tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30690388432287242882024-03-18T23:43:31.061-05:00Joy is Cookinga blog for all things culinary...and moreJoy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-12767770514165541582015-09-20T21:42:00.000-05:002015-09-20T21:42:09.101-05:00S.O.S.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It can't be a whole year! Not a whole year since I last wrote a blog post. It is inconceivable to me that a whole year has gone by since I started my new job (September 15 was my one-year work anniversary at Vanderbilt-round 2). One year since I mustered up the courage to go back to work full-time after several years of working from home and mostly being a mom. Before I go into a tailspin of how stressful things are right now, I must say how happy I am to be working again. It was not a mistake, I didn't crash and burn a few months in (although there were days I thought I might), and June survived the transition --we all did! And it's better than I would have imagined. I love my job, I love my colleagues, I love being a productive member of a team, love being back at a university, and most of all, I am happy to be contributing financially again to our family which has given me some needed confidence. I also know it is providing a good role model for my daughter.<br />
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It has been a year of big changes for us as we enter a phase of life that is one of the busiest we've ever been in, when work and family take up everything and when there is rarely anything left in the tank for having fun. June started kindergarten this year, and while she seems mostly happy and it is going well, it was an adjustment for her. It was frankly more of an adjustment than I expected and I am reminded daily of how she is still young, but so capable, growing more and more independent, but still needs us. Her days are full and her emotions high, and sometimes she has to let out steam. The meltdowns were happening almost every night the first few weeks of school, but they've lessened now and we know she needs more rest and connection when she is at home. And you know what? So do we.<br />
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We started a big remodeling project at our house in early June. It was time to finally turn the attic into a full upstairs space, adding a new staircase, taking down a wall downstairs, and adding about 750 square feet of living space upstairs. Nothing has been more challenging to our marriage than this house project. Not having a child, not going back to work, not money worries, nothing. It has been intense. Nothing brings out your differences like a home renovation. Different ways of communicating, the many choices and things to argue about, the money stresses, the onslaught of decisions to make, and just the general chaos of remodeling is enough to break most couples. I had heard this before we got started but it never really resonated. Now it does. I know that I have a low tolerance for chaos and that Daniel can handle a lot more than I can (he does this for a living), but now I know that if faced with the possibility of doing anything like this again, we will definitely move out.<br />
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Coming home from work to a house with no roof when you didn't know it was happening that day, or having a worker put his foot through your kitchen ceiling while you stand under it watching the debris fall all over the dishes, or being without air conditioning or a working shower while you host 8 family members from out of town--all of this and more. It's no wonder I had a major health problem that I thought had gone away, rear its ugly head again this summer. I somehow managed to get that under control while learning how to cope (or not) with only half a house and a lot of dirt.<br />
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But I know it will all be worth it.<br />
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Today I wasn't so sure. We are in the final stages (I hope?) and drywall is happening next. That is the dirtiest of the dirty so we are moving out for a week so that I won't kill my husband. Fortunately, we have a short-term rental apartment to go to where it's clean and comfortable, and free of drywall dust. But I nearly lost it when, right after breakfast and only one cup of coffee in, I learned that we had to basically pack up the whole kitchen, plus everything else in the house we didn't want to get dirty, and cover everything in plastic. All while packing up the stuff a family of three plus a dog and a fish will need for a week away from home. When I found out about the magnitude of what was about to happen (thanks for the advance notice, honey) and I knew I had only a couple of hours to do it (we had plans to attend a birthday party this afternoon), I lost my shit. Poor Daniel. And poor June. Daniel is used to it and June forgives me (thankfully), but I was a bad, bad example for her today and I regret that. I'm under a lot of stress. We all are. But I should be grateful that we have the means to renovate our house, that we even have a house in a great neighborhood in a great city, and we have another house to escape to this week. I feel like a turd.<br />
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I am so lucky to have a husband who works harder than anyone I've ever seen and who knows how to build us a house to live in. And I have the sweetest little girl who, when she saw me doubled over and crying this morning, came over to me and said what I always say to her in the midst of a meltdown:<br />
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"Take a deep breath, Mommy."<br />
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"You're right. I'm sorry," I said.<br />
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"Will you do something for me?" she asked.<br />
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"Yes."<br />
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"Please stop yelling and please tell Daddy you're sorry."<br />
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Brought.To.My.Knees.<br />
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If it weren't for her, I would have given up by now. But she brings me to my knees almost every day and I love her more than life. I will end with a saying I've learned at work and that I wish I could tattoo on my forehead: "No crying on the yacht." And when you think you're about to drown, ask your five-year-old for one of her life jackets. Because let's face it. Our life is incredibly good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5CJBypuAZ2nOYpKOqkOxLLeJOHnwGYDe1WuLtzCAh8SuqUe_6_A2OE-RV1zJTrBjxwGnAzhW8VPCQ-WbI3p-45D3eCIc5EBOwfdsafVJXpYY-Cyg6ZY1G1b3iWwiK_S6s7-d8ML2vWAA/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5CJBypuAZ2nOYpKOqkOxLLeJOHnwGYDe1WuLtzCAh8SuqUe_6_A2OE-RV1zJTrBjxwGnAzhW8VPCQ-WbI3p-45D3eCIc5EBOwfdsafVJXpYY-Cyg6ZY1G1b3iWwiK_S6s7-d8ML2vWAA/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkQ2HQ6EsnYFYNAoBgDShfdr2wvelcI1OrnDOaHgaMfNo76xbzFGdv5yABraNjWoj-2pi7Z1O9yWv-D_a9NrrY00YKlZBF6MLWc6CmOhUNiu0tdFM9I2kQ2kBmwzr9fwsN2GinMR_zHl5/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkQ2HQ6EsnYFYNAoBgDShfdr2wvelcI1OrnDOaHgaMfNo76xbzFGdv5yABraNjWoj-2pi7Z1O9yWv-D_a9NrrY00YKlZBF6MLWc6CmOhUNiu0tdFM9I2kQ2kBmwzr9fwsN2GinMR_zHl5/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="240" /></a>Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-24094782047511926842014-10-09T21:35:00.001-05:002014-10-09T21:36:14.966-05:00The second time around...<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ6tC6i-1LCl96TXxZOkPgrOJxvB189rrVlSfPaRXvKQzcG9dTwRQKAa1WvDtN3nz3Z3wnxDTOZRpywwsrIw8H8m9EtIxCfm9Pl9fWlG22qRHMJf4HJmbzkHadEqZPsIlP7Ki9bz6oqlC/s1600/Last+Import+-+1554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJ6tC6i-1LCl96TXxZOkPgrOJxvB189rrVlSfPaRXvKQzcG9dTwRQKAa1WvDtN3nz3Z3wnxDTOZRpywwsrIw8H8m9EtIxCfm9Pl9fWlG22qRHMJf4HJmbzkHadEqZPsIlP7Ki9bz6oqlC/s1600/Last+Import+-+1554.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Kirkland Hall, Vanderbilt University</td></tr>
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I have been trying to find the time to update the blog, especially with the big life changes going on, but I'm finding it hard to stay awake. Exhaustion comes in many forms, I'm learning. There is the kind that leaves you totally emotionally and mentally spent --as in the kind I felt most days while a stay-at-home mom. And there's the kind I feel now--the kind that is maybe more physical in nature and also laced with a lot of personal satisfaction. Not that staying home with kids is not personally satisfying, but it's inherently not the point. You do it because it's what you think is best for your child and you do it without ever getting the satisfaction of your child knowing the sacrifices you've made.<br />
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This working full-time on the other hand, is inherently good for me. As much as I feared it and even sometimes avoided it, I am really enjoying it. Yes, it has been challenging and not without moments of doubt and uncertainty. But for the most part, we are all adjusting well. Also, I love getting dressed in the morning in something besides sweats or work-out clothes. I love drinking my coffee on the way to work while listening to grown-up music or NPR (no more "horse tunes" or "free to be you and me," Hooray!) I love seeing and talking to adults all day. And I love coming home and picking up my smiling girl who runs to the door and squeals with delight upon seeing me. Our time together is now more precious because it's squeezed into a few intense hours in the morning and before bed.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgniLt9m96A25Gbp-adHYlIi3IpT0y6cP5tLskmjJ0GBWqBQCyEXxiDYpLctHBAyE0ZKCnLVPlRwtJgR9sNS3NSnCRB9EteLOu-0aa8CNF06Pt0pfG-lVquoPTl-WQbB1KRuwl1l8iBp-Qu/s1600/vaughn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgniLt9m96A25Gbp-adHYlIi3IpT0y6cP5tLskmjJ0GBWqBQCyEXxiDYpLctHBAyE0ZKCnLVPlRwtJgR9sNS3NSnCRB9EteLOu-0aa8CNF06Pt0pfG-lVquoPTl-WQbB1KRuwl1l8iBp-Qu/s1600/vaughn.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My new workplace - The almost 150-year-old Vaughn Home</td></tr>
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My new job at the <a href="http://www.vanderbilt.edu/rpw_center/" target="_blank">Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities</a> at Vanderbilt means I am working on a college campus again in the same environment I used to teach in (it was the reason I moved to Nashville). But this time I get to do things that are much more practical and mundane, but also interesting and new. Instead of teaching--or trying to at least convince students that the Humanities are worth studying--now I help make possible the kinds of interactions and meaningful discussions that define the Humanities. I get to help provide the opportunities for faculty and graduate students in different disciplines to learn and study with each other. Plus, it's fun! In the first few weeks I got to play tour guide to a group of academics from Ireland and help coordinate a visit from an award-winning novelist and his gospel band. I get to go to the Southern Festival of Books this week and get paid for it. And I get to listen to interesting people talk about engaging intellectual topics that matter. I feel so lucky to have found this place!<br />
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I remember one day in the Fall of my first year teaching at Vanderbilt. I was walking in front of a huge magnolia tree and the sun was shining through the leaves on that crisp, cloudless day. I had an almost out of body feeling of being very happy and content with my present situation. That kind of pure happiness that hits you for fleeting moments is hard to come by. That, unfortunately, didn't last too long in that particular time and space, but I feel like I finally have the chance to feel that way again. It's a feeling I longed for many times during the last however many years it has been--years spent trying to find myself and my career path again after coming to a dead end. Now, although the future is unclear and mysterious, I feel like I can finally hope for that contentment again.<br />
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It helps that my husband has a schedule that allows for us to both work and still be involved parents. I love my family, I love being a mother, even though it's the hardest thing I've ever loved, but I also love working. And I need to do both. That is not to say that I didn't love my time staying home with June for the past four-plus years. But I think this is what works for me now. And I am grateful for this opportunity. Stay tuned... if I can stay awake long enough to compose my thoughts, I'll be back soon!<br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-27866227743731869262014-07-29T10:36:00.000-05:002014-07-29T10:36:12.841-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
As I write this on a gorgeous, sunny –and dry—70-degree day
in July (!), I am feeling happy and grateful and not at all grumpy like I
normally am this time of year in Tennessee. I know I complain a lot about
things I can’t change such as the climate where I live, and I do a fair amount
of it here on the blog, but I am highly susceptible to mood swings that depend
on the weather. It’s just who I am. It’s probably the reason I spent 12 years
happily living in Colorado and could have seen myself living there the rest of
my life. But I am glad I moved here. For many reasons, not the least of which
is the beautiful family I have and the idyllic lifestyle we live which I am
reminded of every single day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I feel particularly grateful lately as I watch the news of
so many atrocities happening around the world. The bombing in Gaza, the violent
shooting of the airliner from the sky in Ukraine, the two-hour execution (and
others like it) in Arizona, the child refugees at the border searching for a
better life and being turned away, the endless school shootings…it’s enough to
make you really question our existence and get pretty overwhelmed with sadness.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Some people deal with these realities by turning off the TV
and the computer, by turning a blind eye to the world and focusing on their own
little universes and the small things they can do to produce good in the world.
That’s wonderful. I wish I could that. I am cursed with a need to know, an
almost masochistic torture where I force myself to watch and to read about what’s
going on in the world. I think I inherited this from my dad. He is a voracious
reader and media consumer. Some of my earliest memories are of hearing the
theme song to the nightly news and seeing him read the newspaper. He still
does. He’s very well informed and a very compassionate human being. He gets
involved, too. He volunteers every week feeding the homeless, he has arguments
with co-workers about politics and he never misses his opportunity to vote. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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My mom, on the other hand, had a spirit and generosity that
was more local. She was a kindergarten teacher and touched the lives of many,
many children who loved her, and she helped her friends and neighbors all the
time. I remember her saying, as she was dying of cancer, “I wish I could do
more to help people.” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I guess it’s no surprise that I’m a bleeding heart and
compassionate to a fault. It’s also interesting to see how it is affecting my
daughter who watches and learns from everything we do, whether we realize it or
not. But is this a bad thing? I wonder, when I watch the news sometimes while
making dinner and she plays in another room or helps me in the kitchen,
listening all the while. Or whether our morning ritual of having breakfast,
drinking coffee while listening to NPR in the kitchen is somehow bad for her.
Am I exposing her to too much atrocity and sadness? Does she become afraid when
she sees the look on my face or the tears in my eyes?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to worry about this, but lately I have decided to
embrace my compassion and not hide it from her. After all, isn’t one of our
most important jobs as parents to model kindness and empathy for our kids? I am
just being real. I am not interested in creating a make-believe world to
shelter her from bad things. Of course, I don’t want her to have nightmares and
worry about death, but at the same time, she is old enough and, I believe,
sophisticated enough already to understand that there is both good and bad in
the world and how lucky we are to live where we live, while other children in
other parts of the world are not so lucky. I want her to know this. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So it is with pride and a tinge of sadness that I field her
questions “Where is that? And how close is it to here?” (about the violence in
Gaza). That’s when I pulled out the world atlas and showed her on the map where
it was and explained to her about the geography of the middle East. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When she told me she had named her newest doll "Gaza," I
wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to cry. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And when she overheard on the news that there was a shooting
and a mother and her child were injured and asked where that was, I told her
that it was in downtown Nashville, only a few miles from where we live. But we
are safe here, I assured her. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some people may question my motives in exposing my child to
so much at such an early age. And I could be wrong, but I tend to believe that
in the long run, it will make her a more compassionate and caring person. She
already knows about Kenya (where her auntie Neena worked last year helping
women and children), she knows what war is and that it is happening in several
parts of the world, and she knows that the young girl across the street who
came to our door on a cold winter night because her aunt wouldn’t let her in
the house was a lot less fortunate than us but not because of anything she did
wrong. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As one of my favorite writers, Anne Lamott says: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt;">We stitch together quilts of meaning to keep us
warm and safe, with whatever patches of beauty and utility we have on hand. We
help each other laugh, against all odds. Barry Lopez was right: after all is
said and done, all we have are Compassion and stories.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s so true. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll keep being emotional and connected to the world in
front of my child because I can’t do it any other way. And hopefully, it will be something she
remembers (and likes) about me when she’s older. </div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-35405133991469236172014-05-14T23:17:00.002-05:002014-05-14T23:17:34.307-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the last six weeks or so we have had a bountiful season, replete with all the colors, sounds and smells you would expect of Spring in the South--my favorite time of year, perhaps the only time of year I really love the weather here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lXRowD94GGaD_BOOCFQZBo3riiIIpfJQCkXeuUnVaMq2-pOv7yARIFe6aX9qdmxMzGNMfT__pYnxSR7-BrxyFBESHvXKpu_fty7iQ3voKY7TlREz6cXZP9yj9QpwcLu2hGTN_5raMBmk/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lXRowD94GGaD_BOOCFQZBo3riiIIpfJQCkXeuUnVaMq2-pOv7yARIFe6aX9qdmxMzGNMfT__pYnxSR7-BrxyFBESHvXKpu_fty7iQ3voKY7TlREz6cXZP9yj9QpwcLu2hGTN_5raMBmk/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbhcxdUEp4I5JAX3Ll9BMlJuRiewjM79idDO2xzPukuVNNPvO6gU4F5XsecONqpWSax0JXWXAP-VzOBM050Ka9QPmElYWKkkxzSV59XpUj1FJYi95uQX__ed79owla_O3xjc2GGOcDFu2/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbhcxdUEp4I5JAX3Ll9BMlJuRiewjM79idDO2xzPukuVNNPvO6gU4F5XsecONqpWSax0JXWXAP-VzOBM050Ka9QPmElYWKkkxzSV59XpUj1FJYi95uQX__ed79owla_O3xjc2GGOcDFu2/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a>We spent a lot of time last month working on our backyard and making it more beautiful. Once we cleaned out the last vestiges of winter--the blanket of brown leaves that had been there since fall--we got to work making it both more useable and better to look at. Then we cleaned out our vegetable garden and planted new grass seed throughout the yard, spreading hay over the trouble spots that needed more green.We even stopped throwing the ball in the same
spot over and over for our ball-crazy dog and have, for the first
time, managed to grow grass on the right side of the yard. And a major
bonus: she still wants to fetch but isn't quite as obsessed as she used to
be.<br />
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We also did a little patio makeover, replacing the ugly brick pavers with sand-colored pea gravel bordered by railroad ties. I love it. It reminds me of little patios in Europe. I bought a new teak round table that I love and added a few plants here and there. Over the last two years, we've taken down a couple of hackberry trees and it has really opened up the yard to the sun and sky. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqbIRarVw8eaZNpniPBZac1FzVV2VK2khaZ82NLGjNnsExGZb6Fsl16UMi4ZDjVcXz5yFJojvrRBRS6hYyX2IV4bsWB2q1x3covPG58eoup6MecPetBtY5jVcmpjKvI9Emr0KHeIFS-Ic/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqbIRarVw8eaZNpniPBZac1FzVV2VK2khaZ82NLGjNnsExGZb6Fsl16UMi4ZDjVcXz5yFJojvrRBRS6hYyX2IV4bsWB2q1x3covPG58eoup6MecPetBtY5jVcmpjKvI9Emr0KHeIFS-Ic/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLN3oVnCBZcB43icZju_5ZtpPw_0wZco_XZECN1sIQ4hJko5IvccBLfldYxhvE8R_cPp81NMiLyRVQ_0YBS3-varTp22rkLRZbEfStboz5x0EoSokHwwnuUMuc5g__65glEb5tuM5xaaC/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLN3oVnCBZcB43icZju_5ZtpPw_0wZco_XZECN1sIQ4hJko5IvccBLfldYxhvE8R_cPp81NMiLyRVQ_0YBS3-varTp22rkLRZbEfStboz5x0EoSokHwwnuUMuc5g__65glEb5tuM5xaaC/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Daniel built a castle for June last fall and the three of us worked together one sunny afternoon to put the finishing touches on it and paint it. On Easter we had about 15 kids over for an egg hunt and it was so wonderful to see them all up there "storming the castle." <br />
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The backyard has been a long work in progress, as has everything with this little 1930s East Nashville bungalow we bought exactly 7 years ago. We closed on it on May 15th, 2007. And, while I've lived with one foot out the door, always looking for an opportunity to move for the last 6.5 years, now I feel like we are pretty settled in and will soon start renovating it instead of moving. I am finding that what makes me happy these days is making something out of what we have, not always wanting more.<br />
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Living in a small house (1,150 sq.ft. to be exact) is a challenge, but it makes you really edit out the clutter and get creative with your space. I think I could win an award for the most creative use of a small, oddly laid out house. I rearrange the furniture about 3-4 times a year. When recently it looked like we might be adding one to our little family, I was already scheming about how to make room in what is essentially a one-bedroom. Just a year ago, we moved June out of her matchbox-sized nursery that Daniel built out of what was part of a bathroom and a closet, and turned that space into my office/sitting room. I love having my own little space to write in and keep some of my books.<br />
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I am more and more convinced that, for me, happiness is found not in buying things or acquiring more stuff, but in the everyday small things we do like cooking dinner together, hanging out with our friends while the kids play and just living in a neighborhood where it's possible to have friendly social interactions everyday. These are the keys to a happy life (I believe this, but so do many others and it's born out in a lot of research--see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGab38pKscw#t=15" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR-YrD_KB0M" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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I think that while we still have room to grow and improve (I am working on my shopping habits and have made huge progress shopping more and more locally and second-hand for most everything), we have managed over the last several years to build a life that expresses our intrinsic values. I am not saying that I still don't find sometimes that I get sucked into the materialistic messages that surround us all the time or that I am not as addicted to my personal media devices as everyone else (except for maybe my husband). But it's a constant challenge and I am reminded by the beautiful little things I see everyday, especially in Spring, that social connection and community and spending time with those we love are the true foundations of a happy life.<br />
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As a little reminder of this, there are three different bird families nesting on some part of our house right now. There is a family of starlings in the eaves of the front porch who have been coming back every year now for at least the last five to have their babies; there is a new nest on the inside of the porch at the top of a column which houses a morning bird and her mate sitting on a nest of eggs; and there is a little robin family who have made their home on top of a drain pipe on the back of the house and just yesterday I saw four little hungry beaks popping up! These little birds have provided me and June endless hours of delight while we watch them do their thing, the thing they were meant to do, with such determination and purpose. It gives me a lot of hope that this goes on right in our midst --literally on our little house--and we can all co-exist peacefully, all while living in the urban core of a city. Now that's happy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">copyright 2014 joyiscooking</span><br />
<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-87484324116981341402014-05-01T07:40:00.002-05:002014-05-01T07:40:39.712-05:00"Picky eater" muffins <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZx6hvB0_qcNksS9xyfOsko8ogMYn1t4GSrvQdHClAOh17Zf8VYzUP6km7zZfoAKhots7xIEH4_nTcQSDWeJGfG2-EZq0RBgjDpOiBROJqT5w0KsTizhGJIPlH4XYPjlML9W_6v4qk6A8/s1600/photo-157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZx6hvB0_qcNksS9xyfOsko8ogMYn1t4GSrvQdHClAOh17Zf8VYzUP6km7zZfoAKhots7xIEH4_nTcQSDWeJGfG2-EZq0RBgjDpOiBROJqT5w0KsTizhGJIPlH4XYPjlML9W_6v4qk6A8/s1600/photo-157.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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I think this may be a record. My child left the dinner table last night for the third night in a row without eating more than one bite. And it's not that I made food that was inedible. I tried to include in each meal at least one thing that I knew she liked. One night dinner was "risi e bisi" (a staple of kids in Italy): creamy risotto with peas and lots of parmesan cheese. The next it was turkey burgers with cabbage-apple slaw and broccoli (she did eat most of the broccoli) and last night it was beef chili and green salad with Goddess dressing. She even <i>requested</i> the chili and then decided it was not what she wanted after all. What is wrong with her??!!<br />
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Okay, so my frustration has reached a peak level. It's all I can do to sit quietly at the table each night fuming and trying to pretend I don't care what she eats. Tonight I did let on how disappointed I was that she would not eat the dinners her daddy and I put on the table each night, trying really hard to guilt her into eating something, to no avail. <br />
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So today I decided that perhaps subterfuge will be my new weapon of choice. I am going to start sneaking healthy foods into baked goods and smoothies and anything else I can use to disguise the foods I want her to eat. I always scoffed at this when I met parents who did this or heard about it in the latest celebrity cookbook. But here I am. It's my reality and I am willing to go to some pretty great lengths if it means I can get this kid to eat well.<br />
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I found this healthy muffin recently on the NYTimes website and tweaked it a bit. It's pretty forgivable and changeable, especially as far as the veggies you 'sneak' in. I've tried it twice now making small changes and this one is definitely the keeper. I also doubled it so that I can make a bunch and freeze them. <br />
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If you have an uncooperative eater right now, please share your stories
so that I don't feel so alone. And if you try this recipe let me know
what you think!<br />
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<b>Lunchbox Harvest Muffins</b> (adapted from Melissa Clark of The NYT)<br />
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(this recipe yields about two dozen mini-muffins, and probably 12-15 regular muffins)<br />
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2 1/2 cups of flour* <br />
(*The orig. recipe called for whole wheat pastry flour. Since I am trying to avoid wheat, I used half almond flour and half garbanzo-fava bean flour. You could also use Bob's Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour).<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
3 eggs<br />
3/4 cup olive oil (or coconut oil)<br />
2 tablespoons of honey<br />
2/3 cup dark brown sugar <br />
1 med apple, grated with any juices reserved<br />
1 cup grated carros (or butternut squash)<br />
1 cup grated zucchini (or beets)<br />
(1/3 cup (golden) raisins)<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini-muffin tins<br />
2. Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in med. bowl<br />
3. Combine eggs, oil, honey, brown sugar, grated apple and juices and grated veggies in large bowl<br />
4. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Fold in raisins if using. <br />
5. Fill each muffin cup and bake for about 15 minutes, or when a toothpick comes out clean. <br />
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Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-9846718117875517732014-04-28T15:27:00.003-05:002014-04-28T15:27:55.077-05:00April showers ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The look that preceded the explosion ...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Last night we went out with a big group to watch one of our friends play bluegrass music at a neighborhood restaurant. The rain drizzled lightly but no one seemed to care as it was a fun night, the music was good, the kids were dancing and it was a nice way to wind down the weekend. Then, without warning but coming on the heels of a pretty emotional weekend, our usually mellow, sweet child went from zero to sixty and a tantrum of epic proportions ensued.<br />
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It was the kind of tantrum I've witnessed other people's kids have on occasion but fortunately, not that common for us. And just when I thought we'd escaped the toddler years mostly unscathed only to find out the pre-school years are much worse, there we were running for the car, kicking and screaming child in our arms, embarrassed beyond belief and glad that one of us at least had the presence of mind to pay the bill a few minutes earlier.<br />
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I want to say that I handled this and the other challenges of the weekend (another full-blown fit upon leaving a party the night before, as well as a whole new level of verbal abuse that I thought I'd have to wait until the teenage years to experience) with grace and calm. I've read the parenting books, I know that children need love, especially when they least deserve it. But man, is it easier said than done. <br />
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All I can say is this parenthood thing is a learning process and sometimes it hurts. It is also full of unexpected moments of beauty and a love that fills you up completely and makes you wonder how you survived before you knew this kind of love.<br />
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As year four of our girl's life moves quickly toward a close, it feels like we have all come a long way. The last year has had its ups and downs and April felt like a microcosmic version of the whole year. It was, like the rest of the past 10 months or so, a roller coaster of emotions. I have always loved April because I look forward to Spring and to celebrating Easter and it was also my mom's birthday month. So the happiness and sadness are intertwined, as is usually the case.<br />
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Adding to that, yesterday was the official due date of the baby we lost. It's hard to believe that if things had worked out differently we would be welcoming another child into our lives right about now. I've moved into the latter stages of grief, however, and instead of a stabbing pain when I think of that, it now feels more like a subtle twinge. And, instead of feeling overwhelming sadness when I hear of other people's babies being born, I now feel genuinely happy for them, the darker feelings gradually being replaced by the joy and happiness that I used to always feel at the sight of a new baby. <br />
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My own 'baby' is quickly becoming a little girl, coming into her own on so many levels and starting to show her predilections and preferences more and more as well as her "spirited" personality. She's a tough cookie and I wouldn't have it any other way. Not too long ago she started climbing all over the place on the playground without much fear, something I thought she may never show any interest in doing. She's gotten really good at riding her bike, another thing she was slow to show interest in. She played her first soccer game and was actually not bad at it, and she is still really interested in music and dance. <br />
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And lastly, Daniel and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary (and 9 years together) and it feels like our bond just keeps getting stronger. I know how cliché that must sound and I'll try not to fall too deep into sentimental dribble. But I just feel so lucky to have met this guy and to be able to have a family with him and grow together as parents and as partners. He may not share in my love of coffee or foreign films or a good thrift store find, but he does the bath and bedtime routine with our daughter
and then cleans up the dinner dishes –after a full day of work—because he can
tell I’ve had a hard day. And he can stop me in my tracks when I’m about to go off the
rails about something inconsequential. He is so patient with me even when—mostly when—I do not
deserve it.<br />
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Let's hope it is true that April showers do bring May flowers because it's raining like crazy out there today. I also hope that after the storm that was April, May will be a little bit calmer. But I'm not holding my breath.<br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-19183278787433370232014-03-04T14:17:00.000-06:002014-03-04T14:17:04.352-06:00Weeknight roast chicken, or how to get a child to eat dinner<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this image courtesy examiner.com</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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There are two things that have become essential to my weeknight cooking repertoire: ease of preparation and getting my daughter to eat it. On the first point, contrary to what you may think of me, I am not a huge planner when it comes to dinner. At least not like I used to be. But even when I had more time to plan, shop and prepare (and I even threw an occasional dinner party) I still mostly decided what to cook an hour before serving it. <br />
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I get that the planning is half the battle and I know people who plan out their meals for the whole week on Sundays. But for me that's hard because I don't know how I am going to <i>feel</i> on any given day. It's not because I am not organized or don't like to be efficient. I see the need, especially with kids, to be both of those things and, like anyone else, my time is now more crunched. But I like to be spontaneous with food. I like to eat what's in season or what looks good that day at the store and just go with my mood on any given day (which also includes ordering take-out or going out once in a while). Also, my moods change weekly, if not daily, for what I feel like cooking and eating. I might see a magazine photo that catches my eye and get excited about trying it. Or I might go on a meat kick or a healthy vegetarian kick or any number of things. And I'm always trying new recipes.<br />
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Like this one for <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spiced-sweet-potato-and-roasted-broccoli-toasts" target="_blank">spiced sweet potato and roasted broccoli toasts</a> which blew my mind recently. (Recipe link to bonappetit.com). I saw it, I wanted it, I thought June would eat it because broccoli and sweet potatoes are two veggies she's always loved (I was wrong), so I made it. I left out the red chile in the sweet potato to make it kid-friendly and replaced pistachios with peanuts and almonds since that's what I had in the pantry. I'll make them again because they were <i>so</i> good. And if I keep trying, I may just get June to eat them.<br />
<br />But back to my second point. Also contrary to what you may think (and to everything I expected), I have a child who is a "picky eater." At least she is right now. It's just a phase, I know, and a completely normal one for a 3-4 year old, as far as I can tell. And it kills me. I love food, I love to cook, I cooked my own baby food, I had her eating charcuterie plates in high end restaurants when she was 18 mos old. And yet, these days I can hardly get her to eat the (mostly) delicious home-cooked meals I put on the table. She loves carbs: pasta, bread and pizza, and sweets of course, but getting her to eat her protein and her veg or --God forbid, a curry or beef empanada--you'd think I was torturing her. <br />
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So our rule of thumb now is keep putting delicious, healthy, home-cooked food in front of her and don't make a big deal out of it (don't fight, don't cajole, no bribes for dessert) and either she eats or she goes to bed hungry. No special meals or substitutions will be made. Out of pure stubbornness she has gone to bed with hardly any dinner on more than a few occasions lately. (By the way, if you have a "picky eater" right now too, this <a href="http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/26/the-picky-eater-plan-12-ideas-to-take-back-the-dinner-table/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0" target="_blank">blog/experiment</a> on the NYTimes parenting site has some useful tips). <br />
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Which brings me to the title of this post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gX_vlvJTUjYM7equhvxsb-q_pcYe12fyOZ4g2n-qnJA6B7RSoWtQH1C29rH-fOfKScgysGxjlW1RT8vnXkmkA5v4G5F-GfHYYshpiInfjK69RAXNRfMvknCnsTt8PuNgLMm53vTPeymC/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gX_vlvJTUjYM7equhvxsb-q_pcYe12fyOZ4g2n-qnJA6B7RSoWtQH1C29rH-fOfKScgysGxjlW1RT8vnXkmkA5v4G5F-GfHYYshpiInfjK69RAXNRfMvknCnsTt8PuNgLMm53vTPeymC/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsD9P5c4BepqD4jQJwE1e6icd7kL8TpHq76fgC6B_Z4E7QLH9m2vIY4J8vO9zYB-A1uwurV2VyMUUPAiiJkJwIAkRGAs8KnUPnVwuG6SynIurE4d6EBwtWrLUnmocLEZevajBkw_d8wXJQ/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsD9P5c4BepqD4jQJwE1e6icd7kL8TpHq76fgC6B_Z4E7QLH9m2vIY4J8vO9zYB-A1uwurV2VyMUUPAiiJkJwIAkRGAs8KnUPnVwuG6SynIurE4d6EBwtWrLUnmocLEZevajBkw_d8wXJQ/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Who doesn't love a simple roasted chicken? And who doesn't need a quicker way to prepare one? I used to brine, salt, truss, rotate, stuff with all kinds of herbs and pastes back in the days before I had June. And then in the last year or so found myself picking up a rotisserie bird from the local market and throwing together a few sides on busier days. But those store-bought birds are not only not good quality chickens, they are almost always dry and flavorless. This Cook's Illustrated "Weeknight Roast Chicken" turned that around --and made a happy if slightly cave-girl-like eater out of June last night. For the first time in a long time, we had no mealtime battle, we talked about something other than what she was or wasn't eating, and we all licked our fingers it was so moist and flavorful.<br />
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This is all there is to it:<br />
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<b>Weeknight Roast Chicken </b>(adapted from Cook's Illustrated)<br />
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Buy a 3 1/2- 4 lb good quality chicken (such as Springer Mt. Farms).<br />
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Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees, placing a 12-in ovensafe skillet on middle rack.<br />
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Rub chicken all over with olive oil. Pat chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper (If I have time or think of it, I do this an hour in advance to give the skin a chance to air-dry (in the refrigerator of course) and the seasonings to soak in but it's not necessary).<br />
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Take chicken out of fridge at least 30 min before roasting as a cold bird will cook unevenly and throw off cooking times. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to heated skillet in oven. Roast until breasts reach 120 degrees and thighs 135, about 25-30 min. Then turn down oven to 325 and continue to cook until done, about 25 more minutes *(160 degrees for breasts, 175 for thighs). Remove chicken, let rest for 20 min before serving.<br />
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<i>*Note: </i>This high oven to low oven temp process achieves a nice brown skin, with really tender and moist breast meat and perfectly cooked dark meat. The C.I. version has you turning the oven off after the first 30 min and continuing to cook as the oven cools down, slowing the evaporation of juices. My oven not being that precise, I was afraid to do this so I turned it down instead and I think the result was just as good. As always, use a good thermometer as times may vary so check your chicken and err on the side of less, not more time, remembering that temperatures continue to rise when chicken is resting. <br />
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Carve chicken and serve-- and watch the happy faces at your table.<br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-16090323756214730502014-01-17T15:03:00.001-06:002014-01-17T17:08:44.001-06:00A new start <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykITCYkFdRQChvW-xYWvqbTuIJ2Xws6AW1Hoe_fmP9rzVFE6dKQtaHkIntOFhAmLSDR0hu4tyvay2k98i4hyKJQF_jmwz5zmS9XMnZ4qqYDJF8-Tl5FaI21sm9ql4Wc52mAMkiwxfB0Jn/s1600/4763162-hand-writting-illustration-of-a-happy-family-of-three-and-their-dog-format-available.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykITCYkFdRQChvW-xYWvqbTuIJ2Xws6AW1Hoe_fmP9rzVFE6dKQtaHkIntOFhAmLSDR0hu4tyvay2k98i4hyKJQF_jmwz5zmS9XMnZ4qqYDJF8-Tl5FaI21sm9ql4Wc52mAMkiwxfB0Jn/s1600/4763162-hand-writting-illustration-of-a-happy-family-of-three-and-their-dog-format-available.jpg" height="400" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image courtesy of <a class="_le irc_hol" data-ved="0CAcQjB04NA" href="http://www.123rf.com/photo_4763162_hand-writting-illustration-of-a-happy-family-of-three-and-their-dog-format-available.html"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">www.123rf.com</span></a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<i>"Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." -</i> <i>Carl Bard</i><br />
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If you're reading this, maybe you've been around a long time, maybe this is your first time. But, like many people, I always feel a renewed sense of purpose in January and I am reminded that that feeling is what got me writing this blog 6 years ago this month. Wow, I can't believe it has been that long. My motivation for it has gone in and out over the years and life has taken me in other directions, but some things never change: I still like to write and I still love to cook.<br />
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I have several friends who said they are relieved that 2013 is over as it was not a great year. It was a rough end of 2013 for us for sure. I had some health problems, I got pregnant, we had a miscarriage, and I fell into a slump that lasted through the holidays. A pregnancy loss is such a hard thing to go through, physically and emotionally, and it has been a real roller coaster ride.<br />
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But I am feeling so good about the way things are now, about our little family of three and how we will be stronger for what we've gone through and I just know it's all going to be okay --better than okay. Some things just happen and they change the course of our lives. But good does come out of bad and peace can come from loss. <br />
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<i>"Grieving for the child you have lost does not diminish the profound love for the one(s) you have." </i><br />
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This is something I read in a collection of essays on pregnancy loss called "A Silent Love" by Adrienne Ryan. It's something I can't stress enough. Friends, family, strangers, everyone has something to say when they find out you've suffered a miscarriage. And a lot of times it is something along the lines of "Well, at least you have one perfect child." I know they mean well and it's not an easy topic to discuss. But I want to make it clear that there is the love--boundless love it seems-- for the child you have and also profound gratitude. And then there is the love and hopes and dreams for the child you wanted and lost. The two are separate and each deserves its own space. <br />
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Our little girl is growing up and giving us so much joy everyday and every year. It's hard to believe the amount of love we have for her could keep increasing, but it does. Each new stage has its own set of discoveries and moments to savor (and challenges too), and I can't help thinking that there is a reason we have been given only one. She's our one and only. The ways that this has shaped who she is and who we are and the ways it will benefit her now and in the future are becoming clearer to me everyday. Our family is perfect the way it is.<br />
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I didn't know I was going to write about this today. I planned to write about the delicious granola bars I just made that have me wanting to mine the depths of all the recipes out there using nuts, grains and seeds, and how I have so many ideas about what to bake and cook these days. But there it is. I said it. And it feels good because I finally feel good.<br />
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I guess my renewed sense of purpose in the kitchen--and the fact that I chose something like wholesome grains, a feel-good granola bar, to get my creative process flowing--is no accident. And since this is getting to be long-winded, I'll save the recipe and photos for the next blog -- very soon.<br />
Happy New Year and cheers to fresh starts. <br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-46299738770206385112013-12-02T14:09:00.002-06:002013-12-02T16:59:41.826-06:00Thanksgiving 2013, the old and the new<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been lucky to grow up in a family that loved
and celebrated the holidays and instilled in me a sense of the
importance of traditions. My mom would work her tail off cooking, baking
and entertaining family and friends--all while working full-time and
raising three kids--and somehow made it look easy. And although I may
not have shown my appreciation then, I now find myself wanting to do the
same things for my family. When I have the energy. That is once or twice a year. <br />
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This year I hosted my husband's family at my house. Every year we do something different for Thanksgiving, sometimes spending it with friends, sometimes at my in-laws' cabin. I hadn't done Thanksgiving at our home in East Nashville ever (is that possible?) so it was high time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This turkey tureen from the 50s? belonged to my mom. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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I had a lot of fun preparing, baking and cooking. Mostly the baking. <br />
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I
admit it. I went a little crazy with the pies this year. Not that I
don't always go a little crazy with the pies (last year I think I made
8) but my oven broke at the end of the summer and it took me
two-and-a-half months to fix it. I, mistakenly it turns out, thought
this was a sign that it was time to buy a new one. We are planning to
remodel our kitchen fairly soon, so I started to do some research and
look at options. Then I found out that the ovens of my dreams cost
between three and five THOUSAND dollars. I called the repairman
instead. <br />
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With my oven back in action, I had pent up baking energy that needed to be released just in time for Thanksgiving. Since I love to bake, I usually end up doing the pies. Plus, I was also doing the turkey and a few other things too, so I started planning early. <br />
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Following in my mom's footsteps (she was an extremely organized planner), I set out all the serving dishes two days before with a note on what would go in them. Before you start making fun of me, and believe me I know it's crazy -- I used to make fun of my mom for this--but I realize now why she did it.
Not only is it fun and it gets you in the spirit, but it allows you to
see what you have and what you still may need. And then I go thrift shopping to find it. For example, I needed a gravy boat and a coffee server and found both at Goodwill, along with some cool little glass bowls for cranberries and a glass dish for apps. Score. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organization overload? </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool thrifted vintage Pyrex coffee carafe. </td></tr>
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I decided to try some new things instead of the old standards, like a collard green gratin that is sure to reappear in future years. I was also inspired by a beautiful spread on non-traditional Thanksgiving pies in the November 2013 issue of Saveur magazine. I decided to try three of them. I love trying new things, especially when it comes to baking. <br />
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Instead of pecan and pumpkin I made a chocolate-ginger-chess and a pumpkin-maple brulée (in the end, though, the brulée part never happened but it was still delicious). <br />
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My secret to pie dough is in the combination of shortening and butter-- and I do it in the food processor so it's fast. But <b>chilling</b> --both the dough before rolling for at least an hour and the crust, in the shell and crimped, for about 30 minutes-- is the single most important way to achieve a pretty-looking pie.<br />
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The salted caramel apple <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/four-and-twenty-blackbirds-salted-caramel-apple-pie.html" target="_blank">recipe</a> (adapted by Saveur from Four-and-Twenty-Blackbirds in NY) was the perfect combination of sweet and salty, fruit and spices and called for a teaspoon of Angostura bitters added to the apples. At first I thought this was strange, but it was actually genius. I had never heard of that but I'll be adding it to all future apple desserts.<br />
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I love the lattice crust, even though it made me have to think too hard when putting it all together. After making and filling the pie, the recipe calls for making a caramel on the stove top (sugar, water, butter and heavy cream) and then pouring it over the apples. If you think "that's overkill" or "it's not worth the extra work," think again. It was amazing. Then brush the crust all over with an egg wash and sprinkle both sea salt and Demerara sugar over the top. It's a dramatic pie that tasted as good as it looks. <br />
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Some traditions are meant to be broken. I don't think I'll host Thanksgiving again next year (my mom used to do it <i>every</i> year). It's soooo much work and maybe I won't have as much time on my hands as I did this year. But I will probably bring the pies.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little girl got her own personal pumpkin pie. She ate so much of it she got sick. Oops! </td></tr>
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-33889436780281544062013-05-21T16:05:00.000-05:002013-05-21T16:13:11.765-05:00A new "big girl" room <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the weekend I had one of my redecorating, rearranging, cleaning and organizing frenzies. I have them every once in a while and when it occurs, everyone better clear out because there is nothing stopping me.<br />
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I had been looking at pictures on this <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/categories/rooms" target="_blank">blog</a> that I spend way too much time looking at. I have mixed feelings about decorating and home blogs. I like them because they help me to get inspired and I love looking at the way people decorate their homes. But I hate it because afterward it always gives me an unpleasantly anxious feeling that I need more stuff, more money and a better, bigger, nicer house.<br />
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When that happens, first I close the computer. Then I get to work. I love re-purposing and moving around the stuff I already have so it looks new and different. Sometimes I buy one or two small things to accessorize (I'm a big fan of getting new pillows), but mostly I pride myself in doing the change-ups without spending any money. And sometimes, I even get rid of stuff while I'm at it, which is a real bonus.<br />
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My first big project was the nursery three years ago --really a space that was going to be a walk-in closet before we
found out I was pregnant. Daniel finished working on it a month before
she was born, we painted it pale yellow and I decorated the whole thing
for a few hundred bucks using mostly thrifted, garage sale and flea
market items. It turned into a darling little room for her and I loved doing it. <br />
<br />
Our house has been a work-in-progress since we bought it six years ago.
We've remodeled two bathrooms plus added a wall of built-in closets in
the bedroom and then, June's nursery. But it's a small, open, Craftsman
style bungalow that presents many challenges since all the rooms
basically connect to one another. There is not much of a sound barrier anywhere
and not really a second bedroom, not ideal for families. Which is why I am constantly changing things and moving furniture around to make it work. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89WvpobQYOPTJwJTBniWIXmh4qeoC-6y9t-SLxn50fiBululYH2EdyyiwAKtSof2gIq1aJPFCfkEFMCp3S_E0PbB44IcFJL42FR8P76H_lumaICYTjvRrKC3KAwNgULn-GzaC0BinsWX7/s1600/IMG_1239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89WvpobQYOPTJwJTBniWIXmh4qeoC-6y9t-SLxn50fiBululYH2EdyyiwAKtSof2gIq1aJPFCfkEFMCp3S_E0PbB44IcFJL42FR8P76H_lumaICYTjvRrKC3KAwNgULn-GzaC0BinsWX7/s400/IMG_1239.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my sweet, hard-working husband</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Now my baby is a little girl--soon to be three (sniff sniff)-- and she's
been asking for a "bigger bed." She never really slept in her crib and
when she was 20 mos. old we took it out and replaced it with a toddler
bed. She loved that but lately I could hear her at night thrashing around and
hitting the sides all the time. She was getting too big for it. Also, I
would like for her to be able to get up on her own (she's an early bird)
and just play with her toys or look at books for a bit before I have to
get up. Yeah, right. <br />
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June's new room was our living room until recently, then it became her play room since not much could fit in her bedroom. Now I wanted to move her in there to sleep too. But I wanted it to be special and look different for her, even though my budget right now was about zero. And I didn't want to wait.<br />
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I got to work and moved everything around, got rid of a small couch that
didn't get used in there, put away a bunch of toys that never got
played with and generally cleaned and organized the space. Daniel had
taken June to the zoo so I could work like mad without interruption. <br />
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I had bought the old iron bed at the flea market a long time ago and it was up in the attic. I bought the bedding and pillow at Ikea a year ago. The cotton twill curtains were all thrift store finds. <br />
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I made a little reading nook, and a space for drawing and painting in front of the window. I used all the existing curtains but moved some around since I now had to cover the two french doors separating the room from our current living room (This should be interesting at night. I also just ordered a sound machine). The dresser was in the nursery (used to be changing table) and I switched out the drawer pulls for some pastel crystal ones. Good storage bins are key and I already had these. The rug was my single purchase --$10 on clearance at TJ Maxx. <br />
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After my day's work it turned out really cute and when June got home from the zoo she said "I love my new room!" The transition was a little rough for her the first night, and made me a little sad because my baby is growing up too fast, but change is good. <br />
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<br />
I still would like to move to a bigger house someday. But for now, we are fine in our little "spatially challenged" bungalow. It's cozy and I feel good about living simply and with less because our space forces us to do so. It curbs my shopping tendencies too. And I've gotten really good at sourcing great things at local yard sales, flea markets, antiques and junk shops. Daniel will tell you I'm no Mrs. Cheap. But still, I am pretty resourceful. And it just feels good to make do with what you have.<br />
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Next project: turning the old nursery into a fab new office/hideaway. Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-80312835585631106272013-05-12T21:56:00.001-05:002013-05-12T21:56:55.483-05:00Happy Mother's Day<br />
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<br />
Dear Mom,<br />
<br />
It's Mother's Day. It's been a wonderful day. This day used to be one I took for granted. Then, after you were gone, I hated it. Now I know what it means to be a mother and it fills me with great joy. But the sadness is still there too. <br />
<br />
Sometimes I wonder how I can do it without you to guide the way. Mixed with the joy of motherhood for me (and the joy is like none I've ever had), is always a sadness that you're not here to witness it, that you aren't here to be a grandmother to June and a model to me.<br />
<br />
You'd be proud of me, though. I am a good mom, despite your poignant absence. That's not to say that I don't have moments when I feel tired or irritable or like I don't have the energy to get through another day with a headstrong girl who is way too much like her mother. There are moments when sadness overtakes the joy. But mostly these days with June have been some of the happiest of my life. <br />
<br />
All the work you did has paid off in so many ways. You gave me so much in the 30 years I had with you, but nothing compares to the lessons I learned about how to be a good mother. It somehow got through to me, even without my knowing it.<br />
<br />
I had no idea I would enjoy it so much. You were right. You always said you wanted 6 kids and while that was not to be, you gave everything to the three you had. I now understand that desire. While I in no way can imagine being a mom to that many, I get why you loved it so much and why a big family was so important to you.<br />
<br />
I wish I'd done this earlier. Everyday I realize how lucky I was to have June when I did. Being an "older" mom has its advantages for sure, but had I known how much I would love it, I would have started a lot sooner. (I can see you saying "I told you so.") I would love to give June a sibling, but nature is not cooperating. I know you know how that feels. It's yet another thing I wish I could talk to you about.<br />
<br />
June is such a special little girl. She is beautiful and bright and funny and curious about the world. She loves school and she is sensitive and emotional and when she kisses me on the cheek, there's nothing better. <br />
<br />
I've told her about you--Grandma Marilyn. I've told her that you are no longer here, but that you are in our hearts and she repeats that to people. She loves looking at pictures of you, especially the one of you in your prom dress which she calls the "princess." I will continue to keep your memory alive so that she knows you existed. And I will always carry you in me so she will know you even though you're gone. She's like you in a lot of ways. You'd be happy to know that she loves dresses and dancing, princesses and weddings. She can't wait to take ballet classes when she turns 3. Sound familiar?<br />
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Today, as always, Mom, you are missed. You are my inspiration for how to be a mom. Happy Mother's Day.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Joy <br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-71928017360138910722013-03-06T19:53:00.000-06:002013-03-06T20:07:07.161-06:00When things fall apart...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patsy and Paul Ramirez</td></tr>
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Let's just say I come by it honestly. Patrocinio "Patsy" Ayala-Ramírez, my grandmother on my dad's side, was a feisty Mexican lady who endured economic hardships as an immigrant, domestic hardships as a wife and mother of four, social hardships as a divorcée at a time when most women didn't do that, and she always came out on top. At least in my eyes. I looked up to her. I miss her.<br />
<br />
The stories in our family are many that involve one of us standing up for what is right or defending ourselves against people who are taking advantage or otherwise wronging us only to lose out on a job, a promotion, an opportunity, a friendship, but with our principles and pride intact.<br />
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My dad ended up in Las Vegas with his young family in tow in 1973 partly because of the great opportunities in a growing town, but also because he couldn't get another job in his hometown of Pueblo, Colo. He had been working for the city government on a program to help minorities land jobs, but when the jobs all seemed to be going to "other" candidates, he blew the whistle and was fired. He responded by promptly suing the city--and won. Thus, he was deemed a "trouble-maker" and unemployable. I could not be more proud of this story. <br />
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I don't know when I'll learn that people are fallible and don't always live up to my high expectations of them and that it's okay. Not only is it okay, but it's irrelevant. I don't have to fight every battle, right every wrong, vindicate myself on every issue or prove anything to anyone. Not even to myself.<br />
<br />
I have had a tough set of challenges lately, seemingly coming at me from all angles--work, friends, frenemies. Whatever it is the universe is trying to teach me, I am either too dense to get the lesson or too stubborn to try. <br />
<br />
<i>But in order to wake up, I have to feel the short term pain of seeing myself doing
this yucky thing in order to be free of it.</i><br />
<br />
The above is a quote from one of my favorite Buddhist teachers, <a href="http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/biography.php">Pema Chodron</a>. I re-read her slight but heavy little book "When Things Fall Apart" about every two or three years. Why do things seem to always be falling apart in one way or another? Perhaps I am drawn to Buddhist teachers and thinkers because of its foundational tenet that life is full of suffering (samsara) and it's only our reaction to it that matters. This is so central to my experience. It never fails. I am always being faced with ways to keep learning this lesson.<br />
<i> </i><br />
Again, from <a href="http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/qa9.php">Pema</a>:<br />
<br />
<i>Really the question you have to ask yourself is: Do you want to spend your life making your habits
and patterns stronger? Or do you want some kind of transformation to happen? — so that your strength and your confidence and
your capacity to love and to care for people can begin to surface— you're not always blocking it. </i><br />
<br />
I want the latter. I really do. I want the transformation to happen. I want to take what I can from every negative experience or interaction with people to make myself better able to deal with those interactions in the future. I am not perfect. Far from it. I have too much of my granny and my dad's pride and principled, opinionated blood. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I know that my little girl is learning from me to be her own person, to know right from wrong, to stand up for herself (when she will inevitably be faced with adversity) and to be proud of herself and where she came from. She'll be a fiery one too, no doubt about it. She already is. But hopefully with a good dose of her daddy's equanimity and patience. <br />
<i> </i><br />
But sometimes I just wish things would be a little easier. I want to remember these early childhood years of hers which are so precious --free of any crap that may be going on in my life. I want to recommit to being with her and really interacting with her on her level, everyday, when time allows, and not just being distracted with whatever challenges may be going on in my life. This time flies by so fast. I want to cherish it more than I do when life just gets in the way. <br />
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On that note, here are some priceless words that have come out of my little fiery angel's mouth lately:<br />
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"You're a good mommy to me."<br />
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"You smell simply great."<br />
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(getting ready to go out in the cold) "Let's get all bungled up."<br />
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Me: "Can I come to the park with you?" J: "No." Me: "Why?" J: "Because I don't like you."<br />
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"I love you my best heart." <br />
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<i> </i>And there it is. Right there. That is what my life is about right now and that is what I live for. Jobs and even friends will come and go. But my family will always be there for me. I am lucky to have so many people around me (including a strong network of friends) to support me when things get tough. And, taking the best and the worst from those who came before me, I can only do my best and do everything with honesty and integrity and not look back. <br />
<br />
<br />
<i> </i><i> </i>Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-38841400688957778422013-01-20T20:28:00.001-06:002013-01-20T20:28:17.973-06:00Wanted: more fun.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is hard to believe January is almost over. So far 2013 has been a bit rough around the edges.<br />
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We rang in the new year in our p.j.s on the couch, not even feeling festive enough to watch the ball drop on t.v. I came down with a nasty cold and went to bed after sharing one glass of Prosecco with my husband and two friends who stopped by. It was about as uneventful as a New Year's Eve could be, bringing to mind the last couple of them since having a child, equally calm and starting to look like a trend. It's not like I long for the days of partying in bars (well, I wouldn't mind going back to the times I spent December 31st in a ski resort ) but, in general, life has become more staid and less fun. Thus, I am making a commitment to myself and to my family this year to have more FUN.<br />
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That being said, we are not off to a good start. The week before Christmas the Parents Day Out program where we had been sending June two days a week for the last year and a half simply imploded. Our beloved teacher got fired under murky circumstances and what had been a lack of confidence in the school's director turned into full-fledged incompetence. So I do what I usually do when faced with a crisis: look for a way to solve it and move on. We fortunately found June a spot at the Montessori school in our neighborhood and we were lucky that she just barely made both the age cutoff and the no diapers cutoff (Yay! potty trained!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Chris came to visit us for Christmas</td></tr>
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After what seemed like an interminable holiday break (and a nice, quiet Christmas) and much talking up and preparing for the new school, her start date of Jan. 14th finally arrived. She went for just half day as they like to phase in new students slowly. She came home, took a long nap and woke up with a fever. Bummed, but optimistic her little immune system would prevail, I put her to bed early thinking she would be fine to go by the next day. But she wasn't. And not the next day either. She was sick. We juggled staying home with her and working, trading off according to whom had what to do.<br />
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On top of it, it was as gloomy last week outside as it was inside. No sun, rain turning to freezing rain (what ever happened to snow??) and then more of the same. For five days straight. Or it could have been more. I lost count. And it seems everyone I know is sick. Sick kids, sick parents, sick dogs.<br />
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We are better now, thankfully. Everyone's healthy and ready to start a new week. We have the lunch basket ready to go and we will try this new school thing again.<br />
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And, in other hopeful news, there's a new baby across the street who came three weeks early but he's healthy and strong and our friends are doing well. I've been cooking for them and doing their laundry this weekend as their house is inconveniently under construction and they have no washer and dryer. I love cooking for people when they need the help, especially when it involves a new baby. I've been doing a lot of that lately. Babies are everywhere in our circle of friends and neighbors. It makes me realize we live in a wonderful neighborhood where everyone knows and cares for each other and our kids will grow up being friends. There are other places I'd rather live sometimes, but I know we have a great community here, good friends and a lot to be thankful for.<br />
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I am hopeful for this new year and the fresh start it allows me. I'm very excited for this next phase for June too --starting a 'real' pre-school, in a class with older kids where she'll be challenged and hopefully supported and loved everyday. And even though we are starting pre-school a little earlier than planned, she's ready for the challenge. <br />
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I'm also relieved because she will go to school an extra day per week which will give me time to... breathe. And maybe go to the gym again, get healthy, get back to my writing, look for new horizons, meet a friend for coffee, the options seem endless. I'm giddy at the thought of having one partial day to myself --no work and no mothering. Ahhhhhh.<br />
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Daniel has some new possibilities to grow in his career this year too. And my job is changing, evolving... but I continue to like the place and the people I work for. Sometimes it's too much and it's hard to get everything done and still find the joy in doing it. I've been too busy lately to look up and figure out if I love it anymore or if I am just going through the motions, like an uninspired-robot-pastry chef. Or whether I am living up to my full potential for a satisfying career and the right balance of work and motherhood. I intend to figure that one out too.<br />
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It's unlike me, I know, but I feel pretty optimistic lately. And, although we have our ups and downs like most people, there is so much love in our little house. Since she's been sick June has been extra snuggly and affectionate. When she throws her little arms around my neck, gives me kisses and says "Mommy?" Yes. "I love you," I want to melt and cry and thank my lucky stars to be where I am today. I know I complain a lot and I am the worst at finding the grass is always greener somewhere else. And that's when I look up at the mantra I copied years ago that sits on my desk and repeat it: "Be happy with the life you're actually living." <br />
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Happy new year and--let's have more fun! <br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-77447686466855105212012-12-10T07:51:00.001-06:002012-12-10T07:51:39.779-06:00An afternoon at the ballet <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The holiday season is already in full swing and I find myself with too little time and so much to do. Between working at the restaurant, trying to see friends and family, baking, taking care of a very active toddler and trying to find some time to write, it's no wonder the holidays are a stressful time of year. But this weekend was also packed with fun: a home tour in my awesome little neighborhood with friends last night and then today, an afternoon to remember.<br />
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I received a very sweet gift from my in-laws of two tickets to see <a href="http://patron.tpac.org/events/detail/nutcracker-ballet">The Nutcracker</a> ballet for me and June. I'm not sure if they knew how special this is to me. One of my fondest holiday memories (and there are lots of them as my family loved Christmas) is of going to see this traditional holiday ballet with my mom every year at Christmastime. We would get dressed up (usually in matching outfits) and I would be so excited to be going somewhere with my pretty mom for the day. My mom was a big proponent of dance and culture in our lives and also loved Christmas. I don't remember, but it must have been in college when I stopped going to see the Nutcracker every year. Still whenever I hear that familiar music, I think of my mom.<br />
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Now that I have a little girl there is nothing I look forward to more than carrying on these traditions with her. June has been in a ballet phase for some time now. She loves ballerinas and dancing and has three or four tutus that she rotates through. Almost every night after dinner she tells her daddy to play his keyboard and she puts on a tutu or her pink "princess dress" and twirls around the living room for us. "Mommy, I'm dancing so beautifully," she said one night. I was surprised to hear her say that but then remembered that she loves to watch the show Angelina Ballerina -- a little British mouse who loves to dance. That may be why she has been saying things with a British accent lately, like when I ask her if she has to go potty, "Not at all," or if she wants a snack, "Of course I do."<br />
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In any case, it's clear that dancing is in her blood (I am secretly cheering and so is my mom) and she was eagerly awaiting this outing to the ballet for the last week or so. She took an earlier nap than usual since we were going to the 2:00 show and when she woke up her cheeks were red and she could hardly contain her excitement. I told her we'd be putting on our pretty clothes (my girl also loves to dress up) and I dressed her in a white sweater dress that my dad gave her for Christmas last year. She looked so cute.<br />
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On the way there she was full of questions: "Where is the Nutcracker?" "Are all these cars going to the Nutcracker too?" The first thing we did was take a photo with the 'real' ballerina. June was a bit hesitant to stand next to her and looks a little scared in the photo, but those girls look a bit like aliens from close up so I can't really blame her.<br />
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We found our seats which I was relieved to see were close enough that she could see everything, upping our chances of being able to stay for the whole performance. When it started she immediately asked me where the music was coming from and it was hard for her to understand that the orchestra was playing live but the musicians were under the stage so we couldn't see them. Then she asked me where the "real ballerinas" were. The ballet is set in the 19th century and in the first scene the dancers had on regular clothes instead of tutus, which threw her off. Also, why are there a bunch of little boys and girls dressed like mice running around? She seemed confused.<br />
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But enter the Snow Queen and then later, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and all of the other wonderful costumes and scenery in the Land of Sweets and her mind was put at ease that I hadn't in fact lied about this being "ballet." She smiled and oohed and seemed really enthralled --at least for the first act. She got a little tired and squirmy by the end of the second act but was a trooper and we didn't even have to leave early.<br />
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It was a great day. I felt closer to my mom doing that with June. It is so hard not to have her here, especially at this time of year and especially now that I have a child of my own. I want to give June the same kinds of memories that I have of my mom. She is old enough to be excited about Christmas this year and I am so excited to be starting my own traditions with her just like I had with my mom. Last week we had fun decorating the Christmas tree and she loves the little tree I gave her for her room with the tiny little ornaments that used to be on my little tree in my room as a child. We baked cookies together last week and will do more of that in the coming weeks. And now, we have our little afternoon at the ballet. This is what the holidays are all about.<br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-34606690624834264892012-10-23T14:16:00.000-05:002012-10-23T14:16:39.701-05:00If only Fall could last forever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Autumn has come in with a bang and I could not be happier. It's my favorite time of year here. It's funny how the simple and predictable change of seasons can have such a huge effect on my state of mind. When you live in the South you look forward to the fall, if only because it means the heat lets up and the mosquitoes die off. But add to that the beautiful colors that take over the sky and all the leaves turning red, orange, gold and yellow and, after months of unrelenting heat and humidity and non-stop complaining from me-- it reminds me of why it's nice to live in a place like this. Plus, fall is just my favorite season for many reasons. Baking in fall is the best; I love using apples and pears, walnuts and pumpkins. I love Halloween (and it's about to get even better now that June is going to understand it all). And I love the months leading up to the holidays because it gives me something to look forward to and plan. All the eating and baking and gathering with family and friends just makes me happy. Happier than I am in summer, and more energetic. Plus, there has been so much going on around here lately...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFKp27INCd2GPbwbJZLM3POJGyG-sdTW-xbHqbBEB0V01iMgPmzXfhYl13d94QZhaanHmwnnOy6e3S6ughyAaTMxMd-CV487g4iVa9jq-xqj1sNZ_PnvxTViVlmzkrieGBC5470qO4Vv-/s1600/photo-82.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFKp27INCd2GPbwbJZLM3POJGyG-sdTW-xbHqbBEB0V01iMgPmzXfhYl13d94QZhaanHmwnnOy6e3S6ughyAaTMxMd-CV487g4iVa9jq-xqj1sNZ_PnvxTViVlmzkrieGBC5470qO4Vv-/s320/photo-82.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wagon ride to the fall fest at the East Nashville farmer's market</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIKFOUj7kKVjZCXdd_-1UIOUtc7pdi7thOQAts9Jst9SagU1S0wJKNae1-UQEHfQz9Q52p_6FMUgiqEtnbpk_fGaU1PyyFyWQmFBWMCmz0NGsi-RVrhzu-LTUiBy9fhlafMuXQizu3XMU/s1600/photo-83.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIKFOUj7kKVjZCXdd_-1UIOUtc7pdi7thOQAts9Jst9SagU1S0wJKNae1-UQEHfQz9Q52p_6FMUgiqEtnbpk_fGaU1PyyFyWQmFBWMCmz0NGsi-RVrhzu-LTUiBy9fhlafMuXQizu3XMU/s320/photo-83.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sevier lake at Shelby Park, near our house, which celebrated 100 years recently</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smelling the lavender in bloom all over the neighborhood</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon stroll through the leaves</td></tr>
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I recently stopped working the night shifts at the restaurant and am only working in the kitchen. This is good for my mental state, bad for my pocketbook. But the trade-off is worth it to me right now. I love spending time with my family and June is in a particularly fun stage. She's extra verbal and funny and just full of life and fun to be around, despite the challenges of being a toddler.<br />
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We took June on her first camping trip last weekend, the first weekend I did not have to work a Sat. night since the beginning of August. It was so nice to be able to take off on Sat. morning and not return until Sunday afternoon. We went out to my in-laws' property in Hickman County which is in the woods, surrounded by the trees in full fall glory and it was a great time to be out there. We hiked in the woods, cooked a nice dinner (they have a cabin), drank wine, made s'mores and sat around the fire and attempted to sleep in a tent.<br />
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I say attempted because we set up the tent close to the house just in case we needed an exit. June had been looking forward to the trip all week--she nearly freaked when her daddy came home with a new, pink sleeping bag for her and new 5-person tent for us on Friday. But after reading books by flashlight and jumping around inside the tent, growing increasingly tired, she finally just said "Can we go inside now and go to bed?" I was fine since the temperature had dipped into the 40s and even with my down sleeping bag, I was still chilly. But Daniel was disappointed. In general I love sleeping outdoors and camping, but since having a baby sleep has become a precious commodity and I need all I can get.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating a s'more for the first time</td></tr>
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We drove home the next day with one tired child, a whooped dog who had the best weekend she'd had in a long time (maybe since June's arrival on the scene) and two rested parents. We vowed to do that again soon.<br />
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Now I'm getting ready for a much-anticipated visit from my dad (who is "Papa" to June) and we are excited to spend some time with him. It will be a busy and fun weekend with two Halloween parties, other fall events around town, dinner plans out at the restaurant and hopefully some continued beautiful fall weather.<br />
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Tomorrow night at the restaurant we have our first Chef's table - a 3-course special dinner off the menu, reservations only and it's sure to be booked. The family style menu will feature fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans, gravy, turnip greens and more. And I'm making a special dessert:<br />
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Apple Brown Betty with bourbon whipped cream. I'll be peeling, coring and cutting apples all morning but it should be fun.<br />
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And on Thursday I'm hosting a Halloween cookie decorating party for my mom's club friends. I need to make all the sugar cookies first so the kids just have to decorate them. When will I do this?? <br />
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AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLoNkTlubo7p4SW-HxoOeJ7g6Gmikv4tiRePpWi3EjvF3OWf23Zp2rFC9PT8blhXHtUh-Y301zoXdmHPXo2VGeFEpRV4oIQ-vywAl2SPvNBqcTqHrVyjW35cu7S-bbnNA2WbpvmsCJzIR/s1600/201011-r-apple-upside-down-cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLoNkTlubo7p4SW-HxoOeJ7g6Gmikv4tiRePpWi3EjvF3OWf23Zp2rFC9PT8blhXHtUh-Y301zoXdmHPXo2VGeFEpRV4oIQ-vywAl2SPvNBqcTqHrVyjW35cu7S-bbnNA2WbpvmsCJzIR/s320/201011-r-apple-upside-down-cake.jpg" width="256" /></a>And one day if I ever have time I'm going to make this <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/maple-apple-upside-down-cake">maple-apple upside down cake</a>. Doesn't it just look so perfect for a late afternoon snack with a cup of coffee? <br />
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Fall could go on forever as far as I'm concerned. <br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-60233843702783914992012-10-08T15:40:00.000-05:002012-10-08T15:40:31.406-05:00the messiness of life in a restaurant kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="article_author"> </span><br />
<i>The Buddha said that we are never separated from enlightenment. Even at
the times we feel most stuck, we are never alienated from the awakened
state. This is a revolutionary assertion. Even ordinary people like us
with hang-ups and confusion have this mind of enlightenment called
bodhichitta. The openness and warmth of bodhichitta is in fact our true
nature and condition. Even when our neurosis feels far more basic than
our wisdom, even when we're feeling most confused and hopeless,
bodhichitta—like the open sky—is always here, undiminished by the clouds
that temporarily cover it.</i><br />
<i> </i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="article_title">Bodhichitta: The Excellence of Awakened Heart,</span></span> by<span class="article_author"> Pema Chödrön</span><br />
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<span class="article_author"> Let me just say there has been a lot of cloud cover for me lately. I try to remember that period of my life when I used to meditate (who has time for that anymore?) and work on myself. Now, I'm lucky if I get to take a shower most days. But despite my current very much non-enlightened state in which I feel like I'm barely making it through most days, I still seem to get hit over the head on a daily basis with opportunities to practice compassion for people. </span><br />
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<span class="article_author">I know I have a strong and opinionated personality and I'm not afraid to communicate directly, which throws a lot of people off guard. I've noticed in my 7 + years of living in the South that direct communication is not always appreciated. It's better to smile and act pleasant and then talk behind someone's back than it is to say what you really feel. But I guess I haven't gotten very good at that. </span><br />
<span class="article_author"><br /></span>
<span class="article_author">And going back to work has provided me with ample opportunity to be in the world which necessarily means dealing with the messiness of different personalities, culture clashes, pettiness and generally just people being people. My dad always says that it doesn't matter what the job or the environment, anytime you put more than two people together in a room, the b.s. will happen. I guess that's true. I've certainly dealt with my fair share of politics in the workplace, having spent years in the academic world where the more obscure (and inconsequential) the field, the more back-stabbing and cutthroat people will be to each other. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy http://israelity.com/tag/photo-archive/</td></tr>
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<span class="article_author">But restaurants are a special blend of workplace chaos, combining as they do the eccentric personality types that are attracted to working in restaurants with the long hours and back-breaking work, and a kind of built-in and time-honored noble suffering, or as Anthony Bourdain puts it, "the stupidity and occasional squalor of a long career in the food-service industry." </span><br />
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<span class="article_author">I've always thought that a restaurant would be a good place for writing material, mainly because you just couldn't make this stuff up. This is perhaps my 12th job in a restaurant over my lifetime, not counting the summer months I used to work as a hostess at my dad's Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas. I've worked in a bagel bakery, a Nepalese joint, too many Italian places to count including a wine bar in Rome and a shiny new place in Seattle where the Italian owners kept our tips, and the list goes on. I've worked as a hostess, counter girl, waitress, bartender, baker and cocktail server. But this time it's different. This time I feel as if I am both inside and outside of the industry. I'm inside it because I have a job to do and I go there and do it as best as I can. And I'm outside it because, well maybe only because I've lived a lot and I have a well-trained eye for observation now. It's something that has taken me a long time to cultivate. And it gives me an extra perspective on the world and on the tiny microcosm of it that is a restaurant. </span><br />
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<span class="article_author">Maybe that's why I'm noticing my reactions when people or events at work upset me. I'm not just reacting (though I'm doing a fair amount of that too), but I'm also looking at how I can be there and be outside myself at the same time, and maybe even make better choices this time around (though I still make mistakes). I'm analyzing my own reactions more and those of others, even to the point of not being able to let things go at night when I'm trying to go to bed. I have to actually read trashy novels in order to relax so I can sleep. Even Daniel said to me the other day: "your mind is a terrible place to be." I hope he was exaggerating. </span><br />
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<span class="article_author">Anyway, it remains to be seen whether my tendency to over-analyze will be helpful or harmful to me. It really doesn't matter because I will still do it. Why? Well, because maybe it's true that the unexamined life is not worth living (I've read my Plato). It's just sometimes really exhausting. </span><br />
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<span class="article_author">Combine the workplace drama with the messy ups and downs of everyday life with a toddler and some days I'm not sure which end is up. I'm either cleaning up pee and struggling with a two-year-old exploring her independence, or negotiating my way around a slew of male egos all trying to compete for the same 23-year-old server. </span><br />
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<span class="article_author">I'm not sure how this will all play out. But one thing I know </span><span class="article_author">for sure is I'll have a whole lot of new material if I ever decide to write that book. </span>
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-60020347416337140872012-09-21T08:50:00.000-05:002012-09-21T08:50:51.228-05:00Am I a control freak?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chocolate bread pudding with pears and maple whipped cream</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Life's been a bit nuts lately, which explains the month-long absence from the blog. I recently read this funny <a href="http://jezebel.com/5941023/for-the-love-of-all-thats-holy-you-dont-lose-your-identity-when-you-become-a-parent-you-lose-your-minutes">article</a> by one of my favorite writers, Tracy Moore, in which she argued that it's a myth that you lose your identity when you become a parent. What you lose is precisely your time. That's it. The time just goes out the window when you are the parents of a young child. Somehow, the things you used to do in your free time, things you loved and that formed your identity and made you who you are become the very things you no longer have time for. For me, those things are riding my road bike, listening to and discovering new music, reading, traveling and entertaining.<br />
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To say that it's been hard keeping up a blog is an understatement. I don't have time to cook much of anything lately, and I don't have time to write about it even if I did. But let's stop complaining, shall we? And move on to what I <i>have</i> been doing: work and June.<br />
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On the June front, things have been great, if trying at times. My girl certainly has a strong and independent personality (wonder where she got that?) and has no problems letting us know what she wants and doesn't want. Her verbal abilities and ease with expressing herself never cease to amaze us. The other day she asked me "what's a sacrifice?" because she'd heard me use the word in conversation. Then on Sunday she told me quite clearly: "Mom, I'm so happy you're home. I love the weekends." My heart melted. <br />
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And she recently decided that, despite the false start several months ago and then her stubbornness about the whole thing, she is in fact ready to get out of diapers. She pulled her pants down and squatted at the playground the other day after she'd seen her friend go pee in the bushes. That must have made an impression because she rode all the way home in her wagon diaper-free (but with pants on) and when we got home she proceeded to go potty all by herself. She earned two stickers on her sticker chart and now we're on a roll. (I'll spare you the details). But it is an accomplishment --for both of us. For her, it means she's that much closer to wearing her 'big-girl underpants' like her potty-trained older friends, and for me, it means I soon will not have to wash diapers or fight with her to change them all day long. This is huge. But it also means my little girl is growing up.<br />
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At work I've made some discoveries, some mistakes and some bread pudding. A lot of bread pudding. If there's one thing I've learned it's that people love them some custardy, baked bread in this town. They also love anything fried and not that healthy. Which is why my two favorite desserts on the menu right now have been under-selling (the apple crostata and the zucchini cake) in favor of the two more decadent desserts: the chocolate pot de creme and the ricotta doughnuts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7O8SDXckpn13LnIUcDG5X3o_v7fKMkmwcU5PpSP7LIz1YgBJf5iqlEN3tTiOPZxyg4BEv5ci5ZETg4NKkySpZUbEp0SNcoLpIDWTygRSRrtQre271nz7ZVKX3ZnoL4UlTYLQYEszKgItN/s1600/photo-79.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7O8SDXckpn13LnIUcDG5X3o_v7fKMkmwcU5PpSP7LIz1YgBJf5iqlEN3tTiOPZxyg4BEv5ci5ZETg4NKkySpZUbEp0SNcoLpIDWTygRSRrtQre271nz7ZVKX3ZnoL4UlTYLQYEszKgItN/s320/photo-79.JPG" width="239" /></a>I knew that trying to do things like seasonal fruit-filled, rustic pastry (the crostata) and unusual flavors that combine savory and sweet, citrus and spice (like the cake) might be a challenge. But I will persevere. I am planning to replace the zucchini cake (which people love when they go out on a limb and try it) with something pumpkin for fall. And I am hanging on to the crostata for now (I've switched from peaches to apples), hoping I can still make people love it. I am getting tired of the old pot of chocolate, but people seem to like it and I've gotten pretty good at making it now. </div>
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Speaking of which, I made a double batch of them one day like I usually do (that's over 40 jars) and for some reason I'll never know, they didn't set up properly after hours of chilling. Maybe my egg yolk count was off, maybe I took it off the heat too soon, who knows? But when I went to check on it before leaving for the day, it was still in liquid form, not the pudding -like consistency I was looking for. So the next day I was forced to come in on my day off and fix the problem. I wasn't about to throw out all that good chocolate and cream. First I tried pouring them all back into a pot and re-heating it, with a few extra egg yolks thrown in. I'd done some research and a few people claimed it worked. It did not work.<br />
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So I decided to try my first attempt at bread pudding. It was already halfway there: melted chocolate, heavy cream and eggs. I poured it over stale bread that I'd cut up and let it sit for 30 minutes. I poured that into ramekins and baked them for an hour. Then I made a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pecan-Bourbon-Caramel-Sauce-14556">peacan-bourbon-caramel sauce</a> and served it warm with the sauce spooned over the top.<br />
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It was a big hit. And I was pleased with myself for taking a mistake and turning it into something even better. I also learned I have to test my pudding for consistency every time by putting a spoonful on a plate and into the fridge before pouring the whole batch into jars. If, after a few minutes, it doesn't move when the plate is tilted, it's good to go. If not, go back on the heat immediately. With pot de crème, like any custard, it involves a delicate balance between enough heat to thicken (the yolks are the only thickening agent), but not too much or the chocolate will scald. This is why such things can't just be cranked out haphazardly and quickly. They take some amount of focus and patience. This is not for everyone. And it's why I like making desserts. I like the concentration and the figuring out what went wrong and the satisfaction when something finicky turns out great.<br />
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I hope I can continue to be somewhat of a perfectionist with my product. I may drive the guy crazy whose job it is to plate my desserts. He may tune me out every time I tell him something that seems unimportant or obvious. I'm not trying to make his life harder. I'm just trying to ensure that the work I do each day to make a quality product is followed through with some care and attention at the back end just before the dessert makes it out to the table.<br />
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If the whipped cream is two days old it won't taste right. If the cake has not been sprinkled with powdered sugar before going out, it will look unfinished. And if the bread pudding is too hot you won't taste the different flavors. I have been struggling a bit with trying not to be too much of a control freak. But then I also think that perfectionism produces a great product and it's better to be a little bit of a freak when it comes to making things great. Someone has to care about dessert. After all, it's the last impression a diner has of the whole experience that preceded it. It shouldn't be treated as just an afterthought.<br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-59598502267680188482012-08-21T15:23:00.002-05:002012-08-21T15:24:39.141-05:00The pride and perils of returning to work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I started a <a href="http://joycooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/some-things-i-know-about-myself-are-1-i.html">new job</a> a couple of weeks ago and despite that fact that it's kicking my butt, I am really happy.<br />
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If you know me, you know that I have had a few other careers in my life (academic, teacher, interpreter, sales and marketing person, freelance writer) but the one I probably enjoyed the most was baker. When the career I spent way too many years in school preparing for crashed and burned (...), I turned to something I loved to make myself feel better and that's when a minor interest turned into a full-fledged passion. I spent a year in the kitchen of a well-known local restaurant assisting the pastry chef and learned more than any food network show or food magazine I devoured could ever teach me. At the time I thought it was a fun way to dip my toe in the water of an industry I'd always been interested in while learning if it was something I really wanted to do. <br />
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After that year, life took me in other directions for a while and five years after starting my pastry apprenticeship with my good friend Tom, here I am in my first pastry chef job. I'm not sure why they gave me the job, except that I have a lot of heart and passion for food and my employers must have seen something in me they recognized. I may not have all the experience or qualifications another person fresh out of culinary school or with years of cooking professionally behind her would have, but I'll always try my hardest and take pride in what I do and make. And it seems to be appreciated. Besides, if I were better at choosing jobs based not on how they make me <i>feel</i> but on unimportant details like how lucrative or practical they are, I wouldn't be me. Nevertheless, I am really happy to have this opportunity.<br />
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Some highlights of my first couple of weeks in the kitchen of an exciting new restaurant include almost crying on the day before opening when I realized what I had gotten myself into and in that same moment realizing if I ever cried as the only woman in a kitchen full of foul-mouthed male cooks, they'd eat me alive. I got through that really tough day and made enough progress to eventually feel like I could do the job.<br />
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Then, after realizing one of my recipes was great for making one at a time (at home), but way too labor-intensive for a restaurant, and yet it was on the menu and they were already printed--I switched gears and found a great substitute that is much easier for large-batch cooking and seems to be just as well liked. Problem solved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrvqe231-p3raXExYQeRW55mtwV5cfZnGLAkWRSGYlJT_aS-HcB8uKLV8OTDqTlEQTh9gmvfGGeSanXZZjOopB8g6U5zD4DJEfrWaYsnVH3IvtBoYm10lqb-ZpBZq_l_xqIVPTDSr6Bp1/s1600/photo-57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrvqe231-p3raXExYQeRW55mtwV5cfZnGLAkWRSGYlJT_aS-HcB8uKLV8OTDqTlEQTh9gmvfGGeSanXZZjOopB8g6U5zD4DJEfrWaYsnVH3IvtBoYm10lqb-ZpBZq_l_xqIVPTDSr6Bp1/s320/photo-57.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the chocolate pie that nearly killed me</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5hAqc36Hg456gfdAPK6fYt-qrjnhg8-nbc9OY_HVzeZO7Xlg0Eu1Cb_9SE5NUV3sBTOg57L2-nKrCvNBG3bfi2pFXIatxqHZ87fh7U8aZXR6zkzmNH-3tfcqtIUfwrfats1lm6zFI1Gr/s1600/photo-56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5hAqc36Hg456gfdAPK6fYt-qrjnhg8-nbc9OY_HVzeZO7Xlg0Eu1Cb_9SE5NUV3sBTOg57L2-nKrCvNBG3bfi2pFXIatxqHZ87fh7U8aZXR6zkzmNH-3tfcqtIUfwrfats1lm6zFI1Gr/s320/photo-56.JPG" width="239" /></a>In addition to working a few days a week making the restaurant's desserts, I also got myself into working as a server a couple of nights to 1) pay the bills and 2) have some fun. I have already discovered I am too old and crusty and I would much rather be slaving away in the back of the house listening to loud 80s music and working alongside my fellow masochists than dealing with customers and perky 23-year-old fellow servers. But I will persevere waiting tables for as long as I can take it and try to remember the real reason I am there. At least I can totally sell the desserts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">zucchini-olive oil cake with lemon glaze, cooling</td></tr>
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Perhaps the biggest challenge of the last few weeks for me has been making the transition to going back to work after being a stay-at-home-mom for the last two years. I could write many paragraphs on this subject, but this is a food blog not a mommy blog, so I'll spare you. What I will say is that sometimes I look at my daughter's face when I have to leave and go to work and my heart sinks and I feel that work is not all it's cracked up to be. And other times, I feel proud that I'm doing something that's hard and rewarding and also helping our family's finances at the same time and I want to set that example for my little girl so she knows that her options are many. For us right now it's all about making this transition as carefully and easily as possible and trying to find the balance of work and life that is right for us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfCrDOp0WxRWW5pc-B9oY9NTMXJlFJ6adXIwBBRKZr9fdzFAcS1qGbYKlvox_uVyHbUs54dq3tbm3h50ulRblLtTuIU0pt5w7QgP68Z6Q5vOWCeqY_iuPzCImuF-Gjc32evgyUxIB8kUJ/s1600/photo-62.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfCrDOp0WxRWW5pc-B9oY9NTMXJlFJ6adXIwBBRKZr9fdzFAcS1qGbYKlvox_uVyHbUs54dq3tbm3h50ulRblLtTuIU0pt5w7QgP68Z6Q5vOWCeqY_iuPzCImuF-Gjc32evgyUxIB8kUJ/s320/photo-62.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June on her first day back at "school"</td></tr>
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When I came home last Sat. night at 11:30 pm and my husband was asleep on the couch while my $200 All-Clad soup pot (that had an hour or so earlier contained water in it for pasta), boiled away to nothing and were it not such a stellar piece of equipment might have burned the house down, I thought that maybe things had gotten out of balance. After all, the man has been taking on more parenting duties (which, believe me, is every bit as hard if not harder than working) and still has a physically demanding full-time job. After scolding him for his carelessness I had to thank him for his thoughtfulness: he was just trying to have dinner ready for me when I got home from work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswcGZdNT3NBkhh9kV4wZaionynq8s-1n5-s7Of_4LXQLyfpcvsiiSszDq4W0BtPI30MXWyaxhztHiwZPfbVDdT4YDTcQqdb1eY-UEA1fXygjVrL3W6mF-ys6QjbyxKqVnpYcOIuzH_3_o/s1600/photo-61.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswcGZdNT3NBkhh9kV4wZaionynq8s-1n5-s7Of_4LXQLyfpcvsiiSszDq4W0BtPI30MXWyaxhztHiwZPfbVDdT4YDTcQqdb1eY-UEA1fXygjVrL3W6mF-ys6QjbyxKqVnpYcOIuzH_3_o/s320/photo-61.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what keeps me going...</td></tr>
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In closing, I'm going to steal the Bukowski quote that a friend who is a successful small-business owner and mom <a href="http://www.styleblueprint.com/faces-of-nashville/faces-nashville-kate-mills-ashley/">used</a> when asked by an interviewer what her fears were: "Find what you love and let it kill you." Well, I may not have lighted on my life's most important work with this new job, but at least I'm headed in the right direction. I am so lucky to have such a supportive husband and sweet, loving, secure and well-adjusted daughter. If we can manage to not burn the house down, I think we'll all survive.<br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-63349509627300391062012-07-31T14:47:00.004-05:002012-08-02T07:34:18.765-05:00In praise of figs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I feel like I hit the jackpot this summer. Not the kind of jackpot that would make me rich, but I honestly think I am just as happy, if not more, with the one I've won: I've come into a windfall of figs. And not only are they gorgeous and exotic, delicious and hard to come by, but they happen to be my favorite fruit to cook and bake with.<br />
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We bought a rental property --a major fixer-upper--one year ago and we've been rehab-ing it all year so we could rent it for extra income. It was a huge project and D. has worked so hard and it is finally (almost) complete. It will all be worth it eventually, when we start to recoup our investment in the form of rent. But for now, I feel like we've gotten the biggest return on our investment in the form of sweet, juicy figs. You see, the property has two huge, old fig trees on it --so big their thick roots are almost fused together and the canopy reaches into the sky and down to the ground, laden with plump, juicy figs, ripe for the picking.<br />
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Last year we owned the property but had not started working on it in earnest when the figs started coming in. On top of that, the house had been empty for several years prior and in much need of some attention. The day I went over to harvest all the figs I was met with an empty tree--someone had brought in equipment overnight and harvested every single one of them. Thieves of the worst kind! So this year not only do we have renters in one of the units already, but I put up a no trespassing sign and placed this intimidating security guard on duty.<br />
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We have been harvesting them almost every day for over a week now. There are more than we can pick with only a ladder to get to the top of the tree. But it's been so much fun to go over there with June and show her how good just-picked fruit can be. We pick and eat until our grocery bags are full or the mosquitoes start to eat us alive, whichever comes first. Then I get to work on canning, freezing, baking and otherwise trying to preserve these beauties as best I can.<br />
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I have an Italian friend, Elisabetta, who is from Rome and I've known her for 15 years. Her mom, Ignazia Mancini is one of my culinary inspirations and makes the most delicious "marmellata di fichi" (fig jam) I've ever tasted (in Italy fig trees grow rampantly throughout the Southern regions). She always gives me some of her jam when I go visit her and it's been a while since I've had that tasty treat in my fridge. Last summer, upon purchasing the property and discovering the figs, I asked Betty for her mom's recipe. This summer I finally got the chance to make it. It is a wonderful combination of figs with a little dark cocoa thrown in to give it that extra depth of flavor and dark color. (Recipe below).<br />
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I've made two batches so far and gave some away to friends and stashed a couple of jars for us for the winter.<br />
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Last weekend I made a beautiful fig tart that I plan on making for the open house at Lockeland Table next Monday night. If you're in the neighborhood, stop in for some yummy apps and a bite-sized version of this super-local (as in 14th street y'all) fresh fruit tart. <br />
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And for a dinner party on Sunday with friends, I stuffed fresh figs with bits of smoky bleu cheese and drizzled them with honey and a sprinkle of sea salt. To.die.for.<br />
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Call me crazy, but I can't get enough of this amazing fruit! If you know of any other great fig recipes or ideas, please send them my way. I've even tried freezing some by laying them on a baking sheet to harden and then packing them into a plastic freezer bag and sucking out all the air with a straw. I've never tried freezing fruit, but it will be interesting to see what shape they're in when I pull them out in January or February for a little taste of summer. <br />
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<i><b>Marmellata di fichi </b>(recipe courtesy of Ignazia Mancini) </i><br />
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<i>about 1.5 lbs of figs (750 grams)</i><br />
<i>1 and a 1/2 cups of sugar</i><br />
<i>1/4 cup of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder</i><br />
<i>juice of half a lemon (optional)</i><br />
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<i>Wash and remove the stems of the figs then put in a large stockpot on med. heat and cook, stirring frequently so they don't burn, for about 30-45 min. Remove them to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Put back into the pot and add the sugar. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the consistency of jam (about 45-1 hour). Add the cocoa powder and lemon juice (if desired--I always add a bit of citrus to any jam to bring out the flavor of the fruit and add acidity) and stir until blended. Turn off the heat and prepare your jars according to most canning recipes. Fill jars and process using the boiling water method for at least 15 min. Place on a towel to cool and let the tops seal. If any do not seal, place in the fridge and eat within two weeks. Processed jars will be good for at least one year. </i><br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-79508742678421176792012-07-20T14:37:00.001-05:002012-07-20T21:26:06.159-05:00OMG a new beginning!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5v3Wat-2DRzt5qIaLCYpg1Urfz3GfFZMba2HLx9iQxutLV232H2D3Axya2UUOBvHtT1XzmYxbMMkVHHPb_XD4mPVCOqZZSyKMMtlo7cpIjxg3FBXnLfs7dwP4uLCEQCxsHBbBqMamU0JN/s1600/omg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5v3Wat-2DRzt5qIaLCYpg1Urfz3GfFZMba2HLx9iQxutLV232H2D3Axya2UUOBvHtT1XzmYxbMMkVHHPb_XD4mPVCOqZZSyKMMtlo7cpIjxg3FBXnLfs7dwP4uLCEQCxsHBbBqMamU0JN/s320/omg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Connor and June, buds </i><i>*shout out to Kate and Ashley and their awesome store, <a href="http://www.oldmadegood.com/">Oldmadegood</a> for letting me use their sign. </i></td></tr>
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Some things I know about myself are 1) I love a good challenge. 2) I like to change careers (often). And 3) I need to be surrounded by people whom I esteem and respect. If the above things are not true for me, we are dead in the water. <br />
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This little list is relevant because I am happy to announce I will be starting a new job as the pastry chef at <a href="http://www.nashvillescene.com/bites/archives/2012/07/20/lockeland-table-on-track-for-early-august-opening">Lockeland Table</a>, the neighborhood restaurant just a few blocks from my house that is eagerly anticipated by East Nashville and beyond. This job will get me back in a kitchen doing something I love to do, which is baking. I think it will be a good fit for me because the backbone of the restaurant's philosophy is local, seasonal and unpretentious food in a neighborhood setting open to all. It will be a family-run business that will also appeal to families, as the partners in this venture are long-time colleagues from Eastland Cafe (another great East Nashville mainstay) and have young children of their own. I believe they'll take that experience of caring for and feeding their own families and translate it to feeding the neighborhood. What better place for me to be?<br />
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The desserts I would love to make are ones in which seasonal fruit features prominently, things like handmade tarts, pies, gelato and other simple Italian-inspired baked goods that let the ingredients speak for themselves. I am super excited to be embarking on this new professional phase for myself, and to play a small part of <a href="http://joycooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/nourish-ing-for-soul.html">Chef Hal's</a> and Cara's dream. <br />
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Here is a rustic peach and blueberry crostata that I hope will be featured on the opening, late-summer menu. As long as peaches are still available, I'm making this. It is so simple served room temperature, alongside a scoop of vanilla bean gelato and cup of good, strong coffee. It's my favorite breakfast actually (minus the gelato).<br />
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And this zucchini-olive oil cake with lemon glaze I tested out recently (from Babbo's Gina de Palma's cookbook), and it was loved by all who tried it. It's moist without being too rich but with complex flavors of olive oil mixed with lemon and spices. It would be a great late summer-early Fall dessert when zucchinis are plentiful. <br />
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Last Sunday I attended a <a href="http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/07/16/nashville-share-our-strength-dinner-tyler-brown-an">charity dinner</a> at the Hermitage Hotel benefiting the national organization <a href="http://www.strength.org/">Share Our Strength</a>. They work to end childhood hunger and one of their big fundraisers is a traveling dinner / live auction with local and regional chefs where patrons bid lots of money for, among other things, a chance to have Tandy Wilson or Tyler Brown cook dinner for 12 in the winner's home. My favorite dishes were Brown's first course of heirloom beets, green olive vinaigrette, biscuit crumble and Cruze Dairy ricotta salata; and the "community plate" --a collaboration of all the chefs (chef Hal was one of them) that really spoke volumes about the honest, meaty, Southern-inspired and fresh food these chefs are serving now.<br />
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Then, Steven Satterfield of <a href="http://www.millerunion.com/site/">Miller Union</a> in Atlanta (where I recently enjoyed a fabulous farm-to-table dinner with friends) made this blackberry cobbler with Cruze buttermilk ice cream. Love that miniature skillet, but the blackberries made all the guests' teeth purple! (note to self: look up the science behind this and find out if there is anything to be done about it). <br />
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It has been a fruit-filled and fruitful summer for me. And as the temperatures and the oppressive humidity rise alongside each other, making us all move a little slower and long for the crisp, cool days of fall, I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead. For me, August always brings change and a new beginning and this one is no exception. <br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-16635927528146401232012-07-03T14:46:00.000-05:002012-07-03T14:46:10.851-05:00Peaches are perfection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is nothing that, to me, says summer more than a perfect peach. I
live in the South and I thought when I first moved here that peaches would be abundant in summer, but it turns out they have a rather short growing season. And all peaches are <i>not</i> created equal. <br />
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I grew up loving peaches as they came from the only fruit tree that miraculously grew in the desert --or at least it did at my house. Growing up in a place like Las Vegas, there was not much we could grow and eat from our backyard but I do remember picking pomegranates from a neighbor's tree and seeing fig trees all over the place. Though what people did with them remained a mystery. Now I love figs and peaches and there are so many wonderful things to do with both. But my mom somehow managed to make a peach tree grow on the side of our house and with those peaches she made the most delicious pies and homemade ice cream in summer. <br />
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Here in the South we start seeing peaches at the farmer's market in late June-early July but things are all a bit off this year and fruit is showing up earlier. I bought my first batch from the downtown farmer's market (pictured above) the day before Father's day. They were from South Carolina, and while beautifully displayed in their baskets, they were not that great to eat. I made a peach-blueberry pie (left) with them for Daniel's father day dinner and they were fine for cooking. But I crave a peach that is slightly firm and juicy, not mealy in the slightest and just drips with sweetness so that you need nothing to go with it. It's perfect just the way it is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Peach Truck peaches</td></tr>
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This is what I finally found in the Georgia peaches being sold in Nashville by the cute little operation called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thepeachtruck">The Peach Truck. </a>A husband and wife team whose family owns a farm in GA, the kids go out in a green vintage pick-up truck selling their peaches out of the back for $6 a bag. I first saw them at my friends' coffee shop, <a href="http://www.crema-coffee.com/">Crema</a>, and almost got in an accident, I pulled over so fast. The guy and girl selling them were both so friendly and cute and their logo so well done that I thought, "I sure hope these peaches taste good because these people have a great idea and it's all just so inviting."<br />
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Sure enough, after tasting one bite, I bought two bags and June and I were on our way, peach juice dripping down our chins as we drove away.<br />
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I got home and after raving about the peaches on social media (what? who does that?) I started making stuff.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made this peach tart for a dinner party. </td></tr>
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But mainly we just ate them. We ate them alone, with peaches n' cream ice cream, over cereal, for a snack, late at night. We can't stop eating them. And I hear from the peach folks that peach season is over in only 2 more weeks! Say it isn't so. I need to stock up and I strongly encourage you all to do so as long as that cute green truck is hopping around town. But just don't buy them all because I still have lots of things to make.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't make this peach cake. My friend Tom at Marche did and it's delicious.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Peach Truck</td></tr>
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-33668060440458289772012-06-20T15:12:00.002-05:002012-06-20T15:16:19.484-05:00Nourish-ing for the soul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last night I had the opportunity to volunteer for a wonderful and worthy event and I also had a lot of fun in the process. I was reminded of the way I felt back when I <a href="http://joycooks.blogspot.com/2008/08/pastryitalian-my-idea-of-heaven.html">volunteered</a> for the World Pastry Championships in Nashville and of how great it felt to both be a part of an exciting event and to be around chefs and work with food. I've got to do it more often. <br />
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Last night's fun was a benefit that took place at our local farmer's market called <b>Nourish Nashville</b>. A benefit for the <a href="http://www.thenashvillefoodproject.org/">Nashville Food Project</a>, it was a four-course dinner with wine pairings prepared by some of the best chefs in the Southeast followed by an auction. The dinner was sold out and at $160 a pop, it was a huge success.<br />
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My role was to assist the (some of them James Beard Award nominee) chefs in the kitchen. When I first arrived there was a bit of confusion and not a lot to do. I saw some friendly faces, Cara and chef Hal, owners of the soon to be opened around the corner from my house (yay!) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lockelandtable">Lockeland Table. </a><br />
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I jumped right in and helped plate the appetizers Chef Hal Holden-Bache was preparing: beef heart tartare with mustard green and peanut pesto, and pickled Gulf shrimp with cucumber mint salsa (photo above). Yum. After tasting these and knowing what these two are capable of, I cannot wait for their new venture to open. <br />
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Then, there was some waiting and standing around while the MC (none other than esteemed Southern food expert and journalist, John Edgerton) talked about the cause and introduced important people. In the kitchen the man who seemed to be in charge, or at least the one everyone looked up to, was Chef John Fleer (of <a href="http://www.lonesomevalley.com/canyon_kitchen.php">Canyon Kitchen</a> at Lonesome Valley in North Carolina but known formerly as the man behind <a href="http://www.blackberryfarm.com/">Blackberry Farm</a>, one of my all-time-would-die-to-eat-there-let-alone-stay-there places in the world). I was equally impressed by him and by his calm and courteous demeanor. He even thanked the volunteers for being there (before we even did anything).<br />
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<i>(the first course: tomato terrine, Empire State South Fromage Blanc, bread crakers, country ham, fennel and Georgia olive oil, prepared by Empire State South (Atlanta) chef Ryan Smith.</i><br />
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Each chef was responsible for one course and as the tables were lined up and the chefs and their assistants started stacking plates and getting their ingredients ready, it became a joint effort and it took every set of hands from every chef or volunteer to get the 250 + plates ready to go out. Once the course was plated, it was picked up by the servers and whisked off to be devoured by guests seated just beyond the flimsy curtain that separated the kitchen from the makeshift market hall dining room.<br />
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I wanted to be a part of the energy even if just as a bystander so I stood nearby watching as they readied the first course. I never thought that I'd be asked to jump in and help plate this delicious and complicated-looking food. But when a chef motioned for me to jump in the line, I didn't hesitate and my job was to carefully place a little mound of chili-braised Tuscan kale alongside the crusted Sunburst trout and rum-sorghum glazed pork belly--the second course-- prepared by none other than Chef Fleer himself. I tried not to falter and work as fast as everyone else was working and it really was a well-oiled assembly line of quick hands and sliding plates. Wow, it was fun.<br />
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<i>(there I am in the middle, looking very serious)</i>.<br />
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The third course (prepared by Taylor Ricketts of Delta Bistro in Greenwood, MS) looked amazing and it was all I could do to not visibly drool while I stood there sprinkling the shaved almonds on top of the mound of buerre noisette-poached rabbit saddle roulade over burrata risotto, with pear confit, fried sweet potato greens, acacia honey with dried fruit and almonds. (Whew). It took about as many people to plate as it did words to describe. Chef Hal, who was working next to me, handed me a bite of the rabbit after we were done and it melted in my mouth.<br />
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The final, dessert course looked mouth-wateringly good too and I did get to try that one at the end of the night, sharing a leftover plate with another volunteer. It was prepared by Tandra Watkins of Ashley's Restaurant in Little Rock, AR and it was a blueberry and buckwheat upside-down cake with coriander cream. Oh. my. goodness. It was ridiculous. That was fun to plate because we all just walked around the tables randomly setting the little cakes on top of the triangular-shaped plates with drizzled blueberry sauce and then spooning (or "<i>quenelle</i>-ing" -is that a word?) the cream on top of each one.<br />
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(<i>here is Chef John Fleer getting into helping out by drizzling blueberry sauce</i>).<br />
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At the end of the night, I drank a spot of bourbon with the other chefs and then headed out, a quart-sized mason jar of mustard green pesto under my arm as a gift from Chef Hal, tickled pink with myself and vowing to volunteer for another event like that as soon as I could. Thanks to my friend Amanda Dixon for sending the opportunity my way. <br />
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<br />Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-54820836813437882002012-06-05T22:31:00.000-05:002012-06-05T22:31:05.397-05:00A family that eats together...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of historyofeating.umwblogs.org</td></tr>
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I'm not sure how to begin to talk about all the stuff that has happened in the last month. It seems like so much longer since I posted on the old blog. So I won't even try. Suffice it to say that life happened, in all its joyous, sad, challenging and crazy moments. Nothing I can't handle, but lots of things that have interrupted the normal course of days and weeks and routines I like to keep.<br />
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Like writing on the blog.
So I decided to just get back into it by way of a few memorable meals I made and enjoyed lately. None of these were super elegant or exciting or even memorable because of the food. It was the people I shared them with that made them special and the happiness that was created because we sat down together.
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<b>Two going away parties.</b>
I hosted two parties in May at my house for different couples who are leaving town for new adventures. One of them was a Mexican-themed Cinco de Mayo party for two native Californians who are going back to their home state to live, start new jobs and become new parents. It was a sort of baby shower (without the shower stuff)/ going away party. Another friend helped with the preparations and we served three kinds of homemade salsas with chips, chile corn fritters, tomato-cucumber gazpacho and sopes with black bean and chipotle cream, pineapple-rosé sangria and tres leches cake for dessert. It was a festive and colorful send-off for two people I'll really<br />
miss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4O6RTH8YTIaZrwwcnVT01GoFpwP3rXBRs6XPB-K5XXQGMaP7baWyPF_syDwOxWcwICNSjBojBIQSywwqDe-KFMb-1ZwCHnhSt7oINRmv8CX3PRul3I8x05C76LrVGtn1Er-7fWNZ7wRb/s1600/photo%252864%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4O6RTH8YTIaZrwwcnVT01GoFpwP3rXBRs6XPB-K5XXQGMaP7baWyPF_syDwOxWcwICNSjBojBIQSywwqDe-KFMb-1ZwCHnhSt7oINRmv8CX3PRul3I8x05C76LrVGtn1Er-7fWNZ7wRb/s400/photo%252864%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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The second party only a week later was a paella dinner for about 12 people in honor of some neighbor friends who I got to know only recently and wish I could have shared more meals with. Both of them love to cook and so we had a collaborative dinner party which meant no one person did all the work and the result was a gorgeous and tasty paella that was loved by all, even the littlest among us. Tres leches cake (again) was the dessert of choice. I used Alton Brown's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tres-leche-cake-recipe/index.html">recipe</a> both times which is super easy and so decadent. While making it twice was no problem, I don't recommend eating it twice in one week.
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<b>Anniversary dinner at the beach with Daniel.
</b>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKGlYnBCv6CCp9bpWn0ENMVDYUN1IF3kSk5boWTwV_dtXpkKayGqMC3G1_ky1TO3UQPyRhyO-zHz2AzS6lJqryVmcqIpqNlNLXZyXwlRZYGxZGcXYkHaT5B6q2Spsfo-_TqGr-k60aeh6/s1600/photo%252869%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKGlYnBCv6CCp9bpWn0ENMVDYUN1IF3kSk5boWTwV_dtXpkKayGqMC3G1_ky1TO3UQPyRhyO-zHz2AzS6lJqryVmcqIpqNlNLXZyXwlRZYGxZGcXYkHaT5B6q2Spsfo-_TqGr-k60aeh6/s400/photo%252869%2529.JPG" width="299" /></a>
At the end of April our little family took a vacation. We were lucky to be offered the home of some friends--a house on the beach in Santa Rosa, on the Florida panhandle. It had been five years since D and I had been to the beach, and it was June's first time ever. Needless to say, we had a blast.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18AL-ShyphenhyphenL4ZEyNWspRHIK3g9iJrKdh7K76JBOFXEkSM04x7q3zNhSRO9ugzzl-BOVsczCIX_JyX2M1Eh1TmkPF047kU9Kf7Xm1WtlYzT4Nt3wdeC3LpQFgNk732qiPBmosYUJ64q4GEA0/s1600/photo%252872%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18AL-ShyphenhyphenL4ZEyNWspRHIK3g9iJrKdh7K76JBOFXEkSM04x7q3zNhSRO9ugzzl-BOVsczCIX_JyX2M1Eh1TmkPF047kU9Kf7Xm1WtlYzT4Nt3wdeC3LpQFgNk732qiPBmosYUJ64q4GEA0/s400/photo%252872%2529.JPG" width="298" /></a>
We ate most of our meals out during that week just so we didn't have to work much. But one day we found a great seafood market and bought a bunch of local delicacies and did it up, in honor of our first anniversary. We put the baby to bed and started cooking. We snacked on little tiny clams that Daniel harvested on the beach, lightly steamed in olive oil, garlic, lemon and parsley. That was followed by fresh, raw Apalachicola oysters and lots of crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Then I made linguine 'frutti di mare' with shrimp, clams, scallops and fresh tomatoes and garlic. Perfection. And of course, one of my favorite desserts: Florida key lime pie.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eoM3gvku14Dd-1artYW6yZJEnLzEAIGGbKocoujJQlwy1XRjp0Q2jgBSxXg0mXpdaxpsgW3UrAy5V1ae8icnQeYkdGJVJOaS5YEmCCC5wIXYj5jhyphenhyphen4pORi1ly_h3ptUa6ZW-p_mPOXfe/s1600/photo%252870%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eoM3gvku14Dd-1artYW6yZJEnLzEAIGGbKocoujJQlwy1XRjp0Q2jgBSxXg0mXpdaxpsgW3UrAy5V1ae8icnQeYkdGJVJOaS5YEmCCC5wIXYj5jhyphenhyphen4pORi1ly_h3ptUa6ZW-p_mPOXfe/s400/photo%252870%2529.JPG" width="299" /></a>
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<b>Last-minute Sunday pasta dinner.</b>
This last Sunday we had had a hard week and were just needing to relax. In my family growing up my mom always cooked pasta on Sundays and I carried that tradition into my relationship with Daniel in the early years. Now that we have a baby nothing is that regular anymore, but we still sometimes crave pasta on Sundays. My friend Stacia, who I love and don't get to see that often, was in town and I invited her to join us. I had everything I needed in the pantry and so didn't have to go to the store for anything, which is nice. I made a sauce with sausage and red wine, red pepper and garlic and served it over strozzapreti - the little twisted shape from Puglia that catches the sauce and always goes well with a meat sauce. A simple salad with store-bought dressing and red wine rounded out the meal and it was nice to just enjoy a simple and satisfying comfort dish with loved ones.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQe-FaSffaA6a3Vgo4uFlsxfKTM0PIz0RkkmPtrtzp_AKQ6_PVMd3MXcMFobL1MtQJAv-dPkfjX30StLn0lIy3AkdvRJqdiai-eyNFtHyHL6luAMxwvtl5-tZMEET8BakW81BTmlthDo4j/s1600/photo%252866%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQe-FaSffaA6a3Vgo4uFlsxfKTM0PIz0RkkmPtrtzp_AKQ6_PVMd3MXcMFobL1MtQJAv-dPkfjX30StLn0lIy3AkdvRJqdiai-eyNFtHyHL6luAMxwvtl5-tZMEET8BakW81BTmlthDo4j/s400/photo%252866%2529.JPG" width="299" /></a>
<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Corn and early summer dinner outdoors.</b>
The weather has been alternately really hot and oddly cold this spring and early summer. So tonight we ate dinner outside for the first time because there was a nice breeze and the bugs seem not to have arrived just yet. All we ate was grilled corn on the cob, a fresh tomato and arugula salad and bread. But the corn was deliciously sweet and tasted just like summer and it was beautiful to watch June devour it with such joy and two-year-old abandon. I could have eaten her up she was so cute. Too bad I didn't get a picture. (The one above is of her the very first time she ever tried corn on the cob - in a Mexican restaurant -it was love at first bite).<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIaQqO-TCjQbuKK62GoWp_1_HRc7zECqixiq2wizs5-IsiL2FDEyevKkNnmDicu_iuOqv2EXaPdG51YUo7D-C9WxvheASVRst9p360Dgz4Q0F2hS_tnVEdYzAbJPqGWZ4uZGUMArPLVqx/s1600/photo%252868%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIaQqO-TCjQbuKK62GoWp_1_HRc7zECqixiq2wizs5-IsiL2FDEyevKkNnmDicu_iuOqv2EXaPdG51YUo7D-C9WxvheASVRst9p360Dgz4Q0F2hS_tnVEdYzAbJPqGWZ4uZGUMArPLVqx/s400/photo%252868%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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Taken together, these meals don't have much in common except the pure and simple joy that comes from cooking and sharing meals with the people I love. Anything and everything, good things and bad, can be happening all around me but if I can just slow down enough to cook something simple and share it with my family and friends, I know I'll always be okay.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1y8l3jEE5mTVxn43CnDSXYOF3ludxWzx8IAJUjrB3ozYPmgBptQkSCm4K8Iil3tUMRQm7OaOc-TLvhZMIyX5l98iDP_rOWO71Jv7G1AKHIr51HQMsUfwHWoKT8V7O16XtCysExsKHIPu/s1600/photo%252867%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1y8l3jEE5mTVxn43CnDSXYOF3ludxWzx8IAJUjrB3ozYPmgBptQkSCm4K8Iil3tUMRQm7OaOc-TLvhZMIyX5l98iDP_rOWO71Jv7G1AKHIr51HQMsUfwHWoKT8V7O16XtCysExsKHIPu/s400/photo%252867%2529.JPG" width="299" /></a>Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-697639696789062392012-04-04T14:44:00.000-05:002012-04-04T14:44:50.761-05:00Vinegar braised chicken (finally) and other stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx5PPi7kntBCbJ_TmxMMXwg4s1SAYht5K5MAiFZKJkkXWj13ktVwFb2dPsq1jpbTD_71WmGKMGg2bGsMbi4EplLD7HfbycwkeGh8r2mbbp5nKJXflrxuGuLh-PG3d7jYl1_AVoyz_dzvH/s1600/photo%252842%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx5PPi7kntBCbJ_TmxMMXwg4s1SAYht5K5MAiFZKJkkXWj13ktVwFb2dPsq1jpbTD_71WmGKMGg2bGsMbi4EplLD7HfbycwkeGh8r2mbbp5nKJXflrxuGuLh-PG3d7jYl1_AVoyz_dzvH/s400/photo%252842%2529.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I've been meaning to blog about this delicious Spring dish and not even the pleading of Facebook friends who saw the photo the night I made it has gotten me closer to doing it, until now. I guess life has been busy. June is a whirlwind lately, full of energy and sass and plenty of words. She is the most talkative little girl I've ever seen. She pretty much can express anything she wants to with limited words and it's really fun, mostly. Until she says something like "Go away mama." That hurts and happened only once, but I think it goes along with having a toddler. Their worlds are so frustratingly small at the same time that they are developing so fast and they can't get there fast enough for their little minds to be happy. And we're always telling them "No" and "Be careful" and "Do this and Do that" that sometimes I just want to let her do whatever she wants and not get in the way. Luckily, I have not really had to discipline her too much as she's pretty mellow and hardly ever throws a tantrum. I can count on one hand the number of times she's done something that resembled a tantrum and I'm grateful. But some days are still hard... and long. <br />
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She's on Spring break from the Mom's day out program this week and we're having fun. Here she is last weekend at the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. I love this photo and we had such a good time that day. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_WJaw99q0fWoldRVFlCAZiZzvtaMeLAZKBVK_MStI1WhtCyj4B8T_ChESBO6CBCJG8rBjgEgIMPMJzaPVviqU9TxCkQr7yDh10QoeZJPeWzMTaIYDNPXOX0KL-GDmgl7_M1FgJxAQ5BG/s1600/egghunt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_WJaw99q0fWoldRVFlCAZiZzvtaMeLAZKBVK_MStI1WhtCyj4B8T_ChESBO6CBCJG8rBjgEgIMPMJzaPVviqU9TxCkQr7yDh10QoeZJPeWzMTaIYDNPXOX0KL-GDmgl7_M1FgJxAQ5BG/s400/egghunt1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
But back to the chicken. This was one of those dishes that I got inspired to make from one of my magazines. It was in April Food and Wine. And I will go back to it again and again because it was so easy and turned out so beautifully. We practically licked our plates when it was gone. Isn't it just Spring in a dish? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IJ0XpE-Q9y6mfKpX22TjiS1nghdbgdu3oFb9eheam2sxYqQR_V5EmBB1uKKTT_PNoFotOBL2cP102xfJ-ikSzKkJCMLNhaGmoNhHjUZK8VgwJlv5GXXLZE7y_9v2dqIv8cemuzvXmRyB/s1600/photo%252843%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IJ0XpE-Q9y6mfKpX22TjiS1nghdbgdu3oFb9eheam2sxYqQR_V5EmBB1uKKTT_PNoFotOBL2cP102xfJ-ikSzKkJCMLNhaGmoNhHjUZK8VgwJlv5GXXLZE7y_9v2dqIv8cemuzvXmRyB/s400/photo%252843%2529.JPG" /></a></div><br />
So here is the <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vinegar-braised-chicken-with-leeks-and-peas">recipe</a>. I tweaked it a bit and added little tiny French green beans that I had in the freezer, plus halved the amount of leeks and added an onion since that's what I had. And instead of creme fraiche, used sour cream because it's essentially the same thing and easier to find. I almost always have some in the fridge. If you make it, let me know how it turns out!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyUNOeYM8f17Cq0Ev01btbocmn641eAeRElHs6AfWvhHsVxsfhs_i_F9QevGNUV-ibhDn8VYG4-3wW-JnmVPef8gZVwbkJ1Ie1cPw_49RXdgpM60KmCf3HnP6uUlwZFEMkHEfqLERZlt3/s1600/photo%252844%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyUNOeYM8f17Cq0Ev01btbocmn641eAeRElHs6AfWvhHsVxsfhs_i_F9QevGNUV-ibhDn8VYG4-3wW-JnmVPef8gZVwbkJ1Ie1cPw_49RXdgpM60KmCf3HnP6uUlwZFEMkHEfqLERZlt3/s400/photo%252844%2529.JPG" /></a></div><i>here is miss sassypants in the new hat and sunglasses her Papa got her for our trip to the beach in a couple of weeks.</i> <br />
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Going to be a big weekend for cooking and entertaining. We're having family and friends over for Easter brunch on Sunday and June and I will dye eggs and hide them in the backyard for her and her friends. Also having some friends over for dinner who we haven't seen in a long time so I'm looking forward to a busy weekend of cooking, baking and enjoying everyone's company. Happy Easter!Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3069038843228724288.post-69394925925494344732012-03-29T14:39:00.000-05:002012-03-29T14:39:16.532-05:00a little road trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB3RHYm8GJXDJC_C6XvwXQKOeCEpya458eHKM866fCYrZa_j_r4kngX5eMNlbKtNExi2Y7qRU2uvAupAsJveoUnbAgsxWkYVvLTCDx5KbM6XW1rmTfw5l_BcCRGK3B4ehxEkReytzuIMx/s1600/roadtrip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB3RHYm8GJXDJC_C6XvwXQKOeCEpya458eHKM866fCYrZa_j_r4kngX5eMNlbKtNExi2Y7qRU2uvAupAsJveoUnbAgsxWkYVvLTCDx5KbM6XW1rmTfw5l_BcCRGK3B4ehxEkReytzuIMx/s320/roadtrip.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We took a short but fun little road trip last weekend down to Atlanta. It was my third time there, each trip only lasting a couple of days, but with each one I've come back with an appreciation for the major metropolis just Southeast of us. It's only a four-hour drive away, so not that much of a stretch to go for the weekend. And the city has so much to offer. <br />
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The reason for the getaway was a trip to IKEA for some things we needed for our rental property. Now that it's getting down to the wire, we are outfitting the three units in our rental house with new appliances, kitchen cabinets and countertops, the latter of which we wanted to buy at IKEA. They have a great selection of unique materials (mostly laminate or wood) for a really good price. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPImZ7zcAi2hrc91HyxaKkWfk2tlDhwJFQJLnGp0tXogtAdt_vFsb12rXlqHqEaAbuMraF_NlbHDv-0AUj6xSkiHFcFVrBblZui-P7whyphenhyphen_oFCwmopzDo4sYCJuuU0oMBMxLWps0ikJD1t/s1600/counter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPImZ7zcAi2hrc91HyxaKkWfk2tlDhwJFQJLnGp0tXogtAdt_vFsb12rXlqHqEaAbuMraF_NlbHDv-0AUj6xSkiHFcFVrBblZui-P7whyphenhyphen_oFCwmopzDo4sYCJuuU0oMBMxLWps0ikJD1t/s320/counter.jpg" /></a></div>(this is one of them)<br />
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Let's just say the store was a bit overwhelming. It was our first foray into the world of the Swedish home goods mega producer of things you never knew you wanted or needed and I don't feel the need to go back anytime soon. I thought Daniel was going to have a heart attack by the time the third hour wore on as he tried to follow me as I weaved in and out of all the stuff and throngs of people, all the while pushing the cart with June and trying to keep her entertained. I will say that the store is very well-equipped for children as they have all these little toddler play stations set up all over that really came in handy when it was getting close to meltdown time. And the family restrooms were amazing. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ab5PMCof61Wc4T-BzQ9IlwVtdhTHcqLxkLH-pOk-g0e_nxwGSLX79cPHXbCJkQwCfC1pWsQsvuPrqy3syxRLZtGBtB7ySLF2eF9UzqrRf5-kOV6-1LD5YgsACRe4EOHaPahNzGBmWVUV/s1600/meatballs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ab5PMCof61Wc4T-BzQ9IlwVtdhTHcqLxkLH-pOk-g0e_nxwGSLX79cPHXbCJkQwCfC1pWsQsvuPrqy3syxRLZtGBtB7ySLF2eF9UzqrRf5-kOV6-1LD5YgsACRe4EOHaPahNzGBmWVUV/s320/meatballs.jpg" /></a></div><br />
That being said, it would have probably been much easier to do this shopping trip without a toddler, but whatever. We got it done, she had fun (mostly) and then we went on to enjoy ourselves in Atlanta. And we had a fun little lunch there of Swedish meatballs and smoked salmon that were pretty good and lingonberry juice, which just makes us laugh every time we say it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtzJhARG34BaiKYUZilXiqMPgtPCCgl82cmffemttRcvHoyoZzkOkKqiIGfIEThjGSmffQqgVuqAAqAWR_jblk8FyQ79O7JCD9-SpfMD3r4-tfJM1Sf3wdpCnnSNa08AePtzDg5xcnrJK/s1600/ikea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtzJhARG34BaiKYUZilXiqMPgtPCCgl82cmffemttRcvHoyoZzkOkKqiIGfIEThjGSmffQqgVuqAAqAWR_jblk8FyQ79O7JCD9-SpfMD3r4-tfJM1Sf3wdpCnnSNa08AePtzDg5xcnrJK/s320/ikea.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Our first meal was dinner at <a href="http://cakesandalerestaurant.com/">Cakes & Ale</a> in Decatur. I had been hearing about this place since my <a href="http://joycooks.blogspot.com/2008/05/atlanta-is-fun.html">last trip</a> to Atlanta about four years ago (during which I ate some pretty great food). I didn't have the chance to go then, so this time it was still high on my list. We weren't able to get a reservation, but they offered us the patio which ended up being perfect. The weather was beautiful and there was only one other table of nice people out there and June could play around a little and not be disruptive. <br />
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We had some much-needed drinks after that horrendous shopping experience and finally started to relax. Then we shared a plate of oysters that were excellent and an appetizer of arrancini (little fried rice balls) that were okay but not as good as I've had elsewhere. <br />
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I had steelhead trout with spring vegetables for dinner and Daniel had a nice plate of lasagne verde with pork ragù. His only complaint was that it was too small. Mine was perfect. June had a yummy farro salad with root vegetables which mostly got eaten by us. <br />
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And for dessert we all shared a slice of this beautiful ice cream cake which practically made our our daughter flip her lid it was so good. I wish I could have eaten all the desserts on the menu. The restaurant also operates a bakery next door and it looked like everything they made there was over-the-top delicious. I wanted to go back in the morning, but they were closed on Sundays. Dang. <br />
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Instead we had breakfast at <a href="http://riasbluebird.com/">Ria's Bluebird</a> (blogged about before, see above link) which is always a fun place. But this time, we had to wait just a little too long and the service was very slow. The table next to us sent their pancakes back because they were cold and while I wouldn't go that far, our food was not the best. I wish we would have gone out of the way a little further and tried brunch at one of the two other places I had in mind (<a href="http://empirestatesouth.com/">Empire State South</a> or <a href="http://www.millerunion.com/site/photo-gallery/">Miller Union</a>). Next time. <br />
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Sunday was spent making June happy since she had been such a champ the day before both in the car and at the mega store. So we went to a beautiful park right in the center of the city called Grant Park and played on the playground and then ended up at the Atlanta Zoo which is just at the south entrance to the park. It was a beautiful Spring day and the zoo was fun -- the panda bears were the highlight for me. I think June enjoyed all of it. <br />
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And no trip to Atlanta would be complete without a stop at <a href="http://www.wafflehouse.com/">Waffle House</a>. Started in a suburb of Atlanta more than 50 years ago, it's a staple of Southern road trips. And, as much as I hate to admit it, their waffles are pretty amazing --especially the pecan waffle, served with a side of hashbrowns "smothered, covered and diced" (with cheese, onions and...I forgot what else that means). June had a good old time there and could have stayed there all weekend. <br />
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Oh- and just before hitting the interstate to head home on Sunday, we accidentally found one of the coffee shops that had been recommended to me by my friends at Crema. Called <a href="http://octanecoffee.com/">Octane</a>, it was a beautiful new, airy garage-like space with a super cool pour-over station and an attached bakery called The Little Tart. All I had was an iced pour-over, but it was really good. I should have grabbed some pastries for the road, but thought better of it. Second mistake. Next time, we'll do breakfast and coffee there. <br />
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Now that we've had a taste of what a little getaway trip can do for the psyche, we're all ready to hit the road again. We're hoping our next adventure will include some water and sand.Joy of Cookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12458423131188486086noreply@blogger.com0