How the Cookie Crumbles

So tonight Daniel (my not-so baby bro) and I went to Cafe Mimosa, a restaurant I love so much that I noticed changes in the waiting staff since I've been gone, and it made me a little sad. But anyway, we were having a nice dinner, laughing and being our usual sophisticated selves (right), and at the end of the meal we got the check and, more importantly, the fortune cookies. Well I handed Daniel his cookie, and he handed me mine (that's what makes them true, you know), and I reminded him to add the appropriate ending to his fortune. Well he opens his and reads aloud: "You will be awarded a great honor (in bed)." Lovely. I am happy for him. I eagerly open my cookie, and sit up to read aloud--and it's empty. Empty! I break the cookie into little pieces to make sure; there's nothing in there. And nothing in the wrapper, nothing on the table... Apparently, I don't have a future. My advice to add the traditional ending takes on new significance.

Later that evening, Daniel's philosophizing over his pecan pie (w/ butter pecan ice cream. I had the dutch apple with caramel, tried and true, but I digress). He came to the happy conclusion, in regards to my lack of fortune, that "Well at least we know it won't be a fireball of death." His logic was, of course, that since he still had to be awarded a great honor, he wasn't going to die tonight, which meant it probably wasn't a traffic accident on the way home.

Great. This is very reassuring considering how very comfortable I am driving the van after walking everywhere for three months.

Not.

Anyway, right now my hair smells like woodsmoke, my face is sticky with marshmallow, and I still exist. All is right in my world.

Tomorrow, I return to Obieland, around 5ish (emphasis on the ish). Let's do something fun.
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Peanut Butter Blossoms/Peanut Butter Nipple Cookies

• preheat the oven to 375
• cream 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup butter and 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• beat in 2 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 2 tsp vanilla
• gradually add 3 1/2 cups flour, 2tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt
• roll the dough into balls, and roll these balls in granulated sugar so they're coated on all sides
• place on ungreased cookie sheets
• bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.
• while they're baking, unwrap a lot of hershey's kisses.
• as soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, press a kiss into the center of each
• if you want, a little later you can come back and press the kiss down a little more so there's a nice ring of chocolate around it.

(this will make about 7 dozen cookies)