Open Mic: An Encore Performance
It’s a comedy of errors around here. Fifty more books showed up yesterday to be signed. I haven’t mailed back the other 100. That makes a total of fifteen large 38-lb. boxes in our entryway. It looks like an episode of Hoarders. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Pea Kitty lately. Not that I’m complaining. The cops swarmed our street last night on a manhunt. Kind of. They were tracking a raccoon. They never found him, but... Read More
Tickled By Pickles
I didn’t want to do it, but you made me. Well, not exactly you. You. You and your pickle songs. Your pickle Band-aids. And your pickle literary masterpieces. That pose all-important pickle questions. Like what you should make to go with these burgers, or these burgers or these burgers for the 4th of July? I’ve got your answer right here. Dill Pickle French Fries Serves 4 Print this recipe! One 15 oz. package Alexia French fries OR 1 lb.... Read More
Lessons From the Farm
1. Do not let your husband pick out your clothes for the day and then decide to take a trip to the farm. He will choose a short skirt and wedge heels. And you will feel stupid. 2. “Try Our Fresh Strawberry Donut Samples!” obviously means “Try Eight Strawberry Donut Samples and Then Sneak a Ninth When Mom Isn’t Looking.” 3. Bees are scary. And so are chickens. But not the chicken that people eat. Because in Lulu’s sweet... Read More
Vegan Values: Noodle Salad with Peanut Mmmm Sauce
I have a soft spot in my heart for Chinese food. When I was Lulu’s age, my grandmother was a waitress at a local Chinese restaurant. It was literally a hole in the wall–not in the nicest part of town, only about 15 small tables, and the owners, their close relatives and my grandmother were the only employees. Thirty years later, it’s still in business. And it still has the best Chinese food in town. Present company excluded, of course. My... Read More
Ashley, This Is Your Birthday Present! (GIVEAWAY)
I couldn’t keep a secret if my life depended on it. I know I should be stockpiling recipes and rationing them out in case I have the good fortune of getting to write a second book, but as soon as I make something delicious, I immediately want to share it. Except for a few. See, I couldn’t even keep that a secret! Same goes for stories. I just can’t keep my mouth shut, even if it ruins the element of surprise. Which is why my Twitter... Read More
Pea Sighting: AM Northwest Meatless Meals Segment (VIDEO)
I’d consider our first TV appearance a success. Sure, I had to do it barefoot so they could keep my head in the shot. Sure, “Dave,” that I’ve been practicing talking to at stoplights all week, turned out to be Helen. Sure, I caught Helen looking at Lulu in the audience right when Lulu had her right index finger up her left nostril all the way up to the second knuckle. Sure, my dad may have been innocently flirting with a Rodeo Princess or... Read More
Recipeas Worth Repeating: Yukon Gold White Bean Basil Burgers
I don’t think you would have liked me much in junior high. Aside from the obvious Aqua Net issues, I was the one in school who recopied her notes twice, with a ruler lined up under the lines of text to make the letters concise. Just to make them prettier. They were notes. No one was going to read them but me. But I had four neatly written versions hole-punched and ready to go, in case that cute boy in the second row ever needed to borrow them. Because... Read More
Pea Sighting: Vegetarian Times July/August 2011
Silly me. Here I thought with our Spring Recital last weekend, ballet would actually be over. And then I got an email from Teacher Annie Monday that said, “Don’t miss class Wednesday!” I wouldn’t exactly say we’d be missing class. “I was told there’d be cheese…” So this Wednesday was still wackier than ever. The UPS man brought 100 copies of our book to be autographed. Gigi has asked to help. So if you get a book that says,... Read More
Pea Mail: Make My Man Eat Plants
This is my man. This is my man on plants. Any questions? I’ve talked about how Pea Daddy went veg before. In fact, he’s told you in his own words. But I’m still getting a lot of questions, from readers, friends/ultra-fabulous food bloggers and even my own family, on how to keep a man satisfied on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Turns out, I do have some more advice to share. You know Mama always does. In the following tips, I’m using the... Read More
Wannabe Recipea: Vanilla Bean Mini-Scones
My good friend Angela and I have known each other for almost fifteen years now. I fatefully walked into her salon on her first day of work there. She was fresh out of beauty school and I was begging for help, because I, as a flat broke college student, had let a really clumsy, nervous man at the mall dye my hair dark brown. Take it from me, never get your hair done at the place next to an Orange Julius. Especially if the place next to an Orange... Read More
Cooking for Daddies
Buying gifts for Pea Daddy isn’t easy. I know you’re thinking, “Hello?! Tommy Bahama shirt!,” but I can’t exactly make fun of it if I buy it. Though I wouldn’t put it past me. Luckily, we’d tucked away a little something Gigi made at school a few weeks ago just for today. And I shouldn’t have wasted a moment trying to come up with a great Father’s Day gift. Nothing was going to top this. I suddenly feel totally inferior as... Read More
It’s Here! (and a Father’s Day GIVEAWAY)
Look what came in the mail. The. ACTUAL. Book. Not a flier, not a postcard, not a trailer. The sweet smell of ink. The pages I could paper-cut myself on. The words I wrote. The faces I love. The food I cooked. And ate. And ate. And ate. I hate to admit, I cried a little. I just feel so overjoyed that all of you who have already pre-ordered are going to get THIS BOOK. You will not be disappointed. Gigi woke up early this morning to... Read More
Big Day
It was a big day. We got to watch my cousin Nick pitch in a minor league baseball game. What a rock star. I remember when Nick was born. I remember his first day of school when my aunt wanted to take a picture of him with his lunchbox and he got mad and refused. So she just took a picture of his lunchbox. And now he’s on the Jumbotron. How do you like me now, Lunchbox?! But that’s not all. Oh no, that is not all. Look at what opens in our... Read More
Vegan Values: Orange Sesame Tempeh Stir-Fry
What would you do with an extra eight dollars? I’d get a babysitter, for just one hour of peace. Or I’d buy really horrible batteries that would have died inside Gigi’s play microphone by now, because these Duracells are killing me. God love her, Gigi can do a lot of things well, but singing? Yeeeee. I could almost buy the left ballet slipper for Lulu’s mouse costume for Saturday. I found out today that mice need black slippers, and... Read More
The Other Graduate
I love my children equally. When they share a dough ball, I split it right down the middle. Then I eat both halves because they “broke” and I give them each their own. I wouldn’t want to be accused of playing favorites. That is why I must tell you about the other graduate in our house. Nine long months ago, we enrolled Lulu in Creative Movement. And man, did she move creatively. “Creatively“ running around the studio, arms flailing,... Read More
Still On The Fly
A few weeks ago, I wrote about our life on the fly. It’s yet another crazy week in the Pea Household, complete with birthday and Father’s Day celebrations, the last day of school, haircuts, Bible studies and phone meetings and culminating with what will surely be the most memorable production of Peter Pan ever. We’re busy. We’re hungry. We’re jealous that Big Sister got her face painted on the last day of school and thus are drawing with... Read More
Perfect for Company
My mom is completely old-fashioned most of the time. Even though she thinks I’m making fun of her when I point it out, I find it endearing. That’s not to say I’m not fearful that I’ll get an annoyed phone call after she reads this. But she still has a dial-up connection, so it’ll be at least a good three hours before this post fully loads, which gives me a pretty good head start. She calls wallets “billfolds.” She irons all my dad’s... Read More
The Graduate
Tonight my firstborn graduated kindergarten. It was a year we’ll never forget. The year she learned how to read and now won’t ever stop. The year she faked a stomachache and went to the office because she didn’t want to learn about frogs. They’re icky. The year she prayed on the bench at recess because she wanted to talk to God. The year she started “The Grace Club” with the other “Grace” from Mrs. Davis’ class, every day doing... Read More
Wacky Wednesday: A Pea Podcast (AUDIO)
Wacky doesn’t even begin to describe the day we’ve had. Two ballet rehearsals. A newspaper interview. A visit with my favorite aunt. 66 people finding my blog by searching Google for “wiener jokes.” 37 people finding my blog for searching Google for “Weiner jokes.” Thank you, Senator, for the extra hits. (I’m not the first woman to say this, I’m sure.) Dough ball baking. Really interesting and enlightening... Read More
Vegan Values: Chickpeas and Dumplings
If you are new to the Peas (welcome!) or behind on a few posts, you may have missed the excellent discussion so many of us had on Friday’s post about the new USDA recommendations via their “My Plate” concept. There was a lot of echoing my somewhat cynical sentiments, a lot of votes for dough balls to have their place on the new plate, and a few barbs at my expense about veganism only being possible if you are privileged. For the record, I... Read More
I Love This Bar
I’m not ashamed to say it. I love bars. Candy bars. Nutrigrain bars. Granola bars. Luna bars, Larabars, KIND bars and Clif bars. Bar cookies. Open bars. Bar Mitzvahs. Okay, I’ve never been to a Bar Mitzvah. But I wouldn’t turn down an invite, especially if a free kosher buffet bar is involved. Bars are just so convenient and versatile. They can be a quick breakfast while explaining that doing a headstand when you have a fresh... Read More
Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Beach Towels
I’m admittedly a very careful mom. There’s no running with popsicle sticks. No jumping on the bed. No climbing up the slide. And if you so much as even say the word “trampoline” in my house, you can show yourself to the door. Just watch your fingers. I thought by having two girls the worst injuries we would endure would be superficial cuts from our paper dolls, or maybe the occasional burnt tongue from overheated tap water during our daily... Read More
My Plate
As someone who talks about food constantly and cares about nutrition deeply, I feel like I have a duty to tell you my thoughts on the new USDA My Plate Dietary Guidelines. I was going to tell you that I’m pleased that fruit and veggies take up a bigger share of the plate, yet it’s a shame that our food subsidies don’t reflect this same proportion of our tax dollars. But Dr. Barnard already covered that. I was going to tell you that I don’t... Read More
Pasta Penance
Oh, dear family of mine. I hope this makes up for the time I washed your very, most favorite Dri-Fit, Red Sox pullover without asking and then dried it. In the dryer. With a batch of new fluffy white towels. Even the Shop Vac couldn’t get that lint off. Trust me, I tried. And my dear child, I’d love to be forgiven for the fact that I got so tired of fixing “Avon” last week that in a fit of frustration, I threw her right foot away. Shhh,... Read More
Wacky Wednesday: Coming Attractions (VIDEO)
At the risk of sounding like an elderly woman, I have to say, I’m not a big fan of going to the movies. I blame my short attention span and my freakishly small bladder. What was I talking about? My favorite part about going to the movies, though, is the previews. They are short but effective. Within that minute and a half everyone can pretty much tell whether or not they are in or out. And the most entertaining part is, after each preview... Read More
