annie blog

My Superstar Husband

The back story to this is me saying that I needed some new jeans. I wanted some to wear with a pretty sweater that Jon got me last year. I said that I couldn’t find any jeans — and this is true — but I hadn’t really looked or had the opportunity to look that much either. The extent of my “looking” is usually a one minute survey of my size at Marshall’s. Also, the jeans these days don’t fit me so well. Usually, if I find a pair of jeans that fit me in general, the waist is way too big. I mean, like, so big that I could fit a sack of flour with me in the waist of the jeans. So finding a pair that fit *and* that I can afford is kind of rare.

So, last night, on his way back home from the autoparts store, he dropped in another store and brought home 3 pairs of jeans for me to try. And, they all fit. Every single pair. What a great guy.

Only one example of his superstar abilities. 🙂

My Superstar Husband

The back story to this is me saying that I needed some new jeans. I wanted some to wear with a pretty sweater that Jon got me last year. I said that I couldn’t find any jeans — and this is true — but I hadn’t really looked or had the opportunity to look that much either. The extent of my “looking” is usually a one minute survey of my size at Marshall’s. Also, the jeans these days don’t fit me so well. Usually, if I find a pair of jeans that fit me in general, the waist is way too big. I mean, like, so big that I could fit a sack of flour with me in the waist of the jeans. So finding a pair that fit *and* that I can afford is kind of rare.

So, last night, on his way back home from the autoparts store, he dropped in another store and brought home 3 pairs of jeans for me to try. And, they all fit. Every single pair. What a great guy.

Only one example of his superstar abilities. 🙂

My Superstar Husband

The back story to this is me saying that I needed some new jeans. I wanted some to wear with a pretty sweater that Jon got me last year. I said that I couldn’t find any jeans — and this is true — but I hadn’t really looked or had the opportunity to look that much either. The extent of my “looking” is usually a one minute survey of my size at Marshall’s. Also, the jeans these days don’t fit me so well. Usually, if I find a pair of jeans that fit me in general, the waist is way too big. I mean, like, so big that I could fit a sack of flour with me in the waist of the jeans. So finding a pair that fit *and* that I can afford is kind of rare.

So, last night, on his way back home from the autoparts store, he dropped in another store and brought home 3 pairs of jeans for me to try. And, they all fit. Every single pair. What a great guy.

Only one example of his superstar abilities. 🙂

The Insomniac is at it Again
Well, here I am, keeping the very awake E company 2 hours after the brothers have gone to bed. He is lying on the couch, but I can tell that he isn’t the least bit sleepy.

Today, we had our Christmas celebration as a family. We do it early on the years that we will be away during the actual holiday. So, the boys had a great time today, playing with the few little toys that they got and reading their books. E had been telling us for weeks that he wanted a “Lightning McQueen” car from the movie Cars. This is like the first toy that he has ever asked for. So he got one as his Christmas present this morning and he played with it ALL DAY LONG. He wasn’t sleepy at nap time. After dinner, he fell asleep, sitting on the couch. Then, the noisy brothers woke him after he had gotten enough sleep to give him a strong second (or maybe 3rd or 4th) wind. So, here we are.

Why do I always think of breakfast food late at night? I wonder. Here is what we’re having tomorrow.

Waffles
1 cup flour
1 T cornmeal
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 large egg, separated
7/8 cup buttermilk
2 T. butter, melted and cooled

Whisk dry ingredients together.
Whisk wet ingredients and butter together with egg yolk.
Whip egg white to 2 inch peaks.
Add liquid ingredients to dry in a slow stream, incorporating the wet into the dry with a spatula as you add.
Fold in egg whites.

These are wonderful waffles. The recipe doubles or triples well and the cooked waffles freeze beautifully. Best of all, everyone likes them. Every Barlow, of course.

Okay, recipe over. I just figured out what I’m going to do. Watch “Sense and Sensibility”. Jon got it for me for my birthday this year and I’ve watched it many times — usually while doing something else (ironing, folding clothes). One extra thing about watching a Jane Austen movie with a little 2 year old boy is the commentary that he provides.

He is a charming little insomniac.

The Insomniac is at it Again
Well, here I am, keeping the very awake E company 2 hours after the brothers have gone to bed. He is lying on the couch, but I can tell that he isn’t the least bit sleepy.

Today, we had our Christmas celebration as a family. We do it early on the years that we will be away during the actual holiday. So, the boys had a great time today, playing with the few little toys that they got and reading their books. E had been telling us for weeks that he wanted a “Lightning McQueen” car from the movie Cars. This is like the first toy that he has ever asked for. So he got one as his Christmas present this morning and he played with it ALL DAY LONG. He wasn’t sleepy at nap time. After dinner, he fell asleep, sitting on the couch. Then, the noisy brothers woke him after he had gotten enough sleep to give him a strong second (or maybe 3rd or 4th) wind. So, here we are.

Why do I always think of breakfast food late at night? I wonder. Here is what we’re having tomorrow.

Waffles
1 cup flour
1 T cornmeal
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 large egg, separated
7/8 cup buttermilk
2 T. butter, melted and cooled

Whisk dry ingredients together.
Whisk wet ingredients and butter together with egg yolk.
Whip egg white to 2 inch peaks.
Add liquid ingredients to dry in a slow stream, incorporating the wet into the dry with a spatula as you add.
Fold in egg whites.

These are wonderful waffles. The recipe doubles or triples well and the cooked waffles freeze beautifully. Best of all, everyone likes them. Every Barlow, of course.

Okay, recipe over. I just figured out what I’m going to do. Watch “Sense and Sensibility”. Jon got it for me for my birthday this year and I’ve watched it many times — usually while doing something else (ironing, folding clothes). One extra thing about watching a Jane Austen movie with a little 2 year old boy is the commentary that he provides.

He is a charming little insomniac.

The Insomniac is at it Again
Well, here I am, keeping the very awake E company 2 hours after the brothers have gone to bed. He is lying on the couch, but I can tell that he isn’t the least bit sleepy.

Today, we had our Christmas celebration as a family. We do it early on the years that we will be away during the actual holiday. So, the boys had a great time today, playing with the few little toys that they got and reading their books. E had been telling us for weeks that he wanted a “Lightning McQueen” car from the movie Cars. This is like the first toy that he has ever asked for. So he got one as his Christmas present this morning and he played with it ALL DAY LONG. He wasn’t sleepy at nap time. After dinner, he fell asleep, sitting on the couch. Then, the noisy brothers woke him after he had gotten enough sleep to give him a strong second (or maybe 3rd or 4th) wind. So, here we are.

Why do I always think of breakfast food late at night? I wonder. Here is what we’re having tomorrow.

Waffles
1 cup flour
1 T cornmeal
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 large egg, separated
7/8 cup buttermilk
2 T. butter, melted and cooled

Whisk dry ingredients together.
Whisk wet ingredients and butter together with egg yolk.
Whip egg white to 2 inch peaks.
Add liquid ingredients to dry in a slow stream, incorporating the wet into the dry with a spatula as you add.
Fold in egg whites.

These are wonderful waffles. The recipe doubles or triples well and the cooked waffles freeze beautifully. Best of all, everyone likes them. Every Barlow, of course.

Okay, recipe over. I just figured out what I’m going to do. Watch “Sense and Sensibility”. Jon got it for me for my birthday this year and I’ve watched it many times — usually while doing something else (ironing, folding clothes). One extra thing about watching a Jane Austen movie with a little 2 year old boy is the commentary that he provides.

He is a charming little insomniac.

I Need a Caffeine IV
I have a bunch of stuff to do today. Some friends are coming over for dinner, so there is some cleaning to do. Also, I’m baking cream cheese coffee braids and some of the bread I blogged about on Sunday. There is the grocery store to visit. All of this isn’t really that much for me — except that I was up for most of the night with my 2 (almost 3) year old who is an occasional insomniac. This is the same son who sang, with great feeling, Life is a Highway on the way to school today. It was hilarious.

I must get on with the day.

I Need a Caffeine IV
I have a bunch of stuff to do today. Some friends are coming over for dinner, so there is some cleaning to do. Also, I’m baking cream cheese coffee braids and some of the bread I blogged about on Sunday. There is the grocery store to visit. All of this isn’t really that much for me — except that I was up for most of the night with my 2 (almost 3) year old who is an occasional insomniac. This is the same son who sang, with great feeling, Life is a Highway on the way to school today. It was hilarious.

I must get on with the day.

I Need a Caffeine IV
I have a bunch of stuff to do today. Some friends are coming over for dinner, so there is some cleaning to do. Also, I’m baking cream cheese coffee braids and some of the bread I blogged about on Sunday. There is the grocery store to visit. All of this isn’t really that much for me — except that I was up for most of the night with my 2 (almost 3) year old who is an occasional insomniac. This is the same son who sang, with great feeling, Life is a Highway on the way to school today. It was hilarious.

I must get on with the day.

Yummy, Yummy, Yum
Oh, please try the bread that I posted in the recipe yesterday. It is seriously good. Great. And all you have to do is be active in its creation for like 5 minutes, maybe. I read about a lady making this very same bread with one of her arms in a sling. It really is a bread that you could make one-handed. How is that for easy?

Yesterday at about noon, I stirred the ingredients together, as the recipe directed. Then, today before leaving for church, I turned it out, let it rest, and then shaped it before leaving. When we returned from church, I heated the oven with my cast iron dutch oven inside for 30 minutes, and then plopped the dough in the pan and put the pan back in the oven. What emerged was an amazing artisan-type bread. It was crunchy on the outside and wonderfully chewy on the inside. The only change that I’m going to try is using bread flour next time just so that I can see the difference. Besides that I wouldn’t change a thing.

As usual, I didn’t stop to take a picture of my bread. But there are lots of people who have posted their pictures of bread made by this recipe on Flickr. Here is one. I’m making it again tomorrow.