Taking Time

When surrounded by a few friends the other day, I mentioned that I was going to take some time off from blogging. Not that I am overly fatigued by two-month stint as a "blogger." Rather, my husband is home (!!!), we are visiting family, and I want to spend the kids' nap time away from the screen. Hilariously, one friend said, "Aren't you going to tell your readers?" I replied, "I think I just did."

Thank you for reading, my lovely friends. And thank your husbands who have gone out and bought cute dish soap containers, discuss "date night" and who mock my vegetarian recipes. I think that is swell.

I am off to shuck more corn, take more nature walks, read more cookbooks, romanticize the humidity, watch my naked kids run around the yard, drink summery cocktails, rub sunscreen on pale arms and legs, get ice cream with my husband, and sit in the living room with my folks.

Being "Mama"

I read this quote a few weeks ago here. I love the honesty. The acknowledgment of sacrifice without the feeling of martyrdom.

What can I expect from becoming a mother? Disappointment. Frustration. Surprise. Joy. Love. Love. Love. Do I have what it takes? Sometimes yes, so much so that you will astound yourself. And sometimes no, this job will ask for more than you can give. What does it cost? All of you. And you will never regret it.

Motherhood shows me the best and the worst of myself. It brings me to my knees, with moments of awe and moments of emotional weakness. And it does take all of you. I think it always will. And that is the beauty.

Game Changer

I just finished reading this:

Food Matters by Mark Bittman

If you haven't read it, Bittman presents his views on food consumption, the business behind the food industry and the effects of the food we eat. He also includes a section of recipes, from the bare bones basics to more complex menus. His general premise, however, is to eat less meat, more whole foods and less junk. Kind of hard to argue with that.

I have found that I like to cook with a concept in mind, as opposed to a recipe. For example, take whatever you have and make burritos or pizza. I don't like to have to go to the store, again, because I need 1/3 of a cup of a certain ingredient that will inevitably go to waste when I don't use the remaining amount.

That is why I am loving this Mark Bittman character. :) He presents one recipe with several variations, so you can essentially use whatever you have lying around the house. Spices, produce, grains, etc.

I used his idea of creating a meal around: whole grains, beans, greens, other vegetables and a bit of cheese. Okay, he actually tells you to go easy on the cheese, but that is just not in my vernacular.

The following "recipe" is inspired by Mr. Bittman's, Food Matters.

Ingredients:

brown rice, pinto beans, olive oil, garlic, spinach, zucchini, yellow pepper, onion, goat cheese

avocado, baby heirloom tomatoes, salt, pepper

Veggie Rice Bowl:

In a bowl, combine rice, beans and sauteed vegetables. I just used a bit of olive oil with garlic and added the spinach, zucchini, yellow pepper and onion. Top rice and beans with sauteed veggies and sprinkle (okay, dump) goat cheese on top. I then added a simple tomato and avocado salad on top. I liked the contrast of the warm rice salad with the cold tomatoes.

Weekend Musings

Well, 3/4 of the family was out of commission Friday night and all of Saturday with the flu. Thankfully, mellow little C was our 1/4 of health and he didn't mind a day of playing trucks on the floor, watching a bit too much TV and eating Cheerios all the livelong day. In fact, that is pretty much his perfect day

With much amazement, we woke up Sunday feeling much better. And, unbelievably, we GOT THINGS DONE. What???!!! We are a family that NEVER gets things done. Our lists of things to do are a complete joke. They mock us from their magnetized holding place on the fridge.

But, our kids are finally getting to that age when they play together. Without us. Excuse me? I didn't know that was possible. I was told this might happen, but I truly did not believe. Thought our children were not quite capable of that. But with our kiddie-style pimped-out backyard (baby pool, bikes, water table) they ran around while we dominated our list of things to do.

I suppose one day of non-stop naps, tea and toast, the World Cup, and general laziness was just what we needed to force us in to productivity.

How to Stay Sane

This pretty much sums it up for me.

If I ever appear relaxed, it is because I have created a one item to-do list for the day. Lower expectations lead to a greater sense of accomplishment for this mama.

Seriously. Try it.

image from prettybitter.com (Warning: Some irreverent stationary going on.)

7 out of 10

We are halfway through 2010. Can you believe it? I started the year with a list of ten goals for 2010, which you can see here. I, happily, have completed, or adopted, I suppose, 6 out of the 10. And have put some plans into work for three of the others.

One of my goals was to find time to go out with my hubs more often. Living away from family and being on a budget, we just don't get out as often as we would like to.

Enter...amazing friends. We have a family with whom we spend lots of time at the park, having dinner, watching the kids run around the backyard. And, twice a month, we take turns dropping our kid(s) off at the other family's home and one couple goes out to dinner. And although our interrupting children are darn cute...see gratuitous cute photo...it is very nice to go out sans kiddos.

Our kids love each other. We all get along and trust one another. When we go out, I know implicitly that the kids are fine. What is so wonderful is that everyone benefits. The couple gets some time alone. The kids think it is the greatest thing in the world to have friends over to play, eat dinner, and read in their pajamas together.

Here is the key: We do this from about 5 to 7 p.m. By doing this early, no one has to worry about bedtime, kids go home tired and ready for bed. And, although this is going to make me sound a bit old, it is sort of nice to go out early. You won't have to wait for a table and you can be settled in at home by 8:00. Spoken like a true homebody.

And we are lucky enough to have friends that don't mind the uneven trade of 2 kids for their 1. Thanks, K and N.

Repeat-zza

Do you get it? That entry title shows my true dorkiness. Love it.

We eat veggie pizza once or twice a week. I always have a couple bags of Trader Joe's whole wheat dough in the freezer, just in case. Bonus: if you give the kids a bit of dough and some flour in a big baking pan, they will play on the kitchen floor almost the entire time that it takes to make this easy dinner.

I usually make two pizzas, so we can have lots of leftovers for lunch for the week. One pizza is topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions and sauteed vegetables (zucchini, spinach and mini heirloom tomatoes.) The other is topped with pesto (Trader Joe's again...obsessed, I know), sauteed tomatoes, caramelized onion and goat cheese.

I cook these in a really hot oven (500 degrees) and often put the dough in for a few minutes without toppings, since I don't have a pizza stone. It helps the dough get a little crispy before putting the toppings on it.

Do you make pizza at home? What combinations do you make?

photo from Real Simple