Christmas Day

Dear Mom,

What a nice Christmas day! I've often said to Don that talking to you is like talking to myself, only a lot cleaner *smile*.

I made refrigerator cookies, this recipe is from Cranz Nichols, a member of our computer group HLLUG. His were made with regular white flour but once I smelled them I made them my "cheat for the year", eating about 8 of them. And they were big, it was heavenly. Of course I adapted them to my wheat-free diet, using 2 cups whole-spelt flour and 1 cup brown rice flour. I also used 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 1/2 tsp hazelnut extract. I found I like to slice the cookies about 3/8" thick. Bake about 15 minutes, space widely, they spread a lot.

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Icebox Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups butter
1 egg
3 cups flour
2 tsp warm water w/ 1tsp.baking soda
1 cup nuts

Cream butter and sugar, add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Form in to rolls about 2" in diameter.
Wrap in wax paper and chill.
Slice into 1/4 inch slices and bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown.
Rolls may be frozen until ready to bake.

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We did our now-traditional Christmas tradition, calling people we know-especially readers of the ezine we've been friends with for some time.

So far we called Peter Eckermann, a German who lives in Canada. Don met him when he was writing an ezine for an ink-cartridge company. Don wrote his readers, asking if anyone had any artistic ability to help him with color choices and some artistic sensibility. Peter and I both answered him, and we did the redesign, but I got to Texas first so I married Don. Peter said that's OK, he's happy with the arrangement.

Another friend is Patrick Barden, who lives in Elberton, Georgia. He spends a lot of time on the Internet, he's legally blind and gets disability, but lives in the world he's given. It's amazing, he's witty, urbane, and a real hoot; sort of a cross between Jeff Foxworthy and Johnny Carson. I love to talk to him.

Then there's JoAnn Burton in Manchester, Connecticut. Don's known her about 9 years. They've been web friends, emailing for a long time.

We called John Lepse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa this morning. He's a quiet man, a nurse tech, who's contributed to the ezine for the last several years.

Michael Harding in Australia wasn't at home, so we left a message.

Thierry came over for a very late breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was a quiche made from the leftover goodies from the beef-vegetable stew from two days ago, rice and shredded soy cheese. For dinner we made two dishes, cooking side-by-side. Don did Apricot-Chipotle Turkey, stir-fried carrots, celery, chopped dried apricots, apricot preserves, chicken broth thickened with rice flour and a 1/2 tsp. of powdered chipotle. I made Beef and Napa Cabbage w/Portobello Mushrooms. I sauteed onion and Napa cabbage, then added chopped Mesquite-smoked brisket and thickened beef broth, with a bit of tamari sauce for flavor. My cookies were a tremendous hit, Thierry's still here, I'll have to send him home with some.

I'm so excited you're excited about getting the computer. It's the beginning of a whole new thing, you just wait and see.

I love you,

Lisa