Aside from being a thoroughly civilized place in which to enjoy a good book, the library contains a computer terminal and large glass jars of freshly baked cookies.

FORBES: Maison Orleans: A Crescent City Gem

Aluminum foil as glassware scrubber: To get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack, use dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad, says Mary Findley, president of the cleaning-products developer Mary Moppins.

CNN: New uses for Thanksgiving items

At lunch I sipped a glass of the rich, fruity stuff along with a delicious meal of baked beans (lobia), fried potatoes, eggplant, green leeks, and puffy Georgian flat bread -- all homemade, all home-grown.

CNN: Unearthing Georgia's wine heritage