I have learned

that refrigerating the pizelle dough for a few hours before making the cookies makes for WAY easier cooking and much neater cookies. I need to remember this. Go my crazy schedule for teaching me a new trick!

Tonight I'll be making a soup for Xmas Eve dinner and some homemade from scratch ginger cinnamon buns (a recipe from the most recent http://www.penzeys.com/ catalog). Its the first time I'll be using yeast in something, doing kneading, and letting things rise. We'll try them on Xmas Eve morning (with icing and melted apricot jam glaze). I figure, we're seeing Narnia tomorrow night and Kong the night after, so cooking tonight when I have the time would be best. Also, when chatting with a friend at dance class last night I learned how simple making peanut brittle is! She's going to e-mail me the recipe. I must pick up a candy thermometer (I love cooking toys). Having a newer, more organized kitchen has definitely given me more interest in cooking things.

Our department lunch is today at some Italian place in Saugus. We're doing a Yankee Swap, and will head home from there (yay for early afternoons!). I'm hoping tonight to wrap up holiday prep (cooking, final wrapping) and just enjoy the next couple of days.

On the Max front, he's really loving the cat food we picked up. He ate the stage 2 baby food, but wasn't as ravenous about it. He didn't keep either of them down that well, but at least the cat food was easier to clean up than the baby food. Always an adventure!

And,

Happy first day of winter, all! :)

Some pics:
Waltham City Hall http://www.diabolis.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=221&pos=11
Evil Framingham Wooden Soldier: http://www.diabolis.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=102&pos=0

TJ Maxx

I was looking for a medium sized stockpot to use for small quantities of pasta and the soup I'll be making for Xmas Eve (among other things). I'm not too picky about brands - I just want something simple that will work for not too much money (and, that will last me a bit of time).

Hitting Bed Bath and Beyond didn't produce anything, so I stopped in the TJ Maxx on Lexington Street on the way home. I snagged a Tfal 8qt stockpot in green for $16 like this one http://www.epinions.com/T_Fal_Armaral_8_Quart_Nonstick_Enamel_Stockpot_with_Lid_Cookware , not bad! They also had a Le Creuset oval french oven like this in black http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?icatid=7878&stk_code=lecl25023100&svbname=403 for $100. Now dude, that's 1/2 off and I'd love one. I just can't bring myself to spend $100 on something to cook in at this point though. Perhaps it will stick around for a bit (yeah, right) :)

Anyway, check out TJ Maxx for good cheap cookware :)