In a vain attempt to make myself look organized, I thought I'd undertake a three-day cleaning project in my kitchen. Day One would involve the reorganization of my spice collection and the cleaning of the stove and surrounding areas. Day Two would involve the cleaning of the rest of the counters.

(Implied: that I'd clean up, tidy, and put away the various messes that were ON said counters.)Day Three would be the tackling of the kitchen table.

Ever have a friend that you always invite over to gatherings and dinners, partly for the company and partly because you know they'll bring that one particular dish you've really become partial to?

I almost hate to lapse back into standard recipe-making, but this is a recipe that really should be documented somewhere. Heather made this soup for us quite a few times—it was standard, comforting fare for each of us when we were sick. I had it more than once when I was so sick a year ago.

Before the advent of test kitchens, lo-carb diets, and Twinkies, there were recipes, but they were not recipes as we know them now. I recently read an op-ed piece on Salon which decried the modern recipe as a prime example of our faddish love for scientific precision taking over our willingness to be experimental or inventive.

I am thankful for kitty purrs and coconut-milk desserts and dinners with friends. I still love the feeling of driving over the I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River, and I still am secretly thrilled when Jeff approves of something that I do. I still can't remember the name of all the reindeer without singing them, and I think it's funny that this year is the first year, ever, that my father has put Christmas lights on his house.

Today's Friday Five, courtesy of Heather, are questions I can answer quickly, so I'll throw in mine.

1. What did you have for dinner last night?
Meat ravioli with tomato sauce. I need to rethink how I do tomato sauces. Jeff's right.

2. Do you ever get up for a midnight snack?]
*muahahahaha* Of course! I have a raging fancy for cheese at midnight.

3. What's your favorite dessert?
Ben and Jerry's 'Phish Food.' Keep your hands and feet away from my carton!

4. Tell us something about you that would surprise us.