Cookies, who needs them?

I think cookies are the ultimate 'comfort' food....they go with most beverages, milk, tea, coffee, water, wine, and yes maybe even some special drinks...like amaretto and shortbread, irish bailey's cream and peanut butter. But there's really nothing like a glass of cold milk and a few choice homemade cookies...oatmeal raisin with walnuts. It's the perfect breakfast. (if you are not watching your calories)

Speaking of calories, have you ever spent hours at the grocery store looking at the millons of choices of cookies boxes, searching for that tasty treat that is under 100 calories for 3? Well if you haven't done such a search, I have, and I can tell you it doesn't exist.

I am sharing my two favorite holiday cookies, from my mother's drawer of recipes. Straight out of 1950 Pillsbury Best...

Tis the Season!

Wow, it's already December! No blogging for 4 months- where does the time go?
It's friggin Christmas again! Time for the Fish Feast, A Italian Christmas Day Feast (Braciole?), and
hopefully the Truckee Tamale Feast! Feast for all and for all a good holiday!

It's also a time for frantic crocheting and knitting...finishing up those projects that I started last January, or maybe the January before...I can't remember. I tried to crochet a moccasin the other day and it turned out horrible, maybe I'll just toss it in the garbage ala Joan Henry.  I felted Kasey and Meggy some holiday neck warmers...

More to come! I have some down time finally so I can concentrate on my two favorite things - Cooking and Fiber Arts! Michelle is coming tomorrow and we are going to start the preparation for the Fish Feast....but first a few batches of our favorite cookies...

Real Italian Housewives Spaghetti Sauce

Of course, I would never give you my recipe for my Italian Spaghetti sauce (or gravy???)
But here are some key ingredients:

BLOG TIME

The Blog is back! After a long, hot, dry summer in Vegas, with little knitting and cooking accomplished, I feel the creative juices coming back...As many of you know, I am a little obsessed right now with the Real Housewives series on New Jersey. It just feel a little too close to home...I think maybe I may have ended up like one of them if my father wouldn't have come home that fateful day and said "Clara! Pack up the house, we are moving to California! I remember thinking "what the heck is "California" and no one really explained it to me (did they ever explain anything to me???) until we were at the airport saying goodbye to all my New Jersey aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends...my whole life changed that fateful day...I may have stayed in New Jersey, and lived near Patterson, and drove  a  Cadillac, married a mobster, and had kids in my mansion....oh well...instead I had these gals:

Loser-ville

I just almost burned a pot with boiling water! What does this mean?????
Now I can't cook water?

Also, I ordered a yougurt machine from Target today - spent an extra $10 for the automatic shut off.
I'll keep you all posted...

Socks still suck

Yes. I'm insane. I started another pair of socks. I'm almost done with the first one, just a teeenny bit more of the toe to finish, then on to the next one.

Part of me is taking my time with the toe, so that I never have to start numero dos. These are for me. I love myself enough to not want to share any of these billions of tiny little stitches with anyone. Anyway, at least I'm still knitting.

And someday, I'll use the magic loop, two socks at time method, maybe when I have lots of time to whip up dozens of pairs. Next lifetime.

I guess I was on a blog vacation.

But I'm back!

I will have to be gut-wrenchingly honest here and confess that due to many batches of burnt food (salsa, beans, stews, and then hard boiled eggs), I felt unworthy to blog about my fine culinary adventures....

Then I decided to lose some weight and I sort of lost interest in cooking all my favorite foods like vine ripened marinara sauce, homemade salsas, the famous tamale feasts, eggplant parmagiana...

And I started making instant sugar free jello and crazy stuff like celery sticks and sliced cucumbers. I also became a salt fiend. I gave up chips and salsa and sugar and white flour. Life hasn't been that fun to blog about.

And I've lost 25 pounds since January 15th. So that's the good news!
This Saturday, Mike and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, and then going to Memphis for 5 days to see Graceland and Beale Street...and probably find some damn good southern food, not fried, but tasty. I'll send pictures!