BIG WEEK-END

Well, it's the big week-end here in the small town where I live. People will be here from all over the mid-state for the festivities. There will be a parade, a square dance, music venues, a mule pulling contest, a crafts fair, a liars' contest, and more.

What will I be doing? I have absolutely no intention of leaving the house. I have a clear-cut plan for cleaning, cooking, and reading.

I picked up two books in series that I follow Thursday evening. Latte Trouble is the fourth in the coffee house series of mysteries by Cleo Coyle and I am about half-way through it. And Kitty and the Silver Bullet is the fourth in the series by Carrie Vaughn.

As far as the cooking goes, I found a recipe for benne wafers I plan on trying. If you've never had a benne wafer, you have really missed a treat. They are small, crisp, bite-sized cookies made of brown sugar and sesame seeds. I have family in Savannah and had my first benne wafers while visiting them many, many years ago. They have been a favorite ever since. Nutty and sweet and delicious.

I am a member of an online cooking discussion group and we are doing a "cook-a-long". Someone selects a recipe for that week and we each make it and comment on it, noting any "tweaking" we might have done. This week we are doing Ina Garten's Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting from the Barefoot Contessa At Home cookbook.

And I bought the ingredients for a recipe I saw on one of the Food Network shows a couple of weeks ago...Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf from Down Home with the Neeley's. Since I've eaten at the Neeley's establishment more than once, I know how good their food is.

Now. I've made myself hungry.

I went to the Super Target to pick up the groceries I needed yesterday, and treated myself to a new muffin pan. I also picked up some of the most beautiful strawberries the size of my fist! I was surprised to find some so lovely...perfectly ripe with no white shoulders...because I had looked at some on Thursday at Fresh Market and theirs were not as desirable.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Fresh Market. They have the most amazing meat department around! And a great selection of cheeses. I hovered briefly in the coffee section, just taking in the aroma. And I picked up a bag of the wonderful little grapefruit slice candy that I can only seem to find there.

I'm off to find something to snack on, its really too early to call it breakfast. Maybe I'll have a few strawberries.