Sick day

There is no better time to get violently ill than 2 days before a big vacation. Overcome by preparations (and blue jello), the boy spent the night vomiting. We all hunkered down with our ears back for the day, sucking on vitamins and hoping the Sick would pass over us.



First attempt at reading a cable chart: Durrow for Gavin. After the initial ripping and rage and filthy expletives, a brain connection snapped into place right from my puzzle-solving facilities to my pleasure receptors. Goodgiddygods. Love.



Sick days require cookies. I didn't have enough of any one thing for any particular recipe, so I made one up.

Holly's Chocolate Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Lumpies

1 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1/2 c. quick-cooking oatmeal (use steel mill Irish oats if you hate your guests)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbs softened butter
2 tbs shortening
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
big handful cranberries
half bag chocolate chips

Normal one-bowl cookie construction: blend together butter and shortening, beat in sugars, add egg and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa, oatmeal, baking powder, and salt all at once, mix quickly until just blended. (It was nice and sticky for me, but if it seems too crumbly, throw in a spoonful of sour cream or yogurt or more shortening.) Add cranberries and chocolate, stir. Drop in lumps on nonstick cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Ta daa! Crispy chewy brownie cookie awesome.

Leif has a big love for cookery. He spends most of the day making brews on the patio with his litter box, sneaking in to squirrel away pots and pans and ingredients from the cupboards. By dinner we have to clean soups of toilet paper and goldfish crackers out of all the farberware. With care and attentiveness, he helps me whisk and sauté, making little taps to clean the utensils on the edge of the pot before putting them down.



Mike is beginning to mutter about me cheating on him with Chef Ramsay. That is why we can't understand anything Leif says yet; it is all a series of angry bleeps.

Very fine sort of slow cozy family day.