And now for something completely negligible . . .

Yesterday's post disappeared into cyber space just as I was putting the finishing touches on it. It was all about spending the afternoon making Magic Pants with Anna and Jeanne (who didn't make pants, but cheered us on). I haven't yet felt like re-creating that post--last night's computer glitch deflated me--but I'm sure as soon as I've completed my pants, I'll be eager to share and explain the process. Tonight, I'm weary and ready for some non-kinetic sleep, so I'll let this post balance out my last eye-popper by being on the short side.

Rob and I are both ill. Rob suspects that Joh infected us with the flu right before she left for Ethiopia. I mention this as a lead-in and perhaps an apology for links to our latest free library movie selections, which we watched tonight.

CAFE OWNER: "What shall it be?"
NINOTCHKA: "Raw beets and carrots."
CAFE OWNER: "Madame, this is a restaurant, not a meadow."

Okay, so we didn't finish that one. Rob feverishly whined through the first half of it and we gave up. But I still like Garbo.

After popping a giant bowl of popcorn we settled back in and revived our sickly spirits more effectively with Mrs. Brown. We give it two thumbs up! Judi Dench and Billy Connolly were both very good. The movie was well-cast and well-done. I don't think I've ever not liked Judi Dench; she's consistently impressive.

That's enough for tonight. Slumberland, here I come.

Oh, but hold on. I wanted to share a quick recipe, another adaptation, this time inspired by The New Laurel's Kitchen, one of my personal cookbook classics.

Geo's Seedy Oats Pie Crust

Pulverize 2 cups of rolled oats and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor, till you get a rough-looking flour with a very few larger bits of oats still lingering. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add a few tablespoons of water and mix till it begins to hold together (start with 2 tablespoons and work up, taking care not to add too much). Press into a pie plate, either a 9" or a 10". Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Then you can fill it and proceed with your pie recipe.

I used this crust for a quiche today, and it was very tasty. It would work equally well for both savory and dessert pies.

Now, goodnight. Forget what I said about balance. Everybody who knows me knows that's not my gig anyhow.

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! (16 September)

Here's a photo of Rob wearing Anna's original magic pants, the prototype for our recent sewing projects. On Rob, these are really magic floods, but no matter, he's about to do quite the amazing combo of white boy ninja and haka moves, to honor his New Jersey grandmother's 90th birthday. Tough guys like him can't be bothered with sissy details like hemlines. It was a memorable performance, to say the least.