Thoughts on making roux on a hot day

This was last week, before the temperature drop which forced me to retrieve carefully and happily-packed-away items from the kids' "winter box." Grr.

Happy almost Earth Day rather

Ok, so it's tomorrow but it's never too early to start thinking more about our planet, for the love! Remember how a few weeks ago I spoke about how marvelous it was to be surprised by someone you think you know to the cell? Well today my little Jack shocked me again. I thought we would never release his bike from training wheels but we did, and within a week, he's gone pro. New electric green bike, all gears and brakes and shocks and stuff, just riding to beat sixty, up and down the alley, round and round the cul de sac he goes. It's just awesome. It's so often the little things, you know? At present, Nutmeg is trying to beat the crap out of Percy. Poor pug, first the boys displace him and now the cat tries to play by scratching his eyes out.

Meal two for my sweet older couple will be a beef stew I thought they'd like, rice for the gravy, strawberries and salad. I'm excited to see them tomorrow, and after putting aside their share, T and I enjoyed this for dinner. As my friend, Lili, feels, rice and gravy is SO comforting. True that!

PS- you know what drives me crazy? When you open a new box of Kleenex and they're so tightly encircled that the first few tissues you (try to) pull out, tear into irritatingly small and wasteful, useless bits? There's gotta be some technological work-around here!

Happy Earth Day, cinnamon-sugar puffs

Happy Earth Day! It is gorgeous here though unseasonably cold. My poor plants just do not know what's going on. Neither do our bodies. All four of us have varying degrees of a crappy cold. I'm starting to sound mannish, and am hoping to avoid the sinus-stuffed punch to my face complete with Hitler-like chap pattern above my upper lip. Sheesh. In any case, I hope you are able to enjoy the outdoors today. Perhaps you can play Litter Police in your neighborhood and pick up all the stray trash you see? Or work in your garden? Visit a farmers market? Drive less, bike/walk more?

We started our day with a family breakfast of these ridiculously yum cinnamon-sugar breakfast puffs (courtesy of Food52 cook, five and spice) and a big fruit salad. Then some Lego building and now the boys and T are watching some Star Wars while I tend a simmering beef stew.