It had appeared that my most recent plum purchase had let me down.
The darned things just wouldn't ripen.
So I consulted with our jam-making (and therefore fruit-savvy) friend, and one of her suggestions was to bake them into a cake. She had her own recipe adaptation, but then I ended up using the Smitten Kitchen one (very similar) simply because I ended up on SK later that day and there it was, that day's feature! So I just stuck there and did it.
New favorite: this could so easily work with any fruit! And so quick! |
And gratifying that it really did do just what the SK pictures said it would. Although, of course, my pictures are not as nice as hers. |
Because these particular plums were so very dull and flavorless and stubbornly unripe, I bathed them with a little sugar & spirits before baking. I can't tell that it made any difference, however, and by the taste of the cake, you'd have thought that these were choice plums in their prime.
- This week I hope that you read this very helpful and insightful piece from Crisis Magazine: A Case of Mistaken (Sexual) Identity.
- There was a big response to Auntie Leila's post this week on How to Raise Children of Purity. Along similar lines, I wanted to share a resource for anyone who is or has a loved one who is seriously struggling with purity. Consider it the “big guns” of intercessory prayer: the Confraternity of Angelic Warfare. The ‘About' section has an exhaustive FAQ, but the general idea is that it's a prayer chain that expands across time and place and has helped liberate people from sin, including porn addiction.
- From the archives:
Ask Auntie Leila: How do I educate my children?
Ask Auntie Leila: I feel Guilty Not Working!
Self Control and Where to Get It
- Our latest find about the author of Kristen Lavransdatter, Sigrid Unset: Fearless Defender of Truth.
- Penmanship was my favorite subject when I was homeschooling (we used the Getty Dubay program), sometimes at the expense of other subjects (don't tell my mom!). Turns out that it was time well spent, since, according to the WSJ, Handwriting Trains the Brain. This is a fun and interesting read (although I think it's silly that we would need studies on this subject to indicate to us that handwriting “might aid in fine motor development…” isn't that rather tautological?)
- In case you missed it, check out yesterday's post in which Auntie Leila explains herself a little.
More fun stuff:
- Suki came across this slideshow of 21 of the Best Insults in Classical Music. The better you know your composers, the funnier this is (she tells me).
- A scientist has discovered a case of Gears in Nature – a jumping bug!
- We celebrated P.G. Wodehouse's birthday this week. Auntie Leila suggests that you read his short bit on spats.
- This man has a hobby of making life-sized scenes using miniature cars, and it's pretty awesome.
- Ever worry or feel sad because you can't afford to give your child all the nicest things? Here's a trick to get over that real fast: just remember that you'd much rather have them go without than that they'd end up like the kids in Warped Childhood, Restoration Hardware Style. (hilarious!)
New England folks: want to get out for an evening with refreshments, dancing, and meeting/hearing a talk from Auntie Leila and the Chief? The St. Joseph Catholic Family Center is hosting a Date Night for just such a purpose on Nov. 2 in Manchester, NH! The details are here (scroll down to find the flier).
Happy memorial of Sts. John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues, and their companions!
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