.
Participated in my first cookie exchange, making shortbread cookies for the occasion (see above) Chose shortbread, because it requires, rather miraculously, only four ingredients. Sometimes even just three ingredients. After my other baking disaster, it was a welcome change.
Cooked a local turkey, a whoppin’ 26 lbs of meaty love. Delish. And faster than expected — those free-range birds really do cook quickly.
Purchased a yule log. Much easier this way.
Eleven adults. Six children. Three dogs. Five Santa-believers. Much chaos.
My most-foodie-gifts: an Aero indoor herb garden, so I can grow herbs even while my Earthboxes are tucked away in the garage for the winter. That, and a really beautiful Made-in-Vermont slate lazy susan, which looks something like this, that my 18-month old drew all over with a Sharpie within 10 minutes after I opened it (helpful hint: rubbing alcohol removes some, though not all, Sharpie marks).
Biggest challenge: the final and very sad decline of my old Mac Powerbook (her name was Trixie, and she served me well), the only computer in the house that still connects to dial-up (oh? you forget that I’m on dial up? Oh, yes, I am). This, combined with Comcast’s heartless unwillingness to extend cable up our road, means either (1) many more hours spent in wireless coffee shops for me, or (2) my final acquiescence to the expensive-to-set-up-and-highly-imperfect satellite internet. Crapola. Will do my best to keep up with the blogging in the meantime.
Most troubling email: was probably from Miranda, who pointed to a news bulletin on Mothering.com, that pointed out that the levels of bisphenol A in canned infant formula poses higher risk than the stuff that’s leaching out of the baby bottles themselves. That bulletin steered me to an investigation by the Environmental Working Group, about how infant formula cans are lined with nasty bisphenol A, or BPA. From the EWG report:
Dozens of laboratory studies show that BPA affects the developing brain and reproductive systems of animals exposed to low doses during pregnancy and early life. BPA has recently raised concerns from 2 separate expert panels of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with 1 group of scientists warning that human exposures to BPA are already at or above the levels that harm animals and another expressing concern about impacts of BPA on infants’ brains and behavior.
It’s yet another reason to breastfeed. If you can’t, EWG recommends Nestlé, Enfamil & Similac powdered formulas, clear silicone nipples, NO bottle liners, and glass bottles. And to all you makers of infant feeding products: it’s time to clean up your act, pronto. Thanks for the tip, Miranda. It’s depressing, but mighty important.
And with that, we look toward a new year. Which brings me to a quick mention. The Ethicurean pointed to an article by Terri Coles, of Reuters, who made predictions about top health issues in ‘08. Her predictions? Food related. All of ‘em.
More later. Pray that I figure out a solution to this internet issue. Merry to you and yours.
Ooooo, the three-ingredient shortbread sounds ridiculously yummy. I hope it doesn’t stink if I use margarine instead of butter (that may sound blasphemous, but my dairy-allergic daughter requires me to commit such culinary sins).
I received a vacuum sealer for Christmas—-I’m afraid of canning and have too little freezer space to just deep-freeze, so I’m hopeful this will help extend the bounty of my CSA into the winter months.
Hope your internet-connection woes fix themselves soon.
Your shortbread looks lovely! I recently tried to make some and it turned out disastrous! What’s the secret??!
May your internet woes find a quick (and cheap!) solution in 2008!
mr. cleanmagic eraser makes many “mistakes” go away. CAREFULLY try it on your slatey-susan. i use it to remove wine stains & berry stains from my kitchen counter – super easy, super quick.
see you in the new year.
I hope you and your dd have recovered from the buche that was not to be. I’m so sorry that happened! I made a buche for my husband’s family for a number of years, but haven’t made one in several years now that we have kids.
I wanted to share this about powdered formula: Powdered infant formula is not recommended for certain babies, due to the risk of infections with Enterobacter sakazakii (which powdered infant formula can become contaminated with during manufacturing; powdered infant formula is not sterile, nor manufactured in a sterile environment). Here is a WHO document which refers to this http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/pif2007/en/index.html
Preemies are a part of the population particularly at risk, although healthy newborns may also be at a higher risk of becoming ill in this way.
There’s some other info on this here http://www.ibfan.org/site2005/Pages/article.php?art_id=459&iui=1
I’m glad there was a solution to the yule log issue. I seriously worried about it! Yes, worrying continues to be one of my hobbies.
And for those sharpies…how do they always find them?
I hope the new year brings you much happiness and better access to the internet!
Oh, I miss the days of a house full of Santa believers….Happy New year!
Hi & happy New Year! I noticed this report about BPA too, just as I’m about to move from breastfeeding to bottlefeeding my ten month old – trouble is we’re all vegetarian & it’s tricky to find a powdered product from these producers which is veggie – all these have some kind of fish oil in them… sure there are other products out there just haven’t had time to do the research… Cookie exchange – great idea!
Not to be completely self-obsessed, but I am so sad you are having internet issues because I love your blog! (It inspired me to start my own blog for crying out loud). Maybe you should start a petition to Comcast and ask everyone who reads your blog on a regular basis to print off a form letter to send to Comcast making a specific request for them to put lines down your road.
Anyhow, boo and hiss to Comcast for slowing you down at the start of the new year.