The grain report

No, this isn't an early look at USDA information, so don't think you can make a Louis Winthorpe III-esque play on the commodities market. Rather, it's my collection of notes following an adventuresome round of buying mysterious grains at the neo-hippie grocery store (MOM, if locals are wondering). Below are my unedited notes on preparation and, crucially, my assessment of the O-pinion.

[Disclaimer: Kerry came across these notes and declared them blogworthy. I never would have thought them so, but she's been right about things before, so here they are.]

Barley flakes
Water 3:1
Boil 20 min (lid off, occasional stir - cooked to a sticky, soft mass in ~16 min)
(O didn't like)

Buckwheat groats
Water 2:1
Simmer 15-20 min
(15 min, lid on and water totally absorbed
Big groats. Strong, earthy flavor
O liked plain and w/ milk)

Bulgur wheat
Water 2:1
Simmer 15-20 min
Stand 10 min
(Put BW in while heating water. Simmer lid on +15 min. Stand. Nice pebbly grain. Not quite as chewy as groats. Tastes more like dinner than breakfast.
O ate it)

Pearled barley
Water 2.5-3:1
Boil. Simmer 35-40 min
(3:1. Lid on. Cooked but water remained after 35 min. Shd have taken grains out of pot; water congealed and made barley a little slimey)
Smooth, tender grains. Little flavor. O OK)

Amaranth
Water 2:1
Boil. Simmer 20-25 min
(2:1. Boiled with amaranth in water. 25 min with lid on. V sticky grains, tiny crunchy in a viscous goo
O likes)

Your Votes Please - Boy or Girl?

We got a good look at D2 during the 20 week ultrasound yesterday. He/she is pretty cute and all the important parts (heart, brain, kidneys, diaphragm, limbs, etc) seem to be in working order.
The one part of the ultrasound that Travis and I didn't watch - the part where they identify the gender! Yep, we're going old school and are going to be surprised. I'm 99.95% sure that neither of us peeked at the US screen, so it really will be a surprise.

So feel free to guess what the gender might be! And name suggestions are welcome. We have a few ideas (which we're keeping to ourselves for now).

Let the Clumsiness Begin

My foot-eye coordination is starting to diminish. I fell today at work. While walking. Twisted ankle and foot and bruised skinned knee, with a healthy dose of embarrassment to go with. D2 seems fine, well padded in his/her home. So now I'm home icing my foot and knee. At least I wasn't supposed to be doing procedures today.

This American Crisis (cont'd)

Following their overview shows on the bad economic news, This American Life gives you more. This week's show has cheery stories about shady condo developers and closing down a Circuit City, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes look as the FDIC takes over a failed bank (accountancy special ops).

I used to listen to This American Life every week. I've heard bits or more of half-a-dozen shows in the past couple months, and I remember why I liked it so much.

Grapefruit

1. "Grapefruit" - what an odd name for a fruit that is clearly not a grape. Apparently it's not just puzzling to me. See Wordcraft, about halfway down the page.

2. Kerry got some fantastic grapefruit last weekend. No sugar needed, they really are great fruit.