“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.”
“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.”
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!”


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.
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!

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.
Definitely not paleo, but for sure rhubarb-a-licious! The first time I baked this, I woke Griffin up and he said, “Are we having rhubarb pie?” and I said, “Yes! How did you know?” and he said, “I heard lots of rhubarby things going on! “

Dough
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup sugar
1 pinch salt
½ cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
¾ cup buttermilk
Filling
1 lb rhubarb, chopped (that’s about 5 stalks)
½ cup sugar
Glaze
1 egg white, lightly whisked with a little water
sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
Griffin: “Could you please serve me some fruit?”
Me: “Sure!”
Griffin: “Now you’re my servant!”
Me: “Not so fast, Bucko.”
——
Me: “Griffin, you need to go outside. You’re starting to annoy me.”
Griffin: “But…!”
Me: “Go, now.”
<goes outside reluctantly>
Andrew (outside): “So I hear you’re being annoying.”
Griffin: “Yes I am.”
——
Griffin: “I’m going to become a mama soon.”
Me: “Oh? When is your baby coming?”
Griffin: “In April!”
Me: “What will you name your baby?”
Griffin: “Maggie Tulip! And she will be one, just like Maggie”
Me: “How will we tell them apart?”
Griffin: “Well, Maggie Tulip has red hair, like a tulip.”
——
Griffin: “Can you ask Mama to get some green beans on her way home from her trip?”
Andrew: “Well, she will be tired and doesn’t have a car, so I think we’ll just go shopping tomorrow.”
Griffin: “No, I mean, she can just ask the airplane to go to the store!”
——
Me: “Griffin, should we put different leg warmers on Maggie? Then she’ll look like Punky Brewster!”
Griffin: “A Pumpkin Rooster?!?!”
Maggie is now 13 months, and she has crossed the threshold into walking! We have been expecting this for over a month and a half now, but she has proven to us once again that she’s on her own schedule. One of the reasons we suspect she has been waiting is that she’s been getting around quite well with knee walking (which she demonstrates at the beginning of the video. She also demonstrates her use of the sign “more” in there, too), much to the delight of strangers when we’re out in public! Today, while Griffin and I were playing a game, something just clicked for her and off she went. It’s only a matter of time before she starts running to keep up with her big brother!
http://youtu.be/CgGx25Nf3lcSarah 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.”