I made red velvet cake balls for work and for my son’s school, and now neither he nor I can do wrong. I also sent the link to various people I (sort of) know. However, I do have a question: Not all the stores sell red velvet cake mix. Do you think using orange cake mix might work as a substitute?

As far as last BAD book, well, it’s been awhile. The book version of “The Devil Wears Prada” wasn’t really all that good, but I still got through it. The classic “Catcher in the Rye” has all the plot of a telephone book, but I read all of that also (because it was high school English and I had to). Most books written by celebrities are not that good, so at this point I tend to avoid them.

Good luck with all your dates!

The MOle - YEAH!!!I’d rather watch Celebrity Mole, though.

I wanna see the cake balls.

I was totally bummed over Antonia, though her dish looked terrible. Padma actually looked sad sending her home. I’m so rooting for Steph or Richard.

The last book I read that I HATED was Prep. I thought it would be fun beach reading, a guilty pleasure but I couldn’t stand the main character. She was whiny, miserable and–the clincher for me–never changed, never made the best of her situation, never looked back and saw her experience in perspective, even ten years post high school. In turn, I ended up hating the author because I had to assume that a character this thankless had to be a reflection of her (it being her first novel, and she having gone to a fancy Prep school, etc.) I’ll stop ranting now.

Your blog is NOT boring!!!!!!!

Ron, you can use any kind of cake and frosting combo. I have used white cake and a frosting that had sprinkles in it once. And this last time, I used red velvet cake, cream cheese frosting, and dipped some in milk chocolate and some in white chocolate.

Deb, I enjoyed Prep! But, I know what you mean about The Whiny Character.

The Book I Disliked Most is Water for Elephants. I hated it for So, So Many Reasons. The story was Dumb — it read like A Soap Opera and was Predictable. I didn’t think The Characters were Fleshed Out very well. I finished the book, but in the end, I wish I had just read A Non-Fiction Book About The Circus instead. I liked The Parts About The Circus!

xoxo,
TDR

Your blog is not boring in any way. shape or form. You have such a nice natural writing style - it is absolutely always a pleasure to read, and often inspirational and entertaining too.

I think both you and your blog are A++++++

This blog is not boring. I LOVE it.

I watched “The Mole” via computer this week. I liked it pretty well. I just remember that the last time I watched it, though, that in the end it turned out that the supposed clues to who the mole was were really effing hard to figure out/cleverly hidden. And I think it’s all in the editing, too… Probably won’t stop me from watching it, though.

3 extra vacation days to use in a month is AWESOME!!

I don’t think Lisa has any right to be in the Top Chef final, but I also didn’t think Antonia had any possibility of winning, so it’s all the same to me, I guess…

Best of luck with your JDates. You have to report back, good or bad.

Your blog is not boring for 2 (long-winded; sorry) reasons:

1 - You write/tell a story well. That sounds so simple, but good storytelling is a rare, rare talent. How many personal blogs are out there at last count? Eleventy gajillion or so? I’ve looked in on about 1/2 of them, and I only have 6 bookmarked for regular reading. Yours is one of them. It’s not that you date or don’t date or bake or don’t bake — it’s that I’m intrigued by pilot-you’re-driving-to-see and dinner w/baking posse because of how you write about these and other topics.

2 - Your life is different from mine. You’re a midwestern transplant to Los Angeles. You’re single & have many interesting hobbies and avocations. You have a wonderful relationship w/your parents, sib & extended family. While none of this is terribly exotic, it’s sufficiently removed from my life and experiences to intrigue me.

That is all.

I was very sad about Antonia. I was rooting for her too. What happened to her in this challenge? Although I too would have fallen apart at the prospect of butchering an entire pig.

Anyway, I wanted to comment on the solution for your doorwall. We had some butt-ugly windows in the bedroom of our last apartment, and got something very similar to those Home Depot panels at Ikea. Not sure if they still have them, but they were the perfect solution. They were also not too dark, so let some light in.

Certainly not a boring blog.

Were you, per chance, a fan of that show “Arrested Development”?

I read ‘The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay’… very good but it took me about 6 months to get through - hence why i haven’t taken part in the whole what are you reading thing.

I am thinking of doing this (http://www.x365.org/x365_started.html) but I haven’t thought of 365 people yet! Seems like something you might enjoy…

Jami, I’ve seen that and thought about it, but I’m not sure if I know 365 people I’d want to write about! I’ll think about it, thanks!

Don’t think the blog is boring @ all!

When you say “doorwall” do you mean “sliding glass door”? No one in California says Door Wall!!!!

As you know, dear friend, I read about 4 books a month and always work my way through them…but one book I could not finish was “The Golden Notebook” by Doris Lessing. None of the 9 girls in my book club finished it…and that was an absolute first.

Right now I’m reading “Under The Skin” and not enjoying it…but I am determined to power through it…hoping there is some redemption.

Oh, Randi…I LOVED Water For Elephants!

Julie shut up, it’s forever a doorwall!

I agreee w/ everyone about the blog, I love it, it is not boring.

And, I had absolutely no idea what a door wall was, I just skipped that part. Sliders, yes, sliding glass doors, yes but doorwall?? never even heard it and I am in the southeast US

It is not boring, I agree with everyone. I love your Thursday things.

I read Prep and agree, not what I expected. I made myself finish it.

I thought Prep was great.

Your blog isn’t boring, Hilary, but I suspect you may be BORED — with it, with your life, or your job or any number of things. Ennui: we’ve all been there.

Do books that friends of yours write and self-publish count for your “bad” question? If so, that’s the answer. It was horrible, I don’t even want to go into it for people have the power of Google (a/k/a “The Journalism Machine” is what it’s called now in newsrooms).