* Today is a holiday. It was explained to me as something regarding candles, in which each home lights a candle in the evening. After some research I discovered it is the day of 'Immaculate Conception'. Matt is unable to take part in this special day with me as he is working.
*We've crossed a few items of our Christmas to-do list... Christmas cards are prepared and scheduled to go out next week {via the company I ordered them from, hope it works} and we just have a little bit more online shopping to do. I still need to pick up a few things for Matt, which involves some creativity. Let's just say Cartagena isn't known as Colombia's shopping capital.
*I try to do something Christmassy each day to get into the spirit. Our home is filled with music and Christmas movies. As I write this I am watching a Disney Christmas cartoon movie with nearly every character {it almost feels like Christmas 2010.... but not quite}. Last week I caught one of my favorite Christmas movies from the 90's.
If you're not familiar, Netflix it. I also have, A Michael Buble Christmas, recorded and waiting for the right time and a glass of wine.
*Yesterday I made my first attempt at cookies. You wouldn't think this is something that would be blog worthy. But most small tasks in Colombia, become blog worthy. First of all, I must explain to you that I have a very small oven, in comparison to my North American oven experience. See below.
The standard 9x13" rectangular Pyrex baking dish need not go on a rack in my oven. Because the edges literally fit into the oven just like a rack would. I have yet to find an appropriate cookie sheet. So this 'ama de casa' decided to make due and use the broiler pan.
{the pan to the left}
My handmade dough was ready to go and the peanut butter cookies were evenly spaced on the pan. Into the oven they went. After 8 - 10 minutes, I realized the cookies had not yet changed shape, nor were they close to any golden brown that signals your cookies have reached perfection. None of that. I let them keep baking, that is, until I started to smell something burning. The bottoms of the cookies were blackened, yet the tops were not cooked. A broiler pan is deeper than a cookie sheet, so I thought if I turned the broiler pan over and had a flat surface for my cookies to bake on I would be a much more successful homemaker. Wrong again. Same situation. After a discussion with my live in engineer, we realized that with the gas heating element at the bottom of the oven and the size of the broiler pan, the heat was not able to circulate through the oven and therefore truly only baking the bottom of my cookies. I managed to save a few. I've always been a soft doughy cookie fan. This particular batch takes that idea to a whole new level.
*We are very excited to welcome Matt's parents for a Colombian Adventure in just 4 short weeks. They will be visiting us in early January, which is the perfect time for them to beat those winter blues and share in a little post holiday cheer. And maybe even a mud bath?
*I've been using my down time lately to:
- re-educate myself in the world of crochet... getting my stitching fingers back in action
- read an incredible story, a book called Little Bee. Here's a brief description via Amazon:
We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn't. And it's what happens afterward that is most important. Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.
- perusing the Internet for another photo challenge to kick of 2012. Why not start the year with a little education and creativity {and more blog posts!}
Happy Immaculate Conception.
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