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the name of this book is secret
by SRR
When I saw this book I thought it was like any other book you would see. I was at my mom’s friend’s house and I felt I was going to die of boredom. I asked my mom (the sophistimom) for something to do and her friend pulled a book from their shelf and it was The Name of this Book Is Secret 
There are supposed to be five books in the Secret Series, and I’ve read the first three. The first is of course The Name of this Book Is Secret
Now let’s get to the story.
Cassandra, a 12 year old survivalist stumbles across a dead magician’s Symphony of Smells, a box of little vials that contain different smells in them. She teams up with Max-Ernest to find out clues. They discover the dead magician’s hidden notebook and get tied up fighting for the gift of immortality. Each book is associated with a different sense; the first ties in with smell. The most recent one I read, This Book Is Not Good For You
whole wheat oatmeal pancakes for power food friday
Three congregations (we call them “wards”) meet in our church building on Sunday, and each year our wards are assigned a different time. Some years church has been at 9:00, or worse—8:30 am. As a single mom (and even as a wife of an airline pilot), getting three kids clean and dressed—which all my kids mysteriously forget how to do on Sunday—before 9:00 is insane.
Luckily for us, this year our ward meets at 1:00. You’d think with so much more time we’d always be on time, but sadly, no. It could be due to the fact that since I think we have a lot of time, we dawdle a bit. Well, more than a bit. Usually my kids get out every stuffed animal in the house to play school, then they get out every chair and blanket to make a tent village. Then they yell at each other. Then I try not to yell at them to stop yelling (I usually fail).
st. patrick’s day shortbread cookies
This morning, my five-year-old was screaming in a panic as we were in the car on the way to drop the older kids at school.
“I don’t want to get pinched by a leprechaun! I’m not wearing any green!”
It sounds cute in writing. But it wasn’t very cute at the time. I felt a lot like Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character at the beginning of Nanny McPhee Returns
These were the cookies I made for my kids for their after school snack today, which they then frosted by themselves. They’re an extremely simple shortbread, with an even simpler buttercream frosting.
the name of this sandwich is a secret.
My son and I can’t tell you the name of this sandwich, because it’s adapted from a book we’ll talk about in a day or two. We will give you our version of the recipe today, though . . . then we’ll tell you about the book.
But first I just want to send my love to any of my readers who live in Japan, have loved ones there, or are connected with the devastation there in any way. My prayers and thoughts are with you.
This morning I learned of a blog that is hosting an online bake sale at the end of March. I will keep you filled in as I learn more about it.
Until then, let me tell you how we made the sandwich . . .
chia seeds for power food friday
Apparently chia seeds are for eating, not just growing in pottery shaped like porcupines. I’ve been doing a bit of reading about chia seeds lately, and was thrilled to see them in the bulk section of my grocery store.
They are our new favorite ingredient. My daughter loves them—which is saying something. She loves to mix them into yogurt and smoothies, or just eat the runaway seeds from off the counter. My favorite way to use them is to grind them up in a spice grinder
You might wonder, though, what is so great about chia seeds, the latest trend in the health food scene.
kouign-amann
I first tried a kouign-amann at a cafe in Salt Lake City. Caramelized sugar makes them crispy all around the edges, which cradle a center of buttery, flaky layers. They are pure heaven.
I did some Wikipedia searches to find out the kouign-amann is a cake originating in Brittany, the northwest corner of France. After experimenting with a recipe I pieced together from a few different sources, I have sadly discovered mine does not taste exactly like the ones in Salt Lake (And trust me. I know this without a doubt after eating five or six of them today).
pan-seared salmon with lime and dill
Okay, so technically it isn’t Friday anymore, but I had a long day. Besides, it’s still Friday in California.
This is just a quick post—I’m sure most of you know how to cook a salmon fillet, but this is my favorite way to eat it, and I thought maybe you’d like to know.
But first I’ll plug the salmon. Salmon—wild caught is best—is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, B vitamins, and vitamin D, among other nutrients. It’s widely available across the country, and the best part: every kid in my family loves it. Even my daughter.
happy birthday, dr. seuss!
Each one of my kids had a party in school for Dr. Seuss’s birthday. The two in elementary even got to dress in their PJs and read books all day.
Last week, my oldest son played him in the school wax museum. It was so cute—all the fifth graders had done a report on one of the fifty states, and then had to play an important person from that state. Each one of them dressed up, and struck a pose at their seat until someone would press a fake button on their desk.
vanilla bean cupcakes with strawberry buttercream
My son came up with his own joke when he was two, and it goes like this:
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Why?
Because he had the day off!
He still tells the joke at least twice a week.
Today, after preschool, he came to me crying because no one had asked him to play. He said to me, with tears in his eyes, “I want to be like the chicken who crossed the road!”
Apparently, he wanted the day off from getting a ride home. What ensued was a quiet tantrum of sorts, with me driving slowly alongside him, while he refused to get in the car.
