Saying Yes

I say no all the time. All day long. And my yesses all come with qualifiers, as in, "Yes, we can play Wii but only after I clean the kitchen" or "Yes, you can have a snack but only after you eat something healthy" or some bullshit like that. All the while hoping she'll forget about it and find something else to do. I haven't enjoyed playing with my kids that much lately. I know that's a terrible thing to say but it's true. Of course it's due to the cold and the snow and the fact that we're shut-ins most of the time. In addition to all that, I have other things I want to do and I spend my whole day trying to get them involved in something so I can do my own thing. I am rarely successful. Because of this, I decided to start saying yes.

It worked, somewhat. Talia wanted to play "pin the donkey on the tail." I mean, how long does it really take-- 5 minutes? 10? 15? It turned out to be really fun. I drew a bullseye on some paper and got out a few stickers. When it was my turn I made a big show of going to the complete opposite side of the room and sticking my sitcker on the window. The other time I stuck it in Talia's hair. She laughed her ass off. We let Alex play without a blindfold and he won. Talia wanted to play Uno tonight (she knows better than to ask to play Candyland. That's what I pay Supergirl for). So we played Uno. It's a fast game, she can beat me fair and square (once in a while) and I can easily adjust my play to make the game quick or long. She wanted to read three books. So we read three books. They're books, right? Reading is, of course, a major value of mine. So I still had no time to do anything for myself. I'm slightly worried that she'll think we should read three books tomorrow and I'll have to say no. But she was a really good girl today-- really good. I kept praising her behavior and helpful attitude. It was nice.

Alex, however, is another story. Let's say he's "asserting his independence." For him I really do have to say no-- if I let him play with the Chapstick even once he thinks it's his god-given right to smear it all over his face all day. He's in one of those periods of quick cognitive growth-- acquiring language and learning how to communicate. He's even using his few sing language words more now. He just all of a sudden figured out what communication is. Now that he can tell us what he wants (through words, pointing, gestures, signs, stamping his feet etc.) he *really* wants his desired object. Especially my new Blackberry phone, my ipod, my camera, the computer, etc. See a pattern here? So I'm trying to set limits, at least for the important stuff. Or the messy stuff at least. Or at the very least, the most most most important stuff. I'm trying to correct the mistake I made with Talia (too few- let's be honest- no limits) by being different with Alex. That is, when I have my act together. Which isn't all that often.

Remind me to tell you the story about Alex shitting on the floor today. My fault entirely. But that's another post.

Arizona Trip

We took a trip to Arizona to get away from the freezing cold of Wisconsin. Last year, my first winter in Wisconsin seems like a novelty and sort of a fun challenge. This year there is no novelty and it's just a real fucking challenge. The last couple of days were so cold that school was actually closed. NO JOKE! It wasn't snowing or anything, just TOO COLD TO SEND THE KIDS TO SCHOOL! So it was easy-- keep the kids home. This weekend, the temps are back to normal (20's) so I don't really have an excuse to stay home all day but there really is nothing to do. I mean, I could take them to the children's museum or the mall park or ice skating (indoors) or bowling or something but... who wants to? Ron is working in the mornings this weekend and maybe we'll go out to dinner somewhere. I guess I can take Talia out when Ron gets home but I'd really just like the time to myself! Remember when I was complaining about not having time to myself over winter break? Well, with this weather and our vacation Talia has only been to school THREE TIMES since then. I know.

But back to our trip. The weather was nice-- 70's in the afternoons but much cooler in the morning/evening. The accomodations were fantastic (Thank you Aunt Barbara and Uncle Allen!) and the children were really well behaved. We went to a train park and a fantastic children's museum and a nice park etc. The traveling was a nightmare, as usual. They gave us a 45 minute layover in Chicago each way and both times we landed in Chicago at precisely the time our next plane was supposed to take off. On the way there we booked from the end of terminal G to the opposite end of terminal K (a REALLY LONG distance!) with the kids, the backpacks, the kid's backpacks, the car seat, the diaper bag and a bag of food (who knows when you're going to get stuck somewhere?). The first time we missed our connection and had to wait three more hours for another flight. On the way home we ran again, from terminal K to terminal G and luckily the plane had been delayed by 20 minutes. We got there just in time to board and then sat for another 20 minutes, which you *think* would be enough time for our luggage to get on the plane but... no. And you wonder why I pack so much to carry on the plane? We did get our luggage the next day. So, a nice trip ruined by the travel experience.

Tiny Glimpse

I'm working on a new quilt for someone special. It's a whole cloth quilt and I'm hand quilting it. This is the first time ever that I'm hand quilting. Until now I've only done it for special details. I'm really enjoying it.

almost... made... it... (not quite)

The winter break started out well-- we spent time crafting and decorating, playing with friends, even playing in the snow a little. Hanukkah was nice; we went to the Dells on Christmas and slid down all the waterslides. For New Year's we had friends over and the kids played together so well they just disappeared and we didn't hear from them again.

And then... this last weekend basically sucked. Saturday we went out to breakfast and then spent the rest of the day inside. Sunday we went out to lunch and then spent the rest of the day inside. The snow is disgusting-- all frozen over and old. Alex has a new phrase: "No! Mine!" and he basically uses it all day long-- even when he doesn't mean it. Dinners were early and then we had this weird hour of time that we don't usually have. We played duck duck goose and did a family yoga DVD and it just sucked, in general. Yesterday most of Talia's friends went to school and we were still home. We asked pretty much everyone we knew if they could play and alas, they could not. I was grumpy and pissy. Finally Supergirl came over for two hours and she was a godsend, as usual.

I was still grumpy and pissy though and I still am today-- even though Talia is at school. The kids got up an hour early and it just threw everything off. I'm not complaining (much) about that because I am grateful that they usually sleep until 7:30 anyway, I'm just mad that their schedules are off. Talia will likely take a nap at school and that will ruin my night because she will go to bed at 10:30pm instead of 8:30. I had to put Alex down for a nap at 10:30, when I usually nap him now at 12 or later. He was just impossible today. Alex can now get into my spice bin and wants to spread cumin and paprika and cayenne everywhere and he threw a full blown tantrum when I took the bin out of the pantry and put it up high. Then he bit me and I put him in time out (for like, the third time ever) and he just wept and wept. He's been asleep for almost 2 hours now so hopefully he'll feel better when he wakes up. And hopefully I'll find a place for those spices and put something fun, like a bin of play food in its place.

Happy New Year

Wishing you and yours a very happy and healthy new year!

The end of an era...

Latkes-- Finally! with zaatar aioli

We finally made latkes for Hanukkah. I waited until my in-laws were here-- that way the trouble it takes to make them would be worth it and they could do most of the clean up (Thanks!). Actually, I didn't make them at all. Ron did most of the work. Ron doesn't cook much but certain things must seem like a "man's job" to him-- making pancakes, eggs, grilling outdoors, cooking edamame and making latkes. Those are his specialties. We used a simple recipe. What I contributed, however, was a delicious za'atar aioli.

Latkes
This very basic potato pancake recipe is from Jewish Cookery by Leah W. Leonard (Crown Publishers, 1949). It always works.
Serves 4-6.

6 medium potatoes
1 onion
2 eggs
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable shortening or oil for deep frying (I use peanut oil, but any kind of vegetable oil will do)

Pare and grate potatoes into a mixing bowl. Squeeze out liquid. Peel and grate onion into potatoes. (I grate both together in the food processor). Add eggs, flour and salt and stir to make a smooth batter that will drop heavily from the spoon. Heap the shortening in a heavy frying pan (use a heavy, cast-iron skillet for the best results), using enough to cover the pancakes amply — about a 1/2-inch deep. Drop the batter from a spoon into the hot shortening, making pancakes about 3 inches in diameter. Fry over moderate heat until brown on the underside, turn to brown other side. Lift out and drain off excess fat on paper towel. Serve plain, with sour cream or applesauce.

ZA'ATAR AIOLI

1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup za'atar spice mix

Recycled Polarfleece PJ Blankets

I've been holding onto Alex's polarfleece PJ's (He has quite a lot of them-- don't forget-- it's Wisconsin!) more or less since he was born. He spent so much time in them that first year that they hold many many memories for me. You can see him wearing them here, and here for example... Now that I've finally finished the baby quilt for Yonatan in Holland and given up on my summer project (a picnic blanket) and my fall project (a Halloween wall hanging) and my winter project (a Hanukkah garland) where only the picnic blanket was even remotely started, I thought it was time to make Alex a PJ blanket.

It was tough to destroy those PJ's. First of all, cutting into them at all made me feel guilty. Surely another child could get lots of use out of them. I've given away or sold almost all of Alex's clothes thus far. Second of all, cutting the PJ's makes you feel as though you are flaying a human being open. They are precisely the shape of a small child and I felt like Hannibal Lecter as I dismembered the pajamas leg by leg and arm by arm, carefully preserving as much fabric or "skin" as I could. After a while it got much easier and I just felt like a common butcher. Polarfleece is easy to sew with and the blanket was made in an afternoon.

Then Talia wanted one too, of course. I had given away most of her pj's to my niece Marley but I had all the 4T ones from last year and a few that we handed down to Alex (he wears lots of pink pajamas). Her blanket sewed up even quicker because I put the squares in a simple pattern and was able to chain piece. For the backing I used ultra-soft polarfleece (that stuff that's even softer than polarfleece?) light blue with white stars for Alex and pink minkee with raised hearts for Talia. She was beside herself at Joann's because she wanted something as soft as Alex's but they didn't really have any pretty ultra-soft and the minkee is so sweet. She just. couldn't. decide! I don't usually take her with me to pick out fabric because I can't concentrate with her there. Plus it was already almost 8pm but I really wanted to buy it before everything closed for xmas. I did not use any batting because these are hugging blankets (called softies in my house), not covering blankets and they needed to be very malleable. I didn't baste them or anything-- just put them right side together, sewed around the perimeter, turned them right side out and did some minimal in the ditch "quilting"-- vertical lines for Alex and concentric squares for Talia.

They were about as well received as anything could be. The kids love them and I get to enjoy those cute little PJ's forever. Reduced, reused, and recycled!

Yummmmm

Mac-n-Smoked Gouda with Cauliflower from Rachael Ray

Made this and sent half to a friend who is on bedrest. It was good and had a nice kick. The panko topping is my own touch because more is always, well, more. This recipe definitely makes enough for two families! It tasted better when it was just made rather than reheated (more cheesy/gooey). Also, while it surely is a 30 minute recipe it seemed like I used every dish in my kitchen so there was a lot of clean up.

Finished and on its way to Holland!

I finally finished the baby quilt for my friend in Holland. I re-basted it (although it still gave me problems) and for a while I had written it off- it just wasn't going to be my best work. In the end everything quilted out and it came out great! It's on my king sized bed so it's actually bigger than the photo suggests. I'm in love with it and I'm sorry to say goodbye to it. Someday I will make a quilt that doesn't get sent away.

Genetics

Last night Talia was talking about making a gingerbread house at school and I told her I had never done that. She was surprised. She said, "Didn't you ask your mom?" And I said, "You mean Nana?" And then we looked at each other and laughed because Nana doesn't cook. Ever. She can't even boil water.

Last week Nana told me she was invited to a cookie exchange. She would never have gone except it was her supervisor at work who was hosting it. She said she was just going to pick up cookies at Costco and I suggested she make these pretzel kiss things since they were just about the easiest thing in the world. I emailed her the recipe and she gathered the ingredients. Or should I say, probably my dad gathered the ingredients because my mother hasn't set foot in a grocery store in about 5 years.

It was a disaster. This is the email she sent out:

1. Call daughter Nikki
2. She makes fun of you and gives you an “easy” recipe that EVEN YOU can make!!!!!!!
3.Buy waffle pretzels…chocolate kisses…M&M’s
4. Put pretzels on wax paper (why I even have wax paper is a great question!)
5. Put a kiss on each pretzel
6. Make oven 175 degrees
7. Wait 4-6 minutes
8. Nothing is happening
9. Take picture to prove this
10.Make oven to 300 degrees so faster melting will take place…or any melting actually
11. Fire alarm goes off
12. Husband says “I told you to buy the damn cookies at Costco!”
13. It smells!!!!
14. Take out of oven and try to hurry to put M&M’s on non-melted kisses
15.Kisses crumble and all smells burnt
16. Take picture to prove attempt at baking
17. Drink a BIG MARTINI
17. Call Nikki and berate her
18. Go to supermarket and buy world’s best cookies anyway that everyone will want more than the crap everyone baked!!!!!
19. Drink a LOT of wine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then she sent out an addendum to the first email:

Actually 18A. --- BEFORE "Drinks wine!!!!"
20. Attempt to get to Cookie Party---car won't start, get charged, car stops 3 minutes later while driving - able to sorta pull into weird gas station - have Barb's cell # (THANK YOU!!!!!) - get picked up by Erica and Stacie (Thank you!!!)
Epilogue - Bruce picks me up --- charges car, starts!...stops!...starts!...stops! --- is now in front of Ben Franklin School waiting to be towed to Flemington!!!! Bruce eats half of loot on way home!!!!!!
Conclusion - Nice Jewish girls belong in bakeries and restaurants, NOT in kitchens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The photo that accompanies this post is of the batch that I made for the cookie exchange and fundraiser that I went to tonight. They turned out beautifully.

Cooperative Play

The kids are still playing well together, although Talia is presently chasing Alex with a bracelet attached to a necklace (therefore making a leash) that she wants him to wear but he is refusing. She originally had the necklace tied around his neck so maybe I'm romantisizing their relationship? I'ts 9:40am and I haven't fed them yet so I guess I'll go do that... We're staying home in PJ's all day today, which is becoming a winter tradition. Wait, I think it was a summer tradition too.

Your mom lets you out of the house like that?

I remade this outfit for Alex. He can actually breathe while wearing it now. It's very cute but also slightly ridiculous looking.

911... What's your emergency?

Talia had her first ballet recital. I am happy to report that while she is not the most graceful student in the class she seems to hold her own for the most part. Alex was a total menace during the "performance." Everytime I took my camera out he was whining and stamping his feet because he wanted to hold it.

At one point there was a little break and I let him run around in the parent waiting room. There I discovered that one of the grandparents who had come to watch the show was feeling faint. He drank some water and took some slow deep breaths. His pulse was normal and his color looked ok. A few moments later he was unresponsive but still breathing. I tried to call 911 but my phone doesn't work well at ballet (it's in the basement). I had to leave the room-- with Alex-- and walk until I had better reception. I answered the dispatcher's questions but I wanted to get back and see how he was doing. The dispatcher didn't want me to get off the phone but he kept asking how the patient was now. I kept trying to explain that I wasn't with the patient because I had no reception there. Finally I hung up on him so I could get back to the man. He came to and seemed disoriented, very pale and diaphoretic. Paramedics came after a few minutes and they took over from there. I missed a major part of the ballet performance but I felt like I had done my good deed for the day.

A little gel

A little gel never hurt anyone... right? Sometimes we get bored and play with hair products.

Baby Shoes and More

I've been crafting baby shoes lately. I have lots of friends with new babies and I'm trying to perfect my shoe making. I actually corrected a big problem AFTER I made all the ones pictured here. The most fun is embellishing them with different things- cloth covered buttons, fabric flowers and yoyo's thus far. I'm getting the time down as well and found that the ones made with cordouroy do not need to be faced. I've also made some shirts for birthdays and that lightning bolt one covers a big stain on one of Alex's shirts. Actually, I think you can see the stain in the picture but thankfully, not in real life.

Second Snow Day

We got a bunch of inches of snow yesterday and all the schools were closed. In the morning the kids played well together. They disappeared into the princess tent for a tea party and played together without intervention for at least 45 minutes. Miraculously I got Supergirl to come over for 4 hours in the afternoon. She even took Talia outside. Ron came home an hour early and we all went out to snowblow/ shovel/ play in the snow. The kids were asleep by 8:30 and they each only woke up once so... not a bad day overall. I'm sure there are many more snowy days to come...

Giada's Tomato Soup with Lemon Rosemary Creme Fraiche

Ron said (and I quote...), "I could eat this soup every day." Is there a better endorsement?

I tivo Giada's Everyday Italian daily and always check out the first few minutes to see if anything looks good. I try a lot of her recipes. This one is easy and delicious. I love tomato soup and I love creme fraiche so... there you go. The only change I made to this recipe was to use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, of course. Also, from the picture on the website I think I pureed mine (with an immersion blender) more than she did.

Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup creme fraiche
Zest of one lemon

Directions
1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
2. Puree the soup in a blender in batches, being careful to remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the soup to a soup pot and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium bowl fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary to 2/3 cup creme fraiche. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary creme fraiche. Serve immediately.

To re-baste or not to re-baste?

That is the question. I was so excited to be moving on with this project. I finished the quilt top and carefully basted the three layers together. Or so I thought. I moved the rug out of the way, I taped the backing and batting to the floor. I got down on my hands and knees. I basted every two inches. I really thought I did a good job. Now, as I'm quilting it I realize I must not have done a good job because I'm having to take out the pins and really re-align the top as I go along. I've done over a third of the quilt and it seems I will have to rebaste most of the rest. Extremely extremely frustrating. I want to push through it but I've spent so much time on it-- choosing the design, picking the fabrics, cutting, sewing, aligning, trimming, picking out backing, laying it out, basting, choosing a quilting design and all the teeny tiny steps in between. I MUST rebaste it. The whole quilt will be second rate if I don't and I'll never be able to think about it or look at it if I don't. I definitely feel guilty when I think of other projects where I didn't take the time to fix mistakes. Quilting is a true love of mine and I want to be proud of my work. So, back down on the floor I will rebaste the quilt. There's a few hours I'll never get back...

Another Hop Skip Jump Quilt-- basted!

I've been working on this one for a while-- I just need to quilt it and bind it so I can send it to a new baby in Holland! The joke is that the first quilt I made for big brother Yoav was really tiny-- about the size of a receiving blanket (that's being generous). I have since made Yoav a bigger quilt. I was going to make this one only three rows but I didn't want it to be square. I had enough fabric cut to add the fourth row so I went for it. Now it looks ridiculously large for a baby quilt. I'm going to quilt it really simply so it should only take an afternoon or two-- that is, if I ever got an afternoon or two... I'm hoping to finish the whole thing this week. The baby is at least a month old by now!

This is based on the pattern Hop Skip Jump by Denyse Schmidt (I did it freehand). This is the second one I've made.