Last week, I had Liza and Maddie over for dinner at the new apartment. There was much debate over whether we should go out or stay in and eat a meal cooked by yours truly.

“I swear I’ve improved since college.”

“Improved how much?” Liza’s voice oozed with doubt, even over the phone.

“Enough.”

“I have a six-year old, you know. They’re picky eaters.”

“Yes, I know. I have Sean. An equally picky eater, comparable to a six-year old.”

She was quiet for a moment. “Ok, Chef Colleen’s it is.”

So for dinner I decided on mixed vegetables, egg nog casserole and chicken in an apricot brandy sauce. To make the sauce, I needed to light the brandy/apricot sauce on fire to allow the alcohol to burn out.

“Ok, Maddie, stand back. Just in case…”

“Just in case what, Aunt Colleen?” Maddie’s eyes grew wide and her chin dropped to the chest.

“Umm, well…just in case, you know. There’s an accident.” I looked at Liza who pulled Maddie out of the kitchen and then at Sean who was slowly backing away from me as well.

Maddie shook her head, looked up at her mother and said through the side of her mouth: “She’s going to burn the house down, isn’t she?”

But I didn’t burn the house down. And the apricot brandy sauce was delicious. So THERE, Maddie. Ha!

This was a gift from Liza on her trip to India several years ago. It’s some sort of symbol of a Hindi God (I want to say Vishnu, but I don’t think that’s correct. I’m also too lazy to go look it up). This statue is supposed to go over my door to protect me from unwanted visitors and evil. And I had it over my door in my old apartment, but it kept falling over anytime I shut the door. So, now, it rests on my window. And since that’s the side of the house that faces the ghetto street I live on, it’s probably the more appropriate place. No gang member would ever dare enter a house with an elephant statue protecting it, right? Right?

This is one of my favorite teapots. And although I really dislike tea (except for the very expensive kind), I love teapots. I have way too many for a girl who hardly ever drinks the stuff.

But of all my useless teapots, this one is my favorite.  And I can’t even accept the kudos for finding it. I was in Anthropologie with Liza and Maddie when all of a sudden Liza was holding this ceramic owl in my face. ” This is so you,” she said. And I don’t know what it was that made her say that…because I’ve never been a huge fan of owls or any kind of bird. But holy hell did I love that teapot!

I bought it on the spot. Which maybe I shouldn’t have done because a week later I lost my job. And ever since, I’ve been slightly obsessed with all things “Owl.”