sara with camera

Finished

I've finally completed my first pair of socks!  Very exciting.  There they are, in all their multi-colored glory.  So I've also Finished reading Kerouac's On the Road and it was alright.  I'd like to read Big Sur soon.  But, friendly intervention has directed me back toward Pakistani-centric literature.  I began reading Three Cups of Tea night before last.  So far I'm enjoying the plot.  I'm not overly impressed by the author's abilities though.  He doesn't suck, but I'd been reading such competent writers before picking up this documentary style book. 

My goal today- to finish the baby socks for Chris & Pam's baby boy so I can send them off (I began working on them when Chris was here and they really don't take that long so I have no excuse).  Hope you all have a great day, Sara

More Spring for Mom

Banana Mashing for the School Program

Tonight was Auden's End of School Program.  Turns out I'm a slacker mom which is funny because I never thought of myself as the sort.  I must be though because I didn't even know about the program until Tuesday AND then it was only because I overheard another parent talking about it.  Apparently, the program was announced in the monthly newsletter that I didn't read.  I was told that we had to bake something for the "after party."  So we did that: Banana Nut Bread (had to do something with those inedible bananas).  BUT, as we were walking into the building, I noticed that all the kids were dressed up- Easter clothes dressed up.  Auden was wearing a polo with skate shorts- cool, but not so Easter.  I'd brought along a sweater in case it was cool on the way home (we walk; it's only a block away) so we exchanged the polo for the sweater- the primary improvement being that the sweater wasn't dirt smudged.  I mean it didn't even cross my mind to change clothes before we went much less to put him in khakis or something.  We made it through though- Thank Jesus for that coincidental hair cut yesterday.  Oh, and to cement the slacker mom label, I took the Nikon instead of the video camera (which would have been so much better).

Banana Nut Bread

2 Sticks Margarine/Butter;    1.5 C Sugar;     2 Eggs;     1 tsp. Vanilla;     1/4C Milk;     1 tsp. Baking Soda;     2 C Flour;     2 Large Overripe Bananas;     1/4 C Chopped Pecans

Cream Butter & Sugar.  Add Eggs, Milk, & Vanilla.  Add Baking Soda & Flour.  Fold in MASHED (as illustrated above!) Bananas- then Nuts.  Pour into 2 well-greased loaf pans (or I like the mini disposable ones better because they bake faster and more pans mean more loaf ends- my favorite part).  Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour (shorter if you go with the mini pans).  And, by the way, this morning I baked them at 350 degrees and all was well (sort of forgot to reference the recipe)...

SCHOOL PROGRAM...

This Little Light of Mine

If You're Happy and You Know It

Garlic & Stakes...

Today:

Took Auden for a Haircut

Acquired Wax Vampire Teeth at Acme Gifts

Stopped by Cold Stone for Chocolate Ice Cream with Reeses Cups (Auden), Coffee Lovers Only Ice Cream (Me), and Gummy Bears- hold the ice cream (Matti)

Happy Hump Day.  Love, Sara

Spring is Finally Here

We spent almost all of today outside: at the zoo and in the yard...   

Beat

Not much to write tonight.  I did yard work for a couple of hours while the boys did this:

DO click to enlarge (it's even messier that way).  After the yard work, I ran 12mi (three on my own and 9 with Sarah Lilly).  Thankfully (because I don't think I could've mustered any energy to cook supper), Matt & Katherine came over to grill the rest of the burgers from the other night (and some hot dogs too).  That's it, mostly I just thought those Matti pictures were worth sharing.  Love, Sara

Auden to Dad: "When you get back, I want to go golfing and fishing and ride my skateboard.  I hope you don't get sick again when you come back. Love you."

Aunt Becky's Chocolate Frosting

This afternoon, Auden begged me to make cake (which for him is just a vehicle for frosting), and Matti was adamant that we make cupcakes not cake.  So cupcakes it was since Auden and I don't care one bit what shape our baked goods take.  Which brings me to Aunt Becky's Icing.  Every chocolate cake at a Priddy family gathering will have this frosting atop.  Who knows what passed for chocolate cake before Aunt Becky married into the family (thankfully I was five and remember nothing but...).  By the way, this chocolate cake (box cake + THE icing) is not limited to Priddy family gatherings, but made regular appearances when Layla and Ashley and I were roomates (paired with Tuna Noodle Caserole, of course :)).  I made it once when Chris and I were just married, living in the one bedroom apartment in Monterey, but he ate hardly any and I was Forced to eat the rest all by my lonesome.  Rather than continually pit Chris' self control against mine, I just stopped making it (otherwise I'd be pretty wide by now).  Without further ado:

AUNT BECKY'S CHOCOLATE FROSTING:  1lb. powdered sugar;     1/2 C margarine/butter;     4Tbs cocoa;   1 tsp. vanilla;     4Tbs. milk + 1 tsp.  (it also calls for a dash of salt, but I always forget to put it in)

Cream butter and sugar.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix.  If consistency is off, fix with pwd. sugar or milk as appropriate. 

Running in the Rain

Sitter Becky didn't come this morning.  Our definitions of "raining" must be at odds.  It rained during the night and the streets were wet, but water was not falling from the sky at 6 am.  So while I got up, stretched and got ready to run, she was sleeping in (and I wasn't).  Katherine made up for her though by offering to watch Matti while I ran (Auden was at preschool and lucky for K- Matti was napping).  Thing is, it WAS raining then.  (Heavy) Drizzling really.  I walked out the door and walked right back in (temp.: upper 40s) until Katherine convinced me that I should run two blocks before nixing the 4miler altogether.  It worked, and it felt so good to go at my own (slightly faster) pace.  In fact, it was the best run I've had in a long time.  While I usually find that jumping over puddles expends entirely too much energy during a run that's already taking all I have, today I couldn't get enough of them and the bigger the better.  I enjoyed the run so much that it didn't even bother me when passing cars swerved closer to the edge of the road in a certain effort to spatter me with grey water (maybe that was my imagination).  Until I hit the college campus, I was the only one out there.  I had the park entirely to myself.  On campus, it must have been between the bells because there were folks everywhere (I don't think that a single one wanted to be out in that weather).  Which was cool because it was toward the end of the run and they kept me from slowing down.  Can't run slowly around the youngsters.  I don't care if it kills me.  So I came back to find Katherine washing our nasty dishes and then (for fun) made her take a picture of rain/sweat soaked me.  I Really owe her.  Really.  The tuna casserole dish alone was scary and I know the others weren't much better.  Oh, and, yep, those are bruises on my legs,  I noticed them yesterday and have no idea what they are from.  I remember being ten and having bruises all over my legs and thinking that at least when I grew up I wouldn't have them anymore.  So that didn't work out. 

Anyway, the day that began oh so crappily got even better.  We celebrated the end of Cori's exhibition work.  She's been immersed in, "At the Foot of the Rockies: The Colorado Artists" for awhile now and it's wonderful for us that she's finally come up for air. I've been wanting the make that Milk Punch from the holiday Cooking Light for months now, and so that with Carrot Cake from Bluestem Bistro is how we did it.  I thought the cake was a little underdone, but I was the only one...As for the milk punch, Katherine and I are lightweights and thought the bourbon to ice cream ratio was a little skewed.  Half the bourbon would have been much better.  Cori though is a complete rock star and thought the suggested amounts were spot on.  She may be my new hero (a prolific knitter who doesn't need her drinks watered down- really what more could you want in a friend)?  What Next?  We came home cooked Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo and lived happily ever after. 

INGREDIENTS      1lb fettuccine (or linguine if you're in a hurry- heck, even spaghetti if that's all you have lying around);   6Tbs butter/margarine;    a bit of onion or a shallot- minced;    1 Cup whipping cream;   1 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese;    Salt or Garlic salt & pepper to taste. 

Start those noodles as soon as you think you might be hungry- they take forever.  Begin thawing the shrimp (1LB) or cutting the chicken (1LB) into bite sized pieces.  Melt the butter in a pan and saute the onions.  If you're going the chicken route, throw it in there too.  When the chicken is no longer pink (or if you're opting for shrimp, when the onions are properly sauteed), add the cream.  Now shrimp eaters, throw in the shrimp.  Cook it down for approximately 5 minutes or until shrimp is done.  Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan.  Stir and Add to Noodles.  Done.  Oh, and don't forget that Caesar salad.