A Tuesday in January

It's telling that I almost didn't remember the password to Blogger and first I put in the wrong email address.

Here's what I've been doing...

• read all 4 Twilight books in one month
• Christmas, Holidays, etc.
• bemoaning the lack of snow in Central Virginia
• working on my recipe project wherein I rip up five years of back issues of Cooking Light and Bon Appetit in order to make my own cookbook and recycle millions of magazines that have been sitting in a big bin and clogging up my kitchen
• now I'm reading The Historian because Twilight set me off on a mini-vampire kick (nowhere near the extent of my Anne Rice forays of the 90s)
• agonizing over the Kindergarten Decision (boy, summer birthday, September cut-off, etc.)
• agonizing over moving, the timing of, work on the house, etc.
• laundry
• gaining ten pounds over December
• thinking about learning scrapbooking
• doing braids, pigtails, ponytails and barrettes in my almost two-year-old's growing long hair
• cleaning out the house and making many trips to Goodwill--fun!! I think I'm the only one in the house without the packrat gene.

We're Still Here

setting up stuffed animals on the couch cushions


taking walks


and some of us have been spending a little too much time on Facebook--!

Hi! I'm gonna write on my blog later. I think. Won't that be fun.

My Favorite Color is Blue

Obama is here today.

If I hold my breath, will Virginia turn blue with me?

Ha ha...that's my clever/dorky thought of the day.

All I Want

is to lay on the couch and watch Food Network or something for one hour.

I don't think I've had that luxury in a year and a half.

What's Been Goin' On

This is the cake I just made for a friend's 4th birthday. That was a fun one.


Before that, we had our first soccer game. Ever.




Before that, we were in California for my brother's wedding. Elvis officiated. He called me his Priscilla. Although he was an orangey hue, he was a lovely Elvis and my twelve-year-old crush was renewed.


Before that, we went to the beach, where, in true child-form, Zen didn't sleep the whole night in the hotel and, upon taking her to Patient First in the morning, it was discovered that she had a bacterial upper respiratory infection with fluid behind both ear drums. We were to fly out to California in two days.



Before that, we had the big fourth birthday party that went off perfectly and much fun was had by all.

The Omnivore's Hundred

via Ilana Stephens via Itchy Bits


"Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results."

Venison
Nettle tea
Huevos rancheros
Steak tartare
Crocodile
Black pudding
Cheese fondue
Carp
Borscht
Baba ghanoush
Calamari
Pho
PB&J sandwich
Aloo gobi
Hot dog from a street cart
Epoisses
Black truffle
Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
Steamed pork buns
Pistachio ice cream
Heirloom tomatoes
Fresh wild berries
Foie gras
Rice and beans
Brawn, or head cheese
Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
Dulce de leche
Oysters
Baklava
Bagna cauda
Wasabi peas
Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
Salted lassi
Sauerkraut
Root beer float
Cognac with a fat cigar
Clotted cream tea
Vodka jelly/Jell-O
Gumbo
Oxtail
Curried goat
Whole insects
Phaal
Goat's milk
Malt whiskey from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
Fugu
Chicken tikka masala
Eel
Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
Sea urchin
Prickly pear
Umeboshi
Abalone
Paneer
McDonald's Big Mac Meal
Spaetzle
Dirty gin martini
Beer above 8% ABV ? don't know probably not
Poutine
Carob chips
S'mores
Sweetbreads
Kaolin
Currywurst
Durian
Frogs' legs
Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
Haggis
Fried plantain
Chitterlings, or andouillette
Gazpacho
Caviar and blini
Louche absinthe
Gjetost, or brunost
Roadkill
Baijiu
Hostess Fruit Pie
Snail
Lapsang souchong
Bellini
Tom yum
Eggs Benedict
Pocky
Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
Kobe beef
Hare
Goulash
Flowers
Horse
Criollo chocolate
Spam
Soft shell crab
Rose harissa
Catfish
Mole poblano
Bagel and lox
Lobster Thermidor
Polenta
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
Snake

Saturday Morning Something

Friday Fiver

1. Last party you went to?
the 2nd birthday party of the son of a new friend of mine

2. Do you pee in the shower?
no, I certainly do not

3. Have you ever fired a gun?
actually, yes, strange as that is

4. Where do you call home?
Richmond, VA, but Union, NJ, is always in my heart

5. What's your favorite board game?
Quelf and Trivial Pursuit

First Pigtails!

She walks, she talks (sentences! well, like, "Here you go, Mommy," and "Let go!" and Go get!") and she has huge feet. I just got her size 6 sandals yesterday. And she's two pounds heavier than Little Guy was at her age. M. says definitely a basketball net is in order when we move to a new house. :)