The Sisters Cooking Show, Episode 3

I was invited to Sister B's house yesterday because she was baking "macaroons". Delicious! However, when I got there, I learned that Sisters K & B were actually doing some collaborative "macaron" baking. Even better!!

There were some initial disagreements about which recipe to use, but I think that the one that seems to be the final winner was Martha Stewart's, with a butter cream filling from a different cookbook.

While I was not actually involved in the making of these macarons, I was a taste tester and a member of the clean up crew. And while the sisters baked, I hung out with the "Sweetpea" (Sister B's nearly 2 year old son), who really liked watching the blender and the mixer. He doesn't discriminate: if it has a button to push, he likes it. (Although he was not interested in the macarons, which just meant more for the grownups. Yum!)

I hope that I will be invited back when they make the next round.

Holmes on the Brain

Okay, so it is entirely possible that I am seeing things, as I totally have had the newest series of "Sherlock" on the brain (it starts up again this Sunday after "Downton Abbey"!!), but doesn't

Fred McMurray (seen here with Joan Crawford in Above Suspicion) look an awful lot like...

...Benedict Cumberbatch as the world's greatest consulting detective?!?!

It isn't just me, right?

RIGHT??    

RIGHT?!?!?!?!?

Oh, Christmas Tree ... Deconstructed

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Christmastime (TV) is (nearly) here...

It's that time of year again... the time for the importation of British holiday/Christmas specials!!

I ran across the trailer for the "Call the Midwife" Christmas special on-line yesterday and was delighted to learn that we won't have to wait very long for this one! (Unlike the "Downton Abbey" air date delays. I don't know about you, but avoiding spoilers was such a pain, I just ended up reading them. Pbbt!!!) Anyhow, back to Chummy, er, "Call the Midwife", PBS will air the program on December 29 at 7:30pm ET!!! (Thanks for not making us wait for this one, PBS!) Per the PBS website, series 3 will be airing in March. (Huzzah for more Chummy!)

Here is the synopsis:
In 1958 Poplar, the holidays are not just about the opening of presents, but also about the closing of deep wounds. Although the weather is unseasonably mild for this time of year, the lives of the midwives are anything but calm. Jenny’s relationship with Alec continues to blossom and Shelagh’s (formerly Sister Bernadette) quiet wedding to Dr. Turner is underway.
When a thousand-pound explosive is discovered, the district is evacuated and the Nonnatus House team is quick to take charge to ensure that the community is safe and warm. Always one to keep spirits high, Chummy decides to forge ahead with the Cubs Christmas party. However, just when the community’s holiday spirit is renewed, Poplar faces an outbreak of polio, with the repercussions of the illness affecting the nurses and nuns more than they could have ever imagined.

I have a feeling that this is going to be a double hankie episode, friends.

And here's the trailer:

Can't wait!! Between this and "Doctor Who" on December 25th at 8:00pm ET, not too bothered about not getting "Downton" on time. And don't forget, series 3 of "Sherlock" starts January 19th!

Halfway through November in Six Sentences

My dear friend Je Glide got married last Saturday.


And there was much rejoicing.


And dancing.


Sister K gets married this Saturday.


It's been a busy November, and I have barely been home.


 I need outdoor staff to deal with all of the leaves on my lawn.

Happy St. Crispin's Day!

One of my favorite speeches in all of Shakespeare:



Henry V Act IV, Scene iii.html

"This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."

RAH!! Let's go win the Battle of Agincourt!

My Favorite Time of Year: Autumn in New England

Sister K & I drove up into the northwest corner of Connecticut and then into Great Barrington, MA on Sunday. It was a beautiful day for a sunny Sunday leaf peeping drive, as evidenced by some of the photos I took.








I am of two minds when we go leaf peeping on a sunny day. I think it is hard to photograph the beautiful fall colors on a sunny day; the camera just can't do the splendid colors enough justice. It is really better to take photos on a gray day to get good contrast, but I would rather drive around on while the sun is shining. Still managed to get a few shots that I really liked. (We've already planned our drive into the "Quiet Corner" for next year!)