Food Before Thought

Chilly weather and fading light provide great accompaniment in the kitchen, so we've been staying in and trying out all kinds of new recipes lately. From a list that's into double digits at this point, I present our family's two consensus favorites:

First, from the New York Times, Chicken Thighs with Delicata Squash:

(Thanks to the Times for the beautiful photo. And the recipe!)

Amazingly flavorful dish, and Franklin seemed really like it, especially the squash. And how could he not? Fresh sage? Maple syrup? Roasted and caramelized lemon wedges? Yum!

The Times also posted this great little video, which is worth watching even if you'd never come near a chicken thigh:

Note, though, that chicken thighs are delicious, so you should probably try some soon ;)

The little guy's other favorite, which Emily and I liked pretty well (though it could have used a little more zazz): Broccoli Cream Pesto from Smitten Kitchen:

(Photo courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.)

Now every now and then, Franklin's food travels a circuitous route from spoon to lips to floor and then at last to tummy. I'm probably oversimplifying the science here, but this totally fascinating New Yorker story about the importance of the human "microbiome" has me at least a little reassured that that path may not be cause for too much concern.

Lots and lots of interesting stuff there. Unfortunately it's behind their pay wall, but if you want to borrow my copy, reader, just let me know.

In the meantime, here's one great bit:

By the time a child can crawl, he has been blanketed by an enormous, unseen cloud of microorganisms—a hundred trillion or more. They are bacteria, mostly, but also viruses and fungi (including a variety of yeasts), and they come at us from all directions: other people, food, furniture, clothing, cars, buildings, trees, pets, even the air we breathe. They congregate in our digestive systems and our mouths, fill the space between our teeth, cover our skin, and line our throats. We are inhabited by as many as ten thousand bacterial species; these cells outnumber those which we consider our own by ten to one, and weigh, all told, about three pounds—the same as our brain. Together, they are referred to as our microbiome—and they play such a crucial role in our lives that scientists... have begun to reconsider what it means to be human.

Such a great read. Seriously, let me know if you want my copy.

In other ongoing attempts to understand ourselves, the Seattle U Philosophy Department put together this poster for their upcoming workshop on the Sophist:

Not sure how many of those names you recognize, reader, but let's just say I'm the only one on there who hasn't published multiple books. So, no pressure, right? In fact, I should probably go finish my paper and stop all this blogging!

Okay, before I go, you've almost certainly seen this before, but here's another look at Franklin in his Halloween costume:

Friendly Faces

Looking for a break from the harrowing storm stories from the east coast? How about a roundup of recent pictures of Franklin?

Brunch a few days ago with Wendy and Roman:




And coffee with Jen:

Well, we had coffee; Franklin seemed more interested in the zipper on Jen's purse :)



At long last, Franklin tried Thai food:

I think he may have preferred Emily's Pad Se Ew to my extra spicy curry, but we were impressed that he ate a few good bites of each. And he really seemed to enjoy the chopsticks!

Finally, Clementine was in town & stopped by so that Franklin could meet Tessa:



Thanks everyone for the photos and the fun!

A Full Recovery

Franklin is just getting over his first cold. Definitely seemed more stressful for us than him :) I mean, he hardly seems to mind at all; take a look:

Enjoying (though mostly watching) the Cuban sandwich at Scratch Deli. (Thanks for the photo, Pete!)

I mean, can you even tell that just a couple days ago he sounded like this during a nap?


And of course his cold didn't keep him from charming more of the residents at St. Joseph Residence. Here he is with another classmate, Amelia:


Thankfully he's also still pretty talkative at home too; didn't even sound congested this morning:

All right reader, talk to you soon. Meanwhile we're working on cooking dinner at home five out of the last seven nights! Maybe I'll mention a few new favorite recipes next time...

Falling for Franklin

Love this time of year! Nice and cool outside; great smells; amazing colors.

Really the perfect time to visit the Seattle Japanese Garden. Thanks to Jeff, Jenn, and the adorable Tyler for hanging out with us there—and for getting this picture!

I even managed to take a good one myself (with help, of course, from the terrific subjects):


And a great time of year to curl up with a good friend and a good book:


Speaking of, I've also been lucky enough this fall to be involved in two different reading groups.

First, the SU Faculty Ancient Greek Reading Group is back on its feet! (And maybe if I put the name in capital letters we'll keep going even with only three members?)

This year we're reading Xenophon's Anabasis.

It's supposedly an easy read, often used in 2nd-year Greek classes... but hopefully that will mean we can go at a fun clip.

And second, my friend Pete has started a book club. First meeting was pretty fun: insightful comments, funny reviews, and pizza! :)

We're starting with Cloud Atlas, and if we stay on pace we should be done just in time for the upcoming movie:


Finally, fall means school pictures! We're still waiting for the photographer's prints, but here are some backstage shots I took:



Best wishes for a glorious fall, reader.