you've never used before in baking". I chose Jasmine. I won! Yay!

White cake with blackberry cream and blackberry buttercream

the middle

This cake I made for a recent dinner party. I had some blackberries in the freezer from Summer I wanted to use (blackberries grow like crazy here, and we have a lot on our property.) I'm glad I did, this cake was really delicious.


Toffee Cake with Mascarpone Cream

This one I made for a party we had around the New Year. This cake was divine. I'll definitely be making it again.

Bettye Johnson's book signing

Me and Bettye

Saturday I attended Bettye Johnson's book signing for her latest book, Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy at the Blue Bottle. It was wonderful. I got to talk to Bettye for a few minutes in between signings. Here's a few things she told me about the new book, which is a sequel to Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.


Bettye has done extensive research on Mary Magdalene throughout the years. Bettye said, "This book is more about Mary Magdalene's lineage. There's no validity from anyone about the lineage." Both books are fiction. But with her research mixed in. She says, "Although it's fiction, it's plausible. History is very fluid. For example, your experience might be different from my experience." She says, "Certain parts of the book would make a good topic in a study group."



Bettye told me she was surprised that so many people already knew some of these facts about Mary. For example, that she was Ethiopian, and a black woman. Bettye traveled to France in 2001 and saw many churches dedicated to Mary and she saw many black Madonnas. This is of course much different from the portrayal we get from the Catholic church here in America. Mary and Jesus are always shown with white skin.



"Most readers like the books because they capture their attention." Bettye says about the feedback that she has gotten from the books.



"It's been a great journey!" Bettye told me.



Congragulations, Bettye! I can't wait to read it!

Chicken and Dumplings

“It [soup] breathes reassurance, it offers consolation; after a weary day it promotes sociability...There is nothing like a bowl of hot soup, it's wisp of aromatic steam teasing the nostrils into quivering anticipation.

”Louis P. DeGouy, Chef at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for 30 years

The weather has been beautiful here lately. The sky is clear and blue, the sun is shining, it's only when I go outside for my walk am I reminded it's still winter. As I walk around our land my feet crunch the ice on the ground, and the wind is cold on my face. It definitely puts me in the mood for something heartwarming like Chicken and Dumplings. This dish is simple, but really delicious. The stew is hearty, and flavorful, and the dumplings are light and fluffy, just the way a dumpling should be.

Using homemade stock is key here. Many chefs these days are singing the praises of homemade stock. Anthony Bourdain says in his Les Halles cookbook, "What's missing in your home cooking? Why doesn't that dish you painfully re-created from the chef's recipe taste like it does in the restaurant? What's wrong with your soups, sauces and stews? The answer is almost certainly stock." Restaurants make it, most home cooks buy it. Simple as that.

I usually buy chicken whole for this very reason. Any bones will do, if you prefer to buy only breasts, buy them on the bone. Every time I have bones, I just put them in a ziplock bag and put them in the freezer until I'm ready to make it, then I make a large batch at once. After I make it I store it in different size containers in the freezer including freezing some in ice cube trays and then putting them in a baggie so if I need a small amount it's handy.

The way I see it, is those bones came with the chicken, they're free. And I just need to add a few vegetables and other ingredients that I have on hand anyway. If I bought the stuff that's in a can, not only would it be salty and well, flavorless, I would have to pay for it. Ouch. This is definitely a win win situation.

I don't really use a recipe for the stew, but here are some components.

cooked chicken
celery
carrots
potatoes
salt
pepper
2 bay leaves
homemade chicken stock-or carton, or canned chicken broth-if you must (carton is better than canned, usually)

Dumplings
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Then turn down and have stew simmering to add dumplings.
To make dumplings, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk and melted butter. Stir gently just until the dough comes together. Don't mix it too much or else they will get tough. Drop dough into simmering stew by the tablespoon. Cover and cook on low heat, keeping the stew at a simmer for 15 minutes. Don't remove the lid during this time because the dumplings need to steam. After 15 minutes you may test them for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of dumpling, and if it comes clean, they're done.

Bettye Johnson Book Signing, this Sat.!

This Sat. Jan 26th, Bettye Johnson will be having a book signing and Celebration for her new book, "Mary Magdelne, Her Legacy" at The Blue Bottle Cafe in Yelm from 2-5 pm.
This book is the sequel to the acclaimed "Secrets of The Magdelne Scrolls."

She will have books available for purchase.

Im definately going to be there!

Banana Bread

Banana Bread, Oh Banana Bread, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1. You are delicious.

2. You are quite easy to make.

3. You are a wonderful use of my overripe bananas.

4. You make a wonderful gift. In fact, people adore receiving you! I have a friend who loves my baking and is happy to eat whatever I serve him, but most of the time he will say, "Oh, but it's not the banana bread!" Everybody loves you, but deservedly so.

This is my favorite banana bread recipe. It's full of bananas, and the sour cream
makes it incredibly moist.

This recipe makes 3-4 loaves, if you'd like to make less, you may halve the recipe.

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
8 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream (2 cups)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

grated nutmeg (optional) (I use approx. 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans, (or if they are larger), 3 pans.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla. In separate large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using). Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
Bake for approx 45 min to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Live Stream-JZ and Ramtha Jan 19th and 20th

There will be a Live Stream of JZ and Ramtha, today Jan 19th, and tommorow, Jan 20th from Mexico, Open to the Public! Go to Ramtha.tv for more details.

***EDIT JZ's stream Jan 19th, today was cancelled due to technical difficulty, but Ramtha is still planned for tommorow, Jan 20th. 1:00 Pacific time, 3:00 Central.

Ginger Cookies

"I am still convinced that a good, simple, homeade cookie is preferable to all the store-bought cookies one can find." James Beard

I love ginger cookies. I made a number of batches this winter in search of the "perfect ginger cookie". If there could be a perfect ginger cookie, I'm convinced these chewy morsels could be it. What sets this recipe apart from all others is that it contains 3 types of ginger. This provides a layering of multidimensional ginger flavor. And the crystallized ginger really adds a spicy element. If you'd like to kick the spiciness up a bit, then add a pinch of cayenne pepper. I did to one batch and I loved it. It may not be for everyone, but it adds a special spicy dimension that you can't really put your finger on. If you're skeptical, make the dough, and add a small pinch to only a portion of the dough so you can try it.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 inch knob fresh ginger, (or 2-3 Tablespoons) peeled and grated*
3/4 -1 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening room temperature, or substitute more butter
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup mild flavored (light) molasses

raw turbinado sugar, or granulated sugar

Preparation

Combine first 7 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, shortening and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them. Spoon sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Using wet hands, form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer to racks and cool. (Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature.)

*The easiest way to grate fresh ginger is to freeze it first, then peel, then grate it with a microplane or a box grater using the fine holes.

A Cozy Place by the Fire

This is our beloved cat, Squeaky relaxing by the fire.