Numbering Creates The Illusion Of Coherence

1. I'm not as up-to-date with celebrity news as I used to be, what with giving up my InTouch / Us / People habit this year (yes, I fell off the wagon when I had a night alone...every once in awhile you just need some big colorful pictures with mindless captions).

But I have decided that I have a distinct pet peeve in the land of celebrity reportage.

(Is "reportage" even a word? Well, it should be.)

Why do magazines, newspapers, etc. always distinguish between biological children and adopted children? Why is everyone in a big hip-hip-hoo about this Brangelina baby, yet when reporters mention their other two children, they refer to them as "adopted"? Why are Tom Cruise's kids with Nicole Kidman always referred to as "adopted," while his newest child is just "Tom and Katie's [excuse me. Kate. Tom's very insistent that we call her Kate.] kid"? Aren't the other two children "just his kids," too?

Because I'll tell you this (she says, as she creeps up to the stairs that lead to her soapbox): my love for my child is in no way, shape, form or fashion based on the fact that I gave birth to him. I love him because he IS, not because of where he came from. And I don't see why the media relegate children who are LOVINGLY CHOSEN to some sort of second-tier status.

Should I start a letter writing campaign? How do you even do that?

Dear Us Magazine,

I've noticed that you distinguish between adopted and non-adopted children.

Stop it.

Fondly,
BooMama

It really does make me crazy - doesn't make sense at ALL.

2. I don't know if you've seen Sarah's good news or not - but it's cause for praise. Click on over to see a mighty sweet baby girl.

3. Here is the Slap Yo Mama Chocolate Pudding recipe that I mentioned earlier today (though that's not the pudding's official name - I can't really hear my grandmother saying that, and I think that the official name is, surprisingly, "Chocolate Pudding").

You need to know that my Mamaw Davis was the best cook in six counties - three hot meals a day, everything homemade or homegrown - and this is one of the few recipes anyone bothered to write down. So I'm sharing a little of my cooking heritage with you...it's one of the strongest sensory memories of my childhood. It is SO. DADGUM. GOOD.

3/4 cup sugar
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder (I like Hershey's)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks (that is not a typo - that would be 4 egg yolks total, or two days' worth of your recommended cholesterol intake) :-)
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

In a medium-sized saucepan (no heat yet), stir together first three ingredients until there are no lumps. I actually run mine through a sifter, but hey, I'm OCD.

In a separate bowl, beat your eggs.

Fold eggs into dry mixture.

Once eggs are fully incorporated, add milk, stir until combined, and then turn on stove to a medium-high heat. You do not want to boil this custard...so be careful you don't have too much heat going or the pudding will curdle.

Stir or whisk mixture constantly until it starts to thicken - about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Makes 4-6 servings, which I pour immediately into individual dessert bowls (cools quicker that way).

And please, whatever you do, no matter how delicious it may be, please, during the making or eating of this pudding, do not, under any circumstances, slap your mama.

Even though you'll want to. :-)