Happiness, it seems to me, consists of two things: First, in being where you belong, and second - and best - in comfortably going through everyday life; that is, having had a good night's sleep and not being hurt by new shoes.
-- Theodore Fontaine
Let's get right to it, shall we?
1. Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey [I bought this for my niece when I was in Boston in March, and we read it two times a day for the four days I visited her afterwards]
2. Gerbera daisies
3. the smell of garlic sauteeing in olive oil [growing up, we'd walk in the house and say, "Smells great, Mom, what's for dinner?" and the only thing in the pan would be olive oil, garlic, and onion]
4. Socca, best eaten walking around the Sunday open-air market in Vieux Nice
5. the way wet leaves stain the sidewalk with their colors in the fall
6. when you and the bank agree on the amount of money in your account [my bank has said I have between $7 and $12 more than my checkbook says for more than a year; if I could ever get a consistent difference for 6 months, I'd just adjust it and move on, but it keeps changing]
7. decorating for Christmas, even if you're the only one who will see it
8. the runt of the litter
After my "alternative work assignment" day today, most of my Christmas shopping is done, I just need one more thing for my dad, and two things for my brother. Karen is coming this weekend with baby Caroline, and we're having a Christmas cookie baking marathon. I've choosen some pretty ambitious recipes, so we'll see how they turn out. I chose Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars, Double Chocolate Sable Cookies, Kris Kringle Cookies, and Coconut-Peanut Cookies. I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but the Nanaimo Bars are no-bake, and the Coconut-Peanut ones look pretty simple, so I'm hopeful. Karen has chosen traditional sugar cookies, which we'll roll out and use my extensive cookie cutter collection on, as well as Snickerdoodles (which, to my surprise and dismay, do not actually contain Snickers), and a cookie to be named later.
Hopefully the results will be great, and I can take a bunch to work to share and save some for my family on Christmas as well. What are you making this holiday?
(Please, people, I like it when you comment, that's why I keep asking questions at the end of my posts. Don't be shy, I like to know you're reading and what you're thinking - you can be anonymous if you want to. Jane, Lydia, Coll, Becca - thanks for keeping me company!)
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4 comments:
I am not baking anything, if I can help it. I'm not even having a tree. We have a Christmas loveseat. It's piled high with gifts.
I live to bake and I'm good at it.
Trouble is, nobody to give it to.
The husband claims he doesn't like sweets.
And I will NOT have 3 dozen of any type of cookie in my home.
It's just torture.
But I had the chance to bake for 3 separate parties last week.
In my glory and got rave reviews :)
I can't wait to hear how your fancy cookies turned out.
I'm having cookie issues. I've ruined 2 batches of saltine toffee, and one batch of jam thumbprints. I was successful with ricotta cookies, one batch of toffee, and hopefully will be successful with the white chocolate chunk cookies that just need more chocolate. And I'm going to try those chocolate peanut cookies too -- thanks!
Here's an update:
the Kris Kringle Cookies are done, and they are yummy - such an interesting combination of flavors. We're working on the sugar cookies and snickerdoodles now, saving the more ambitious Sable Cookies til after lunch.
Julie, I think Monka had a toffee disaster recently, too. I guess it's going around. I would love the recipe for the ricotta cookies - you can email me at hearmeintheharmony@gmail.com, if you'd be willing to share!
Coll, I love baking too. As much of a mess as I make in my kitchen, which stresses me out, in the end it's always worth it.
Lydia, I don't have a tree either. I also don't have a Christmas loveseat, but I guess you can't have everything!
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