In anticipation of my visit to my niece in Napa, Ca. for Thanksgiving, I bought her a hostess present.

It is a cookbook by Maya Angelou called hallelujah the welcome table.

For those of you who do not know who Maya Angelou is - I cannot encourage you more to find out immediately. I personally think she is a saint.

To read her cookbook is to read a delicious, painful, joyous personal journal - with some incredible recipes thrown in.

It is not an inexpensive book - $29.95 - so even if you cannot afford it right now - slip into a bookstore and take a peek at it.

Be sure to read about the Caramel Cake and I know that you will then have a good cry over this recipe with me.

If you continue, I think the bookseller might rip it from your hands because you won't be able to put it down. Read as many stories that preceed the recipes as you can.

And I think you might agree with me that she really is a saint, sent here to open up our hearts and maybe teach us all how to cook a good meal at the same time.

And be sure to always spell Caramel Cake with two capital C's.

Hugs to you all - Gini