Fluffernutter

Here’s a run-down of the relatively fluffy pop-culture stuff I’ve been enjoying lately, with a special bonus of two tasty, sugary recipe links at the end!

* Bravo ran a marathon of Seasons 4 and 5 of Project Runway around Christmas, and we recorded them all and have been doling them out, one by one. I got hooked on the show first, then got my husband into it, but the biggest ProjRun fan in our house is six-year-old Lucy, who gets out her little “sketchbook” and sketches her versions of the challenges during each episode. I’m hoping that Season Six sees the light of day sometime soon, but until then, I think we’re going to have to break down and rent the earlier seasons.

* Beyonce’s I Am…Sasha Fierce (Deluxe Edition), which my sister’s girlfriend gave me for Christmas and I’ve been enjoying ever since. I’m not making any big claims for the pop hall of fame or anything, but both discs have been in heavy rotation around here and have certainly eased my back-to-school transition.

* Gossip Girl, which I started watching because my students did, but now I’m completely hooked. I taught on Monday evenings last semester and had to record the show, but it was such a lovely way to finish off my Monday nights once I got home. The show went on a winter hiatus and came back with a bang (opium dens! copious argyle! Blair and Chuck!) and I’m so glad.

* Old episodes of The West Wing definitely saved my sanity during the election season, but also, I’ve gotten into a rhythm since my husband’s started school: come home, supervise homework (or Enviro Club or piano lesson), make dinner, eat, bed/bathtime, then downstairs for solo grown-up time watching two episodes of TWW, recorded during the daytime. Definitely comfort viewing for me, though not nearly as fluffy as some of my other choices (ahem).

I was partly inspired to write this entry after reading my dear friend Alissa’s recent post on guilty pleasures. As always, she was eloquent and insightful on the topic, and I am in complete agreement. Why chastise ourselves for enjoying harmless pleasures, like the Twilight books or Gossip Girl, from time to time? I would start to worry if my entire mental or aesthetic energies were absorbed that way, but in moderation? A tasty treat that offers a bit of respite.

And now for the recipes:

* First up: my grandmother’s fudge, otherwise known as the never-fail fudge from the Marshmallow Fluff jar (minus walnuts). This is truly the stuff of childhood for me, and I included chunks of it with the Christmas cookies I gave out. I know there are fancier recipes, but this one is the only one for me

* Second: are you a doughnut fan? Have you ever tried making them at home? If not, you’re in for a treat– they are much easier, and much more delicious, than I could have guessed. I used Aliki’s post to make these vanilla-glazed ones, and while I know there are lots of variations possible, that recipe is so tasty I need to make it one or two more times before I start fooling with it.