Somehow I rsvped to cookie swap and have no memory of having done so! I saw sara's post and was all wha? why wasn't I invited?? Oh brain. Of course I have no idea what to make!

I think emailing the teacher is a good idea. Because seriously -- that shit ain't right, and someone should do something about it.

I bet they won't deliver to my zipcode. But I can check my local Thai restaurants for similar dishes...

Shrimp rolls with bacon.

Kosher Kryptonite

Today I cycled to the store to shop for ingredients for my dad's bday dinner. I asked him what he wanted that Mom doesn't make very often. So the menu is Swiss steak, rice, sautéed onions (my mom is sensitive to onion family stuff so we can't have them...she's gone this week) and apple brown betty. I just spent a couple hours sautéeing onions and dredging and browning round steak.

I'll probably cut up the apples tonight and put them in a lemon solution. Tomorrow I'll have to prepare the rest of the Swiss steak ingredients and bake that. Make the rice, bake the apple betty, make a salad and reheat the onions. I'm not looking forward to cleaning up after all of that (several siblings, nephews and nieces are coming over), but I'm glad to be able to do something nice for my dad. I also bought him several types of dried fruit he likes but doesn't buy often because he thinks it's too expensive.

I've been hoping that a musician would get back to me today so I could continue working on the song parody and get it done, but I haven't heard anything.

More cooking, kitchen cleaning & bathroom cleaning for me. Then passing out.

Larb is delicious, although I make it with basil rather than mint because I have issues with mint.

I have consumed an enormous and tasty taco salad. Tomorrow I think it will be stir fry, as I have a ton of baby bok choy, kohlrabi, and sambal ulek.

What about making something like a cinnamon roll? Make one of those roll cookies things that you slice into section (I am obviously not a cookie pro), but before you roll it up, make a layer of...hazelnuts? Pine nuts? in Amaretto? anisette? -- like a bouche.

Then you could glaze it, like a cinnamon roll. Gran Marnier in the glaze. Or a whitee chocolate glaze.

Yum. You could tart up pumpkin cookies -- add dried ginger or cran or cherries, and dip half of them in melted milk chocolate.

OMG, I AM SO HUNGRY NOW.

OMG there's a movie coming out soon with Johnny Depp and Paul Bettany and some chick named Angelina. I am weak.

Yeah, I'm not aiming for winning, just deliciously different. And making something up. I am not a good baker. Or cook, for that matter. I wing it and it usually doesn't turn out half bad. Still preening over my apple crisp. Good apples were the secret (box of granola from Target, butter and brown sugar) Got me a grandmother's approval and pan came home empty and it was a total winging it.

Johnny Depp and Paul Bettany and some chick named Angelina.

Gleep.

One of the boys ate the last of the cheese poofs and I am So Not Amused.