Read This Post for a Good Recipe!

Because some people (ahem, grandmas) seem to find my intention to cut the boys' hair more than a little repulsive, I will open with pictorial proof of just how dire the situation is:

(See what I mean by "curly mullet"?)

No, really, it's bad. I will need to reschedule their haircuts for this week, as they did in fact come down with croup yesterday morning and I was loathe to expose anyone else, even hairstylists dressed as vampires, to the virus. I know that when I hear the term "croup" I get all panicky and sweaty. All I can think about is Anne Shirley having to save Diana's baby sister, Minnie, from the terrible bout of croup that nearly kills her. (Yes, I live vicariously through fictional characters. It comes from being a lifelong reader. Now if you're really familiar with the Anne of Green Gables series, then you'll know that a very similar situation occurs in Rilla of Ingleside.) No, the boys aren't going to experience quite that dramatic of an illness, thank goodness. They both saw the doctor yesterday, and she confirmed my initial diagnosis while Baylor and Jack ran around the exam room like wild cavemen in their diapers and socks. She proved to be very sympathetic to our plight and, instead of prescribing two separate rounds of treatment, one for each boy, she wrote out one prescription for a large amount of medicine to share. Wasn't that kind? I love cheating the medical system, especially when aided and abetted by a doctor.

Trick-or-treating went okay last night. Mom came over to help corral, which was much appreciated, as I'm sure some children would have been scarred for life had I come to the door to pass out candy while nursing a baby. I was a little dismayed by the amount of children who come in virtually no costume whatsoever. I had one teenage girl, not costumed, come to the door and grab a piece of candy, never making eye contact or thanking me because she was talking on her cell phone the entire time. I called her out on her behavior and she acted shocked that this was at all rude. Geez. However, I did also witness some very creative costumes on some very polite kids, so all was not lost. My favorite: two little twin brothers expertly dressed as Mario and Luigi. What made it even funnier was that the little guys were black. They were so cute! They even had big handlebar mustaches.

I'd like to close with a recipe for homemade granola that was passed on to me by my mother-in-law, who got it from my sister-in-law. I love whipping up a double batch to have on hand for the week. It's healthier and much less costly than boxed cereal, and I feel good knowing I'm not creating more landfill waste by buying boxes of cereal. Plus it's super good.

Homemade Granola

Ingredients:

4 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick oats)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Optional: nuts, raisins, or dried fruit (dates are great!)

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt very well with hands, de-clumping brown sugar. Warm, but not boil, olive oil and honey on stove. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour over oat mixture. Mix with wooden spoon and then again with hands. Spread on cookie sheet (or 9X13 glass dish, like I use*) and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. After baking, granola will not seem crunchy. It crisps as it cools. Stir a few times while cooling to eliminate large clumps. Store in airtight container. Enjoy with milk or yogurt.

*I find that my granola burns if I use a cookie sheet--I suspect this is because my gas oven is particularly powerful. So I use the glass dish instead, and it works fine. I use the next size larger glass pan for a double batch. Cooking time is extended 10 minutes or so for a double batch.