Plum Blossoms

The weather here has finally become more springlike.
The blossoms on our plum trees in the yard are in full bloom.
 Field work has been progressing quite well - long hours and not much time for the pottery.

Yesterday I had just gotten well into a project that I had been planning for for quite awhile when the phone rings and it is a neighbor putting the word out that another neighbor had a bad fire raging in their field. So, I made the call to the men in our field and while they took the necessary steps to leave their equipment, I readied the water truck and lined up rakes, shovels and personal water bottles. Once the men raced into the yard there were running instructions and everyone jumped in trucks and raced down to the site of the fire. ( sorry, no pictures ! ) There was a huge amount of smoke and fire flaming into the sky visible for miles. Once we got there it was about a 2 hour battle to get things under control. Many acres had been burnt and alot of brush will no loner protect the fields from wind damage. But it could have been worse. After our own fire last fall we are starting to get a better "to do" list when the call goes out. Not the kind of wood firing I like to be invited too but we know how important it is that everyone pitch in when there is an emergency.

Oh, and I made cookies yesterday morning. They turned out great; crunchy on the outside, soft, chewy and delicious on the inside.

The plate is made by Julia Rand of Edmonton, AB.

 Here's the recipe:

Nutella Cookies

 2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter, at room temp.

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar

400 g. jar of  Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup toasted & skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.

Cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in egg.

Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chocolate chips and hazelnuts.

Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for about 11 minutes until the edges look set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully remove to cooling racks.