Skidding in Sideways

Since my last two posts were about food (and each began with "mmmmm" - I need to be more creative), I thought I would shift gears and talk a little bit about other things going on in my life. 'Cause it's my blog! And if no one reads it, so what! My first couple of posts were pretty personal and that goes against my whole modus operandi - I am a private person and I mostly keep to myself. However, the older I get, the more I realize that sure, you can insulate yourself from hurt and pain and embarrassment by huddling in a turtle shell, but that is a lonely existence and as a person, you don't grow. I honestly think that is one of the lessons I have taken away from my last few tumultuous years. No risk, no reward. (10 years in the investment services world taught me that!) I love this quote:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO what a ride!"
                                                                                                                          Unknown

After those first couple of blog posts, I felt icky. And while those posts were hardly confessional, they were definitely more than I typically let on. However, I talked to a few people who read those posts and they said how they felt in much the same way, or that it resonated with them. Not only did that make me feel better, but it showed me what reaching out can do - forge connections with other people. Sounds totally elementary, but admitting how you really feel, not that everything's fine and dandy, can be a good thing.

A roundabout way to get to the next point, but it goes along with stepping out of my comfort zone. I am starting my own business as an Independent Stylist for Stella & Dot. They are a jewelry company out of San Francisco, specializing in direct selling via in-home trunk shows and online. I was invited to a trunk show a month ago and a light bulb went off in my head. Why don't I do something like this? It's flexible, you can work "off hours" (key with kids) and it can be as much or as little as you want it to be. I went to their website, watched the videos, read about the firm's founders, and was intrigued. It was more than just your average direct selling company. They jewelry is gorgeous, first of all, and the experience of the firm's founder, Jessica Herrin, was compelling. Add to that a $37 million investment by Seqouia Capital, and I was hooked. Could I do this? I'm a bit on the shy side, I'm not a fashionista, could I really get out there? Well, I definitely wanted to get out of the house, so that was a big motivating factor. Ultimately, I decided to take the plunge because of those very questions I raised above. Get over my shyness (it's not debilitating) and wear jewelry? Really, not too hard. I'm not a girly girl, but I'm not a total slouch, either. I viewed it as a way to earn money, get out of the house, and meet new people. And so far, it's fun. I actually want to go sit down and "work" although it doesn't feel like work. It feels like something I am doing for myself and selling a fun product that people love.

Between this blog and Stella & Dot, I'm trying to reach out, get connected again. Having small children can be an isolating experience - you don't have a ton of built-in opportunities to get out and meet people (you have to be proactive in that area) and if you have multiple small children, as I do, it can feel like a monumental task to take them anywhere. Plus, between short attention spans, naps, and all that, you're ready to go to bed when they are. So this is my attempt to get back into the world and try something new.

MMMM....pasta

This recipe was just so good and interesting that I had to post it. From Rachael Ray, Meat-Free BLT Spaghetti with Butter Lettuce, Leek, and Tomato. I have Rachael's latest cookbook, Look and Cook and it has a number of yummy recipes in it. Back in the days when I was snobby foodie, I thought I was too good for Rachael Ray. And then I had kids and I soon figured out that my days of planning menus, leisurely shopping at Whole Foods and then lovingly preparing the meal were OVER. OVER. If I still wanted to cook good food and try new recipes, I had to find a way to fit it into my life. And so I went over to the dark side. The Rachael side. And I discovered that her recipes are fun and really tasty. Not always easy on the waistline - there's lots of "EVOO" and cheese but really, who can go wrong with that? Just don't eat her portions - they are ginormous. She often does riffs on popular things like a spinach artichoke dip and makes it into a meal. For example, she makes a Spinach & Artichoke Mac and Cheese that is pretty darn good.  Anyway, I had spotted this recipe in the book and thought it was interesting but passed over it - Ted was the one who had pointed it out (he made the Chicken Ragu and that was awesome) and I included it in our little weekly menu plan. Now, the recipe has you make a pesto out of butter lettuce, basil, mint, parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, and EVOO. I was a bit skeptical. A pesto recipe whose main ingredient was lettuce? Sounded grody (yes, yes, the 80s called and they want their word back) but heck, why not? Lachlan helped me make the pesto and before I knew it, he was dipping a bowl scraper in the food processor bowl and eating it. Turned out to be refreshing, light, and a perfect complement to the tomatoes and leeks that you saute and then toss with the pasta and pesto. Very summery, very flavorful and I recommend you give it a shot. The best part? The kids LOVED the pesto. Since they are not apt to consume vegetables, I was a happy mama. The proof is below. In fact, I almost DIDN'T post about this because it was so good I didn't want to run upstairs to get my camera. I wanted to keep shoveling it in my mouth.

Mmmmm, bread

Ok, so maybe you don't necessarily want to hear about baking bread in the middle of summer, but this is how I roll. To give you a frame of reference, my dad was known to roast turkeys in July. Full on Thanksgiving dinner. Not sure why, but perhaps this will help you better understand my pathos: it's genetic. Anyhoo! So at the Borders liquidation sale, I found a book called (you can excuse the irony for linking to Amazon) Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The premise is that you make a huge amount of bread dough and then store it in your fridge for up to two weeks. From that large batch, you can pull off smaller bits for various loaves of bread. And what's even better is that the longer the dough sits in your fridge, the more it will begin to develop a sourdough-like taste. No need to make and feed and cultivate a sourdough starter, my friends! Last weekend, Ted made the ginormous amount of dough - he had to go to Target to get a bowl big enough to store it. For whatever reason, we just didn't get to baking the actual bread (probably because the ginormous bowl was in our fridge in the basement - out of sight, out of mind), so yesterday I gave it a whirl. All I can say is, impressive. It was insanely easy. You pull off a one pound ball, shape it (no kneading), and let it rest and rise at room temp for about 40 minutes. You do need a pizza stone to actually bake it, but they are pretty ubiquitous these days. 30 minutes of baking and out comes a gorgeous loaf that looks like it came from a bakery (without the $3.99 price tag). There are lots of recipes in this book, mostly variations on the master recipe, so I think I may be baking my own bread from now on! So long expensive peasant loaves! Buh-bye Pepperidge Farm!

An Open Letter to my Chickens

Dear Chickens:

Well, we find ourselves here yet again. Some weeks ago, I chided you via Facebook for escaping and warned you that the consequences were life threatening. And they were - two of your sisters died, bringing the total loss to 3 chickens. Now we must have another come to Jesus - this on a different topic. Productivity. Yes, chickens, it is time to begin the process of cozying down in your Poulet Chalet or Chick'n Villa, whatever you call it, and laying some eggs. Since early May, we have housed you, fed you, and cleaned up your poop. (Never mind that I also do this for my children and I don't expect the same from them) We have also tried (operative word is tried) to keep you safe from the Wild Kingdom that is Mansfield. Alas, to no avail.

Yes, remaining five chickens, it is up to you to carry the torch for your lost brethren. Make them proud as they scratch and bawk up there in chicken heaven. Provide us with sustenance, show us how good farm fresh eggs can be. At this point, they better be. So get to laying. Ted is already making plans for Coq Au Vin. Get busy.

Cookies and Kids' Books

By now, you are aware of my love of reading. I want to pass that love of reading down to my kids and so I try to read to them as much as possible. I have to admit, though, that since having the third, I don't have as much energy or time to read to them. Even at night before bed, something I feel tremendously guilty about. So I am trying to do something about that, especially for Lachlan, since he is now able to write his name and loves spelling out words. I have to admit, I am really bored reading picture books. If I have to read "Blueberries for Sal" one more time, I may jump out the window. One of my best friends started reading beginning chapter books to her then-4-year-old daughter and I found the idea appealing. A narrative to follow, a chapter every night - I thought it would be something I would enjoy as well. I am really looking forward to the day when we can read "The Hobbit" and Harry Potter together! So off to the library I went. I could not find one single "How to Train Your Dragon" book - they were all checked out. Lachlan loves the movie so I thought it would be a good place to start. I ended up getting a Magic Tree House book about Vikings, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by JK Rowling, and "The House at Pooh Corner" by AA Milne. The Magic Tree House series is something I would have loved as a kid. A brother and sister time travel in a tree house solving mysteries about various books. In this particular book, the kids time travel back to pre-medieval Ireland when the monks were illuminating manuscripts - a funny coincidence, since that is the basic topic of my novel. So a few nights ago before bed, I tried to get him all excited about it. "I don't want to read that book, I want to read the "I Spy" book," he says. "But this is about Vikings! Just like 'How to Train Your Dragon'!" He grudgingly agreed, so I embarked on the first chapter, trying to make up for the lack of pictures with a lively storytelling voice. Then, as I got to an exciting part and put emphasis on my voice, Lachlan turned to me with the FAKEST "I'm so excited" face ever. And he continued to do that through the rest of the chapter. That was when I realized that my 4-year-old was placating me. He was not interested in the book but was willing to sit through it and pretend he was because I was clearly excited. I am laughing even as I write this. I'll give it a try a few more times because, like with most things with kids, you have to expose them over and over before they "accept" it. If not, then I'll wait until he is older and suffer through "Blueberries for Sal" if necessary. It's not about me, even though it is worth a try. So many things with parenting are gray. There are certainly black and white areas, like hitting, manners, etc. But a lot of things are personal preference and for lack of a better way to put it, "what you can tolerate." Those are hard waters to wade in. Again, as I have discovered, parenting is more art than science and more finesse than gauntlet.

What's with the cookies, you ask? The cookie baking occurred the same night as the storytelling incident. I was having a real hankerin' for something sweet and these are my favorite cookies because they are a pretty healthy treat. Admittedly, I increase the amount of chocolate chips required in the recipe, but hey, they're still dark chocolate. :-) I got this recipe from Tony Horton's "Bring It" fitness book. For those of you who aren't familiar with Tony, he is the trainer from the P90X workout videos. (Ever seen the infomercial?) I can testify first hand that these workouts are amazing and got me into the best shape of my life. In fact, I am gearing up to do the three month program again because they are coming out with a sequel in the fall and I am eager to do that, but since it looks harder, I need to "pump it up" (ha!) again. Here's a link to the trailer for P90X 2 and tell me that doesn't make you want to get in shape!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gevbN2Hvc

Anyway, back to the cookies. When I was dipping my toe in the vegan waters some months ago, I started making these cookies. They are incredibly delicious and I could be wrong, but I think even celiacs can have these? I know some people can tolerate spelt flour more so than wheat. I urge you to give these a try.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups spelt flour or a mixture of oat and spelt flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips (I used regular Ghirardelli because they are also vegan and grain-sweetened chips are pretty expensive)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon (I omitted the spices for personal preference)
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
2/3 cup heated coconut oil, avocado, or grapeseed oil
3 tbsp. water or almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, walnuts, chocolate chips, salt, baking soda, and spices. In a medium bowl, whisk together the agave nectar or syrup, oil, water or almond milk, and extract. Add the syrup mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Place the cookie dough by tablespoonful on the prepared baking sheet. And lick the bowl! No eggs, no salmonella!! Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.  Makes about 3 dozen

Extreme Home Makeover: Chicken Edition

In preparation for the chickens' eventual laying, Ted did a little makeover on Chick'n Villa, making their area of the shed a bit bigger and putting up some places for them to nest and lay. He used a modular utility shelf with the shelves separated and put the top of their old cage in there for them to perch. What did he find this morning when he went to feed them? They were perched on the handle of the lawnmower (half of the shed is given to lawn and yard tools). I wish I could have gotten a picture...after all that re-configuring and they perch on the lawnmower. It's the same kind of feeling when you give your baby expensive developmental toys and all they want to play with are wooden spoons and tupperware lids. It's off to the feed store today for some more feed and some boxes for their nests - although I have heard that kitty litter boxes work just as well!

As soon as I opened the shed doors, the chickens were in to check out what I was doing



Plump chicken, hope a fox doesn't get you



The End of Books?

I think I might have a heart attack: Borders is closing. Yes, for those of you who haven't heard, the bookstore chain is officially going belly-up and will be shuttering its 399 remaining stores in the United States. I, for one, am devastated. In fact, I dreamed about the Borders liquidation sale all last night! (Ok, it was about all the bargains I was going to scoop up. In the dream, I went back multiple times and I even remember the books I was looking at! Ted kept trying to get me to leave but I was still wandering around the store)
Why am I devastated, you ask? I mean, there is still Barnes & Noble and Amazon. (Another guilty pleasure of mine. Some women love Coach or Christian Louboutin. I love Simon & Schuster and Little, Brown.) The media seems to be trumpeting the end of paper books and the triumph of e-readers such as the Kindle. I think that would be a travesty. One of the things I love about reading is how it engages your senses - not only visually, but feeling the heft of the book, the texture of the pages, even the way it smells. We have an iPad and I have downloaded books onto it, but I don't find the experience nearly as satisfying. And I love seeing the books I have read sitting on my shelf. Those books I don't think I will ever read again I give away or donate, but favorites, or ones I will refer to again, remain. While you have a "bookshelf" on an e-reader, it's not a physical structure. You can't just look at it; you have to turn it on and navigate to the appropriate place. In other words, what I don't like is that it is a representation of something physical; it's not real, it doesn't truly exist. And perhaps that is what I fear? That in our increasingly digital world, things will become one-dimensional?  What does this mean for us as human beings - what impact will it have on us, the way we perceive the world and its impact on society?
Okay, perhaps I am getting a bit hyperbolic. To tone it down a bit, I go to bookstores, particularly Borders because it is right down the street, as an escape. It is quiet, unlike my house. I can get a cup of coffee. No one needs anything from me. I can browse the stacks and let my imagination wander. To read a book requires a certain amount of concentration and quiet, two things that are hard for me to come by these days. Even as I am writing this post, there is someone outside my door, chattering about an airplane and wanting breakfast. So I am sad that Borders is closing. My "escape" will not be so close. But who knows if Barnes & Noble is next? The super bookstores edged out the independents. What happens when Amazon and e-readers edge out the superstores? Ok, I know that this is the least of all problems in the world, but I do think the Internet and all its accoutrements are impacting society for sure. Email makes interacting less personal. Texting is leading to poor spelling and grammar among our youth today. As a whole, we are becoming less social. Pretty soon, we won't have to leave our houses for anything: books, groceries, conversation. Then what happens?