Thai Chicken Pizza

I told you we were into pizza lately.  In fact I'm making them so fast that I can't keep up with the postings.  This one here was passed on to me from a friend but I think she got it from California Pizza Kitchen (which we don't have here in Alaska, sadly). At least, that's what she told me and she's very reliable when it comes to recipes.

Grace said it was her favorite pizza and I'd give it an A myself.  I guess that's what happens when you marry Thai and Italian cuisine.  Heh.

For sauce:
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons water

For pizza:
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pizza dough
cornmeal or flour, for handling
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 green onions, slivered diagonally
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in thin slices
½ cup white bean sprouts
¼ cup shredded carrot
1 tablespoon chopped roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine sauce ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently for one minute. Divide into 2 portions for use on chicken and pizza; set aside.

To make Thai chicken: Cook the chicken in olive oil over med-high heat, stirring, until just cooked; 5 to 6 minutes do not overcook. Set aside in refrigerator until chilled through. Once chilled, coat the chicken with 1/2 cup sauce. Set aside in refrigerator.

To make the pizza spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over pizza dough within the rim. Cover sauce with 1 cup cheese. Distribute half the chicken pieces over the cheese followed by the green onions, pepper strips, bean sprouts, and carrots. Sprinkle an additional 1 cup cheese over the toppings and end with 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts.

Transfer the pizza to oven; bake 18-20 minutes.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro over the hot cheesy surface.

***

Congratulations to Shannon of Emmetsburg, Iowa for winning the Galloping Goats soap products made with goats' milk.  She's going to love them--I have some myself and they make me very happy!  And thank you to everyone who entered, and for those who leave such nice notes with their entries.  You just make my day.

You Wanna See Something Really Scary?

I don't know how many of you remember that old Twilight Zone movie but the quote seems to fit.  Last night we did something fun that I wanted to share--in fact, it was so fun that it got me up a bit earlier than normal to sit at the computer and type when I could be eating my bowl of Cheerios. That's how fun it was.

There's a local theater troupe called Training Better Artists and as I thought my kids could use some culture in their lives we made it a family outing Friday night to see their production of The Death of Edgar Allen Poe (written by P. Shane Mitchell, Artistic Director).
 
In 1849 at the age of 40, Poe collapsed in a Boston street wearing someone else's clothing and died from alcohol poisoning. The play outlines his brief but curiously brilliant life, highlighting six of his works in a play-within-a-play framework.  The opening prologue (which I refuse to give away) was clever, quickly and cuttingly establishing the mood in a way that was pertinent to the subject matter but also eerily reminiscent of a Greek chorus.  I was particularly thrilled when David (11) leaned over while it was going on and said, "It's supposed to show his madness, isn't it?"

Why yes it is. How good of you to pick up on the metaphor my son! Apparently that public school system is doing its job by you.

The story was as entertaining as you'd expect from highlights such as The Telltale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado and The Masque of the Red Death and I particularly liked the set design and staging, they were able to move so many people around so fluently that the stage was convincingly a dungeon, a bedchamber, a library, a ballroom dance floor and a Boston street. The costumes were excellent, the acting was well-done (particularly from the those playing Poe and his family and those in The Premature Burial, The Cask of Amontillado and The Telltale Heart selections).  There were a couple actors who weren't as adept at voice projection--in The Raven the words come so fluidly and quick that enunciation and projection are critical and it was a little difficult to hear what the narrator said--but luckily I've heard the poem so many times I could recite it alongside (though I did refrain). 

The best thing is the price--while other troupes around town (particularly those performing at the ravenously expensive Performing Arts Center, where you pay half your monthly salary in roof taxes) are completely cost-prohibitive, TBA ticket prices are $5-10 and make it so you can really take the kids out to the theater. It's a great way to introduce them to dramatic arts.  The first time I took my kids they leaned over and whispered, "When are the commercials?" and I knew right then that the experience was long overdue.

But speaking of kids, I'd give you a caution: while most of the TBA productions are aimed at younger audiences this one is not. It is a play that adults and older children will enjoy but younger kids might find too intense (a fact I realized a bit late as the murder and screaming started).  Lillian (8) liked it, found it a bit hard to follow, was slightly freaked out by the occasional piercing scream, but not permanently scarred. I'd recommend it more for ages 11+.

They're performing it again tonight (Saturday) and again on Sunday afternoon at 3, tickets can be purchased at the door. The audience is encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and there is trick-or-treating in the lobby after the show with the cast members.  A treat for sure.

I get excited when you have local talent producing something so entertaining, inexpensive and great for family togetherness so get out there and make it a fun Halloween, support a great local business and support the fine arts all at one time.

And now . . . if you haven't seen this tribute to Poe you've been missing out. (Click on post to view the video, the feed readers aren't picking up the screen).

Happy Halloween!

Bring on the Apples

We have a family tradition of holding taste tests.  Sometimes we'll go for junk food and sample half a dozen different kinds of chocolate or perhaps vanilla ice cream (the best flavor, by the way) but sometimes we'll exert ourselves to be a little healthier and we'll nibble our way through fruits and veggies.

With all the fall produce on sale, I bought one of every kind of apple I could find and we sliced them up and each tried a slice to determine which apples were the best tasting. Out of Braeburn, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jazz, Gala and Fuji we were fairly unified on preferring the Honeycrisp, which received the highest marks overall.  It ranked #1 more often than any other apple though Jazz (which was my personal favorite) was a consistent #1-#2 as well right behind it. Since Honeycrisp are typically the most expensive apple out there I've been happy to get Jazz apples instead for nearly the same taste but with a huge difference in price.

David was the only dissenting opinion on the court, preferring Granny Smith over everything else. He's odd that way. Tart is his thing and I love him nonetheless.

I noticed a nice run-down of apples at Epicurious for a few other varieties that we didn't try.  The only apples that consistently scored low were Red and Golden Delicious. There's irony for you.  Talk about your misnomer.

We've been trying cheeses, one per week, and having fun expanding our gastronomical horizons. So far we've had Beemster, St. Claire and Mahon (at least those are the ones I can remember names for).  Pickles would be fun to test, or olives and mushrooms (though I doubt I could get my non-olive eating family to go for that one).  Any other ideas? I'm very open for anything.

And besides our taste-testing adventures here are a few fun links I've noticed lately:

Big Red Kitchen had a recipe for Garlic Ranch Pretzels. Every word in that title excites my family.

I just bought a new purse from Adeleshop on Etsy and absolutley love it.  She has such pretty, simple designs and I wish this bag weren't already sold out.  She has great sales from time to time too.

Ribbonesia is one of those sites where I say, "That's cute." then do absolutely nothing about it. I don't know that it will inspire you to make hundreds of ribbon creatures but still . . . they're cute, no?

And this . . . this is the ultimate in card-making magic. I can say no more.

How to Mummify Your Chicken

Otherwise Entitled: Because Everyone Needs More Embalmed Fowl in Their Life

My sister, Carinne, has been homeschooling two of her children this year and as part of their study of ancient Egypt they decided to (get this) make their own mummies.

But as full-fledged bodies are a little scarce (even at Halloween) they opted for the more legal and safe method of learning about embalming by mummifying chickens.

Or rather, they used cornish game hens (smaller and easier to manage). When you're dealing with dead animals, smaller is usually better.

You'll need:
1 small chicken (or game hen)
3 boxes baking soda
3 cans baking powder
lots of cans of salt
paper towels
2 large plastic Ziploc bags
protective gloves
rubbing alcohol
scented oil
spices of your choosing
water
white glue
linen strips

Step 1
Put on those gloves. No one wants mad chicken disease. Remove the neck and whatever organs may be included.  You can mummify them separately if you wish but unfortunately the organs will continue to smell even after being treated so you may want to think twice before including those in the project.  Traditionally the heart was mummified then returned to the body cavity while the other organs were put into canopic jars.  Lovely.

Step 2
Wash the bird under hot running water, patting dry with paper towels afterward.  Once dry, wash again using the rubbing alcohol (including inside the body cavity) and pat dry with towels.  This helps decrease bacteria.

Step 3
Combine 1/2 can of baking soda, 1/2 can of baking powder and 2 cans of salt and spices.  The spices are used to cut the rotting smell--I'm sure that was a joy in all that desert heat way back then.  My sister used cinnamon and cloves and said it worked nicely.  Putting baking soda and baking powder with the salt increases the acidity of the mix to more closely resemble the natron salt that the Egyptians used for preservation.

Step 4
Fill the body completely with this salt mixture then dump the rest into a plastic Ziploc bag and stick in that chicken.  The mixture should cover the bird completely--if it doesn't, just add more salt.  Then seal up the bag and double bag it inside another plastic Ziploc bag and seal it. We don't want any chicken stink getting through.

Step 5
Check your chicken every day to see if it's wet.  If it is, dust it off and repeat steps 3 and 4.  You'll probably have to do it after a day or two anyway, then in another couple days after that. It's just life. Or death as the case may be. After the first week you only have to check it every week, taking the same precautions to see that it isn't wet. If it is, repeat steps 3 and 4 just like before. This is why you're going to need so much baking soda, powder and salt.

Step 6
After six whole weeks (it took them less time to hatch than it did to embalm them!) take out the bird and dust it off as much as you can. Then, wet some more paper towels and brush off any remaining powder mixture.  But be sure to dry it again afterward. No wet birds.

Step 7
Rub your scented oils on the chicken, inside and out. You can always add spices to plain oil if you don't want to spend the money on fancy essential oils.

Step 8
Stuff the body cavity with linen or with sawdust. You can add spices to the linen if you'd like.

Step 9
Now you wrap. Tear your linen into 1" strips and dip into a mixture of 2 parts water and 1 part white glue as you wrap your chicken.  Wrap limbs separately then wrap the whole bird together. You'll want 2-3 layers overall. Let it dry.  Apparently in the top photo my nephew didn't have much faith in his water and glue job so he added some Scotch tape.  Very resourceful.  I imagine the Egyptians would have been grateful for some of the stuff themselves.

Step 10
Make a sarcophagus and any amulets you'd care to include. Then bury the beast.

Chicken Rockefeller Pizza

We have been on a huge pizza kick lately.  Well, actually, we've always been on a pizza kick but I finally took a stand and said, "NO MORE PEPPERONI!!!"

Yes, I said it just like that.

In fact, I could go the rest of my life and never eat another piece of pepperoni and would consider my days a success.  We'd fallen into that bitter meat trap and as pepperoni is nearly the only topping everyone could agree on so by default that had become our staple.

But no more.  I told them that it didn't matter if they shriveled and died from the pining but I was instituting a moratorium on any pizza swimming in that nasty pool of red grease. I went out and bought a book on pizza, got some recipes from friends and then picked up the menu from Moose's Tooth (our favorite pizza place on the planet) so I could try and immitate their succulent non-pepperoni varieties.

You see here the Chicken Rockefeller pizza from Moose's Tooth (or rather, my own knock-off) and it was so good I had to restrain myself from just sticking my face right there in the center of the whole thing and digging in instead of waiting for the rest of the group to get to the table.

You will love it.  Fie on pepperoni. A pox on the nasty stuff. I'll be sharing some of our other successes these next few weeks--there are so many great combinations we've tried that I've got weeks of materials.

1 pizza dough recipe (see mine here if you want) 
cornmeal
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons minced red onion
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded chicken
4 pieces crumbled bacon
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped spinach

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle cornmeal on your baking surface then spread out your pizza dough on the surface.

Drizzle olive oil over dough and brush to cover. Sprinkle minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, then spread cream cheese over the crust.  Sprinkle minced red onion then provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan over top and sprinkle remaining toppings as well.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

***

Don't forget to get your favorite avocado recipe posted and into the Taco Night contest running through the end of this week! You've got a chance at $100 if your recipe is drawn as the winner--there are already some good recipes in the comments, see the post here for all the details.

Treat Yourself to a Galloping Giveaway

You've heard about people who are addicted to lip balm? Yea, that would be me.  Though I'd probably expand that addiction to include anything that you rub on your skin that smells good.

Galloping Goats Farm contacted me to see if I'd try their products handmade from goat milk and it didn't take much arm twisting to get me to give them a try.  I was curious if I could feel much of a difference between regular soap and their soft goatsy stuff because it's supposed to be better balanced to the pH of your skin and therefore less prone to drying it out (I have the world's driest skin).

I was pleased with how mild it was--it didn't seem nearly as filmy and hard as my normal stuff and while it smelled wonderful (I liked the Confederate Jasmine scent) it wasn't overpowering.  The lip balms likewise were great and I love the honey clover flavor. I mean scent.

I noticed on their site they're also advertising an insect repellent skin product that I'd be interested in--though it's past mosquito time here I'd be thrilled to find a product like this one that keeps pests away without that nasty spray that leaves a sheen on your skin and makes you feel like a BP oil disaster.  Anyway, give them a peek, they've also got these fun little "Bathtub Truffles" that are made with shea and cocoa butters, baking soda, dehydrated milk, citric acid and fragrance oil that you drop into your bath water to soothe and condition your skin. If you'd like to keep up on any new products they have I'd recommend following them on Facebook and on Twitter.

And aren't you lucky? Because Galloping Goats Farm has graciously offered a beautiful gift basket full of their products to give away to a winner here at Scribbit. The basket includes:

2 bars of Girly Girl Soap
3 Bathtub Truffles
1 soap saver soap dish
1 nail brush/pumice stone combo
1 Lavender Essential Oil Solid Lotion Stick (and these are great gadgets, I've used them before)
1 VooDoo Berry Lip Balm (raspberry/blackberry explosion)
. . . all bundled in a lovely fabric bag ready for gift giving.

You cannot go wrong with this. I'm going to let you enter all week long and pick a winner next Saturday and post it on Sunday.   Good luck and great galloping goats to you all.

Here's how to win:

Before 12 am, the morning of Saturday October 30 go to the giveaway entry form on this page and enter your name and email. I will pick one of the names at random, contact the winner via their email and publish the winner's first name and home town in the following Sunday's post. See the bottom of the entry form for more details.

This giveaway is open to all people with a U.S. address. Good luck!

Seen Any Good Squirrels Lately?

When my world-famous brother, Luke, came to visit the kids had a list of things they wanted to do. Right around number one was "Build a squirrel trap."

Because the last time Uncle Luke came to visit he built them one with some scraps of lumber and they did, in fact, catch a squirrel.  Apparently all you need is a good dose of peanut butter on a stick and they're putty in your hands.

The kids set out the trap along the fence in the back yard and within hours the door had snapped shut and there was one very angry squirrel rattling around inside. The kids, of course, were thrilled with their forest friend and wanted to keep him but their mother (the killjoy of the family) insisted that the squirrel be free range which meant taking him down to the woods at the end of the cul de sac and letting him go.

Problem is, apparently our squirrel had developed Stockholm Syndrome or something because when the kids opened the door to let Elsa go, there it was, stuck inside the box, unwilling to come out.  They prodded, they coaxed, they offered it peanut butter and finally they resorted to shaking the holy Hannah out of the poor thing but it wouldn't budge. It was embedded with its little claws holding firmly in the box and couldn't be moved.

So the kids gave up and left it in the back yard and the stupid thing started gnawing.  Going out of the open door wasn't good enough, it wanted to send us a message so it gnawed a hole in the box big enough to slip through and ran away, effectively ruining the squirrel trap and making the neighborhood safe, once again, for squirrels everywhere. What a hero.

So anyway, Uncle Luke came for another visit and the kids wanted to make another squirrel trap to replaced the mutilated one and Luke, always eager to oblige in juvenile activities, got right to work.  Isn't it a beauty?

It's no wonder he's their favorite uncle.  Happy birthday Luke. From the squirrels of the world.

Something I Had Vowed Never to Do

Andrew and I did something we swore we'd never, ever do. We have allowed our kids to have a computer in their bedroom.

For years I've sworn that my kids would never be allowed to have a computer, let alone one in their bedroom, I've said that parents who give in and let their children have such a dangerous piece of equipment are completely crazy and then here am I, breaking my own first commandment like a loony.

I've told my kids that letting them access to the internet is rather like letting them play in the street--sooner or later they're likely to get hit--so as a responsible mother I'm duty-bound to regulate things for their protection which has meant that the only computers in the house were our two Mom-and-Dad laptops which Andrew and I could move to the kitchen counter when the kids needed to do research online. They didn't like this approach but then they're not much of a voting block around here when it comes to formulating policy. Take it or leave it.

But then Spencer (age 14) got into web design. He began reading books on HTML and working on practice web pages (usually dedicated to the "Complete Awesomeness of the San Diego Chargers") and after eight or ten months he began to set some goals for himself which included saving up for a computer.

Now he didn't exactly get our approval on this project, he just started saving up his mowing money, and after a rather productive summer he had enough saved to purchase a Mac Mini--at least the CPU part--and Andrew and I found ourselves staring a very big issue in the face: Should we let him buy a computer?

My natural inclination was to say "Absolutely not!" but then we began to deeply discuss the ramifications.  Should we discourage our son from achieving this financial and educational goal by laying down the law? Should we stick by our original rules and maintain consistency? Should we take it on a trial basis? Oh the questions this thing raised, none of which I had an answer for in any degree of certainty.

Finally, we decided that he could buy his computer. Andrew hooked it up and got it souped up with Illustrator and Photoshop and a few other programs Spencer could benefit from then gave him the virtual keys to the car. And I've sat back and bit my knuckles till they've bled. 

I tell myself that if we can teach him to properly use technology then it's a much better solution than merely banishing the internet from his life completely (as if that's even possible) and I tell myself that if his enthusiasm and goals are any indication of the future then this could be a big step towards helping to prepare him with a marketable skill and a career but then I also tell myself about all the dangerous stuff available to kids online and how many people I know who are struggling with husbands or loved ones addicted to pornography and I wonder if I have joined the ranks of the parentally insane.

At any rate, what's done is done and here are a few of the guidelines we've gone over in this debate.


1. Agree to regulations together then stick by them no matter what.
Andrew and I sat down with Spencer before the money was ever spent and seriously talked about our concerns--why the internet was dangerous and why we were nervous (underlying this all with our love for him of course) to help him understand our point of view. The three of us talked about what some appropriate restrictions would be and then Spencer agreed to abide by them. I've heard of families where parents actually write up contracts for situations such as this and I don't think that's a bad idea at all.  Having a written contract on such an important subject might be especially helpful down the road when the restrictions you all agreed upon suddenly seem to be less convenient when the novelty has worn off and the rules begin to chafe.

2. Use those parental controls.
Macs are wonderful this way and not only can you set the amount of time for any user but you can set it to one of three levels of freedom--you can allow total access to the internet, you can filter out sites the computer deems to have adult content or you can set it to only allow access to websites you specifically approve.   You can even set the hours of use.

Discussing these parameters we decided that at this point we'd go with option #3 and only allow him access to sites we approve. Now this makes it difficult for him to do research online but then I figure it might be better anyway for him to school work with my laptop where I can supervise him anyway and save his computer for offline work and online tutorials (which really are wonderful, by the way). You know, sites that specifically help him to learn web design and programming.


3. Set specific time limits.
From anectodal evidence I've heard that the majority of problems that arise from going into dangerous sites occur in those late night hours.  Setting strong rules about the hours of use goes a long way to keeping kids from venturing into dangerous waters.  Apparently "early to bed and early to rise" doesn't just keep you healthy, wealthy and wise but also protects you from internet pornography and online predators too (at least, quite a bit). Think of it as a seat belt--it doesn't guarantee complete safety but it goes a long way toward the goal.

Also, set and control the amount of time spent using the computer.  We decided that two hours a day was plenty of time for Spencer to learn the things he's interested in. After that he needs to get out and shoot some hoops or ride his bike or call his friends. I don't want him obsessing his day away.

4. Keep the computer in a well-trafficked place.
Computers tucked away in corners or in dark, private bedrooms invite trouble.  The monitors should be easily visible to anyone wandering by and parents should be well acquainted with how to check internet history. If you see that the history has been erased that's a very bad sign.

Spencer's computer, while in his bedroom he shares with his brother, is on his desk and easily seen as I walk by in the hallway. And I walk by a lot, let me tell you.  In fact, he doesn't notice this, but when he's up there on the computer I usually keep his bedroom door wide open so I can see things easily, looking over his shoulder.


5. Watch out for games.
Besides the internet games can be an additional danger.  I'm not sure why but to some they seem to be as addicting as drugs or gambling and boys seem to be especially at risk.  Keep the games to a minimum and keep tabs on them--don't feel weird about saying no if a certain game makes you uncomfortable.  After all, you are the parent. You get paid to make those kinds of tough choices.

At any rate, we'll let you know if this proves to be a huge mistake or a wise choice. Check back in a year or so and we'll be able to figure out if we're crazy or not.

Linguini Puttanesca

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for a quick dinner and while it is one of those dishes where it's guaranteed to offend nearly everyone at the table (Diner A doesn't like olives, Diner B doesn't like capers, Diner C doesn't like any of the above plus distrusts the little green leaves throughout) I like it and that's pretty much all that counts, right??

Trust me. It's good.

6-8 roma tomatoes, finely diced
½ cup diced olives
3 tablespoons capers
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
16 ounces linguini
parmesan

Mix everything but the linguini together (if I'm in a hurry I tend to resort to pulsing the tomatoes in a food processor) while the linguini is boiling. Once the noodles are draining throw the tomato mixture into the hot, empty stock pot and let it heat slightly.  Toss the noodles back in the pot and mix them well to coat.

Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan.

Crabapple Butter

I have two big crabapple trees but usually by the time the weather gets cold I'm too tired to bother messing with them.

Then I saw this post on how to make crabapple butter and I knew what I was going to do with all those bright red little guys.  I picked three big buckets full of crabapples then rinsed them off and tossed them into the pot with a bit of water (don't worry about the stems or cores, you'll strain those out eventually).

After ten or so minutes of stirring them around in the boiling water until they start breaking up they're ready for the next step. I pushed them through a sieve with the back of a wooden spoon which produced a large bowl of pink crabapple mush (which you see sitting on my counter there).  A little sugar to taste, a little cinnamon for a kick and then I was ready to boil it down to its butter form. 

I boiled it and boiled it until my house smelled like heaven and I had a big pot of sweet-tart crabapple butter.  Not only is it good on toast but it's good on pancakes and as a filling for cinnamon rolls or pastries. 

In fact, you can use crabapple butter anywhere you'd like a boost of fruity sweetness (I particularly like it on top of my oatmeal) and I imagine they'd be great in these Sticky Apple Butter Biscuits.

If you want a bucket of your own you can have what's left on my trees.

Zemindar

by Valerie Fitzgerald

I don't have much of an excuse for being so glaringly absent--though that doesn't stop me from trying to make one anyway.  Say it was the hibernation sickness that's coming on with the cold weather, say it was the baking of apple pies, say it was the sewing and cleaning--pick one. It doesn't matter, I've just been enjoying life quite a bit and unfortunately my hands haven't touched the keyboard.

Instead, I've just finished this book given to me by my friend Kathryn who said it was one of her favorites.


Now don't let that smokin' 80s cover put you off--it's a fabulous book. Have you read Gone with the Wind? The Far Pavillions? Forever Amber? Then you'll like this one. It takes its place among other epics where love is caught in the midst of political turmoil and you follow along for 700+ pages wanting to know how the heroine will get her guy and get out alive. 


Zemindar follows our girl, Laura Hewitt, as she accompanies her rather rich and snobby newlywed cousin to India for her honeymoon (yes, it's odd and the new bridegroom is there too but apparently that was Victorian England for you).  Mrs. Flood (cousin Emily) had snagged Mr. Flood from Laura's affections earlier and now the three of them are visiting India to see if they can't get his half-brother, Oliver Erskine, to make Charles Flood the heir to his immense estate. 


The year is 1857 and for all of you Indian history buffs out there, you'll recognize that as the date of the famous sepoy mutiny where the British army (staffed with Indian recruits) mutinied on the British in a rather bloody way.  All the English in the area ran for safety to the towns of Cawnapore and Lucknow where they gathered together for a good long siege while the Indians tried to get at them and drive their oppressors from their land.


So you can probably see the plot set up: Laura still loves Charles even though he's now married to her nasty little cousin Emily but then she meets Oliver who is rather arrogant and dashing and then the political problems begin and the whole place blows up.  Will Laura realize Charles is a complete dud? Will she recognize Oliver as the man of her dreams? Will Emily get her come-uppance? Will they all survive the mutiny?


It's like Gone with the Wind except here you like the heroine rather than despise her. Sweeping vistas, honor and shame, romance and tragedy--it's all there on the menu but with a vocabulary, diction, voice and development that makes you tip your hat to Fitzgerald's excellent writing skills. I'm not sure why the book is no longer in print because it's a gem.

My Latest Crochet Creations

I've been crocheting, trying to teach myself to get better (it's so much harder than knitting!) and here are the two latest creations. First, here's a Flared Shell Brimmed Cloche hat that I made using creme nylon crochet thread exactly according to the pattern.

I need to block it and straighten that brim, the picture on the above link looks better but I'm thinking of embellishing it with a ribbon rosette and a pearl pin. I think that would look sweet--a black ribbon and a little cameo in the center?

And then I made this Honeycomb Hat from a free pattern on the Lion Brand Yarn site. It turned out so sweet and it was highly gratifying to have all of Grace's friends say they wanted one too when she wore it to school.

If you're interested in the pattern check out the comments on the site because I made the same modifications as they did. Eighty chains at the beginning work just fine but the openwork pattern needs to be taken in by one stitch in each loop or else it's enormous. I used a worsted-weight cotton yarn.

Creepy Crawlies

A friend of ours loaned us his aquatic bug collection and I can't decide if I'm more fascinated or disgusted.  I do know I was terrified of one of the kids dropping one of the vials. The only thing worse than a live beetle the size of a dump truck is a dead beetle the size of a dump--and dripping with formaldehyde.  Talk about night of the living dead.

Preparing Our Kids for Life: Conclusion

Continued from Preparing Our Kids for Life: Part Two from September 28, 2010.

***

Too many people show up at college trying to find themselves and too many people leave without any experience beyond the classroom. Andrew and I have given a great deal of thought lately to the way the world is changing. Technology is speeding along so fast that it's difficult to predict--actually, impossible to predict--how the job market as a whole or how individual professions will be affected. If you'd told somebody 50 years ago that real estate agents, travel agents, insurance agents and stock brokers would be obsolete they'd have laughed but now it's not a matter of if it will happen, it's a matter of when it will happen.

It used to be that being a professional (i.e. doctor, lawyer, accountant, etc.) was as solid and reliable as anything you could choose but would doctors twenty years ago have been able to predict the massive changes hitting the country in the health care industry? And even now we haven't a clue as to how this party will end. Even in the legal industry, which is the most ancient of dinosaurs, Andrew has seen changes that make the future of lawyers everywhere less certain than they've been for hundreds of years.

If change is the only constant how do you prepare your children to face life? It used to be that you could save up your pennies, tell them to keep up their grades and send them off to college with a pat on the head and you'd done your part but the harsh reality is, that just isn't enough.

Work It out, Baby
Never has it been more important that we teach our kids how to work. Not just how to do chores but how to have a job interview, how to put together a resume, how to talk with adults and superiors, how to work with others on projects, how to finish nasty or tedious tasks and how to stick with something. They need to know how to work and they need to know how to work hard--but don't let that scare you. Hard work with successful results usually makes for a great deal of satisfaction in life, so while you're teaching them to work you're simultaneously teaching them how to be happy.

My suggestions? Encourage them with chores when they're young and give them more as they go along. Teach them how to deal with difficult teachers and coaches without jumping into fight their battles, teach them how to take on and complete difficult projects, how to market themselves for odd jobs around the neighborhood (we've had great success with passing out flyers for snow removal and mowing services or babysitting). Teach them that it's good to get honest work and encourage them as soon as possible to get that first "real" job.

Make it easier for them to work during the summer by placing jobs as a priority whenever possible. Yes, it's important to have family time together for vacations and things like this but if you're so scheduled every summer that your children don't have the time to work consider what they're losing out on.

Help them with contacting places and other adults as they network and look for jobs. It's easy to forget how hard it is to speak to an adult if you're only 13 or 15 so mentor them along in the process. Help them along and help them build their confidence so that when they're 18 or 21 they can look their interviewer in the eye and give them a firm handshake without going to pieces.

Put That Parental Influence to Good Use
As a parent it's easy to worry that you put too much pressure on your kids. What if you pressure them to follow in your footsteps professionally and they feel they can't compete or they end up hating their job or--worse--they end up hating you?

Relax. Yes, it's possible to overdo it in the pressure (or as I like to call it, "encouragement") department but remember that as parents we're here for gentle guidance. It's what we do. Your children's first exposure to your profession will come through you and if you show them around in it it might help them to make those critical decisions--either for or against--early on.

Tell them about your work--about what you like and what you don't like, what your own goals are (do you have them?) and what the future of your profession could be. Give them opportunities to grow and learn and while they may never be just like you (thank goodness!) it will help to steer them in the right direction.

Andrew and I have done so much with the internet and computers that it wasn't that odd when Spencer informed us that he wants to go into computer animation. Now it just so happens that our alma mater, BYU, has a great program, one that is recruited heavily by Pixar, and he's had a bit of experience in drawing and art and seems to like it. It doesn't take much for us to help him learn about the possibilities of the profession and what his opportunities would be but now is a great time (he's 14) to begin discussing this and helping him to think this out for himself. He may not end up at Pixar but I'm cheering the fact that at 14 he actually has a goal and a plan of attack.  How many adults have that much?

Goals Are the Key
Teach them how to set goals for themselves--what a goal is, how there are abstract and concrete goals, how you must plan and prepare and how to go about accomplishing things. Spencer, going on the plan for computer animation, decided that he would save up for a computer. He decided that if he wanted to work for Pixar some day that he needed to know the computer programs like Illustrator, Photoshop, etc (not to mention specialized and fancy software) so he began saving. He just got enough money and while I'm not about to let him have internet access in his bedroom I do think it's a great idea for him to get his feet wet this way. He's beginning drawing classes and has plans to enter any art contest he can (he came in second place in the statewide Duck Stamp competition this spring with his duck drawings).

This summer Andrew showed him books on web design and Spencer began reading and teaching himself HTML. For Father's Day he made a special web page as a tribute to his Dad (and the Chargers--he couldn't leave them out). Even if he never goes into web design or computer animation, at least he is learning at a young age how to accomplish things and set goals and work toward a difficult thing. Who knows? At the very least he's learning a marketable skill.

It's not so important that our kids are National Merit finalists or Rhoades scholars--I know plenty of those who haven't a clue where their lives are going--but goals and work and planning are what will ultimatley determine our children's success. Brains will only take you so far but goals will take you all the way.

Bragos Bruschetta and an Avocado Contest

Today we're talking avocados (which just makes me so happy) because I have both an avocado recipe and an avocado contest.

This recipe is called Brago's Bruschetta and I got it from my mom many years ago and I haven't a clue where it originated. It might as well have spontaneously sprung up from the earth as far as I know but it's definitely worth sharing.

Bruschetta are little appetizers similar to crostini and are rather like cross-wise slices of baguettes with toppings.  The recipe was originally meant to be used this way and it's certainly good as an appetizer but I much prefer eating it as a sandwich or as a pizza topping.

You can make up this fresh salsa (which is what it essentially is) and put it on a split roll as a tasty sandwich or on a pizza crust for a fabulous pizza. Then you can grill it or toast it so that cheese melts perfectly and the garlic is beautifully mellow.  Your choice, but I'm just saying that melted is better.

4-6 large roma tomatoes, finely diced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
4 cloves minced garlic
¾ teaspoon salt
1 large diced avocado
1/3 pound smoked mozzarella cheese, cubed
½ cup chopped fresh basil, julienned
¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 medium pizza crusts or 4 split rolls or 2 sliced baguettes

Combine all the ingredients except the bread option in a large bowl and let it set for a couple hours to mellow.

Spread the mixture on a pizza crust, sandwich roll or on individual slices of baguette, depending on the purpose.  Then, toast it or don't--it's your call.

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And now for the contest--Avocados from Mexico is sponsoring a contest here at Scribbit where you can submit your own original avocado recipe and take a shot at winning a $100 iCard gift certificate.

Here's how it works:

If you have a blog, post your own original avocado recipe then come back here and leave a link to your post in the comments section of this post.

The contest officially starts October 4th and runs through October 30th, the winner will be randomly chosen using a random number generator, and will then be announced here on November 1st. They are encouraging recipes for avocado salsa, guacamole and tacos though I will accept any recipe where avocados are an integral and vital ingredient (see my recipe for Diablo Verde Shakes as an example).

Tweeting about the contest using the hashtag #taconight is great and encouraged. Each Thursday, the first five tweets to @Guacgrl showing a picture of your "taco night" will receive a $25 iCard.

If you need a hint as to how to easily leave the hyperlink to your recipe in the comments section I would suggest doing it with HTML code this way (you can cut and paste it using the URL of your recipe post):

Sample HTML that you'd type in comments:  I've posted my recipe for <a href="URL of your avocado recipe post">Avocado Pancakes</a> at my blog, Everything Green and Bumpy.

How it will appear in comments: I've posted my recipe for Avocado Pancakes at my blog, Everything Green.

Got it? If you have questions let me know in an email and I can help you out. I'm sorry if you don't have a blog and want to participate--they don't want emailed recipes, only posted ones. Sorry.

You can always just leave the whole URL in comments but sometimes it gets cut off and it always gets confusing and messy. If you do it this way then people reading the comments can easily click on your recipe link and go see it at your site.

Please know this is being sponsored by Avocados by Mexico and I'm getting a $100 gift card of my own by participating.  For the finer, intimate and grossly overblown legal details of the contest please see the Official Rules and Privacy Policy Page that I have set up at the bequest of many lawyers.  But don't get me wrong. I love lawyers--even more than I love avocados.  Well, at least one lawyer in particular. . . .

And now, get thinking about avocado recipes! A hundred dollar iCard could be yours! I'm buying a new purse with mine--what will you do with yours?

A Christmas Miracle

I bought a chili pepper plant on a whim this spring.

This is Alaska, people, I really didn't expect it to grow.

But look what it produced! One tiny, cute, sweet little yellow pepper. The photo is blurry because apparently I'm quivering with excitement.