What do you eat? Summer roll edition

Since we're eating from the pantry this week (trying to use up the random things I have around and keep the weekly grocery bill low), we're getting fancy with a package of rice paper and some rice noodles, tofu, a Panamanian avocado, cilantro, and my favorite peanut sauce.



 The peanut sauce comes from an Epicurious recipe and we all love it enough to drink it straight. I quadruple the recipe each time I make it and freeze the other 3 portions for use on linguini (we'll probably have that next week). I obviously use veggie stock instead of chicken stock, but otherwise follow the recipe verbatim.



 Nate was my sous chef tonight; he got the rice paper wet, I filled it, and then he rolled it up. But when a friend stopped by to chat for a few, Nate took over completely and made 6 rolls entirely on his own! Go little chef!

 

 The kids still don't love avocado so their rolls were just noodles, sauce, cilantro, and tofu that I'd marinated in Soyaki. Grown-up ones were sans tofu, plus avocado. Yum. If I'd had green onions, I would have gladly used them. The nice thing about summer rolls is you can fill them with anything you darn well please! I've even seen people make them without noodles, just sautee'd veggies. This isn't a particularly healthy dinner, but it's not too bad and it's fun to eat. The verdicts?

 

What do you eat? Lentil edition

When people find out that our house is mostly free of animal-products (no meat, eggs, dairy, cheese, etc.), they inevitably ask at some point: "So what do you guys eat?!?!"

Somehow, despite getting dinner on the table most nights, I really never know what to tell them. Since I'm living the life of luxury here in Panama with a full-time maid to help out, I'm able to enjoy cooking again and do homemade most nights. So I thought I'd document dinners, include some recipes, and let the kids give a Thumbs-Up-Medium-or-Down on the meal.

 Tonight we had Lentil Night, one of Nate's favorite. I was introduced to the sauce by Stewart's cousin Colleen who uses it as her brisket recipe. I tried it for my once-a-year-meat-at-Chanukah brisket several years ago and it was a HUGE hit. A big enough hit that my mother put me in charge of the yearly brisket. Anyone who knows Jewish Mothers knows that's saying a lot. I give all the credit to Colleen. 

About a year ago, I had the idea to try the sauce on lentils, sort of a "sweet and sour sloppy joe lentil stew." It was a big success and we eat it once every week or two. Besides being delicious and nutritious (mostly), it's cheap and filling! This recipe makes enough for dinner for us 4, several days of lunches for Stewart, and another dinner for us 4 later on in the week. I never ever cook for just one night - I'm far too lazy for that! If you want to make a normal sized amount, just cut everything in half and use one bag of lentils (with no extra beans) - it will be a little less saucy than we like but still great.



Recipe:

Cook one pound of lentils (I just boil in water) and when they're done, drain and add two cans of cooked beans (I used one can white and one can black beans tonight but any are fine). Set aside.

In a large-sided pot or pan (I use the same one I cooked the lentils in), sauté any veggies you have in the fridge, along with a couple of onions, in whatever oil you want. Tonight it was red peppers, garlic, onions, and some tomatoes in canola oil. When the veggies are soft and starting to brown, add the lentils back into the pot.

Make the sauce by adding to the pot of lentils: two jars of Heinz chili sauce (or generic version), two cans of beer, a bunch of brown sugar (I used about a half pound tonight), and some soy sauce (I used about 6 tbsp tonight). That's it! Stir the sauce it into the lentils and let simmer for a half hour or so, serve over brown rice or on hamburger buns for "sloppy lentils" or over pasta! It's pretty sweet with a lot of tang and I would expect most kids to really like it. Let me know if you try it!

The verdict at our house:

Ramblings of a mad husband

So laying in bed with Jack a few weeks ago (he likes me to lay down with him for 5-10 minutes after lights out. Actually he wants to sleep with me every night, but this is our compromise...) I asked him if he thought he would get married. He said yes. To a boy or a girl? A girl. Tell me about her...

* She has flat hair the same color as mine
* And blue eyes
* And pink shoes
* And ponytails here, here, here, and here (pointing all over his head)
* And a flat thing on her head (headband, I think)
* And her socks have stars on them

I can't wait to meet her!

Boys on a fort

A Day in the Life, 2012

We've got things rolling along right now, so before we move to Panama and screw it all up, I thought I'd write it all out so we can remember.

 Weekdays: I snooze the alarm from 6:50 - 7:20 and stumble out of bed. I sneak into the kid's room and wake Nate up as sneakily and stealthily as I can. He staggers out of the room and we head downstairs where he huddles under a blanket and gets himself dressed. I make him his granola (yes to dried strawberries, no to bananas these days, almond milk). He eats, packs his backpack, puts his shoes on, then we sit outside together on the stoop and wait for his ride to arrive at 8.

Jack usually gets up right about when Nate leaves and we spend some time snuggling on the recliner. Then he eats his breakfast granola (dried strawberries AND banana, almond milk) and clears his plate. Sometimes I take a shower and Jack hangs out in the bathroom playing with his bath toys. Then we get dressed, brush teeth and hair.

99% of the time we walk the two blocks up the street to his co-op school and leave Jack with his "friends." If it's Monday, I pick Jack up at noon when school ends and we hit Trader Joes for our weekly grocery shop. Tuesdays Miss Tara (or "big" Tara as the kids call her) picks up Jack, Mia and Milo and takes them back to Mia's house until 4. Wednesdays I pick Jack up a bit early at 11:30 and we go to minjastics (aka: gymnastics) at Silver Stars - open gym from 12 - 1. Thursdays is Miss Tara again. Fridays I get to "teach" at co-op, then we rush home and eat lunch and leave to pick Nate and Charlotte up at 1 pm (early let-out on Fridays). 

After the boys and I get home from school-pick-up at 4, it's usually homework, the kids fighting, and me cooking dinner. Thursdays Nate has t-ball practice. We occasionally meet friends at Stead or Westminster park, or hit the library. Dinner is at 6, then the kids and Stewart clear the table and roughhouse until 7 ish. Shower / bath (whoever's "day" it is gets to pick - Nate has odd days (born on the 7th) and Jack has even days (born on the 20th). Then a show (again, whoever's "day" it is gets to pick) and then upstairs for stories and lights out around 8:30.

The end.

Roadtrip Recap: O-hi-oh!

After our amazing time in Indy, we retraced three hours back to Columbus Ohio. Back to Ohio to see a college girlfriend who I hadn't seen in at least eight years. A teensy gamble, but it paid off huge. Everything clicked perfectly.

Becky's two boys and my two boys had a great time together - especially her older (Jake) and Nate. They built marble-runs together, watched Home Alone 3, and just generally made friends in that easy way that little boys seem to do. Drew and Jack played a more solitary game around the outskirts as the littlier ones seem to do. Becky and I talked and talked and talked and talked as old friends seem to do, when they're very lucky to fit back together so easily.

Of course I have no pictures of us, but we properly documented the passle of boys.





To cap off the trip, it turned out that the day we were leaving, the Dad of the house, Paul, was doing a Blackhawk landing in a field not too far from their home. We rushed to get out of the house and made it to the park about 10 minutes before we heard the chop-chop-chop-chop in the distance, and got to watch the entire landing. It was a thrill.



Paul and his crew were there to wow a group of campers, but he saw us and came over to say hello to the boys and they were very very proud and happy.



Then Paul took us over to the Blackhawk and introduced us to his crew, and the crew let the boys roam all over the place. Happy kids.





It was a thoroughly excellent visit. Next up...Niagara Falls!

Nate's Monthly Newsletters, Six-And-A-Half-Years!

Dear Nate,

A little late, but aren't they all now?

You are six-and-a-half. It was interesting to explain a half birthday to you. You never realize how many words have intricate meanings until you have to explain them to a six-and-a-half-year-old. Then you trip all over your tongue, saying "you know" and "ummmm..." a lot. At least I do.

We have to explain things a lot to you because you are just sucking up knowledge like it's bacon. You like to understand how everything works, and you like to explain life to US a lot, which is a treat. Did I ever write about the acorn? When you were around 5, we were walking home from the Metro and you picked an acorn up off the sidewalk. You said "Mom, if I planted this acorn it would grow a tree. And that tree would have LOTS of acorns. So really, this acorn is lots of acorns." I think I told you how "zen" that was, and how smart you are, and I still think both of those things are true. You have a wonderful way of looking at the world and understanding it.



We just started reading the Phantom Tollbooth and you really like it. We just finished visiting the land of Expectations (which is where you always end up on the way to wherever you were planning to go). The little man there asks Milo over and over if Milo thinks it's going to rain, and as Milo drives away it does start to rain, in a cloud only above the little man. You told me: "It's only raining on him because he EXPECTED it to start raining!" Nate, I've read that book about 15 times, and never caught that. You're absolutely right. Quit with the smart, okay? You're making me and Daddy look bad.

You have turned into a really remarkable kid. You are helpful to me most of the time, getting Jack out of his carseat, finding things for me around the house, helping me cook. You have calmed down a lot - a lot less "spazzy" then you've been. We talk a lot, and laugh about things together, and get along so beautifully. You listen to me much of the time, use your manners, and have a spirit of contentment and ease and good-naturedness that was sometimes missing when you were younger. You are maturing.



Have I written about the ice skating? I signed you up for ice skating. You were less than thrilled. We went anyway. The first class you did pretty well, marching about. The second class was a disaster. You cried from about 1 minute in through most of the class. I handled it beautifully, of course. Stayed calm, for about 5 minutes, and then started saying things like "Do you want to be a quitter?! Do you?! Is this really what you want to be doing?!" I was awesome. Parenting book being released next year. Pre-order now!

So later we left, and on the way home I talked with you, a lot more calmly, about quitting and what quitting makes a person feel like, and how it changes them. I talked about being adventurous and sticking with things. And then I had a brainstorm: "Nate, at your class next week, do you want me to keeping helping you or do you want me to help the other kids and leave you alone with the teacher?" You thought about it, and asked me to leave you alone with the teacher. And that was it! Never had another problem. After the third class, when you stuck it out and got better, you said you were glad we'd come back and tried again. I tried not to go on and on about it, but told you how proud I was of you for sticking with it, for not giving up, what that means for your future and for your whole LIFE. You were quietly very proud. We went on to have a great long series of classes, and now you're sad that it's over. But it's not about the ice skating, as fun as that is. When I see you not giving up, when I see you staying strong and working hard, I feel like that's the key to your whole future and I'm just beyond thrilled.



Speaking of adventures, in Aruba you agreed to try parasailing with me! We talked about it a bit, then we watched some videos on YouTube of other kids parasailing, and you agreed to go for it. We got all harnessed up, then hooked in, and seconds later we were flying into the air! I tried to keep everything upbeat and fun in case you were getting worried, and we kept going higher and higher. You were harnessed in front of me, both of us facing forward, so I couldn't see your face. Just as I was about to get worried, you said "I should have done this!" I asked you "You shouldn't have done this?" and you said "No, I should have done this. I'm glad I did this!" It was a hoot. And yet another chance to talk with you about trying new things, about how often you're glad you did. Just tell me when you're sick of me, okay?




You're still into superheroes and Bakugans and Beyblades and love to work that kind of stuff into your games with Jack. The other day I heard you tell him that that a superhero needed "Oxygen, strength, bravery, and power, right Jack?" You and Jack are just amazing together right now. You play for hours. It's beyond amazing. It's stupendous, a miracle from heaven. You guys have so much fun together - laughing and making games up. Your best game is "doggie" (sometimes "robot doggie") which I think means Jack tells you, doggie, what to do. This often segues into "family" and I know when that's happened by seeing Jack run upstairs, past me, up to the bedroom, and come down dragging Pink Doll and Blue Boy (Jack's other, boy, doll). And then he's back in the basement and you guys are playing again and I just cannot tell you how fantastic it is. You have grown to love each other so much. So much that when you had a friend over last week, Stella, Jack was very grumpy and said to me " But *I* like Nate. I don't want him to like *her* anymore."



You carefully wrote out valentines cards for the kids in your class, and on your own thought to write one to me, Daddy and Jack. If you look carefully, you'll even find one to God. You were thrilled to get cards from your friends, and sometimes still spill the bag out onto the table and look through them.



You have a good heart and a good conscience. I can see you being tempted to be mean, to leave kids out, to make yourself happy at other's expense, just like we all are. Sometimes you give in, you tease (especially Jack), you deny your toys or your stickers. Kari and Shane were over the other day, and rather than share your Beyblades you were given the option to take it all up to your room if you wouldn't share. I told you that you could, but also told you that I wasn't proud of your behavior, and that you shouldn't be either. You said "ok" and took it all upstairs. Half an hour later when Shane got hurt playing, you immediately offered to take him upstairs so that he could play with your Beyblades. You have your moments, but it is clear as day how kind you are, how thoughtful you are, how considerate you are, and how good you are, right down to your bones.




I can't tell you how good it feels to be so close with you, to enjoy each other's company, to laugh and tickle together, to understand each other. Last night I came to say goodnight after Daddy tucked you in and spent some time rubbing your back for you (you like me to scratch your back, then "smooth out" the scratches). After a while you caught my hand in yours and we just sat there for a few moments together. You are kind and good, and I love being on this ride with you.

Love,
Mama