Apropos of nothing, I have come across the following proverb from William Blake: “The cut worm forgives the plow.”

I don’t feel the need to belabor the point, but it got me thinking. Who is the plow in my life?

Also, remember the World’s Best Brownies that I crowed about (linked for your convenience)?

Well, throw that recipe out, because I just made the basic brownie recipe from The Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition, and I believe, firmly, that this is the best recipe for brownies ever. I made it with my gluten-free flour blend, reduced the sugar by a smidge because I used bittersweet chocolate, and needed to bake it for much longer than the recipe time, but good lord. These are the best brownies I have ever eaten. Crispy, shiny top, deep chocolate flavor, and the best mouthfeel/chew of any brownie I have perhaps ever had.

Turns out, more sugar + real chocolate = amazing brownies.

Also, kudos to Austin Kleon, an artist/writer I have recently started following again after a dust-up on Twitter caused me to block him in a fury many years ago (the internet makes me sensitive). There is still something about him that rubs me the wrong way, but I am enjoying his lists and (nearly) daily blog. So maybe more of that in this year – short missives instead of a once-monthly tome.

Who is the plow in your life?