Project: Completed

For the past month or so, Erin's been working diligently on an inter-disciplinary research project.  The eighth graders at Percy Julian Middle School have been learning about controls, variables, what makes a hypothesis, and drawing conclusions.  Erin chose a topic about how third graders make food choices based on their knowledge of nutrition.  She gathered her data by interviewing students at Irving.  She processed her data and made graphs.  She organized her project and put together her board.  She sweated the details.  And tonight, she presented her project, along with the rest of Team 8-2, at the annual science fair.

Erin did a good job presenting her project to all those who stopped by.  Congrats, Sweetie, on finishing this this project.  I know it's been weighing heavily on you.  Way to go!

SEOPCO Referendum Forum

I've been on the board of the Southeast Oak Park Community Organization (SEOPCO) for almost a year-and-a-half now.  It's a great organization that's currently being lead by Jim Kelly and Michelle Chapman-Reinstra.  I love being a part of this group because we are not a hastily-formed group bent on NIMBY-ism.  We strive to make all of Oak Park, but especially Southeast Oak Park, a better place to live.  Tonight we sponsored a public forum at Irving School on the upcoming District 97 tax referendum that's on the ballot this spring.  I served as timekeeper for the debate, and honestly, I was more than a little nervous.  It's not that I don't know how to keep track of time (altho Baird may occasionally argue that point). My nervousness stemmed from what had happened at prior forums. One of the panelists who participated in our forum this evening claimed bias against an earlier forum, and was threatening to sue the PTO that sponsored that previous forum.  The idea that, if I made a mistake in keeping time and that mistake was construed as bias, which might in turn put my fellow board members at risk for a lawsuit...well, it was rather nerve-wracking.

Our forum started on time, was well-run and well received, and very informative.  I was able to accurately keep time.  We received lots of positive feedback about the evening.  You can listen to the debate here.

If you live in Oak Park and haven't already done so, please take a few moments and get informed on this important issue.  And then , please make sure you vote next month!

A Party in Three Acts

Yesterday was a busy day for the whole family, but particularly Erin.  We celebrated her 14th birthday in three acts.

Act One:  Family Gifts

Technical difficulties prevented pics from being taken.  But Erin was thrilled with her gifts, especially her new dolphin necklace.

Act Two:  Not-So-Rookie Dim Sum at Phoenix in China Town

It's always so much fun to dine at authentic Chinese restaurants with someone who speaks the language.  Having the Lees along was an added bonus, since K speaks Cantonese.  Erin was an adventurous eater.  She tried shrimp wrapped in seaweed.  She stepped out even further by going for the tripe.  Then she topped all by sampling cow marrow.

A fun little diversion was window watching between courses.  Some of the floats for the St. Patrick's Day parade made their way down the street just below us en route to the parade.  How many places can you go to for authentic dim sum, with Irish-themed floats on the street below for added entertainment?!

We ended our morning with tapioca smoothies from Joy Yee, then hurried home for Act Three.

Act Three:  The Bowling Party

Of all the themed birthday parties Erin's had over the years, she'd never picked a bowling theme.  There were an even dozen middle schoolers who spent two hours bowling on two lanes.  They had a blast.  At first they tried to keep score, but then they decided it was more fun to just throw the ball with crazy approaches.  They bowled backwards.  They bowled between their legs.  They fell down laughing as they heaved the ball forwards.  Such fun!

After bowling, everyone headed back to our place for presents and cake.  Of all the presents Erin received, none made her laugh more than the T-Rex Papier Mache.

The birthday cake was poppyseed.

Once the cake was consumed, they all headed over to Rehm Park for some football and ghost in the graveyard, before scattering home.

The Cross Country girls stayed a little later than everyone else, and at one point broke into song.  They pretty much sang thru the entire XC repertoire they compiled during the fall season.  I'll be honest here:  this group runs better than they sing!

All three acts were so much fun, and I couldn't possibly think of a better way to celebrate my Erin's 14th birthday!

14

My Dearest Erin,

As soon as I saw you, I knew we would have a special bond: we are both second-born girls with a sister two years older.  Your skin was as soft as the softest feather, and your Aunt Marion remarked that it felt just like mine did when I was a baby.  Your cowlic (which was evident from the very beginning), however, is your dad's gift to you.  And your eyes.  They were blue, just like your Grand Daddy Shattuck's and your Grandma Hunter's.

By the time you could walk, we knew about your headstrong ways and your iron will.  You've always thought you were the smartest in the family, and to this day you work hard to prove that to the rest of the 5 Ring Circus.  All that behind those steel blue eyes and that beautiful smile!

By the time you were in preschool you could melt the hearts of anyone who looked your way.  Every time we ran errands, people gave you things for free because of how cute and charming you were.  I remember thinking this is how beautiful people learn to get their way with just a smile.

As you traveled thru elementary school, you made friends not just with your classmates, but with the entire staff at Irving School.  Your amazing organizational skills, which were way beyond your years even then, were recognized by everyone.  Your dad and I got used to hearing comments such as, "I'm not really sure how I ran my classroom all those years before Erin came along," and "It's hard for me to put into words how close to perfect - in every way - Erin is when she's in my classroom."

And now you're 14!  As you start this new year in your life, you are also preparing to close the middle school chapter in your journey toward adulthood.  You are beautiful inside and out, and I'm so very proud of you!

Love,

Mom



Cupcake Central

The Awana TnT Girls Club needed 60 cupcakes for their Happy Birthday Everyone! theme tonight, so I volunteered to make them all.  I spent the morning making three flavors:  chocolate fudge, vanilla, and red velvet.  This afternoon's project was frosting them.  I just didn't have it in me to make intricate decorations on 60 cupcakes, so I wimped out and made 3 different types of frosting instead.  Here's a pic of what the finished product:

The Girls Club really enjoyed the cupcakes, but there were quite a few left over, which means there are several cupcakes sitting on my counter tonight, just begging for me to eat them.  Oh goodie.  I'm going to be lying on the beach in less than three weeks, and I'm nowhere near "swimsuit ready."  And now there's red velevet cupcakes calling out to me (red velvet is my second favorite cake, behind the almighty poppyseed cake).  All I can say is, tomorrow's breakfast is gonna be sweet!

Celebrating the Root Vegetable

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had a case of culinary cabin fever.  I decided to scratch my itch by throwing a small dinner party to celebrate root vegetables.  Just to be sure the menu hinted at the spring that I know is out there somewhere, I made sure to infuse citrus early and often throughout the meal.

I invited our good  Friends the Rennys over, sans kids.  You know it's a good party when you spend four hours eating, drinking, and talking non-stop.

I decided to use a multi-colored bunch of carrots for my centerpiece.  I trimmed off the leafy tops of the carrots and added beet leaves to the mix.  It was a fun nod to the theme.  It was also low enough to see over, which is a prerequisite for any centerpiece that stays on the table during the meal, in my opinion.

First course:  Roasted Beets with Asparagus, Blood Orange, Double Endive and Watercress garnish with a touch of Orange Oil

Second course:  Sweet Potato Cakes with Mango-Pineapple Chutney.  These were so very delicious, and so very picture-worthy...and yet somehow I forgot to take a picture.  I realized as I was taking my last bite that I'd neglected to capture this course on film.  Guess I'll just have to make them again.  Soon.

Third course:  Carrot-Ginger Soup with Spicy Chive Butter and Roasted Peanuts.  This was my personal favorite of the night.  There's chopped ginger in the puree, plus ginger juice that's added after the veggies and seasonings are blended together.  And that spicy chive butter added to the slow, not-quite-subtle slow burn.  A completely homemade, completely vegetarian dish.  I even used the homemade veggie broth I made late this fall.  Except I didn't churn the butter.  But that's probably ok.

Intermission/Pallet Cleanser:  Jicama, Roasted Corn and Orange Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.  I knew I wanted to serve this (the Rennys had never eaten jicama before), and I knew I didn't want the servings to be huge. Mel lent me her special spoons to serve this mini-course in one quick bite.  Baird's reaction when I served this?  "Um, honey?  You didn't actually blow torch our spoons, did you?"

Main course:

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Roasted Garlic and Potato

Hand Mashed Root Vegetables with Bacon and Chives

Asparagus Splashed with Lemon

Brown Braised Onion and Sauteed Mushroom Garnish

These plates, too, were beautiful, and again, I neglected to get out my camera.  I am so driven to serve food hot and fresh at my dinner parties, I oftentimes forget to stop and record it.

And yes, I served asparagus twice.  It's JRenny's absolute favorite veggie, and she really, truly hates green beans, altho she's so polite I'm sure if I served them to her she'd find a way to choke them down.  But she was thrilled to see an entire side of asparagus just for her!

We ended the evening with J's perfectly-executed, homemade cheesecake.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening!

Please Rescue Me

I grew up in the rural Midwest with traditional rural, Midwestern values, and not just of God and Country.  I was raised with a spirit of independence and self-reliance.  That is to say, if there's something that needs to be done and one is capable of doing it oneself, one ought not to ask for help.  To do so is just plain undignified and a sure sign of weakness.

For the most part, Baird appreciates my spirit of independence.  Once when we were dating, he stopped by my apartment to pick me up, and he found me standing on a chair, changing a light bulb.  He offered to do it for me.  I told him I was perfectly capable of changing my own light bulbs, thank you very much.  Generally speaking, Baird likes that I don't go into "helpless female" mode very often.  Occasionally, however, he tries to rescue me when I know I don't need it.

Since we've been married, there have been occasions when I have almost screamed at Baird, "I didn't ask for your help, so I don't need your help," when he has offered his assistance with a particular project.  Sometimes he thinks I'm in over my head, and so, in an attempt to be the hero, he tries to swoop in to rescue me.  I tend to react strongly when I know I'm not in over my head, but I can see he clearly thinks otherwise.

There is, however, one area where I always need rescuing, and that's when it comes to mice.  I've mentioned before about how much I hate these critters.  They honestly give me the heebie jeebies.  It is a physical reaction.  I freak out.  I scream.  My heart races.  Quite frankly, a mouse is the one thing I always need to be rescued from.

So, this morning I was doing laundry.  I hadn't gotten around to washing all the yucky, dirty towels from last week's furnace project, so I put that at the top of my to do list today.  To say these towels were disgustingly dirty would be an understatement.  They were absolutely filthy rags.  I thought about shaking them out first, but honestly, I didn't think there was much that would shake out, so I stuffed them all in the washer and went on my merry way.  When the wash cycle was complete, I opened the door and began transferring the towels to the dryer.  And that's when it happened.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a brown thing clinging to one of the towels.  I thought it was a leaf, so I started to pick it off the towel.  As I touched it I realized it wasn't a leaf...it was the freshly laundered carcass of a dead mouse.  EEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!!!   Eww, Eww, Eww, Eww...oh, yuck, yuck, yuck...ick, icky, icky, ICK!  OH!  GROSS!  How does this kind of thing happen to me?  That's what went thru my head as I flung the carcass across the room and then stuck a five-gallon bucket in front of it.  I jumped up and down screaming for well over a minute.  I finally ran upstairs and washed my hands over and over and over, and then I washed them again.  I went back downstairs and ran some bleach and hot thru the washer, but that was as far as I went down the laundry trail for the rest of the day.  Even though there were at least six other loads waiting to be done, I decided to declare a leave of absence from the laundry chore.

Next I did what any modern housewife would do in such circumstances:  I updated my Facebook status to read:  Teresa Shattuck has a serious case of EEWWWWW!!!! after realizing I just laundered a mouse carcass.  There was a lot of empathy for my plight out there in the social networking world.  No fewer than 28 people commented on my status, and most people felt the exact same way as I did about discovering this vile item in my washing machine.

When I relayed the days' events to Baird at Awana tonight, I ended with a plea to be rescued.  My knight in shining armor obliged, and the offending carcass was removed to the alley garbage can before I arrived home from my Commander obligations.

Thanks, Baird, for rescuing me when I truly needed it.  You're my hero!