My friend forgot we were having lunch today. She also forgot she had a doctor's appointment. And she had forgotten what time the appointment was. She didn't know if it overlapped with lunch.
But most difficultly, she had forgotten how to check what time the appointment was and didn't know what to do.
Confused and disappointed silence.
And I didn't know how to help.
So we canceled.
And I know she will forget me someday, perhaps someday this year. Because when she picked up the phone, there was a longer that usual silence after I said my name.
Today just made the eventual loss more real. And I'm sad.
But I'll make another lunch date for next week and call to check repeatedly like I did this time and hope for the best. And just keep trying . . . because I won't forget her even if she forgets me.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
What's in a Word?
Love me tender,
Love me sweet,
Never let me go.
You have made my life complete,
And I love you so.
Love me tender,
Love me true,
All my dreams fulfilled.
For my darlin I love you,
And I always will.
Love me tender,
Love me long,
Take me to your heart.
For it's there that I belong,
And well never part.
Love me tender,
Love me dear,
Tell me you are mine.
Ill be yours through all the years,
Till the end of time.
(when at last my dreams come true
Darling this I know
Happiness will follow you
Everywhere you go).
I ended up singing at hospice this morning (thank heavens for my smartphone so that I could access all the lyrics; I need to print a hospice cheat sheet) and reading a few poems. It's odd to sing of the "end of time" or read of death to someone who is dying. I almost stumbled over the words, very self-conscious. As if the 95 year-old woman didn't know and I shouldn't tell her. Or that it was so private and I shouldn't even refer to it. But I did, having found it in so many of the songs and poems I had this morning.
How is it that we use the word "die" or "death" so easily in some cases (for example, "my phone died," "I could've died when he said that.") but not in others ("she passed.") Is it a denial of death or the overuse of the word in banal situations? Or even a spiritual belief that nothing ends? I've been trying to use "died" for people or living things only and it's harder than I thought and pretty rare among people I know. But I don't want to be scared to say it--he died, she's dying. Even if I believe something continues after death, the body really does cease to function and die. I want to return some of the sacredness to the word, perhaps to recognize the enormity of the event that will happen to all of us. I think I need to say it, even or especially as I sit singing and staring it in the face.
Deep thoughts from hospice this morning . . . .
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Our First Hockey Game
"Punch him! Punch him! The fights are the best part!"
We went to our first hockey game recently, with the tickets the kiddos won at Bingo Night in December. And it was certainly entertaining.
The game was good, too.
The 10-year-old behind us liked fighting. He liked it more than the game. And rooted for it constantly. More than he paid attention to the game.
His parents thought he was so cute. "Oh," his mom tittered, "we should have taken him to boxing!"
"That's right, son," said dad proudly.
Thankfully, my kids didn't hear him at all. They did notice the fighting, helmets and fists flying, especially because it made the highlights reel all three times. They were upset by it. Confused, they asked why we didn't stand and clap like those around us. "I can't clap for violence," I said, having just purchased a fundraising green and white "Angels of Newtown" bracelet.
It seems naive, but I have been so much more aware recently of how violence is very ingrained in the American psyche and culture and has been for hundreds of years: the slaughter of Native Americans by colonists and later by cowboys; the Salem witch trials and various colonial tortures; tar and feather, burning in effigy, lynching; "meet me at the backstop after school;" the love of boxing and wild west shoot-outs and yes, hockey fights; the preponderance of guns; wars and weapons of mass destruction; our preference for punitive prison sentences and the death penalty; our pop culture obsession with violent epsiodes and people--Charles Manson comes to mind first--even the "true crime" section of the bookstore; the love of violent video games and horror movies; domestic abuse; gang warfare; the Steubenville rape; school shootings and mass murderers; "Law and Order," "CSI," "The Sopranos," "Dexter," in addition to the rarity of pacifists like conscientious objectors, Quakers, the Amish. I'm sure there's more I could list. We might like Mom, apple pie, and baseball, but you have to add violence. And in that, we are different from most industrialized nations. It's not that they don't have guns and we do, it's that we want our guns desperately and they don't as much. And that speaks to something in our culture that all the post-Newtown commentary and Steubenville coverage that I've read hasn't really pinpointed.
But I could clap for almost everything else--the elementary-school students singing the national anthem, the fuzzy blue mascot waving the team flag, the "peanuts" playing hockey in the period breaks, the pop musical breaks between play, the way Bud danced and cheered, the return of the team after the breaks, the kids playing the karaoke game, the soldier in uniform who won a free dinner, to win a t-shirt in the t-shirt toss, and the shots on goal and the goals our team scored. And when we won.
Sometimes I had a hard time following the game--it's like soccer at the speed of basketball with something smaller than a tennis ball. It looked messy. Which could have been me or them. But the speed more than made up for my lack of knowledge in creating excitement.
I didn't cheer for one of my favorite parts, though: the delicious garlic fries, cheese fries, and hot churros.
And I didn't cheer like the boy behind us.
But I would go back to another hockey game.
We went to our first hockey game recently, with the tickets the kiddos won at Bingo Night in December. And it was certainly entertaining.
The game was good, too.
The 10-year-old behind us liked fighting. He liked it more than the game. And rooted for it constantly. More than he paid attention to the game.
His parents thought he was so cute. "Oh," his mom tittered, "we should have taken him to boxing!"
"That's right, son," said dad proudly.
Thankfully, my kids didn't hear him at all. They did notice the fighting, helmets and fists flying, especially because it made the highlights reel all three times. They were upset by it. Confused, they asked why we didn't stand and clap like those around us. "I can't clap for violence," I said, having just purchased a fundraising green and white "Angels of Newtown" bracelet.
It seems naive, but I have been so much more aware recently of how violence is very ingrained in the American psyche and culture and has been for hundreds of years: the slaughter of Native Americans by colonists and later by cowboys; the Salem witch trials and various colonial tortures; tar and feather, burning in effigy, lynching; "meet me at the backstop after school;" the love of boxing and wild west shoot-outs and yes, hockey fights; the preponderance of guns; wars and weapons of mass destruction; our preference for punitive prison sentences and the death penalty; our pop culture obsession with violent epsiodes and people--Charles Manson comes to mind first--even the "true crime" section of the bookstore; the love of violent video games and horror movies; domestic abuse; gang warfare; the Steubenville rape; school shootings and mass murderers; "Law and Order," "CSI," "The Sopranos," "Dexter," in addition to the rarity of pacifists like conscientious objectors, Quakers, the Amish. I'm sure there's more I could list. We might like Mom, apple pie, and baseball, but you have to add violence. And in that, we are different from most industrialized nations. It's not that they don't have guns and we do, it's that we want our guns desperately and they don't as much. And that speaks to something in our culture that all the post-Newtown commentary and Steubenville coverage that I've read hasn't really pinpointed.
But I could clap for almost everything else--the elementary-school students singing the national anthem, the fuzzy blue mascot waving the team flag, the "peanuts" playing hockey in the period breaks, the pop musical breaks between play, the way Bud danced and cheered, the return of the team after the breaks, the kids playing the karaoke game, the soldier in uniform who won a free dinner, to win a t-shirt in the t-shirt toss, and the shots on goal and the goals our team scored. And when we won.
Sometimes I had a hard time following the game--it's like soccer at the speed of basketball with something smaller than a tennis ball. It looked messy. Which could have been me or them. But the speed more than made up for my lack of knowledge in creating excitement.
I didn't cheer for one of my favorite parts, though: the delicious garlic fries, cheese fries, and hot churros.
And I didn't cheer like the boy behind us.
But I would go back to another hockey game.
Catching Up
After about a week of being home, with no kids, and in good health, I'm finally catching up. I'm almost done with the elementary art contest I've been overseeing--the awards ceremony was last week, I've distributed the remainder of the awards, I've written up my report of pros and cons, and all I need to do is distribute the artworks when they're returned to me in May. For Brownies, we have an outline for the rest of the school year and I've even ordered all the badges! I'm settling into my hospice schedule and have been doing some reading, namely Still Alice by Lisa Genova (a touching and thought-provoking portrait of a Harvard professor's descent into early-onset Alzheimer's) and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's iconic On Death and Dying. And with school tours starting at the end of April, I'm busy in my role at the historic house--recruiting docents, meeting with school district officials, planning trainings, and all manner of other preparations. I've even managed to make some overdue appointments (for the dentist and my annual mammogram, plus that CT scan my ENT ordered back when I got the flu) and scheduled some time to volunteer at school with math and literacy workshops.
Now if I can just make some coffee dates and such with friends . . . .
Now if I can just make some coffee dates and such with friends . . . .
NOT a Snow Day
Well, there is snow--about an inch or so of slushy, wet, white mess. But there is no school delay or cancellation!! I heard the town's plows operating most of the night, which is unusual. And the streets were clean enough this morning.
So I have a snow day all by myself!
So I have a snow day all by myself!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The Time-Change Still Stinks
ERRRRGGGGGHHHHH!
The kids are staying awake until 9:30 p.m. plus every evening. Even with a 7:30-8:00 p.m. in-bed time (then some reading). Even with a 7:20 a.m. ish wake up. Even when they run around and exhaust themselves during the day. Even without any screen time during the school week.
I can't stand the time change. It messes with everyone's sleep (and has for a long, long time.)
The kids are staying awake until 9:30 p.m. plus every evening. Even with a 7:30-8:00 p.m. in-bed time (then some reading). Even with a 7:20 a.m. ish wake up. Even when they run around and exhaust themselves during the day. Even without any screen time during the school week.
I can't stand the time change. It messes with everyone's sleep (and has for a long, long time.)
The Holiday that Wasn't
We sorta missed St. Patrick's Day today. After all of our celebrations yesterday, I failed to realize that NYC's parade was not on Sunday but on Saturday--the God thing, I guess. I was so disappointed when I realized it last night trying to set the DVR (add to that my loss in the soda bread contest, I guess--no call either way--and I thought I was one of the only competitors--and it was rather a bummer weekend.) My first parade knowing we were a bit Irish (probably between 1/16th and 1/64th, since I don't know the heritage of some of those ancestors.) I have such fond memories of that parade from living in NYC--bagpipes playing early in the morning as parade participants warmed up along the side streets of 5th Avenue, be-wigged stepdancers in their embroidered finery, hundreds of firefighters and police officers in their dress uniforms, and all the drum corps rat-a-tat-tatting. Of course, neither the politics nor religion of Ireland or the parade officials (the anti-England, pro-Catholic, anti-LGBT) appealed much, but I loved the pomp.
So, the only celebration we had today was eating delicious leftovers, including a new hash Mama adapted from various Bubble and Squeak and Colcannon recipes. And it was so good. Though, I think, as a whole, we've had too much cabbage these last few days!
But we'll enjoy it again next year, along with soda bread and the parade.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bubble and Squeak cum Colcannon
leftover boiled potatoes, cabbage, and carrots from boiled dinner, cubed and lightly smashed
1 green leek, sliced
1 bunch curly kale, torn into pieces
1 scallion, sliced
some broth from boiled dinner
approximately 1-2 tablespoons butter (Kerrygold of course!)
Saute leeks in a small amount of olive oil until tender and remove from skillet; saute kale in small amount of broth until tender. Return leeks to skillet, add potatoes, cabbage, and carrots to the skillet. Add sliced scallion and top with a butter. Heat through, stirring occasionally. At the end, do not stir but allow to brown and crisp on one side. Season to taste.
Serve with small slices of corned beef, if desired, and mustard.
Mama Hungry
So, the only celebration we had today was eating delicious leftovers, including a new hash Mama adapted from various Bubble and Squeak and Colcannon recipes. And it was so good. Though, I think, as a whole, we've had too much cabbage these last few days!
But we'll enjoy it again next year, along with soda bread and the parade.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bubble and Squeak cum Colcannon
leftover boiled potatoes, cabbage, and carrots from boiled dinner, cubed and lightly smashed
1 green leek, sliced
1 bunch curly kale, torn into pieces
1 scallion, sliced
some broth from boiled dinner
approximately 1-2 tablespoons butter (Kerrygold of course!)
Saute leeks in a small amount of olive oil until tender and remove from skillet; saute kale in small amount of broth until tender. Return leeks to skillet, add potatoes, cabbage, and carrots to the skillet. Add sliced scallion and top with a butter. Heat through, stirring occasionally. At the end, do not stir but allow to brown and crisp on one side. Season to taste.
Serve with small slices of corned beef, if desired, and mustard.
Mama Hungry
Reading For a Good Cause
The kiddos have rushed off to read tonight with more enthusiasm than they usually generate, and that's saying quite a lot because they love to read (and are frequently caught sneaking books in the dark . . . and sometimes in the morning before wake-up, though not since the time change!) Today at our Unitarian Universalist (UU) church, they heard about a fundraiser to assist a little UU girl in the Phillippines who has to pay to attend school. For three years now, the children of our congregation have helped raise money to pay for her school fees, supplies, uniform, and other expenses. They also exchange letters with cultural information, aspects of being UU, and just friendly kid stuff.
So Sis and Bud are very excited to be participating in this fundraiser, especially via one of their favorite activities. If you'd like to support them with either a one-time donation or a pledge-per-hour that they read between now and April 21 (they read between 30-60 minutes a day, give or take), please let me know.
Thanks! And good luck, kiddos!
So Sis and Bud are very excited to be participating in this fundraiser, especially via one of their favorite activities. If you'd like to support them with either a one-time donation or a pledge-per-hour that they read between now and April 21 (they read between 30-60 minutes a day, give or take), please let me know.
Thanks! And good luck, kiddos!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Texas, O Texas
Here we come, Lone Star State!
We bought our plane tickets for a summer visit to my family in Houston. It's been three years, specifically June 2010 (see first of several posts here) since our list visit and so we are both overdo and excited! We'll meet my niece, Cousin Hungry (Cousin Banana?), for the first time. We'll go to the bay, where the extended family often congregates. We'll visit my Aunt Sis, who had broken her hip over Christmas.
And we'll eat.
I'm ashamed to admit that our first plans and discussions weren't meeting up with family--because that's a given--but plotting the meals. Mama even said that we might have to add more days to the trip to fit it all in.
Bean and cheeses. Chopped beef. Sweet tea. Chicken fried steak. Apricot kolaches. Chips and salsa. Texas chocolate sheet cake. Banana pudding. Pop's salsa. Pinto beans. Gommie's fried fish and fried shrimp. Mel's. Taco Cabana. Pappasito's. Pappadeaux's. Prasek's. Mikeska's. Buc-ee's. Peli Peli. Churrasco's. Villa Emilia. "Waterburger." Vietnamese somewhere.
Even Bud thought of food--he fondly recalls buying shrimp right off a shrimp boat and then eating it at home.
It'll be a great visit!
We bought our plane tickets for a summer visit to my family in Houston. It's been three years, specifically June 2010 (see first of several posts here) since our list visit and so we are both overdo and excited! We'll meet my niece, Cousin Hungry (Cousin Banana?), for the first time. We'll go to the bay, where the extended family often congregates. We'll visit my Aunt Sis, who had broken her hip over Christmas.
And we'll eat.
I'm ashamed to admit that our first plans and discussions weren't meeting up with family--because that's a given--but plotting the meals. Mama even said that we might have to add more days to the trip to fit it all in.
Bean and cheeses. Chopped beef. Sweet tea. Chicken fried steak. Apricot kolaches. Chips and salsa. Texas chocolate sheet cake. Banana pudding. Pop's salsa. Pinto beans. Gommie's fried fish and fried shrimp. Mel's. Taco Cabana. Pappasito's. Pappadeaux's. Prasek's. Mikeska's. Buc-ee's. Peli Peli. Churrasco's. Villa Emilia. "Waterburger." Vietnamese somewhere.
Even Bud thought of food--he fondly recalls buying shrimp right off a shrimp boat and then eating it at home.
It'll be a great visit!
Wish Me the Luck 'o the Irish
I'm entering a baking contest today--an Irish soda bread baking contest in honor of St. Patrick's Day. I figure, it being my first year knowing I have a wee drop of Irish in me AND the recipe coming from my Chinese father-in-law, I can't lose, right? It's great bread; other people think so, too. Even if I did add the caraway seeds, which I don't like.
Thankfully, I'm not too vested in winning. I just thought it would be fun. I thought it would be more fun if the kids made their own versions (Sis just bread no add-ins, Bud just raisins), but they thought playing outside was more fun.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Irish Soda Bread
We baked four different mini-loaves placed apart on a
silpat-lined cookie sheet for about 40 minutes.
4 cups flour
½ cup sugar
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 handfuls caraway seeds
1 cup raisins
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
Generously grease a large iron skillet (or use a pizza stone). turn on oven to 350°F. Mix together dry ingredients. Add milk and butter. Bake 1 hour.
Note: You might need to add extra milk.
a friend of my MIL
4 cups flour
½ cup sugar
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 handfuls caraway seeds
1 cup raisins
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
Generously grease a large iron skillet (or use a pizza stone). turn on oven to 350°F. Mix together dry ingredients. Add milk and butter. Bake 1 hour.
Note: You might need to add extra milk.
a friend of my MIL
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A New Favorite
For awhile it was Mocha Frappuccinos.
Then it was a slice of cheese pizza.
Now, I will go out of my way for a vegetarian salad from Chipotle--black beans, pinto beans, guacamole, peppers, the sweet-tangy salad dressing, all on lettuce--mmmmmm! Yesterday, I drove halfway across the county for lunch after hospice because I was "close" to a Chipotle.
In fact, if I keep typing "Chipotle," I'm going to want to squeeze a run to one before the bus arrives!
Yes, it's bad.
But not as bad for me as a frappuccino or pizza!
Then it was a slice of cheese pizza.
Now, I will go out of my way for a vegetarian salad from Chipotle--black beans, pinto beans, guacamole, peppers, the sweet-tangy salad dressing, all on lettuce--mmmmmm! Yesterday, I drove halfway across the county for lunch after hospice because I was "close" to a Chipotle.
In fact, if I keep typing "Chipotle," I'm going to want to squeeze a run to one before the bus arrives!
Yes, it's bad.
But not as bad for me as a frappuccino or pizza!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
ISO: Inspiration
I'm looking for some poems or readings I can share with my hospice patient, who is not chatty but likes to be read (and sung) to. What are your favorites? Main criteria--they must be easy to read outloud and be understood. They need not be about death but can be. Just leave the author/poet and title and I'll track them down. This particular patient is Catholic--do you have favorite verses or prayers? My last patient was Jewish so, for my collection, I welcome prayers or readings from all faiths. Thanks for helping me out!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Tough Transitions
Imagine you are 90-something years old and have lived in the same home for the last 31 years. Now, picture that you have been moved, at the insistence of your worried children, to a little space in an assisted living facility. You don't have most of your pictures or knick knacks, none of your books; your closet is mostly empty except for several robes, which you would never wear in public. You are required to wear a medic alert beeper and a wristlet with your key and room number. And there are old people in wheelchairs or with walkers--"white heads"--everywhere.
I went to see my friend Miss S, from my first church, this morning at her new home. Not that I think she'll ever call it that, even if a staff member insisted the whole place was her home when we were wandering around. It's actually a very nice place, as they go: clean, well-lit, decorated, lots of smiling staff. As a hospice volunteer, I've seen worse. But it's still a senior home. The place is impersonal and antiseptic; the workers, while nice, are still paid to be there. There were lots of half-asleep people lining the sitting rooms; others who passed her smiled and said hi over and over. I was the only visitor; visitors must be a rare occurrence because they thought I was a service provider not a friend of a resident.
It was all so bittersweet. It's good to know, as her memory wanes, that she is closer to help, but it is so sad to see her so uprooted, so distraught even. She misses her stuff; she misses her home. She misses her car; she misses her independence. She knows she won't leave this place or a place like it, that she'll be there the rest of her life and will die in a place like that. She is still totally cognizant of all of this, even as she forgets particulars of our conversation, details we've just discussed. And though I don't think she's ever felt old before, I think it's dawning on her now.
Of course, this is not to imply that my friend shouldn't be there. She's had some health challenges and isn't driving anymore. She hadn't been cooking much and only drinking Ensure. And now she's beginning to be more than just forgetful. Her short-term memory has gaps; she's having trouble accessing memories and information stored in her long-term memory, too. But then she could comment upon the NYTimes article this morning on Afghani women's suicides and the tense political situation between North and South Korea. Though I had to tell her twice in the same conversation that I was coming today; she repeats stories minutes apart. She couldn't remember how to make the apricot brandy she's made every holiday as long as I've known her (she's saved me the last bottle but it's with her stuff and she's frustrated no one has brought it); she wasn't sure what country her beloved granddaughter-in-law was from. And that's just what I've noticed in the last week; mind you, this has come on quickly--just a few months ago, it wasn't as obvious. Her family was right to be concerned and to act, I think. Even if she said it all made her numb.
I know there are those who bemoan such senior and nursing facilities, believing it's proof that Americans don't love their aging parents. That's a reactionary response to the fact that Americans live longer with illnesses and disabilities than ever before and their children, often in two-working adult families and often not nearby, can't bring them home and care for them as they might have before. Take me for example: even if my parents lived in my very town and not 1800 miles away, and even though I'm a stay-at-home mom and not working, I could not physically care for my parents if they were to become sick or immobilized (no, I'm not planning on putting y'all in the home.) Nursing homes and such try to address this; they are, in many ways (many, many), imperfect answers to the challenges, especially the less-expensive, lower end places. And of course, they are usually for-profit institutions, cutting corners whenever possible (I recently read about the place that requires residents to have feeding tubes--that's quicker than spoon feeding! Clearly, there needs to be more oversight . . . and compassion). But they are the answer we have now. And it's not the choice you have to make for your family. I'm pretty sure I won't want to make it for mine; I think it was probably hard for my parents to put some of my grandparents in nursing homes. And I imagine my friend's family is both relieved and conflicted and even grieving as well now that they've placed her in the facility. No one is happy.
So I hope to visit frequently. I mean, I do it with hospice for strangers; I look forward to visiting my friend (and make no mistake, she's neither ill nor in hospice.) I've even promised her that we'd take her out to lunch sometime soon and bring the kids for a visit (she's known them all their lives, looks on them very fondly)--she was so excited. I know she's scared about being stuck there, being forgotten in her dependence and isolation. As much as I can, I hope to help her feel loved, needed, and connected.
Even in that place.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Not Her Recipe for Apricot Brandy (but I bet it's close)
1 1/2 lbs dried apricots
1 quart vodka
1 lb sugar
Place ingredients (DO NOT MIX) in a 1/2 gallon flat topped glass jar.
Turn jar twice a day for 8 days (allowing jar to sit on its top for half a day).
Batch is ready.
You may use the same apricots, more sugar, and vodka added to make another batch, but let second batch sit for 12 to 14 days.
I went to see my friend Miss S, from my first church, this morning at her new home. Not that I think she'll ever call it that, even if a staff member insisted the whole place was her home when we were wandering around. It's actually a very nice place, as they go: clean, well-lit, decorated, lots of smiling staff. As a hospice volunteer, I've seen worse. But it's still a senior home. The place is impersonal and antiseptic; the workers, while nice, are still paid to be there. There were lots of half-asleep people lining the sitting rooms; others who passed her smiled and said hi over and over. I was the only visitor; visitors must be a rare occurrence because they thought I was a service provider not a friend of a resident.
It was all so bittersweet. It's good to know, as her memory wanes, that she is closer to help, but it is so sad to see her so uprooted, so distraught even. She misses her stuff; she misses her home. She misses her car; she misses her independence. She knows she won't leave this place or a place like it, that she'll be there the rest of her life and will die in a place like that. She is still totally cognizant of all of this, even as she forgets particulars of our conversation, details we've just discussed. And though I don't think she's ever felt old before, I think it's dawning on her now.
Of course, this is not to imply that my friend shouldn't be there. She's had some health challenges and isn't driving anymore. She hadn't been cooking much and only drinking Ensure. And now she's beginning to be more than just forgetful. Her short-term memory has gaps; she's having trouble accessing memories and information stored in her long-term memory, too. But then she could comment upon the NYTimes article this morning on Afghani women's suicides and the tense political situation between North and South Korea. Though I had to tell her twice in the same conversation that I was coming today; she repeats stories minutes apart. She couldn't remember how to make the apricot brandy she's made every holiday as long as I've known her (she's saved me the last bottle but it's with her stuff and she's frustrated no one has brought it); she wasn't sure what country her beloved granddaughter-in-law was from. And that's just what I've noticed in the last week; mind you, this has come on quickly--just a few months ago, it wasn't as obvious. Her family was right to be concerned and to act, I think. Even if she said it all made her numb.
I know there are those who bemoan such senior and nursing facilities, believing it's proof that Americans don't love their aging parents. That's a reactionary response to the fact that Americans live longer with illnesses and disabilities than ever before and their children, often in two-working adult families and often not nearby, can't bring them home and care for them as they might have before. Take me for example: even if my parents lived in my very town and not 1800 miles away, and even though I'm a stay-at-home mom and not working, I could not physically care for my parents if they were to become sick or immobilized (no, I'm not planning on putting y'all in the home.) Nursing homes and such try to address this; they are, in many ways (many, many), imperfect answers to the challenges, especially the less-expensive, lower end places. And of course, they are usually for-profit institutions, cutting corners whenever possible (I recently read about the place that requires residents to have feeding tubes--that's quicker than spoon feeding! Clearly, there needs to be more oversight . . . and compassion). But they are the answer we have now. And it's not the choice you have to make for your family. I'm pretty sure I won't want to make it for mine; I think it was probably hard for my parents to put some of my grandparents in nursing homes. And I imagine my friend's family is both relieved and conflicted and even grieving as well now that they've placed her in the facility. No one is happy.
So I hope to visit frequently. I mean, I do it with hospice for strangers; I look forward to visiting my friend (and make no mistake, she's neither ill nor in hospice.) I've even promised her that we'd take her out to lunch sometime soon and bring the kids for a visit (she's known them all their lives, looks on them very fondly)--she was so excited. I know she's scared about being stuck there, being forgotten in her dependence and isolation. As much as I can, I hope to help her feel loved, needed, and connected.
Even in that place.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Not Her Recipe for Apricot Brandy (but I bet it's close)
1 1/2 lbs dried apricots
1 quart vodka
1 lb sugar
Place ingredients (DO NOT MIX) in a 1/2 gallon flat topped glass jar.
Turn jar twice a day for 8 days (allowing jar to sit on its top for half a day).
Batch is ready.
You may use the same apricots, more sugar, and vodka added to make another batch, but let second batch sit for 12 to 14 days.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Fairy House, Wreath Redux
With the weather warmer than it has been for a season, Bud and I built fairy houses after school while Sis played with Babysitter up the street. This is the one near our front door, in the big flowerpot, a tent made of dried boxwood branches from our Christmas wreath, a couch made from a broken conch shell, a rock table with berries on it, a rock fence, and two shells for doors. Our other houses, not pictured, are in two different pots with a bark bridge between them--one pot has the lean-to with twin beds and the other pot has a tipi shape made out of old spruce branches and the dining room table. I can't wait until it's full spring!
The Wonderful World of Our Disney Vacation, Part 6: Leaving the Magic
Saturday: Our trip wasn't quite over. Mama, in her infinite wisdom, had scheduled one last activity before we headed to the airport: Ohana character breakfast. Sis and Bud were ecstatic about meeting Stitch, who had become the rock star of our trip. They traded for any Stitch pin they saw, bringing home more than a dozen. They had Stitch stuffies. They loved waking up to the Stitch "get moving!" wake-up call. And now were going to meet him. We got more leis and had more photos together and began our breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, potato wedges, Jumbo Juice (or whatever they called it), Mickey waffles, and my favorite Ohana breakfast bread. And then Lilo appeared! Followed by Stitch! The kids hopped out of their seats and hugged them, smiling ear to ear. We got autographs and photographs. Even meeting Mickey and Minnie for the first time right after Stitch wasn't as exciting. And when they paraded around the restaurant, Sis and Bud did it next to Stitch. It couldn't have been better.
Vacation was over on a high note. It's cliche, but we did make magical family memories to last a lifetime (and I've blogged them in detail so I can remember the little bits for years to come!)
-=-=-=-=-=-
Pineapple-Coconut Ohana Breakfast Bread
Vacation was over on a high note. It's cliche, but we did make magical family memories to last a lifetime (and I've blogged them in detail so I can remember the little bits for years to come!)
-=-=-=-=-=-
Pineapple-Coconut Ohana Breakfast Bread
1 3/4 C. Water
1 Egg Yolk
2 T. Shortening
4 1/2 C. High Gluten Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/3 C Sugar
1 T. Instant Yeast
Coconut Mixture
1 C. Crushed pineapple
1 C. Unsweetened coconut
1 C. Sugar
2 T. Cornstarch
Pinapple/Coconut Method
1. Combine pineapple and coconut in bowl.
2. Combine sugar and cornstarch in separate bowl and mix well.
3. Add sugar and cornstarch mixture into pineapple and coconut mixture and mix well.
4. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Bread Method
1. Combine all ingredients in order of recipe in mixing bowl, and mix with dough hook until
dough picks up on hook and the sides of the mixing bowl is clean.
2. Let dough rise until it doubles in size.
3. Roll out dough onto a floured surface until it is 2 inches thick.
4. Next spread pineapple/coconut mixture over the top of the dough.
5. Fold dough into itself and place in a greased 9" x 13" cake pan.
6. Cut dough into pieces with a pizza cutter and spread out cut pieces evenly in cake pan.
7. Let dough rise in warm oven (110 degrees F) - about half way up the pan.
8. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Let bread cool, cut and serve.
http://allears.net/din/rec_pb.htm
The recipe from Chef Thompson
Kona Pan-Asian Pasta with Shrimp or Chicken (I had it with tofu)
Kona Café Restaurant, Polynesian Resort
Yield: 4 servings
12 ounces Chinese Egg Noodles (or enough for 4 persons)
Kona Asian Pasta – Shrimp/Chicken Marinade Ingredients
1 ¼ lbs. shrimp (or chicken), de-veined and cut into 1 inch size pieces
1 tablespoon Sake
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt
2 teaspoon cornstarch
Combine and mix well and the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate overnight.
Pasta Sauce Ingredients
1 cup water
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup Mirin
1 tablespoon black vinegar (substitute with balsamic vinegar for a subtle difference)
1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon shallots, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon grass, finely grated
2 tablespoon cornstarch
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, mix well, and bring to a boil. Stir and boil for1 minute. Can be made 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated.
Pasta Dish Ingredients
1 medium onion, julienne
1 medium carrot, julienne
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, julienne
1 medium red pepper, julienne
1/2 pounds sugar snap snow peas
2 stalks medium celery, bite-size, cut on the bias
1 small head bok choy, rough chopped into bite size pieces are substitute with Napa cabbage
Boil water and cook egg noodles; while hot, set aside.
Cook shrimp or chicken in a hot wok with a little oil and julienne onion.
When shrimp or chicken is cooked, add remaining vegetables and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add sauce and egg noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute.
This is a recipe for 4 dinners and most home woks will not fit all in one pan so you may have to divide the items in half to cook.
The recipe from Chef Thompson
Kona Pan-Asian Pasta with Shrimp or Chicken (I had it with tofu)
Kona Café Restaurant, Polynesian Resort
Yield: 4 servings
12 ounces Chinese Egg Noodles (or enough for 4 persons)
Kona Asian Pasta – Shrimp/Chicken Marinade Ingredients
1 ¼ lbs. shrimp (or chicken), de-veined and cut into 1 inch size pieces
1 tablespoon Sake
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt
2 teaspoon cornstarch
Combine and mix well and the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate overnight.
Pasta Sauce Ingredients
1 cup water
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup Mirin
1 tablespoon black vinegar (substitute with balsamic vinegar for a subtle difference)
1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon shallots, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon grass, finely grated
2 tablespoon cornstarch
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, mix well, and bring to a boil. Stir and boil for1 minute. Can be made 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated.
Pasta Dish Ingredients
1 medium onion, julienne
1 medium carrot, julienne
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, julienne
1 medium red pepper, julienne
1/2 pounds sugar snap snow peas
2 stalks medium celery, bite-size, cut on the bias
1 small head bok choy, rough chopped into bite size pieces are substitute with Napa cabbage
Boil water and cook egg noodles; while hot, set aside.
Cook shrimp or chicken in a hot wok with a little oil and julienne onion.
When shrimp or chicken is cooked, add remaining vegetables and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add sauce and egg noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute.
This is a recipe for 4 dinners and most home woks will not fit all in one pan so you may have to divide the items in half to cook.
Or was it:
Ohana Vegan Noodle Bowl
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
Miso Broth:
¼ cup red Miso paste
1 ¼ cups mirin
¾ cup sake
2 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
4 black peppercorns
Stir-fry Vegetables:
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
3 peeled carrots
1 bunch asparagus
1 medium sized red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Asian Barbecue Tofu:
¼ pound extra firm tofu
¼ cup Hoisin sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Asian garlic chili sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup corn starch
1 cup canola oil
For Service:
1 ½ pounds Udon noodles
¼ pound BBQ tofu (above)
Vegetable mix for stir-fry (above)
1 pint Miso broth (above)
½ bunch cilantro “a.k.a.” coriander leaves
1 cup Asian garlic chili sauce
Directions:
Miso Broth:
1. In a saucepan, combine vegetable broth, bay leaves,
peppercorns, sake, and mirin.
2. Bring contents to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 20
minutes.
3. Remove bay leaves and peppercorns and add Miso paste.
Wisk until a homogenous solution is created.
Stir-fry Vegetables:
1. Cut zucchini, yellow squash, red onion and peppers
into a 1-inch dice.
2. Use a channel knife to create 4 grooves in the carrots
and slice them into ¼ inch slices.
3. Cut asparagus into 1-inch segments, and mix all
vegetables in a bowl and set aside.
Asian Barbecue Tofu:
1. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.
2. In a saucepan combine Hoisin, ketchup, brown sugar,
apple cider vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and garlic.
3. Bring mixture to a boil stirring occasionally. Once it
begins to boil, remove from heat and let cool.
4. Coat tofu with barbecue mixture and set aside for 2
hours.
5. Coat Marinated tofu in cornstarch and pan fry in
canola oil. Set aside for plate assembly.
For Service:
1. Cook Udon noodles in boiling water until fully cooked strain
and separate into bowls while noodles are still hot.
2. Wok-fry vegetables in canola oil and season with salt
and pepper. Now place vegetables on top of the noodles.
3. Garnish the bowls with the BBQ tofu.
4. Serve with Miso broth garnished with cilantro leaves,
and Asian garlic chili sauce
Note : Do not use the tough bottoms of the asparagus in
the stir-fry
.
http://www.tikimanpages.com/tiki/dining-quick/136-polynesian-recipiesThe Wonderful World of Our Disney Vacation, Part 5: Last Day at MK
Friday: It was our last day at the Magic Kingdom park. After everything, we both felt like we'd just gotten to Disney World and also had always been there; it was definitely bittersweet. We started the day with Mama rushing Bud to Thunder Mountain, his all-time favorite ride--he would ride three times on Friday--and Sis and I standing in line to see Tinkerbell and Vidia, probably our longest wait of the whole trip. Bud and Mama joined us just in time to see the fairies. Vidia was funny, perhaps the only snide Disney character we met! Unfortunately, our Photo Pass pics of meeting Vidia have been lost to the ether and I was so busy juggling autograph books that I didn't take my own photo; oh, well, we did get the Tink pictures.
I can't recall the order of the day well, but we rode the Spitting Camel/Magic Carpet ride that was Sis's favorite again. We had Dole Whip Floats for breakfast. And the kids rode the Tea Cups all by themselves, which made them immensely happy--and Mama even more so! We rode the Dumbo ride and the Pooh ride and the carousel for the second time of the visit.
And at 10:30 a.m., we got in a long line for lunch at the newly-opened Be Our Guest restaurant in the Beast's castle in New Fantasyland. It was amazing! After standing in line to enter our order at the computer kiosks and scan our little red rose, we headed into the large ballroom to choose a table. It looks just like the ballroom in the movie, complete with cherubs floating in the clouds of the ceiling painting (though, they seemed more like portraits than the movie originals!). And amazingly, our rose singled the kitchen, a waiter from which found us using GPS, I suppose, and brought us our lovely meal of potato leek soup, French onion soup, vegetable quiche, braised pork, and tuna nicoise salad for Bud, plus lemon merengue cupcake and passion fruit cream puff. We then wandered into the West Wing with its wilting rose and thunderstorm, which triggered a change in the portrait of the prince into the Beast and then into the Rose Gallery with its paintings of the characters and story. I couldn't get enough. All it needed was Beauty and the Beast (but we couldn't wing reservations for the evening character dinner, even with Mama's planning.)
I rested midday while Mama took the kids on Buzz Lightyear and through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse and Tom Sawyer Island. They loved them all, so that Sis has even gotten Swiss Family Robinson out of the library. When I returned, in my brand-new "diamond" tiara, we went to the Carousel of Progress--and the kids liked it! And memorized the song!! Then we went to the Hall of Presidents, which of course brought me to tears with its Gettysburg Address and such. We liked seeing and hearing President Obama's statue.
While Sis and I ate french fries, Bud rode Thunder Mountain twice more. Then we all watched the Electrical Light Parade and later Celebrations and the fireworks for the last time. It was a beautiful end to a great week.
I can't recall the order of the day well, but we rode the Spitting Camel/Magic Carpet ride that was Sis's favorite again. We had Dole Whip Floats for breakfast. And the kids rode the Tea Cups all by themselves, which made them immensely happy--and Mama even more so! We rode the Dumbo ride and the Pooh ride and the carousel for the second time of the visit.
And at 10:30 a.m., we got in a long line for lunch at the newly-opened Be Our Guest restaurant in the Beast's castle in New Fantasyland. It was amazing! After standing in line to enter our order at the computer kiosks and scan our little red rose, we headed into the large ballroom to choose a table. It looks just like the ballroom in the movie, complete with cherubs floating in the clouds of the ceiling painting (though, they seemed more like portraits than the movie originals!). And amazingly, our rose singled the kitchen, a waiter from which found us using GPS, I suppose, and brought us our lovely meal of potato leek soup, French onion soup, vegetable quiche, braised pork, and tuna nicoise salad for Bud, plus lemon merengue cupcake and passion fruit cream puff. We then wandered into the West Wing with its wilting rose and thunderstorm, which triggered a change in the portrait of the prince into the Beast and then into the Rose Gallery with its paintings of the characters and story. I couldn't get enough. All it needed was Beauty and the Beast (but we couldn't wing reservations for the evening character dinner, even with Mama's planning.)
I rested midday while Mama took the kids on Buzz Lightyear and through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse and Tom Sawyer Island. They loved them all, so that Sis has even gotten Swiss Family Robinson out of the library. When I returned, in my brand-new "diamond" tiara, we went to the Carousel of Progress--and the kids liked it! And memorized the song!! Then we went to the Hall of Presidents, which of course brought me to tears with its Gettysburg Address and such. We liked seeing and hearing President Obama's statue.
While Sis and I ate french fries, Bud rode Thunder Mountain twice more. Then we all watched the Electrical Light Parade and later Celebrations and the fireworks for the last time. It was a beautiful end to a great week.
The Wonderful World of Our Disney Vacation, Part 4: The Other Three Parks
Tuesday: The humid and overcast morning found us carrying our rain jackets to Epcot after breakfast. There really is something very impressive about that giant silver sphere hovering over Florida swampland, isn't there? The kids couldn't believe the size, much less that there was a ride inside it. But it was our very first stop.
Right after the interminable walk. I think it took 3 long ramps just to get out of the monorail station then a haul to security and then to the entrance and then all the way past the now-crowded esplanade--what is with those big, ugly stalagmites with the teensy tiny pictures angling out of the ground? It ruins the atmosphere and approach (and I remember when they weren't there.) Then you walk all the way to Spaceship Earth and you still aren't really in the park per se. Can you tell I have issues with Epcot? It's here that it sank in that WDW was not designed with my stamina or mobility in mind! And I wasn't alone--there were more kids in strollers than not (and not just babies and preschoolers--some kids were older than mine. And being pushed by grandmas! I get it with young kids, but elementary school?!! I even heard one mom refuse to let her begging child actually walk! I know it's easier than fighting a tired child all day, but maybe adjust your expectations and schedules. Which might be a privileged view--some people might afford just one day and can't afford two half-days but with full-priced tickets. My righteous streak.), and so many more adult scooters than I've ever seen there before (which is probably great because it means partially-mobile are getting out more! I envied those scooters at Epcot but wasn't quite ready to actually need one; I thought I could do it. But I'm glad those who can't have an option). Clearly a large percentage of tourists, like me, just can't handle the distances; I wonder if the Imagineers would have designed these parks differently if they'd known about decreasing American endurances? It certainly affected my ability to enjoy (and spend money at, hint hint) the park. My back became so fatigued that it went into spasm, even after a long rest at the hotel, leaving me in tears and almost unable to walk out; it took more than two days for me to work up to my earlier pace. (Yes, I overdid it, overestimating my abilities, but damn, I wanted to eat in Norway with my kids!) Yep, Epcot almost ruined my vacation.
Still loved Spaceship Earth and Dame Judi Dench telling us the (very Western and traditional) history of communication. The second half of the ride, now with interactive computer activity passes the return time much better than the old way (I vaguely recall floating astronauts?). Though doesn't seem like the creative minds at Disney just ran out of stuff for Spaceship Earth? Why isn't the whole ride cool instead of just the first half?
Revisiting rides is sometimes a crap-shoot. There are three main options: the ride is as good as you remember or better; the ride is cheesy or disappointing but the evoked nostalgia is powerful and carries you through to pleasure; or the ride is just not good. For example, I always like It's a Small World; the nostalgia of Carousel of Progress was powerful and I had so much fun; the Great Movie Ride just isn't.
We rode two more--Imagination, with Figment, and the Nemo/Living Seas ride--before I left for my midday rest. They were okay--Mama likes Figment the purple creative dragon and we all liked the "mine! mine! mine!" seagulls outside Nemo. There were also our real beloved manatees in the tanks of Living Seas, which had been a real highlight for Mama and me last time. The kids thought they were cool enough and were curious about their boat-injured tails (these are rescue manatees).
While I rested, the kids rode Soarin', tried to do a few Perry cellphone adventures in the World Showcase (these didn't work until after I got back, probably because of the soaking rain that kept coming! Yes, Mama and the kiddos got soaked but luckily had their rain jackets. I brought them dry socks.), checked their passports at each country, had snacks in France (and saved me a raspberry lime macaron), and got me a Doctor Who shirt in the UK.
I met them for a late lunch at Akershus, the castle in Norway, where we were photographed with Belle adn then met Snow White, Aurora, and Ariel again. The buffet smorgasbord (I know, that's Swedish) had all manner of preserved fish that Bud and Mama liked and some interesting cheeses, including a caramelized goat cheese, that Mama and I liked. We had delicious pasta, Norwegian meatballs, salmon, and open-faced beef sandwich, finishing the meal with our friendly waitress Bettina's favorite rice cream, which is not a cooked rice pudding but cooked rice folded into sweet whipped cream. Delicioius.
We wandered to China to meet Mulan, which took awhile but was well worth it. Sis spoke to her at length and then Bud did some kung fu moves for her and Sis did a cartwheel and they all posed dramatically in fighting style for numerous pictures, despite the waiting line. She was the most interactive princess we met. The kids were thrilled. We continued our "China pride" moment by going tot he 360 degree movie, which astounded them, and then did the Perry game. We did another Perry game in Norway.
What's that, you say? It's a new to us Disney game where the kids pick up a special cellphone and follow clues inside each country until they solve the puzzle. And several of the stops have special Easter Eggs, to borrow other media lingo. They could make smoke come out of a chimney in Norway, uncover a lost Viking sword behind a poster, change the face of a troll, make a Chinese gong sound, and the like. Too bad it hadn't worked earlier so that they could've done more worlds.
At some point, Bud and I rode the Maelstrom together, the Viking boat ride, which got stopped ride before the log flume! We waited a few minutes, able to look outside, and then dropped down through the water. And then I pretty much realized I'd overdone my back.
Without dwelling on pain and suffering here, I got home. The kids stayed at Epcot and then went to Magic Kingdom to pick up those Sorcerer's cards. Then they rode the boat back to the Polynesian. Later that night, after rest, meds, and dinner, we went out to the "beach" to see the Electrical Boat Parade, or whatever they call it. On barges, these huge frames with various jumping dolphins and dragons and such in lights glide across the water. It's old-fashioned and cute.
Wednesday: Still tight, I stayed back in the room while Mama and the kids headed to Animal Kingdom, where they had a great morning riding the Kali Rapids and going on safari. I met them midday for a character lunch at Tusker House, in the Africa section. It was the very best meal of the trip, perhaps the best vegetarian meal in Florida (though I haven't sampled widely). While they got excited about seeing Goofy, Daisy, and Donald Duck, I was relishing the meal: sambals (mango chutney and mixed fruit chutney), apple and endive salad, Tunisian couscous salad (with corn), Pearl couscous with sweet basil, Marrakesh couscous (with roasted vegetables), curried rice salad with golden raisins, basmati rice with almonds and cardamom, Jollaf rice (tomato-y), orzo pasta salad with olives and feta, green bean and onion salad, saffron-infused root vegetable stew, and spiced vegetable tofu! I think I had them all. (Alas, on our day, no lentil soups or sweet potato casserole). Bud loved the seafood stew with tamarind barbecue sauce, having three or four huge plates of it. And we all enjoyed the cherry-apple cobbler, banana-cinnamon bread pudding, lemon bars, chocolate lave cakes, etc etc. I wish I could've eaten there every meal. And I hear the Animal Lodge has even more African-infused vegetarian meals. Thanks, Mama, for organizing this meal special for me!
I remember the Bug's Life show from twelve years ago, with the pokey seat and mist and stink bug. Bud loved it but it was all too much for Sis, and she even left before the spiders descended from the ceiling! I headed back to the hotel while Mama took the kids to do the Nemo show and other things. I wanted to rest before our evening luau.
Ah, the luau. Gommie and Pop took us to the luau back in the early 1980s. I don't remember many details, just the amazing dancing and the fire thrower. It's quite the production now, with leis and photographs, a romance-tinged Disney show with pop songs, Lilo and Stitch "Hawaiian Rollercoaster" anthem (I bet Mama is still singing this song! She said it was her theme song for the trip. I would add the "Wishes" song from the light show.), and the authentic traditional Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, and Kiwi dances. Of course, we all liked the Samoan fire dancer's electrifying performance. We reminded Bud several times that he couldn't try twirling fire at home! The food was secondary, though the kids devoured the rice, citrus noodles, salad, roasted vegetables, roasted pork, and roasted chicken. Well, that is after Bud drank and entire virgin Strawberry Daiquiri and Mama and I shared a virgin Pina Colada that Sis really liked, too. My favorite? The pineapple rolls!
Thursday: Hollywood Studios, here we come! We headed straight for Star Tours, one of my all-time favorite rides, with it's simulation of flying in a Rebel shuttle. But this time it near to ended me . . . because I didn't see the "don't ride if you have back trouble" sign in front. It was so jerky, so bouncy, so unsettling, that even with my white brace on, I was worried about walking away from the ride afterwards. I did, of course, but, coupled with Epcot, it was almost a vacation wrecker. Still, I loved it when I wasn't terrified. In fact, it made me kinda sad to think that I probably won't ever ride it again (if I have any sense.) But I'm so glad I shared it with the kiddos, who LOVED it and rode it three more times, seeing some of the 154 different combos (funny, they saw 2 exactly the same!). We did have fun in the shop afterwards, too, with the kids making their own blue and red Mickey-eared droids and their own double-bladed lightsabers. I even got a little Princess Leia dress-up doll set and an Ewok hat. We were all kids in the Star Wars shop. and then we went out and took pictures in front of the life-sized Ewok village and riding on those Endor scooters. Fun, fun, fun.
I managed one more ride--The Great Movie ride, which belied it's name and was pretty mediocre--before heading home to rest my tired back. The kids and Mama continued to explore the park, playing on the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground, taking a cartoon class in which they drew Mr. Incredible, meeting Phineas and Ferb and Mr. Incredible and Frozone, and riding Toy Story Mania, which they really liked.
Later that evening, I met them for Fantasmic, the evening sound and light show. We ate our (mediocre park food) dinner in the stands, actually in the Standing Room Only section, while waiting for the show to start. The story revolves around a dream that sleeping Mickey has about fighting all the forces of Disney evil; of course, he prevails. There are cameos from various Pocahontas characters, some princesses, etc. The kids liked it when the water caught on fire!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Akershus Rice Cream
Right after the interminable walk. I think it took 3 long ramps just to get out of the monorail station then a haul to security and then to the entrance and then all the way past the now-crowded esplanade--what is with those big, ugly stalagmites with the teensy tiny pictures angling out of the ground? It ruins the atmosphere and approach (and I remember when they weren't there.) Then you walk all the way to Spaceship Earth and you still aren't really in the park per se. Can you tell I have issues with Epcot? It's here that it sank in that WDW was not designed with my stamina or mobility in mind! And I wasn't alone--there were more kids in strollers than not (and not just babies and preschoolers--some kids were older than mine. And being pushed by grandmas! I get it with young kids, but elementary school?!! I even heard one mom refuse to let her begging child actually walk! I know it's easier than fighting a tired child all day, but maybe adjust your expectations and schedules. Which might be a privileged view--some people might afford just one day and can't afford two half-days but with full-priced tickets. My righteous streak.), and so many more adult scooters than I've ever seen there before (which is probably great because it means partially-mobile are getting out more! I envied those scooters at Epcot but wasn't quite ready to actually need one; I thought I could do it. But I'm glad those who can't have an option). Clearly a large percentage of tourists, like me, just can't handle the distances; I wonder if the Imagineers would have designed these parks differently if they'd known about decreasing American endurances? It certainly affected my ability to enjoy (and spend money at, hint hint) the park. My back became so fatigued that it went into spasm, even after a long rest at the hotel, leaving me in tears and almost unable to walk out; it took more than two days for me to work up to my earlier pace. (Yes, I overdid it, overestimating my abilities, but damn, I wanted to eat in Norway with my kids!) Yep, Epcot almost ruined my vacation.
Still loved Spaceship Earth and Dame Judi Dench telling us the (very Western and traditional) history of communication. The second half of the ride, now with interactive computer activity passes the return time much better than the old way (I vaguely recall floating astronauts?). Though doesn't seem like the creative minds at Disney just ran out of stuff for Spaceship Earth? Why isn't the whole ride cool instead of just the first half?
Revisiting rides is sometimes a crap-shoot. There are three main options: the ride is as good as you remember or better; the ride is cheesy or disappointing but the evoked nostalgia is powerful and carries you through to pleasure; or the ride is just not good. For example, I always like It's a Small World; the nostalgia of Carousel of Progress was powerful and I had so much fun; the Great Movie Ride just isn't.
We rode two more--Imagination, with Figment, and the Nemo/Living Seas ride--before I left for my midday rest. They were okay--Mama likes Figment the purple creative dragon and we all liked the "mine! mine! mine!" seagulls outside Nemo. There were also our real beloved manatees in the tanks of Living Seas, which had been a real highlight for Mama and me last time. The kids thought they were cool enough and were curious about their boat-injured tails (these are rescue manatees).
While I rested, the kids rode Soarin', tried to do a few Perry cellphone adventures in the World Showcase (these didn't work until after I got back, probably because of the soaking rain that kept coming! Yes, Mama and the kiddos got soaked but luckily had their rain jackets. I brought them dry socks.), checked their passports at each country, had snacks in France (and saved me a raspberry lime macaron), and got me a Doctor Who shirt in the UK.
I met them for a late lunch at Akershus, the castle in Norway, where we were photographed with Belle adn then met Snow White, Aurora, and Ariel again. The buffet smorgasbord (I know, that's Swedish) had all manner of preserved fish that Bud and Mama liked and some interesting cheeses, including a caramelized goat cheese, that Mama and I liked. We had delicious pasta, Norwegian meatballs, salmon, and open-faced beef sandwich, finishing the meal with our friendly waitress Bettina's favorite rice cream, which is not a cooked rice pudding but cooked rice folded into sweet whipped cream. Delicioius.
We wandered to China to meet Mulan, which took awhile but was well worth it. Sis spoke to her at length and then Bud did some kung fu moves for her and Sis did a cartwheel and they all posed dramatically in fighting style for numerous pictures, despite the waiting line. She was the most interactive princess we met. The kids were thrilled. We continued our "China pride" moment by going tot he 360 degree movie, which astounded them, and then did the Perry game. We did another Perry game in Norway.
What's that, you say? It's a new to us Disney game where the kids pick up a special cellphone and follow clues inside each country until they solve the puzzle. And several of the stops have special Easter Eggs, to borrow other media lingo. They could make smoke come out of a chimney in Norway, uncover a lost Viking sword behind a poster, change the face of a troll, make a Chinese gong sound, and the like. Too bad it hadn't worked earlier so that they could've done more worlds.
At some point, Bud and I rode the Maelstrom together, the Viking boat ride, which got stopped ride before the log flume! We waited a few minutes, able to look outside, and then dropped down through the water. And then I pretty much realized I'd overdone my back.
Without dwelling on pain and suffering here, I got home. The kids stayed at Epcot and then went to Magic Kingdom to pick up those Sorcerer's cards. Then they rode the boat back to the Polynesian. Later that night, after rest, meds, and dinner, we went out to the "beach" to see the Electrical Boat Parade, or whatever they call it. On barges, these huge frames with various jumping dolphins and dragons and such in lights glide across the water. It's old-fashioned and cute.
Wednesday: Still tight, I stayed back in the room while Mama and the kids headed to Animal Kingdom, where they had a great morning riding the Kali Rapids and going on safari. I met them midday for a character lunch at Tusker House, in the Africa section. It was the very best meal of the trip, perhaps the best vegetarian meal in Florida (though I haven't sampled widely). While they got excited about seeing Goofy, Daisy, and Donald Duck, I was relishing the meal: sambals (mango chutney and mixed fruit chutney), apple and endive salad, Tunisian couscous salad (with corn), Pearl couscous with sweet basil, Marrakesh couscous (with roasted vegetables), curried rice salad with golden raisins, basmati rice with almonds and cardamom, Jollaf rice (tomato-y), orzo pasta salad with olives and feta, green bean and onion salad, saffron-infused root vegetable stew, and spiced vegetable tofu! I think I had them all. (Alas, on our day, no lentil soups or sweet potato casserole). Bud loved the seafood stew with tamarind barbecue sauce, having three or four huge plates of it. And we all enjoyed the cherry-apple cobbler, banana-cinnamon bread pudding, lemon bars, chocolate lave cakes, etc etc. I wish I could've eaten there every meal. And I hear the Animal Lodge has even more African-infused vegetarian meals. Thanks, Mama, for organizing this meal special for me!
I remember the Bug's Life show from twelve years ago, with the pokey seat and mist and stink bug. Bud loved it but it was all too much for Sis, and she even left before the spiders descended from the ceiling! I headed back to the hotel while Mama took the kids to do the Nemo show and other things. I wanted to rest before our evening luau.
Ah, the luau. Gommie and Pop took us to the luau back in the early 1980s. I don't remember many details, just the amazing dancing and the fire thrower. It's quite the production now, with leis and photographs, a romance-tinged Disney show with pop songs, Lilo and Stitch "Hawaiian Rollercoaster" anthem (I bet Mama is still singing this song! She said it was her theme song for the trip. I would add the "Wishes" song from the light show.), and the authentic traditional Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahitian, and Kiwi dances. Of course, we all liked the Samoan fire dancer's electrifying performance. We reminded Bud several times that he couldn't try twirling fire at home! The food was secondary, though the kids devoured the rice, citrus noodles, salad, roasted vegetables, roasted pork, and roasted chicken. Well, that is after Bud drank and entire virgin Strawberry Daiquiri and Mama and I shared a virgin Pina Colada that Sis really liked, too. My favorite? The pineapple rolls!
Thursday: Hollywood Studios, here we come! We headed straight for Star Tours, one of my all-time favorite rides, with it's simulation of flying in a Rebel shuttle. But this time it near to ended me . . . because I didn't see the "don't ride if you have back trouble" sign in front. It was so jerky, so bouncy, so unsettling, that even with my white brace on, I was worried about walking away from the ride afterwards. I did, of course, but, coupled with Epcot, it was almost a vacation wrecker. Still, I loved it when I wasn't terrified. In fact, it made me kinda sad to think that I probably won't ever ride it again (if I have any sense.) But I'm so glad I shared it with the kiddos, who LOVED it and rode it three more times, seeing some of the 154 different combos (funny, they saw 2 exactly the same!). We did have fun in the shop afterwards, too, with the kids making their own blue and red Mickey-eared droids and their own double-bladed lightsabers. I even got a little Princess Leia dress-up doll set and an Ewok hat. We were all kids in the Star Wars shop. and then we went out and took pictures in front of the life-sized Ewok village and riding on those Endor scooters. Fun, fun, fun.
I managed one more ride--The Great Movie ride, which belied it's name and was pretty mediocre--before heading home to rest my tired back. The kids and Mama continued to explore the park, playing on the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground, taking a cartoon class in which they drew Mr. Incredible, meeting Phineas and Ferb and Mr. Incredible and Frozone, and riding Toy Story Mania, which they really liked.
Later that evening, I met them for Fantasmic, the evening sound and light show. We ate our (mediocre park food) dinner in the stands, actually in the Standing Room Only section, while waiting for the show to start. The story revolves around a dream that sleeping Mickey has about fighting all the forces of Disney evil; of course, he prevails. There are cameos from various Pocahontas characters, some princesses, etc. The kids liked it when the water caught on fire!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Akershus Rice Cream
1 pound short-grain white rice (not instant)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
4 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Strawberry sauce:
2 cups strawberry preserves
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method:
1. Cook rice with water and salt for 15 minutes, covered.
Add milk and cook for 30 minutes or until rice is tender and the mixture is
thick. Chill rice in the refrigerator.
2. Whip cream and sugar and vanilla. Gently fold whipped
cream into chilled rice. Set aside in refrigerator.
3. Place sauce ingredients in the work bowl of a blender.
Mix until combined.
4. Spoon rice mixture into serving cups. Garnish with
strawberry sauce.
Tusker House Moroccan style Root Vegetable Stew
1 pound sliced carrots
1/2 pound chopped turnips
1/2 pound shredded cabbage
1/2 pound diced zucchini
1/2 pound diced eggplant
1/2 pound canned diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chick peas
10 threads of saffron
1 pound onions, carrjed (large dice)
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2 qt vegetable stock
1tsp ground black pepper
1. Bring stock to a boil in a large stock pot.
2. Add onions, saffron, and pepper.
3. Simmer 1/2 hour
4. Add turnips, carrots, cabbage " cook for 20 more
minutes
5. Add zucchini, eggplant, diced tomatoes (undrained),
and cook 10 more minutes
6. Add chick peas, cilantro, and parsley
7. Serve
http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/disney-recipes-home
Basmati Rice with Toasted Almonds
1 lb. basmati rice
3 cups water
2 Tbsp. canola olive oil blend
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1/8 teas. ground black pepper
2 each cinnamon sticks
1/2 each lemon cut in wedges
1 cup toasted almonds
1 Tbsp. Green Cardamom seeds
1. Rinse Rice under cold water until water runs clear,
around 20
minutes.
2. Put drained rice in rice cooker, cover with water, and
add salt,
pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, oil & lemon and turn on.
Stir every 10 minutes until done.
3. Remove from heat and toss into toasted almonds.
http://www.disboards.com/archive/index.php/t-1575103-p-13.html
Marrakesh Couscous, from Boma
1 cup Water
2 t. Ground Coriander, toasted
2 t. Ground Cumin, toasted
3 each Saffron Threads, toasted and chopped
To taste Salt and Pepper
1 cup Cous Cous
1 small Onion, diced chunky
1 each Carrots, diced chunky
2 each Zucchini, diced chunky
1 small Red Bell Pepper, diced chunky
1 – 8 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
2 T. Garlic, chopped fine
1 t. Ground Turmeric, toasted
1 cup Cilantro, chopped
Boil water and add coriander, cumin, salt, pepper, and
saffron.
Pour over the cous cous. Cover and allow to tenderize.
Set aside.
Sauté the vegetables with the rest of the spices.
Add vegetable stock and simmer until vegetables are
tender.
Add the cilantro when the vegetables are done.
http://www.magicalkingdoms.com/wdw/recipes/couscousmarra.html
Jollaf Rice
24 oz. Water
4 oz. Chicken base
4 oz. Tomato paste
2 oz. Turmeric
1 oz. Cumin
2 Bay leaves
6 oz. Chopped onion
1 oz. Thyme
1 oz. Rosemary
2 oz. each of Red & green peppers (julienned)Mix
Chicken Base, tomato paste and water. Stir in Turmeric and cumin. Pour over
rice and mix well. Add thyme, rosemary, chopped onions, and bay leaves. Pour
into 4" hotel pan. Cover with Baker paper and foil. Cook at 325° for 30 to
45 minutes. Mix in julienne red and green peppers
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/tusker-house-updated-aug-2008.54103/
Pearl Couscous with Sweet Basil
2 cups vegetable stock
5 each fresh basil leaves
8 ounces Israeli couscous (approximately 1¼ cup)
¼ cup butter blend
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Procedure:
1. Bring vegetable stock to boil
2. Add fresh basil and simmer
3. Add Israeli couscous and cook until liquid is absorbed
4. Season with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper
5. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, rosemary,
or thyme
http://allears.net/din/rec_thcc.htm
Curried Rice Salad
1 pound Basmati Rice
24 ounces Water
¼ ounce Kosher Salt
2 each Cinnamon Sticks
½ ounce Curry Powder
1 ounce Olive Oil
½ each Lemon
4 seeds Cardamom
8 ounces Onions diced ¾ inch and Roasted
2 grams Ground Black Pepper
4 ounce Golden Raisins
4 ounce Curry Chermoula Vinaigrette (below)
Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear,
approximately 20 minutes. Put drained rice in rice cooker, cover with water,
and add salt, cinnamon, lemon, curry powder and oil; turn on. Stir every 10
minutes until done. Remove from heat and chill. Add onions, raisins,
vinaigrette and salt & pepper if needed.
Chermoula Vinaigrette
8 ounces Safflower Oil
4 ounces Lemon Juice
4 ounces Chermoula (ingredients below)
¼ ounce Curry Powder
¼ ounce Minced Garlic
½ ounce Red Curry Paste
Chermoula
1 cup Fresh Cilantro
4 clove Garlic -- peeled
2 tablespoons Vinegar
1 x Juice of 1 Lemon or Lime
1 tablespoon Paprika
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
2 tablespoon Olive Oil (more if needed)
Salt (to taste)
Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
In food processor or blender, combine cilantro, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, olive oil, salt, and cayenne to a fine paste. Adjust the consistency by adding more olive oil. The marinade should be fairly thick.
Orzo Pasta with Olives and Feta
12 ounces orzo (cooked)
1 cup fresh spinach
1 teaspoon olive canola blend
¼ cup vegetable stock
1 each tomato (¾ inch diced)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove minced garlic (1 clove)
1 teaspoon salt (check if needed)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
10 each kalamata olives sliced
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme (10 sprigs)
1 1/2 ounces feta cheese crumbled
1 Tablespoon fresh basil (5 leaves)
1. Cook orzo in boiling water for 7 minutes, drain and
cool quickly.
2. Heat large skillet over moderate heat.
3. Add oil, tomatoes, garlic and sauté 1 minute.
4. Add all other ingredients except olives and feta.
5. Heat through and cook like a risotto, taste do not add
salt.
6. Place in pan for service and garnish with olives and
feta.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2912560
Tamarind BBQ sauce for Seafood Stew
3 cups Chili Sauce
1/2 cup Tamarind Paste (strain out seeds and dilute in
water)
1 cup water
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Honey
1 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 7-oz. can Chipotle Peppers
1 Poblano Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup white onions, chopped
1/2 cup garlic, rough chopped
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Ground Coriander
3 Tablespoons Crushed Red Pepper
In a small bowl, soak tamarind paste in one cup of water.
Let sit for 10 minutes. Using your hand, break the pulp from the seed. Place
seed in cheesecloth and juice on the pot. Put all ingredients into a small pot
and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Mix and puree all ingredients
in a blender. Cool. Mix half and half with Teriyaki Sauce (see recipe) below.
Teriyaki Sauce
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Soy Sauce, low sodium
1/2 cup water
3 Tablespoons Garlic, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon Ginger root, peeled and chopped
1/2 bunch Scallions, whites only
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a non-reactive pot
(non-aluminum pot) and reduce to simmer until thick. Strain and keep
refrigerated until ready to use.
http://allears.net/din/recipes/rec_tam.htm
Yam Casserole (we didn't get this)
4 pounds Canned yams or Sweet Potatoes
7 ounces Coco Fiesta (Coconut Milk)
6 ounces Brown Sugar
1/2 ounce Vanilla
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 ounce Toasted Coconut
4 tablespoons Corn Starch
2 cups Orange Juice
Drain the juice from the sweet potatoes. Place potatoes
into a pan or casserole dish. In a bowl mix the sugar, butter, and coco fiesta.
Add the orange juice, corn starch, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour the
mixture over the potatoes Cook at 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes Top with
the toasted coconut.
Lentil and Kale Stew (we didn't get this either)
from Jiko, Animal Kingdom Lodge
Serves 8
1 pound petite French lentils
2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, mashed
6 ounces kale, washed and thinly sliced
5 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 14.5 ounce cans fat-free chicken broth
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil
Rinse lentils and pick over for small rocks or pieces of
hull. Place lentils in a soup pot and cover with water; add 1 teaspoon of the
sea salt. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Drain, rinse, and set
aside.
In the same pot, heat the olive oil with the bay leaf,
onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Stir in kale; simmer five minutes. Add
tomatoes. Add cooked lentils, chicken stock, and remaining sea salt. Bring to a
boil; lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
Add parsley and black pepper. Season to taste. Top with
grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil, if desired.
Cook's Note: if you can't find kale, use chard or
spinach. The tiny French green lentils, available at specialty stores and in
bulk at many natural food stores, have a more delicate flavor than brown
lentils, and keep their shape and color. This soup tastes better a day after
it’s made.
Banana-Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
14 ounces Cinnamon Bread
12 ounces Milk
8 ounces Liquid Eggs
4 ounces Brown Sugar
4 ounces White Sugar
10 each Ripe Bananas
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon Vanilla
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
4 ounces Raisins
4 ounces Pecans
2 ounces Butter Blend
3 ounces Sanding Sugar
Dice cinnamon bread into 1 inch squares and place into a
12 inch round pan.
In a large bowl, mix the other ingredients except for the
bananas, sanding sugar and butter. Mash up 6 bananas and add them to the egg
mixture. Slice up the remaining bananas and add them to the panned cinnamon
bread. Pour the egg mixture over the bread/sliced bananas and let stand for
about 20 to 30 minutes. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes. Brush the top
with the butter blend and dust with the sanding sugar.
Serve warm with vanilla sauce. (recipe follows)
Vanilla Sauce
4 ½ teaspoon Butter Blend
4 ½ teaspoon Flour
¾ cup Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1 ¼ cup Milk
1 cup Whipping Cream
1 each Egg, Beaten
½ tablespoon Vanilla Paste
On medium heat melt butter in a small sauce pan, add
flour and cook for about 5 minutes stirring continuously. In a small mixing
bowl mix together the remaining ingredients. Add this to the flour and butter
stirring with a whisk until the mixture thickens (about 5 to 8 minutes.) Serve
warm or chilled.
Kona Café Sweet Bread (I think this is the recipe)
Yield: 4 10 oz loaves
4 ¾ c.……………. AP Flour
Pinch.……………. Salt
¼ c…..……………Sugar
2 Tsp……………..Active Dry Yeast
3 Ea………………Eggs – Room Temp
¼ c….……………Pineapple Juice Concentrate
4 Tbsp……………Margarine - Softened
¾ c………….……Warm Water
1) Combine warm water, pineapple juice concentrate,
margarine and eggs. Mix with the paddle attachment.
2) Combine dry ingredients, flour, sugar, salt, and
yeast. Add to liquid ingredients and mix with dough hook.
3) Mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
4) Place dough in a large bowl and let rise until doubled
in size, about 2-3 hours.
5) Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
6) Divide the dough into 4 10oz portions and form into
balls, cut an X about ½” deep into the top of each ball.
7) Cover and let rise for 45 minutes in the warmest part
of you’re kitchen.
8) Bake at 325F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with the Macadamia Honey Butter.
Macadamia Honey Butter
YIELD: ½ lb.
1 stick Salted Butter
1 stick Salted Margarine
2 tablespoons Honey
4 each Macadamia Nuts
1. Preheat oven to 350°f.
2. Chop macadamia nuts in a food processor until they are
chopped into small pieces.
3. Place the chopped nuts on a cookie sheet and bake for
6 minutes or until they are nicely toasted. Removed the nuts from the cookie
sheet and allow them to cool.
4. Place butter & margarine in mixer and mix until
whipped. Add chopped macadamia nuts and honey and mix until fully incorporated.
5. Place in a container and serve softened.
**all uncredited recipes are from Disboards.com (index at http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2912560)
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