Chris ran out for some dinner groceries. I was planting a vine maple in the yard. I looked through the dining room window and saw Elena streak by, giggling, with Sylvan in pursuit, marker in hand. Uh-oh.
"Mom, she's a cheetah getting ready for the carnival."
No, it wasn’t a Sharpie.
Because She-who-shall-not-be-named gave me a hard time about not posting anything but granola for nearly a month, here are some photos of our recent days.
The chalk drawings before the addition of potty words
Wishful thinking: Pahd Thai for dinner (that happened), playdate with Robbie next Saturday (we'll probably be at the beach...)
Snacktime on a bridge!
Master Young Raccoon was attempting to enter our garage when Chris spotted him
I’d been paying too much for granola. Organic, yes, but expensive, too. $8.50 a pound, locally made. Armed with a little information, I knew I could make granola just as tasty for much less money.
I started with an experimental batch, in which I just made up amounts and threw some of this and some of that in. It was overcooked, but even my fussy son ate it. So, I checked out this Serious Eats post and slideshow on making granola, and my two batches since then have been superb. If you want to experiment, I highly recommend their slideshow.
This was the recipe for my latest version:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet with a lip (I haven’t greased it, and it only stuck the time I overcooked.). Bake at 300°F for 50 minutes, scrambling every 10 minutes with a spatula (get everything off the bottom of the pan and re-spread). When you take the pan out, the granola won’t be crispy yet, but it will be once it’s cool. Serve with last year’s blueberries from the freezer and some plain yogurt. Mmmm.
I don’t recommend flax seeds in the mix; they have a pretty strong taste. This is why I haven’t used olive oil either, but that might be fine. I don’t know what the price per pound of this granola is, but almonds, at $6/pound, are my most expensive ingredient. So this costs me far less than when I bought granola.
Enjoy.
When I arrived to pick up Elena at school on Wednesday, she and her teacher were both wearing paper crowns they had made. They were having a highly intellectual discussion that went something like this:
Elena: “I da king.”
Lori: “No, I’m the king.”
Elena: “No, I da king.”
Lori: “No, *I’m* the king.”
Elena: “No, *I* da king.”
Elena da king.
I’m in no rush, because I plan to last a century, but I might as well get started. My ongoing “bucket list” has some overlap with the Top Ten Natural Places I Want to Visit. In brainstorming order, my undoubtedly incomplete list:
I’m a bit distressed by the amount of fossil fuel that the travel on my list would consume. I have considered biking to the base of the highest points in each of the 50 states, then hiking…
A Few Things I’ve Already Done That Would Be On My Bucket List Otherwise
Elena: “I want some tape.”
Chris: “You want some masking tape, with writing on it?”
Elena: “Yes.”
Chris: “What do you want it to say?”
Elena:
A FISH
Julie and I won two (two!) awards at Chandra and Eric’s always highly anticipated and enjoyable Oscar party tonight.
I was the male winner of the award for best costume, with my interpretation of listless Oscar co-host James Franco’s interpretation of Aron Ralston, the guy who (spoiler alert!) cut off his arm after being trapped under a rock for a few days. And if you think that’s on the wrong side of tasteful, do I have to remind you of my Steve Irwin Halloween costume, donned just weeks after his unfortunate incident with the ray? Oy!
P.S. Don’t ask what’s in the Nalgene bottle.
Julie just missed with her spot-on Holly Golightly outfit (note Cat and cigarette holder), but she won the prize for most awards guessed correctly (14 out of 24). Cat is holding her trophy.
Aron Ralston and Holly Golightly at the Academy Awards, Feb 27, 2011
For those of you who aren’t in Eugene, here’s a link to all of the South University Neighborhood Association’s painted fire hydrants. If you click on a photo, you might get a little more information about the artist.
The good news: The young woman who had a heart attack while we were at Bounce last week is alive and recovering. CPR really does perfuse bodily tissues with oxygen. When definitive care is close, it can buy you enough time. It bought her enough time.
More good news: A woman, a first grade teacher, retired after 30 years, told me the other day at the pool that she appreciated the way I was speaking to my children. I smiled and thanked her. “No, thank YOU,” she said. I have my naturopath, Dr. Bove, to thank for my newly discovered calm.
Even more good news: My goal for the 25K Hagg Lake mud run today was between 2:43-3 hours and to place within the top half of my age group and gender. My time? 2:42. I placed 8th of 32 women aged 35-39, and 117 of 267 overall. Can I tell you how much ankle-deep mud can slow a person down? I should have run in cleats. Or crampons. I only fell three times. The winner fell five. See, he was going for it more than I.
I didn't lose my shoes! Good gaiters.
And, finally, 1974. My love and I went to Rita Honka’s 50th! birthday party on Friday. We decided that 70s attire wasn’t optional.
Polyester Couple