use real butter

During this time of year, it is easy to get wrapped up in baking, gifts, shopping, travel, celebrations… Thank goodness for Pim. She is the fabulous host of Menu for Hope each year and reminds us all that there are people in need – in *real* need. This is the fifth year that Pim is running Menu for Hope and it is my second year participating in offering a prize.

So what is Menu for Hope? I think Pim says it best:
Each December, food bloggers from all over the world join the campaign by offering a delectable array of food-related prizes for the Menu for Hope raffle. Anyone – and that means you too – can buy raffle tickets to bid on these prizes. For every $10 donated, you earn one virtual raffle ticket to bid on a prize of their choice. At the end of the two-week campaign, the raffle tickets are drawn and the results announced on Chez Pim.

**Jump for more butter**

Thanks to all of you who wrote in to share your inspirations in the kitchen! Jeremy, dog, and I went for a hike Sunday morning to scope out some gorgeous cross country ski trails for WHEN THE SNOW GETS HERE.

a pleasant walking trail

After the hike, I closed the comments at 216 entries (anyone who commented more than once had their comments compiled into one entry). Jeremy used his trusty python random number generator to give me 5 numbers: 62 – Mollie, 71 – Wentong, 87 – Nicole, 96 – Andrea, 137 – Linh. We then set up five dog kibbles in the great room with a corresponding number while Kaweah was detained in the office. At first I was worried that she’d make a beeline for the most visually obvious but…

my worries were unfounded

**Jump for more butter**