We’ve made it through another year of This Awful Awesome Life. January is a time for New Year’s resolutions and looking toward the future, but it’s also a time to pause and look back on the previous year.
What was awful? What was awesome? Was there any way we could have made the awful seem a little more awesome? How will we deal with life events in 2019? Do we have a plan or will we continue to advance boldly for not recklessly toward our future?
January is typically one of our coldest months. Depending on where you live you’ll probably be spending more time indoors. We’ll be looking at ways to stay active for body and mind plus ways to safely enjoy your winter wonderland.
January 21 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Other memorable days in January include Human Trafficking Awareness Day (1/11), the Orthodox New Year (1/14), Religious Freedom Day (1/16) and the Commemoration of Victims of the Holocaust (1/27).
To help everyone start 2019 out in a positive way, we’ll have articles from our regular contributors such Orlando Bartro, Terry Kish, Linda Cahill, Jim O’Brien, Tanya Bashor, Corey Flynn, Patricia Petrusik, Gail Neustadt and awesome guest contributors such as Ann K. Howley, Robin Barefield and Eric Magliocca. As always, we’ll be reviewing and recommending books, interviewing authors, and there will be a quiz of my choosing each month to keep you on your toes.
See you next Month,
Fran
Answers to the December Cookie Quiz
7. Shortbread Cookies - Buttery unleavened biscuit made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour. It can be made using different shapes and flavors.
9. Gingerbread Men - Made of gingerbread and shaped like flat male figures.
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies - A drop cookie containing flour, shortening, eggs, and sugar and one other distinguishing ingredient made of chocolate.
10. Pizzelles - Waffle or wafer cookies made from flour, eggs, sugar, butter or vegetable oil, and flavoring such as vanilla, anise, or lemon zest.
6. Peanut Butter Cookies - A type of cookie with peanut butter as a principal ingredient. The cookie generally originated in the United States in the 1910s.
3. Snickerdoodles - Sugar cookie made with butter or oil, sugar, and flour rolled in cinnamon sugar.
12. Biscotti - Also called Cantucci, these twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy, cookies are Italian almond biscuits that originated in the city of Prato.
4. Macaroons - A paste of egg whites with other ingredients such as almond, hazelnut and/or coconut that is placed on a wafer and then baked.
8. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - Descendants of oat cakes made by the Scots, since the time when the Romans attempted to conquer Scotland. Oat cakes first appeared when they began harvesting oats around 1,000 B.C.
11. Thumbprint Cookies - Known as Hallongrotta in Sweden, which means "Raspberry cave" because they are usually filled with raspberry jam. These cookies are easily baked and molded and flavored with vanilla.
2. Sugar Cookies - Cookies made from sugar, flour, butter, eggs, vanilla, and either baking powder or baking soda - often glazed with icing and decorated
5. Snowball Cookies -These cookies have many names including Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cakes.