First official attempt was this morning when I made French Toast (p. 49). I was kind of impressed with myself cause I made it on the fly during a playdate! Kyle joked last night that he was glad I'd found somebody to play with me. Well, I guess in many ways it does feel like play when you have a good time with a friend. So, back to the food: this recipe was just sneaking in banana puree, so obviously it wasn't a dramatic intro to the recipes. But it did taste good!

The more challenging recipes were tonite: oddly enough, more breakfast. Specifically, scrambled eggs (p. 53) and pancakes (p. 57).

The eggs were suppose to hide cauliflower, and I'll confess: I probably won't be making this recipe again. I like my eggs just plain ole eggs - no milk or anything else added. And this recipe not only called for a TON of eggs (2 large eggs plus 4 large egg whites), but also sour cream, 1/2 cup of cauliflower puree and parmesan cheese. The end result tasted somewhat like cafeteria eggs. Moist and kind of granular, not like I think eggs should be which is somewhat moist and not at all granular. Plus, I really could taste the cauliflower...or maybe it was the sour cream. And if you're gonna add cheese, I think it should have a kick, like from sharp cheddar. Something about these just didn't go down well. Even Brooklyn turned up her nose and she normally loves eggs. Oh, and I also couldn't bring myself to use 6 eggs. I did 3 regular plus 1 egg white. And somehow I don't think that dramatically affected the taste. So...thumbs down.

Pancakes. Ok, these weren't bad, but I did make some alterations. The recipe called for 1 cup of water and 1 cup of pancake mix. Well, what qualifies as pancake mix? To me, it's Bisquick. But my pancake recipe on the back of the Bisquick calls for 2 cups of mix and 1 cup of milk. Plus 2 eggs. Well, this had no eggs. But it did have the puree, so I'm guessing that was the egg substitute. Oh, the hidden veggie was sweet potatoes. My changes: instead of water, I used milk. And instead of 1 cup of pancake mix, I used more like 1 3/4. And I did use the 1/2 cup of sweet potato puree, and it did not taste bad! Even the goozy pancakes that I like (very gooey in the middle) tasted really good! The final product was sort of pinkish-orange, but that didn't seem to bother Brooklyn. A little maple syrup and it was a done deal. We both ate several. So, those can be made again. A thumbs up...but that is with MY modifications. I don't know EXACTLY how her recipe would taste with water and less pancake mix...

Ok, another CS Lewis topic. He also has a chapter on Christian Marriage. This chapter addresses, among other things, the topic of divorce. He looks at marriage in view of its relation to chastity, but also in relation to another virtue - justice. Which includes the keeping of promises.

When we get married, we make a public, solemn promise to stick to our partner till death. CS Lewis said some people may make the point that they regarded the promise made in church as a mere formality and never intended to keep it. (wow.) If so, then there was deception involved - they wanted the respectability attached to marriage without intending to pay the price - they were imposters. Very interesting... Lewis says further, "If they are still contented cheats, I have nothing to say to them: who would urge the high and hard duty of chastity on people who have not yet wished to be merely honest?...If people do not believe in permanent marriage, it is perhaps better that they should live together unmarried than that they should make vows they do not intend to keep. It is true that by living together without marriage they will be guilty (in Christian eyes) of fornication. But one fault is not mended by adding another: unchastity is not improved by adding perjury."

I don't know why, but that really struck a chord with me. We talk about how awful it is that people live together and what it says about them. It says that there is something holding them back from committing to stay together. That they know there is something inside them that will not keep that promise. That the promise being made really doesn't mean much to them. So they pretend marriage...they live together instead. And I'm sorry, but I would be absolutely offended if someone said they would only marry me after we lived together awhile to see if it worked. That sounds like they have doubts about me and us from the get-go. It clearly indicates an attitude of taking the good bits, but opting out of the bad bits. And that's just not life. We all get both.

I wonder how much more emotional damage we do by "living as one" living together and then splitting up compared to the damage of a divorce. Does the "two become one" take effect when you live with someone without the commitment? I wonder. And what if someone does this multiple times? What sort of wounds are they walking around with? But as CS Lewis points out, should we expect people who are incapable of making and keeping a promise of living a lie?

Ok, before you get either (a) upset or (b) overexcited, this is a continuation of my reading of Mere Christianity. Not a confession or admission about anything related to my own sexual appetite. :)

I'm sure anyone with eyes has noticed that sex is everywhere. As we all know, sex sells and it's used to sell things constantly. At a dinner the other night, I overheard some people discussing the Axe commercials in which nubile young women launch themselves at and appear unable to keep themselves away from young guys wearing the stuff. Commercials that I really don't want my little girl to oversee!

What is interesting to me is that if today's obsession with sex appears extreme, and it does to me, then we can only assume that there has been a period of the opposite extreme - aha! And we've all heard of the Victorian period and the stigmas associated with that - prim, prudish, sex is bad...

So I was very surprised to see an entire chapter in Mere Christianity devoted to sexual morality. Mr. Lewis was quick to point out that while certain religious groups have devoted themselves to and/or built their religion upon the belief that sex is entirely bad, it isn't and can't be since God created it. What has gone bad is our appetite for it. Or our instinct. Just as we are born with an instinct to eat, we are born with an instinct to procreate. However, the human appetite for sex is "in ludicrous and preposterous excess of its function." He says, ok, you can get a large audience together for a strip-tease act. But what would you think if you filled a room with people who eagerly watched someone slowly lift the lid off of a covered dish of food. Seriously, you'd be inclined to think the second scenario was taking place in Ethiopa, or some other country in the middle of a famine. To be so in a tizzy about food is just crazy. So, one could assume that in a society with such out of control sexual appetites, there must be a sort of sexual starvation. But there is no evidence for that in our society. On the other hand, Lewis points out that sexual appetites, like our other appetites, grow by indulgence. "Starving men may think much about food, but so do gluttons; the gorged, as well as the famished, like titillations."

He talks about how people say sex has become such a mess because it was hushed up for so long. But it hasn't been hushed up for YEARS, and maybe the whole reason the Victorian line of thinking ever got started is because sex had gotten so out of control to begin with. The pendulum always swings to extremes.

Lewis says when people say, 'Sex is nothing to be ashamed of', they may mean 'the state into which the sexual instinct has now got is nothing to be ashamed of' and if so, they are dead wrong. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your food, but if you spend all your time looking at pictures of food and drooling over it, there's a problem. An appetite out of whack. Which, if you think about it, may also be true in our society. Have there ever been more tv shows dedicated to the production of food? Does every other society have that craze or just America? We're certainly the fattest society around! Hm...I may be on to something.

But what I really love is how CS Lewis concludes his chapter. He says, the centre of Christian morality does not lie in sexual morality. If you think it's the supreme vice, sorry! Sins of the flesh are bad, but not the worst. The worst pleasures are purely spiritual and mostly related to pride! "For there are two things inside me, competing with the human self which I must try to become. They are the Animal self, and the Diabolical self. The Diabolical self is the worse of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes to church regularly may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither."

In my cookbook, Jessica Seinfeld says it should take a good hour per week to prepare for your upcoming week of meals and purees. That must be once you've really gotten going because it took me a good 3 hours this evening. Of course, Jessica may not have been wearing an infant in a sling or pausing to tend to her 2 year old. And I'm not really complaining. I sort of relieve stress by losing myself in cooking stuff. And I was pureeing more quantities than I'll use in a week. The hardest part was putting the stuff in baggies. It was much messier than I anticipated. The steaming was easy, as was the food processor part. Seriously, press "on" and set my timer for 2 minutes. The bagging of 1/2 cup quantities and labeling was what took so long. That and my mommy interruptions. So, now that I am ready to go, we'll see how this integration of vegetables into regular food goes.

For those who read this blog, if you read just to see pictures of Brooklyn and August, there are times you must, by necessity, be disappointed. As the author of this blog, it must track to some extent, the same paths my mind travels. And while there's lots of Brooklyn and August there, there is much much more. At least, I hope so! There are days when I wonder...

Today, I have been mulling over the words of CS Lewis from Mere Christianity. I did start reading this book as a tool for my apologetics Bible study, but it has proven to have topics whose relevance doesn't necessarily pertain to my study, but certainly piques my interest. One section, in particular, I will give straight in Mr. Lewis' words:

"...In the passage where the New Testament says that every one must work, it gives as a reason 'in order that he may have something to give to those in need.' Charity - giving to the poor - is an essential part of Christian morality: in the frightening parable of the sheep and the goats it seems to be the point on which everything turns. Some people nowadays say that charity ought to be unnecessary and that instead of giving to the poor we ought to be producing a society in which there were no poor to give to. They may be quite right in saying that we ought to produce this society. But if anyone thinks that, as a consequence, you can stop giving in the meantime, then he has parted company with all Christian morality. I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them. ...For many of us the great obstacle to charity lies not in our luxurious living or desire for more money, but in our fear - fear of insecurity.

A Christian society is not going to arrive until most of us really want it: and we are not going to want it until we become fully Christian. I may repeat "Do as you would be done by" until I am black in the face, but I cannot really carry it out until I love my neighbor as myself: and I cannot learn to love my neighbor as myself till I learn to love God: and I cannot learn to love God except by learning to obey Him."

I must say, his words are really convicting. And convincing.

By crafty, I mean tricky. By tricky, I mean deceptive. By deceptive, I mean, Deceptively Delicious. I made my weekly menu yesterday and it includes French Toast made with butternut squash puree, scrambled eggs made with cauliflower puree, chicken nuggets with carrot puree and squash puree plus couscous also with carrots and squash. First step of all this was to buy the ingredients: squash, cauliflower, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots. Right now, the butternut squash and sweet potatoes are roasting. The others will be steamed later this evening. I'm dying, though, because the sweet potatoes smell SOOO good!

Very often, if I'm blogging, it's with August on my lap on top of the Boppy pillow. Either nursing or just laying there smiling up at me while I coo at him and type simultaneously. I'm lucky if I happen to have a burp cloth on my shoulder...and frequently have white puke spots on both shoulders. So frequently that I kind of don't even notice anymore.

I should also pay tribute to my all-time favorite t-shirt. It once belonged to my dad's mom - Grandma Gee. And over time, has aged into the absolute softest material you can imagine. Would you believe I just re-found it in a box this afternoon!

Brooklyn has gotten more demanding in her 2 year old-ness, but sometimes this is absolutely hilarious. For instance, I just overheard Kyle chuckling and turned to see why. He was holding Brooklyn's legs in "Swing style" and she was saying, "I wanna swing a little bit!" It made me laugh too. When he put her down and sat down on the couch, she protested by saying, "You DO wanna get up! You do! Swing me a little bit! You DO wanna swing me up there!" It gets annoying after 50 repetitions, but is pretty funny at first.

Attempted and made successfully - Roasted Cauliflower Soup. It was only after I made and served this yummy soup as our dinner that I realized it was listed under the appetizer section and probably wasn't designed to be served solo.

Don't worry, I won't tell you about the nights we have cereal or pbj's or scrambled eggs and toast. :)

Later this week, like tomorrow, I'm attempting to puree some veggies in order to combine them in other foods. As per my newest cookbook - Deceptively Delicious. Brooklyn has gotten kinda picky about some things, so I'm using that as an excuse to make my own life easier by incorporating servings of fruits and veggies in normal food. We shall see how it goes.

As I anticipated, things that make it on to my weekly menu don't always get made on their designated day. For various reasons. One of the things I was supposed to make this week was buckwheat crepes with a leek and bacon filling. Welllll...I couldn't find buckwheat flour, of which a cup was required. Still haven't found it. I think I may try to substitute whole wheat flour and give it a go. Also, I had no bacon. And this called for thick-cut bacon or slab bacon that you're supposed to thickly cut yourself. People, I'm practically a vegetarian, so this was challenging for me. I have no relationship with my local butcher, as the authors of my many cookbooks have encouraged me to form. Frankly, a butcher shop intimidates me in the same way as the post office. I don't feel like I know all I need to know to really make a transaction that doesn't take advantage of my ignorance.

However, I have placed several calls to the nearest butcher, Hoggs Meat Market, and been pleasantly surprised by the disarming friendliness of the employees. I called them once to see if they sold pancetta...nope. But they directed me to a place that does. And this time, they were pleased to inform me that while they didn't sell SLAB bacon, they sold bacon of a thicker cut than I would find anywhere else. So, toting August's carrier and leading a very curious Brooklyn by the hand, we approached the counter and placed our order for 1 little pound of bacon. That would be $4.29. And let me tell you, I was totally unprepared for how BUSY this place was! There must have been 15 customers milling about and as many people behind the counter pulling hunks of meat from the refrigerated display cases. I guarantee you I walked away with the smallest portion of meat of anyone there. And while I'm by no means comfortable around so much meat, and I sort of felt like I was surrounded by a posse of rednecks, I liked the casual atmosphere and general friendliness about the place. Maybe eating all that meat makes people more good natured....hard to say.

I say all that to say that this upcoming week I will attempt the buckwheat crepes. I did accomplish something that I set out to do, though. It involved dessert. I find that I can usually manage to create something dessert-y regardless of how chaotic my week. It calms and settles me. And usually satisfies my chocolate craving.

Out of my French Kitchen cookbook, I tackled the Chocolate Cheesecake. Seriously divine. No cheese involved. Just bittersweet chocolate, white chocolate and creme fraiche. Well, I should say, my own clever version of creme fraiche. I often see creme fraiche referenced, but always thought it was just a fancy way of saying fresh cream. Ok, it may well be that, but there is a little more to it. Apparently, in Europe, where everything isn't pasteurized, it's quite common. Sort of has a sour creamy thing going on with it. And you can supposedly make your own by adding a little buttermilk to heavy cream and letting the two get to know each other more intimately over a 24 hour period. Well, I didn't have 24 hours or buttermilk, so I took equal parts heavy cream and sour cream, whipped up the regular cream and folded in the sour cream. Close enough, or so one website advised me. And then in to that, I mixed the white chocolate plus vanilla bean...and then the melted chocolate plus a tbsp of Kahlua. And dolloped them out onto a crust of crushed chocolate chip cookies, some melted butter and a little cinnamon. People, this stuff is seriously yummy. The hard thing is that you can't touch it for at least 3 hours while it sets. But once it's set, you can just cast aside your diet plans and dig in. Or maybe go for a run afterwards. That's what I did.

This past year, Kyle and I have attended a weekly Bible study led by my Dad. I always benefit from studies led by him as he's one of the godliest men I know. And he has a very unique way of looking at Scripture. A perspective that really illuminates things for me. Well, he recently informed me and my brother Chad that he would like us to lead the study this next year and he and my mom will be participants. Color commentators, if you will.

Chad and I have prayed about this decision for several weeks, as it is not a small one. I realize what a time commitment this could be, not to mention the spiritual implications of teaching others. I have continued to feel that this IS something God wants me and Chad to do. There comes a point in your life when you have to stop receiving and start giving, start pouring out some of what you have learned and discovered into the lives and hearts of others. And I think maybe that time has come. I've done Bible studies before and even led some, but this one is different somehow.

As a result of several conversations I've had with my friends recently, the topic that keeps coming back to me is that of apologetics. Understanding the basis of the Christian faith, why it works, and how to translate that understanding to others with darn good questions.

It's a subject that is daunting, but as Paul Little, the author of one of the books I'm reading said, "After 2000 years, no one is going to think of a question that will bring Christianity crashing."

To prepare for this task, I have amassed quite a collection of books, including Mere Christianity and Know What & Why You Believe. I'm reading them both simultaneously, and I confess that I have put this process off because I thought it would be hard to really get into them. Boy, was I wrong. One afternoon, while rendered immobile on Brooklyn's bed as she fell asleep and August nursed, I grabbed one of the books (the Paul Little book) and started reading. And couldn't stop. Was absolutely enthralled! Later that night, I couldn't get August to sleep, so I grabbed Mere Christianity. I was still reading it long after he fell asleep. I think I was more intimidated by that one, cause I seem to remember it being very intense. And intense it is, but also fascinating! And a much easier read than I recall it being! I am loving it!

So far, the two books take totally different approaches to the basic questions of life which lend credibility to our faith, and it is sparking that thrill of learning in my mind that kept me in school so long! I love to learn and think and process new ways of thinking, and it is so fulfilling to do that while remembering all over again why my faith is NOT in vain. Why it really does make completely logical sense to believe in God, not just as a being, but as the creator and savior of the world, and me in particular!

Ok, as much as I'd like to keep writing, my little man is screaming for me. So, I'm off.

Since August got two shots today at the doc, he's not feeling so hot and IS feeling incredibly cuddly. So, I have been wearing him in his sling while I have been cleaning house. I love it. When I had to take the sling off, I sort of kept him in it and he kept on snoozing.

Semi-annually, the mother of all consignment sales comes to LR. And it's happening right now! I love these things...I'm not much of a garage sale clothes buyer, but I make an exception to buying pre-worn clothing when it comes to this sale. The majority of stuff is in great condition and some stuff still has the tags on it. So far, it's been my primary source of clothing for Brooklyn - you can buy scads of clothing for a fraction of its original price. And since I had no boy stuff, I planned on and was able to get lots of good stuff for August.

This year, the lady who checked me out said there were over 950 consignors - that is a TON of people giving clothes and stuff! They have no idea how many people will shop there this week, but yesterday was the workers advance sale and I had to stand in line for almost 30 minutes. The real deal began today.

And I do love the clothes - hello, it's shopping - but I had the most fun bumping into people I know! It was like a reunion of sorts! Everywhere I turned, I knew someone! Plus, Julia and I were able to tackle the boy's clothes side by side..the bad part of that was that we have similar taste in clothing. And I convinced my sister-in-law, Anna, to help me. I knew she'd know what kind of clothes I'd like for Brooklyn and August, and I was right. She was incredibly helpful. In fact, I'm pretty sure I could not have handled it without her there.

Ok, at this "little" guy's 2 month checkup, he tipped the scales at a whoppin 13 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 23 inches long. That means he's in the 95th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. I have created a monster. Albeit a very cute one. I asked the doc if I should be concerned and he laughed and said not at all. Big babies are healthy babies...small babies are the ones they worry about. So, apparently, we're good. My breastmilk must have superlative caloric value....

In the words of John Lenon,
"Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful boy."

One of the party favors from Saturday was the "punchy balloon". I don't know the technical name, but it was a hoot watching Brooklyn try to figure it out. What she did figure out was how to maniacally abuse Kyle and his camera!

A radiant Lake beams at the camera while Brooklyn stuffs her face with hot dog.





August, party animal or garden gnome?








Brooklyn and Lake are crazy about trains, so everyone hopped on board for a little ride around Funland. August slept through the whole party, I think. Minus one poopy diaper and a little snack.

The perfect start to any day is a do-nut!













Look at me riding my horsie!!!







Ok, so not every ride is desirable...even when accompanied by a big strong man, sort of.
But we always like to ride red convertibles! (The driver is the birthday girl and B's best chum).




We didn't trust Brooklyn to ride the helicopter herself on account of the possibility that she might leap out mid-flight.



This past Saturday, the Floyd family managed to wring every drop of excitement out of the daylight hours. It was gonna be the PERFECT DAY for Brooklyn, but circumstances (a Razorback game) sort of altered the original plan. Original plan was birthday party for Lake at the Burns Park Funland followed by a trip to the zoo followed by nap (ok so that's MY perfect day), except the zoo didn't pan out. The zoo was offering free admission due to the Razorback game taking place literally next door at War Memorial Stadium. We figured we'd have plenty of time to take her to the zoo before things got crazy around the stadium since the game wasn't until much much later. HA! What fools we mortals be! Being a virtual tailgating virgin, I had no idea that as early as sunup the whole area surrounding the stadium is blocked off, roped off and otherwise completely INHABITED by Razorback fans, their vehicles and their mayhem. Our attempts to get even close to the zoo took an hour and a half, during which time Brooklyn completely fell asleep in the back seat and we gave up. We really gave up when we were told we would have to park somewhere in the vicinity of the moon out on the golf course and walk back to the zoo. Uh, not happening. So, slowly we crept along the road trying to wend our way out of Razorbackpalooza. Might have been different had we been planning to attend the game, but alas, we were not.

Fortunately, the time at the Funland was enough to make Brooklyn just giddy with joy. And I was giddy with joy because my day began with doughnuts from SHIPLEY's!!!! The best doughnuts on the planet, as far as I'm concerned. And, as you'll see from the pics, B had a blast on the rides and with all her other toddlery friends.

In order to bring some order to our lives and variety to our meals, I try to plan a weekly menu and shop accordingly each week at my local Kroger (affectionately known by me as the Krogie). This menu is adhered to loosely some weeks and strictly on others. This is also a good way for me to try new recipes out of my MANY wonderful cookbooks!

Menu planning is always on my Monday "to do" list, although it should probably go on my weekend list, but rarely gets done on the weekend. And it's one of those things that takes me a long time. I usually make a stack of cookbooks and then flip through the pages, subsequently becoming paralyzed with indecision as the overwhelming possibilities of culinary adventure unfold before me...

So I have decided I'm not gonna copycat Julie Powell and cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking...at least not at this point in my life. I would have serious problems with that anyway, since I don't eat a lot of the meat Julia Child cooked. But I am trying to cook my way through my own cookbooks by cooking something different each week. Last night was the first night of my real plan to do so. I pulled two recipes from My French Kitchen, a cookbook by Joanne Harris, the author of Chocolat. I literally started at the beginning with salads, except that I'd already made the first salad which was a warm goat cheese salad. Next on the list was a Wild Mushroom Salad, so that went on to Monday's menu. Along with the second soup under the Soup section which was Butternut Soup. I would have made the first soup, but it was Gascony Tomato Soup, of which the biggest ingredient was mushrooms. I wasn't sure I would want TOO many mushrooms at the table, although on second thought, there may not be such a thing as too many mushrooms. Gascony Tomato Soup to be made at a later date. Tune in.

I added a whole wheat baguette just for dipping in the soup, plus you were supposed to put toasted baguette rounds underneath the salad and mushrooms.

So the salad was great! Sauteed mushrooms simmered with white wine, balsamic vinegar, garlic, paprika and then served over olive oil-tossed salad greens under which you hide the baguette toasts. The recipe called for slab bacon, sliced. However, I really don't do pork. Plus, even if I did, I confess I have never ventured into a local butcher, and you really have to do that to buy slab bacon, or so the cookbook pointed out to me. I may attempt to do this at some point, because so many recipes in this book call for slab bacon. I just really have issues with PORK THOUGH! I'm torn. Anyway, I left that out and I'm sure it was missing something, but it still tasted dad-gum yummy to us! Believe it or not, even Brooklyn ate the salad and mushrooms.

The soup was also really good, but next time I make it, I'll add more butternut squash. I happened to have some frozen in my freezer, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the quantity specified by the recipe (3 pounds), so to compensate, I reduced the amount of chicken stock used. Even so, I think the ratio of chicken stock to squash was a little high, but it still turned out very tasty. It had a surprise ingredient- curry powder - which made it especially good. I love curry powder, mostly cause of the different Indian spices that compose curry powder. Turmeric, for instance...that lovely thing which stains all white utensils or dishes. I love Indian food, so my love of curry powder will not surprise anyone, really.

And let me tell you, my Kitchen Aid immersion blender is just about my favorite kitchen device, second only to my Kitchen Aid mixer and just above my Kitchen Aid food processor. I'm a big fan of Kitchen Aid products. The immersion blender does wonderful things to soup, and it's also really fun to use! So, day one of my cooking was a success. And it all happened even after Kyle and I did our Monday night Total Body Conditioning (TBC) class which means we didn't get home until 7:30. The whole dinner came together in about 40 minutes...not TOO late.