Terror Vision

I had to travel a bit yesterday. It is my kind of day. Something I enjoy doing – taking care of my painting business and traveling back road to take pictures at the same time. I was headed to Niagara On The Lake.

I start out on the highway until I cross the Welland Canal on the Garden City Skyway Bridge then I get off and travel farm roads.

I didnt know there was an event going on at the QEW until I saw the news last night. A flatbed was stolen in Niagara On the Lake, spotted on the QEW (Ontarios highway) and followed for five hours before an arrest was made. FIVE HOURS. The helicopter following this event ran out of gas, the police ran out of gas and the truck when stopped still had gas. Amazing story.

Here is the story

Everywhere you look there are grapes growing in NOTL. I was more interested in the color of the woods.

The dying weeds look spectacular too.

On the way home I got off the QEW at 7th Street and took the South Service Road to one of my favorite spots for fall photos. There are three Bridges on this road to let the streams from the 15 Mile Pond, the 16 Mile Pond and a smaller pond flow under the highway into Lake Ontario.

My favorite is the 15 Mile pond. It is shallower and the movement of the water adds interest to my photos. I love the weeds and color and was taking photos when something else caught my eye.

I realized it was not just the force of the water that was making that water move. That stream was full of very large fish swimming upstream to spawn.

The water was very shallow and the fish were fighting the rocks to get into the pond. I watched in amazement. There are lots of fresh water Salmon in Lake Ontario and I have never witnessed this on my own before.

Check out the arrow I drew on this last photo. That big fish is laying on its side and was at least three and a half feet to four feet long. It thrashed a few more times and got into the pond. That long thing above the fish in the photo is a tree branch.

They will lay their eggs, return to Lake Ontario and die. Life is short for a salmon.

When I got back to my car I looked up and this is what I saw.

And thats my story and Im sticking to it!

My Camera is a Canon Powershot A720IS

Why not civil partnerships in Anglican churches?

By Rev John Richardson
http://ugleyvicar.blogspot.com/2011/12/for-magazines-why-not-civil.html
December 6, 2011

To answer this question we must first venture into territory unfamiliar to all but a very few.

Most people imagine that this is simply a matter of inclusion, allowing the gay and lesbian minority to enjoy the privileges of the straight majority. Church ceremonies, they believe, should be open to everyone, and indeed it is the governments clear intention that this should be so.

But as experts in this field are well aware, things are far from being that straightforward. One such is Professor Adrian Thatcher, a Research Fellow in Applied Theology at the University of Exeter, and a strong advocate of change in church policy.

In a paper presented to the 2011 Inclusive Church conference, he wrote as follows:

… there are other sexualities than straight and gay. Intersex, bisexual and transgender people, are generally excluded from the rigid and inadequate frameworks within which the Church discusses sexuality …

And he added,

… sexual inclusiveness will not be complete until they too feel wholly affirmed as members of the Body of Christ. (Gender and the Gospel, Nov 2011, p1)

What Thatcher says about the Church, however, is clearly the intention of others for society in general. For them, the idea that the world divides into either straight or gay and lesbian is already outmoded. Instead, human sexuality has a multitude of expressions.

According to Thatcher, new research in Classics, New Testament Studies, Medical History and Queer Theory are revolutionizing what has until now been a sterile theological discourse.

And if youve never heard of Queer Theory, you really dont understand the current debate.

The fact is that in the long term the aim is not simply the inclusion of people in the existing institution of marriage but to go on broadening the patterns of relationships society accepts and endorses. Marriage, Thatcher notes, is a flexible institution that has incorporated many changes. The only question is whether marriage can accommodate the change that some same-sex partners want (p14). If not, then presumably other relationships will be have to be found.

It is against this background that we must understand the position of the Church of England. For Anglicans, marriage is not a flexible institution but a divinely ordered one, which ultimately reflects the relationship between God and his people.

What makes a marriage marriage is two things: covenant and sex.

Where there is no covenant – no promise to have and to hold … till death us do part – there is either promiscuity (expressed in the prevalence of sex outside marriage) or widespread unfaithfulness (leading to divorce and marital breakdown).

Within the marital covenant, however, sexual activity is properly channelled – to bearing children and building love.

But as even Adrian Thatcher recognizes, sex is inextricably linked with reproduction: Beings who reproduce, he writes, need to be sexed, meaning they must have one of the two genders (p9, his emphasis). Thus although health issues and age may impose limits on fertility, sexual intercourse is intercourse between two people of opposite sexes. Same-sex sex, by contrast, is a contradiction in terms.

The Church of England has therefore taken the view that it will only recognize and bless opposite sex unions as having the status of marriage. And insofar as civil partnerships are already widely treated as gay marriage (as any follower of Coronation Street will know), it would thus be inappropriate for Anglican ministers to conduct them in church.

Ultimately, therefore, those who question the Churchs stance need to ask where they themselves would draw the line. The answer matters not just to us but to the future of our society.

END

Reporter: Sally Delta

Lynchburg, VA – The roads and sky have been busySunday with holiday travelers headed back home. AAA predicted an increase of commuters this Thanksgiving, projecting 2011 to have the most people traveling in the lastfour years.

We talked totravelers coming from all over the East Coast who say this year had its ups and downs. But theres no doubt that the airports and roads were busier than usual.

Getting a travel forecast from everyone in Lynchburg could take all day, so we narrowed it down to three holiday destinations: two coming fromthe North, one down South and another traveling from the Southwest.

Scott Seyfarth and his family just drove up from Alabama.

There was a 10 mile backup on that sideof the road going westbound on 40. She was coming eastbound, said Seyfarth.

Elizabeth Carella and Ashley Boteler spent their holiday in Manassas. We asked if the two saw any accidents.

No, just a lot of cops pulling people over, said Carella, who drove from Manassas to North Carolina.

We only had a little bit of traffic in Charlottesville. Other than that its been easy, said Boteler.

Gato Fuentes flew all the way from Miami, Florida.

My first trip going to Miami was a little delayed and then the flight to Lynchburg so close that I had to literally run way across the Charlotte airport to get the Lynchburg flight, said Fuentes.

According to these guys there were a few hiccups along the way. But overall each person says traveling by road or by air was pretty smooth. At least, theyve seen worse.

Last year I was left stranded in the Richmond airport forseven hours by myself, said Fuentes.

New Leisure facilities at the new look Brandon Leisure Centre. Front is Tony Bass, Chief Executive of Anglia Community Leisure, with Simon Phelan, head of community services and Ian Shipp, leisure services manager.

By Cindy Sheets
Contributing Writer

Perkins may be small town America, but its selection of gift ideas is large.

Local businesses can provide a wide variety of gifts. From clothing to home decor and foods to tools, you can find it right here in Perkins.

Wrap it up

Dream Scents, 320 N. Main, offers one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry and densely-scented handpoured candles.

Owners Kim and Barney Turnham also feature unique gift baskets that can include most anything. We include a mixture of candles, burners, oils, teas, coffees, and imported candies and chocolates, Kim Turnham said. [This has] made them just amazing.

The baskets can be tailored to any theme, such as birthday or Christmas, or even OSU and OU themes.

Model Tee Screenprinting and Embroidery, 115 S. Main, has long been the source for school and team letter jackets and t-shirts, but did you know you can add custom-made bling to almost anything? Model Tee offers rhinestone designs that can go on items like car decals, window stickers, shirts and caps. Sandra and Stacy Beal can also embroider names, initials, company logos, art, and just about anything else on garments, towels, caps, coats, linens, and bags.

Ralphs Packing, 500 W. Freeman, is known throughout the region for its quality meat products. The companys famous beef jerky is at the top of everyones wish list, but there are lots of other great gift options available. Smoked cheese, smoked sausages, 5-Pepper sausages, jalapeno smoked sausage, andouille, salami, summer sausage, cervelet, and chicken and mushroom sausage are big sellers, according to Erica Hering, Ralphs business manager.

We sell a lot of steaks as gifts, Hering said. The Big Nasty seasonings and seasoning gift packages would be a good [gift] as well.

The family company also sells old fashioned sugar cured bone-in hams, boneless hams and smoked turkeys.

But if you want a bonein ham, you should get one now, as we usually sell out of them quickly, Hering said.

Perkins Drug, 246 S. Main, offers a delectable assortment of scents in its Tyler candles line. The store also offers shoppers a variety of gifts for the home or that special person on your shopping list. Choose from clothing, jewelry, purses, mugs, scarves, OSU and OU items, frames, and Willow Tree collectible figurines. The store also carries a full line of greeting cards.

Liberty Christian Gift Bookstore, 109 S. Main, shoppers can choose from a variety of Christian-related books and educational materials, plus gift and home items.

Liberty carries DVDs, coffee cups, teapots, frames, candles, home decor, journals, gift books, jewelry, pet items, book/Bible covers, t-shirts, greeting cards, devotionals, gift bags, bows, wrapping paper, wedding and baby items.

Riverview Mercantile, 132 S. Main, is the place to go for western-themed home decor, plus personal items as well.

Store owner Ashley Inselman said, I have a great selection of fall clothing, and wonderful new candles in four different sizes starting at $6.

The store also carries lots of other items that are perfect for gifts, including soaps, lotions, leather stockings, and a large assortment of crosses ranging from $2.99- $56.

Riverview also carries outdoor/indoor Christmas decor, and just received a new shipment of furniture.

I do free gift wrapping, too, Inselman added.

JK Tack and Barb Wire Roses Boutique, located at 126 S. Main, offer lots of choices for the cowboy or cowgirl on your shopping list.

JK handles basic tack and horse car supplies, such as brushes and combs, saddle blankets and pads, hay bags, lead ropes, halters, youth and adult barrel saddles, headstalls and reins, breast collars, ropes, and sweat scrapers. The shop also carries brand-name items from Alamo Saddlery, Circle G Brand, and JT International.

Barb Wire Roses Boutique offers a variety of beaded jewelry, colorful and fun personal accessories, and unique home decor items.

Perkins Builders Supply, 1101 N. Sadler Road, is not only the place to go for building supplies, its the place to find the right tool for the handyman on your list. Perkins Builders Supply carries a full line of Grip-Rite pneumatic air tools, and recently added a new line of fasteners.

Sasser Company Antiques, 145 S. Main, is home to a beautiful collection of antique glassware, pottery, dinnerware, and linens.

We have a large section of Frankoma Potteryold glazes as well as the ones they were doing when they closed their doors, store proprietor Virginia Sasser said. Popular gift items which are not vintage or antique are our Case knives. We are listed on the Case web site as an official Case dealer.

She said customers have told her the next closest dealer is in Oklahoma City.

The store also carries a small section of new costume jewelry, plus lots of lovely and original antique furniture.

Burts Jewelry, 208 N. Main, is offering a 25 percent discount on all instock jewelry now through Christmas. The store has also recently started a watch battery program. With our card, purchase three batteries and the fourth is free, store owner Richard Coate said.

Cimarron Trails, 1400 Lovers Lane, is an easy way to please the golf enthusiast on your list. The pro shop is offering OSU jackets and shirts plus a variety of golfrelated clothing and gear. You may also purchase gift cards that can be used on store items or for golf packages at the course.

Payne County Bank, 202 S. Main, is a great place to pick up something for the future. A Series E Savings bond is a great gift idea for children, PCB CFO Lynn Kinder said, noting the bonds can be the basis of a college fund for that special child in your life.

Stroud National Bank, 830 N. Main, is the place to go for a valuable stocking stuffer. Drop by the bank and ask a teller about a dollar gold presidential coin for every stocking on your mantel.

Get a Gift Card

Everyone has one or two tough-to-buy-for people on their holiday shopping list, but who doesnt love a gift card?

Hidden Oasis Day Spa, 135 S. Main, is the place to go if you want to pamper that special person on your list. A Hidden Oasis gift certificate allows the recipient to select the service they want the most therapeutic massage, hot stone massage, reflexology, facials, and waxing. The day spa also offers a variety of wraps, including clay, seaweed and parafango wraps, and sea salt scrubs. Just drop by the spa for assistance in designing the perfect combination.

Everyone has to eat, right? Local restaurants all offer gift cards in many denominations, so just drop by the following businesses and wrap up your gift list today:

• Sonic Drive-In. 1202 N. Main
• McDonalds, 102 E. Hwy 33
• Jalopys, 419 E. Hwy 33
• Cafe 33, 2405 W. 116th at Perkins Livestock
• El Mexicano, 121 W. Thomas
• DMarios, 503 E. Hwy 33

To give the gift of an already-prepared meal, contact KJ Hamel at Hello! Catering, (405) 880-6495, for a gift certificate that can be used for your special holiday dinner or later in the year when youre looking for a delicious meal for guests.

Williams Foods, 200 E. Hwy 33, also offers a lot of choices with its gift cards. Recipients will appreciate being able to select their favorite foods at any time of year with a gift card.

Have an opinion on this matter? Wed like to hear from you. Click here.

Make sure the final party before marital bliss ensues is as unique and exciting as possible with individualised party events from Eclipse Leisure.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Whether you are planning a party in one of the UK?s many cities or a weekend further afield it is important that the event will be a memorable one. Forget the generic stag weekend activates and tailor-make your party to suit the stag and his guests. With Eclipse Leisure you can ?build your own? event choosing from different daytime activities such as axe throwing, wakeboarding, horse racing or even deep-sea fishing! In the evening the group can try their luck at the dogs or solve a murder mystery.

For groups of 15 on a two-night package that want to ?stitch up the stag? there is a choice of great costumes available such as Batman, The Only Gay in The Village and Spiderman. It is traditional for the stag to get dressed up, and these costumes are enormously popular and add good fun to the weekend. The costume can be delivered to the hotel ready and waiting for the lucky chap.

To make sure your party gets all the revellers in your party involved, Eclipse Leisure allows you to create your own website especially for your stag do event. On the website you can build a unique itinerary for the destination of your choice and it aims to help you with distributing information to all your group members. You will find all details of your event, including accommodation (if booked), maps and driving directions.

The benefits of booking a stag night with Eclipse Leisure include: 24 hour assistance on the weekend ? so that you can do more partying and less worrying ? 12 years experience in the industry, with 1000s of satisfied customers, ABTA and ATOL bonding for your peace of mind and reliable and respected services. 60% of their business comes from recommendations and they have an easy-to-use online payment collection service.

About Eclipse Leisure

Eclipse Leisure has been organising stag and hen weekends since 1999. Eclipse Leisure, an ABTA bonded and ATOL registered company, are one of the longest established stag and hen weekend tour operators and are the UKs leading suppliers of Christmas parties. The company also offers team building and corporate events and ski holidays in Europe.

So whether your ultimate stag weekend experience will be a stag night out in Belfast or a weekend away to Berlin, Eclipse Leisure has a wide range of itineraries for your party to chose from.

I recently wrote an article on the Investors View of Master Limited Partnerships (here). The article had an extremely high interest level and many readers chose to add comments. Many of the comments/questions involved whether or not MLPs are well suited for IRAs.

There were a number of comments that werent all in concert with the tax problems associated with MLPs. It seems best to devote this article to a more in depth discussion.

The problem in including an MLP in an IRA is based on a section of the IRS Code (Section 512(a)(3)) that can impose taxes on entities that are otherwise tax exempt. This is commonly referred to as Unrelated Business Taxable Income-UBTI. This tax would include entities such as an IRA or Roth (even pension and Keogh Plans). Before I go into the MLP specifics, it might be of help if we discussed what this section is about.

Lets say your local Church regularly runs a Cake Sale to raise money. After doing this successfully for a while the Church decides to open a bakery and make even more money. They hire staff and even though all the profit goes to the Church for its good work, they are in the bakery business. Now, a bakery business is quite different than a cake sale. The IRS took the position that regular engagement in a business gives tax-exempt entities an unfair advantage over for-profit business and introduced UBTI to even the playing field. They did so by imposing a tax on the earnings, even though they would accrue to the Church. This tax is imposed on tax-exempts that regularly engage in a business (with some exceptions that arent relevant to this article).

When an IRA buys units in an MLP it becomes a partner in the MLPs business. Though the units may be a very small minority interest, it is an interest nonetheless. As a result a proportionate share of the MLPs net earnings are taxed to the IRA. There is a $1,000 annual exclusion that helps somewhat.

Many readers that have MLPs in their IRAs noted that they dont seem to have much of an income to report. As a result they conclude it is not so much of a problem. That conclusion does not tell the whole story. Lets look a little closer.

Lets say that $25,000 is invested in an MLP. The distribution (return of capital) is 6% per year ($1,500). This is not subject to UBTI as return of capital is not taxable income. Now, the MLP does make money from its operations. The net income represents a pass-through to the unit holder. Your share of the gross income might be $5,000 and your share of cash expenses (salaries, interest, etc.) might be $3,500. So far, the share of the net income is $1,500. This is before application of certain accounting adjustments.

You wont see this $1,500 reported on the K-1 as net income subject to UBTI. Thats because the MLP has some accounting tools, namely depreciation, depletion allowances and similar tools that further reduce currently taxable income.

Assuming these tools provide another $1,400 in expense deductions, your taxable earnings are reduced to just $100. It is this amount that is reported on the K-1 and is within the $1,000 annual limit.

Unfortunately, there is a catch. This additional $1,400 is recaptured when you dispose of the units and classified as ordinary income. That means that though the current MLP earnings are shielded, the shield is taken off at disposition and all previous earnings that were shielded are now brought back in as ordinary income. It is this income that is now subject to UBTI.

Lets say that you held your units for 10 years and the MLP had $15,000 in earnings. Of those earnings $14,000 was shielded by these tools and is now subject to recapture.

Lets say that you then sell the units for $35,000. In your mind you have a $10,000 capital gain which is not taxed to the IRA.

In fact thats not how the IRS tallies the transaction. They would consider $14,000 as recapture subject to ordinary income and therefore UBTI. Only the balance is either capital gain or cost basis and not subject to tax. If you now withdraw these after UBTI-taxed amounts from your IRA they will be taxed again. This is not the result most people would want.

Whether anyone decides on including an MLP in their IRA is a choice only they can make. It is important that their choice be an informed choice and so they need to be aware of the possibility of current AND/OR deferred tax obligations. The investor should not be swayed just by the current K-1 because it doesnt tell the whole story.

Additional note: Though this article focused on the UBTI issues in an IRA, the same tax issues exist for MLPs in taxable accounts. That is, on disposition of the units, your sales price will include ordinary income, capital gains and cost basis recovery.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

Are you searching for the perfect gift for a gardener in your family? Here are some ideas that might prove helpful. Oh, and if you are the gardener, cut out this article and leave it in an obvious spot for your loved ones to see so they get the hint!

- Gardeners always love gift plants and flowers. Since gardeners tend to be choosy about the type of plants they grow, get them a gift certificate to their favorite nursery. Or, give them a monthly subscription to receive fruit or plants each month for the next year. Or try a subscription to a gardening magazine.

- Pins shaped like a garden rake or a shovel or flower necklaces are good jewelry ideas for women. For the male gardener, try a bird feeder, chimes or another garden accessory.

- For the indoor gardener, a table top terrarium is a lovely way to grow and enjoy an indoor garden. Be sure to give them some little houseplants and soil to get the terrarium started.

- A canvas tote filled with gardening supplies is always great. For indoor gardeners, include perfectly sized tools, a plant mister, a light meter and a good houseplant book. For the outdoor gardener, include pruners, string, plant tags and gloves.

- Create a whole basket full of gardening treasures. A collection of garden delights might include green tea, natural snacks and gardening essentials like gardening gloves, hand tools, a kneeling pad and jiffy-pots for seedlings.

– University of Illinois Extension

Local cyclists told City Councilman Tom Bieker they like the citys long-range plans for making Springfield more bicycle-friendly, but they think some relatively inexpensive steps could make riding safer and more enjoyable in the interim.

Public Works has a lot of things in the plans, Christopher McNeese said during a Making Springfield forum Bieker organized Monday. But its still a plan. It would be nice if that became a reality.

McNeese, general manager of AB Cycle, said the city should add more sharrows — share the road pavement markings — to raise driver awareness in the meantime.

Public service announcements urging drivers to watch for bicycles could help, too, said Jared Meyer, who sported a cast on one wrist after being struck by car Oct. 24.

Thats actually my fourth time being hit while riding a bicycle, Meyer said.

Meyer and McNeese were among about two dozen people, including city staff, who turned out for the forum Monday.

Bieker said he hopes to hold the meetings monthly as an avenue for residents to share ideas and concerns directly with him and other council members.

If youve ever been to council chambers, it can be pretty intimidating, said Bieker, who borrowed the idea from Police Chief Paul Williams Coffee with the Chief events.

The initial forum, held at The Hub coffee shop and bicycle store on Boonville Avenue, was meant to solicit ideas for making Springfield both more business- and bicycle-friendly.

Bikes dominated the hourlong discussion.

Many of the comments centered on the lack of connectivity. Although the city has added bike lanes to a number of streets downtown and elsewhere, there are significant gaps between bike-friendly sections and existing Ozark Greenways trails, for example.

Busy roads also can be a barrier, especially for casual cyclists, speakers said.

Fremonts kind of a busy road; I try not to ride on it, said Rick Scarlet. I never ride on Glenstone.

McNeese said the lack of connectivity was one reason AB Cycle decided to move from downtown to south Springfield, where many of the stores customers live.

An online map of suggested bike routes is available on the citys website, McNeese noted, but a lot of people dont know it exists.

Several speakers said they like the citys plans for The Link — a series of marked routes meant to connect bike-friendly streets and existing trails to create more direct paths across the city.

The Link project will do a lot of what were talking about — its just a matter of funding, said McNeese, who is director of Bicycle Friendly Springfield, a grass-roots group with about 2,500 members.

Several ideas discussed Monday focused on ways to cross the city without a car in the meantime.

With racks for bicycles, City Utilities buses offer a potential bike-and-ride option, Lee Ann Worman said, but existing bus routes arent very convenient.

Worman suggested the city or CU create a smartphone app that tracks the location of city buses — Missouri State University already has such a program for tracking buses on its campus transit system.

Something like that would be great for the city buses, she said, and may be more feasible than building a whole lot of bike paths all at once.

The kitchen is where I shine, especially during the holidays.

If you have a special someone on your Christmas list who resembles that remark, I think I may be able to help you with a few gift ideas sure to please your gourmand.

There are a few kitchen gadgets, cookbooks and subscriptions near and dear to my heart. There are several places to obtain these gadgets including chefscatalog.com; uncommongoods.com; Sur La Table; King Arthur Flour The Bakers Catalog and Williams-Sonoma.

Still cant decide? Give a catalog and/or a gift card and let him or her go to town.

Favorite kitchen gadgets for stocking stuffers from my must-have list include:

Microplane grater; silicone spatulas; Edelstahl garlic press; small nut grinder ($9.95, you fill the top part with nuts, turn the handle one way for coarse grind and the other for fine grind and the base provides a measurement so you chop the nuts you need); mini tart pans with removable bottoms; citrus reamer; shortbread mold; Pampered Chef cookie scoops (a small and large).

And if the pocketbook goes a lot deeper here are some more expensive suggestions that make life in the kitchen a lot more fun:

Kitchen-Aid Professional Stand Mixer; Wustof Grand Prix II chefs knife, paring knife, santoku knife and/or kitchen shears; Zojirushi Home Bread Machine.

And hubs, if you read this, I sure could use a new apple peeler/corer/slicer to replace the one I broke you know the one that is stainless steel, cast iron with the suction base.

Theres nothing wrong with giving a coveted best-seller to your friend or loved one, but we kitchen geeks are always happy with a new cookbook or two …. Believe me; the rewards will pay off exponentially.

Here are a few in my library that I revert to most often:

The Victory Garden Cookbook, Marian Morash; Commanders Kitchen by Ti Adelaide Martin and Jamie Shannon; The Fosters Market Cookbook by Sara Foster; The Barefoot Contessa (I like them all – At Home; Parties, Family Style hellip;); The New Book of Soups by The Culinary Institute; Martha Stewart Cookies; Three Rivers Cookbook Collection; The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julee Rosso; La Cucina di Andreas by Chef Andrea (New Orleans/Italian recipes).

A subscription to a cooking magazine is a great gift that gives all year long. Over the years I have tried them all, but my extra-favorites are Cuisine at Home and Tea Times. Cuisine at Home has no ads, its all about cooking and I probably go to my collections when I am going to entertain more often than I go to a cookbook. Tea Times is just a pleasurable, beautiful magazine for the tea lover. You learn about teas and the recipes and pictures are captivating and enticing. My only complaint is they publishers dont publish enough issues. The Food Network Magazine looks good hubs, theres another hint for you.

Well, I hope maybe a few of these suggestions will help some reader out there with a dilemma.

And I cant not include at least one recipe. While I was writing this column Sunday night I was watching what else but The Cooking Channel and a show titled Cookies and Cocktail Special came on and I was completely intrigued by the description of this cookie. So I just had to look it up, and I just have to try it. Apparently it is well know by some, but got past me until now. It has sweet and salty unconventional ingredients and sounds yummy and unique.

Here goes. Happy shopping.

Momofuku Compost Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Christina Tosi, lsquo;Momofuku Milk Bar
(Clarkson Potter, 2011)

Makes 15-20 large cookies

Note: Any kind of fresh coffee grounds will work in this recipe. Do not use instant coffee or wet grounds that already have brewed a pot of coffee.

Ingredients

16 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

2 tablespoons glucose (or 1 tablespoon corn syrup)

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup mini-chocolate chips

1/2 cup mini-butterscotch chips

1/2 cup Graham Crust (see below)

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 1/2 teaspoons ground coffee

2 cups potato chips, such as Cape Cod

1 cup mini pretzels

Directions

Combine the butter, sugars and glucose in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7-8 minutes. (Yes, that long.)

Reduce mixer speed to low; add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix just until dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Still on low, add the chocolate chips, butterscotch, graham crust, oats and coffee; mix until just blended, about 30 seconds. Add the potato chips and pretzels and paddle, still on low speed, until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or break too many pretzels or potato chips.

Using a 2frac34;-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3-cup measure); portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature or skimp on the chilling time or they will not bake properly.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be very faintly browned on the edges, yet still bright yellow in the center. Give them an extra minute if thats not the case.

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate (or an airtight container for storage). At room temperature, cookies will keep fresh for 5 days. In the freezer, they will keep 1 month.

Graham Crust

Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup milk powder

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Toss the graham cracker crumbs, milk powder, sugar and salt with your hands in a medium bowl to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.

Whisk the butter and cream together. Add to the dry ingredients and toss again to evenly distribute. The butter will act as a glue, adhering to the dry ingredients and turning the mixture into a bunch of small clusters. The mixture should hold its shape if squeezed tightly in the palm of your hand. If it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 1 to 1frac12; tablespoons butter and mix it in.

Eat immediately or deploy as directed in the recipe. If using as a pie crust, the crust is easiest to mold just after mixing. Stored in an airtight container, graham crust will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature, or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

Christina Tosi, Momofuku Milk Bar (Clarkson Potter, 256 pages, $35)