Sunday night Gemma began to look a little green around the gills and said her tummy hurt. Between 8 pm and 10:30 pm she threw up five times. I figured we were headed for a stomach virus. After the last bout of vomiting, I gave her a dropper of colloidal silver, and she sucked on an ice chip or two, then went to sleep. We slept in the living room, me on the sofa and Gemma on a pallet beside me, as I didn't want to have the whole house awakened if she had to throw up in the middle of the night. Actually, she's an A-1 vomiter, if there is such a thing. No crying, no fuss. She goes quickly to commode or bucket, leans over and waits for it calmly. It's almost spooky in a three year old, but I recall Dominic was similar. Anyway, there actually were no middle-of-the-night episodes and she slept until 6, awakening with her appetite in order. So I don't know what caused the upset.
Sunday evening until yesterday morning we had no internet, and I spent 45 minutes on the help line trying to get it back. In the end they said they didn't know what the problem was and would send out a computer guy the next morning but the trouble mysteriously resolved itself by Monday, mid-morning.
I seem to be fighting a cold--sore throat and burning sinuses--and Bret is sneezing and so is Dominic. It has been snowing since yesterday morning, but all day yesterday it was a fine dust-like snow that went on and on, and yet never whitened the ground. This morning, however, we have some white on the ground. I have been extra-generous in filling the bird feeder and the birds seem grateful...there was a steady stream of diners all day--blackbirds, red-wing blackbirds, doves, sparrows, a downy woodpecker, a number of cardinals (would that be called a conclave of cardinals?)...
I'm making treats for the Easter baskets this week. Yesterday I was making treats for the Easter baskets. I made peanut butter cups and chocolate-coconut-almond cups (think 'Almond Joy'), and my taste-tester (Bret) said that they turned out well. They were really quite easy. I didn't really measure anything--I rarely do with this sort of thing, so all measurements are mere approximations...
Peanut Butter Cups (made 36)
Paper candy cups or silicone mold
2 12 oz bags milk chocolate baking chips
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 1/3 cups natural peanut butter
2-3 Tbsp raw honey (to taste, really)
pinch of salt (for that sweet-salty taste I love with the Reese's
Mix together the peanut butter, honey and salt in a bowl. The honey tends to make the peanut-butter "pull together." If it doesn't, add a bit more honey and mix well.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler with the coconut oil. Spoon a little chocolate into paper candy cups which have been placed in mini-muffin tins. Place in the freezer for a few minutes
Here is where my 1 teaspoon cookie scoop comes in handy: place about a teaspoon, or maybe a little less, on each of the chocolate "bottoms". Press with a finger to flatten slightly, then top with more chocolate. Freeze for a few minutes or until firm. Easy, eh?
Healthy "Almond Joys" (made 36)
Paper candy cups or a silicone mold
About 1 cup of unsweetened, organic shredded coconut
3 Tbsp raw honey (more if you like)
1/3 cup plus 4 Tbsp raw, virgin coconut oil in solid form (do not melt!) Believe me, the raw, virgin coconut oil has a wonderful coconut flavor to it. Still, you can add a bit of coconut flavoring to boost it, or even a bit of almond extract if you prefer.
2 12 oz bags Semi-sweet chocolate baking bits
Raw whole almonds
In a food processor, combine the coconut, honey and coconut oil and any flavorings you may choose. Pulse until you have a well-blended coconut "dough".
Melt the chocolate with the 4 Tbsp coconut oil in a double boiler. As with the peanut butter cups, put a bit of melted chocolate into each candy cup. Freeze or refrigerate until firm.
Drop teaspoons of the coconut dough onto the cooled chocolate bottoms. Flatten slightly with a finger and place an almond on top of each. Then cover with more of the melted chocolate. Chill until firm.
As I alternate between my Anti-Illness Cocktail (orange juice with vitamin C powder, colloidal silver and Echinacea-Goldenseal tincture) and my Ginger-Lemon Tea, I am contemplating making marshmallows...it would be nice to have some to float on hot cocoa and we could pretend that it is Christmas that is approaching and not Easter...
