Creepy Loving Apples Fall From Creepy Loving Trees

Chaos is reigning supreme around these parts lately, but I decided to set that aside for a few hours so that Alexis and I could head to the Cathedral of Learning for the Nationality Rooms holiday open house this past weekend. We had a hot date with a fantastic friend, which obviously made it all the more fun.

For those of you who aren't Yinzers, the Cathedral of Learning is a very giant building in the middle of University of Pittsburgh. There are offices and classrooms there, but we aren't talking about your typical classrooms. Many of the rooms are fully decked out to represent a particular country. You can run off to China, or Early America, or India, or any one of many other countries.

As we went room-to-room, Alexis enthusiastically explored the features that made each unique. She eagerly checked the signs on the door so she would know where we "were going," and she pointed out things about the "local" culture that she knew. For example, she would have gone on for hours about everything she knows about China when we went there. She oohed over ceilings, she aahed over textured walls and murals and the such, and she was generally blown away by some of the rooms.

But.

At the end of a day spent "travelling" from country to country, there was exactly one part of the day that really stood out for her. It was the part of the day when she met this ... uh ... THING.

Catula.

It's somebody's cat and that somebody has written a book about his adventures as Dracula's cat. It's fiction, obviously, but

YOU GUYS.

I swear to you that cat will suck your blood, eat your soul, and it will give you a wonk-eyed glare the whole time.

And Alexis loved him.

She is so definitely my kid.

Dream Big or Small, Just Make Sure to Dream.

"It's a secret!" she whispered excitedly.

"That's OK," I told Alexis. "You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone else." Except the entire internet. Ahem.

"I want a snow globe with a snowman in it that changes colors," she replied.

Every year there is one thing that Alexis sets her heart on for Christmas. There was the year of the American Girl debacle (Update: she still doesn't play with Rebecca. EVER. She does play with Marie Grace, the doll she never asked for, though.). Last year she asked Santa to deliver an iPod Touch.

She really has no idea that a snow globe is on a whole other level from an iPod Touch or even an American Girl doll.

And that's OK. She's six. She isn't supposed to concern herself with the cost of the things that magic delivers.

*************************************************************************

"What the hell is wrong with these kids?" he muttered as he looked over the Giving Tree in search of a feasible tag.

"Nintendo Wii ... a TV ... Playstation games ..." he continued. "I can't believe these kids are all so selfish," he said.

Yeah. That. How dare a kid ask for something expensive for Christmas. How dare a kid forget to consider his or her life situation before telling Santa what to deliver. How dare a kid dream.

I get it. I really do. It's hard enough scraping together the pennies to make the holidays magical in our own homes. It's even harder to find the pennies to make a total stranger's holiday a good one. Truly. I am that person who looks over a Giving Tree and finds the tag with a list of items that will cost under $50. Many of us do.

But judging a kid for daring to believe in magic? And judging a kid for wanting something that is expensive? That's a whole other thing.

*************************************************************************

There are two days left to help make magic for kids who dare to dream big or small or somewhere in between. Thanks to all of you who have already been so generous, I've taken care of most of the items on the list for the kids who live in the transitional shelter at Center for Victims, but there are a few things left to get. There are kids who will be living in the emergency shelter on Christmas day and there are kids who are in other programs at CVC.

Domestic violence is an ugly thing that destroys lives and crushes childhood innocence. Let's make this holiday season a magical one for the kids who are experiencing that horror first hand, shall we?

You can clicky click the little reindeer over in the sidebar, or you can take care of something that is on this Amazon wishlist.

Either way, the toys and books and such will be delivered to Center for Victims so that they can provide a fantastic Christmas this year.

And.

AND!

I'm really very sure we're going to meet our goal and satisfy Center for Victim's needs, so we're also going to take care of some kids at Alle-Kiski AREA Hope Center. I've already set aside the money from my Amazon affiliate sales for November for them (Which, by the way, was $270. Y'all rock. And then some.), but I bet we can more than double that by the time Wednesday comes to a close.

Have I mentioned that y'all are the best? Because you are. Thanks so much. :-)

Spinach and Gouda Frittata

It has been a really long time since I posted a recipe for frittatas, which, WTH? How did I go so long without posting another variation?

Weird.

Frittatas are a favorite around our neck of the woods, in no small part because you can do so many different things with them. This one is one of my favorites because GOUDA! CHEESE!

Sorry. I get very caps locky when Gouda is involved. It makes me really very happy, especially when it's smoked. Mmmmm ... Smoked Gouda.

Anyway, if you throw spinach, onions, mushrooms, eggs, and Gouda together, magic happens. I posted full instructions for how I make frittatas on the stove top a while ago, but there are variations that involve oven magic. Try these instructions if you're scared to make one the way I learned to do them while living in Spain. I just can't do the oven version because once you've mastered the Spanish way, there's no good reason to wait a long time for a frittata to cook in the oven.

Spinach and Gouda Frittata

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cups sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
1 bag fresh, pre-washed spinach (pre-washed = lazy and I TOTALLY own that)
1/4 cup milk
6 eggs
1/4 cup shredded Smoked Gouda cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add the mushrooms and onion and sauté until softened.

2. Add the spinach. Allow to cook until the spinach wilts.

3. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a smaller skillet. I used an 8" one. Turn the heat on to medium.

4. Place the eggs and milk in a small bowl and whisk. Pour the whisked eggs into the skillet with the veggies and stir to combine.

5. Allow the frittata to cook until lightly browned. As it cooks, gently nudge the edges inward using a heat-proof spatula. You want to sort of round off the edges. Eggs will seep around your spatula as you work, but that's OK. It will actually help you create a nice edge.

6. Once the bottom seems firm, place a plate on top of the skillet. Flip the whole thing over and slide the frittata back into the skillet. You should have the uncooked side facing down at this point. (There are lots of photos of how this all works on this post.)

7. Sprinkle the shredded Gouda on top of the frittata while it's still cooking.

8. It's done when you shake the skillet and the frittata slides easily and without seeming like it's going to fall apart.

9. Allow to cool for a minute or two before serving. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

10. If you're a Gouda freak like me, top it with another layer of Gouda. And then another. And then another.

FINE.

Just put all of the Gouda on it.