Pizza math

Cannon Beach, Oregon    

JIT Christmas baking

Seattle, Washington

Got started really late on the Christmas baking: Christmas Day, in fact. But at least I had time and energy to deliver Christmas breads to our neighbors on the day-of. Some traditions survive!

Christmas Eve happiness

Seattle, Washington

And then, despite it ALL, my godmother arrived on our doorstep with my FAVORITE gingerbread cookies. Thank you, S!

Gingerbread 2020

Seattle, Washington

Well, there's not MUCH room for Christmas gatherings this year, but at least we did our annual gingerbread. A decided to go for a 2-dimensional (Rusheen!) gingerbread house this year which, in a way, is a perfect metaphor for this year: 2-dimensional. 

(Did I mention we love red hots around here?)

Lussekatter (but I call them Luciakatter)

Seattle, Washington

Tried my hand (again) at lussekatter today. St. Lucia arrives again, and boy, is it dark out there...

This bowl, this spoon

Seattle, Washington

This morning as I began baking, I found myself thinking about being in Mongolia in the fall of 2009. Eleven years ago we were well into that first really hard winter. I brought very few cooking utensils with us to Mongolia, but this bowl and this spoon made the cut. They served us for three years in Mongolia and two years in Jordan and now another six years in Seattle. And it's still the only mixing bowl and wooden spoon I use.

People who know me well know that I am a true minimalist--but with a real sentimental side for stuff that one accumulates in life like letters, photos, and other memorabilia. So there's the irony: one bowl and one spoon--and boxes of memories.

The baking turned out well, though: calzones for the family (minus me) skiing trip to Crystal Mountain!