What do you do when you're 30 weeks pregnant, the temperature outside is nearing 100 degrees, and your little boy is begging to go outdoors? You convince him and his sister what fun it would be to stay inside in the air conditioning and make brownies in the kitchen. And not just any brownies, but Nigella Lawson's Everyday Brownies.
Sure, there's cocoa powder all over the counter. And yes, there's bickering over who will measure, pour and mix. Most definitely, we had sloppy stirring techniques that resulted in spills. They each wanted to crack their own eggs. Oh, and don't forget Andrew's dump of baking soda straight from the box into the bowl. (Thankfully it looked to be just about the required amount of a single teaspoon - let's hope!)
But the whole brownie-making process - something that should take a menial 15 minutes - erased an entire hour from our long afternoon. Morgan and Andrew loved helping, and I was even able to convince them to wash a few dishes along the way. You guessed it - more fun playing at the sink than actual cleaning, water all over the floor, and a little re-washing after Inspector Mommy got a hold of the dishes. A fun afternoon indoors, I'd say. All in the name of staying cool.
Now they play hide-and-seek while I post this. I know it won't be enough to last until Scott gets home at 5:00. I've already heard begging to go outside. Maybe soon. Soon I'll have to make my way to the hot grill for our steak dinner. Fresh green beans, lettuce salad (both made up in small part from our garden) and some paesano bread with dipping oil. Sounds good, right? I keep telling myself that. That adventuring out into the heat will be worth the taste when I sink my teeth into dinner with my family. But don't worry, I'll be sure to save room for dessert.
