Yes, I was a Ravioli Girl in high school. The Ravioli Girl wears one of those cute paper hats and hand-makes ravioli in a glass fishbowl room in the corner of the lobby of Pasta House. I haven't been to a Pasta House in two decades, so I'm not sure if they still do this.
The key to hand-made ravioli is to roll the dough ONLY away from you, not back and forth. I'd roll out two huge sheets of dough. Spread the right amount of meat, cheese, and herb filling on top of one sheet, lay the other dough piece on top of that and then roll the giant pasta/meat sandwich with one of these rolling pins.
Then I'd run this fancy cutter wheel up and down and back and forth to make the scalloped edges. Pillows of pasta perfection.
And because this was all taking place in St. Louis, those raviolis were all destined for the deep fryer, where all the good raviolis go in the end.
2. In addition to fried or toasted (which is a lie, it's really fried) ravioli, St. Louis is the home of the Gooey Butter Cake.
I can't decide which is better, the actual cake or the name. Whoever thought up "Gooey Butter Cake" is a marketing genius. Make some for Easter morning. Everyone will love you for it.
3.
Pinewood Derby is tonight and here is Edmund's submission. It totally rocks. It will probably win "Most Awesome."
4. I cut my own bangs a few weeks ago. My Twitter friends already heard this saga.
Going to the hairdresser after mangling your own bangs is A LOT like going to confession. Except in confession, I don't get laughed at nearly as much. Though some of the rebukes are the same, "You are the one whose going to have to live with this."
5. Jill has to name e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Every page of any story, she has to name the characters, human or animal after herself, her parents, her family members, etc. It's very tedious.
We've got One Gorilla by Anthony Browne from the library right now and here's how it goes down.
This is "my dada."
This is "mama and baby J." Yes, she refers to herself as "Baby J."
But this page is only one person.
Sorry about the phone picture.
"My Papa."
My father-in-law is a lemur. She refuses to explain her reasoning.
Now, I get to tag 5 folks and ask them to do the same thing. Anne, Charlotte, Bobbi, Blair, and Lisa, Come On Down!
This is Rink Thornton today. Needs some snow removal. Looky! Sunshine and blue sky! Be still my beating heart!
Theme: Piles was my suggestion, because when I look around, I got lots to choose from.
This is getting installed in our new office/playroom, hopefully later today, since it's blocking the recliner.
I DID white balance this! I DID! But it's still weird. See pile of detritus in my soon to be office? It all started when the Chef accidentally ripped out the back of our house last summer. See that wall under the window? Well, he was replacing the windows and found some water/ant damaged wood, so he removed it. All of it. And then there was a big gaping hole in the back of my house. But like St. Paul says, "All things come to good." Now, I'm getting a lovely brand new space for a desk and toys and books. Lord knows we need more space for books.
Yes, that is a set of encyclopedias down there. Yes, I should crack open that grammar book and review lie vs. lay.
I have spawned a Bibliophile.
My ridiculous collection of vintage and repro Little Golden Books is put to good use.
It's very hard to see the piles of snow on ice planet Hoth. See how I put red in it? This was shortly after he brutally murdered the snowman you saw last week.
This little pig stayed in the house.
She did get to go sledding on Mt. Jackson Middle School Hill the day before. You can't see the vertical climb that I'm making or feel the burning hamstrings or the stinging sleet.
She loved it.
I'll call this one, Handsome Boy Sitting on Snowman Corpse.
Next week, we'll be Seeing Green! I have stocked up on toxic cookie icing in anticipation of the big event.
Who knew finding 27+ people nuts enough to make dozens of ornaments in the next two weeks would be so easy?
Who knew that internet friends are the best? Giving up their first pick when someone else wants it, giving up their slot when they see someone on the waiting list, giving great advice about shipping from home, priority flat rate boxes, and safe hot glue-gun usage.
Who knew that some of the great people who signed up would be so hard to track down? Please share your contact info on your blog or at least your user profile. I have several peeps for whom I can't find email addresses.
So if your name is on the list, please contact me asap to confirm that you're in, what ornament your assigned, and to give me your contact info. My email is housewifespice*at*comcast*dot*net .
Karen
@ A Servant’s Memories
Blair
@ Blair’s Blessings
Kerri
So Many Things to Love Michelle @ Liturgical Time Becky @ Sebastian Lauren @ Knit In My Womb Lenetta @ Nettacow Edited Saturday, November 17 at 12:06pm. Kerri and So Many Things to Love, please confirm via email. Thanks to all!
2.
After 90+ days, see the finished upstairs bathroom!
This is the shower in a closet. What? Everybody doesn't have one?
Why didn't I turn on the lights? Or use a flash?
Behind these doors lies a world of clutter.
3.
My mother-in-law watches Edmund and Baby J for a total of nearly 45 minutes every Thursday afternoon, while I take Lucy to her voice lesson. (Girl's got pipes.) It's always interesting to get someone else's perception of your child. Inevitably, when Nana is around Baby J, she uses words like "busy," "intense," and "wild" to describe her.
So maybe when I compare Baby J to this character from Bridge on the River Kwai, I might not be exaggerating. That much.
Baby J is Col. Saito, and that makes me Alec Guinness.
Just as I typed this, she forced the Chef to surrender his leather armchair to her.
Last night during dinner, I heard the Chef say, "Don't threaten me with broccoli," as J used a new word for the very first time, "fwo."
She refuses the highchair. She can climb in and out of it at will anyway.
She forces me to get her specific food items, without really having the vocabulary to explain her needs, and if I get her the wrong thing, she throws it. I have prepared food for her, only to have her spit it out and force me to surrender my own meals.
Last night, I experimented with her techniques, I hollered "wa-wa" at Peter who had failed to set water glasses when he set the table last night. He was not amused.
She's got a lot of personality. Some might say she has extra personalities.
4.
She ADORES this movie though. She gets very excited and jumps off the sofa to point to the tv and say "Rwarrh!" or "Peeta!"
She's actually been yelling "Peeta!" for weeks now. Aside from thinking it translated as "pizza" or assuming she was taking sides against Gale in The Hunger Games, I had no clue as to why several times a day she would inadvertently yell, "Peeta!" Or sometimes, "Peeta! Peeta! Peeta!"
But when we put on this dvd, we all knew. She means "cheetah!" Well, at least sometimes.
5.
I won't be able to participate in the Office Space Tweet-a-thon, but that's no reason why you can't.
I have to fill out TPS reports.
6.
If you're making your Thanksgiving dinner, let me share with you The Best Holiday Cranberry Relish recipe ever. Bonus, you can make it now, or tomorrow, or as late as Monday, because it chills for four days!
I found this New England Cranberry Relish recipe in the Chicago Tribune over a decade ago.
Wonderful Fact Number One: You don't have to cook anything.
Wonderful Fact Number Two: This recipe can be made up to 3 weeks ahead!
If you can keep from eating it for 3 weeks. Ideally, it's supposed to be
made at least 4 days in advance. But we had it on Thanksgiving once and
don't tell anyone, but I only made it 3 days in advance. Actually, I
didn't make it, my 12 year old did. Even better.
Wonderful Fact Number Three: My dear friend, Rose makes this every year and calls me on that day.
Serve the relish with poultry, game, pork, ham and lamb. Mix with mayonnaise for a flavorful sandwich spread.
1 bag (12oz) cranberries
1 red apple, cored, cut into 1-inch wedges (We used a granny smith. Shh.)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup NOT PANCAKE SYRUP.
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup pecans
Put cranberries, apple, sugar, syrup, cinnamon, and cloves in food
processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse processor on/off to chop
ingredients, stopping every few pulses to avoid over-chopping. The
texture should not be too fine. Scatter pecans over mixture; pulse until
coarsely chopped. Make at least 4 days ahead. Can be kept up to 2-3
weeks, refrigerated.
Did you see what I did there? I sent you to New England for cranberry relish and then gave you the epitome of Southern Thanksgiving with cornbread. Geographically diverse and delicious.
For the best green beans, this Martha Stewart recipe is To. Die. For. Plus, it's healthy and salad-y. Two birds, one recipe. Plus, three words: Deep Fried Shallots.
And for dessert, Pioneer Woman and Bobby Flay had a Throwdown and this Pumpkin Bread Pudding was the star of the show.
Take it easy and use Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread Mix for the bread pudding. Hope TJ isn't sold out of pumpkin bread mix yet. That wouldn't have anything to do with the double digit quantities I purchased. I learned my lesson last year.
Take it real easy and skip Bobby's Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise. I spent $12 on vanilla beans only to ruin that sauce and use real whipped cream instead. Still Awesome.
Go see Jen for more QTs and have a Fabulous Fanksgiving.
Last night, a neighbor emailed me and several others on the block, asking if we wanted to do a block garage sale. Thank goodness she didn't call, because I would have laughed in her face ear.
I did a garage sale once. I think I spent $10 on labels and tags, 20+ hours sorting and tagging, 4-6 hrs. sitting in the driveway feeling angry/disappointed/ripped off, and I made a total of $8. That left me in the hole $2602 because I place a $100 per hour premium on my time.
I think I might have spent all of my $8 at my neighbors' garage sales. I do treasure the unused boxed set of Anne of Green Gables books that I got from the neighbor to the north, but the Beethoven VHS cassettes from my neighbor to the south were not a big hit. No, not Beethoven the composer, Beethoven the St. Bernard dog who made almost as many movies as Mary Kate and Ashley.
At the end of the day, I had to haul all that crap back into my basement because I don't have a garage.
If I needed any more confirmations that garage sales are a bad idea, my across-the-street neighbor is having one today.
Pray for her. It's going to be a long day. She keeps hollering at her two-year old to stay out of the street, and putting her four-year old in time out on the front steps. Oops. Four-year old just hit two-year old because she didn't get to put the $1 in the cash box at the lemonade stand. Did I mention the only customer is the aunt? It's going to be a long day for them.
--- 2 ---
Now, I just keep large boxes on the treadmill in the basement, called the "Giveway" boxes. That's what treadmills are for, right? Anytime someone cleans out a drawer or a closet, they can deposit in the Giveaway box. When the pile is large enough, I make the trek to St. Vincent de Paul. The employees come unload my car, and hand me a nice piece of paper to mark my tax deduction.
--- 3 ---
Temps are falling here. The weather is still gorgeous, but I did light my pumpkin-scented candle yesterday. Last night, I made chili and tonight we are going to try this Butternut Squash, Wild Rice, Smoked Sausage Soup. No, it's not meatless, but I'm working on that. Why isn't the feast of the exaltation of the cross a solemnity? grumble. grumble.
--- 4 ---
Nowthe Chef tells me that we are supposed to eat pesto tonight, because St. Helen found the remains of the true cross under a basil plant. Apparently in the Eastern Church, they lay the cross on a bed of basil during this feast. The Chef got his intel from Fr. Z's blogpost here. Gotta love the term "penitential festivity."
Guess we'll be having the soup tomorrow night.
--- 5 ---
Sweet and sour Grace linked up to this post at Ain't No Mom Jeans regarding Lands' End new colored pants. I had already vociferously voiced my opposition to this fad before I read the review of the LE new colored chinos and fits.
Well, yesterday a friend called and said, "Why are you hating on the colored pants and then I see you in them?!"
I was intrigued by the rave review, and Susan and I went to our local inlet to do a test drive. She got the slim ankle cords in Raisin, and I came home with slim ankle chino pants in Light Raspberry Wine and Umber as shown above, minus the leopard print heels. Still looking for those. I'm saving up to get the Mazarine
Blue ones too. Because when I find pants that fit, I stockpile. I love them. And they feel like autumn.
And if someday Lands' End wants to send me free pairs to review online, all the better.
--- 6 ---
Same with See Kai Run, Baby J's favorite shoe brand.She currently wears a 6.
The Chef painted Baby J's toenails this week. Then it cooled off, plus she has new shoes, so they have not been visible to the public. The Chef accused me of conspiring to keep her lime green piggies covered up. As if.
--- 7 ---
Currently, Baby J is done playing with the Bananagrams I dumped out for her and demands eye contact.
The garage sale across the street is accompanied by much wailing and gnashing of teeth. It's going to be a beautiful weekend.
She looks so sweet. Yet, all week she has screamed at me as though she is the commandant of this German POW camp and I am the American GI. I think she's going to break me.
--- 2 ---
WARNING: WHINING AHEAD. SKIP TO QUICK TAKE #5 TO AVOID THE PITY PARTY.
--- 3 ---
Whoa, Nelly. This whole "being screamed at all week and not getting any sleep" coupled with "back to school early alarm clocks and making two meals before 7am" might be part of my problem.
--- 4 ---
Plus, some of the residents here had unwelcome visitors. Not the kind that bring suitcases either. The kind that require a fine toothed comb. I am somewhat of an expert on that type of thing now. This was our third go-round in two years. I may grace you with an in-depth post answering everything from "How can you tell?" to "How not to melt the headbands and barrettes." I know you're interested. (Hint: For the baseball season: Each child needs his or her own batting helmet.)
I am so, so, very grateful that I made this discovery at 2 pm, and not at 11:30 pm like last time.
Thank you, Jesus.
--- 5---
NOW, FOR THE GOOD STUFF...
In other news, I was the recipient of some very direct, in my face, divine intervention on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary no less. I had every intention of telling you all about it, but I got all teary faced that day, and then I got busy with Rid on Thursday. So what was meant to be a post, will now become a Quick Take.
Last Christmas, I had a heart to heart with my sister, Mary about her godson, Edmund, and his difficulty reading. As a teacher herself, she had lots of insight and encouraged me to get him tested for learning disabilities.
We looked into testing through the state and testing privately. We had him privately tested in the spring, and lo and behold, he's not stupid. He's not lazy. He has a learning disability in reading that might be overcome with help, or might end up as lifelong dyslexia. In either case, he needs a lot of support in reading.
Early in July, his wonderful, wonderful tutor moved away. In mid-July, my sweet sister passed away. And I really was stressed about what to do for Edmund educationally all summer, with very little guidance.
But Jesus and Mary, my sister, and I'm sure Mary, His mother had it all under control.
First of all, our Catholic parochial school has a new principal, as of July 1st, who has an amazing background in special ed and has parented a child with learning disabilities herself. She encouraged me to keep Edmund at this school, and assured me that she would do everything in her power to make sure his accommodations are met.
I have to point out that private schools are legally under no obligation
to make any modifications for students with disabilities. But she is willing to make changes for my kid, that she legally doesn't have to make, because she cares about kids. She cares about MY kid.
Coincidence? I don't think so.
Then, I had a very long meeting with Edmund's teacher. Even though she, herself isn't trained to work with children who have learning disabilities, she is very willing to work with Edmund, with his long list of modifications and with any tutor that Edmund might have. This woman is ready to give freely of her time for my child. She wants to help him. And she is going out of her way to do so, in an underpaid position, as a diocesan teacher, because she cares about kids. She cares about MY kid.
She also wept with me when I told her about Mary, and the impact Mary has had on Edmund and his education.
And she asked me to ask Mary to guide her this year as she tries to guide Edmund.
That's why I love my Catholic parish school.
Oh, and did I mention, that I saw this teacher in the front pew every night of the Sacred Heart novena back in June?
Coincidence? Nah.
Only one problem. I had no tutor for Edmund. No specialist with the necessary training to meet his needs and to help re-educate him in reading using a multi-sensory curriculum. This is the one piece of the puzzle that could really impact Edmund and turn his disability into ability.
I had made a few inquiries, sent an email, left a voicemail, and heard nothing.
But on Wednesday, which was the first day of school, I was driving home, and thinking about Mary, and asking her again to intercede for her godson that he might have a positive learning experience, if not academically, at least emotionally.
And when I got home I got a phone call from a fabulous and energetic tutor, who is excited to work with Edmund this year, understands his disability better than I do, and wants to meet with his teacher.
chills.
Thanks, Mary.
You totally rock.
--- 6 ---
While I was "treating" Peter, he asked if I was going to give Baby J the treatment. I said no, and explained that children under 2 shouldn't get the treatment and that even older children have had bad reactions to it. I mentioned that I've even heard of this toxic stuff causing seizures and such.
Then, I kind of, accidentally, got some it in his eye.
He moaned and said, "Oh, no! Now, I'm going to have a seizure in my eye! Well, at least I won't have any lice in my eye."
He makes me laugh. And Lord knows, I needed a laugh right about then.
---7---
Call Me Maybe + The Dark Knight + I know this kid from Peter's school, and I can't believe he has a half a million hits already = AWESOME!
Yes, I am pro-Harry Potter. I see lots of Christian imagery, behavior, and beliefs in J.K. Rowling's imaginary world of wizardry. Heck, Hogwarts gets out for Easter and Christmas. The public school at the end of my block doesn't celebrate those days. I have taken this stance before.
I am also pro-Grimm's fairy tales, L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz, MGM's Wizard of Oz, Narnia, Tolkien, Star Wars, and the Muppet Babies.
Anyhoo....if you're looking to waste some quality time on the interweb, or occupy a child for a few days hours, check out J.K. Rowling's Pottermore. I got as far as the Sorting Hat chapter, and believe it or not, I got sorted into Gryffindor.
Yes, I realize that this is a site for children and not for mothers of five. Call me "Mrs. Weasley." Yes, I could have fallen down the rabbit hole of lost time like I did during the Great Webkinz Obsession of '08 and the Farmville Episode of '09. But I didn't. Yet.
I kind of wanted to be in Slytherin, what with our family resemblance and all. Last night, Susan saw Baby J in the tub with her slicked-back-white-blonde hair and said that Baby J should be Draco for Halloween.
Oh, yeah. We celebrate Halloween too.
We can still be friends.
--- 2 ---
Two obnoxious characters in one.
Lest you think I have no sense of discernment at all, I will share that I am opposed to Barbies, Bratz, Dragon Tales, and Sid the Science Kid.
We are racially ambiguous and have super annoying voices.
--- 3 ---
The house is in turmoil because we are having the upstairs bathroom renovated. Translation: I was too lazy to cook dinner, so we are ordering take-out from P.F. Chang's. I can never order from P.F. Chang's without first consulting this book:
According to Eat This, Not That, one should order the salmon, the Seared Ahi Tuna, Ginger Chicken and Broccoli, the Almond and Cashew Chicken, and Sichuan Style Asparagus. One should not order the Siracha Shrimp Salad, the Kung Pao Chicken, the Spicy Green Beans, or the Lo Mein Pork.
However, according to the nutritional facts page, the Spicy Green Beans have much lower fat and calorie content than the book states. Maybe P.F. revised his recipe and made it more healthful?
--- 4 ---
This is where I was going to upload pictures of the nasty pre-renovated bathroom. You know it's time for a re-do when the toilet has a hairline fracture, the faucet handles spin meaninglessly in any direction, the vinyl tile has gaping holes in it, and the outlet is blackened/melted uselessness.
Ok, you win, you get a picture, but it's sideways. Sorry.
--- 5 ---
Peter is on the golf team. You might think this was a relatively genteel sport with low or no chance of injury.
I cannot get this picture to rotate. Well, I can, but then it uploads sideways.
Well, my boy took a club in the face yesterday and his lip and chin are all black and blue. Thank God it did not hit higher or it could have taken out some teeth, or broken his nose. Thank God it did not hit lower, or it could have damaged his windpipe, broken his neck, or torn his rotator cuff, or re-broken his arm which would DEFINITELY require surgery this time around.
Yep, thank you God. Please don't let it happen again.
--- 6 ---
I haven't read too much lately, but we have been enjoying these crafty books.
Illustration School Let's Draw Happy People
Illustration School Let's Draw Cute Animals
I actually bought two copies of this. One for us and one as a birthday gift accompanied by some polymer clay.
Completely useless, adorable things.
--- 7 ---
Baby J has a new word.
"Why?"
I am quite certain she has no idea what it means, but it sure sounds like she does.
Enjoy this glorious weekend. Gorgeous weather in Chicago lately. You should come visit and I'd share it with you.
Yes, I was a Ravioli Girl in high school. The Ravioli Girl wears one of those cute paper hats and hand-makes ravioli in a glass fishbowl room in the corner of the lobby of Pasta House. I haven't been to a Pasta House in two decades, so I'm not sure if they still do this.
The key to hand-made ravioli is to roll the dough ONLY away from you, not back and forth. I'd roll out two huge sheets of dough. Spread the right amount of meat, cheese, and herb filling on top of one sheet, lay the other dough piece on top of that and then roll the giant pasta/meat sandwich with one of these rolling pins.
Then I'd run this fancy cutter wheel up and down and back and forth to make the scalloped edges. Pillows of pasta perfection.
And because this was all taking place in St. Louis, those raviolis were all destined for the deep fryer, where all the good raviolis go in the end.
2. In addition to fried or toasted (which is a lie, it's really fried) ravioli, St. Louis is the home of the Gooey Butter Cake.
I can't decide which is better, the actual cake or the name. Whoever thought up "Gooey Butter Cake" is a marketing genius. Make some for Easter morning. Everyone will love you for it.
3.
Pinewood Derby is tonight and here is Edmund's submission. It totally rocks. It will probably win "Most Awesome."
4. I cut my own bangs a few weeks ago. My Twitter friends already heard this saga.
Going to the hairdresser after mangling your own bangs is A LOT like going to confession. Except in confession, I don't get laughed at nearly as much. Though some of the rebukes are the same, "You are the one whose going to have to live with this."
5. Jill has to name e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Every page of any story, she has to name the characters, human or animal after herself, her parents, her family members, etc. It's very tedious.
We've got One Gorilla by Anthony Browne from the library right now and here's how it goes down.
This is "my dada."
This is "mama and baby J." Yes, she refers to herself as "Baby J."
But this page is only one person.
Sorry about the phone picture.
"My Papa."
My father-in-law is a lemur. She refuses to explain her reasoning.
Now, I get to tag 5 folks and ask them to do the same thing. Anne, Charlotte, Bobbi, Blair, and Lisa, Come On Down!
This is Rink Thornton today. Needs some snow removal. Looky! Sunshine and blue sky! Be still my beating heart!
Theme: Piles was my suggestion, because when I look around, I got lots to choose from.
This is getting installed in our new office/playroom, hopefully later today, since it's blocking the recliner.
I DID white balance this! I DID! But it's still weird. See pile of detritus in my soon to be office? It all started when the Chef accidentally ripped out the back of our house last summer. See that wall under the window? Well, he was replacing the windows and found some water/ant damaged wood, so he removed it. All of it. And then there was a big gaping hole in the back of my house. But like St. Paul says, "All things come to good." Now, I'm getting a lovely brand new space for a desk and toys and books. Lord knows we need more space for books.
Yes, that is a set of encyclopedias down there. Yes, I should crack open that grammar book and review lie vs. lay.
I have spawned a Bibliophile.
My ridiculous collection of vintage and repro Little Golden Books is put to good use.
It's very hard to see the piles of snow on ice planet Hoth. See how I put red in it? This was shortly after he brutally murdered the snowman you saw last week.
This little pig stayed in the house.
She did get to go sledding on Mt. Jackson Middle School Hill the day before. You can't see the vertical climb that I'm making or feel the burning hamstrings or the stinging sleet.
She loved it.
I'll call this one, Handsome Boy Sitting on Snowman Corpse.
Next week, we'll be Seeing Green! I have stocked up on toxic cookie icing in anticipation of the big event.
Who knew finding 27+ people nuts enough to make dozens of ornaments in the next two weeks would be so easy?
Who knew that internet friends are the best? Giving up their first pick when someone else wants it, giving up their slot when they see someone on the waiting list, giving great advice about shipping from home, priority flat rate boxes, and safe hot glue-gun usage.
Who knew that some of the great people who signed up would be so hard to track down? Please share your contact info on your blog or at least your user profile. I have several peeps for whom I can't find email addresses.
So if your name is on the list, please contact me asap to confirm that you're in, what ornament your assigned, and to give me your contact info. My email is housewifespice*at*comcast*dot*net .
Karen
@ A Servant’s Memories
Blair
@ Blair’s Blessings
Kerri
So Many Things to Love Michelle @ Liturgical Time Becky @ Sebastian Lauren @ Knit In My Womb Lenetta @ Nettacow Edited Saturday, November 17 at 12:06pm. Kerri and So Many Things to Love, please confirm via email. Thanks to all!
2.
After 90+ days, see the finished upstairs bathroom!
This is the shower in a closet. What? Everybody doesn't have one?
Why didn't I turn on the lights? Or use a flash?
Behind these doors lies a world of clutter.
3.
My mother-in-law watches Edmund and Baby J for a total of nearly 45 minutes every Thursday afternoon, while I take Lucy to her voice lesson. (Girl's got pipes.) It's always interesting to get someone else's perception of your child. Inevitably, when Nana is around Baby J, she uses words like "busy," "intense," and "wild" to describe her.
So maybe when I compare Baby J to this character from Bridge on the River Kwai, I might not be exaggerating. That much.
Baby J is Col. Saito, and that makes me Alec Guinness.
Just as I typed this, she forced the Chef to surrender his leather armchair to her.
Last night during dinner, I heard the Chef say, "Don't threaten me with broccoli," as J used a new word for the very first time, "fwo."
She refuses the highchair. She can climb in and out of it at will anyway.
She forces me to get her specific food items, without really having the vocabulary to explain her needs, and if I get her the wrong thing, she throws it. I have prepared food for her, only to have her spit it out and force me to surrender my own meals.
Last night, I experimented with her techniques, I hollered "wa-wa" at Peter who had failed to set water glasses when he set the table last night. He was not amused.
She's got a lot of personality. Some might say she has extra personalities.
4.
She ADORES this movie though. She gets very excited and jumps off the sofa to point to the tv and say "Rwarrh!" or "Peeta!"
She's actually been yelling "Peeta!" for weeks now. Aside from thinking it translated as "pizza" or assuming she was taking sides against Gale in The Hunger Games, I had no clue as to why several times a day she would inadvertently yell, "Peeta!" Or sometimes, "Peeta! Peeta! Peeta!"
But when we put on this dvd, we all knew. She means "cheetah!" Well, at least sometimes.
5.
I won't be able to participate in the Office Space Tweet-a-thon, but that's no reason why you can't.
I have to fill out TPS reports.
6.
If you're making your Thanksgiving dinner, let me share with you The Best Holiday Cranberry Relish recipe ever. Bonus, you can make it now, or tomorrow, or as late as Monday, because it chills for four days!
I found this New England Cranberry Relish recipe in the Chicago Tribune over a decade ago.
Wonderful Fact Number One: You don't have to cook anything.
Wonderful Fact Number Two: This recipe can be made up to 3 weeks ahead!
If you can keep from eating it for 3 weeks. Ideally, it's supposed to be
made at least 4 days in advance. But we had it on Thanksgiving once and
don't tell anyone, but I only made it 3 days in advance. Actually, I
didn't make it, my 12 year old did. Even better.
Wonderful Fact Number Three: My dear friend, Rose makes this every year and calls me on that day.
Serve the relish with poultry, game, pork, ham and lamb. Mix with mayonnaise for a flavorful sandwich spread.
1 bag (12oz) cranberries
1 red apple, cored, cut into 1-inch wedges (We used a granny smith. Shh.)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup NOT PANCAKE SYRUP.
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup pecans
Put cranberries, apple, sugar, syrup, cinnamon, and cloves in food
processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse processor on/off to chop
ingredients, stopping every few pulses to avoid over-chopping. The
texture should not be too fine. Scatter pecans over mixture; pulse until
coarsely chopped. Make at least 4 days ahead. Can be kept up to 2-3
weeks, refrigerated.
Did you see what I did there? I sent you to New England for cranberry relish and then gave you the epitome of Southern Thanksgiving with cornbread. Geographically diverse and delicious.
For the best green beans, this Martha Stewart recipe is To. Die. For. Plus, it's healthy and salad-y. Two birds, one recipe. Plus, three words: Deep Fried Shallots.
And for dessert, Pioneer Woman and Bobby Flay had a Throwdown and this Pumpkin Bread Pudding was the star of the show.
Take it easy and use Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread Mix for the bread pudding. Hope TJ isn't sold out of pumpkin bread mix yet. That wouldn't have anything to do with the double digit quantities I purchased. I learned my lesson last year.
Take it real easy and skip Bobby's Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise. I spent $12 on vanilla beans only to ruin that sauce and use real whipped cream instead. Still Awesome.
Go see Jen for more QTs and have a Fabulous Fanksgiving.
Last night, a neighbor emailed me and several others on the block, asking if we wanted to do a block garage sale. Thank goodness she didn't call, because I would have laughed in her face ear.
I did a garage sale once. I think I spent $10 on labels and tags, 20+ hours sorting and tagging, 4-6 hrs. sitting in the driveway feeling angry/disappointed/ripped off, and I made a total of $8. That left me in the hole $2602 because I place a $100 per hour premium on my time.
I think I might have spent all of my $8 at my neighbors' garage sales. I do treasure the unused boxed set of Anne of Green Gables books that I got from the neighbor to the north, but the Beethoven VHS cassettes from my neighbor to the south were not a big hit. No, not Beethoven the composer, Beethoven the St. Bernard dog who made almost as many movies as Mary Kate and Ashley.
At the end of the day, I had to haul all that crap back into my basement because I don't have a garage.
If I needed any more confirmations that garage sales are a bad idea, my across-the-street neighbor is having one today.
Pray for her. It's going to be a long day. She keeps hollering at her two-year old to stay out of the street, and putting her four-year old in time out on the front steps. Oops. Four-year old just hit two-year old because she didn't get to put the $1 in the cash box at the lemonade stand. Did I mention the only customer is the aunt? It's going to be a long day for them.
--- 2 ---
Now, I just keep large boxes on the treadmill in the basement, called the "Giveway" boxes. That's what treadmills are for, right? Anytime someone cleans out a drawer or a closet, they can deposit in the Giveaway box. When the pile is large enough, I make the trek to St. Vincent de Paul. The employees come unload my car, and hand me a nice piece of paper to mark my tax deduction.
--- 3 ---
Temps are falling here. The weather is still gorgeous, but I did light my pumpkin-scented candle yesterday. Last night, I made chili and tonight we are going to try this Butternut Squash, Wild Rice, Smoked Sausage Soup. No, it's not meatless, but I'm working on that. Why isn't the feast of the exaltation of the cross a solemnity? grumble. grumble.
--- 4 ---
Nowthe Chef tells me that we are supposed to eat pesto tonight, because St. Helen found the remains of the true cross under a basil plant. Apparently in the Eastern Church, they lay the cross on a bed of basil during this feast. The Chef got his intel from Fr. Z's blogpost here. Gotta love the term "penitential festivity."
Guess we'll be having the soup tomorrow night.
--- 5 ---
Sweet and sour Grace linked up to this post at Ain't No Mom Jeans regarding Lands' End new colored pants. I had already vociferously voiced my opposition to this fad before I read the review of the LE new colored chinos and fits.
Well, yesterday a friend called and said, "Why are you hating on the colored pants and then I see you in them?!"
I was intrigued by the rave review, and Susan and I went to our local inlet to do a test drive. She got the slim ankle cords in Raisin, and I came home with slim ankle chino pants in Light Raspberry Wine and Umber as shown above, minus the leopard print heels. Still looking for those. I'm saving up to get the Mazarine
Blue ones too. Because when I find pants that fit, I stockpile. I love them. And they feel like autumn.
And if someday Lands' End wants to send me free pairs to review online, all the better.
--- 6 ---
Same with See Kai Run, Baby J's favorite shoe brand.She currently wears a 6.
The Chef painted Baby J's toenails this week. Then it cooled off, plus she has new shoes, so they have not been visible to the public. The Chef accused me of conspiring to keep her lime green piggies covered up. As if.
--- 7 ---
Currently, Baby J is done playing with the Bananagrams I dumped out for her and demands eye contact.
The garage sale across the street is accompanied by much wailing and gnashing of teeth. It's going to be a beautiful weekend.
She looks so sweet. Yet, all week she has screamed at me as though she is the commandant of this German POW camp and I am the American GI. I think she's going to break me.
--- 2 ---
WARNING: WHINING AHEAD. SKIP TO QUICK TAKE #5 TO AVOID THE PITY PARTY.
--- 3 ---
Whoa, Nelly. This whole "being screamed at all week and not getting any sleep" coupled with "back to school early alarm clocks and making two meals before 7am" might be part of my problem.
--- 4 ---
Plus, some of the residents here had unwelcome visitors. Not the kind that bring suitcases either. The kind that require a fine toothed comb. I am somewhat of an expert on that type of thing now. This was our third go-round in two years. I may grace you with an in-depth post answering everything from "How can you tell?" to "How not to melt the headbands and barrettes." I know you're interested. (Hint: For the baseball season: Each child needs his or her own batting helmet.)
I am so, so, very grateful that I made this discovery at 2 pm, and not at 11:30 pm like last time.
Thank you, Jesus.
--- 5---
NOW, FOR THE GOOD STUFF...
In other news, I was the recipient of some very direct, in my face, divine intervention on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary no less. I had every intention of telling you all about it, but I got all teary faced that day, and then I got busy with Rid on Thursday. So what was meant to be a post, will now become a Quick Take.
Last Christmas, I had a heart to heart with my sister, Mary about her godson, Edmund, and his difficulty reading. As a teacher herself, she had lots of insight and encouraged me to get him tested for learning disabilities.
We looked into testing through the state and testing privately. We had him privately tested in the spring, and lo and behold, he's not stupid. He's not lazy. He has a learning disability in reading that might be overcome with help, or might end up as lifelong dyslexia. In either case, he needs a lot of support in reading.
Early in July, his wonderful, wonderful tutor moved away. In mid-July, my sweet sister passed away. And I really was stressed about what to do for Edmund educationally all summer, with very little guidance.
But Jesus and Mary, my sister, and I'm sure Mary, His mother had it all under control.
First of all, our Catholic parochial school has a new principal, as of July 1st, who has an amazing background in special ed and has parented a child with learning disabilities herself. She encouraged me to keep Edmund at this school, and assured me that she would do everything in her power to make sure his accommodations are met.
I have to point out that private schools are legally under no obligation
to make any modifications for students with disabilities. But she is willing to make changes for my kid, that she legally doesn't have to make, because she cares about kids. She cares about MY kid.
Coincidence? I don't think so.
Then, I had a very long meeting with Edmund's teacher. Even though she, herself isn't trained to work with children who have learning disabilities, she is very willing to work with Edmund, with his long list of modifications and with any tutor that Edmund might have. This woman is ready to give freely of her time for my child. She wants to help him. And she is going out of her way to do so, in an underpaid position, as a diocesan teacher, because she cares about kids. She cares about MY kid.
She also wept with me when I told her about Mary, and the impact Mary has had on Edmund and his education.
And she asked me to ask Mary to guide her this year as she tries to guide Edmund.
That's why I love my Catholic parish school.
Oh, and did I mention, that I saw this teacher in the front pew every night of the Sacred Heart novena back in June?
Coincidence? Nah.
Only one problem. I had no tutor for Edmund. No specialist with the necessary training to meet his needs and to help re-educate him in reading using a multi-sensory curriculum. This is the one piece of the puzzle that could really impact Edmund and turn his disability into ability.
I had made a few inquiries, sent an email, left a voicemail, and heard nothing.
But on Wednesday, which was the first day of school, I was driving home, and thinking about Mary, and asking her again to intercede for her godson that he might have a positive learning experience, if not academically, at least emotionally.
And when I got home I got a phone call from a fabulous and energetic tutor, who is excited to work with Edmund this year, understands his disability better than I do, and wants to meet with his teacher.
chills.
Thanks, Mary.
You totally rock.
--- 6 ---
While I was "treating" Peter, he asked if I was going to give Baby J the treatment. I said no, and explained that children under 2 shouldn't get the treatment and that even older children have had bad reactions to it. I mentioned that I've even heard of this toxic stuff causing seizures and such.
Then, I kind of, accidentally, got some it in his eye.
He moaned and said, "Oh, no! Now, I'm going to have a seizure in my eye! Well, at least I won't have any lice in my eye."
He makes me laugh. And Lord knows, I needed a laugh right about then.
---7---
Call Me Maybe + The Dark Knight + I know this kid from Peter's school, and I can't believe he has a half a million hits already = AWESOME!
Yes, I am pro-Harry Potter. I see lots of Christian imagery, behavior, and beliefs in J.K. Rowling's imaginary world of wizardry. Heck, Hogwarts gets out for Easter and Christmas. The public school at the end of my block doesn't celebrate those days. I have taken this stance before.
I am also pro-Grimm's fairy tales, L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz, MGM's Wizard of Oz, Narnia, Tolkien, Star Wars, and the Muppet Babies.
Anyhoo....if you're looking to waste some quality time on the interweb, or occupy a child for a few days hours, check out J.K. Rowling's Pottermore. I got as far as the Sorting Hat chapter, and believe it or not, I got sorted into Gryffindor.
Yes, I realize that this is a site for children and not for mothers of five. Call me "Mrs. Weasley." Yes, I could have fallen down the rabbit hole of lost time like I did during the Great Webkinz Obsession of '08 and the Farmville Episode of '09. But I didn't. Yet.
I kind of wanted to be in Slytherin, what with our family resemblance and all. Last night, Susan saw Baby J in the tub with her slicked-back-white-blonde hair and said that Baby J should be Draco for Halloween.
Oh, yeah. We celebrate Halloween too.
We can still be friends.
--- 2 ---
Two obnoxious characters in one.
Lest you think I have no sense of discernment at all, I will share that I am opposed to Barbies, Bratz, Dragon Tales, and Sid the Science Kid.
We are racially ambiguous and have super annoying voices.
--- 3 ---
The house is in turmoil because we are having the upstairs bathroom renovated. Translation: I was too lazy to cook dinner, so we are ordering take-out from P.F. Chang's. I can never order from P.F. Chang's without first consulting this book:
According to Eat This, Not That, one should order the salmon, the Seared Ahi Tuna, Ginger Chicken and Broccoli, the Almond and Cashew Chicken, and Sichuan Style Asparagus. One should not order the Siracha Shrimp Salad, the Kung Pao Chicken, the Spicy Green Beans, or the Lo Mein Pork.
However, according to the nutritional facts page, the Spicy Green Beans have much lower fat and calorie content than the book states. Maybe P.F. revised his recipe and made it more healthful?
--- 4 ---
This is where I was going to upload pictures of the nasty pre-renovated bathroom. You know it's time for a re-do when the toilet has a hairline fracture, the faucet handles spin meaninglessly in any direction, the vinyl tile has gaping holes in it, and the outlet is blackened/melted uselessness.
Ok, you win, you get a picture, but it's sideways. Sorry.
--- 5 ---
Peter is on the golf team. You might think this was a relatively genteel sport with low or no chance of injury.
I cannot get this picture to rotate. Well, I can, but then it uploads sideways.
Well, my boy took a club in the face yesterday and his lip and chin are all black and blue. Thank God it did not hit higher or it could have taken out some teeth, or broken his nose. Thank God it did not hit lower, or it could have damaged his windpipe, broken his neck, or torn his rotator cuff, or re-broken his arm which would DEFINITELY require surgery this time around.
Yep, thank you God. Please don't let it happen again.
--- 6 ---
I haven't read too much lately, but we have been enjoying these crafty books.
Illustration School Let's Draw Happy People
Illustration School Let's Draw Cute Animals
I actually bought two copies of this. One for us and one as a birthday gift accompanied by some polymer clay.
Completely useless, adorable things.
--- 7 ---
Baby J has a new word.
"Why?"
I am quite certain she has no idea what it means, but it sure sounds like she does.
Enjoy this glorious weekend. Gorgeous weather in Chicago lately. You should come visit and I'd share it with you.
