And Now a Word from our Sponsor

Taking a break from the cooking to reflect on this undertaking thus far. I am told Oprah does something similar every Friday.
First, I want to thank all of you out there who read this. I have this scary statistical analysis of traffic to the blog and the numbers have been overwhelming. Really, your love for Denni and perhaps a new found or renewed love for the Brady's is touching.
Second, the cooking aspect has actually been liberating for me. I used to struggle to come up with new and interesting recipes for dinner every night, especially since Gourmet magazine ceased publication. But cooking with Alice takes all of the guesswork out of dinner. I now know what we are going to have every day for at least a week in advance. The only catch is, I am convinced that no one was intended to actually prepare these recipes and certainly not by a novice cook. They have minimal direction, for instance, Alice doesn't tell you to cool your muffins on a rack, which is important. And, judging by the results so far, I don't think that any of them have been run through a test kitchen.
Third, I do think about what it will be like when I am finished. Will time and unhealthy food have made things better? I also wonder how Julia, who is only ten, will look back on this experience as an adult. Will she tell people that there was a time when her crazy mother only cooked from a Brady Bunch cookbook? The writer/director Nora Ephron once said that the measure of a successful parent is one who raises a child who can afford their own therapy, so I can hope for that.
Finallly, a follower from Arizona recently asked if the "Episode Note" that follows each recipe is in the cookbook or if I write them myself.  I write them, that book explains nothing. If any of you folks at home have questions for me, leave a comment here, email or send them on Facebook and I will try to answer.
Stay tuned, we'll be right back...

Episode Note: "And Now a Word from our Sponsor" The Bradys are cast as a typical American family for a laundry detergent commercial. Worried about looking goofy, they take up method acting, much to the disappointment of the hippie director, played by the great Paul Winchell (voice of Tigger and famous ventriliquist), who wanted it to be 'all like natural, man'. After many frustrating takes, the commercial is cancelled. The Brady's end up with a truck load of detergent for their trouble.