Gasp!

Gasp!

I'm the mother of a high-schooler. Part of me keeps thinking "how the heck did this happen?"
The snarky/romantic side keeps answering "well, a man and a woman got together..."
This plays in my head over and over.
When Chirp chirp was just a babe, people, older ladies in particular, would constantly advise to enjoy it now, it goes by so fast. I'm a freak of nature, or something, because it hasn't felt fast at all. It just feels odd that now I'm one of those people who has high school kids--and I'm not sure how I reached this point. Wasn't there supposed to be a manual handed out or something? Shouldn't there have been an official letter in the mail? "Hey Lady--your daughter's going into the high-school!"
I don't know. I just have this discomfited feeling.
Chirp-chirp, on the other hand, is rockin' her new status and making me proud. Changes aren't her strong point, but you'd never know it to see how she's handling it all. I am SO proud of her!

This past week, I've made three fail foods. The first was zucchini frit-foo-young. That's when you try to make zucchini fritters for a crowd, but omit the flour from the mix. The second was creme bruleaky. That's creme brulee that doesn't set up, but it's your aunt's birthday and everyone at the table is dying to see what incredible treat you've made for dessert. The third fail food was coconut ice crud. That's where you take a lovely recipe for coconut ice cream and forget to put the sugar in. That was for Grandma's 89th birthday, a mere three days after the creme bruleaky incident. With the same crowd. I tired to hand over my baking crown, but no one would take it. Maybe that has to do with the crusty smears of ravioli stuffing gone awry decorating it?

Grouse season has started. This means that turkeys can be viewed at every turn in the road, but the grouse are invisible. This shouldn't be confused with turkey season, when grouse fly up from under your feet with every other step you take and turkeys don't seem to exist. Turkey season does start here in a couple of weeks, at which point I'm sure we'll see lots of something else. Of course, I don't hunt for anything else, so I'm looking forward to it!

We did see a badger the other day. Thankfully, the badger saw us and decided it was easier to melt back into the trees than to stake a claim on his territory. Also saw a couple of snakes that day engaged in a little bow-chicka-bow-bow. But no grouse, of course.

Today I'm attempting this month's Daring Bakers challenge. Hopefully my streak of bad performance in the kitchen is over and I'll meet with success. Of course, it's such a yummy challenge that I won't mind repeating it over. And over.

Neither will the resident high-schooler! (Gasp!)

FFwD: Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

Can you guess what les paresseux means? It's absolutely fitting for this week's French Fridays with Dorie post. Considering that today is Sunday, after all.

Je suis paresseux, bien sur!

Lazy.

Today we took a gorgeous drive up into the hills, capturing some of the last fall color for 2010, and getting a healthy little inoculate dose of winter 2011.

I left a chicken defrosting on the counter while we were out. The entire time I was mentally chiding the kitties to stay away from the bird. I suppose I could have pulled the nice little hen out too the freezer yesterday, but I was too lazy. Upon arriving back home, I ran out to the garden to grab some rosemary, oregano, and thyme. I could have done that ahead of time, but I was too lazy.


I also could have peeled the red and blue potatoes, but again, laziness prevailed. I figured that since the recipe directly tranlates into roaxt chicken for lazy people, I had Dorie's blessing the whole way.

Having made fresh loaves of bread yesterday, I was able to follow Dorie's suggestion of placing a thick slice of bread underneath the hen as it roasts.

Oh. Holy. Heck.

I actually lied to Mr. Boom and Chirp-chirp. I told them the crusty greasy bread that resulted, thickly spread with the chicken liver and some of the roasted garlic, was only so-so.

People.
Listen.
Try this technique.
Then lie like me.

As we came 'round this last corner before pulling over to sit and stare at the falling snow, a bit of a poem by Emily Dickenson popped into my head. "Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me."

Except instead of death, it's winter. And instead of him stopping by, it was us checking in. So really, it didn't apply at all. Except there it was in my head. And I just thought I'd share.

But not my chicken toast. No way I'm sharing that. Ever!

Weekend recap


This past weekend was by far one of the most productive weekends we've had around here for awhile. 


Saturday morning started out cold and dreary, with me staring at the bathroom floor.  Not only were we STILL not going to Crater Lake (boring old family, anyway!) but the bathroom floor didn't get repainted this summer and now it was cold and wintry and I'd have to stare at this stupid old not-very-well painted floor for another whole winter because I was too lazy to do it this summer and it's all just stupid anyhow, isn't it, and my toes are starting to look kinda old.


Then I had some coffee and the sun came out and the forecast said it would get into the low 80's.  Boo-yah! 

This weekend I cleaned and repainted the bathroom floor, Mr. Boom repainted the house trim I accidentally stripped off, then not-so-accidentally finished stripping a week ago.  We repainted the swinging bench on the back porch, and I even (finally!) got around to finishing up the paint job on the front porch columns, a job started (I kid you not) about six years ago.


Oh, and I also opened the beehive to check on the health of my favorite little hymenopteras, and give them a little bit of a menthol mixture proclaimed to be the best at preventing bees from getting mites or dying off in other mysterious ways.  Also, we managed to mow the lawn and till some straw into a garden bed that needs some serious help with its vegetative content. 

Sunday morning I woke up ridiculously early and persuaded Mr. Boom to get out of bed to go hunting.  And guess what?!! We (he) finally brought home a grouse for supper!  In case you're keeping count, we're up to grouse-6 and humans-1.  I also found a rather nice cep which was served up as the best little side dish to the best little grouse breast and leg ever.  Yummy! 



Oh, and doughnuts.  We also made more doughnuts on Sunday.  Yum.  Oh, and twice-baked potatoes.  Mr. Boom makes a killer twice-baked.  We had those for dessert a few hours after our grouse entree.

Yes, a great weekend here.  The touch-up work on the front porch continues, but the weather is holding up for now, and is expected to stay nice for the rest of the week.  I think we'll get it finished and I won't be fretting it over the winter through.

I love fall!

Fall fashion for caterpillars

Fall is here, and all the fashionable caterpillars are modeling this season's hottest trends.

This trendsetter, a tomato hornworm, is shunning the mundane browns and reds of autumn and sporting a hip little green number. A single spine on the front provides a tasteful, understated statement.

Diagonal stripes are 2010's horizontal stripes!

"I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. Photographer"

Next on the catwalk (in this case, the Kat-walk) is the woolly bear.

Again, stripes are making a strong fashion statement, this time in a slimming and more traditional autumnal brown color.

Last, but certainly not least, we have this strange little fellow:

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Aw, don't be shy! It's just you and me. Well yes, and some spawning salmon, but their eyes are averted and their attention diverted, I assure you.

Such lovely tresses, and three spikes!
Wow!
Ladies and gentlemen we have our fall fashion caterpillar queen!
Or king?

"I'd like to thank the little people, I mean worms, for this great honor..."

UPDATED 10-18-2010 to add that this guy is an Acronicta dactylina, aka a fingered dagger. They are uncommon but widely distributed, feed on alder (the same type of tree we found him in), and are very drab when they eventually become moths.

Don't forget to sign up to win our first blog-o-versary give-away!

Embracing autumn

Okay, I can handle it now.

A big storm came through right after that last post. The world was dreary and dark. It seemed like we'd never see sunlight again.

But, as they always do, the storm passed and we're now in the magical time of autumn. The sun's rays are hitting the yard in a new angle, illuminating the grass and garden and trees in a new way. The dew sits on the grass longer each morning, and the lawn is thicker and greener in the new cool weather than it was during the hot dry summer.

This morning, while mowing the lawn, I noticed the first fall crocus poking their heads up through the mulch. I love these little guys, and have trouble finding them for sale anywhere. That's an understatement, actually. I've NEVER seen them for sale anywhere!

Woolly-bear caterpillars are making their way across the roadways everywhere. I need a bumper sticker that says "Caution: brakes for caterpillars." Because I do. I admit it!

Grapes are ripening, tomatoes everywhere, pumpkins turning orange. It really does look like the season has changed in my yard. I'm glad, really.

Does anyone have a great recipe for zucchini bread? I have a decent recipe, but not a great one. I look forward to your contributions!

Goldfish Rodeo (by Kat)

In our yard, we have a little pond.

Creatures live in the pond.

Look! There they are!

Here fishy fishy...

Where'd they all go?

Here they are in their safe winter home.

But wait!
These two have feet!

Bullfrogs!!

A good day to get out (by Kat)

Today was a really good day to get outside.

We started early, but not too early.

Recent rains turned the lichen green,
and the sage and bitterbrush perked up just a little bit.


See the little cups in the lichen?


It means we need to give it a little privacy...
Baby lichens are being made!

The hills rolled on and on all around us.


Pockets of color appeared over the dullest of rises.

Yep, it was a good day to be outside.

Yep, it's over (by Kat)

Today, waist deep in the river, mucking around to find a lost temperature logger, the snow started to fall from the sky and onto my freezing face.

Yep, autumn is over, just like that.

The leaves on the trees are green, except for the freeze-burned brown edges.

Frozen blossoms throughout the yard. The rosehips never had a chance to form their beautiful bodacious globes of red.

I can't stop the snow from falling, so I guess I'll just have to get my winter spirit on.

It's gonna be a tight fit, though. Kinda like my chestwaders. And just as cold.

Wool socks will rescue me, if I can find a cheery enough pair. Where did I put those?

Wait, what? Autumn's over? (by Kat)

18 degrees Fahrenheit this morning.

-8 degrees Celsius this morning.

Frost on the chickens' heads.

I demand a recount!!!!

I need a little more autumn to get me through the year. Just a bit more, please?!

I'm going back to bed, huddling under the down comforter, and when I come out it better be autumn!!!

Do you hear me?!!!!!!!