I saw in the news a couple of days ago that Wal-Mart is going to roll back prices on some groceries. Great! Or so I thought. When I looked at what the rollbacks were actually for, I was rather disappointed—things like Pepsi, DiGiorno pizzas, Pringles, Doritos, etc. Just in time for the Superbowl.

Not that I’ve never partaken of the aforementioned delicacies on occasion, but how about also rolling back prices on things like fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, juices, milk, cheese, and fresh lean meats? You know, actual food? Stuff that doesn’t come out of a box or a can? Just another example of how Americans are encouraged to choose overly-processed, fat-and-sodium-laden convenience foods over healthier alternatives.

(Writing this should ensure that next time you run into me at Wal-Mart I’ll get caught with a bag of chips in my cart.)

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This recipe came from our church cookbook, but no name was given. It is a very moist cake, and by the second day it takes on almost a bread pudding consistency. It is great served warm with a dollop of Cool Whip!

Apple Cake

• 4 cups peeled and chopped apples
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (or scant 1/2 cup applesauce)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tsp. melted margarine

Mix apples and sugar. Add oil, eggs, nuts, and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and combine all. Pour into greased and floured 9×13 baking pan; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Mix glaze ingredients and pour over cake.

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A couple of questions I was left pondering after my Wal-Mart trip tonight:

What’s up with the price of eggs? It seems like not too terribly long ago, they were 78 cents a dozen or something like that. The price must have crept up slowly without my noticing (I guess I just breeze by and grab a carton of eggs when they’re on my list), then all of a sudden around Christmas time I realized, “Whoa! Over 2 dollars a dozen?” Was there some chicken catastrophe I didn’t hear about? Or is it our whole “everything’s tied to corn” economy? Yeah, I know, inflation and all that—but this seems like more than just ordinary inflation.

And why is Wal-Mart out of bananas every other time I go now? I don’t mean there are a few speckled picked-over ones left, I mean there are NO bananas whatsoever. The banana display is totally empty. I guess no one can afford eggs anymore, so everyone’s eating bananas for breakfast?

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I’m 31 weeks today, so that’s just 9 weeks to go… single digits! Yipee!

Hmm, perhaps a “yikes” is in order as well—we still have a lot to do!

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Putting together the crib—isn’t that a rite of passage or something? Here’s David sharpening his skills, with Sasha supervising:

The finished product… ta-da!

Some memorable quotes:

“The directions are a bit lacking in this area.”

“I sure wish I knew where these things go.”

“Since I don’t know what to do with these… we’re done!”

Sounds like a true handyman to me!

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Here’s a great recipe for roast chicken and potatoes. I know it doesn’t sound exciting, but you’ll change your mind once you taste it! The chicken is so tender and moist, and the potatoes are bursting with flavor. I’ve summarized it from the America’s Test Kitchen New Best Recipe cookbook. Seriously, if you cook at all, just get this cookbook.

Crisp-Skin High-Roast Butterflied Chicken with Potatoes

• 1/2 cup table salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 quarts cold water
• 1 whole chicken, trimmed of excess fat
• Flavored butter (optional)*
• 2 1/2 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• Ground black pepper

* Note: they have a couple of flavored butter recipes in the book, but I just mix some softened butter, lemon pepper, and garlic powder.

Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in a large bowl or stockpot. Immerse chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Rinse chicken and pat dry; butterfly the chicken and flatten the breastbone. Apply the flavored butter, if using, under the skin. (This much can be done up to 24 hours in advance and the chicken stored, uncovered, in the refrigerator—this actually helps the skin get crispier.)

Line bottom of broiler pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Peel and slice potatoes 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 3/4 tsp. salt, and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes evenly on the foil-lined pan.

Place chicken on broiler pan rack, and place rack on top of potatoes. Rub chicken with remaining 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with pepper to taste.

Roast at 500 degrees (yes, that’s really 500) until chicken is spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate pan and roast until skin has crisped and turned deep brown, and internal temperature registers 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast, about 20-25 minutes longer.

Transfer chicken to cutting board; let sit a few minutes before cutting. (Internal temperature will continue to rise for a few minutes.) Remove broiler pan rack. Using several paper towels, soak up excess grease from potatoes. Invert foil with potatoes onto baking sheet; carefully peel back foil from potatoes using spatula as needed. Transfer potatoes to serving dish; cut chicken into serving-size pieces and serve with the potatoes.

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It was a balmy 73 degrees on a Sunday afternoon as David and I caught up on some gardening. A gentle breeze was blowing, and the chimes of the ice cream truck could be heard as it made its way down the street. As the afternoon drew to a close, I relaxed at the patio table, surrounded by pots of blooming pansies, enjoying our neat and tidy yard while watching the clouds in the western sky turn pink as the sun went down.

Oh yeah—and it’s January, for crying out loud.

I love winter in Arkansas!

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Ahh, another milestone… it was exciting when I could feel baby Anna move at around 20 weeks or so, then again a couple of weeks ago when David could feel her move; now we can finally see her move. Last night David and I sat patiently staring at my stomach for a while, getting a kick out of the occasional “bulge” when Anna decided to sock me a good one.

“Cheap entertainment,” I commented.

David, always with the financial radar up, reminded me, “Actually, this isn’t cheap!”

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I’m always on the lookout for baby girl clothes with dogs on them. There’s so much cute boy stuff with dogs, but very little for girls (it’s all cats—ugh!). Anyway, I found this cute Scottie sweater at Kohl’s on clearance for $2.80! It’s 6-9 mo. size, so I hope Anna can wear it next fall.

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I decided to get out and do a little shopping this morning around 9:30. I thought since it was New Year’s Day and people were off work/school but stores were still open, it would be really busy. Boy, was I wrong. Conway was like a ghost town. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it that empty. Very eerie, really. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I sat at the Harkrider/Oak intersection by myself—and I mean that literally no one else was there—where yesterday it took me three cycles to get turned left at that light. Was everyone just out partying until the wee small hours? I pulled into the Conway Commons parking lot, a place usually bustling with activity, and found it almost empty, making me wonder at first if the stores were even open.

I finally commented about it to a clerk, who informed me that everybody was probably watching football. Apparently Arkansas was playing in some big bowl game? Huh.

Well, I really enjoyed my morning of quiet, stress-free, crowd-free shopping. It was wonderful! Maybe there is a reason I should follow football more closely.

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