somewhat productive procrastination...thanks to Food Network.

Today is proclaimed a "reading day" by my university.

The truth is, said "reading day" implies luxurious amounts of loafing around trading novels with your friends and schmoozing over red wine.

Quite the opposite, this. is. finals.

But of course, what would finals be without copious distractions and procrastination?

As I sit right now, I am conveniently attempting to pen some witty prose instead of put the writing to better use towards my history paper. Alas, cinnamon rolls are in the oven, a pot of coffee awaits, and light jazz that could be from a Woody Allen film dances about the empty apartment. It curls around our round kitchen table and settles in the ears of me and my roommate, we are procrastinating -- waiting for cinnamon rolls. We tried to preemptively avoid this procrastination setting in; we thoroughly cleaned the entire apartment last night so it wouldn't be a valid excuse to not to the paper looming ominously in the future.

In true college student fashion, we didn't go to bed at a decent hour either. We were not partying, we were not studying voraciously for our finals -- we were looking up recipes for this week's dinners.

And watching Paula Deen compete with Iron Chef Cat Cora against Tyler Florence and Robert Irvine in Food Network's Iron Chef America Holiday Dessert Battle.


Did I mention Tina Fey was a judge? Now, this episode could have re-aired later on this week at a more convenient time but it was nearing 2a.m. and what's another hour of lost sleep when you can watch Paula Deen melt Velveeta, pour it into fudge, dip it into more cheese, and cover it in nuts?

Sigh, if only TV came with smell-o-vision.

Another ample distraction this week? A replay of Bobby Flay and my personal favorite, Giada De Laurentiis face off against Rachael Ray (boooooo!) and Mario Batali.

All this talk of cooking is making me crave those cinnamon rolls. and Food Network. There goes my "reading day" and history paper.