pensieve.me

Sparrow Guts

I was just looking for a simple answer to the age-old question "Why does eating asparagus make urine smell so nauseatingly disgusting  horrifically repulsive wretchedly rank  violently vile bad?

So off to the library internet I go, spending the morning researching this curiously phallic vegetable.   Interestingly, I got MUCH more than I bargained for.  For a brief window in time, it felt like I was back in school, with the teeniest of tiny exceptions:  I was enjoying what I was learning.

For instance, did you know asparagus is a member of the lily family, along with onions, leeks and garlic?  While it certainly isn't the prettiest, it's probably the most healthy.  At less than four calories/spear, a serving provides 60% of the recommended daily allowance for folacin (necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease).  High in fiber, it's also a good source of potassium, thiamin, and vitamin B6.

In order to allow development of a strong, fibrous root system, asparagus is usually not harvested for the first three years after planting its crowns; a well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted.  In the U.S., its growing season is late-April to mid-June, and typically, the larger the diameter, the better the quality.

Now, for the ANSWER to my original question, and the point of this stinkin' post (hey!  that's the first time "stinkin'" is literal!)(and thanks to Claudia for letting me know somehow this explanation was "lost" in my original post :/):  According to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, "Most authorities feel that the compound that causes the odor in urine after consumption of asparagus is methylmercaptan, which is a sulfur-containing derivative of the amino acid, methionine. This is disputed by a few individuals who claim that the odiferous compound is asparagine-amino-succinic-acid monoamide, which is derived from the amino acid, asparagine. In either case, the product is formed as a derivative during the digestion and subsequent breakdown of beneficial amino acids that occur naturally in asparagus."   Apparently this malady affects only about 40% of the general asparagus-consuming population...to say the least, I'm not thrilled to be a part of this minority...!

Now...a few treats for sticking with this (ahem, cough cough) educational post.  First, a lovely cooking show, compliments of youtube.  It was quite
i n t e r e s t i n g "meeting" Jolene Sugarbaker to say the least.   I don't think  Rachael Ray or Paula Deen have any reason to be shakin' in their shoes just yet...!

And, last, to celebrate my Mama Drama surprise, a few poems to honor this totally tubular vegetable.

Asparagus

(In Cinquain, using simultaneously both the traditional and modern methods)

Green spear

Healthy veggie

Growing, cleansing, healing

Asparagus tips are the best

Lily

Asparagus

(In Haiku )

Regal vegetable. 
From a crown, green majesty.
Bigger IS better.

Asparagus

(In Limerick)

Asparagus funks up my pee,

Smells like something died inside me.

Only forty percent

Endure this lament

Oh, why does it happen to ME?!

Thank you, I'm done now :).

Everything you wanted to know about asparagus but had no interest in asking were afraid to ask:

Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board

Wikipedia

Well, I'll be durned...

The drama mamas at Mama Drama hosted a little St. Paddy's Day Limerick contest, and this morning as I was minding my own business, scrolling through a few of my 201 feeds in Bloglines (:/ I need to do something about that), I noticed my lil' ole name in the same sentence as "winner". 

Well, now...shucks...out of the thousands  hundreds  dozens of worthy submissions, I was chosen "unequivocally" as the winner with this little ditty:

What Irish-y "thing" makes me drool?
Renders me a slobberin' fool?
Not Pierce, Colin or Bono
(I think I have mono)
'Cause it's S M O K I N' Peter O'Toole!

Kinda makes you wish you had entered, huh?  (hehe)  I mean, look at the prize package (I can already hear your "Oooos!" and "Ahhhhs!"

Mama Drama is a group blog written by five moms associated with "The Houston Chronicle", and if you're ever looking for fun-and-keepin- it-REAL check 'em out.

Thanks, girls, I couldn't have done it without ya. 

Just to keep you coming back to the ol' PENSIEVE, I'll tease ya with a little bit of a preview:  I'm slap-dab in the middle of writing a post that is not only informative, it'll answer one of life's most disturbing questions; now, in honor of my win, I shall add poetry to the post.  Check back later today...or tomorrow...;).

Fun Monday and I'm a Winner?

No Fun Monday post from me today, which gives you three more minutes to read all the others.  Visit third person singular, herself, the fabulous Enidd to get the inside scoop on how other bloggers spin their wheels spend their waking hours.  You'll get quite an international sampling :). 

Oh, yeah, and then there's this. 

After Kelly read my "tinklin' post" from yesterday, she was "inspired" to create an "alter ego" blog.  Among other things, its r'aison d'etre will be to air publicly how she screws up each day....she'll even "host a weekly meme to share the ways our alter-egos would like to wring the necks of our alter-ego rugrats".  And, most important for any worthwhile blog, it comes complete with its own award. 

I am ever-so-proud to be its first recipient, I can see you turning green with envy.

Someone remind me to thank Thomas. 

Sometimes "Boys Will Be Boys" Means Little More Than "Boys Will Be VILE"

Or maybe I should've titled this simply "The World is My Toilet".

I'm a M-O-T-H-E-R, hear me RRRRRRR O A R!  Especially when one of my children boys does something that is so gross despicable uncouth unpredictable and I-just-don't-get-it BOY!  The kind of stuff that makes them look like we're raising them in a barn...or not training them at all. 

Why the rant?  What am I talkin' about THIS time?  Here....listen to today's choice conversation bouncing around the walls of Chez Pensieve:

Tad:  "Thomas?  What were you throwing out the window this morning?"

Thomas:  "Huh?"

Tad:  "This morning, while I was reading the newspaper at the kitchen table...something was being poured out of your window."   You might note here, Thomas' bedroom is directly above the kitchen.  The table is beside a large, three-panel window.

I was in another part of the house overhearing this conversation take place, and in a crystalline moment of comprehension, I KNEW what had happened......

Me, a shrill screech:  "HE PEED OUT HIS BEDROOM WINDOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  This was the expression on my face:   >:[

This should be no surprise.  It's the same kid who, before bringing the trashcan up our driveway, used the bathroom at the bottom of the hill (outside, broad daylight, in view of God and everybody)...the same kid who's used an empty Coke can in the car...the same kid who, for some unknown reason, stood at the door of our den, sprinkling the brick patio WHERE WE EAT OUTSIDE when the weather is decent, who got "found out" because WHILE WE WERE EATING, Tad noticed the patio was wet and it ...a h e m...smelled "suspect". 

And THEN it occurred to me, in addition to this not being a surprise at all, it started a long....long...time ago. 

Back then we thought it was cute.  Newsflash...the window for "cute" closes about age 5.  After that, it might just get you arrested.

Revised:  At dinner, I found out he's been doin' "this" for a while :/ (thankyew verymuch), but this is the first time this year.  ** big sigh ** "ignorance is b l i s s :/

A Vintage St. Paddy's Day Greeting

Swampwitch actually wrote a post in honor of today.  It has a little something for everybody.  For a smile, go check it out HERE :)

Thanks to Webweaver for the SPD clip!

Friday's Feast (135)

Those stinkin' takin'-lazy-to-new-heights-by-getting-readers-to-write-a-post- FOR-them amazingly talented masters of wordcrafting drama mamas at Mama Drama  found a way to divert my attention away from writing a highly intelligible post today or blowing tons of air up the skirts of my dear bloggity friends (by way of engaging and/or provocative comments).  They're having a limerick writing contest, and well, that kind of thing tickles my fancy; since I've already been there, done that (no tee shirt), I had to try my hand at one or two or...a few more :/.   Sadly, once I get started it's hard to stop...I wouldn't be surprised if I fill their little inbox with one or two or 26 more before it's all said and done.  Soooo, that being said, I'm thankful for Friday's Feast which practically writes a post for me by itself. 

Appetizer
Name two things that made you smile this week.

1)  Watching Aussie (our Australian Shepherd) hop across the yard chasing squirrels--the stinkin' cutest thing on the planet!!  Even cuter than anything a soft, cuddly bucket of baby can deliver.

2)  Thomas' discovery that angels are not only real, but have red hair and freckles.

Soup
Fill in the blank: Don't you hate it when ________?

"...you've been out running errands all day and you get home only to realize your pants were unzipped the whole time!

Salad

When you can't go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland?

I haven't found it yet, which makes for many "Grrrrrrrrs" in my house! >:(

Main Course
What is something about which you've always wondered but have not yet found a good answer?

Why they don't sell wine in grocery stores in the state of Tennefreakinsee!

Dessert
What is your favorite pasta dish?

Fettuccine Alfredo made with real butter and heavy cream

If you've got time to spread a little celebratory "hello", link over to Susie's blog (originator of Friday's Feast and designer of my first and much more adorable Blogger blog)--it's her birthday today! 

Apparently Angels Have Red Hair and Freckles

It's always a rush picking up my kids from school...literally, figuratively, a r u s h.

They bound into the car with enough pent-up energy to illuminate New York, and it would be enormously helpful if I could sprout an additional pair (or two) of ears to listen to each of their respective days.   Some people multi-task...moms learn to multi-hear. 

Today, Thomas had a gem.  This is what I'm greeted with:

Thomas, very excitedly (he's prone to that):  "Mom, we saw an angel today!!!!"

Me (sure there's a story behind this):  "You did???"

T:  "Yeah, you know we went to the mall to eat lunch, right?"

I never had that kind of perk when I was in school......

Me:  "Um, hummm, continue...".

T:  "Well, Michael forgot money because his dad usually chaperones.  None of us had extra [read between the lines that I KNOW if I give 'em more, he'll just go to the candy store and blow it all on Sour Punch Straws and Rock Candy, because for some reason, he didn't inherit my chocolate gene], so we felt really bad for him when we realized he didn't have any."

Me:  "Okaaaaaaay...."  I'm thinking everyone should give him some of whatever they got, right?

T, by this point hyper-animated and I'm sure if the eyes in the back of my head were working, I would've seen wide-eyed-incredulosity:  "Well, this lady walked over to him, dropped $5 on the table and told him to get some lunch!  SHE WAS AN ANGEL OR SOMETHING!!!"

Me, smiling, "Cool."

T, still excited, continues:  "We followed her when she got up.  She had red hair and freckles.  But when we went around the corner............SHE WAS GONE!"

His entire little sixth-grade band of brothers agreed.  They had witnessed a modern-day miracle at the mall. 

Sweet, how something like that builds a child's faith.   Hmmm, reminds me of something I've heard before ;).

Blogthings to the Rescue :)

On days when I'm more out than in, Blogthings sure is a fast and sometimes furious way to post some fun. 

In honor of March being my birthday month, here's the first one I chose:

Your True Birth Month Is December

Logical Patriotic Ambitious Not egoistic Loves praise Loves to joke Fun to be with Not pretending Loves attention Short tempered Hates restrictions Loves to socialize Loves to be loved Loyal and generous Impatient and hasty Changing personality Good sense of humor Honest and trustworthy Influential in organizations Takes high pride in oneself Active in games and interactions

What's Your True Birth Month?

I'd say it's about 90% accurate, with some conflicting assessment (which somewhat proves Tad's assertion that I'm a "complicated woman").  Guess I'm an enigma.  I've always wanted to be an enigma, if for no other reason it sounds mysterious and exciting. 

And if you've ever questioned how "normal" I am, well I have to say, even this was a surprise to ME!  But funny.  Funny trumps just about anything else!

You Are 40% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

Hehe, I've got a little of my freak goin' on...yep, sounds about right...!

Beauty in the Broken

It is rare for a writer to move me to tears while challenging and inspiring me at the same time.   Kristy pointed me in the direction of Amy's journal and it's been "with me" ever since I read it. 

As stated on her home page, "Amy was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia July 2, 2006. This blog is to keep you, [her] family and friends, up-to-date on her progress as we travel this cancer journey, with the Lord as our Guide."

It got my attention initially, I suppose, because this is what my dear friend, Anne, had. I k n o w what AML can "do".  I began by reading an entry of Amy's, then another post, then another, and I couldn't stop; I finally began at the beginning of her "story" and read all the way through (her blog doesn't have that many posts).  Her faith is unwavering, but she tells it  r e a l.  In the midst of almost certain death, her frailty is under girded with a certain strength that is not her own; very real fears are combated with courage; her response is one I'd like to think I'd have given similar circumstances, but I wonder if I'd have the grace to do so....   

(from her 2/21/07 post) We are heartbroken. This is not the news we wanted to hear. We wanted to raise our son, to grow old together, but God has different plans for our family. And as much as we don't understand them right now, we know that He is sovereign over this as well. Please pray for us, and for my family especially. My part in all of this is rather easy. I get to die and be with my Savior in glory. I get to miss out on all the suffering this world holds. It is my family who bear the grief and the pain day in and day out. It is for them that my heart breaks.

Hold your loved ones a little closer for me today. Live life a little more -- wear your dressy clothes around the house just because life is really short and stains don't really matter. Don't get impatient about the little things.

Someday we'll understand why.

Two days later she was given 2-3 months to live. 

Her responses are amazing.  On one hand I want to stop reading now because we know where this is headed; on the other, her telling is simple, beautiful, and somehow important.  She doesn't leave you with sadness, but with great hope for a life without end; she's living out this journey set before her with dignity and grace, testifying to this plan by God for her life instead of shaking her fist at him and screaming, "WHY ME?!". 

Please--Read her story.  Pray for her.  Be changed as a result. 

Fun Monday

  For this week's Fun Monday, Beccy is in charge.  Here's what she has in mind:

"I have been thinking back over the Fun Monday posts we have already completed and realised that food does not feature in any of them. Now I don't know about you but I love to eat and we all need to eat to survive so my challenge is...to post a recipe that would inspire me to get into the kitchen to chop, cut, grate, boil, steam, roast, chill, freeze and eat, eat, eat.

Photographs are not necessary but may help tempt my taste buds!

This challenge is open to anyone who dares to accept it so let me know if you are interested either via the comments or by email."

Since I have had SICKNESS IN MY HOME and subsequent MOTHER GUILT, I have GOT to keep this post EASY!  Gotta go with some of what I've already got.  (Raise your glass as you join me in toasting...)  Here's to a bit of re-cycling and "making" some ready photographs FIT this week's Fun Monday!

Want to make a perfect pie crust EVERY time?  Here are step-by-step instructions, complete with pictures.

Here is a SIMPLE recipe for Pan-seared Halibut that will render your guests speechless (because their mouths will be FULL and they will be groaning with culinary ecstasy!) and give you reason to feel like a gourmet cook (although it's so easy, you'll know the truth). 

Last, I thought I'd share some pictures from the absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS and artery-clogging SOUTHERN SPREAD my mother-in-law and I prepared Friday night.  Dang! that woman can COOK!  She fries up the most amazing fried chicken, a dying art, which I have YET to be able to duplicate, no matter how many times I watch her do it.  And the lingering smell makes you wanna dab a little behind your ears because it IS a smell of SOUTHERN LOVE!  lol

She has to "scorch" some of it...that's the way my F-I-L prefers it.  KFC doesn't begin to get it this r i g h t! 

We also had white rice and gravy, sweet and sour green beans and homemade "buttermilk" biscuits.  If you have ANY interest in the beans or biscuits, they're also the SIMPLEST of recipes.  Because anyone who tastes either of them will BEG you for the recipes.  And think you're a Paula-Deen-worthy cook...and you will love me for being the type person who doesn't leave out the "secret" ingredient that renders YOUR recipe slightly less than my own ;). 

 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Pre-heat oven to 450
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup Real Buttermilk

Work together Bisquick and buttermilk to smooth dough.  Dip hand in just enough Bisquick to kneed dough in bowl until smooth and elastic.  Shape dough into 16 thin patties.  In a greased 9" round baking pan, place 1 atop another forming 8 biscuits.  Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden.  Brush tops at once with melted butter. 

Cook's notes: 
- They split easily because of the way you formed them with the two pieces :)
- Don't have buttermilk on hand?  THIS time I didn't, and a SIMPLE substitution is to add 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar to 1 cup of warmed milk.  Stir, then wait a few minutes for milk to curdle before using.  My kids actually said these were the BEST I've ever made...

Sweet & Sour Green Beans

(Makes those canned beans taste out-of-the-garden fresh!)
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, sliced into rings
2 (15-16 ounce) can cut green beans (okay to use fresh ;) )
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
Seasoned pepper to taste

- Cut bacon into half-inch pieces and partially cook it in skillet.

- Add onion to drippings and sauté until onion is translucent.

- Drain beans and add liquid to bacon and onion; cook until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup.

- Add beans and remaining ingredients.  Heat thoroughly until they "cook down" (the longer, the better, but at least 20 minutes).

 

Cook's notes: 

- I use less bacon, only enough to generate drippings to sauté onion.   Oh, yeah, I usually leave it in strips instead of going to the trouble of cutting it into pieces.

- I usually don't reduce liquid first.

- A cast iron skillet makes these suckers cook up mighty fine :)

- You can use regular pepper, but seasoned makes it prettier

 

Here's the rest of today's cooks--enjoy!

Sabrina
Nikki
Lisa
Enidd
Margaret
Amy W
Bethany
Little Miss Moi
Frannie
Lotta
Liza
Paige
Elena Jane
Jenn
Steffi
Min
Karmyn
Dodo
Robin
Mommiebear2
Tiggerlane
Sally
Vicki
Willowtree
Swampwitch
Chrisb
The artist formerly known as purpleworms
2crazzie4u
Sam
Erik
Girl con queso

On a bookish note, the Blogging Chicks are up to their carnival shenanigans again this week.  In my spirit of recycling, I linked to the Book Meme that demonstrated so grotesquely beautifully my inability to make a decision :/.