Better

Thank you so much to everyone for your kind words and thoughts on my last couple of entries. I'm sorry to have whined so, but it did help more than I can say to know that I had all of your thoughts and support.

I'm doing better, now. I made it through a whole day at work Friday without killing anything, I had a wonderful evening with friends, and I spent today playing hooky from an SCA event, exploring the Commons (and walking into a random festival/fundraiser; I *LOVE* living around here), and finally seeing 'Up.'

I don't have any commitments until Monday. I can do what I want, when I want. And by then, I'll be back in the swing of things enough to go to work without twitching.

I truly am blessed to have the friends and the support that I do.

Cookbook Project, Books #67 and 68

'New Easy Basics Cookbook,' Jerry Anne Di Vecchio

This is from Sunset, the same people who make the surprisingly not-bad booklets that I've inherited from my mom and have been cautiously trying out. This is a full-fledged book, though, not a floppy booklet, and it technically belongs to my husband - he thinks it was a gift from his parents many moons ago. Neither of us ever used it, though, assuming it would be full of pathologically simple instructions that would be useless to experienced cooks like ourselves.

Looking through it, though, there are actually a few pretty good-looking recipes. While there's a lot of simple background and explanation and instruction, the recipes themselves at least try to combine flavors and techniques to make interesting finished products. In the interest of continuing to try new things, we decided to make Flank Steak with Mustard-Caper Sauce - I don't tend to cook a lot of just slab-of-meat meals, not having a lot of experience with them and, until recently, assuming they were kind of dull.

I am so glad we tried this recipe. It was nothing short of amazing. Definitely a keeper, just as delicious as I had hoped, and the meat itself contributed as much flavor as the sauce. I love the fact that this project has given me the excuse to expand my cooking horizons.

"Rosie's Bakery Chocolate-Packed Jam Filled Butter-Rich No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book,' Judy Rosenberg

This was a gift from sherrian, who knew that I loved to cook and was boggled to realize that I didn't own a copy already. I was baking at her house and fell in love with it, and she gave me my own copy. I love that, because every time I use it I think of her - and I *have* used this book. The shortbread recipe is the one I go to most often, though I honestly can't think of any recipe in the book that I don't want to try.

I wanted to make snickerdoodles for a get-together, so this was the first book I went to on the recipe hunt, and it did not disappoint. So many cookbooks claim to have snickerdoodle recipes, but what they actually have are just plain sugar cookies sprinkled with cinnamon. Without cream of tartar in the recipe, the cookies never get the just-right crisp-chewy texture, and they're just a letdown. These, though, were just right.

No cooking tonight, though. I am giving myself a day off....