Sunday, February 27, 2011

"Mom, I can I make gingersnaps?"

This was my trusty cookbook, and its pages are stained with flour, molasses, ginger, even crusty pieces of dough. It is torn, worn and well loved. Baking was so fun!

Ok, so by the third tray of cookies one became a bit tired of rolling little balls and pressing each with a sugar-dipped fork. The Clara Barton recipe made an enormous batch of cookies. But they sure were good. The key was to rescue them from the oven when they were about 95% cooked, and to let them finish baking right on the rack.

No, if I'm keeping it real I will tell you that I laid the cookies directly on the counter top. I will tell you, too, that at that point I had consumed so much of the batter that I could care less about tasting the cookies. Not to worry. There were lots of willing Samplers nearby. Gingersnaps. I could go for some now.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

When Lubna Prays

A stone pulled to earth
a flower bowed to sun
with solemness of snow
as particles make One

Inching over oceans
her ship is eastward bound
and what will be is inshallah
lost and lost then found

Her whispers hit her fingertips
her eyes of steady gaze
a bowing flower
rooted stone
is Lubna when she prays.