it would be in '05 or '06 (I'm pretty sure)... it's funny, I was cruising through our old issues looking for butternut squash risotto and came across all sorts of things, like the chicken salad, as well as an AWESOME pan roasted broccoli recipe. So easy and so good! Definitely a valuable return to the old CIs.

Of course, that's tinged by hearing some weird-assed real life stories this weekend (which I'm dutifully not sharing).

And for that I thank you.

I caught Owen using the picture in picture feature on the television this morning--Maisy on one channel, Handy Manny on the other.

Heh. If our TV could do that, Sara would be blissed.

AmyLiz's glass shard reminded me of a 'foriegn bodies making their way out' story that I haven't thought of in yonks.

My father worked with a fellow who flew planes in WWII. One day, an artillery shell came through the windshield and hit this fellow in the face. His compatriots thought he was dead, so they tossed him out over enemy lines. Miraculously, he survived the fall and was taken prisoner by the Germans.

"Prison" in this case, meant the best medical facility in the country, where extraordinary measures were taken to revive him and reconstruct his face.

"Reconstruction" in this case, was better than one might expect for having taken a missile to the face, but...his skin was mottled and bumpy. Being the curious child I was, I asked why he looked like that...he just smiled and said that he'd had an 'accident'.

Later, my father told me that bits of shrapnel were STILL making their way out of his skin, some 40 years after the event.

The care he received just boggled my mind...and the human body's ability to cope did the same.

Hec, have you gotten a Salem package at your house yet? Just checking.

JZ confirms that we did indeed receive a McWarringle package filled with organic bathsoaps and baby wear advocating dirt play. We thank you!

JZ confirms that we did indeed receive a McWarringle package filled with organic bathsoaps and baby wear advocating dirt play. We thank you!

Excellent. The bathy stuff is for her- take a look at the name of the massage oil, it cracked me up.

Hec, since we're asking, did you guys get a package from me via Amazon?

an AWESOME pan roasted broccoli recipe.

Oh that sounds so good. Share? I think my subscription lapsed and I only had it for this year, pretty much...

Hec, since we're asking, did you guys get a package from me via Amazon?

Apparently my presumption that JZ was thoughtfully thanking all the gift givers was wayyyy off base. Indeed we did get the bundle of books. On the same day we got books from flea too, I think. It was a good book getting day.

Thank you, AmyLiz. I presume these books have been kid tested on your own and fully vetted for entertainment value?

Yup, they're all read-aloud favorites. A little much for Matilda right now, perhaps, but she'll love them (I hope) later. And they're fun to read, as compared to the tedious Clifford books Jake had a yen for at one point.

basically, cut florets into relatively uniform pieces; peel and slice the stalk on the bias. put some (couple Tbsp) veg. oil in a sautee pan. Heat that oil hot. Real hot. Hotter than that. OK, you see smoke? Throw the stalk pieces in, in one layer. Don't touch them for 2 minutes. After that, throw the florets in, toss it all up to combine. don't touch for 1-2 minutes.

Throw in a mixture- that you made while waiting for the pan to heat up- of 1.5 Tbsp of water (we halved the recipe for the 2 of us, only cooked approx. 3/4 lb.), with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, and some pepper, stirred till salt is dissolved.

After the florets have some brown color on them, throw the water/salt/pepper mixture in, clamp down the lid, and steam for a couple minutes. Then de-lid, stir around till any liquid is evaporated, serve and yum.

If you have the issue with the pepper panfried filet, it was in that one. It's a blue cover.