4 Bits n' Pieces

1. The pups got the big FIX this week. (They had their teeny puppy boy/girly bits removed, respectively.) The after-care instructions I received from the vet said to keep the puppies from jumping, going up & down stairs, licking, wrestling, running, playing, or generally doing anything that might tear a stitch or aggravate something. And, oh yes, keep this up for two weeks. Um... hello??? Anyone met a puppy recently? That's all they do; jumping, playing and wrestling are my puppies' main purposes in life as far as I can surmise... (That, and trying to infiltrate the laundry bins to carefully weed through the towels, shirts and other innocuous items only to pull out the most delicate of undergarments and socks in order to shred them. And also eating the lava rocks out of the plant soil. Oh, and breaking into my primary bag for any treats and/or craft materials and/or lip gloss to eat. And pooping on the bathroom floor. And eating the lining underneath the chair in in the reading nook.) So two weeks of rest is in strict order via Dr. I Clearly Don't Know How Puppies Behave, and I couldn't get Lucy & Stan to abstain from the running/jumping/spazzing for even the first 24 hours. Any tips? 2. Lest you be tempted to try this recipe from this month's Real Simple for "healthy" mac & cheese: Don't. The whole wheat pasta I do recommend. The rest of it, however? Not so great. Not if what you wanted was mac & cheese, anyway-- a fundamental component of which is creaminess in my book and which this recipe does not provide. I think mac & cheese might be one of those foods (like bacon, my food baby daddy) that just doesn't do "healthy." Like how I just can't do skinny jeans because I regretfully do not have the hips of a 9 year old boy, or how puppies can't just "rest" for two weeks. It might be a law of nature. Science should look into it. In the meantime, I'm sticking with recipes that look more like this one.

3. Lest you be tempted to try this apple cake recipe from Orangette, please tell me how it works out. I'm thinking of giving it a whirl this weekend but I don't actually own a food processor and I'm a little nervous about trying the barely-blended ingredient situation in my blended-'til-it's-dust blender. 4. I've never asked you before, but... maybe you want to tell all your friends and neighbors to shop for their kids' craft needs at the coolest and most affordable place on the entire interweb? http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/ There's even a Red Sale going on (perfect timing for V-day card & craft making...) and a free shipping offer. It's a win, win.