MIA Again

Well, I really did fail again on my NaBloPoMo posting. I actually didn't even crack open my laptop last night. =(

Okay, so I've been baking quite a bit lately. I've made a few batches of some really good rolls. I've also been on a cookie-baking streak. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and snickerdoodles have been on the menu. One thing that I've known before but not always put into practice is the fact that cookies (snickerdoodles in particular) actually turn out noticeably better (if you like them moist and chewy, that is) if you chill the dough before dropping it onto the cookie sheet and baking.

I remain convinced that The TMF Cookbook remains the best all-around cookbook ever. The recipes in there are fairly simple but effective. For example, the snickerdoodle recipe is a lot less complicated than ones I found in foodie blogs online, yet every time I use the TMF recipe my tasters declare the result to be the best snickerdoodle cookie they've ever tasted. Also, the pie dough recipe is so utterly foolproof that even I can make pies and pastries that are rich and flakey and utterly delicious, and all my family know that I'm actually not very good at the whole pie thing.

Hope my waistline can survive this holiday season!

Dishwasher!

My dishwasher did finally get installed, and it works wonderfully. It's nice to not have to do all the dishes by hand and everything goes a lot faster in the kitchen. It's amazing how much we in developed countries can take for granted the labor-saving devices that are commonplace. Trust me, I will never again take a dishwasher for granted!

And as a bonus, a rehash of some thoughts that I may express on occasion: The secret to a fulfilled and fulfilling life is not in getting more but rather is in wanting less.

Sharks (The Bears of the Deep)

For some reason, yesterday's post about encountering terrifying beasts in the great outdoors sparked in my mind a memory of reading somewhere (interview? Twitter feed? I don't remember) a comment from Mark Hoppus to the effect that surfers are the most hardcore athletes because they always have to be wary of sharks while doing their thing. Surfing, he says, is the only sport where monsters try to eat you while you participate. [I guess he's implying that World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons don't count as sports. Oh well.]

Now, I know that the actual percentage of surfers and other aquatic athletes who have been attacked by sharks is actually very low. But for the sake of comparison, I'd like to point out that the percentage of people who have been attacked by sharks while watching TV in their living rooms is approximately zero.

Marketing 2

For the first time EVER, the Little Bug actually ASKED to wear pajama pants! They have Thomas on them, of course.

Now I have high hopes regarding the Thomas bedding that Meema Debbie is sending him for his special new big boy bed... He may soon be ready to sleep on his own!

Marketing

Conventional wisdom would have us believe that the marketing of popular children's characters is aimed at children. Seems reasonable. However, my theory is that much of the marketing is actually directed toward parents. Case in point: Thomas the Tank Engine outfits from Wal-Mart. I bought three sets (shirt and pants) as winter clothes for the Little Bug. True, they cost $1 or $2 more per set than would a more generic non-branded product. HOWEVER, from a parenting point of view, this relatively tiny markup is MORE THAN WORTH IT. If the Bug has Thomas on his shirt and pants, his resistance to getting dressed in the morning is greatly reduced. It's worth $2 to me just to have one easy morning. Amortizing this cost over an entire winter? PRICELESS!

VALUE isn't just a question of how much something costs in money; it's a question of how much money and effort and some other intangibles are required in outlay, versus utility (and even enjoyment) you will obtain from it, and the appropriate cost-to-use ratio that you yourself are willing to assign. Nobody else can assign value on your behalf. And that's a beautiful part of being a wise and responsible consumer.

Words of Wisdom

Eating leftover pumpkin cheesecake TOTALLY COUNTS as doing chores. It is cleaning out the fridge.

Virtue is her own reward.