Thursday, December 18, 2008

Berger's cookies - Baltimore's best? You bet!!

Maybe a month ago, my younger sis Jen told me about a bakery in Baltimore that makes this one fabulous cookie. She thought it was called a black-and-white or something like that. Yesterday, we had some free time, so we decided to track them down. The place is Bergers in the Lexington Market.
We had never been to the Market, so we didn't know to expect chaos. Its basically, a huge gathering of vendors, selling ethnic foods, baked goods, raw meats, catch-of-the-day seafood, fruits and veggies, etc. You get the idea. There are no maps at the market, so you just wander until you find what you are looking for. 
We finally located Berger's, a tiny little bakery with a sister shop across the aisle.  To be honest, nothing really jumped out at me as looking fabulous. They had this weird rainbow cake, and some average looking pastries. If anyone knows me, they know I am always on the look-out for a great carrot cake. We bought a slice of theirs, and it didn't thrill me at all. Still searching... Then I asked for a 'black and white" which was met with a confused stare. After some discussion, she told me they are simply called Berger's. This cookie is simple too. It consists of a basic butter cookie covered in fudge or possibly a ganache. That's it. (Imagine my 16-layer cake in cookie form and you've got it.) Can I tell you how fabulous this cookie really is? I have a feeling it would be better after sitting a day or two, but that didn't happen. :) BYW, I know they don't actually make them at this little bakery. In fact if you want to order some you can from their website Berger's Cookies. Doesn't matter to me where they are made, they are delicious! Plain and simply Baltimore's Best!!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Coming out of the Closet

I have been quiet about something for a long time and I decided to finally come out and say what I think.... I like Twilight! There you have it. I have finally said it. I like the book Twilight and to a lesser degree the 3 other books in Stephenie Meyer's series.
I have read many a blog condemning her as a writer saying she failed in her role as an LDS author and as an example, but I disagree. One of the things I have the hardest time with is the fact that so many people blame Ms. Meyers for the age of her readers. I read an interview she gave after Twilight was released and she was asked why she wrote for teens. Her answer, "I wrote for one 29 yr. old and later my 31 yr. sister. I didn't write for anyone but myself." She went on to say that a younger audience (high schoolers) picked it up because they were living in that stage currently and they could or would want to relate to the characters. (You can find the interview on amazon.com, if you're interested). People, young adult means ages  18+. I agree that teenagers, especially the younger end of the spectrum shouldn't be reading these books. The books weren't written for tweens either.  As a YW President, I read the books, but didn't recommend them to any of the youth I worked with. Its published as YA fiction and that is just what it is.  I say congrats to Ms. Meyers on her success. I read today that she was voted one of Time Mag's 2008 People that Mattered. The nomination isn't what I thought was impressive so much as the commentary attached to it. Check it out if you get a sec. 
I guess I just don't dissect things the same way others might. Twilight was a fun story to read. I enjoyed it. I liked the movie. Simple minded maybe. I'm okay with that.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Et is 11!! Aghhhhh!

How did I ever get so lucky? I love this kid! He's almost as tall as me... another few years.
Et's birthday was on Friday. We had a great day consisting of our last zoo day for the season to gingerbread houses, homemade pizza to 16-layer cake and yet another Bionicle and even more books.
Let it burn!! Look at the light coming off that cake! Seriously, he is 11. How did that happen?
Our day at the zoo was almost surreal. There was only one other car in the parking lot when we got there. At one point, I turned to the kids and asked if they felt like I did, that we had broken into the zoo or something. There was no one around, hardly even zoo keepers to be seen. It was a perfect way to end our season at the zoo.
Et and his friend Chris - I forget how fun and ridiculous boys can be. It totally makes me smile!
Another Bionicle!
More books - Harry Potter set
There is this enormous tree at the zoo with a slide going down one side. The kids love it!

Today a friend at church asked how old I was and I told her I would be 33 in Feb. She laughed and told me she thought I was 27. How nice is that?! Really though, that means I would have been 16 when I had Et. LOL
On a serious note ~ How did I become old enough to have an eleven year old?! Aghh!!