that pants

moving on up.

2009-01-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

I'm switching over to http://thatpants.wordpress.com because it's prettier. I'm also hoping to do a lot more crafting/cooking relating things, because starting this winter I've somehow flipped a switch and become pretty dang productive again.

not resolutions, exactly.

2009-01-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

[yeah - mine & Dave's and Kimmy's & Rob's NYE kisses caught on camera]

more of in 2k9 :

-sewing
-healthy eating
-canning (!) [got a canning kit for Christmas]
-drumming
-cleaning
-dinner parties
-sending mail [do I have your address?]
-jewel tones & jewelry [srsly]
-baking
-candy making
-double dating

ginger scones

2008-12-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

I had a friend over for brunch today and wanted to figure out a use for the crystallized ginger that someone had left at my house last week. I found this recipe for ginger scones and it was amazing. I left out the lemon zest because I didn't have any and was planning to top them with lemon curd. I forgot about the lemon curd and they were so good plain that I'm not sure they needed that extra kick. Make these bad boys!

projexts.

2008-12-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

I just gocco'd some Christmas postcards using an image from a public domain embroidery pattern and I've kind of discovered a goldmine on flickr. People make a lot of weird stuff and I'm glad. I need to figure out something to do with these little guys I found in the Hoop Love flickr pool...

Don't worry, she gets to rest on Sunday!

I've also made garlands and ornaments out of my new favorite pretties - vintage millinery flowers. And I did a bit of notebook creating using this stuff...Tomorrow is my first attempt at making homemade infused vodka (I'm trying cranberry) - we'll see how that turns out. I'm excited about Christmas. And I'm finally reading the Time Traveler's Wife and I think it's going to call for a lot of curling up on the couch with hot tea.

explosione.

2008-12-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

(photo by flickr user cybjorg.)

So yesterday I got a letter in the mail from Ford Motor Company saying that my car was improperly put together and could literally blow up at any time even if it wasn't in use. It advised me to keep it parked away from other cars and any structures to prevent the spreading of fire (in Philadelphia? Can't do it, buddy...). Anyway the dealership will fix it for free, so it's at the shop now, but...really guys? You're that bad at making cars?

USA!

virginia + us =

2008-12-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

pictures like this

and this

Okay I don't want to take a nap and forget these...

2008-11-18T11:30:00.001-08:00

(in addition to Sue's list)

unrealized good ideas we've had

-scooter helmet cams
-party where everyone has to dress up like Log Lady from Twin Peaks
-giving Matt LeBlanc a crop circle haircut
-canoeing down the entire Mississippi
-Trading Spaces contestants
-no processed foods*
-Canada
-a pet giraffe that never grows taller than 2 feet
-puppies
-commissioning amateur portraits of minor celebrities
-grad school**
-turning the building that used to be Fat Dappy's and is now Rita's into a ska club
-Lingo contestants
-watching a 6-story pinata full of candy get smashed by a wrecking ball
-decks of cards with our faces on them
-blind dates

*maybe soon?
**also possibly an unrealized bad idea

unrealized bad ideas we've had

2008-11-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

-that time we were talking about taking a trip to New Orleans and would have ended up being there during Hurricane Katrina
-Beervember*
-cat sardines
-The Bridge to Nowhere

*Dave's idea

(In response to Sue's post. I'm going to do a post on unrealized good ideas later, but I need a nap.)

think November is too late to go apple picking?

2008-11-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

wrong.

official correspondence.

2008-10-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

I am trying to figure out how to pay city wage tax and I've emailed the Philadelphia tax office a few times. Most recently, the tax form system was down so I emailed, explaining my situation and asking what to do.

Here is the response I got:

Melissa
Would be have to do so, need your account number, which is your SSn. IF RESPONDING, SEND TO, revenue@phila.gov , AS REPLYING TO THE ATTACHED PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS WILL DELAY RESPONSE TIME .

TAXPAYER SERVICES

Um? I don't really want to email them my SSn, especially because I don't even understand what they are saying.

I sent it to Dave and this was his response:

Melissa
Would need to if responding send to me CCn which is your credit card number. PLEASE TO SEND DIRECTLY, TO THIS ADDRESS NOT IRS, YOU WILL HAVE THE DELAY.

TAXPAYER SERVICES

(He's my favorite.)

cuteness & automobiles

2008-10-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

One of the children I work with now attends an all asian daycare and the class occasionally goes out for a walk around town. Imagine a group of 10 tiny asian children under 5 years old all in a row, holding onto a ribbon with cute baby animals attached to it. Yeah. Basically every single person we pass turns around and smiles.

Also today an elderly woman who did not speak English gave me tons of asian candy that she pulled out of a giant plastic Halloween pumpkin.

I am taking a little roadtrip by myself tomorrow. Hard to believe that a few years ago I drove all by myself on an extended trip to Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, Bloomington, Omaha, and even Tulsa and Oklahoma City. It was autumn and it was one of the best things I've ever done. Tomorrow's trip is not nearly as whimsical - I'm heading to Chatham University in Pittsburgh for school. I am studying infant mental health (which really is about fostering healthy relationships between children under 3 and their caregivers) through online classes and 3 weekend residencies in Pittsburgh. I'm excited about what I've been learning and I'm pretty certain I'm going to move on to a master's in clinical social work and put what I've been learning into practice. It will nice to see Pittsburgh at last, and I am lucky enough to get to stay with my friend Veronica.

Here's a bag I sewed up quick last night, all packed and ready to go. The fabric is ugly but ugly in the sort of way that I had to buy it and use it immediately.

CSA heaven.

2008-10-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

Oh man. So much goodness this week, I can't wait to see what's available for next week! Let's see. Turnips with greens...not totally sure what we'll do with the turnips - last week we boiled them like potatoes and mixed them with bacon (mmmm) and used the delicious greens in soup. It's tempting to just repeat that but maybe we should be more creative. We also have a little celeriac leftover from last week which could be good with the turnips. Apple cider is perfect on its own or if we're feeling chilly warmed up with a bit of butterscotch schnapps (tastes like a caramel apple). Apples and pears...I could bake but I think these guys are always better fresh. Fresh chives to go with the potatoes I saved from last week (either baked potatoes or the ever possible soup), the arugula has already been made into a salad with a bit of the red cabbage, some almonds, cheese and chopped apples (that, along with a pear was the perfect light dinner after a heavy lunch). I selected cauliflower because Dave's been cooking Indian food lately and that's an ingredient in a lot of curries. And butternut squash...I hate peeling those things and they're so delicious baked so I think we'll just halve it and bake it. We have way too much food in our house right now (in the best possible way)!

Okay, I need to finish schoolwork in time for tonight's debate...

Autumn.

2008-10-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

October is the best. Today Dave and I were off and went for a fall drive. I had potato pancakes and pumpkin pie for breakfast and then we went to Terrain, part of the Anthropologie/Urban Outfitters beast but instead of selling clothing it focuses on gardening with a few home goods thrown about. The setup was totally gorgeous - a lot to explore within several separate indoor and outdoor spaces. There's also a cafe, and we plan on heading back to try it, so I'll give a report after we go again.

CSA goodness

2008-08-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

This is what our Tuesday evening bounty looks like:

Every other Tuesday is fruit & egg week, and the remaining weeks we receive two quarts of organic fresh yogurt. The CSA has definitely motivated us to cook at home more and try new things. Last week I made this recipe with pattypan (we call it pattypants here in our household) squash and it was delicious. I'm excited to try out the delicata squash. A lot of those peppers will be used for salsa, because a dumb fat caterpillar (more specifically, a tomato horn worm) ate both my jalapeno and bell pepper plants, and our home was pepper-less until the CSA share arrived. There were actually at least two of the caterpillars, and, don't worry, Dave scooped them into a cup and threw them in front of a bus.

for Amanda and anyone else who still may check this.

2008-08-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Things I've obtained in the past few weeks:

*A great new job
*A Lincoln Town Car
*Acceptance to a graduate certificate program in Infant Mental Health - and my job is footing the bill for me
*A light green work cellphone with unlimited internet access (not that I've even used the internet access part, but it sounds awesome at least)
*A digital camera

Here's proof of the camera:

Best husband ever. Here are just a few things that Dave can do that I cannot:

*Make perfect eggs
*Build or construct things (of various methods and materials)
*Cook a great meal [okay, I can do that part] and place it on the plate in an aesthetically pleasing way [nope, I just throw the food on there]
*Play 97 different musical instruments (give or take a few)

Bauhaus is a very, very, very fine haus.

2008-05-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

I still don't have a camera. I need to remedy that, but I have no idea how to even choose a digital camera. It overwhelms me a million.

We went to visit my parents (they live in the Boston area) for my birthday, & got to see the home of Walter Gropius, one of the founding members of the Bauhaus architecture movement. It was pretty amazing. The house was built in 1938 & cost $20,000.

(Photos from Historic New England magazine)

One wall of the living room/dining room area is almost completely made of glass & the lighting was fixed in such a way that when you sit at the table in the evening, the glass becomes invisible & gives the illusion of eating outdoors. Most of the original furnishings were still in tact, down to the collection of books. There were several copies of various books on art & architecture, to be used when Gropius had guests who did not know about certain ideas deemed of high importance by Gropius. Rather than briefly explaining the concepts to them, he kept extra copies of books on hand to give to them to take home. There were so many elements of clever design in the house, but they'd likely make for boring reading. If you're ever in Lancaster, MA, check out the house & the nearby bizarre/awesome Decordova sculpture garden (basically an arboretum with crazy modern sculptures scattered about).

fashioning + refashioning

2008-05-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a sweet clothing blog.

(&, she says exactly what I just said to Sue about Anthropologie...winter & fall make for amazing shopping, but spring & summer can be hit or miss...)

cute-o etsy shop

2008-04-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

abbey christine

Royal Tenenbaum Finger Puppets

Frida Kahlo and Diego Luna

LOST theory...

2008-04-07T09:06:00.001-07:00

Just posting before anyone has a chance to think of it...

I think Ben has a son with Annie (who has been noted as someone of "seismic importance" to LOST). The one theme the show never seems to tire of is the overabundance of bad fathers, and in Meet Kevin Johnson, Ben says to Michael "What wouldn't a man do for his son?", which could easily be a moment of foreshadowing.

[also...I promise to get a digital camera soon. I really want to start visually documenting my kitchen & sewing adventures, especially with our CSA produce beginning to arrive in June...]

new favorite band : tricot machine

2008-03-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

knitted music video!

I bought the cd on itunes & it's super cute; Dave & I both really like it. There are some songs on their myspace page.

valen-time

2008-02-14T12:38:00.001-08:00

I won second place in a Valentine's contest. The challenge was to use a photo as an inspiration for a meal. I chose a photo from Amelie (surprise), & created a red & green meal.

I hope your days are lovely, & that whimsy finds you in one way or another.

xo.

an open letter to LOST.

2008-02-08T08:50:00.001-08:00

Dear LOST,

I didn't really expect this day to come so soon, but here it is. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but maybe too much time has passed since we were last close to one another. I know I've changed, but I think you've changed even more.

I was okay with Jacob being a part of our relationship, even if he struck me as a bit odd. I've always been confident in Locke, & thus confident in the power of the island. Subsequently, I'm pretty okay with Ben, despite his manipulative schemes. I was even more than willing to suspend disbelief & accept that your island was in the center of the earth, beneath the North Pole. (Hey, at least it helped reconcile those polar bears...)

But this Ghostbusters character with a proton pack that looked like it was made out of a dustbuster? Off the island? I don't think so. I thought we'd discussed it, & I said that I was okay with all kinds of weirdness, just as long as it occurred on island. I'll buy the interwoven connection of people because I naturally love that sort of concept of destiny, & I'm still thinking that there was a (human) driving force that specifically selected many of the passengers of Flight 815. I like the new, awkward Daniel, because, let's face it, that's my type of guy. I love Matthew Abbadon, because, let's face it, he'll always be Lt. Daniels to me. But you, Mr. Ghostbuster, you are of no use to me.

I'm not thrilled with the flash forwards, either. I know I'm in the minority, but I love backstories. I like being emotionally manipulated by a network television show & having a brief & covert cathartic cry when Sun & Jin try to right their relationship, or when Locke is betrayed by his father (several times). But these flash forwards are so depressing that they just make me uncomfortable (& yes, I am selfish, but this relationship is a two-way street). I don't even like Jack, but I don't want to know that one day he will be bearded, miserable, & rocking out to lesser known Nirvana. I don't want Hurley to be in the crazy home (even though I want to watch him do an on-island cannonball even less). I want things to be okay. & this is Lost, so when I say okay, I mean about a 60% rate of okay-ness. Kate, Michael, Rose, Bernard, Claire...they can take one for the team for all I care.

& I know you are a complicated entity, & that I am foolish to question your ways, because, in time, as you've told me over & over again, all will be made known. Well, after ALL OF THE HOURS I have spent with you, I think you owe me a few answers, & a little respect. That's all I'm asking. I'm giving you two more weeks (yes, this is an ultimatum). Just throw me a bone here. Otherwise, you'll be relegated to DVD material only, & all of the mystery of our relationship will be gone.

Love,
Melissa

PS - WHEN WILL YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PAST RELATIONSHIP WITH ROUSSEAU??
PPS - ditto re: your ageless metrosexual buddy

Decorating advice from Edgar Allen Poe

2008-01-16T08:35:00.001-08:00

(excerpts from The Philosophy of Furniture, an essay by Edgar Allen Poe. The entire essay can be found here.)

"Carpets are better understood of late than of ancient days, but we still very frequently err in their patterns and colours. The soul of the apartment is the carpet. From it are deduced not only the hues but the forms of all objects incumbent. A judge at common law may be an ordinary man; a good judge of a carpet must be a genius. Yet we have heard discoursing of carpets, with the air "d'un mouton qui reve," fellows who should not and who could not be entrusted with the management of their own moustaches."

"Glare is a leading error in the philosophy of American household decoration - an error easily recognised as deduced from the perversion of taste just specified., We are violently enamoured of gas and of glass. The former is totally inadmissible within doors. Its harsh and unsteady light offends. No one having both brains and eyes will use it. A mild, or what artists term a cool light, with its consequent warm shadows, will do wonders for even an ill-furnished apartment."

faux bois.

2007-12-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

Like it? Don't know what it is?
It's (K)not Wood.

book autopsies...

2007-12-19T06:34:00.000-08:00

I can't remember how I found this, but it's pretty amazing..

Artist Brian Dettmer is discussed here.

Wikipedia has a decent article on the artist, who is based in Atlanta, but I couldn't seem to find a website for him.

altered videotape & iron fence

(Honestly, I like the song "Videotape" from the new Radiohead. I know it's simple & repetitive, so perhaps it is merely the way it crawls into a corner of my head while I listen. But the simplicity is evocative, & the lyrics are rather lovely.)

hodgepodge..

2007-12-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's a mix (or shall we say, potpourri?) of fun stuff.

::DIY Wednesday at d*s shows how to make gift tags the Ed Emberley way. The other day I surveyed the gifts I had wrapped & added homemade gift tags (all different) & it made the packages look SO much nicer (it even made up for my poor to middling giftwrapping skills).

::The craftzine blog is one of my favorites. So many daily posts, most of which are inspiring in one way or another. They posted this icebox peppermint yule log cake, via Sew Darn Cute, that I'm pretty sure I will be making for Christmas day.

The recipe is
here.

::Here's a totally creepy gift idea (?) for a new parent...

(via
boingboing)

I've cooked a lot lately, & tried my hand at meatloaf. I was pleasantly surprised at the results. I think meatloaf is relegated to the "gross foods that your grandma made you eat" category far too often. I used the standard Better Homes cookbook recipe, but instead of topping it with ketchup (ick), I sauteed some tomatoes & spices in wine & olive oil. It's probably the most raw meat I've ever handled in my life, but the process itself was so simple - I'll definitely do it again.

(another idea that I wish was mine...)

2007-12-07T11:20:00.001-08:00

Found via the Oh, Joy! blog.

take me away on a blustery day...

2007-12-06T07:38:00.001-08:00

some nice use of text + graphic :

Robert Ryan

No Minute Gone Ever Comes Back Again

We Had Everything

D. Kim

Trying

I Kept Missing Your Train

Camilla Engman

Camilla's website

& a partridge in a pear tree...

2007-12-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

that's what i ended up making for the cake & pie/freshly blended ornament swap.

needle & thread...

2007-12-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

We received a sewing machine as a wedding gift, but I sadly have not yet used it (primarily due to obtaining a Gocco printer at just about the same time). My experience with needle & thread is confined to embroidery & hand-stitching, but I'm excited about the forced house-arrest of winter as a time to start sewing. Here are some resources I've found that I'm excited to be using soon (& a few I've already put to use).

Crafty Daisies has a great basic
embroidery tutorial, & Sublime Stitching patterns are a simple way to get started.

The Sew, Mama, Sew! blog compiled some holiday crafting tutorials ranging from basic to more complicated. All of them look adorable!

Here are some fun undersea patterns from future girl.com that would work well as an ornament set.

Moonstitches is a blog that includes tutorials, like this owl pennant one.

Here are instructions on turning dishtowels into potholders!

Plumage.

2007-11-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

Lately I am intrigued by peacock feather designs, like these cards from the crafty devils.

Repro Depot has some nice peacock inspired fabric.

This would never work in our house, but the idea of a peacock Christmas tree is kind of neat.

It looks like Michaels has a peacock feather craft section.

I like how the design goes well with bold color schemes, like in this necklace.

(While you're looking at the Orange Peel Enamel etsy shop, take a peek at the rest of the items...they're all pretty great.)

2007-11-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

A few things I did this weekend :

*Changed my last name to my married name at the DMV (Step One in a long process...), & got a haircut to complement My New Self.

*Attended Book Paper Scissors after a delicious brunch at A Full Plate.

(I really enjoyed the books that Katie Murken had displayed, but an online search didn't result in any of the items she had at her table on Saturday. Bummer.)

*Joined The Modern Letter Project.

*Started on my ornaments for the ornament swap. I just bought these little guys, so I can't wait to get them in the mail & finish up my design.

*Made these sweet treats, which are pretty delicious. I think if I made them again, I'd try graham cracker crumbs instead of crumbled ginger cookies. I think I'm just not super sold on storebought ginger snaps, though Dave really liked the ginger cookies in the dessert.

No thank you.

2007-11-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

No, really, that's okay.

via Retro Thing.

That inspired a "weird soft drinks" search, which led to the goldmine that is Kidsbeer.

Ageless?

2007-11-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

Slightly depressing to not be able to afford awesome Tetris-like furniture that's meant for toddlers...

from modern tots.

Cupcakes of the week..

2007-11-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

from flickr user hello naomi via Hostess with the Mostess.

swap city !

2007-11-15T06:37:00.000-08:00

I'm taking part in this ornament swap, where I make 10 original Christmas ornaments & receive 10 different ornaments from other participants. I'm planning on doing a take on a partridge in a pear tree, using felt & sewing on bird buttons. I'll post pictures when I get them done (hopefully this weekend!).

I found the swap via SwapDex, which is an index of crafty swaps. It's a good resource if you're looking for a creative outlet...& there's a wide variety of types of swaps, depending on your level of commitment (or patience:). There's something about collaborative art that is very exciting...sharing a project with someone else is a great motivator, & adds a fun element of the unknown.

When Dave & I started dating, we kept a little notebook that we passed back & forth & filled with little drawings & snippets of our days. It's a lovely little book.

I was browsing online for ornament inspiration, & I came across a felt creations flickr group with some fun ornaments. This was my favorite :

(by gugy of the cupcake girls.)

Here's the flickr pool for the ornament swap.

Beautiful Katamari-inspired sculptures.

2007-11-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

by Jennie Maneri via design sponge

2007-11-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

I'd love this fabric for our bedroom curtains, but at $38 a yard...yikes.
I'm browsing repro depot for some fabrics in order to make covered journals for Christmas gifts with the help of this tutorial :
moonstitches book cover
So far I'm thinking about these fabrics for the journals :

there's a sudden joy that's like a fish, a moving light, i thought i saw it.

2007-06-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

sometimes i have heard a song a million times & then one day it hits me how lovely it is. this is interesting to me on a few levels because i think i go through phases where i am really receptive to music in a personal way, & other phases where it's more of a backdrop than anything else. but also i think songs can sound at just the right moment & seem like they were written for an occasion that belongs to you (like riding your bike through the city mid-morning, perfect weather & hope hanging heavy in the clouds).

& today, for me, it's lakes of canada by the innocence mission.

oh laughing man, what have you won ? dont tell me what cannot be done. my little mouth, my winter lungs. dont tell me what cannot be done.

so look for me another time, give me another day.
i feel that i could change.

(photo by flickr user james pratley .)

community sustained agriculture

2007-04-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

So, after Amber got me hyped up yesterday about joing a CSA, I went on this tangle of tubes & did some searching. Unfortunately for me (& fortunately for them), all of the Philly area CSAs I found were full for 2007 (I hope that means I can get in on the winter harvest, but we'll see).

A CSA involves buying a "share" in a local farm (there's one in Philadelphia, below, but most CSAs in this area originate in Lancaster & deliver to drop off points in the city), for a flat fee (the one Amber mentioned costs $500, or $600 to also receive fruit). Then, for the harvest season (summer harvest runs around 22 weeks), you would receive a box of produce each week that is fresh & local. This is beneficial to the environment, the farmers, & the consumer. I also like the idea of my eating habits being more aware of the seasons. Dave has mentioned this concept a few times, & I have noticed that I have a special love for "fall" foods (apple cider, pumpkin treats, certain soups) because I don't tend to enjoy them at other times of the year. Which is a nice thing - those items become reminiscent of their season, & I am able to experience autumn with all of my senses.

At any rate, eating locally is very important, & while it's something I try to do, I'm not as successful at it as I'd like to be. I'm glad to be aware of this option, & I hope to actually be a part of it soon.

lancaster farm fresh

greensgrow in philadelphia

polish movie posters.

2007-04-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

many more are here

cooking cute..

2007-04-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

I am searching using Google's blog search. Keyword=Cute. Here's one of the first sites I came across.

cooking cute.

Some Bento dishes:

While there's definitely something weird about it, & while it's clearly not something I have the patience to do, it makes me happy that someone is doing it so diligently. I also like the idea if I was packing someone's special birthday lunch or something.

Um, I also looked for blogs relating to baby pandas, because I still do not understand how they are real.

baby pandas go to school

Last night I dreamt...

2007-04-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dave & I had a baby polar bear.

No hope, no harm. Just another false alarm.

Even though he is not real, I HATE this man.

2007-03-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Ick. It also doesnt help that he portrayed a similarly awful dude on an episode of Law & Order that I happened to catch. I really like Locke (I know, a lot of it is probably that I feel sorry for his pathetic pre-crash existence...but, still...while he may appear selfish, at least he is interested in the mystery of the island, which is obviously very important & not addressed by the other characters. The smoke monster let him live - I'm taking that to mean that, if he isn't a good person, he is at least a key player in something larger than himself.).

&, to balance out the appearance of such a horrible man on my blog, here is a picture of a baby with a puppy.

ice pellets?

2007-03-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

What the heck is going on outside?

2007-03-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

I get so nervous about calling people whose names I cannot pronounce (primarily those with made-up first names) that I look at LOST conspiracy theories for 15 minutes, working up the courage to call & be corrected despite my valiant attempts to say names which, as I have previously stated, are NOT REAL. (currently stressing out about : Tyganea. Ty-JAY-neah? Ty-juh-NEA? soft G or hard G sound ? etc. ?!)

(edit: oh. it was Tah-juh-NAY. soft G sound.)

peanut butter.

2007-03-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

As I enjoyed a delicious Trader Joe's peanut butter granola bar today (even better than I expected it to be), I was grateful for the existence of peanut butter. Amanda has been unable to find any in Switzerland, though I recently found an "American Market" near-ish to her that at least sells Reeses. Ben Gallman said that when he lived in Australia the other kids made fun of him for eating peanut butter - apparently it was a poor kid's food there.

Thanks to google, I just learned about a "peanut butter diet"...Peanut butter is high in monounsaturated fats, which prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol and promote weight loss. This peanut butter diet allows women 1,500 calories a day, including 4 tablespoons of PB, & requires 45 minutes of exercise a day.