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Making a Baby V

*If you're working with tomato paste, there's an easy way to get it out of the can. I didn't invent this. You remove *both* the top *and* the bottom of the can, then you use the detached top as a kind of broom: The top sweeps the paste out of the cylinder, directly into your Crock Pot! This is among the greatest things I've ever learned.

*There's nothing more therapeutic than a crime-story podcast and a bit of food prep. Something about the sinister-music and spice-measuring combo is deeply satisfying.

*An entire world exists in which people write short essays about "kooky memories with broccoli," and then at the end of the essay, there's a recipe. I'm not sure everyone should be doing this. Not everyone writes like Ruth Reichl. But you can almost always skip the essay; there's generally a "jump to recipe" button.

*People also go online to publish their guilty thoughts about paternity leave/maternity leave. Many people write, "I can't check my work email for the next two months...It's actually against the law!" When I feel I'm not paying adequate attention to my job (a job I don’t always love ), I just remind myself that detaching my gaze from my baby, right now, would be against the law.

 *If you walk outside with a baby in a stroller or Bjorn, few people will notice. You will be almost invisible. But if you hold the baby in your arms, then you create a religious experience for your entire community. People become poetic. "That baby's so small, he looks like he was born just now on that park bench!" Clouds disperse. Radiant beams descend.

Life is strange and quiet--for now.
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Comments

  1. Unkie JSeptember 5, 2019 at 10:48 AM

    All true and wonderful. But, remember, you can buy tomato paste in a tube so you can squeeze out just what you need while the remainder stays fresh and air-free in the tube in the fridge. Enjoy Josh...and the contents of your crock pot!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ReaderSeptember 5, 2019 at 11:04 AM

    Aha- I had not known. Thank you! We had crockpot chix-and-broccoli last night.

    ReplyDelete

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