I’m baaack. And I survived my two flights. Perhaps a little bit more gray hair…and warped nails after removing them from the armrest. But I’m alive.

Relocation and all that it entails is and will continue to be an utter drag for a while, but the trip wasn’t dreadful. This was mostly due to the fact that I stayed with sister Jen, her husband, and their two dogs (whom I affectionately refer to as “The Horse” and “The Moose” because of their gigantor size.) After a visit with them, my belly sticks out a little more than usual, my thighs rub together a little bit more than usual, and for a few days, I ask myself “Did I really need that 2nd 3rd helping?”

Most importantly, I did find a house to rent temporarily, and what I think is going to be a fantastic preschool. So I accomplished what I set out to do. That’s all I could ask for…well, except for a decent book and a good movie.

NOT BECOMING MY MOTHER

My girlfriend Jude, and fellow foodie, gave me Not Becoming My Mother for my birthday last December. Projecting ahead that I would be traveling, I saved it. Perfect diversion for the plane. Interestingly enough, it’s not really about food, which is what someone might expect from Ruth Reichl of Gourmet Magazine fame (R.I.P.) It’s really more a memoir about how she grew up and the difference in her generation and her mother’s generation.

There was a lot of criticism regarding the length of this book, coming in at only 128 pages. I definitely agree that it reads more like a long article or essay, not a memoir. But, for me, that worked. At times the writing feels hollow, but mostly I thought it was honest and candid, retracing her mother’s life through letters she had written – a real treasure for a daughter to discover. The writing style is simple and easy. I know a lot of people were deeply disappointed, some almost hated it. It held my attention, though, and occupied me from MSP to SFO, so I can’t complain.

JULIE AND JULIA

I never use the word delightful. Does anyone? It feels good rolling off my tongue, though. And it’s the word that comes to mind when I think of this movie. Filling a two hour gap in our day, Jen purchased this baby for a well spent $5.99 from On Demand. Criminal that I hadn’t seen it yet, considering the topic.

Julie and Julia is based on the true story of Julie Powell’s commitment to cook all 524 recipes from Julia Child’s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I…and she’s going to do it in only 365 days. She also blogs about it and gains huge buzz from her readers and the media.

Meryl Streep delivers a great performance, capturing the positive nature and energy of Julia Child, and Amy Adams does an equally great job of portraying Julie Powell as very human and fallible.

This movie isn’t gripping, or amazing, or profound. It’s just a cute, witty story that made me giggle and put a smile on my face for a couple of hours.

THE GIVEAWAY

I know, I know…the book was released almost a year ago. And the movie came out last August. Reminder: I have two kids under the age of five. It’s a miracle I shower every day. Sadly, books and movies are a rarity for me right now. Assuming there are still a few of you who haven’t already experienced them, I have a copy of both the book and movie. Leave a comment if you’re interested in either one, and two random winners will be drawn on Saturday.

We sold our house. Finally. It’s amazing what can happen when you lower the price drastically. In hindsight, we could have avoided the four-month agony had we priced it aggressively to begin with. But who wants to lose gobs of money?

The reality is, however, it’s a buyer’s buffet out there right now. And the only way we could move our house, was in fact, to take a drastic loss. So, we walk away with our tails tucked, licking our wounds.

Somehow, we’re okay with it. It’s done. And now we can move forward.

My two-week wave of crazy emotion and twitching has mostly stopped, and now I’m coherent enough to start planning our relocation. This begins on Wednesday when I travel out to California and search for a place to live and a preschool for Haley.

Oh, and did I mention that I am deathly afraid to fly? No joke. I need drugs to get me through a flight, no matter what the length (this one being 4 hours 12 minutes – mercy!)

Luckily I will have these balls to take with me (insert joke here.)

Story goes, my Mom and Dad were out for a walk one day and they met a lady. She happened to be carrying a delectable chocolate treat with her (as any respectable neighbor would) and kindly shared (as any respectable neighbor would)…and, no, they do not live in Mayberry. All my Mom could remember is that it had oreos and cream cheese in it, and dipped in chocolate.

I Googled for “oreos+cream cheese” and what do you know, there’s a recipe. Here, here, here, and several others. Gotta love the internet. There are a gazillion variations, so I combined what I liked from a few and added my own touch. Crunchy on the outside, and soft, rich, and decadent on the inside, just like a truffle. So incredibly easy to make and I think they keep in the frig for a few weeks…as if they’d last that long.

Print this recipe.

My favorite smaller food-related news stories and products that made it in under the radar:

Men who like cupcakes. For manly men.

Cheese sculptures.

Sushi on small trucks.

Dawn Wells (the gal from Gilligan’s Island) on a clever way to peel a potato…or you could do it in one minute by ACTUALLY PEELING THE POTATO! (2 minute video)

Food consumption and obesity visualization maps.

Brushing your teeth in 2010 just isn’t as manly as it used to be – whiskey toothpaste.

A serious case for cutting coupons.

Food-Related Super Bowl Ads.

Heinz Dip & Squeeze marks the first ketchup packet makeover in 42 years.

Chiquita Banana redesign.

Is your kid truly allergic? Tests add to food confusion.

Announcing BlogHer Food 2010.

This is worth my thighs rubbing together – S’Mores Oatmeal.

Selleck Waterfall Sandwich. Creepy, no?

The timing of recess and eating makes a difference in a child’s health and behavior.

This is like an old friend. A good one. But one that you haven’t seen in ages. You almost forgot about her. Then something sparks your memory and you decide to pick up the phone and see how she’s doing. After an easy and delightful conversation, you’re reminded why you were friends to begin with. And you vow never to lose touch again.

Cranberry Chicken goes waaay back to my teenage years. My mom used to make it. I had forgotten all about the recipe until a few months ago when I needed something simple to make for a friend, that also freezes well (prior to cooking.)

At first glance reading the ingredients, you find yourself thinking, “Hm. Really?” But then you taste it and you think, “Oh. Ya. Really.” The chicken turns out moist, a little sweet and a little tart, with an overall rich flavor.

Best part – all you need is a mixing bowl, casserole dish, and an oven. Win. Plus, the entire meal can easily feed a (small) family for less than $10. Easy to make, easy to clean up, cheap, and tasty. It’s like a dream.

I’ve made it several times now. Paul even refers to it by name, instead of “that dish with the chicken and the sauce.” Honestly, I think he’s grown tired of it, so I should probably shelve it for a while.

Make it. And then make it again. Let your family grow tired of it, too.

Print the recipe.

78 degrees, sunny, with a slight breeze.

Leaving work three hours early.

Sleeping in on a Sunday morning.

A huge scoop of Dulce de leche ice cream.

…All good, right?

Add these pancakes to the list. I wrote about them a long time ago, but I believe they deserve some extra attention. My parents have been recipients of these gems. So have my sister and brother-in-law. And this past week, I made them for Haley’s birthday dinner…by request. Tell me my daughter doesn’t have good taste. (Although, they’re really more like a dessert, so what four year old wouldn’t like them?)

They remind me of something you would be served at a quaint bed and breakfast. After gobbling them down, you would have no choice but to beg the hostess for the recipe. Light, fluffy, sweet, and filling, they are truly sublime. And purdy, no? Go easy on the lemon curd; you really only need a tablespoon or so with each stack, otherwise it overpowers their delicate flavor.

Ah, to be four again – boundless energy, being excited over flavored toothpaste, wearing 10 barrettes in your hair and still looking cute, and getting these pancakes for dinner.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Print the recipe (adapted from The Kitchn)