She's got Moxy !

Moxy’s got a lot of moxy. She’s a real get up and go Ugly, with far more energy than he older brother OX. Why the big antennas? Moxy uses them to pick up signals from all over. Just the other day, OX gave the signal for them to remove any chocolate based substances from the fridge. Moxy is very curious about YOU. What’s up with you? Why don’t your toes point towards each other? Please discuss.

Moxi is the latest Ugly Doll in our collection.Available now at Tuesdays and Thursdays

Curious George Valentine Fun Pack Now At Tuesdays And Thursdays

One of the things that many of our customers soon realize is that we at Tuesdays And Thursdays do things a little bit differently than other companies - that's because we know, with a little planning, the most ordinary days can be made extraordinary.
We know we have some hard core Curious George fans amongst our customers - that's why we started carrying the Curious George Valentine Fun Packs as soon as they were available. Most retailers are not going to start offering these until sometime after their Christmas rush - PISH! We've got 'em, we know you love Curious George, so here they are!Adorable tote-style Valentine Fun Pack: Each sturdy paper tote with acetate window includes twenty 4 ¼" x 4 ¼" valentine cards (5 each of 4 designs), a Teacher’s card, 21 envelopes, and 30 stickers. Kids will love decorating these cards for schoolmates and delivering them to class in these original carryalls!
Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Words That Should Be In The Dictionary : KateMoss

Note the unique spelling of this verb, unlike traditional English spelling, the third consonant is capitalized as a reference to the origin of the word.

KateMoss – verb – to throw up, to vomit, to pray to the porcelain God; from the 1990’s supermodel Kate Moss who was believed to have actively engage in bulimia, now used to describe any act in which stomach contents are expelled.

After a wild Halloween and too much candy, our Jack-O-Lantern KateMossed all over the guest ensuite

Piatnik Jigsaw Puzzles - Timeless Fun At Tuesdays And Thursdays

The jigsaw-puzzle was invented more than 200 years ago, initially for purely pedagogic reasons. In 1767, in order to familiarize his pupils with the geography of their country, the English teacher, John Spilsbury, cut up a map into several pieces, to be re-assembled again by his protégés. Spilsbury`s idea was successful and was soon copied by teachers teaching other subjects.
With time, the teaching aid turned into a popular sparetime activity. Pictures of idyllic scenes, landscapes and picturesque buildings were glued on wooden boards, which were then sawn into several pieces in order to re-assemble them again. This explains the English name "jigsaw" puzzle! The first puzzles were made of cedar-wood or mahagony. Later on soft woods were used and, finally, plywood.


Not until the 1960's were puzzles made of cardboard produced which are as good a quality as expensive wooden puzzles. This new production method suddenly made it possible to produce puzzles everybody could afford. Many different puzzles began to appear and started what could be called a real puzzle boom. Nowadays millions of pictures are punched into small pieces every year in order to be reassembled again by patient puzzle players. PIATNIK puzzles are made of a special high-quality cardboard and sold worldwide.


Piantnik Puzzles are now a part of the fun at Tuesdays And Thursdays!

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

The Hungry Caterpillar Hand Puppet

Now Available At Tuesdays And Thursdays



Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Recycled Paper Christmas Cards - Made In The USA

TOO FAR Christmas Cards

Pack of 10 Cards and Envelopes

Face of Card reads "When Green Movement Goes TOO FAR" and features a Christmas Tree topped with an energy efficient light bulb. Inside reads "Put A Star on th Tree and Have A Happy Holiday"

Made in the USA using recycled paper with at least 50% post consumer content. Recycled paper used for both the cards and envelopes. Created by renoned Virginia artist Amy Smyth.

Find more brilliantly funny cards and whimsical invitations from Amy Smith in our store.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Monday Monday

Monday Monday - So Good To Me !

How many other days carry the same wonder and excitement as Mondays? Oh the excitement, oh the possibilities.

Sure its back to work for most people, but if you do what you love, and shouldn't we all be trying to do what we love, it really isn't work is it ? But even if work is one something that is a part of our lives as we wait for the next chapter of our lives to begin, think of all the possibilities Monday presents:

There are no phone calls from yesterday that are waiting to be returned, no pile of work that seems to follow from one day to the next, no frustration over having had to work late the night before.

Just possibilities. Chances to grow. And achieve. And succeed.

Monday Monday - So Good To Me !

Yes, You Can

Just think where you can take yourself if you put as much energy and creativity into manifesting your goals, as you do procrastinating and avoiding them!

Self-sabotage behavior has been described as an internal “tug-of-war” between having a desire to do and feeling as if one cannot achieve.


People hear themselves say “I want to do this, but I can’t” all the time. This is their inner conflict, their self-sabotage. Much of this comes from childhood, a combination of family and teachers putting trying to put people in neat little boxes where they "should" be. As one understands more about themself they see how they have nurtured this mindset.

YOU CAN DO THIS.

Inspiration From London

I first heard Proud on a Virgin flilght from LAX to LON. The promotional video was a part of the successful Back The Bid campaign showcasing London for the 2012 Olympics. Heather Small - Proud ... What Have You Done Today To Make You Feel Proud ?

Monday Monday

Monday Monday - So Good To Me !

How many other days carry the same wonder and excitement as Mondays? Oh the excitement, oh the possibilities.

Sure its back to work for most people, but if you do what you love, and shouldn't we all be trying to do what we love, it really isn't work is it ? But even if work is one something that is a part of our lives as we wait for the next chapter of our lives to begin, think of all the possibilities Monday presents:

There are no phone calls from yesterday that are waiting to be returned, no pile of work that seems to follow from one day to the next, no frustration over having had to work late the night before.

Just possibilities. Chances to grow. And achieve. And succeed.

Monday Monday - So Good To Me !

A Pearl From Alice Walker

“Anyone can observe the Sabbath, but making it holy surely takes the rest of the week.”- Alice Walker

Words We Love : Raconteur

Raconteur


noun

a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly

In keeping with our goal of making ordinary days extraordinary, from time to time we will be adding more new, interesting, and sometimes forgotten, words to the Tuesdays And Thursdays blog roll.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

On The Tuesdays And Thursdays Bookshelf : Bottlemania by Elizabeth Royte

"With sales having already surpassed those of milk and beer, and second now only to soda, bottled water is on the verge of becoming the most popular beverage in the country. Only now, with the bottled water industry trading in billions of dollars, have we begun to question the environmental and social fall out of what we're drinking."
"Elizabeth Royte finds the people, machines, economies, and cultural trends that bring bottled water from nature to our supermarkets. As she visits filtration plants and natural springs, Royte lays out the issues that surround the seemingly simple matter of what we ought to drink: Who owns the water that flows underground, and is it right for corporations to profit from it? How do the manufacture, transportation, and disposal of plastic water bottles affect the environment? Is the stuff coming from our taps okay to drink? If not, what can we do to make our water safe and tasty? And while everyone acknowledges that we must protect public water supplies from pollution, what should we do about privatization?"--BOOK JACKET.

Bottlemania is one of those books that not only left us in shock because something so simple and necessary for life, water, has become a commodity, but also many resouces including oil are used to bring us "branded water." We're all about making ordinary days extraordinary, but the folks who bring us bottled water have taken that concept to an extreme. (So run out to the local Barnes and Noble and pick up a copy today; and in the meantime, spend a little of that money that eventually would have been flushed in our store - 'cause we really make ordinary days extraordinary!)

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit Blocks - Now At Tuesdays And Thursdays

Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit is there with his blue jacket in one scene, with Flopsy and Mopsy and Cotton-tail, plus Jemima Puddle-Duck, Tom Kitten and Benjamin Bunny.

Enjoy these sweet illustrations, which have been bringing delight to parents and small children since 1902! The block set contains 9 2-inch cubes, with each side forming the parts of six different puzzle pictures. They're also fun to use as building blocks! Comes packaged in a sturdy box with sliding drawer. Made for ages 3+.

The Peter Rabbit Puzzle Blocks are available at Tuesdays And Thursdays.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Making Ordinary Getaways Extraordinary : Virgin Atlantic Airlines

Making Ordinary Days Smashingly Extraordinary
Sometimes the best way to make an ordinary day extraodinary requires getting away from it all. Our favourite places to get away usually can be reached on Virgin Atlantic

Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe from Caprial Pence

Back in the 1990's I discovered Caprial Pence. She has had her own PBS series and has also hosted Caprial and John's kitchen with her husband. She has authored several cookbooks including American Bistro Fare.

One of my favourite American Bistro Fare recipes, and one that I have made several times (so much so that I no longer need the recipe) is Pumpkin Bread Pudding. It's a great twist on the classic Pumpkin Pie and sure to become a favourite everywhere.


1 baguette, diced (I have found that a variety of day old white bread works well too)
1 cup toasted pecans (a few times toasted chopped filberts have gone over really well)
2 1/2 cups half and half
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree (the Libby's in the can works great)
3/4 cup sugar (white sugar is fine, but everything tastes better with Turbinado sugar)
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablesppon crystallized ginger (rough chopped ginger, so that the pieces about the size of M&M's seems to be what produces the best results)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (grate your own - the flavour will be amazing!)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

The original recipe calls for a 10-inch springform pan, but I have found that well greased 8 or 9 inch square baking pans work well too. Place the diced bread in the pan, sprinkle the toasted pecans over the bread as evenly as possible.

In a medium bowl mix half and half, pumpkin, and 3/4 cup sugar. Then add brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ground and crystallized ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.

Pour this mixture over the bread and mix well. Let stand about 20 minutes so the bread can absorb the pumpkin mixture. Give it a quick mix again just before placing it in the oven.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Caprial's recipes have made many of my Ordinary Days Extraordinary so without hesitation, I highly recommend heading to your local book seller to check out American Bistro Fare as well as Caprial's other books.

Sometimes

Sometimes in order to move forward we have to stop looking back, move away from the known and comfortable, all we have to do is keep moving on, even if we feel uncomfortable, vulnerable again, you may never feel ready to move on, but you have to, because that’s how we grow, and growing is what it’s all about.

Tuscan Blood Orange Solid Perfume by Pacifica

TUSCAN BLOOD ORANGE solid perfume by Pacifica

Blood orange is loved for it's absence of bitterness with rich, juicy flavor and bright raspberry and strawberry notes. Italian sweet oranges flesh out this naturally beautiful essence.

Pacifica perfumes are formulated with natural to be paraben-free and vegan using the highest quality botanical ingredients and our signature Pacifica fragrance blends with essential oils. Pacifica body care and candle products are all made in the USA.


So what's so deal with blood oranges? A favorite of many orange connoisseurs, the blood orange, with its sweet, deep red flesh, is believed to be the result of a mutation that occurred in 17th-century Italy.

Grown for centuries in the Sicilian region, the orange plays a very important cultural role in Italy. Oranges are used in foods, drinks, liquors, and celebrated at festivals. A red streaked sky at sunset is known as a "blood orange sky." The scent of oranges also evokes images of Tuscany, the heart of medieval Italy. Boasting enchanted towns such as Florence, Pisa, and Siena, Tuscany is littered with castles, the ruins of walled villages, and landscapes doted with orange trees that can be detected in the slightest of sea breezes. Additionally, the blood orange is used as an antidepressant, aphrodisiac, and in various tonics.


Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Magnetic Poetry Stand Now At Tuesdays And Thursdays

Take a break from work or study and create poetry from the comfort of your couch or desk with this portable, all in one Magnetic Poetry kit. Included are an eclectic collection of over 200 word tiles (including dizzy, garden, giggle, lunch, music and ricochet), a portable 10 x 13" metal board and a sturdy base—everything you need for spontaneous wordplay.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Model T

"Whether You Think You Can, Or Think You Cannot, Either Way You Are Right" - Henry Ford It's funny how we are truly able to create our own reality, not creating castles in the sky fantasy creation, but the important things, like being happy, feeling good about the things around us. Spending the day in bed, glued to the television, is not going to change how we feel, or what we become. It is by thinking about the possibilities, formulating them in our minds world, then going out and doing them - that is what will create change.

Growing up we've all seen students who were determined to go to University, they didn't know which schools they would attend, most didn't have a clue where the money would come from, and despite set backs along the way, they persevered. Somehow in adulthood we lose that blind ambition, that chasing after a goal that is in the distance.

Lectures about 'being dreamers' or 'being practical' from family members distract us, our desire to not step too far outside the box reigns in our dreams - often too much, our own need for approval leads to self doubt. All of that needs to be ignored. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. We have the power within us to do it.

Jeero at the Soup Kitchen

Jeero spent some time last week at the Marys and Marthas Soup Kitchen at Christ Church in Belleville NJ.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one in ten households in the United States experiences hunger or the risk of hunger. Many frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for an entire day. Approximately 25 million people, including 9.9 million children, have substandard diets or must resort to seeking emergency food because they cannot always afford the food they need. In the past year, the demand for hunger assistance has increased by 40%, and research shows that hundreds of hungry children and adults are turned away from food banks each year because of lack of resources.

Tuesdays And Thursdays supports local food programs with donations by our staff as well as allowing staff to volunteer at local soup kitchens during business hours. Sadly for many Americans a meal is what makes an ordinary day extraordinary - we encourage our customers to suport food programs in their area as much as possible.

Carmen Performs At Tuesdays And Thursdays

One of the greatest French Operas, 'Carmen' (1875) tells the story of a beautiful gypsy with a fiery temper who leads many men to their downfall. Escomillo, Don Jose, Carmen and the Bull! Comes with a music box inside that plays the Toreador song, too! This is a teriffic little puppet set. Each Puppet is approx. 4" tall.
Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Hot Hugs by Aromahome

Hot Hugs by Aromahome are made with the highest quality supersoft fabrics. These adorable animals contain an easily removable natural wheat filled tummy insert. The tummy insert has been infused with lavender and camomile pure essential oil to help soothe and calm your little ones at bed time. Simply heat the insert in a microwave to enjoy a lovely warm cuddle. As well as being great huggable hotties they also make terrific toys.

The fun packaging makes them a perfect gift, so give someone special to you a lovely Hot Hug. Inserts are made with 100% cotton.

Product is filled with natural wheat grain and pure essential oils Outer cover can be removed and cleaned per instructions Follow heating instructions on packaging and on calico wheat bag; In time aroma may need replenishing, add a few drops of pure essential oil onto the cushion after heating.

When seated, the Hot Hugs are about 11 inches tall.

Hot Hugs are made in California and the United Kingdom. So far all of the merchandise we have received has come from California, so in addition to finding a great gift, you can feel great about supporting jobs and industry in the US!

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

A New Way To Show Thanfulness - Amy Smyth Made It

Why not start a tradition of showing your friends and family that they are one of the many things for which you are thankful by starting a new tradition and sending a Thanksgiving Card?

Face of card reads " Thanksgiving Reminder: Remain Perky" Inside reads: "Even after Turkey, Happy Thanksgiving"


Package of 10 Cards and Envelopes made in the USA with recylced paper. Created by renowed Virginia artist Amy Smyth. Find more of Amy's brilliant cards and invitations in our store.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Big Toe Little Uglydoll

Now Available atTuesdays and Thursdays

Q E I I ??

So what does her Majesty Elizabeth II have in her purse ?

Could it be an iPod ?

Greggo Magnets Join The Fun At Tuesdays And Thursdays

Taking fridge magnets a notch above the usual, Greggo Magnets creates themed magnet sets for the artist and intellectual just waiting to express themselves on everyone's favourite home appliance!

The die-cut images are printed on a 7" x 9" ;sheet - ready for you to pop out and express your own magnetic personality.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Daylight Savings Time Ends 1 November 2008 In The United States

Of course Daylight Savings Time means one thing - my seasonal obsession with reminding people to change the batteries in their smoke detectors - watch for the endless posting of smoke detector reminders coming to a blog near you !

Velveteen Rabbit Gift Set

The Velveteen Rabbit is a children's novel written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner. The book was first published in 1922 and has been republished many times since.

Our Velveteen Rabbit is designed with elegantly simple lines, a shimmery velveteen coat, soft creme anglaise colored spots, and a snow-white belly. Pink satin ears, button-thread whiskers, sparkling eyes with embroidered trim, hand-stitched details, and a silky chenille tail complete this masterpiece.

This complete package holds a Velveteen Rabbit soft toy and a smaller soft cover version of the original The Velveteen Rabbit book, perfect for easy presentation.

The Velveteen Rabit is surface washable. Air dry, rabbits do not enjoy being tumble dryed.

The rabbit stands about 8 inches tall - his ears add about another 1 or so to his height.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Magnetic Poetry - Now Available At Tuesdays And Thursdays

It all started with a song and a sneeze. Dave Kapell, founder of Magnetic Poetry, was suffering from writer's block while trying to compose song lyrics. To overcome this problem, he wrote down interesting words on pieces of paper and rearranged them, looking for inspiration. What he hadn't figured into this experiment was his allergies. One good sneeze and any progress was sent flying across the room. Dave decided to glue the words to pieces of magnets and stick them to a pizza tin. Then he got hungry and the now magnetized words made their way to the refrigerator door. Before too long, Dave wasn't the only one rearranging his would-be song lyrics. When friends came over, Dave noticed they started to move the magnets around, amusing themselves by writing the first magnetic poems.

After seeing his friends having fun, Dave thought he might be able to sell his word kits at a local craft fair. He made up 100 kits and set up shop at Calhoun Square, a mall in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. All 100 kits were gone after 3 hours. That night, he recruited as many friends as pizza and beer could draw and made up more kits--all of which sold as rapidly the next day.

From these beginnings, Magnetic Poetry® has now sold over three million word kits, over one billion word tiles--growing from the Original Kit to a kid's line of kits, to foreign language kits, to Voice/theme kits.

And since March 2008 Magnetic Poetry has been a part of Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days (and refrigerators) Extraordinary

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Words We Love : Maverick

Mav”er*ick\ n. In the southwestern part of the United States, a bullock or heifer that has not been branded, and is unclaimed or wild;—said to be from Maverick, the name of a cattle owner in Texas who neglected to brand his cattle.


In keeping with our goal of making ordinary days extraordinary, from time to time we will be adding more new, interesting, and sometimes forgotten, words to the Tuesdays And Thursdays blog roll. Look for more of them in the coming weeks!


Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Bergino Handmade Baseballs - New York City Map Now At Tuesdays and Thursdays

On the ball highlights include: Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Greenwich Village, Soho, Little Italy, Chinatown, Financial District, South Street Seaport, Brooklyn Bridge...

Handmade to professional standards. Unique gloss wraparound artwork.

Includes clear plastic cylinder packaging.

Availbable now at Tuesdays And Thursdays

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Badly Drawn Boy's "All Possibilities" - A Great Song For Clean Slate Mondays!

All possibilities
Are landing at my feet
There's nothing I can see
But possibilities

All colours are changing in my eyes
Your hopes are all fading, that will never do
You're seeing the world through cynical eyes
I'm seeing the world through the eyes of somebody new
Oh there's a hope left, there's a dream still in my heart
Look past the answers, there's a chance that
there's no rulebook for this love

All possibilities
Are landing at my feet
There's nothing I can see
But possibilities

All the colours are changing in my eyes
Your hopes are all fading, that will never do
You're seeing the world through cynical eyes
I'm seeing the world through the eyes of somebody new

Oh there's a hope left, there's a dream still in my heart
Look past the answers, there's a chance that
there's no rulebook for this love

Wizards Castle Jumbo Colorform Set

Open the tote and unfold hours of imaginative play!




This 9" x 9" carry-along tote includes 80+ reusable stickers and a jumbo 3-foot play scene that can be played flat or folded as a stand-up play environment. All items fit easily into the tote for play again and again.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Albert Einstein Little Thinker Are you tired of all those cute but essentially brainless "beanie" dolls? The folks over at the Unemployed Philosophers Guild were too, so to offset that trend they designed the "Little Thinkers" line of beanie toys. Let the Little Thinkers add a little culture and humor to your life - or even to the students in your life! 11" tall and oh, so smart! Now available at Tuesdays And Thursdays!

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

Finding a coulourful solmate at Tuesdays And Thursdays

Life is too short for matching socks, especially when you can wear these fun and beautiful socks! Multipatterned and colorful mismatched socks for children, adults, and now babies from Vermont's Socklady.

Marianne Wakerlin, the Socklady is the founder and owner of Sol Mate Socks. The company is named after her mom, Sunny, who taught Marianne how to knit. Marianne continued to knit for the next 40 years, but it wasn’t until she started knitting socks that her real passion was born.

"I found it exhilarating, designing a pair of socks that didn't match and were knit in random patterns with multiple colors. I loved my finished socks!" Within a few years Marianne had knit over one hundred pairs of socks for family and friends, and she decided to turn her hobby into a business. Her colorful and complex patterns are knit in the USA at a family owned knitting mill, hand finished and mismatched.

Solmate Socks are a part of the fun at Tuesdays and Thursdays

Ginger Tea

Ginger Tea : Makes 6 Servings

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger

6 cups water



2 tablesppons honey or brown sugar

lemon wedges for garnish if desired

In a saucepan, simmer ginger and water 20 minutes, or longer for stronger tea.

Add honey or sugar and strain tea through a sieve set over a teapot. Serve tea garnish with lemon wedges.

Celebrate New York City At Tuesdays And Thursdays

Take a ride on the E train, or the number 4, or how about the A train? We love New York,New York - after all it's a city so nice they had to name it twice! New to Tuesdays and Thursdays is the 500 piece New York City Subway map. Created by New Yorkers (Brooklynites actually), the puzzle joins our list of fun gifts celebrating the Big Apple. Find the New York Subway map puzzle, and other great puzzles, at Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary

The Remedy is a Winner at Williams Sonoma !

The latest collection of cocktail mixes at Williams-Sonoma include some bases on modern classics from Manhattan's sophisto-hot-spot Eleven Madison Park. Perfect with frozen vodka, “the Remedy” is a mix of pure honey and spiced ginger, brightened with fresh lemon. Sheer brilliance and a winner no matter what ails you!

Every once in a while we run across something sold elsewhere that, because it has made our ordinary days extraordinary, we feel compelled to share. Find the Remedy at your nearest Williams Sonoma store or online at Williams-Sonoma.com

Pepto Bismol Haiku

Nausea Heartburn

Indigestion, An Upset

Stomach Di’rhea

Now Playing On The Tuesdays And Thursdays iPod : Morcheeba / Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

you and me ... were meant to be ... walking free ... in harmony ... one fine day ... we'll run away ... don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day ...

We don't sell music but Morcheeba, and more particularly lead vocalist Skyy Edwards, have made some of our ordinary days extraordinary, so we had to share!

Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookies

Michelle Obama’s Shortbread Cookies

The recipe comes courtesy of Mama Kaye, the godmother of both Obama daughters. Orange and lemon zest gives the squares plenty of citrus zing.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Amaretto (almond liqueur)
1 teaspoon each orange and lemon zest
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg white
Chopped nuts or dried fruit (optional)

Method:
Heat oven to 325°.

Line a 17 x 12 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. In large bowl, cream together butter and 11/2 cups of the sugar.

Slowly add egg yolks, and beat well until smooth. Beat in Amaretto and zest.
Stir in flour and salt until combined.

Spread dough evenly into prepared pan, flattening as smoothly as possible.
Brush top of dough with egg white; sprinkle with nuts or fruit (if using) and with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until brown, turn off oven and allow cookies to sit in oven (with door ajar) for 15 minutes. Cut while slightly warm.

Yields: 6 dozen 2" x 3" cookies

Magnetic Poetry Gardener Edition - Now at Tuesdays And Thursdays

Grow your language with the Gardener Kit. A fun collection of over 240 environmentally friendly words like bouquet, sanctuary, fecund, bloom, and thrive. Now available at Tuesdays And Thursdays!

Tuesdays and Thursdays - Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary