Catching Up

It's been weeks, I'm sure, since I've posted any recipes, but my life has been unbelievably hectic as of late! I didn't realize December was such an active month, but I had plans every weekend--something very unusual for me! This is the last weekend of plans, though...yet a relaxing one :) Tonight, I'll be headed to Detroit to celebrate at The Old Shillelagh, maybe see the Old English 'D' dropped in Campus Martius (my friend put it best: An Old English 'D' instead of a ball..."HOW GHETTO." Hehe! But hopefully awesome, nonetheless)...Tomorrow is lazy...Sunday I simply have a book club meeting (very first one!) and Monday...more lazy :) Too bad this is my last four-day weekend...forever :'(

Anyway, I have so much catching up to do! I don't believe I ever posted my grandmother's recipe for Italian sesame seed cookies...I have pignolata...sugar cookies...chocolate cutout cookies...brown butter toffee bars...chocolate peanut butter velvet cake...butternut squash oven risotto...macarons (finally made them!!)...and probably much more that I can't even remember. I was hoping I could use this weekend to catch up, but I've realized that I should be taking down my Christmas tree/decorations aaaand I may throw myself into another 'Sex and the City' weekend-long marathon as I did during my four-day Christmas weekend ;)

Right now, I have a dozen muffins waiting in the oven--half are Billy's favorite, orange chocolate chip; half are mine, plain muffins filled with jam (three apricot, three fig). I don't know how long I'll be able to let them cool before needing to devour them! I hope they're good, though. I'm using a brand new recipe from one of several baking books my mom gave me by Nick Malgieri. The recipe was a simple muffin base with several variations included--I'd done both these variations before, but can't wait to try some others.

I think, for Christmas, I got about sixteen cookbooks. How crazy is that? My mom gave me at least ten, all Nick Malgieri, Billy gave me The Melting Pot's cookbook and both volumes of Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking,' and his mom gave me 'Baked: New Frontiers in Baking,' this really awesome book that has so many interesting and unique recipes, like a malted milk ball cake! I want to stack up all the books I got and take a photo just to illustrate the insanity that is now my cookbook collection--I thought it was bad before! Hahaha.

Today is about a tiny bit relaxation, some errand-running, eating, and New Year's Eve partying :) I, unfortunately, have no time for recipe updating. Perhaps tomorrow or Sunday I'll get it in me!