It's not Easy Eating Green

I love to cook. Partly because it is a fine balance between science and art, carefully mixed and creatively displayed. And also partly because I love to eat.

Baking is one of my favorite things. Measuring and mixing very carefully to make sure everything turns out just right - what fun! Although I'm at the point where I no longer measure. I can pretty much guess at a quarter teaspoon or half a cup. I recently made a foray into the breads department. My rolls turned out really well. Let's never speak of the pretzel fiasco.

I like to cook things with lots of ingredients. Fajitas, stews and peppered steak are just a few. And I can make a mean greek chicken dinner. Peppers are some of my favorite things to use in cooking. Unfortunately, my family has delicate palates and will not try many new things. My little guy shocked me one day when he asked to try a tomoato I was cutting up. He loved it and continued to eat it for several weeks until he decided that it made his teeth scratch together. No more tomato. Green peppers are definitely out for my family, as well as green beans, green peas...anything green really. I don't really like green peas either. I hate the way they explode in your mouth.

Pizza is a surefire winner around here. Everyone gets to pick their own ingredients. It's mostly meat, with some mushrooms. I tried to sneak green peppers on once but everyone gave a collective "ewww" while picking them off. One even complained that it was slimy.

Cooking is also a great stress reliever. When you're angry there's nothing better than chopping up ingredients for a salad. Weilding a big knife has a great calming effect.

So I'm off to cook supper. This evening it's chicken fajitas and taco salad - hold the peppers.

Perfect Day

Ever think about what it would be like to wake up to a perfect day?

For me a perfect day would be waking up on my own - no alarm clock or "MOM! ANNELISE IS ANNOYING ME!!" There would be a pot of coffee waiting for me in the kitchen and a plate of waffles on the table.

No, scratch that. I would still be in bed and the coffee and pancakes would be delivered to me. That's better. Along with something good to read. I'd stay in bed for a long time, just reading and enjoying the quiet. When I get up there would be no housework to do; no laundry piled up in the hamper, no dust bunnies taking over my living room. Wait a minute! This is my perfect day. Why am I even in the house to think about housework?

OK, let's rewind. I get up early (but not too early) and we go out to brunch as a family. Somewhere where they have good waffles. And fruit - the fresh kind, not that stuff with juice on it. And there had to be grapes. When they don't give you grapes you're not getting your money's worth. OK. So out to brunch and then a nice walk in the park, because it's a beautiful sunny day and not too cold.

But it could be a perfect winter day when I just want to curl up on the couch and watch the snow fall outside while I sip hot chocolate and eat waffles in front of the fire. Or maybe it's a rainy day and I want to go to a movie and then out to dinner. Staying at home with the kids playing board games would be fun too, with pizza for supper.

Or I could wake up in Paris.

Darn it. There are just too many elements to consider here. I'll think about it some more and get back to you. In the meantime, I think I'll have some waffles.