Kitty Litter won't Kill You, but.......

.....boy, is it gross.

Last night, Wes found Ava just as she was putting a piece of clumped (i.e. "used") kitty litter into her mouth. Luckily, she didn't swallow, but paid as serious price as we began the cleaning process. It took one mini-toothbrush, 3 washcloths, a hand towel, 6 wipes, two parents and all four hands to get the nasty stuff completely out of her mouth. Poor baby. She cried and cried but it had to be done.

Poison Control confirmed that she wouldn't be harmed. After putting Ava to bed an hour late (with a raw mouth) Wes announced, "I'm making a very strong Long Island Iced Tea". And that was the end of that.

Sage Bread

Today, I purchased the ingredients to make my favorite sage bread from my favorite Baltimore Restaurant, Sotto Sopra. The preparation is easy and it calls for simple ingredients: olive oil, salt, and fresh sage. The bread is so good served warm, with the olive oil seeping through, giving it a fruity flavor and moist texture. Give it a try.

Newfoundland Savory

An earthy and rich herb, savory finds its way into the more "homey" dishes we eat around here. My mother-in-law has contributed a few jars of dried Newfoundland Savory to my pantry over the years.

This Thanksgiving, as with all others since I married my Newfoundland-raised husband, savory will play a critical role in our main dish: Turkey. A mixture of dried and fresh savory is laced througout our simple but delicious stuffing. It is combined with good-quality olive oil and rubbed onto the turkey prior to baking. It imbues our gravy with a distinct, robust flavor. It also looks lovely strewn about the serving platter.

"He shall eat yogurt and honey"

I love yogurt. The thicker the better. I had it today, on a toasted brioche-cinnamon roll, with fresh fruit and warm honey. Oh my.

This has been my favorite Greek-style yogurt. But I think I'm going to have a go at making my own. We'll see how it turns out.

Even though it's not Thanksgiving............

........I am feeling thankful. Today: for my sister. We both have young girls. We often talk about how sweet it is that they will grow up together like we did. Just seeing them together makes me feel good inside.

My sister knows me in ways no one else can. It's incredibly comforting. We meet for lunch weekly, talk about our girls and our husbands, talk each other into a danish with coffee, though we both know we shouldn't. She is an invaluable friend, and the only person who can make me laugh that hard.

I hope our girls are just as close.