And Now, the Off-Season

Lately, there's been abundant talk about seasons - and with the recent dawning of what looks to be a beautiful fall, I don't blame you! Around here, though, seasons are typically defined by something other than the color or existence of leaves on our trees.

Sports. We're either in the midst of one harrowing season or dreaming of the next season (though admittedly, just yesterday I was already bemoaning the late-March/early-April NBA and NHL-only time of the year).

That time of year, when only show-boating, over-paid professional ball-bouncers (tell us how you really feel, Kara) and grown men racing around on skates (disclaimer - I have no problem with ice hockey but growing up in Atlanta didn't exactly put the sport front and center in my life) hog the sports page in the morning or the TV in the evening... well, that's our off-season.

The day that "the Tournament" ends and all that's left is well... see the aforementioned description of the remaining sports... is a day of mourning. For you food-types... think of the day when your last box of Girl Scout cookies is tossed into the recycling bin... not to be revived for another entire year. First you feel sadness and regret that you'd already eaten that last cookie. Then you recover and begin calculating how long it'll be until the your next morsel.

Well, thanks to Nicole and this delicious rendition of Samoas, it could be tonight! Believe it. These cookies are just as good (if not better!) as the purple-boxed real thing. I recommend making the Samoa bars over the actual hole-in-the-middle cookies - just as you'd expect, what with my bar cookie obsession and all. Turns out your off-season just might not be so bad!

The only thing left wishing for is that my off-season had a similar outlook.