French Cooking for Four-Year-Olds

George really loves making paper airplanes.

Tonight when he saw my dad he said, "I can make bullet planes."

And my dad responded with, "What? You can make bouillabaisse?"

Yes Dad. The kid makes bouillabaisse. You should also try his beef bourguignon.

Welcome Holiday Card Readers!

We have family visiting for a few days and with the exception of Grandma Jan, me and the kiddies, they are all out at a bar getting schnockered.

So, here is my update in photos.



Milo, George and Goldie got a duck tonight from Grandma Jan that sings "If You're Happy and You Know It." I love it so much that I might shower with it.


Clay asked our nephew Drew to peel potatoes and told him to just keep going until he said stop. Clay then got distracted and when I found Drew, alone in the kitchen, he had peeled 10 lbs. of potatoes and was still going strong.


Milo is the family foodie. He will not eat baby food from a jar or touch rice cereal. His favorite food is homemade soup. Finally. Someone with good taste! (Drew and Milo sort of look alike, no? Scroll back to the potatoes.)


Here is the homemade soup. If you look closely you can see the Parmesan rind and 17 varieties of beans.


Molasses cookies. Not pictured are the chocolate peanut butter cookies, more peanut clusters and magic cookie bars. Everyone agreed the peanut clusters are de-licios and Clay needs psychiatric evaluation.

I think we are down to 36 lbs. of flour now because I also made challah.

With the drunkees out getting drunk it seems like a good time to mention a few items we left out of our holiday cards. Two of these "items" were censored.

1. While I was giving birth to Milo, Clay ate a bratwurst and sauerkraut in the hospital delivery room. Did you know that sauerkraut is simply fermented cabbage? One is particularly sensitive to smells while in labor or pregnant. In Clay's defense, I did tell him to get something I wouldn't want. Mission accomplished, Clay!

2. Upon meeting a family from St. Louis, George asked them if they lived in the Arch.

3. Clay wanted to stop and teach me how to install our new car seat while we were getting into the car on the way to the hospital as I was going into labor with Milo. I appreciated the offer, but suggested we wait for a more opportune time.

These were just a few of the many highlights for the year.

If you didn't get a holiday card from us, email me your address.

Peace, out... homies.

An Intervention

OK. This is Clay. Robin is upstairs showering, but I wanted to let you, her loyal readers, know Robin has a problem and I'm going to stage an intervention. She is a hoarder of baking supplies. Really. I just did a quick inventory and found the following:

41 lbs. of flour
19 lbs. of chocolate chips.
16 lbs. of sugar (this is not counting the multiple bags of powdered and brown sugar I didn't have time to count.)

Her baking supplies are taking over our house. And taking over her life... Here's a sample of what's on our kitchen counter at the moment:


I know some of your are enablers. You know who you are. The most important thing is to not tip her off. She will deny the problem. The most important thing is to let her know we love her and...

Oh oh, here she comes... Gotta go.

Hanukkah Happenings

Our house still stinks like latkes, I hope the smell doesn't last for 8 days.


George and Goldie spinning a little dreidel.



I bought George a book on how to fold paper airplanes. He told me it is the best gift he has ever received. Better than his bunk beds!


I made chocolate peanut clusters, which Clay told me he "actively dislikes." I actively love them and shall actively be seeking out former boyfriends (and new ones) on Facebook if he doesn't reconsider.

I had three with breakfast and two after dinner. (Peanut clusters, that is.)


With my breakfast of peanut clusters I ate a pink frosted donut.
My New Year's Resolution this year is to eat more nuts.

Donuts count, no?

We Do Have Rules at Our House

Cookbooks, especially new ones, are not allowed in the bathroom... Ever.

Tonight's Hanukkah pictures (and Halloween pictures) will be posted tomorrow.

What Do I Know About Fashion?

Obviously nothing.

A few years ago a homeless man walked up to me and said in very slurred speech, "Those socks do not go with that outfit."

When I looked down at my orange socks adorned with yellow polka dots I realized he was absolutely right.

Last night when I looked at Milo in his pink heart hat and doggy pj's I was reminded of this homeless man and quietly muttered, "That hat does not go with that outfit."

Nothing to See Here, Auntie Donna

Warning to Auntie Donna: Do NOT read this!

OK, I bought Auntie Donna (that's Clay's sister) this great cookbook called The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

George and Goldie were really interested in it because it has beautiful pictures of horses. Lord knows they had no interest in the food shots, which I thought were more beautiful.

After they started bending up the book, I decided to go ahead and try some recipes for myself. So I cooked a chicken pot pie recipe from it and tonight this really great lasagna. (see below)

I know Donna will like this book, especially since she now has a Pioneer Man in her life who will like this type of cookin'.

So, I'm giving my sister-in-law a used cookbook for Christmas. But, this is our little secret, readers. If any of you should cross her path over the coming weeks, just act as if nothing is amiss because she thinks of me as the sort of person who would NEVER stoop so low as to give someone a used Christmas gift. And I must maintain that impression at all costs.


After Dinner

Dutch Babies To Die For

Once again you are wishing you woke up at our house.

So yummy!

Dutch Baby Pancake

4 tablespoons butter

3 extra-large eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup milk

Topping:

4 ounces butter

Juice of one lemon

½ cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 10- or 11-inch cast-iron skillet set over low heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter.

2. In a blender, combine eggs, flour and milk until smooth. Pour batter into skillet over melted butter, then bake 25 minutes.

3. As soon as the pancake comes out of the oven, pour on butter, then sprinkle on lemon juice and powdered sugar. Serve at once.

We ate three of these this morning!

Geesh!

Guess who was left unattended with a ream of paper.

Guess who told the lady at the zoo she doesn't like kitty cats or doggies, only snakes.