I'm sorry, what was that dear?
"I said, stop making cookies."
That's odd, I thought to myself. Why would she be saying that? Wouldn't any wife be pleased to be married to a husband who fills the house with the aroma of warm butter, caramelized sugar, and gooey chocolate? Indeed, wouldn't any human being in the right mind yearn to be constantly surrounded by sweet, crisp-and-chewy snacks?
Then, as I glanced around the apartment, wiping chocolate-specked hands against my apron, running a finger across the countertop and tracing a line into the dusting of white powder that coated every surface in the kitchen, eyeing the dozens of bags of failed experimental cookies that blocked the television, opening the refrigerator door to discover that more than half of its contents were batches of uncooked cookie dough in various stages of rest, I thought, maybe she does have a point.
The real chemistry of baking cookies comes only when you are real young.....and its a cold chilly fall/winter day .....you just helped your mother or grandmother mix up a big batch of chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin.....you got to lick the spoon and maybe a little bit of the bowl....she opens the oven door and the kitchen is filled with a warmth that chases the cold from the room...and the fresh baked smell fills the air that teases you with the notion that the best is yet to come......Ahhhhh, I remember that experience like it was yesterday. Enjoy the holidays!
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“One of the sisters suggested that we should all start doing our own laundry and put the money we saved to good use. I admit, I protested at first. There’s just something about laundering that I don’t like. But I was outnumbered! So among the nine of us, we’d put aside about $400 a month and our husbands never noticed a thing. Their shirts looked just fine.”
And then the women started listening. They’d eavesdrop -- all with good intentions, of course -- at the local beauty shop or when they were picking up groceries. And when they heard about a widow or a single mom who needed a little help, they’d step in and anonymously pay a utility bill or buy some new clothes for the children.
The Nanas would find out where the person lived and send a package with a note that simply said, “Somebody loves you” -- and they’d be sure to include one of MaMaw Ruth’s special pound cakes.
For three decades, the ladies’ good deeds went undetected...
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Since December 9, the man has robbed five bakeries in the western suburbs of Paris, police said, each time using the same modus operandi.
After placing an order, the man holds up what appears to be a fake revolver, points it at the person behind the cash register and takes his pastries without paying.
No one has been injured in the robberies and in each case the value of the goods stolen has been low, at between eight and 20 euros.
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| Not my photo...but close. |
I had made toasted coconut ice cream once a couple of years ago and decided to revisit it to take to our friends curry dinner marking Cook and Share a Pot of Curry Day in Singapore. 
To top it off the culinary magician in the house pulled another trick out of her sleeve and created homemade ice cream cones with black sesame seeds.
