Chat

I have decided that I can no longer exist without an off-set spatula.  Well, two, actually.  One smaller one for doing frosting on cookies and cupcakes, and one 'normal' large size one for frosting cakes.  Please someone send me one or bring me one soon.  Life may indeed come to a halt without these vital kitchen tools.

I hit a major milestone in my attempt at conquering food last night.  I actually took a full piece of cake and a full portion of ice cream on my party plate... ate less than half... and threw the rest away.  I can't believe it.  Yes, wasteful, I admit it.  But come on, I definitely deserve some kind of applause for the way I was able to drag my feet, one by one, into the kitchen, before scarfing down the entire plate of delicious dessert.  This is a massive marking of progress for me.  Massive, I tell you.

I made 'flooded' iced sugar cookies this week.  A 'rite of passage' of sorts of my own.  I did not have merangue powder as most of the recipes call for, so I just used powdered sugar and milk.  It worked.  It was delicious (from the one bite of Clark's cookie that I had).  And it produced beautiful Halloween cookies.  Halloween baking was the trial for Thanksgiving and Christmas baking which is yet to come.  I can't wait to put these gorgeous confections on my kitchen table, in gift plates for friends and neighbors, or on a display at whatever party may descend upon my house.  Major rejoicing over this one.

I shattered a contact lens last week.  In my nearly 20 years of wearing contact lenses, I have only ever lost one lens and ever broken two.  I think that's a pretty good record, actually.  However, I am not constrained to wearing my glasses (the new ones that I love) until I have time to call or go over to the contact lens place and get new ones.  Amazing how much time and energy it takes to just pick up the phone and order a new lens.  I don't even need an appointment since these were so new.  Just order a duplicate already, Leah!  Come on!

November 1 officially begins the holiday season in my mind.  Thankfully, God has been good and has sent cooler weather to join in the beginning of my favorite time of the year.  My whole mood changes from November 1 - January 15.  A delightful calmness and lack of motivation to do much of anything professional consumes me.  With the year I've had (added to the year we had last year....) I am soooo looking forward to this time of the year which is so edifying for the state of my emotions and the health of my soul.  

I never turned my calendar from September.  And now it's nearly November.  Hmm.

I love throwing dinner parties.  Had one last night.  Made Mexican.  Have lots of leftovers.  Was charged up about watching people eat.  Had a near disaster with the cake that I made, but in the end, it was awesome and people raved about it.  Someone even commented that the cornbread I made was "the best she'd ever had".  I don't think she was just being kind, but I do think the fact that she's eaten nothing but plain rice and power bars for about five days had something to do with the sensitivity of her taste buds.  Anyway, I'll take that compliment any day.  My compliment vault is definitely full today.

Today's been a good day.  And for now I'm happy about that. 

~lk