I want some more friends on Goodreads. If you have an account, please be my friend. If you don't have an account, you should consider signing up for one. K?thxbai.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Goodreads
I want some more friends on Goodreads. If you have an account, please be my friend. If you don't have an account, you should consider signing up for one. K?thxbai.
Two Shoes
After Big Girl finished with preschool, we all went to the mall and had lunch, and found some great new sandals for Two. They are smaller blue versions of Big Girl's pink Timberland sandals, and he likes them. I put them on his feet and he did a stiff-legged robot walk around the store for us. He then complained loudly when I took off the sandals, put his old Robeez on, and strapped him into the stroller to go to the checkout. After a morning helping me around the house and the excitement of the mall, he needed a nap! He passed out in the car and didn't stir during the transfer from car seat to bed. Big Girl resisted but also took a nap this afternoon, which gave me a chance to do some housework without assistance and to start reading another book.
A morning at home, with Two
Two and I are at home this morning, while his sister is in preschool. Typically after dropping her off at school, we go by my parents' house and mooch. He eats tasty breakfast foods, talks about farming with my dad, and watches a little Bob the Builder. I drink their coffee, read their newspapers, and relax. But alas, they are not home this morning, so we were forced to return to our own house for coffee and Bob-viewing.
Two was a bit annoyed at first, but a quick stop at the Wal-Mart restored his good humor. He likes to shop, mostly because he enjoys seeing people and scoping out merchandise. Quite the little consumer, Two is. We got paper for my printer and a new hairbrush, and we went through the craft section so he could admire the John Deere fabric selections. I need to get some of that and use it to make him something. He gets giddy talking about the tractors every time he sees it.
Now he's strutting around the den, waving a black plastic thing (I think it's part of a report cover that he filched from a stack of student papers I was grading, which is fine because I hate report covers) like a little conductor. He's wearing his really cool green shirt with a dragon on it and looking like quite the hip young fellow today. Yes, I picked out that shirt for him, and i love it. So many of his outfits are picked out by my mom, who has good taste, but leans toward preppy, and I like to add a touch of rock and roll to his wardrobe when I can.
Two was a bit annoyed at first, but a quick stop at the Wal-Mart restored his good humor. He likes to shop, mostly because he enjoys seeing people and scoping out merchandise. Quite the little consumer, Two is. We got paper for my printer and a new hairbrush, and we went through the craft section so he could admire the John Deere fabric selections. I need to get some of that and use it to make him something. He gets giddy talking about the tractors every time he sees it.
Now he's strutting around the den, waving a black plastic thing (I think it's part of a report cover that he filched from a stack of student papers I was grading, which is fine because I hate report covers) like a little conductor. He's wearing his really cool green shirt with a dragon on it and looking like quite the hip young fellow today. Yes, I picked out that shirt for him, and i love it. So many of his outfits are picked out by my mom, who has good taste, but leans toward preppy, and I like to add a touch of rock and roll to his wardrobe when I can.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
No worries about vampires in these parts
The house smells deliciously of garlic. I made a big pot of sauce and put lots of fresh garlic and onion in it. I don't really make sauce from scratch, per se. I doctor up stuff in jars with lots of fresh ingredients added. And my sauce is much better, no matter what Hubs tells you:
Hubs, entering kitchen, looking at me with one eyebrow arched: Are you trying to make sauce?
Me: Not just trying. I AM making sauce.
Hubs: Why didn't you tell me you wanted sauce?
Me: I knew you were busy, and I like to make it sometimes.
Hubs, looking a little hurt: Don't you like my sauce?
Me: Of course, your sauce is great, but I thought I would make it this time.
He gets similarly condescending, then hurt, if I make chili. Because he's the winner of numerous chili cookoffs at the office, in case you hadn't heard. He does make good chili, but it's very different from mine, and his sauce is also quite different from mine. And I'm perfectly capable of making delicious versions of both. But I digress.
So, I made a huge pot of sauce, with lots of good flavors from garlic, onion, basil, and oregano, and I portioned it out so we can use it to make some different dishes during the week. Some of it I'll likely freeze for later use, and I'll probably do something baked with pasta one night, and we can eat it on pasta, maybe some tortellini since the kids love it so.
I've also done laundry and dishes, read lots of news articles, and tended to a couple of wild children this afternoon. Big Girl's upper lip is raw because she's a little rough with the kleenex as she wipes her nose. Two (formerly known as Baby Boy) is just a little crusty, because his evasive maneuvers are improving. When he ducks and dodges, he also says cute things like, "No, Mommy. No clean." The little guy does not like to be wiped or washed if he can help it, but if you subject him to a bath, he splashes everywhere and has a grand time. I secretly think both of my kids have picked up some bad waterplay habits from our golden retriever, who's a real messer with water.
Two is still very jealous of his sister's new shoes. He tried to put on her new pink sandals but they wouldn't stay on, since they're four sizes too big for him. He did enjoy opening and closing the velcro straps. I'll have to get him some sandals for warmer weather too.
Hubs, entering kitchen, looking at me with one eyebrow arched: Are you trying to make sauce?
Me: Not just trying. I AM making sauce.
Hubs: Why didn't you tell me you wanted sauce?
Me: I knew you were busy, and I like to make it sometimes.
Hubs, looking a little hurt: Don't you like my sauce?
Me: Of course, your sauce is great, but I thought I would make it this time.
He gets similarly condescending, then hurt, if I make chili. Because he's the winner of numerous chili cookoffs at the office, in case you hadn't heard. He does make good chili, but it's very different from mine, and his sauce is also quite different from mine. And I'm perfectly capable of making delicious versions of both. But I digress.
So, I made a huge pot of sauce, with lots of good flavors from garlic, onion, basil, and oregano, and I portioned it out so we can use it to make some different dishes during the week. Some of it I'll likely freeze for later use, and I'll probably do something baked with pasta one night, and we can eat it on pasta, maybe some tortellini since the kids love it so.
I've also done laundry and dishes, read lots of news articles, and tended to a couple of wild children this afternoon. Big Girl's upper lip is raw because she's a little rough with the kleenex as she wipes her nose. Two (formerly known as Baby Boy) is just a little crusty, because his evasive maneuvers are improving. When he ducks and dodges, he also says cute things like, "No, Mommy. No clean." The little guy does not like to be wiped or washed if he can help it, but if you subject him to a bath, he splashes everywhere and has a grand time. I secretly think both of my kids have picked up some bad waterplay habits from our golden retriever, who's a real messer with water.
Two is still very jealous of his sister's new shoes. He tried to put on her new pink sandals but they wouldn't stay on, since they're four sizes too big for him. He did enjoy opening and closing the velcro straps. I'll have to get him some sandals for warmer weather too.
Two is here. A little early, but oh, is Two here.
Two blew in with a vengeance this weekend. The child formerly known as Baby Boy won't be two for a few more days, but he's already Two. He just had a total meltdown because he's jealous about Big Girl's new shoes. While Two was sleeping yesterday afternoon, I took his big sister to the outlet mall and got her some new shoes, and he is JEALOUS about her new pink Timberland sandals. He keeps trying to steal them from her and make an escape to play with them in his room, and he's been ignoring me when I tell him to leave the shoes alone. He's been ignoring Hubs and me throughout the weekend, actually, to the point that we are worried about what will happen if he's about to get hurt and he pulls this ignoring crap.
He's got a cold, which always puts him in a bit of a funk, but there's more going on here. Two is asserting his independence in a big way, which leads me to dread the struggles to come over the next year. He's very strong-willed - gets that from his mama - and he has a powerful lower pouting lip. But Two may find that, with increased mobility and verbal abilities, he will also encounter his equally-strong-willed mama who will be a killjoy when it comes to rolling the bathroom with toilet paper and other exploits.
Big Girl, by the way, is totally stoked about her new shoes. She has leaped up almost two sizes, so this was definitely needed. I let her have some choices when selecting her sandals and her new sneakers, and she loves both pairs and has been modeling them around the house for everyone to admire. The sneakers are Nikes, white with pink and silver accents. I vetoed the Dora the Explorer pair that she selected first - they were just too bright and overwhelming, and didn't look that well-made. She really enjoyed our girls-only shopping trip, despite the heavy rain we encountered, and we also picked up a few cute skorts for her to wear this summer. They really look like skirts but have shorts underneath, ideal since she's too busy playing to worry about silly stuff like modesty. We looked for shoes for me but had no luck. I'm awfully picky and I wear a very small size which is hard to find, so really, no surprise.
If he's in a good humor, I may take Two to find a pair of shoes for him tomorrow, since he really does need some. He doesn't have any big boy shoes yet, just soft-soled Robeez, although a little bird told me he might get some big boy shoes for his birthday, too.
He's got a cold, which always puts him in a bit of a funk, but there's more going on here. Two is asserting his independence in a big way, which leads me to dread the struggles to come over the next year. He's very strong-willed - gets that from his mama - and he has a powerful lower pouting lip. But Two may find that, with increased mobility and verbal abilities, he will also encounter his equally-strong-willed mama who will be a killjoy when it comes to rolling the bathroom with toilet paper and other exploits.
Big Girl, by the way, is totally stoked about her new shoes. She has leaped up almost two sizes, so this was definitely needed. I let her have some choices when selecting her sandals and her new sneakers, and she loves both pairs and has been modeling them around the house for everyone to admire. The sneakers are Nikes, white with pink and silver accents. I vetoed the Dora the Explorer pair that she selected first - they were just too bright and overwhelming, and didn't look that well-made. She really enjoyed our girls-only shopping trip, despite the heavy rain we encountered, and we also picked up a few cute skorts for her to wear this summer. They really look like skirts but have shorts underneath, ideal since she's too busy playing to worry about silly stuff like modesty. We looked for shoes for me but had no luck. I'm awfully picky and I wear a very small size which is hard to find, so really, no surprise.
If he's in a good humor, I may take Two to find a pair of shoes for him tomorrow, since he really does need some. He doesn't have any big boy shoes yet, just soft-soled Robeez, although a little bird told me he might get some big boy shoes for his birthday, too.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Black Bean Soup
Recipe for Black Bean Soup, from A Taste of Georgia
- I'm going to make this recipe this afternoon...
4 cups black beans
5 quarts cold water
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 large onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
Rind and bone of cooked, smoked ham
3 leeks, thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
1 cup dry Maeira
2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
Lemon slices to garnish
Pick over and wash beans. Soak overnight in cold water to cover, then drain. Add 5 quarts cold water and cook the beans over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. In a soup kettle over low heat, saute the celery and onions in butter for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Blend in flour and parsley and cook this mixture, stirring for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the beans and their liquid. Add the smoked ham rind and bone, leeks, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup for 4 hours.
Remove and discard the ham bone, rind, and bay leaves. Force the beans through a sieve. Combine pureed beans and their broth and add Madeira. Heat the soup, remove from stove, and stir in the finely chopped eggs. Float a slice of lemon on each serving.
From The Coach and Six Restaurant, Atlanta, Georgia
_____
This is a really old cookbook that belongs to my mother. I want to see if I can find a used copy (of the original or A Taste of Georgia 20th Anniversary Edition
) for myself. Mom's copy is falling apart and she keeps a large ribbon around it to keep the pages together. I think I'll probably modify this recipe a bit to suit what's available at my house. I don't think I have any Madeira on hand...
- I'm going to make this recipe this afternoon...4 cups black beans
5 quarts cold water
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 large onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
Rind and bone of cooked, smoked ham
3 leeks, thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
1 cup dry Maeira
2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
Lemon slices to garnish
Pick over and wash beans. Soak overnight in cold water to cover, then drain. Add 5 quarts cold water and cook the beans over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. In a soup kettle over low heat, saute the celery and onions in butter for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Blend in flour and parsley and cook this mixture, stirring for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the beans and their liquid. Add the smoked ham rind and bone, leeks, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup for 4 hours.
Remove and discard the ham bone, rind, and bay leaves. Force the beans through a sieve. Combine pureed beans and their broth and add Madeira. Heat the soup, remove from stove, and stir in the finely chopped eggs. Float a slice of lemon on each serving.
From The Coach and Six Restaurant, Atlanta, Georgia
_____
This is a really old cookbook that belongs to my mother. I want to see if I can find a used copy (of the original or A Taste of Georgia 20th Anniversary Edition
) for myself. Mom's copy is falling apart and she keeps a large ribbon around it to keep the pages together. I think I'll probably modify this recipe a bit to suit what's available at my house. I don't think I have any Madeira on hand...
Trucker Hats
Everyone looks better wearing a trucker hat. That's the verdict from baby boy, who culled some excellent specimens from his granddaddy's collection and distributed them for everyone to wear.
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