Soft Frosted Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies

  Family trips to the grandparent's farm in the hilly terrain of Western Wisconsin are some of my favorite memories.  In that two hour car ride I'd memorized every landmark, and been to every Kwik Trip bathroom en route.  We'd hit the curvy back roads and I knew that soon I'd hear the familiar crackle and pinging of tiny rocks as we turned onto their gravel driveway.  Mounting that last hill, Grandpa and Grandma's little farm spread out before us, and the sweetest mutt of a dog named Heidi rang alongside as we pulled in.

  Upon entering the house, I was engulfed in a lavender/cookie scented hug from Grandma Edna, and then I'd run across the room to be swept up by my Grandpa Carmen.  And every time, as long as I was little enough and he was physically able, he always threw me up in the air and said, "Ellie May, you're gettin' so big!"  He's the only person who's ever called me that, and I'm pretty sure nobody else could ever get away with it.

Mixed Berry Apple Crisp

  Crisp.  Because it's a cloudy day, because there's three old Golden Delicious sitting in the fridge, because there's some berries verging on freezer burnt, because it's getting to that time of the week when we're down to basic pantry supplies and a scattering of condiments and half sticks of butter in the fridge.  And I needed something sweet, and I needed it pronto.

Brown Butter Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

  "Why don't you go stay with Auntie Penny for awhile, run off to Phoenix!"

  I was sitting by a man-made lake in my college town, pouring my heart out to my oldest sister.  I wasn't happy, I was feeling unsettled, and the last thing I wanted to do was study for a biology exam.  I was quiet for a minute, what if?  What if I just did that?  School was driving me crazy, boys (or the lack thereof, at the time) were clouding my head, friends were falling apart and/or moving away, and even food was getting to be unappetizing.  This is coming from a girl who freaking lives for baking.

  So, what if indeed?  I called my aunt the next night, working out some tentative details.  I went home that weekend and sprung the idea on my family.  And you know what?  For the first time in a long time, I got excited.  I got really excited.  I was taking a year off of school (I'd prefer forever, but we'll see), why not travel?  See some new terrain?  I've yet to get out of the Midwest, and while I love it dearly and it will always be home, I gotta get, man.  I just gotta get.

Braided Pear Nutella Bread

  I'm sitting at my kitchen table eating sour blueberries trying to figure out what words I should stick on this page.  I keep getting up every five minutes to pull a bored adolescent dog out of whatever she's not supposed to be doing.  It's like having a kid around here, she's glaring at me from the corner and dragging her toy bone across the wall in defiance.  Oh, I see you, little curmudgeon.