zombie apocalypse preparation

I play a lot of video games.
I am sometimes ribbed by my friends for "preparing for the zombie apocalypse." It's kind of true, but it's more a case of being more fun to say "zombie apocalypse" than "enormous inevitable pacific northwest earthquake."
I am quite good with a chainsaw and an axe, and let's not forget my past experience on a rifle team.

The Onion gives a nod as only they can to the advantages and disadvantages of preparing for the worst by playing the best:


Are Violent Video Games Adequately Preparing Children For The Apocalypse?

Food, sometimes glorious.

On Sunday we spent much of the day in the basement library, organizing. I tackled books, Charlie did board games. What does it say about me that my books are organized by general genre and then alphabetically by author? I hope it's more of a nod to my bookstore-working days and not yet another facet of my often ridiculed penchant for order. At any rate, there were several piles of books to integrate and some that needed to be re-shelved.

we, ah, really like board games.

It was also quite obvious that another shelf of the room needed to be allocated for games. Charlie went through his piles and picked games that we likely won't play again and removed them, and then tried to make some order out of the chaos. If you are at all into board games, Charlie's friend Scott runs the best site ever. You can research games you might want to buy, buy them used, print out rules in English (we use this feature a lot), and read reviews of gameplay and house rules. You also can make an account and keep track of the games that you have. Later this week I'll be photographing the games we're done with and listing them for sale on the site, which is a great way to not feel bad if you don't love a game you've bought. Just sell it used to someone else!

tasty

In the early afternoon we got hungry and Charlie made one his great scavenged meals. There were crackers, and an apple, and some grueyre, and a riff on one of his best sweet & sour cucumber salads. This one had cucumber, some cherry tomatoes, carrots, thai basil, and toasted almonds. Yummy.

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how can you go wrong with these ingredients?

Yesterday afternoon I got a bug to make a hearty stew. On my way back from the grocery store Charlie called to tell me he had a work dinner thing to go to, but I decided to make it anyway. I put on my apron and some Chopin, watched the rain falling outside, and cooked. I merrily chopped and trimmed and braised and deglazed and stirred and baked and made noodles. I cooked all afternoon and it looked delicious.

Harry looks forward to dinner

I lovingly ladled up my plate, photographed it while composing my "I am such an awesome cook" post in my head, and sat down to eat. And ate two bites and stopped. It wasn't bad, wasn't off, but it was something way worse than a recipe gone wrong. I didn't like it. Somehow all of those flavors that on their own sounded delicious (beef! nicoise olives! orange peel! garlic! red wine!) combined to make something that just didn't taste good to me. I ate a few more bites, gave up, and had a bowl of buttered noodles. Sometimes you succeed with a new recipe, sometimes you fail. Since Charlie won't be home for dinner tonight either, I threw a few handfuls of barley in the pot to thicken it and the chickens are having a feast.

fail.
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I made up for it this morning by having a delicious breakfast. One strong cup of coffee and a one-eyed-jack. Just the thing! Tonight I think I'll stick with something simple for dinner.

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Eggs laid in the coop Monday: 2
Eggs laid in the coop Sunday: 2
Eggs laid in the coop Saturday: 2
Eggs laid in the coop this year: 173

In the interest of fairness, I must also point out that Henry is no slouch at sun-collecting.

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For Christmas the lovely Elisa gave me a wire chicken basket. Martha recommends storing potatoes or onions in it or using it as a centerpiece. I have a much more practical use for it: gathering eggs from the coop. Often on my way out there I am juggling a bin of treats for the girls (vegetable trimmings, leftover food, that sort of thing) and don't have hands free to carry multiple eggs. I know from experience that putting them in your pockets is not a wise choice. When kids visit they love gathering eggs and a toddler's enthusiastic grip is about as reliable as a pocket. Handles are much easier for everyone. I gussied the basket up with a little pad to keep the eggs from rolling around and it is just the thing.

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Eggs laid in the coop today: 3
Eggs laid in the coop Thursday: 2
Eggs laid in the coop this year: 167

suncat

Nobody can work a slice of sunshine quite like Harry.

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Eggs laid in the coop today: 3
Eggs laid in the coop Tuesday: 2
Eggs laid in the coop this year: 162

valentine calorie coma

The Valentine weekend at the brownian house started like it does every year.....with the annual Opening Of Mom's Valentine. I have learned over the years to open them either outside or over the sink because of the awesome glitter that is always included. My hands were covered in little twinkling bits of valentine enthusiasm as I read mom's message for this year. Sporting a big smile I clipped it to the refrigerator and completed the second step of every Valentine: The Removal And Storage Of Mom's Last Valentine. Then this year's was clipped up and will stay there occasionally raining glitter over the course of the year.

Test Dodge (18) to avoid being covered in glitter

I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies using a variation on a recipe that was published in the New York Times and then adapted slightly by one of my favored food writers Orangette. The magic supposedly included some alchemical reaction that could only be obtained by letting the dough rest overnight in the fridge. I followed her directions but substituted a 1oz scoop because I don't like enormous cookies. Verdict: they were very tasty but not as chewy as I like. That probably came from my size subtitution. Perhaps next time I'll cook them a shorter time. Perhaps there should not be a next time, because even though I gave most of them away I still found myself standing in the kitchen on Friday morning with a glass of milk in my hand deciding that it was completely rational to have two cookies for breakfast.

little portioned balls look very professional

they were definitely the most photogenic cookies I've ever made

Saturday was our own holiday, spent as they usually are in cooking. Charlie wrote up several menu choices for me and I picked the italian option but substituted the dessert from the spicy mexican selection. The result: cheese and fruit and a lovely Barolo while cooking, then veal and chicken lasagna with prosciutto-and-fontina wrapped asparagus, and finally spicy chipotle brownies for dessert. We ate tiny portions and were still completely and totally stuffed. Decadence obtained.

an amazing Wisconsin aged gruyere, dates, and strawberries

pasta glamour shot for Maryanne...

lasagna mmm

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Eggs laid in the coop this year: 157

Need a tax man?

I just got back from my annual visit to Pistol Pete, our tax man. Most of the year he goes by the more scholarly "F.J. Peters, EA" but right around this time he morphs into Pistol Pete, the best tax man ever. Not only is he thinking of you all year (he sends out quarterly newsletters with tax tips and things to keep in mind when you are saving paperwork) but he also is awesome at finding interesting things that you didn't know you could save you money.

Visiting his house is a treat. He was in the army through Vietnam and into the 80's, and has all sorts of medals and papers and photos all over the walls. There are mementos from his travels in every nook of every hallway and room.

So, if you haven't done your taxes yet and are looking for a very reasonably priced preparer, Pete is your man. I probably could do our taxes with turbo tax, but to be honest it's worth the peace of mind that a professional is taking care of it. And I like Pete. :) His number is 425.481.9361.

Bodkin-ian visit

Too busy to write? Why yes, I have been! Over the past two weeks I have had my hands full of bread, crayons, carrots, tape, a baby, little shoes, laundered diapers, a little girl's hand, and many many other things. The Bodkin whirlwind blew into town and we had fun pretty much nonstop.

We met friends at the zoo, baked bread, made granola, ate dozens and dozens of eggs, drew in the kitchen, molded play dough, went for long walks in the neighborhood, pet cats, played board games, ate Charlie's cooking, watched Alice in Wonderland, drank fancy liqueurs, lounged in the hot-tub after bedtime, made oilcloth snack bags, knit, and talked and talked and talked. Calliope did a great deal of the talking much to my delight. Sappho learned to drink out of a straw. It was a universe in 10 days. And now my house is very quiet.

The fairy princess does not care to share her almonds. Not this time.


helping Charlie make meatballs

cutting out gingerbread cookies

there was a little sleeping, yes.
the moody lass riding in her chariot, pushed by ever-helpful Julian

baby in the sink!

sisters at Pike market, with bellies full of fish and chips

creative endeavors