Editor's Pick
APRIL 6, 2010 12:12AM
Rate: 27
two small flying girls, one old house & a (hot) dog
Upstairs, we fixed up a tiny space with a window overlooking newly planted shrubs and turned it into a sunny dollhouse-sized playroom. The old house had a hole from the dollhouse room floor into the kitchen to migrate the heat from the single woodstove located downstairs. The hole had an old iron grate, and was big enough for the cats to drop through onto the kitchen table. While we were used to the cats jumping through the hole, it did startle visitors when a gray and white fur ball came flying through the ceiling.
Baking brownies with tiny marshmallows one fall day, I lost track of the chatter from the two little girls above. That is, until I heard a deafening screech that certainly sounded like a feline, but was not. A child ran into the kitchen from the back porch. You can’t actually get outside except through the kitchen from upstairs. My brain addled through the logic. The conclusion was heart stopping.
- Children upstairs.
- Children now outside.
- Hole in ceiling only big enough for cat.
- Did not exit, apparently, through any door (or hole).
- Craptastic.
Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider, sat down beside her & threw her out the window.
The window. The 2nd story window.
Turns out one girl threw the other and then jumped after her. Landing in those most forgiving shrubs saved both from breaking their little necks. The poor shrubs took it on the chin and survived and even seemed to thrive.Though we carefully discussed why tossing someone out a 2nd story window was not such a peachy idea, I am pretty sure they continued to jump out that window based on the condition of the shrubs throughout the fall. I can only imagine what passing motorists thought when they were treated to the flying sisters’ act. I’m grateful no one called child services.
The last Google earth picture of the house shows that the porches finally fell off and weren’t replaced. But those shrubs are still there, bigger than ever.
Any time I bake with marshmallows I think of the two small flying Wallenda peanuts, the old house that will probably still never receive any energy stars, and most of all, those wonderful little shrubs.
I’m also quite grateful that the lemon loving in-laws redacted the 2nd story window ending to all things nursery rhyme.
Rocky Road Squares with Coconut, Gluten Free
(adapted from Alice Medrich’s Cookies and Brownie Book)
Ingredients- 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs (Gluten Free Girl Recipe here)
- ½ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups mini marshmallows (make sure they're gluten free)
Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl combine the coconut, graham cracker crumbs, sugar and stir in melted butter. Pour into an 8x8 pan lined with a foil or parchment liner that comes up the sides and press firmly. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
Remove from oven. Place one cup of the marshmallows on the crust. Alternate the nuts and chocolate and remaining marshmallows on top and return to the oven. Bake until chocolate is soft and marshmallows are slightly toasted and melted.
Cool in the pan until stone cold! Using the parchment or foil liner remove from the pan. Cut into 16 squares using a serrated knife.
Notes: Gluten Free Girl and the Chef’s website is full of wonderful recipes and information for celiacs and the gluten intolerant. For her graham cracker recipe, I use brown sugar to replace most of the honey, although you should keep some in the recipe – it adds a nice flavor. I double the recipe. I leave out the final sugar cinnamon dusting. Best gluten free graham cracker recipe out there!
cat orbiting through ceiling holes
Comments
So glad those sweet girls are around to enjoy those sweet treats! Yum!
what a CUTE CUTE fat cat that is! i remember the hole that went from our bedroom to the kitchen - we would lean down to the floor and call MOM! MOMMY!!! it must have been maddening.
glad those girls had those shrubs. thanks, l&p.
glad those girls had those shrubs. thanks, l&p.
This is hilarious and I enjoyed every visual supplied - and your dratted recipe has made me hungry..
**wanders off to kitchen to dig for chocolate and marshmallows**
**wanders off to kitchen to dig for chocolate and marshmallows**
I SO love your posts and your stories--delightful. Why are kids always jumping off things that they should not be? Nevermind...I know why.
Hillarious!!
Reminds me of when me and my best freind played frisbe. We played on the roof of our house b/c that's where the wind kept blowing it.
Reminds me of when me and my best freind played frisbe. We played on the roof of our house b/c that's where the wind kept blowing it.
I absolutely LOVE how you do this, tell a captivating story, then pop us with a slobbery drooly recipe for some delightful sweet treat. It just messes with my head and mouth in such a fun way.
Lemon last week, chocolate this week, eh?! Equal opportunity for desserts.
Lemon last week, chocolate this week, eh?! Equal opportunity for desserts.
Oh my gosh, that brought back many memories for me! I charged the neighborhood kids $1.00 to jump out my bathroom window. My mother was ticked and I think my father was proud I'd thought to make money on the deal.
Thank you for the laugh! Rated,
Stephanie
Thank you for the laugh! Rated,
Stephanie
What a great story. I assume you don't live there now? As for the recipe - make it low carb and I'm in. Now it's just making me jealous and grumpy.
It's never too late to call child services! (Unless you give me one of those rocky road bars right now.)
My brother, his best friend and I used to play the same game. We called it "stuntman." I'm surprised there were never any injuries.
My brother, his best friend and I used to play the same game. We called it "stuntman." I'm surprised there were never any injuries.
I love this entertaining story and those mouth-watering squares--Yum!
positively gorgeous forearms on the cat! Lovely post. R
What a wonderful, delightful story as an introduction to a recipe. I was enthralled.
Those were the days. Rated.
Trixie - me too! thanks.
Jane - his brother was even larger - almost didn't fit. thanks.
seer - hope you found the chocolate and marshmallows! thank you.
sophieh - great question! thanks for coming by.
Two - yeah, we used the roof to launch ourselves too. big trouble.
green - fair and balanced, lemon and chocolate!
Stephanie - $1 is great! If they had charged and invited friends, we might have been able to afford to fix up the place!
Ann - sorry, no low carbs in those marshmallows!
Bell - child services knows us....(cause I worked with them). thank goodness. I will send some right away though.
Karin - thank you!
Patty - thank you. he was a sweetie.
Walter - thank you so much. will be over soon to see yours. I love your recipes.
Jane - his brother was even larger - almost didn't fit. thanks.
seer - hope you found the chocolate and marshmallows! thank you.
sophieh - great question! thanks for coming by.
Two - yeah, we used the roof to launch ourselves too. big trouble.
green - fair and balanced, lemon and chocolate!
Stephanie - $1 is great! If they had charged and invited friends, we might have been able to afford to fix up the place!
Ann - sorry, no low carbs in those marshmallows!
Bell - child services knows us....(cause I worked with them). thank goodness. I will send some right away though.
Karin - thank you!
Patty - thank you. he was a sweetie.
Walter - thank you so much. will be over soon to see yours. I love your recipes.
What a story! Sounds like your girls gave you as many heart attacks as I gave my parents. Plus, the treats sound delicious.
I think Cats "dropping in" might well startle ME, too! But children flying out of upper storey windows definitely would. Since they grew up anyway without notable physical damaage, it seems to have all turned out for the best. =o)
Those rocky road bars look.... delectable! I want one.... NOW!
Rated.
Those rocky road bars look.... delectable! I want one.... NOW!
Rated.
Great story, great picture and great Rocky Road squares!
Lisa, crazy story! All I can say is omg. I'm assuming the house was not up to code?
you gave me good laugh - thanks! And thanks for the yummy recipe!!!
I love that photo at the beginning. Thanks for the recipes, BTW rice sticks make great pasta for the gluten intolerant. I made some GF pumpkin pie out of acorn squash this week and chocolate cake from the back-of-the-can Hershey recipe using gluten-free all-purpose flour that I found on the web. No need to suffer without gluten. These recipes sound divine. Thanks.
Sheila - they sure were!
Jess - many little heart attacks!
Shiral - the cats were characters, and yep. The kids survived.
emma - thank you!
Linda - nothing was ever up to code in those old houses!
Pavanne - thank you
late - click through to Gluten Free Girl's website. bet you would enjoy it. and yep, gluten free doesn't mean deprived anymore.
Jess - many little heart attacks!
Shiral - the cats were characters, and yep. The kids survived.
emma - thank you!
Linda - nothing was ever up to code in those old houses!
Pavanne - thank you
late - click through to Gluten Free Girl's website. bet you would enjoy it. and yep, gluten free doesn't mean deprived anymore.
Great story - perfect title!
Loved the story, flying girls will make me smile all day. The cat is having a ball, yay! Thanks.
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