Ooh. Bananas

Clive has been eating 'big people food' for two weeks now. The first few days we tried out some basics; rice cereal, bananas, pear and then got more adventurous with avacado and other veggies. He seemed to be okay with the rice cereal and pear, but was a big fan of bananas.

Two weeks later now he's eating three meals a day and every one has to contain banana. He loves them! If given the opportunity he will eat an entire banana in one sitting. So we've taken to mixing in bananas with other foods.




Bananas and Apples

Bananas and Rice Cereal

Bananas and Four Grain Cereal

Bananas and Yams (yep!)

Bananas and Carrots (okay!)

and tonight, the strangest of all, Bananas and Beets...

This kid is bananas for bananas.

The Man Drawer

I had never heard of Michael McIntyre before I arrived in England and I have to say he is one of the best discoveries that I have come across. He seems like a really decent guy and we even saw him on a random street in London once.
One of his most loved bits is his 'Man Drawer' routine. I have seen funnier bits of his, but this has to be one of his universally understood. I knew exactly what it was about just on the title alone. Enjoy...

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

I just finished Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. If you have never read it, please do so. The final chapters are full of biblical allusions and the story is told very well.

One of the lines that stuck with me though is an allusion to a different ancient document; Horace's Odes. Translated the line reads;

but lame-footed Punishment rarely forgets the wicked man, despite his start.

As a church we are focusing on the prophet Amos and the thing that has really struck me hard is that punishment or judgment is a good thing. God's judgment proves that he cares about us, that he is just, and that he will right wrongs. Not only that, but God's judgment ultimately provides us with salvation, for without judgment we are left in the despair of our own created hell.

If you do decide to pick up this gem by Mr. Stevenson, please try to set aside what you might already know about the story. It makes it all the more enjoyable.

Marzipan and Other Unexpected Delights

Hell is where:

The police are German
The mechanics are French
The cooks are British
The lovers are Swiss
And the whole thing is organized by the Italians...

Heaven is where:

The police are British
The mechanics are German
The cooks are French
The lovers are Italian
And the whole thing is organized by the Swiss.

So goes the joke, but kidding aside I am been pleasantly surprised by British food.
Sure they have come up with some doozies like this and this, but allow me to list just a few items that I really enjoy.

Chicken Pie--As a kid I always loved the nights when we popped the little tins in the oven and out came deliciousness with a crispy delicious crust. At university I graduated to these (10 for $1 at Jewel if you were lucky). Now I have entered pot-pie heaven over here. Jamie Oliver has a great recipe that we use.

Cornish Pasties--Its a reoccurring theme over here, put meat and pastry together and it is hard to go wrong. Now I know you can make them yourself, but in all reality these are the best.

Marzipan--No, not her. Granted, marzipan is not British, but it is all over the place here, and I love it! This is kinda weird, but this is just tasty!

Cider--We arrived in Britain in the autumn and saw signs for cider all over the place. Wow just like home! Well, not quite. Note, if you want to try some British cider don't buy Strongbow, just a hint, they sell it by the 2 liter bottle over her. Instead try to find a Cornish brand or skip the British part and try to find a local cider. Alternatively, come visit, and we'll give you some of the stuff we just made.

One last note, fish and chips. I have been bitterly disappointed. The best fish and chips I have ever had are still located here. If anyone is in Chicago please stop by. In my day it was only $9 on Friday nights for all you can eat, but now they do it on Wednesdays and Fridays and it's only $10.25.