I'll Be Waiting For You There

Today is a special day for our family. Today, my Grandfather Vaughn Madsen passed on to be with his dear wife and other family and friends. Although it's hard to see the last of his generation go and to no longer have his beautiful presence in our lives, I gain comfort from knowing where he is now. This poem that I wrote in High School captures best my feelings today. I love you Grandpa. You will always be remembered.

I'll Be Waiting For You There

Don't tilt your head toward the ground

And shed a tear of sorrow.

Don't grieve for all that might have been, 

But look toward tomorrow.

My dearest friends and family

Take comfort here and know

That although my life be red as scarlet

The Lord will make it white as snow.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow."

I believe this phrase holds true,

For the loss of a simple mortal man

Brings sorrow to many of you.

The joy and peace comes into play

With the knowledge of when

That day will come, not long from now

When we shall meet again.

In a world of beauty with greener greens

And skies of more brilliant blues

Cleansed pure of all the wickedness 

And evil's darker hues.

In that beautiful place of bliss,

Free of worry or care,

Take comfort, my friend, in knowing

I'll be waiting for you there.

- Tory Norman

March 5, 2001

The Prison

The Prison

All of my loved ones and all that I hold dear

Long ago have left me alone and sitting here.

My prison crumbles around me and yet I cannot leave.

Still, you'll find me waiting, waiting with no reprieve. 

Light no longer enters, the windows shuttered years ago.

There's nothing left for me to do and yet I cannot go.

No laughter echos in the corridors, silence fills the soul

And still you find me captive in my dark and empty hole.

Too weak to stand, to sore to sit, in limbo I reside.

No longer independent, even my dignity denied. 

How I long to see the sunlight, how I long to hear the breeze, 

How I long to do what e'r I want and go just where I please.

I pray each day for freedom and accept whate'r may come.

Until that time I sit here in the prison I've become.

     - Tory Norman

        March 6, 2014

I wrote this poem after visiting my grandfather who was in his high 90s. So often we cling to this life and death seems so tragic. But as I looked at my grandfather, I saw something so different. His eye sight was failing, he could no longer hear well. His limbs were weak and he no longer had the strength to practice his favorite hobbies or even care for his home. His friends and family his age were all gone and he had few people he could associate with. As I looked at my grandfather, I didn't see the great man that I knew as a child. I instead saw a sad and humbled man trapped inside the prison of his aging earthly frame. 

With the knowledge of the eternal gospel and the atonement of Christ comes a different perspective. When death finally touches my grandfather, he will return to the presence of a loving Heavenly Father to be reunited with his dear wife, family and friends. He will become perfected and no longer restricted and imprisoned in his deteriorating earthly body. When death finally touches him, he will be free.

I want to see my grandfather happy again. I want to know him and see him as he really is. And for this reason, I look forward with joy to the day when he becomes free.

Around the World in 80 Doughs: #5 - Christmas Gingersnaps

One of my favorite treats at Christmas time are Gingersnaps. The strong scent and taste of ginger and spice brings to mind so many memories of Christmas and the crunchy outside combined with a soft and chewy inside is absolutely delightful. In years past, I have typically depended on store bought ones, but this year the chef inside me decided I could make them myself. I was so pleased with the results, that I thought I'd share them here for others that enjoy these traditional cookies as much as I.

As is my kitchen tradition, I love to investigate the origins of the foods that I bake. Spiced cookies and cakes like the Gingersnap have been popular since the medieval ages. Most agree that the Gingersnap, like Gingerbread, is derived from a traditional German cookie called Lebkuchen. The Lebkuchen has many varieties that date back to the 13th Century and has since become a traditional treat at Christmas time there. This may explain why Gingerbread and Gingersnaps found their way into our Christmas traditions today. 

Many Gingersnaps are baked thin and crunchy which leads some to believe that the name is derived from the snapping sound they make when bitten into or broken. Others believe that the "snap" part of the name comes from the old English term which meant bite, portion or morsel. Since I tend to prefer the chewy variety of Gingersnaps, I prefer the idea that the name means ginger bites more than crunchy ginger cookie. But whatever your preference, they are delightful cookies that have become an international Christmas tradition for centuries. 

My favorite variation of the Gingersnap is a chewy center with a light glaze which I was able to achieve with a combination of recipes which I borrowed from the following locations:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/Gingersnaps.html

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/simple-cookie-glaze-recipe

The Cookie:

The following ingredient mix made exactly three dozen cookies for me:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar

• 1/4 cup unsulphered molasses

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

In a large mixing bowl, begin by beating the butter until soft. If you don't have unsalted butter, you can substitute it for salted butter by eliminating or reducing the amount of salt in the recipe. Once the butter is soft, add in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, and molasses. One trick I learned with the molasses is to spray the measuring cup with non-stick spray first before measuring the molasses. This helped the molasses slide out of the measuring cup much easier. 

Mix these ingredients until it is consistently mixed. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Once mixed, add the dry ingredients to the dough and mix well. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a large cookie sheet, spread a sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough into small balls. The recipe called for one inch balls. I know this sounds archaic, but I measured the balls by making the diameter about the size of my index finger from the point to the first knuckle. This made a perfectly sized cookie and yielded a consistent three dozen cookies in one batch. Pour some granulated sugar in a bowl and roll the dough balls in the sugar before placing on he parchment paper. In addition to giving the cookies the perfect look, this also helps reduce the stickiness of the dough balls before placing them to bake. Space each ball about two inches apart as they spread while baking. I places four rows of three balls on each sheet and they came out perfect. Finally, us a glass cup with a flat bottom and press each cookie to about half their original height making little flat disks instead of balls. Place the cookies into the oven for 12 minutes. 

Glaze:

While the cookies are baking, you can make the glaze. This glaze dries hard a shiny and adds the perfect finishing touch to your Gingersnaps. One thing I learned from my last attempt is that less really is more when it comes to glaze. I got a bit carried away on my first batch and there was too much glaze on the cookies. Not only does it take forever for the glaze to dry when it's too thick, it also dulls the ginger flavor. My recommendation is to heat the glaze slight in the microwave to thin it before application and spread a light coat of glaze on each cookie using a spatula or brush.

• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

• 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of milk

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients until consistent and smooth. Once cookies come out of the oven, let them sit about ten minutes to cool and firm up. Otherwise, you might damage the soft cookie when trying to apply glaze. Just prior to applying the glaze, heat the glaze a few seconds in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl to thin the glaze. Apply a light layer of glaze on each cookie using a small spatula or brush. Let stand until glaze has fully hardened.