Before Christmas: My apples, gifted from my friend Monica's tree, were lazing about the counter. They are so hideous! Look at them! Utterly lacking charm, don't you agree?





After Christmas: Behold the glory of my apples, nestled into the light-aqua enamel colander**! These apples are practically art.






I was going to preserve these apples as more apple pie filling, but then I found this Apple puff pancake recipe...and I think we all know how this story ends. Twice.

Although Erik and I decided many weeks ago that we would not exchange presents (we somehow managed to treat ourselves to the very few things we already wanted, and we have to admit that there was nothing else that we needed, so the decision was drama-free), my parents were inspired to pick up a bag of kitchen joy from Williams-Sonoma, a pair of plaid canvas high tops (a la Converse), and this beautiful Le Creuset piece. (My mom, knowing it would be a crucial part of my ability to enjoy this present, immediately reassured me that it was half off!).

Well, obviously, it's beautiful just the way it is! BUT, filled with Apple Puff Pancake? It's a real showstopper! (Kitchen tip: Whenever you have a baking/casserole/pot/pan whatever that feels unredeemable after a particularly raucous meal (burnt on? no problem!) just set it to "soak" and pop a dryer sheet into it. You know, like 'bounce'? It can even be previously used in the dryer, and this still works. Let it soak for a bit, then use it to wipe down the offensive dish. Go ahead and try it, then tell me if it's not a miracle!)

** My mom was totally riding my ass about this colander. "Who cares what color is?!? It's just a colander! It's nothing! You act like it matters! It doesn't matter!" So, picture all that, all screechy and naggy. Super fun, right? The whole time I'm debating (light-aqua? or red? one each? hmm....now we're talking!) she's talking herself out of the cutest dang cake plate I've ever seen. Creamy ceramic, with brown toille-styled roosters painted on it? Swoon! She can't pay 50 bucks for it though (but you can bet if it started at 60 dollars but was marked down by 10, she would have seen it differently...that woman loves a sale! You should see her when I whip out my 15% off educator's discount card at Joann's.) So I said, that's okay ma, I have two cake plates at home, and you can have one...and we'll just see how much 'looks matter' when you're choosing between the smokey-purple sleek glass plate versus the sweet, clear glass, flower-embossed plate. Of course she picked the beautiful flower-embossed! Who wouldn't! (And of course I let her!) Two days later? I teased her about picking the cutest plate, and her response was, "Oh, who cares? It doesn't matter what it looks like; it's just a cake plate." Seriously? My cake plate is "just" a cake plate; yours, officially, is adorable.