A Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

Christmas Day is just five days away and I have shopped, wrapped, cooked, and baked. Now, if it's not too late, I have a special kitchen request for myself. As I was mixing the batter for my last batch of Vanilla Spritz Cookies, it became abundantly clear that I need a Spice Rack! I had the butter and sugar beating in the mixer and reached into the small cabinet nearby where I keep my spices to retrieve the cardamom and salt. Now let me say that my spice and seasoning collection has vastly increased since I started my new cooking hobby. Typically, the item I need is far back in the small cabinet and and I either have to remove all the items to get to it, or make a big reach over the other items. On this occasion, I chose the reaching over method, and the results were catastrophic! Not catastrophic compared to global warming or war, but on a much smaller, personal scale. In the process of grabbing the cardamom I knocked over the pepper mill. This is the one I ordered from Food Network after I saw Paula Deen use it. The pepper mill is designed so that the pepper corns are housed in a reservoir at the top of the device with a plastic cover. I had recently filled the reservoir, so it was almost full of peppercorns. When the pepper mill hit the counter top, the top came off and you can guess what happened next. Now Santa, I have really tried to be good this year, but at that particular place and time, and under this set of circumstances, I probably didn't demonstrate my best behavior. Most of the peppercorns fell onto the floor and the counter top. However, several fell into the cookie batter. Thankfully, peppercorns are large enough that I was able to remove them all. I think! But, just in case, if you should find a brown, BB sized object in your Vanilla Spritz Cookie, its just there to add a little extra spice!

It was this event that made it clear to me that when I saw the spice rack advertised on QVC's "In the Kitchen With David Show", which aired recently, I should have placed the order. Heck, I've order almost everything else David Veneble has offered, why did I pass on this one?!!

Santa, if you are reading this letter, and if it's not too late, please add this to my list. I can be very specific. It is available at QVC.com. It is item K10133, 16-Jar Orbit Spice Rack with Lazy Susan Base, and the price is $39.75, plus taxes and shipping. It is not longer available on Easy-Pay, but if you pay with a credit card, it will be delivered before Christmas. I would be happy to receive if after Christmas.

Now I'm about to to get into the kitchen and start my baking and cooking and I'll not use the reach over method of spice retrieval to gain access to my spices and seasonings.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas week!