Monthly Archive for November, 2007

Scottish Shortbread Recipe

Published
by
Cat
on November 30, 2007
in Blog and Recipe
. 1 Comment

This Scottish Shortbread Recipe (no, it’s not Scotch as some like to say) is soooo easy!!! I was skeptical when made them yesterday, as they seemed to good to be true, but they are so tasty, and so easy! I swear, I think my 3-year-old could make these himself if only he could read! :-D

Truly decadent and buttery, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are sure to be a crowd pleaser this Christmas! I took them to a church gathering yesterday, and they were gone quickly!

Scottish Shortbread

1 Cup White Sugar

1 tsp. water

1 Pound Butter, softened

4 Cups White All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

Put sugar in bowl, and sprinkle with the teaspoon of water. Cream in butter until well blended. Add flour and salt, and mix in until the mixture is crumbly. Press into a 9X13 ungreased cake pan, and poke holes about every inch or so. Bake in a 275 degrees oven for 1 hour, until top edges are a light golden colour. Cut into squares with a pizza cutter. Yum!

Febrile Seizures: Information for Parents

Published
by
Cat
on November 15, 2007
in Blog
. 9 Comments

Yesterday was simultaneously the worst and best day ever. The entire story of how the day unfolded could be told in many ways, all of which would take quite a long time, but I will sum up by saying in short, that Gwyneth had a Febrile Seizure, and it was the scariest thing my husband and I have ever witnessed!

I wanted to provide parents with some information on Febrile Seizures, what they are, and how to cope if one happens to your child. The paramedics and doctors all told us the same thing “they are so much more scary to witness than they are to experience” but that almost seems like cold comfort after seeing the condition of our young daughter yesterday morning.

Febrile seizures occur most commonly in very young children, usually between the ages of one year and six years of age. They usually come on suddenly following the rapid increase in a fever. The fever does not necessarily need to be extremely high, but it is the actual sudden increase that appears to cause them to happen.

There seems to be more instances of Febrile Seizures within families (there are seizures on both sides of our family) and eventually, they are outgrown.

In Gwyneth’s case, she had two “mini-seizures” as I have been calling them, followed later by a massive Febrile Seizure in which she went limp, shook, bubbled and twitched at the mouth, and briefly, stopped breathing and turned blue! It was absolutely horrific to witness, helpless as I waited for the 911 dispatcher to talk us through how to cope until the Paramedics arrived (which was simply to place her in the recovery position until help arrived)

She seems so much better today, after some tests and many hours at the hospital yesterday, accompanied by prayer from concerned family and friends, all of whom I want to thank from the bottom of my heart. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. The phone didn’t stop ringing yesterday with offers of help, and prayer. God Bless all of you for that!

I am keeping a close eye on her however, in case this is to happen again. I sure hope not!

If you would like more information on Febrile Seizures, this link might be useful.

Giving Back

Published
by
Cat
on November 4, 2007
in Blog
. 0 Comments

Ball

Since moving to Guelph (and especially since the birth of our children) I have been overwhelmed at the kindness shown to our family by our friends and even people I only *just* met and later became friends with through a women’s group I attend. It amazed me when Gwyneth was born, when my Grandmother passed away and when we moved, the number of offers of freshly prepared meals, help with the baby, packing, moving, and the visits (all with gifts in hand) Thinking about these totally unnecessary but such welcome acts of kindness and generosity still makes me smile.

At the time I remember thinking “I want to give back” and since that time, a few of these people have had babies, or life events that have provided me an opportunity to give back to them, but I want to do so much more.

Recently on Freecycle (a local Yahoo group that offers unused/unneeded items to others so that they do not go to waste) I noticed a post that caught my eye. It was about a local woman who is struggling to make ends meet as she copes with a sudden separation from her husband. The message said that she has 4 small children. I wrote back to the person who had posted looking for items for her children, and was amazed to learn that I actually know this person…Guelph is indeed a “small town” afterall! Today I purchased some toys for her children, and hope to help her with some clothing and home-cooked food this Christmas.

The Christmas season is already upon us. This weekend, we were in several stores where the sights and sounds of the holidays were all around us. I happily shopped, and enjoyed my time as I always do at this time of the year. Indeed, it is so easy to forget and get caught up in the moment, that there are people that struggle.

This Christmas, make a point of giving. Do something nice for someone you know, or even someone you don’t! Someone you think could use the help, or even just someone who deserves it. Play Secret Santa, and deliver a Christmas stocking to someone anonymously. Make meals or do some baking for some special people that have done kind deeds for you. Give extra money to a favorite charity or chose more than one to donate to this year. Our family likes to remember the “furry friends” at the Humane Society and take in a donation of food and treats. Local charities can always use help of money, supplies or even your time.

Give back this Christmas…remember those around you that might not have as much. Such a small thing to do, with such a profound impact on someone else’s life. Pay it forward. It feels so good.