Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

Today, we celebrate the birthday of one of our favorite book character! Harry Potter did not have many happy birthdays growing up, so we like to celebrate in his honor to make up for that lack...

"Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday -- and you could count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television -- then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun -- last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. Still, you weren't eleven every day."
--Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapter 3: "The Letters from No One"

"The Dursleys hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry's twelfth birthday. Of course, his hopes hadn't been high; they'd never given him a real present, let alone a cake -- but to ignore it completely...
At that moment, Uncle Vernon cleared his throat importantly and said, "Now, as we all know, today is a very important day."
Harry looked up, hardly daring to believe it.
"This could very well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career," said Uncle Vernon.
Harry went back to his toast."
--Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 1: "The Worst Birthday"

"...Harry got back into bed and reached up to cross off another day on the chart he'd made himself, counting down the days left until his return to Hogwarts. Then he took off his glasses and lay down, eyes open, facing his three birthday cards.
Extremely unusual though he was, at that moment Harry Potter felt just like everyone else -- glad, for the first time in his life, that it was his birthday."
--Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 1: "Owl Post"

Harry Potter fans love a reason to party! There is no shortage of fabulous HP party ideas online. A new book released? Let's celebrate! A new movie coming out? Get out your robes and wands! Squeeze some pumpkin juice! Drink some butterbeer!

We're celebrating simply today. First, we read all the birthday parts in the first three books. And then we made chocolate cauldron cakes!

Chocolate Cauldron Cakes

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa, sifted
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp vinegar
2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients, and add to dry. Don't overmix. Grease your cupcake pan well -- don't use liners! -- and fill the cups 2/3 full. Bake for 14 minutes.

Gently slide a butter knife around the sides of each cupcake. Let them cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Turn each cake round side down onto a cooling rack, and press them level. Let cool completely before frosting.

Cauldron Glaze Potion

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1Tbs milk (more if necessary)
2 tsp corn syrup

When the cauldrons are cool, drizzle a teaspoon of potion onto the flat part of the cauldron, leaving a small amount of cake edge for the rim.

Let set -- and sing "Happy Birthday" to Harry!

Home again, home again

This week, in between catching up on laundry and, um... blogging, I've been working on my garden plans for the next year.

Our growing season begins in late February. In general, cool season veggies can be started indoors in January, and need to finish by May. Warm season veggies go in the ground in March, and need to finish by July. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are about all that can survive the late summer heat.

The second growing season actually starts indoors in August. By October it's safe to put another round of cool season veggies in the ground, as long as they'll be finished before December, or don't mind a little January frost.

I'm hoping for green beans at Thanksgiving! This was the second year they didn't do too well in the spring season, so maybe fall will be better.

I actually found an organic nursery and seed company that will ship tomato plants in August! This is awesome, because I haven't been able to babysit my own seedlings while in and out of town, and I'm thinking of ripping out the sad-looking tomato plants still hanging on.


The self-seeded cherry tomato was covered in fruit when we got home, but it looks terribly dry and gangly. Last year my tomato plants survived all summer into December, still producing like crazy. Even after the first frost, I had ripening tomatoes hiding underneath, protected by the bushy leaves!

While I've been obsessed with my garden plans, the boys have continued to protect us from further zombie attacks, taken refuge from the heat in our pool, and done a little backyard nature study.


It's nice to be home, looking after my garden, even there aren't any French pastries around.

SF souvenirs: The good, the bad, and the ugly zombies

Even the most frugal and green travellers come home with a souvenir or two. We left San Francisco with lots of great memories, and a few atypical souvenirs.

First, the boys discovered a new love for my sister's favorite video game. In between exploring the city and swinging from the ceiling, they spent a fair amount of time on the computers in her office/loft playing Plants vs. Zombies.


It's the kind of ridiculously silly strategy and puzzle game that even a mom might enjoy -- a mom who likes to garden and imagines that her children are studying Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts while they're playing.

Second... when we stopped by our car on Sunday morning, I found two paperback books on the windshield. Someone had read my "Mama's milk: The best things in life are free" and "Peace on Earth begins with birth" bumper stickers, and decided to donate a couple breastfeeding and parenting books to the cause!

Since I'm no longer teaching childbirth and breastfeeding classes, I will have to find the right person to pass along the books. I could give them to our local La Leche League, but I may just have a little giveaway next week in honor of World Breastfeeding Week... stay tuned!

Then, as we were leaving that night, we noticed something else on our car. Something not quite as friendly. Perhaps from someone who's not so fond of homebirthing, breastfeeding, homeschoolers? Someone who hates children? I have no idea.

In any case, our final souvenir was a dent the size of a large shoe in the driver's side door.

Must have been made by a zombie. Next time I'll have my triple-pea shooter handy.

San Francisco: Movement

My sister Lindsay is a dancer, choreographer and videographer (among other things). Last weekend we stayed with her in the live/work space she shares with her fellow artists and performers in San Francisco.


The studio was clear for most of the weekend, which meant the boys had plenty of room to move and dance and play, which they do so naturally.


When the sun came out, we left the studio and meandered up the hill to the neighborhood park for yet more movement. I spun the boys so fast they both flew off the merry-go-round. I guess that's why I don't see those much anymore, huh?


I'm afraid I have a lot to learn from my kids on the subject of movement, since my main interest was in consuming twice as many calories as our walking burned.


We stopped by a French boulangerie for a bagful of pastries on our way to the park. Or maybe the bakery was the true destination, and the park merely a beautiful setting for our consumption.

Either way, the day was inspirational.