Yes, the driving! We’ve also been mixing up meal prep – my husband can’t cook well, so we try to each take a turn prepping a meal with one of the kids. It’s usually a just-okay meal, but it’s a learning (and bonding) experience every time.
scrubadubadub
scrubadubadub
I work not-quite-full time at home and have the strong organization skills. As in your household, the work I do helps my partner excel at being the fun parent.
The problem: I’d like to be the fun parent sometimes too. I used to be fun. I really miss having fun. And a lot of people (primarily women) in that role of…
The HerbFarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld changed the way I cook. Lots of great stuff in there on infusing food with herbal flavors, and the lessons I learned there were a springboard for playing with recipes and trying my own creative experiments. Herbs get the most attention in my garden – they more than pay for the…
Good stuff, but I’d suggest that when you call your local civil rights’ and minority rights’ groups, it’s better to ask them about their efforts on this issue and how you can help. Shapiro’s suggestion that they should be informed that they should be pressuring Congress is presumptuous and a great way to get off on…
For frequent and repeat destinations, my packing template includes specific items and reminders on where to find them– cooking utensils and toilet paper for the inconsistently stocked rental house we visit each year, snorkeling gear that’s hidden away in a weird spot in the garage, etc.
The template (ours is a simple…
Beware the historical associations out that way, too.
There are some hardy meadow-like grasses that are drought-tolerant and stand up to foot traffic (and they’re pretty). It’s working in our yard. (I had eyed all sorts of alternative groundcovers, but couldn’t find one that could handle foot traffic, didn’t need regular water, and wouldn’t attract bees underfoot. If you…
Drought, dog, and chickens destroyed our grass (shocking, right?). We replanted with Cynodon hybrida Dog Tuff grass plugs and it’s been fantastic. Soft, deep grass, no mowing required, watered once a week. No problem with the dog, except a lurking piece o’ poo hidden in the long grass now and again. (We don’t let the…
Apples + grilled cheese = heaven.
We repeatedly turn to a dead-simple apple cake that my family has been baking since the ‘40s. It bakes for nearly an hour, but the hands-on time is minimal. True to our name for it – “The Ladies Social Circle Apple Dessert” – it’s a great one to throw together when you have unexpected…
Thank you, universe! A huge help with my research work.
If you don’t want to throw whole spices in with the blade, a decent sub is ground spice in the filter basket/cone. I add a dash of ground cardamom or a piece of old vanilla bean (splurgy, but I have a jar of dried out beans from a few years back when I got a full pound for a song). Cardamom + coffee is a beautiful…
Careful — it’s dangerous knowledge!
Yes, yes, yes! Crème fraîche is easy enough that I’ve stopped buying it. One more to consider making at home: mascarpone. I usually follow this recipe, which involves tartaric acid, but I’ve winged it in a horribly stocked rental kitchen with just cream, a fresh lemon, and no measuring equipment (similar to this…
Yes! That’s a great site too. And as my kids age out of BabyCenter’s demo, they sometimes consult KidsHealth with me.
Men —and yes, it’s always men — keep your limbs in your own space when you’re seated next to anyone smaller than you. There is no need to dominate this tiny space. For years, I sighed inwardly and ceded space as men plopped down next to me, assumed full possession of two armrests, and pushed me into a squeezed little…
AAP is a great primary resource for parents, and CDC and NIH are also good to check for current guidance and explanations why. For very consumer-friendly, current advice, look for parenting sites that research their information and update regularly to keep current. My go-to has been BabyCenter, which is well…
Just the name of the location, for travel photos — seems to be enough, but then I haven’t really been trying to attract profitable attention.
FWIW, uploading public photos to sites like Flickr and tagging them can lead to happy surprises. I’m not a very active user and a so-so photographer (professionals and skilled amateurs, I’m in awe of you!), but I’ve been solicited at least a half-dozen times with requests to share photos I never intended for anything…