Cooking Can Be A Page Turner

At 6 AM outside my door I found a 12" square box sitting beside the Seattle Times. It must have come after I came home from work. Poor UPS and Fed Ex--working at all hours catching up after our 10 day region-wide snow-in. I looked at the return address: Fulfillment Center. Yay! I am going to be fulfilled! Whomever thought of that moniker must have known she'd bring smiles to many many recipients of doorstep boxes.

Then I noticed "COOKING" on the box and remembered a certain gift giver's response when, after Christmas had passed I asked her hesitatingly about the Christmas package she had said I would get: "I lied." she said. "You don't get the little cutting boards. I forget that I went over budget and there was a cutback. There might be a government bailout at some point, but the legislation is stuck in the house so you're out of luck for now. But the cookbook holder is on its way! It got stuck in the snow. Projected delivery date is Friday."

I had laughed my head off at that one, clever comedian gift giver! I opened the box and indeed there was a cookbook holder--a sturdy kitchen helper that I, with aging wisdom (and eyes) know I will really enjoy.

I've tried all kinds of book propping methods and the closest I have come to this gleaming metal beauty was a bent coat hanger. Usually I just bend to the page to see. But now a visual bail out! There's also an equivalent chart for liquid and dry measure, and weight, in the transparent cover--been hankering for one of those ever since I came back from LaJolla, where resides said item in that esteemed kitchen.

And frosting on the cake, so to speak, butter on the muffins, cinnamon in the stew, comes with knowing my new holder will do double duty as a novel holder at meal time. Yes, I read at dinner, something my Mother would have frowned on, but she is not here to suffer through it, so we can all relax. I'll enjoy being able to continue at mealtime (no cutbacks there!) with the good part of the story, hands free. Now I'm enjoying a personal massive rally and projected long term fulfillment!