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.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
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.
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.
------------
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.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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:
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.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
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.
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.
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