Coconut Macaroons

This recipe is from Ina Garten.  It's simple to follow.

These are Tony's favorite!

Ingredients

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Antique Cupboards and Armoires for Storage

I have many antique cupboards and armoires that I use for storage in my house.  If you need storage pieces, consider looking at your local antique shop or thrift store for the right sized piece.  Here are some examples of what we use to store everyday items.

This is the bottom of a "Stepback" cupboard in my foyer.  I keep cards, stationery, maps, batteries, music...
lots of stuff in baskets here.

This is where I keep my Fiesta everyday dishes in the kitchen.  The glass doors are perfect for finding the right dish - and the colors are pretty!

Also in my kitchen, I have a huge armoire...look what amazing storage this provides.  I used to have to store this stuff all over the house.  Now it's all in the kitchen where it belongs.

This is a small cupboard that fits in a nook near my kitchen.  I call this the "landing pad." It houses our phone, cookbooks, candles, note pads, pens and pencils, and my junk-mail bowl. 

Here's a Barrister Bookcase where we keep all our classic novels.  If we read a book we really like and want to keep, this is where it goes.  It fits along a wall between
2 bedroom doors.

In one of our bedrooms I use this antique music cupboard instead of a dresser for guests.  It has 3 shelves inside and fits nicely in the corner and takes advantage of the height.

Thank You Notes

Not long ago I was sweetly surprised to receive 3 lovely Thank You notes from 3 special people.

The first one was from a friend.  She made this lovely notecard by hand-pressing leaves onto card stock.  It's a beautiful piece of art!

The second one was from my daughter-in-law.  The heartfelt sentiments are so special to me.  She also makes her own cards.  They are each unique and lovely.  This one is still on my counter and keeps encouraging me!

The last one was a note from a student of mine.  This young man is very special and has made lots of progress in his English learning.  I do my job with all my heart whether students notice it or not, but it's nice to know he's thankful.

In this age of texting and emailing, I still LOVE to send and receive paper cards and notes.

Is there someone you could thank today?  You won't regret sending a note to someone special!