Nuts About Baking

Slept in a bit this morning, then started out the day with a ride to the Haddon Township Library. It was a little warmer today, probably in the upper 30s-lower 40s. That's more like what it should be at this time of year. The front path at Newton River Park wasn't entirely clear. I had to walk over a few patches of crunchy slush-ice. Unlike the icy patches from last month, this ice was brittle and broke easily under my feet. There were lots of people out in the park today. I saw dog-walkers, joggers, and mothers with children in strollers.

Hit the library next. I returned children's books and DVDs, including a pile of non-fiction programs. I felt a little bad, though, when a lot of people asked me questions I couldn't answer. I didn't know where they were keeping the tax books (I did mine online), or how to deal with the printers when they're out of paper.

I enjoyed the Felicity's Cooking Studio book I got from Linda Young for Christmas so much, I decided to look around for other American Girl cookbooks at the library. I'd taken out Samantha's and Kirsten's before and thought I'd try Josefina's. I also took out Knitting and Crocheting for Dummies and four DVDs - Scooby Doo and the Samurai Sword, Two Mules For Sister Sara (which I remember seeing on cable as a child), Fast Times At Ridgemont High (one of those iconic 80s movies I just never got around to), and the Christopher Guest comedy For Your Consideration.

My next stop was Super Fresh to get some things to make granola bars, including dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. After that, I went to the Bagel Shop for lunch. Had a roast beef and provolone sandwich on a 9-grain bagel for lunch.

Alas, by lunchtime, my head felt like a swollen balloon. I was stuffed up. My forehead was sore, and my neck ached. I rode home, hoping some fresh air would make me feel better.

I went for a short walk down to Goff Avenue and back, once again hoping the chilly air would do me some good. It didn't. Despite the brisk breeze, my head still felt like it was going to burst. I'm glad I went for the walk, though. The view of the river and ramp from the concrete launch on the end of Goff was spectacular today. The river was almost completely defrosted and very clear. You could see all the way to the Ben Franklin Bridge.

When I got home, my head still didn't feel much better. Oh well. I took some cold medicine and spent the next hour working on Wishcraft exercises. I made a spreadsheet of twenty things I enjoyed doing, when I did them, how much they cost, where I did them, etc. Most of the things I enjoy are free (walking, reading, writing) or only cost a minimal fee (yoga classes, making sure my bike is in good enough shape for the constant riding, browsing in stores).

I thought some baking might clear my head...but I turns out I didn't have the right butter for the Pecan Bars recipe I wanted to make. I improvised my own Peanut-Pecan Bars with pecans, chunky peanut butter, honey-nut-roasted peanuts, whole wheat flour. baking powder, baking soda, honey, brown sugar, and sea salt.

Ran Scooby Doo while doing the bars and making Baked Black Beans and Vegetables for dinner. Scooby and the gang are in Japan, where Daphne is invited to take part in an invitation-only martial arts competition. The martial arts academy where the competition is to take place is run by a princess who lives by Japan's older ways and rues how much technology has changed Japan's culture and eliminated many legends. One of those legends is the Ghost of the Black Samurai. When that ghost seems to come to life, Mystery Inc is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. But there's an even deeper mystery afoot in Japan, where it seems like legends never die...

One of the more interesting of the Scooby Doo movies I've seen. I liked the discussion of Japan's heavy embrace of technology vs. their older, more traditional ways of living. And Shaggy and Scooby made surprisingly good samurai.

And no, my head doesn't feel better, despite the cold medicine. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. If my head still wants to pound, I probably won't be going anywhere.