The Calm Before the Storm

Does anyone remember last November? For many of you it was just another month on the march towards Christmas, but for me it was different. For me, it meant pledging like a Girl Guide to post at least once per day on this here blog thing and then ’round about the 8th of the month curling up like a ball in the corner cursing my naivete.

It’s NaBloPoMo time again, and like a goldfish who just gorged on fish flakes I have completely forgotten the consequences of my actions. And so toss me some more flakes – hell, throw in some pellets!

This year DM is in on the fun (and after successfully completing a post-a-day for October too) and we’ve decided to try to make it easier (so read: harder), by adding a theme. Our theme is…

LETTERS!

So each day we’ll write a letter to someone, or some thing and maybe we’ll actually send it, or maybe we won’t. Maybe my letter will be to you so you should tune in lest you miss the outpouring of my most secret of affections.

So take a few days and I’ll see you back here on Saturday.

Toot! Toot!

I can admit my posts have been rather sread out these days. Mostly it was an attempt to save up enough words for this:

Get started on your ‘craftspirations’ now

Time quickly runs out when you strive for a homemade holiday

Sadly, the online version lacks the extreme close-up of my giant head.

I’m a Hyper Hypo: The Thanksgiving Edition

There has been much discussion in the family these days about how many desserts is too many desserts. My sister and I, despite being raised by a mother who did not let us have Cap’n Crunch cereal and firmly believes that bread and water make for an excellent post-meal treat (Hi Mom!), really feel that when any kind of a holiday is involved it isn’t really pushing it to have eleventy-hundred desserts. Even DM, when listening to me rattle off various food items to be featured on this Sunday’s Thanksgiving menu, uttered phrases like “three is two more than we need” and “unnecessary waste” when I got round to listing off the desserts. Frankly, I don’t think three is enough and if you can eat pie for breakfast then there shall be no waste whatsoever. So there.

For those of you who are like me and like your turkey with a side of pie and like your pie with a side of brown sugar and maple syrup puree, here are some links:

Banoffee Pie at Bake and Shake

Pumpkin Praline Trifle at Bon Appetit

Pumpkin Chocolate Bread at Canadian Living

Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart at Martha Stewart

Pumpkin Fudge at Southern Living

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie also at Bon Appetit

Pumpkin Spice Scones at Pinch My Salt

Pumpkin Butterscotch Chip Cookies at CHOW (originally in Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans)