Licenses and Snow

Driving around all over the place as we were the other day, we noticed several license plates which were totally illegible. The letters and numbers had faded to white in many cases so they could not be distinguished from the background. I would have thought that was against the law, but nobody seems to do anything about it. The picture shows what they should be like, but as I say, one sees lots that are faded. Great if you happen to be committing a crime, your license would not identify you.

Yesterday morning when I got up, bit later than usual, it was snowing pretty hard, but it didn’t last long. An English friend was complaining about the snow they had had in Kent, from the pictures it was what we would call a light dusting. I can remember very heavy snows in Kent which is in the south east of England. I can remember the river Medway freezing up around the edges and someone walking across the harbour on top of the ice. He actually frightened my mother by peering in the porthole of the galley (they lived on a boat) when she knew that was the water side and he couldn’t possibly be there.

Poor Matt has to make the necessary preparations and not eat all day tomorrow for his colonoscopy on Friday. Never had one myself, don’t want to thank you very much. I wonder what they would do with someone who had diabetes. I would think fasting for 36 hours would not be a good thing.

One look at these and I couldn’t resist sharing them. As I have already said, I don’t make cookies, it wasn’t a holiday tradition amongst the people where I lived in England. You make ‘em, I’ll help eat them though.

Lusciously Nutty Holiday Logs

From EatingWell: November/December 2008

Registered Dietitian Mary LaRock flavored these phyllo rolls with orange and dark chocolate for a winning cookie that will be a lovely addition to any holiday cookie platter.

2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

 

• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup plus 5 teaspoons sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 8 sheets phyllo dough, (9-by-14-inch), thawed
• Canola oil cooking spray

Topping

• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
2. To prepare logs: Combine nuts, 1/3 cup sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and cloves in a small bowl.
3. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a clean, dry surface. Coat thoroughly with cooking spray. Top with another sheet of phyllo and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle one-quarter of the walnut mixture (about 1/3 cup) evenly over the phyllo.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut the large phyllo rectangle lengthwise into 3 strips then in half crosswise to form 6 smaller rectangular strips.
5. Beginning at the short ends, loosely roll each strip into a neat log. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and walnut mixture.
6. Place the logs about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Spray tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with the remaining 5 teaspoons sugar.
7. Bake the logs, in batches, until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
8. To prepare topping: Place chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe dish. Microwave on High for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave for 20-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Transfer the chocolate to a plastic sandwich bag. Snip off one corner, being careful not to make the opening too large. Squeeze the melted chocolate decoratively across the top of each cooled log. Let stand at room temperature until the chocolate is completely set.

Make Ahead Tip:

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze without the chocolate drizzle (Step 8) for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature before decorating with the chocolate drizzle.

Have a great day