Every Christmas I make a whole mess of treats to share with my family at Christmas. The treat assortment is pretty constant, but occasionally expands to include new goodies. Last year, I conducted by first marshmallow experiment, which received rave reviews all around. I'm been making these apricot-ginger biscotti for years, although I usually add whatever dried fruit I have on hand. This year, I used a combo of apricots, ginger, and Trader Joe's orange-flavored cranberries. Delicious, and so, so easy. In previous years, I've made these chocolate-walnut biscotti, which are seriously excellent but more crumbly than the apricot-ginger recipe. I also have been making chocolate-dipped orange peel for several years, but this year I tried the recipe in the December 2007 Sunset magazine. The orange peels turned out better than ever before, super soft and not at all bitter. Unfortunately, this recipe isn't online. The gist of it is to simmer the orange peels on low in a syrup of 4 parts water to 3 parts sugar. Don't let the sugar crystallize, and plan on a total cooking time of 3-4 hours. My favorite rum balls recipe calls for cocoa and walnuts. Yummy, but off-limits for me this year. I'm still making a batch (by special request), and I went to the liquor store yesterday to buy some appropriate rum. For those of you that don't live in Washington, let me explain that hard liquor is only sold in state-run liquor stores. These liquor boutiques have a definite governmental air to them, from the harsh fluorescent lighting to the mud-brown industrial carpet underfoot. The line moves faster than the one at the DMV, but otherwise, the shopping experience is pretty similar. I was sure that sirens and alarms would go off as soon as I crossed the threshold - NO PREGNANT LADIES ALLOWED IN THE LIQUOR STORE!! - but nothing that dramatic happened. I even had a brief conversation with a clerk about the most drinkable inexpensive rum. Nada. Perhaps I should try this again in the spring, when my burgeoning belly is no longer shrouded by my winter coat. This will probably be my last entry until 2008, so I'll wish all of you a happy holiday season and hope that the New Year gets off to a rockin' start!

Whoops, I somehow forgot I was a blogger! I have responsibilities, you know? I have readers to amuse, television to critique, impending public health disasters to warn about.... my work is never done. I've been distracted, dear readers. Distracted by the responsibilities associated with growing a fetus. That's right, a real human baby! At least, that's what the ultrasound technician tells me. While I could attribute my recent hiatus to long sessions getting acquainted with my toilet bowl, the reality is less dramatic (as it often is). A welcome absence of morning sickness has given me plenty of time to focus on the essentials of planning for the new arrival: 1. Figure out where the critter will sleep Unfortunately, plan A is out because the refrigerator crisper is already full of arugula. Must come up with plan B... 2. Figure out a better name than "critter" Excel spreadsheet pro/con list, check! Unfortunately, the spreadsheet features quite a few not-in-a-million-years names like Roger, Qubo and Neveah, so I'm not sure how much progress is being made. 3. Figure out where to get time to knit cute baby stuff Because critter is not coming into this world with only a half-finished hat to her name! (Yep, critter's a girl! And yep, that's why Roger would be a bad name) That's pretty much all the figuring there is to do. I'm very lucky to have a support system as strong as the prescription-strength anti edema socks I must wrestle on each morning so that I can wear normal shoes. I tell you, these are the most expensive socks I've ever worn, and they're horrific. Thank Jeebus it's winter, and long-pants season - and the alternative is this. Gee, I hope you swallowed your sandwich before clicking on that last link. Anyway, I'm only 19 weeks along so I can still dress myself, but before long I'll have to use one of these sexy compression sock donning aids. This baby had better be cute.