Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

My youngest and I finished reading Elana K. Arnold’s Harriet Tells the Truth together on Monday, and it was definitely my favorite book in the trilogy. Harriet has mostly kicked her lying habit, although she does learn a thing or two about personal vs. universal truths, and while she’s looking forward to Mabel Marble’s centennial birthday party, she’s also dreading it; it means her time on Marble Island is drawing to a close, and she likes living on Marble Island. Distractions come, however, in the form of a group of poets staying at the B&B (one of whom decides NOT to stay there after meeting the resident pets) and a possible poisoner on the island. Will everything come out all right?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one aloud; it’s always a good time when you’re laughing while you read! And while I’m sad that no more Harriet books are likely to be forthcoming, I couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying conclusion to Harriet’s story. Elementary schoolers should definitely give Harriet a try.

In the meantime, my son has a concert tonight and I’m taking my friend out to brunch, if she’s feeling up to it. My youngest survived Maturation yesterday, and my niece may or may not still be in labor. We’ll see how today goes!

Seriously, though. I smelled this Melt-in-Your-Mouth Crispy Pork Shoulder cooking for hours, and while it smelled quite tasty, it got strong enough that (it being a mild day) I cracked the window for a while. That level of olfactory stimulation is death when you’re pregnant, as a rule. Still, it made for quite a nice dinner–it did melt in your mouth, the outer skin was absolutely crispy, and the spice rub’s flavor was quite enjoyable. My one beef (so to speak) is that you didn’t get a ton of the flavor inside the roast; on the other hand, my youngest was thrilled at how tender it was. I have exciting plans for the leftovers, but in the meantime, the next time pork butt is on sale, you might consider giving this recipe a try.

In other news, my youngest daughter’s team won the 5th grade Battle of the Books competition today,(there was some seriously cool stuff in the prize bag), the maturation kits are ready to go for tomorrow, and my 11-year-old and I finished our latest together-read. Wahoo for a successful day!