Carrie Snyder | Writer

Literacy Rocks

Sunday, Feb 22, 2009 | Reading | 1 Comment

Reading has transformed our mornings and evenings. The two eldest children have graduated to chapter books, and are utterly drawn to the written word. Apple-Apple and Albus both read in bed, and it’s meant we can tuck them in earlier, while letting them stay up a bit later. And in the morning, Albus gets up early and snuggles in a blanket on the kitchen floor … with a book. (I should add that the kitchen floor is heated, and it’s his favourite place to read). The difference between an hour spent devouring a book, and an hour spent sedated before the television is quite remarkable. Television, while temporarily diverting, inevitably leads to “TV Brain,” as we call it: you know what I mean–that irritable, bored, restless state of mind and being. The kids raise their eyes from a book wanting to talk and share and describe.

That said, Fooey does watch television most every day, because I rely on that “quiet time.” But both Albus and Apple-Apple seem bored by it, and it is never be their first choice for an activity.

Grandma’s Sugar Cookies

Friday, Feb 20, 2009 | Recipes | 0 Comments

My Grandma King turns 90 on March 1, and in her honour I’m posting her Sugar Cookie recipe. She was a wonderful baker, and baked many of my birthday cakes growing up–always angel food with strawberry or chocolate frosting. We never lived near her, but when we visited we must have baked together often, because those memories have remained most clear.

Since I grew up eating these sugar cookies, I didn’t realize until adulthood that they are quite unique. I’ve never found a similar recipe in a standard cookbook. I was once told that Grandma managed a restaurant before her marriage, and that these were the cookies served there: in Archbold, Ohio.

About five years ago, I telephoned to request the recipe, so this comes directly from her. As she now suffers from Alzheimers, this recipe, and its provenance, is especially precious. I used to make these cookies for playgroup, where they became known as “muffin-top cookies” because that’s exactly what they taste like. In fact, I was inspired to make them today on request from a little playgroup fellow who might be visiting this afternoon; considering I haven’t made them for a year or so, it was the first thing he asked when he saw me last time: “Do you have any of those sugar cookies?” I think that’s a pretty good endorsement.

The cookies are delicate and cakey and crumbly and must be watched closely in the oven, lest the bottoms burn. They are also difficult to replicate, and I’ve had the occasional flop, without being able to pinpoint why. I’m pretty sure Grandma’s never flopped. The ones I baked today with Fooey turned out very well indeed, though they still aren’t exactly like Grandma’s. The recipe below is half the size she gave me, and enough for our family (she estimated half would make about 3 dozen cookies). I don’t find these cookies keep well, so eat them up while they’re fresh.

Grandma King’s Sugar Cookies

Beat together 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 cup of canola oil. Add 1 cup of buttermilk, or substitute 1 cup of milk soured with 1 tbsp white vinegar (let the mixture sit for 10-15 mins. before adding). Beat together well with 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, 3 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. (Optional: add 2 tsp baker’s unsweetened cocoa powder). Add dry to wet, and beat together till smooth.

Place rack in middle of oven. Heat to 450 degrees. Spoon one tablespoon of batter per cookie onto lightly greased tray. Leave room because they spread a bit. Bake for FOUR minutes. Watch closely. Cool briefly on tray, scrape off with a sharp spatula, cool additionally on racks.

Note: Today, we added the unsweetened cocoa powder, partly because Fooey wanted a chocolate cookie, and this is not a batter to which you can successfully add chocolate chips, and partly because I used a part-whole-wheat flour and wanted to hide the graininess. Grandma only ever used pure-white flour, which makes a pure-white cookie with a golden bottom. But the chocolate proved to be a nice addition.

Hi 5

Friday, Feb 20, 2009 | Kids | 0 Comments

Not writing much in Blogland, just noticed. Not sure why. I’m writing more in fictional world, so perhaps that’s draining off all the words.

Heartwarming thing my baby did yesterday: toddled up to me, grabbed my hand, opened it, and placed into my palm a toy he’d been playing with. I almost cried.

He also heard me say “hi” this morning, and instantly grabbed my hand and tried to give me a high five. This is a new trick he learned this week, and it made me think we should teach him more. He’s so eager to communicate and connect and participate. There are times when he walks through the house laughing and laughing–joining in with whatever fun and jokes are going on.

Just repaired son Albus’s totally shredded snow pants, and though the kids were impressed (“you know how to knit, Mommy?”) …. sewing, not my thing.

Saturdayness

Saturday, Feb 14, 2009 | Bicycles, Local Food | 2 Comments

Update on the intention to make cupboard-items from scratch, such as: crackers. Made them for book club and they were a) labour intensive, b) set off our smoke alarm at 10pm, and, most egregiously, c) tasted ordinary. Homemade food generally tastes superior, so much so that preparing and eating homemade meals from scratch essentially ruin the ability to eat and enjoy a prepackaged, grocery store frozen, or fast food meal ever again. Sadly, these crackers inspired one to reach for a box of factory-fresh.

Will I try again? The other cracker issue was that every recipe I read made use of a vastly different method; and none sounded easy. Strike one on the pantry plan.

Fooey has been riding her bicycle everywhere, despite frigid temperatures. We had a thaw that cleared the sidewalks. I’ve perfected the technique of pulling the bicycle over the bumps while pushing the stroller. This reminded me fondly of the days when Fooey was the baby in the stroller, and I’d use it to push Apple-Apple on her tricycle, and could still pull Albus’s bicycle behind.

Okay, time to start cooking for tonight’s Valentine’s potluck at a friend’s house: potato, sauerkraut, and sausage bake. All local. May throw in some yams, too. The house is temporarily peaceful, as Kevin has taken the three larger children out on their bicycles, and CJ is napping. Must get scrubbing and paring whilst the quiet holds.

Tripping over Life’s Little Lessons

Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 | Big Thoughts, Kids, Writing | 0 Comments

Random thoughts kicking around …

1. My friend Katie’s Facebook status recently read (to paraphrase): “Katie is grateful for all of the reasons she is tired.” I’d like to borrow and adopt that as my own default tagline. There’s nothing wrong with complaining and worrying sometimes, but I’m a big believer in attitude making a genuine difference in how our lives proceed. Not that daily gratitude will prevent disaster and sadness, but that disaster and sadness will be made easier to bear. I am thankful not to have to test this theory, except in small ways, at present.

2. Experience = wisdom. Right? Somehow I’ve always accepted as fact that layers of experience, age, will gradually result in wisdom gained. Except I’ve had the revelation that it’s possible to keep discovering the same things over and over again, in slightly mutated form, such that it would seem all that marvelous experience hasn’t been exceptionally integrated into a grand interior mural of cohesive wisdom, but is hanging about in separate clumsy segments waiting for me to trip over it again. Partly, this is to do with age itself, and the feeling that time continues to speed up, and the fact that my brain is actually about two seasons behind, right now. It’s so hard to maintain a focus, to remember the resolutions, to stick with the plan (while trying to remain flexible) and ultimately better oneself. The previous sentence would be a terrible mantra.

3. Speaking of mantras, my siblings, when confronted with the above rambling non-mantra, suggested I should keep a “Life’s Little Lessons” kind of diary. A list somewhere with those nuggets of wisdom recorded.

4. Just had another thought: maybe it’s not that important to remember these lessons. Maybe experience simply kicks in during a regular day as situations arise, everything from walking to the library in the rain pushings a stroller and pulling a three-year-old on her bicycle (and enjoying it, as experience tells me such moments are fleeting), to rewriting a story a million times over, because there is always something more to learn.

5. Little Life Lessons have a tendency to sound bland, trite, and obvious written down.

6. Still, it might be nice to return to thoughts like: I like baking bread! Or, I’m glad for everything that makes me tired! Or, three-year-olds need to feel like they’re independent sometimes! Or, you can always say your sorry, even if it was an accident! Et cetera. Yup, that could become addictive. (Why each life lesson cries out for an exclamation point, I cannot say. But it does!)

7. Writing. I want to blog about the writing, but nothing coheres into firm thought, just the usual angst-ridden blether. I’m finishing a poetry collection right now, mostly on young motherhood, and memory. And I’m continually writing and rewriting these stories in the Nicaragua book, and wondering how many more years will be wasted/usefully applied in pursuit of that book, and whether perhaps the subject is just too loaded and therefore doomed. Perhaps I will understand more clearly when this draft is done, but if experience has taught me anything … no, I won’t.

8. What was that about daily gratitude? Here’s a little life lesson: it is infinitely easier to be grateful for and to love my children than to be grateful for and to love my other creative outlet of writing. I have such a simple relationship with my children, despite the minute complexities. I just love them. I trust my instincts about them, and have never questioned this journey we’re on together. But the writing … I love it and crave it and need it; and hate it and resent it and agonize over it. I haven’t yet discovered the antidote.

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About me

My name is Carrie Snyder. I work in an elementary school library. I’m a fiction writer, reader, editor, dreamer, arts organizer, workshop leader, forever curious. Currently pursuing a certificate in conflict management and mediation. I believe words are powerful, storytelling is healing, and art is for everyone.

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