All is safely gathered in ...

... ere the winter storms begin.

I looked out the window this morning when I woke up, and everything was white.

Callie with vanquished prey

While my parents were in the hospital after their motorcycle accident in September, their cat Shadow ran away. In the last couple of weeks they have adopted two delightful new beasties from the local shelter, and I was elated to get to meet them in person this week. This one is a spritely young girl named Callie. She is full of tricks like the sideways Halloween Cat walk (which I hope to capture on video), and she is a wool sucker. My dad is clearly her favorite human.

The other lucky new family member is Julius, a brown classic tabby with white socks and a lot of black in his coloring. He has been fighting a bad respiratory infection since they got him. I took him to the vet on Monday and he is feeling better every day. I don't like being photographed when I don't feel well, so I will afford him the same courtesy for now. I hope to get a picture of his golden amber eyes and wise mien before I leave in a week!

Mmmm, Cookies!

This afternoon I made Chocolate Mint Snowtop Cookies, which I used to love to make when I was a teenager but I haven't made in years! They were just as good as I remembered.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces (no, you can't substitute milk chocolate chips -- they won't turn out right.)

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

~ 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, for rolling dough balls

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt, set aside.
2. In a saucepan heat 1 cup of chocolate pieces over low heat until melted, stirring constantly.
3. Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar until combined. Add in melted chocolate, eggs, vanilla, and mint flavoring. Mix until combined.
4. Stir in flour mixture and remaining chocolate pieces.
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Freeze 30 minutes or until firm enough to shape.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F
7. Shape dough into 1" balls; roll balls in powdered sugar. Place balls about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are crackled.
8. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet.
9. Transfer to wire racks; cool.

Bring these to your next communal feast! Spread the chocolate mint goodness around.

Autumn Beetle Bling

JoAnn Fabrics is the best place to find inspiration pod filler.

Who do the best things come to?

Apparently the FSM's noodly appendages were keeping my sister's birthday card from getting to me until today, but it was worth the wait. I LOLled.

Kim -- If you're reading this, I'm not sure which one of us is which.