So, no horses died in the Preakness last night.
But I'm still a vegetarian. Two weeks and counting.
I'm not sure I like the label though. Or, more importantly, what kinds of attitudes it seems to signify. I've heard stories about vegetarian extremism which I find disappointing and disillusioning. As an animal rights vegetarian who respects the inherent worth and dignity of people too, I don't think it is acceptable to turn on well-meaning people and be demanding, rude, and difficult. My friend told me of a cousin of hers who said he'd rather kill her than a cow. I think somehow that is missing the spirit and letter of the idea. Or, the person who wouldn't eat a vegetarian sauce because it had accidentally been stirred once with the chicken soup spoon by the hostess. I also had a friend in college who would sit and describe the worst cruelties to animals during dinner. These are vegetarians no one really likes to be around (at least during mealtime; they seem normal enough other times). I don't want to be like that. I don't want people to think I'll be like that. So, I have even been wary of calling myself a vegetarian. I don't have the devotion or desire to guarantee that animal flesh never again touches my lips even accidentally. I ate meat for 37-some odd years; I can live if it happens again. I'm just going to make sure that the majority of the time that it doesn't. So much for new converts being the most zealous. I think I'm too old for that.
But we did go to a vegetarian restaurant in New Haven, Claire's Corner Copia. We'd been there a few times before, with a friend who keeps kosher, on our own. I love the desserts--a whole array of dense, rich, decadent cakes. I could eat three different slices each time. Yesterday, the kids got Pineapple Upside Down Cake--very dense and flavorful with fresh pineapple slices--and I got a good, rich Chocolate Layer Cake. Oh, and we had lunch. Sis loved my mango lassi. Buddy adored a plain Athenian salad with olives and tomatoes and the like. Mama and I liked the falafel but not the veggie burger. The curry at the table next to us smelled incredible. And I bought a cookbook, which seems to have simple and common recipes. We'll go again.
So, so far so good.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Hello Museum
In the great museum
there was a green room from a book
that we all read
about a moon.
I've tried to continue the rhyme but my brain is slow this evening. I can rhyme "musical instruments" but not with anything we saw at Connecticut Children's Museum in New Haven.
The museum itself is only open to the public for shortened hours on weekends--they don't open until noon on Saturdays, which is strange until you realize that their main audiences are school field trips. In fact, each gallery has tons of free floor space for a large class. And every gallery has a theme--music, interpersonal skills, mathematics, nature--with different stations in each for small group experimentation. I can just hear elementary school teachers ordering tours by the standards. I didn't see an "art" room, but might have missed it--or maybe no one needs to meet art standards? Or they go down the street to Yale.
The kiddos had a blast. Buddy loved the music room with its drums and xylophone. Sis liked making chimes out of CDs and bells and colored tape for each of us. The math room found Bud enjoying the gears wall and ball maze wall, while Sis played accountant complete with hat. We then moved to a room with a dollhouse-like cityscape mounted on the wall--office, apartment, hospital, street level, sewer level, subway level. Sis flew airplanes--airplanes driven by a Granny figurine--through the whole thing. Mama took pictures as we were inspired to consider making something similar someday.
We moved upstairs into a room with books on bears, monkeys, and frogs, each represented by a strikingly white, large, 3-D paper pop-up like statue. The bear section even had a blueberry bush, with velcro balls, to reconstruct Blueberries for Sal, one of their favorites and mine from my own childhood. Sis enjoyed feeding the blueberries to the other critters, namely the monkeys. I was in charge of feeding the monkeys (each section had little stuffed animals and all sorts of books about the animal. I was glad to see that we ad a lot of the books already, like Brown Bear, Bear Snores On, I Am A Little Bear, etc . . . ). Eventually, we moved on to the construction room (great wheelbarrows!) and the nature room (where Sis had a ladybug tea).
But the best room by far was the Great Green Room of Goodnight, Moon fame. In one large room, they have completely recreated (albeit with two walls switched) the setting of that famous story down to the paintings on the walls, the toys in the bookshelves, the triangularly folded blanket on the bed, and even the arrow curtain rods. The phone even rings! Bud's favorite part was the actual red balloon up at the ceiling. Sis liked getting in and out of the bed and pretending to be asleep. She also played with all the toys. And both of them recited huge sections of the book unprompted. What other children's book could you so completely and fully reproduce and experience? It's perfection. And it accomplished its mission of creating a book experience--we talked about being in Goodnight, Moon for the rest of the day. And then read it altogether tonight.
We had actually gone to the museum for their Creative Readers program. It was an artistic rendition of The Teddy Bear's Picnic by Jerry Garcia. The performer sang a few bear songs, then read the story, and we all learned the song. Meanwhile, it was ASL-interpreted, which intrigued me since I've had some ASL (in fact the whole place is extremely accessible, with books transcribed in braille as well). Bud was tiring during the program but enjoyed it; Sis wasn't interested and played with Mama in the Great Green Room.
Along with chasing pigeons on the Green, eating lunch at Claire's, trying to visit the art museum, and wandering the little street fair, it was a wonderful visit.
I think we'll try another new children's museum next weekend--third's a charm!
there was a green room from a book
that we all read
about a moon.
I've tried to continue the rhyme but my brain is slow this evening. I can rhyme "musical instruments" but not with anything we saw at Connecticut Children's Museum in New Haven.
The museum itself is only open to the public for shortened hours on weekends--they don't open until noon on Saturdays, which is strange until you realize that their main audiences are school field trips. In fact, each gallery has tons of free floor space for a large class. And every gallery has a theme--music, interpersonal skills, mathematics, nature--with different stations in each for small group experimentation. I can just hear elementary school teachers ordering tours by the standards. I didn't see an "art" room, but might have missed it--or maybe no one needs to meet art standards? Or they go down the street to Yale.
The kiddos had a blast. Buddy loved the music room with its drums and xylophone. Sis liked making chimes out of CDs and bells and colored tape for each of us. The math room found Bud enjoying the gears wall and ball maze wall, while Sis played accountant complete with hat. We then moved to a room with a dollhouse-like cityscape mounted on the wall--office, apartment, hospital, street level, sewer level, subway level. Sis flew airplanes--airplanes driven by a Granny figurine--through the whole thing. Mama took pictures as we were inspired to consider making something similar someday.
We moved upstairs into a room with books on bears, monkeys, and frogs, each represented by a strikingly white, large, 3-D paper pop-up like statue. The bear section even had a blueberry bush, with velcro balls, to reconstruct Blueberries for Sal, one of their favorites and mine from my own childhood. Sis enjoyed feeding the blueberries to the other critters, namely the monkeys. I was in charge of feeding the monkeys (each section had little stuffed animals and all sorts of books about the animal. I was glad to see that we ad a lot of the books already, like Brown Bear, Bear Snores On, I Am A Little Bear, etc . . . ). Eventually, we moved on to the construction room (great wheelbarrows!) and the nature room (where Sis had a ladybug tea).
But the best room by far was the Great Green Room of Goodnight, Moon fame. In one large room, they have completely recreated (albeit with two walls switched) the setting of that famous story down to the paintings on the walls, the toys in the bookshelves, the triangularly folded blanket on the bed, and even the arrow curtain rods. The phone even rings! Bud's favorite part was the actual red balloon up at the ceiling. Sis liked getting in and out of the bed and pretending to be asleep. She also played with all the toys. And both of them recited huge sections of the book unprompted. What other children's book could you so completely and fully reproduce and experience? It's perfection. And it accomplished its mission of creating a book experience--we talked about being in Goodnight, Moon for the rest of the day. And then read it altogether tonight.
We had actually gone to the museum for their Creative Readers program. It was an artistic rendition of The Teddy Bear's Picnic by Jerry Garcia. The performer sang a few bear songs, then read the story, and we all learned the song. Meanwhile, it was ASL-interpreted, which intrigued me since I've had some ASL (in fact the whole place is extremely accessible, with books transcribed in braille as well). Bud was tiring during the program but enjoyed it; Sis wasn't interested and played with Mama in the Great Green Room.
Along with chasing pigeons on the Green, eating lunch at Claire's, trying to visit the art museum, and wandering the little street fair, it was a wonderful visit.
I think we'll try another new children's museum next weekend--third's a charm!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Dandelion Wishes
We played outside today with friends during a brief respite from the rain. Their yard was filled with wonderful dandelions and we ran around making wishes.
Believing that dandelion wishes don't come with the same caveat of secrecy as birthday or first star or bale of hay wishes, I'll tell you about ours.
My first wish was for love and health and happiness for my family and friends.
My second wish was for a friend about to have a baby.
Sis, when asked her wish, said, "cake."
Buddy said he wished for musical instruments.
As we blew the little seeds we danced the twirly-whirly dandelion dance.
And then Sis told me to wish for cake. And Bud told me to wish for musical instruments.
We danced some more.
I wished for a Democrat in the White House.
And for peace.
And for relief in China, Myanmar, and other places of devastation, loss, and unrest.
And for many more dandelion dances in the rain.
Believing that dandelion wishes don't come with the same caveat of secrecy as birthday or first star or bale of hay wishes, I'll tell you about ours.
My first wish was for love and health and happiness for my family and friends.
My second wish was for a friend about to have a baby.
Sis, when asked her wish, said, "cake."
Buddy said he wished for musical instruments.
As we blew the little seeds we danced the twirly-whirly dandelion dance.
And then Sis told me to wish for cake. And Bud told me to wish for musical instruments.
We danced some more.
I wished for a Democrat in the White House.
And for peace.
And for relief in China, Myanmar, and other places of devastation, loss, and unrest.
And for many more dandelion dances in the rain.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Equal But Different
It's always something with twins.
Today, Sis wanted to make dessert. So we decided on pudding. Chocolate.
But Bud found a box of tropical Jello and so that's what he wanted.
Now, I can't choose pudding over Jello, or Jello over pudding. They should each get one.
And so we made both.
That's the way with twins, oftentimes. Certainly, at this age, it's all about everything being equal but not usually the same. They both want their own candy stick from the living history museum but one wants pink and the other orange. If there's yogurt, one wants strawberry and the other raspberry.
Unless, of course, they want exactly the same one. And then I usually only have one of those!
So, my advice for twin moms: always have two of certain things but not exactly the same. (Now, I would not extend that to "two of everything" because sharing is important too. But there are some things that are not easily shared. Like lollipops or puppets or bubble wands. Depends on the kids).
Other suggestions for having two: when hysteria breaks out and they are both upset, tend to the less upset one first. I know, it's counterintuitive, but you don't want the less upset one to become more upset. Calm that one down then work on the over-the-top one.
Twin moms I know often talk about how they feel guilty that the twins always have to share their love. True, but any child with an older sibling has had that experience too. So, I try to make tiny moments count. There are times when you're dealing with just one child, like when you're putting one in the carseat/highchair/crib/bathtub, getting one dressed, or changing a diaper. Take that time to hug, kiss, tickle, and/or "I love you." Special three-second moments add up. Of course, when both moms are home, we try to spend time with just one child, but for most of the week, it is just me and the kiddos.
I'm sure I could come up with more twin advice, the practical advice I craved when I had two newborns, like how do you feed them both at once (bouncy seats or high chairs). And I'd love the answer to twin conundrums (okay, Latin scholars, conundra?) I'm having now, like how to impose consequences without punishing the innocent one and what in the world to do if they want two totally different but mutually exclusive things (like one outside and one inside).
I imagine there will be more posts on this . . .
Today, Sis wanted to make dessert. So we decided on pudding. Chocolate.
But Bud found a box of tropical Jello and so that's what he wanted.
Now, I can't choose pudding over Jello, or Jello over pudding. They should each get one.
And so we made both.
That's the way with twins, oftentimes. Certainly, at this age, it's all about everything being equal but not usually the same. They both want their own candy stick from the living history museum but one wants pink and the other orange. If there's yogurt, one wants strawberry and the other raspberry.
Unless, of course, they want exactly the same one. And then I usually only have one of those!
So, my advice for twin moms: always have two of certain things but not exactly the same. (Now, I would not extend that to "two of everything" because sharing is important too. But there are some things that are not easily shared. Like lollipops or puppets or bubble wands. Depends on the kids).
Other suggestions for having two: when hysteria breaks out and they are both upset, tend to the less upset one first. I know, it's counterintuitive, but you don't want the less upset one to become more upset. Calm that one down then work on the over-the-top one.
Twin moms I know often talk about how they feel guilty that the twins always have to share their love. True, but any child with an older sibling has had that experience too. So, I try to make tiny moments count. There are times when you're dealing with just one child, like when you're putting one in the carseat/highchair/crib/bathtub, getting one dressed, or changing a diaper. Take that time to hug, kiss, tickle, and/or "I love you." Special three-second moments add up. Of course, when both moms are home, we try to spend time with just one child, but for most of the week, it is just me and the kiddos.
I'm sure I could come up with more twin advice, the practical advice I craved when I had two newborns, like how do you feed them both at once (bouncy seats or high chairs). And I'd love the answer to twin conundrums (okay, Latin scholars, conundra?) I'm having now, like how to impose consequences without punishing the innocent one and what in the world to do if they want two totally different but mutually exclusive things (like one outside and one inside).
I imagine there will be more posts on this . . .
Playdate Ideas
For about 6 months we've been having successful art playgroups with several friends. We've painted canvases, used watercolors, made string art paintings, among other things. In a few weeks, we're going to tie-dye (wish us luck!). It's all open-ended, with no set project prototype, lots of experimentation, tons of praise, and constant play.
A few weeks ago, we tried a storytime playgroup and it was largely a failure. Mind you the children had fun--we were spread out on picnic blankets in the yard under our tree with lots of books and snacks. The theme was weather or seasons so everyone brought books on that topic. And then, interestingly, children only seemed to listen when their own moms read. The rest wandered, ate, or played. No problem, of course, but I think they'd like the story too. And we didn't even try to make paper towel holder rain sticks!
And now I have an idea for another playdate, based on the cookbook article in the Times: a cooking group. Now, that cookbook Kitchen Playdates seems to be more mom food (the article mentioned sea scallops with balsamic glaze--um, I won't eat that and my kids can't) and not about lots of people playing in the kitchen together. But I think Mothering ran an article a few issues back about a group of moms who cook together with children too. I'd love to try that, and not just cookie decorating (which we've done several times now). I got some great feedback from my playgroup members about how they cook with kids--there is lots of measuring and washing and putting things in bowls. We can do that. Maybe we can start with a baked potato bar activity--lots of bowls and washing and maybe even a little cutting and shredding--and enough choices for the pickiest of kiddos. It would have to be a small group--I have two, so maybe two more (my kitchen isn't huge). But I think it would be great fun.
Hmmm, art and stories and food. Now to think up a good music and movement group. Yoga dance, maybe. Who needs to pay for classes?
A few weeks ago, we tried a storytime playgroup and it was largely a failure. Mind you the children had fun--we were spread out on picnic blankets in the yard under our tree with lots of books and snacks. The theme was weather or seasons so everyone brought books on that topic. And then, interestingly, children only seemed to listen when their own moms read. The rest wandered, ate, or played. No problem, of course, but I think they'd like the story too. And we didn't even try to make paper towel holder rain sticks!
And now I have an idea for another playdate, based on the cookbook article in the Times: a cooking group. Now, that cookbook Kitchen Playdates seems to be more mom food (the article mentioned sea scallops with balsamic glaze--um, I won't eat that and my kids can't) and not about lots of people playing in the kitchen together. But I think Mothering ran an article a few issues back about a group of moms who cook together with children too. I'd love to try that, and not just cookie decorating (which we've done several times now). I got some great feedback from my playgroup members about how they cook with kids--there is lots of measuring and washing and putting things in bowls. We can do that. Maybe we can start with a baked potato bar activity--lots of bowls and washing and maybe even a little cutting and shredding--and enough choices for the pickiest of kiddos. It would have to be a small group--I have two, so maybe two more (my kitchen isn't huge). But I think it would be great fun.
Hmmm, art and stories and food. Now to think up a good music and movement group. Yoga dance, maybe. Who needs to pay for classes?
Can't Read the Paper
The headlines today make me sad at heart. Everytime I click over to the NYTimes, I see a photo of grieving parents next to their children, usually their only child, because this is China. And so I hug mine a little tighter, thank the stars that there are no earthquakes in Connecticut (or for that matter, tsunamis or typhoons; sure, we have other things but not on the front page of the paper now), and send prayers East. It's all I can do.
Except quit looking at the NYTimes today.
Except quit looking at the NYTimes today.
9 to 5
I'm in one of my want-to-work (for all you sticklers, that's outside the home, because yes, yes, I know I work at home) cycles. This almost always happens after a). I talk to one of my working art historian friends b). hear about a job, any job, even a job I don't want, in my field or c). go to a museum. Luckily, those things happen pretty rarely and so a long time can go between yearnings for my old professional self.
But it's one of those times because a). I have communicated recently with two art historians working on a project together and also saw two friends who were until very recently active in the field b). heard about a job I'd like but can't do because of the time and distance and c). went into the city and saw several wonderful exhibitions at the Met. All in the span of about 10 days. Oh, and I gave a talk on museum ed and will be giving another talk with an art historical bent in a few weeks. I'm also reading articles in Brain, Child Greatest Hits about working moms, SAHMs, choices, and the struggle everyone takes.
I loved Theo Pauline Nestor's description of the SAHM's view of work in "What We Do For Love and For Money: A View of Work from Home." After wondering if SAHMs really yearn for work, or "really just craved the water cooler, the low-level human contact that work can supply," she went on to state:
But maybe it really was work she needed. Maybe she wanted to tumble headlong into uninterrupted thought like a child somersaulting down a grassy hillside. Maybe she ached for the purity of the completed mental task. She wants to let her brain plow through a problem that requires all her concentration, to submerge herself into thought for so long, she forgets to pee, to ea, to deflea the dog. She forgets--just briefly--how much depends on her. It is a cool drink, this forgetting. When she rises out of it and swims to the shores of her life, she retrieves her life piece by piece like a traveler coming home.
Travelling is great, but isn't coming home the best part?
But, to know that, to appreciate that, you have to travel, even once in awhile.
But it's one of those times because a). I have communicated recently with two art historians working on a project together and also saw two friends who were until very recently active in the field b). heard about a job I'd like but can't do because of the time and distance and c). went into the city and saw several wonderful exhibitions at the Met. All in the span of about 10 days. Oh, and I gave a talk on museum ed and will be giving another talk with an art historical bent in a few weeks. I'm also reading articles in Brain, Child Greatest Hits about working moms, SAHMs, choices, and the struggle everyone takes.
I loved Theo Pauline Nestor's description of the SAHM's view of work in "What We Do For Love and For Money: A View of Work from Home." After wondering if SAHMs really yearn for work, or "really just craved the water cooler, the low-level human contact that work can supply," she went on to state:
But maybe it really was work she needed. Maybe she wanted to tumble headlong into uninterrupted thought like a child somersaulting down a grassy hillside. Maybe she ached for the purity of the completed mental task. She wants to let her brain plow through a problem that requires all her concentration, to submerge herself into thought for so long, she forgets to pee, to ea, to deflea the dog. She forgets--just briefly--how much depends on her. It is a cool drink, this forgetting. When she rises out of it and swims to the shores of her life, she retrieves her life piece by piece like a traveler coming home.
Travelling is great, but isn't coming home the best part?
But, to know that, to appreciate that, you have to travel, even once in awhile.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Catch Me, I'm Falling
In the last 24 hours, I've experienced somewhat the life of a toddler: I bonked my head really hard (on Buddy's head) and later fell out of the front steps of the house when I slipped on a toy.
We laugh about not wanting to go back to the teenage years, but you couldn't pay me to take the bumps and bruises of early childhood all over again!
We laugh about not wanting to go back to the teenage years, but you couldn't pay me to take the bumps and bruises of early childhood all over again!
Cooking with Kids
Today's NYTimes ran an overview of cookbooks for kids. Neither the phenomenon nor the books they mentioned were particularly new to me. Smartly, the kids' cookbooks are next to the Thomas train table at the bookstore! I will take a look at Kitchen Playdates--we already do art and story playdates, why not cooking? I bake with the kiddos 2-3 times a week, mostly cookies, cakes, and quickbreads. Yesterday we made a whole 2-layer chocolate cake with frosting for our friends who were coming over--and when Sis related how we did it, she said, "I was in charge of sugar. Buddy was in charge of flour. Mommy helped."
While I usually adapt my own recipes, since they can't read yet anyway, we do have a few cookbooks for kids. I like Dunington's Greatest Cookie Book Ever, as I've posted before. We have Emeril's book out from the library but most of the foods aren't for the picky toddler set (Sis still won't eat sauce, legumes, or any meal that has foods combined, like a casserole; Buddy would prefer to eat fruits. I don't really need a cookbook for what's left after these criteria are met). We haven't moved into cooking meals together yet, mainly because I don't want their hands on raw meats or knives, but the day will come. They do watch, sometimes, especially if I'm preparing the crockpot in the morning after breakfast.
I still have my very first cookbook, Kim's Cookbook for Young People. My mom gave it to me for my 9th birthday. Ironically, I'm not sure I ever cooked from it. It's a light blue, spiral-bound book that came in a box with plastic cover. I loved the delicate and sweet illustrations of children picnicking. I also received a red birthday card (from people whom I don't recall at all--Mom, who was Auntie Char? And Uncle something-with-an-H but not the obvious answer? It's hard to read) as a child that had 13 pages of baking recipes, with a little girl chef coming out of a window with a tray of treats on the cover. Again, I don't think I ever cooked from them. When I helped my mom, we always made her recipes, too--chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, chicken and dumplings. But I think I valued that the card and the book addressed me as someone who could cook, that even as a child I had a role in the very grown-up mommy world of the kitchen. I'm hoping my kids feel like the kitchen is as much theirs as it is mine and that food is a joy and a job for all of us.
Playdate, anyone?
-=-=-=-=-
HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
* . 2 cups sugar
* . 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* . 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
* . 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* . 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* . 1 teaspoon salt
* . 2 eggs
* . 1 cup milk
* . 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* . 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* . 1 cup boiling water
* . "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.
VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.
Hershey's Cocoa box
While I usually adapt my own recipes, since they can't read yet anyway, we do have a few cookbooks for kids. I like Dunington's Greatest Cookie Book Ever, as I've posted before. We have Emeril's book out from the library but most of the foods aren't for the picky toddler set (Sis still won't eat sauce, legumes, or any meal that has foods combined, like a casserole; Buddy would prefer to eat fruits. I don't really need a cookbook for what's left after these criteria are met). We haven't moved into cooking meals together yet, mainly because I don't want their hands on raw meats or knives, but the day will come. They do watch, sometimes, especially if I'm preparing the crockpot in the morning after breakfast.
I still have my very first cookbook, Kim's Cookbook for Young People. My mom gave it to me for my 9th birthday. Ironically, I'm not sure I ever cooked from it. It's a light blue, spiral-bound book that came in a box with plastic cover. I loved the delicate and sweet illustrations of children picnicking. I also received a red birthday card (from people whom I don't recall at all--Mom, who was Auntie Char? And Uncle something-with-an-H but not the obvious answer? It's hard to read) as a child that had 13 pages of baking recipes, with a little girl chef coming out of a window with a tray of treats on the cover. Again, I don't think I ever cooked from them. When I helped my mom, we always made her recipes, too--chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, chicken and dumplings. But I think I valued that the card and the book addressed me as someone who could cook, that even as a child I had a role in the very grown-up mommy world of the kitchen. I'm hoping my kids feel like the kitchen is as much theirs as it is mine and that food is a joy and a job for all of us.
Playdate, anyone?
-=-=-=-=-
HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
* . 2 cups sugar
* . 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* . 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
* . 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* . 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* . 1 teaspoon salt
* . 2 eggs
* . 1 cup milk
* . 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* . 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* . 1 cup boiling water
* . "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.
VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.
Hershey's Cocoa box
Monday, May 12, 2008
Oimoi*
I've never met so many classicists in my life.
I think I've met more in the last week than were in my entire collegiate department.
The woman I met last week at the career workshop did her undergraduate work in classical languages.
And today at wellness, the woman one piece of equipment over finished her MA in classical art.
It makes me want to chant the first lines of the Iliad (which I had to memorize and perform in school).
Or, maybe Sappho!
-=-=-=-=-
*I learned this as "oh dear," a mild interjection. However, checking it on the web, I see it is commonly translated as "alas," a cry of anguish. I'm not anguished. Just at a loss for words . . .
I think I've met more in the last week than were in my entire collegiate department.
The woman I met last week at the career workshop did her undergraduate work in classical languages.
And today at wellness, the woman one piece of equipment over finished her MA in classical art.
It makes me want to chant the first lines of the Iliad (which I had to memorize and perform in school).
Or, maybe Sappho!
-=-=-=-=-
*I learned this as "oh dear," a mild interjection. However, checking it on the web, I see it is commonly translated as "alas," a cry of anguish. I'm not anguished. Just at a loss for words . . .
Monsters Inc
We sang a "Monster, Monster Go Away" song. I even caught the monster in the fire alarm, where Buddy says it lives, and helped it out the window. Perhaps a happy monster would move in.
But that didn't quite work.
So we hung up "No Monster" signs and pictures of the Wonder Pets (to save the day). We reaffirmed that loveys are fully protective against monsters. We named all of his happy places.
We left the light on and put Brahms back on. And I sprayed both of the windows with the anti-monster spray Oust. Mama covered his pillow with one of her bandanas. She put an owl on the dresser because owls aren't afraid of the dark.
We talked about teamwork and twin power and how they had each other and how Buddy wasn't alone in his room.
Sis asked, "Where did the monster go?
Mama replied, "The monster went home to see his mommy."
"And his sister?"
Of course.
So far so good.
Who ya gonna call?
But that didn't quite work.
So we hung up "No Monster" signs and pictures of the Wonder Pets (to save the day). We reaffirmed that loveys are fully protective against monsters. We named all of his happy places.
We left the light on and put Brahms back on. And I sprayed both of the windows with the anti-monster spray Oust. Mama covered his pillow with one of her bandanas. She put an owl on the dresser because owls aren't afraid of the dark.
We talked about teamwork and twin power and how they had each other and how Buddy wasn't alone in his room.
Sis asked, "Where did the monster go?
Mama replied, "The monster went home to see his mommy."
"And his sister?"
Of course.
So far so good.
Who ya gonna call?
Can't Think of a Catchy Title
. . . and didn't want to label it "health update."
My back is doing pretty well after a week out of PT and in wellness. My mind is full of trepidation at times, worries that I'll pull something or that I won't continue to improve. I'm still not picking up the kids which is a). readily apparent to them and b). a source of sadness for me. Yesterday, Sis even saw me doing exercises and said, "You do those so you can pick us up again." It's true. But I hope I can heal faster and grow stronger than they can get bigger!
Otherwise, I'm still a vegetarian. It's been a week and a day, with no great strain on my id. I'm coming up with some new recipes--today we're having crockpot cheesy corn chowder--but not relying too heavily on meat substitutes. I'm not really missing it. I didn't lose any weight this week but that is more the result of too much cheesecake and the like in the city. But my mind is at ease.
My back is doing pretty well after a week out of PT and in wellness. My mind is full of trepidation at times, worries that I'll pull something or that I won't continue to improve. I'm still not picking up the kids which is a). readily apparent to them and b). a source of sadness for me. Yesterday, Sis even saw me doing exercises and said, "You do those so you can pick us up again." It's true. But I hope I can heal faster and grow stronger than they can get bigger!
Otherwise, I'm still a vegetarian. It's been a week and a day, with no great strain on my id. I'm coming up with some new recipes--today we're having crockpot cheesy corn chowder--but not relying too heavily on meat substitutes. I'm not really missing it. I didn't lose any weight this week but that is more the result of too much cheesecake and the like in the city. But my mind is at ease.
Pretty in Pink
Sis's favorite colored has changed. It's not purple (mine) or green (Mama's), but pink--Sis has come into her own. She chooses a pink plate for every meal, the lightest red gummy vitamin in the jar, and other pink choices. She even asked Gong on the phone yesterday how to say it in Chinese, which is something like "fun hong se" or powdered red color.
I went through a long pink phase myself, usually coupled with light green, light blue, and light yellow (an early precursor of my love of the spectrum). So let there be pink!
We're just going to have trouble this summer, though, because I bought, as usual, all her clothes in purple!
I went through a long pink phase myself, usually coupled with light green, light blue, and light yellow (an early precursor of my love of the spectrum). So let there be pink!
We're just going to have trouble this summer, though, because I bought, as usual, all her clothes in purple!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Hodgepodge
We're learning to tie shoes. Or, well, we're interested. Several times in the last few days, Buddy has asked to untie my shoelaces (I wear my inside trainers with lift all the time) and then asks me to show him how to tie. I didn't learn a funny jingle or even the rabbit ear technique but I'm trying new ways to convey the process to him. But he has his own way of doing it--he wraps them around the bottom of my shoe, will poke them in my socks or pants leg, and then thread them through my other laces, narrating the whole process.
-=-=-=-=-
Our dear babysitter surprised me last week in earnestly prepping the kiddos in "left" and "right."
And they get it backwards everytime!
-=-=-=-=-
Buddy's favorite song:
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
How I wonder . . .
. . . what you had for breakfast.
Sis's favorite song:
Twinkle Twinkle Little . . . Sweet Potato.
-=-=-=-=-
Another song, both of them: "ABCDEFG/HIJKLMNOP/QRSTUV/Now I know my ABCs next time won't you sing with me?"
-=-=-=-=-
How Sis Does the Dinosaur Puzzle: she sorts the pieces by color and then decides which is her favorite dinosaur of the moment and works on that one.
-=-=-=-=-
Playing Wonder Pets is our favorite pretend game now. We sit on the sofa table "flyboat" and sing the theme song. We hop off, run to part of the room to save and animal, and then come home.
One day last week, we took a break from saving animals, had a picnic on "the beach," and went for a swim. Sis was a dolphin and Bud was a sea otter.
-=-=-=-=-
Looking at a picture of butterflies:
Mommy: I think they're beautiful.
Buddy: That's because they are beautiful.
-=-=-=-=-
Sis said something really clever at dinner the other night.
Neither Mama nor I have the foggiest idea of what it was.
-=-=-=-=-
Our dear babysitter surprised me last week in earnestly prepping the kiddos in "left" and "right."
And they get it backwards everytime!
-=-=-=-=-
Buddy's favorite song:
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
How I wonder . . .
. . . what you had for breakfast.
Sis's favorite song:
Twinkle Twinkle Little . . . Sweet Potato.
-=-=-=-=-
Another song, both of them: "ABCDEFG/HIJKLMNOP/QRSTUV/Now I know my ABCs next time won't you sing with me?"
-=-=-=-=-
How Sis Does the Dinosaur Puzzle: she sorts the pieces by color and then decides which is her favorite dinosaur of the moment and works on that one.
-=-=-=-=-
Playing Wonder Pets is our favorite pretend game now. We sit on the sofa table "flyboat" and sing the theme song. We hop off, run to part of the room to save and animal, and then come home.
One day last week, we took a break from saving animals, had a picnic on "the beach," and went for a swim. Sis was a dolphin and Bud was a sea otter.
-=-=-=-=-
Looking at a picture of butterflies:
Mommy: I think they're beautiful.
Buddy: That's because they are beautiful.
-=-=-=-=-
Sis said something really clever at dinner the other night.
Neither Mama nor I have the foggiest idea of what it was.
The New Museum
No, not that one.
We went to a new-to-us children's museum in West Hartford yesterday. I wasn't too impressed at the outset--the carpet could be replaced, the critter room for toddlers needed paint and more activities, but then . . .
Wow.
I'll let the kiddos tell you, as I transcribe their descriptions to Gommie and Pop, Ma and Gong, and even to us.
Sis loved the cheese. Cheese? "Cheese in the dinosaur room." Cabot was there for promotion handing out samples. She liked it. A lot. And ate several cubes of tomato and basil.
Buddy remembered that room too. "There were two dinosaurs. A big one roared at me. The little one didn't. It was scary."
"It's okay, Buddy, he won't get you."
But he didn't believe her, then or now, and was clinging and cried at the sound or sight of the dino.
But he loved all the hands-on spaces. He told me this morning that he dreamed of "car races, ping pong balls, circle balls [centrifugal force demo], big bubbles. Mommy you got popped by the big bubble. I dreamed of musical instruments and the echo tube."
Oh, how they loved the car races. I said we could do a mini-train race and he asked if there would be a button that lowered the gates and lights that went from red to yellow to green.
And there were animals. Sis loved all the owls--"Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, and Screech. Two big ones, one little one." She also liked the turtles, which were crawling around (chaperoned) in the grass outside. In "Turtle Town," she was able to don a fiberglass shell and pretend to be a turtle. And the cats! A caracal and a lynx. Several of these were actually confiscated pets--I think Sis would have loved to have taken one home. I thought there were way too many snakes, but they liked them.
We finished the day eating pizza. It was perfect. Definitely a do-again.
Or, maybe it should remind us to do something new once in awhile.
We went to a new-to-us children's museum in West Hartford yesterday. I wasn't too impressed at the outset--the carpet could be replaced, the critter room for toddlers needed paint and more activities, but then . . .
Wow.
I'll let the kiddos tell you, as I transcribe their descriptions to Gommie and Pop, Ma and Gong, and even to us.
Sis loved the cheese. Cheese? "Cheese in the dinosaur room." Cabot was there for promotion handing out samples. She liked it. A lot. And ate several cubes of tomato and basil.
Buddy remembered that room too. "There were two dinosaurs. A big one roared at me. The little one didn't. It was scary."
"It's okay, Buddy, he won't get you."
But he didn't believe her, then or now, and was clinging and cried at the sound or sight of the dino.
But he loved all the hands-on spaces. He told me this morning that he dreamed of "car races, ping pong balls, circle balls [centrifugal force demo], big bubbles. Mommy you got popped by the big bubble. I dreamed of musical instruments and the echo tube."
Oh, how they loved the car races. I said we could do a mini-train race and he asked if there would be a button that lowered the gates and lights that went from red to yellow to green.
And there were animals. Sis loved all the owls--"Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, and Screech. Two big ones, one little one." She also liked the turtles, which were crawling around (chaperoned) in the grass outside. In "Turtle Town," she was able to don a fiberglass shell and pretend to be a turtle. And the cats! A caracal and a lynx. Several of these were actually confiscated pets--I think Sis would have loved to have taken one home. I thought there were way too many snakes, but they liked them.
We finished the day eating pizza. It was perfect. Definitely a do-again.
Or, maybe it should remind us to do something new once in awhile.
Let's Go Fly a Kite
You might think that Mother's Day in a house with not just one, but TWO, mothers would make it double the pleasure, double the fun.
Well, we're still figuring it all out (I think next year, one of us will get Saturday and the other Sunday).
See, for Mother's Day, it means both of us are trying to put on a holiday for the other one and no one really gets a break or spoiled much (no one got breakfast, no one slept in, no one got downtime). Not that it wasn't fun--we had bought Mama two puppets, a penguin and harbor seal, because she loves puppets and the kids are starting to get into them (They each picked one. Guess!). And Mama had made me a homemade CD, which brought tears to my eyes with each playing of another of my favorite songs (she made me one last year and it is a time capsule of memories and feelings from a year ago--I hope I get one every year.)
And then, after church, Mama surprised us all--let's go kite flying! At the beach! And have lunch! And we did. Sis really liked helping put together and launch the kites but Bud was more interested in throwing rocks in the water. We had a pretty typical rainbow kite and then a marvelous dragon kite complete with fire breath and talons. I don't know when we got the kites--we had gone kite flying years ago in Chicago and always meant to do it again but Mama must have picked these up another time, planning for a day we could take the kiddos.
It occurred to me as I watched the kites dip and soar, and watched Sis hold on for dear life, with Mama helping her, while Buddy hurled shells in the waves and I sang the kite song from Mary Poppins that, if we hadn't had kids, we would've just called our own moms and then wasted the day.
Life is much better now.
Well, we're still figuring it all out (I think next year, one of us will get Saturday and the other Sunday).
See, for Mother's Day, it means both of us are trying to put on a holiday for the other one and no one really gets a break or spoiled much (no one got breakfast, no one slept in, no one got downtime). Not that it wasn't fun--we had bought Mama two puppets, a penguin and harbor seal, because she loves puppets and the kids are starting to get into them (They each picked one. Guess!). And Mama had made me a homemade CD, which brought tears to my eyes with each playing of another of my favorite songs (she made me one last year and it is a time capsule of memories and feelings from a year ago--I hope I get one every year.)
And then, after church, Mama surprised us all--let's go kite flying! At the beach! And have lunch! And we did. Sis really liked helping put together and launch the kites but Bud was more interested in throwing rocks in the water. We had a pretty typical rainbow kite and then a marvelous dragon kite complete with fire breath and talons. I don't know when we got the kites--we had gone kite flying years ago in Chicago and always meant to do it again but Mama must have picked these up another time, planning for a day we could take the kiddos.
It occurred to me as I watched the kites dip and soar, and watched Sis hold on for dear life, with Mama helping her, while Buddy hurled shells in the waves and I sang the kite song from Mary Poppins that, if we hadn't had kids, we would've just called our own moms and then wasted the day.
Life is much better now.
Music Hath the Power
Brahms is drifting over the monitor. It's lovely, except it means we've run out of options.
Buddy hasn't been sleeping well--he spent more than an hour awake two nights ago just desperate for love and hugs. Last night, it took more than an hour to get him to fall asleep. Today, when he fell asleep in the car on the way home from the beach (more on that next), he woke up hysterical and scared. And tonight he didn't even want to lie down in his bed. It's not pain and he hasn't identified a fear. But it is some kind of malaise. So after my fourth trip back in the room in five minutes, I decided to turn on the stereo in their room. It's been there since the beginning and we've never really used it much (successfully), despite our pediatrician's suggestions it would help with naps (it didn't). But tonight I turned on our string quartet lullabies and Bud was distracted enough that I got out of the room and even downstairs. Granted, Sis is now talking a blue streak, probably totally enlivened by even the most soothing of music, but at least Bud isn't weeping.
(Just for the record, I realize that these kind of sleep troubles happen to most of my friends regularly, if not nightly. I'm reminded of how draining it is. And am almost glad we sleep well at night usually, even without naps.)
It's actually been quite a musical day. Our service at church this morning was a musical one led by musician Nick Page. And it was phenomenally moving, both emotionally and spiritually--at the end we all danced in an impromptu circle around the sanctuary, clasped hands held high while singing. Earlier we had sung a song combining a Native American song (The Earth is Our Mother), a Hebrew song (Shalom Chaverim), and Wade in the Water, in an arrangement called Earth Shalom. The culturally disparate songs wove together magically. And our whole congregation embraced the power (for New England UUs, we're a rockin' bunch. Several of us were bona fide hippies. Still are.). There were other songs--a thumb harp rift including For the Beauty of the Earth (probably my favorite hymn) and the song Sweet Honey in the Rock.
It went perfectly with my mother's day present which was a homemade CD of my current favorite songs, or at least the ones I hear all the time: Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten, "the bubbly nose song" by Colbie Caillat, Breakaway, Live like You Were Dying, I Think I Loved You Before I Met You, that song about smashing the car with the Louisville Slugger, plus several others. And, well, Mama's own additions of the theme songs of Wonder Pets, Dora, and Backyardigans. At least those are at the end.
It's pretty quite upstairs. Thank you, Brahms.
-=-=-=-=-
Buddy hasn't been sleeping well--he spent more than an hour awake two nights ago just desperate for love and hugs. Last night, it took more than an hour to get him to fall asleep. Today, when he fell asleep in the car on the way home from the beach (more on that next), he woke up hysterical and scared. And tonight he didn't even want to lie down in his bed. It's not pain and he hasn't identified a fear. But it is some kind of malaise. So after my fourth trip back in the room in five minutes, I decided to turn on the stereo in their room. It's been there since the beginning and we've never really used it much (successfully), despite our pediatrician's suggestions it would help with naps (it didn't). But tonight I turned on our string quartet lullabies and Bud was distracted enough that I got out of the room and even downstairs. Granted, Sis is now talking a blue streak, probably totally enlivened by even the most soothing of music, but at least Bud isn't weeping.
(Just for the record, I realize that these kind of sleep troubles happen to most of my friends regularly, if not nightly. I'm reminded of how draining it is. And am almost glad we sleep well at night usually, even without naps.)
It's actually been quite a musical day. Our service at church this morning was a musical one led by musician Nick Page. And it was phenomenally moving, both emotionally and spiritually--at the end we all danced in an impromptu circle around the sanctuary, clasped hands held high while singing. Earlier we had sung a song combining a Native American song (The Earth is Our Mother), a Hebrew song (Shalom Chaverim), and Wade in the Water, in an arrangement called Earth Shalom. The culturally disparate songs wove together magically. And our whole congregation embraced the power (for New England UUs, we're a rockin' bunch. Several of us were bona fide hippies. Still are.). There were other songs--a thumb harp rift including For the Beauty of the Earth (probably my favorite hymn) and the song Sweet Honey in the Rock.
It went perfectly with my mother's day present which was a homemade CD of my current favorite songs, or at least the ones I hear all the time: Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten, "the bubbly nose song" by Colbie Caillat, Breakaway, Live like You Were Dying, I Think I Loved You Before I Met You, that song about smashing the car with the Louisville Slugger, plus several others. And, well, Mama's own additions of the theme songs of Wonder Pets, Dora, and Backyardigans. At least those are at the end.
It's pretty quite upstairs. Thank you, Brahms.
-=-=-=-=-
The Earth is our Mother, we must take care of her
The Earth in our Mother, we must take care of her
Chorus: Hey Yanna Ho Yanna Hey Yon Yon, Hey Yanna Ho Yanna Hey Yon Yon
Her sacred ground we walk upon, with every step we take (x2)
The Earth is our Mother, she will take care of us (x2)
The Earth in our Mother, we must take care of her
Chorus: Hey Yanna Ho Yanna Hey Yon Yon, Hey Yanna Ho Yanna Hey Yon Yon
Her sacred ground we walk upon, with every step we take (x2)
The Earth is our Mother, she will take care of us (x2)
Shalom, chaverim,
Shalom, chaverim,
Shalom! Shalom!
L'hitraot, l'hitraot,
Shalom, shalom.
Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children.
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, mothers-to-be (either first time or again), and mothering ones (male and female) among us.
We love you everyday but at least once a year we remember to tell you and treat you so!
We love you everyday but at least once a year we remember to tell you and treat you so!
Bassackwards
I'm doing all my recent posts backwards, i.e. discussing Mother's Day, then yesterday, back through the week.
Because I'm behind and can only remember the most recent stuff.
Because I'm behind and can only remember the most recent stuff.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
It's a Wonderful Town!
I love NY!
Yes, it's cliche, and for sale on t-shirts (hats, mugs, bumperstickers, bibs, ad infinitem) all around the city. But it's true. After the people and the pets in my life, I'm just crazy about the city. They do say that converts are the most zealous adherents, and I came to New York as a twentysomething and did lots of growing up there (which was usually not fun but always very memorable and with such a great backdrop!). I've lived (and/or worked) there off and on for the last 15 years. Even when I was not there, it loomed large in my psyche. And still does.
But it had been two years since I'd been there on my own. We went in as a family to see the tree each of the last two Christmases, but that's not the same. I had sworn I would regularly take a break from SAHMdom and go into town--to see friends, museums, the city in its entirety. But things don't always go as planned and we kept putting it off.
So when my school asked for speakers on careers outside of academia, I jumped at the chance and volunteered to speak on museum education. And that was yesterday. Evening. Which meant I had a whole day in town to play beforehand.
And I spent it all at the Met. One of my favorite parts of the day was actually riding the M1 up Madison to the museum, seeing old haunts, getting reacquainted with the smells, sounds, feel of the city. It's always something different--this time I noticed all the strollers. No suburban Gracos these, but all Maclarens. Usually containing white-blonde kiddos pushed by women of color. Then nannies not in the Nanny Diaries. I also always forget how much smoking goes on there--I breathed in more secondhand smoke in 15 hours than I've breathed in during 6 years in Connecticut. I don't miss that at all. But I do miss almost everything else (though, not that skanky stinky sidewalk puddle goo that was thankfully minimal yesterday, especially on the Upper East Side)--the architecture, the variety of people, the various shops, the food carts, the food (and yes, I did stick to my veg diet, though not to WW--too many good things to eat).
And the museum. Oh, the museum. The Met was the first stop on my visit when I started grad school so many years ago. My mom and I walked into that glorious Great Hall and I knew I wanted to work there (I have been an intern there, for a short stint, and loved it, but it's not the same). Until that time, I just love visiting--Astor Court with its scholar's garden, the rehung 19th-century galleries which contain more academic art now than they did 15 years ago, the Pompeiian wall paintings, the temple of Dendur, the Costume Institute (which was closed because they'd just had the "party of the year" last night), all those wonderful Vermeers, the American sculpture garden, the rooftop. Well, almost every gallery. Mama and I had some very memorable evenings there.
I didn't see it all yesterday, trying to take in a few of the exhibitions, including Poussin (I was thrilled to remember all the reasons why he's so significant--without having to read the labels!) and Chinese masterpieces (for which I had to read all the labels, and spent more time doing that than looking at the art), as well as some re-installations I hadn't seen, such as the "new" Greco-Roman galleries. All I can say about that last one is wow! Part of me wishes they'd restored the fountain to its Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler days, but I love the garden-like installation of Roman sculpture (which looks a lot like Picon's installation of sculpture at SAMA so many years ago when I was an intern there). It had me wishing I remembered more of my Greek and Latin (especially because my grad-school-buddies-turned-moms peppered me with questions!). But it was special to see the works get the attention they so richly deserve--the old galleries were an embarrassment. We had a delightful lunch in the "new" cafeteria and then I returned to the galleries and the gift shop (trying to remember I'd have to lug anything that I bought, so I was quite sensible).
And there, in the biggest city in the country, I ran into someone I knew totally unexpectedly. She had worked at my last job and has since left and we bumped into each other, almost quite literally, on the steps of the Met. It's a small world sometimes, even in NYC.
Finally full of culture and foot-sore, the proverbial museum fatigue, I took the M4 down Fifth to school, where my talk would be. I would recommend that route--down the side of the park past the Plaza and through the Fifth Avenue shopping corridor--to all visitors to the city. It's a cheap and easy way to get a real sense of (that part of) the city. They were even filming something at the NYPL, but I didn't get out. I was early to the talk but enjoyed the break to keep reading my book. It's the most concentrated reading I've done in 3 years--1+ hours on the train, 30 min at school, another 1 hour on the train home--it was an unexpected bonus in an already good day.
My talk in the evening went well, nothing stressful, just a chance to talk about career opportunities. I even made a few new connections among the other presenters. I took my first cab of the day (and I love riding in cabs!) back to GCT and did some shopping before my train home. I got us some incredible cheese at Murray's, plus membrillo and crackers, as a treat for Mama. And I got dinner--a NY slice (the soup place was already closed, but it was my first choice with it's great and novel soups) plus a piece of Junior's incredible devil's food cheesecake (a piece of cheesecake, with chocolate ganache filling, and a chocoloate cake layer on top, all topped with chocolate frosting!!!). The only food I didn't have was an almond horn cookie, which I love, but the bakery was closed when I went to look for one. Oh, well, I can almost make one of those.
And so I rode the train home, just like I did so many times when I was working in the city. It's a long ride home, with more stops, and I was ready to be home. As much fun as I had, I'm glad not to have to work there anymore.
Or anywhere.
But I will go back to my city again . . . and sooner than 2 years from now.
Yes, it's cliche, and for sale on t-shirts (hats, mugs, bumperstickers, bibs, ad infinitem) all around the city. But it's true. After the people and the pets in my life, I'm just crazy about the city. They do say that converts are the most zealous adherents, and I came to New York as a twentysomething and did lots of growing up there (which was usually not fun but always very memorable and with such a great backdrop!). I've lived (and/or worked) there off and on for the last 15 years. Even when I was not there, it loomed large in my psyche. And still does.
But it had been two years since I'd been there on my own. We went in as a family to see the tree each of the last two Christmases, but that's not the same. I had sworn I would regularly take a break from SAHMdom and go into town--to see friends, museums, the city in its entirety. But things don't always go as planned and we kept putting it off.
So when my school asked for speakers on careers outside of academia, I jumped at the chance and volunteered to speak on museum education. And that was yesterday. Evening. Which meant I had a whole day in town to play beforehand.
And I spent it all at the Met. One of my favorite parts of the day was actually riding the M1 up Madison to the museum, seeing old haunts, getting reacquainted with the smells, sounds, feel of the city. It's always something different--this time I noticed all the strollers. No suburban Gracos these, but all Maclarens. Usually containing white-blonde kiddos pushed by women of color. Then nannies not in the Nanny Diaries. I also always forget how much smoking goes on there--I breathed in more secondhand smoke in 15 hours than I've breathed in during 6 years in Connecticut. I don't miss that at all. But I do miss almost everything else (though, not that skanky stinky sidewalk puddle goo that was thankfully minimal yesterday, especially on the Upper East Side)--the architecture, the variety of people, the various shops, the food carts, the food (and yes, I did stick to my veg diet, though not to WW--too many good things to eat).
And the museum. Oh, the museum. The Met was the first stop on my visit when I started grad school so many years ago. My mom and I walked into that glorious Great Hall and I knew I wanted to work there (I have been an intern there, for a short stint, and loved it, but it's not the same). Until that time, I just love visiting--Astor Court with its scholar's garden, the rehung 19th-century galleries which contain more academic art now than they did 15 years ago, the Pompeiian wall paintings, the temple of Dendur, the Costume Institute (which was closed because they'd just had the "party of the year" last night), all those wonderful Vermeers, the American sculpture garden, the rooftop. Well, almost every gallery. Mama and I had some very memorable evenings there.
I didn't see it all yesterday, trying to take in a few of the exhibitions, including Poussin (I was thrilled to remember all the reasons why he's so significant--without having to read the labels!) and Chinese masterpieces (for which I had to read all the labels, and spent more time doing that than looking at the art), as well as some re-installations I hadn't seen, such as the "new" Greco-Roman galleries. All I can say about that last one is wow! Part of me wishes they'd restored the fountain to its Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler days, but I love the garden-like installation of Roman sculpture (which looks a lot like Picon's installation of sculpture at SAMA so many years ago when I was an intern there). It had me wishing I remembered more of my Greek and Latin (especially because my grad-school-buddies-turned-moms peppered me with questions!). But it was special to see the works get the attention they so richly deserve--the old galleries were an embarrassment. We had a delightful lunch in the "new" cafeteria and then I returned to the galleries and the gift shop (trying to remember I'd have to lug anything that I bought, so I was quite sensible).
And there, in the biggest city in the country, I ran into someone I knew totally unexpectedly. She had worked at my last job and has since left and we bumped into each other, almost quite literally, on the steps of the Met. It's a small world sometimes, even in NYC.
Finally full of culture and foot-sore, the proverbial museum fatigue, I took the M4 down Fifth to school, where my talk would be. I would recommend that route--down the side of the park past the Plaza and through the Fifth Avenue shopping corridor--to all visitors to the city. It's a cheap and easy way to get a real sense of (that part of) the city. They were even filming something at the NYPL, but I didn't get out. I was early to the talk but enjoyed the break to keep reading my book. It's the most concentrated reading I've done in 3 years--1+ hours on the train, 30 min at school, another 1 hour on the train home--it was an unexpected bonus in an already good day.
My talk in the evening went well, nothing stressful, just a chance to talk about career opportunities. I even made a few new connections among the other presenters. I took my first cab of the day (and I love riding in cabs!) back to GCT and did some shopping before my train home. I got us some incredible cheese at Murray's, plus membrillo and crackers, as a treat for Mama. And I got dinner--a NY slice (the soup place was already closed, but it was my first choice with it's great and novel soups) plus a piece of Junior's incredible devil's food cheesecake (a piece of cheesecake, with chocolate ganache filling, and a chocoloate cake layer on top, all topped with chocolate frosting!!!). The only food I didn't have was an almond horn cookie, which I love, but the bakery was closed when I went to look for one. Oh, well, I can almost make one of those.
And so I rode the train home, just like I did so many times when I was working in the city. It's a long ride home, with more stops, and I was ready to be home. As much fun as I had, I'm glad not to have to work there anymore.
Or anywhere.
But I will go back to my city again . . . and sooner than 2 years from now.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Let the Garden Begin
We planted seeds in a seed starter box yesterday. Organic soil, organic seeds. We're trying to get a good start.
We filled them with dirt. Or, I filled them with dirt as neither Bud or Sis wanted to dirty their hands.
But they loved pinching and placing seeds in each of the 50 little cubbyholes.
Green beans, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, oregano, parsley, basil.
We forgot zucchini.
They also loved watering the seeds with their little watering can.
Today, already, Buddy asked me where the vegetables were.
And, after sucking all the flesh off the pit of the mango, Sis asked if we could plant the mango seed and grow a tree full of her favorite fruit.
At least she gets the idea.
We filled them with dirt. Or, I filled them with dirt as neither Bud or Sis wanted to dirty their hands.
But they loved pinching and placing seeds in each of the 50 little cubbyholes.
Green beans, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, oregano, parsley, basil.
We forgot zucchini.
They also loved watering the seeds with their little watering can.
Today, already, Buddy asked me where the vegetables were.
And, after sucking all the flesh off the pit of the mango, Sis asked if we could plant the mango seed and grow a tree full of her favorite fruit.
At least she gets the idea.
New Question
"Where do eggs come from?" asked Buddy during breakfast.
Ah, at least the "come from" questions started fairly easily.
"From chickens," I said.
Sis then asked, "Then where do scrambled eggs come from?"
Ah, at least the "come from" questions started fairly easily.
"From chickens," I said.
Sis then asked, "Then where do scrambled eggs come from?"
Big Fat Juicy Ones, Little Bitty Squishy Ones
"We went to the garden and dug up worms!"
Okay, those aren't the lyrics to that gross little childhood ditty, but it is what we did on Sunday. We were doing some gardening/landscaping/clean-up and we found lots of earthworms.
Growing in the debris that we hadn't cleaned up next to the curb.
Anyway, aesthetics aside, the leaves and dirt were perfect for worms and they fascinated Sis and Buddy. At first, Sis would pick them up and relocate them. Bud wouldn't even touch them. After awhile though, probably affected by his pristine attitude, she quit picking them up. So I did. If you'd told me that I would pick up wriggly, giggly worms as a mom, I would have said, "no thank you."
But hey, it's all in the name of "teachable moment," right?
And they aren't that slimy.
Mama just looked on squeamishly from another part of the yard. So much for being the butch one (for the record, I'm in charge of bugs and disposal of any trapped mice, too).
We even built them a worm habitat, something I'd seen on one of those breaks on Noggin. Mama didn't even like bringing out the apple juice jug and lettuce leaves! But she did, and we built it. We haven't seen much activity, but we'll keep watching.
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Worm Habitat
clear bottle or jar (glass or plastic)
sand
soil
leaves
vegetable peelings
worms
Place sand in bottom of bottle (approximately 2" layer). Then cover with about 2" of soil. Then a layer of vegetable peelings. Top with leaves. Repeat until jar is full.
Place 3-4 earthworms on top. Do not seal.
Keep habitat moist by spritzing it every few days. Also, keep in a relatively dark place or cover with black paper when not viewing.
For more information, see Worm's World.
Okay, those aren't the lyrics to that gross little childhood ditty, but it is what we did on Sunday. We were doing some gardening/landscaping/clean-up and we found lots of earthworms.
Growing in the debris that we hadn't cleaned up next to the curb.
Anyway, aesthetics aside, the leaves and dirt were perfect for worms and they fascinated Sis and Buddy. At first, Sis would pick them up and relocate them. Bud wouldn't even touch them. After awhile though, probably affected by his pristine attitude, she quit picking them up. So I did. If you'd told me that I would pick up wriggly, giggly worms as a mom, I would have said, "no thank you."
But hey, it's all in the name of "teachable moment," right?
And they aren't that slimy.
Mama just looked on squeamishly from another part of the yard. So much for being the butch one (for the record, I'm in charge of bugs and disposal of any trapped mice, too).
We even built them a worm habitat, something I'd seen on one of those breaks on Noggin. Mama didn't even like bringing out the apple juice jug and lettuce leaves! But she did, and we built it. We haven't seen much activity, but we'll keep watching.
-=-=-=-=-
Worm Habitat
clear bottle or jar (glass or plastic)
sand
soil
leaves
vegetable peelings
worms
Place sand in bottom of bottle (approximately 2" layer). Then cover with about 2" of soil. Then a layer of vegetable peelings. Top with leaves. Repeat until jar is full.
Place 3-4 earthworms on top. Do not seal.
Keep habitat moist by spritzing it every few days. Also, keep in a relatively dark place or cover with black paper when not viewing.
For more information, see Worm's World.
48 Hours and Counting
I did it.
For 48 hours, so far.
I've given up meat completely.
I was down to only chicken and turkey, with the rare fish, having given up mammals completely about 4 months ago. And I just decided I didn't want to eat meat anymore, from an animal rights and health (though mainly the former) standpoint. Blame it on the Kentucky Derby. I realized that, if I believed animals shouldn't die for (or during) our entertainment, then they didn't have to die for my own consumption now that it is easily possible to live a meat-free and healthy life. I'm not going to be preachy or righteous about this; it's just what is right for me, right now.
I've been a vegetarian before, at the most for about 6 months. So it's always a work in progress. But I feel more committed, more ready this time. We'll see. I imagine I'll still sometimes be a "social meat eater," (mainly because I found that being dogmatic a). doesn't work for me in the long run and b). is annoying) like when I go down to Texas--do they even have vegetables in Texas? Wait, yes, they do . . . with salt pork!
The kids can eat whatever they want, so I'll still be cooking chicken and such. (Though, I will try to choose as organically and humanely as possible, which Mark Bittman and others has suggested is the best way, better than vegetarianism actually, to affect the industrial meat industry in this country.) The kids can decide when they're older. Thankfully, because I just mastered baked chicken, meatloaf, and chicken cutlets. They just don't appeal to me as much anymore. I'll keep dairy and eggs, though. Mama is supportive but will probably eat with the kiddos. I think I'll be making 1 1/2 meals for dinner--a big vegetable dish for me that they can eat too and then a meat protein for them.
So, if you have any favorite meat-free dishes, let me know. I always like to try new things.
For 48 hours, so far.
I've given up meat completely.
I was down to only chicken and turkey, with the rare fish, having given up mammals completely about 4 months ago. And I just decided I didn't want to eat meat anymore, from an animal rights and health (though mainly the former) standpoint. Blame it on the Kentucky Derby. I realized that, if I believed animals shouldn't die for (or during) our entertainment, then they didn't have to die for my own consumption now that it is easily possible to live a meat-free and healthy life. I'm not going to be preachy or righteous about this; it's just what is right for me, right now.
I've been a vegetarian before, at the most for about 6 months. So it's always a work in progress. But I feel more committed, more ready this time. We'll see. I imagine I'll still sometimes be a "social meat eater," (mainly because I found that being dogmatic a). doesn't work for me in the long run and b). is annoying) like when I go down to Texas--do they even have vegetables in Texas? Wait, yes, they do . . . with salt pork!
The kids can eat whatever they want, so I'll still be cooking chicken and such. (Though, I will try to choose as organically and humanely as possible, which Mark Bittman and others has suggested is the best way, better than vegetarianism actually, to affect the industrial meat industry in this country.) The kids can decide when they're older. Thankfully, because I just mastered baked chicken, meatloaf, and chicken cutlets. They just don't appeal to me as much anymore. I'll keep dairy and eggs, though. Mama is supportive but will probably eat with the kiddos. I think I'll be making 1 1/2 meals for dinner--a big vegetable dish for me that they can eat too and then a meat protein for them.
So, if you have any favorite meat-free dishes, let me know. I always like to try new things.
More Cupcakes for Grownups
Ohmygosh, I had the second best cupcakes (or maybe the first--it's hard to compare the proverbial apples and oranges) today.
I asked T to make a batch to give to my PTs as thanks and she made these incredible chocolate cake with chocolate raspberry ganache filling with vanilla buttercream frosting dream cakes. WOW.
Mine got ooey gooey in the car so that the buttercream oozed off the top and the ganache melted in my mouth. Pretty good actually, even if I had to lick buttercream off my own face!
She's amazing!
I asked T to make a batch to give to my PTs as thanks and she made these incredible chocolate cake with chocolate raspberry ganache filling with vanilla buttercream frosting dream cakes. WOW.
Mine got ooey gooey in the car so that the buttercream oozed off the top and the ganache melted in my mouth. Pretty good actually, even if I had to lick buttercream off my own face!
She's amazing!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Is it Spaghetti? Is it Squash?
Mama cooked today, making a squash we'd bought with Gommie.
As expected, Buddy liked it (for awhile) and Sis was asking for "something else" before it was on the table.
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Herbed Spaghetti Squash
1 small spaghetti squash, about 2 1/4 pounds
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed soft herbs, such as basil, chives, chervil, parsley and sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperPreheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
As expected, Buddy liked it (for awhile) and Sis was asking for "something else" before it was on the table.
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Herbed Spaghetti Squash
1 small spaghetti squash, about 2 1/4 pounds
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed soft herbs, such as basil, chives, chervil, parsley and sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperPreheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and place, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add enough water to come 1/2-inch up the sides of the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a paring knife. Turn squash over and cover with foil again and continue to cook another 15 minutes, until the squash is very tender. Remove from the oven, uncover, and allow to cool slightly. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel and place the squash strands into a mixing bowl.
Heat a skillet. Add the butter, spaghetti squash, herbs, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly but gently to heat and combine. Serve immediately or cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
Emeril LagasseHeads Up
Despite the fact that I am now actively stressing about it, I keep forgetting that I will be in NYC all day Tuesday! I'm giving a short talk to grad students that evening but am going in early to see friends and such.
So, posts will be light until Wednesday, probably, because a). I will be gone and b). I haven't figured out yet what I'm going to say!
So, posts will be light until Wednesday, probably, because a). I will be gone and b). I haven't figured out yet what I'm going to say!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Is it Just Me?
. . . or is anyone else ready to never hear another word about horse-racing? All I needed to do was read the headline in the paper and I became just sick to my stomach and my soul.
And we had thought about watching with the kids.
Never, never, never.
And we had thought about watching with the kids.
Never, never, never.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Almost Over
The bathroom renovation is almost over and I think I'm ready. With our kitchen out of commission for two days (the bathroom is right above the stove) and the bathroom inaccessible until Sunday (for grout curing), our schedule has been disrupted. I think it's the longest I've ever been without a bath and it's making me edgy. It's a major decompression and relaxation technique for me. A friend is letting us use her bathroom this afternoon, which is very kind, but not the same.
Today at playgroup was stressful. In fact, just having playgroup created some confusion because some people decided at the last minute to go somewhere else--it was too late for me to contact everyone and change the plan and I'd promised Sis and Buddy that we were going to the mall (even though the other place sounded more fun). Other people did show up at playgroup (which was at the mall because our park picnic was rained out), thankfully. It was a lonely wait, though, with about 40 minutes of thinking everyone had decided to go play elsewhere. All the while Sis asked, "Why aren't our friends here?"
Then my kids lost it. In a big way. We're perpetually sleep deprived, and it is a strange week with Gommie's departure and the bathroom renovation. Sis cried off and on the whole time--for food, for the escalator, for the elevator, for the ice cream truck ride, for anything but what we had. At one point, Buddy planted his feet, stomping, refusing to move. Luckily for me, the other moms there were so kind.
And I forgot to give them the chocolate chip cookies I had made.
I owe them.
Big time.
Today at playgroup was stressful. In fact, just having playgroup created some confusion because some people decided at the last minute to go somewhere else--it was too late for me to contact everyone and change the plan and I'd promised Sis and Buddy that we were going to the mall (even though the other place sounded more fun). Other people did show up at playgroup (which was at the mall because our park picnic was rained out), thankfully. It was a lonely wait, though, with about 40 minutes of thinking everyone had decided to go play elsewhere. All the while Sis asked, "Why aren't our friends here?"
Then my kids lost it. In a big way. We're perpetually sleep deprived, and it is a strange week with Gommie's departure and the bathroom renovation. Sis cried off and on the whole time--for food, for the escalator, for the elevator, for the ice cream truck ride, for anything but what we had. At one point, Buddy planted his feet, stomping, refusing to move. Luckily for me, the other moms there were so kind.
And I forgot to give them the chocolate chip cookies I had made.
I owe them.
Big time.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Tidbits
Don't laugh, but I don't have time to figure out how to rotate these pictures.
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Buddy loves to say, "wait a second!" Do I really say that a lot?
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Sis is always offering to help Bud, "Don't worry, Buddy, I'm behind you."
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Sis never likes my first culinary offerings. She'll even pre-empt me with "I want something else. Something good for me that's yummy for my tummy. Mmmmmm." Now she really likes looking in the fridge and picking something out for herself--guess it's time to give them their own fridge shelf. Even if she always only chooses either a). yogurt or b). apricot jelly for a sandwich.
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Buddy LOVED yardwork today. See, a neighbor with a baby loves doing yardwork and, well, I have a yard. And I'd much rather watch her kid that pull weeds. So, she cleaned around my rock wall today while I played with the three kids. Except Buddy wanted to help with leaves so we cut a yard bag to his level (not having any grocery paper bags) and he stuffed away, even practicing breaking sticks over his leg.
-=-=-=-=-
We had Hawaiian Pizza for dinner. Ick. But they liked it. Both picked off the pineapple. Then Buddy ate the ham and Sis ate the crusty edges. Which left these limp triangles of cheesy mess. Yay.
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My favorite, from both kids: "Why aren't we there yet?"
-=-=-=-=-
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Buddy loves to say, "wait a second!" Do I really say that a lot?
-=-=-=-=-
Sis is always offering to help Bud, "Don't worry, Buddy, I'm behind you."
-=-=-=-=-
Sis never likes my first culinary offerings. She'll even pre-empt me with "I want something else. Something good for me that's yummy for my tummy. Mmmmmm." Now she really likes looking in the fridge and picking something out for herself--guess it's time to give them their own fridge shelf. Even if she always only chooses either a). yogurt or b). apricot jelly for a sandwich.
-=-=-=-=-
Buddy LOVED yardwork today. See, a neighbor with a baby loves doing yardwork and, well, I have a yard. And I'd much rather watch her kid that pull weeds. So, she cleaned around my rock wall today while I played with the three kids. Except Buddy wanted to help with leaves so we cut a yard bag to his level (not having any grocery paper bags) and he stuffed away, even practicing breaking sticks over his leg.
-=-=-=-=-
We had Hawaiian Pizza for dinner. Ick. But they liked it. Both picked off the pineapple. Then Buddy ate the ham and Sis ate the crusty edges. Which left these limp triangles of cheesy mess. Yay.
-=-=-=-=-
My favorite, from both kids: "Why aren't we there yet?"
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Cupcakes for Grownups
Before I start, I need to say that I don't have the recipe for these.
Hint, hint.
Last night, I had the most incredible cupcakes. Not your average birthday party chocolate with buttercream (though, I really like those too).
No, these were cupcakes for grownups, specifically tired moms who need something new, something special. It was a tender vanilla cake with lime curd filling and this delicate lime buttercream. Oh, my gosh they were good.
I was sent home with two and only because I love her did I give one to Mama. But no way was she getting both, even though I had already had mine.
Thanks, T. They were special.
And happy birthday to you!
Hint, hint.
Last night, I had the most incredible cupcakes. Not your average birthday party chocolate with buttercream (though, I really like those too).
No, these were cupcakes for grownups, specifically tired moms who need something new, something special. It was a tender vanilla cake with lime curd filling and this delicate lime buttercream. Oh, my gosh they were good.
I was sent home with two and only because I love her did I give one to Mama. But no way was she getting both, even though I had already had mine.
Thanks, T. They were special.
And happy birthday to you!
On Broadway
My kids broke into song today. Literally.
We were outside playing in the yard and decided to leave the backyard and go to the front. But we needed to clean up, which always includes putting the lid on the sandbox.
So Sis walks over to one side of the lid and belts, "What's going to work?"
And recognizing his cue, Buddy responded, "Teamwork!"
They proceeded to sing the Wonder Pets chorus over and over as they finished cleaning up the backyard.
I guess it's time to introduce Andrew Lloyd Webber!
(Mama will shutter at that, especially because she liked Les Mis better than Phantom of the Opera AND I made her sit through the London production of Whistle Down the Wind. Even I knew that was awful. We're big musicals fans here, though not more recently because of access and, frankly, interest--some of the current shows are ill-conceived and unoriginal. Our first date was to see the original cast of Rent.)
We were outside playing in the yard and decided to leave the backyard and go to the front. But we needed to clean up, which always includes putting the lid on the sandbox.
So Sis walks over to one side of the lid and belts, "What's going to work?"
And recognizing his cue, Buddy responded, "Teamwork!"
They proceeded to sing the Wonder Pets chorus over and over as they finished cleaning up the backyard.
I guess it's time to introduce Andrew Lloyd Webber!
(Mama will shutter at that, especially because she liked Les Mis better than Phantom of the Opera AND I made her sit through the London production of Whistle Down the Wind. Even I knew that was awful. We're big musicals fans here, though not more recently because of access and, frankly, interest--some of the current shows are ill-conceived and unoriginal. Our first date was to see the original cast of Rent.)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Preschool
You will notice that I have not commented on the preschool open house we went to this weekend.
It was great.
I don't want to talk about it.
I can't.
It was great.
I don't want to talk about it.
I can't.
The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
I'm biased because they're my Bammie's recipe (Gommie's mom--yep, weird names on that side of the family.)
We made them yesterday in honor of Gommie.
And for once, Sis ate more cookies than dough!
That's an unqualified success.
Just don't ask me a). why there is a teaspoon of hot water or b). how she got 100 cookies from a dough that I can only make 60 with!!!!
Note: bags of chocolate chips used to be 14 oz!!!! 12 works fine too.
-=-=-=-=
We made them yesterday in honor of Gommie.
And for once, Sis ate more cookies than dough!
That's an unqualified success.
Just don't ask me a). why there is a teaspoon of hot water or b). how she got 100 cookies from a dough that I can only make 60 with!!!!
Note: bags of chocolate chips used to be 14 oz!!!! 12 works fine too.
-=-=-=-=
Mom’s Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
The best-ever moist and chewy chocolate chip cookie. I’ve been making these for years—they can be individual cookies or one large cookie (with chocolate chips sprinkled and spread for frosting, which we’ve served at our holiday parties). These were the first cookie I made with Mama and I then taught her brother how to make them (how to make any cookies with the double spoon method, the triple tray method, etc.—they don’t have an oven) But it never makes 100!
Makes 100
1 ½ cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
¾ cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs (Eggbeaters also work)
1 teaspoon hot water
1 cup nuts
2 cups oatmeal (quick or regular; uncooked—old fashioned regular are best)
1 teaspoon vanilla
14 oz. chocolate chips
Cream shortening until soft. Add sugars gradually, cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs (1 at a time), beating after each. Add vanilla and hot water. Sift in dry ingredients. Add nuts, oatmeal, and chocolate chips. Bake at 375°F for 8 minutes.
Bammie
Pomp and Circumstance
I graduated from PT today. I feel better than I have in the 10 weeks since the flare-ups began, though not quite as strong as before that. But I'm getting there and it was a good time to transition to "wellness," which allows me to use the PT place as a gym, with the therapists there to answer questions or suggest other stretches and exercises.
In truth, my reactions to this last day of therapy was very mixed. I was excited to pick-up my wellness enrollment forms, but then cried in the car from relief. And fear. It's been a long road since I threw out my back last summer and started therapy for that and my diastasis (torn abdominal muscles) in the fall. The last 10 weeks--after 5 weeks of constant reinjury--have been the hardest. I've learned so much about myself and my body, some discouraging, some enlightening, most revelatory, like why the hems of my skirts are never straight, why I can't do certain yoga moves involving balance, why I've always limped. But also that I'm a good starter and a lazy finisher.
Which is why it's amazing that I'm finished with therapy. In fact, after the last "road to wellness," I didn't do anything to celebrate today, not sure it would actually happen (I'm going to get cupcakes to take to my first wellness visit on Monday). For awhile, it felt like I would be in it forever (I'm sure my friends thought so, with the way I'd mention it constantly). It was comfortable, which is probably exactly why it's good that I'm done. But I'm scared--what if I hurt again? Is this the best I will be? It's really coming face-to-face with a chronic problem, one that promises (possibly) arthritis in my hips, orthotics, and who knows what else. What I do know is that I need to keep strengthening my core and that will help all manner of things. I can't fix the dysplasia or diastasis but I can lessen their impact.
So, in the end, it's been a great six months. I've learned so much, gotten stronger, and made some great friends.
And I guess, I hope, with those three things, I am ready to move onto the next phase.
"Wellness" sounds good.
In truth, my reactions to this last day of therapy was very mixed. I was excited to pick-up my wellness enrollment forms, but then cried in the car from relief. And fear. It's been a long road since I threw out my back last summer and started therapy for that and my diastasis (torn abdominal muscles) in the fall. The last 10 weeks--after 5 weeks of constant reinjury--have been the hardest. I've learned so much about myself and my body, some discouraging, some enlightening, most revelatory, like why the hems of my skirts are never straight, why I can't do certain yoga moves involving balance, why I've always limped. But also that I'm a good starter and a lazy finisher.
Which is why it's amazing that I'm finished with therapy. In fact, after the last "road to wellness," I didn't do anything to celebrate today, not sure it would actually happen (I'm going to get cupcakes to take to my first wellness visit on Monday). For awhile, it felt like I would be in it forever (I'm sure my friends thought so, with the way I'd mention it constantly). It was comfortable, which is probably exactly why it's good that I'm done. But I'm scared--what if I hurt again? Is this the best I will be? It's really coming face-to-face with a chronic problem, one that promises (possibly) arthritis in my hips, orthotics, and who knows what else. What I do know is that I need to keep strengthening my core and that will help all manner of things. I can't fix the dysplasia or diastasis but I can lessen their impact.
So, in the end, it's been a great six months. I've learned so much, gotten stronger, and made some great friends.
And I guess, I hope, with those three things, I am ready to move onto the next phase.
"Wellness" sounds good.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Time Flies
It was less than two weeks ago that we knew Gommie was coming. It was less than a week ago that she came. And now she's heading home.
We had a great week.
We shopped at a local market, picking up a cart full of produce, which we almost managed to finish while Gommie was here--baked spaghetti squash, zucchini fries, salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, and tomatoes straight from the packet.
We had two picnics in different parks, enjoying sandwiches and strawberries, slides and swings, and the wonderful spring weather. Buddy liked throwing dandelions into the pond and thought it was funny that a duck kept trying to eat them. Sis mastered the up-and-down bridge.
We visited our new school and went to a fun birthday party. We shopped for clothes and ate ice cream at the dairy farm. We had new haircuts, with Sis in the taxi cab chair and Bud in the police car chair. Everyone likes the haircuts--"he's such a boy," "she's just like a doll." Oh, well.
We went to Old Sturbridge Village, where Sis loved to ride in the horse-drawn wagon and Buddy loved listening (and dancing) to fife and flute music. We churned butter (and tried some) and planted cranberry bean seeds. And I learned how to yarn sew. We tried on costumes and played house.
In the mornings, Gommie woke the kids up with "You are my Sunshine" and at night she bathed them, read stories, and tucked them in with a kiss and our family handshake. They often played outside on the "pirate ship" and made "fairy pools" with the (very cold) water from the swimming pool. Buddy did lots of counting and Sis "baked" numerous pies. There was dancing, skipping, chase, hide-and-go seek, and many renditions of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "East Side, West Side (Sidewalks of New York)," "Let's Go Fly a Kite," and other Gommie standards.
Gommie marveled at all the talking. Buddy likes to say, "Wait a second" and "sure;" Sis likes to give specific instructions. Sis is a climber; Buddy is a dancer. Gommie noted, "They sure like to test you." Luckily, there were not too many fights nor too many timeouts. There were lots of hugs and cuddles and "uppy-ups." We talked to Pop everyday and also to Aunt Banana.
There were date nights, help with yard work and laundry and dishes, lots of downtime, free babysitting, lots of Starbucks, and many gifts of toys, books, and clothes. Good conversations too--about weddings, visits, family, compassion, listening, books, the economy, and politics. We bought our tickets for our summer trip for my sister's wedding and measured the kids for their special clothes.
And we took pictures of it all.
Goodbye, Gommie. And thanks for a wonderful week!
-=-=-=-=-
Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 medium zucchini
water or milk
1 cup fat-free or low-fat spaghetti sauce
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Place bread crumbs, cheese, and garlic powder in Ziploc bag and shake well to combine all ingredients. Set aside.
Cut each zucchini lengthwise into 8 pieces; cut each piece again in half lengthwise. Fil a pie plate with water; then dip each zucchini stick first in water, then into bag of crumb mixture. Shake until zucchini are coated on all sides. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with rest of sticks.
Bake on cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes or until brown and tender. Serve with warm spaghetti sauce.
Note: Use 1 medium eggplant, sliced into thin rounds, instead of zucchini.
Eating Expectantly
And if these directions don't make sense (which I'm not sure they do), get to Old Sturbridge Village and pay $5 at their Hands-On Craft Building--it's fun! And you get to take it all home to finish.
We had a great week.
We shopped at a local market, picking up a cart full of produce, which we almost managed to finish while Gommie was here--baked spaghetti squash, zucchini fries, salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, and tomatoes straight from the packet.
We had two picnics in different parks, enjoying sandwiches and strawberries, slides and swings, and the wonderful spring weather. Buddy liked throwing dandelions into the pond and thought it was funny that a duck kept trying to eat them. Sis mastered the up-and-down bridge.
We visited our new school and went to a fun birthday party. We shopped for clothes and ate ice cream at the dairy farm. We had new haircuts, with Sis in the taxi cab chair and Bud in the police car chair. Everyone likes the haircuts--"he's such a boy," "she's just like a doll." Oh, well.
We went to Old Sturbridge Village, where Sis loved to ride in the horse-drawn wagon and Buddy loved listening (and dancing) to fife and flute music. We churned butter (and tried some) and planted cranberry bean seeds. And I learned how to yarn sew. We tried on costumes and played house.
In the mornings, Gommie woke the kids up with "You are my Sunshine" and at night she bathed them, read stories, and tucked them in with a kiss and our family handshake. They often played outside on the "pirate ship" and made "fairy pools" with the (very cold) water from the swimming pool. Buddy did lots of counting and Sis "baked" numerous pies. There was dancing, skipping, chase, hide-and-go seek, and many renditions of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "East Side, West Side (Sidewalks of New York)," "Let's Go Fly a Kite," and other Gommie standards.
Gommie marveled at all the talking. Buddy likes to say, "Wait a second" and "sure;" Sis likes to give specific instructions. Sis is a climber; Buddy is a dancer. Gommie noted, "They sure like to test you." Luckily, there were not too many fights nor too many timeouts. There were lots of hugs and cuddles and "uppy-ups." We talked to Pop everyday and also to Aunt Banana.
There were date nights, help with yard work and laundry and dishes, lots of downtime, free babysitting, lots of Starbucks, and many gifts of toys, books, and clothes. Good conversations too--about weddings, visits, family, compassion, listening, books, the economy, and politics. We bought our tickets for our summer trip for my sister's wedding and measured the kids for their special clothes.
And we took pictures of it all.
Goodbye, Gommie. And thanks for a wonderful week!
-=-=-=-=-
Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 medium zucchini
water or milk
1 cup fat-free or low-fat spaghetti sauce
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Place bread crumbs, cheese, and garlic powder in Ziploc bag and shake well to combine all ingredients. Set aside.
Cut each zucchini lengthwise into 8 pieces; cut each piece again in half lengthwise. Fil a pie plate with water; then dip each zucchini stick first in water, then into bag of crumb mixture. Shake until zucchini are coated on all sides. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with rest of sticks.
Bake on cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes or until brown and tender. Serve with warm spaghetti sauce.
Note: Use 1 medium eggplant, sliced into thin rounds, instead of zucchini.
Eating Expectantly
Yarn Sewing
Supplies: 2 different color yarns, piece of fabric (I'm guessing about 18 count Aida), needle, heart-shaped cookie cutter, pencil, fabric glue
Seam the edges of your fabric (glue works). Trace the shape of the cookie cutter on the fabric seam-side up.
Tread your needle with about 18" of yarn for the interior of the heart. Working along the edge, make stitches perpendicular to the line about 1/8" long (needle should never end up on underside of fabric--I think this is a whipstitch??) . Catch tail of yarn under stitches (as in cross stitch). Leave a loop by not pulling yarn all the way through. Every 3-4 stitches, use needles to adjust size of stitches so they are all the same. Continue until you fill in the heart. Use the other color to work the outside of the heart (you can follow the contour of the heart, create lines, even using a staggered running stitch for a more varied look). You will work over the seam.
And if these directions don't make sense (which I'm not sure they do), get to Old Sturbridge Village and pay $5 at their Hands-On Craft Building--it's fun! And you get to take it all home to finish.
Whale of a Tale
After dropping Gommie off at the train station, we went for a drive in the rain to see the ocean.
Admiring the big waves, Buddy said, "A whale made the big waves. A big whale."
I suggested that maybe it was lots of whales.
And Sis suggested they were humpbacks.
So we sat there watching the humpback whale waves.
Admiring the big waves, Buddy said, "A whale made the big waves. A big whale."
I suggested that maybe it was lots of whales.
And Sis suggested they were humpbacks.
So we sat there watching the humpback whale waves.
Bittersweet
It's been another rough week for various friends of ours--goodbyes, deaths, sadnesses. And today's dreary weather, while matching the mood of many, doesn't help.
For my own part, my mom left today to go back to Texas. It's always hard to say goodbye, but it gets harder now that the kids understand.
Or partially understand. Because as Gommie's train left--yes, Gommie, we were in the parking lot watching because they wanted to see you get on the train--Sis just said, "Okay, we'll see her tomorrow then."
It'll be a lot of tomorrows.
Hugs to everyone this week. Hopefully the sun will shine soon.
For my own part, my mom left today to go back to Texas. It's always hard to say goodbye, but it gets harder now that the kids understand.
Or partially understand. Because as Gommie's train left--yes, Gommie, we were in the parking lot watching because they wanted to see you get on the train--Sis just said, "Okay, we'll see her tomorrow then."
It'll be a lot of tomorrows.
Hugs to everyone this week. Hopefully the sun will shine soon.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Of Seders and Oranges
Our Seder was last weekend, an annual event on our church's calendar. I had never been to a Seder before going to our church's a few years ago and I still wonder how different a real one is (though, finding the quintessential Seder would be about as easy as finding the typical Christmas, no doubt--everyone does it a little differently).
But I'm always so impressed by the structure of the Seder, particularly the Haggadah (which for those of you who have never been to a Seder is the text which is read at and which organizes the evening--there are hundreds of different ones, with different stresses and themes). The Haggadah we used this year was compiled by our director of religious education and included all the usual, I assume, readings and songs--from the Four Questions about how and why Passover is celebrated, to the opening of the door for Elijah, the drinking of water from Miriam's cup, the dots of wine for the 10 plagues, the eating of parsley and bitter herbs and boiled eggs and matzahs in haroset (depending on your background, an apple/honey/walnut or apricot/almond/citrus mixture), the hiding and go seeking of the afikoman, and the singing of Daiyenu and Let My People Go. And, of course, the oranges, in honor of gay and lesbian rights, from when one of the earliest ordained woman rabbis was shouted down with, "A woman belongs in the pulpit like an orange belongs on the Seder plate!" The focus was specifically peace, freedom, and justice, in keeping with the UU principles. But it was short (only about 40 minutes beginning to end) and easy for newbies to understand.
Here is a ritual--a dinner, or two (some families have Seders the first two nights of Passover--can you imagine doing Christmas twice? Oh, the preparations!)--designed primarily to educate the young in their faith--to school them in the meanings of their traditions and in their history. I can't think of a Christian holiday that has education as its central focus. In fact, I have trouble imagining a Christian holiday that is still, well, Christian. Imagine if most families celebrated Christmas, or Easter, based on its religious meaning? I can't even fathom how we would connect Easter Bunnies to the crucifixion (yes, yes, I know about the appropriation of pagan symbols) or Christmas presents to the nativity (because it's all gotten beyond a few gifts to the baby Jesus). But the way we celebrate these holidays today has nothing to do with passing along a religious tradition, faith, or dogma. Don't get me wrong, I love the way our family celebrates--it's very much about passing along a family tradition, and, at least in our house, conveniently not about Christianity at all.
Even looking at secular holidays--4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day--the meaning of those is forgotten or lost amid their modern-day trappings (picnics and sales, primarily). We don't really talk about the Revolutionary War or Armistice Day anymore. And when we do focus on the history and meaning of a holiday--Thanksgiving--we get it all wrong with Pilgrims and Indians.
And so, I like sitting down at a meal with friends and being reminded of the history of a tradition, even if it's not one of my traditions and it's not specifically my cultural history. There are lessons in it for everyone.
And so I'm making this tradition one of ours, complete with oranges.
-=-=-=-=
Ivy's Noodle "Coogle"
12 oz medium width noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large package cream cheese (8 oz)
2 cups hot milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted in milk
3/4 cup or more Frosted Flake or other cereal, crushed
Preheat oven to 350F.
Place noodles in 9 x 13 pan. Beat together all remaining ingredients. Pour over noodles. Cover "coogle" with topping. Bake for 1 hour. May be served hot, warm, or cold.
Lowfat substitutions will work (but if you change everything it will taste different)
But I'm always so impressed by the structure of the Seder, particularly the Haggadah (which for those of you who have never been to a Seder is the text which is read at and which organizes the evening--there are hundreds of different ones, with different stresses and themes). The Haggadah we used this year was compiled by our director of religious education and included all the usual, I assume, readings and songs--from the Four Questions about how and why Passover is celebrated, to the opening of the door for Elijah, the drinking of water from Miriam's cup, the dots of wine for the 10 plagues, the eating of parsley and bitter herbs and boiled eggs and matzahs in haroset (depending on your background, an apple/honey/walnut or apricot/almond/citrus mixture), the hiding and go seeking of the afikoman, and the singing of Daiyenu and Let My People Go. And, of course, the oranges, in honor of gay and lesbian rights, from when one of the earliest ordained woman rabbis was shouted down with, "A woman belongs in the pulpit like an orange belongs on the Seder plate!" The focus was specifically peace, freedom, and justice, in keeping with the UU principles. But it was short (only about 40 minutes beginning to end) and easy for newbies to understand.
Here is a ritual--a dinner, or two (some families have Seders the first two nights of Passover--can you imagine doing Christmas twice? Oh, the preparations!)--designed primarily to educate the young in their faith--to school them in the meanings of their traditions and in their history. I can't think of a Christian holiday that has education as its central focus. In fact, I have trouble imagining a Christian holiday that is still, well, Christian. Imagine if most families celebrated Christmas, or Easter, based on its religious meaning? I can't even fathom how we would connect Easter Bunnies to the crucifixion (yes, yes, I know about the appropriation of pagan symbols) or Christmas presents to the nativity (because it's all gotten beyond a few gifts to the baby Jesus). But the way we celebrate these holidays today has nothing to do with passing along a religious tradition, faith, or dogma. Don't get me wrong, I love the way our family celebrates--it's very much about passing along a family tradition, and, at least in our house, conveniently not about Christianity at all.
Even looking at secular holidays--4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day--the meaning of those is forgotten or lost amid their modern-day trappings (picnics and sales, primarily). We don't really talk about the Revolutionary War or Armistice Day anymore. And when we do focus on the history and meaning of a holiday--Thanksgiving--we get it all wrong with Pilgrims and Indians.
And so, I like sitting down at a meal with friends and being reminded of the history of a tradition, even if it's not one of my traditions and it's not specifically my cultural history. There are lessons in it for everyone.
And so I'm making this tradition one of ours, complete with oranges.
-=-=-=-=
Ivy's Noodle "Coogle"
12 oz medium width noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large package cream cheese (8 oz)
2 cups hot milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted in milk
3/4 cup or more Frosted Flake or other cereal, crushed
Preheat oven to 350F.
Place noodles in 9 x 13 pan. Beat together all remaining ingredients. Pour over noodles. Cover "coogle" with topping. Bake for 1 hour. May be served hot, warm, or cold.
Lowfat substitutions will work (but if you change everything it will taste different)
Chocopologie
We had another date night and it was as if I walked into the pages of one of my food magazines or onto a Food Network special. Mama had heard of this cafe in SoNo that focuses on chocolate, Chocopologie, and we decided to go for date night with Gommie babysitting.Just reading the menu online had us salivating and restricting our food intake for days before the date. And I fully intended to have dessert for all my courses. And I did.
Chocopologie is in the cutesy urban area of SoNo that is trying so hard to be Connecticut's version of hip NYC. It's young, lots of restaurants, loud music--but so clean, lacking in traffic or car horn sounds or sirens, and devoid of curiously questionable people that you would never mistake it for the real thing. I'd say it was safe but with so few people off the main part of Main Street, I doubt it's as safe as Time Square at midnight. The restaurant itself has a several tables upfront, the counter, and a long gallery for viewing chocolate production during the day. I'm not sure what you'd call the decor--it's some kind of chic, but not ultra-modern. I'm not up on decor terminology.
But I can describe the food. Which is funny, because my first dish--chocolate truffle beignets--left me speechless. These hot doughnuts came out with a fondue fork, but the batter wasn't chocolate as I'd expected, but regular Cafe Du Monde dough--only filled with melted chocolate. And something else. Was it honey? Nuts? A liqueur? I couldn't place it, so I asked. Pistachio. Pistachio truffle. They take one of their high-end truffles, wrap it in beignet mix, and fry it. I think it's the most amazing dessert I've ever had. Even Mama ate two of them and she's not a huge chocolate fan.
She was eating a croque monsieur with french fries. And truffle oil mayonnaise. Now, I will blow my cover as a foodie (which you'll remember I never claim to be--I'm not adventurous enough) when I say I've never had truffle anything before, of the fungal not cocoa variety. But I might be a convert. The earthiness mixed with the tartness of the mayo and the salty-crunchy of the fries was the perfect counterpoint to my chocolate.
Oh, and we were drinking chocolate too--Mama got a frozen hot chocolate. We've had one before, at Serendipity 3 in NYC--but that is a sweet sugary huge kid's version. This drink is the adult's version--dark chocolate flavor, not too much sugar, just the right size. Really quite perfect (even better slightly melted so that the ice isn't so obvious).
Then we moved on to dessert! What they call the chocolate love--a plate with four small chocolate desserts--a rich, flavorful and not bitter chocolate ice cream; a warm "molten" chocolate cake; a delicious chocolate mousse that was so smooth it was almost chocolate butter; and a chocolate Napoleon with little florentine cookies and ganache (the chewy cookies overwhelmed the ganache and were the night's weakest point). Wow.
Then--and I know you're thinking, "then?!"--I had their Chocopologie coffee with lavender foam. It was like eating Provence. I eventually just spooned the foam off the top, too full to drink the mocha coffee (even though it was delicious too). I just couldn't believe the foam. I'm sure it's just lavender-steeped milk made frothy but it was the essence of lavender. Though it's no molecular gastronomic trick, I couldn't help think of Ferran Adria and the foams you hear about.
So, we ended the night by purchasing a t-shirt, which I am wearing right now that says "Chocolate Lover" (and which I had the audacity to wear to my WW weigh-in today, which could've been worse but wasn't good), and several truffles to indulge in over the next several nights--rosewater, lemon, Grand Marnier, orange rum, pistachio, violet.
We even got the babysitter a little something!
Chocopologie is in the cutesy urban area of SoNo that is trying so hard to be Connecticut's version of hip NYC. It's young, lots of restaurants, loud music--but so clean, lacking in traffic or car horn sounds or sirens, and devoid of curiously questionable people that you would never mistake it for the real thing. I'd say it was safe but with so few people off the main part of Main Street, I doubt it's as safe as Time Square at midnight. The restaurant itself has a several tables upfront, the counter, and a long gallery for viewing chocolate production during the day. I'm not sure what you'd call the decor--it's some kind of chic, but not ultra-modern. I'm not up on decor terminology.
But I can describe the food. Which is funny, because my first dish--chocolate truffle beignets--left me speechless. These hot doughnuts came out with a fondue fork, but the batter wasn't chocolate as I'd expected, but regular Cafe Du Monde dough--only filled with melted chocolate. And something else. Was it honey? Nuts? A liqueur? I couldn't place it, so I asked. Pistachio. Pistachio truffle. They take one of their high-end truffles, wrap it in beignet mix, and fry it. I think it's the most amazing dessert I've ever had. Even Mama ate two of them and she's not a huge chocolate fan.
She was eating a croque monsieur with french fries. And truffle oil mayonnaise. Now, I will blow my cover as a foodie (which you'll remember I never claim to be--I'm not adventurous enough) when I say I've never had truffle anything before, of the fungal not cocoa variety. But I might be a convert. The earthiness mixed with the tartness of the mayo and the salty-crunchy of the fries was the perfect counterpoint to my chocolate.
Oh, and we were drinking chocolate too--Mama got a frozen hot chocolate. We've had one before, at Serendipity 3 in NYC--but that is a sweet sugary huge kid's version. This drink is the adult's version--dark chocolate flavor, not too much sugar, just the right size. Really quite perfect (even better slightly melted so that the ice isn't so obvious).
Then we moved on to dessert! What they call the chocolate love--a plate with four small chocolate desserts--a rich, flavorful and not bitter chocolate ice cream; a warm "molten" chocolate cake; a delicious chocolate mousse that was so smooth it was almost chocolate butter; and a chocolate Napoleon with little florentine cookies and ganache (the chewy cookies overwhelmed the ganache and were the night's weakest point). Wow.
Then--and I know you're thinking, "then?!"--I had their Chocopologie coffee with lavender foam. It was like eating Provence. I eventually just spooned the foam off the top, too full to drink the mocha coffee (even though it was delicious too). I just couldn't believe the foam. I'm sure it's just lavender-steeped milk made frothy but it was the essence of lavender. Though it's no molecular gastronomic trick, I couldn't help think of Ferran Adria and the foams you hear about.
So, we ended the night by purchasing a t-shirt, which I am wearing right now that says "Chocolate Lover" (and which I had the audacity to wear to my WW weigh-in today, which could've been worse but wasn't good), and several truffles to indulge in over the next several nights--rosewater, lemon, Grand Marnier, orange rum, pistachio, violet.
We even got the babysitter a little something!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Language and Perception
There is an article in this week's NYTimes about colors, language, and perception, and I was fascinated to learn that English is one of the few languages to distinguish between blue and green. For instance, apparently, Russians do light and dark blues but not green. (Is this like the word "snow" and the Inuits, with all their names for it, except one word like "snow" since they perceive it as different precipitation when we do not??)
In our Chinese class we learned blue yesterday, "lan se." We already knew green, "le se" (I think that's the Pinyin). "Se" is added to all the color names (unless the color is being used as an adjective, I think). So I guess they differentiate the colors too. Or has English influenced them?
Anyway, sometimes the kiddos get confused. Yesterday, Sis identified a tree as "green se" and the water as "blue se."
I'm fascinated by how they learn language, especially because they pronounce it better than I do, even if they are slower to remember new words.
We only need purple and then will have the whole rainbow!
(Hmmm, do people see the rainbow differently? Does the gay flag confuse the Russians?)
In our Chinese class we learned blue yesterday, "lan se." We already knew green, "le se" (I think that's the Pinyin). "Se" is added to all the color names (unless the color is being used as an adjective, I think). So I guess they differentiate the colors too. Or has English influenced them?
Anyway, sometimes the kiddos get confused. Yesterday, Sis identified a tree as "green se" and the water as "blue se."
I'm fascinated by how they learn language, especially because they pronounce it better than I do, even if they are slower to remember new words.
We only need purple and then will have the whole rainbow!
(Hmmm, do people see the rainbow differently? Does the gay flag confuse the Russians?)
It All Adds Up
As I've said, Buddy loves numbers. He was very excited at Chinese class yesterday when we got to count--he'll do it on his fingers, in English, and in Chinese.
But we went past five! It took awhile to explain the concept of seven--one hand of five plus one hand of two. But he got it and was fascinated. "What's six? What's eight?" We went through all the numbers up to ten and he spent the rest of the day saying "seven is five and two."
My goodness, the boy can add!
But we went past five! It took awhile to explain the concept of seven--one hand of five plus one hand of two. But he got it and was fascinated. "What's six? What's eight?" We went through all the numbers up to ten and he spent the rest of the day saying "seven is five and two."
My goodness, the boy can add!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Blog Admin
Just a note to my faithful readers that Gommie is coming to town and so posts will probably be erratic or entirely absent until her departure on Monday. Not to worry, I'll be back.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sleep Deprived
We're off again.
Buddy is sound asleep on the floor in a pile of loveys. He fell asleep after reading a story with Babysitter--just rolled over and fell asleep! Probably because he woke up at 6 a.m. ish, which is more than an hour earlier than usual.
See, they napped on Saturday on the way home from Mystic (that was lots of fun--Sis loved riding the horse-drawn carriage, while Buddy loved playing cook in the galley of the children's museum). Then they went to bed late, woke up early on Sunday, went to bed on time on Sunday, and woke up early on Monday. Just where we were last week at this time.
Except last Monday, as you will recall, was miserable and today was pretty good. In honor of No Television Week, we didn't watch a thing until rest time at 1 p.m., a near record for us. Instead, we played chase downstairs, we played hide and go seek upstairs, baked butterscotch cookies, played outside, and painted. Buddy really likes our Fairy House under the pine tree--today we added a magic circle of white rocks, a Fairy guardian (a fairy lawn decoration I had--black silhouette of a dancing fairy), and flowers. In fact, Sis and Buddy really enjoyed picking all the wild violets in our yard--"the best bouquet in the world!" (thank you, Franklin). Our motto, though, was leave some for tomorrow, which mainly worked. This afternoon, Babysitter was here while I went to PT and, well, now Buddy is asleep on the floor while dinner (meatloaf) cooks. Sis is awake, waiting for dinner, which means she'll be trying to fall asleep just as he wakes up.
So, tomorrow we'll be off again. But hopefully, it will be another good day like today.
Buddy is sound asleep on the floor in a pile of loveys. He fell asleep after reading a story with Babysitter--just rolled over and fell asleep! Probably because he woke up at 6 a.m. ish, which is more than an hour earlier than usual.
See, they napped on Saturday on the way home from Mystic (that was lots of fun--Sis loved riding the horse-drawn carriage, while Buddy loved playing cook in the galley of the children's museum). Then they went to bed late, woke up early on Sunday, went to bed on time on Sunday, and woke up early on Monday. Just where we were last week at this time.
Except last Monday, as you will recall, was miserable and today was pretty good. In honor of No Television Week, we didn't watch a thing until rest time at 1 p.m., a near record for us. Instead, we played chase downstairs, we played hide and go seek upstairs, baked butterscotch cookies, played outside, and painted. Buddy really likes our Fairy House under the pine tree--today we added a magic circle of white rocks, a Fairy guardian (a fairy lawn decoration I had--black silhouette of a dancing fairy), and flowers. In fact, Sis and Buddy really enjoyed picking all the wild violets in our yard--"the best bouquet in the world!" (thank you, Franklin). Our motto, though, was leave some for tomorrow, which mainly worked. This afternoon, Babysitter was here while I went to PT and, well, now Buddy is asleep on the floor while dinner (meatloaf) cooks. Sis is awake, waiting for dinner, which means she'll be trying to fall asleep just as he wakes up.
So, tomorrow we'll be off again. But hopefully, it will be another good day like today.
Number by Colors
Sis loves to organize things, as I think I've noted before. Right now, colors are her favorite common denominator. For example, she likes her plates, cups, and bowls to match, or at least be in the same color family. But more extreme, I found her organizing M&Ms by color the other day. We were putting them in Rice Krispie treats and I turned around and found a line of oranges, a line of reds, and so on. And that's not the only time it's happened: this morning, she picked flowers by color--first, the purple wild violets and then the white wild violets and then on to the yellow dandelions. She's partial to green and to purple but will organize by color regardless. Even when she's coloring. We were decorating a card for a woman at church and she pulled out all the shades of blue in the box and lined them up. I'd love to say she'd lined them up from darkest to lightest, but she didn't.
Yet.
(I was partial--and still am--to the rainbow. And no, it's not just a gay thing. I've loved rainbows for years. And didn't know the symbolism.)
Yet.
(I was partial--and still am--to the rainbow. And no, it's not just a gay thing. I've loved rainbows for years. And didn't know the symbolism.)
Inch by Inch
Our yard is a mess. I'm convinced the neighbors, whose lawns are immaculate--and poisonous, with large carbon footprints--bemoan the state of our yard. There are weeds, sticks, long grass, dead patches, untrimmed bushes, old leaves, toys.
I'm going to talk about all but the last one because I think toys are perfectly normally for any family's yard.
I don't particularly like yard work. It's the one thing I totally underestimated about owning a house. I don't like to get hot. I don't have the back to do a lot of picking up, weeding, or the like. I happen to like wild violets and dandelions and clover and ivy. And fall leaves. And bushes in natural shapes. We don't use any chemicals on the yard or plants. We don't waste resources by doing any watering of the grass. And I don't like the gas-powered lawn mower, with its noise, smell, and carbon footprint (our people-powered rotary lawn mower can't handle our bumpy and stick-strewn yard).
And this week in the paper I actually read a defense of my kind of yard. Kent Pierce, of Connecticut, a plant and pests expert, noted, “I’m 51, and I remember that for kids in the ’60s, lawns were really spectacular, interesting, amazing places. There were cool weeds, flowers, clover, dandelions. And there were butterflies.” Well, I'm a kid of the 70s, and while we had an interesting red berry bush in the backyard, it was mostly ChemLawn.
I aspire to an interesting yard. We already have several of those things (plus a great rock wall), including the butterflies--a yellow one was flitting around this morning. As was a great big bumblebee, several squirrels, a cardinal, a blue jay, two robins, and several sparrows. I haven't seen our little bunny in several months, or the turkeys, but I liked their visits (rumor has it there is a three-legged fox, but I haven't seen it). And we'll have more butterflies because I bought the kit where you order the larvae and grow, then release, your own. We just needs some more flowers for them.
Which takes us to gardening. I don't know how to garden. The plants we put in don't seem to survive our neglect or the winters. We have several patches of blossom-less tulips and daffodils. Though, some daylilies, which I was convinced weren't going to make it, seem to be coming back. Let's see if they bloom. And the hostas never go away. I don't like them much but they're hardy so we got some more from a friend.
And now everywhere I turn, I'm being encouraged to plant food. If I can't keep daffodils and tulips going, won't I kill lettuce and zucchini? I'm not even sure how to make seeds sprout. We stood in the seed section of the local store recently and were so overwhelmed and unsure that we left without buying anything. Michael Pollan's exhortation to plant a garden to combat climate change is a powerful idea, but now we need someone to take those of us with no garden experience (those of us who grew up in the immaculate lawns of the cheap-energy without guilt era) by the hand and help us out. We've looked at books but they are complicated and advanced. We're going to start small, with containers for a few vegetables.
We just need to start.
And mind you, while we focus on getting some food to grow, the rest of the yard will just become messier.
And I think that's great.
I'm going to talk about all but the last one because I think toys are perfectly normally for any family's yard.
I don't particularly like yard work. It's the one thing I totally underestimated about owning a house. I don't like to get hot. I don't have the back to do a lot of picking up, weeding, or the like. I happen to like wild violets and dandelions and clover and ivy. And fall leaves. And bushes in natural shapes. We don't use any chemicals on the yard or plants. We don't waste resources by doing any watering of the grass. And I don't like the gas-powered lawn mower, with its noise, smell, and carbon footprint (our people-powered rotary lawn mower can't handle our bumpy and stick-strewn yard).
And this week in the paper I actually read a defense of my kind of yard. Kent Pierce, of Connecticut, a plant and pests expert, noted, “I’m 51, and I remember that for kids in the ’60s, lawns were really spectacular, interesting, amazing places. There were cool weeds, flowers, clover, dandelions. And there were butterflies.” Well, I'm a kid of the 70s, and while we had an interesting red berry bush in the backyard, it was mostly ChemLawn.
I aspire to an interesting yard. We already have several of those things (plus a great rock wall), including the butterflies--a yellow one was flitting around this morning. As was a great big bumblebee, several squirrels, a cardinal, a blue jay, two robins, and several sparrows. I haven't seen our little bunny in several months, or the turkeys, but I liked their visits (rumor has it there is a three-legged fox, but I haven't seen it). And we'll have more butterflies because I bought the kit where you order the larvae and grow, then release, your own. We just needs some more flowers for them.
Which takes us to gardening. I don't know how to garden. The plants we put in don't seem to survive our neglect or the winters. We have several patches of blossom-less tulips and daffodils. Though, some daylilies, which I was convinced weren't going to make it, seem to be coming back. Let's see if they bloom. And the hostas never go away. I don't like them much but they're hardy so we got some more from a friend.
And now everywhere I turn, I'm being encouraged to plant food. If I can't keep daffodils and tulips going, won't I kill lettuce and zucchini? I'm not even sure how to make seeds sprout. We stood in the seed section of the local store recently and were so overwhelmed and unsure that we left without buying anything. Michael Pollan's exhortation to plant a garden to combat climate change is a powerful idea, but now we need someone to take those of us with no garden experience (those of us who grew up in the immaculate lawns of the cheap-energy without guilt era) by the hand and help us out. We've looked at books but they are complicated and advanced. We're going to start small, with containers for a few vegetables.
We just need to start.
And mind you, while we focus on getting some food to grow, the rest of the yard will just become messier.
And I think that's great.
Vote Update
We have one vote for Peanuts and two votes for Southern. So, today, I will try Southern nicknames out and see if I can live with them.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
New Nicknames
I'm considering changing the nicknames I use in my posts. Here are three possibilities. I'll let you vote, consider the results, and then probably stick with the cumbersome DD/DS/DP nomenclature. But let's give it a try. You may vote via comment or email.
Let the best nicknames win!
Peanuts
DD= Lucy
DS= Linus (apropos because of the loveys)
Mama=Peppermint Patty
Mommy=Marcy
Thomas the Train
DD=Rosie
DS=Thomas
Mommy=Mommy Hatt
Mama=Mama Hatt
Southern (I actually use these)
DD=Sis
DS=Buddy
Mama
Mommy
Let the best nicknames win!
Peanuts
DD= Lucy
DS= Linus (apropos because of the loveys)
Mama=Peppermint Patty
Mommy=Marcy
Thomas the Train
DD=Rosie
DS=Thomas
Mommy=Mommy Hatt
Mama=Mama Hatt
Southern (I actually use these)
DD=Sis
DS=Buddy
Mama
Mommy
Fun in the Spring
Here we are painting a picture. Together.
DS loves to vaccuum. Here he is feeding the dustbuster cheerios.
Enjoying the spring-like weather by swinging . . .
And baking "Mixed Berry Blueberry Pies." Together.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
We Apparently Have New Pet Bunnies
DD had the most bizarre dream last night. And we know because she told DP when she awoke from it last night.
At 11:30 ish, DD woke up calling for us. DP, designated night mama, went in. DS asked DP if she had food, an unusual request even if she didn't eat much dinner. She then said, "The bunnies want food."
DP tried to get her to put her head on her pillow, but DD said that there was food on her pillow. So, DP flipped it over and DS laid down.
This morning she reiterated that the bunnies didn't have food because they spilled it on her pillow.
Huh.
At 11:30 ish, DD woke up calling for us. DP, designated night mama, went in. DS asked DP if she had food, an unusual request even if she didn't eat much dinner. She then said, "The bunnies want food."
DP tried to get her to put her head on her pillow, but DD said that there was food on her pillow. So, DP flipped it over and DS laid down.
This morning she reiterated that the bunnies didn't have food because they spilled it on her pillow.
Huh.
180 Degrees
It's been almost a complete turnaround here at Chez Twin. Thank goodness for sleep. I can totally tell that the twins feel better and are not as sleep deprived. We've been having a great time these last few days and I so hope it continues.
A few examples:
Today we built a fairy house out of sticks. It started as a Lincoln Log building but then became a lean-to with a bark roof. DS wandered the yard looking for accessories, "What else do we need?" We made a front walk with leaves, a fence with sticks, rock furniture, and even dug a swimming pool. DD was in charge of fairy food, collecting dozens of mini-pinecones for snack. We worked out in for quite awhile. And then, even when we were done and back inside, DS kept wanting to look at the fairy house from the back window.
Yesterday, we went fishing. From the front step. DD supplied us each with sticks for fishing rods. We also paddled with these, singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." We caught trout, halibut, and octopus. DS ate a whale. And then DD went swimming with the turtles. In fact, they've named the rock that is partially visible next to our driveway (and does look like a turtle back)--it's "Franklin." Guess what show we're watching now. Then we went to the island to have a picnic. Of goldfish, of course.
There was a scary point yesterday, though, in the backyard. There was a bear. Polar or brown, depending on the child you asked. In the big bushes in back. At first it was fun. "I see the bear. I see his eyes," said DS. But then he believed himself and started to get scared, crawling into my lap crying. DD tried to reassure him and was going to go check on the bear, but only would take 3 steps towards the bushes. So I did the bear dance. Know it? You stomp around, claws raised, singing, "Bear, Bear, go away, DD and DS want to play. Grrrrrrr." It works for tigers, too.
And just when spring hits, we were inside an igloo today, with our scarves and hats. The igloo itself was made out of a rainbow blanket draped over the coffee table and some chairs. We all crawled in and out making snow angels, getting "BRrrrrr" as DD said, and crawling back inside.
More polar bears: we have this great big bush (that was much bigger when we bought the house and we trimmed it back to find the sidewalk) that has been pretty barren for months. And it has this wonderful arch, making this space under the branches that can fit several people. And when it was snowy, a few times this winter, we played polar bear cave and hid in it. The snow is gone and there are little buds on it now but it is still the polar bear cave. And now we're climbing it. DD hoisted herself up and even walked across the low branch, so proud to be climbing the tree by herself. DS wanted to follow and so she helped him, "Put your foot here. I'm right behind you. It's okay." And hew as so proud when he made it up on the branch, "I can see leaves. And flowers. And squirrels. And the bear. And you."
And baking. We're always baking. Real baking. Pretend baking. Both yesterday and today, we were making pies in the sandbox. DD called them "Mixed Berry Blueberry Pie." I love the name. And she carefully placed rings of tiny pinecones on top of the mound of sand. DS helped her make them--he was in charge of the crust. He liked putting cherries on his pies, made from white garden rocks. Yum, I've never eaten so much. I think we're going to have to make real pies soon, with berries we pick ourselves. They loved picking blueberries last year, even if DD would fill her pail and then dump it on the ground, not quite grasping the concept.
We've also been playing a lot of hide-and-seek. Not the usual game though. I count, they hide and giggle, and I find them because they pop out at me. DD always hides under the window next to the couch; DS changes places some but rarely stays in them through the ten count. Then we start again. Or it's my turn to hide and they go around pretending not to find me until they do and we all laugh.
I hope spring lasts forever.
A few examples:
Today we built a fairy house out of sticks. It started as a Lincoln Log building but then became a lean-to with a bark roof. DS wandered the yard looking for accessories, "What else do we need?" We made a front walk with leaves, a fence with sticks, rock furniture, and even dug a swimming pool. DD was in charge of fairy food, collecting dozens of mini-pinecones for snack. We worked out in for quite awhile. And then, even when we were done and back inside, DS kept wanting to look at the fairy house from the back window.
Yesterday, we went fishing. From the front step. DD supplied us each with sticks for fishing rods. We also paddled with these, singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." We caught trout, halibut, and octopus. DS ate a whale. And then DD went swimming with the turtles. In fact, they've named the rock that is partially visible next to our driveway (and does look like a turtle back)--it's "Franklin." Guess what show we're watching now. Then we went to the island to have a picnic. Of goldfish, of course.
There was a scary point yesterday, though, in the backyard. There was a bear. Polar or brown, depending on the child you asked. In the big bushes in back. At first it was fun. "I see the bear. I see his eyes," said DS. But then he believed himself and started to get scared, crawling into my lap crying. DD tried to reassure him and was going to go check on the bear, but only would take 3 steps towards the bushes. So I did the bear dance. Know it? You stomp around, claws raised, singing, "Bear, Bear, go away, DD and DS want to play. Grrrrrrr." It works for tigers, too.
And just when spring hits, we were inside an igloo today, with our scarves and hats. The igloo itself was made out of a rainbow blanket draped over the coffee table and some chairs. We all crawled in and out making snow angels, getting "BRrrrrr" as DD said, and crawling back inside.
More polar bears: we have this great big bush (that was much bigger when we bought the house and we trimmed it back to find the sidewalk) that has been pretty barren for months. And it has this wonderful arch, making this space under the branches that can fit several people. And when it was snowy, a few times this winter, we played polar bear cave and hid in it. The snow is gone and there are little buds on it now but it is still the polar bear cave. And now we're climbing it. DD hoisted herself up and even walked across the low branch, so proud to be climbing the tree by herself. DS wanted to follow and so she helped him, "Put your foot here. I'm right behind you. It's okay." And hew as so proud when he made it up on the branch, "I can see leaves. And flowers. And squirrels. And the bear. And you."
And baking. We're always baking. Real baking. Pretend baking. Both yesterday and today, we were making pies in the sandbox. DD called them "Mixed Berry Blueberry Pie." I love the name. And she carefully placed rings of tiny pinecones on top of the mound of sand. DS helped her make them--he was in charge of the crust. He liked putting cherries on his pies, made from white garden rocks. Yum, I've never eaten so much. I think we're going to have to make real pies soon, with berries we pick ourselves. They loved picking blueberries last year, even if DD would fill her pail and then dump it on the ground, not quite grasping the concept.
We've also been playing a lot of hide-and-seek. Not the usual game though. I count, they hide and giggle, and I find them because they pop out at me. DD always hides under the window next to the couch; DS changes places some but rarely stays in them through the ten count. Then we start again. Or it's my turn to hide and they go around pretending not to find me until they do and we all laugh.
I hope spring lasts forever.
You are Somebody Else
I got my haircut this evening. I've been feeling frumpy--not in a fat way (though, I'm not much skinnier, but my stomach is thinner thanks to all that PT--and to my friends who said so!), but in a dowdy, slovenly, lazy way. I mean, I wore yoga pants and a mediocre sweatshirt (not even one of my nice ones) to playgroup yesterday. And I didn't look that good today!
But I got a haircut, or more of a trim. I was letting it grow out because I don't like the layers but it had gotten out of hand. And so I went and came home, to this:
DD: You aren't my mommy.
Me: Yes, I am. I just got a haircut.
DD: You're somebody else.
Me: Is that good or bad?
DS: Good.
DD: Bad.
Me: Well, I'll be Mommy again in the morning.
Because, you know, it always looks different straight from the salon. And even I thought it looked poofy and fluffy.
But I got a haircut, or more of a trim. I was letting it grow out because I don't like the layers but it had gotten out of hand. And so I went and came home, to this:
DD: You aren't my mommy.
Me: Yes, I am. I just got a haircut.
DD: You're somebody else.
Me: Is that good or bad?
DS: Good.
DD: Bad.
Me: Well, I'll be Mommy again in the morning.
Because, you know, it always looks different straight from the salon. And even I thought it looked poofy and fluffy.
Change of Pace
There is no vanilla in these crunchy cheese cookies. There's not even any sugar.
But they're one of DP's favorites so we made them this morning, grating the cheese together by hand.
Well, they watched.
We won't bake everyday, though we have this week. With butter $1 a stick, it's a pricey hobby. But no worse than going out and spending money on gasoline. Besides, it's a great activity and we all enjoy it.
Which is exactly what we need on Thursday, when every other child we know is in daycare (or with a babysitter at home) and we have no one to play with.
Except ourselves.
-=-=-=-=-
Crunchy Cheese Cookies
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
8 oz. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Rice Krisipies
Tabasco
salt
Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix butter, flour, and cheese. Flavor with Tabasco (we use 5-10 drops). Add Rice Krispies and mix. Using a teaspoon (and more likely, your fingers), place mixture on cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt while still warm.
Museum docent
But they're one of DP's favorites so we made them this morning, grating the cheese together by hand.
Well, they watched.
We won't bake everyday, though we have this week. With butter $1 a stick, it's a pricey hobby. But no worse than going out and spending money on gasoline. Besides, it's a great activity and we all enjoy it.
Which is exactly what we need on Thursday, when every other child we know is in daycare (or with a babysitter at home) and we have no one to play with.
Except ourselves.
-=-=-=-=-
Crunchy Cheese Cookies
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
8 oz. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Rice Krisipies
Tabasco
salt
Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix butter, flour, and cheese. Flavor with Tabasco (we use 5-10 drops). Add Rice Krispies and mix. Using a teaspoon (and more likely, your fingers), place mixture on cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt while still warm.
Museum docent
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
It's A Thing
I'm having a vanilla thing. Must be because I bought a big bottle of Penzey's single strength vanilla extract. And it tastes so good.
I have never made pound cake. I like pound cake, but I wouldn't say it was a favorite, mainly because it tends to be dry. And I've only really had the frozen stuff out of the box. But I have long read, most recently in an article by James Villas in Saveur, about the glories of pound cake. And how it is a Southern thing, mainly. Now, of course, the cake--originally made with a pound each of butter, flour, and sugar, I believe--can trace its lineage back to England. Or France. Or Italy. Probably in the eighteenth century. Of course, we don't often weigh the ingredients anymore, but the name has stuck (much like 1-2-3-4 cake, which is, I think, 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs. That'll be next. I like trying "historic" recipes).
Anyway, Villas claims that in the U.S., Southerners understand the cake better than anyone. We can argue about whether Texas is truly Southern (yes, yes, I know, it was a Confederate state, but culturally, well . . . no one in the other Southern states thinks of Texas as one of theirs. It's like Connecticut claiming it's part of New England. Sure, officially, but that's about it.), but regardless, I have wanted to try my hand at the cake. If only to attest to my "Southern" (didn't I just say Texas wasn't very? Don't look for logic here) roots.
And so today, I made pound cake with the kids. Vanilla pound cake from King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion (note: I didn't use Villas's recipe because I didn't want to use almond extract in the batter and like to follow a recipe perfectly the first time). Their favorite part? Poking the holes in the cake at the end so I could drizzle in the glaze. All I can say is wow.
I made it this morning and it's gone. DS licked most of the batter off the spoon and bowl, and had a piece from the middle. DD devoured both ends. I saved a piece for DP so she could experience the vanilla-ness. And I swiped half a piece at playgroup. Otherwise, it's gone.
And it didn't even "age"--or even cool!--the way it's supposed to.
Maybe next time. And there will be a next time.
-=-=-=-=-
Vanilla Pound Cake
Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed (I had dark)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour (or cake flour--I used regular unbleached all purpose King Arthur)
4 large eggs
Glaze
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, salt, vanilla, and baking powder until smooth and fluffy. Add the flour and mix well; the batter will be almost like paste. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition; the batter will be quite fluffy.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9-10" tube pan, 9-10 cup bundt-style pan, or 9 x 5" loaf pan (this is the one I used). Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, while you're making the glaze.
Bring the sugar, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan and boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Turn the warm cake out onto a rack. Poke the cake all over with something long and thin, like a cake tester or ice pick. Slowly drizzle or brush the glaze over the cake, continuing to brush until all the glaze is used. Let the cake cool fully before slicing. Serve with sliced fresh fruit, if desired.
King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion
I have never made pound cake. I like pound cake, but I wouldn't say it was a favorite, mainly because it tends to be dry. And I've only really had the frozen stuff out of the box. But I have long read, most recently in an article by James Villas in Saveur, about the glories of pound cake. And how it is a Southern thing, mainly. Now, of course, the cake--originally made with a pound each of butter, flour, and sugar, I believe--can trace its lineage back to England. Or France. Or Italy. Probably in the eighteenth century. Of course, we don't often weigh the ingredients anymore, but the name has stuck (much like 1-2-3-4 cake, which is, I think, 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs. That'll be next. I like trying "historic" recipes).
Anyway, Villas claims that in the U.S., Southerners understand the cake better than anyone. We can argue about whether Texas is truly Southern (yes, yes, I know, it was a Confederate state, but culturally, well . . . no one in the other Southern states thinks of Texas as one of theirs. It's like Connecticut claiming it's part of New England. Sure, officially, but that's about it.), but regardless, I have wanted to try my hand at the cake. If only to attest to my "Southern" (didn't I just say Texas wasn't very? Don't look for logic here) roots.
And so today, I made pound cake with the kids. Vanilla pound cake from King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion (note: I didn't use Villas's recipe because I didn't want to use almond extract in the batter and like to follow a recipe perfectly the first time). Their favorite part? Poking the holes in the cake at the end so I could drizzle in the glaze. All I can say is wow.
I made it this morning and it's gone. DS licked most of the batter off the spoon and bowl, and had a piece from the middle. DD devoured both ends. I saved a piece for DP so she could experience the vanilla-ness. And I swiped half a piece at playgroup. Otherwise, it's gone.
And it didn't even "age"--or even cool!--the way it's supposed to.
Maybe next time. And there will be a next time.
-=-=-=-=-
Vanilla Pound Cake
Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed (I had dark)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour (or cake flour--I used regular unbleached all purpose King Arthur)
4 large eggs
Glaze
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, salt, vanilla, and baking powder until smooth and fluffy. Add the flour and mix well; the batter will be almost like paste. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition; the batter will be quite fluffy.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9-10" tube pan, 9-10 cup bundt-style pan, or 9 x 5" loaf pan (this is the one I used). Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, while you're making the glaze.
Bring the sugar, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan and boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Turn the warm cake out onto a rack. Poke the cake all over with something long and thin, like a cake tester or ice pick. Slowly drizzle or brush the glaze over the cake, continuing to brush until all the glaze is used. Let the cake cool fully before slicing. Serve with sliced fresh fruit, if desired.
King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Try These
I just finished a 16 oz bottle of pure vanilla extract from all the baking with the kids and was rinsing out the bottle so DD could have it for her kitchen, when I noticed the Vanilla Butter Cookie recipe on the back. So we made it this evening when they wanted dinner early and it wasn't ready.
Ohmygoodness, these are divine. I hope there are some left to take to our playdate tomorrow.
-=-=-=-
Vanilla Butter Cookies
1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I used my new bottle of Penzey's single strength)
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Blend in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 mintues or until golden brown.
Makes 3 dozen.
McCormick's Pure Vanilla Extract label
Ohmygoodness, these are divine. I hope there are some left to take to our playdate tomorrow.
-=-=-=-
Vanilla Butter Cookies
1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I used my new bottle of Penzey's single strength)
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Blend in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 mintues or until golden brown.
Makes 3 dozen.
McCormick's Pure Vanilla Extract label
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