Morning tea in my Le Creuset mug and a slice of homemade sourdough toast.

A rejected photo from my weekly Food Network Weekender piece. The metals bowls belonged to my grandparents. I remember using them when I was six years old.

I am more than a week late announcing the winners of this giveaway. I am so sorry about this. The only thing I have to submit in my defense is that I spent most of last week under the weather. It’s a lousy excuse, but the truth none the less.

Here are the winners!

Commenter #9, Robert Bauter
Commenter #63, Tatiana (she also gets the sticker book)
Commenter #90, Juice

Thanks to all of you who took the time to enter the giveaway!

Even feeling quite under the weather yesterday, this has been an exceptionally nice weekend. I’ve spent most of it cooking and hanging out with Scott. Two of my favorite things.

I realize the picture above is a bit inexplicable. It’s a quite snap from a Stickley catalog. Scott bought himself a new nightstand today as a slightly late 35th birthday present. Not to shabby.

This morning, I attended the Billie Penn’s memorial service. The last time I saw her, she lent me a cookbook, with strict instructions that she wanted it back someday. Many times, I tried to return it. I’d call her apartment, trying to set up a time or take it to church in the hopes that she’d be there.

I took it with me to her service, with the intention of returning it to her daughter. When I told my little story to Denny, she paused and then asked, “would you like to keep it?” I said yes, and so now I have a little piece of Billie Penn to keep forever.

I’m ready for the good tomatoes to be back.

I am forever grateful for the many wonderful people that these blogs of mine have introduced me to. One such lovely human is Melissa Bridgman. She’s a potter based in Memphis, TN and thanks to Flickr and a shared love of canning, we’ve become friendly acquaintances over the last few years.

She makes some truly gorgeous pottery and recently, I bought myself one of her pieces. This little handle-less mug now lives with me and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.

We had our third Philly Food Swap tonight. I went home so many good things, including homemade English muffins, sorghum butter and the most gorgeous freshly laid eggs.

Trying a recipe for dried apricot jam. In a frenzy of work this week.

We haven’t had much of a winter this year. There’s been a few cold days, but none of those long, frigid streaks that send you scurrying from one warm berth to another. Because of that, I haven’t made much soup this year. In a normal winter, I make a pot a week. This year, it’s been more like a pot a month.

Though today wasn’t particularly cold, I’ve been craving a bowl of carrot soup. There’s not much to it. Chop up an onion and some carrots (2-3 pounds is a good amount for two people plus leftovers). Saute them in a tablespoon or so of butter, olive oil, coconut oil or some leftover bacon fat. Once they start to brown, add enough stock or water to cover. Cook until carrots are soft. Puree in whatever way is easiest in your kitchen.

Top with a bit of cheese, a few shreds of ham or some crumbled crackers. Eat and be happy.