More Bolognese, college

I just spent a lovely few hours helping a young friend with a college application. College admissions was my career before the boys, and I'm still really lucky to be able to freelance for my old (wonderful) institution of higher education, and on rare occasions, to give advice to anxious kids slogging their way through the gauntlet that the admissions process can sometimes feel like. College was such a huge, watershed, thrilling, scary, perfect and not four years for me. I met some of the people who remain most dearest to me, had some of the good and bad experiences from which I learned a tremendous amount about life, myself and the world, and figured out what really made me tick academically. Let me tell you that it wasn't what I was sure I'd study when I arrived at college, and amen for that. (No pun intended as I ended up majoring in Religion). Anyway, I now love to watch kids on the precipice of this great life change and experience, love helping them best articulate who they are and hope to be. It's exciting and fulfilling, and I feel really lucky for this afternoon- a great way to spend a gross weather day!

I also felt that we must have more Bolognese and boy does it smell to the nines. Off to get my parents.

My parents are coming, cabbage recipe posted, loving fall foods

Everything has been so good lately. Yum. I just love roasting foods- their flavors come out in such delicious, earthy ways, and you can make roasting all fancy and complex or as basic and simple as a hot oven, a food, and some olive oil or butter and salt. Go for it! I just posted my braised spiced cabbage recipe from last night as it was equally delicious today, cold, at lunch, served atop rye crackers and hummus for an impromptu cracker crostini. Lovely!

And we are all excited that my parents are on their way, coming for a quick Halloween with the boys. Poppy is gamely dressing as a cowboy alongside Jack (though he doesn't yet know that J and I decided that Percy will be the cow-dog who was lassoed into trick-or-treating), while Misse is going to be Professor McGonagall. I wish Halloween inspired me, but it doesn't. Ah well.

Mornings spent with girlfriends

I really cannot tell you how lovely and invigorating it is to spend a morning with a group of female friends. As I've written about in the past, I love and need a fair amount of alone time; but a few hours with dear friends or those you've spent every Thursday morning for the past 2+ years with (go Pilates gals!) provides something that I think all women, but perhaps especially those who are ensconced in family life seemingly 24-7, benefit from and feel fulfilled and rejuvenated by. I know such is true for me, and I'm very grateful for the communities of women that I've met, been welcomed by and become a part of since moving to D.C.  Cheers ladies. Did anyone see the news that DC folks might get snow tomorrow? Say what? I'm betting against  it but we'll see.

Does anyone else not have the Halloween costumes ready? I really need to get on the "owange ghostie with black on it" for Mr. O. Hmm. I see some sort of quick costume improv in my near future. I do have fabric but a) do not sew, b) do not intend to learn to sew, and c) think O probably doesn't much care how terrifically his ghostie costume ultimately is. Thank goodness for that. J is, on the other hand, very prepared to be a cowboy.

Tonight: King salmon, Moroccan carrot and raisin salad, something else TBD. The broccoli recipe from last night is posted. I'll get on the stick and post the cheesecake in a bit.