The One Where She Explains it All

Having posted two songs last week, I could probably call it Music Week. If that is true, then this week is going to be Food Week. I’m going to try to post a recipe most every day. If you have some requests, please let me know. I think I have some old requests that I need to honor. The picture here is from the blog Tartelette, which I look at just to admire the beautiful tiny desserts. I almost never am dying to actually eat the desserts pictured, let alone actually make one. But this one… it has been calling me. I have gone back and looked at it about six times. Even when I thought that was actually ribbon on top. Then I read and found out it was pulled sugar, and now I really can’t stop thinking about it.

So, Food Week. But first I have to take care of business. Sad But True left me ten questions to answer, and I can’t just leave that hanging over my head. So here goes…

1. Your husband calls. He is on his way home with unexpected company. What do you make for dinner? Answer: My fall-back is homemade pizzas, where everyone gets to make their own. I have a gorgeous Williams Sonoma eight-piece bowl set that all fits together, and I put different ingredients in each. My personal favorite is shrimp, pesto, fresh tomatoes and pine nuts. The kids like pepperoni or barbecue chicken. I will post that as my first recipe tomorrow.

2. You are stuck on a deserted island with everything you need but internet and reading material. What books do you wish you had taken along? Answer: Book(s) plural? Sweet. Okay, definitely Pride and Prejudice. Little Women. Angle of Repose. Princess Academy. Seventh Son, Alvin Journeyman and Enchantment, by Orson Scott Card. Shadow Spinner, The Count of Monte Cristo, My Antonia, The Little Prince, Sense and Sensibility, the 7th Harry Potter Book (I have to see how it ends (again), Where the Red Fern Grows, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Scarlet Pimpernel… I have to stop. There are too many.

3. You have to add a new color to your wardrobe. What are you thinking of trying this fall? Answer: What’s wrong with black, again??? Okay, if I have to choose, I’m definitely feeling purple.

4. It will be your husband's birthday this Saturday. What would you like to get him for under $100? New clothes to wear on date night that were not purchased at Costco.

5. Tell me about your favorite teacher and why he/she is your favorite. Answer: Miss Olsen, in the sixth grade. She totally got me.

6. Soft or crispy pb cookies? Answer: Always soft.

7. If you could eat dinner with five famous people, who are dead, who would you pick and why? Answer: Five of them? First, Dan Fogelberg. He is the musical entertainment. Anne Frank, whom I love, and who definitely deserves a good meal. Joseph Smith, also because I love him. Robert Jordan (that is his pen name), so he can tell me what was supposed to be in his final book sequel before his untimely death. And last one... hmm. Gabriel Dante Rossetti. I would get him to paint us.

8. You are on a plane with the Brady Bunch when it crashes in a remote part of the Andes. Who do you eat first? Answer: That’s an easy one. Marcia. I would like to say it is because she is selfish and self-absorbed. But maybe I just can’t take the competition.

9. Jack Purcells or Chucks? Answer: I’m going to refrain from Googling here, and just admit my ignorance now. I don’t know what either are. I’m going to guess they are sports-related and imagine they are shoes, or golf clubs or something.

10. What is your favorite scripture? Answer: That changes all the time. For today I’m going to go with a favorite story about Jesus. Luke 7:36-50.

The One With the Sweet and Sour

Today was not a bad day. What’s the expression? Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing? Yeah, it was that kind of day. But there were some good points.

Sweet: Moroni Chapter 10 in our family scripture reading. What does that even mean? It means we finished the Book of Mormon again today, as a family! That is pretty sweet.

Sour: I made 280 twice-baked potatoes. Ew, ew, ew. That is all I have to say about that. Well, and thank you to Cambria for scooping them all. But I still don’t want to look at another russet for a very long time.

Sweet: I don’t have to look at another russet for a very long time, because my friend Janis came over and picked up the last 40 pounds, and she is going to make the other 150.

Sour: Did you hear that Michael Jackson died? Oh no! (jk… first of all, I am not quite that behind the times, and secondly, sorry Michael, but it is probably a mercy).

Sweet: I finished one more song.

Sour: I am stuck on the next one. And I seem to undergo a crisis of faith (in myself, mostly) about every other day. I should really get over that.

Sweet: One of my fav returned missionaries called. He is awesome.

I will end on that sweet one, but I should reiterate what a bad idea it is to make 280 twice-baked potatoes at one time. It is right up there with buying sushi from a strip mall. Or letting your toddler crawl into bed with you without a diaper on. Answering the phone on Sunday morning. Need I continue?

The One Where Skippy Made Up For Everything

Skippy gave the scripture in Primary today. Giving the scripture is the best-case scenario—total win/win for me and for him. It is cooler than offering the prayer, but doesn’t require the same parental preparation of giving a talk. And Skippy did a great job. We worked on the scripture for a couple of days so he would be good at it. There is a lot riding on it. More than you might imagine…

It has to make up for those times when Skippy has shown up for church without having had a bath in three days, and wearing cowboy boots with no socks under shorts that are maybe just a little too short. (So sue me for letting the Skipster pick out his own clothes…) It makes up for that Sunday where he informed me in a rather exaggerated stage whisper, Mama, I’m STILL not wearing my underwear, and so I ask, What do you mean, STILL? He says, I told you yesterday, I don’t have any clean underwear. I tell him, That’s not a problem, Skip. Just don’t tell anyone but me that you’re going commando today.

It makes up for the fact that when he was just a nine-month-old baby, I brought Honey-Nut Cheerios in the little plastic container instead of the regular kind of Cheerios, and in the humidity they all kind of stuck together, and one of the other moms said, why are your Cheerios all stuck together like that? And I replied that they were maybe Honey-Nut Cheerios, and she gave me that look of horror and pity all mixed up and said, You feed your nine-month-old sugared cereal? Uh, NO. It is honey…thus the name HONEY Nut Cheerios. And besides, have you ever tasted plain Cheerios? All you can taste are the 12 vitamins and minerals with which the oats have been fortified.

Doing a good job on the scripture makes up for the times Skippy has worn jeans because we couldn’t find the church pants he wore the week before because they were mixed in with the rest of the clothes that had been discarded onto the floor all week long. Once Annie, who is Liam’s age but doesn’t need speech therapy, came up to me and informed me: Skippy isn’t wearing church clothes today. I looked her in the eye and replied that, as it happens, Skippy is not really a church kind of guy.

It makes up for that Sunday when I realized Skippy had NO shoes that would fit on his feet without having to wad his feet into little painful balls. So in desperation I took him to Famous Footwear during Sacrament Meeting and bought him some shoes. The ox was honestly in the mire that day because I don’t shop on Sunday unless it is an emergency, but it has apparently scarred him for life…he was only one and a half years old, but he still throws it up in my face: Why do I have to go to Primary today? Can’t we just go to the shoe store again like that one time? Are you kidding me? You can’t possibly remember that! If you can remember that, then tell me this: what does the pre-existence look like? Huh? Huh? Just as I thought.

Okay, so maybe we should have offered to give the talk. Clearly, I have a lot to make up for.