I confess. I made these Spritz cookies glistening with orange sugar sprinkles JUST to enjoy looking at them in my new cookie jar. Kind of pathetic I know. But they did look festive and tasted great too.
Pumpkin muffins are another staple once the air is cooler and the days shorter. Since it is hard to come by canned pumpkin, I use the green winter squash abundant in Japan to make these muffins. I just use my Betty Crocker Recipe and add chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. These have become a seasonal family favorite.
Another treat for me this time of year is reading magazines. Flipping through seasonal pages are an escape, a transportation to American places far across the sea. I have subscribed to the magazine Country Living for years. I used to have it sent to my sister, who would send a bundle of them to me via surface mail. Now, I pay a little extra for the international shipping and it appears right at my door. Only a missionary knows how rare it is to have a copy of a current magazine. Each issue gets lovingly passed around to several friends. The next time you plan on sending your missionary friend a care-package, check with them if they'd like you to tuck in a favorite magazine, even one you might have on your coffee table. Recently since we live near the boy's school, I have the opportunity to check out this month's edition of a number of periodicals available. This may seem like an ordinary thing, but for many of us living overseas it's a real blessing.
