... is horrible! I haven't watched it with any kind of regularity in more than two years, partly because of a dare and largely because I haven't lived in a place that let's you hook your TV into that circular wall socket thing in two years.

I had a professor who told our class: "If you go two months without watching any television, it's probable that you'll never be able to watch it again without becoming very uncomfortable."

It's true. After my long hiatus, television is completely bizarre. Beautiful women tell you about children trapped under rubble. They sell kids cereal with sex (that weird General Mills "check" commercial anyone??). Shows, under close examination, make no sense.

Now, to be fair, I don't watch "TV" but I will watch shows that aired on TV in a DVD format, namely: the Sopranos, Deadwood, and even Dexter (probably the "lowest" show I watch). I will also watch PBS when house-sitting, I still love "Rick Steves" and "Nature." But it's been a long time since I've seen commercials or things like "ET" and... all that.

I'm visiting my parents right now and ended up watching a whole episode of "Bones" with my mother. I don't know how she could stand it. The plot was predictable, the characters surface-level, and the dialogue unbearable. I felt like I was going to have a panic attack.

Weird-ed out!

During the long weekend I fell into a baking frenzy. Below are some of the most delicious things I made (I also made chocolate chip cookies and some biscuits, but that's not very exciting now is it?). Here they are:



Apple pie
I've been experimenting with different crust and filling combinations and have settled on what I believe to be the ultimate recipe: this pie crust and the filling from Better Homes and Garden's cookbook, 1985.

Tips: FREEZE your butter. If you don't have a food processor (like me) shred it into small pieces with a cheese grater. Smooth some flour into the bottom crust before adding the filling, it will make it crispier. I always brush the top with a mixture of 1 egg (sometimes just the white) and 1/2 cup water.





Cinnamon rolls
I have never made these before but it was easy and fun. Keep in mind that the dough needs to rise twice, so if you want them in the morning I'd recommend finding a good over-night dough. I used "the ultimate cinnamon roll" recipe and they were soooo good. Even better with frosting!

Tip: After rolling up the dough, cut it into segments with floss! Using a knife will just squish it.





Cranberry Muffins
I usually make blueberry muffins for myself, because I looooove them, but Cody requested something else, so I went with cheap, dried crans. I used this recipe which called for plain yogurt. I was skeptical at first, but the texture (more moist than my muffins usually are) really grew on me. I'll make these again with something else in them!





Scones
Finally... I saved the best for last. If you are thinking about trying any of these recipes TRY THIS ONE! These Coffee House Scones, another recipe from the Joy of Baking, are so delicious. I've just had two. Aside from being delicious, the recipe teaches you an important baking beautify-ing technique: caramelizing. Mmmm.... they go great with tea or coffee, and have a soft texture with a sweet crispy top. They are certainly the best scones I've ever made, and possibly the best I've ever eaten!

Tips: Be REALLY careful not to let your sugar burn! It happens fast. You can see that some of mine got a little crispy. Heat your broiler and leave the door open as you rotate the tray slowly.