Cellophane packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things. . .

Carcicles

Jack Frost nipping at my butt. . .

(Note: a large branch of one of our trees snapped under the weight of the ice)

After falling last week on the slippery, wet deck out back while grilling my chicken satay for the cookie party, I have been walking around very trepidatiously. It has been about eight years since I have fully fallen on my ass, and it was as shocking as it was painful. So whereas two weeks ago I walked through the world with the sure footing of a giant, I am now forced to check and recheck each foot hold as if each step toward my car (or the bathroom) was all that kept me from dangling from life's wintery summit. I say this so you may appropriately understand the caution I exercised this morning as I walked out onto the front porch to take pictures of the crystal ice world that was once our front yard. I pressed open the screen, and with the camera in one hand and my weariness in the other, I set out to take pictures of the elusive(and ever so beautiful) icicles, which have formed along our rain gutters overnight. No sooner had my first step made contact with the ground than I was lying spread eagle in nearly the full splits, my ass and one foot outside on the ice, and the other foot underneath and behind me inside the house. As the cold icy wetness seeped through the seat of my pants, I pondered how I would even be physically able to get up from this horribly painful contortion. I calmly took a breath and snapped a few pictures from my circus pose, before turning off the camera and tossing it to safety inside. I then, having sublimated my humiliation, through a process I do not even wish to describe, flopped around on the icy ground for several minutes, until finally I was forced to just shimmy onto my stomach and army crawl it back into the house before getting up. So here I sit, cold, wet, and sore, still no closer to capturing my beloved icicles on film.

A humble holiday spread with coffee. . .

Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Cranberry-Orange, Lemon, Maple-Oat, and Pumpkin Scones

Santa baby. . .

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. . .

Cookie Exchange

Pesto Pasta Salad

gobble gobble. . .

Our newly remodeled bathroom

Freshly painted "bonus room"

A couple of rushed, blurry pics just before dinner. . .

A fancy table for Hannah and Clemlette. Just their size.

Damn that tryptophan!

Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through the house. . .

Down by the sea. . .

Jacob's Signature Salad

Fuji Apples,
Dried Cranberries,
Glazed Walnuts,
Crumbled Blue Cheese,
on a bed of baby greens, served with
Jacob's Creamy Balsamic Blue Cheese Dressing

white chocolate macadamia nut

Sugar and spice and everything nice and organized!!

For years I have been searching for the ultimate herb/spice organizational system. At the store each system seemed too expensive, or too ugly, or too impractical. I have acquiesced instead to a big cabinet full of clutter and choas above the stove, where any number of jars might fall on top of your head should you dare move anything on your search to find what you are looking for. No more. Last night I stayed up into to wee hours of the morning organizing and labeling all of our herbs and spices (thanks to Gab's handy dandy label maker). And now they stand, a thing of beauty, alphabetized in their shiny little jars. Sigh. It really is a dream come true.

Happy, Happy Birthday Bentley!!!

Who dat goooood birthday boy?

Mmmmmmmmmm. . . frosting.

My tiny little boy turned two yesterday. I cannot believe he is growing up so fast, hardly a puppy at all any more. He has been with me now for one year eight months, and I cannot even begin to imagine my life without him. He is a little love bug. A little bug of love.

He would like to thank all of you who took the time to email, text, and call in your happy birthday wishes. He felt like a special, special boy.

Spicy Hummus

Road Testing

Here it is not even Halloween and I find myself busying myself in the kitchen humming Christmas carols. I'm getting ready for the holidays already, testing some holiday cookie recipes, just to expand my repertoire, and looking for that perfect cookie for our cookie exchange party. (yes, I am THAT ridiculous) I want something quintessentially holiday-ish, and I have been thinking of maybe a double chocolate candy cane biscotti, a pumpkin cream sandwiched between two perfect gingersnaps, classic gingerbread men, and today, the newest endeavor, fruitcake cookies. Which one will win??? Who knows... but the house sure does smell good.

Update: So the reviews for these cookies were mixed. Jen literally spit hers out, and described them as "tasting like poison". . .and while everyone seemed to like them, no one seemed blown away by them. I myself, thought they were quite good. They do actually taste like fruitcake (which could be part of the problem, seeing as most people do not actually care for fruitcake). I would therefore give this test three out of five stars. So the search continues. . .