Why even start a blog?

I have to admit that I rarely, if ever, read blogs. The only blog that I regularly peruse is masondixonknitting.com. But here I am starting my own blog. Why? To show my sister that if I, a non-reader and non-writer of blogs, can start a blog, she can too.
Because I find the Julie/Julia Project so fascinating, I have decided to take my favorite cookbook and make every recipe from it. The problem was deciding which cookbook to use. I decided to make it a dessert cookbook -- because my family's non-meat eating habit makes any other type of cookbook difficult. But which cookbook? I love all my dessert cookbooks.

I was able to narrow it down to three:



Now each of these books has its merits. Rose Levy Berenbaum -- she is just so masterful at everything she bakes. Cookies, cakes, pies, pastry -- it's all amazing. But I'm afraid that after 2 years of pies, I will never be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner again.

"Baking with Jim Dodge" was an impulse purchase I made years ago, and never regretted. I love everything that I have made out of this book. It is dogeared, covered in flour and egg drippings, and very well loved. And it has a great variety of baked goods so I doubt I would get sick of baking or eating the choices from this book.

Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts. Maida Heatter, the doyenne of desserts. The queen of calories. I have every single one of her dessert cookbooks, and love them all. This one is even missing its cover, its been used so often. This woman has made more desserts than I can even imagine. And just look at her!

I couldn't find a full-length photo of her, but she's skinny! How is that even possible?

So I decided on Maida Heatter. I couldn't use one of her single subject books, since I would have the same problems as faced with Rose's single subject books. Thus, I made my decision: Her Greatest American Desserts book. 200 recipes. Pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, even candy.
I can't wait to start.