Brown Paper Packages!

I arrived home a few days ago to find a brown box on my doorstep. I gasped in delight when I saw it. I love getting mail in general, especially when it doesn't contain bills, but I love love LOVE getting packages in the mail.

I had a feeling I knew what was inside the box, but you just never really know until you tear right into it. The anticipation was killing me. I could barely get in the door before I couldn't resist any longer. I dropped my purse and keys right there in the front hallway and sat down cross-legged to open the box like a little kid on Christmas morning.

And sure enough, I was right. A present from my Mom!



And it wasn't just one present, either. Those big brown boxes kept showing up on my doorstep, each of them containing fabulous stoneware dishes from Le Creuset! (Oh my word, Mom, you are too much!! Thank you!)



I am insanely excited about my new collection (I have a collection!) of red dishes. They are gorgeous. I am so excited about them that I stack them up in different ways on my countertop just to look at them.



I am dreaming of making all sorts of fabulous gratins and fruit crumbles, and other various and sundry casseroles. We are hosting family for both of the big holidays this year, and casserole dishes (and for that matter, casserole recipes) are an essential part of every good Southern girl's holiday meal repertoire.

I told Mom that the dishes stacked up perfectly, just like those Russian nesting dolls. (There is some random long word that actually describes those dolls, which I will now go and google. Hold please....Oh yes, matryoshka dolls. There's your random tidbit of trivia for today, folks. Don't thank me, I'm just doing my job to keep all of you primed and ready for your chance at Jeopardy fame.)



So where was I? Oh right! Fruit Crumbles! (And Bettys and Buckles and Grunts and Pandowdys and Cobblers and Crisps and Grunts and Slumps. You name a baked fruit dish, I am gonna make it in my fabulous stoneware, yo.)



I am very excited it is Labor Day weekend, because this will provide even more opportunity for me to make more food than two people could possibly eat in a single weekend. In a perfect world, I'd really like to practice all of my Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes at least once in these weeks and months before the families begin descending upon us en masse. I haven't told Steven about this completely insane rather ambitious goal of mine, but now that I think of it, he has been asking for a turkey and stuffing dinner lately...



So if you see my Mom around, give her a huge hug for me and let her know that I can't wait to fill these dishes full of fabulous food, which food will then fill the tummies of my loved ones.



Now, if you'll excuse me, I've still got to find just the right recipe for sweet potato casserole. The ratio of mini-marshmallows to pecans to brown sugar has got to be just right, you know.