Happy New Year

Homemade pita!

Ah, another year over.  It was an interesting one.  Here are a few highlights.  In January I made homemade pita bread with some Greek chicken.  Christina was back at school and called and scolded me for not making this when she was home.  I made it again a few weekends later when she came home, and it did not disappoint!

In February I made a new friend.  I made cookies for her KD daughter and we chatted for over an hour at my kitchen table.  We wondered out loud how we went so long not knowing one another?!  She has become a great friend, a great walking partner and we share an occasional beer over Bachelor/Bachelorette shows.  Don't judge, that's our job!  Maybe in 2014 she and I will hike a canyon or two....



In March I jumped up on my soap box about my little criminal.  You can read it here, but sadly, almost 10 months later, she is still going through our very slow court system.  Oh well.  I try not to think about this episode, it makes me lose faith in people.

In April I shook off the winter doldrums by making some of the prettiest cookies ever.  A colorful shower,  Ole Miss engagement platter, which I was nervous about since they are red, white and blue,  but were very pretty.  My new friend from February?  Her parents both turned 80 in April and I was thrilled to make 80 candle cookies for Geez and Gumps!  And the month was topped off by a Southern party combo....Sip and See/Piano Recital. Some pretty cute cookies for my friend from Pure Barre!



In May  I opened my heart to you.  You'll enjoy it, really.  I made a jillion cookies, all designs, and they were pretty fun, and we ate hot dogs four ways.  They were memorable and delicious!

The All American Dog

In June I made more graduation cookies, and cookies for my favorite store.  Ironic, as I am working the liquidation sale at said store right now.  Sad.  But more on that later.



July is my favorite month.  The Fourth, my and Christina's birthdays, the hottest, longest days of the year...Ahhh,  But, in trying to keep my resolutions, my first stage play was produced.  I am a playwright.  Pretty cool seeing your words come alive on stage.



In August, I didn't blog much, but what I did was yummy!  We traveled quite a bit, but at home we ate the most delicious Turkey Burgers, my favorite BLT Salad, and my sister wanted Hobbit Cookies, so I obliged and garnered a new group of fans, and became a One Ring fan myself.



September is the start of college football, and I posted some Sooner cookies that I had neglected to post the year before!  But I also had a revelation in September.  I needed a project.  Since I was 10 months from my big 5-0, I decided to start blogging my favorite, most influential, funny and iconic chefs that have shaped me.  So it began, with my Mom,  the founder of my workplace, Chuck Williams,  Dinah Shore, Deborah Madison and the Sussman Brothers.  I have to make a recipe I have never made, and it has been one of the most enriching projects ever.  So much good food!

My Mom and Sookie

October.  We were pretty busy following our favorite Millsap Major digging on the VB court, so my few blogs were all about the 50 chefs.  Ina,  The Silver Palate and Paul Prudhomme.  Sadly, there were no bat or witch cookies, and trick or treating was a bust.  November rolled in with a vengeance.

This is the time of year that I put my head down and dive into the holidays.  I decorate early so I can enjoy it, I did blog Giada,  and I made a few cookies.  But really, I work the holidays, I know there was a turkey.  You know November can be sort of blurry.

We had a great volleyball season....lots of cookies!

And then the wind was knocked out of me in December.  My Williams Sonoma store is closing.  We got the news a week into December.  In the height of my 17th Williams Sonoma Christmas.  It was devastating.  Once the shock wore off, I looked at it as an opportunity.  New possibilities.  Who knows.  I know I need to write, and bake, and write a play, and visit my parents.  I hope to work at the Outlet here, and keep my fantastic discount since I am nowhere near finished shopping!  There is a new business on the horizon and a new city for my son.  He was just leaving home when I started this blog.  I wrote about how sad I was to leave him on his college adventures, but now I am thrilled (and a little sad) for his grown up adventures.  So here's to 2014.  Here's to new adventures, new friends, travels, opportunities and to anyone who takes time to read this, I hope you enjoy what I have to say as much as I enjoy putting it down for you!  Be safe and we will see you in the New Year!