Bavarian Crème Jello Salad – aka Orange Jello with Peaches and Cream Dessert

Um. I’m hopeful that no one will ask me what makes this recipe “Bavarian” because I have no clue why it’s named as such. What I do know, though, is that this is a delightful refreshing jello dessert.

Coming up with uber-soft recipes for my littlest gal’s healing mouth and throat has not been all that difficult, especially when it comes to cool treats. I found this recipe on the internet, and it caught my attention right away. It’s both cool and creamy, and very pretty to behold, too.

This is super easy to make, and requires basic pantry ingredients. As written, it feeds an army filling a 9 x 13 cake pan; next time I’ll make ½ a recipe. Here it is in its entirety. Let’s give it a go, shall we?

2 6 oz boxes of orange jello
1 can slice peaches, drained
1 cup whipping cream

In a large pot, prepare the jello as directed on the box. Pour into a 9 x 13 dish and set aside to cool for about ½ hour. After it has lost most of its heat, put it in the fridge to chill and set up just a bit, let’s call it semi-set, for about an hour.

Take out of the fridge, stir it up a bit, and set aside. Puree the drained peaches in a blender. Whip the whipped cream until it forms soft peaks. FYI: I whipped it stiff and had a darn good time blending it. Learn from the error of my ways! Anyway ... fold both the pureed peaches and the whipped cream into the semi-set jello. I started off with a spoon and switched to a whisk to blend it together. Put it back in the fridge to firm up, which takes at least a couple of hours or overnight.Serve with whipped cream. I shaved some chocolate on top ‘cuz I wanted to! Don’t you want to snag that stray choc curl there?Check out the gorgeous color and texture! This is very cool and refreshing. It would be great during those hot summer months when your palate just begs for something cold and tangy. It would be great, too, to bring to a potluck. The orange, peach, and cream flavors are just lovely together, in both taste and appearance, and I think this would work well with other jello flavors, too.Here have a bite. YUM! Of course, this is gluten-free which makes it a double bonus in my household!

Super Scrumpdiliumptious Strawberry Shortcake – It's Gluten Free, too

Have the glorious days of summer hit your neck of the woods? I know that it’s still springtime for us Northern Hemisphere folks, but it feels like summer! Picture me doing a happy dance! After enduring month after month of having to drive with my windshield wipers permanently in the “on” position and shrouding myself with jackets, I am now sporting sunglasses and slathering on sunscreen. Yep, I’m a happy gal. Again, picture me doing a happy dance.

Here’s a recipe that will make you and yours dance happy, too! I’m talking about the shortcake component of strawberry shortcake. Oh, folks, you are gonna love me! Yep, I’m that confident. You will love me! Well, at least I’m certain that you’ll love this shortcake! It’s soooo easy and each bite is a delight sensation. Best of all, it’s gluten free. Bestest of all (yes, I know ‘bestest’ is not a word, but when I get really happy I like to make up words. Did you see the title of this post? I was really happy when I wrote that!), is that it doesn’t require any unusual ingredients. Truly! I’m not kidding! Take a quick peak at the ingredient list. I bet you have every single ingredient just waiting in your pantry for this dessert!

I found this recipe on line at RecipeZaar and just had a feeling that it would be awesome! Perfect timing, too, as this worked marvelously as my gluten-free babe’s birthday treat. Let me point out that this is a spongecake style recipe. These are similar to those little shortcake sponge cakes that are sold in grocery stores, only these taste way better. Made in cupcake muffin tins, they provide individual servings that look so pretty on a dessert plate.

Here we go!

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar (also called confectioners or icing sugar)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup corn starch
1-1/4 teaspoons baking POWDER

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 – 15 -muffin pan. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar, using electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy. In another bowl, mix the cornstarch and baking powder together and add slowly to the creamed mixture. Add slowly to keep it from powdering your entire kitchen. Mix for only about a minute or two until well blended.Fill the greased muffin tins half full. I filled mine more than half full because I only have 12 muffin tins. Actually, I used two 6 tins. Anyway ... Bake for 15 minutes.Test with a toothpick, after 15 minutes, even if the top looks shiny. Can you see my little toothpick hole smack dab in the center there? It came out perfectly clean. Remove the shortcakes from the pan while still warm. I coaxed mine out with a fork. They will look like little cupcakes, but taste just like little spongecakes/shortcakes.Ain’t she sweet? Looks like a little cupcake, but tastes like spongecake!Serve topped with strawberries and whipped cream. I had blueberries to add as well, but the kidlins were hovering. It was all I could do to snap a quick photo.Just look at this fine crumb! (Uh, please excuse the, uh, cottoncandy nail polish. Yes, I do let my just-turned-10-year-old paint my nails. Hey, it’s a mom and little girl thing. I’ve even let her do my hair and make up, but that’s a post for another day.) Back to the crumb ... so light and very spongy! Click on the photo if you want a closer look!

If you wanted, you could slice these in half and serve them open faced. I like the vertical presentation, but the split version is easier for the kidlins. These little babies will be gobbled up by you and yours in no time! So, go ahead and whip up a quick batch of these gluten free darlings and join me in a happy dance!

Do you have a favorite shortcake recipe? Any fun stories to go with it? Would love to hear about it!

Rock Your World - Key Lime & White Chocolate Cheesecake with Pistachio Crust

For those of you who follow my blog, you may be surprised to see a dessert posted here. You’ll note that I never said I don’t know how to make desserts; it’s just that I’m not a big dessert maker/eater. Plus, since the youngest member of the family can’t have wheat, desserts in my house usually boast sliced fruit or some such thing.

However ...

Youngest member deserves a huge “shout out”. You see, my petite 9 year old bambino auditioned for and then performed in the school talent show this week. There were about a dozen “acts” that performed including unbelievably talented piano solos and duets, Irish dancing, tap dancing, team dancing, and lots of singers. My little gal just wanted to sing. Unlike some of the other kids performing, she doesn’t take singing lessons or anything like that. She just wanted to give it a shot. Kind of like her version of American Idol. So, up she went in front of the student council, other performers, and the vice principal to audition. Oh the guts it took to do that, especially since she was getting over a bad sinus infection, and her voice was very weak and Elmer Fuddish. To her delight, she found out the next day that she got the thumbs up to perform at the talent show to be held the next week.The day of the big event, my hubby and I as well as my son decided that we would go and show our support for her. I admit I was a tad anxious about her performing because my little miss has been dealing with some anxiety issues this year. She’s loads better, but being the mom I am, let's just say that my protective radar was up and running. The talent show was held in the community center with the entire student body in attendance, as well as all the teachers and staff, plus parents. It was packed ... standing room only ... with about 350 people there. So, they introduce her and she walks up to the stage area and stands before the microphone. Despite all the people there, it was perfectly quiet. As soon as she began singing, I could see everyone’s jaw drop open in amazement. All the other singers sang along with prerecorded music or the actual cd from the original artist or at the very least with a piano accompaniment. My little gal performed a cappella. She totally ROCKED the house down. No one expected that rockin’ voice to come out of that tiny package, especially those who had been at the audition when she was still getting over her cold and you could hardly hear her. She sang the song, “Girl Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae.At the end, the crowd roared their appreciation with clapping and hooting, and gave her a standing ovation. She was the only performer to get one. I, of course, had happy tears and kept getting hugs from parents and teachers who came up to offer congratulations. Ah, it was a very proud parent moment. Later that night, when we were having our end of day snuggle time, I was telling her how proud I was that she followed her heart, took a chance and did something new. She confided that there were two older girls at the audition who snickered at her cold-affected voice when she was auditioning. She said that those same two girls were dancing in their seats when she sang at the actual show. I told her how persevering and being brave doesn’t mean that it’s easy but rather it means that you keep going even when it’s tough. Having two older kids snicker at you would intimidate most kids, and how immensely proud I am that she didn’t let them rain on her parade. Way to be the change, baby girl. This will be a great memory that she’ll hold onto forever. Not bad for a little gal who uses a hairbrush for a microphone!

So, in honor of her awesome debut, I figured she deserved a yummy dessert, gluten free of course. I remember seeing this recipe in a National Parks Cookbook, and it fit the bill perfectly.The pistachio crust is AWESOME. It’s salty, sweet, and crunchy. The cheesecake ... no bake I might add ... is both tart and sweet. We served it with additional whipped cream and strawberries. AWESOME!Key Lime & White Chocolate Cheesecake with Pistachio Crust (Adapted from the recipe served at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Nat’l Park)

Crust:
2 cups shelled pistachios
2/3 heaping cup of sugar
¼ heaping cup melted butter, more if needed

Filling:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped into medium peaks
1- ½ 8 oz bricks cream cheese, softened
6-1/2 oz white chocolate, melted (I used Giradellli chips)
6 tablespoons Key lime juice
1 packet gelatin (I used Knox)
1 tablespoon water

Finely grind the pistachios and sugar in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process briefly. Mixture should hold its shape. If not, add more melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a springform pan. NOTE: I used juice glasses and a pie plate.

In a clean food processor bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Pour in the melted white chocolate and combine. Scrape the bowl and mix again.In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and water. Stir to soften. It will clump up fairly quickly. In a heavy weight sauce pan or a double boiler, combine the lime juice and gelatin, and stir until gelatin completely melts. I did it in a very heavy small sauce pan on low heat. Cool slightly and add to the cream cheese mixture. I did it by pulsing a couple of times. Next, add the whipped cream mixture and pulse until just combined. Pour into the crust and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with additional whipped cream and fruit.So, to all those kids out there who are following their heart, taking chances, and making their dreams come true, this dessert is for you. It'll rock your world!

They Call Me Mellow Jello ... Jello Parfait Dessert!

Well, they don’t really call me Mellow Jello. Thank heaven. What are your thoughts on jello? I happen to enjoy the wiggly jiggly stuff, and my favorite way to eat it is parfait style. Even better, those wiggly children of mine enjoy it, too. This is the easiest dessert on the planet to make and is very economical as well. It’s fluffy light and will tickle your tastebuds with it’s refreshing fruity flavor.Plus, it looks so gosh darn pretty, too. I just love looking at those layers! With Easter around the corner, this is a nice light dessert to offer your family and friends ... and yourself!

All you need is jello and whipped cream. That’s it, my blogging jello loving friends. Come on and make it with me! Come on, you’ll love it.Ingredients:
Jello – I used two 3 oz strawberry packets to make 6 generous servings.
2 cups whipping cream

Before you begin, clear a space in your fridge to set the jello cups and bowl.Next, set out six serving dishes. I like to use glass ones so that everyone can see the pretty layers. It’s kind of fun to use different types and sizes of serving glasses. Anything will work ... I used juice glasses, a custard dish, a glass tea cup, a wine class, and a dessert cup. Now simply make the jello according to the package directions. For any jello novices out there, for two boxes that means adding two cups of boiling water, stir, then add 2 cups cold water. Done.Pour some of the liquid jello into the bottom of the serving dishes. I filled them about ¼ - 1/3 full of jello. You will have a lot of jello left in the mixing bowl. Put all the dishes and the mixing bowl in the fridge, and let set until the jello is firm. About 3-4 hours. When the jello in the mixing bowl is firm, prepare the whipped cream.Use 2 cups whipping cream, and whip it very, very stiff. More stiff than you usually would for whipped topping.Take about half the whipped cream and fold into the jello in the mixing bowl, taking care to make sure you incorporate all the jello. Now simply spoon it on top of the jello in the serving dishes, leaving space at the top to add add’l whipped cream.Use the back of a spoon to smooth the top of the jello/whipped cream mixture. Now top with the remaining whipped cream. I used an offset spatula to smooth the tops flat. DONE!You could add some fruit on top. I had blueberries, so I put a couple on top. Sliced strawberries would be yummy too.Any flavor of jello will work. I tend to prefer strawberry for this, as I like the flavor as well as the vibrant color, but really, anything will do. I always use regular jello, but I'm sure that the sugar-free version would work just as well. Which reminds me, I tend to prefer whipped cream unsweetened or just slightly sweet, so I didn't add powdered sugar to this recipe. If you prefer a sweeter topping, simply add a tablespoon (or to taste) of powdered sugar to the cream as you whip it.

This is AWESOME, and it's gluten free, all the way, baby!

Curdalicious -- Orange Curd!

Knock knock!
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana Who?
Banana.
Banana Who?
Orange!
Orange Who?
Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?

Ahem. I did warn you a few posts ago about my challenges in the joke telling department. On the bright side, literally, today’s recipe for Orange Curd is top notch in the yummy department!

Most folks have heard of that sweet-tart taste bud tantalizer called Lemon Curd, as well as its cousin Lime Curd. Both are so nummilicious, and can be used as a spread, cake filling, tart filling, over ice cream, with cheesecake, or enjoyed right off the spoon. This past summer, I tasted a wonderful orange curd and was immediately hooked on its bright, sunny color and flavor. A couple days ago, as I was enduring my weekly grocery run, the citrusy scent of oranges was wafting throughout the produce section and immediately I started craving orange curd.

Finding orange curd recipes on the internet, however, proved to be more challenging. So, I made up my own, based on a lemon curd recipe from Fine Cooking found at http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/lemon_curd.aspx. This particular recipe for making the lemon variety was so different from anything I’d seen before, and I just had to give it a try. In this recipe, all of the ingredients are mixed together before cooking. You’ll see what I mean in just a minute. I altered it to make orange curd by including orange juice, taking care not to make it too sweet. The results were so amazing, and it was sooooooo simple to do. Let’s transform some OJ into OC. Are you with me? Let’s go. Orange Curd Ingredients:6 tablespoons of softened room temperature unsalted butter
1 scant cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
Five tablespoons of fresh lemon juice plus enough orange juice to equal 1/3 cup (I used Tropicana orange/tangerine juice. Of course you could use fresh squeezed and strained.)
Zest of lemon and orange to equal about ½ - 1 teaspoon

In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes. Slowly add the eggs and yolks one at a time beating with the mixer until blended, another couple of minutes. Add the juice and zest, and, again, using the hand mixer, beat in until blended, just a minute or less.The mixture will look curdled, but don’t worry, it will cook up perfectly translucent.

In a heavy sauce pan, pour in the curdled mixture and heat over med-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of the spoon which takes about 15-20 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil at any time. The mixture will change from curdled, to opaque, to translucent during that time. To be honest, I didn’t stir it constantly until the very end, but I did keep a very close eye on it. When the mixture coats the back of the spoon, remove from heat. Let cool slightly, and pour into a container and refrigerate. Or, do what I did and pour it slightly warm over some darling individual angel food cakes.Oh mama mia, this is sooo good. It’s sweet and tart, and very refreshing. I served ours over little angel food cakes two ways. One with plain whipped cream and blueberries, and the other with whipped cream and chocolate. The fruit version was very light and reminded me of springtime.The chocolate version was equally good with that terrific orange chocolate flavor combo. Definitely curdalicious! Oh, and the orange curd is gluten free, all the way, baby!

So orange you glad you dropped by to hear about orange curd? Orrrange you? Come on over and have a bite!

Shake, Rattle, and Roll -- Vanilla Milkshakes!

My youngest rattle and roller girl has been home sick with a whopper of a sinus infection since last Friday. Along with oodles and oodles of homework, school age children bring home all sorts of lovely ailments and injuries, and my 9 year old is no exception. After shelling out yet another co-pay at the pediatricians office, I told my daughter’s teacher that I was going to start sending my girls to school in “haz-mat” suits for the remainder of the year. Hmmm ... my homeschooled son doesn’t have this dilemma. Hmmm ...

ANYWAY ... when my kids are sick, they get spoiled. Whatever they want, (well, within reason) I’ll make for them. My sickie poo wanted a milkshake, so a milkshake is what she got. And her brother got. And her sister. And her dad. You see where I’m going with this.

Do you like milkshakes? I’m not a big ice cream eater (I can hear your gasp), but I concede that milkshakes are a good thing. Now many of you are ice cream makers; are you milkshake drinkers, too? Today’s recipe is a classic, pure, lovely Vanilla Milkshake. Puristically plain, but far from boring, it’s hails top honors from just about everybody who has uttered the phrase, “got milk”. Of course, there are enough varieties of milkshakes to keep dairy cows busy forever and eternity. Let’s see, there’s Strawberry, Chocolate, Eggnog, Blueberry, Peanut Butter, and Orange Crème to name a few. Let’s check out this recipe together, and see if you’d like to shake, rattle, and roll with me.Here’s what you’ll need
Vanilla Milkshakes

8 heaping scoops good quality Vanilla ice cream(I used Dreyers Vanilla Bean)
1 cup milk – don’t use non-fat
½ cup cream (I just poured mine in the measuring cup along with the milk)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla ExtractTo make this you will need one of these. It’s what I used today.Or you could use one of these. I love my immersion blender, and it makes great shakes.We won’t be needing this today. Look away, just look away from it.

Add all of your ingredients into the blender jar. Cover and blend until the ice cream and milk have a combined, smooth consistency. Don’t expect it to look like the cheek sucking thickness of what you’d find at Dairy Queen. Rather, it’s loose, but not runny.See it here on the spoon? That’s what you’re after. Mmmm ... come to mama! This will go up the straw without causing you to lose consciousness. In fact, when I first put the straw in the glass, it stood up and then ever so sloooowly leaned over.Ta-Da! Ooooh Yeahhhh! Mmm, mmm, mmm! This definitely will make your taste buds shake, rattle, and roll in a gooood way. Just in time for Valentine's Day, too. Oh, and this obviously is gluten free all the way, baby! What’s your favorite shake?

Inauguration Day Krispie Scotchies Dessert Bars

It's a special day here in the USA; our newly elected President Obama was sworn into office this morning. Like many Americans, I watched the ceremonies on TV with much interest and hope for the future. After the ceremonies, the President and other politicians joined together for a private luncheon. An announcement was made that the recipes for the luncheon received more hits than any other part of the inauguration website! We foodies know our priorities!

Actually, I haven't visited that website, but I did see the menu listed on another blog. It's kind of interesting how the whole Presidential luncheon thing started. From the main course to the dessert, the menus are planned well in advance and I'm sure thoughtfully and artfully put together.

Did you ever think about going into politics? I always wonder what drives someone to pursue the job of President or Prime Minister or whatever your country's top job is. When I was in 8th grade, it was our nation's bicentennial, and the school year was full of patriotism related activities. I remember seriously pondering what it would be like to be a Congressman, or Senator, or President, and I wondered at what age those who held an office had decided to pursue that dream. My oldest daughter is toying with the idea of running for middle school student council next year. Have you ever run for office, any kind of office? What was that like?

In honor of today's presidential inauguration, today's post at It's All Gouda is a sweet dessert bar recipe. Now I'm not much of a dessert baker or eater, and so you won't see many dessert posts here. As today is a special day, it's perfect timing to post something sweet. I call these lovely babies Inauguration Krispie Scotchies Dessert Bars, and I guarantee you they will be a hit with all who try them. They are safe for my gluten free future-voter, require no baking, are ridiculous easy to make, and are so incredibly yummy you'll want to share them with the entire world. They are a perfect marriage of texture and flavor, and a luscious treat for any special occasion. Here's to sweeter times ahead for the USA, and indeed, all the world.

Inauguration Krispie Scotchies Dessert Bars

1 cup Karo light corn syrup
1 cup sugar (told you it was sweet!)
1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup Nutella (you could just use all peanut butter)
5 cups rice krispie cereal (NOTE: Rice Krispies are not gluten free, but do not bother my daughter as her problem is with wheat. You could substitute Rice Chex which are now labelled gluten free, yeah!)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

In a large non-stick dutch oven, combine the corn sryup and sugar, and cook over medium heat just until it bubbles (this happens pretty darn fast). Turn off the burner, and stir in the peanut butter and Nutella (YUM). Go ahead and lick the Nutella spoon, we'll wait. Okay, once the peanut butter and Nutella are incorporated, add all of the rice krispies. Put into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Press down with waxed paper or a silicone spoon. Melt chocolate chips and spread over the krispies. Melt the butterscotch chips and spread of the chocolate. You could melt them together since the chocolate and butterscotch will combine, but a thin layer of chocolate will remain if you do them separately. Let cool and cut into squares.

These are sooooo yummy. Despite what may at first glance appear to be coma inducing quantities of sugar, they actually are not cloyingly sweet. Much different than rice krispie squares, they boast a denser quality almost like a chewy candy bar and dessert mixed into one. Caramel type flavor as well as a faint hint of hazelnut from that wonder of wonders, Nutella, greet you with each bite.See the little rivers of chewy caramel type yumminess tunneling through the krispies? The peanut butter isn't overwhelming, and that chocolate/butterscotch topper is terrific.I didn't time how long it took to make these; it was something like less than 10 minutes. Super easy, and something that kids and grown ups alike will enjoy. Here's to making the world a sweeter place!

You Wanna Piece of Me? ... Buckeye Candy That Is!

In the time before there were Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, there lived a lovely treat so decadently delicious that it was hard to tell if it was a candy or a cookie or a dessert. Candy won the final toss, and these wonderful, joy inducing treats became widely known as “Buckeye’s”. Why Buckeye, you ask? It’s quite simple, really. The little beauties resemble the nut from the Buckeye tree. Just about everyone from the wonderful state of Ohio knows what a Buckeye is, and now it is my pleasure to introduce all of you to .... Buckeye Candies!

Folks, let me tell you that this is one treat that will wow your friends and family. Have you seen these before? Ever tried one? I remember first trying these as a kid, and then a couple years ago, I attended a Christmas Cookie Swap Party and saw these sitting on the exchange table. They were just terrific, and their unusual “look” really makes them appropriate for festive fare. Creamy, rich, and very decadent, these treats are a favorite among kids and grown ups. Even better, they are gluten free, super easy to make and,(picture me pulling down both arms in a victory motion saying “yessss”) my teenaged son volunteered to help make them.

Let’s begin. You won’t believe how easy these are to put together.

2 cups smooth peanut butter (Sorry, not the natural, no stir kind. I used regular Skippy.)
½ stick butter – softened
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb! Perhaps this is why they are called candy!)
2 cups chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)
2 Tablespoons shortening (I used Crisco; you could substitute a bit of paraffin instead)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter and softened butter until creamy. I used an electric hand-mixer, but a regular mixer would probably have been better. Then add the powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. The whole box of sugar (yikes!). You’re on the right track if the mixture is crumbly looking.
Now it’s time to line two cookie sheets that will fit in your freezer with wax paper. Then simply form the peanut butter mixture into one inch balls and place on the waxed paper lined cookie sheet.I used my handy dandy 1” scoop, but you could just use a spoon and eye ball it. Now, from the top down, stick one toothpick all the way into each peanut butter ball.Place in the freezer to firm up for one hour.

Next, in a medium sized microwaveable bowl, place the choc chips and the shortening.It’s kind of shocking to see all that shortening, huh? I mean how often do you use shortening by the spoonful? Let's not think about it, 'kay? Movin' on ... Microwave for 1 minute and stir. Keep microwaving and stirring in additional 15-30 second intervals until the mixture is very smooth and runny. (It took me a total of 1 minute 45 seconds.)

Remove the tray from the freezer, and using the toothpick, remove one peanut butter ball from the tray and dip into the melted chocolate.Dive into the pool of chocolate!That’s my son’s hand at work there. He’s got his dad’s big mitts. Cover most of the ball with chocolate, leaving only the top section uncovered. Transfer back to the wax paper.Repeat with each one. Remove all the toothpicks, and with a slightly damp fingertip, lightly “swirl” out the toothpick hole. Place the tray in the fridge this time to firm up the chocolate. Serve as soon as chocolate is set. Keep extras in the fridge, as the balls soften up easily. My children and husband went crazy over these. They are a waaaay upscale version of a Reese’s peanut butter cup.Helloooo Beautiful! These will be the first to go on any dessert tray you set out for the holidays. Yeah, they’ll be wantin’ a piece of Buckeye Candy! How about you? Shall I save one for you?

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KNIT ONE/SAVE ONEOn a separate note: Look what my oldest daughter and I did together! Aren’t these just the cutest little baby caps EVER! As part of her Religion studies, my daughter participates in community service projects of her own choosing. This has been a wonderful experience for her as it has shown her how one person performing acts of kindness can make the world a better place. Last Spring, she made a darling no-sew fleece baby blanket through Project Linus. For this current Fall season, she had originally wanted to volunteer at the Local Food Bank, but they have too many volunteers (that's a good thing). Since she really tries to think of ways that she can make a difference, we searched the internet to find something that would allow her that opportunity. My daughter is the most stewardship minded 13 year old on the planet. Plus, she doesn't desire recognition for her efforts; she just does it because she thinks it's a good thing to do. I, of course, am very proud of her. I never did anything remotely like this when I was her age. Anyway, she decided to knit little baby caps for the Knit One/Save One program through the Save the Children Organization. This wonderful organization is determined to improve the quality of life and survival rate for newborn babies in underdeveloped nations. The little babes are soooo tiny in those areas, and providing something as simple as a cap for their little noggins makes an enormous difference in their survival rate. She immediately made the connection to all of her own newborn pictures that showed her with a little cap on her own head. I was very proud of my daughter and her empathy, and enjoyed teaching her how to knit. Oh yeah ... she had to learn how to knit first. Plus, she sent an email to President-elect Obama asking him and his policy makers to keep the children of the world in mind as they make world-wide impacting decisions during his tenure as President. Not bad, eh? Knit One/Save One ... she did a good thing. For more information, here’s the website: http://www.savethechildren.org/get-involved/