i'm happy to introduce the first installment of an occasional feature called "odin's epicurean adventures!

obviously, odin isn't eating solid foods yet, but his temporal lobes, which play a role in touch, hearing and smell, are supposedly becoming more active now that he's reaching his 3rd month in age adjusted terms. so we thought it'd be fun to make foods that smelled great to give his developing olfactory capabilites something pleasant to sense.

of course, if one is trying to fill the house with pleasing, comforting, rich smells, you simply can't go wrong with a big batch of your basic toll house cookie.

perhaps i'm the only one left on the planet who didn't know that ruth graves wakefield invented the original recipe after discovering that she didn't have any baker's chocolate for her batch of chocolate cookies?

in any case, we followed the original recipe and added a cup of pecan pieces for just the right amount of nutty flavor.

as expected, the house was soon filled with the yummy smell of freshly baked cookies!

we don't harbor any delusions that this particular batch of cookies will have the least bit of an effect on odin, but it sure seems like he's getting ready to take a big bite out of it! until he is ready to take a real bite, we'll stay focused on foods that smell yummy. and as he gets a little older, we'll probably share a few favorites that we find from sources like "the well-fed baby". i think almost everyone has an early, almost preverbal memory of a comforting smell they remember emanating from their parent's or grandparent's kitchen, so if you have a suggestion for an upcoming epicurean adventure let me know.

super mega bonus points will be awarded to anyone who sends a favorite regional or family recipe on a postcard.