(Any mamas out there have tips on sleeping through the night when you have a 5lb. squiggly basketball attached to your belly?)

Breakfast

Grape nuts, frosted mini wheats, banana, coconut milk

Lunch

Toasted bagel with cucumber, spinach, and mustard

Snack Drawer

I had never had that type of Clif Bar before – but it was yummy. The only Clif Bar I’ve met and didn’t like was blueberry. Ick.

Dinner

asparagus, buffalo brisket, and salad

I called my grandma last night and asked her how to make brisket. She told me to put it in a covered pan with liquid smoke and worcestershire sauce, and cook it at 225* for 8 hours. And when your 90 year old Nonnie tells you that’s how you cook brisket – you don’t question her.

It was perfect.

Dessert

cakey brownie and a dollop of cool whip

In the 3^rd grade world…

This is actually from last Thursday (St. Patrick’s Day), but I felt so lousy last week, that I’m just NOW getting around to posting about what the LEPRECHAUNS did to our classroom!

Those sneaky little buggers. (Surprisingly, they only dumped out the really messy desks – imagine that??)

Luckily, they left a treat for those students who helped clean up…

8 year olds will do just about anything for a peppermint patty.

Look at those legs! That’s Nonnie and my Papa back in the day.

They met and got married in the Navy during World War II. My Nonnie was a chemist – she’s a smart cookie.

And incidentally, she’s also really good at making cookies. And candy. And brisket. And jelly.

Every time I went to visit her when I was a little nugget, she always had two things for me: endless good food, and a big hug and kiss. (I guess that’s three things). But I’m pretty sure she is where my love of cooking stems from. When I picture her in my mind, she’s puttering around in the kitchen, pulling various things (biscuits, usually) out of the oven. Or serving food to everyone in our family. Or picking the good chocolates out of a box of See’s Candy.

And to this day, every Thursday night when I call her, one of the first things she asks is: What’d ya make for dinner tonight, Katie?

She knows I love to cook, and she loves to hear about all my ‘crazy’ concoctions. She likes to remind me of the time I put broccoli in a smoothie.

(I’m sure before this picture was taken, she was trying to fatten up my 70 pound frame with some biscuits and gravy. I’m sure of it)

At my wedding shower.

Just a few months ago on an afternoon shopping trip.

Happy Ninetieth Birthday to my Grandma! I love you and hope you get to eat some cake today!