I remember: Bonus 2nd post

Success! Slow pumpkin seeds ... really, really slow.

Did the jack-o-lantern thing yesterday.

Cleaned guts from the seeds and soaked them in a brine for 16 hours ... adding salt as time went along until the water was saturated with salt.

Drained and rinsed the seeds, placed them on a cooking sheet.

Set the oven at 250 degrees, and forgot about them until shortly after 1 p.m.

tested a few, not bad, shut the oven off, but left the seeds in 'round 2 pm..

Then, as I started dinner at 4:30 (forgot the seeds were in there) with a preheat of the oven (350 degrees), I smelled them, they then browned to the color sees are supposed to be.

Good eating.

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Last one: it was me being slow, I finally utilized the Sage blog feed reader thing that Elle told me to download months ago.

Frankly, I like it.

Slow discoveries ...

One thing that I hate, being unable to drink milk or consume it on a regular basis (ixnay on the ice reamcay, too), is the lack of options for breakfast.

Well, it totally puts the hamper on oatmeal, or at least it did. I'm not a fan of the sticky goo that oatmeal becomes when it is heated over the stove.

Last year, a friend of mine told me that he soaks his steel cut oats overnight with raisins, figs and a few other things. Then, he heats it in the microwave in the morning.

I found it to be interesting.

So, the other day Kurka tells me he does the same. Huh. Must me good.

I mixed the oatmeal per the directions on the bag: 1/2 c oats to 1 c of water with some raisins and dried blueberries.

It worked, but there was too much water the next day. The texture, though, was EXACTLY what I like ... individual oats, not clumpy, starchy globs. I think it's more beneficial for digestion, too.

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We get our vegetables from Pioneer organics. Great program, keeps us in the veggies throughout these non-veggie months. (drop me an e-mail if you want to get in on the action, we get discounts for referrals)

Two weeks ago, we received my favorite type of potato in our delivery. Fingerling potatoes are great broiled, roasted and made into potato chips.

So, I cut them in 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. I sprayed the pan with olive oil, laid them out, then sprayed them on top with olive oil as well. A sprinkle of Kosher salt, and it was ready to pop into my standard temperature oven (350 degrees).

Because of the variance in thickness, they needed to be monitored. I pulled them out as they turned brown.

More salt, and they were done.

Delicious.

(Thanks to EGV for putting this thought into my head.)

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There was something else, but I forgot.

I might be shamed ...

I'm a bad parent tonight.

A bad 1980s - style parent who sees it fit to serve Hamburger Helper parent.

Honestly, once a year I make something from the box of white glove.

By its one-dimensional cookbook printed conveniently on the backside.

I've never been a fan of a talking glove. Especially now that it is CGI. blech. The puppet was much better.

So, I guess the quality of the product might have caught up with the quality of the character that graces its packaging.

Maybe not.

It's not done yet.

At least it is better than Spaghetti-Os and baloney.

That's another post.

Conversations with the 5 year old

Scene: Interior '89 blue Camry, interior a bit worn, but kept up, floor slightly cluttered with 'kid debris', talk radio plays in the background. 5 year-old in the back seat. Father driving.

Radio is barely heard, though it is clear that the news break at the top of the hour said, "George Bush".

5YO: Dad, is George Bush evil?

Father: (Internal monologue voice over) How do I answer that one? Nearly 3900 killed, no WMDs, internal memos showing domestic spying before Iraq ... big corporations turning over phone records, Federal Attorneys being fired ... (Out loud): Is there any reason why you would say he's evil?

5YO: You remember those guys on that mountain? That he killed?

Father: What mountain?

5YO: The one we saw with the water slides. You remember ...

Father (Internal monologue voice over) water slides? Dead guys on a mountain? Not Ruby Ridge, he's too young for that ... crap. Searching searching ... oh yeah ... Mount Rushmore?

5YO: Yeah, those guys.

Father: (Internal monologue voice over) Dude, I guess you're right, he did kill them, well the ideals enshrined in the Constitution at least that each of them stood for ... a government of, by and for We the People ... Well, technically, they died long before he was born, remember?

5YO: Oh, yeah.

Father: Grocery store?

5YO: Sure.

Random update

Um, two political things.

Adults can be like teenagers, but it's worse because they've been that way for 30+ years.

Kids are nice.

Conversation enhancer

Tonight chickadee was giving very, very good advice.

I need to emphasize that: CHICKADEE WAS GIVING VERY, VERY GOOD ADVICE.

I turned my mind off of the content and just listened ... adding "in your pants" to the dialouge every five to six words.

To me, it was very, very good and very funny advice.

Just a link

Soviet Poster per Day.

Kurka

Again today, I get a phone call.

Usually it's on a Tuesday late morning. Today is not without an exception.

"(papatacoman) this is Kurka. I have a bag for you, when you get some time, just come to the front door and get it."

It's been that way for the past 6 weeks.

The bag? It's a bag of bread, and he gets a kick out of calling me and seeing that my "kiddos have some food to eat for the week".

He knows that it's not easy around here, and the $15 of bread he gives us each week is well used, and eaten with thankful hearts.

I'll share more of this 92 year old blessing that lives down the street in the future.

Advice for those thinking about gettin' married

Make sure your spouse can make good ipod lists for working in the yard.

Or in the house.

Thank you chickadee!

Success

6 a.m.

Check.

Chickadee going for a walk.

Check.

Asked if I want newspaper while I'm gettin' e-mail and stuff.

Check.

Good toss / bad catch?

Check. Check.

No coffee.

Laptop okay today.

Quick trip and post

Went to Fred Meyer (so you know, it really, really irks me when people use the possessive of that name). It's Fred Meyer. No 's' on the end. Okay. I wince when I hear people say it that way.

The trip was mainly to get some relief from the kids, get five year old some medicine and some hooks.

A lady in the home furnishing aisle, window treatments I believe, was leaning over kissing her 18 month or so old on the neck where it joins the shoulder.

At that age, up to about 3 and one half I did that to my kids.

Today, though I wanted to say, "Hey lady! Please don't eat the baby."

I don't know why, I just wanted to.

Also, I found the last copy of Transformers the movie in the places that I usually shop. I've promised my son it for about 4 months, and have now succeeded.

Phew.

chickadee is great

I like busses and buses in the morning.

Now, I'm not be redundant. Busses are kisses. It's a simple way to remember the plural of bus. Two "s" is a kiss.

It comes from Middle English as a form of bassen, meaning to kiss. Well, at least that's what Webster says.

Buses are, well, great to not putting wear and tear on the car, help to avoid parking fines, etc.

Today, I had one clingy two-year old, a 6 year old needing to do home work and a 5 year old with a head cold. The last of which makes me incredibly twitchy, as for the past two years when he has this type of cold he ends up in the hospital for a day or two. So I'm keeping him home today so he can recover and not end up with "the asthma" (as he says).

Two year old woke up early today ... 5:30 a.m. early ... and those of you who know chickadee, you know that's early (though she's gotten better this last year of a 'normal' job).

Plus, today is laundry day, and with the sick kiddo that means church night tonight might be called off for our small family.

So chickadee is running out the door, 2 year old crying, my egg is slowly colding on the plate (not cooling, mind you it's just getting COLD), 5 year old is coughing, and I'm trying to write notes to excuse me from tutoring reading today in 6 year old's class. Oh, and I need to straighten the livingroom, take advantage of the sun and clean the back yard of its summer stuff ... and ... and ... yeah, gutters need to be cleaned.

Problem?

Yeah.

Not 3 minutes later, chickadee comes back home. Missed the bus.

THANK GOODNESS.

She cuddled 2 year old and 6 year old got to read homework.

That gave me time to arrange for 6 year old to walk with a neighbor and that made all the difference.

Thank you for missing the bus, chickadee.

Oh, and as a treat for missing the bus she now has faster home internet. Mainly because we need the bandwidth for our phone, ask me about it, if we refer you and us get 2 months for free, which would be nice.