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I am a ruiner. As in, I ruin things. Usually with just a few well-placed complaints. It can be seen as a talent. Or a buzzkill. All depends on your perspective.I'm starting to think I might need to keep this tendency in check. Just a bit. Okay, maybe a lot a bit.For instance, we got some Chinese takeout recently. And ate it on a table outdoors at sun
I'm not really into making bread. I feel like I should be weaving poetic yarns about the wonder that is yeast, the therapeutic effects of kneading dough and the satisfaction that comes from baking your very own loaf of bread.But I just can't.Every now and then I'll get it in my head that bread needs to be baked. So I'll do it. Half-heartedly. Despite this exertion of effort, it never s
I tend to chafe under rules. I might even follow them intuitively, but once they have attained the official status of rule or obligation, I feel the shackles being placed on my body and my rebellious nature starts bubbling through my veins. I mean, of course there are limits to this. I'm not advocating complete and utter food anarchy.Rules here include, but are not limited to:-hot do
5 years ago, I fell in love. It was with a red dress. The most perfect red dress in the world. After finding my soul mate, I just assumed we would grow old together. I mean, I guess I didn't really expect to be like 85 and still wearing it. Okay, fine, a small but irrational part of me hoped to be 85 and rocking some long silver hair and the dress. But the reasonable
"A desire would arise and, concurrently, the satisfaction of that desire would also arise. It was as if (a) I longed for a certain (heretofore untasted) taste until (b) said longing became nearly unbearable, at which time (c) I found a morsel of food with that exact taste already in my mouth, perfectly satisfying my longing." -from Escape from Spiderhead in Tenth of December by George Saunde
Attempts were made to turn me into one of those nature-y outdoorsy sorts of people. Success was not the result of these endeavors.The exception is the beach. It has the following things going for it:a) proximity b) castle-making sandc) deliciously salty breezed) soothing sounds from crashing wavese) an appealing blue/green colorf) possibility of whale/dolphin spottingg) crucially, avai
Recent items that were offered to the toddler, but rejected include:homemade pizzakale chipsturkey meatballscheesy-creamy pasta with broccoliand these Swiss chard chipsItems that said child has attempted to eat during this same time period include:a coffee tablea throw ruga cardboard box that had been turned into a train tunnela windowpanea cardboard box that had been turned into a boatAt least wh
As I get older, one thing that seems to get increasingly higher is my threshold of what constitutes "embarassing" behavior in public places.In my middle school years, I would never leave home without my self-defined "mall outfit" - a fun shirt and jeans, makeup, and copious amounts of baubles emblazoned with smiley faces, yin-yangs, and peace signs (oh my god what were we thinking). Having parents
I'm not always great at multitasking. Okay, if I'm honest, I'm never great at multitasking. But I love to believe I am.One minute I'm full of hubris about simultaneously doing some laundry, engaging Max in a toddler alphabet game, cooking some dinner, running the ice cream maker, and perhaps slipping in a quick phone call. And then time passes, and I've forgotten that I was actually do
Post hoc ergo propter hoc, or "after this therefore because of this"We clearly spent way too much of our lives watching West Wing. One must be mindful of not falling into this fallacious logic trap. But sometimes, sometimes - one can be fairly sure that event "b" is indeed caused by event "a" based purely on the order in which these events happened.Like, for instance, when you are at the bea
I am not an imaginative person. Whether this is caused by, or results from, similarly unimaginative dreams remains to be seen. But because of this personal failing, I had to actually Google ideas for playsets to encourage Max in imaginative play.One suggestion that popped up a few times was the ever so vague "office worker." It was suggested I place a not-loaded stapler, a rolodex, som
We are big fans of the breakfast scene. So to celebrate this most wondrous of eating occasions, we made a Rise and Shine Sandwich with avocado, strawberries, chopped scallion, bacon, and a touch of Hidden Valley Spicy Chipotle Pepper Sandwich Spread & Dip. Hidden Valley now has four Sandwich Spreads & Dips – Country Herb Ranch, Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan, Smoked Bacon Ranch,
Seth is often found working late nights and weekends. Sometimes, however, a Saturday bestows on us a bit of serendipity and magnanimously opens itself up with freedom. When that happens, we run into it and embrace it, in all its weekend glory. The day quickly fills up. Some hours are wiled away on errands and chores that had been put off, but others are used for fun - pit stops a
Seth's dreams are epic dreams. A fact that can turn bleary mornings into family story hour. Seth regales me with a recitation of his most recent nocturnal tale while I greedily lap it up.Tales of survival in a post apocalyptic world. Heroic tales of saving lives - sometimes people, sometimes kitten. Tales of living life as a whale (whether that whale was a blue or a grey yet rem
Spring is a season of contrasts. Days full of sunshine and cheer, punctuated with periods of gray skies and rain. Crisp, chilly mornings give way to afternoon warmth and that fresh feeling of being alive, which then hands the reins back over to the coolness to close out the day. Or, at least, that is the spring that lives in my memory. The one formed by living on the East Coast f
I'm great at holding grudges. Forgiveness does not come easily after being betrayed. I've held one (or continue to hold one) against each of the following:1. granola2. hot dogs3. orange juice4. Fig Newtons5. yogurtMost of these grudges have lasted for years. One has lasted over two decades. I won't get into the details of how each of these relationships went sour. But
When I was in my early elementary school years, I was convinced that one needed to do everything perfectly to move on to the next grade. Every spelling test, every math worksheet, every page in the phonics workbook needed to be perfect. And obviously - mistakes were made. Anxiety would ensue. When I finally learned that I was actually moving on to the next grade, despite making s
The old and the new - this constitutes life.Old beliefs and new philosophies. Grandparents and newborns. Old hobbies and new interests. Old fossils and new species. The old grounds us in its nostalgia and wisdom; the new taking us to places we haven't yet been to explore fresh sights and sounds and tastes. And now my reading habits have come to embrace this yin and yang. Be
You know those people who are so nature-y....the ones who go on hikes instead of walks, who camp instead of staying in facilities with toilets, who bike and have edible gardens and are just so "one with nature."I'm not one of them.I wish I was. But I'm not.I pee a lot. Like a lot. As soon as emailing became a thing my best friend (hi Jess!) was forwarding me links to pharmaceuticals helping overac
These are unabashedly bones.A love of chicken wings did not come easily to either of us. To this day, I feel just a teensy bit icky about eating them. The bones in chicken wings were (are) a hindrance, a barrier, to the good stuff - the meat and sauce. Not just a barrier, but a hidden barrier encountered after eating has commenced.There is no deception with this. Which perh
Ugh, I hate those recipes that pretend to be one thing but in reality are nothing like it. I'm looking at you pureed cauliflower masquerading as fettucine alfredo. Afterwards, you are all sad and regretful because you ate something that was not delicious. Unless you are like Anton Ego, living the philosophy of "If I don't love it, I don't swallow." In which case you are sti
It is funny how life has a way of making things disappear, only to reappear when you least expect it. After the hope has evaporated. And by life, I mean cats and toddlers.For Valentine's Day, Max picked out a pack of pink balls to give to the cats. One of these, a tiny pink soccer ball, was given to Rambo. Within five minutes, the ball was lost. We ( I ) looked and looked in all
My mind is is filled with clouds. Some are stratus clouds, keeping running mental lists of groceries, chores and projects to complete, activities to do with Max.Some are more like the wispy cirrus kind, with nascent, fleeting thoughts. The sliver of a Max story to remember to tell Seth. The name of the book I absolutely need to read. Ohh my god, I need a muffin. The stream
I hate being in the spotlight. I'm more on the shy, reserved, bookish side of the spectrum. I'm self-conscious and anxious. It takes awhile for me to be comfortable in showing all my cards, so to speak.So when you have all these traits, they converge into a person who will never dance in public (among other things - see also public speaking). A wallflower, perhaps. But I prefer to think of it as
I could perhaps justify the malformed nature of these baked goods by:a) rambling on about creating miniature abstract art sculptures, expressing myself by forming meringue batter into individual confections, each one displaying its own personality, its own story, through its unique set of peaks and valleys orb) blaming the toddler, who after getting to watch egg whites billow up into fluffiness, d
Regrets litter our lives. Words spoken in haste, sentiments left unspoken. Ideas remaining only ideas. Bad decisions made. Actions rashly performed. Recent regrets include, but are not limited to, the following:-Choosing to wear flimsy pink ballet flats while spending approximately 12 hours walking around outside.-Teaching our offspring about the wonders of popcorn and ice cream
It is said that Albert Einstein defined insanity as, "doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results."I am, perhaps, insane. Every spring, once I spot a container of potted herbs being sold at the farmers' market, I snatch one up. How can I resist? So vibrant and lush, brimming with parsley and basil and thyme and rosemary and sage and cilantro and chives, one can
In terms of cetacean appreciation, dolphins get the glory. They are so cute and friendly and sleek. Jumping out of the water to show off their spins and spyhops. Equipped with a fancy echolocation system to navigate. And can even come in the color pink, a fact that Max is super in love with. Okay okay, dolphins are really awesome. And yes, I'm pretty taken with
At times, I am completely floored by the differences between me and the offspring. Like at the park, watching him try to scale baby-sized boulders, so carefree and surefooted. Each rock is just a mountain waiting for a Max to come and climb. Me? I'm a klutz. I'm awkward and run into things and do not watch where I'm going or what is in front of me. So there is no care
Gift giving can fall into two camps. I mean, there are definitely more kinds, but to keep it simple, lets just go with two. There are those totally selfless gifts. Those that benefit only the recipient. The kind that are chosen after thoughtful, careful consideration of the likes and dislikes of the person receiving the gift. Like the DVDs of The Secret Life of the Am
When I go into couch mode for some supine sofa action, Rambo (our pink-nosed truffle-pig feline) becomes my hat, laying on my head as though it his job to make sure none of my body heat escapes through the top of my body. He isn't an intensely cuddly cat, so this burst of sweetness is fully embraced and never taken for granted. One Saturday morning, a day rife for couching - all drizzly, grey, and
How we think of ourselves and how others think of us are not always the same. I like to think of myself as a romantic. But it has come to my attention that this is not an accurate description of myself. I blame my mom. Just kidding. Kinda. I'm not really kidding, but I don't want to sound like I don't love my mom - I love you mom!! Of course parents are bl
Artichokes are a fussy vegetable. They aren't a bundle of asparagus spears, easily turned into a tasty side with some olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. In fact they barely even resemble something edible.Artichokes are all about process. From prep to cooking to that culminating moment when you finally sit down to eat the fruit (or veggie) of your labors.
It had been one of those days. The words "Wow Max, that is quite a mess you've got going on here" were overheard as I stumbled out of bed. Stools were being maneuvered around the kitchen, the key to toddler muffin stealing. Painting time turned into finger painting. Which turned into a trail of handprints as I attempted to wrangle the toddler for a cleaning. Markers were us
Nothing says love like a heart-shape egg... Placed ever so gently onto a heap of potatoes, caramelized onion, and swiss chard. Sprinkled with a bit of cheddar and microbroccoli. Okay, maybe love isn't quite the sentiment being conveyed.But definitely whimsy. Like full on, shouting from a megaphone style whimsy.Which is why I totally adore Valentine's Day. I abhor the compla
Lots of roasting happened in the making of this pizza.I like thinking of the oven as a "black box." And unlike most metaphorical black boxes, I actually don't like to analyze this one. Usually, I love thinking about the "why." Which I'm sure my mom just loved as I was growing up. Actually, I am still scolded for over-thinking things.I could learn all the mechanisms by which
As the tot and I ambled to the nearby park for "lets shovel some sand in the castle-shaped bucket" time, I noticed a lemon wedge. As did Max. He politely gave me the used lemon wedge, and I threw it back on the ground, distracting his attention by pointing out the helicopter overhead. I, of course, did not want to appear ungrateful. When we actually arrived at the park, I noticed
This is being posted under duress. I really don't want to give a false impression of myself. I love decadence. I love cheese and pasta and bread and all the things that I'm supposed to say that "I love but I can only eat a teeny tiny bit once in a blue moon."Except I eat the things that I want when I want. I am not the one who says "Ohhhh I make this for my husband and friends while th
It is harrowing to watch. Almost every time a movie or television depicts people watching a movie, a giant bowl of popcorn is placed on the coffee table. And then it sits there. And sits. And no one takes any of the popcorn. Not one hand swoops down to retrieve a handful of this salty snack. Not one mouth is seen munching. It is one of the saddest sights to behold.Whe
Anxiety permeated the air. While making these, I kept having visions of grabbing the tray without oven mitts. I have done this before. And I really do not want to do it again. It didn't happen this time, thankfully. But it will. The visions are most definitely a premonition of an upcoming kitchen accident. There is an episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is at a job inter
This is our inaugural month with the Creative Cooking Crew (hosted by Laz of Lazaro Cooks and Joan of Foodalogue)! Doesn't "inaugural" have a nice ring to it? Just like the President being sworn in on Sunday, this feels a little bit like a swearing in for us, and we are super pumped.This month's challenge had a vegan theme -"Choose one of your favorite rich, heavy, fatty animal-protein
So there's this episode of the West Wing, bear with me... Yes we're about ten years late to game on this show. Anyways, Josh and some other White House staffers take the president's under-21 daughter as well as the president's young personal aide out for a drink. To a bar. When the president finds out, he tells Josh that when Josh told him he was taking them for a drink, he thought he
Deviled eggs sound both epic and silly all at once. They conjure up the image of a creepy, horned, underworld creature-guy with a pointy tail - holding a pitchfork in one hand an egg in the other. And a malicious grin on his face. Encased in a cloud of smoke.And when there is news that deviled eggs are in the same room as you, it comes with just a smidge of disappointment when it
So it is January, that month on our calendar that feels so shiny and new and full of promise. A month of fresh starts and new beginnings. For us, one of these beginnings is becoming part of Cooking Light's Bloggers' Connection! A couple times of month you will find us sharing recipes, information, etc. from Cooking Light. Of course, we'll make sure to add our own twists and
Carnival squash is my very favorite squash. And this is because of its name. I have yet to find sources to confirm this, but I am positive that it derives its name from what was found inside by a person long long ago. They totally found a carnival inside! Whenever I cut one of these open, I become convinced that I too will experience this - a whole miniature Dr. Seuss-like
We used to have this designated area in our living room, originally called "the reading nook." It was a futon mattress covered with pillows and surrounded by books. This eventually got phased out to make space for the nugget boy. But that reading nook actually had very important second function, which became our more commonly used term for the space. It was called "the mope hole.
A setting or rising sun is one of those sights that we, as a species, love to behold. So colorful and and epic and majestic, it inspires a sense of wonder and awe. Unless you are a certain two year old. The sun is totally old news, apparently, for him. A sunset, though, is exciting for one and only one reason - it is a harbinger of the moon! Our little guy is quite ta
I am beginning to think the only holiday traditions we have are intending to do festive activities and not following through. For instance, this year we were going to carve pumpkins for Halloween, like we did last year. Didn't actually happen. It got pushed back and back until it would have been December 1 and we would have been the weird people with a jack o lantern out on the p
Party food is just so fun - dips, miniature, bite size morsels served on toothpicks, communal foods in general. Party food makes me happy. But the parties themselves stress me out. Or, more precisely, the people at the parties stress me out. Sometimes my evening is spent feigning interest in riveting topics like the virtues of cloth diapering. Other times it might be
Today we're reviewing a free app called RedLaser, and pairing this review with another type of app... chips and dip! When I saw this opportunity through Daily Buzz Moms to use a list making and shopping app for the iPhone (the app also works on the Android and Windows Phone), I thought, maybe, just maybe, now I will become a person living in the year 2012 (almost 2013-where do
