I am with you always, says Jesus, in Matthew's Gospel.
I like not being alone.
Very comforting.
Especially when your companion loves you unconditionally. Knows everything about you and still wants to be with you. That applies to Jesus. And to my husband. I'm a lucky ducky.
Where have I been the past two weeks? A little surgery, the slow uphill climb of healing (or so it seems when you are in the process of climbing.)
But I am back!
Because Corey's home for a few days (I like to think it is to visit us, but I acknowledge that sunny Florida beats chilly Chicago in a weather race) I am in heaven. That's how us parents feel when a child comes home to visit. Note that, all children of any age. Your parents adore you, even though they might be too busy "advising" you to tell you that. Or too achy or afraid of the future to smile a lot. But I know it. They adore you. And they cherish the moments with you.
But I digress.
I just finished the 2012 Whiting Family photo album. Shutterfly, I love you so. Memories of a year of travel, family, friends and beauty. Memories of a tiny coffee shop in Brora, Scotland called Coffee Bothy.
Memories of a dessert which I told Mike NOT to get on the first visit, as it appeared to be a heavy, white chocolately concoction that didn't look to me as good as the Cinnamon Rolls. On the second visit, we asked about it as it seemed to be a popular item. It wasn't what I thought it would be at all.
Orkney Fudge Cheesecake. Okay, that's a heavy baked cream cheese and egg cake, with white chocolate flavoring to me. WRONG! Orkney Fudge is a type of Scottish Tablet, which is a type of fudge made in the extreme northern part of Scotland (an hour north of Brora) with a flavor of caramelized sugar. A little grainy. Sublime flavor. And what's more, they don't bake this cheesecake. They lighten cream cheese with lots of whipped cream (think about that) and the only sweetening is the fudge folded in. Not overly sweet. Lastly, do you know Hobnob cookies? Those toasty oaty toffee crunchy cookies sold in Scotland? If you do, you know they are worlds different than graham crackers, and add so much to the desert when they are your crust.
Can you tell we loved it?
So I pull out the meaningful recipe. First you have to make the Orkney Fudge, which is really Scottish Tablet. That grainy fudge-like masterpiece made from only butter, sugar, cream. You can see the tablet in pieces in the two measuring cups. While making it, you stir it for 20 minutes. Seriously strong women in northern Scotland. It cools and sets. You rest.
THEN you make the Cheesecake, which isn't baked. It is mainly whipped cream, with softened cream cheese folded in, and some of the tablet too. That's the sweetener and flavor, the tablet. The crust is butter and crumbled Hobnobs, which are toasted oat cookies. It's really good.
Mine looks about like the one in Brora. Not as thick, as I was making it for just us three. And we only have half of it left.
Preparing for Athens-Israel trip. Looking at the weather. I like the website WORLD WEATHER ONLINE, That link will take you to Athens weather. As you can see when you scroll down, it has a graph of average monthly highs and lows. I like graphics. Here's the link to Jerusalem's weather. As you can see, you can use the 7 colorful icons on the top left to get the daily forecast, change from Celcius to Fahrenheit, etc. Tiberias and Tel-Aviv look 3-7 degrees warmer,
To prep for the trip, I have made two folders on my IPAD, one Greece, one Israel. And have put a link to this weather site in each. I know I will want this while traveling. And to prepare now.
Looks like great weather to travel. Athens historically has high of 68, low of 52 in April. We are going the last two weeks, so I think that would be a smidge higher. Rainfall is 1 inch average in April. The rainiest season is the winter in Greece. I'm thinking sweater or windbreaker weather.
For Israel, the rainfall averages are below 0.6 inches. No worries there. This will be the spring in a desert climate. Hopefully flowers abundant. As for temperatures, the average highs are 71 to 75 and lows are 51 to 58. Warmer than Athens, slightly. Still pleasant with sweaters needed in evening and early morning. Seems like mid-days will be short sleeves and light slacks or even shorts in both countries. Fantastic.
I like not being alone.
Very comforting.
Especially when your companion loves you unconditionally. Knows everything about you and still wants to be with you. That applies to Jesus. And to my husband. I'm a lucky ducky.
Where have I been the past two weeks? A little surgery, the slow uphill climb of healing (or so it seems when you are in the process of climbing.)
But I am back!
Because Corey's home for a few days (I like to think it is to visit us, but I acknowledge that sunny Florida beats chilly Chicago in a weather race) I am in heaven. That's how us parents feel when a child comes home to visit. Note that, all children of any age. Your parents adore you, even though they might be too busy "advising" you to tell you that. Or too achy or afraid of the future to smile a lot. But I know it. They adore you. And they cherish the moments with you.But I digress.
I just finished the 2012 Whiting Family photo album. Shutterfly, I love you so. Memories of a year of travel, family, friends and beauty. Memories of a tiny coffee shop in Brora, Scotland called Coffee Bothy.
Memories of a dessert which I told Mike NOT to get on the first visit, as it appeared to be a heavy, white chocolately concoction that didn't look to me as good as the Cinnamon Rolls. On the second visit, we asked about it as it seemed to be a popular item. It wasn't what I thought it would be at all.Orkney Fudge Cheesecake. Okay, that's a heavy baked cream cheese and egg cake, with white chocolate flavoring to me. WRONG! Orkney Fudge is a type of Scottish Tablet, which is a type of fudge made in the extreme northern part of Scotland (an hour north of Brora) with a flavor of caramelized sugar. A little grainy. Sublime flavor. And what's more, they don't bake this cheesecake. They lighten cream cheese with lots of whipped cream (think about that) and the only sweetening is the fudge folded in. Not overly sweet. Lastly, do you know Hobnob cookies? Those toasty oaty toffee crunchy cookies sold in Scotland? If you do, you know they are worlds different than graham crackers, and add so much to the desert when they are your crust.
Can you tell we loved it?
So I pull out the meaningful recipe. First you have to make the Orkney Fudge, which is really Scottish Tablet. That grainy fudge-like masterpiece made from only butter, sugar, cream. You can see the tablet in pieces in the two measuring cups. While making it, you stir it for 20 minutes. Seriously strong women in northern Scotland. It cools and sets. You rest.THEN you make the Cheesecake, which isn't baked. It is mainly whipped cream, with softened cream cheese folded in, and some of the tablet too. That's the sweetener and flavor, the tablet. The crust is butter and crumbled Hobnobs, which are toasted oat cookies. It's really good.
Mine looks about like the one in Brora. Not as thick, as I was making it for just us three. And we only have half of it left.
Preparing for Athens-Israel trip. Looking at the weather. I like the website WORLD WEATHER ONLINE, That link will take you to Athens weather. As you can see when you scroll down, it has a graph of average monthly highs and lows. I like graphics. Here's the link to Jerusalem's weather. As you can see, you can use the 7 colorful icons on the top left to get the daily forecast, change from Celcius to Fahrenheit, etc. Tiberias and Tel-Aviv look 3-7 degrees warmer,
To prep for the trip, I have made two folders on my IPAD, one Greece, one Israel. And have put a link to this weather site in each. I know I will want this while traveling. And to prepare now.
Looks like great weather to travel. Athens historically has high of 68, low of 52 in April. We are going the last two weeks, so I think that would be a smidge higher. Rainfall is 1 inch average in April. The rainiest season is the winter in Greece. I'm thinking sweater or windbreaker weather.
For Israel, the rainfall averages are below 0.6 inches. No worries there. This will be the spring in a desert climate. Hopefully flowers abundant. As for temperatures, the average highs are 71 to 75 and lows are 51 to 58. Warmer than Athens, slightly. Still pleasant with sweaters needed in evening and early morning. Seems like mid-days will be short sleeves and light slacks or even shorts in both countries. Fantastic.
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