Five Things

I found the missing wine in the freezer! I remember now I popped it in to chill for a few minutes before my book group arrived. . . several weeks ago. It’s lucky they were satisfied with the first bottle – usually we can polish off two to three. And also lucky it did not explode.

I just made Pumpkin Pie as well as the Caramel Cashew Bars my friend Jen served at the last Betsy-Tacy party. Cross your fingers they pass muster!

I concentrated the cashews on the left in case anyone dislikes nuts

Fun book – Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating.   

Most emotional moment: Monday night when Harvard coach Tim Murphy awarded the Yale game ball to former player Ben Abercrombie who had traveled from Alabama to Boston for The Game.

My brother’s new puppy Chloe, just eight weeks old, is the cutest dog ever. I can’t wait until he and his family go on a trip so I can puppy sit and have her all to myself.


Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Chocolate Bread

I talk about cooking a lot more than I actually do anything about it, and like Betsy Ray, I am able to make a company dinner and little else. However, I own an new and as yet unused silicone loaf pan waiting to be filled, and I now realize chocolate bread is clearly the right choice for this project. Just read this description from NPR and drool...

If you like your chocolate gooey and compliant, you could pop a slice in the toaster. If you like your chocolate firm, dark and potent, you could eat it as it was. Either way, the bread was mouth-filling, faintly decadent and addictive in both the short and long term.

Either way? For a second, I thought I had to choose!

Holiday Baking

I am not one of those people who starts decorating before Thanksgiving, and in fact, as some of you know, my mother always insisted that we wait until Christmas Eve to decorate the tree. But I just received something that put me in a very holiday frame of mind - my friends Valerie and Janice's book is out, Cookie Craft - doesn't it look lovely, not to mention appetizing?




Book Description
Amateur cookie crafters can achieve bakery-quality design and homemade fresh taste. Thanks to the clear instructions and practical methods, Cookie Craft gives readers access to the entire world of decorated cookies, beginning with an inspirational gallery of 150 colorful cookies guaranteed to start those creative juices flowing.

It will be on display at bookstores, including Borders and Barnes & Noble, and available at barnesandnoble.com (my old account, I wonder how they are surving without me) and Amazon.

I could use some of those cookies now!