For our 31st Anniversary

I was excited when Jeanette told me she was going to start the Cole-inary Artist blog.

I plan on posting recipes that have been a part of Brad’s and my family’s menus, and also some poems and writings that Brad has written through the years.

My first entry came to me on July 13, 2005 during the celebration of our 31^st wedding anniversary.

These are the words in the card Brad gave to me:

I never thought that having my world turned upside down

Could be such a wonderful thing,

Until you came into my life and showed me

What I was missing.

Sweetheart, you are and always will be,

The answer to my every prayer.

This is the poem Brad wrote for me:

For thirty-one years a privilege I’ve had

Of knowing you better in the good and the bad,

How often I’ve enjoyed you laugh, smile (and frown)

As you helped God turn my world upside down.

Oh, it’s not a really bad thing to

Have someone your life “undo,”

At least when they from the start

Are helping God remake a heart.

So if our journey in life has been

Less than perfect since way back when

Know it’s all part of a turn-around

To get us turned right from upside-down.

Two of my cute sisters

They may shoot me for this, but I think this is a cute photo. That's Janessa on the left and Julie on the right.

And what to do with all those leftover egg whites

These are very delicate and really good. They're a great option when you have leftover egg whites and don't know what to do with them.

Macaroons

2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup sugar

Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed till soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time; beating till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).

Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake in 325 degree oven about 20 minutes or till edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 30 cookies.

*Janessa's notes*

This recipe can also be easily changed to 3 egg whites, 3/4 tsp. vanilla and 1 cup sugar (for use with the ice cream recipe, etc).

Also, coconut macaroons can be made by folding 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut (or 2 cups if using 3 egg whites) into beaten egg whites.

The egg whites should be stiffer than when beaten for meringue. It should be somewhat glossy in appearance and the sugar should be mostly dissolved.

One more. :)

When greasing the cookie sheet I have found that it works best to only grease the areas where you will put the cookies. My reason in saying this is that the cookies have a tendency to slide to the middle and create one big cookie if too much grease is used.

Enjoy!

July...the perfect month for ice cream

I just tried this recipe for the first time today. It was actually on the side of our rock salt box. I have ignored recipes on boxes for years and have only recently discovered that most of them are REALLY good!

In some homemade ice cream the egg flavor is way too strong, but this one is much better (I think it's because the eggs are cooked).

French Vanilla Ice Cream

3 egg yolks (slightly beaten)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix sugar, salt and egg yolks. Pour on milk and mix thoroughly. Cook mixture in double broiler until it coats a spoon. Cool, strain, add cream, vanilla and freeze (according to directions on rock salt box...or bag, depending on which you get :-). Makes 1-1/4 quarts or 6-8 servings.

Oh, and just one quick note from my personal embarrassing experience.

Make sure that you use ROCK SALT and not regular salt. My first attempt at making ice cream I didn't realize there was much difference between the two. Needless to say, after my brother and a friend cranked it for two hours and there was not an ice crystal in sight, I had to admit that I must have done something wrong. Ah...you live and learn, right?