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“I don’t feel tardy!” That’s a line from the Van Halen classic, Hot for Teacher, which I confess I listened to three (!) times in a row this morning on my walk, cracking up the entire time. Totally bawdy and ridiculous, and yet so infectious, I think I laughed for the entire 10 minutes. (Clearly that laughing did not put color in my cheeks, my goodness what a pallor…get that girl some blush!)

Actually, I do feel tardy, I know I’m way late in posting. I was away over the weekend, Nathan and I drove out to just north of Kerkhoven, MN, to visit my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce (aka Brucyn, Brucie, Bruce B Broccoli) on their lovely farm. Nathan had a blast taking pics and riding in the combine with my cousin Michael, who is helping his dad harvest corn and soybeans. And of course Nathan played and played with dogs Shep and Cody – Nathan and dogs, yet again. He was in heaven. (Plus, he took all of these amazing pics!)

I also had a blast, getting lots of time to hang and chat with Mary and Bruce in their cozy kitchen, as well as eat delicious food – lovely wine, beef stroganoff, tortellini soup, lots of coffee, pancakes with warm apples… YUM! My uncle Jim and aunt Marge came over for dinner Saturday night, it was great to see them too. Sunday morning Mary and I got a brisk walk – I love walking out there, no one else around, golden sunshine, rolling fields. I really feel away from the city, sleeping in their completely charming 100+ year old house, in my favorite yellow bedroom, in a bed loaded with soft pillows and warm quilts. I love the creaky stairs, and all the pictures of my grandma and grandpa, and Mary’s incredible antique furniture and dishes, some of which belonged to Bruce’s grandparents. They have lovingly and beautifullly restored – and added on to – the house that Bruce grew up in, it’s very cool to be in a home with history.

By Sunday night Nathan and I were back home, back to homework and laundry and all the real stuff. Which is good too!

Tonight I’m making chicken paillards for dinner, with a big pan of sauteed mushrooms, and roasted acorn squash. (And rice for everyone else, ha!)

I’ve been having lots of fun cooking different grains, as I wrote about last week. The quinoa and rolled rye, and also millet and buckwheat. All delicious. I tend to make them for breakfast, with a bit of honey and chopped nuts stirred in. Mmmm… I also bought a fabulous pumpkin butter at Whole Foods – at 25 cals per tablespoon, it totally relieves the little craving I’ve been having for pumpkin pie (one of my absolute, all-time favorite desserts – in a good crust, preferably prepared by my aunt Marge, heavenly). I’ve been spreading it on Honeycrisp apple slices for a sweet – and healthy! – treat.