Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 111

See these sweet little fawns! Well, our friends Rickie Johnson Sr. and his wife Claire Cavanaugh Johnson found them huddled under a section of fence at our ranch in NC. But Mama never returned. One doe came by with her own fawn, but simply ignored them. They realized the mother must have been the doe whose body was at the side of the road, struck down by a vehicle. With nightfall, our friends moved the babies into our barn for both warmth and protection from the various predators. With the door open in daylight, the young ones could venture out. Sadly, even bottles of milk were rejected. And still no hope from the various animal rescue organizations that are all swamped. But Rickie and Claire kept trying to feed the little deer… to no avail. Another group of deer came by and saw the struggling young ones. Blessedly, they did not ignore the emergency situation. One of the does started nudging the little fawns towards the woods. It worked. A successful adoption! Now Rickie and Claire will get to watch the little babes grow up! Just more proof that all heroes do not wear capes. Thank you Rickie and Claire!!!!!

Greetings and gratitude to all the fathers out there! Whether you are a birth father, stepfather, grandfather, great-grandfather, or father figure, we salute you! Of course, my hubby calls Father’s Day the holiest day of the year, but he is an original wise guy. In seriousness, fathers are more important in families than some folks seem to realize. It takes love and a long-term commitment. Fathering requires patience, wisdom, and strength someone may not even realize they have inside. As with most things, a sense of humor helps, too! Faith and family provide a powerful foundation for children. Many of us have been blessed with wonderful fathers. Many have not. If your Dad loved you and tried his best, that is enough. You were blessed. I was blessed, too. And I proudly say that my Poppy was the greatest Dad ever. I hope you feel the exact same way about your Dad. It does not mean that they were perfect. (There was only one perfect person.) Today we pay tribute to every father and say “thanks” for being the best you could be. Happy Father’s Day!

(The picture is my hubby, Ron Martin, with grandbaby Adaline last weekend.)

“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.”

— Pat Riley (1945 – )

Former NBA coach and player

(Image by Gerd Altmann)

Pick your favorite color… and material. Wear them to the beach or the park. Wear them grocery shopping or bar hopping. While I am not a fan of seeing them on passengers in airports, I do understand they are super simple. (Golly, remember when folks used to dress up to fly somewhere? Whew!) But after a long winter and spring, it’s time to let the summer sizzle. Come on! Ditch the closed-toe shoes. Let those tootsies wiggle!

(Photo by Peggy Choacair)

“Be it good or bad, when we display strong character, we will find immediate supporters and detractors.”

— Cathy Burnham Martin – American author, voiceover artist & dedicated foodie

(Image by Gino Crescoli)

I love looking at Nature’s beauty and drama…. sometimes delicate and serene… sometimes awesome and overwhelming. But always so much bigger than we are. And fascinating! So, today we salute nature through photography and those who dedicate their lives to capturing the glory on film.

We likely know the work of some of the “greats.” Think of amazing landscape photographers like Max Riva from the Netherlands or America’s Ted Gore… National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, adventure photographer Jimmy Chin, the world-famous Marina Cano, and the utterly amazing landscape photographer Marc Adamus. I love it all! When I capture a scene or a moment, I do so merely with my cell phone, although I have dreamt of an “eyebrow camera” since childhood, so I could instantly snap any scene I see. We need not be famous, nor professional. We simply need to enjoy. The video hails from our ranch in North Carolina, where the deer are plentiful. (And I never tire of photographing them.) So, if you’ve taken a nature photo lately that you’d be willing to share, go ahead and do so. Sharing the beauty is a great way to salute Nature Photography Day.

Yum! If a super strawberry dessert deserves its own day, a strawberry shortcake wins my vote. Always a crowd-pleaser on a summery day, slice up those fresh berries (and mash more than half of them to up the juiciness). I add no sugar but sprinkling the slices with sugar will most definitely bring out the juice. Pile your mashed berries along with some slices between the layers of cake and top with more slices. Freshly whipped cream can (and should) be in between layers as well as on top. I mean, why not!?! Oh, you like vanilla ice cream? Sure, add that also, if you like. Make a true shortcake (like a large, cakepan-sized biscuit) or split regular-sized biscuits or angel cake or pound cake or whatever you prefer. Strawberries are a scrumptious superfood, so indulge away!  And this is Flag Day, so add some blueberries, if you’d like, and give your shortcake the ol’ red, white, and blue treatment!

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

— Robert Brault (approx. 1939 – )

American author

(Photo by Manuel Barroso Parejo)

Any way you make ‘em, I just know these are melt in your mouth yummy. Mom rocked these… straight out of the original Betty Crocker Cookbook. I’ll share a couple of my old recipes here. First, my 1970 recipe card. Oh, and when the word is “shortening,” I assure you that this means Crisco. Not the way I cook today, but it sure made great cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c shortening

1 c sugar

1 c firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extra

3 c flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

Cream shortening in a large mixing bowl; gradually add sugar, beating well.  Add eggs; beat well.  Add peanut butter and vanilla; blend well. Add flour and soda, blending well. Shape dough into 1″ balls; place 3 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Gently flatten with fork dipped in flour, making a crisscross pattern on each. Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 6 dozen.

In the 1960’s and early 70’s I used creamy peanut butter. I assure you that since first switching to extra crunchy peanut butter, I never looked back. Here’s a truly Super Simple rendition from my 1974 recipe card.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1/4 c butter, softened to room temp

½ c packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 (12‑oz) jar peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

1 vanilla or yellow cake mix

Combine ingredients in order given, blending completely after each addition.  Shape into 1″ balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten with a fork in a criss‑cross pattern.  Bake 8‑10 minutes at 350ºF. Cool on wire racks. Makes 4-5 dozen.

I also have been known to add all sorts of extra goodies… from chocolate chips and coconut flakes to roasted pepitas and sunflower seeds. In whatever manner you may make them in the 21st Century, if your taste buds are at all like mine, a few scrumptious warm cookies never get to finish cooling on the wire racks!

“A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.”

William Arthur Ward (1921 – 1994)

American writer and poet

As quoted in my “Healthy Thinking Habits” chapter in  “A Healthier You!”

(Photo by Stephen Leonardi)