I realize it’s been quiet in this space so I thought I’d pop in and say hello.  There’s so much to talk about, I’m not entirely sure where to begin, but due to major technical difficulties, you’re only getting the highlights right now.  First there was a small bout with the flu followed by the stomach bug that managed to keep me barely functioning for over a week. There was a good streak of dinner fail going on here, including my managing to reduce a quart of soup from the freezer to a half cup of burnt mush even the chickens wouldn’t eat.  I followed that up with burnt popcorn, but the third time proved the charm thankfully.  Edie may have actually patted me on the head as I finally presented an edible dinner, assuring me we all make mistakes.  Birthday weekend began just as I was able to think straight again, although the words of my favorite Jewish mother rang in my ears, who told me to GO SLOW, to not pronounce myself better the first second I stopped feeling like shit.  I was ever so grateful for a few easy buttons, first in the form of a new cupcake recipe that was as easy as my favorite brownie recipe  from Millie (Thank you!) and then in the form of a peach pie I’d popped in the freezer last August for Pat’s birthday that I pulled out and popped in the oven. Sitting here eating warm peach pie that tasted of summer while the snow fell outside made much right with the world.  I am more than ridiculously excited about some of the new cookbooks I picked up at the swap Cville Swaps & the Charlottesville Cooking School hosted, including a vegan one.  Not that I’m going vegan, but I am always looking for new ideas that don’t involve meat or dairy because quite honestly neither one of those always sit well with me. For a few years now I have aimed to have at least one vegan dinner a week, probably mostly to balance out my butter habit, which I’ve made great strides in reducing this fall.  But because my ancient computer has developed some serious issues which may or not be fatal and I’m currently typing this on Pat’s laptop, which I borrowed so that I can work on things like my current GREAT IDEA, you are just going to have to wait until things settle down around here to hear more about all those things.  Fingers crossed it will be sooner rather than later.