Two minutes in heaven is better than…

I’m only about 6 months behind on this, even though the Dilettante tipped me off in her usual ahead of the curve way. That said, I was one of the first to get the DVD. These guys, the Flight of the Conchords, are my new favorite guilty pleasure. I sat through 12 episodes and only [...]

green monster invades local home

Even our Red Sox ornament on the tree could not keep us safe from this green monster, who has made our family his conquest. All three of us sniffle, snort, and produce something akin to smoker’s cough; we’ve taken turns with the lower end of the vocal register, and with headaches. (H and I actually [...]

the most popular post on this veggie femominist site…

is a recipe for sausage stuffed mushrooms. No joke. Everyday, someone somewhere needs to know what hors d’oeuvre they can make with Jimmy Dean sausage and breadcrumbs, they plunk their words into Google and hello! We meet.  They meat. The number 2 recipe is for baked olives, which is something I still like to make [...]

Closing time

Last September, I told my colleagues I would be leaving at the end of the year. I summed it up this way: I was able to run a 6 year experiment in remote work, and the results were in: it didn’t suit me. It was great to be together at meetings, and get caught [...]

It’s time to dance

Our old square piano sits in the cold spare room, along with my desk, H’s desk, the file cabinets, my grandmother’s armchair, a sofa we have yet to put on Craig’s list, the laundry and moving boxes on top of said sofa,  and many many stacks of paper.
The floor is made with Spanish tile, shiny, [...]

Christmas animal action

Last year, Ben learned a song at daycare called Animal Action, where he would move and make sounds like a particular animal. It was one of his favorites, given his established love of creatures.  He still performs it, along with the Zoboomafoo theme song.
So, as people asked for Christmas gift ideas, I went to the [...]

when pr ladies go off-message and tell the truth

… or, Can it be feminist to call an immature female reporter a girl?
A few weeks ago, I had to deal with a young, inexperienced “editor” for a commercial publication that happens to be a Web site with a primarily blog format. She had sent in a form letter to solicit participation in their [...]

otter and scorpion are friends

In Ben’s world, Otter and Scorpion are friends. Scorpion, sometimes called “Splish” or “Sting”, likes the desert, and can get a little pinchy. When he’s in a bad mood, we find a nice dark cool cave for him. Otter, sometimes called “Splash” or “Splashy” likes to play in the river, or the sea, and likes [...]

[recipe] beet risotto with greens

Thanks to Deborah Madison’s _Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone_, I was able to recreate a flavorful memory from my engagement dinner for our guests at the Scanditalian Christmas  Eve Dinner. I prepared this with baby spinach to cut on prep time. It was perfect in flavor and the magenta and green colors were in the spirit [...]

[recipe] olivada

My first foray into grownup party entertaining was thumbing through  _The New Basics_ and finding this gem.  I make it by approximations now, but it’s always good, even if you go heavier on the parsley. Use a mini food processor or chopper bowl attachment on a handblender for easy results.
Olivada

Three garlic cloves
3/4 cup pitted kalamata [...]