Our country and our lives changed forever on that sad September day | WHIDBEY RECIPES

When the phone rang on the morning of Sept. 11, nine years ago, and I heard my sister’s voice screaming into the phone, I panicked. She was obviously crying and in great distress, almost unable to talk to me.

“Turn on your TV, Margy, turn on the TV! They’re bombing us, they’re bombing New York. Oh, my God, they’re bombing us.”

I told her to hang on while I ran downstairs to turn on the TV and pick up the phone in the TV room. And what I saw chilled my blood, made my heart skip a beat, took my breath away.

It appeared that someone was, indeed, bombing

New York City.

Clouds of billowing smoke; collapsing skyscrapers; terrified people screaming and running in every direction; a plane flying, unbelievably, directly into a towering building. We’ve all seen the TV footage many times since that terrible day, but the horror of those attacks never lessens.

A year or so later, I visited that sister, who lives in Manhattan, and she took me to the fenced-off scene of destruction, a huge, desolate, expanse where once two towers had risen to the skies. Inside those towers, thousands of people had been working that morning, going about the day’s work, unaware that their lives were soon to be cut short. All I could feel, as we stood staring into the nothingness, was a crushing sadness, an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness.

Nine years and two wars later, we’re all still suffering from the aftereffects of that day in one way or another. Iraq, Afghanistan, billions upon billions spent in the pursuit of “terrorists” while our infrastructure crumbles, security paranoia, distrust of the government agencies that bungled their jobs, an amorphous malaise that has settled over the country. There seems to be a growing, seething anger pervading our daily lives that we’re not sure how or where to direct.

There will, of course, be memorial services throughout the country on Saturday, reminding us of that unforgettable time, but why, nine years later, are we still fighting an invisible, seemingly unbeatable enemy? And who, exactly, is the enemy? Why must we continue to deplete our resources and use up our young men and women in pursuit of … what?

That’s the problem I have today, with the aftermath of 9/11. Too many questions, too few answers. What, exactly, was accomplished in Iraq, why are 50,000 being left there and what is it they are supposed to do; are we still searching for Bin Laden; what, precisely, are we hoping to accomplish in Afghanistan and how will we know when we’ve done it; are there, even as I write this, more suicidal terrorist schemers out there seeking only one thing, our destruction?

We lost our trust, our innocence, our belief in our leaders and in ourselves as a nation on Sept. 11, 2001. Can we ever be the same again?

I think I do have the answer to that question.

No.

RECIPES

When I get depressed and feel hopeless about where the country is heading, the only I cure I know is to go back to the basics of living, do what I can about our own lives and the lives of those we love, and wherever possible help others do the same.

As trivial as it may seem, finding a new recipe or two and spending an afternoon trying them out invariably calms my mind and improves my spirits. And now I’ve found something useful I can do with the results of my kitchen time.

There is a new Veteran’s Resource Center, something we’ve not had before on the South End of the island, opening in Freeland on Saturday, Sept. 11. (Drop in and check it out; they’re having an open house.)

I’ll plan to drop off my anti-depressant baked offerings from time to time, because

I know anyone and everyone there might enjoy something homemade and happy to nibble on. Such as these:

ESPRESSO BROWNIES

¾ cup butter

3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

1½ cups sugar

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1¼ cups flour

For the filling: 1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 t. instant espresso coffee granules

1 T. water

1 t. vanilla

Line the bottom and sides of a jelly roll pan (15x10x1) with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 opposite sides of the pan. Grease the foil with shortening.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Beat in eggs, vanilla and flour with a spoon until smooth. Spread in the prepared pan and bake in a preheated 325-degree oven 15 to

17 min., or until set. Cool completely.

Make filling: beat butter in a med. bowl with an electric mixer on med. until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Dissolve the espresso in the water. Beat the espresso mixture and vanilla into the sugar mixture.Remove the brownie cake from the baking pan, using the foil to lift. Turn it upside down onto a work surface and carefully remove foil. Cut the brownie into fourths using a large pizza cutter. Spread filling on 2 of the

4 pieces and turn remaining 2 rectangles upside down and place on the filling- topped rectangles. Trim to fit if necessary. Refrigerate about 1 hr. or until firm. Cut into bars about 6 rows by

5 rows, or smaller, if desired, for “brownie bites.” Makes 30 bars.

FRUIT CHEWY COOKIES

1¼ cups flour

2 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

¼ cup sour cream

1 large egg

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted until golden and cooled

1 cup packed dried apricots, quartered

1 cup dried cranberries

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture, sour cream and egg and beat until dough forms. Stir in coconut, apricots and cranberries.

Halve the dough and, using a sheet of waxed paper, form each half into a 10-inch long log, using the paper as a guide. Chill the logs, wrapped in the waxed paper 4 hours, or until firm. (At this point, you can either keep the logs in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to one month; thawing the frozen dough in the fridge for about 4 hrs. or until sliceable).

Using a serrated knife, cut the logs into 1/3-inch slices and place about 2 inches apart on lightly buttered (or sprayed) baking sheets. Bake in the middle of a preheated 350-degree oven about 12 min., or until pale golden. Transfer to racks to cool. Makes about 4½ dozen cookies.

LEMON CREAM CUPCAKES

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 t. grated fresh lemon peel

1 t. vanilla

3½ cups flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

2 cups sour cream

For the frosting: 3 T. butter, softened

2¼ cups powdered sugar

2 T. fresh lemon juice

¾ t. vanilla

¼ t. grated fresh lemon peel

1-2 T. milk

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well.

Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry mixture (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups with ¼ cup of batter. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25-30 min., or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 min., remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make frosting: Cream butter and sugar together; add lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel and 1 T. milk. Beat until smooth, adding more milk if necessary to reach desired consistency. Frost the cupcakes. Makes about 2½ dozen cupcakes.