We had a very special guest last night

Can you guess who?

Emily!

On being a tomboy:
...and I had to sleep in the grass! But I was wearing my grubbies but they were my best grubbies and they got dirt on them and now I can never wear them again!

On reading people:
I just know Ben loves sparkles.

On Martin Luther King Day:
E: Mama, who is King Arthur?
J: He's a character from some books. Why?
E: Why are we celebrating the birthday of a fiction character?
J: Oh! You must mean Martin Luther King.
E: Yeah, him. How are we supposed to celebrate his birthday if he's dead?
J: Well, I guess we could eat cake.  But really, I think to honor Dr. King, we should spend some time on our day off thinking about how to make the world a better place.
E: I know how! By not putting trash on the ground.
J: Well, that's a very good idea, but Dr. King wanted us to make the world better by treating each other better.
E: Oh...so like we shouldn't make anybody feel like a butthead.

I'm on the web!

Janice asks about Fennel

A question I submitted to www.thekitchn.com was deemed a "good question" and was published today.  While some folks might be embarrassed about publicly admitting their ignorance, I'm excited to have my name on a big fancy website.  Perhaps you too have had questions about fennel.  Go check it out and feel free to comment. Actually, just check out the whole site.

Wee!

(On a side note, you can see my name on the web here and a few other posts on this awesome blog as well. That's right, I am unabashedly pointing you to a site rife with compliments of yours truly.)

Steak with pistachio pesto, crispy potatoes and broccoli rabe

This recipe from Real Simple Magazine is supposedly kid-friendly. In my quest to cook more with produce found close to home and related to the season I decided to give it a go.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup roasted shelled pistachios
• 1 small clove garlic
• 2 strip or sirloin steaks (about 1 inch thick; 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, finely chop the parsley, pistachios, and garlic with ¼ cup of the remaining oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steaks with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook to the desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board.
4. Wipe out the skillet. Add the broccoli rabe and ½ cup water and simmer, covered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Slice the steak and serve with the broccoli rabe, potatoes, and pesto. 

Well, it can certainly be prepared in a kid-friendly time frame. And, I think, it looks rather pretty.

Emily, however, was skeptical as soon as she saw that pesto sauce.  I thought it was wonderful, but I can see how a green, chunky sauce might be a bit off-putting.  It was the broccoli rabe that did her in, though.  I don't know if it is naturally bitter or if I did something wrong, but Emily rated this meal thusly:

Noted.

How to charm me

Incorporate the word "doppelganger" when you compliment me.

Looking at you looking at me.

Oh my gosh! I have a follower! Hi Kit! Hi AAAAAAmyyyyyy!

Emily!

Just before Em and I headed to Texas for Christmas, she decided to send Ben a card. Ah, Ben. The kid has received more than one card from Emily since he left and I do not believe any of them have actually been appropriate to the occasion.  Along with picking out her clothes, I have given up helping Emily pick out greeting cards. For this particular occasion she was focused on the money-holder cards.  As she picked up and looked inside and discarded her second card, she furrowed her brow.  By her fifth card she was visibly distraught.  Trying to hide my impatience I asked what was wrong. "Mama," she burst out, "all these cards are defective! The money is already gone!."