Here we are whizzing through March at breakneck speed and spring has now officially arrived. 😊
Even if it had not arrived on the calendar it has come for me since I actually heard GEESE flying over this week. Woo Hoo!!! I didn’t actually get a chance tosee them as I had a sleeping puppy on my lap and was working at the kitchen table but I hope to rectify the situation very soon since seeing Canada Geese in flight both in autumn and spring is one of my most favourite magical experiences.
Tuesday evening we held our monthly Day Camp committee meeting and we now have TEN Team Applications on file!!!! This is AMAZING and proves that having a March 15thdeadline does actually impel some people to apply early 😊
As soon as Jessica has had time to format the new Team Planners I will be able to begin sending out acceptance letters.
On a slightly gloomier note, we have heard that there is now a strong possibility the Retreat Week Commissioning Gathering will NOT be able to take place at St. Matthias Church, the venue we will be using that week for all daytime workshops. This is a big problem as there are all sorts of logistics to consider if we need to move people to another space that evening. Much prayer will be needed and a willingness to continue thinking outside the box!!
Wednesday I devoted several hours to “Part 2” of my 4 part baking and cooking schedule for the Retreat. This time I made Chocolate-dipped Almond Biscotti, Vanilla–Coconut Macaroons and Lemon Bars; 4 dozen of each recipe! It feels good to already be stashing food away for the Retreat.
Both Thursday and yesterday I had mini-meetings over lunch with 2 of the committee members as sometimes it is just great to cover territory one-on –one and also it allows time to hear what is happening in peoples’ lives beyond the world of Day Camps. Ha!
Many hours this week have also been devoted to preparing material for the CTM Annual General Meeting, happening here tomorrow afternoon. With our President having been out of the country for the past 2 weeks it has proven next to impossible to finalise such things as the meeting agenda or to print out copies of the annual reports for those who will attend. We have an account with a neighbourhood copy centre to whom I usually send the documents but they’re not open on Saturdays and the small office printer cannot handle that volume of copies without rapidly running out of ink so with the meeting looming on tomorrow’s horizon I’m still not sure what will happen. AGH!!!
At least we did get the draft of our Lent/Spring Newsletter completed; it is currently being proofread and should go out this weekend.
Outside of the CTM world we also had my boarder, Steven’s, cousin Beth staying from Tuesday to Thursday as she was in Montreal to meet with a professor at Concordia University about a possible Master’s Program. Beth is a lovely young woman and Steven, Thomason, Mandu and I all enjoyed her brief visit.
Somehow, with everything else going on, I also managed to complete my first dozen Pysanky and to get started on the second dozen AND I finished the two Birthday Crowns for my Godsons although I still haven’t found a way to get them to Ottawa in time for Alexander’s birthday, next Tuesday 😒. Then last evening I finally completed the 6 knitted chickens I seem to have been working on for ages! They are going to be part of the Easter Baskets I give to the families of my Godchildren so it is good to check that item off a very long “to-do” list.
This morning I’m working on a catering order of baked goods for a breakfast happening Monday morning for staff members from Christian Direction and at some point Pippa and her three kiddos will be dropping by since the children still have not had the pleasure of meeting Thomason 😊
So I had better wrap this up and start working on two kinds of Gluten-Free Muffins, Rhubarb & Raspberry Biscuits and some Herbed Cheddar Scones The Gluten-Free Chocolate/Peanut Muffins are so good whether or not you need to eat gluten-free so I thought I would share the recipe today.
Chocolate/Peanut GF Muffins
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
4 Tbsps. honey
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Place the bananas, peanut butter, eggs and honey in a large bowl and beat with a hand-mixer until smooth. Ad the cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and beat well. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon.
Using a small ice cream scoop divide the batter between 12 lined muffin cups.
Bake in a 350º preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. These freeze well (if there are any leftovers 😊)
I tested it at our end with no difficulting loading. Sorry to hear you had problems.