Marshmallows

I wanted to burst back in from my blog vacation with a post shining with casual glamor, like returning from the Caribbean with a golden, glowing tan. I would unload my suitcase of carefully chosen literary souvenirs, which I had scooped up during my time away, slide photos of my high-minded pursuits into the conversation, and weave an amusing, insight-laden tale of my days sans modern comforts like blogging.

But that would mean that I'd been think-blogging during my time away, now wouldn't it? (Think-blogging: composing posts in your head while experiencing real life.)

The reality is that my daughter's been home; I've been enjoying her company; and I'm about to tackle the fifteen-page revision letter for New Recruit. (Don't cry for me. I love this stuff.)

So all I have for you today are marshmallows:

1) From NBC's official site for Lost: Sawyer's Nickname Generator. Maybe you've already played with this, but I hadn't. My nickname? Moonbeam. I'm irrationally pleased. Not the reaction Sawyer intended, I'm sure.

2) In extremely light, but strangely satisfying news: Blogger has now removed the unnecessary quotation marks from its Delete Post page's "Cancel" button. Get the initial investigative outcry here, and the official capitulation here.

3) If you're not watching Masterpiece Theater's Cranford, why not? As the town gossip puts it: "Put no further pastries to your lips or you will choke when you hear the news." Watch the trailer here.

3) And should you lack delightful pastries to refrain from choking upon, I offer my brother's Marshmallow Bites recipe:

1 pkg puff pastry, both sheets thawed for 40 minutes to bring to room temperature
1 bag large marshmallows
2-3 Tablespoons melted butter
cinnamon sugar (store bought or mix 1 T. cinnamon into 1/2 cup sugar)

Roll out the pastry to gently smooth any folds and thin it slightly. Cut each sheet into 12 squares. Roll marshmallows in melted butter, then cinnamon sugar. Place each marshmallow in a pastry square and squeeze the edges together, like wontons. Pop the squares into well-greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool enough to avoid molten sugar burns. Eat plain or with vanilla ice cream or top with sliced bananas and chocolate sauce.

Mmmmmm.