strawberry biscuit cobbler

I don't enjoy bridal showers. Or baby showers. Or any other social gathering that involves pastel mints and feigning interest in games like making dresses out of toilet paper with a bunch of women I don't know. So when it came time to plan a bridal shower for my sister last year, you can imagine my dilemma. How could I possibly throw her a shower that appropriately acquitted me of my maid-of-honor duties, but which didn't drag in all the aforementioned ways?

crispy broccoli with garlic & lemon

I have a confession to make. I've owned a lovely Canon 40D DSLR camera for seven years, and I still don't know how to really use it. If I take a good picture, it's thanks only to having a bit of talent at composing shots and a good camera and lens to take them. But I don't know how to use them, which is kind of pathetic. I shouldn't still be pushing buttons at random after all this time. But my friend Kevin -- who is a much more ambitious amateur photographer than I've turned out to be (because let's be real -- I haven't learned because I didn't make it a priority) -- was kind enough to give me a lesson in aperture, shutter speeds, ISO, and flash last week. And now I understand, at least enough to do purposeful trial and error with my camera settings. So I present to you:  Broccoli! Less crappily photographed than it would have been before.

grandma's oatmeal cookies

I am largely a self-taught cook. My mom taught me the basics of baking -- particularly the difference between a wet and a dry measure -- but she doesn't particularly enjoy being in the kitchen, so after that I was on my own. However, the way I feel about cooking and baking is largely inspired by my Grandma.