In A Nutshell

Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts The only change to this recipe is as follows:  Use creamy peanut butter for the frosting and spread it on top of brownies while they are still warm.  Immediately spread the chocolate ganache topping and sprinkle with chopped salted peanuts. These are insanely good!

Black Rook in Rainy Weather by Sylvia Plath On the stiff twig up there Hunches a wet black rook Arranging and rearranging its feathers in the rain. I do not expect a miracle Or an accident To set the sight on fire In my eye, nor seek Any more in the desultory weather some design, But let spotted leaves fall as they fall, Without ceremony, or portent. Although, I admit, I desire, Occasionally, some backtalk From the mute sky, I can't honestly complain: A certain minor light may still  Lean incandescent Out of the kitchen table or chair As if a celestial burning took Possession of the most obtuse objects now and then- Thus hallowing an interval Otherwise inconsequent By bestowing largesse, honor, One might say love.  At any rate, I now walk  Wary (for it could happen Even in this dull, ruinous landscape); skeptical, Yet politic; ignorant Of whatever angel may choose to flare Suddenly at my elbow.  I only know that a rook  Ordering its black feathers can so...

And that's how you make a Bunco cake!

The Bountiful Harvest   Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart with a Cornmeal Crust Kajmak!  Oh joy!!!

Picture Mma Ramotswe, except rather than an African woman of traditional build in Botswana, we have a portly Punjabi detective in Delhi with a good heart and a slightly inflated ego.  I LOVED this book!  First of all, because my diminished brain can only retain culture, politics and history if it is wrapped in a jaunty detective story, this book is the perfect learning tool (if only Ali could have started, oh say... Islamic Investigations in No God But God and dug up some dirt on Aisha all the while making pithy comments, who knows... maybe I would have actually learned something).  Anyhow, this is where I learned about the economics of modern India, the plight of the ragpickers, the clash of new Western values vs. traditional Indian ways etc. etc.  But the language is the best part of the book; for example, I learned that many people call their boss the Incharge.  Also, when someone is lounging around, it is referred to as "doing timepass". Here is a sample pa...

Milo had a vet appointment on Wednesday and didn't kill the vet or anyone in the office for that matter!  I noticed on his file, however, that they had put these bright red stickers reading "Will Bite"  all over the place.  As a result, the doctor made me muzzle him (the indignity of such a thing)!!  He was taken to the Back Room where they did their stuff and he scared peed, but the bottom line is the vet unmuzzled him, said he was a very good boy, remarked upon my excellent command of the beast and pronounced him healthy and slimmer (he lost 5 lbs)!  Both dogs are 69.5 lbs (Stormy hasn't been under 70 lbs in years).