Maryann's Musings

  Over one hundred degree temperatures, 90% humidity, and a beautiful double layer cake with fluffy white icing oozing out of the middle from the extreme temperatures. This is just one part of my experiences cooking in West Africa.    Every soup, every pancake, every biscuit, every baked good is an adventure. I have had many absolute fails that I was extremely upset about.  These fails now make a good laugh and an interesting story.    The difference between cooking in West Africa and America is this: ingredients available. Yes, there may be chocolate chips at the store every three months if  you are willing to pay $20 for the little bag.    I don't use chocolate chips. I don't use whipping cream. We don't put cheese in our Macaroni&Cheese. We don't use smooth, processed peanut butter because it is too expensive as an imported item; we use the more challenging natural peanut butter 😡 from locally grown peanut fields. ...

   After making some Oatmeal Cookies for our Bible Study, one of my sweet, amazing viewers requested that I post the recipe on my blog. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of them before they were all devoured ravenously  eaten. Also, this is not the direct recipe from the cook book; I modified the recipe to our limited amount of ingredients and my personal preference. For instance, we only had so much brown sugar, so I substituted honey and white sugar.  I added nutmeg as well. Everyone loved it, so I must have done something right. But here's the recipe, with much love to Aunt Danna :)   Maryann's Oatmeal Cookies    3/4 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening    1 & 3/4 cups of all-purpose white flour    1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)    1/3 cup honey (to overflowing)    1&1/2 cups white sugar    1 egg    1 teaspoon triple-action baking powder    1 teaspo...