indulging myself here

I've been thinking a lot about my Nana P. lately, who is 92 and pretty frail just now. Everyone who knows her is convinced she is a bona fide saint, even though we don't really have saints in our faith. Anyway, this little story makes me think of her and I just wanted to post it, mainly for my own future reference.

Mother’s Christmas Mouse

By Betty LeBaron Mostert

Betty LeBaron Mostert, “Mother’s Christmas Mouse,” Ensign, Dec. 2007, 62

When I was a child in the 1950s and 1960s, our Christmas traditions were not elaborate—except for the stockings. Because we children enjoyed our Christmas stockings so much, we continued the tradition when we married and had children of our own. Buying surprises and assembling dozens of Christmas stockings, however, soon became too much for my aging parents, especially my mother, who had a serious case of rheumatoid arthritis that limited her mobility and energy.

Eventually, I volunteered to take over the project. Our annual extended family home evening, in which we acted out the Christmas story and opened our stockings, found me exhausted from the demands of being the mother of several small children and juggling the events of an active life. As I watched everyone dump treasures out of the gingham Christmas stockings I had carefully prepared, I was feeling a little sorry for myself.

As expected, my stocking was empty except for the standard candy cane and Japanese orange that I had placed there earlier. But as I shook them out, I noticed a little bedraggled mouse made of a walnut and hazelnuts. One ear was much bigger than the other, and the whiskers were crooked. The tail had been cut too short, and the loop to hang it on the tree was off center. I was confused. Had someone’s kindergarten project ended up in my stocking?

I looked up and saw my mother watching me from her wheelchair across the room. With a gnarled, bent finger, she beckoned to me.

“I wanted to do something for the Christmas stockings,” she said. “They made these little mice in Relief Society, and they were so cute.”

Her tears were close to the surface, and her gentle voice shook as she continued.

“I couldn’t get my fingers to work, so I made only one. It didn’t turn out, but I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

I looked again at the little mouse in my hand. She was right. I didn’t mind. In fact, her little bedraggled mouse became the most precious treasure of all that Christmas.

For more than 20 years, I have tenderly removed the tissue paper from the misshapen mouse crafted by misshapen fingers and carefully placed it on a branch. My angel mother has been free of her crippled body for several years, but her Christmas mouse reminds me of two profound truths.

The first is that my mother honored me by believing that I could look past the mouse’s crooked ears and feel the love and sacrifice that went into its creation. The second is that if I, as an imperfect mortal, am capable of finding beauty in a humble little mouse, how much more is our Father in Heaven capable of seeing past our imperfect efforts and understanding our pure intentions.

I know that when we do our best to give to others and to Him, our gift is not just good enough—it is of incalculable worth.

black bean salsa

This is what I've been eating constantly since I made a big batch of it 2 days ago. It turned out so tasty and colorful that I had to pass it on (and take a blurry picture of it!) Big thanks to my friend Meredith who gave me the recipe.

Southwestern Salsa with Black Beans & Corn

1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained ((15 oz. each)
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (15 ¼ oz.)
1 red pepper, minced
1 small purple onion, minced (1 cup)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper

Toast cumin seeds in a skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until brown and fragrant, stirring often.

Combine cumin seeds, black beans, and remaining ingredients; toss well.

Cover and store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Yields: 6 cups (lots!)

stay away, Edouard!

So here's what all eyes in Houston are glued to: the track of Edouard, which is not yet a hurricane but apparently could become one. I spent the day doing all of the things that have to be done and require electricity (mainly washing clothes), gassing up the car, finding all the flashlights, etc. We just moved all the lawn furniture to the side of the house. There are gray clouds moving in a just a weird feeling in the air. We're prepared, though, so no worries. Just another "hurricane memory," as the kids like to call them. The last one was on Super Q's birthday, and we actually went to the park and almost blew away.

summer lovin'

The title of this post might suggest some kind of torrid romantic tryst in a tropical location, but... (surprise!) it involves books, food, and other stuff that I'm currently lovin'.





1. Any and all orange-type teas from Celestial Seasonings. I know, tea in summer in Texas? My rationale behind it is two-fold. First, dh must turn on all fans, ceiling and otherwise, every night, in addition to using the a/c. Brrrrrr. Also, I just finished reading the Ladies #1 Detective Agency series, the events in which seem to occur in between the brewing and drinking of something called "bush tea." Food in books always produces acute cravings for me (reading Chang Rae Lee was difficult, as I'm not much of a korean cook).

2. Now on to books. I borrowed Ladies #1 Detective Agency from my mom, thinking from the title that it would be some vaguely Miss Marpleish detective novel involving country tweeds, aging nobility, and possibly cats. I was pleasantly surprised that it takes place in Africa, is quite funny, not at all gory, and has 6 sequels!


Not to imply that I don't enjoy books set in England; I most fervently do. I just finished The Ladies of Grace Adieu. I had to include the cover photo because it is so pretty. I love morning glories. The book is full of beautiful art nouveau illustrations and design. I tried to read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell but it was almost too rich, like a chocolate cake with very heavy, sugary frosting. Just too much. The Ladies of Grace Adieu lets the reader sample the wonderful imagination and style of Susanna Clarke without the sugar rush.

3. Speaking of a chocolate cake sugar rush, chocolate cupcakes have been all the rage here. And no, not homemade, strictly from a box because a friend recently gave me two very large boxes of industrial cake mix (not a joke--each box makes 8 rounds). The cake is sort of sub-par, but the mix is not the normal kind -- you only use water, no eggs or oil--so I'm not sure how to doctor it. Any suggestions for a filling or some kind of alteration to make this cake mix magically delicious?


4. Shins, shins, and more shins. Probably brought on by this lil' hedgehog, now appearing on a t-shirt of mine, thanks to Linz. Just can't get enough of the odd and wonderful lyrics and Beach Boy harmony! Also the Decemberists. I have to mention here that many fantastic bands are yours to discover at Screamer Radio, a little application that lets you stream (and record) some really nice internet radio. It's organized by genre, and I recommend Radio Paradise and Soma FM.

it's a dumpling bee!

So in China, women get together around big holidays and make dumplings by the hundreds. It's like a quilting bee, with lots of whispering and stories about troublesome children and laughing. Here's my favorite recipe. It looks more time consuming than it really is, and best of all, you can freeze them (before cooking) and cook them from frozen for a quick dinner.

Jiao zi (Chinese dumplings)

* Filling:

1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
1 tsp salt
----------------------
1 lb ground pork, or combination of ground pork and beef
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder (opt)

* 1-2 pkg chinese dumpling wrappers (you can also buy wonton wrappers and use a large round cookie cutter to cut circles)

*Dip:
equal parts soy sauce and vinegar
sesame oil



Sprinkle 1 tsp salt over shredded cabbage. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Take it in handfuls and squeeze out the excess water. Mix the squeezed cabbage with remaining ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Be sure to mix it well so the meat absorbs the other flavors.

To assemble: Place one tablespoon of filling in the middle of a wrapper. Moisten the perimeter of 1/2 of the wrapper with your finger (dipped in a small bowl of water). Fold and pinch at the mid-point. Make 2 pleats on both sides of this mid-point. Pinch. Repeat with the other half. There are some photos of how to do this here: http://chowtimes.com/2006/08/12/jiaozi-chinese-dumpling/

To cook:

Boiling method: Boil water or broth in a saucepan or stockpot. Add 8-10 dumplings. When they float up to the top, boil them for 1 more minute, then remove.

Potsticker method (frying/steaming): Heat 2 T oil in a skillet until hot. Turn heat to medium. Arrange dumplings into rows in the skillet, with sides touching. Fry until bottom turns crusty. Pour in 1/2 cup water. cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 6 minutes. Put a large plate on top of the skillet and turn the skillet upside down onto the plate to serve.

sleeping is for sissies

Bertram Russell once said,"Men who are unhappy, like men who sleep badly, are always proud of the fact." Unfortunately, I think this is true, at least among insomniacs. A room full of insomniacs is just as bad as moms at a baby shower: "You think that's bad? I was in labor for 18 hours! And then they used forceps!" It is in that spirit that I share the following: The night before last I slept for 1 hour and 30 minutes. And, no, I do not have a newborn. No, I wasn't about to take the LSAT. I was on an antibiotic, of all things, for a sinus infection. It was terribly potent and caused all sorts of gastronomic distress, numbness in the extremities, dizziness, and what can only be called sleep resistance. Every time I was near sleep I had that little body quake, the mechanism meant to keep you awake during something important like night driving or watching a neighbor's wedding video. I tried everything our bathroom pharmacopoeia had to offer, I read a boring text book, I counted backward from 100, I got on the internet (and, incidentally, found this amazing site about an old mental hospital in New York), I drank tea, and then I just stayed in bed for hours, simultaneously envying and getting irritated with dh, snoring blissfully by my side. Around 5 am it became a reverse psychology game with me. I was going to make myself stay awake until dh's alarm went off at 5:45, and would thus fake myself into falling asleep. My brain saw through this clever plan of its own design and I finally fell asleep at 6:00. At 7:30 the kids were up and dh was off on a business trip. But here's the thing: I survived! My kids knew I was really tired but I was still a relatively happy mommy. It's a major accomplishment for me because I have had frequent bouts of insomnia since I was 9 and I think it contributes to frequent bouts of pessimism. No small part of the credit here goes to Coke Zero and some tasty chocolate.

solar-powered clothes dryer

So ever since gas prices started skyrocketing, hanging out laundry is all the rage in our neighborhood. I love the fact that it takes about 20 minutes for a load of towels to dry. dh doesn't love the idea of a clothesline (thinks it's "trashy"--we won't mention the Mountain Dew and Twizzlers habit here) so I don't leave it up all the time. I looked in Flash's cubscout book and found a knot that unties easily so I can use my super secret clothesline at will.

overnight shenanigens

Guess what happens when you put palmolive liquid soap in the dishwasher? dh did and at 2:00 am, he and his brother-in-law (pictured above), up late writing code, found themselves mopping up the kitchen with bath towels. I woke up to a positively *sparkling* kitchen floor.

free time.... hmm.....

I guess I've had free time lately, because I'm a posting maniac this week. I just wanted to pass on this recipe from my favorite portly ex-boxer/ grill engineer/ cookbook author, George Foreman. I do love his little grill. I read in Newsweek that red meat cooked at high heats can increase the consumer's cancer risk. Here, then, is a ground turkey burger recipe that everyone in my family really likes:

1 lb lean ground turkey
6 oz lowfat Swiss or Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg white
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp seasoned salt
4 onion rolls or hamburger buns

Combine all ingredients (except buns, of course) in a medium bowl. Shape into patties. Spray with Pam. Grill.

You can also omit the shredded cheese and form the patties around a little lump of blue cheese. Very tasty.

One more idea for the George Foreman grill:

Split focaccia rolls in half, layer meat, cheese, roasted red peppers, fresh spinach, etc, and use the grill as a panini press. Tasty goods.

wacky english

Just a random sampling of wacky english. Our anniversary's on Tuesday and we celebrated with a trip to Chinatown (not quite the same as last year's trip to the actual China, but tasty fun nonetheless). Here are some of the sights we saw:


1. This is a bubble tea shop. Bubble tea is a tasty fruit shake kind of thing with huge black tapioca pearls in the bottom (not necessarily made with tea). What, then, is a "dunobaby?"



2. Please, no "pop pop."




3. It may seem to be a package of white pepper, but it's so much more than that.



For more happy english fun, please to visit engrish.com

what we did on summer vacation

Last weekend we took a trip to the Texas Coast with the author of Round Tuit and her family after a day at the Cockrell Butterfly Center, where the above picture was taken. As always, we really loved it, and as always, I was freaked out by the giant millipedes (live, yes, they're live) that they also have. Ewwwww!

The beach was awesome... so awesome that we stayed much longer than was wise, and despite many applications of sunscreen, we all got BAKED. (Wait, is baked a euphemism for stoned? I can't remember, anyway, we got really sunburned.) Poor dh got no real beach time; by the time he arrived we were scared of the sun and literally going from shady spot to shady spot under an umbrella.

We had a memorable dinner in a theme-y restaurant with many pirate mannequins (one of them danced) and shark stuff all over, etc. Then a trip to a marine research center where we got to pet some dead animals (a tiny shark, some fish, an eel) and some live ones (a sea cucumber -- GROSS! -- and a sea urchin). I think we all had a great time. We picked up some souvenirs, including a huge sand dollar that I suspect came from a different coast, but it's pretty. We also brought home the lacy, delicate designs of peeling sunburns on our backs. Flash's looks like a butterfly. Mine just looks creepy; the other day dh said, "You're MOULTING!" Nice.

since you asked...

Patty O. requested a favorite meatless recipe, so here ya go!

Four-Veggie Roast (from Martha Stewart, slightly altered)

2 large carrots
1 1/2 cups fresh green beans (6 oz)
5-6 small new potatoes, halved (8 oz) or 8 oz of Yukon gold or red potatoes, cubed*
1 small onion
1 T olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Coarse salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly wash vegetables.

Peel and cut carrots into slices almost 1/2 inch thick. Snip

the tiny ends off green beans, and snap them into pieces

about 2 inches long. Peel onion; cut into wedges. In a

square or 9 x 13" metal baking pan, combine olive oil, soy

sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add all the vegetables. Stir

gently to coat with seasonings. Sprinkle with pepper and

salt, if desired. Roast the vegetables, uncovered, for 20-25

minutes or until just tender, stirring vegetables once or

twice with a long-handled wooden spoon. Test vegetables with

a fork to check doneness.

Serves 3-4

*Sweet potatoes can also be used.

something fishy... er, chickeny

When I saw labels on Tyson chicken claiming "no antibiotics," I was skeptical. Turns out I'm not the only one; they've been ordered to remove that claim from their label and advertising. This whole antibiotics/hormones thing freaks me out from time to time. I've been trying to cook with less meat, as the Chinese do. Rarely does a Chinese cook prepare a big slab of meat, unless it's a whole fish. I try to limit the amount of meat I use in a meal to 2 chicken breasts (or equivalent) and then fill the rest out with veggies and grains. No complaints so far, even from my Michigander dh who literally grew up on steak and potatoes every night.

marooned

Last night I watched part of this Frontline episode, titled Storm Over Everest. It's the story of a doomed expedition that encountered a storm on Everest on May 10th and 11th, 1996. I think around 10 people died, all told. One person was Rob Hall, an experienced climber and guide who stayed up there trying to help another climber. Because of the high winds and the unbelievable cold (minus 100 degrees windchill at night) no one was able to rescue him. Incredibly, he was lucid and his radio worked almost until the end of his life. He was able to speak to his wife through the radio via a satellite phone at base camp and basically say goodbye.

I can't stop thinking about it. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I have this tiny obsession with the idea of a person being stuck, marooned, out there somewhere. Like on a snowy, impossibly tall mountain, in a bog, on the top of a burning skyscraper or under the rubble in the aftermath of an earthquake. And I wonder, is technology a blessing or a curse in that situation? If one is truly marooned, unable to be helped or help themselves, does a last conversation or answering machine message bring a measure of peace? Do the people they leave behind find comfort in that last conversation?

I guess this line of thinking originally started when I found out about the earthquake in Chengdu, China. Chengdu is a city we visited last summer, one of our favorites. Incidentally, it is considered the "gateway to Tibet" for many people, so I guess that's the Everest tie-in. Anyway, I have really tried to limit my news intake regarding this horrible tragedy, knowing it would be very upsetting. I did hear coverage from NPR about a middle school that collapsed and I stood there staring at the radio for a long time. Chengdu is an amazing city. Some of the nicest people we met on our trip live there.

because you need more ways to waste time online

Ok, I am officially a 7-year old. Let me introduce you to a site that was first an "educational" place for my kids to have some computer time without coming across something scary. You make your own snowflake! And you don't make a mess! What could be better?
It soon became one of those irresistible kid activities, like Play-doh and sidewalk chalk where I get more into it than my kids and they have to beg me to stop. Don't forget to check out the gallery where you can see some amazing snowflakes most certainly crafted by adults who are shirking other duties.

the neighbors

So we have these neighbors with kids the same ages as ours and we've recently discovered the joys of riding bikes in the street. Dh doesn't really approve of this but I think it's ok as long as the boys heed my frequent and loud bellow, "CAR!!" whenever one is approaching. Usually it's all fine and good and the neighbor mom and I sit around and talk about stuff that moms who aren't very good friends talk about, like
1. kids
2. recipes
3. things on sale
4. cleaning

Which usually causes me to reflect on the lameness of my life.
Anyway, when the neighbor mom isn't home, sometimes the neighbor dad brings the kids out to ride. And we don't sit together and talk about stuff because that would be Incredibly Awkward. But he does let his very small children roam about my yard (no problem), dink around with tools in the garage (a bit of a problem), and drink my Coke Zero when I'm not looking (BIG PROBLEM). I try to just smile and do the gentle kind of reminder but not exactly discipline move that one must do when a child is being ridiculous in front of their parent but not reprimanded by that parent.
The thing about this situation is that the neighbor kids have an extremely overdeveloped sense of hearing and whenever our garage door opens, they fly to the front window and start screaming my kids' names. And also ask many many questions, such as, "Where are you going?" "Why?" And, always a favorite, "Can we come?" After 10 minutes of getting teeth/hair brushed, shoes on, ipods and books stowed, snacks packed, etc., the very last thing I feel like doing is answering these questions and then prying my children away from their window and into the car. I actually really like the neighbor mom; we can hang out in pajamas while we wait for the bus and she doesn't seem to notice that all I could find was church shoes and I haven't washed my face. (Although one time she did refer to making your bed each day as something "good people" do. I guess I'm a good person 1 day a week.)

three blue skirts

I don't know how long I've had this skirt pattern (Simplicity 5844); long enough for it to be found only on eBay. I've made it 4 or 5 times, and I just realized that the last 3 skirts were blue. I thought I'd put up a picture... The next one will be red.

8 lightning fast breakfast ideas

Maybe you're the type of person who rises, glowing, from your Downy-scented feather bed, ready to greet the glorious morn. I am more inclined to give the glorious morn a half-nod as I reach for the Diet Coke and flip on NPR. As I've written before, I loathe most breakfast food. I'm not really hungry until 10 am anyway and therefore not very sympathetic to the widely varying tastes of my family when it comes to breakfast. If I could feel good about serving cereal every day, I would definitely do it, but--as the dusty box of Kix in the pantry will attest--my kids will only really eat cereal of the high fructose corn syrup-drenched variety. Anyway, I was talking with my mom over the weekend about breakfast (she used to feed 8 people every morning, she's an expert!) and we came up with some great ideas...

* yogurt/granola/frozen blueberry parfaits
* refrigerator bran muffins (recipe here)
* boiled eggs (boil a dozen at the beginning of the week, peel what you need each morning, mash with butter and salt+pepper, heat up in microwave)
* egg mc muffin type thing on toast or whole grain english muffins
* breakfast tacos (scramble a dozen eggs, portion onto tortillas, add ham, grated cheese,and frozen spinach leaves. Freeze, heat up as needed)
* smoothies
* Please don't try the following sausage biscuits. They don't turn out well.
sausage biscuits (For these, I buy those cheap tubes of refrigerated biscuit dough and Banquet brown n' serve sausage patties. Pinch each biscuit dough portion in half. Place one half in the bottom of a greased muffin tin. Place 1 sausage patty in top. Put other half of biscuit dough portion on top. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes. Freeze and heat in microwave as needed. You can make 32 of these biscuits for about $6.00.)
* breakfast skillet (Microwave 1-2 cups of frozen hashbrowns and 1 cup of spinach. Heat some olive oil in a skillet. Add hashbrowns, spinach, and some fully cooked bacon or ham to skillet. Brown for about 4 minutes. Add 4-6 beaten eggs or 1 1/2 cups egg substitute. Scramble. Top with cheese if desired. Serve with salsa.)
* apple crisp w/ vanilla yogurt (or even vanilla ice cream!)

(Yes, we do love spinach at my house, even in the morning.)

p.s. the photo is of a Full English Breakfast. Read the wikipedia entry about it here. It's pretty interesting and only a little gross.

little pouch and washcloth

The general idea for this little gifty is from Bend the Rules Sewing. If you're reading this, Mindy, I guess it's not a surprise anymore...

the poor (or just cheap) gal's periodical

I was just craving some Adam Gopnik books or articles tonight when I remembered that such articles are practically on tap at our library website via the online databases. If you haven't drilled down into your library's website, I highly recommend that you do. If your library system subscribes to online databases, they probably also allow remote access to them. I chose "Academic Search Complete," which includes the New Yorker, typed in "Gopnik, Adam," and printed out 4 long articles to read in the bath. Such happy news for a non-fiction junkie. Best part: if you drop the pages in the water, it's OK!

skip this post if you hate minutiae

Queen Scarlett tagged me, and I actually have time to respond!

10 Years Ago...
I was living in Provo, UT, working in the Financial Aid Office (sooooo boring). Newlywed, quite poor, happy.

5 Things on my To-Do list today...
* finish laundry
* find campground for trip next week
* pay bills
* make breakfast cookies if I feel like it
* carpool
(it doesn't get more exciting than that!)

Snacks I enjoy...
* peanut M & M's
* chocolate cherry diet Coke from Sonic
* rosemary/olive oil triscuits
* kiwi
* swiss cheese

Things I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire...
* Pay off the cars, house, and parents' obligations
* College/mission fund for boys
* Donate to a foundation working to eradicate malaria and improve water quality worldwide
* Move to Hong Kong for a few years
* Invest

3 of my bad habits...
* Thin skinned, sometimes
* Not very patient with kids who tune me out
* kind of a pessimist

Jobs I've had...
* Many secretarial/clerical jobs
* Custodial lackey(3 months)
* destitute laundress (chief duty: ironing---I think there is a special circle of hell devoted to such a job)
* Lazy groundskeeper (with Kristi!)
* Librarian


5 Things people don't know about me...
* I am secretly following the slow implosion of Britney Spears
* I am seriously afraid of heights (like I can't even climb on an 8' ladder)
* I wish I had more kids (ok, most of you know that)
* I sometimes worry about my weight even though I am very critical of our skinny-centric culture
* I like some schmaltzy Church music

OK, round tuit, pancakes gone awry, artistree, the scoop, lost and found... consider yourself tagged!

... and the dipping oil

I forgot to mention that all of us are way in to dipping bread into oil mixed with all kinds of herbs n' stuff. Here's a dipping spice recipe that I got from one of those "copycat" websites (it was a while ago so I don't have a link to it). It is also great as a pasta topping or combined with tomatoes for bruschetta. angry chicken has some oil and vinegar dipping sauces on her site today; her post reminded me of the joys of dipping.

Carrabba's Dipping Spice

1 T minced fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1 T chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
1 T minced fresh garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 T fresh)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary (or 1/4 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp ground sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp lemon juice

Combine first bunch of ingredients. Add remaining ingredients. To serve, combine about 1 1/2 tsp spice blend with 3-4 T olive oil in a small dish.

Yield: 1/4 cup spice blend

Crusty Hearth Bread

I had every intention of taking a picture of the entire loaf, but the kids were hungry and super grouchy today, so there was no stopping for a photo.

I've been making this recipe for about 16 years now. Hard to believe it has really been that long since I started college and received my first cookbook: Betty Crocker, of course. It earned me the reputation of the mother of the apartment, according to one of my roommates. Paired with a good, thick potato soup or chowder, it's so very satisfying. Also excellent with ham and muenster cheese on the following day.

So here's the recipe. I make it in the KitchenAid mixer, not by hand as the recipe indicates.

Crusty Hearth Bread

1 pkg (1 tablespoon) regular or quick-acting active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
3 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1/4 cup shortening
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
------------------
egg wash
kosher salt
rosemary, poppyseeds, dried garlic, etc.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the buttermilk, shortening, sugar, baking powder and salt until smooth. Stir in remaining flour until dough forms. Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead gently about 1 minute or until smooth. Cover and let rise 10 minutes.

Grease a cookie sheet. Shape dough into round loaf, about 8 inches in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Brush with egg wash* and sprinkle with rosemary, dried garlic, or poppyseeds (or a combination thereof). Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350. Cut an X shape about 1/2 inch deep in top of bread. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter; sprinkle with kosher salt. Tear bread into pieces, or cut into slices.

*For an excellent website about egg washes and "crust embellishments," click here.

random acts of medicine

I happened to watch 60 Minutes last night, and saw this segment about Remote Area Medical, or RAM. It's something like Doctors Without Borders, originally formed to provide free medical care to people in Third World countries. The demand for such care, however, is so great in the US that 60% of their operations are now based in our country. They serve hundreds of uninsured/underinsured people and must turn away hundreds more. I was impressed by the founder who lives in an abandoned school and showers with a garden hose. This is the kind of charity I want to spread the word about, hence the post.

emotional hair cream purchase

So the hair cream appearing above is called "Ends Well" and it's made by Grassroots. It does a decent job of smoothing my hair which is becoming increasingly frizzy and out of control as the humidity increases here. It doesn't work as well as the $3.00 creamy gel stuff that I usually buy at the supermarket, yet I fully plan on keeping a tube of this "Ends Well" concoction on my bathroom counter until I'm old and gray. Why? Because it smells EXACTLY like my Nana and Poppy's bathroom in Thatcher, Arizona, in a house that no longer stands. The interior of this house (for some reason) always appears in my mind's eye as the setting for Franny and Zooey,
their master bedroom being the place where Franny receives the crucial (and fake) phone call from Zooey. Anyway. I've been interested in reading this book titled The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell by Rachel Herz. I wonder if she covers the topic of purchases made solely on the basis of scent-induced nostalgia. I've read that certain hotel chains and clothing stores are investing in "signature smells" to be piped through the store. Right now our house's signature smell is sweaty children, after a day spent at a tiny creek near our house, throwing rocks in the water and replenishing the ant farm.

Yeah, but do I have to SAY it?

In the past few weeks I've had 2 separate situations where I tripped over my words... not just tripped but actually exploded with laughter in the middle of saying them. I just can't say absurd phrases without totally losing it. The first was in the drive-thru line at Wendy's. My sister wanted me to order something called a "Baconator" for her husband. (p.s. she didn't really know what a Baconator was, nor had he requested this, but she knew he would LOVE it, apparently because of the bacon factor). I could not get the word "Baconator" out of my mouth and could not stop laughing. The poor man at the window must have thought we had just come from Happy Hour and shouldn't even be driving, much less ordering, irresponsibly. We were weeping by the end of it.

Then I had to call a lawn service for my neighbor (long story). The service is called "Git-er-done Lawn Care" (only in Texas), and wouldn't you know it, the guy answers the phone with a simple "Hello," which means I had to ask, "Er, is this... (peals of laughter) um... (hysterics at this point) Git-er-done?" I don't know what he thought at that point, but he was nice and answered my question anyway.

I'm doomed when it comes to restaurants such as Taco Bell or even Denny's. There's always something that looks good but I cringe at the thought of actually ordering it ("Moons Over My Hammy, " anyone)?

semi-private

So I already used something from the trip to SAS Fabrics by the Pound... and made some new curtains for the bathroom. Here's hoping that the "rain glass" behind those curtains + the sheer fabric = enough privacy. Not like anyone wants to see us performing our daily ablutions, but, you know, just in case. I love quick sewing projects. In fact, quick projects are pretty much the only ones I can stand. No cross-stitch, no knitting (sour grapes because I can't even CAST ON!), no tatting. No macrame (hee-hee, I just love thinking about macrame. What could you possibly use it for except a hanging plant holder?)

Next project is refinishing the kitchen table. And cleaning out the garage. And maybe Pergo?

semi-annual trim fest!

So every time I'm in AZ visiting my family I make my way to this smallish warehouse of fabric remnants, ends, and trim and buys bags and bags of stuff. This time it was lots and lots of trim, including one roll with the words "disco wheels" printed on it. I think dh is going to be the possibly unwilling recipient of some kind of car accessory made with that trim. Everything is SO cheap (15 cents a yard, 99 cents a yard) that I just buy whatever I like and find a use for it later. My mom kept asking me, "Oh, so what are your plans for that trim?" I couldn't ever really answer her. Decorative washcloth? Change purse? Stuff it in a plastic bag and stick it in the bottom of the craft closet? Anything's possible.

sew fun!!

Couldn't help the pun there. What follows is documentation of actual free time. I needed to post it to remind myself that such a thing exists.

Exhibit A is a reversible apron. Exhibit B shows some lightweight baby wraps to be used as a cover-up when nursing or to swaddle a baby in Arizona heat without smothering her.

office hours

What does every young boy really really want? Razor scooter? Video gaming system? Tickets to a baseball game? No, it turns out they really want a 6' molded plastic table.

2 nights ago we purchased such a table and set it up in the playroom. On it we set up all of the arts/crafts/messy/shiny type stuff that normally resides on and around the kitchen table. When the boys woke up, I introduced them to their new OFFICE. And I haven't seen them since. They do come out to present me with chunky bracelets made of pipe cleaners and foam beads. I have noticed a number of signs on the door of their office proclaiming which "cool friends" are allowed in, describing the number and type of booby traps that surround their lab (it's an office and a lab now), and requiring a passcode before entering. The best part is no screens (TV, computer) of any kind are involved in their office work. Wonder what the water cooler conversation is like. I'll ask them if they ever come out again.

McCain...yay?

So SuperTuesday wasn't actually that super. Kind of normal around here. Bit of church service in the morning, play dates for the boys in the afternoon, migraine after dinner, quasi-nap on the couch while the kids watched "Over the Hedge," and then The Colbert Report with Wheat Thins before bed. No biggie. Oh, right, and the Republicans seem to have their candidate.

I've always liked McCain, and not just because I'm from Arizona. He's not the waffle-proof guy I thought he was, but I think he would make a good president. Despite what the Romney campaign's database seems to think, I'm not a registered Republican. (They keep calling and when I break the news that I'm not a Republican, the response is always, always, "You're NOT?" To which I respond, "No, so how did you get my number?" Click.) Anyway, I'm sure Romney's a great guy, but watching him debate/interact with people and reading about him always leaves me with a taste in my mouth similar to that of finishing off a Twinkie. It was sweet, slick, and tasted good but not really that good for me. I'm just not sold on Romney, I guess. At least McCain has years of voting records to show his true colors. With Romney, we're looking at past quotes and contributions, and I'm just not sure what his real beliefs and agenda are. I will admit the corporate ties give me pause as well.

the pie has left the building

OK, so after shelling out 24 bucks for a PTO pasta dinner and sitting by the door selling tickets for 2 hours and not getting a bite of any of it my rage was assuaged somewhat by a FREE PIE ! (Flash won the door prize). It was one of those pure refined sugar/refined petroleum super-long shelf life frozen pies with scary stabilized whipped cream on top, french silk flavor. Normally I can control my appetite and portion sizes, but the past 4 days have been ALL ABOUT THIS PIE... to the point of making myself sick. I'm happy to report that the last of the pie was consumed whilst watching Northanger Abbey on PBS tonight. So it's back to peanut M & Ms and Coke Zero. It was a sweet ride, the week of THE PIE.

me! me!

Another idea snatched from Kristi's blog. This one is a fun little meme:

On My Bedside Table:
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Harper's magazine
A Passage to India
Wired magazine
scriptures
lip balm
ear plugs


Next Up from Netflix:

Meet the Robinsons
Fantastic Four: The Rise of The Silver Surfer
Waitress
Herbie Goes Bananas
The Man with the Golden Gun
Timeline
Aliens of the Deep
The Forsyte Saga
(can you tell we all had some input here?)

Latest Interests:
deep sea creatures
spice rubs

On My Mind:
the presidential election


Learning:
to use creative discipline with Super Q

[Thinking about] Making:
light fabric baby "wrap" for my sister's new wee bairn
curtains for the computer room


Looking Forward To:
pasha's visit!
any and all weekends

Enjoying:
the last of the Ferrero Rocher jumbo pack
the cold weather

Amused By:
the presidential election
the fallout from the writer's strike

fortune cookie mystery solved

Having never seen fortune cookies in Hong Kong or mainland China, I have often wondered why they are associated with Chinese food. The answer is here. Now, on to the next mystery: how did large spring rolls come to be called "egg rolls"? In China, an egg roll is a crisp sweet rolled-up cookie.

Austenmania!

I just read on Kristi's blog that there is a Masterpiece Theater Jane Austen marathon afoot! My heart started beating faster when I read that and then I checked out the offerings and couldn't be more excited... Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility--a super economy sized jumbo pack of love, loss, snarky sisters-in-law, poor spinsters, handsome men with 10,000 a year, and the most awesomely subtle proto-feminist that the 19th century ever produced. I love PBS.

chocolate cake = panacea

In response to Patty's question, I did make the "towering" chocolate cake mentioned below. She asked how I made it, so here it my cheater "recipe" made up on the fly from stuff I already had:

1 devil's food cake, with 1/2 of the water called for replaced with milk and 1/2 cup chocolate chips added

1/2 recipe buttercream frosting with 1/4 cup toasted almonds added

Ganache:
3 tablespoons corn syrup
6 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.

Make the cake in 2 layers and bake according to box directions. Remove from pans and chill for a few hours. While layers chill, make buttercream and ganache. Slice cakes laterally in half. Put buttercream/almond mixture in between the layers. Spread ganache on top and let it drizzle down the sides of the cake. If you want to spread it instead, add powdered sugar until it reaches spreading consistency (while mixing with hand mixer).

I had leftover ganache and my family was mad that I sent the remaining cake home with my friend who had the birthday (how could I?) so I made another cake, this time from the back of the Hershey's cocoa tin, and man, it's really good. Here's the recipe:



* 2 cups sugar
* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 cup boiling water
* "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

By the way, I don't usually spend this much time baking. After that much time in the kitchen, I spent much of the next day catching up on "Reviews of new food" at the McSweeney's website.
I was laughing out loud like an insane person. Little warning: the reviewers occasionally find a spurious reason to put the f-word in their reviews, so watch out.

thank heaven ... for grown-up girls

Sometimes I'm just so grateful for my friends here. Although I haven't met many people here that I feel as close to as my sister or certain college friends, I'm just so blessed to have a strong web of church friends, neighbors, moms of my boys' friends. I had a smallish birthday party for one friend today, and it was just so nice, for lack of a better word. An almost spring-like breeze waving through the house, chicken salad and lemonade, grandmothers and moms and wee little babies, toddlers knocking stuff off the coffee table. And then later a towering chocolate layer cake (because there must be chocolate if I'm hosting something, I know it's a cliche by now, but it's become axiomatic in my house). Just laid back and relaxing, talking about mom stuff and politics a little and mutual acquaintances. Just nice.

the haunting, part 2

This disturbing image courtesy of Tony. Thanks, Tony.

the haunting, part 1

This photo has been haunting our house for weeks now. I can't even remember where I found it. All I know is it saved as "David formal." I innocently emailed it to dh, resulting in many printouts of his face popping up in tote bags, briefcases, and behind cabinet doors. The other day, dh was telling Flash, "I really love you, buddy." To which Flash responded, "yeah, right!", and opened the cabinet to reveal yet another printout of David formal. We're still laughing about that one, and David formal still haunts the house.

whew!

The Christmas wrap-up (it's a tired pun, isn't it?)

Best food: these aMAZing truffles with crushed chocolate wafer filling provided by our neighbor. Must locate recipe and eat as many as possible before 2008. Also red chili tamales made by my friend Heather.

Best gift to me: hand-held shower thing installed by dh so I can wash my hair in the bathtub more easily. Now the shower is all his -- to use and clean. Also this funny shirt from my sister.

Best gift given: light-up frisbee (kids loved it!), Ratatouille

Best feeling: watching our kids' excitement, feeling so much love for the Savior

Best song: "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel", monk chant version, provided by my friend on a 3 year old compilation CD. Not sure who sings it, but it's getting some pretty heavy play around here. Super Q's favorite is some Mannheim Steamroller version of "Carol of the Bells" with lots of old-sounding techno tidbits. We listened to it about 30 times on the way home from my library gig. It kept him happy, but I was about ready for a Prozac Icee when that trip was over.

even gingerbread men need to economise

more f minus comics can be found at fminus.net

Thanks to Tony, the artist, for letting me use his comic!

xanadu, how could you?

Last night I sat down with some gifts to wrap, hot cocoa and my new arrival from blockbuster: Xanadu! Do you know it? It was a favorite with me and my sisters in 1980. And now, 27 years later (ok, I am officially OLD), Xanadu has let me down. It's a horrible movie, rife with cliche, including but not limited to: a frustrated artist stuck working for The Man, washed-up but very talented musician ready for a comeback, and otherworldly magical being who doesn't know about "feelings." Throw in some roller disco, big band music, legwarmers with pumps, and Zeus, and you've got a recipe for a fantastic journey only an 8 year-old in 1980 could love. And we did love it. Watching it last night, I surprised myself with my ability to recite parts of it verbatim. Yikes!

For an even more blistering take on Xanadu, click here.

instantly forgettable!

Oooh! Finally my scanner is fixed and I can post this hilarious DVD cover. Sincere apologies to Patty; I couldn't resist. This thoroughly legal and certainly not pirated movie is one of many we bought in China over the summer. First there's the lavish praise supposedly quoted from L.A. Weekly up at the top. Reading on, the text there on the bottom indicates this movie is actually "The 6th Day" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yet the proof of purchase up top by the barcode tells us we're buying a copy of "The Ladykillers." One can only imagine what a mash-up of the three films would look like. Wait... Naomi Watts and Arnold Schwarzenegger? King Kong, maybe?

In a similar vein, while in China we saw many, many fine examples of wacky English. You can see what I'm talking about here.

I hasten to add that my written Chinese is on par with that of a 4-year old, so no offense intended here.

early Christmas present

Oh dear! My favorite band singing "Away in a Manger." Thank you, Santa!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgrpJfFx9NI

girly crafts

After seeing so many super cute dresses and bonnets and aprons and hairbows on flickr and various blogs (mostly angry chicken), I couldn't stop myself; I had to make some girly crafts. I opted for clothespin dolls and spent way too much time on them. Note to self (and anyone who wants to make them): use hot glue, NOT Elmer's glue, which you will have to just sew over anyway with impossibly tiny stitches, the pioneerish phrase "Hide a knot as you would a secret" running through your head the whole time. Also Sharpie ink bleeds into the wood, causing Dollie to look as if she had just watched "Beaches" and forgot the waterproof mascara, so use paint.
Here's hoping my 5 and 2 year-old nieces love bits of fabric and ribbon wrapped around clothespins. (I keep hearing the question,"What happened to their arms?" echo in my head.)

As with any project, there is a victim of my trial and error approach to craftsy stuff:

She's got her abnormally large eye on you!

... and sprig of rosemary

Waaaaaay down in the older posts, my sister asked for some Thanksgiving recipes. I'm actually a traditional Betty Crocker sort of person (minus the shellacked hair) when it comes to Thanksgiving, but here's the turkey I've made for 2 years now. It's delicious, and makes for delicious leftovers, too. I found the recipe on kaboose.com. Also, if your rosemary bush recently died (like mine did), I suggest going to Lowe's about a week after Christmas, when they are clearing out their little rosemary bushes (pruned to look like mini Christmas trees). I think you can grow it almost anywhere, and it's so magically delicious with poultry, in bread, and soups.

Rosemary Garlic Roast Turkey

Ingredients

• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tbsp./30 mL dried)
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil
• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) coarse salt
• 1 tsp. (5 mL) black pepper
• 12 to 15 lb. (5.5 to 7 kg) whole turkey, fully defrosted if frozen

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl or food processor, mash together garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper so that it forms a thick paste.
3. By hand, gently pull the skin away from the turkey breast at the front of the breast (near the neck opening) to form a sort of pocket. Rub some of the rosemary garlic paste onto the breast meat under the skin, reaching in as far as you can without tearing the skin. Rub the remaining rosemary garlic paste all over the skin of the turkey and in the cavity. Add the stuffing, if you're using it, and place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
4. Place the turkey into the preheated oven. Do not cover the pan. Roast, basting every 15 to 20 minutes with the pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted into the inner thigh reaches 170 degrees F (77 degrees C) and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a skewer. This will take anywhere from 3 to 4-1/4 hours (depending on the size of the turkey and whether it is stuffed or not). The only definite way to know if the turkey is cooked is by using a meat thermometer. Remove roasting pan from the oven and let the turkey rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before carving.
5. Serve turkey with pan juices or use the juices to make gravy (recipe follows).

Rosemary garlic gravy:

1. 1/4 cup (50 mL) fat from the roasting pan
2. 1/4 cup (50 mL) flour
3. 2 cups (500 mL) defatted turkey pan juices, turkey broth, water, or a combination
4. In a saucepan, combine the fat from the roasting pan and flour. Cook, stirring to eliminate any lumps, for just a minute or two. Whisk in turkey juices, broth or whatever liquid you're using and cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens. Let simmer over low heat, whisking occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes. Serve hot.

the secret

I'm keeping a secret from my kids. It's not about Santa or the tooth fairy, unfortunately. We found out this week that another of Super Q's friends (incredibly, it's a friend whose birthday is within a week of his and Hannah's and with whom we have celebrated birthdays) has cancer. It is leukemia, and his prognosis is markedly better than Hannah's, but his family and financial situation are somewhat worse. It is expected that he will have 3 years of chemo and many painful spinal taps and spinal fluid treatment of some kind. It's terribly sad, so sad that I am purposefully keeping it from my boys. It's a departure from my usually frank approach to talking with the boys about life and death, but I don't think they are ready for this news. They are both still worried that they will also "get" cancer. Up to now, I have been able to use statistics to buttress my position, namely, "Oh, this is so rare. It hardly ever happens." Except when it does.


As recently as yesterday, Super Q told me, "I miss Hannah. I still love her. " He is so sweet; he frequently prays, "Thank thee that Hannah can be alive again someday. Thank thee that she can work up to heaven with you, and have fun." His gratitude is an example to me. Today we're going to her grave, armed with silk daisies, a Christmas ornament, and a little bag full of "gems" (polished rocks) from the Grand Canyon and little notes from the boys. I fully plan on being a red-eyed wreck for the rest of the day.

pipe cleaner fun

The sick day also afforded me an hour to work on these pipe cleaner poinsettias. I stole the idea from a gift wrap article in Better Homes. The kids helped with cutting the pipe cleaners (I think they're called "bump chenille" or something like that) and bending the cut pieces in half. I hot-glued them to a small cardstock circle, and the kids helped with hot-gluing the silver beads in the middle. I'm kind of working on a tree with mostly white and silver ornaments, and I thought these poinsettias would look beautiful tied on with white ribbon.

how I spent my kid's sick day

We've had a strange on and off stomach bug in our house, mainly affecting Flash. It started the day before we were supposed to drive to Janette's house for Thanksgiving, and the nausea and vomiting have returned (pretty reliably) every 2 days. So Flash was home yesterday. After exceeding my limit of X-Box and TV, I took a deep breath and said, "Hey, why don't we decorate for Christmas?" Everyone cheered. So we decorated here and there, and the tree will come later. Super Q is so cute about it; wide-eyed and excited. He made a connection between every little thing we put up and Santa: "Santa will love this tiny bell, Mom!" It made the living room full of tissue paper, boxes, and sphaghnum moss worth it.

yeee-haw!

We had a super-fun cowboy weekend trip with the boys. Or more like a ranch-hand weekend. We stayed at the Quiet Hill Ranch (I bet the owners are glad they didn't go with "Silent Hill"; remember that horror movie a few years back?) where you sleep in a real log cabin (with hot showers and a/c, so not really real) and cook yer vittles in a lodge kitchen. We gathered eggs from the chickens, played horseshoes, and built a campfire. The next day we hiked-- what passes for a mountain in Texas--Enchanted Rock, a huge granite hill. It was super windy and we had a great time filling up our shirts with air-muscles. It was a much-needed break for all of us. I didn't know how much I needed it until Sunday arrived. It was my first Primary presentation and the whole day was a stressful blur. I'm told it was a great presentation. I wouldn't know as I divided my time between pulling a 5 year old out from under the organ, trying to find a super last-minute replacement for a non-participatory teacher, and getting the older brother of the above-mentioned 5 year old to put away the Barbie tic-tac-toe game right now!

life in the tent

As much as I loved the comfort food pasta dish below, it didn't stave off the chest cold for me. I spent 2 1/2 nights of misery, falling asleep too late, waking up often, even possibly pulling a muscle right below my ribs from all of the infernal coughing. Finally in the middle of the night I remembered a tent-like structure I had made for Flash a few years ago. Granted, it was easier then because he was in a crib, but my Nyquil-addled mind still managed to put together a respectable sheet tent. The humidifier pumps steamy air directly into the door of the tent and FINALLY I can get some sleep. The whole setup lends a sort of 19th-century feel to my bedroom. I should have some mustard plasters and leeches at the ready to complete the scene.

pasta shock

So everyone in our family has a horrible cold and we were in need of some comfort food. I modified a recipe from Food & Wine Magazine's Quick From Scratch Pasta Cookbook and made this:

Homemade Penne & Cheese

3 cups dry whole wheat penne pasta
3-4 tablespoons butter (or butter-type spread)
1/8 cup half and half or milk
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
----------------------
2 tablespoons bacon pieces
2 tablespoons bread crumbs (opt.)

Boil pasta according to directions on the package. While the pasta cooks, grate the cheese. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Over very low heat, combine the pasta and remaining ingredients (except the bacon and breadcrumbs) until the cheese is melted and everything is creamy. Transfer to a 2 qt baking pan. Sprinkle with bacon and breadcrumbs. Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes. (Baking can be skipped; just sprinkle with bacon and breadcrumbs and eat it!)


I made some steamed broccoli on the side and it tasted so nice. Super Q and I enjoyed it on the front lawn as a picnic while Flash did lots of tricks on his razor scooter in the driveway. Hooray for fall weather!

isn't this one of the signs of the last days?

Fanny packs are back. (!)

http://lindsaysbigscoop.blogspot.com/2007/09/you-bet-your-fanny.html

the mean friend

I just listened to the greatest This American Life podcast. You can find it here. It's called "The Allure of the Mean Friend," and I don't even need to explain it to you because you've almost certainly wondered about mean popular people and why such a person* even exists. (Shouldn't popular and mean be mutually exclusive?)

It's so funny and right-on. I highly recommend it for a distraction as you fold laundry or cut out 120 construction paper pumpkins... or map the human genome or whatever your current project is. (The feminist in me wouldn't let me leave it at laundry and pumpkins).

If you're more in the mood for a heartbreaking yet hopeful story about parents who beat the odds, listen to this one. The second "act" is about a boy adopted from Romania. The first 7 years of his life were spent in a crib, shared with one other boy. He was allowed out of the crib to eat and use the bathroom. Not surprisingly, he has a difficult time with "attaching to" or trusting others. His mother worked with him for 7 years. I won't spoil the rest, but you will be amazed.

*If I could track it down, I would post a picture of one such person from my high school yearbook. Suffice it to say that the photographer had to move back and re-frame the picture in order to accommodate her incredibly HUGE 80s halo of hair. She also had many matching sets of suede skirts and boots. I'm sure she's a great person now and everything, but she was one mean girl back then.

Hallo-teen fiction

You've undoubtedly heard about this book, Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer, an LDS mom living in AZ. I read it yesterday in preparation for book club next week. The plot was good; it moved at a fairly fast clip. I kept having to remind myself that it is young adult fiction, though; I think I expected more out of it in terms of style and voice. Actually, scratch that, some of my favorite books are young adult fiction (e.g. Harriet the Spy) . I have to put the cover of Harriet in here because I LOVE the old-school illustrations from the original edition.


Not that you can see it well, but Harriet is definitely ahead of her time with the slouchy jeans, hoodie, and -- black Converse low tops, maybe?

Anyway, back to Twilight. I was intensely curious to read this book after hearing a bit about its origin (a dream the author had) and the facts about the author herself, not to mention the subject matter: a girl whose first love turns out to be a vampire. As I said, the plot draws you in, but I found lots of repetition of descriptive phrases and the like. This is annoying to me; I'm just picky about style, I guess, which is not to say I have personally mastered it at all. I tend toward the rambling phrase and overuse of parentheses. As if you hadn't noticed.

smooshy cooking

Here's my new way to trick my boys into helping me cook:

Items needed:

1 ziplock bag (gallon size)
recipe for something that can be smooshed (we made ricotta/parmesan filling for pasta shells)
a little restraint (on the part of the kids)

They had a great time smooshing the ricotta, egg, parmesan, etc in the bag. Then we cut off the bottom corner and piped the filling into the shells. They want to try it with cookies today. Or maybe brownies would work.

I have to admit that part of the appeal on their end is the gross-out factor, but that's ok with me.

I also wanted to pass on this recipe that I have been loving for a few years. It's from Lindsay Olives, and I like it in pitas as well as on couscous or rice. My kids like it, too, although not all kids are into feta cheese. You might substitute goat cheese instead (or another mild, soft cheese).

Pan Grilled Chicken with Olives & Plum Tomatoes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons poultry magic seasoning mix* or garlic salt
2 cups diced plum tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can Lindsay Ripe large, extra large or jumbo olives, drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped basil or parsley (optional)
2 cups hot cooked couscous (2/3 cup uncooked)

Coat both sides of chicken with 2 teaspoons of the oil; sprinkle 1-1/2 teaspoons of the seasoning over chicken. Heat a ridged grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives and remaining 2 teaspoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon seasoning. Transfer chicken and couscous to serving plates; top with the olive mixture, cheese and basil. Makes 4 servings.

*Any seasoning blend such as herb poultry seasoning mix may be substituted. To substitute garlic salt, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon. Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon over the chicken and stir 1/4 teaspoon into the olive mixture.

Nutrients per Serving: Calories: 419 Calories from fat: 165 Total fat: 18g Monounsaturated fat: 9g Cholesterol: 82mg Sodium: 838mg Total Carbohydrates: 31g Dietary Fiber: 2g Protein: 34g

creepy as you please

An ad for these dolls has been haunting my dh; I taped it up on the outside of the shower door so he had to see it every morning. I think they look so real that they're actually creepy. And the ad text is hilarious:

Sweet things often come in small packages - like these poseable baby dolls in the Heavenly Handfuls™ Sweet As You Please collection, available exclusively from Ashton-Drake. Measuring only 5" long, these miniature realistic baby dolls will warm your heart as you cradle them in the palm of your hand.

Created by doll artist Dorothy Steven and masterfully handcrafted by talented artisans, these cuddly cuties are exquisite marvels of breathtaking realism. The finest quality artist's vinyl allows for incredibly lifelike detailing, down to the creases on the bottoms of the baby doll's precious little feet. With their soft bodies, these miniature dolls are fully poseable and costumed in a variety of delightful ensembles, complete with crocheted booties. Darlings this sweet can't last - don't wait to bring home your bundles of joy. Order now!

.................

Yikes!

happy

Making me happy today:

• Delaware, a song by Don Peris. The video is clips of home movies from amusement parks, trips to the lake, etc. It's very sweet. Home movies always make me do a weird hysterical laugh/cry thing.
  
• Sound driver located! Music on computer now accessible!
• Chicken enchiladas with green sauce for dinner. I have been such a Mexican food JUNKIE lately. Breakfast, lunch and dinner today were composed of black beans, chips, salsa, cheese, and chicken, in different combinations and with varying degrees of spice. It's a sickness.
• Coke zero, also breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage
• Watching my boys hug and kiss pink balloons for Hannah before releasing them into an incredibly clear blue sky. A bittersweet goodbye.
• The Office ( I know it's totally predictable by this point, but I still like the writing and some of the characters)
• Leaf rubbings
• Letting a friend talk me into a manicure and realizing (with some degree of relief/satisfaction) that I'm still not a manicure person.
• Patty's wonderful news about her son. (She was awaiting the results of a test which determines autistic disorders. You can see a link to her blog at right----> It's called Pancakes Gone Awry)
• Bend the Rules Sewing. And the return of my sewing machine from a friend. Perfect timing.
• Freezer paper shirts, an occasional obsession of mine. The upswing of the obsession usually coincides with lots of birthday parties for my kids' friends and an unwillingness to spend $10 each on crappy plastic toys from Target. Not that I don't go the crappy-toys-from-Target route, I certainly do, but a handmade gift is so nice, don't you think? (I'm loathe to ask the same question of the recipients of these shirts).
• Bulleted lists.
  

sad news

At about 12:35 this morning, our little friend Hannah passed away. We knew it was coming soon but I wasn't really prepared for the news, I guess. It was hard to tell our boys about it. It's hard to watch my friend go through this. Our hearts ache for the loss, the empty space at the table, but at the same time I feel some peace and gratitude that Hannah's struggle is over. She is free from the body that limited her so severely for the last few weeks. We know we will see her again.

mysterious ways

I have been feeling so boxed in by sadness, anxiety, stress, etc. lately. But here's the thing about boxes: sometimes there's a prize at the bottom! It may not be from Tiffany, but if it's sparkly and shines a bit, I'll accept it. Last night the prize was my first pack meeting -- something I was not particularly excited about, as cub scouts has struggled in our ward of late. But we had great attendance by both leaders and boys. The boys were so sweet and embarrassed and proud.

We had gathered around for cookies when the power went out. Out came the makeshift flashlights (cell phones) and we herded everyone to the parking lot; some kids cried, some were delighted. I don't know why that decidedly minor experience improved my mood, but it did. So I'm grateful.

cold scary world

Do you remember where you were 6 years ago today? Of course you do. On that morning I was driving in our old Corolla to Target, having just moved into a new house and in need of furnishings. Flash was with me; he was almost 2. We heard the 1st tower fall on NPR. I chatted with the cashier about it, returned to the car, and then realized that it was now two towers down, with thousands of people trapped inside. I went home and sat in front of the television all day, weeping. All of those people jumping. All of those "missing" posters in the days to come. All of those parents and siblings and spouses, gone.

I've been reading "For the Time Being" by Annie Dillard. She quotes the Mahabharata:
"Of all of the world's wonders, which is the most wonderful?"
"That no man, though he sees others dying all around him, believes that he himself will die."

It's true, isn't it? In the past week I've watched the rapid decline of Miss Hannah, was informed of a sexual abuse situation in our ward, and --tonight-- heard that people have been robbed at gunpoint in our neighborhood recently. (This last came from a well-meaning neighbor who shared all pertinent details with use in front of our kids. They're sleeping in our room tonight.) And though waves of sadness and fear and anxiety wash over me from time to time, the breakfast is made, the dishes are washed, the laundry is put away. To stop would be to acquiesce, to deny the warmth that hope brings to weary limbs and minds, that "healing balm" that we all require and receive more than we probably know.

in the underground city...

As part of my much-procrastinated report on our China trip, here are a couple of photos of the "underground city" in Beijing. Tourists can only see a small fraction of what was once an enormous winding network of subterranean air-raid shelters built by hundreds of thousands of Beijingers in the late 70s. What's left of it is damp, spooky and (best of all!) full of Mao propaganda and portraits of military leaders. Next to seeing Mao's creepy old body (which was under "maintenance" and not available for tourists), I was really hoping for a look at funny/disturbing propaganda. What I did not plan on (and was not pleased to see at the end of this dank tunnel) was a "Silk Education Center" wherein our friendly guide turned into a high-pressure mall kiosk salesman. We were trapped for at least 40 minutes until we finally told the guy we had to get to the airport to catch our flight home.
There's more info about the tunnels here.

look down!

Hooray for finetune.com, where you can make your own playlist and email it or embed it in your blog. I just spent 45 minutes working on it. The little player icon is waaaaaay down at the bottom of this page (I'm not sure how to move it up higher... any suggestions?)
If you've ever wondered what my kids are subjected to on long trips (or what I listened to in college and rediscovered when I put the playlist together), you can satisfy your curiosity courtesy of finetune.