Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

And that gets old, you know?  I needed something easy to fix on Tuesday, since I’d spent the day unpacking and doing dishes and laundry (much of it with an extra child or two, because hey, I was home anyway!), and at the last minute I opted for this Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.  I really enjoyed it, too–it tasted like fall, in a healthier way than an apple crisp does.  (Not that I don’t love apple crisps, because I SO do, but I can’t bring myself to serve one for dinner.)  Of course, it kind of wanted something sweet and cold and creamy with it–if I’d had whipped cream I would have used it–but a glass of milk alongside (plus maybe a drizzle of maple syrup on top) would do it.  I used craisins instead of raisins (because they taste better!), but other than that I followed the recipe and it came out beautifully.  If you’re looking for a good breakfast (or breakfast for dinner!) that’s full of fiber and feels like fall, try this one.*

*Why yes, that IS some beautiful alliteration.  Thank you!

…barely.

Okay, it could have been worse, I grant you that.  But few things put the lyrics to “Sloop John B” in your head like your 2-year-old throwing up all over herself an hour and fifteen minutes into a five and a half hour drive…and then again two thirds of the way through it…and then again in her bed, in her SLEEP.  (And then AGAIN 24 hours later, after I thought she was done.  I had to catch the first of that bout in my hands to avoid cleaning out the port-a-crib in the middle of the night again, and then shove the bowl under her four more times that hour.)  Add to that the overtired and hangry children, chilly rain keeping said children indoors, and limited cousin time (because who wants to risk catching the stomach flu?!), and I was singing, “I wanna go home” off and on in my head for days.  (My family is wonderful, and it was lovely to be with them, but sick kids away from home pack a lot of misery with them.)

Anyway.  If you’ve had a rough week as well, you should give Shannon Hale’s latest Princess in Black adventure a try.  The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate sees our heroine teaming up with the Goat Avenger AND newcomer the Princess in Blankets to defeat a particularly sneaky monster; it’s pure fun, right down to the blanketed princess’s steed.  This is a perfect series for emerging readers, folks–these books are funny, fabulously illustrated, and full of adventure.  (You can also read one aloud to a kindergartener in a couple of sittings, or one long one.  Think Mercy Watson or Mrs. Noodlekugel.)  If you haven’t already read them, start with the first book and prepare to be thoroughly entertained!

Really.  I promise I won’t make any stupid Ross-like decisions, but my second girlie got baptized this past weekend, and while it was wonderful, I am now physically and emotionally exhausted.  Add that to visiting family and the science fair–for TWO kiddos this year–and I’m just plain taking a week off from anything that’s not actually required.  I’ll see you on the 25th–in the meantime, wish me luck!  (Tomorrow, for example, I get to do the baking part of my third grader’s project with her.  We’re varying the amount of baking powder in muffins to see what happens.  My hubby’s working with our fifth grader!)

I needed a crockpot meal on Wednesday, since my oldest has dance from 3:50 to 4:50, and pulled this Slow Cooker Pesto Mozzarella Chicken Pasta recipe from one of my Pinterest boards.  It was easy to throw together, moist, and flavorful, although my kids mostly gave it a thumbs middle (I think they’re iffy with pesto).  I quite enjoyed it, though, so I’m thinking it will happen again.  I might add more lemon next time–I put in extra and really couldn’t taste it–but otherwise it works as is.  And now, since it’s been an exhausting weekend, I’m going to bed!

I’m not sure imitation is the word exactly, but when I’ve been reading or listening to certain things, they absolutely affect my speaking and writing.  When I’m on an Agatha Christie kick I tend to favor “one” as a pronoun; I once wrote an entire talk I couldn’t use because it was the week after General Conference and it sounded like I thought I was an apostle; and tonight, even as I considered what to write about, I realized that rereading “The Lord of the Rings” on the treadmill meant that any review I attempted was going to come out exceedingly, well, Tolkien-y.  And while I can’t necessarily consider that a bad thing, it wasn’t going to work for any of the things I was contemplating.  Until Sunday, then!  (I’ll have finished Return of the King by then.)

Blech.  That’s what I have to say.  Three kids means three order forms for the same overpriced, unimpressive popcorn and chocolates.  (Yes, I have four kids, but only three attending elementary school!)  And since I’m a slacker mom, I’m currently filling out those order forms and writing checks, since they’re due, you know, tomorrow.  AND since slacker mom = slacker blogger, well–you’ll have to wait until Wednesday for that book review.

I already had enough on the docket this week for it to be slightly daunting, but since I’m now teaching a class in church tomorrow, I’m declaring a book review just too much to manage on what concentration I have left tonight.  See y’all Tuesday!

I’ll grant you that calling a sequel competent might come across as damning with faint praise, but I’m apparently too tired to think of a better description.  (“More of the same” seemed worse to me.)  And really, it’s a good description of The Memory of Lemon.  Neely from The Cake Therapist is right about where we left her, working to make her bakery a success and divorce her philandering football player husband; another story from the past shares the spotlight.  (I liked that story a bit better than Neely’s this time–mostly because the situation with Luke dragged on a bit long for my taste–but it covered more ground than its predecessor, and that possibly cost it some detail I would have appreciated.)  Fans of The Cake Therapist will enjoy The Memory of Lemon, in the same way we enjoy seconds of a good dessert.  The question now is whether the ending left enough room for a sequel–and I’m honestly not sure of the answer.

We had dinner at my in-laws’ on Sunday, and since the weather’s been delightfully cool and I’ve been REVELING in the autumn-ness of it, I decided to make a pumpkin dessert.  (The decision was aided by the fact that the apple and maple dessert I was eyeing required a trip to the store, and THAT wasn’t happening.)  I looked around a bit and decided on these Pumpkin Pie Bars, because I tend to like my pumpkin on the cream cheese-y side but can’t deal with the recipes that call for two 8 oz. packages of it.  (Cream cheese is not as cheap as it used to be.)  I did leave out the pecans and add more oatmeal, because I love my oldest daughter and I’d like to keep her around, but other than that I made the recipe as is…believe it or not.

I have to say, they were tasty.  I want to love pumpkin more than I do, honestly, but these were a nice mix of pumpkin and creaminess, and it’s hard to go wrong with buttery, sugary oatmeal baked on top.  I will say that despite the specific baking instructions, I wish I’d left them in a bit longer or turned the oven to broil for a minute or two; the topping wanted to be browned and more crispy on top.  (It also, in my opinion, wanted cinnamon.)  Overall, though, if you want a dessert that tastes sort of like a pumpkin pie crisp, give these a try!