Sunday Notes

 
~  Bill took the kids trout fishing early this morning.  They didn’t catch any trout, or anything else they could keep.  I’m just happy they weren’t mistaken for turkeys – it’s huntin’ season.  Yes – they were all wearing bright orange, just in case....

~  While they were gone, I baked an apple pie with an apple crisp topping, some little apple hand pies (for some reason I don’t like the term “hand pie” but I don’t know what else to call them), and made tiny little cinnamon bites out of the scraps of dough.  My kitchen smelled goooooood.

~  Julia was attempting to braid my hair last night and kept telling me I was at the "barbara's." 

~  Alex is learning to play chess.  Bill started teaching him last night, and today we installed an old version of “Chessmaster 7000” on the computer.  Bill used to play chess against it several computers ago and fortunately we saved the disk set.  There’s a kids section with all sorts of cool tutorials.  Alex worked his way through all the pieces and how they move before taking a break.  So far, he loves it.  Two reasons he wanted to learn.  One, there’s a “learn to play chess” program after school and some of his friends are in it.  Alex said they’re offering it again next semester, so we’ll sign him up.  Reason number two:  the game of Wizard Chess in Harry Potter.  Regardless of the reason, I know I have a grandfather smiling down on Alex and his chess board.  I hope he whispers strategies in his great grandson’s ear.

~ Julia wanted to learn chess (“chest”) too, but Bill was chessed out by that point, so he taught her checkers.  She’s not all that interested in following the rules all the time, so it’s a bit of a…challenge…to play with her/against her.

~ I just asked Alex how he liked the pie I made this morning.  On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 the absolute best, he scored this pie a 2.  “It’s not your BEST,” he explained, after careful consideration.  I love his honest evaluation.  I also like Bill’s follow up to it - “Well you made these little apple things that were incredible, and then you only followed it up with something yummy.”  I like my men.  Julia just brought me the remains of her slice.  “I’m sorry, Mom, I didn’t like it.”  I think it’s a combination of factors.  Bill thought the spices were kind of weird (too much allspice, I’m thinking), and Alex said “We just didn’t like the topping.”  I made a “crisp” topping instead of using pastry dough.  I thought I’d mix things up a bit, you know, make apple pie and apple crisp in one pan.  And I’d put equal parts cinnamon and allspice in the topping mixture, and I think that’s part of why this one didn’t go over as well as it might have. 

~ Still baking.  Next up – cookies.  And then maybe some muffins.  And then dinner.  I love Sundays in the kitchen.

So what have you been up to today?

Comments

[judith]

I made blackberry crisp earlier in the week with a topping recipe I found on the internet. Not good, turned into concrete. I should have known not to use one that didn't have oatmeal in it. I don't know what I was thinking. I made beef stew today, eating it was just a tad bit better than waking up from a nap smelling it cooking. This week I may make something chocolate... come to think of it I always make something chocolate.