I am frazzled this morning. AND I've got an incredibly angry young tween. As a reward, 6th graders who have A or B averages (or something like that) get to go to Skateland this Friday. Said tween doesn't want to go. I told him he doesn't have to skate...he can play games, he can buy junk food for all I care but he has to go. He insists he will hate it. I told if he'd already been and hated it then maybe I wouldn't make him go but he has to give it a TRY.
He insists he will hate it.
I sighed a lot.
Ernie took Owen to school.
The tween glowered.
I sighed.
He said, "didn't we drive by that place when we were going to get pumpkins?" I said we had and he said, "well, it looked HORRIBLE."
I sighed.
He stomped off to school quivering with rage.
Good lord I love that stubborn little curmudgeon.
And it's a DAMN good thing.
Some random shots:
I made dinner for Ernie and me late, after the guys went to bed and Owen had explained to me what I did as a mother that was irritating. As he said, "now don't be offended Mom." I was offended of course but I can't even remember what he said now which is doubly irritating. No valentines from the little shits either. I made a walnut arugula pesto which was too bitter and didn't have enough parmesan. Meh. I kinda saved the evening by making our new favorite shortbread. I love shortbread.
Cynthia's Valentine Shortbread
adapted from July 1993 Bon Appetit
One stick of butter, melted and cooled (the cooling matters...don't cheat as I tried to in the past)
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla
Mix together and pat into pie plate. Cut into pieces and prick with fork. Sprinkle with a bit more kosher salt....it's the salt and sweet and....well, the whole damn thing, that is so good.... Bake at 325 for 30 minutes and slice while still warm.
