Plank-grilled chicken, canning seminar tomorrow

T bulk-ordered some alder wood planks (seriously, do you need some?), so last night we tried plank-grilling some gorgeous chicken raised on an Amish farm. It turned out well though in my fatigue-induced laziness, I neglected to season it at all. Alas. Bone Suckin' BBQ sauce to the rescue.

I am very excited for tomorrow's Canning Seminar in Silver Spring. Please come to Strosniders at 9am if you want to learn more about canning and rhubarb-plum jam spiced with star anise!! Click on the event in my calendar for more info.

Hilarious quotes

Scene: Oliver and Jack are playing outside in their playhouse when I hear a blood-curdling scream. I race outside to see Oliver hauling ass out of the playhouse, tears flowing behind him. "What, honey, what??!!" I ask as I scoop him up. "A mosquito mom, a mosquito." I'm thinking, are you effing serious? Mosquitos are like dust, they're everywhere, why the concern now. He then says, "I was so freaked out that my gum flew out of my mouth onto the playhouse floor." Jack verified this. I was in hysterics over his correct use of freaked out and the image of his gum flying out. Scene: The boys are in the bath tonight, and J stands up and asks, in all seriousness and while gripping his testicular region, "I forget, are these called my drums?" HAH! I about fell out. "No, honey, those are testicles inside the scrotum." His face scrunched up in a bit of confusion and he asked "technicals?" No, honey, "testicles."

What a day. I am so tired I almost don't care about dinner. Isn't that freaky? Nonetheless, I just made a swiss chard/eggplant/tahini/warm lemon oil saute and plopped it all over some fresh tomatoes. I've got some chicken breasts that I might cook with rosé and figs. Or, I might put some salt and pepper on them and have T throw them on the grill. Hmm...

Dreaming of school's resumption

People, summer has seemed insanely busy and, at times, interminable. Who can believe we've got nearly two weeks left before school resumes?! I am finding myself increasingly chagrined by that fact, especially since Ol's first day back is from, wait for it, 9am - 10am. Really?! One measly hour. It's not like I live upstairs and so can actually do anything with that time. I.am.over.summer. Today, per this new usual, was nuts. Granted, much of it I quite enjoyed -Pilates! working in the libe at J's school! seeing a friend and her precious kids!- but it involved quite a bit of scurrying from place to place, and I felt like I was always just late which is terribly unlike me. In fact, T and I are such nerds about punctuality (though I think this is a good thing) that often joke and call ourselves the Punctuossis. I told you it was nerdy.

Percy pug went in for a full-scale dental cleaning today, so toxic was his breath I simply could not stand it anymore. If ever you need a major challenge in your life, just try to brush a pug's teeth. You might experience your biggest failure. We never have any luck, so finally I decided we had to pay for it. Anesthesia, the works. Turns out he had to have one tooth extracted and six others bonded or something. Typical for pugs but not remotely typical for my daily expenditure. Good god! I must say he is extremely calm right now though, and there's nothing wrong with one male in the house not being fully kinetic.

The wine is chilling, friends, it really is.