Just falling from my head...

Braised Short Ribs on Mashed Potatoes with Onion Gravy

These short ribs were great! I don't know that I have cooked short ribs before, they are right up there as a favorite cut of meat for me now! I really need to get a better place to take my dinner photo.

Robin was very tired and fell a sleep before he finished his seconds. Nothing goes to waste around here, Dallas wanted to finish his brothers plate for him.



I have a second blog dedicated to my cast iron kettle and this whole recipe with more photo's is located there. It's at http://blackkettlechronicles.blogspot.com/

On the menu tonight: Prime Rib, Baked Potato, Artichoke, Sauteed Zucchini, Red Pepper, Mushroom and Garlic and for desert Strawberry & Rhubarb Tapioca sweetened with Agave Nectar. The kids also had juiced peach popsicles I made earlier in the day.



Dallas wanted more artichoke after he finished his desert. He likes to put bowls on his head and make goofy faces at you full well knowing he's just made himself a huge mess.


Robin wanted me to take a picture of his silly and dirty face. I hate to break it to him, he has always been a cleaner child than his brother. He has silly face down well though.


The drawer full of fluff has nothing to do with dinner, I just wanted to add it in. Robin likes packing the kittens in the drawer and if I don't see them for a while I know where to look for them. They can climb out through the bottom somehow and they seem to like the quiet place to sleep. There are three in there, you just can't see Silver's face.

On Wednesday a package came I had been expecting. I first got a call from our Fed Ex driver saying that she had a box of crickets for me and would be leaving them on the truck. I just love her, she always calls to tell me when she's dropping off a package. There's is a reason she does too. When I ordered my first ipod a signature was required to get the package. I wasn't home and she came to the door. My large white lab Titus has a touch of fear aggression and is alway kept in the house or on a leash during delivery hours, he happened to be sleeping in the kitchen near the door when she came. The door has a huge glass window with no curtain so you can see in from the porch and Titus can see out if he stands on his rear legs.

I'm not really sure what order deliveries came that day but oddly there was a package from UPS on the front mat, a USPS box looked rather thrown near the door and the slip left to sign so Fed Ex could leave the package on the porch was laying somewhere taped to the door. After that day only UPS dare leave a package on the porch. The UPS guy is damn sneaky and can come and go undetected if the package is light enough. I always feel slightly violated when I see a package up against the front door that I didn't hear dropped off. Anyway, the next time USPS had a package for us the post woman sat in the driveway and layed on the horn until I came running. She told me that she thought my dog was going to come through the window and get her so she would need to find another place to leave packages. We worked it out. The Fed Ex woman now calls every time too. When I came home the dogs, all three of them had tore the kitchen up pretty bad. I understood that they had a hard day with three different people come while they were on guard.

Anyway the call came and I rushed out to meet her for my box which wasn't marked in anyway and sounded silent to me. I needed Doug to pick up new cricket keepers before I could open them so they just sat here waiting. I didn't tell the kids what had come, I wanted to see the surprise unfold for them.

When the time came, we started with the small crickets for the mourning gecko. I ordered 1000 1wk olds. They are tiny, tiny little things but boy they were hard to contain. After opening the box they just kept jumping everywhere. This things are too small to pick up though so you had to just let it go. I'm sure they won't all reach adulthood in here, then again maybe they can live on crumbs. Next came the big ones, 1000 4wk crickets. The size difference is astounding. These suckers are huge. There was no good way to get them all into the cricket keeper with out putting them in to another container first. We used a large rubbermaid tub and dumped the box then Doug was the lucky one to dump them in while I had to guid the stream or falling bugs into the 3x4 lid of the box. Involuntarily I was screaming and couldn't stop!! It was so gross. I touched 1000 crickets on there way into the box and many, MANY didn't make it in and fell into my lap, all I could do was laugh and scream. It was horrifying, like something from Fear Factor. I was totally fine and not scared a big just really grossed out. Poor Dallas started bawling because I screamed and Robin thought it was funny but was worried they bite me. Catching the crickets after the dumping was fun and everyone stopped crying for that. You can never really catch them all. There really are crickets everywhere. I was going up to be last night and while walking up the stairs one jumped onto my foot. Oh it freaked me out, I didn't know what it was at first and I almost fell. Seems crickets can be a safely hazard too. These things have got to be the hardest to feed too, if you don't feed them enough they start eating each other alive. I keep stuffing salad greens in and they eat them lightning fast. I guess I need to buy commercial feed after all.

When we bought crickets before we had more animals eating them and bought larger quantites and kept them in a 20 long tank. There are in a much smaller plastic box, but we need to be able to keep them up away from the kids now. Dragon is very happy to have so many crickets to eat, Strawberry the garter snake seems to think they are ok too. The mourning gecko also appreciates her snacks, ever if she doesn't show it.

I did miss the sound of crickets though. It's nice to have them again. In the middle of the night like this, they do make it harder to stay awake in silence though.

More on the bug front, the ants for the ant farm arrived in the mail yesterday. The tube said it had 30 but half came dead. They still have not started to tunnel. I wonder if I have defective ants here. Doug found an ant hill I can get replacements if I need to and the kids think they are great so I'm sure it's all good. Besides, if I have to replace the ants at least all ants kind look alike. Now that betta that just went belly up on me, that's a little different.

Last night I had insomnia, I just couldn't get to sleep. The last time I looked at my watch is was around 4am. Dallas woke up at 7am, it took 25min to get him back to sleep. He finally fell asleep because I went downstairs to use the bathroom.

While on the way to the bathroom I found a pile of kitten crap behind the door. The girl Silver has litter box issues but her two brothers don't and I just don't know how to break her of it but I'm done cleaning up poop. I resolved that she could spend the day in the training cage so I didn't have to lose my mind. There is always enough poop for me to clean up without having to scrape it from the floor too.

Dallas woke up for good at 8am. I guess you could consider the few hours of sleep I got a power nap but not really sleeping. I was too drained to get out of bed so the kids and I watched an hour of Jon & Kate plus 8 on the DVR. When it was over and time for breakfast, on the way downstairs I glanced out the window to see one of the goats Kaykay, in the garden eating my tomatoes.

I rushed down the stairs, checked that the livingroom was a secure place to leave the kids for a minute and opened the door to run out the kitchen to find my very, very expensive shredder pulled out to the middle of the floor hanging by it's cord and trying to rev-up every few seconds. It is kept between the wall and the washing machine and behind it is a bunch of crap to be sold or donated. Titus had dug it all out. He wasn't looking for food, he can reach the stove and there was a big pot of beef broth and onions from last nights dinner waiting to be dumped to the chickens up there he could have easily reached instead. I don't know why he did it but I freaked out on him, yelling and screaming like a crazy person and kicked his ass outside to be chained up in the yard for the day. I upright the shredder, find my outside shoes and go to catch the goat.

On the way to get Kaykay, I meet up with a swarm of mosquitoes that follow me having quite a meal the whole time. The propane is out on the mosquito trap, I need to remember to get that filled today. Heading through the garden I find that none of the poultry was fed or watered today. I assume the goats weren't watered either. I'll have to gear up and take everyone there food and water later as I'm only in a tank top and shorts being eaten by mosquitoes now. Kaykay comes with me willingly and she didn't eat too much of the garden that I can see, she prefers the blackberry leaves. I tried to get her rope untangled and I was attacked by the thorny blackberry stalks myself, I had them stuck in my fingers and ankles pretty bad, after the third bleeding finger I put the goat in a kennel and go back to the house to look for the machete. It's nowhere I can find so I go ahead and decide it can wait until after breakfast and better clothing. On the way back to the house it hits me that I don't actually have any full length maternity jeans that fit me, only capri's so I'm screwed either way. At least my rain boots are high.

I get in the door and Dallas is up on a chair soaking wet. There is fluid all over on the table, on the chair and the floor. Incase you didn't know, I don't keep a really clean house anyway. It's so small, tiny really there just isn't room for everything so it is always a mess, but it's not STICKY!! I asked Robin waht happened and he tells me that Dallas got my Recharge (sports drink) and drank it. I'm not sure any actually made it into him. Thank goodness Robin took it way and put the cap back on. I grab a couple towels and try to dry everyone and everything off starting with the baby and then turn and take the three steps it takes to get to the bag we put the dirty "white towels" when done with them. In that amount of time, seconds really Dallas has obtained a container of 100 king mealworms and dumped them in the middle of the room. Now these are large creepy crawlies. They are big enough to have a couple of brain cells and to know this is their only chance at freedom and they are not going to let it slip away. Dallas all the while is thinking it's the greatest thing he has ever seen, 100 two inch mealworms running in opposite directions. I scream for Robin to come and help me. He's the only one not affraid to touch them, well he was. The one he picked up first tried to crawl up his arm and he freaked out. I think I caught them all, I scooped them into a pile with a peice of paper then back into the jar.

I get out cereal for breakfast. I ask Robin if he wants milk because some days he doesn't and he says yes then while I'm pouring changes his mind and starts crying because his flakes are wet. Dallas happily eats. Uma (African Grey Parrot) is beeping at full volume freaking out thinking I'm going to forget to giver her a bowl too. Anytime Robin cries about something she seems to get upset too.

On the way to putting the milk away I glance out the window to see Titus digging a hole int he dirt and although a near white lab he is not mud brown because it has also started raining. It's too late to pull him in now, he's already covered. Being a lab he is mostly waterproof though, why can't he be dirt proof too?

The kitten in the cage is crying at full volume, she is also the worst food stealer we have. She knows to limits. For instance, last night she tried to take Doug's roast off his plate when he blocked her with his hand she bit him to try to get him to move. These cats get fed some of the best food made. There is no filler and no animal by-products. This is high end cat food and it is always available to the kittens. The adult cats are only fed once a day due to weight management issues otherwise. Suddenly Robin starts yelling at me "She's saying let me out! Let me out!" and then he starts crying too. As calmly as I can muster I tell him I'm not picking up anymore cat poop today so he better tell her that she needs to use the litter box for that or she can't come out. I give in and let her out. So much has happened I only got to eat half my cereal before it got too mushy for human consumption. Bummed and hungry I look over and Dallas has fallen back to sleep. Robin isn't tired at all. Now there is no chance of a nap today. It WILL get better today, IT WILL!

Update: The sprinkling makes our internet go down. This is not something I can fix. It's not a priority to Doug either because he's not here all the rainy day waiting for the internet to come back on line. He says we need to get the satilite repossitioned. And how the hell am I suppose to do that. I don't eveh have the contact info for Wild Blue or I would be calling complaining about it. I can't look it up either since I have not fricken internet!!

I feel so alone when I don't have internet access. My iPhone doesn't get a signal in the house either so it's not like I can just pop on facebook, myspace or ebay to check to see if the rest of the world is still turning.

Today was our 12th anniversary. Did we have big plans? We had planned on going to the movies. Doug was going to go while I watched the kids then I was going to go while he watched the kids. That's how we were able to see Dark Knight and it worked out well. No one felt like going anywhere this morning so we decided to stay home and prepare for picking up the iguana tomorrow. She's a homeless little fellow about 3 ft if I remember right, and bright green. I think she will do just fine with us.

This was a large under taking requiring both Doug and I to work near constantly going through stuff, getting rid of stuff and moving furniture. We will be using an old ferret cage for a while until we can build the permanent one. I have a design in mind but it won't be cheap. I want one made of oak. I've had a pine .. it wasn't very impressive.

We had cold cereal for breakfast, scrambled eggs with peas and zucchini for lunch and a fabulous feast of gluten free whole grain banana pancakes with agave nectar and hash browns all home cooked from scratch. Dallas in particular thought it was the best dinner he has EVER had. He made my night with his constant exclamations of Mmmm and laughing with joy before each bite.

He had a kinda hard day today. He pooped 3 times. That may not sound like a huge deal but the first time he did the unthinkable, somehow he squatted and pooped on the rug then with his hand wiped it all over his face. I don't know if it made it into his mouth, I tried not to think of it. This one required a hose down followed by a bath. The second time he didn't have a diaper on, he and Robin had been playing a game and Robin starts yelling POOP! POOP! He was sitting on his foot and pooped all over his leg and feet and the carpet, in a different spot of course. The third time I was in the middle of cooking dinner and Doug happened to be walking by Dallas in the living room just in time to see him pulling his poop covered hand out of his diaper. I can't even tell you how thankful I was that Doug was here to deal with all fo today's poop. This stuff happens to me all the time but usually not all in one day. Aside from the shower/bath Doug did all the clean up. THANKS DOUG!! That must be true love!

Let's start with the pictures!



This year the shows were really great. It's hard to pick a favorite. We really enjoyed the new music and the old favorites too. Robin had a line up he expected everytime and had to get used to the fact that they can't play every song at every show. He really doesn't seem to know that not everyone gets to see every show either.

The only one I didn't care for much was the Sammamish show on Tuesday but that had nothing to do with the band, they were great! It was the heat. I was so busy worrying about the kids sitting in that 95 degree sun that it was hard for me to enjoy the show. Dallas turned lobster red but wasn't sunburned, just over heating. After the show we sat in the shade of the stage until the kids turned back to normal colors and headed back to the car. We had gotten up to get some water during Pieces of 8ight and Robin thought they didn't play it. He was really worried they forgot so we played it as soon as we got to the car.

There was an adult show at a bar that I really wanted to see but we didn't have anyone to watch our kids on a Tuesday night so we could go hang out at a bar and neither Doug or I wanted to go alone. It's too bad too because I really only get to hear my favorite songs at the Pirate Festival.

Wednesday's morning show was at a park in Lynnwood. It was a really neat park the band was down below and all the seating was up and around in the trees. The sound was really great.We were at the back and Robin had a good time dancing with me. He even sang along on a couple. Dallas started to dance a little until he saw the bag of apricots then he was lost to us and chin deep in fruitful bliss. At the end of this show he wanted to go say hi to the band but changed his mind after we walked down the hill. I realized it's all the other people he's really shy about not the band.

We met Doug to go to the Covington show later in the evening. This one might have been my favorite show. It was in the middle of a library but for some reason the sound was great. It was at 7pm and our kids are usually hungry by this time and this night was no exception. They did really good considering they were hungry. After the show Robin wanted the band to sign his shirt because he watched a couple kids getting their shirts signed, I'm not fond of signed shirts. To me it takes the item out of the daily wardrobe and if you can't wear a shirt, why keep it. Well except of course for my Jim Beam tshirt that Glen Danzig signed. Actually that was my favorite tshirt until he signed it, then I didn't feel like I could wear it and it's folded up vaccum sealed and in a box somewhere, not that I would wear a Jim Beam tshirt now anyways.
So back to my point. We bought Robin a bumper sticker to have signed that he could put on his pirate ship in the yard.

Thursday - the Seattle shows. I was only 20 min early to this show and the line was already almost out the door. While waiting in line Dallas had a poopy and Robin had to go too. We got out of line, rushed to the bathroom finished business and clean up as quickly as possible and ran back to the line which was lucky timing because our spot was quickly slipping in the door. The place was packed. The kids and I shared a seat. Robin was ok with that, Dallas wanted his own seat. The show was really good. We were excited for the second show because our friends were going to meet us to see it.

Between the shows we walked to the drug store to look for digestive enzymes in hopes that we could get out for lunch, but no luck. We met up with Carrie and her kids and we went to the garage to have a snack before the show. After an hour long picnic the security came and told us we couldn't eat in the garage. We were already packing up anyway. We went in to wait in line.

We were first in line, Doug and Holly both made it before the show and we were all able to sit together. All the kids had a great time dancing. Dallas had his own seat and he was clapping and dancing too. All he wanted was his own seat! Robin asked me to go down and dance with him and we did but he didn't want to do what everyone else was doing, for example during Nellie the Elephant everyone jumps up and down. He told me not to jump up and down but dance side to side instead. We danced the whole song and it was really fun. At the end though Robin was sad that he didn't get to hear Scurvy one last time. He told me that's his favorite song. It is the first Captain Bogg and Salty song we had and he has always loved it. I told Captain Bogg for him and then he was better. he just really wanted them to know he liked it.

After that great concert, which was my favorite too, we went to the Seattle Art Museum to see the Impressionist Art Exhibit. This was the last month to see it and it was pretty fascinating. Claude Monet is not an artist who's works photos do justice. I never liked Monet before I saw one in person. It's really amazing to wonder how they came to make such paintings, what the thought process was and how it was done. I don't see myself making art like that. Part of me wished I could but my brain just isn't wired like that.

Here's a picture of Dragon. He's the sweetest dragon you ever did meet. He lets me hold him and he likes to be pet, at least he doesn't protest at all. He eats mealworms right out of Robin's hand!