Don't Make Me Break Out in Song...

We have the kind of friends who, when they hear that you're having a supremely crappy day, and by that I mean a day where the terms tumor, lesion, targeted-chemo rain down on you like ping pong balls on the Captain Kangaroo Show... well they move into action. Baking action. Baking cookies that will make you believe that yes, things will be lovely again. And if they aren't, well cherry-chocolate-oatmeal cookies are a great bandage. Thanks Paula.

And thanks to Augusto for offering a kidney. He was completely serious and he doesn't even drink.

And thanks to Katie and Nora for spending their entire day playing peek-a-boo and uuuuuup... doooooown with my nine month old. When she had a cold. And Nora was in the last gasp of her summer vacation.

And thanks to Julie for rearranging her whole day, again and again and again and again just to care for a nine month old who spent the day immitating a very hungry catepillar, so I could hear first-hand what the docs are saying today about my mom and have a haircut.

And thanks to Ella for her first batch of Snickerdoodles ever, which were strong medecine indeed.

And thanks to Mark for being willing to sit and wallow in news that sucks with us, without trying to talk us out of it.

And thanks to Gisele for wisdom and more babysitting. And remining us we have to pay attention to each other, before we bump into each other at the sink brushing our teeth.

And Josh and Kristin for more babysitting. And my GOD, Kristin can fold clothes like a NINJA.

And Talin for homemade curry and baby food. And walking my kid around the block so I could actually finish something I started.

And ... and... and ...

Defective Yeti on the Size of Soda

"We can't raise the minimum wage in this country, but the minimum serving size of Sprite just goes up and up and up."

Rethinking First Foods, from Time Magazine

What the #$&* people? Candy? French fries? This is enough to give you a stomach ache.

"By age 2, according to a 2002 survey, 1 in 5 babies is eating candy every day. And the No. 1 vegetable for toddlers isn't pureed peas or carrots; it's French fries."

"Some pediatricians say organic produce is especially beneficial to babies. "Organic fruits and vegetables tend to have about 30% more antioxidants than nonorganics," says Dr. Alan Greene, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University and host of DrGreene.com "This is when babies' brains are developing and are most in need of those benefits." Some researchers believe babies are particularly vulnerable to pesticides, traces of which can be found in commercially grown produce. A study in California found that newborns exposed to higher levels of pesticides in utero were more likely to have abnormal neurological reflexes. Still, some doctors say because no definitive data support the benefits of organic baby food, the extra cost--sometimes over 50% more a jar--may not be worth it."

Chin Up

Real life has reared his nasty head... my mom is about to begin an uphill battle against cancer. I was feeling sorry for myself this morning, staring into space when I found myself gazing at the lovliest kitchen quilt ever made. It was a gift from that brilliant sister of ours, Lauren for Christmas. So you know... begin being really jealous. It matches the colors of our kitchen and more importantly the feel and humor. And the most amazing thing, it's only one of nine fantastic quilts that live in this house thanks to Lauren.

Low Country Boil

We spent a lovely week celebrating my nephew's graduation from high school on Hilton Head Island. It was a wonderful trip, despite the fact that traveling cross country with a nine month old who is hell bent on climbing is a little like having Cirque du Soliel performed ON YOUR LAP. But you really can't go wrong with family who explode with joy everytime your kid blinks, a niece and nephew who are not only great company, they are smart and cooler than you could ever hope to be, a sister-in-law who is just as smart and funny and whose friends act as though you're their relatives and she finds an empty house with a pool that is located steps away from the shoreline for you to camp out in. It was fantastic. So in addition to bursting with pride for the most awesome graduate from Hilton Head Prep's class of 2006, we had a great trip, laughed ourselves silly with people we love most in the world and ate our way into oblivion.

Recipe for Low Country Boil

Boil Mix:
1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
6 bay leaves
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 cup salt
Lemons, halved and wrapped in cheesecloth
For the Boil:
3 pounds red bliss potatoes, scrubbed clean
6 (4-inch pieces) good quality smoked spicy sausage like andouille or kielbasa
6 ears fresh corn on the cob, shucked
3 pounds fresh shrimp (26-30 count per pound), unpeeled

Serving Suggestion: Biscuits or Hot bread


Place all the crab boil mix ingredients, except the salt and lemon into a spice grinder and pulse several times.
Fill a large pot with enough water to cover all ingredients. Use 1/2 tablespoon of this mixture plus 1/2 lemon wrapped in cheesecloth per quart of water used for low country boil. Add the boil mix, salt, lemon, and potatoes, and heat until boiling. Adjust the boil seasonings, to taste.

Once boiling, add the sausage. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add corn and cook for 10 additional minutes. Add shrimp and cook no more than 3 minutes. Drain and serve.