Just for Fun

Bizcochitos

officeabovethedumpsters — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:52:01 +0000

I found the recipe card for my Aunt Janie’s Bizcochitos. I thought it had been lost. I’m very happy to have found it again. Bizcochitos are a traditional Christmas cookie in New Mexico. Bizcochitos seem to be entirely New Mexican. They are virtually unknown outside the State, except where the sons and daughters of New Mexico have carried their beloved cookie with them. It’s a shortbread cookie with anise seed. The recipe on the card attached below makes the Bizcochitos I remember from my childhood. Use the lard and the apricot brandy though.

I remember my Aunt Janie telling me that the recipe includes allusions to two miracles that are near to the hearts of New Mexicans, the Virgin of Guadalupe and Bishop Lamy’s apricot trees.

The story of the Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego at Tepeyac, outside Mexico City, is well known. Juan Diego was recently named a Saint by the Catholic Church. Mary’s gift to Juan Diego, to help verify her appearance, was roses. Icons of the Virgin of Guadalupe usually include roses, for this reason. On the recipe card Aunt Janie describes cutting the rolled dough into squares, then pinching the corners, to form a simple rose shape, “The Rose of Guadalupe.”

The story of Bishop Lamy’s apricot trees is less well known. As Bishop Lamy was nearing retirement he began to search the area around Santa Fe for a place where he could build a small home and Chapel, in which he could live out his remaining life saying his daily office. One day he decided to ride his mule over the hill between Santa Fe and Tesuque (North). As he descended toward Tesuque he came across a small farm. The lady of the house greeted him and asked him if he would like to rest and something to drink. He accepted. As he sat there he noted apricot trees growing in the sun warmed area near the house. Santa Fe is supposed to be too far North and too high for an apricot tree to survive. But, there they were. Bishop Lamy took it as a sign and bought the farm as his retreat. He died in the Chapel that he built there on February 13th, 1888. The apricots are still growing at the Chapel on the grounds of what is now a resort called “Bishop’s Lodge.” Many regard those apricots as one of Lamy’s miracles. Apricots are included in many recipes from the area and the best Bizcochitos are made with Apricot Brandy.

By the way, by statute, the Bizcochito is the official State cookie of New Mexico.
Biscochito and Bizcochito, both spellings are correct.

Biscochitos 1 Biscochitos 2

My Patronus

officeabovethedumpsters — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:32:19 +0000

I took one of those online quizes based upon the “Harry Potter” books. The quiz was supposed to tell me what my Patronus would be. Result = Rhinoceros! I didn’t know that was even a possibility.

Planning Equivalence Factor

officeabovethedumpsters — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:57:12 +0000

Weddings require approximately the same amount of planning as invasions of France.

Silent Monks Make Joyful Noise

officeabovethedumpsters — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:47:45 +0000

I thought this was very funny. I think Michael, ,wrote the introduction:

Handel’s Messiah.

The Difference Between Male and Female Brains

officeabovethedumpsters — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:08:31 +0000

This is one of the most insightful comedy sketchs that I have seen. It succinctly and accurately describes the difference between men’s and women’s’ brains.

Brains

A Lovely Interlude of Snowflakes

officeabovethedumpsters — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:18:03 +0000

This link will take you to a short video, with pleasant piano accompaniment, that presents beautifuly detailed snowflakes.

Beautiful Snowflakes

The Sea of Forgetfulness

officeabovethedumpsters — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:12:45 +0000

It is said that: forgiveness requires that we cast the wrong into the Sea of Forgetfulness. I think that casting things into the Sea of Forgetfulness grows easier as we grow older. That’s because, as we grow older, we end up standing on the beach!

Inauguration Captured by NASA Phototechnology

officeabovethedumpsters — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:57:40 +0000

I thought this was just too cool. You can pan around the image from the Capital Steps all the way out in the mall. You can enlarge any segment. Try this: center the podium in the image and then hit the enlargement slider. You’ll see President Obama, during his address, in amazing detail and clarity. Then pick a section of the Mall and you’ll probably be able to see individual faces. It’s amazing. This is the photo technology that NASA has used with the Martian Rovers.

http://www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=15374&window_height=844&window_width=1665

Birthday Girl

officeabovethedumpsters — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:45:47 +0000

We celebrated Heather’s Birthday on Sunday, February 1st. It was fun.

Species Identity Confusion

officeabovethedumpsters — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:09:57 +0000

I have known many dogs that seemed incapable of identifying their own species. Of course, I was always busy confusing the hell of them. There was even a childrens’ story about an iguana that tried being different species. However, I had never come across a case of elephantine species confusion, until now.