cookie monster

I love Milano cookies - and love them even more now that they have Amaretto Milanos and Black & White Milanos! I love the taste of almond - Amaretto Sours are my favorite drink... which by the way Joyce - we need to make these for your sugar party!

she's a talker.. she's a talker...

Out of the mouths of babes. Make that, a spunky, impish, sassy, know-it-all 5 year old babe. The conversation on the way home from school is below, and I really wish you guys all knew her because if you did, you would know her tone and it would make this even funnier:

"Oh Mommy, today I moved to the purple table so I can do my work better and won't talk to my friends."

"What? Why? Who moved you? Did you get in trouble for talking again?"

"Noooooooo! Ms. _ _ _ _ moved me. She asked if I wanted to go to the blue table or the purple table and I picked the purple table so I can do my work and I won't talk to my friends."

I see a future career in marketing or sales for her.

never take pictures of a sleeping baby

I was only trying to take a picture of him sleeping with his head on his hands!

(I know that babies should sleep on their backs but now that he can roll over back and forth they say it's ok. Plus, when I flip him on his back, he'll flip back to his stomach again anyway.)

Farmer's Markets

I'm so food oriented - I love everything and anything that has to do with food. Grocery shopping, cooking, eating, dining out, cookbooks, the Wednesday food section in the newspaper... everything. I love going to the Farmer's Market every Saturday - the one they hold near us is pretty small but still a good way to get fresh and ripe fruits and vegetables.

The Pacific Coast Farmer's Market Association has great information on markets in northern California and a handy guide on what is in season now. I have a ton of strawberries that I need to figure out what to do with... I feel strawberry jam in my future.

Plantable Paper

For Mother's Day we all went to Roys for brunch. They always give the mothers a gift at the end of the meal, this year they gave out plantable cards: lavender, chili pepper and forget-me-nots. The paper actually has seeds in it - after soaking the paper in water and planting it, hopefully something will sprout and grow.

Mother's Day & Sisters

My sister sends me flowers every year for Mother's Day. It's funny that she always sends me something every year but I always forget so I never expect them and am always pleasantly surprised when they are delivered.

She knows me so well. She sent me tulips because she knows I don't like the smell of most flowers (roses, tiger lilies, etc.), plus tulips are my favorite flowers.

We lost our mother to cancer almost 22 years ago, so my sister has been somewhat of my mother figure all this time. I should've sent her flowers, but I'm not a big hallmark holiday type of person. By the way, I say "somewhat" because if she were reading this, she would laugh and say, "With your stubborn ass? Yeah right!"

Let's just say that I don't like to be told what to do - which negates the whole mother figure thing. heh.

Strike #2

If you knew my daughter, you would know which of the 3 above options was the cause. Need a hint? She doesn't need ADD medication and she can finish a week's worth of homework in one day if she wanted to... so that leaves... YES... TALKING TOO MUCH!!!

This is Kindergarten we're talking about! My daughter is what most would call "feisty" or "spunky."

I had to laugh at this letter (but not in front of her). Her reason for taking too long on the assignment?

"It was a lot of pages and I wanted to play."

Sigh.

one for the collection

I stood in line for 2 1/2 hours at Sur La Table in Santana Row to have THE Giada De Laurentiis sign my copy of her new cookbook Giada's Family Dinners (I even picked one up for Joyce!) and it was well worth it.

There were a TON of people waiting for her. The line for the book signing wrapped all the way around the building.

She started off with a short Q & A across the way in front of Left Bank and the first question asked happened to be the #1 question Giada claims she is always asked: "How do you stay so slim with all the food you cook and eat?" (Her answer: portion control, exercise and genetics.)

She is very petite, some would even say tiny. She's probably no more than 5'0" and her persona is exactly what you see on TV. Very sweet, very genuine. And yes, she is that pretty! Her husband was even on hand but I didn't snap a picture of him. She also had a film crew there, maybe I'll see my elbow on FoodNetwork soon! (JustJenn, Leslie & Nannette - if you guys are Giada fans, she'll be in your neck of the woods tomorrow 5/3/2006!)