“Hey Dad, I really want to play Uno every day.”
“Ok. Sure, let’s play Uno every day.”
“I mean, every day until we die.”
All posts by Andrew
The Sandwich Gene
Griffin’s great-grandfather was a legendary sandwich maker. He would happily pile anything between two pieces of bread, add some peanut butter, and call it good. I recall a sandwich he made for me once that included, among other things, peanut butter, walnuts, prunes and salad dressing. As a child, I was horrified by many of his creations, but I did develop a taste for peanut butter with just about anything. (One of my favorite sandwiches remains peanut butter, salami, and pickles… really good.)
I’m proud to say that Griffin has inherited the sandwich gene. Up at the yellow cabin on Saturday, he gleefully requested the following ingredients: peanut butter, jelly, cheese (he wanted four varieties, but volume considerations dictated fewer), roast chicken, salami, pickles, and wheat thins. Upon tasting the result, he declared that it was “the goodest sandwich in the whole world!”
Project Runway, Here We Come!
Griffin, much occupied with career thoughts these days, is now considering the world of fashion design. Two hours before attending a wedding yesterday, I went into my closet where I had set aside my best summery linen shirt for the occasion. Griffin, attempting to reboot my wardrobe, had made some alterations.
Note the asymmetrical slashing—very fashion forward. Worried that I might fall back on other shirts, he proceeded through ten shirts with a similarly whimsical Jack-the-Ripper mystique. These were, in fact, my ten best shirts; I had put them at the front of the rack as I considered which shirt to wear to the wedding. (And, my wardrobe does not overflow with wedding garb.) Griffin astutely ignored the oversize denim and flannel, the maroon corduroy, the checkered seersucker, the ink-stained taupe, and any shirts missing buttons. Luckily for the bride and groom, my little fashionista missed a duplicate oxford at the far end of the rack, so I was able to attend the wedding in something other than my Republicans for Voldemort t-shirt.
Time to go shopping. And lock up the scissors.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa
The salsa is fantastic with the pork on a warm summer night—fresh, sweet and spicy. We used jalapeños for the peppers. The article in The Week, where we got this from, talks about how food guidelines have recently changed such that whole pork cuts are considered safe at 145 degrees rather than 160. Much juicier!
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup minced shallots
- 6 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 pork tenderloins, about 2½ lbs total
- 8 oz fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted, and halved
- 1 fresh Fresno, red jalapeño, or Holland chile, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a gas grill to high, or build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill. Meanwhile, combine ½ cup cilantro, ¼ cup shallots, 4 tbsp lime juice, and ¼ cup vegetable oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add pork, seal bag, and turn to coat. Marinate pork at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to 8 hours, turning occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine cherries, chile, olive oil, and remaining ½ cup cilantro, ¼ cup shallots, and 2 tbsp lime juice in a medium bowl. Season salsa lightly with salt and pepper and set aside to let flavors meld.
Remove tenderloins from marinade and season generously with salt and pepper.
Brush grill grate with vegetable oil. Place tenderloins on grate and cook, turning frequently, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of pork registers 145 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices and serve with salsa. Serves 6.
From The Week, July 7, 2013.
Maggie
Time for Tea
Maggie and I just played “Tea Time” together, passing the cup back and forth and pretending to sip (or slurp) from it. Pretend games! My favorite.
Archaeology Lesson
Sarah told a story to Griffin this morning and I overheard this snippet:
Mama: “…and we had a tape recorder—”
Griffin: “What’s a tape recorder?”
Mama: “Ummm, it’s like an iPod.”
Griffin’s Memorial Day Career Thoughts
Listening to the radio on Memorial Day, Griffin asked me what a soldier was. I explained, as best I could. Griffin was silent for a while, and then announced:
I don’t want to be a soldier. I think I would like to be a scientist. In space.
A few days later, on June 1, we were biking and stopped to look at the falls by the old Ford hydro plant. After watching for a bit, Griffin said:
Maybe when I’m a adult I won’t go to space, maybe I’ll be a waterfall tester.
In a subsequent conversation, Griffin explains waterfall testing in more detail:
A waterfall tester uses a screen like an x-ray to make sure the blades are turning.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Music
Sarah and Maggie flew off to Portland yesterday, leaving Griffin and me for five days on our own. We began it with a divine night’s sleep: 12 hours for Griffin and 10 for me. (I snuck down to the basement and played a few rounds of Super Mario—don’t tell G.) This morning, while making breakfast, Griffin announced, “I want to listen to some loud rock ‘n’ roll music!”
We’re off to a good start.
April 19 Snowstorm
