I'm amazed how accurate these are...scarily so.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Family portrait
Sometimes you just have to set your obsessions aside to goof around on the Internet. If you are a South Park fan, you too may want to visit the South Park Studio 2 in order to render your nearest and dearest as squat, noseless characters.
I'm amazed how accurate these are...scarily so.
I'm amazed how accurate these are...scarily so.
The lumpen robot
I am attempting to teach myself how to sew--it does not come naturally at all to me. I feel like I'm about to stitch my finger when I operate the machine.
I have been tempted to embark on this process by the sight of Hillary Lang's fabulous stuffed robot, wr-892. I used her Wee Tutorial for a basic shape (see her Wee Gallery for the variety of wee's people have made from the tutorial) and added a little silver ribbon antenna and three small buttons (for further communication with the robot).
I have been tempted to embark on this process by the sight of Hillary Lang's fabulous stuffed robot, wr-892. I used her Wee Tutorial for a basic shape (see her Wee Gallery for the variety of wee's people have made from the tutorial) and added a little silver ribbon antenna and three small buttons (for further communication with the robot).
The eyes may be a little crooked, the blue button a rather pathetic stab at satin stitch embroidery, and let's not talk about how misshapen the supposedly circular bottom piece is, but it was a satisfying little project and Fiona seems pretty pleased with the result.
In other weekend news, Lynne hosted a yarn-tasting party at her house on Saturday night. I was too lazy to swatch all the yarns available (Denise posted her swatch if you want to see the variety) but I did enjoy some satisfying yarn squeezing while eating copious quantities of cheese and chocolate washed down with wine.
I brought a raspberry tart made from the berries the critters and I picked on Friday afternoon. This is the same recipe from the May 2005 Cooks' Illustrated which blew me away when Sarah made it for her prosciutto party.
mmmm. Tarty goodness.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Colonial fascination
Sara Donati's Into the Wilderness has got me interested in the Colonial/Revolutionary period of US history so in an uncharacteristic mode, I am reading non-fiction for pleasure. I picked up David McCullough's John Adams at the library this week; he's one of the most accessible historians for those of us who are challenged by dry history writing. And since John and Abigail had such a lively correspondence, much of the book reads like an epistolary novel.
I'm still amazed at the big gaps in my knowledge after so damn much schooling. I wrote my first master's thesis while at UC Davis on some women writers in late 18th C England (Wollstonecraft, early Jane Austin, Sarah Scott, Charlotte Lennox, etc.) but it is amazing how little I know about the history and literature of the same period on the other side of the Atlantic. That's a pretty big gap since the American Revolution and ideas of liberty clearly had an impact on concepts of feminism for the period. I studied French writings and British reactions to the French revolution but not the American stuff. Geographical proximity bias? Genetic bias (with my Brit of a mum)? I can't quite believe my advisors let me get away with such a big gap of knowledge, but I guess that is the difference between an MA and a PhD.
Anyway, so far John Adams is proving to be a very good read and hopefully will tide me over till my copy of the next in the Donati/Wilderness series, Dawn on a Distant Shore, arrives from Amazon.
And since I can't just buy one book at a time (gotta get that super saver shipping, right?), I also decided to splurge and get David Maine's Fallen (in hardback!) and another Dan Zanes CD, Rocket Ship Beach, for my kids (ok, ok, and for me too. I confess that I love his kid music more than a lot of music intended for grown ups.)
I'm still amazed at the big gaps in my knowledge after so damn much schooling. I wrote my first master's thesis while at UC Davis on some women writers in late 18th C England (Wollstonecraft, early Jane Austin, Sarah Scott, Charlotte Lennox, etc.) but it is amazing how little I know about the history and literature of the same period on the other side of the Atlantic. That's a pretty big gap since the American Revolution and ideas of liberty clearly had an impact on concepts of feminism for the period. I studied French writings and British reactions to the French revolution but not the American stuff. Geographical proximity bias? Genetic bias (with my Brit of a mum)? I can't quite believe my advisors let me get away with such a big gap of knowledge, but I guess that is the difference between an MA and a PhD.
Anyway, so far John Adams is proving to be a very good read and hopefully will tide me over till my copy of the next in the Donati/Wilderness series, Dawn on a Distant Shore, arrives from Amazon.
And since I can't just buy one book at a time (gotta get that super saver shipping, right?), I also decided to splurge and get David Maine's Fallen (in hardback!) and another Dan Zanes CD, Rocket Ship Beach, for my kids (ok, ok, and for me too. I confess that I love his kid music more than a lot of music intended for grown ups.)
Thursday, September 22, 2005
At long last
Finally! The long, yet relatively simple, recipe.
I'm finally posting about the fabulous Pulau (Biryani) rice dish I learned in the Indian cooking class I took in August. I was talking to Laura last Friday about it and, as she put it, it does require one pain-in-the-butt shopping trip to the Indian market to stock up on the spices, but pretty much all the exotic stuff is shelf stable so once you have it in the house, you can easily make this dish.
Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients or the long instructions--this really is pretty darn easy and fast to make. To encourage you to read the whole long recipe, I present a photo of the finished dish:
The finished dish (this time made with rock shrimp) with a bowl of raita on the side.
Shahi Vegetable Pulau (Vegetable Biryani)
(with optional protein addition)
recipe from Bhanu Hajratwala
Serves 4-6 with generous portions
Ingredients are (conveniently) listed in the order in which they are used.
The Rice:
2 C basmati long grain rice
5 C water
2 T ghee
2 1/2 t salt
1 T Garam Masala
3/4 t tumeric
1. Wash and drain the rice. (Put the rice in a bowl and pour on cold water. Swish it around a bit and the water becomes cloudy. Drain off the cloudy water and do it again, and again, and again until the water is relatively clear.)
2. Mix all the ingredients above in a rice cooker. (If not using a rice cooker, bring rice and all ingredients to a boil, lower heat and simmer till all the water is evaporated and the rice is cooked.)
The rice should look like this when it is done.
The Vegetables:
1/4 C ghee (or mix 2 T ghee with the rest canola oil--ghee can be really expensive)
8 sticks of cinnamon, approximately 2 inches long each
12 whole cloves
12 green cardamom pods, whole
6 star anise pods, whole
1 t cumin seeds
12 fresh curry leaves (can be bought for about $1 a pack at Indian grocery stores. If you can't get them, you can either leave them out of the recipe or substitute 6 dried bay leaves--not the same flavor, but not a bad alternate).
1 large potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
6 green, hot chilies, decapped and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (if you are making this for kids or people who don't like heat, cut down the number of chilies. My mild version uses 2 jalapenos that I have seeded so I still get a little of the flavor without the heat.)
1 C frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, beans, etc.)
1 C cauliflower florets, small
1/2 C broccoli florets, small
1/4 C raisins
1/4 C unsalted cashews
1/4 C whole almonds
1/4 unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1 1/2 t salt
OPTIONAL: protein of your choice--1-2 C of cubed tofu, shrimp, small pieces of raw boneless chicken, etc.
1. Heat ghee (and oil if using) in a large pot.
2. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom and star anise till brown, and cover. Saute at medium heat till spices brown.
3. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves (if using), cover and brown.
4. Add the potatoes and chilies, cover and cook till potatoes are almost cooked (approximately 10 minutes) stirring frequently.
5. Add all the vegetables and cook covered for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If using the optional chicken or tofu, add now.
6. Add the raisins, cashews, almonds, and coconut.
7. Add the salt and stir well. If using the optional shrimp, add now.
8. Cook for two minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
Here are your vegetables with or without added protein (I used rock shrimp this time).
The Garnishes:
1 medium onion sliced very thin into half circles
oil for frying onion--about 1/4 inch in the bottom of a small pot
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 C pomegranate seeds (optional--I've never had them but I bet they would taste great and look beautiful)
1. Heat oil on medium high and deep fry onion till dark brown. Spread on paper towel to drain oil.
Serving (two options)
Option 1--mix it all up
1. Put all the cooked rice in a large bowl and gently separate the rice grains so it isn't lumpy.
2. Add the vegetables and stir gently to mix.
3. Mound on a serving platter and garnish with the fried onions, cilantro and optional pomegranate seeds.
Option 2--keep it sort of separate (what I usually do since my kids like the rice part without the vegetables mixed in)
1. Pile the rice on a platter. Make a shallow well and put the vegetable mixture in the middle.
2. Top with friend onions, cilantro and optional pomegranate seeds. Can also put slices of cucumber, tomatoes, raw onions, etc. around the edge of the platter to decorate.
Pulau can be served warm or at room temperature (which makes it great for buffets and potlucks). It is a main course, but can also be served along with other dishes like a chicken or lamb curry.
(Note: The spices are left whole in this dish. If you will be serving this to people not used to Indian food, you may want to go through the rather laborious step and pick out all the whole spices and leaves after you finish the stir fry. I am way too lazy to do this. I issue a warning to diners not to eat the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, anise and curry leaves. A nice host would probably lay out little bowls on the table so that people have a place to deposit the spices they pick out.)
At this point you may think I am insane to call this a simple recipe. Let me explain. I made this last Friday and in the morning (one could also do this the night before) I got everything prepped: I washed the rice, I set out all the spices I would need, washed, cut up and measured vegetables and set them all aside.
When I came back from the playground with my kids at 5 pm, I mixed up the stuff for the rice and set it in the rice cooker, started the stirfry for the vegetables, and chopped up some cilantro for the garnish. The vegetables only took about 15-20 minutes total and I fried up the onion for the garnish at the same time. By the time the rice was done cooking (about 25 minutes in my rice cooker) everything was ready to be assembled. Dinner was ready by 5:30 I kid you not. There was even time to grate some cucumber into yogurt and make a simple raita.
I'm finally posting about the fabulous Pulau (Biryani) rice dish I learned in the Indian cooking class I took in August. I was talking to Laura last Friday about it and, as she put it, it does require one pain-in-the-butt shopping trip to the Indian market to stock up on the spices, but pretty much all the exotic stuff is shelf stable so once you have it in the house, you can easily make this dish.
Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients or the long instructions--this really is pretty darn easy and fast to make. To encourage you to read the whole long recipe, I present a photo of the finished dish:
The finished dish (this time made with rock shrimp) with a bowl of raita on the side.Shahi Vegetable Pulau (Vegetable Biryani)
(with optional protein addition)
recipe from Bhanu Hajratwala
Serves 4-6 with generous portions
Ingredients are (conveniently) listed in the order in which they are used.
The Rice:
2 C basmati long grain rice
5 C water
2 T ghee
2 1/2 t salt
1 T Garam Masala
3/4 t tumeric
1. Wash and drain the rice. (Put the rice in a bowl and pour on cold water. Swish it around a bit and the water becomes cloudy. Drain off the cloudy water and do it again, and again, and again until the water is relatively clear.)
2. Mix all the ingredients above in a rice cooker. (If not using a rice cooker, bring rice and all ingredients to a boil, lower heat and simmer till all the water is evaporated and the rice is cooked.)
The rice should look like this when it is done.The Vegetables:
1/4 C ghee (or mix 2 T ghee with the rest canola oil--ghee can be really expensive)
8 sticks of cinnamon, approximately 2 inches long each
12 whole cloves
12 green cardamom pods, whole
6 star anise pods, whole
1 t cumin seeds
12 fresh curry leaves (can be bought for about $1 a pack at Indian grocery stores. If you can't get them, you can either leave them out of the recipe or substitute 6 dried bay leaves--not the same flavor, but not a bad alternate).
1 large potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
6 green, hot chilies, decapped and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (if you are making this for kids or people who don't like heat, cut down the number of chilies. My mild version uses 2 jalapenos that I have seeded so I still get a little of the flavor without the heat.)
1 C frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, beans, etc.)
1 C cauliflower florets, small
1/2 C broccoli florets, small
1/4 C raisins
1/4 C unsalted cashews
1/4 C whole almonds
1/4 unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1 1/2 t salt
OPTIONAL: protein of your choice--1-2 C of cubed tofu, shrimp, small pieces of raw boneless chicken, etc.
1. Heat ghee (and oil if using) in a large pot.
2. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom and star anise till brown, and cover. Saute at medium heat till spices brown.
3. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves (if using), cover and brown.
4. Add the potatoes and chilies, cover and cook till potatoes are almost cooked (approximately 10 minutes) stirring frequently.
5. Add all the vegetables and cook covered for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If using the optional chicken or tofu, add now.
6. Add the raisins, cashews, almonds, and coconut.
7. Add the salt and stir well. If using the optional shrimp, add now.
8. Cook for two minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
Here are your vegetables with or without added protein (I used rock shrimp this time).The Garnishes:
1 medium onion sliced very thin into half circles
oil for frying onion--about 1/4 inch in the bottom of a small pot
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 C pomegranate seeds (optional--I've never had them but I bet they would taste great and look beautiful)
1. Heat oil on medium high and deep fry onion till dark brown. Spread on paper towel to drain oil.
Yes, your onions really should be this dark of a brown.
Serving (two options)
Option 1--mix it all up
1. Put all the cooked rice in a large bowl and gently separate the rice grains so it isn't lumpy.
2. Add the vegetables and stir gently to mix.
3. Mound on a serving platter and garnish with the fried onions, cilantro and optional pomegranate seeds.
Option 2--keep it sort of separate (what I usually do since my kids like the rice part without the vegetables mixed in)
1. Pile the rice on a platter. Make a shallow well and put the vegetable mixture in the middle.
2. Top with friend onions, cilantro and optional pomegranate seeds. Can also put slices of cucumber, tomatoes, raw onions, etc. around the edge of the platter to decorate.
Pulau can be served warm or at room temperature (which makes it great for buffets and potlucks). It is a main course, but can also be served along with other dishes like a chicken or lamb curry.
(Note: The spices are left whole in this dish. If you will be serving this to people not used to Indian food, you may want to go through the rather laborious step and pick out all the whole spices and leaves after you finish the stir fry. I am way too lazy to do this. I issue a warning to diners not to eat the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, anise and curry leaves. A nice host would probably lay out little bowls on the table so that people have a place to deposit the spices they pick out.)
At this point you may think I am insane to call this a simple recipe. Let me explain. I made this last Friday and in the morning (one could also do this the night before) I got everything prepped: I washed the rice, I set out all the spices I would need, washed, cut up and measured vegetables and set them all aside.
When I came back from the playground with my kids at 5 pm, I mixed up the stuff for the rice and set it in the rice cooker, started the stirfry for the vegetables, and chopped up some cilantro for the garnish. The vegetables only took about 15-20 minutes total and I fried up the onion for the garnish at the same time. By the time the rice was done cooking (about 25 minutes in my rice cooker) everything was ready to be assembled. Dinner was ready by 5:30 I kid you not. There was even time to grate some cucumber into yogurt and make a simple raita.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
I'm getting hooked on these interludes...
Interlude of the day: take a look at this blog entry at The Panopticon for a hilarious cartoon of man-vs.-sweater.
Yesterday evening I intended to go to my knitting group, but then realized that I had screwed up the Ribby Cardigan for about the 18th time. So I ripped it out back down to the armhole decreases (again) and resigned myself to knitting the top portion the way it is written in the pattern--fronts, arms and backs separate and then sewn together along the raglan seams. I am definitely not smart enough to modify this pattern in its entirety from flat to round (though I still am pleased that I won't have to seam the sides and arm lengths). When it came time to leave to go down to Sweetwaters Cafe I was ensnared in a huge tangle of wool (see photo number 9 from The Panopticon's cartoon) that had to be tamed and kept me home.
It was a good thing I did rip it out because I discovered that I had been really sloppy when it came to putting the stitches back on the needles the last time I ripped it. One side was about 4 stitches shorter than the other. Did I forget to count? Yup, looks that way!
While watching House last night (my Hugh Laurie crush deepens) I discovered that following a pattern can be much easier than struggling with your own interpretation.I think I'll leave improvisation to the kitchen for the time being. I almost finished the left front side of the cardigan and only screwed up (or only noticed that I'd screwed up) once doing a K2tog rather than a SSK (blame Hugh for distracting me).
Yesterday evening I intended to go to my knitting group, but then realized that I had screwed up the Ribby Cardigan for about the 18th time. So I ripped it out back down to the armhole decreases (again) and resigned myself to knitting the top portion the way it is written in the pattern--fronts, arms and backs separate and then sewn together along the raglan seams. I am definitely not smart enough to modify this pattern in its entirety from flat to round (though I still am pleased that I won't have to seam the sides and arm lengths). When it came time to leave to go down to Sweetwaters Cafe I was ensnared in a huge tangle of wool (see photo number 9 from The Panopticon's cartoon) that had to be tamed and kept me home.
It was a good thing I did rip it out because I discovered that I had been really sloppy when it came to putting the stitches back on the needles the last time I ripped it. One side was about 4 stitches shorter than the other. Did I forget to count? Yup, looks that way!
While watching House last night (my Hugh Laurie crush deepens) I discovered that following a pattern can be much easier than struggling with your own interpretation.I think I'll leave improvisation to the kitchen for the time being. I almost finished the left front side of the cardigan and only screwed up (or only noticed that I'd screwed up) once doing a K2tog rather than a SSK (blame Hugh for distracting me).
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Book interlude
And yet another interlude before I get to the long, yet relatively simple recipe.
I have to report on a fine read recommended by Eva--Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright. I picked up the book from the library on Friday evening and finished it Saturday evening. I'm not recommending it merely because it is speedy (though the format--letters and journal entries--does make for quick reading) but because it was an excellent read and it has joined the ranks of my recommended books.
It started off with a set-up I thought I knew, stable older sister who stays in the small town in Ontario, wilder younger sister who seeks her fortune in NYC, but it managed to surprise and delight and show how the "safer" choice can sometimes be the much riskier one. The three main character's voices were so clear and distinct and the author didn't play favorites--despite the initial indications that the younger sister is going to be flighty and annoying, he manages to keep her spirit intact and still show her depth of character and feeling. And the older sister has a wry sarcasm that alleviates any preachyness.
Normally I wouldn't have had the opportunity to start and finish a book in 24 hours, butSaturday I had a strange headache--not quite a migraine but something that rendered me pretty damn non-functional. I'm still not quite sure what the hell it was or why it descended like a cloud, but after fighting it in the morning I gave in and retreated to a darkened bedroom (and was relieved and grateful that Brian was free to manage the rugrats). Reading the book was one thing I could do (no knitting, no cooking, and no writing) so read it I did.
I also recently finished Madeline is Sleeping, another of the National Book Award finalists from last year. Blech. Magical realism with no point. Showy and gimmicky. I also made a stab at the last NBA finalist, Florida by Christine Schutt and found it so unpleasant that I gave up after 50 pages. So now that I have read four and attempted to get into the fifth of the finalists and only could stand one of the books, (Joan Silber's Ideas of Heaven which I loved), I'm not sure what to make of Rick Moody (the head judge that year) and his criteria for good fiction. I am relieved to know that it wasn't simple misogyny that inspired critic's objections to the chosen authors, though there was way too much implied sexism for me to feel comfortable saying that I agree wholeheartedly with the critiques many major critics wrote.
On a much more positive note, an author I admire, David Maine, just published his second novel, Fallen. I loved his first book, The Preservationist, which is a retelling of Noah and the flood--gritty and funny in the telling but surprisingly beautiful in the end. His new book stays with biblical source and focuses on Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. It also employs a reverse narrative which I love, but which I think is incredibly difficult to pull off. Charles Baxter's First Light is an example of the narrative moving back in time where it really works. Janet Maslin in the NYTimes thought that it worked in Fallen too--she also called the book "quirky" and "delectable" which bodes very well indeed.
I have to report on a fine read recommended by Eva--Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright. I picked up the book from the library on Friday evening and finished it Saturday evening. I'm not recommending it merely because it is speedy (though the format--letters and journal entries--does make for quick reading) but because it was an excellent read and it has joined the ranks of my recommended books.
It started off with a set-up I thought I knew, stable older sister who stays in the small town in Ontario, wilder younger sister who seeks her fortune in NYC, but it managed to surprise and delight and show how the "safer" choice can sometimes be the much riskier one. The three main character's voices were so clear and distinct and the author didn't play favorites--despite the initial indications that the younger sister is going to be flighty and annoying, he manages to keep her spirit intact and still show her depth of character and feeling. And the older sister has a wry sarcasm that alleviates any preachyness.
Normally I wouldn't have had the opportunity to start and finish a book in 24 hours, butSaturday I had a strange headache--not quite a migraine but something that rendered me pretty damn non-functional. I'm still not quite sure what the hell it was or why it descended like a cloud, but after fighting it in the morning I gave in and retreated to a darkened bedroom (and was relieved and grateful that Brian was free to manage the rugrats). Reading the book was one thing I could do (no knitting, no cooking, and no writing) so read it I did.
I also recently finished Madeline is Sleeping, another of the National Book Award finalists from last year. Blech. Magical realism with no point. Showy and gimmicky. I also made a stab at the last NBA finalist, Florida by Christine Schutt and found it so unpleasant that I gave up after 50 pages. So now that I have read four and attempted to get into the fifth of the finalists and only could stand one of the books, (Joan Silber's Ideas of Heaven which I loved), I'm not sure what to make of Rick Moody (the head judge that year) and his criteria for good fiction. I am relieved to know that it wasn't simple misogyny that inspired critic's objections to the chosen authors, though there was way too much implied sexism for me to feel comfortable saying that I agree wholeheartedly with the critiques many major critics wrote.
On a much more positive note, an author I admire, David Maine, just published his second novel, Fallen. I loved his first book, The Preservationist, which is a retelling of Noah and the flood--gritty and funny in the telling but surprisingly beautiful in the end. His new book stays with biblical source and focuses on Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. It also employs a reverse narrative which I love, but which I think is incredibly difficult to pull off. Charles Baxter's First Light is an example of the narrative moving back in time where it really works. Janet Maslin in the NYTimes thought that it worked in Fallen too--she also called the book "quirky" and "delectable" which bodes very well indeed.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Quirky photo interlude
While I am attempting to type in a ridiculously long recipe (for what turns out to be a relatively simple-to-assemble dish) I leave you with a link to some of the most whimsical, lovely food-and-tiny-toy tableaus:
http://mapage.noos.fr/minimiam/go.htm
John emailed me with these last week and I have been repeatedly visiting them when I need a dose of whimsy.
Note--the site is in French but is manageable even if you don't read the language. If you have trouble navigating it, here are a few tips: Once you get past the intro page (just a fancy script with some pretty dots and French text floating around) there is a small dark gray dot at the lower right hand corner of your screen. It brings up the site menu--go to the "Galerie" listing and click on a subset for a tour of the photos. Small arrows down by the dark gray dot allow you to navigate the photos.
http://mapage.noos.fr/minimiam/go.htm
John emailed me with these last week and I have been repeatedly visiting them when I need a dose of whimsy.
Note--the site is in French but is manageable even if you don't read the language. If you have trouble navigating it, here are a few tips: Once you get past the intro page (just a fancy script with some pretty dots and French text floating around) there is a small dark gray dot at the lower right hand corner of your screen. It brings up the site menu--go to the "Galerie" listing and click on a subset for a tour of the photos. Small arrows down by the dark gray dot allow you to navigate the photos.
Friday, September 16, 2005
La maison de l'urine
Yep, that's right, I don't live in Urinetown, but I do inhabit the house of pee.
It has been a trying couple of days here on Summit Street--Ian spiked a fever on Tuesday night and so has been home from school for the past two days. Day 1 wasn't so bad--lots of juice, naps and any video he wanted (Wallace and Gromit 5 times in a row--yes, we know there is a Wallace and Gromit movie coming out soon) kept him pretty content and meant I had a little time to give Fiona the attention she demands these days.
Day 2 was a different story. Ian was still a little sick so I couldn't send him to school, but he was well enough to raise hell and demand a lot of attention. And Fiona was feeling about as stir crazy as I was and frustrated that her needs kept being put aside. So what did she do? Pee of course!
This kid has been completely potty trained for at least a month now, with hardly an accident. But yesterday she decided to pee on the floor and each time very near the urine receptacle. Intentional? You betcha! In the morning she stood and peed right next to her potty downstairs with a look of defiance firmly plastered on her face, and in the afternoon she went in the bathroom and purposely peed right next to the toilet. I know, I should have picked up that she wanted some more attention after the first incident so in a way it is my own damn fault that I live in La maison de l'urine.
But wait! That isn't all the pee! Our aging dog Sylvie (the dog with 9 lives since every month or so we think she will have to be put down and then she makes a miraculous recovery) decided that yesterday would be the day to try incontinence. Moments after cleaning up Fiona's second gusher, I went in our bedroom and there was Sylvie lying down quite unperturbed in a big puddle of her own urine. I think the most disturbing thing for me was how she didn't seem to mind it--she has been a dog with almost human emotions and in the past you could see her embarrassment and shame at any accident. This time it hardly seemed to register. I got her downstairs (which meant her sodden fur dripped pee all the way down the stairs, through the hall and dining room to the back door) and outside. Then I spent the next hour or so with lots of paper towels and Murphy's Oil Soap.
To say I was in a lousy mood by this time would be an understatement. I plopped the kids on the couch with a large supply of kiddy-cocaine (a.k.a. Goldfish crackers) and juice, turned on a Thomas video and retreated to my now urine-free bedroom.
And then I realized how good it would feel to rip out some knitting. (You were wondering how this would get back to one of my 4 obsessions, yes?) Remember how yesterday I said "no way in hell" would I rip out the long rows of the Ribby cardigan even though I was pretty sure I had messed up the decreases? Well, there I was in hell (which, by the way, has the acrid smell of pee) and rip away I did.
It took the length of one Thomas video to rip out what I had done and get it all back on the needles. The Denise interchangeable needles proved to be a boon in this exercise because I could detach portions of the needle and rip out sections separately without having the whole damn thing unraveling at once. I'm not entirely sure that I got everything back on the correct row (I may have ripped a row or two lower on one side than the other) but by then I really didn't give a damn. I went downstairs and put in another Thomas video (and appreciated the glazed, dull look my children get when they watch way too much TV in a day. Glazed and dull was just the state I striving for.) and then went back up and tried re-knitting the decreases. When the second-shift child-care worker (a.k.a. Brian) came home, I wasn't far enough along to tell whether the new decreases looked any better than the old ones or if I had messed up the sweater in a new and different way. But at least I had had a little ripping therapy.
It may be raining outside today, but here is to hoping that it is dry inside my house.
It has been a trying couple of days here on Summit Street--Ian spiked a fever on Tuesday night and so has been home from school for the past two days. Day 1 wasn't so bad--lots of juice, naps and any video he wanted (Wallace and Gromit 5 times in a row--yes, we know there is a Wallace and Gromit movie coming out soon) kept him pretty content and meant I had a little time to give Fiona the attention she demands these days.
Day 2 was a different story. Ian was still a little sick so I couldn't send him to school, but he was well enough to raise hell and demand a lot of attention. And Fiona was feeling about as stir crazy as I was and frustrated that her needs kept being put aside. So what did she do? Pee of course!
This kid has been completely potty trained for at least a month now, with hardly an accident. But yesterday she decided to pee on the floor and each time very near the urine receptacle. Intentional? You betcha! In the morning she stood and peed right next to her potty downstairs with a look of defiance firmly plastered on her face, and in the afternoon she went in the bathroom and purposely peed right next to the toilet. I know, I should have picked up that she wanted some more attention after the first incident so in a way it is my own damn fault that I live in La maison de l'urine.
But wait! That isn't all the pee! Our aging dog Sylvie (the dog with 9 lives since every month or so we think she will have to be put down and then she makes a miraculous recovery) decided that yesterday would be the day to try incontinence. Moments after cleaning up Fiona's second gusher, I went in our bedroom and there was Sylvie lying down quite unperturbed in a big puddle of her own urine. I think the most disturbing thing for me was how she didn't seem to mind it--she has been a dog with almost human emotions and in the past you could see her embarrassment and shame at any accident. This time it hardly seemed to register. I got her downstairs (which meant her sodden fur dripped pee all the way down the stairs, through the hall and dining room to the back door) and outside. Then I spent the next hour or so with lots of paper towels and Murphy's Oil Soap.
To say I was in a lousy mood by this time would be an understatement. I plopped the kids on the couch with a large supply of kiddy-cocaine (a.k.a. Goldfish crackers) and juice, turned on a Thomas video and retreated to my now urine-free bedroom.
And then I realized how good it would feel to rip out some knitting. (You were wondering how this would get back to one of my 4 obsessions, yes?) Remember how yesterday I said "no way in hell" would I rip out the long rows of the Ribby cardigan even though I was pretty sure I had messed up the decreases? Well, there I was in hell (which, by the way, has the acrid smell of pee) and rip away I did.
It took the length of one Thomas video to rip out what I had done and get it all back on the needles. The Denise interchangeable needles proved to be a boon in this exercise because I could detach portions of the needle and rip out sections separately without having the whole damn thing unraveling at once. I'm not entirely sure that I got everything back on the correct row (I may have ripped a row or two lower on one side than the other) but by then I really didn't give a damn. I went downstairs and put in another Thomas video (and appreciated the glazed, dull look my children get when they watch way too much TV in a day. Glazed and dull was just the state I striving for.) and then went back up and tried re-knitting the decreases. When the second-shift child-care worker (a.k.a. Brian) came home, I wasn't far enough along to tell whether the new decreases looked any better than the old ones or if I had messed up the sweater in a new and different way. But at least I had had a little ripping therapy.
It may be raining outside today, but here is to hoping that it is dry inside my house.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
a lack of photographic evidence....
I made chocolate peanut butter ice cream the other day and for some strange reason, I have no photographic evidence of the stuff! It really is so damn good that I keep forgetting to photograph it--I'm far too intent on getting it in my mouth.
I used the chocolate ice cream recipe from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book (which I really like. I have the library copy but I need to buy my own copy.) This time I had organic heavy cream and organic milk in the house and I think it made a difference--the creaminess factor is even more apparent. Once the ice cream was finished in the machine (soft serve consistency) I layered it in the tupperware storage container with some natural peanut butter. This peanut butter happened to be too liquidy for good sandwich making (it was Trader Joe's basic stuff which usually is a bit firmer but must have been made from a particularly oily batch of peanuts) but it was the perfect pouring consistency for layering with the ice cream. After a few hours it was ready for scooping and man is it ever good.
I do have some photos of other things I've been up to. First, to stay on the food subject, here are some shrimp I made the other night:
They were really easy, which is always a plus. The only time consuming part was threading them on the skewers and that could be made less onerous (though more expensive) by buying bigger shrimp. I bought frozen shrimp that had already been shelled and deveined so the prep was particularly fast. Here's a basic recipe taken from a Cook's Illustrated e-mail newsletter:
Spicy Grilled Shrimp
I used the chocolate ice cream recipe from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book (which I really like. I have the library copy but I need to buy my own copy.) This time I had organic heavy cream and organic milk in the house and I think it made a difference--the creaminess factor is even more apparent. Once the ice cream was finished in the machine (soft serve consistency) I layered it in the tupperware storage container with some natural peanut butter. This peanut butter happened to be too liquidy for good sandwich making (it was Trader Joe's basic stuff which usually is a bit firmer but must have been made from a particularly oily batch of peanuts) but it was the perfect pouring consistency for layering with the ice cream. After a few hours it was ready for scooping and man is it ever good.
I do have some photos of other things I've been up to. First, to stay on the food subject, here are some shrimp I made the other night:
They were really easy, which is always a plus. The only time consuming part was threading them on the skewers and that could be made less onerous (though more expensive) by buying bigger shrimp. I bought frozen shrimp that had already been shelled and deveined so the prep was particularly fast. Here's a basic recipe taken from a Cook's Illustrated e-mail newsletter:Spicy Grilled Shrimp
Serves: 4 to 6
Start to finish: 30 Minutes
Shrimp can be grilled with the shell on or off and can be served hot or at room temperature.
Vegetable Oil
2 pounds large shrimp, deveined
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges (for serving)
1. Turn all the burners to high, close the lid, and heat the grill until very hot, about 15 minutes. Clean and oil the grill. Leave all the burners on high.
2. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels (if using frozen shrimp, the fastest way to thaw them safely is by putting them in a colander and running cold water over them), then rub with 2 tablespoons oil and season with thyme, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne and with salt and pepper to taste. Thread the shrimp onto metal skewers facing all in the same direction so that all will lie flat on the grate (if they seem too loose and spin on the skewer, thread them with a second skewer to secure).
3. Grill the shrimp, covered, until barely charred and bright pink, about 6 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges.
I also have some photos of the Ribby cardigan I'm working on:
Here you see the fronts, sleeves and back all joined together on a really loooooong needle. And yes, that is a big tangle of the 5 balls of yarn that are attached. They remain in that tangled state until the snarl stops my progress and then I try to untangle them which lasts about 5 minutes and then they are all glommed together again.
And here is a close up of the most nerve-wracking part, the join between the sleeves and the body, where all the decreases for the raglan shaping are taking place. I'm pretty sure that I'm doing K2tog and SSK in the opposite place from where they really should be, but I figure as long as I'm consistent, it won't matter that much. I am a complete idiot when it comes to left and right so the logic of left slanting vs right slanting decreases is beyond me. I'm sure this would drive a perfectionist knitter crazy, but thankfully I am a member of the "good enough" knitters. Also, there is no way in hell I'm going to rip out a row that long.
On the reading and writing front, I finished Donna Tartt's The Little Friend. I really liked it with the exception of the ending which struck me as too abrupt, as though the author couldn't really figure out how to let go of the characters or the story.
Right now I am finishing up Madeline is Sleeping, which is still interesting, but not involving. A shallow confession, sometimes I think I continue to read it because I like the cover photo so much. It is a photograph by Lewis Carroll (yes, the Alice author) and it perfectly captures the weird dreamy, fantastical nature of the story. I'm always amazed at how much cover art influences me, especially since I'm not a very visual person. As I mentioned before, the horrible cover art of Carol Shields' The Stone Diaries kept me from such a fantastic book for way too long.
And yes, there is actually some news on the writing front--that is to say, there is the possibility of writing in my near future. Sarah, Ami and I are doing a weekend writing retreat from October 28-30 at the Bluebird Trails B&B in Hillsdale that Lynne highly recommended. We'll leave on a Friday afternoon and have all day Saturday and Sunday sans kids and spouses and pets and phones and other distractions to write. That may not sound like much time to some of you, but in the past 5.5 years, I have only had that much time to myself once. To say I am excited at the prospect of time to think and write is a big understatement.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
blog comments update
After being slammed by a load of comment SPAM a couple of weeks ago I reset the settings on this blog so that only registered users could comment. This seemed to keep the SPAMers away, but sadly it also meant that some other people, whose comments I value, have e-mailed me to let me know that they don't feel comfortable having to register with Blogger in order to comment.
Since one of the things I really value about blogs (as opposed to personal web pages) is the comments portion where dialogue is encouraged--as a Work At Home Mom I have way too many one-sided conversations with the rug rats--I have changed the settings back so that anyone can comment.
If the SPAM comes back in an intense way, I may have to go back to the registered users setting since I can't stand the idea that anyone who comes to my blog has to wade through a clog of (badly written) ads. My feeling is that SPAM limits dialog even more than requiring one to register with a company in order to have one's voice heard. The only trick I can pass on, if I do have to return to the registered users setting, is one that I sometimes use. I have a "junk e-mail" (mine happens to be through Google G-mail, but a Yahoo or Juno or Angelfire or other free, web-based e-mail works just as well) and I am perfectly comfortable using this junk e-mail that contains little to no personal information when companies require me to register with them.
Anyway, here's to hoping that the SPAMers stay away from this little space in the virtual universe.
Since one of the things I really value about blogs (as opposed to personal web pages) is the comments portion where dialogue is encouraged--as a Work At Home Mom I have way too many one-sided conversations with the rug rats--I have changed the settings back so that anyone can comment.
If the SPAM comes back in an intense way, I may have to go back to the registered users setting since I can't stand the idea that anyone who comes to my blog has to wade through a clog of (badly written) ads. My feeling is that SPAM limits dialog even more than requiring one to register with a company in order to have one's voice heard. The only trick I can pass on, if I do have to return to the registered users setting, is one that I sometimes use. I have a "junk e-mail" (mine happens to be through Google G-mail, but a Yahoo or Juno or Angelfire or other free, web-based e-mail works just as well) and I am perfectly comfortable using this junk e-mail that contains little to no personal information when companies require me to register with them.
Anyway, here's to hoping that the SPAMers stay away from this little space in the virtual universe.
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