Forgot to Mention the Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin patch was okay. Apparently the entire state of Florida decided to go the same day as us, so it was a wee bit crowded. Lines were long, there were pony rides (A refused to participate, but, surprisingly, J was very nonplussed by the whole situation, and even a mini-circus. It was all a bit overwhelming. Whatever happened to the good old days where there was, you know, a pumpkin patch. There were pumpkins, but they were in a cordoned area and already picked.So, it was alright, I guess. Next year I am hunting for an actual pumpkin patch where you can pick your own pumpkin and there might be perks like a cup of cider or a bale of hay to jump on. Pics are loaded to my new Facebook page, so I won't repost them here (mainly b/c I am lazy), but I will give you a taste:

Ha ha ha. This is my new favorite picture of A. He looks very Calvin to me.

All Around Update

So, I'm very conflicted about all these new kids movies coming out. On the one hand, I'm thrilled that the literary greats of my childhood (Where the Wild Things Are*, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs) are getting their pop culture due. On the other hand, these are literary greats because of their indelible whimsy and, yes I'll say it, brevity. What is left to the imagination if it's all put out there in an hour to hour and a half movie? Granted I've not yet seen the movies, but, still, I feel vaguely betrayed.

In other movie news, da Hubs and I went all the way into Tampa to see Paranormal Activity, which is a new horror flick in the style of the Blair Witch Project. I'd heard about it on the radio where people were touting it as one of the scariest movies they'd ever seen, blah blah blah. Honestly, not that scary. Also, I figured out the ending before it occurred, so it was kind of a let down. Hubs, on the other hand, keeps telling me we have a demon in the house, so think of that what you will ;)

In other news totally unrelated to movies, I recently discovered Facebook. Okay, I didn't actually discover it, but I did create a profile and have been spending way too much time looking up people I don't really care about (and some that I do). We'll see how long this fancy lasts, but I am enjoying posting redonkulous updates about pooping (see our "in" list below).

Recipe

In the spirit of cooking easy, yummy food. Here's a quick recipe for those busy weeknights.

Pu's Hoisin Pork Chops:

1lb boneless pork chops, thin cut
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar or Shaoxing

Salt & pepper the chops to taste. Combine all other ingredients in a small bowl and then brush over the pork chops. Place in a shallow dish and broil for about 3min per side (baste again when you flip). Yum! I put these over an asian inspired noodle salad (rice noodles reconstituted combined with 2 tbsp Shaoxing, 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce, 1 tsp minced ginger, and 1 tsp minced garlic - toss all that with thinly sliced green & red peppers, purple onion, & cabbage).

Things Recently Heard on Pu's Corner:

Bringing an old feature back, we recently had a serious discussion on what is currently "in" in the Pu household. For your reading pleasure:

"In"
- Tinkerbell
- Miley Cyrus
- All Things Mr. Potato Head
- Punching People in the Butt
- Bubbles
- The Word "Poop"
- Hello Kitty Underwear
- Farting Noises
- The Color Pink

"Out"
- Dora the Explorer
- Carrots
- Playing Nicely With Your Brother
- Zombies
- Socks
- The Color Yellow


*btw, also authored by Maurice Sendak - see Chicken Soup post.

Yay for Fall Cooking

I have really been in to simple cooking lately for obvious reasons. I'm looking for delicious, flavorful dishes that can be made very quickly. None of this 30min meals bullshit where the 30min doesn't ever seem to include the actual prep time. I'm also excited for fall flavors. I love root veggies (if my Ode to a Sweet Potato hadn't tipped you off) and hearty soups and stews. So, in spite of the fact that it was 95 degrees here yesterday (!!), here is a great little fall recipe I made on Saturday.

Pu's Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Onions

2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ~1" pieces
1 lg sweet onion, chopped into pieces about the same size
1 sprig chopped fresh Rosemary
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Super simple. Toss the veggies in the oil with the spices and stick in the oven at about 400 degrees for about 30-40min (cooking time will depend on the size of your veggie slices). I served this with a lucious roasted chicken (nothing but kosher salt and an onion in its belly roasted at 400 degrees for abot 1 1/2 hours). Sooo easy!


Today I learned A has a new word. As I got dressed for the day, my beloved youngest son pranced around my room wearing nothing but a diaper and my push-up bra draped attractively over one shoulder. "ahhh, sssss!" he cried gleefully. To celebrate this complete nonsequitar, I bring you a new feature here at Pu's Corner:

Things You Never In a Million Years Imagined Would Come Out of Your Mouth During Normal, Daily Conversation:

"Did you just lick the shopping cart?"

"Yes, that is my son in aisle five on all fours meowing like a cat."

"Yes, cats fart, but that wasn't the cat."

"Don't shove that in your ear. You are not Mr. Potato Head."

"Please don't punch Mommy in the butt."

Today He Called Me Mama

And it was the sweetest sound I've ever heard.

Our Crappy Weekend

* I meant to post this earlier in the
week (obviously), but it has been an
incredibly busy week at work so,
sorry!

So here we are looking blissfully happy just before we got our asses handed to us by Miami (Miami! 0-3!!! Well, now 1-3, I guess *sigh*). To add insult to injury, Land Shark stadium is a truly crappy place to be (although the seats give you a pretty good view). It was so hot I was sweating from places I didn't even know were capable of producing sweat. Anyway, Miami itself was a fun little diversion. The game sucked, we had kind of a crappy time with the in-laws (FIL's wife is a piece of work!), Hubs, J and now C all have the flu, and I am the busiest I've ever been at work.