Ninja Bear

Yesterday was my 14th wedding anniversary. My gift to my husband was saying “Happy Anniversary” first. Ha! Winning.

Seriously, we have a lot of stuff going on right now. All of these things are fighting over the few waking hours we have. We are still preparing for the MAJOR house construction that starts next week. It is going to be…overwhelming to say the least. Also, I am teaching an art class once a week in September. This is stressing me out, so much pressure. And we are preparing for a family camping trip in the mountains. Doing a dinner or date for our anniversary was far from my mind.

Speaking of this camping trip. I’m a wee bit scared. See there are bears. And while bears look all cuddly I know, as Dave Matthews so eloquently put it, would eat my head like a candy. I recently saw a “I Shouldn’t Be Alive” or maybe it was “I Survived” where a guy was stalked and partially eaten alive in his DRIVEWAY at his mountain home. So….(crickets)….

So instead of devoting much time or energy to our anniversary I have been thinking about bears. A. Lot.

I woke up last night from a dream about bears and then laid on my back thinking about how to fend off a bear. How could I protect my kids from being snacked upon by a bear?

cartoon by me, don't steal it, dammit.

We are primitive camping, no handy outlet or water spigot, surrounded by other campers in their similar square campsite. This is how I have mostly always camped, in a campground where our car is like 5 feet away. No, we will be in a beautiful wooded area or meadow thingy in the safety of our tissue thin tent sleeping with our girls who are notorious for having candy in their pockets and food spilled down their shirts (to a bear that smell like a dinner bell). Also, it’s that time of the month. You know what I mean? So basically, I’m dead.

cartoon by me, don't steal it, dammit.

My husband tried to reassure me by saying his dad, who we are camping with, has camped there many times and has never seen a bear only bear scat. “Well, yes, it’s not the bears I can see that scare me as much as the bears I CAN’T SEE! The NINJA BEARS that come in the night to eat my head and claw at my innards. The RAVENOUS BEAR hiding behind the tree waiting for me to squat to poo and gulps be down whole leaving nary a trace of my former self. THOSE are the bears I worry about.” I said all in one breath.

again, original cartoon by me

His response, “Oh……. but he (his dad) has heard lots of mountain lions in that area.”

my cartoon, don't steal it or I'll send a hungry bear after you

(crickets)….Dammit, something else that can eat me.

Postscript: Our Anniversary consisted of a nice dinner. My hubs picked up huge, yummy steaks and prepared them. I made veggies and a chocolate silk pie that tasted good but was a mess. We talked with the kids about how we met and our wedding. I eve got out our wedding album and was shocked again but what babies we looked like. It was fun and sweet and enough in-light of everything else. Especially death-by-bear.

Ratatouille

This is my recipe for Ratatouille. It is most likely not the traditional version but it is delicious, very comforting, and mine. Enjoy!

5-6 skinny eggplants (this is the kind we grow, but we don't know the name :l)
5 tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 whole large onion
3/4 stalk celery
1 large bell pepper
1 Tb dried oregano
2 Tb fresh parsley
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
olive oil
(I will also add zucchini and mushrooms if I have them, but I didn't this time)

Baguette
Monterrey Jack cheese
Butter

Cut all veggies appx the same size, mince garlic. Drizzle skillet with olive oil. Add veggies, garlic and seasonings. Cook on medium heat, stirring often. Put a lid on and check often. I add about 1/2 cup water midway through to help veggies cook down and not stick.

Slice baguette, melt butter and brush on one side of each slice. Place on a cookie sheet, add slice of cheese to each. Toast until cheese is JUST melted, you don't want crispy, hard toast.

To serve place several slices of toast on a plate, spoon ratatouille over or use toast to scoop the warm, savory dish into your waiting (possibly drooling) mouth.

Perfect warm-up for fall weather!

Simple Dinner

This is a great, easy dinner for non-meat eaters (I chose to make it with chicken meatballs this time). I ordered this delicious dish in Little Italy in Boston and it was so yummy! My version isn't as exquisite but I am sure if the chef in Little Italy had two kids underfoot at all times his would taste like mine, too.

Baked Ricotta Pasta

Box of Penne (the restaurant used a large, elbow macaroni that I have yet to find)
Homemade or Jar tomato sauce
Ricotta
Parmesan
And if you want to add meat:
Ground Chicken
Handful of basil and parsley
Crushed garlic
Salt and Pepper

Boil water, salt, add pasta- cook until al dente.

Warm sauce, add whatever you like to make it special. I added finely chopped spinach so I wouldn't have to make a veggie side dish. Lazy and smart!

For meat lov-ahs: Combine ground chicken, garlic, chopped basil and parsley, salt and pepper. Roll into small meatballs (slightly larger than an olive). Drizzle olive oil in a pan, cook meatballs on medium heat, turning often to evenly cook (I place a lid on to help distribute the heat from time to time).

Drain noodles. Put back in pot, add a cup of sauce and toss. Oil a casserole dish. Pour sauced noodles into casserole dish. Add rest of sauce on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Add large scoops of ricotta all over the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes (enough to heat everything together and melt the ricotta slightly). Remove from oven, add meatballs, sprinkle with more Parmesan. Eat it up!!

So good and comforting!