Cheese. There may be nothing I like more than cheese. All sorts of cheese, from the very strongest and most aggressive blue to the smooth creaminess of goat. I never imagined I would be making my own, but an article in this month’s Food and Wine changed all of that. Maria Helm Sinskey convinced me that making ricotta was both easy and fun—and it was.

Lottie + Doof need to get healthy. With all of these baked goods it makes sense to balance them out with a healthy breakfast. We’re starting with granola. I’ve always liked granola, but so much of if is loaded with sugar (or worse—corn syrup), or oil or butter and is in fact just a crunchier form of dessert. I have been on the lookout for a granola recipe that manages to be both healthy and delicious—something I would want to eat for breakfast with yogurt and fruit. I think I found it.

Last year Bryan and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I was pretty thrilled by the prospect of getting to cook that iconic meal.  I wanted to pull out all of the stops and made most of the meal myself. This probably speaks to the my controlling nature because everyone offered to help cook or to bring things. Even my dear friend Molly, who happens to be one of the best cooks I know, offered to make a dish. I agreed, but only if she made a recipe I gave her. At the time Bryan pointed out that this was a little weird, and I guess in retrospect I understand that. Luckily, Molly is understanding and was happy to cooperate. (Thanks, Molly!) The meal was a real success and everyone had a nice time. I was exhausted, but pleased with my efforts. One of the things I enjoyed the most at that meal was a cranberry relish made with fresh cranberries, orange juice and fennel seeds.