Sometimes Lucid

My Movie Quest

2010-03-03T23:56:00.001-08:00

I just saw Inglorious Basterds. It was REALLY good. The movie was long but really well done - the long parts set the tone for the parts to come. I would highly recommend it :)

I can check that off my list and go on to District 9 next!

The Oscars

2010-03-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

Sunday is the Oscars. Normally I just watch for the outfits and the gossip. This year I've actually seen some of the movies and am going to an Oscar Party. I also want to watch more of the movies before Sunday so I can be better informed on who to root for.

I have seen:
Julie & Julia
Up In the Air
The Blind Side
Up
Princess and the Frog
Star Trek (1/2 of)

I have not seen:
Avatar
Precious
Inglorious Bastards
The Hurt Locker
An Education
A Serious Man
District 9
Invictus
Nine

I will be seeing Inglorious Bastards tomorrow at a friends house. I'm thinking of going to the movies Saturday night and seeing Avatar (it should be seen on the big screen). I don't know if I can sit through Precious.

Any suggestions?

Spicy Soba Noodles with Chicken in Peanut Sauce

2010-03-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

I came home last night and had 20 minutes to make a side dish for some crock pot chicken I was making. A friend was coming over for dinner and I wanted something easy, tasty and relatively healthy. This fit the bill on all counts.

I omitted the chicken since I was serving chicken but otherwise kept everything else the same. The dish was rich and flavorful and just spicy enough!!

Spicy Soba Noodles with Chicken in Peanut Sauce
(Adapted from CL)

Ingredients
1 carrot, peeled
2 cups chicken broth, divided
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
16 ounces boneless/skinless chicken breast
10 ounces dry soba noodles, cooked and drained
6 tablespoons sliced green onions
6 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Instructions
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrots into long and thin strips.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup broth, peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, honey, pepper and garlic.

In a large saucepan, add chicken and the remaining 1 2/3 cups broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is done, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Drain and shred chicken when cool enough to handle.

In a large bowl, toss together carrots, peanut sauce, chicken and cooked noodles - sprinkle with onions and peanuts to serve.

Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

So Funny I Cried

2010-02-27T23:24:00.000-08:00

A friend sent this to me a couple of weeks ago. I have been forwarding it ever since.

One of the reasons I find it so hilarious is that I am Russian AND Jewish. I can honestly tell you that it is 100% true (especially the DVD and light dimmer parts).

I am definitely planning on seeing this comic as soon as I can.

Expectations

2010-02-24T23:33:00.000-08:00

I was all excited today because I was going to go to Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy a hamper. Ours fell apart (helped along by the monkeys constant sitting on it) after about 5 years.

I was all excited. I even skipped the gym for this. First I went to the grocery store and then I hit Bed, Bath and Beyond with my trusty coupons (and my friend in tow).

I got there at 9:05pm. One little problem - in the San Fernando valley apparently people don't leave their houses after 9pm!!! The store closed at 9pm!!! Seriously?!?!?!

My friend suggested Target. Off we go to target. You'd think that there would be some nice hampers at Target. Well - you'd be wrong.

Now I'm home and pouting and hamper-less. I can't go tomorrow so my instant gratification of a new hamper is not meant to be. Hopefully Friday!

It's in The Eye of The Beholder

2010-02-23T23:35:00.000-08:00

At the birthday party we were at on Saturday, the monkeys kept coming up to me wanting water, or just to hang out for a minute, or to see what I was doing. At one point, the little monkey was fighting with another little girl over a ball they both wanted. When I told my monkey to just let her have it, she did, but not before she pushed her.

I am constantly worried about the monkeys' behavior and making sure that they behave.

Tonight my mom spoke to the RGP who told her that my monkeys are SO well behaved and well mannered. They said hello to everyone. They said good-bye and gave hugs and kisses to everyone. They said please and thank you. They came up to me often just to be with me. They spoke to everyone who spoke to them.

As a parent I am always looking for how to better my monkeys and focusing on their negatives, so I can turn them in to positives. I forget to look at them with fresh eyes, seeing all their positive traits and their warm, loving hearts.

I will try to do better every day.

Birthday Party

2010-02-22T22:57:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night we went to a kids birthday party of a long time childhood friends' daughter. They're Russian like us. It was a great party and the monkeys had a fantastic time.

I was sitting there watching the monkeys play and realized that you would only hear the following at a Russian birthday party:

RGP (Russian Grandparents) - The brother was absolutely beautiful as a baby and all through child hood. She (the birthday girl) was not a pretty baby.
Me - Um, she is absolutely beautiful.

RGP - She (the birthday girl) is absolutely freezing!
Me - It's 65 degrees and she's in a full on long sleeve dress and stretch pants about to walk in to an indoor play place.

RGP in-law - She (the mother) has gained weight!
RGP mother of my friend - I don't think so. What do you thing Julia?
Me - Um, she looks great like she always does.

RGP - Julia! You look so great! I hardly recognized you! I can't even tell you're your parents daughter!
Me - Um, Thanks (seriously, how bad did I look before)?!?!?!?!

RGP - Julia! You've lost weight! Do you not eat?
Me - Nope, just go to the gym.

RGB (Russian Birthday Guest) - RGP, hi how are you? Why are you eating that sandwich? Look how many calories it has (mind you, the RGP is in her 60s and has earned the right to eat whatever she wants).

I realized a long time ago that:
1) My people can not do real compliments, only ones that are dripping in criticism or put downs
2) My people have no filter and no one is safe, not even a birthday child
3) We are all so used to this behavior that no one even bats an eye when it's done

Really??

2010-02-18T23:11:00.000-08:00

As nice of a sentiment this is, somehow I don't think so. I would not go on a date here, ever.

What do you guys think?

Presidents Day

2010-02-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a day like this in a very long while.

I woke up and relaxed in bed. I met up with a friend at 10am and off we went to a spa :)

We were there from 11am-3pm. I got a full body scrub. It was amazing and now I am very soft. From 1pm-3pm, while me friends was getting two treatments, I used the sauna, the jacuzzi, read the 10 magazines I brought with me, that I normally don't have the time to read and had a mud face mask poolside.

It was fabulous.

After we came home we picked up the kids and went to Japanese barbecue. It's just like Korean barbecue, but with a Japanese twist. Miso Beef, Ahi Tuna Poke, etc... The kids all love it because they get to cook their own food with tongs. The adults love it because it's relatively cheap and extremely tasty.

Everyone is now asleep. What a great day! Our presidents would be proud :)

Sleep Over

2010-02-13T23:41:00.000-08:00

They grow up so quickly. Only last month I was worrying about my 7 year old having her first sleep over. Now both my monkeys are sleeping over at their friends' house (the one whose house the big monkey slept over at last time).

I can't believe I let my 5 year old also sleep over, but she was crying. And begging. And promising to be good! She's going to sleep with my friends 13 year old daughter in her room, while the "big" girls (my big monkey, her BFF and their 2 other BFFs) sleep in the living room!

Here's to hoping I won't be called at 3am to come pick her up!

Sugar Coated

2010-02-12T23:22:00.000-08:00

As much as I know that children should have less "sugar coating" at school, sometimes it is nice to see them all enjoy something, without the harsh reality of disappointment.

In the monkeys' elementary school, either all kids get Valentines cards, or no kids get Valentines cards. the "to" line is even left off of the cards so that no one can feel left out. Both my monkeys were SO happy today. They were going on and on how ALL of the kids gave them Valentines Day cards, candy, treats, etc...

Seeing their smiling faces, keeping them in the dark about the harsh realities of the world not being fair, doesn't seem so wrong :)

Valentines Day in School

2010-02-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

I decided to do what I always do, in terms of cards. I bought Wizards of Waverly Place cards and Bakugon cards. The Wizards cards come with stickers. The Bakugon cards come with tattoos. I have got to say, cards are so much cooler then when I was a kid. Back then, cards didn't come with stickers, tattoos, bookmarks or pencils attached. The also didn't have cool characters on them. Also, I had to walk four miles in the snow every day - OK, not really :)

I will also probably just make a fruit salad for the class party, because there will already be TONS of candy consumed. On Sunday, I think we will make the monkey's a special breakfast of waffles with powdered hearts on top.

Kids Self Esteem

2010-02-09T22:38:00.000-08:00

I was at a kids birthday party this weekend. The kids that attended this party were all dressed really stylishly. The moms are really into designer clothes.

One of the little girls (8 or 9 years old) was wearing cute, designer, jeans. I saw her coming out of the restroom and her shirt wasn't down over her jeans. The jeans were unbuttoned and unzipped. The girl in question is a little chubby and had clearly outgrown her jeans. Instead of dressing her in something comfortable, for some reason, the mother decided to put her in a pair of jeans that didn't fit her anymore.

I wonder what this little girl thought? Was she self conscious the whole party? Did she feel ashamed, in the back of her mind, about being chubby?

What added insult to injury was that when cake was served, she yelled out to her, in front of the rest of us, "only take 2 bites". There are times when I stop my monkeys from eating cake, but that's usually if they're on a second piece and will start jumping off the walls, not because I don't want them to eat the calories.

In this society, I think we are all fairly vigilant about making sure our kids are healthy and have a healthy weight. Yet somehow, I think the way this mother is going about this, will cause many more problems than she is trying to solve.

Valentines Day in School

2010-02-08T23:24:00.000-08:00

We normally do the store bought cards with a pencil tucked in.

Any new suggestions? Any suggestions for treats for the classroom? Should I do heart cupcakes?

What about something savory but Valentines oriented??

It's Easy - Italian Drip Beef

2010-02-07T23:02:00.000-08:00

I love to cook. I love to feed people. I love for people to come over and eat what I've made.

As much as I love to cook, I hate food that involves hours of active work time and a plethora of ingredients. The joke is that when my friends tell me how good my food is, my answer is always "it's EASY". In fact, to me, the biggest compliment to my cooking is when people take my recipes and try to make the same food at home.

I read Cooking Light, I frequent the Cooking Light Bulletin Boards, I read food blogs and I peruse cookbooks. I mark recipes I want to make. Looking through the recipes I have tagged, there is a running theme. There aren't too many ingredients and I have most of the ingredients at home (or can easily substitute).

One of my favorite blogs is The Pioneer Woman. Her food always looks AMAZING and super tasty. The best part about her recipes - they are all low on the number of ingredients and pretty darn simple to make (or at least she makes it look that way).

This weekend I made her Italian Beef Drip. Wow!! For about 5 minutes of work and a couple of ingredients, this is about as good as it gets.

I modified her recipe just a little bit to use what I had on hand, but I don't think that she would be too upset. If you read her blog, she's all about the simplicity and using what's on hand.

If you want to see pictures of what this looks like, check out the link above. I tried to take pictures of mine and they did not turn out well.

Italian Drip Beef
Servings: 10

Ingredients
1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
1 can Beef Consomme Or Beef Broth – used 2 cups Turkey broth, because it’s what I had
3 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian Seasoning – used 3 tablespoons of Pasta sprinkle and 1 tablespoon of Northwoods seasonings from Penzeys, because it’s what I had
1 teaspoon Salt – omitted because the Northwoods blend has salt in it
¼ cups Water
½ jars (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice
Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid. Cover and bake in a 275 degree oven* for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart. Remove from oven. With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove.

I used my crock pot – combined all ingredients and set on low for 8 hours.
May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

Sick

2010-02-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

I hate being sick. Maybe it's because I don't like staying home and am not very good at it.

I have gone through the shows on my DVR queue, I only have one book left to read (I read quickly) and I am usually sick on a weekend when we have a lot of plans.

This weekend I should have stayed in bed all weekend. However, we had a kids birthday party to go to (it was so much fun). I also wanted to hang out with a girl friend going through some stuff (we ended up just going for coffee).

Tomorrow my in-laws are taking the monkeys for the afternoon and I will try to get some rest and not talk to anyone, or do anything. Hopefully that will be all my body needs to heal it self before work on Monday.

Senile

2010-02-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

Months ago I got tickets to see Mary Poppins for our family, for this Sunday. This is the last performance of the show. Tickets have been sold out for months. The girls were SO excited.

A couple of weeks ago, we got invited to the big monkey's friends birthday party, for this Sunday. This wasn't just any friend - this was the first friend she ever made.

A couple of days ago I realized that the events were on the same day. Today I finally was able to find people to take my Mary Poppins tickets.

Tonight I get a note on Facebook reminding me about the party, TOMORROW! I ran to look at the invite - sure enough, the party is on Saturday, not Sunday.

So, I gave away my tickets for nothing.

If I am this senile now, I am SO scared for the future.

Random Thoughts

2010-02-04T23:32:00.000-08:00

I was watching The Real Housewives of Orange County and Lynne was having a housewarming party in her new home. These are my random thoughts while watching this episode:

You move in to a smaller, rented house to save money and yet the house is on THE BEACH! I'm willing to guess that the house is not that much cheaper than the rent or mortgage you were spending living in your old house.
You have a house warming party where the men talk about spending less money in this economy - all the while, the party is catered. Couldn't the guests make their own drinks? Also, the food was sliders. Really??? How about you just make some pasta and salad. Cheaper , healthier and easier to eat at a dinner party (it was comical watching them with their knives and forks trying to cut in to the sliders)!
One of the guests, Jim, talks about reducing his spending habits as well. A couple of episodes back he bought his wife an enormous diamond necklace. Way to save there, buddy.
Lynne talks about how she is working so much now on her cuff business. At the same time, she has time to spend hours a day in the gym.
Tamra and Lynne try to talk Vicki in to going to a workout class with them. The class is two hours long and then they go to lunch afterwords. They are surprised when Vicki can't take 5 hours out of her day (driving to the gym, working out, changing, lunch and driving back). Seriously??
All Vicki talks about is how much she works. I don't remember her working that much in season one. Someone has something to prove.

OK - I have no idea why I am so invested in these women. Lol! Also, I have NO IDEA why this episode irked me so much but I just want to ask these couples what the hell they are thinking half the time?!

Kids Say The Darndest Things

2010-02-03T23:44:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday we make waffles from scratch, whipped cream from scratch, etc... This past Sunday we decided to add some cocoa powder to the whipped cream to turn it in to chocolate whipped cream.

The little monkey, who is 5 tried the chocolate whipped cream and made a face. She said that she didn't really like it. I told her that I thought that she actually did like it. Her response:

"Oh yeah! Well then why don't you open up my head, look inside my brain and tell me if I really like it?!?!?!"

The older monkey was at her friends house a couple of week ago for breakfast and got super excited when her mom brought out frozen waffles. She said that she only gets home made ones at home and was SUPER excited to GET TO eat the frozen ones, like her friend. She has also been begging me to make hamburger helper (sigh).

I am depriving my children of processed food, lol!

Working Out

2010-02-02T22:41:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a girl friend and she wondered how anyone could work out hard enough to pass out?! Well tonight I found out.

I am in pretty good shape - I go to the gym, get on the treadmill, take a hard core Zumba class multiple times a week. I joined a new gym for a trial period and was given 4 private training classes thanks to my Amex. Tonight I had my first private training session.

She put me through the ringer. Lunges holding a medicine ball, side lunges holding a medicine ball, free weights, weights on the equipment, ab work, etc... I hate doing workouts half-assed - at least the ones I am paying for (ie personal training, classes I'm paying for). I like to have correct form and to push myself to finish the reps/sets.

I finished the workout. And promptly felt DRUNK. Not the good drunk but the nauseous, shaking, dizzy drunk. I slowly walked out of the gym, got in to my car, drove to the gas station, started filling up and layed my head down on the center console. Then I drove home SLOWLY, praying that I wouldn't pass out.

I guess I now know how a person can pass out/throw up during/after working out..

Daughter in law of the Year

2010-02-01T23:23:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law called me about a month ago and invited me to a concert to see a Russian Lounge singer. I had heard of her, but I didn't know any of her songs.

I got there 1/2 an hour late (LA traffic sucks) but she had only begun 5 minutes prior. Her concert was almost 3 hour long. I was so bored that I decided to post both on facebook and twitter just to get through it. Allow me to piece both together:

6:05pm - off to see Dolina - fashionably late thanks to an accident on the 101!

6:30pm - just got here and, darn it, she started 1/2 an hour late.

7:09pm - Old man in sequined rhinestone Ed Hardy jacket just gave her flowers.

7:58pm - is at a Russian Lounge singer concert - with my mother in law - please help me! The things we do for family.

8:02pm - and now she sang a Blues song in English! She doesn't speak English.

8:09pm - Her current outfit - black fishnet leggings, leather daisy duke short and a purple sequined halter top! She's 55 years old!

8:13pm - and now she's "attempting" Just The Two Of Us - oy vey!

8:57pm - Oh HELL NO - she's killing I Will Survive!! Bitch better step off!!

Man that concert was painful!!!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

2010-01-28T23:06:00.000-08:00

It had been a while since I had baked (I took a break after the holidays). I knew I wanted to make something, but I also wanted it to be light. This Chocolate Bundt Cake fit the bill. I saw the recipe on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board and knew that I had to make it.

The cake was very good - moist, chocolaty and light. I made it in a regular sized bundt pan, but since it calls for a smaller bundt, it came out really low. Next time I will follow the suggestion of the recipe and use a loaf pan. It also had a difficult time coming out. I have a silicone bundt and thought that I wouldn't have to spray the pan - I WAS WRONG :) Luckily, my family doesn't care about looks of dessert ;)

Chocolate Bundt Cake
A 6-cup Bundt pan is smaller than the standard size. You can also use a 9-inch round cake pan.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 teaspoons instant espresso granules
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add butter, egg whites, and egg; beat with a mixer at low speed 1 minute. Beat at high speed 1 minute. Add milk, espresso granules, and vanilla; beat 1 minute. Pour batter into a 6-cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

CALORIES 192 (28% from fat); FAT 6g (sat 3.5g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 27mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.8g; SODIUM 225mg; PROTEIN 4g; FIBER 1.8g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2002

Organizing

2010-01-27T23:36:00.000-08:00

I love to organize. Not at home - although I really try. Not in my car - although that would be great too.

I am very organized when it comes ot my computer. I file all attachments and documents in their own folders. I have my pictures organized by month and topic. My outlook email never has more than 80 items in its inbox.

The one I'm most proud of is my recipe files. Any time I see a recipe online that I want to try, I copy the text in to a word document. Then I file that recipe in my "2010 To Try" Folder. Once I make the recipe I move it to the "2010 Made" folder. Every year I go through recipe I never made and review them to see if I still want to make them. The ones I REALLY want to make move to my 2010 To Try folder, the ones I realize that I will never make get trashed and the rest stay in their respective years just in case I

Friendships

2010-01-25T23:40:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking recently about friendships. There are times I get in a rut when I think that no one likes me...or that my friends have stooped caring...or that I don't have enough friends.

And then I realize....

A any point in time I can call up at least 10 people who would be happy to hear from me. I can always find someone to go to coffee, drinks or dinner with if I am in the mood for that. When I travel to SF I have my pick of friends who want to see me.

For all that, and much, much more I am truly blessed. I have many acquaintances and many friends. I know the difference - but both make me who I am. I am a part of a community, in fact a number of communities and I am thankful for them all.

Random Comments from my Weekend

2010-01-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

I have heard the following comments this weekend:

Big Monkey - You have to pick us up from Taekwondo because when I got out of school the biggest rain drop fell on my face! It was like hail! Proof that it never rains in LA since my big monkey was TRAUMATIZED!

Friend - You keep burning those napkins - you're like a necrophiliac. Um, no, you mean pyromaniac! In fact, ANYTHING BUT necrophiliac!

Big Monkey - (As I was telling my husband about the conversation above) Mommy, what's necrophilia? Me - nothing it's a nonsense word (while thinking in my head that she's going to probably start using the word around the school yard).

Me - I want to have a light dinner tonight. Dinner ended up being Lobster Dynamite, Halibut on Crispy Rice, Spicy Seafood over Noodles and Bourban Bread Pudding. Amazing, but NOT light!

The preceding describes my weekend well! What a fun weekend - and I got a bunch of personal book keeping work done today!!

Sissies

2010-01-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

We, in Los Angeles, are sissies. The storm is freaking us out, me included. There are moments when I am driving in the rain and I think that it's crazy to be driving in such "horrible" weather.

And then I smack myself because I realize that most cities in the US have snow in the winter. And while it is snowing, people still drive. So while I lament the fact that I can only go 40 MPH, I now realize that in some parts of the country, people are going 5 MPH, or are snowed in and can't go out at all.

I am a sissy :)

Words

2010-01-19T23:22:00.000-08:00

Lately, the little monkey has been using "adult words" and it has me quite upset. The words aren't the ones you think they are, but every time I hear them, I cringe.

The words I am referring to are "psycho" and "stupid". The big monkey's friends used the word "psycho" once and the little monkey just latched on to it. She uses it
in the correct context, but to me its a "mean" word.

The word "stupid" is more difficult to curtail - because it is everywhere. One of the monkeys' favorite songs is "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. Their favorite line - "I should have changed that STUPID lock". They also love the song "Stupid Girl". That word is such a regular part of society today that it becomes almost impossible to explain to a 5 year old that it is an inappropriate word.

Now I just have to go find a bar of soap - it doesn't have the same effect when you pump some soap in to your hand, lather up, and THEN stick the soap in to her mouth ;)

Free Food

2010-01-15T22:19:00.000-08:00

I have come to the conclusion (yes, I am a slow learner) that there is no free lunch. I sign up for all of the restaurant reward programs. Once in a while I get a $20 gift card good towards food, but even that is at a location where each appetizer is almost $20!

Usually, I get emails with "free lunch" or simply "FREE" in the title. Once you open the email you see that you indeed get a free entree, when you PURCHASE another entree of equal or greater value. The ones that are my favorites are for free items -free onion rings, free fries, etc... Those are all well and good until you are trying to eat healthy. Then those emails are plain annoying.

How about "free salad" or "free grilled chicken breast"? Oh no! It's really the oil, butter and flour that is cheap to make, tasty to eat and bad for you - that's what is free. Sigh!

Black Bean Soup

2010-01-13T23:42:00.001-08:00

I am a daily reader of the Smitten Kitchen. Many of her recipes look amazing. As soon as I saw this one, yesterday, I knew I had to make it.

This took me about 10 minutes to put together after I can home from dinner out. It was SO good! I didn't make the Chipotle and Toasted Cumin Seed Crème Fraîche but I'm sure it would give this soup an even better flavor and an added depth.

Black Bean Soup with Chipotle and Toasted Cumin Seed Crème Fraîche
Adapted from Bon Appetit
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/black-bean-soup-toasted-cumin-seed-crema/#more-5562

Yields 6 main course servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil - omitted
2 medium-size red onions, chopped - I used one HUGE red onion
1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped - didn't have, so omitted
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped - didn't have, so omitted
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 16-ounce package dried black beans
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chiles from a can (this gives it a solid kick, dial back if you are wary)
7 cups hot water (I just used very hot tap water)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice - used limequats (like kumquats but different)
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

You're supposed to heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and both bell peppers and sauté until beginning to brown, about eight minutes. Add garlic and cumin; stir one minute. I didn't do any of that - I just dumped everything in to the crock-pot. Transfer mixture to 6-quart slow cooker. Add beans and chipotles, then 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender, about 3 hours. I actually cooked it for 8 hours on low, overnight.

Transfer two cups bean mixture to blender; puree until smooth. Return puree to remaining soup in slow cooker. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle soup into bowls.

Resolutions

2010-01-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

I do not make New Years resolution's. It is an arbitrary day to start a new habit. If I want to make a change I should do so right away, right?

Regardless, January is a new beginning and I have been thinking about a couple of things I want to resolve. Therefore:

I will yell less at my kids - my husband brought it to my attention that I yell at the kids - A LOT!! In the moment, I know I am justified (and at times I do it to be heard over their yelling, complaining, zoning out) but its still not right. Today I only yelled once - and it was when they ran in to the bathroom to talk to me, as I was using it.
I will be more cognizant of what I eat - I exercise (or at least walk) 3-4 days a week. I'm OK with that. I eat healthy for the most part. However, I snack. And then I am SHOCKED when I gain weight. I also tend to eat out more than I should. And no matter what, my home made food is healthier than what I can buy for lunch.
I will take more time for myself - anyone who reads my blog knows that most days I am so busy running around and doing things for the kids, that I spend little time for myself (and when I do it's late at night and/or I feel guilty).
I will be thankful for everything I have been blessed with (my family, my health, my families health, my job, the roof over my head).

That's it for now. I hope I can keep these resolutions. I know I will definitely try.

Perspective

2010-01-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

For some in-explicable reason, I feel let down when the holidays are over.

I'm not in school, so I don't get winter break. I don't work for one of the company's that makes you take the week between Christmas and New Years off. I am no longer a child, so I don't have a ton of gifts waiting for me this season. I'm not Christian so I don't celebrate Christmas and get overly excited about Jesus.

I guess it's like the end of summer. It's another reminder that time is swiftly passing by. I remember hoping that time would go by quickly so that I could FINALLY...graduate...meet "the one"...get married...have kids, etc...

In today's world, I hope that time would slow down so that I didn't have to rush to get the kids to school/activities/bed, get myself to work/working out/paying bills/grocery shopping/etc...

From childhood to adulthood, not only does your outlook on life change, but so does your perspective. Not sure yet what it means :)

Asian Summer Salad

2010-01-06T23:27:00.000-08:00

Months ago I had a Pampered Chef party. The consultant gave me a couple of recipes to get ready so that she could demonstrate some of the products.

This recipe was a COMPLETE hit. In fact, I made it for the New Years party and I got rave reviews for it again. One of our friends said that it was one of her favorite things that I made!

Asian Summer Salad

Salad
8 ounces uncooked vermicelli pasta
3/4 cup julienne-cut carrots, 2 inches long
3/4 cup julienne-cut zucchini, 2 inches long
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions with tops
3/4 pound deli roast turkey or chicken breast, cut 1/2 inch thick - I usually omit the meat

Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 T. rice vinegar
3 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 t. sugar
1/8 t. ground red pepper
1 t. finely chopped, peeled fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, pressed
Coarsely chopped peanuts or cashews and fresh cilantro (optional)

For salad, break vermicelli into quarters. Cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Place vermicelli in large Bowl and set aside. Using Julienne Peeler, cut carrots and zucchini into julienne strips; cut strips into 2-inch pieces using Chef’s Knife. Chop bell pepper and slice green onions. Cut turkey into thin pieces, 2" long. Add vegetables and turkey to vermicelli. For dressing, combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and ground red pepper in Small Batter Bowl. Peel gingerroot; finely chop using Food Chopper. Add gingerroot and garlic pressed with Garlic Press to batter bowl. Mix well using Stainless Steel Whisk. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Spoon salad into serving bowl. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro, if desired. Yield: 6 servings

Cook’s Tips: This salad can be prepared up to 1 day in advance.

per serving: (1 2/3 cups): Cal: 300, Fat 11 g, Sat. Fat 1.5 g, Chol: 25 mg, Carb: 35 g, Pro: 16 g, Sod: 980 mg, Fiber 2 g

Orange Sesame Chicken

2010-01-05T23:29:00.000-08:00

I brought a dish to my friends house to complement the boiled lobster we were having. I had seen it that day on one of my favorite blogs, Culinary in the Desert. The way Joe describes the recipes, they all seem do-able.

This one was quite easy, and OH SO tasty! I doubled the recipe and these were devoured in about 10 minutes flat!

It all came together very quickly - I threw the shrimp in the marinade and brought it to my friends house, along with the sauce mixture, and whipped it up at her house.

Sesame-Orange Shrimp (Adapted from Culinary in the desert, who adapted it from Eating Well)

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large egg whites
16 ounces (1 pound) peeled and deveined raw shrimp
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided (I used cooking spray)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry (I used mirin - a rice wine)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 scallion, thinly sliced
cooked brown basmati rice, if desired for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, sesame seeds, salt, pepper and egg whites. Add shrimp and toss well to coat.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add half of the shrimp - cook until each side is golden, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Scoop shrimp out onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Repeat process with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp, scooping them out onto the plate when done.

Into the skillet, stir in orange juice, sherry, soy sauce and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil - cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add shrimp back into the skillet, stirring to coat, then remove from the heat. Sprinkle sliced scallion over the top - serve over brown basmati rice, if desired.

Makes about 4 servings.

Branding is Everything

2010-01-04T23:09:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we were in the car with the big monkey, picking up the little monkey.

Husband: Monkey, do you want to come get coffee with us and you can have hot chocolate?
Monkey: Sure. Where's the Starbucks?
Me: No, we're getting coffee at the gas station.
Monkey: Ooh, AM/PM? That means I can get candy!
Me to husband: This is your fault, snicker, snicker, lol!

Sigh! At least she knows where to go if shes ever in need of a coffee or sugar fix!

A 6 Day Weekend :)

2010-01-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

I like my job. Really, I do. I work on a number of different projects. Many of them are things that are outside my normal realm of responsibilities, so I have to think outside the box. That being said, I have loved having long weekends!!

I really think that we would benefit from working 4, 40s (4 days a week, 10 hours a day = 40 hours) and having long weekends every week.

I was talking about that with some friends tonight and one of their daughters said, "Yes, but then you would want to a 4 day weekend, then a 5 day weekend, etc.."

Hmmm, that sounds pretty good :) Of course, the monkeys school would still be in session 5 days a week :)

Cooking, etc...

2010-01-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

I was just watching the Julie & Julia movie and was enthralled. In one scene, Julia Child wonders what she is good at. The answer comes to her - she's good at eating :) She is always thinking about food, and she even dreams about it.

There are many times I feel that way as well. I don't cook every night, but I do devour cooking magazines like they are novels. I imagine cooking the recipes and then eating the meals. Interestingly enough, I sometimes look up old recipes that I have bookmarked to make and realize that my moods have shifted and/or that my taste buds have changed (I was going to say evolved, but I don't think that the things that sounds good to me now are better, just different).

I also feel the same way about cooking catalogs. I think my favorite one has to be Williams Sonoma, but I also LOVE Sur La Table and Crate and Barrel. I always discover fabulous new tools/bowls/serving pieces that I would love to own. I imagine owning them, cooking with them, serving out of them.

In fact, my husband and kids got me a couple of cooking items from Crate and Barrel for the holidays, and I must return one. I am excited to go there tomorrow - to me, that is my "candy store".

We Have Lost All Semblance of Common Sense

2009-12-29T23:16:00.000-08:00

Taco Bell has a diet! Seriously!

The "Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet" is a new "diet" from Taco Bell that is trying to capitalize on Subway's success by offering 7 (coincidentally the same number as Subway I believe) "low-calorie" items on their menu. They even have a story of a woman, Christine, who has lost 54 lbs on this "diet".

They do go out of their way to say that this is not a "weight-loss program". However, they do call it a "diet".

The items are basically tacos and burritos that have no sour cream, no cheese and no guacamole on them. Now isn't that just common sense? If you take out the fattening items out of anything you normally eat, you will lose weight!! Also, who the heck can eat just one taco or burrito? Those things are TINY!

How stupid do they think the American consumer truly is? You know what, we are pretty darn stupid.

This reminds me of the Special K "diet". Replace two meals with a bowl of special K and milk and you will lose weight. No kidding?!?!?!?! One bowl of cereal and milk is less than 300 calories. You can eat anything for those calories and lose weight.

I guess what I'm saying, even thought I don't always adhere to it myself, is that if you really want to lose weight, make good choices, don't eat too much and exercise sensibly! That is truly the only way to "diet" for life.

Of course if anyone finds that magic pill that make you skinny over night, CALL ME!!!

Presents

2009-12-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

Presents are an interesting thing. Most people like getting them and/or like giving them. I like both :)

I have one friend who is so stretched so thin, that it is a pleasure to be able to help her out. However, she HATES receiving things from other people. She makes sure that you take her money when it comes to getting take out, going out somewhere, etc... but throws a fit if you try and give her money for the same things.

Tonight we got her family season passes to an amusement park for 2010 (it was a joint present between 2 families for her kids' birthdays and for the holidays). She acted like she didn't really like the gift!

The other family we went in on it with thinks that she didn't like the gift. I think that she thought it was too nice of a gift and/or was just not expecting it.

She's also the person who you can never take out for her birthday because she hates being fussed over.

I'm a bit different - you can get me whatever you want :)

My Parents

2009-12-27T21:57:00.001-08:00

My mother is an amazing woman. She is almost 70 years old and never complains! She still works in a very busy office where she is expected to do a weeks worth of work in 2-3 days. She never sits still, anywhere, and is constantly looking for something (or someone) to fix.

On Tuesday at 7:30am she was wheeled in to the hospital for a hip replacement. At 11:30am she called me to tell me she was out of surgery and "fine". By Thursday morning I was at her bedside (we drove up to visit her on Wednesday night) where she proceeded to tell me that they were transferring her to the rehab facility that same day! The physical therapists are teaching her how to walk, climb stairs, sit down, be in a kitchen, etc...

She is coming home to my father tomorrow.

He is legally blind but if you didn't know it, you would never figure it out. He cooks, he takes the bus, he tells you when to make a right or left turn. He doesn't complain either. Well, except when my mom starts feeling like she should stay at the rehab facility longer. Then he tells her that if he can live with his illness then she can figure out hers.

My father loves my mother so much that he hasn't eaten since she's been in the hospital (nerves). He can't imagine a life without her!

These people are truly my role models! G-d Bless them - because I would go nuts if I had to live with either one of them again :)

Persimmon Pecan Bread

2009-12-21T23:00:00.000-08:00

I was at the Farmers Market this past Saturday and was talked in to buying some super ripe Hachiya Persimmons (the tear drop ones, not the short, squat ones called Fuyu).

I googled for recipes and found the recipe on David Lebovitz's blog. The recipe ended up making such sweet, rich bread with a unique persimmon flavor. I didn't have two loaf pans so I made it in a 9.5 * 11 pan (which was about two loaf pans full).

One caveat - this tastes MUCH better hot out of the oven (or even microwaved for 30 seconds).

Persimmon Bread
Two 9-inch Loaves

Using the higher amount of sugar will produce a moister and, of course, sweeter bread.

Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.

Ingredients:
3½ cups sifted flour
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 to 2½ cups sugar (I used 1 3/4 cups of agave syrup)
1 cup melted unsalted butter and cooled to room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2/3 cup Cognac, bourbon or whiskey
2 cups persimmon puree (from about 4 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)
2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped (I food processed the pecans)
2 cups raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates) (I omitted)

Directions
1. Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottoms with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

4. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.

5. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too.

Thank you, Officer!

2009-12-20T23:01:00.000-08:00

In California, it is illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving. Of course, most people still do it. I try to keep my phone on speaker at all times, but when the monkeys are in the car, that's pretty impossible to do.

Yesterday I was just getting off the freeway, had my two monkey's and their friend in the car with me, and see flashing lights in my rear view mirror! Efff!! I knew what he was pulling me over for. After fines and fees, the ticket for talking on the cell phone is over $100!

The officer was actually very nice. I didn't even TRY to play dumb. Right away I told him I knew why he pulled me over. I handed over my license, registration and insurance. The monkeys all said hi to him and started talking to him.

I think it was the monkeys' smiles because the officer let me off with a warning about the cell phone and just a fix it ticket for not having my most up to date insurance information in the car (only a $20 ticket).

I thanked him profusely and he was shocked - he told me that most people yell at him for pulling them over!! Ummm, I am in the wrong, I was doing something illegal, and he let me off with a much less costly ticket! Why would I be mad at HIM?!?!

For the rest of the weekend all three monkeys told everyone they met that I got pulled over by a police man :)

Holidays

2009-12-17T22:29:00.001-08:00

I haven't been doing as much baking this season as I normally do. However, I was reading the Amateur Gourmet today and he mentioned his "favorite dessert recipe of all time" so I knew that I had to make this RIGHT AWAY.

My excuse is that I signed up to bring "other" to the big monkey's holiday party tomorrow at school :) I'm making 2, so if I taste it and it's way too "sophisticated" for the kids (or just tastes way too good) then I'll keep both for the house or turn the second one in to a gift for someone.

On a related note, I am giving the little monkey's teacher wine for her gift (aside from chipping in for the class gift). She says she like wine and she has to put up with my child, so that's OK, right?

Almond Cake
From Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering pan
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (measured after sifting)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
7-ounce tube almond paste, cut into small pieces
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
Confectioner's sugar, or sifting over cake

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter sides and bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Mix together the sour cream and baking soda in a small bowl. Sift the flour and salt in another bowl.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the almond paste, a little at a tie, at medium speed, and beat for 8 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and mix until incorporated. It will look curdled, don't worry. Blend in the almond extract and the sour cream mixture. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture just until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about 1 hour (note: mine took about 20 minutes longer). It is done when you press the top and it returns its shape, and also shrinks from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a baking rack to cool in the pan. When ready to serve, sift confectioner's sugar over the top.

Note: Amanda Hesser says in her book that this cake always sinks.

Here is how we Celebrate

2009-12-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

I was walking around our neighborhood last night and was enjoying looking at all the beautifully decorated houses. Even we put out reindeer, a snow man and Santa Claus (even though were Jewish). In fact, this neighborhood has quite a number of Jews in it.

I guess this house decided that they were going to go all out and celebrate Hanukkah with the same zeal that people celebrate Christmas with:

There's a Maccabe holding a shield with a dreidel next to him :)

They are kids

2009-12-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

My parents have discovered email, so I have been taking blackberry pictures of the monkeys whenever we go someplace and emailing them to my parents. The love the pictures! It gives them a way to see the monkeys whenever they want (the live in Northern California and we live in Southern).

My mom has been forwarding the pictures to my uncle. He called me recently. He told me the picture were great but...

"Is it my imagination or are the kids getting fat?"

WTF?!?!?! They are 5 and 7. Seriously? This one goes down in the category of "Only Russian people can insult you at any time, any where and think it's no big deal"! And since he said something nice first, he probably thinks he gave me a compliment!

Ewww - Sweat Flavored Food

2009-12-13T23:03:00.000-08:00

I really like to watch cooking shows. Recently, there are more and more cooking challenge shows.

Tonight, while watching Chopped, 2 out of the 3 competitors were sweating PROFUSELY from their faces. I am absolutely sure that the sweat ended up flavoring the food. Ewww!

I love to cook - and I understand how hot a kitchen can become. Really, super hot - and when you add the pressure of a contest to the mix, sweating ensues! But COME ON!!! Keep a sweat rag, some paper towels, a cold glass of water to cool you down. As good as the final food looks, the judges can not be thrilled eating sweat covered food.

Now I'm not naive enough to think that this doesn't happen in restaurants. I guess I just try to keep that thought out of my mind while eating. Too bad it comes rushing back when watching these shows.

The question becomes - why is it that professional food network chefs don't sweat from their faces as much (like Bobby Flay)? You think it's the dozens of takes that they do? You think that their PR folks are busy making sure that they aren't seen from a bad angle?

Hanukkah Party

2009-12-11T23:43:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow I am having people over for my 2nd Annual Jew"ish" Hanukkah celebration and decided to do some of the prep tonight. I spent about 2.5 hours, but it will definitely be worth it tomorrow. I am making:

Matzo Balls - balls prepped and ready to go in to soup tomorrow
Chicken Soup
No-Cook Cranberry, Raspberry & Apple Relish - made
Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale - rosemary infused simple syrup is made
Jugged Chicken
Brisket - in the oven for the 1st leg of it's 8 hour journey and will shut off at 2am
Latkes - Apple Sauce
CrockPot Sweet and Sour Caramelized Onions - onions blanched and ready for the crock pot

and maybe:
Barbecued Spiced Salmon with Chinese Mustard Sauce

Tomorrow I will do some last minute shopping and enlist my friends 13 year old daughter to help me finalize cooking before the party.

Hag sameach! Happy Hanukkah! May we all experience little miracles in these next 8 days!

Holidays

2009-12-10T23:08:00.000-08:00

Here some Friday observations that I'd like to share with regards to the holidays:

People are having difficulty finding their "holiday spirit" - not sure if it's due to their personal situation or the mob mentality of the financial crisis.
There are more decorations up in our neighborhood than in the last couple of years - I guess people are trying to "fake it" until they "make it" in regards to holiday spirit.
People are being more thoughtful with holidays gifts this year - they are spending the same as, or even less then, last year but are making the presents more meaningful (I know I am).
I am eating out less but taking opportunities to spend more time with friends - we either have dinner at someones house or do other activities (such as roller or ice skating with the kids).
Company Holiday parties are on a much smaller scale this year and most employees are OK with that - although what we'd really be OK with is forgetting about the holiday party and being given the afternoon off.
Everyone is busier than ever but I'm not sure why. Are we spending so much time worrying about the economy that we don't have much time for everything else? Then we have to scramble to get things done?

Are you guys out in the blog-o-sphere observing similar things?

The Blind Side

2009-12-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen this movie, RUN TO GO SEE IT! What a great movie.

I went with a friend and her teenage daughter. We all thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story is about a boy who is all alone in the world. He gets taken in by a family who make him a part of their family. This boy has had a VERY rough life, but is thankful for every little thing that is done for him. He teaches the family that you don't have to be defined by your surroundings or the past that you have lived. You need to make the best of what you have, and not take for granted the opportunities presented to you.

It's a great teaching movie - especially for teenagers. Humility and perseverance are two big themes in this story; themes that most teenagers have trouble grasping.

In this age of "what have you done for me today" these are lessons that many of us have forgotten. Hopefully this movie will remind those who see it that there is more to life then school, work, cell phones and our own little insulated lives.

Once my monkeys get old enough to understand it, I will sit them down and watch it with them.

CBS Cares

2009-12-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

As much as I agree that getting Pap Smears is a great idea, please DO NOT THINK about getting this as a "present" for anyone.

Is this the worst PSA ever or what?

Dark-Chocolate Souffle Cake

2009-12-04T23:20:00.000-08:00

My friend went to dinner tonight with other friends and her daughters came over and hung out with us. Her little one (8) is best friends with my big one, and her big one (13) loves to cook and bake. We opened the The Complete Cooking Light cookbook and choose this cake to make.

Wow! It's good. Very rich and chocolaty, but quite light. My suggestion - don't let the cake cool down. East it nice and hot out of the oven!

Dark-Chocolate Souffle Cake

Cake flour is a fine-textured, soft wheat flour with a high starch content, and usually comes in a box rather than a bag. It can be found with the cake mixes at the supermarket.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon instant espresso or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2/3 cup Dutch process or unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Kahlua (coffee-flavored liqueur)
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sifted cake flour (such as Swan's Down)
6 large egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/4 cup raspberries (optional)
Chocolate curls (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300.
Coat bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, water, and espresso in a large saucepan; stir well and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add cocoa, salt, and chocolates, stirring with a whisk until chocolate melts. Stir in Kahlua and egg yolks. Stir in flour; cool to room temperature. Set aside.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; repeat procedure with remaining egg white mixture, one-fourth at a time. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake at 300 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove sides from pan; sift powdered sugar over cake. Garnish with raspberries and chocolate curls, if desired.

Note: A substitution of 1/4 cup all-purpose flour may be used in place of 1/3 cup cake flour.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

CALORIES 205 (27% from fat); FAT 6.1g (satfat 3.2g, monofat 1.9g, polyfat 0.4g); PROTEIN 5g; CARBOHYDRATE 34.2g; FIBER 0.2g; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; IRON 2mg; SODIUM 91mg; CALCIUM 31mg;

Good For Her

2009-12-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

When the Tiger Woods story came out recently, a friend of mine wrote an interesting status update on her Facebook.

It said: "it's seldom the husband spills the beans. It's usually the freak who disregarded the ring on your finger and now thinks you owe it to her to leave your wife and kids. Cheat on your wife=cheat on your kids. Buy a blow up doll next time."

I agree with her 100%. That being said, Tiger is TRULY going to pay for his "MISTAKES":

The Daily Beast says that Tiger is not only trying to put a little hush money under Rachel's pillow, but he's also waving cash in front of his wife's eyes to get her to stay. According to them, Elin's current prenup states that she will get $20 million after 10 years of marriage. But since Tiger's dick has jumped into someone else's vagina, Elin wants the prenup to be rewritten.

The source claims that Tiger is willing to add $55 million to the prenup. Also, if Elin agrees to stay, Tiger will immediately transfer $5 million into her personal account. So if Elin signs a nondisclosure and plays the perfect wife and mother for the next 7 years, she will be able to skip away from the marriage with $80 million in her pocket.

Tiger's advisers have told him to do whatever it takes to save his marriage so that his sponsors won't dump him too.

Sick

2009-12-02T23:10:00.000-08:00

I hate being sick :( I feel as though I am wasting time when I am sick. I stayed home from work today and ended up taking a 4 hour nap in the morning. Thankfully I woke up feeling a bit better. The only worthwhile thing I did all day was watch a Top chef marathon so now I an all caught up going in to the finale ;)

I am definitely going back to work tomorrow. I guess I am just a really big baby about being sick - I just don't feel I have time for it.

My big monkey, on the other hand, after coughing most of the might, woke up today all full of smiles and energy! What a trooper!

Coughing

2009-12-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

I am laying here in my bed, nose fully stuffy and throat feeling like shards of glass have invaded, and all i can do is think about my big monkey in her bedroom coughing while sleeping :(

Being a mom is the best thing in the world, but it sucks when they're sick or you're sick. One of the great things about my monkey is that she will wake up tomorrow and WANT TO go to school. I don't know if I will let her (it will depend on how she feels tomorrow) but I LOVE the fact that she doesn't ever want to miss a day.

Cyber Monday

2009-11-30T23:22:00.000-08:00

I follow deal websites, such as Coupon Cravings, Money Saving Mom and Frugal Shopping With Julie on a daily basis. It's where I get most of my "insider information" from these days. I also start looking at the "Black Friday" ads and spreadsheet weeks before Thanksgiving. However, I can't get in to "Cyber Monday".

I can never figure out if the deal is truly amazing. I also think that with the number of homes who have home PCs, and with how quick people are, that most of the true "deals" must be gone within the first 5 seconds of going on-line. I am cynical enough to think that re-sellers buy up all the quantity at the TRULY low prices and then put the goods up on ebay or another similar website.

Am I wrong? Are there amazing deals on Cyber Monday? Can you get the same delas on Black Friday through the comfort of your own home?

No-Cook Cranberry, Raspberry & Apple Relish

2009-11-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

My mom sent me a new recipe to try for Thanksgiving cranberry relish. At first I was hesitant, primarily because my sister sent it to my mom. Then I started looking at it and realized that I had almost all of the ingredients.

I made it in addition to my standard cranberry sauce. The result? Let's just say that NO ONE, including myself, even touched the other cranberry sauce!

I will be buying bags of cranberries to freeze, just so that I can make this dish year round. It is THAT GOOD! I love it on bread, on pancakes, out of the jar just plain, and yes, on turkey.

Make this TODAY!

No-Cook Cranberry, Raspberry & Apple Relish
SF Chronicle
Submitted by the
From Marlene Sorosky Gray.
This can be made several days in advance.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cranberries
(about 4 1/2 cups)
2 tart green apples, halved, cored and coarsely chopped
(about 3 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 package (10 ounces) frozen raspberries, thawed and
drained (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in the container of a food processor fitted
with the steel blade. Pulse with a quick on-and-off motion, just until
finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Makes 6 cups

Sexy

2009-11-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

Conversation the other day:

Big Monkey - Mommy? What's does sexy mean?
Me - It means cute. But it's a grown up word so I don't want you to use it.
Big Monkey - Mommy?
Me - Yes.
Big Monkey - You're sexy!
Little Monkey - Yeah, you're sexy!

Should I be flattered they called me sexy or pissed that they didn't listen to me?

Black Friday

2009-11-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

Before last year, I thought that the people who went to black Friday were idiots! Then last year, I friend woke me up at 5:30am to meet her at Target. It was a rush - the people, the bargains, OMG!

This year, we took it to the extreme! Thankfully, the stores near my house weren't as crazy as others around the country.

12am - Toys R Us - we parked at 12am, were in the store by 12:10am. The line to check out was way longer but snaked through the aisles so we could browse while in line. We even got some Zhu Zhu hamsters.
3am - Old Navy - we stood in line for 30 minutes, got in at 3am and were out at 3:30, with some great bargains.
5am - Target - Some us got in line at 3:45am while the rest of us went to the Disney Store (which was empty). We got nothing at Disney. Target had amazing sales on TVs but I just got some kids toys.
6am - Macys - Straight up to housewares and got a couple of great deals. My friend got a queen down comforter and 2 pillows for $40 (normally $120).
7:30am - Drove past Walmart. Even though they had been open since 5am, the line was still down the block and there were armed cops there to make sure it was peaceful. We decided nothing was worth that!

So, I didn't make it to Walmart or Staples. I was exhausted and asleep by 8:30am! Overall, a successful Black Friday!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T23:08:00.000-08:00

We ate "dinner" at 2pm and I am STILL stuffed!

In 1/2 an hour I am leaving to hit the Black Friday sales with friends.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and was able to find many things to be thankful for!

Twas the night before Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T23:27:00.000-08:00

The monkeys are asleep :) The house is filled with sweet and savory smells.

The following dishes are done:
No-Cook Cranberry, Raspberry & Apple Relish - The San Francisco Chronicle
Sangria Cranberry Sauce - Don't remember where I got it
Mom's Turkey Stuffing - Simply recipes, but completely bastardized

Tomorrow I will make the rest of the dishes and will start posting recipes and pictures.

While waiting for the stuffing (actually dressing since it's outside the bird), I opened the Pampered Chef packages I received today and segregated every ones orders. I felt like a kid in a candy store.

I LOVE their products and had A BLAST at the party I hosted. The last party I hosted was about 8 years ago. Every now and then I get the idea that I want to sell Pampered Chef. I believe in the products and use many of them daily in my cooking.

However, I already have very little free time. I wonder if I would make enough money for it to be worth it? Has anyone had any experience with selling Pampered Chef? In this economy, extra money would sure be a good thing!

A Thankful Challenge

2009-11-24T21:55:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite food holiday. I love the Thanksgiving meal - every recipe works harmoniously together to create the perfect balance of sweet, tart, savory and buttery :)

As the big day approaches, and I am in the middle of planning my cooking schedule, I want to take the time out to say what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for my parents - they are alive and kicking. They taught me to never be afraid and to always work my hardest. That anything is attainable, even through adversity.
I am thankful for America - my parents brought us to this country, a country where they didn't even know the language, when I was almost 5 years old. We left a country where it was not OK to believe in a certain religion, or say whatever you wanted. A place where democracy did not exist. I truly believe that living in America, knowing that I have the right to pursue happiness, and that I am truly free, is the reason I am who I am.
I am thankful for my children - they are healthy (knock on wood), happy and well adjusted. They wake up with smiles on their faces and have been known to laugh in their sleep.
I am thankful for my children's' grandparents - they have 4 grandparents who love them unconditionally and are always there for them to talk on the phone, take them to Chuck E Cheese or go on vacation with them.
I am thankful for having a job. In today's economy there are many smart, talented people who are struggling to find work.
I am thankful to have a nice home - my husband and I have worked very hard to put a roof over out heads and are working even harder to keep it there (and I am grateful that we are succeeding).
I am thankful for my friends - when I am depressed or feeling sorry for myself, or even when I am just looking for someone to share a laugh with, they are there for me no matter what!
I am thankful for this blog community. I am constantly amazed that people actually read what I write and are kind enough to comment on it.
I am thankful for the health of my family.
I am thankful to have a voice and be able to express my opinions no matter what.

I challenge everyone to create their own "Thankful" lists and then come back and leave comments of what you're thankful for, or linking to your list.

The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting

2009-11-23T22:54:00.000-08:00

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the message it is sending, I thought that the following article made some really good points.

The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
By Nancy Gibbs
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1940395,00.html

The insanity crept up on us slowly; we just wanted what was best for our kids. We bought macrobiotic cupcakes and hypoallergenic socks, hired tutors to correct a 5-year-old's "pencil-holding deficiency," hooked up broadband connections in the treehouse but took down the swing set after the second skinned knee. We hovered over every school, playground and practice field — "helicopter parents," teachers christened us, a phenomenon that spread to parents of all ages, races and regions. Stores began marketing stove-knob covers and "Kinderkords" (also known as leashes; they allow "three full feet of freedom for both you and your child") and Baby Kneepads (as if babies don't come prepadded). The mayor of a Connecticut town agreed to chop down three hickory trees on one block after a woman worried that a stray nut might drop into her new swimming pool, where her nut-allergic grandson occasionally swam. A Texas school required parents wanting to help with the second-grade holiday party to have a background check first. Schools auctioned off the right to cut the carpool line and drop a child directly in front of the building — a spot that in other settings is known as handicapped parking.

We were so obsessed with our kids' success that parenting turned into a form of product development. Parents demanded that nursery schools offer Mandarin, since it's never too soon to prepare for the competition of a global economy. High school teachers received irate text messages from parents protesting an exam grade before class was even over; college deans described freshmen as "crispies," who arrived at college already burned out, and "teacups," who seemed ready to break at the tiniest stress. (See pictures of the college dorm's evolution.)

This is what parenting had come to look like at the dawn of the 21st century — just one more extravagance, the Bubble Wrap waiting to burst.

All great rebellions are born of private acts of civil disobedience that inspire rebel bands to plot together. And so there is now a new revolution under way, one aimed at rolling back the almost comical overprotectiveness and overinvestment of moms and dads. The insurgency goes by many names — slow parenting, simplicity parenting, free-range parenting — but the message is the same: Less is more; hovering is dangerous; failure is fruitful. You really want your children to succeed? Learn when to leave them alone. When you lighten up, they'll fly higher. We're often the ones who hold them down.

A backlash against overparenting had been building for years, but now it reflects a new reality. Since the onset of the Great Recession, according to a CBS News poll, a third of parents have cut their kids' extracurricular activities. They downsized, downshifted and simplified because they had to — and often found, much to their surprise, that they liked it. When a TIME poll last spring asked how the recession had affected people's relationships with their kids, nearly four times as many people said relationships had gotten better as said they'd gotten worse. "This is one of those moments when everything is on the table, up for grabs," says Carl Honoré, whose book Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting is a gospel of the slow-parenting movement. He likens the sudden awareness to the feeling you get when you wake up after a long night carousing, the lights go on, and you realize you're a mess. "That horrible moment of self-recognition is where we are culturally. I wanted parents to realize they are not alone in thinking this is insanity, and show there's another way." (See the 25 best back-to-school gadgets.)

How We Got Here
Overparenting had been around long before Douglas MacArthur's mom Pinky moved with him to West Point in 1899 and took an apartment near the campus, supposedly so she could watch him with a telescope to be sure he was studying. But in the 1990s something dramatic happened, and the needle went way past the red line. From peace and prosperity, there arose fear and anxiety; crime went down, yet parents stopped letting kids out of their sight; the percentage of kids walking or biking to school dropped from 41% in 1969 to 13% in 2001. Death by injury has dropped more than 50% since 1980, yet parents lobbied to take the jungle gyms out of playgrounds, and strollers suddenly needed the warning label "Remove Child Before Folding." Among 6-to-8-year-olds, free playtime dropped 25% from 1981 to '97, and homework more than doubled. Bookstores offered Brain Foods for Kids: Over 100 Recipes to Boost Your Child's Intelligence. The state of Georgia sent every newborn home with the CD Build Your Baby's Brain Through the Power of Music, after researchers claimed to have discovered that listening to Mozart could temporarily help raise IQ scores by as many as 9 points. By the time the frenzy had reached its peak, colleges were installing "Hi, Mom!" webcams in common areas, and employers like Ernst & Young were creating "parent packs" for recruits to give Mom and Dad, since they were involved in negotiating salary and benefits.

See iPhone apps for new moms.

See the 10 best college presidents.

Once obsessing about kids' safety and success became the norm, a kind of orthodoxy took hold, and heaven help the heretics — the ones who were brave enough to let their kids venture outside without Secret Service protection. Just ask Lenore Skenazy, who to this day, when you Google "America's Worst Mom," fills the first few pages of results — all because one day last year she let her 9-year-old son ride the New York City subway alone. A newspaper column she wrote about it somehow ignited a global firestorm over what constitutes reasonable risk. She had reporters calling from China, Israel, Australia, Malta. ("Malta! An island!" she marvels. "Who's stalking the kids there? Pirates?") Skenazy decided to fight back, arguing that we have lost our ability to assess risk. By worrying about the wrong things, we do actual damage to our children, raising them to be anxious and unadventurous or, as she puts it, "hothouse, mama-tied, danger-hallucinating joy extinguishers."

Skenazy, a Yale-educated mom who with her husband is raising two boys in New York City, had ingested all the same messages as the rest of us. Her sons' school once held a pre-field-trip assembly explaining exactly how close to a hospital the children would be at all times. She confesses to being "at least part Sikorsky," hiring a football coach for a son's birthday and handing out mouth guards as party favors. But when the Today show had her on the air to discuss her subway decision, interviewer Ann Curry turned to the camera and asked, "Is she an enlightened mom or a really bad one?" (See pictures of a diverse group of American teens.)

From that day and the food fight that followed, she launched her Free Range Kids blog, which eventually turned into her own Dangerous Book for Parents: Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry. There is no rational reason, she argues, that a generation of parents who grew up walking alone to school, riding mass transit, trick-or-treating, teeter-tottering and selling Girl Scout cookies door to door should be forbidding their kids to do the same. But somehow, she says, "10 is the new 2. We're infantilizing our kids into incompetence." She celebrates seat belts and car seats and bike helmets and all the rational advances in child safety. It's the irrational responses that make her crazy, like when Dear Abby endorses the idea, as she did in August, that each morning before their kids leave the house, parents take a picture of them. That way, if they are kidnapped, the police will have a fresh photo showing what clothes they were wearing. Once the kids make it home safe and sound, you can delete the picture and take a new one the next morning.

That advice may seem perfectly sensible to parents bombarded by heartbreaking news stories about missing little girls and the predator next door. But too many parents, says Skenazy, have the math all wrong. Refusing to vaccinate your children, as millions now threaten to do in the case of the swine flu, is statistically reckless; on the other hand, there are no reports of a child ever being poisoned by a stranger handing out tainted Halloween candy, and the odds of being kidnapped and killed by a stranger are about 1 in 1.5 million. When parents confront you with "How can you let him go to the store alone?," she suggests countering with "How can you let him visit your relatives?" (Some 80% of kids who are molested are victims of friends or relatives.) Or ride in the car with you? (More than 430,000 kids were injured in motor vehicles last year.) "I'm not saying that there is no danger in the world or that we shouldn't be prepared," she says. "But there is good and bad luck and fate and things beyond our ability to change. The way kids learn to be resourceful is by having to use their resources." Besides, she says with a smile, "a 100%-safe world is not only impossible. It's nowhere you'd want to be." (See pictures of eighth-graders being recruited for college basketball.)

Dispatches from the Front Lines
Eleven parents are sitting in a circle in an airy, glass-walled living room in south Austin, Texas, eating organic, gluten-free, nondairy coconut ice cream. This is a Slow Family Living class, taught by perinatal psychologist Carrie Contey and Bernadette Noll. "Our whole culture," says Contey, 38, "is geared around 'Is your kid making the benchmarks?' There's this fear of 'Is my kid's head the right size?' People think there's some mythical Good Mother out there that they aren't living up to and that it's hurting their child. I just want to pull the plug on that."

The parents seem relieved to hear it. Matt, a textbook editor, reports that he and his wife quit a book club because it caused too much stress on book-club nights, and stopped fussing about how the house looks, which brings nods all around the room: let go of perfectionism in all its tyranny. Margaret, a publishing executive, tells her own near-miss story of how she stepped back from the brink of insanity. On her son's fourth birthday, she says, "I'm like 'Oh, my God, he's eligible for Suzuki!' I literally got on the phone and called 12 Suzuki teachers," she says, before realizing the nightmare she was creating for herself and her child. Shutting down your inner helicopter isn't easy. "This is not a shift in perspective that occurs overnight," Matt admits after class. "And it's not every day that I consciously sit down and ask myself hard questions about how I want family life to be slower or better."

See the best back-to-school iPhone apps.

See TIME's special report on paying for college.

Fear is a kind of parenting fungus: invisible, insidious, perfectly designed to decompose your peace of mind. Fear of physical danger is at least subject to rational argument; fear of failure is harder to hose down. What could be more natural than worrying that your child might be trampled by the great, scary, globally competitive world into which she will one day be launched? It is this fear that inspires parents to demand homework in preschool, produce the snazzy bilingual campaign video for the third-grader's race for class rep, continue to provide the morning wake-up call long after he's headed off to college.

Some of the hovering is driven by memory and demography. This generation of parents, born after 1964, waited longer to marry and had fewer children. Families are among the smallest in history, which means our genetic eggs are in fewer baskets and we guard them all the more zealously. Helicopter parents can be found across all income levels, all races and ethnicities, says Patricia Somers of the University of Texas at Austin, who spent more than a year studying the species at the college level. "There are even helicopter grandparents," she notes, who turn up with their elementary-school grandchildren for college-information sessions aimed at juniors and seniors. (See pictures of Barack Obama's college years.)

Nor is this phenomenon limited to ZIP codes where every Volvo wagon just has to have a University of Chicago sticker on it. "I'm having exactly the same conversations with coaches, teachers, parents, counselors, whether I'm in Wichita or northern Canada or South America," says Honoré. His own revelation came while listening to the feedback about his son in kindergarten. It was fine, but nothing stellar — until he got to the art room and the teacher began raving about how creative his son was, pointing out his sketches that she'd displayed as models for other students. Then, Honoré recalls, "she dropped the G-bomb: 'He's a gifted artist,' she told us, and it was one of those moments when you don't hear anything else. I just saw the word gifted in neon with my son's name ..." So he hurried home and Googled the names of art tutors and eagerly told his son all about the special person who would help him draw even better. "He looks at me like I'm from outer space," Honoré says. "'I just wanna draw,' he tells me. 'Why do grownups have to take over everything?' "

"That was a searing epiphany," Honoré concludes. "I didn't like what I saw." He now writes and lectures about the many fruits of slowing down, citing research that suggests the brain in its relaxed state is more creative, makes more nuanced connections and is ripe for eureka moments. "With children," he argues, "they need that space not to be entertained or distracted. What boredom does is take away the noise ... and leave them with space to think deeply, invent their own game, create their own distraction. It's a useful trampoline for children to learn how to get by." (See pictures of college mascots.)

Other studies reinforce the importance of play as an essential protein in a child's emotional diet; were it not, argue some scientists, it would not have persisted across species and millenniums, perhaps as a way to practice for adulthood, to build leadership, sociability, flexibility, resilience — even as a means of literally shaping the brain and its pathways. Dr. Stuart Brown, a psychiatrist and the founder of the National Institute for Play — who has a treehouse above his office — recalls in a recent book how managers at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) noticed the younger engineers lacked problem-solving skills, though they had top grades and test scores. Realizing the older engineers had more play experience as kids — they'd taken apart clocks, built stereos, made models — JPL eventually incorporated questions about job applicants' play backgrounds into interviews. "If you look at what produces learning and memory and well-being" in life, Brown has argued, "play is as fundamental as any other aspect.'' The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that the decrease in free playtime could carry health risks: "For some children, this hurried lifestyle is a source of stress and anxiety and may even contribute to depression." Not to mention the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation of kids who never just go out and play.

Remember, Mistakes Are Good
Many educators have been searching for ways to tell parents when to back off. It's a tricky line to walk, since studies link parents' engagement in a child's education to better grades, higher test scores, less substance abuse and better college outcomes. Given a choice, teachers say, overinvolved parents are preferable to invisible ones. The challenge is helping parents know when they are crossing a line.

Every teacher can tell the story of a student who needed to fail in order to be reassured that the world wouldn't come to an end. Yet teachers now face a climate in which parents ghostwrite students' homework, airbrush their lab reports — then lobby like a K Street hired gun for their child to be assigned to certain classes. Principal Karen Faucher instituted a "no rescue" policy at Belinder Elementary in Prairie Village, Kans., when she noticed the front-office table covered each day with forgotten lunch boxes and notebooks, all brought in by parents. The tipping point was the day a mom rushed in with a necklace meant to complete her daughter's coordinated outfit. "I'm lucky — I deal with intelligent parents here," Faucher says. "But you saw very intelligent parents doing very stupid things. It was almost like a virus. The parents knew that was not what they intended to do, but they couldn't help themselves." A guidance counselor at a Washington prep school urges parents to find a mentor of a certain disposition. "Make friends with parents," she advises, "who don't think their kids are perfect." Or with parents who are willing to exert some peer pressure of their own: when schools debate whether to drop recess to free up more test-prep time, parents need to let a school know if they think that's a trade-off worth making.

Read "To Help the Kids, Parents Go Back to School."

See pictures of teens and how they would vote.

A certain amount of hovering is understandable when it comes to young children, but many educators are concerned when it persists through middle school and high school. Some teachers talk of "Stealth Fighter Parents," who no longer hover constantly but can be counted on for a surgical strike just when the high school musical is being cast or the starting lineup chosen. And senior year is the witching hour: "I think for a lot of parents, college admissions is like their grade report on how they did as a parent," observes Madeleine Rhyneer, dean of students at Willamette University in Oregon. Many colleges have had to invent a "director of parent programs" to run regional groups so moms and dads can meet fellow college parents or attend special classes where they can learn all the school cheers. The Ithaca College website offers a checklist of advice: "Visit (but not too often)"; "Communicate (but not too often)"; "Don't worry (too much)"; "Expect change"; "Trust them."

Teresa Meyer, a former PTA president at Hickman High in Columbia, Mo., has just sent the youngest of her three daughters to college. "They made it very clear: You are not invited to the registration part where they're requesting classes. That's their job." She's come to appreciate the please-back-off vibe she's encountered. "I hope that we're getting away from the helicopter parenting," Meyer says. "Our philosophy is 'Give 'em the morals, give 'em the right start, but you've got to let them go.' They deserve to live their own lives." (See the 10 best iPhone apps for dads.)

What You Can Do
Among the most powerful weapons in the war against the helicopter brigade is the explosion of websites where parents can confide, confess and affirm their sense that lowering expectations is not the same as letting your children down. So you gave up trying to keep your 2-year-old from eating the dog's food? You banged your son's head on the doorway while giving him a piggyback ride? Your daughter hates school and is so scared of failure she won't even try to ride a bike? "I just want to throw in the towel and give up on her," one mom posts on Truuconfessions.com. "This is NOT what I thought I was signing up for." Honestbaby.com sells baby T-shirts that say "I'll walk when I'm good and ready." Given how many books and websites drove a generation of parents mad with anxiety, a certain balance is restored to the universe when it becomes conventional for people to brag about what bad parents they are.

The revolutionary leaders are careful about offering too much advice. Parents have gotten plenty of that, and one of the goals of this new movement is to give parents permission to disagree or at least follow different roads. "People feel there's somehow a secret formula for parenting, and if we just read enough books and spend enough money and drive ourselves hard enough, we'll find it, and all will be O.K.," Honoré observes. "Can you think of anything more sinister, since every child is so different, every family is different? Parents need to block out the sound and fury from the media and other parents, find that formula that fits your family best."

Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting, teaches seminars on how to peel back the layers of cultural pressure that weigh down families. He and his coaches will even go into your home, weed out your kids' stuff, sort out their schedule, turn off the screens and help your family find space you didn't know you had, like a master closet reorganizer for the soul. But any parent can do it just as well. "We need to quit bombarding them with choices way before their ability to handle them," Payne says. The average child has 150 toys. "When you cut the toys and clothes back ... the kids really like it." He aims for a cut of roughly 75%: he tosses out the broken toys and gives away the outgrown ones and the busy, noisy, blinking ones that do the playing for you. Pare down to the classics that leave the most to the child's imagination and create a kind of toy library kids can visit and swap from. Then build breaks of calm into their schedule so they can actually enjoy the toys. (See how to plan for retirement at any age.)

Finally, there is the gift of humility, which parents need to offer one another. We can fuss and fret and shuttle and shelter, but in the end, what we do may not matter as much as we think. Freakonomics authors Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt analyzed a Department of Education study tracking the progress of kids through fifth grade and found that things like how much parents read to their kids, how much TV kids watch and whether Mom works make little difference. "Frequent museum visits would seem to be no more productive than trips to the grocery store," they argued in USA Today. "By the time most parents pick up a book on parenting technique, it's too late. Many of the things that matter most were decided long ago — what kind of education a parent got, what kind of spouse he wound up with and how long they waited to have children."

If you embrace this rather humbling reality, it will be easier to follow the advice D.H. Lawrence offered back in 1918: "How to begin to educate a child. First rule: leave him alone. Second rule: leave him alone. Third rule: leave him alone. That is the whole beginning."

Of course, that was easy for him to say. He had no kids.

— With reporting by Karen Ball / Kansas City, Mo.; Alexandra Silver / New York City; and Elizabeth Dias and Sophia Yan / Washington

My Monkeys

2009-11-22T23:04:00.000-08:00

The monkeys tried on their new dresses today and decided to ham it up. I love this one:

Random Thoughts

2009-11-21T23:04:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday night and I'm about to fall asleep. These are things I think about:

Why do we always say that you know if an ethnic restaurant is good but the amount of people of that ethnicity eating there? If it was REALLY THAT GOOD, wouldn't everyone eat there?
Why do we insist our children learn things that are dangerous - roller skating, ice skating and bicycle riding are the ones that come to mind first?
Why can't I stop eating when I'm full?
Why do most people only make a whole turkey once or twice a year, while whole chickens are made all the time?
Why is it that if you eat 3 meals worth of calories at one meal, you will gain weight, while spreading them out between 3 meals won't necessarily make you gain weight?
Why can't I just close my eyes and go to sleep?

Good night.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask

2009-11-20T22:54:00.000-08:00

In the past month or so I have gotten some great deals. I do look at coupon websites and blogs, but sometimes it is just a matter of asking the right questions:

A friend of mine showed me her Promenade (it's an outdoor mall) discount card. She explained to me that her HR department handed them out to everyone. So I called the management company of the Promenade, and asked about getting these cards for our company. I was told that it was too close to the New Year but that they would keep me in mind for next year. About a week later, I received a call asking if some of our management would like to eat for free at a restaurant about to open in the mall (they needed guinea pigs to rate service, food, etc...). We had a great lunch for 3 for the price of a tip. I also received an email for a new nail salon opening up there. I paid $16 for a manicure and pedicure.

I went to my gym/spa for waxing. They were having a special where a series of 12 services was 40% off. So I asked if they'd be willing to split the 12 up in to 6 of one service and 6 of another service. At first the girl wasn't sure but I gently prodded her to try, and the transaction went through.

I often forget but situations like this help me remember. It never hurts to ask for a better deal!

My Mother-In-Law

2009-11-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

My MIL can be a very generous woman. She helps me out with the kids whenever she can and is constantly bringing me clothes. She actually enjoys spending time with me.

However, she is a narcissist. She means well, but it is all truly about her. Today I found out that my mother is going to have hip replacement surgery in December. I called my MIL to tell her, since they are friends (which pisses me off to no end because then they gang up on me). I was explaining to her that it would actually be great timing for me, because it will be easy for me to take off work, the monkeys will be on winter break and we can go up to the bay area and stay with my dad, help him around the house and visit my mom in the hospital.

MY mothers reply - "OH yes! We'll go up too!". Now I understand that she truly believes that she wants to go up there and help, but doesn't she realize that my mom will then be spending the days before the surgery cleaning the house and cooking meals so there will be food for her "guests" to eat? And then when they leave she will be forced to get up and do the sheets, etc... from their bed. It will be so much easier just to have her immediate family around her.

I explained this to my husband and he agreed. I spoke to my mom about it and she is afraid to tell them no.

Sigh! I am book-ended by the narcissist and the woman who goes out of her way to be nice to everyone (except me)!

Tis The Season

2009-11-18T23:37:00.000-08:00

The parties are starting and the drinks are starting to flow. I made this a couple of weeks ago and it went SO quickly that I didn't have time to take a picture.

It actually comes from Cooking Light, which is not the publication I usually get my drinks from.

I will be making this OVER and OVER again! And you should too!

Pomegranate-Rosemary Royale

This simple twist on the traditional kir royale blends tart-sweet pomegranate juice with subtle herbal notes from a rosemary-infused syrup. Float rosemary leaves on the drinks for a pretty garnish.

Ingrediants:
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 cups Champagne or sparkling wine

Directions:
1. Combine 1/4 cup water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add rosemary; let stand 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice and 1 tablespoon rosemary syrup into 4 Champagne glasses. Top each serving with 1/2 cup Champagne. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 115 ; FAT 0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.5g; SODIUM 4mg; PROTEIN 0.1g; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 0.1mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2009

The Dog

2009-11-17T23:12:00.000-08:00

I love our dog - she really is cute and super smart and loves the kids and has only barked once (when my husband grabbed her from behind and scared her)!

One thing - she keeps pooping on the rug when we're not there!!! We leave the door to the back yard open. We leave for 1-3 hours, 2 to 3 times a week, and what does she do? She poops on the rugs; little piles of poop all over the rug. Not on the tile floor, not on the cement in the back yard, just on the living room rug!

WTF?!?!?! When we watch her we stick her outside for the next 2-3 hours but she doesn't learn!

I am signing her up for obedience classes on Saturday!

One Big Holiday

2009-11-16T23:12:00.000-08:00

I know others have blogged about this, like Lucy, but it finally hit me over the head today!

I received and email about a tree lighting on the 19th. I figured it was for December 19th - a little late, but OK. Oh no - it turns out that it was for THIS coming up Thursday. November 19th!!

WTF??? How is there a tree lighting before Thanksgiving has even come and gone? And then a co-worker of mine told me that Santa is already in the mall near his house! Really?? Doesn't Santa need to eat his turkey first?

We truly are turning in to one big commercial holiday and Thanksgiving doesn't make the cut because no one is buying "Happy Thanksgiving Cards". We gloss over the holidays that are meant to teach a lesson - thankfulness on Thanksgiving, appreciation for our Armed forces on Veterans Day or Memorial Day - and go straight to the holidays where we can make money.

This Thanksgiving let's be thankful just a little bit more and maybe the power of positive thinking (OK, yes I read the newest Dan Brown book recently) will counteract the commercialism of America.

Royal Raspberry Bars

2009-11-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently, I like to be tortured! Right around this time of year, I start getting emails from MyRecipes Cookie Countdown. Instead of unsubscribing, I open every email and drool!

These bars were particularly drool worthy, and yes, they do taste just as good as they look! Perfect for company - they look extremely festive with the white meringue and red raspberry filling.

Royal Raspberry Bars

Phyllis Ciardo developed her own rich and chewy version of the meringue-topped bars she remembers her mother baking every Christmas.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sweetened flaked dried coconut
1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3/8 lb.) butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup raspberry jam
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:
In a bowl, mix oats, flour, coconut, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until well blended. Press dough level in bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan.
Bake crust in a 325° regular or convection oven until edges begin to brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, then spread jam evenly over warm crust.
In a large bowl, with a mixer on high speed, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until thick and foamy. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar and continue to whip until mixture holds soft, shiny peaks. With a spatula, spread meringue evenly over jam.
Bake until meringue is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then cut into 24 bars. Let cool completely, then use a wide spatula to remove bars from pan.

Yield: Makes 2 dozen bars

CALORIES 158 (39% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 4.3g); CHOLESTEROL 16mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23g; SODIUM 124mg; PROTEIN 2g; FIBER 0.9g

Sunset, DECEMBER 2001

My Day

2009-11-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I like to list out what I did today, to remind myself why I am SO tired. then I smack myself upside the head and wonder why I never learn to do less.

9:30am - Leave the House
9:30am-10:30am - Farmers Market with monkeys
10:30am-11:00am - Drop monkeys off at Russian School
11:00am-12:00pm - wax (and boy did I need it)
12:00pm-12:30pm - Buy birthday present
12:30pm-1:00pm - Pick up monkeys from Russian School
1:15pm-4:15pm - Kids Birthday Party at Ice Skating
4:15pm-5:00pm - Park with monkeys
5:00pm-6:00pm - Frozen yogurt with monkeys
6:00pm-7:00pm - Home
7:00pm-9:30pm - Left monkeys at home and went to a friends house

I'm home, I'm tired and am ready to watch TV and fall asleep.

Good night!

Friends

2009-11-13T23:19:00.000-08:00

You know those friends? The ones who you can see very week or every other month? And you have so much to talk about, that the hours just fly by? Thankfully, I have been blessed with many such friends!

The great thing about these friends is that no one monopolizes the conversation. It's not the "ABC" show. We each take turns telling the stories of our days, weeks and months. If one person feels like being silent, the others will make up for it. If one person feels like they have ALOT to say, then we let them have their moment in the spotlight - because we know that each of us will have our time to shine.

Today I was sad - I was planning on going up to the bay area to have a girls night with my best childhood friends in the world. The trip got cancelled :(

Luckily, I met up with two of my best friends that I have here in town. We got to sushi at 7:30pm. The next time I looked at my watch next it was 9:10pm. The next time after that it was 10:30pm. We closed the sushi place down and I got home at 11pm!

We had so much to talk about we could have continued for hours, and the 3 hours we spent at dinner flew by in what felt like 5 minutes. In fact, the two friends continued on to a pub down the street. I came home because I have a family to take care of in the morning. That's the other thing about truly great friends - there were no hard feelings about me going home. They know how my life is and were just happy that we got to hang out.

This was the perfect way to spend an evening.

Kids Eat For Free

2009-11-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

I had like 3 different topics on deck to write about tonight. I have forgotten them all!!

So, I am going to direct you to my latest Examiner.com article. It's about a website where you put in your city or zip code and they tell you restaurants where kids eat for free any day of the week.

REALLY??

2009-11-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

I know this is ironic given the fact that I have just give airtime to this douche bag, but come on?!?!?!

Doesn't he realize that he is truly a dirt bag and that people aren't laughing with him, they're laughing AT HIM!

Jon Gosselin Goes Back in Time from Jon Gosselin

Veterans Day

2009-11-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

The monkey's have tomorrow off of school. They asked me why? I told them that it was to honor the soldiers that fight for our country. I can't wait until they are old enough to TRULY understand what that means.

We take our freedom for granted. We think that it will always be around, and in some ways, that it is HAS always been around.

The movie that made me understand what freedom is about, and how thankful we should be for the soldiers that fight for freedom, is Escape from Sobibor. It is a holocaust movie which does not have the mass cinematic appeal that Schindler's List had, but it gripped me none-the-less.

I was 11 when they showed it to us in school, which was too young, but perfect in the way that it was my first real look in to what it meant not to live the life I took for granted. It truly left an impression.

Thank G-d for the service men and women who fight today, and who have fought in the past! With out you, there would be NO us!

Busted by My Little Spy

2009-11-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

We get in the car to go to school this morning:

Big Monkey - Mom, where did you go last night?
Me - Huh?? You were asleep.
Big Monkey - Yes, but you went somewhere.
Me - I went to a friends house to watch Desperate Housewives. How did you know?
Big Monkey - Because when we came home the odometer was at 82 miles left to empty and now it's at 75 miles to empty!

OK - I am so screwed. If she pays this much attention to detail at 7 years old what will she be like as a teenager?

Prizes Given Out at Carnivals

2009-11-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

When went to the monkeys' fall festival today and I helped out at one of the booth's. I think I figured out why all of the prizes give out delight kids and aggravate parents. Look closely at what's written on the top left of the box (I circled it).

Yup that's right - it's "Squeezable BS"!

At A Loss

2009-11-06T23:12:00.000-08:00

I had friends over today for a get together. The kids (ages 5-7) were all in my bedroom towards the end of the night.

My friends went to look for them and found my little one (aged 5) and the older boy (aged 6) in the bathroom - the boy was fully nude and my little one was fully nude from the waist down.

OMG!! They yelled at them, got them dressed and sent them out (and no more closed doors for sure) but now what?? I talked to the little one for a bit but how do I handle it?

We'll talk more to them tomorrow - to both of mine because the older one (aged 7) should have never let the little one go in to the bathroom with the boy.

Should I be super concerned? Is this normal? I feel so embarrassed, upset, at a loss?!?!?!

I need advice.

The Real Nobel Prize Winner

2009-11-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

This is not meant to be political. It is meant to be in memoriam and in remembrance.

Irena Sendler
There recently was a death of a 98 year-old lady named Irena. During WWII, Irena got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an 'ulterior motive' .. She KNEW what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews, (being German.) Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried and she carried in the back of her truck a burlap sack, (for larger kids..) She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers of course wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.. During her time of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants. She was caught, and the Nazi's broke both her legs, arms and beat her severely. Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out and kept them in a glass jar, buried under a tree in her back yard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived it and reunited the family. Most had been gassed. Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted.

Last year Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize ..... She was not selected.
Al Gore won, for a slide show on Global Warming.
Powerful message, especially the "cartoon." Let us never forget 63 years later!

In MEMORIAM - 63 YEARS LATER
Please read the little cartoon carefully, it's powerful. Then read the comments at the end.

I'm doing my small part by forwarding this message. I hope you'll consider doing the same.
It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated with the German and Russian Peoples looking the other way!

Now, more than ever, with Iraq , Iran, and others, claiming the Holocaust to be 'a myth,' it's imperative to make sure the world never forgets, because there are others who would like to do it again.

This e-mail is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide

Join us and be a link in the memorial chain and help us distribute it around the world.

Conversation With My Mother

2009-11-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

Mom: How's the puppy doing
Me: Great
Mom: You don't want to get rid of it yet?
Me: No
Mom: I know - your husband is the one who wanted the dog
Me: Actually he was against it at first - I wanted the dog
Mom: The big monkey told me the dog is sleeping in her bed
Me: Yes, by her feet
Mom: That is so unhealthy for the big monkey
Me: No it's not
Mom: I spoke to someone at work today and they said...
Me: I don't want to have this conversation any more - leave it alone
Mom: Well, if the dog is more important to you than the big monkey
Me: Yes, that's exactly it!
Mom: Starting to scream something about how horrible a dog sleeping on a child's bed is
Me: CLICK!!!! (Sometimes it's nice having her 400 miles away and not being able to do anything about me hanging up on her - teehee)

Argh!!! I am in my 30's. Why is she still trying to run my life?!?!?!

Two Years In A Row

2009-11-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

Soon after I started my blog, I joined NABLOPOMO 2008 (is it just me or does it sounds like "hey would you blow me").

Thanks to the challenge, I end up establishing a writing discipline. I try to write daily and succeed about 75% of the time. I found some great blogs and made some wonderful bloggy friends. I came out of my comfort zone and blogged even when I "thought" I had nothing to say. 9 times out of 10, it turns out I had plenty to say ;)

It's been a long time since I blogged daily for a whole month. I look forward to the challenge this month.

Who else is participating?

Lucky

2009-11-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

According to my big monkey:

Boys are lucky because they can't have babies
Girls are lucky because it doesn't hurt when they get hit "down there"

She has repeated this numerous times over the past week which makes me wonder what it is that she talks to her friends about during school. Also, how does a conversation like that get started?

Yummy!

2009-11-01T22:21:00.000-08:00

After Friday and Saturday, I have had absolutely no energy today. Of course, that didn't stop me from yelling at the monkeys every five minutes!

We went to the park late this afternoon and the little monkey skinned her knee. As we were driving home, I looked down at the clock and saw that it was 5:30pm. I realized that all the monkeys had all day was two bites of omelet and pita sandwiches (one with cream cheese, one with peanut butter) to eat (well, aside from the mass amounts of candy).

So, what did I do? Did I go home and make them a nutritious meal, complete with fruits, vegetables and protein??? Heck no!!! We drove through McDonald's, where I stole two of the little ones chicken nuggets, 1/3 of the big ones hamburger and had my own fries! I LOVE chicken nuggets and fries!!!

The monkeys thought I was the best mom ever -all the yelling was erased, and the boo-boo forgotten (at least for a few minutes). McDonald's really can be a magical place :)

Wordful Wednesday/Thousand Word Thursday

2009-10-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we went to the pumpkin patch and thankfully I had my blackberry on me - so I could snap this picture:

I call it "Goat on The Roof":

Halloween Costumes

2009-10-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

I am an adult! Yet, every year at this time I feel the need to dress up for Halloween.

Kids have such cute costumes you can buy! But adults, all the costumes make women look like prostitutes! How can I wear one to work? And how can I take my kids around trick-or-treating when social services would be called on me???

Any suggestions? What do you wear? Please - I need help!

Beef in Pomegranate Sauce

2009-10-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

I love looking at blogging websites and came across this recipe from Karina's Kitchen. I adapted it a bit.

Beef in Pomegranate Sauce
Ingredients:
2 pounds beef tips
Sea salt
1 onion, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup agave (I didn't have any maple syrup)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon Penzeys Pasta sprinkle (or other dried herbs)
A small pinch of cinnamon

Directions:
Turn your Crock Pot to High. Add in sliced onion and garlic. Place the beef on top. Pour in the pomegranate juice, crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Add the raisins, dried herbs, a pinch of cinnamon, sea salt and ground pepper.

Stir a little bit to co-mingle ingredients. Cover and let the magic happen- about 6 hours until the meat is tender. Taste test the sauce for seasoning adjustments.

I served this on top of soft Polenta originally and on top of steamed rice for left-over lunch today.

Serves 4.

Procrastination Again!

2009-10-26T22:37:00.001-07:00

The Halloween edition:

The little monkey has not yet picked out her Halloween costume (we have like 15 at home to choose from - between Halloween's and dance recitals)
I only TODAY asked my mother-in-law to make the big monkeys Halloween costume (she's going to be Little Red Riding Hood).
I'm starting to think about dressing up or Halloween (but have no costume).

I'm sure I'm not the only one with these "issues", but am stressed out anyways!

I Admit It - I Am Star Struck

2009-10-25T23:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch today at our local City College and they really did a great job. This was our first year there and I was pretty amazed.

There was a corn maze, a merry-go-round, food, a local music station was DJing, mining for "gold", a petting zoo, horsey rides, and on and on!

The monkey's loved it all (except they didn't get to ride the ponies because one was "acting up" and no one was I going to go near that). My favorite part - seeing Tori Spelling and her family!!! I was the same age as the 90210 cast (or at least their TV ages) when it came out and like everyone my age, was obsessed.

Since two of my friends have already asked, I will post it here - NO she does not look anorexic. She is skinny, but not any more so than any other LA woman (size 0 or 2 here is normal). They parked like everyone else, walked around, stood in line and ate. She seemed very down to earth. No one bothered her, that I saw.

I was a big person and didn't come up to her, but OH MAN, I SOOOO wanted to get my picture taken with her!

Polenta with Smoky Mushroom Ragout

2009-10-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a play date. The older child is in the same grade as the older monkey, and the younger child is in the same grade as the younger monkey.

This was the first "get-together". The mom brought pizza for the kids (the monkey's other friend was there too) and I made dinner.

I prepped/cooked most things last night. Tonight I only needed to put the crock pot on and put one thing in the oven (the polenta below).

Of course I didn't have time to photograph anything. :(

One of the dishes I made was a SUPER simple polenta. Most people don't like polenta because you have to stand there and stir forever! Also, most polenta has heavy cream or tons of butter or milk.

With this recipe, you can easily make it non-dairy, and almost no fat, without sacrificing ANY of the taste.

In fact, my friend's daughter is lactose intolerant and went nuts over it. I gave her the polenta leftovers and had to call her to snap a picture and send it to me :)

Polenta with Smoky Mushroom Ragout
Serving Size : 8
Cooking Light April 2004
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Ingrediants
POLENTA
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups cornmeal -- (polenta)
1 tablespoon butter - I used olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
RAGOUT
1 tablespoon olive oil - I used less
2 cups chopped onion
8 cups oyster mushrooms -- sliced (about 1.5 pounds) - I omitted this because I didn't have any
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon chipotle chile canned in adobo -- finely chopped - I subbed chipotle powder because it's what I had on hand
1 tablespoon dried oregano - I subbed dried parsley and dried italian blend because it's what I had
3 cloves garlic -- minced
28 ounces canned tomatoes -- whole, drained and chopped - I just used canned diced tomatoes
8 ounces queso fresco -- 2 cups - I omitted for my lactose free friend
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro -- chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350

To prepare polenta, combine first 4 ingredients in a 13x9 baking dish, stirring well. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed. Cover and keep warm

While Polenta is cooking, prepare ragout. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms and salt, saute 10 minutes or until mushrooms release liquid and begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Add wine, chile, oregano, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly (About 1 minute). Stir in tomato, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes or until thickened slightly, stirring occasionally.

Spoon ragout over polenta, sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 350 15 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Sprinkle with cilantro.

2009-10-22T23:35:00.001-07:00

This is my first attempt at mobile blogging since the website isn't working for me.
It's 11:30 and am laying down to enjoy Grey's Anatomy. Details to come...

Huh

2009-10-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

Things that make me go HUH:

The little monkey came home from Kindergarten with her classmates tooth (that her classmate had lost that day)???

The big monkey is having "meetings" with her friends during school?

The puppy still whines at night in her crate?

The men from NCIS: Los Angeles are much hotter but the original still has better writing?

Costco is selling wedding dresses?

I will leave you with a picture of the Costco wedding dress:

Boys Learn Young

2009-10-19T23:20:00.001-07:00

Overheard today:

Little Monkey: Can I have a potato chip?
Little Boy she's been friends with since birth: No!
Little Boy's Mom: Give her one!
Little Boy she's been friends with since birth: No - she's not my girl friend any more!

Both the other mom and I were trying SO HARD not to crack up!

I guess boys learn at a young age that you don't give girls anything unless you are dating them or want to date them!

Back to School Night

2009-10-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight was back to school night, for parents only, at the monkeys school.

The 1st hour was bake sale/raffles, etc... The 2nd hour was classroom visits. This time we had to do 30 minutes in one monkeys class and 30 minutes in the other monkeys class.

These informational sessions are always good but feel a bit sterile. There isn't really enough time to go through everything and there definitely isn't time to ask questions about your own kid.

For many working parents this was the first time actually really getting to spend time in the classroom.

It would be better if the 1st hour was the classroom visits and the 2nd hour more in depth sessions with the teachers. If we wanted to speak to them we could sign up for a 5 minute time slot or something.

I always leave these nights thinking that something was missing and that I forgot to ask A, B, C.

Hiding Out

2009-10-14T23:04:00.000-07:00

I am a grown adult, living in my own house.

And yet, here I am, hiding out in my bedroom, with the TV turned up, so I can't hear the puppy whine and cry in the living room, in her crate.

I am contemplating sleeping with the TV on all night. I can't spend a 4th night sleeping on the couch!

This will get better right? I will start to think of Maya as a member of my family, right?

The Little Monkeys Boy Friend

2009-10-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

Location: Little Monkey's Room
Time: Bed Time

My baby sitter walks in to the little monkeys room and sees her in bed talking on her "cell phone". When she asks the monkey who she's talking to, the monkey answers "my boy friend".

Unfortunately, the monkey was speaking English and the baby sitter didn't understand what the monkey was telling her "boy friend".

Young love :)

Upon texting my husband to let him know, the response I get back is "I'll kill him".

Scaring dad for the future - priceless!

New Puppy

2009-10-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

We got her on Sunday. I spent from 11pm-5am sleeping on the couch beside her crate. Keep your fingers crossed that the puppy will be crate trained soon.

I go through feelings of "OMG! What have I done?? I don't have time for a puppy!" to "She is so smart. Look how much she loves the kids already, and how much they love her!" and back.

Am I a schizophrenic dog owner or what??

Angel Food Cake

2009-10-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, I bought the most amazing, light and tasty Angel Food Cake. So, I decided to try and make my own.

The first recipe I came upon was the Barefoot Contessa's Angel Food Cake. She has not failed me yet so I am hopeful that I can same the same for this recipe. Hope bad can it possibly be with egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest?!

So far I've tried the stuff that's on the bottom pan and the little crumbs that have fallen off the cake :) It's very good but next time I will experiment with reducing the sugar.

Lemon Angel Food Cake
Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 40 min

Serves:8 servings

Ingredients
2 cups sifted superfine sugar, divided
1 1/3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 large lemon)

(I forgot to take the lemon out of the refrigerator before I took the picture)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the flour and sift together 4 times. Set aside. Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs make medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Whisk for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour by fourths by sifting and folding until it's all incorporated.
Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack until cool.

Traumatized Child

2009-10-08T23:36:00.001-07:00

I heard today that my baby sitter traumatized the big monkey's friend yesterday!

This little girl is the big monkey's best friend and spends a lot of time at our house. Normally she loves it and loves our baby sitter. Yesterday my husband picked them up from school and took both of my monkeys, and the friend, back to our house. He then went back to work.

In our house, we eat a European Supper. The main big meal is at about 3pm, when the monkeys get home from school. "Dinner" usually consists of cereal and milk, or something light. And my baby sitter is OLD SCHOOL. You will eat everything on your plate or she will feed it to you.

The friend is extremely picky. Our baby sitter made plain pasta with pieces of chicken, bell peppers and tomatoes (which is actually quite a plain meal in our house compared to the normal stuff we eat). This girl told her that she wasn't hungry. So what did our baby sitter do? She literally fed the friend with a spoon until she had eaten all but 3 bites.

When I found out I called my friend (her mom) and told that my baby sitter had literally force fed her child. She said "good" and we laughed about it. And thinking about it, it is pretty funny. But this poor child - she will probably be scared for life.

The moral of the story - don't mess with a European baby sitter!

Puppy

2009-10-07T22:44:00.001-07:00

We are getting our new puppy on Sunday and I am starting to panic. So I am looking for help. Can you guys PLEASE let me know what I definitely should have ready at home for the puppy?

So far I know I can get a great dog bed at Costco. What else? Please comment and let me know because there are only a couple of days left.

Also:

How do I get the puppy not to scratch the furniture?
How do I get the puppy not to cry at night? Will she for sure?
What's the best dog food?
Do I need to buy doggy gates?
What am I forgetting

Wow! I feel like I am getting ready to bring my first child home (I don't remember being as freaked out about that).

FINALLY

2009-10-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

Finally, someone has enough guts to stop pussy-footing around Jon Gosselin and ask him the "real" questions.

I'm not saying either of them were perfect in this marriage, but COME ON! At least she has acted with a modicum of decorum since the separation.

You go Nancy Grace!

Asian Super Slaw

2009-10-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

I made plans with friends to host dinner. We decided on Korean BBQ meat from the Korean grocery store. Friends brought the meat already pre-marinated. I added a salad, that I found on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board, by applecrisp, to round out the meal.

My friends COULD NOT STOP eating this salad!!

Asian Super Slaw
Servings: Serves 4 to 6. (many say serves more than that)

Ingredients
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil - used 3 tablespoons
5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage - used a bag of coleslaw instead of both cabbages
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage - used a bag of coleslaw instead of both cabbages
2 large red or yellow bell peppers, cut into matchstick-size strips
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
8 large green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado - my own cal-asian addition that added an extra creamy something to the dish

Directions:
Whisk first 7 ingredients in small bowl to blend. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before continuing.)
Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.