Hello Everyone! I know I'm late with the holiday greetings. After a recent visit to the mall in El Paso, it seems I should have sent this out a week before Halloween along with a string of Christmas lights and Hanukkah gelt...

I hope everyone's doing well. As you've probably read somewhere, I've been living in New York City, writing songs for a new album and working on a new "real-life based" show called "#1 Single" for E! Television. Lots of dates, lots of conversations with my friends and family, and of course food.

Juan Patiño and I have been brushing up the mixes for the Purple Tape re-release and I've been madly trying to figure out which songs to include on the "Best Of Lisa Loeb" album, coming out at the end of January.

I haven't had a lot of time to shop for the holidays yet, and usually I resort to baking- not a bad option. My favorite brownie recipe (featured below) is based on Alton Brown's recipe for Brownies- but I add about 8 oz. of chopped bittersweet chocolate to the recipe.

I've also started a rice crispie treat craze in NYC- simple and easy and if you make them thin enough, they don't scratch your palate too much.
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Being single in the city takes on a new twist in this new series following Billboard-topping singer Lisa Loeb on her quest to have it all: love, success; career and family. And E! Entertainment Television’s new unscripted series “#1 Single” will be there to capture each step in the process. Newly single, Loeb is moving back to New York, where she will dip her toe into the dating pool for the first time since college. The performer’s one- of-a-kind approach to life will be the subject of the new eight-part series, “#1 Single,” set to premiere in January 2006, it was announced today by Lisa Berger, Senior Vice President, Programming Development, E! Networks.

“Lisa Loeb is smart, talented, quirky and endearing, with a genuinely engaging and relatable lifestyle," said Berger. "She is experiencing the same thing that many single professional people her age today are learning, which is how challenging it can be to find someone to share their hectic and sometimes complicated lives.”

“I decided to do this TV series because what I do as a musician and songwriter is connect to an audience, so why not take that to another level,” says Loeb. “Through my lyrics and performances, I share my life and personal experiences with others who, over the years, have told me it’s made an impact on their lives. I see this series as a way to connect with more people on a larger scale and continue to do what I love most, which is to entertain.”

Now at a major crossroads in life, Loeb, in her mid- thirties, recently ended her second consecutive six- year relationship and is single for the first time since college. She is taking a hard look at her love life. What will dating be like at this stage in her life? How is dating different for a celebrity? What can she learn from her past relationships? This series takes a look at single life from a realistic perspective in the midst of a hectic professional life.

Luckily, in addition to her myriad celebrity friends, Lisa has a network of companions who support her in everyday life: Debbie, her vivacious younger sister who is recently single herself; Stephanie, a friend since college and an actress and her ex-boyfriend, Juan, a music producer, who was integral in the early part of her career. And, of course, there is Lisa’s Jewish mom from Texas who is waiting for grandchildren.

Loeb usually has to juggle the demands of her successful music career that takes her all around the world, and as she transitions from LA to New York to work on her new album, we will follow her as she plays gigs, promotes her music, and writes new songs. Whether in the kitchen cooking up a meal for company, at a concert entertaining fans or feigning an injury to meet a single doctor, Lisa shows viewers that it’s all about attitude when it comes to being single, successful, and looking for love in the 21st century.

Known for her sexy girl-next-door style and sophisticated lyrics, Loeb has shown the world her ability to create music that touches the heart and stimulates the mind. With her trademark cat-eyed glasses, Loeb made her mark in music in 1994 with the number one hit, “Stay,” featured on the soundtrack of the hit Gen-X film “Reality Bites.” “Stay” earned her both a Grammy® nomination and a Best New Artist Brit® Award, along with a record deal with Geffen. Since then she has made four acclaimed CDs, including gold- certified “Tails” (1995) and its follow up, the Grammy®-nominated “Firecracker” (1999). She ushered in the new millennium with CDs, “Cake and Pie” and “Hello Lisa” and in 2005 released “The Way It Really Is” and the children’s board book and CD, “Catch the Moon.” Over the years she has toured and played with fellow musicians such as Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox 20, Counting Crows, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, the Indigo Girls and Sarah McLachlan.

Loeb’s television credits include her own series, “Dweezil and Lisa”, a weekly culinary adventure that debuted on The Food Network in January 2004 and showcased the pair’s passion for food, cooking and music. Other TV appearances include: MTV’s animated “Spiderman” as the voice of Mary Jane, “The Chris Isaak Show” and “The Drew Carey Show” and the late-night talk show circuit. Loeb starred in her first feature film role, opposite Oscar®-winning actor Geoffrey Rush in the movie, “House on Haunted Hill” in 1999.

Born in Bethesda, MD, Loeb was raised in Dallas, Texas, and graduated Brown University.

http://www.lisaloeb.com