The red condiment commonly used on French fries is “dippy.” If more than one variety of dippy is available, they are also designated by color, “red dippy, yellow dippy, white dippy,” and so forth.
The man with the big white beard and red suit that breaks into kids’ houses at the end of December is called “Tinkerbell.” (Boudica-specific nomenclature)
The little squishy, stretchy toy animals (think gummy worms and the like) are made of a substance called “squeeze.”
The round, minty, chocolate-covered candies that give you the sensation that you are standing on a wind-swept mountain top are called “circle treats.”
Puff the Magic Dragon is completely acceptable for story time, but I should not, under any circumstances, have Puff engage in a conversation with Dippy the Dinosaur because, “Dippy is a statue, Mommy. He can’t talk.”
Ok. Good to know.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Risotto al funghi
Back when we first started dating, Mr. D gave me an Italian vegetarian cookbook (I can't remember if I was still a veg-head at that point or had just recently been). I can't find a link to the book or I would share it because it is chock full of lovely recipes. One thing I learned to make from this book is risotto, and while it does take some patience to make, it really is yummy stuff.
On Sunday, neither of us really wanted to go shopping, so when the "what's for dinner?" query was raised, I turned to the pantry* for an idea. And found everything I needed for mushroom risotto. To share with you the fact that it really isn't that hard to make (and to allow my closet foodie to get a little blog time), I thought I'd share the recipe and process with you (complete with my recipe modifications).
Here goes!
Risotto al Funghi
Ingredients
One pound mushrooms (the type you use will vary the flavor--you can use fresh or dried, but make sure to rehydrate dried ones first or it will affect the moisture of the dish)
Two cups arborio rice
4-6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup wine (I've used white and red--it's up to you)
6 cups stock (chicken or veg--homemade is best)
1/2 cup grated parmesan plus additional for the table
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Medium onion chopped (I normally use a sweeter onion)
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
Before you start working with the rice and veg, heat the broth to boiling and then reduce to a simmer for use in the dish. Chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces (or smaller if you like) and sautee until tender in about 2Tbsp of butter. If you are using rehydrated mushrooms, skip the sauteeing step and simply rehydrate them in just enough hot water to cover (save the water for use as broth!).
Remove the sauteed mushrooms from the pan and add 2 Tbsp more butter to sautee the onion and garlic combo. When the onion is just becoming translucent and before the garlic browns (watch it carefully), add two cups of arborio rice to the skillet and sautee on medium heat for another two minutes. If you need to add a bit more butter at this point, feel free. I keep pretty close to 4 Tbsp and the taste is still plenty rich.
Add the wine to the skillet and stir until absorbed. Now, add the broth to the skillet a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously and not adding a new ladle until the last one has been absorbed. Does this take a while? Yes, you need to plan on at least 15-20 minutes for this step. But, without the slow addition and constant stirring, your risotto will be crunchy, not creamy. It's worth the time.
After all of the broth is incorporated, taste a bit of the risotto and be sure that your grains are no longer crunchy (they will be al dente, but should not be hard). At this point, stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan and 2 Tbsp parsley.**
Enjoy!
*Pantry = traditional dry pantry plus fridge and freezer. Basically, whatever is in the house and is edible.
**I used more than 2 Tbsp in this dish. Also, you really must use fresh parsley, either truly fresh or fresh-frozen. Dried just doesn't cut it.
On Sunday, neither of us really wanted to go shopping, so when the "what's for dinner?" query was raised, I turned to the pantry* for an idea. And found everything I needed for mushroom risotto. To share with you the fact that it really isn't that hard to make (and to allow my closet foodie to get a little blog time), I thought I'd share the recipe and process with you (complete with my recipe modifications).
Here goes!
Risotto al Funghi
Ingredients
One pound mushrooms (the type you use will vary the flavor--you can use fresh or dried, but make sure to rehydrate dried ones first or it will affect the moisture of the dish)
Two cups arborio rice
4-6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup wine (I've used white and red--it's up to you)
6 cups stock (chicken or veg--homemade is best)
1/2 cup grated parmesan plus additional for the table
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Medium onion chopped (I normally use a sweeter onion)
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
Before you start working with the rice and veg, heat the broth to boiling and then reduce to a simmer for use in the dish. Chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces (or smaller if you like) and sautee until tender in about 2Tbsp of butter. If you are using rehydrated mushrooms, skip the sauteeing step and simply rehydrate them in just enough hot water to cover (save the water for use as broth!).
Remove the sauteed mushrooms from the pan and add 2 Tbsp more butter to sautee the onion and garlic combo. When the onion is just becoming translucent and before the garlic browns (watch it carefully), add two cups of arborio rice to the skillet and sautee on medium heat for another two minutes. If you need to add a bit more butter at this point, feel free. I keep pretty close to 4 Tbsp and the taste is still plenty rich.
Add the wine to the skillet and stir until absorbed. Now, add the broth to the skillet a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously and not adding a new ladle until the last one has been absorbed. Does this take a while? Yes, you need to plan on at least 15-20 minutes for this step. But, without the slow addition and constant stirring, your risotto will be crunchy, not creamy. It's worth the time.
After all of the broth is incorporated, taste a bit of the risotto and be sure that your grains are no longer crunchy (they will be al dente, but should not be hard). At this point, stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan and 2 Tbsp parsley.**
Enjoy!
*Pantry = traditional dry pantry plus fridge and freezer. Basically, whatever is in the house and is edible.
**I used more than 2 Tbsp in this dish. Also, you really must use fresh parsley, either truly fresh or fresh-frozen. Dried just doesn't cut it.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Deep Thoughts
Beyond the obvious fact that I've not posted here for two months (I think that's a new record for me), suffice it to say that I've been crazy busy with work and life and such. But I wanted to share a quick tidbit from the mouths of babes (specifically Mr. Moo):
Mr.Moo: Mommy? Who picked you?
Me: Picked me? For what?
Mr.Moo: Who picked you?
{this went back and forth about a half dozen times...skipping ahead}
Mr.Moo: Who picked you and Daddy to take care of me and Boudica?
Me: {stunned}
I wasn't really expecting a question like that, and I'm not quite sure why it was on his mind. I did answer him by saying that taking care of him and his sister was a very special job and that God had decided we could do it. I'm actually not quite sure what else I would have said, either. It's not that I'm defending using the "God answer" to the question, because we go to church and all (even if I don't talk about it very much on the blog). It's more that I always seem to find a way to put in more than one view. For example, when he asked about who made his body and how did it get here, I was able to combine the spiritual with the scientific for what, to me, was a more well-rounded answer. This time, even though I believe fully that having Mr. Moo and Boudica in my life is a miracle, part of me still wanted to spin some science into the story.
Have any of you been dealing with the deep philsophical stuff yet, or am I raising my own little Aristotle?
Mr.Moo: Mommy? Who picked you?
Me: Picked me? For what?
Mr.Moo: Who picked you?
{this went back and forth about a half dozen times...skipping ahead}
Mr.Moo: Who picked you and Daddy to take care of me and Boudica?
Me: {stunned}
I wasn't really expecting a question like that, and I'm not quite sure why it was on his mind. I did answer him by saying that taking care of him and his sister was a very special job and that God had decided we could do it. I'm actually not quite sure what else I would have said, either. It's not that I'm defending using the "God answer" to the question, because we go to church and all (even if I don't talk about it very much on the blog). It's more that I always seem to find a way to put in more than one view. For example, when he asked about who made his body and how did it get here, I was able to combine the spiritual with the scientific for what, to me, was a more well-rounded answer. This time, even though I believe fully that having Mr. Moo and Boudica in my life is a miracle, part of me still wanted to spin some science into the story.
Have any of you been dealing with the deep philsophical stuff yet, or am I raising my own little Aristotle?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Hola. ¿Como esta?
Why is it that when you have a few relatively innocuous events coming up, they always seem to rally together into the Horrific Week of Doom? I mean it. I will have weeks go by with not much going on (of substance, that is; I always have something going on in general). Then, all of a sudden, it seems that every event that requires a personal action from me and works on a firm deadline is happening at the same exact moment. And then my head explodes.
This week has been one of those cosmic intersections.
Last weekend I worked on gathering, hanging, and pressing clothes for the upcoming consignment sale in which I will be participating. I shopped there last spring and thought I would give consigning a try come fall. You would think that I might have accomplished a lot of the clothing-related work ahead of time. Or not. I entered as much as I could into a spreadsheet knowing that I would have time during the week (cue foreshadowing).
Monday was a loss for getting any of that work done because I had to go straight from work to chorus rehearsal, and since we are Nashville Bound (Hi, Jo!) in October, we don’t actually get done until after 10pm. It makes for a long day. Plus, earlier in the day I added two new specimens to my biopsied moles collection. Just one more stamp on my Frequent Dysplastic Nevi* card, and I get a free bottle of sunscreen, SPF 500!
Tuesday night ended up hosting a much-needed haircut. To give you an idea of how overdue I was for a “trim,” there was more hair on the floor than she left on my head. That’s ok; Wednesday night will work for database entry (dun dun daaaaaaaaaaa).
We did have an appointment scheduled for Wednesday night at 7:30 to meet Boudica’s new teachers** at our house, but 7:30 turned into 8:00 and then into 8:30. To their credit, the teachers called, which can undo many wrongs when one is running late. (Learn from this you who are chronically late! Pick up the phone.) Anyway, the meeting went well, the teachers are fabulous, and most importantly, Boudica didn’t run away from them. Progress! But, with the late time and the kids now wired instead of tired, the night went on for a very long time. But there is always Thursday.
Tonight we will be attending a potluck at the kids’ new school. Kind of a “welcome back” type meal, except that since we are new, it’s just “welcome.” I made my famous chicken spread (if you’re really nice, I’ll share thepainfully difficult manageable sinfully easy recipe on the blog). I have already warned Mr. D that when we get home I have to finish up the clothing stuff. Because, well, tonight is the last night to enter my goods on the computer. Period. Yeah.
Tomorrow night I get to start working on the transition for my Savvy Blog (we are all getting a brand new shiny format that rocks!). I have promised all of my changes by Sunday (promises made prior to realizing this was a bad week).
Saturday I will be helping to run a fundraiser for my chorus for the bulk of the day. Then, I will need to actually TAG the consignment items (after going out to get some tags).
Sunday, I have to drop of the consignment stuff, label it onsite (standard, not because I am lame and busy), and then finish up any last-minute school stuff. Sunday night I will gather up the school lunch stuff into the boxes with the exception of the PB&J.
Monday morning I will pack the first of many thousands of school lunches that will leave crumbs on my kitchen counter between now and 2025. I will also need to leave the house nearly an hour earlier than normal to accommodate the new work schedule that accommodates the new school schedule and allows me to stay on full-time. Have I ever mentioned that I am NOT in any way a morning person? Well, I’m not. At all.
Hmmm, seems that next week is going all “Henry the Eighth” on me. Crap.
*I won’t actually know the status of these moles, dysplastic or otherwise, until next week. Last time they were “completely normal” so I didn’t get a stamp.
**The kids are not only going to a new school, they will be attending on that is a language immersion program. Soon, they will be able to chat along with each other and Dora, and I will be none the wiser.
This week has been one of those cosmic intersections.
Last weekend I worked on gathering, hanging, and pressing clothes for the upcoming consignment sale in which I will be participating. I shopped there last spring and thought I would give consigning a try come fall. You would think that I might have accomplished a lot of the clothing-related work ahead of time. Or not. I entered as much as I could into a spreadsheet knowing that I would have time during the week (cue foreshadowing).
Monday was a loss for getting any of that work done because I had to go straight from work to chorus rehearsal, and since we are Nashville Bound (Hi, Jo!) in October, we don’t actually get done until after 10pm. It makes for a long day. Plus, earlier in the day I added two new specimens to my biopsied moles collection. Just one more stamp on my Frequent Dysplastic Nevi* card, and I get a free bottle of sunscreen, SPF 500!
Tuesday night ended up hosting a much-needed haircut. To give you an idea of how overdue I was for a “trim,” there was more hair on the floor than she left on my head. That’s ok; Wednesday night will work for database entry (dun dun daaaaaaaaaaa).
We did have an appointment scheduled for Wednesday night at 7:30 to meet Boudica’s new teachers** at our house, but 7:30 turned into 8:00 and then into 8:30. To their credit, the teachers called, which can undo many wrongs when one is running late. (Learn from this you who are chronically late! Pick up the phone.) Anyway, the meeting went well, the teachers are fabulous, and most importantly, Boudica didn’t run away from them. Progress! But, with the late time and the kids now wired instead of tired, the night went on for a very long time. But there is always Thursday.
Tonight we will be attending a potluck at the kids’ new school. Kind of a “welcome back” type meal, except that since we are new, it’s just “welcome.” I made my famous chicken spread (if you’re really nice, I’ll share the
Tomorrow night I get to start working on the transition for my Savvy Blog (we are all getting a brand new shiny format that rocks!). I have promised all of my changes by Sunday (promises made prior to realizing this was a bad week).
Saturday I will be helping to run a fundraiser for my chorus for the bulk of the day. Then, I will need to actually TAG the consignment items (after going out to get some tags).
Sunday, I have to drop of the consignment stuff, label it onsite (standard, not because I am lame and busy), and then finish up any last-minute school stuff. Sunday night I will gather up the school lunch stuff into the boxes with the exception of the PB&J.
Monday morning I will pack the first of many thousands of school lunches that will leave crumbs on my kitchen counter between now and 2025. I will also need to leave the house nearly an hour earlier than normal to accommodate the new work schedule that accommodates the new school schedule and allows me to stay on full-time. Have I ever mentioned that I am NOT in any way a morning person? Well, I’m not. At all.
Hmmm, seems that next week is going all “Henry the Eighth” on me. Crap.
*I won’t actually know the status of these moles, dysplastic or otherwise, until next week. Last time they were “completely normal” so I didn’t get a stamp.
**The kids are not only going to a new school, they will be attending on that is a language immersion program. Soon, they will be able to chat along with each other and Dora, and I will be none the wiser.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Overheard at 7am
Mr. Moo, upon waking, starts rambling on at 90mph...
Hi Mommy! I'm really hungry! And my mah-keeel-yon is really hungry, too. He would like some fly cereal please.
Hi Mommy! I'm really hungry! And my mah-keeel-yon is really hungry, too. He would like some fly cereal please.
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