She found a cookery book, flicked through it and came up with a recipe for peanut butter cookies. Which she proceeded to make. And very tasty they are, too.
I must try starving her more often.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Necessity is the mother of good baking
A little deprivation can be a marvellous thing. The Girl was complaining about the lack of snacks in the house. "You're hungry?" I said. "So. Bake something." And she replied, much to my surprise (because my daughter, much as I love her, is the first to admit that she is lazy as all get-out), "OK, I will."
She found a cookery book, flicked through it and came up with a recipe for peanut butter cookies. Which she proceeded to make. And very tasty they are, too.
I must try starving her more often.
She found a cookery book, flicked through it and came up with a recipe for peanut butter cookies. Which she proceeded to make. And very tasty they are, too.
I must try starving her more often.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Saturday diversions
Delights of the day: our regular visit to the Farmers' Market, which was looking lovely in the sunshine (and we got to share a little Whovian smalltalk with our favourite hummus-vendor); the Boy had a creative meet-up with his friends, shooting videos in a basement; the Man and I took our daughter out for teriyaki lunch, and she was very charming company. In between times the Man and Boy had dive-offs in the pool. We managed to avoid the still ubiquitous neighbourhood yard sales, and thus have no new piles of junk to dispose of today.
There was a torrential downpour in the early afternoon. There's at least one every day, it seems to be the pattern of this summer. But at least it stays warm.
There was a torrential downpour in the early afternoon. There's at least one every day, it seems to be the pattern of this summer. But at least it stays warm.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Pop culture
I have generally tried to avoid pre-packaged microwaveable popcorn since learning, years ago, about the toxic ingredient added to give it "that buttery taste". But my kids do like popcorn, so for a long time I would cook it for them in a pan with oil.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it went horribly wrong and burnt. Always the house would end up stinking of overheated oil, even if the popcorn itself was quite tasty. I was secretly relieved when the Boy had his braces fitted and was not allowed to eat popcorn at all for more than a year - great excuse to avoid making the stuff (even though I felt obliged to buy the occasional bag of fundraising corn from neighbourhood Boy Scouts).
But the braces came off, and the demand for popcorn resumed... And recently, hooray! I have discovered (thank you, Internet!) that you can make perfectly nice, non-toxic popcorn in the microwave, with a handful of corn in a paper bag. It's as easy as anything, and the kids have taken to making it for themselves when they fancy a snack. There's no more burnt oily smell - just a slight whiff of cinema about the house (does that smell remind anyone else of a hamster cage?).
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it went horribly wrong and burnt. Always the house would end up stinking of overheated oil, even if the popcorn itself was quite tasty. I was secretly relieved when the Boy had his braces fitted and was not allowed to eat popcorn at all for more than a year - great excuse to avoid making the stuff (even though I felt obliged to buy the occasional bag of fundraising corn from neighbourhood Boy Scouts).
But the braces came off, and the demand for popcorn resumed... And recently, hooray! I have discovered (thank you, Internet!) that you can make perfectly nice, non-toxic popcorn in the microwave, with a handful of corn in a paper bag. It's as easy as anything, and the kids have taken to making it for themselves when they fancy a snack. There's no more burnt oily smell - just a slight whiff of cinema about the house (does that smell remind anyone else of a hamster cage?).
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Beat philosophy
When I signed the Boy up for drumming lessons, I didn't realise I was also enrolling him on a philosophy course...
I sat in on the lesson, to see what went on. After a week of practice, the Boy is not too bad at the paradiddle (R,L,RR, L,R,LL etc), but he's still struggling with the basic drum-kit beat. This involves hitting the hi-hat cymbal (one and two and three and four and...) with the right-hand stick, while the right foot uses the pedal to hit the bass on every one and three beat, and the left-hand stick bangs the snare on the two and four beats.
"It's simple," said the teacher, demonstrating. "Not easy...but simple."
Like so much in human experience, I thought.
More words of wisdom when the Boy made a mistake trying to copy a rhythm. "The hardest thing to learn to do is to keep on going when you make a mistake. You gotta just keep playing. 'Cause it's all music."
Yes, indeed.
And the teacher even threw in some insights on dental care. Apparently as a youth (which was possibly quite a while ago) he had played fast and loose with candy and soda, and now, suffering from toothache, he rues the day.
I feel my son may emerge from these classes not just a better drummer, but also a wiser man.
I sat in on the lesson, to see what went on. After a week of practice, the Boy is not too bad at the paradiddle (R,L,RR, L,R,LL etc), but he's still struggling with the basic drum-kit beat. This involves hitting the hi-hat cymbal (one and two and three and four and...) with the right-hand stick, while the right foot uses the pedal to hit the bass on every one and three beat, and the left-hand stick bangs the snare on the two and four beats.
"It's simple," said the teacher, demonstrating. "Not easy...but simple."
Like so much in human experience, I thought.
More words of wisdom when the Boy made a mistake trying to copy a rhythm. "The hardest thing to learn to do is to keep on going when you make a mistake. You gotta just keep playing. 'Cause it's all music."
Yes, indeed.
And the teacher even threw in some insights on dental care. Apparently as a youth (which was possibly quite a while ago) he had played fast and loose with candy and soda, and now, suffering from toothache, he rues the day.
I feel my son may emerge from these classes not just a better drummer, but also a wiser man.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Bender Melons
For years now I've driven through the town of New Scotland on the way to Indian Ladder Farms and passed a sign in a field. From the car, all I can read on the sign are the words "BENDER MELONS". I have assumed they referred to some chap called Mr. Melons who had an unusual first name.
Today I stopped the car and took a closer look. Oh! It's about melons, named after a chap called Mr. Bender. Well, there you go. I have never knowingly bought a Bender melon, but (a little googling reveals) they were all the rage in the 1930s, and a nice export item for New York State.
Melons are no longer grown in the Bender Melons field. I've seen sweetcorn growing there, in season. A few years ago a developer put forward plans to build a big box mall, which the people of New Scotland rejected. Good for them.
Today I stopped the car and took a closer look. Oh! It's about melons, named after a chap called Mr. Bender. Well, there you go. I have never knowingly bought a Bender melon, but (a little googling reveals) they were all the rage in the 1930s, and a nice export item for New York State.
Melons are no longer grown in the Bender Melons field. I've seen sweetcorn growing there, in season. A few years ago a developer put forward plans to build a big box mall, which the people of New Scotland rejected. Good for them.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Trying new things
(Or possibly, new trying things?)
The Boy is not always eager to try new things. However this summer he has taken up springboard diving lessons and also drumming.
His enthusiasm for diving has waned somewhat since last summer (and the one before that), since his waxwork portrayal of Tom Daley, and since I signed him up (a couple of months ago) for this two week course at our local Town Park. I think it's fair to say that for the last couple of days I've been taking him to his lesson under duress. However, it did go a bit better today (jumping off the high board) so fingers crossed his enjoyment will grow. If not, that'll just have to be nine* 45 minute chunks that (as he would put it) he'll "never have back".
His first drumming lesson was last Thursday, in a soundproof room at a nearby music school. It's hard (it takes extraordinary coordination), but he likes it. He's been drumming (on the couch, the desk, his knees, the dinner table; with sticks, hands, cutlery) ever since. He's petitioning heavily for a drum-kit of his own.
Our neighbours are going to love us...
*no lesson on July 4th
The Boy is not always eager to try new things. However this summer he has taken up springboard diving lessons and also drumming.
His enthusiasm for diving has waned somewhat since last summer (and the one before that), since his waxwork portrayal of Tom Daley, and since I signed him up (a couple of months ago) for this two week course at our local Town Park. I think it's fair to say that for the last couple of days I've been taking him to his lesson under duress. However, it did go a bit better today (jumping off the high board) so fingers crossed his enjoyment will grow. If not, that'll just have to be nine* 45 minute chunks that (as he would put it) he'll "never have back".
His first drumming lesson was last Thursday, in a soundproof room at a nearby music school. It's hard (it takes extraordinary coordination), but he likes it. He's been drumming (on the couch, the desk, his knees, the dinner table; with sticks, hands, cutlery) ever since. He's petitioning heavily for a drum-kit of his own.
Our neighbours are going to love us...
*no lesson on July 4th
Monday, June 24, 2013
Drive time
Quite a crazy morning - the Boy had a dental appointment across town first thing, which required an early start. I'd no sooner got him home than I had to rush straight out again to take the Girl to her first day of Farm Camp. Back from the farm, I loaded the Boy into the car again to take him for a diving lesson at the Town Park. And there wasn't too much turn around time after that before I had to go back to the farm and pick up the Girl...
At least I didn't have to do all this driving to and fro through thunder and lightning - the stormy weather saved itself for the afternoon. It rather put paid to fun-in-the-pool, but between stormy bursts the kids had fun shooting at tin cans with water pistols.
At least I didn't have to do all this driving to and fro through thunder and lightning - the stormy weather saved itself for the afternoon. It rather put paid to fun-in-the-pool, but between stormy bursts the kids had fun shooting at tin cans with water pistols.
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