Do These Photos Tempt You?

This one's all about the love of dessert. When I was growing up, Mom always made sure that something rich, infused with sugar and fat, was a part of our evening meal. It wasn't necessarily fancy; cakes and pies were staples; but it was, it seemed, essential. Dinner could never be finished without this indulgence, this treat for our taste buds, this decadence. It was all home made with love, and like mother, like daughter, it was a ritual I carried forth when raising my own family. Especially since I love dessert and since I married a former farm boy, who had been as used to a full menu as I. Getting up and leaving the table without a piece of pie, a bowl of fruit cobbler or crisp, or a slab of cake was unheard of. Through time, cheesecakes and trifles became popular choices as well, with little thought to whether any of it actually offered any value to our diet. Then came the 1980s, Jane Fonda, the fitness craze and the dawning of a new awareness. It became clear tha