wasn't that a party?

I planned for most everything, except rain [which thankfully stayed away until we were all in bed] and cameras [i left mine at home]. Thanks to Julia, we've got pictures of the evening!

I never know what to do for events like this, so I just got a lot of STUFF. Hit of the night, besides the guac [which was devoured] were the Milk Duds. Canadians didn't grow up with them like we did in the US, so when I found them at Loblaws [!], I had to put them out for the evening. Old skool chocolate and chewy caramel beats Werther's any day. Hub also insisted on bringing the good pizza from Regina, which I hope was worth the wait.

Anyway, as Julia reports, I had so much stuff to give out [from culling my review cabinet] that there was no way I could just call "Scrambles!", even though Stephanie was pushing for it. I figured we'd do numbers and people could pick in order. That worked for about half an hour, until Sarah kept looking panicky and staring at her watch. She was minutes away from missing the last bus to Mississauga, and we couldn't have that. So I just called her number. :-) And when she hugged me, the box went flying, tickets everywhere.

See? The power of the Harlot cannot be denied. She got her scrambles, and it was pretty damned funny. But as Julia said, people were well behaved and the boxes left Lettuce Knit nice and empty. Just the way I like 'em.

The book came out several months ago, so the party was oddly timed, but since it was our first night on the patio since last fall, I think it was worth the wait. We never could have fit in the shop, and honestly, there's something magical about the market on cool spring nights when we're out with our yarn and sticks and a suitable beverage.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and helping me purge. I feel lighter.

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One of the foody hits of the evening was not my doing -- Barbara, designer of Arietta, isn't only a kickass sweater designer, but she can bake a mean cupcake. I begged the recipe and am going to share it here.

Sez Barbara:

I love this recipe. It takes only a few minutes to throw together, and it is yummy if you serve it while it is still warm (with vanilla ice cream!) It is very moist, so it keeps for several days, or you can freeze any leftovers and zap each piece for about 30 seconds in the microwave. It has the advantage of having no eggs or milk, so not only can it be fed to vegans, you won't have to run out to the store if you keep basic ingredients in your pantry.

You can omit the topping and make icing if you choose.
[sez Amy: don't you dare. the topping is so unique and delicious, you'd be nuts not to use it!]

B.'s Chocolate Cake
(no cow, no chicken)

- combine (sift):
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

- add and stir until smooth:
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. vinegar

- batter will be thin.
- pour into ungreased 8" square or 9" round pan, or make 18 small cupcakes (bake them only 20 minutes).

Topping
- stir together:
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tsp. cocoa

- sprinkle over surface of raw batter in pan, along with:
3 to 4 tbsp. chocolate chips

Bake at 350° for 30 - 35 minutes.

Thank you, Barbara!