Friday Stew

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Hola! I hope you are all having an extraordinary day so far. It being Friday and all, I thought I would do some housekeeping and remind everyone about a few things (boring, but true) before sharing a recipe.

First off, I am super excited to see how popular the Menu of Hope raffle raising money for the Kashmir region earthquake relief effort has become. Quite a bit of money (more than $5,000 so far) has been raised. If you haven't had a chance to donate there is still time. I am offering a box of the surreally scrumptious Jin Patisserie chocolates and as a seperate gift for another donation, a shiny new 3.5 inch Wusthof Classic Paring Knife. Simply go here, make a donation of at least $5.00 and write in the comment section what gift you would like to receive.

The second thing on my itty bitty nudge list is that today is the final day to put in your nominations for the 2005 Food Blog Awards. This site was a finalist in the Best Recipe category last year and it was a total thrill for me. Just being a part of it really did change things in my little world and for that I will be forever grateful. Why not take a sec and nominate a site you enjoy. You know, share the love. There are tons of amazing blogs out there and they all deserve a little recognition.

And now, for the recipe of the day. It is for joy. Look around you, see the world and all it has to offer. Close your eyes and picture your loved ones. Go outside and listen for the birds singing and feel the sunshine on your face. Know that each and every day is a gift. Laugh at me for being so sentimental and then go cook something.

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The Silver Spoon is the seventh most popular book on internet bookstore giant Amazon.com's sales list.

Additional Amazon oddness: the number one book on Amazon is The Chronicles of Narinia. With one less letter and one different one you get my last name. The number two book is 365 No Repeats by some overly perky Food Network Chef that I share a first name with. Fun, huh?

B&R Farms in Hollister California, sell the most amazing apricot products. The dried apricot chutney will blow your mind. Trust me. Their recipes are awesome too. Check them out.