Simple Pleasures. Robert Taylor

oven to 350 degrees. Toast bread lightly, butter, and cut into cubes. There should be about 3 cups. Mix bread cubes and raisins in a buttered 1½-quart casserole.

      Beat eggs, stir in milk. Strain into a bowl and stir in sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pour over bread and allow to stand 30 minutes for egg mixture to be absorbed. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

      Place casserole in a slightly larger, shallow pan in oven. Pour boiling water into outer pan to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake 45 minutes to an hour until custard is set. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

      THINGS TO DO

      Artistic Honor

      Next time you host a party, create a piece of art for the guest of honor. Buy a simple canvas. Divide it into even sections using a pencil and ruler. Go over your pencil lines with permanent colored markers or paint. Provide guests with paints and brushes and have each person decorate a square. Your guest will have a colorful memento of the occasion. This works well for a variety of occasions: baby showers, housewarmings, high-school graduations, bon voyage . . .

       “‘How much are your yams?’ I said, suddenly hungry. ‘They ten cents and they sweet,’ he said, his voice quavering with age. . . . I took a bite, finding it as sweet and hot as any I'd ever had, and was overcome with such a surge of homesickness that I turned away to keep my control.”

      —Ralph Ellison

      A Dog's Life

      Whenever I take my golden retriever for a walk along the water-front, I take great pleasure in watching him being in his body, completely unrestrained in his dogginess. Everything he does he does with intensity, whether it's walking into the ocean and gazing into the water, or smelling tree trunks (checking his pee-mail), or coming across something foul and looking up at me as if to say, “this is so good I just have to roll in it,” or flopping down in total relaxation. It's satisfying to see him so happy in his environment, expressing himself so completely. We people are taught to hide what we feel, and we feel vulnerable if we show our pleasure too enthusiastically. Walking with Newheart is a constant reminder to me to keep striving to live life fully and not hold myself back.

      THINGS TO DO

      Stuffed Kongs

      If you have to leave your dog alone in the house and you'd like it to have a special treat while you're gone, buy a kong (a hollow bouncy dog toy, available at pet stores) and some Cheez Whiz or peanut butter. Squeeze a couple of spoonfuls of Cheez Whiz or peanut butter through the hole in the end of the kong. After you leave the house, the dog will stare out the window for a while, feeling mournful and cursing you silently. Once she discovers the kong, however, all will be forgiven. Imagine that every time your dog bites into her kong a little burst of Cheez Whiz oozes out and covers her snout. In dog terms, this is about as orgiastic as it gets. She'll be occupied for hours, trying to get her tongue in the hole. Variation: Insert a dog biscuit instead of cheese or peanut butter.

      Gather Thee Rose Petals

      When I was young, my brother and sister and I used to make May baskets for all the houses in the neighborhood to celebrate the May Day. They were incredibly easy to make, and we would get such a thrill out of hanging them on front door knobs, then ringing the bell and running to a hiding spot where we would observe the face of the recipient. It was then I first learned the particular pleasure of anonymous giving. It's been a long time since I even thought about it, but the remembered pleasure is so strong, I think I'll do it with my kids this spring.