A Shower of Books

A family friend is adopting a child from Kazakhstan. A relative is throwing her a shower and requesting books for gifts. I think this is a wonderful idea, and so useful for an older couple who can afford to buy anything the child will need. Having an established library will hopefully encourage a love of reading, as well as help the child learn English. I've written about my kids' own collection of books here, and feel that instilling a love of reading is one of the best gifts you can give a child.

I asked the kids to choose a favorite book from early childhood, and then inscribe the book with a welcome note for the child. Yesterday I went to the bookstore and bought their choices. DD17 picked Corduroy (because she still has her favorite Teddy Bear), DS15 picked Where the Wild Things Are (described him perfectly when he was little), and DS12 picked Curious George (ditto!).

We can't make the shower, but I mailed off the books today.

Beets and The World's Healthiest Foods

My weekly e-newsletter from the The World's Healthiest Foods (a great website!) includes an article about beets. Coincidentally, I had a couple in my refrigerator and sort of forgot to use them this past weekend. So tonight I think I will peel, chop and roast them with some potatoes as a side dish to roast chicken. I love when inspiration strikes...it takes the drudgery out of cooking.

As a child, I probably had beets from a can. They are much better fresh. We like them roasted and caramelized with onions and olive oil, but I admit I haven't tried them many other ways yet. Their red color can be a little shocking to kids, but that just adds interest to the meal.

George Mateljan's website is an incredible source of information. I've even emailed them to ask specific questions and they've always responded...sort of like having your own personal nutritionist. Of course, he has a slant towards natural, whole foods prepared certain ways. But I believe knowledge is power, and it's always interesting to hear other points of view. For example, he doesn't cook with olive oil but I don't think he'd ever convince me to give that up.

Pesto

Tonight I made pesto. I haven't made it in years, probably because the kids didn't like it at one time. But yesterday I was flipping through my collection of Taste of Home cookbooks, and saw the recipe for Basil Parsley Pesto. My mother has been offering me parsley from her garden all summer, and I hardly ever use it. So I was inspired by the recipe, my mother's parsley, and my soon-to-freeze basil to try pesto again.

Here's the recipe from the 2001 issue of Taste of Home:

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup tightly packed fresh parsley leaves
1 to 2 gloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; cover and puree until smooth. Toss with hot cooked pasta.

It was delicious. The kids loved it. It was spicy and peppery and pungent. And so very green. I wish I had thought to try it sooner. It fits in so well with my "eat your colors" mantra.

The recipe did not call for any pine nuts or walnuts, which I wouldn't have used anyway because of DD17's nut allergy. But it was wonderful just the same.

Simple Butternut Squash

Today I stopped by our local farm to pick up some apples and assorted vegetables. Unless I'm desperate, I can't bring myself to purchase in a supermarket what I can buy at a farm this time of year. Yes, sometimes it's inconvenient to shop for groceries at one place and then vegetables at another place. But I know I'm doing my small part in encouraging our family farms to keep on going. And of course the produce is more nutritious and fresher if just picked.

At the farm, an older woman saw me picking out some butternut squash and asked me how I prepare it. I was a little surprised, because I tend to think everyone else around me is the expert and I'm just a poseur. But maybe cooking isn't her thing, and she isn't Internet-savvy enough to google butternut squash.

So I told her how I make butternut squash: On a sturdy cutting board, split the squash in half length-wise. Scoop out the seeds and place both halves cut-side up in a roasting pan. Add about an inch of water to the pan and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake in the oven at 350 for at least an hour, depending on the size of the squash. Remove foil carefully, allowing steam to escape. Scoop out the tender flesh and season with salt and pepper. You can add butter or a little sweetener like brown sugar or maple syrup, but I like it plain.

I love squash, but it takes some convincing for DS12 to eat it. I try to reason with him, and tell him that no, it doesn't taste like a brownie, it tastes like a squash (that makes him laugh). Once a child adjusts his expectations and accepts a vegetable for what it is, he may even come to appreciate it. Sometimes it seems like a never-ending process, but I see the results in my older two. You just can't give up.

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My blog has a Follower, other than my husband. I'm not even sure what that means (I haven't investigated all the Blogger features yet), but I'm glad to know someone else out there has seen my blog besides Filljonk. Dr. Susan Rubin has some very interesting blogs, and I look forward to reading them.

Moods

This morning DD17 said she felt depressed and didn't know why. She has always been a cheerful child, with only the very occasional bad mood. I'm hyper-aware of her moods, worrying about depression after what she went through, but for the most part, she bounces back quickly from the blues. I know sometimes "stuff" is buried deep inside, and I've been warned by well-meaning relatives how it might all erupt at some point in the future. I've read of kids years later developing all kinds of problems, but I think that's true of all of us after any kind of trauma. So far, so good. I like to think we did our best to normalize our lives as much as possible, shelving the hard times and challenges and only taking them out when we had to...trying not to let them spill out into other parts of our lives. And January's surgery seems a minor blip on our radar screen in the grand scheme of things.

So this morning I told her to accept her mood today, just go with it. It's best, I think, not to fight the occasional bad or sad mood. I have a newspaper clipping on my refrigerator that speaks of happiness, and tries to define it in relation to our other moods. Some of the pertinent points:

• Accepting emotions (such as fear, sadness, etc.) as natural makes us more likely to shake them off eventually. Rejecting or fighting against them is often useless and leads to frustration.
• Gratitude for what we do have as opposed to listing all that is wrong with our lives leads to peacefulness.
• Your mind can't feel good if your body feels ill. You can influence your mood by adequate rest, healthy food, and regular exercise.
  

I suspect part of DD17 down mood today is that she's tired from the onslaught of 12th grade schoolwork, as well as school schedule problems that's left her feeling in limbo for too long the last few weeks. And she has The September Cold. (I emailed her the Well blog post from yesterday, since she has not been getting enough sleep. She rolled her eyes.)

Mixed Messages on the H1N1 Flu

A neighbor's pediatrician told her she would not recommend the H1N1 flu shot to her patients. I find this very confusing, as my pediatrician does recommend them and will even give them to her own children. I wish everyone was on the same page because it would make these decisions easier. I haven't heard of any adverse reactions to the vaccine in trials, but who knows what may crop up when many, many schoolchildren are inoculated.

It may be a moot point around here, as DD17 said a classmate has been confirmed to have the H1N1 flu. Supposedly she *was* tested for it, and has been out of school ever since. She is an athlete and I suspect if it was going to spread, it would spread to her team first. We'll see what happens next. I keep reminding myself that for most people, it's just the flu, as uncomfortable as that is. For most people, it will not be a life-threatening illness. I need to get back to that place where I just accept what comes, because control is always an illusion.

Random Saturday Thoughts

It's beautiful out today, just a perfect September day. This morning was cold! DS15 ran a road race, and I wished I'd brought my puffer coat, but that seemed silly for so early in the season. Later this afternoon it was more seasonable, and I was almost too warm sitting in the sun at DS12's soccer game. There's even a chance of a frost tonight. I might cover my basil plant because it will get warmer next week. Though I do mourn the end of our short growing season, I won't cover all the flowers. It's too much work. Hopefully they'll survive.

DD17 got her flu shot today. She has a cold (the September Cold) but the nurse said she could still get her shot as long as she wasn't running a fever (she wasn't). I'm just glad to get this round of shots over with. Now we wait for the H1N1 version. Like last week, the clinic was packed. I really don't remember flu clinics being so busy the last few years. I think everyone is just really nervous. A neighbor went to a local pharmacy for her shot, and they told her they thought they might run out soon, they were so busy.

DD17 heard second-hand that a classmate has the H1N1 flu, but I doubt it. If they are no longer testing for this strain, how can anyone be sure they have it, unless they end up in the hospital? I think we'll all wonder if that's what we have the first time we get a fever this season. After all, it can be a mild illness for some people. Who knows, maybe one of us already had it last Spring. DS12 did run a fever and felt very crummy for a few days last April. I did wonder at the time.

On the other hand, the paper this week said several local colleges have anywhere from 60-100 cases of H1N1 each, so I suppose it's possible that it's spreading out to the surrounding communities. Students are either being sent home if they live within X number of miles of the college, or isolated in "flu dorms." I'm just glad we're a year away from worrying about that with DD17.

Yesterday I succumbed to the whining about all the meatless meals this week, and purchased a boneless lamb roast. (The cooler weather had me craving some meat, too.) I used Julia Child's mustard coating from The Way to Cook to cover the lamb before roasting, and oh my goodness, the aroma and flavor were wonderful. Tonight's dinner will be lamb sandwiches. I love leftovers. I love not having to cook the next day after a big dinner.

This weather makes me want to knit. Other than a pair of socks languishing on the needles for the last year, I haven't really had any projects to work on. So I used a gift certificate I'd received last year to a local yarn store and purchased some yarn to make something for DD17. Of course, now I want to make something for me too, but I generally end up finishing only one big project a season. We'll see if I can make faster progress.

A Fish Dish that Works for Us

Last night I made salmon burgers. It's been hard trying to work more fish into our diets, and there are so many issues to consider with seafood. We're supposed to consider farm-raised versus wild, contaminants like mercury, freshness, and omega-3 levels. Most of all, however, will the kids eat it?

I think I found a winner in salmon burgers. Yes, the first half-dozen times I made them, the reception was lukewarm. But I think the kids have slowly come to like them and even appreciate their goodness. (I talk up the nutrition every meal, to some eye-rolling, but I think they get it.) My version of salmon burgers is easy and good for all of us:

• I use canned, wild Alaskan red sockeye salmon for higher nutrition, lower cost, and convenience. BJs Wholesale Club has good prices for the Bumble Bee brand.
• I add finely chopped veggies like green peppers or celery and herbs for more flavor. Sometimes I'll use a dash of tabasco.
• You can add wheat germ, ground flaxseed, or even oatmeal to the bread crumbs for a binder.
• They are low in saturated fat compared to beef burgers.
• They are high in good-for-your heart omega-3s.
• You can top them with lettuce and tomato for yet more veggie nutrition and flavor.

For my family, I'll use two 14.75 oz cans. I rinse the contents under running water to lower the sodium a bit, and then mix the salmon with two eggs and one cup of whole wheat bread crumbs plus any diced veggies I have on hand. Assemble into burgers and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to set.

I cook the salmon burgers on my George Foreman grill, but they can be pan-fryed. I don't think they'd survive the outdoor grill as they are too delicate. Serve on rolls, and (optionally) top with a little bit of tartar sauce.

Let the Flu Clinics Begin!

Last weekend I took DS15 and DS12 to the pediatrician's first of three flu clinics. (DD17 was taking ACTs.) I thought no one would be there, that it wouldn't be on anyone's radar screen yet. It's only mid-September and most of us with kids are still in the back-to-school craziness period.

I was very wrong. We pulled up to the building and people were spilling into the parking lot. We pushed our way in to get our names on the list, and the office was overflowing with parents and kids, filling every chair and standing against every free space of wall--a total mob scene. With 5 nurses giving the shots, we were there for 30 chaotic minutes only, yet the Great Flu Scare of Autumn 2009 became very apparent to me. I guess I'm not the only parent overdosing on the H1N1 news. It seems like most of us are heeding the advice to get the regular flu shot now, so that there is an interval between it and the H1N1 shot in October.

DD17 will receive her shot this upcoming weekend, at the 2nd flu clinic. We had never received flu shots before she was diagnosed, but during her treatment period, we were advised by the hospital to get inoculated since she couldn't. So we've been getting our shots for the last 5 years, and it does add some piece of mind to the winter. I know the shot isn't always a perfect match, but I suspect it's better than nothing. And having had the flu about 8 years ago and being completely miserable, I'd rather not get it again.

And in the last 5 years, DS12 has been diagnosed with asthma. I don't fully understand asthma, as he gets it sporadically, perhaps after every 4th cold (so only once or twice a year), but it can be scary to watch. So I'm glad he and DD17 are officially on the "list" of kids who should get a shot if there is a shortage.

My husband and I walked into a local chain pharmacy for our shots this week. Our doctor's office couldn't confirm they would get any until November, and we fall into that vague "middle age" group that is always at the bottom of the list. However, parents can't get sick either! So we took it upon ourselves to pay for our shots and the insurance company will reimburse us. Now we just have to worry about the H1N1 shot and all its implications, but that's a post for another day.

Summer Wrap-up

The kids are back in school, and I always forget how hectic the start of the school year can be. Between getting them organized, new school supplies (constant trips to Staples or Walmart), and the start of sports season, the days feel too short. The dwindling daylight doesn't help, either.

It was a good summer. There were some lows, but in general I look at things differently now. For five years now, I just feel so thankful for what is. I'm really happy just hanging with the kids, and simply enjoying the time. This year, the lousy weather made the nicer days that much more precious. I feel as if I'm drifting towards middle-age (technically, I'm probably already there), but I get so much pleasure out of just sitting on my deck and watching the birds at the feeder. Or counting how many hummingbirds approach, something that would never have interested me years ago. I try to convey this kind of joy to the kids...I want them to just be happy now, with what is, than wanting something, wanting to go somewhere. More often than not, I feel as if I'm successful. They don't have a lot of demands, and don't need lots of external entertainment. Maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. They seem pretty well-adjusted and happy, which I secretly worry about, given the emotional trauma illness can cause.

DD17 and I had a good time watching this chipmunk on our patio right before school started. He sat on the bench for the longest time. We got

several shots of him, and he barely moved. I was a little nervous he might have rabies or something since he didn't act as other chipmunks do, but maybe he just felt right at home.