Having a John McEnroe Moment

P.B. Slices, originally uploaded by misterbisson.

You have GOT to be kidding me!

For the truly kitchen impaired we have a new product.
SLICED PEANUT BUTTER.

I am not even kidding.
How gross is this, anyway?

The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!

Don't look now, but there is.... wet stuff coming right out of the sky. I believe it's water!

Yes, for the first time in months and months and MONTHS, we are getting sprinkles. I'm sure it won't amount to much, but hey, at least I can maybe skip watering the plants for a couple of days. I really don't like being cooped up when it's rainy, but I do hope we get enough this winter.

A Little People Renaissance

I have a tender spot for the Little People. While they're not the same as when I was a kid (they were perfect choking hazard shape then), I remember sitting for hours playing with the house and the 'people'... so I have been collecting them for my kids since Bunny was about 9 months old and she got 'her' own house. Little People-ville has grown over the years to include a house, barn, zoo, train, preschool, garage, and many large and small vehicles.

Recently Carter has really gotten into playing with the house. It's so much fun to see him using his 'magining' as his play develops. But he is all boy. Guess what's the first thing the 'Daddy' needs to do everytime we put out the house? Go potty. Sometimes that's all that happens -- different little people going to the potty. Little People-ville really needs a public restroom, heh heh.

(Might also be a reflection on his potty training, which is still 'going', obviously, but I think he just likes the toilet, honestly!)

Where did September go?

This last month flew by for us here... so many new routines and changes with the new school year. October always seems like such a crazy month, too, and then it just gets more hectic until after New Years. Phew. I'm tired thinking about it all.

I need to stay on the ball around the house so I don't add to the craziness that way. Unfortunately, I have Mt. Fold-a-me on the going on here, and I have been able to ignore it, LOL... I need to finish feeding the baby, and get 15 mins of folding done so I feel less overwhlemed! Bunny has had a couple of accidents in her bed two nights in a row, which makes for a lot of laundry added to the norm. (She's either growing or stressed by school, and I fear it may be the latter, but that is not this post.)

Menu Monday, Sept 29

I guess I am having greco week here, haha. Two 'greek' meals in a row.

Sunday: undone cabbage roll skillet (didn't make Saturday as planned)
Monday: Sausages & Peppers w simple tomato sauce
Tuesday: Roast Chicken w/Acorn Squash and salad
Wednesday: Grilled Beef Kebabs with Yogurt Sauce, butternut squash
Thursday: Greek Scampi, salad
Friday: Five-Spice Coconut Chicken
Saturday: Meatloaf, fauxtatoes, snap peas

Daring Bakers Challenge 09-08

Phew! Got it done today. This month was Lavash Crackers and Toppings.
I have never made crackers before so this sounded like it would be fun and challenging.


My trusty sous chef, Bunny, was on hand to help out in any way I would let her. :) Here she stirs the dry ingredients together.


Needs a little more water, and then...


Knead, knead, knead! Once I felt it was not very sticky anymore, I let Bunny take over and learn the push-pull-turn rhythm. By the way, I have to say, I think, for a 6 yr old, she did well taking instruction, and ALSO taking these photos. :)



Time to rise.


90 mins later...

RISEN! Hallelujah. Sorry, bad joke...


Rolled and cut, and sprinkled with sesame seeds in one batch, and with pumpkin pie spice and sugar crystals in the other batch.

I rolled the sesame batch SUPER thin, to see if I could not get a really crisp cracker.

You can see through it in places, it's so thin.

UNFORTUNATELY... the oven must be running hot. Because after 10 mins (and the baking time states, 15-20 mins)... I got some REALLY brown to the point you could call it burnt crackers. Boo. I made a simple hummus, which was good, but, well, you can see:

Not what I had hoped for.

The sweet batch came out much better, though. And they're good, too.

And, they're also very crisp.


In fact, I would say they're a very good substitute for biter biscuits, and not nearly as messy.
Bottom Line: I would not bother to make these again. It was a fun diversion, and nice to do with Bunny, but all in all, crackers are cheap, and there are a lot of nice crackers to be had out there.

To see a listing of all the many, many, MANY people out there who participated in this month's challenge, see The Daring Bakers' Blogroll.

P.S. For a recipe I really was THRILLED with, see my post on the blog I share with my sister. That one I will make many a time again--pasta carbonara. Mmmmmmmmm.

Daring Bakers Sept 2008 - Lavash

Daring Bakers Sept 2008 - Lavash, originally uploaded by Kristianna.

Quickie post under the wire for today's deadline. I'll post more when I have a chance...

Dear Kenley Collins,

I love your style. Your dresses are so classic and probably flatter a lot more women than a lot of what is 'current' out there now. Your hair? Shiny and gorgeous. I loved you from episode one of this season. I'd dare say you were by far my favorite.

Things changed. Whenever you receive criticism, you bray like a donkey. It's weird, because I kind of hoped you'd be eliminated last night just so I won't have to hear your voice make that droning sound, or see you childishly laugh at someone else receiving a critique. News flash: other people have feelings the same as you do, and I somehow think you'd be insulted if one of your fellow designers heehawed while you were being dressed down.

But you're young. I can excuse this. Just please grow up. Lest I be forced to root for Korto and Jarrell.

Still love your stuff, sis. Just never try to tell LL Cool J that crazy and ill fitting high waist pants (with UGLY buttons!) and a flowery shirt is hip hop. Yeah, you got the worst judge to have on that day of your career, but take it like a man. Or Heidi will auf wiedersehen your butt back to 1947.

My Kitchen

Heidi tagged me to post about my kitchen... photos and a little description.

Well, let me start by saying, I am lucky she did it Monday of this week. My father in law had been here just the day before, and while he was being mauled by playing with the kids, I caught up big time in there! Otherwise it could have been much less pretty, though having a baby who sits and tries to figure out how to put Cheerios into his mouth all by himself *and* a child in school all day has given me more opportunities to clean and I have caught up a lot in the past month. I took these photos Monday, but haven't had time to post until today.

Having said that! Here is my little kitchen.


First I tried to just get it from one side.


Then I decided to see how the panoramic shot mode of my camera works.
Well, my ceiling is not curved, but you do get the view from the fridge, haha! The pan in the sink left from the prior day is just there for effect (or because I hate washing pots--you choose the answer that makes you happy).
Until very recently I had a large cutting board on the counter where the placemats are, but I needed the room for the kids to eat breakfast and lunch. Plus I get to use my seasonal placemats, so it's functional decoration. :)


Here is where my clutter lives--the kitchen clutter, at least. The one corner by the microwave is where I keep fruit, onions, avocados (top of nuker), winter squash (in season again, yaaay! hey, I get excited about weird things, I know), a mini prep food processor, and the toaster. I used to try to put away the toaster when not in use, but we use it at least daily now, so I leave it out. That's my determining factor for 'show or stow': if I would have to take it out daily, it belongs out. That cool hanging spice rack is a gift from my sister. I thought she was out of her mind when I opened it, but grew to love it as it really is great and keeps the things I use all the time at reach but not in the way (and it measures 1/4 tsp increments at a click!).

The basket by the coffee maker has assorted junk and hair fixing 'stuff'. I can't take Bun back to my bathroom to do her hair unless I want to have bedlam going on, so I keep it all handy. Bit of function over form, for sure, but I can't be picky. Speaking of picky -- the oatmeal by the stove drives me crazy. Crazy, I tell you! But Paul makes himself oatmeal every morning and begged me to let him leave it out. So I pretty much let him. These are the things you do for familial harmony. ;)


The fridge. Top is mine -- grocery pad, 'to do/buy' pads. Lower part is the usual gallery.


Quick peek inside. I do my weekly shopping on Sundays, so it's fairly well stocked. Extra food lives in garage fridge until I am ready to bring it inside, since I buy 4-5 gallons of milk at a time, and I figure we average 15-20 lbs of meat a week. My family EATS. Confession time: I turned a few things so the labels were front-facing. Looks nicer that way, haha!


This is the most important thing in the kitchen for me sometimes -- the calendar! I put EVERYTHING on it, meals, appts, whatever. Paul, by the way is allowed to use it, but has been strongly autioned to NOT use half a whole day's square just to write two freaking words (ahem).


Cabinet space is VERY limited, so this lazy susan is a wonderful thing to have. Looking at it yo ucan deduce two things: I use a lot of tomato products and I buy things in multiples. Oh, and I also have a hard time remembering if I need more whole tomatoes... so I buy far too many of those. If I turned this and took a photo, you'd see even more of those puppies.


Under the sink. More of my tendency to stock up on things here. 3 cans of Ajax for a buck? Sure! I keep a stack of kitchen rags handy and also the baby bibs. The only things that doesn't 'go' her is the clear storage box under the box of trash bags. That's my clipper set. Since I trim my husband's hair nearly weekly, I like to have it handy.

So, there you go. My kitchen.
Now, it's YOUR turn. Please feel free to link back to me or Heidi's post, and let's see how far this goes. Could be fun!

Recipe Verdict: Chicken Slaw

I have made Chicken Slaw a few times, and it's becoming a favorite here. Bunny actually gobbles it down, which is kind of hysterical, because the first time I made it, you'd have thought I gave her a plate of poop by her blunt refusal to eat a bite. Paul was not having her attitude and there was a real struggle for her to eat, encompassing HOURS, because she can certainly choose to not eat. But then she is choosing to be hungry or eat that very meal later. Anyway, when she relented, the little so and so declared it delicious. Laugh or cry, laugh or cry...

Anyway! I don't make it the same as the recipe. Any surprise there? I omit the radishes, which are too peppery for our tastes, and I add perhaps 2-3 T of mayonnaise, some chopped apples, and some chopped almonds. Additionally, I bake cornbread fresh (box of Jiffy, come on, easy--just adding about a cup of frozen corn kernels to it to make it seem fresher) and leave off the cheesy topping.

It's awesome, a meal all in one, and a keeper. Try it out sometime! Mess around with the ingredients--because this is cooking people! You can play with it. Baking is chemistry, and you better know your stuff if you're going to make alterations. Cooking? Play around and add what sounds good to you.

FYI, will be unable to get photos and possibly more for a while, as Paul steals my laptop for something. Here's hoping he doesn't reconfigure my hard drive or something...

EDIT: I'm back. Paul had decided late yesterday (after the Adderall wore off, LOL) that he would completely change the operating system for his computer, and long story short, you need to be 100% sure you know which hard drive you are configuring and/or deleting. Cuz if you're not, maybe you will delete your C drive instead of the external hard drive you *thought* you were changing. Thank heavens I have two places I store photos on the web, cuz, I think all my photos/videos have been vaporized. *sigh* But anyway, we're moving on. Who needs baby photos, right? *sob* Anyway, this is why, if you're inattentive by nature, Adderall can be a good thing. And late night decisions about 'blowing up' a computer (apparently that is the technical term when you make a massive change) are not prudent...

Don't Know Much About History...

2008-09-21 002, originally uploaded by Kristianna.

Well, actually, I know quite a little bit! In my head, I sound like Edie McClurg there. Just thought you'd like to know that. ;)

Bunny is a little bored with what she is learning in school. Not that it's too easy, I don't think... just... it's not what floats her boat, so to speak. I get it. Learning to spell and do simple math is not all that exciting. We talk about how these are the building blocks so that someday she will read harder books with much more interesting things in them, and how one must know math to do science (which she likes a lot), how you can't be, say, a world famous Egyptologist on the Discovery Channel (her current plan) if you didn't get the fundamentals down. I also explained that college, yes, it's hard, and it is a lot of work, but here's the treat -- to a great degree, you CHOOSE what you study! But, here;s the catch: gotta learn to spell first. Gotta crawl before you walk, sister.

Anyhoo, I am by no means a homeschooler. For one thing, I lack the training. For another, I lack the patience. However, I do love the classical education of 'yore'. Which, sadly, is lacking for the first few years of elementary school. I don't blame the teachers for teaching to the tests, because they have to meet the standards of learning, but as a result, education is not a 'choose your own adventure story' largely.

So I got the 'first grade' level of what is considered by homeschoolers to be a good text for history and the accompanying workbook.

It's called The Story of the World, and I have Volume I: Ancient Times - From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor. Instead of covering one geographical area at a time, it covers major periods of history chronologically. So, you learn about the world as more of a whole, in theory.

We read the first part of it this weekend, and I think it will really give Bunny that little extra she craves without going overboard. This is the girl who wants me to read The Once and Future King to her -- she likes things with more body, and, I think, to let herself become immersed in the other world of history and literature. So, I can't wait until she is able to read and truly learn what joy it is to sit with her nose in a book, oblivious to the world around. In the meantime, I'll help her augment things. And go over her 'boring' spelling lists, too. Crawl before you walk...

Overheard...

Bunny and her friend were doing homework together, working on spelling. It's a list of 10 words, and on the first day of the week they copy it, sound it out, spell it out loud, then write it once more. I hear F say, "I'm on 7," and Bunny reply, "I'm on 8." F then says maybe she will do 10, then work backwards (probably so she 'gets' to 10 first, hee hee), and B objects, "That's cheating!" while giggling. A little more back and forth on whether it matters what order you do the words in, and they got to finishing up the last couple so they could go to Bun's room to play Barbies or Little Pet Shop (they were trying to decide last I heard).

It was humorous to hear them debating whether there is a 'right' way to do a spelling list. I guess we can see who is the free thinker in that duo. For all her stubbornness at times, Bunny is very into THE RULES. Guess that's why she was a Safety Marshall last year. ;)

Menu Monday, Sept 22 -- HAPPY FALL!

For over 250 menu ideas, please click on the image above. Here is what we're having chez moi--and there are mostly favorites in here this week.

Sunday: Taco Salad *or* burritos, depending on what person wants with what I made
Monday: Chicken Slaw (didn't make last week so it's on deck), corn bread
Tuesday: Sausages and Peppers with simple tomato sauce
Wednesday: Crispy Yogurt Chicken (already a favorite!), Butternut Squash, Salad
Thursday: Undone Cabbage Roll Skillet
Friday: Ham, Cheese & Broccoli Quiche, salad
Saturday: Low Carb Picadillo and Spaghetti Squash

What? What's this?

It's lunchtime on a Saturday afternoon, and... it's so quiet here! The 'big kids' are playing at a the house of a family who have kids both their ages, and Cole is asleep (knock wood). I was making myself brunch--forgot to eat breakfast--and noticed Pingu on the TV, which I had forgotten to turn off as we left the house. Fixed that--turned on the Alternative music channel and Mommy is chilling. Sometimes it happens! Not often, but, sometimes! :)

In a couple of hours, I retrieve the kids, do a status check on whether Carter is really up for the birthday party he is welcome to attend this afternoon (but to which Bunny was actually invited), then hop over to stage 2 of the day. Hey, if Carter does need a nap, then I can probably drop off Bun to the party and continue with my relatively relaxing day. It's not the same as 'pre kids', when I could do literally anything I wanted, and never would have peppered catching up on laundry in with 'relaxing', but ya takes what ya gets.

Imaginary 911 Call

911 Operator: Hello, 911. What is your emergency?
Me: I think I am being followed!
911: Are you in a safe location?
Me: Yes, or I should be. I'm home!
911: In the house?
Me: He's coming down the hallway! I hear him breathing and moving. He's close!
911: Can you lock the door?
Me: Yes, but then he'd cry, I think.

Hahaha... of course my stalker is my baby. Gone are the days of slipping out of hte living room to go potty really quickly without him moving away from the toy he was banging on. Now, since he's also got a raging case of good old separation anxiery, he lets out a quick, anxious yelp and then doggedly pursues me on all fours.

Poor little guy... he's a good crawler considering he's only been doing it aobut 2 weeks, but he's still slow, and obviously much slower than me when I am darting about putting away laundry and generally trying to stave back UTTER chaos in the house (not like the house has been close to really clean since, um... probably when Carter learned to crawl, but I do try to keep some semblance of hygiene here). So anyway, he gets 60% of the way to me, then I zip past him in the other direction. He turns and continues in the world's slowest chase, undeterred, and not even complaining. Eventually I decide I've accomplished enough and that it's time to pick him up, of course, and it's sooner than it might be for some people, since I think the little guy is pretty adorable and deserves to be rewarded for being such a great baby by getting what he wanted, which was just to be in my arms or for me to sit and play with him.

I am enabling my stalker, I guess, haha.

Awkward Neighbor Girl Meets Some

Neighbors, that is. Hey, it takes me a while to warm up, haha. We met our 'new' friends at a 'new' park today, and had a lot of fun. Another parent on the block also came to the park, so I really upped the number of people I know in my immediate area today. Everyone had a nice time, we went on a very mini hike up to a meadow where we feasted on wild blackberries (not really, but we did have a few) and watched dragon flies, which were numerous, and the two little boys, Carter and new friend Hudson, poked sticks into the water. We also had the world's smallest wild plums. Who needs to pack a snack when you can live off the land like that? (Not.) I am excited to bring Paul to do a real hike, as the trails link up to the LG Open Space and miles and miles of other trails--all a very quick drive from home.

Daily Randomness

Lunch poaching is an age old sport in some offices. It's a common problem, though I was lucky enough to not suffer from it; I like to think it's because my office was an honest lot, but perhaps my lunches were just not all that appetizing. ;)

However, there is a solution that is both ingenious and revolting at the same time! (And who doesn't want that?!?) Enter the moldy sandwich bag. It's a perfectly clean sammich bag that has been doctored to look like its contents are inedible--or perhaps contain the cure to pneumonia. I'm not kidding. Here, see:



I guess it'd be effective. Unless you forget about it and leave it overnight or have an overzealous fridge cleaner in your midst. Then your lunch is trash!

Personally, I am not sure I could get over the appearance of this. I would just keep an insulated bag at my own desk if it were that big an issue.

Fish in a bottle

2008-09-08 072, originally uploaded by Kristianna.

Been meaning to put up this photo from the Monterey bay Aquarium. This fish was so weird! It backed into and emerged from this bottle over and over, and I assume it's doing it now as I type, a week plus later. There was so something so fascinating, yet ICKY about it. This feller was part of a large exhibit showing how marine life overtakes the debris that falls into their world. He had a neighbor in the adjacent bottle condo.

Menu Monday, Sept 15

Below is mine for the week. Click the image above for over 300 menus that people all over are making this week. (Man, this Menu Monday thing is on FIRE!, isn't it?)

Sunday: Homemade Bolognese Sauce w/angel hair
Monday: Chicken Slaw (didn't make last week) and corn bread
Tuesday: Sausages and Peppers (Trader Joes has the awesome Hoffbrau brats again, yay!)
Wednesday: Crispy Yogurst Chicken and Acorn Squash with salad
Thursday: Undone Cabbage Roll Skillet
Friday: Pizza Quiche *or* CORN (Clean out refrigerator night)
Saturday: Spare ribs, butternut squash, salad