First Lines

I know I should just write and come back to the first line later, but I usually sit there with my coffee or tea whispering various combinations of words until something feels good on my tongue. I need the momentum to begin. After all, first lines are of utmost importance. Can you identify these?

Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins.

"Where's papa going with that ax?," said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

Happy families are all unlike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. It was true, too.

Mother died today. Or yesterday, I don't know.

It was a pleasure to burn.

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.

And of course ...
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

the Pill

My current assignment for the children's writing program is to write a nonfiction article, so I've been paying more attention to those kind of pieces lately. This one sparked some interest. The first medicine to be regularly given to people who weren't sick? I didn't know that. I wonder how many more we've created since then.

Menu Plan Monday

A fun, crazy weekend led to an abandoning of the menu, ergo the seeming repeats. But it did lead to a lovely new discovery, this mushroom casserole. We very much enjoyed it, though next time I would use less rice and more veggies. Will let you know how the next time goes.

Monday
B: granola, yogurt, coffee
L: leftover mushroom casserole
D: quiche, toast
Prep: bake bread, start quinoa sprouts, make quiche crust

Tuesday
B: leftover quiche, toast, coffee
L: leftover mushroom casserole
D: black bean & zucchini quesadillas with lime/cilantro sauce, chips

Wednesday
B: granola, yogurt, coffee
L: leftover quiche
D: roast chicken, beet salad
Prep: make chicken/quinoa salad, start defrosting steaks, make apple & carrot shortbread for bible study tomorrow

Thursday
B: granola, yogurt, coffee
L: chicken/quinoa salad
D: date night
Prep: start defrosting roast

Friday
B: scramble, toast, coffee
L: chicken/quinoa salad
D: steak, salad, bread, wine?
Prep: make granola

Saturday
B: scramble, toast, coffee
L: tuna melts
D: mushroom & barley patties w/cucumber raita, flatbread
Prep: soak oats for baked oatmeal, make apple sauce

Sunday
B: baked oatmeal w/yogurt & apple sauce
L: leftover mushroom patties
D: roast, potatoes, sauteed chard
Prep: make beef/broccoli/quinoa salad w/leftovers

Check out other menus at Menu Plan Monday hosted by orgjunkie.com!

Lady Madonna

Check out this Time article. Nothing new, but it's an interesting compilation of facts and stories.
I wonder what the connection is between the ideas in this article and the fact that women seem to have an easier time listening to their baby cry (during sleep training, for example) than their husbands do. Ideas?

Menu Plan Monday

There's too much to do this week to anticipate much time in the kitchen. A garden to start. A study that looks like a tornado tore through. Continued potty training (which really means training me ... but she's peed 3 times in her potty so I'm optimistic!). A husband with spring conferences (ergo less shared cooking and cleaning). And sun ... maybe sun for more walks? So, I'm trying to go basic this week, which I'm hoping will also help us save money. That's why the word "leftover" occurs 9 times in my meal plan. Yeah for toaster ovens!

Monday
B: eggs, toast
L: leftovers
D: orzo salad but with quinoa instead ... and a few other changes bc golly asparagus is spendy!
Prep: feed the mother (yup, she's back Jay!), make granola, dehydrate wheat berry sprouts

Tuesday
B: granola, yogurt
L: leftover orzo salad
D: Coconut Red Lentil Soup (didn't happen last week)
Prep: feed the mother, start quinoa sprouts

Wednesday
B: granola, yogurt
L: leftover lentil soup
D: roast chicken, baba ganouj, salad
Prep: feed the mother, start defrosting steaks, make quinoa salad w/leftover chicken, make baba ganouj, start sprouting black beans

Thursday
B: granola, yogurt
L: leftover lentil soup or quinoa salad
D: quiche
Prep: feed the mother, start white bean sprouts

Friday
B: leftover quiche
L: leftover quinoa salad
D: bbq steaks, salad
Prep: feed the mother, bake bread

Saturday
B: leftover quiche
L: leftover quinoa salad
D: black bean & zucchini quesadillas

Sunday
B: Turkish Poached Eggs
L: Indian takeout w/leftovers for lunch tomorrow
D: leftovers or tuna melts

Check out other menus at Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie.com!