Enough is enough… when will these writers come to an agreement and put an end to this strike? I don’t think it makes them more endearing to keep us from our favorite TV shows. The networks have responded by adding more reality shows (because they have different writers, if any), but for the most part they are lack-luster at best.

The most notable exceptions are: American Idol (always good), Project Runway, and Top Chef (which returns in February!). But the other new reality shows have done nothing to inspire me to set my tivo…

So, I’m spending a lot of time reading. I love to read anyway, but lately I’ve found a few Ted Dekker novels that read like an episode of my favorite (and most missed) show: 24! (My favorites so far are Blink and Saint.)

And, my local public library seems to busier than ever. Could it be that the strike is actually sending Americans back to good ol’ fashioned fiction for entertainment? Uh… yeah.

One of the few things my husband and I can easily agree on watching is cooking shows. It never fails… when we both end up in the living room after the kids have gone to sleepy land, we each strive to pick up the remote first. (Because we all know that she who holds the remote, controls the evening.) Will it be more boring WWII stories on the History channel, ridiculous comedy like Family Guy (I really just can’t comprehend why that woman is with the dog?), completely sappy movies on Lifetime, or something we can both agree on: shows that make us hungry on the Food Network.

Are we the only ones who search our cabinets for crazy ingredients like clam juice and saffron threads just because Emeril tells us too? Me thinks not It’s all about branding baby! And being in the business I am, I gotta love it.

So when Alton Brown pretended to be stuck on a deserted island last night, playing in his kitchen with mounds of mango and pineapple, it’s really not surprising that I immediately went to the store to purchase several of these items, right? And I already had some pork thawing for dinner anyway, so of course it was easy to switch gears and make Alton’s Sweet and Sour Pork for dinner (which, by the way, was absolutely fabulous! Much better than the chinese buffet serves down the street – and definitely something I will serve guests!). Thanks Food Network!

So this year I received a digital meat thermometer from my sister-in-law. Some people might think this sounds like a ridiculous idea for a Christmas gift (unless you hate your sister-in-law) but I am totally in love with this meat thermometer! It has a probe that goes into the meat, inside your oven, then a timer that stays outside your oven and beeps when your meat is ready! Wow! Meat that is actually juicy, not overcooked! Dinner at my house just got a whole lot better… I wish I had one of these a long time ago.