Unplugged #8: Kitchen

In this little apartment, the kitchen plays a huge roll. It's the hood fan above the stove that shushes Bella to sleep each night, the dishes in the sink that occupy her when she doesn't want to be put down, and the every day cooking that she assures us we couldn't possibly do without her. So of course, this week's theme of kitchen at Unplug Your Kids sounded wonderful for us!

First of all, I want to point out the wonderful interview at Chocolate & Zucchini on how the blind cook. It is so fascinating and inspiring, and makes me realize my unorganized life style would probably cause many fires, spills, burns and bumps in the kitchen. (Notice my "busy" countertops and open cabinets in the photos below.)

We tried many things in the kitchen this week, but let's just say that we managed to make our usual bread, and I even cooked up some more apple sauce, but the family kitchen project was more like a kitchen snafu.

When I get the munchies, sometimes the only thing that will kick my sweet tooth is cookie dough. Dave personally hates dough, but I can sit down and eat a whole bowl if the mood strikes. So I make dough, he makes cookies, all is well with the world.

I started with this recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, my favorite! I subbed out the eggs with apple sauce so I wouldn't feel guilty for eating raw eggs while wearing a very grabby Bella. (Please pretend not to notice that I stay in my PJs all day when I've worked a night shift the night before...)






When all was mixed and doughy, I snuggled up with Bella and my bowl of yummy and left the rest to Dave, expecting the scrumptious smell of fresh cookies to permeate our apartment. However within a few minutes I started smelling burgers. Dave assured me that he used a clean pan and that the smell could have been from dinner, so I pushed snooze on the alarms going off in my head. But when I smelled burning just moments later, I had to check it out. As I peered in at the cookies, (sorry, I accidentally deleted the photo of them cooking!) I realized that the pan in use was in fact the broiler pan, the one dotted with handy little holes to allow the grease to fall through.

Apparently, cookies do not broil well. Little stalactites of dough were forming in each hole, occasionally releasing miniature cookie fireballs. We did our best to salvage the cookies with some tinfoil protecting the oven, but our attempts were in vain. Indeed, after much inspection, we decided meatballs had last been cooked on this tray, and the two flavors were not meant to coexist in one mouthful. There is a reason no one cooks burger cookies.

And here's our second kitchen goof up for the week: Whole wheat bread that we set to rise during our afternoon bath, but then decided that a nap sounded more appealing after a warm bath, so the bread over rose and has a splat-top.



And a peek into the normal messy status of our kitchen, in case anyone needs a little reminder that messy is normal. :O)

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Christmas is all around

For those of us in the retail world, the holiday season is in full swing. And although I find myself commiserating with friends and coworkers about Christmas trees before Halloween! and Oh those dastardly songs! and How much more of this can we take! I still find myself giddy as the season approaches. The house is too cold? Why not make a pumpkin pie! If there's no one home but me, no one will know I'm listening to Christmas CDs. (Hey, it's all brand new to Bella!) And so what if I wrap empty boxes just so I can enjoy their splendor. I certainly don't have the means or foresight to keep real presents around the whole season.

I still begrudge the material focus that persists through the season, but to me it's balanced out by the extra glow and sparkle peaking around every corner. When it comes to consumption we are always faced with filtering out the good from the bad. Take the family time, the pretty trees, the hint of snow, and ignore the noisy plastic toys that represent satisfaction for 30.7 seconds.

People will come around eventually and refocus on what truly matters. Take, for example, my dear Container Store, which specifically strives to separate itself from the religion in the season: Gift Wrap Wonderland consisting solely of Santa, reindeer, and snowy scenes. Three years ago they introduced their first religious themed gift wrap, a beautiful nativity montage. It flew almost literally out the door and they struggle to keep it in stock each year. And finally they have added another. (Apparently supply and demand does work.)

The music, on the other hand, remains completely secular. Sixteen versions of Santa Baby, three White Christmasses, and twelve Frosty the Snowmans. Yes, it gets old fast, but I just talk over it and show people how to make the most beautiful bows to put on their perfectly wrapped boxes (presentation does matter!). And at least it means that I can come home and enjoy Oh Holy Night and Carol of the Bells with fresh ears. A win win situation if you ask me.

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(I don't have a sticker to show for my mail-in ballot)

As if the day wasn't bad enough in its own right, Mondays at our apartment are plagued by the ringing whine and biting stink of the Mowing and Blowing. Even if it's windy and raining, the groundskeepers spend from 9 am to 1pm cutting every green thing in sight and rearranging the fallen leaves, carving self righteous paths through the grass.

And the best thing is that by Tuesday, the wind and trees have had their way and replaced everything just as it should be.

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A sunday at home

Shutter Sisters today called for photos of the hearth and home to warm up our November. Our Sundays are pretty simple. Usually one or both of us are working, so they're nothing superduper. Still, it's the little moments that make up our lives, so here are some shots of our blustery Sunday spent indoors. When the mere thought of going outside soaks you to the bone, it's much better to stay inside and sail away to the Bahamas in a sink boat.

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Superhero Challenge: Fallen Leaves

I'm squatting in a puddle, a sleepy Bella strapped to me staring off into space as I awkwardly position my little point and shoot elph on the wet concrete. I've just resigned myself to looking like a fool when I hear through the fog of my concentration, Are you a photographer? That question has never been directed at me before. I look up from my puddle to see a man in a minivan staring down at me in awe, his preteen in tow. I don't answer but try to keep my smile confident.

Is he serious? I have a child hanging off my front and my miniature camera is lying in a pile of leaves. I suppose everything is relative. He saves me from explaining and carries on about what an artistic angle that is and how he's good with people, but would never think of such a great idea and it's so creative he wants to try it out as soon as he gets back home. I let him do all the talking. He's genuinely excited and inspired to see me (still in my puddle) and I doubt the word "hobbiest" would pop his shiny bubble.



I'm also excited about this shot, but for other reasons. I go through my day imagining photographs, a lens before me even when it's not. I've set this one up in my mind a million times but never got the nerve to try it out until today's Superhero Challenge sent me out in the rain to face my fear of breaking the norm. Yeah, I'm not so good with people, I reply lamely waving my camera, but I suppose that's why I've got this. I encourage him to come back out and try this perspective before they blow the leaves away. He circles the parking lot one more time to catch another glance and I heave a big sigh to pull me and Bella up from my crouch. A simple interaction, two very different perspectives, and we both continue on our daily paths glowing with a little more inspiration.

So my superhero powers for the day, a leaf's perspective on life:





And one for the leaves who have yet to fall:

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