Groundhog's Day Cookies

I believe that Groundhog Day is one of the more underrated holidays. It seems to be celebrated only in North America, and despite lending its name to a Bill Murray movie, it lacks the international recognition it so dearly deserves. Yes, a few very hip, trendy, and groundhog-aware cities do their best to drum up enthusiasm for the holiday, but, for the most part, there is a serious lack of groundhog day parties, parades, picnics, pastries, percussion performances, poetry readings, and week-long festivals devoted to the furry little weatherman. In an effort to make this holiday a little more exciting, I started the tradition of baking groundhog's day cookies and giving them to my friends. I am sure that in a year or two, everyone will be joining in and bestowing groundhog gifts, treats, and cards on family and friends. Can annual Groundhog Day dances and traditional Groundhog Day fireworks displays lighting up the chilly winter sky be far off? Groundhog Day or Candlemas is the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It is believed that bright, clear weather on February 2nd meant 6 more weeks of winter weather. If it's gloomy and overcast, then spring is just around the corner. In Germany, hibernating hedgehogs were watched to see if they stayed out of their burrows on Candlemas or if they returned to catch a few more winks. eventually, Germans settled in hedgehog-free neighborhoods in North America. Lucky for them, the plucky woodchuck, who has always shown a great aptitude for meteorology, stepped right up to fill in the shoes of its European cousin. The next thing you know, the woodchucks have adopted the stage name of "groundhogs" and lobbied to have the name "Candlemas" changed to Groundhog Day. The rest is history. Here's how to whip up a batch of groundhog day cookies!  let me start by saying that no groundhogs are actually use in the recipe.  every holiday needs a tasty cookie! this little recipe for groundhog's day cookies is actually from my english friend judith and they are perfect to have warm during your groundhog's day festivities or winding down after a big day of groundhog's day activities. as you can see, i have assembled all that i need, 1 egg, candied fruit, flour, sugar, butter, spices, a bowl and milk. first i preheat my oven to 350 degrees (that's 190C degrees or gas mark 5).  now I get my nice shiny mixing bowl and pour in one cup of self rising flour. next i add half a teaspoon each of mixed spice and cinnamon to the flour and stir it all together. did i mention that the 4 oz of butter that i am adding has been sitting out on the kitchen table so that it is nice and soft? now i add chunks of the soft butter to my dry ingredients. you can use a spoon or a fork, but i like to rub all the butter into the flour using my hands. this is where fingers would really come in handy for me. i do this until the mixture looks like fine bread crumbs. mmmmmm! next its time for half a cup granulated sugar! see how it sparkles like snow flakes as it gently drifts down on the butter mixture. Let's discuss the candied fruit now, shall we? You can use any kind. I tend to lean heavily toward candied peel and currents with fewer or no glacé cherries, but any combination of candied fruit is just fine. Whatever you like. As I add my 4 oz of candies, fruit, and the grated rind of half a lemon, I admire the delicious jewel-toned fruit and peel. My mind is filled with thoughts of glimmering rubies, emeralds, peridot, and citrine as the fruit tumbles into the bowl. I carefully stir the mixture, then add 2 tablespoons of milk and one medium egg. i stir it one more time until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined but not smushy and smooth. The dough should be a little rough and dry-looking. I then divvy up the batter and make 6 mounds on a greased cookie sheet. Sometimes I have to taste the dough while dividing up the batter. The cakes go into the oven on the center rack for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. As the kitchen fills with the intoxicating aroma of these scrumptious little cakes, I quickly clean up the kitchen to prepare the decorations. I have printed out some nice pictures of groundhogs on a stiff cardstock, and I am now cutting around the little groundhog shapes with my trusty scissors. Now, I tape a toothpick to the back of each groundhog. Luckily, my adhesive tape privileges were recently reinstated, or I'd have to glue the toothpicks to the paper, which tends to be a little messy and could possibly contaminate my cookies with glue molecules. there! Don't these little rodents-on-sticks look lovely? They will look festive on top of the cookies or on a nice cupcake or possibly adorning the top of a hamburger bun at lunch time. The possibilities are endless, aren't they? The oven timer has buzzed, and the cookies are done! I might have baked them a minute or two too long, but they will be tasty nonetheless. Don't they look yummy? Resisting the urge to taste a piping hot cake, I transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Beware that candied fruit really holds the heat, and a nibble into a hot cookie could lead to a frantic dash to the fridge for ice water to cool a burned tongue while tears well up in your little eyes...or so I've heard. I like to serve these delectable cakes while they are still warm, so when they have cooled a bit, I transfer them to an attractive plate that I will serve my guests from. Now, with a sweeping and elegant gesture, I place a groundhog on the top of each cookie. I then execute a little dance of joy among the cookies, taking care not to fall off the plate. hmmm... this cookie won't fit on the plate. i guess i need to taste it now. mmm... crispie on the outside and moist and tasty with the correct peel-to-fruit ratio. perfection! These cakes are good anytime of year, not just Groundhog Day! I think the final presentation is spectacular, don't you? The cookies look just like burrows with the proud and majestic groundhog emerging into the sun to display his meteorological prowess. monkey's quick guide to forecasting the weather using a groundhog. Hop out of bed in the predawn hours. Make sure you have had a good, hearty breakfast (possibly a nice hot porridge and some fruit or toast and jam). Wearing nice warm clothing is always a good idea. Then drop by the home of a groundhog, woodchuck, or hedgehog before the slightest ray of sun begins to peek over the horizon. All the respectable woodchucks, hedgehogs and groundhogs I know are not available to make a guest appearance here today. They are hibernating for the winter, so, I am using one of my delicious groundhog's day cookies to represent the groundhog's burrow and the attractive groundhog decoration on top to represent the little weather prognosticator. My trusty yellow flashlight will be representing the sun, and my kitchen counter will be representing the groundhog's natural habitat. Just as the sun comes up, listen carefully. Amid the waking bird songs, you will hear the faint echo of the groundhog's alarm clock going off. After he has brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and taken his morning vitamins (but before he has had his breakfast), the groundhog (woodchuck or hedgehog) will groggily lumber from his burrow. he will move rather slowly and possibly grumble a bit. Most groundhogs are not morning people, so, for your own good, do not try to engage them in conversation. If our faithful weatherman finds the sky overcast and somber, he'll decide that it is not such a bad morning to stop hibernating. He'll turn on NPR or the BBC to catch up on the news while checking his e-mail before he takes a leisurely walk to his favorite cafe. While enjoying a delicious light breakfast of tea, toast, and fresh fruit salad with creme fraiche, he relaxes with a copy of The New York Times. He'll pick out a couple of gallery openings or shows he wants to catch now that he's done hibernating and make a list of friends to reconnect with. This surely means that spring is on the way, and his social calendar will be quickly filling up. If he emerges from his warm little habitat to a blindingly bright day to see his shadow, he will immediately shield his eyes with the darkest sunglasses and find the nearest diner. He'll chow down on eggs, sausage, grits, bacon, biscuits, hash browns, toast, and jam, and/or maybe a cinnamon bun, decaf coffee, and orange juice while skimming a copy of USA Today. After a brisk walk home, he slides into a breakfast-induced lethargy that culminates in staggering to the bedroom and flopping on the bed for just a quick nap, only to wake up a month and a half later, fully clothed and confused about where he was the night before. This indicates 6 more weeks of winter.

Susan Stamberg - May her memory be a blessing (& cranberry relish)

From the inception of NPR until her retirement in September 2025, Susan Stamberg wore many hats. Her passing on the 16th of October 2025 has me reflecting on her distinctive voice, her accomplishments, and her unique interviewing style. It was her cranberry relish recipe, though, that had the most profound influence on me. I think it’s only fitting that I honor Ms. Stamberg with the original version of Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish as I presented it in November of 2000. 

Zichrona livracha.

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this tangy relish is a nice departure from the traditional thanksgiving cranberry sauce. i think its just yummy, while others describe its flavor as revolting. you be the judge. first, get together all the ingredients - cranberries, an onion, sugar, sour cream, horse radish and ...

... a picture of susan stamberg. while this isn't essential to the flavor of the relish, it is a special touch that i enjoy.

start out by taping up your picture of ms. stamberg to your canister set.

then measure out two cups of washed fresh firm cranberries. aren't they attractive?

hang onto the side of the food processor as you pour the cranberries in. be very careful so that you don't slip in. that chopping blade is very sharp and could seriously damage your terry cloth.

take one small onion, remove the papery peek and slice it into chunks. this always brings tears to my eyes.

sniff sniff sniff... gently place the onion in the food processor on top of the cranberries... sniff.. i think they will be very happy together... sniff...

hold onto the the bowl of the food processor and jump up and down on the on-off switch to chop up the cranberries and onions. don't jump too high so that you don't slip off the switch.

now pour the chopped up mixture into a bowl. as you can see, i have coarsely chopped my berries and onions. you may wish to chop them finer. whatever you prefer.

time to add the half a cup of sugar now.

and two tablespoons of horse radish. no actual horses are used to make horse radish, so don't worry.

using your handy bowl scraper, mix everything together. it looks good enough to eat now, doesn't it?

take a cup of sour cream, reserve 1/4 cup of it to eat with potato chips as your bedtime snack. add the remaining 3/4 cup of sour cream to the cranberry melange.

isn't this just lovely? since i left my berries a little bit chunky i have a nice contrast between the creamy pepto-bismol pink of the creamy part and the jewel toned chucks of cranberries. it's truly a work of art.

now place the completed relish into a freezer container. i have chosen a zip-lock freezer bag because i like the way it feels squishy when you touch it, but, you can put the relish in any container that holds a pint and a half and that you can put in the freezer.

freeze your relish until just before you are going to serve it. make sure that you do not mistake your relish for strawberry ice cream or a raspberry sherbet. it could be a eye opening experience if you did.

defrost your lovely relish in the fridge then place it in an attractive relish dish. this is yummy on hot roasted turkey, but also on cold turkey sandwiches, roast beef, roast beef sandwiches, prime rib and other meaty foods.

if you're like me, you will want to leave your inspiring picture of susan stamberg up through out the holiday season to enjoy while you make other holiday treats. 

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my original post can be found here. should I bring back any or all of the old site? drop me a line. 

where you can find me

at www.himonkey.net of course!

gassy old star to be eclipsed!

from la to alberta, faces will turn to the heavens to catch a glimpse of zeta opaiuchi blink out for a moment then reappear. this bit of celestial slight of hand is brought to us by the nimble little asteroid anastasia. she'll be scooting herself between the earth and the runaway o blue-white star to make it appear to disappear for a predicted 8 seconds. naked eye viewing of their performance is limited to a 25 mile swath beginning in the the los angles area at around 3:34 am PDT. her performance will be viewable across the mojave, idaho, montana and on into alberta. non-astronomers as well as those who know their way around a telescope can enjoy this spectacle as well as participate in reporting their observations.

detailed info on the paths and times of this asteroid occultation can be found at http://www.asteroidoccultation.com as well as a spiffy faq about what an it is remember to keep your eye on zeta opaiuchi in another 4 billion years when it goes super nova! no word on anasatsia's future plans.

primate update!

i've been more than lax about updating my blog and i promise i will be writing again, but in the mean time, you can find little tasty tidbits from me on twitter and over on facebook. of course, you can always fine me at my little edge of the web, www.himonkey.net do drop by, have a snack and a refreshing beverage and say a while!

adventure alert

my bags are packed and i'm on the go! (as depicted by this lovely portraid of me by apelad) i'll be in china & tibet over the next few weeks and i hope to twitter from the roof of the world! catch my tweets at www.twitter.com/hi_im_monkey or maybe i'll post a little something here!

it started innocently...

i have a love/hate relationship with the term "children's book." what exactly is a children's book? a book for children only? written by children? young books that will some day grow up to be adult books? as children's book week draws to a close, i really don't have a better grasp on this conundrum. or is it an enigma? it's so hard to tell in this light.

i know writing specifically for a children's audience is a tough job and i have undying admiration for anyone who puts pen to paper and produces a story that delights readers or touches the heart and soul.

particularly close to my fuzzy little heart are authors of picture books. x-rays often reveal several picture book authors clustered around my left ventricle, each coaxing a rambunctious passle of words into a well behaved little story ready to inspire an illustrator to create new worlds. typing chickens, wolves living in walls or bongo-playing polar bears are rarely encountered in our daily lives, but they are alive, well and ready to come out to play at the flick of a page.

detectable by sonography are the chapter book authors working tirelessly just behind my right artria. like mad scientists, they construct their stories patiently, waiting for the day when an unsuspecting eye will fall on the words. photos will crackle, retinas will twitch and neurons will light up as the story is sucked into the brain and ... it's alive!!!! vistas from hobogen to hogwarts glow in the minds eye. ghost spring to life, mice dance and any number of alien life forms communicate in perfect english.

so, some may call these books "Children's books." but, let's face it, they are the literary world's equivalent to "gateway drugs." yeah, the first one may be free, they make you feel good, they expand you mind and transport you to other realities. sure, we all say that we can stop any time we want, it's just recreational, but soon, you have a library card, you've found out how to use the interlibrary loan system. you know every book store in any city you visit and can draw a map from memory of powell's books aisles. amazon apps are on your iphone and your ipod is full of audio books. you're consuming books on a regular basis. you don't even bother to hide them. cookbooks in the kitchen, poetry in the bedroom, picture books in your office and shelves and shelves of books all over your house. what about that book on the front seat of the car should you get stopped by a train or have to wait picking someone up at the airport. you share books with friends and talk about it openly. face it, it's an addiction!

for me, it started innocently enough with an abc book and a fairy tale here and there. but all too quickly it grew to a multibook habit. sure, my life has been fuller, i have learned and been entertained, i have escaped, i've expanded my horizons and seen the world from other points of view. but at what price? hours of eye strain, the occasional library fine, audiobooks when i take my morning constitutional. is that what we want for the children of the world? well is it?

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recommendations:

daniel pinkwater always delights me. his larry series (illustrated by his talented wife) is a favorite. his chapter books are fun and more entertaining when you can listen to pinkwater himself read them on audio book.

in preparation for my upcoming trip to tibet, barbara helen berger's book all the way to lhasa: a tale from tibet has been on my bedside table next to my constant companion, the gashlycrumb tinies by the late great edward gorey. he also illustrated a vast collection of books from hilaire belloc's cautionary tales for children to many volumes of children's verse by john ciardi. drop by for tea, and i'll read you some.

mo willems, the undisputed master of pigeon and knuffle bunny literature, rocks my fashion world with naked mole rat gets dressed. while dutch sneakers and fleakeepers, by calef brown continues the legacy started by polkabats and octopus slacks.

now, please pass me that book light and close the door on your way out, ok?

update:

is it any coincidence that cory dotorow mentions pinkwater's newest book the yggyssey on boing boing today? yes, yes it is.

that's odd

since i would write today's date as 5 may 2009, the significance of today almost passed me by. when the date is written as 5/7/9 it represents the first of 6 times that consecutive odd numbers will occurred in a date during this century. since the next time we have an odd day is in 90 years, i better whip up a few snacks and celebrate odd day while i can.

grilled cheese haiku

in honor of national poetry month and grilled cheese month:

two slices of bread
grilled to a golden brown
hides the molten cheese

happy pencil day!

on this day in 1858 hymen lipman of philadelphia received a patent for his revolutionary invention. by incorporating an eraser into a pencil he changed the course of pencil history!

mr. lipman sold his patent to joseph reckendorfer for $100,000 who subsequently took legal action against the venerable farber castelle for patent infringement. as a result of the supreme court ruled against him revoked the patent in 1875 saying it was not a new invention.

it is a mystery to me when securing a small rubber eraser with a ferrule (that's the little metal band) to the the top of a standard pencil became fashionable or if the myth of why so many pencils are yellow is true. still, i'm celebrating with a rousing chorus of charlotte's heartfelt vocal tribute to the #2 pencil.

happy pi day!

sing along if you know the words!

happy heart day!

however you celebrate valentine's day, i hope it's full of love and creativity... and a snack or two. i know mine is!

happy groundhog's day

i've brushed up on my weather prognostication skills using a groundhog and i've baked some snacks. i'm ready to celebrate groundhog's day!!!

every day is pie day!

according to the american pie council, today is national pie day! but around my house, every day is pie day! why not make one today... or some other tasty snack.