Archive for April, 2005
April 29, 2005
now with recipies!
My family are visiting this week, which leaves me no time to write, but here is the recipie for the universe’s most fabulous chocolate cake, which we make for every family gathering and birthday and event, and, oh, hell, just because it’s Tuesday. I have it filed under ‘idiotically easy’, which is the cooking category in which I have the most success. Try, and enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Cake
1 package yellow cake mix
2 small boxes instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup Wesson oil
1 1/2 cups water
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounce package chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325. Mix all but chips with electric mixer for two minutes. Fold in chips. Pour into well-greased and floured* bundt pan**. Bake for approximately one hour (may need a little longer). Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, OR ice with chocolate glaze (see below).
*I use Wesson oil and cocoa powder (rather than flour) to grease and flour–no white spots on the finished cake that way (thank you, Martha Stewart).
**I have also made this in a springform pan; it works just fine, but the bundt pan is prettier.
Chocolate Glaze
1 bar (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate baking bar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt baking bar and butter in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Alternate adding powdered sugar and water until desired consistency. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour over warm cake. Scrape remains from sauce pan and devour before anyone else in the house realizes what you are doing.
April 25, 2005
fodder for what, exactly?
At Charlie’s very nice (and conservative) Episcopal Mother’s Day Out, they sing the following grace:
to the tune of Frere Jacques
God our Father
God our Father
Once again
Once again
We are here to thank you
We shall ask thy blessing
Amen
Amen
At home, Charlie sings this version:
with his hands folded like a Precious Moments figurine
God our fodder
God our fodder
We are here
I like that he’s not asking for anything; he just wants God to know he’s here. That’s all.
April 23, 2005
no participation required
Whenever I do anything for Charlie–change his diaper, hand him a cup, find his blankie, whatever–he says, ‘Thank you Mommy you’re welcome.’
Not having to say ‘you’re welcome’: priceless.
April 22, 2005
he was wearing Spiderman underwear OVER the diaper
Charlie: I took my diaper off!
Wade: Great, buddy! Where’s the diaper?
Charlie: In my room.
Wade: (in Charlie’s room) Charlie, where’s the diaper?
Charlie: I put it away!
Wade: Okay–where did you put it away?
Charlie: In my drawer!
(Sound of Wade opening and closing dresser drawers.)
Me: WHERE IS THE DIAPER?
Wade: In the drawer with the clean diapers.
Charlie: Yeah! I put it away!
Wade: Great, buddy, thanks.
April 21, 2005
file under: people unclear on the concept
Because I bought Judith Warner’s Perfect Madness, a book that criticizes the notion that being a good parent isn’t good enough, the nice people at Amazon.com have recommended Becoming the Parent You Want To Be: A Sourcebook of Strategies for the First Five Years, a book that begins with Nine Principles for the Parenting Journey:
“Principle 1: As parents, it’s important that we hold a vision of the kind of parent that we want to be and that we strive to achieve that vision in our daily lives.”
Wow, is that all it takes? A vision? I suppose I should try that. Right after I finish my drink.
today, I . . .
dropped Henry at school, took Charlie to Starbucks, dropped Charlie at school, picked up paint chips at Lowe’s, got a new driver’s license, ran to Target to buy a curtain rod for Charlie’s room, a valance for the guest room, and a new cover for my ironing board, stopped at Sears to pick up paint chips, ran by my house to pee, discovered that I had left the curtain rod at Target (AFTER I paid for it), zipped off (with the gas light in my car on) to pick Henry and his friend Hayden up at school, drove to Hayden’s house for lunch and a playdate, during which I forced Hayden’s mommy to help me pick out paint for Henry’s room (thank you, JR!), hopped on the turnpike and raced around town to pick Charlie up at school, filled the tank in my car, returned Toy Story to the video store, buzzed over to my in-laws’ house to play with my sister-in-law and our neice (who are here from Houston), piled the boys BACK in the car and returned to Target to reclaim the curtain rod (which was WAITING FOR ME AT CUSTOMER SERVICE oh god how I love Target), ran into my friend Torrey, hugged her and promised to get together soon, mangled my way home through rush-hour traffic, threw the boys in the bathtub, plopped them in front of a movie, talked to my mother on the phone, heated up leftovers for everyone, read the boys’ stories, stuffed them into bed, touched up the paint in the guest room (because yes, it ALREADY had a ding in it damnitalltohell), mopped the kitchen floor, poured a big glass of wine and sat down to write.
Whew.
Wade, on the other hand, sat next to Vince Gill at lunch today.
Just another typical Thursday at my house.
