I think Ben has been using this phrase for awhile, but I only recently picked up on it. Personally, I think foreminding falls somewhere between reminding and forewarning. In some cases, Ben makes up words for the sake of efficiency (cheddar + shredded cheese = shredder) but a word like foreminding offers a subtlety in…
Number 47. Nailed it.
If you know Ben, you know that he carries a sort of confidence that sees him through almost anything. Our cooking this week was nothing more than Ben holding our branding iron over a pile of pork steak while Phil did all the heavy lifting, but “it counts,” as Ben would say. How does confidence…
Half On It – The Ides Of March
One of Ben’s go-to sayings that makes exactly no sense is “half on it,” which is how he responded when I asked him if he was up for grilling some chicken to serve with pasta and broccoli. It might be his approximation of “have at it,” but it’s hard to know. In any case, I…
Thanks for coming! It’s been great having you!
When Ben has decided that it is time for overnight guests to go, he packs their bags, brings them downstairs, stands by the door, and says, “Well, thanks for coming. It’s been great having you.” While I find this terribly embarrassing, and would like to assure anyone that has ever stayed at our house that…
Thinking Inside the Box
When we were in the thick of the pandemic, I told you about the camera obscura that I set up in my classroom for a few weeks every winter. Essentially, it is just a refrigerator box with a door cut into it, a 1/4 inch diameter hole that faces my classroom windows, and a large…
Mona Lisa’s Side-Eye
What happens when your classes read about Da Vinci and they recreate the Mona Lisa as a Renaissance Day project? Results vary. You might get an enigmatic smile, you might get something nearly recognizable, or you might get some serious side-eye. The final product is a trifling matter next to the lessons the process imparts. …
A Pizza My Heart
For Valentine’s Day, we usually opt to cook together at home, and this year homemade pizza was on the menu. In the morning, I stirred together the dough: Slow-Rise Pizza Dough 3 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon yeast* 1 1/4 cup water* Stir together ingredients until all dry flour is incorporated. Cover…
Third Person
Last week, Ben appeared on the front page of the local paper (above the fold!) One of his caregivers saw the need for an inclusive space for friends to gather and has made this space happen. Hats off to Laura! We applaud your vision and drive to make this a reality. Laura was interviewed for…
What a Ham
This week’s cooking drama was not so much a new adventure as it was a tug on a cosmic string, pulling us each in the direction of our destinies. The protagonist in this tale, Phil, spied whole hams for $1.50 a pound at Wengerd’s. Unable to escape his frugal Mennonite fate, our hero purchased a…
Thick and Thin
Remember the tattie scones (potato flatbreads) from last week? We did too. That’s why we made them all over again this week. We were hankering for some chicken verde burritos, a newly acquired favorite recipe, and thought that tender, pliable potato-based tortillas would be the perfect vehicle for a saucy chicken filling. Sometimes I make…