Cantuccini and Vin Santo

We received a couple of bottles of Vin Santo (yummy dessert wine, straight from Italy!) in return for babysitting a cat that is much nicer and "people friendlier" than ours A MUCH OLDER AND UGLIER CAT THAN OURS (psst, Cat just came into room!). And what goes best with Vin Santo? Cantuccini, of course, crunchy-crispy almond biscotti cookies that I last baked about 15 years ago. So I went looking for a recipe, found one, baked them, liked them, but the next day (just when company came over, ugh!) they had turned all soggy. Apparently I hadn't twice-baked them enough. So they went for another turn in the oven until they were a DEEP golden brown, and yum, finally got that toasted almond-flavor that goes so well with the wine.

2 2/3 cup (300g) flour, 3/4 cup (180g) sugar, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks, pinch of salt, 1 cup (120g) coarsely chopped almonds (I buy "slivered almonds" from Aldi and give them quick chop), 1 Tblsp milk.

Directions: Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk and salt. Fold in almonds (you may want to lightly toast them beforehand). Divide into two parts.

On a floured surface, shape both parts into 30 cm (12 in) long logs and place them, slightly apart, on a parchment- lined cookie sheet. Mix milk and 1 egg yolk and brush on the logs (you can sprinkle them with some sugar as well).

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until golden brown. Place on cutting board, immediately cut at a slant into 1/2 inch slices with a sharp knife. Put the slices on their side and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, turn over, bake some more until deep golden brown. Let cool on wire rack. Dunk into Vin Santo/coffee/hot chocolate, and enjoy!

Review: "He's just not that into you" soundtrack

I received this CD for free in return for leaving a review - there's a little bit of everything on this movie soundtrack, from My Morning Jacket's super interesting "I'm amazed" and Erin McCarley's awesome "Love, save the empty" - to Scarlett Johannson's weak "Last Goodbye" and the horror that was 80's pop band The Human League's "Don't you want me". Not a bad mix to listen to as background music, but I think I'd get bored with it rather soon...

Comfy

Thank goodness for hubby wearing steel capped slippers, otherwise we'd need to amputate those toes... (hehe, Cat's actually not THAT fat, just fluffy!)

Superbowl

First let me say that I'm not a huge football fan. I'm actually not a football fan whatsoever. I guess it's one of those things you have to grow up with to appreciate. I can get moderately excited about a good soccer World Cup or an exciting Wimbledon tennis finale, but football? Ugh. Overpaid, huge lugs with nicknames like "The Refrigerator" in tons of padding, rambling seemingly aimlessly around. That's what it looks like to me.

So the annual Super Bowl, the American championship game, would be only of moderate interest to me - if it wasn't for the commercials! This is the one time of the year when companies go all out to show high profile, funny, expensive ads during the many breaks in the game, and the ONE time I actually pay attention. My favorite one was this one for careerbuilder.com:

Hehe. "Oh, dear!"