Dutchman's Christmas

Mary Ann Shaffer was born in 1934 in West Virginia. She and her husband moved to California where they raised two daughters. Most of her life she worked as a librarian. She was author of only one book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, which was published posthumously in 2008. Here are a few of the gems you can find inside: “There is nothing I would rather do than rummage through bookshops. I have gone to them for years, always finding the one book I wanted and then three more I hadn't known I wanted.” “He gave me The Beginner's Cook-Book for Girl Guides. It was just the thing; the writer assumes you know nothing about cookery and writes useful hints – ‘When adding eggs, break the shells first.’” And “We could have gone on longing for one another and pretending not to notice forever. This obsession with dignity can ruin your life if you let it.”

Dutchman's Puzzle

Today’s block came from the Quilt Etc. free block-of-the-month class. They renamed it after this month’s novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. But I did a little research and found its real name. I loved this book. I’ve read others about World War 2, of course: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It’s a venerable list, but the Guernsey book is the only one I’d care to read again. I often find books that inspire me to visit the places in which they’re set. I think this is the only one I’ve actually visited. We spent a day in Guernsey and discovered that, like much of Europe, they haven’t left the war behind. They probably never will.  

Four Crayon Stars

Not all of the gluten-free substitutes I’ve tried have been disappointing. Some are actually quite nice. I get Brazilian cheese bread dough balls at Harmons, and the grandkids eat them faster than I can bake them. Costco sells hexagonal multi-grain crackers that are wonderful with a little cheese and mustard, or as an accompaniment to soup. MOD makes a pizza crust from potato starch you'd swear was the real deal. The Starbucks inside Barnes and Noble has wheat-free brownies that are so delicious I almost forget I can’t eat any of the other baked treats there. Winder Dairy delivers something similar, cut into little bites so I can make it last until next delivery day. On Valentine’s Day I paid an embarrassing amount of money for a flourless Chocolate Decadence cake at Gourmandise. I shared it with everyone, but it took about two weeks to polish it off. One bite and your eyes roll back in your head. Worth. Every. Penny.

Nesting Ducklings

My bread tastes like sand. I have it toasted with a poached egg nearly every morning. It’s like eating toasted sand with jam or marmalade or cream cheese or Nutella on top. It’s amazing what you can get used to. My pasta is like sand, too, because it’s made from brown rice flour just like my bread. I can stomach a little toasted sand for breakfast, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to eat sandy pasta. It doesn’t matter what I put on it: marinara, Bolognese, Alfredo or pesto. Most of it ends up in the bin. A Girl Scout came to the door last week, selling cookies. To my surprise, alongside the Tagalongs, Samoas and Thin Mints, there was a gluten-free variety called Toffee-Tastic. I bought a box, of course. The cookies are a little like sandy shortbread, with bits of toffee thrown in. Not bad, if you have enough milk. I should have bought two boxes.

Crayon Star

“As we strive to follow the Savior’s example, we must first know and number His sheep. We have been assigned specific individuals and families to tend so we are certain that all of the Lord’s flock are accounted for and no one is forgotten. Numbering, however, is not really about numbers; it is about making certain each person feels the love of the Savior through someone who serves for Him. In that way, all can recognize that they are known by a loving Father in Heaven. I recently met a young woman who has been assigned to minister to a sister almost five times her age. Together, they have discovered a common love for music. When this young woman visits, they sing songs together, and they share their favorites. They are forging a friendship that blesses both of their lives.” – Bonnie H. Cordon

Nine Log Cabins

This was the main course for last week’s Sunday dinner. Because some of us are gluten free, some are keto, some nondairy and some are just plain picky eaters, it's hard to please everyone. But this recipe came pretty darn close.

Almond Chicken

3 large chicken breasts

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups ground almonds

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment. Carefully rinse chicken (don’t allow water to splash on counters, etc.) and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1/2” strips. In small bowl, beat eggs until uniform. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Dip each chicken strip in egg, then coat with almond mixture. Place coated chicken on parchment and bake 15 minutes. Turn and back 15 more minutes. Serve with mustard, ranch dressing, catsup and barbecue sauce.

Crazy Anna

Shawna Richardson was walking Haven, her Husky last Thursday near Herriman’s Cove Pond. They spotted some ducks and Shawna dropped the leash so Haven could give chase. The ducks led Haven over ice too thin to hold her. “I saw her in the pond and totally panicked,” Shawna remembers. “I got close enough to grab her collar. Right then the ice broke and I fell into the water with her. The cold just takes your breath away: your brain gets sluggish. Then this guy appeared from nowhere.” The man pulled them both from the pond. When a woman drove up, he loaded Shawna and Haven into the backseat and asked the woman to drive them home. Now that she and Haven are safe and dry, Shawna hopes to find her rescuers. “I really want to thank these strangers that helped me. I didn’t get to thank them the night it happened.”