We Have Another Trio of Winners!

Thank you again for playing. I so love reading about what it is you want--I feel like the book equivalent of a drunk, wanting to buy another round for an entire bar-full of strangers. "Maybe I should honor *all* the requests!" I exclaimed, and Michael raised his eyebrows. Okay. Maybe not. But giving away books is starting to feel like a vocation. (I'll just have to brainstorm ways to make money at it. . . )

SeeTryFly who, wanted a Robert Saduba pop-up book; I am sending you this. (Which looks so cool and beautiful)
Alissa is getting this. (Which I use every day.)
And Allyson is getting this. (Which is on my wish list too!)

Please email me your address, and I will get those books right into the mail.

Over at family.com, meanwhile, there are pork chops and energy bars. Pawk chahps en enijy bahs.

And here at home there are these (sigh)


And these (sigh)


And also these hirsute children.



Sigh. Have wonderful week!

xo Catherine

More cookies, more books

The flowering of our dogwood plunges me into existential angst: Really? It's been a whole year? I despair over time's fleetingness, everybody's sandals pulled out and outgrown, everybody's front teeth like enormous Chicklets, the violets nodding purplely away: "Yes, yes, the years are flying by." Oh, spring! I love it so much despite my bittersweetness about everything.

Meanwhile, over here, at family.com, I have a recipe for chocolate chip cookies made with all whole wheat flour, and they are simply the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made. Also, there has been some commentary prompted by the word "log." Our own BillyJoe is back in action! Phew.

The cookies are from this beautiful book, and, speaking of revenue-generating links on amazon: it's time for another book give-away! That's right. You know the rules. Post over at family.com, if you're able (aren't I strict? but please. . . ) and then come back here and leave the name of the one book you most want in the comments (comment only once, please). I am going to pick three winners at random and send them the books they picked. I'll post the winners next Friday (April 23rd). If there's still money left after that, we'll do it again. I suppose you oughtn't enter if you've already won.

But here's another little gift: learning to love you more. Given that this website has already started, turned into a book, and concluded, it seems that I am late to the party, the guy already out in the driveway with his push broom sweeping away the cocktail napkins and magnolia petals, but no matter. It is a strange and moving and inspiringly beautiful website. I am slightly addicted.


Have a wonderful weekend, dear ones. xo

A Few Foolish Ideas

Do you need just one or two more tricks to play on your kids?

Try this "Chore Camp" brochure from FamilyFun. Oh we got Ben so bad with this. "Wow," we said. "This seems so different from the online description. . . " "Yikes," he said. "It really does." I love this quote: "My favorite part of camp was when we got to clean up the mess that the kids in the other camp made while cooking smores." Brilliant.

Or this letter, adapted from FamilyFun:

Bwa ha ha ha. Or this "milk" adapted from the twisted recesses of my own brain.



Dissolve 1 packet of plain gelatin in 1/2 cup boiling water (stir until it's really dissolved), then stir in 3/4 cup milk, 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. The kids loved it. Besides that it looks exactly like real milk, and so is an excellent trick, it also tastes a lot like panna cotta (crossed with a Jello Jiggler), and so is an excellent treat.

Have you played any good tricks yet? Or been tricked? Michael served me a steaming cup of "tea" that was actually hot water, milk, Diet Coke, and Jack Daniels. Yowza.

Meanwhile, in case you have some matzoh left over, this recipe is INSANE. It is so good it's criminal. Seriously. Toffee Buttercrunch Matzoh. Here. In fact, you should buy matzoh specially and make this, it's that good.

Also, I have an essay over at Brain, Child.

And we're going to do another book give-away next week. Stay tuned! And send me pictures of yourselves with your won book, and I'll post them here!

Happy Passover. Happy Easter. Happy Spring. Happy Life. xoxo