19 May
It’s Olivia, by a nose
Despite a rather uneventful string of years, my heart still skips a beat when I see the daycare provider’s name on my caller ID. Usually, it’s the result of a slight fever or some errant vomit—nothing major, ever.
Today, though, Olivia’s daycare provider gave me quite a start: She called at 4 pm to say, “I just don’t want you to be alarmed when you first see Olivia this afternoon…”
My mind was racing. I immediately reasoned it couldn’t be that bad—she wasn’t asking me to meet her in the emergency room. She was just preparing me for a slight, but unfortunately located, scrape.
Apparently, Olivia managed to scrape her entire nose. She covered all 180 degrees, in one solid scratch that missed her lips and continued under her chin.
Olivia was upset about the injury, but to add insult, blood kept leaking on to her lovey. As you probably guessed, she had it held to her nose to comfort herself.
By the time I arrived to pick her up, she was playing happily. Thanks to the heads-up I had received, my reaction was just laughter.
Only a daughter of mine could accomplish such a feat.
The light is pretty forgiving lighting here, and so it doesn’t look too bad. Still, she has a few days of Neosporin ahead of her. I don’t think a Dora Band-Aid will work this time, though.
17 May
Not everyone laments rainy days
Olivia told most everyone she saw this weekend, “I jumped in the mud!”
14 May
A bowl of blooms
Last year, I planted 15 or so containers…most of which suffered from a combination of heat and neglect. This year, I settled for one bowl of Purple Wave Petunias. I hope they make it!
13 May
Rhubarbaritas
Just in time for Thirsty Thursday, a recipe for Rhubarbritas. My friend Chuck brought this to my attention, and I made a batch this weekend. The original recipe is from The Splendid Table on NPR. It was interesting, but very sweet. I used the rhubarb syrup the next day to make Rhubarbtinis—two parts vodka, one part syrup and one part lemon juice. Delicious!
12 May
Proof positive!
A new report explains why I have an irrepressible urge to call my mom every time something goes wrong…
Mother’s phone call as comforting as a hug, says oxytocin study
Children know that mum’s got the words when life seems to be getting too much.
Now it seems her voice on the phone can work the same soothing magic as when she is there to give her offspring a comforting cuddle. US scientists believe hearing mother down the line produces the same stress-busting effect on her daughter as physical contact such as a hug or a loving arm round the shoulder.
10 May
Rhubarb pie with a vodka chaser
I used the excuse of Mother’s Day to bake a pie from scratch, using the rhubarb I transplanted from my grandparents’ cabin in Minnesota to my own garden. The plant took well to its new home, even sprouting this beautiful flower.
Come to find out, that’s not a good thing… I lopped it off, and thankfully, the plant continued to produce enough stalks to make a batch of Rhubarbritas (that recipe coming soon), and this Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie from Bon Appetit. I substituted cardamom for cinnamon, because it’s awesome, and also because I like hearing Bryan say, “What’s that weird taste?”
Cook’s Illustrated recently published a recipe for ultra-flaky pie crust. I don’t subscribe, but two kind friends sent it my way. (My friend Chuck wrote a blog entry on the recipe over on Horse Farm Diaries.)
The secret ingredient is vodka, and I think it works pretty well. Cook’s Illustrated is filled with incredibly specific instructions, which is tough for someone who prefers not to measure unless absolutely necessary, but the recommended six one-second pulses in my food processor yielded a crust that still had visible pieces of butter even after rolling.
It wasn’t as good as Gramma’s pie crust, but it was a close second.
My lattice top didn’t bake very evenly, but the final product was good enough to warrant a second slice!
9 May
Happy Mother’s Day!
Thanks to all the wonderful mothers in our lives. We love you–hope you have a great day!
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