Rain, rain, mushrooms and play

After my two delightful lady-dates, I went to school to help J's class with something and then took the boys to the toy store to get J's baseball card reward packs for a job extremely well done. I am so proud of that buddy. He stuck to his plan this week and really exceeded my expectations. Since we returned home and he organized all his new cards, we've been both lazy (TV, cooking) and active (more cooking, the boys "killing" each other for 90 minutes). They are such good brothers, and it is my sincerest wish that they retain this closeness throughout their lives. If they can do so, the relationship will be an extraordinary gift to each of them. Aren't they darling?!

It rained all the darn day and though it wasn't chilly, it felt as if it should be. As such, it seemed like a one-pot stew must happen. Why one-pot corroborates positively with comfort and heartiness to me, I don't know. But it does. And so I made a lovely meal of cubed beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, wine, sherry and herbs and served it alongside couscous topped with golden brown mushrooms.

Hubs and I ate well, I caught Jack up reading Harry Potter and so snuggled him a bit. Inexplicably, his hair smelled like hamster, but I nuzzled him anyway. And now cat is purring in my arms. Was it a year ago tonight that we brought Nutmeg home? I'm glad every day that we did. What a nice end to a roughly welcomed week!

2! dates with gal-pals, other drivers

Ok. If you plan to drive in a place with traffic circles, please learn the rules. VA and non-Montgomery Cnty MD peeps, I'm directing this largely at you. If you are attempting to enter a traffic circle (aka rotary or roundabout), you must yield to the drivers already circling within it. You, as the enterer, do not have the rightaway. Going faster does not make your ill-conceived entry plan a better or safer one. Nor does a rainy day. Like today.To the VA lady who cut me off a couple hours ago, forcing me to slam on my breaks in the middle of the Westmoreland traffic circle, you made my heart race, could have caused quite a mess and waving your fingers out the window while slamming on your own breaks and then speeding up, stopping and starting again, didn't make it all better. To the MD driver who jerked off of Western and into the circle before stopping so close to my moving car that I could see your nose hairs, take a load off and read your road rule book. Jesus h.

On another note, what a treat it was to have breakfast with one of my dearest pals and then lunch with another one. You women are fab!

Breakfast for dinner

Breakfast for dinner is an underrated experience. Though I usually prefer a three-courser with veggies, a big plate of fresh waffles and maple syrup is pretty awesome sometimes. Tonight was one of those times. This recipe, a lightly spiced waffle that uses beer in place of the yeast, makes a perfect evening entree. They're hearty and sweet-savory. Also, they're a nice color of darkish brown which for some reason makes me think they're less breakfasty. An easier segue into dinner than would be a white waffle studded with little blueberries or the like. You know?

I told T to peel some clementines for some color and a not-bread element of our meal. I also made some scrambled eggs with collards I'd slivered into ribbons and sauteed in truffle butter. "Holy cow, Em-i-lis, that sounds amazing," you're probably saying to yourself right now. Let me quickly correct you. It was awful. Weird because how can eggs plus truffle butter be horrible? Well because apparently eggs + truffle butter + collards = bottarga (salted, cured fish roe). What?? Seriously, it was surreally disgusting. I dunno, y'all. Just don't go there.