Lovngrandma ~ did you receive your pkg? I mailed out around Nov. 14.....

I do hope no packages were lost from 'here' to' there'. We have a new mail carrier after our regular retired after 22 years of service and mail is in the wrong mail boxes every week. I just want to go out there and pull her out of the truck and box her ears!

Eyes, Be patient with your new mail carrier. She has a lot to learn and probably had ONE day of training on your route.. Go out to greet her and tell how much you appreciate the job she is doing,and make a positive suggestion to help her get better.Also in many areas the carrier does not sort the mail. I'm a former mail carrier.

This time of year the carriers have more of a load, but they aren't given enough paid hours to cover their delivery time. Many of them end up working some unpaid hours every week. No wonder they are in a hurry.

New carrier can't be expected to be as efficient as a 22 year veteran. Be kind! :o

Still waiting, hot tea in hand and keeping warm!

She's been a regular mail carrier for years and asked for our route.

Already met her on her 2 days training...that's all she needed because she was always a regular and knew the routine but asked for our route.

Care to join me?
 

MizMelly, it's no fun waiting alone, I have some Dragon Pearls & Jazmine Tea from Teavana if you'd care to join me...
Can you bring dessert? Nothing chocolate though please . See ya 'on the bench'. 😊

I hope everyone has something to open on opening day.

got my package and can't wait to open it!!!

waiting for my package, great anticipation every evening going home from work to see if it is there, maybe today
LindaC

Ah, Laquita, you are a quilter after my own heart! I'm allergic to chocolate, so it's something I avoid. How about some nice shortbread cookies to go with that tea? I have a recipe for Bizcochitos -- anise cookies that are a New Mexico Christmas tradition. Perfect for tea!

Well I'm not allergic to chocolates but will pass on chocolate cakes, puddings and most candies. The shortbread cookies sound good to me!

Here is the recipe for anyone who is interested! I always use shortening instead of lard.

Biscochitos

1 cup lard or shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp anise seed
3 tbsp sweet wine

1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

cream lard (or shortening) and sugar until quite creamy, add egg and beat until fluffy. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in wine and anise seed. Roll dough out on floured board to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top of cutouts.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown.

mizmelly thank you for posting that recipe and I do hope the mail you've been waiting for arrives at your bench today.

Hopefully our bench ladies will have a friendly little surprise for them when they get home today. Rest assured ladies, the ornaments have been mailed.

What is worse; having that little package around taunting you "open me, open me;" or waiting for the package to actually arrive?

Still on the bench. Mail has come and gone already. :(

Was told my packGe was sent FEDEX. I got a FEDEX package today a.ong with others from Amazon, this one did. Not say anything about being a swap package..........maybe I should go head and open it...........you know just to be sure :). Wink wink


Tea. Bisconchitos and friends sound ALMOST as good as opening presents!!!! :)
Can't wait!

Quick question, is shortening the same as margarine or butter (here in Ireland I don't think we have shortening)
LindaC

Yes Linda, shortening is butter as far as I know.

I can't see that my partner has received her package. I am hoping that it is not too far away. I posted on the 9th November.

can I come too Laquita? maybe tomorrow it will come

Laquita maybe you should peek inside and see if it's a wrapped package, mine was

Thank you for the share.

Hi Guys,

Now back from the beautiful Maldives in the Indian Ocean to -2 degrees in sunny but cold cold Suffolk. But had a lovely box waiting for me when I got home.... and it states ornaments on the box... so I have been really good and put it aside.

Hugs

Caroline

Nope, not quite the same. Here's an explanation:
Shortening is a vegetarian oil-based product. It is typically a combination of vegetable and palm oils
For this recipe, if you want to substitute, try butter, but it will be a different consistency. Lard is the traditional ingredient, and traditionalists bakers of biscochitos swear that it's the important ingredient that makes these cookies the best. Like I said, I use shortening (Crisco is the brand name), in order to keep it vegan. You can try butter as a substitute. I'd be interested to see what your results look like.

Whenever I use a recipe that calls for shortening, I subsitute with coconut oil. I've never had a problem with it either. I don't know if you have it in Ireland though. Thanks for the recipe, MizMelly!

Thanks Betty
LindaC

Thank you MizMelly. One of my daughters is a semi-vegetarian (she eats fish but no other meat). I'm going to give it a go with butter and see how that turns out. As they say if you don't try it, you'll never know.
I love seeing recipes for things that we wouldn't normally have here. The same if anybody wants some traditional Irish recipes let me know and I'll post them for you.
LindaC

I think I might have seen jars of coconut oil in one of the larger supermarkets, will have a look when I am there next.
Thank you
LindaC

For anyone interested, lard is pig fat. A lot of old fashion recipes and European recipes use lard.

I may need to try it with coconut oil. That might be a good substitute. Coconut oil is solid at room temp, as is shortening. And it's vegan to boot!

Is this where i sign up, for ornament swap !! I want in plz

see page 1 lovngrandma. I think you may have missed the boat, but theres always next year.

Only tomorrows post left before opening day. If it doesnt arrive then, its sure to next week. It must be coming from afar, way over the sea.... then there is customs!!!!!

Linda - I would love to see some traditional Irish recipes...if you can get brined grape leaves, I will share my recipe for dolmades.....

Regarding the shortening remarks, I am going to try some coconut oil too - never thought of that.
I make my grandmother's recipe for yeast rolls (dinner rolls) and it calls for chicken fat (schmaltz).
One can buy schmaltz - I 'make' my own when I roast a chicken by refrigerating the drippings and skimming the fat when it solidifies. I will use butter if I don't have any, though I prefer the schmaltz.
It doesn't make the rolls taste like chicken, it simply gives a very tender dough.
The recipe calls for 6 T of chicken fat. That's about what I get from one chicken.

the sign up was awhile ago on page one. this is talking all about it and reveling pretty soon too. Does anyone know the reveal day?

Can't wait tell Saturday to open all the goodies my partner sent me. :D

I'm always learning something on here. Never thought of using chicken fat in anything or that it was called schmaltz.