Chai

What's in it:

• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons raw sugar

Then the spice mixture, your choice of the following:

• 1 whole cardamom pod
• 1 whole clove
• 2 black peppercorns
• 1 piece of cracked ginger
• Cinnamon or Cinnamon stick
• vanilla bean
• nutmeg
• anise
  

*Hint: Don't start using all of them!

Then:

• 3 teaspoons black tea leaves
• 1/2 cup warm milk

1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add the cardamom pod, clove, peppercorns (or your choice) and tea leaves. Remove from heat, and let the mixture steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain into a cup, and fill cup the rest of the way with milk. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

So there you have it Angie, :), my Chai recipe is really a template for making your own. I found this template on some recipe site that I don't remember and modified it a little. Only the process is from that.

Setting New Fashion Trends

This morning I missed filing some paperwork by 5 minutes. That's not really a big deal. Then we ran late to get ready for music class. I put Lil'Bug's pants on over her pajamas and didn't notice until we were there. You know what else I noticed once we arrived? My pants were on backwards. How does that happen? Elastic waistband for one. Ok, I have no excuse really.

So I discreetly pull a protesting tot to the bathroom for a potty break she does not need AND she proclaims loudly for everyone to hear that I am taking off my pants BECAUSE THEY ARE ON BACKWARDS! Gah. Now they think we eat fried butterflies and I can' t dress myself.

New most embarrassing moment? Definitely a contender.

More (7) Random Things About Us

1) My husband's superpower is popcorn. He worked for Carmike Theaters when we met and I'm convinced he's a Carmike horcrux. Seriously. How else can a normal human produce buttery good popcorn on the stove top that tastes just like theatre popcorn AND, just like the theatres, does not use any butter? I kid you not. Crazy.
2) I grew up in homes that had bugs. All sorts. I have a phobia of sticking my hand in oven mits.
3) Nutella is crazy good too. If you've never had it, seek it out. Hazelnuts are a good source of protein.
4) Lil'Bug is a ham. She will ham it up when she sees the opportunity. Music class is no exception. Her superpower is that no matter how much she spins and spins and spits, everyone still thinks she's a doll. ;)
5) We love to cook. We love learning about kitchen chemistry....however, raw, whole chickens gross me out. Why is it that I am always the one that has to cook the night we have chicken?
6) We all love 1940's jazz. It was this love of jazz that first led me to meet Dear Husband.
7) My superpower is old house structure. I may have mentioned it before- I have an eye for old house's hidden secrets. I have yet to turn down an invitation to investigate an old house mystery!

Now, if you comment, tell me something about you that I don't know! What is your superpower?

Ice Skating, an exercise in patience

This last week held many small adventures for us. Lil'Bug woke up one morning and proclaimed that she wanted to learn to ice skate:

Day one, Lil'Bug tells me she wants to learn ice skating. Urm? It is Iowa and like 90 billion degrees outside! I ask her questions. She tells me that she saw DW on Arthur (PBS) try and learn and was worried about it.
Day two, we see Olympic Ice Dancing clip on TV (not sure why or how it was on, but it was just a clip (about 60 seconds)).
Day three, she wakes up with nightmare about falling on the ice. I make phone calls to local rinks.
Day four, she is impatient with me and spills paint all over the kitchen floor to make an ice rink. Slides barefoot gracefully all over.

No, really. I went through a range of emotions from EEKK my just mopped floor! to OMG how brilliant is that! Why didn't I think of that? I stood in the kitchen and just looked in amazement. I thought, I can scream about this or celebrate my child's persistence and ingenuity.

This kid really wants to go ice skating.

So off we went. The local arena had an open skate so we dug out the winter snowsuit and mittens. Once there, Lil'Bug could hardly contain her excitement. the lady at the skate rental talked me into getting Lil'Bug hockey skates. I think that was the first mistake. They were way slippery and have no toe stop. This was very frustrating to her. She had great balance on the carpet and then the ice was spaghetti legs. Two very nice people stopped to help us and took her around a bit. After about 20 minutes she was done. The picture is on our way out. She looks unhappy.

I thought, disappointed, that I or the attempt ruined it for her. Not so. Once in the car she asked when she could try again, tomorrow maybe? She explains to me that ice skating is hard and takes practice. Sweet little child. I have much to learn.

Then at park day some veteran moms/skaters offered much advice: 1) figure skates, not hockey skates 2) roller skates for at home 3) go watch the freeskate in the morning 4) get her a skating buddy. :) Will do. Thanks to all the moms who talked me through it. :) I'm still open for more advice, btw.