The Mouse Family Blog

We took Clark and Ann to one of our neighborhood's hot spots for breakfast. The wait on most days is usually an hour or more. But due to the holiday, I think a lot of people stayed away on the assumption they'd be closed. When Ann and Jace scoped the place around 9am, there were even some empty tables. By the time we returned with Liz and Clark at 9:30, there was a 30 minute wait.

The food was good. Clark had their signature banana pancakes. Ann had a burrito, Liz had crab meat something-or-other, and Jace had strawberry-rhubarb French toast.

Afterwards, we went shopping for baby clothes at a funky boutique a block away. We capped the trip by shopping for doggie toys on the way home.

We got a chance to see Sophie live tonight! We got Andy and Clark webcams for Christmas, and we finally took a minute to get them working tonight with Andy.

The whole process was still a little clumsy, but it was exciting to see Sophie "in action."

We went out tonight to celebrate Clark's birthday in our neighborhood. We started with an savory dinner at Bin 36. We shared a tasting of olives and some cheeses from around the world, along with a thin-crust pizza. We also tried a couple flights of wine -- "german whites" and "sexy reds."

After dinner, we went to a show at the Redmoon Theater. "The Golden Truffle" was a unique treat. The theater is nestled in an industrial neighborhood about a mile from our house. Signs direct you through a series of lots and alleys into a large warehouse space that been elaborately decked-out in red velvet and a multi-tiered stage.

The performance is an immersive experience, with actors wandering the auditorium and interacting with the audience. The show was reminiscent of a Vaudeville act, with the inclusion of a with a number of whimsical mechanical creations to accent the show -- imagine the wines served by a man on a 6' tricycle that includes an umbrella of wine glasses.

This show was centered around chocolate truffles. There were four short intermissions that offered some interesting selections -- white chocolate and accented with olive oil, chocolate ganache topped with Indian curry powder, chocolate over strawberry drizzled with basalmic vinegar, vanilla bean accented with taleggio cheese and a dollop of honey.

We're adding a new family member. We are adopting a retired racing greyhound.

His name is Indy.

Greyhounds make good pets -- especially in the city. Contrary to what you might think, they don't require much exercise -- they're built for sprinting, not marathons. They sleep about 18 hours a day. They're called "the 40 m.p.h. couch potatoes."

Greyhounds have an innate hunting instinct, so they can't be left off of leash outside of a fenced yard. Squirrels, cats (and even small dogs) beware! Many greyhounds are cat-friendly in homes, but not our boy. Now how exactly do they test that?!

When they leave the track for a new home, they have a bit of adjusting to do. They don't know how to climb stairs or play with toys yet. They're used to hanging out inside their crate/kennel, and often prefer it there. They're also not sure of what to think of this new life surrounded by people, and apart from other dogs. It takes some adjustment. The adoption group makes that process easier, because they get the dog's initial vet work done and send them to a foster home for a few weeks while the dog learns the basics.

In our case, we're adopting a slightly older racer. He's previously been in another home, but his owner had to give him up because he spent too much time on the road. He's a really sweet boy -- kind of laid back. But you should see him when you break-out the toys. He really likes his toys.

Born: 5/17/06 2:04 PM
7 pounds 14 OZ 19 1/2 inches

We're continuing our theme of "the food we eat." :) Here is a quick picture of our first meal on our patio.

We had some left-overs from the Cinco de Mayo party, so Liz made us stuffed bell peppers with Spanish rice and melted cheese.

If you look closely, you can see some of the recent work Jace has been doing on the plants.

Have you ever had a molten baby cake at a fancy restaurant -- the ones where the chocolate filling oozes out when you slice into it?

Jace likes to read a magazine called "The Week Magazine," whose goal is to consolidate stories from various magazines and newspapers around the country and present a balanced viewpoint.

One issue had this recipe from the New York Times food section. The whole process is amazingly simple. We decided to give it a try. It requires small ceramic bowls, which we found inexpensively at Cost Plus World Market.

Molten Chocolate Baby Cakes
4 tbsp soft unsalted butter (we just used Shead's Spread)
4 large eggs
Salt
12oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate - 70% cocoa solids (We used chocolate chips)
3/4 super fine sugar (we used confectioners sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup flower

1. Preheat a cookie sheet at 400 degrees.
2. Butter insides of ceramic dishes.
3. Melt chocolate over low heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Beat eggs and pinch of salt till frothy. Set aside.
5. Using mixer, cream butter and sugar.
6. Slowly add eggs to butter/sugar mixture, then add vanilla.
7. Add flour.
8. Add chocolate and blend till smooth.

9. Remove cookie sheet from oven and place ceramic bowls on sheet.
10. Add batter to bowls.
11. Bake 10-12 minutes until dry on surface.
12. Remove from oven and immediately invert onto serving plates. (Helps to have tongs or oven mit. Helps to tap bottom of bowls before lifting.)
13. Top with powdered sugar.
14. Serve hot.

This recipe can also be made up to two days in advance, and reheated before serving.

For no particular reason, we decided to throw a party for our friends. We had 25 people over for fajitas and margaritas. It was fun to have a mix of neighbors and friends from work and church get together. We made salsa using the immersion blender that Leslie and Saundra got Liz for Christmas. Jace made chicken on the grill, and Liz roasted veggies.

The weather was a little too chilly to make use of our decks, but everyone had a good time indoors.