Snowed In

This is the time of the year when children fervently pray for a sign. Now you ask what sign? It's the one that comes at the bottom of the TV screen announcing an upcoming blessed event: Snow Day! I can assure that teachers also will be included in this fervent prayer group. But I want to add another group out there that hopes for a Snow Day...sock fairies. They want to stay inside warmed by the fire and use this time to catch up on their many sock accessories knitting projects. As the holidays draw near they have many gifts to make. Hopefully, the fairies have enough socks collected in their pile so they do not have to go out and about finding more in the frigid temperatures. Several blogs back, I mentioned a hot selling item for the season: arm warmers. These chic sleeves are also called gauntlets. An average fingerless glove with a finished thumb hole is 6 inches around and 6 inches tall. It is possible if the fairy is creative, one average adult sock can be fashioned into two arm warmers for a human or perhaps a dozen or more for fairy friends. I found online free knitting instructions if you would like to make your own. Perhaps you may tire waiting for the sock fairy to magically appear with your pair.
Check out http://knitting.about.com/free_knitting_patterns

Here is an easy cookie recipe to add to your collection

Cherry Treasures

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  
• 1-10 oz. jar maraschino cherries-well drained reserve 2 TB. liquid
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
  
• ! 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1-6 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk not evaporated
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

• In a separate bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside
• Beat butter or margarine about 30 seconds
• Add sugar and beat till fluffy
• Add eggs and vanilla and beat well
• Gradually add flour mixture and beat well
• Chill dough mixture 30 minutes in refrigerator
• Shape into 1 inch balls place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press down center of ball with you thumb.
• Drain cherries, reserving liquid and place cherry in center of cookie ball
• Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Frosting:

• In small saucepan, combine chocolate and condensed milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir is 4 tsp reserved cherry juice. If frosting needs to be thinned use cherry juice.
• Spoon 1 tsp. frosting over cooled cookies to cover cherry