To You, Tutu

My Tutu's funeral is today.  I wish I could be there to celebrate her life.  Also, the party will be fantastic!  (Tutu always loves a good party, she'll just be sad she missed it.) 
I wish I could be there with my dad and brother.  Aunts, uncles, cousins.

Since I can't be there, I'll share Tutu with you.  Here are two recipes off the top of my head that Tutu taught me while I was in college.

Garlic Chicken
mince 1 head of garlic
mix with a lot of salt
rub mixture between the skin and flesh and in the cavity of a whole chicken
bake covered 350 about an hour or until it falls off the bone
the meat tastes great on sandwiches

Cheap Yakisoba
parboil 2-3 packages of ramen noodles
chop one or two chicken breasts into bite size pieces.  Stir fry
add
finely chopped yakisoba vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, onion
 add ramen noodles. 
add 1 or 2 of the spice packets for flavoring

I owe Jesse a shout out.  First of all, he is usually awesome about eating whatever I cook.  Second, he removed the decomposing tree rat that had met its death underneath our front porch.  And when I asked him if he needed any help (knowing full well that I really meant, oh please don't make me help you), he said "I've got it."

Leaves are Falling

Did you think of us when you heard about that awful storm on Tuesday?  Did you think, "I hope Bekah's not riding her bike home from the gym while a tornado watch is in effect and her kids are hunkered down in the hallway of their school."

Mermaid suggested that a television might be a wise investment so that we can be on top of local news such as tornado watches, etc.  I think that it might have been nice if one of the guys at the gym would have mentioned that we were under a tornado watch and maybe I should just stay put for a little bit.

Of course we are all fine and dandy.  We're still not buying a television.  But here are a few leaves that are still stuck to their trees, even after 45 mph gusts that didn't knock me off my bike either.  How is fall treating you in your neck of the woods?

Halloween in Theory

 I have a little theory about Halloween and towns.  The more economically depressed the town, the more ecstatic they get about Halloween.  They spend more money on costumes, decorations, and candy than say, Irvine.  I think one reason is that there is no social stigma in a small town for turning your front lawn into a graveyard with skeletons emerging from the ground.  Or having evil demon like wraiths floating in front of your front door (there are two of these in the neighborhood).

I'm not complaining or judging.  If anything, I'm enjoying myself a little too much.   I must say that Indiana takes the cake (or the candy corn).  We have had to turn down several party invitations because they conflict, or it's really just too many for one week.  Oh, and since it's a small Christian town, trick or treating will be on Saturday night, not Sunday.  Cool, huh?

I bought a schmaltzy Cleopatra costume from Target.  Jesse doesn't want to match me.  Oh well.  The kids were instructed to make use of the costume bin and the dollar store.  I believe there will be lots of wings, makeup and glow sticks involved in their dress up.  Can't wait to post pictures! 

So do you LOVE Halloween?  How do you celebrate without it getting too gruesome?

Scary Pumpkins

Aren't they, though?  We have some over active squirrels in our neighborhood who have been munching on our pumpkins.  M carved this guy out on Sunday, only to have his eyes and nose grotesquely enlarged by said rodent. 

Now we have them in the house, but with a warm spell, the fruit flies are attacking them.  It's a sad year for the pumpkins. 

Unappreciated vs Reviled. Hmm. Hard choice.

I wouldn't call it a cooking kick, exactly.  More like I'm thinking about cooking some new dishes.  I'm thinking, "hey.  I like to eat.  I like good food.  I like to cook.  This could be fun." 

Then I start looking at cookbooks.  Jesse bought me Quick Vegetarian Pleasures because he so adores meat free meals.  Small problem.  The family acts indignant if I put pasta in front of them, the kids hate potatoes, and vegetables are only good for rearranging on their plate.  I have found two recipes that may pass muster.  One for enchiladas (everyone will complain it's too spicy. wimps.)  And another for vegetable couscous, which Jesse will like but the kids will detest. 

And now I remember why I don't cook.  I am completely unappreciated when I do and even more reviled when I don't.  Who wants cold cereal tonight?

My First Le Creuset

Trader Buck's flea market.  Does it need an explanation?  Just imagine an indoor flea market with tons of booths, lots of junk, and a few decent finds.  Like this beauty.  Le Creuset enameled cast iron casserole pan a little chipped on one side, so just seven bucks.  I made some mac and cheese in it, but just thought that some puffy pancakes would be awesome since the pan would get super hot and give the pancakes a nice crunch on the bottom.  Hmm.  I will report on that later. 

Last Sunday

Last Sunday when Jesse was gone I took the kids to the park.  It was...enlightening.  I always love dangerous playground equipment.  The kids came so close to getting slammed so many times, it made my heart sing. (This is what happens when you have two sedate girls.  You look forward to injuries.)

We don't get out that much, so we forget that not everyone works at the university.  Lots of smoking, lots of swearing, a few conversations about how the female speaker could totally beat up several different people (both male and female).  Do you know how much it warms my heart to know I could raise my kids in the midwest equivalent of Roseburg?

Children's Museum of Indiana

I love going on excursions with the kids.  Really.  I do.  I like exploring new places, checking our museums and parks, even cruising down the aisles of the international market is fun with them.  So last Friday we went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum.  The kids uncovered dinosaur bones, touched real fossils, saw the trains (couldn't help thinking of Antique's Roadshow), and rode the carousel.  There was also a really neat modern Egypt exhibit and a Barbie exhibit where the girls got to dress up, play fashion designer, and look at vintage Barbies. 

Childrens Museum

It's a little photo, but I'm trying to learn how to use Lightroom and haven't figured out how to export a full size picture.  Gotta love all this free time at night.  Really, I hate it.  These are shots from the Childrens Museum of Indianapolis.  My favorite exhibit had a rotating reclining couch that looked up at all of these blown glass shapes. Visual candy.

To Jesse

Perhaps a random assortment of photos, but just a few of the ways that Jesse is so wonderful. Washes (and expertly stacks) dishes, insists on purchasing houseplants (even if we're only in a house a few months), Lego extraordinaire. I'm so lucky. Best of luck on your interview. We love you.

Shades, etc

Did I mention that the apples are gone? We made applesauce out of the last 50 lbs, (6 gallons) with our friends last weekend. I left most of it with them. The kids keep asking to bring more home, but refuse to eat what we have. Go figure.

We also went on a little walkie in SHADES OF DEATH State Park. Well, it's just called Shades these days...but with Halloween coming up, it's so fun to go somewhere with Death in the name.

Jesse is getting ready for his interview. I'm so supportive, I've actually offered to iron and starch his shirts. It's going to be a long six days with him gone. Hopefully, I can keep it all together. I bet the kids are hoping the same thing. I bet they're also banking on Mommy getting overwhelmed just enough to take them to McD's.

In other news, Mermaid has learned the joys of shopping online at Amahzon. Emphasis on the mah. She reads the reviews to let us know that "these dolls come highly recommended." She's been so computer illiterate, that it's good she's learning to navigate a little better online. But she wants a debit card.

Also, Monkey now takes books to "read" on the bus. She read Winnie the Pooh last week. Our discussion of the book was enlightening on my part. "I get confused with what's going on sometimes because I skip the words I don't know." That would be anything but three letter words, fyi. One of the kids next to her wanted her to prove that she can't read by reading out loud. She said, "I don't know how to read out loud, yet!" (with an implied "duh!") She finished Winne the Pooh and has moved onto another book. I'm afraid that I won't believe her when she does learn to read.

How's your week going?

Sunday Stroll

On one of the last hot days of the year, we took a walk/bike ride around campus. The Monkey tried to bike down some stairs. Unsuccessful.
The trees are beginning to change. And we found, a week too late, a pawpaw tree right on campus. We were able to save about 10 of them, but most had rotted on the ground. Such a shame. Next year our friends will be sure to harvest them in our honor.the harvest this year.

Pop! Goes the canning jar. So yesterday was my strike. Today I watched three hours of Hulu television while I cored/peeled/sliced with the new gadget. One bag of dried apples, one apple crisp, one quart and six pints of apple butter later...

I'm thinking about my friend at the New Yorker festival this weekend. I am so envious. I got my first New Yorker in 1994. It took me a year or two, but the advertisements for the festival made me itching to go. All those stories. All those authors. I can't wait to live vicariously through our friend. I can't wait to hear...everything.

So I admit. I've started. Wait for it. Writing again. Nothing huge right now. Just warming up. A few thoughts here and there worth keeping, but mostly drivel. I do believe there is a story or two inside me. All the quiet time with nothing but me and the apples helped me remember. Scary and exciting all at once.

Apple Strike

I've been on apple strike today. I've walked past them several times, glared, then raised my nose in disgust. I am no slave to those apples. Even if my fingernails are dyed brown. Even if I've lost count of how much apple product I've canned this week.

I'm making sauce on Tuesday with my friend. A Lot of Apple Sauce. Because there are A Lot of Apples.

I'm beginning to hate apples.