A Public Profession

This morning during the early service, Drew made public his faith in Jesus by being baptized by immersion.  My heart swelled with pride as he took this step.  Drew predicted I'd shed a tear or two, and he was right.  My eyes welled up with tears of joy.

Pilot Pete's

While Drew and Baird headed to wrestling regionals this morning, Erin and I drove out to Schaumburg so she could play as a guest for the Strikers U14 indoor soccer team.  It's customary after a game for the girls to eat a meal together.  We landed at Pilot Pete's, a fun little restaurant that looks out over the Schaumburg Airport on Irving Park Road.

The Shattuck Bakery

Between cranking out the 36 cream puffs with Erin yesterday and baking five batches of poppyseed cakes today with my friend Ray Bob, my kitchen certainly feels like a bona fide bakery.  I committed to making two cakes for the dancin' for desserts part of Irving's Fun Fair tomorrow, and Ray Bob's poppyseed cake supply had run low.  He usually joins me for my annual poppyseed cake baking in December, but our schedules just wouldn't mesh before the holidays.  It seems to me that baking is meant to be shared.  In my mind, it's as much fun to share the process as it is to share the finished product.

Ray Bob turned his two batches into cupcakes, some to be eaten now and most to be frozen and enjoyed throughout the year.  My three batches provided me with two bundt cakes, one full-size loaf and three mini-loaves.  It's a good thing I'm giving most it away, because I love poppyseed cake as much as I love The Depot's Donuts.

The French Connection

Erin's social studies teacher assigned a project that involved ethnic heritage.  I always cringe when my kids are required to pick out one thread of their background and elevate it above the others.  Baird and I both consider ourselves Americans.  His claim to this land goes back even farther than mine, since he has Native American in his background.  His European ancestors have been here since the 1600s, and one of them signed the Constitution.
Among my ancestors are those who founded the Pennsylvania Dutch community.  Others pioneered across the Midwest, naming Crystal Lake and then pausing briefly in the Naper Settlement in Illinois before continuing west into Iowa.  In spite of this rich and diverse background, it was insisted that Erin pick something other than American to "be" for her ethnic report.  She chose to highlight her French heritage, which comes from her paternal great-grandmother.
To that end, Erin needed to make some French food to share with her classmates, and it had to be something that didn't require reheating.  She chose cream puffs.  We made the shells and the cream from scratch.  Cream puffs require a lot of stirring and several different cooking techniques, and Erin did a great job all around.  She stirred and whisked.  She baked the shells.  She separated eggs.  She learned the importance of making sure the spoon used for constantly stirring the cream mixture makes it all the way to the bottom of the pan.  She worked hard on her project, and I enjoyed working with her.  Knowing her teacher's love of all things cream and sugar, I'm sure her hard work will be paid off.

Thin Mints at Last!

There was much rejoicing in the Shattuck house, especially by Drew, when our neighborhood girl scout delivered the goods.  I'm betting they'll be long gone by the end of the week.

Sneak Peek

Baird won a contest on aintitcool.com.  His prize was two tickets to the sneak peak of Cop Out, the movie with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan.  Tonight we headed downtown for the viewing.  It's a hillarious movie - I was laughing out loud from the very beginning.  If you need some lighthearted entertainment, take in this flick.  It comes out in theaters on Friday.

Lost in Translation

Today after the girls and I worked at the Emergency Clothes Closet and ate at 5 Guys,  we went shopping. The girls found these slippers they just had to have:

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our trusty men were trying to rustle up some grub on their own.  Baird pulled out the frozen red bean and sesame buns I picked up in China Town a few weeks ago.  He decided to microwave them rather than steam them.  The instructions on the back of the package said to microwave the buns for 2-3 minutes.

If you're not familiar with these tasty treats, they can best be described as a delicate bread-like bun with a slightly sweet filling.  To microwave them on HIGH for three minutes in our powerful microwave would be sheer folly.  Please keep in mind that these little buns are made in China.  The packaging is mostly in Chinese with what could be called English subtitles.  I can't help but think the person who wrote in English to microwave these two- or three-bite treats may not have had a very good grasp of the English language or the powerful microwave.  Or perhaps they meant that you could microwave the entire bag on lower power for two to three minutes.  Clearly, something was lost in translation between reader and writer.  My dear hubby hit the three-minute quick-cook button on the microwave and walked away. 

Two-and-a-half minutes later, he smelled something a bit burned and walked back into kitchen.  He was greeted by smoke billowing out of the microwave, and his poor snack had turned into sticky black liquid, which had fused quite stubbornly onto the plate on which it rested (in peace).

I knew something was wrong the minute I pulled up to the house.  It's mid-February, and the kitchen windows were thrown wide open.  My very first thought was, "What burned?"  And as soon as I opened the back door my suspicions were confirmed:  something burned, and burned badly.  I was relieved to see the kitchen was still in one piece and the men of the house were no worse for wear.  Baird told me what happened and I couldn't help but think, "Who microwaves tiny buns for 3 minutes?"  Well, now I know.

A Trio of Golds

Every night this week I've been camped out in front of the TV, cheering on American athletes at the Olympic Games. Tonight I watched as three of my favorites (Lyndsey Vonn, Shani Davis and Shaun White) won gold. Kelsey even joined me to watch the men's half pipe. We both watched in awe as Shaun White put down eye popping moves that defy gravity.

A big thanks to the AP and New York Times for capturing such great photos!

Picture Perfect

Erin's school pictures were absolutely awful this fall, so today I took her to get replacements taken.  The results just took my breath away.  She's grown into a confident, stylish, almost-13-year-old.  I don't know what else to say, except that I wish she also came with a pause button.

A Special Valentine's Dinner

Years ago Baird and I went to Hat Dance on Valentine's Day for dinner.  We waited over two hours for our table and by the time our entrees were served it was so late and I was so hungry I just couldn't even enjoy my food.  After that experience I swore off eating out on Valentine's Day, and I've cooked at home.

It's been quite awhile since I spent the better part of a day cooking a special meal, and I've really missed it.  There's really nothing I love more than putting together a special meal, sitting down with good friends, and lingering for a couple of hours over great food and conversation. Tonight we invited our Friends S&J Renny over for a special Valentine's Day dinner celebration.

The menu:

Shrimp Civeche in Mini Cucumber Boats with Plantain Chip

Asparagus, Red Pepper and Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Champagne Vinaigrette

Orange Roughy with Rustic Breadcrumb and Parmesan Topping

Risotto with Red Peppers, Peas and Bacon

Green Beans with Sauteed Shallots and Butter-Vermouth Sauce

Heart-Shaped Brownies and Cookie Dough Ice Cream

After a fine dinner we moved our little party downstairs and watched Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.  Casablanca is one of my favorite old-Hollywood romantic tales. This movie has special significance for Baird and me - it was the first flick we watched when we bought our first VCR back in the day when we were newly married.  S&J had never seen the whole movie, so sharing it with them was extra special.

Let the Games Begin!

Tonight was the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, BC.  In honor of the international spirit of the games, Kelsey made Moroccan meat balls and homemade hummus to nibble on while we watched in awe as an indoor stadium was transformed into a snowy Canadian winter night.  It was truly magical.

I thought the organizers did a wonderful job of balancing the tragic death earlier in the day of Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, with the excitement and anticipation that the olympic games always bring.

It's going to be a couple of weeks of casual meals in front of the TV while we cheer on the Americans in their quest for gold.  Let the games begin!

Quake!

Just after 4:00 this morning, Drew came pattering into our room.  "Mom," he said, in somewhat of a panic.  "I think there was an earth quake."  I tried to bring myself out of the fog of sleep long enough to tell him, "It's probably just the snow plow.  But if you're worried you can sleep here."

You should know that the snow plows in Oak Park sometimes rumble so loudly and with such force that our house shakes when they go barreling by.  Since we've had a foot of snow over the past 36 hours, the snow plow seemed like a reasonable explanation.

So imagine my surprise when I got up a couple of hours later to hear that yes indeed, there was a 4.3 earth quake out in Sycamore, about 50 miles from our house.  That marks the third earth quake in this area since I moved here in 1986.  Drew was a bit smug and felt vindicated as he left for school this morning.

Has it really been 15 years?

15 years ago today, at 3:42 in the morning, my life changed forever when Kelsey was born and I became a mom.  Tonight at supper we celebrated Kelsey's life and everything we love about her.  We talked about bringing her home from the hospital on a cold winter afternoon.  We mentioned how she used to sleep on Baird's chest when she was a newborn.  And as we watched the snow falling outside, there was mention of Botchy Noma (Frosty the Snowman), the snowman we built with Kelsey when she was 2, and she cried when it melted.  There was laughter over Kelsey's sense of humor and love of all things make believe.

Kelsey decided she wanted a homemade apple pie instead of birthday cake.  This was my first attempt at apple pie - I usually make apple crisp instead of apple pie.  Not bad for a first attempt, except that birthday candles don't stand up very well in a pie.

The past 15 years have brought angst and excitement, laughter and tears as Kelsey has grown and changed before our very eyes.  I'm so glad she's a part of our family.  Happy birthday, sweet Kelsey.  I love you no matter what.

Adding a Homemade Touch

I feel slightly guilty when all I do for supper is open a couple of bags, hit the re-heat button on the microwave and call the family to eat.  It almost feels like cheating.  Tonight I found myself a little short on time, and I opened the freezer to see what I could quickly throw togeher.  I pulled some shrimp and roasted garlic ravioli out of the freezer and tossed into a pot of boiling water.  In order to assuage my guilt over tossing some frozen food into boiling water and calling it dinner, I decided to make a homemade scampi sauce.  Kelsey offered to help make the sauce, and it turned out really well.

Super Bowl Party

For years Baird and I have hosted Super Bowl parties.  There were a few years where we packed the house, having as many as 75 people for the event.  It was crazy.  I'd spend an entire week re-arranging the furniture to accommodate everyone.  As in, Drew's dresser and bed were stored in the attic for the day while his room transformed into the Island of Sodor so all the little boys could play Thomas the Tank Engine.

The last year we had that large a group was the year Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performed their historic half time celebration and the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" occurred.  I missed it - I was too busy entertaining to pay attention to the game.  In fact, I didn't even know who won that year.

It was at that point I told Baird, "No more," since I truly love watching the Super Bowl game and the commercials.  We compromised on entertaining on Super Bowl Sunday on a smaller scale.  We still have people over, but it's much more manageable now that the kids are older and it's a smaller group.

Tonight we invited six families to join us and it was a blast.  I served hot dogs, Super Bowl Chili and Taco Soup.  Each family contributed food too, and we had two tables loaded down with food.  It was so much fun.  And I'm glad the Saints won.  I was rooting for them!

Spring Launch

Spring seems like such a long way away, but for over 1,000 Pampered Chef consultants from around the Midwest, spring was sprung on us today.  We gathered at the Hyatt in Rosemont's Grand Ballroom for a fun-filled day.  We got a sneak peak at the new spring products.  Far and away my favorite is the martini glasses with pink and white dots, a Help Whip Cancer product only available in May.

We spent the day laughing and cheering and learning.  I even won one of the raffle prizes!  I've earned tons and tons of kitchen tools and logo stuff over the years, but this was the first time I've ever won something in any of the corporate giveaways.  I won a re-designed Quick-Stir Pitcher.  I can't wait for the new selling season to begin!

Beyond :-)

I've known for awhile that I could ;-) and :-0 when I type (that's wink and gasp for those who may not know), but  I had no idea about the creative lengths people have gone to to create pictures with symbols.  While IMing my neice this afternoon, she shared this with me.  Who knew I could include sharks, robots, penguins and even Pacman in my chats on Facebook?   I also learned how to make a fish and a mansion. 

This has the potential to be a dangerous addiction.

I Voted

The days leading up to a primary election in Illinois are brutal.  My phone has been ringing off the hook with candidates relentlessly begging for my vote.  TV and radio ads have been slinging mud and resorting to character assassination of political opponents.  I've picked up large amounts of litteroff my front lawn, as the grass roots organizations of various candidates paper my front porch to death with their propaganda.  And there are signs like these everywhere I turn:

In spite of all this, I love the democratic process of voting.  I actually feel like my vote counts a little bit more in the primaries, because fewer people actually get out and vote.  For example, almost 63% of voters in Illinois turned out for the presidential election in 2008, but turnout for today's primary elections is expected to be below 30%, based on early exit polls.  Besides, if I don't vote in the primaries, I can't complain during the general election.  And there's just no way I'm giving up my right to complain about Illinois politics.  Besides, by tomorrow there'll be piles like this one all over the place as the signs come down.

I do realize this isn't the end of campaigns and attack ads.  Knowing Illinois, there's bound to be recounts and scandals to last us well into November when we elect a new governor and a new US senator (among other things).  But hopefully there'll be a little respite at least until Memorial Day.

Hope springs eternal.

Friends

Growing up in a small town, I went to school with the same kids year after year. We didn't switch schools for middle school or high school, we just moved to a different part of the same building. My kids' school experience is vastly different from mine, and sometimes I wish I'd had some of the opportunities they are given.

For example, they have the chance in middle school (and again in high school) to exponentially expand their friend base, since the middle school combines four elementary schools and the high school combines three middle schools.

This afternoon Erin invited one of her new friends over. They had such fun that A stayed for dinner and hung out for awhile afterwards.

Erin's done a remarkable job blending her old and new friends. It reminds me of an old song my grandma taught me:

Make new friends
But keep the old
One is silver
And the other gold