Snowy Apricot Bars

6 oz. dried apricots
1/2 c firm margarine
1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 c Bisquick

2 c brown sugar, packed
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 c bisquick
1 tsp vanilla
chopped walnuts (may be omitted)

Powdered sugar

Place apricots in a saucepan. Add water to cover. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 min. Drain, cool, chop and reserve.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut margarine into sugar and 2 1/2 c bisquick until crumbly. Pat into ungreased jelly roll pan (15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1) Bake 10 min. Beat brown sugar and eggs. Stir in apricots, 2/3 c bisquick, vanilla and nuts. Spread over baked layer Bake 30 min longer. Cool completely, cut into bars (2x1 in)Roll into powdered sugar. Makes 75 cookies.

Recipe courtesy of Rosemary McAuliff and Bisquick

It snowed overnight. I heard the plows through the night. This morning, it looks like what the natives here consider Christmas. I, on the other hand, did not mind a snowless Xmas. I guess I should be ok with it snowing considering it IS the middle of January and spring officially start in about 2 months. In the mean time, I scour the half-price flower bunches and buy myself flowers. After all, I must keep my sanity so I can garden this spring. The flower and seed catalogs also keep hope alive that spring will return. I wonder though if winter will hang on with a vengeance because we had such a long reprieve from the cold and snow.