KIDS’ COMFORT FOOD FOR FIRST WEEK BACK TO SCHOOL
Shalinee~~
So, the big kids start school this week. I’m so happy our kids all go to the same crazy school! My contribution to this week’s swap is comfort food for our kiddos’ first week. What could make a kindergartner happier than mac-n-cheese for dinner? My meal was on our table for our “Back To School Dinner 2010.”
The mac-n-cheese:
I haven’t made homemade macaroni and cheese for at least a couple of years. This is mainly because K & O love Annie’s so much, that it makes life simple to just buy the boxes of the stuff (and boxes and boxes and boxes!!!). But I’m so glad I made this mac-n-cheese from scratch because it is amazing!!!!!! Seriously the best mac-n-cheese we’ve ever had. In the past, if making homemade mac-n-cheese I always made my mom’s recipe (which is great in its own right). But I knew about this recipe in Barefoot Contessa Family Style (Ina Garten’s cookbooks = my absolute favorites), and had always wanted to try it. One word: Gruyere. That should say it all! It was awesome, and just different enough to make it worth the while. We had never had tomatoes on our mac-n-cheese before, but it seemed like the perfect September (back to school and tomato season!) thing to do. K & O have officially named it “Fancy Macaroni” — I hope you guys love it as much as we do! To prepare the mac-n-cheese:
- I’ve put the actual mac-n-cheese in a tupperware so that it doesn’t spill. warm it in microwave a bit just to ‘melt’/soften it, and then dump it into a shallow baking dish. (or, split into two dishes and freeze half for another time– there is a LOT).
- slice tomatoes and lie on top.
- sprinkle *generously* with the bread crumbs (the amount I’ve given you is the amount that the recipe calls for).
- Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes ’till bubbly and gooey and mac-n-cheesey!
Here’s the recipe, from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Family Style:
kosher salt vegetable oil 1 pound elbow macaroni 1 quart milk 1 stick unsalted butter 1/2 cup flour 4 cups grated Gruyere cheese 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp nutmeg 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs —Preheat oven to 375. Boil pasta until al dente then drain well. Heat milk in small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt 6 Tbs butter in a large pot, add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the cheeses, 1 Tbs. salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into baking dish. Slice tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt remaining 2 Tbs butter, combine with bread crumbs, and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top.
The salad:
This french salad dressing was my favorite when I was a kid. My mom used to make it all the time. I have no idea where it originated. It is now my kids’ favorite (this and store-bought ranch!). I didn’t know if you wanted to make an actual ‘salad’ or if your kids would like it better as a dip for veggies… so I just gave you a few salad ingredients and you can do whatever your kids (and you) will like best. FYI– my favorite way to eat this dressing is drizzled on a big salad with diced sharp cheddar cheese and a scoop of tuna salad on top; Owen’s favorite way to eat this dressing is as a dip with plain cheese quesadillas (instead of sour cream and salsa) –weird mix, but I gotta say: the kid’s got taste!–it actually is a great combo.
Here’s the recipe:
1 cup vegetable oil (not olive oil) 1/4 cup vinegar 2/3 cup ketchup 1/2 cup white sugar 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp paprika 1/2 of a medium sized white or yellow onion — Mix all together in Cuisinart or blender until completely combined and emulsified.
The bread:
Braydon’s from-scratch-sourdough! He’s on another bread-making-kick! and you’re on the receiving end with us!
ENJOY!
* * *
from Heather to Shalineedate Thurs, Sep 16, 2010 at 10:16 AM subject noodles & dumplings
well, your dinner was one of our favorites yet.
Meera kept saying “More Bawk-Bawk!” (i.e., “more chicken”—- ‘bawk bawk’ = the sound a chicken makes) Kyle was enthralled with the rice. I think he had 5ths or 6ths of it…. with spoonfuls of “sauce” (the sauce from the chicken dish) on it. Owen couldn’t get his mind off the mac-n-cheese and just kept begging for leftovers of that! LOL!
Honestly, Braydon and I *love* and *appreciate* everything Indian that you make us. We feel like it is such an incredibly special thing for us to get to have that… I can’t even explain how much we love/appreciate every bite.
xo
hbj
DESI COMFORT FOOD
The Meal:
– Makhani Chicken
– Potato Bhujia with Green Beans
– Pulao with Carrots and Beans
Swap did not go according to plan this week. Instead of cooking Monday night, I was home nursing a sick two year old. When he is healthy, Alex’s favorite person in the world is his father; when Alex is sick, no one else but me will do. So, Heather and I swapped our swap from Tuesday to Wednesday this week, which worked out fine. We still ate our own prepared meals on Tuesday night and each others on Wednesday.
Now, for what I cooked: Heather and I usually don’t always exchange emails about what we plan to cook for the swap, but this week we did. Given that it’s back to school week for our kids (our kids attend the same school), we both thought to cook comfort food for them.
For most Indian (or half-Indian) children, comfort food often means chawal (rice), chicken, and aaloo (potatoes)….well for the non-vegetarian ones at least. So, that’s what I’ve made…Desi comfort food. (Loosely translated “desi” means from the homeland…it’s the word that Indians regularly use to refer to all things Indian.)
Makhani Chicken
Indian restaurants usually serve makhani chicken, which (not surprisingly) tastes very different when cooked in an Indian home. This is my rendition…very mild and moist, which usually goes over well with the kids. It’s a modified version of a recipe by Pushpa Bhargava in her cookbook From Mom with Love (awesome collection of authentic Indian recipes). Recipe below serves 8.
Ingredients
– 2.75 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, chopped
– 1 lime
– 2 teaspoons garlic paste
– 2 teaspoons ginger paste
– 2-3 teaspoon garam masala (store-bought is fine, though I use a homemade mix)
– 1 cup yoghurt (I didn’t have any, so I used 3/4 cup of sour cream instead)
– ~4 tablespoons butter (comfort food ingredient #1)
– ~1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
– 3 cups of tomato puree
– 1/2 pint of heavy cream (comfort food ingredient #2)
– 1/2 pint of whole milk (comfort food ingredient #3)
– 1/4 cup of chopped basil leaves
– Salt to taste (approximately 2-3 teaspoons)
Directions
– Mix yoghurt, ginger & garlic pastes (1 teaspoons each), 1 teaspoon of garam masala, zest from lime and juice from half the lime. Mix in about 2 teaspoons of salt. Add chicken and marinate for ~1 hour.
– Set oven to broil. Put chicken on a greased baking sheet and dab with some more butter. Broil chicken for ~8 minutes. Save juices from broiling for later use.
– Heat 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, add 1 teaspoon each of ginger and garlic paste. Stir and cook for a minute or so.
– Add tomato puree, red chilli powder, and any leftover juices from the broiling. Cook at low heat for about 7-9 minutes.
– Add salt (approximately 1 teaspoon, or to taste).
– Add cooked chicken and cook for another 7-9 minutes at low heat.
– Add heavy cream, milk, and 1-2 teaspoon of garam masala and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
– Garnish with chopped basil leaves.
Potato Bhujia with Green Beans
Bhujia is awesome! It usually refers to potatoes cooked in the style described below. I toss in green beans, because I’m a mom with little kids. Again, the recipe below serves 8.
Ingredients
– A little over 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
– 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
– 5-6 medium red potatoes, skinned, halved and sliced
– Salt, to taste
– 1 cup of green beans chopped
– 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
– 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
– 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
Directions
– Heat oil over medium heat and add cumin seeds.
– Once the seeds start to sizzle, add potatoes. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
– Once potatoes are 1/2 cooked, add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
– Add garlic and green beans. Cover again and cook for another 5 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until potatoes are completely cooked. Remove from heat.
Pulao with Carrots and Peas
K loves carrots and A loves peas, so this rice dish is meant to make them both happy. The recipe below serves 8.
Ingredients
– 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
– 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
– 2.5 cups of basmati rice
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 3/4 to 1 cup chopped carrots
– 3/4 to 1 cup peas
Directions:
– Wash rice (3-4 times) and place in water for about 1/2 hour and then drain the water.
– Heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds.
– When seeds start to sizzle, add rice and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring.
– Add salt, 5 cups water and carrots. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook till rice is completely cooked.
– Toss in peas, mix and remove from heat.
And we are done! Here’s the full meal:
Reheating Instructions:
– Microwave the rice and potato bhujia.
– Reheat chicken on stove top (I’m not a big fan of microwaved chicken). If you have some fresh basil, please chop and sprinkle on top.
– Serve chicken on rice with side of potato bhujia.
ENJOY!
The Verdict:
Tuesday: I cooked this Desi comfort meal and served it hot off the stove. Thankfully, Alex was feeling better and had an appetite. Both he and his sister ate well. We had frozen yoghurt for dessert (Blue Bunny’s White Chocolate with Raspberry Swirls and Chocolate Chips….a favorite of ours). A nice end to an awesome summer!
Wednesday: Thanks for the great macaroni and cheese, Heather ! It went over really well here too. Alex is pretty picky with his mac-n-cheese and even he liked it! But I have to say the French dressing was probably the biggest hit! Kavya filled up with the veggies so much that she was sad to discover that dinner was macaroni and cheese, which is a favorite of hers. Her reaction: “I wish I didn’t eat so many carrots!” Thanks, Heather!
This was our dessert for our Back To School Dinner 2010. Seriously, if anyone you love likes cheesecake at all, you must make this for them ASAP. It is, truly, the world’s best cheesecake.
Braydon loves cheesecake and often requests it for his birthday “cake.” But we didn’t fully realize how much K & O love cheesecake until our recent trip to Atlanta. Our first day there, we stepped into a little cafe to get a snack (the boys need a “snack” at least every two hours that they are awake — no kidding). Braydon and I were surprised when, amongst many, many, possible items they both chose a slice of plain cheesecake. We were then shocked at the speed with which they devoured it. That set them on an Atlanta cheesecake kick. We soon realized that we could get amazing cheesecake via take-out or room-service from the Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse that was located in the lobby of our hotel. Have you ever tried the cheesecake from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse? We never had before our Atlanta trip, but let me tell you, it is incredible. Hands down, it is the best cheesecake I’ve ever had— with one exception: Mrs. Peterson’s Cheesecake.
I had a pretty unique childhood, growing up at a camp that my parents ran. As a result, throughout my childhood I came into contact with many fabulous people. Mrs. Peterson is one of the most fabulous of the fabulous. I have incredible memories of her… like how she’d bring my sister and I big bags full of penny candy every time she’d show up in New Hampshire after her long drive up from Connecticut… or like how she’d welcome us into her home, as if we were family, to make korv before Christmas… or — and this is perhaps my most vivid memory of her — how, as a kid, I’d always know that Mrs. Peterson had come to camp when I’d open the refrigerator in our cottage kitchen to find two gorgeous, thick cheesecakes, wrapped tightly in saran wrap, just sitting there for our family. I’d know better than to cut into them, but I’d carefully peel up a tiny part of the saran wrap in order to try to dab a finger in and take a little taste. Even a tiny morsel was like eating pure melt-in-your-mouth heaven. Mrs. Peterson knew that my dad loved cheesecake, and she’d make him two of them at least once a summer. She’d make them in Connecticut and then transport them all the way to our cottage kitchen. I can remember, very well, how that loving and thoughtful gesture made me feel: really good. I loved that she did it for my dad — and I loved that she did it for my family — and I loved that she made not just one, but two (!) of these cheesecakes — and I loved those summer nights when we’d get to steal a moment together hidden away in the back of the cottage eating that special, special cheesecake. I have lots of other memories of Mrs. Peterson too. And to this day she’s like a grandmother to me (and like a great-grandmother to my bambinos). There are just some people in this world who are really, really special.
After I graduated from college and was living on my own, I found the recipe for Mrs. Peterson’s Cheesecake in a little box of recipes given to me by my mom. It was years before I became unintimidated enough in the kitchen to try it. The first time I got the guts up to make it was for one of Braydon’s birthdays (can’t remember which one). It was a labor of love (at the time this recipe seemed really complicated; now it seems really easy — funny how that is!). But I did it. I think I wanted to make him cheesecake from scratch for two reasons: 1) I knew how much he loved cheesecake and knew this one was the best cheesecake on the planet, and — more importantly — 2) Braydon was the love of my life and I wanted him to feel really good.
Here’s the recipe– make is soon for someone you love!
* * *
Mrs. Peterson’s Cheesecake
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers 1/4 cup medium coarse walnuts 1/4 cup melted butter 2 eggs 9 oz cream cheese 1/2 cup + 5 Tbs sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 pint sour creamMix crumbs, melted butter, and nuts. Reserve about 2 Tbs of the mixture and set aside until later. Press the rest evenly over bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate to form a crust. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes. Remove. Beat eggs ’till thick and lemon colored. Set aside. Without washing beater, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Add eggs and beat until blended. Pour into crust and return to oven at 325 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Stir together the sour cream, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 5 Tb sugar. Spread over the slightly cooled pie. Return to oven at 325 for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture on the top. This cheesecake is best when left overnight in the refrigerator. Serves at least 8 (it is very rich!).
P.S. Mrs. Peterson has long been one of our most loyal blog readers. So, I’m sure she’ll be surprised when she finds this post on her computer screen! If you try this cheesecake and love it, then you can give all your thanks to her– here in the comments to this post! 
Dear Kyle and Owen,
My sweet, sweet boys. Today we watched you walk in the door of your first day –of your third year– of kindergarten. In Waldorf schools kindergarten is typically two years. But we’re holding you. Holding you tight, in a huge strong embrace. To try to do what is best for you. To give you another year. I want to write this down now so that if you ever have questions about it, we have it here to jog our memories to give you the most full and accurate story possible.
Boys, you are big and strong. Everyone who first meets you thinks that you are at least 8 years old. It isn’t just because of how physically huge you are either. It is in part because of how self-confident, articulate, and worldly you are. Physically you are exceptionally gifted with capacities that go beyond any expectation. Intellectually you are way above and beyond “average” (and we have the IQ test results to prove it). Most everyone thinks that you’re ready for anything. But I know you best of all. And I know different.
My precious boys are more than meets the eye. Yes, you are big and strong and self-confident and bright as bright can be. You are all that and much, much more. Deep down inside you are also fragile. We all are. But we have extra reason to be careful with your souls. You’ve already been through so much in your short lives. You’ve seen more than you even know. And you don’t remember it all. But I know. And I don’t lose sight of that. And I will protect you fiercely. My job is not to walk you down the path, but to hold the lantern for you on your journey. I cannot keep harm away. But I can do everything possible to make your load less heavy.
“Every road that’s narrow pushes us to choose” (Every Road, Amy Grant — you know I had to get an Amy Grant quote in here somewhere!!!).
We are at a fork in the road. And I have not taken this decision lightly. Your Papi and I have spent countless hours on this one. And luckily we have your teacher on our side. She too has thought tirelessly about this. And we are all sure that this is the right decision for you. At the very least, we’re sure that it is better to err on the side of holding you a bit too long than to err on the side pushing you forward a bit too early.
Here are the main reasons we are holding you for another year of kindergarten:
- While you are physically exceptional, and intellectually advanced, you are emotionally young. Boys, your pain tolerance is through the roof, but you very easily get deeply hurt in your heart. You need a little more time to learn that you will not always be everyone’s best friend. You need a little more time to learn that you will not always be the very best at every single thing that you do. You need a little more time to figure out that your parents and your teachers and your playmates will not abandon you on a whim. You are not on your own in this world. This last piece, in my eyes, is fully abandonment-and-attachment related. It is more than o.k. to give you extra time because it is important to spend the time now, rather than deal with the consequences later. We have all the time in the world, my babies. All the time in the world. There is no point in pushing you. I am confident that you will come to know the truth: that you are wanted, needed, and loved, unconditionally. You may not have that fully down by the time you start first grade (you probably won’t), but by waiting another year we can be sure that you’ll have it a little more down than you do now.
- You are rambunctious, (o.k., sometimes totally wild!), loud, off-the-walls, fully-engaged-with-life, spirited, boys. You fill up every space you find yourselves in. And everyone knows you’re there. As each year goes by you mellow a tad bit more. We watch as your impulsivity melts away drop by drop. Another year of growing into your more centered selves can only help. You need more time to be ready for the challenges that lie ahead. You have –at a minimum– twelve years of school ahead of you. Why rush it? Another year of kindergarten, to climb and jump and push and pull and run and play and come home at 1:00 instead of 3:00, is –for you– good.
- You spent the past two years in separate classrooms. I believe that was the best thing in the world we could have done for you. Most importantly, as a result, you and we — and everyone in our entire school community — have a much better sense of who you are as unique individuals. You are no longer “Kyle and Owen.” You are Kyle. And you are Owen. But now it is time to come back together again. You want this for yourselves (as you remind us so often: “we prefer to be together”), and we want this for you. A year to figure out how to be together again will set you up for a smooth sail, together, into the grades. Or, at least, the smoothest sail possible.
- Due to simple circumstance, if you were to have gone into first grade this year, you would have been the youngest in your class. (the cut-off date for our school is June 1; having May birthdays puts you squarely in the “gray area” in terms of whether to move you forward or not). And this — the fact that you would have been the youngest — is, at bare bones, the number one reason we want to hold you. We do not want you to be the youngest. For a whole host of reasons, it would not be good for you, I am positively certain of that. This way, you will be the oldest. Which, for you two –for who you are, for your psyches and your hearts and your souls and your spirits– is much, much better. If we hold you another year it will be easier for you to solidly stand up straight and in front and be seen for all of your gifts. I know that someone has to be the youngest. But in my mind there is no question that that someone should not be you. As the only black kids in your class, as extremely active boys, as twins, as adopted kids, as kids who spent the first eight months of their lives in a Haitian orphanage… it should not be you who is younger and pushed to keep up. Let’s go with the current rather than against it. It will be so much better this way. I just know it.
Did you know that recent studies show that the chances of getting labeled with ADD or ADHD are at least 60% higher if you are one of the youngest in your class? And even higher if you are a boy? And even higher if you are black? I’ve studied these studies, boys, and from what I can gather you have about a 95% chance of getting unfairly labeled if we push you forward. Let’s not go there. O.k.? Every teacher and child-care-provider you’ve ever had — and I — are confident that, even though it might look that way on the surface, you do not have ADD or ADHD. Giving you another year before you embark on your full-scale educational journey can only help. I know the literature. I’ve talked about this with every mom-of-a-boy, and experienced teacher, and “expert” that I can talk with. And I am fully convinced that we’re making the right choice. My gut and my intellect tell me that this is the right choice.
For months and months I’ve been conflicted, and on the fence, with this decision. I’ve tortured myself with this more than you could ever imagine. It feels like a huge decision. But today, the first day of the new school year, following behind your school bus, and then kissing you goodbye as you headed into your classroom… I just knew –really, really knew– it was right. I am at peace with it because I know that I’m doing right by you.
Kyle and Owen, you are astounding human beings. I am honored to be your mother. But I am humbled too. Humbled by the sheer weight of this responsibility. Your life so far has been marked by extraordinary adversity and prosperity. It is a complex combination. My hope is that when we find ourselves at forks in the road I will choose the right paths for you, so that you’ll be ready — when the time comes — to guide your own journey with wisdom, strength, and self-confidence.
Every individual has the right to have their personal potential unconstrained.
With the deepest love of all loves,
Your mommy.
Menu
Fancy Macaroni & Cheese
Make-Your-Own Salad, Favorite French Dressing
Papi’s From-Scratch-Sourdough Bread
and for dessert~~
Mrs. Peterson’s Cheesecake* & Fresh Strawberries
— — —
Tomorrow is the first day back for Kyle and Owen. They could not possibly be more excited than they are to get back to school. We’ve been trying to prepare Meera for what lies ahead… she is going to terribly miss her brothers being home. In what seemed to be an act of revolt and rebellion against the inevitable (K & O getting on that bus tomorrow morning and leaving her all to her lonesome), she insisted on finger-painting with her cheesecake this evening. To appease her, I promised her more crafts while her brothers are at school in the coming months.
And so… another school year is upon us. Back to the grind of getting up early, catching the bus on time, making lunches, etc., etc., etc. Summer is no longer. Fall is officially here. And so we go, jumping headfirst into a new school year. Anxiously anticipating all that is to come, but loaded with great memories of the lazy, hazy days of summer. So long summer! See you next year!
Hello Fall!
For our last year’s Back To School Dinner post: click here
*recipe for the best cheesecake ever (and believe me, you want to make this) coming Friday!
books placed on top of the shelf = read at least once this summer
If the number of Band-Aids used is any indication of a good summer, we had a great one. I don’t ever want to forget the summer that they were six and two. I can’t imagine a better summer. I truly can’t. And the best part, for me, was that I spent so much of it with them. Like, really really with them. It was the first summer that I really let myself just savor all the benefits that come with being a tenured professor. And I’ll never regret it for a single second. One of my best memories was reading books to K & O this summer. Summer afternoons sitting in the sun-room during Meera’s nap, the boys with lemonade, me with iced coffee, reading book after book under the whirring ceiling fan. In the end, despite how many hours were spent reading, there was this one item that we didn’t succeed in checking off the Summer To Do List: “Read every book on kids’ bookshelf.” We didn’t finish. And I’m glad. I’m glad because it goes to show just how many kids’ books we have (a good thing). And I’m glad because it is a case-in-point for our bambinos that nobody is perfect (for Kyle, our super-perfectionist, this is especially important to experience first-hand). And I’m glad because it means that our book challenge bridges from summer into fall. I have great expectations for fall afternoons sitting in the sun-room during Meera’s nap, the boys with mulled cider, me with hot coffee, reading book after book snuggled up under blankets.
There will never be another Summer 2010. But man, did we enjoy the heck out of it while it was here!
Seasons change. And so do we. But we get to keep our memories.
To Do List, on the fridge
uncropped, unedited, untouched. these photos make me already nostalgic for our summer that was.
There is nothing like baseball in the summer. On a beautiful evening, not too hot, not too cold, just our family, our first outing to a game in our five-some. Strikes, hits, fouls and stolen bases. Some things are classics, and this is one of them. Sun setting over the stands, hot dogs, beer, cotton candy, peanuts and the crowd.
Baseball in the summer.
The Iron Pigs are our local AAA team (the AAA affiliate of the Philies – Sorry about that Red Sox nation – we dutifully wore our Red Sox shirts to the game anyway); they play at Coca-Cola park in Allentown. Last year K, O, Mor Far and I went to an Iron Pigs game, but this was Heather’s first IP game and Meera’s first professional baseball game.
Local baseball is a special thing. So much more family friendly than major league baseball and so much fun. We were also lucky enough to have some special tickets from my work right in front along first base. In all our lives we’ve never sat so close to a professional game; pretty awesome. In fact, it’s almost a sense of rightness in the world when it comes together like this. And rightness does not come along too often.
From the welcoming embrace of the staff, to the smiles of the players, to all three kids getting to run the bases at the end of the game (along with around 1,000 other kids). It just doesn’t get better than that. And that’s a big deal for us.
Except that we almost caught a foul ball. That was pretty awesome.
Summer Baseball.
“There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins.” ~Josh Billings
In a strange twist of fate (or faith?), I had always dreamed of having twins, even as a teenager. I have always found twins to be absolutely fascinating. My dream has come true. And I’m more and more fascinated each day I spend with them. I did a lot of reading on twins before we brought Kyle and Owen home. And I’ve done a lot since. And I’ve spent countless hours interrogating anyone and everyone I come across who is a twin, has twin children or grandchildren, or has twins for siblings. Still, nothing could possibly prepare me for raising them. It is a huge joy. And a huge challenge. Every ‘normal’ parenting decision, however easy or complicated, is made abnormally easy or complicated by the fact that we’re raising twins. (Add K & O’s life history [or twinstory? is that a word?] to the mix, and it makes it all even more complex.) Not a day goes by that their twin-ness isn’t factored into the equation… whatever the equation is.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is their physicality with each other. Still, at age six, they sleep completely entwined each night. Going in to check on them sleeping is a daily treat; just watching them breathing in unison, as physically close as close can be, virtually inseparable, is something I never take for granted. I know that not all twins are like this, but mine are, and always have been. And it is breathtaking sometimes. And all day they find each other too. They go in and out, back and forth, but always checking in. From what I can tell, they are not conscious of it. And when you spend enough time with them, you get kind of used to it, and you begin to not notice it too. The spats and ruckus wrestling and all-out-brawls –although (lucky for us with our particular twins), far outnumbered by playful togetherness– demand your attention. But then, you turn and look, and see them touching, leaning into each other, holding hands, so physically close that they are practically one, and they are doing it for absolutely no obvious need or reason whatsoever, and you remember that this is not how it is for most all other siblings. Twins are special. It is remarkable. There is no denying it. Nor should there be.
They have something that the rest of us don’t have.
They have a whole host of unusual life challenges that come along with being twins. Yes, they do. And, they have the amazing gift that is their twinship: they have each other. It is a unique sort of way to live. And it is, very often, just as beautiful as it is fascinating to witness.
Kyle and Owen are largely unaware of how unusual their bond is. That is partly what is so awe-striking about watching them. Because it is just so clear that for them, it simply is what it is. With no questions asked or thoughts spoken. They just are. But they are, together.
With our own official end-of-summer looming large (Wednesday = boys back to school = our end of summer), we found ourselves frantic about one particular line-item on our Summer To Do List. “Teach Meera To Play Golf In Our Yard.” Despite all of our best efforts, and our exceptional level of enthusiasm (!), our Little Miss Meera shows no interest, whatsoever, in playing golf. Non. Zip. Absolutely nada.
When K & O were Meera’s age they were golfing like little pro’s. They’d already been hitting golf balls for a solid year and by the fall that they were age two, they were obsessed with golf. They’d spend hours in our yard golfing. Even in the dead of winter, in the snow and freezing cold, they were golfing (seriously!). And they were really, really good at it. It was astounding to anyone and everyone who witnessed it. When they first hit the driving range, at age just-about-three, they were already hitting 25-40 yards, and with accuracy. It wasn’t long after they were the age that Meera is now that we had to establish the hard-and-fast rule that they are not, under any circumstances, allowed to hit golf balls toward our house (at age 2 they had already broken a window playing golf in our yard). Their swings were big, their hits were hard, and the balls were flying. Still all true today, just even more so.
Meera, however, is a bird of a different feather. Despite how often she watches her brothers hit golf balls in the yard (this is still a very regular favorite pastime of theirs), she wants nothing to do with the sport whatsoever. For Kyle and Owen this has been disconcerting, to say the least. They have tried to engage her in golfing. Braydon has attempted to coach her. I have clapped and screamed and jumped around like a maniac, just as I did for her brothers. But no, nothing. She’s simply not interested. Not interested at all.
Saturday night, the last Saturday of our Summer, in a last ditch effort to try to interest our girl in golfing, we headed to the driving range. We went into it hopeful. We left happy (having had a good time; it was a lot of fun), but also totally convinced that –at least for now– Meera has no inclination toward golf whatsoever. While she was very interested in trying to place golf balls on the tee (while K & O are all about gross motor skills, M is all about fine ones!), she was completely uninterested in actually trying to hit them off of it. Much more to her preference was sipping iced water, toodling around busily occupying herself with who-knows-what, and collecting rocks from the landscaping designs.
No matter. K & O must have hit 100 balls, loving every minute of it. Braydon just savors every second of playing Golf Coach to his sons. Mommy enjoys (enjoys! enjoys!) watching the whole scene unfold, snapping (photos), and sipping (cold $2 happy hour beer). And Meera? Well, she’s just 100% content to just be there. No actual golfing required. And so it goes that “Teach Meera To Play Golf In Our Yard” finally, in the 11th hour, got a big fat NON-CHECK! (X!) on our Summer To Do List.
SEPTEMBER SOUP, BRAYDON’S BREAD, AND FALL SALAD
Shalinee~~
It is 10:01pm as I sit down to write this. I think this is a record for me (took me just shy of 2 hours!). This week Braydon helped, though, by baking bread for our two families (!), so that explains my early evening. Anyway, no matter, because, I am totally exhausted (I am going to try to not make that statement a weekly occurrence in these notes, but really… I am totally exhausted. I have another respiratory ‘thing’ going on (i.e., yet another chest cold… hoping to be able to finally conquer this one without antibiotics… HOPING for that… oh, and don’t worry, I was very conscientious not to cough into the soup while I was cooking tonight!). But, you know what? I don’t even care how exhausted I am, because, I have that awesome familiar Monday-night-post-swap-cooking-feeling: HALLELUJIAH!–we’re all set for the week!!!!!!!!
This week:
- “September Soup” (just warm it up)
- Homemade bread, made from scratch, by Braydon
- Fall Salad with Blanchard’s Balsamic Vinagrette
In mid-September of 2004, when we were just about halfway through our wait for Kyle and Owen, some of our friends through an amazing and elaborate (and huge) baby shower for us. Friends came from near and far for it, and it was really one of the most awesome and memorable weekends of my entire life. The actual baby shower was Saturday, and I had nothing to do with any of the details of organizing that. But many of our long-distance friends arrived on Thursday-Friday for the weekend. On Friday night we threw a casual dinner party for all of our out-of-town guests. Lots of people had been traveling that day, some flying in from as far as California, and a few would be newly arriving throughout the evening. I wanted it to be a light, casual, help-yourself ‘buffet’ type meal, but all homemade from scratch with love by me. I also wanted to showcase the local bounty of Bucks County in September. I decided on one of my favorite soups – a recipe originally from my Mom (although heavily revised over the years by me); a salad with fresh local fruit and blue cheese (Amish blue cheese from PA); and lots of fresh bread. Everyone loved it. Although I had been making this meal for years (and had even eaten the soup quite often growing up as a kid), now this soup reminds me – ALWAYS – of that baby shower weekend. I make this soup at least once, if not two or three times, each fall. Usually each time I make a batch I freeze half of it. This time, I just am giving half to you instead!
THE SOUP:
September Soup
(a rustic creamy soup perfect for September when the tomatoes are overflowing in gardens and farm-stands)
1 stick unsalted butter 2 T olive oil 1 very large, or 2 medium, onion (Vidalia if possible), sliced thin 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried thyme Salt and pepper to taste 8-10 (about 5 pounds) fresh ripe tomatoes 3 T tomato paste ¼ cup flour 32 ounces chicken or vegetable broth 1 tsp sugar 1 cup cream (or milk) Fresh chopped parsleyPlace tomatoes in pot of boiling water until skins start to break and peel; place in ice bath to cool; remove skins and cores; chop and save until later. In bottom of large pot melt ½ of the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat; add onions, garlic, basil, thyme, salt, pepper. Sauté, stirring regularly, until onions are very wilted and browned/caramelized. Add tomato paste and mix in well. Add broth. Add tomatoes. Heat together until simmering. In a separate cup, whisk together flour and 1 cup water. Add to soup pot. Simmer about an hour, stirring often. Add sugar, cream, and last ½ of butter.
THE SALAD:
The salad is our favorite in the fall. I love to use fresh apples and pears from our local orchards during this time of year. The fruit I gave you is from Bechdtolds Orchard—right down the street from us.
Thinly slice the apple, pear, and red onion. Place on top of a bed of salad greens. Top generously with crumbled blue cheese. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dress with balsamic vinaigrette. Note: usually I add toasted pecans to this salad, but I didn’t this time because of Alex’s nut allergy.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
From one of my top-3 all-time favorite cookbooks At Blanchard’s Table: A Trip to the Beach Cookbook by Melinda and Robert Blanchard
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced ½ tsp salt ½ tsp freshly ground pepper 2/3 cup olive oilIn a small bowl, whisk together everything except the olive oil. Gradually whisk in the oil until well blended. Store in glass jar. (note: you can keep this dressing in the fridge up to one week.) Shake well before serving.
THE BREAD:
Braydon is the Bread Master!!! He made the bread dough today/tonight, and it is rising overnight. He is going to bake it early tomorrow morning so that it would be as fresh as possible. 😉
It is now 10:41 pm and I’m calling it a day!
ENJOY!!!
* * *
from Heather to Shalineedate Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 9:26 PM subject noodles & dumplings
So, this week the swap was a God-send for me. You know how I have that chest cold again… well… Braydon convinced me to go to the Dr. today and… sure enough… I’ve got another respiratory infections… on antibiotics AGAIN. Ugh. Anyway, the thing was, by the end of the day I was feeling so crappy and groggy and just plain horrible. If it weren’t for the swap just sitting there waiting in the fridge, this surely would have been a take-out-pizza night. And I am so glad that it was not (for my own sake, especially… imagine if I had to eat pizza when I’m feeling like such crap?). So, I whipped up your dinner and it was just a lovely evening despite my being sick. While I got it going Braydon and the kids ate the appetizer you packed while watching clips of Alexander Nevsky on YouTube (yeah, bizarre, don’t even ask!). When the dinner was set on the table all I could think was, “If it weren’t for the swap I could NEVER have pulled something like this off.” Owen went to town on the dumplings (seriously, I think he at at least 2/3 of the dumplings you gave us… which were a LOT of dumplings). Meera slurped up the noodles. And Kyle dabbled in it but then asked for yogurt (our stand-by go-to back-up food for when dinner just doesn’t fly for one reason or the other). So, I say, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. Braydon and I liked it all very much. I was totally, totally impressed with the dumplings— so, THANK YOU!!!
By the way, on a side-note related to the swap– I have to tell you that on Tuesday night, while we were re-heating the tomato soup, something UNPRECEDENTED happened here in our home. Dinner was all set to go (thanks to the swap) and the evening was already feeling leisurely and relaxed (prior to swap that was unheard of on a weeknight). On a whim, totally spontaneously, I decided that we’d make a dessert. I had all the ingredients ready to make banana pudding (Braydon — southern boy — loves banana pudding, but I had never made it, and hoped to some day soon, but had no idea when…). So, Owen and I (while Kyle paraded around the kitchen “serenading” us with a wooden flute, and Meera played with Braydon) made a big batch of banana pudding… that is now in our fridge this week, making this week feel special (because we so rarely have dessert… let alone during the week). I seriously don’t think we’ve ever made a “real” dessert on a weeknight before in my entire parenting experience to-date. So, this was big. And it was only possible because of the swap. Anyway, I wanted to share this idea with you because it was super simple and easy to make (and a great way to use up ripe-and-almost-over-ripe bananas). I made up this recipe, and surely the true Southern chefs would be appalled at it, but we five love it.
1 box of banana cream instant pudding 1 box of french vanilla instant pudding 1 pint heavy cream 1 Tb vanilla 1 Tb sugar 1 box Nilla Wafers 4 very ripe bananas, sliced
Mixing both puddings together, prepare according to the directions on the box (takes 5 minutes in the mixer!). Transfer to bowl. In same mixer (don’t even need to clean it out), whip cream, vanilla, sugar to make light and fluffy whipped cream (less than 5 minutes in the mixer!). Put a couple of handfuls of Nilla Wafers in a zip-loc bag and roll with rolling pin to crush the cookies; set this aside for use later. In serving bowl layer:
whole Nilla Wafers, banana slices, pudding, whipped cream. Repeat and repeat until bowl if fully layered and all of the ingredients are gone. Lastly, dump the crushed up Nilla Wafers on top and spread out to form a little layer of cookies on top. Store in fridge — it gets better each day it sits!!! YUM!
DUMPLINGS & NOODLES FOR A SPECIAL DAY
The Meal:
Appetizers: Won-Ton Strips with Duck Sauce
Main Entrée: Chicken Dumplings with Noodles
This meal might obliterate the “no pasta” rule of our swap. Dave and I had a discussion about selecting this menu for the swap and he told me that I could blame him if this was in fact the case. He thinks our reasoning for the “no pasta” rule is to avoid the “usual” pasta preparation, but this he says is “unusual” and therefore okay. So, here’s my unusual meal for the week…
I made this for the first time two weeks ago. Two Tuesdays ago was Rakhi, which is a Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between a brother and a sister. On this day, sisters tie a rakhi (i.e., a colorful bracelet) on the wrists of their brothers and the brothers promise to always be there for their sisters and protect them from all harm. Sweets are exchanged; brothers also usually give gifts to their sisters.
The brother-sister pair in our household celebrates it slightly differently…they both tie rakhis on each other and promise to love and protect each other always. The rakhis are homemade; in the future, I hope they will make them for each other. They feed each other sweets (this year, squares of dark chocolate…the only sweet that they both like) and exchange gifts. I took Kavya shopping a few days before so she could pick out her gift for Alex and when Alex gets a bit older, I’ll take him to do the same. I simply love this day…for what it celebrates, for the adorable (short-lived) promises they make to each other (“Alex, I will always love you and protect you and share things with you”…half hour later, they were fighting over the new toy), for all the hopes that we have about what they will always mean to each other.
So, to celebrate Rakhi this year, I decided to make a meal that would please both kids. Kavya loves dumplings and Alex loves noodles. This dinner is basically noodles with dumplings. The kids absolutely LOVED this meal…Dave might have loved it even more than them. It was immediately something that I HAD to make for the swap.
I had never made dumplings before; apparently, it’s not that hard at all! I was inspired by a recipe posted on a pretty neat blog called momofukufor2:
http://momofukufor2.com/2010/05/spicy-wonton-noodle-recipe/
I’ve changed the filling and the style of folding the wonton wrappers. I’ve also omitted the sesame oil (a swap rule that I refuse to break) and added mushrooms. Here’s what I did…
Chicken Dumplings:
– 1 large onion, chopped
– 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
– 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
– ~2/3 cup chopped carrots
– 1 cup (may be a bit more) chopped spinach
– 1 tablespoon 5 spice powder
– 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
– 1 tablespoon soy sauce
– 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
– 1 package of ground chicken
– Wonton wrappers (50 if you want to use up all the chicken)
– Flour-water paste (mix 1 tablespoon of flour to a couple of tablespoons of water)
Directions:
– In a wok (or wok-like cookware), heat oil and sautee onions, ginger, garlic, carrots for a few minutes.
– Add spinach and sautee some more.
– Add five-spice powder, sriracha sauce and soy sauce.
– Remove from heat. Check the flavor. Should be on saltier side since it will get mixed up in chicken. In my case, bit more soy sauce was needed.
– In a mixing bowl, add chopped cilantro, sautéed mixture and ground chicken. Result: (uncooked) dumpling filling.
– Now, prep the wonton assembly line: filling, flour-water paste (to seal wontons shut, although I believe plain old water would also work), wonton wrappers, and a plate (to place finished product).
– Take a bit of filling and place in center of wonton wrapper. Follow instructions on wonton wrapper package to fold.
– One dumpling complete. Repeat over and over and over and over….yes, it’s a bit tedious but I find it strangely relaxing.
– One plate done! Place the plate in the freezer. Repeat till all 50(!) dumplings are done.
NOTE: If I was making this for myself, I would stop at about 16 or so dumplings and save the rest of the chicken for another night. (Another use for the leftover chicken filling: add some breadcrumbs, mix and make in to little balls. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes and enjoy.)
The accoutrements:
1) I made a spicy soy sauce (sans sesame oil) by mixing together oil, soy sauce and Sriracha sauce. Basically following the proportions on momofukufor2.
2) Then I sliced some mushrooms (two cups…all for Heather; I’ll make mine the night of) and sautéed them in oil (sprinkle of salt).
3) Finally, I chopped up some scallions (1 bunch…again, all for Heather).
And we are done! Here’s the full package ready for the Johnson-McCormick Family:
Besides the dumplings, spicy soy sauce, mushrooms and scallions, I also packed (uncooked) noodles and for a snack: wonton strips with duck sauce.
To Reheat/Serve:
– Get two pots of water boiling.
– Serve wonton strips with duck sauce while doing the rest of the prep work.
– In the first pot, put in dumplings (roughly 16-18). Agitate the dumplings so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
– In the second pot, add one pack of noodles.
– Let dumplings boil till they rise and start to float.
– Add a cup (may a bit more) of cold water (to dumpling pot) and return to boil, again with dumplings floating.
– Dumplings should be done…just cut one open to make sure.
– In serving dish, add noodles, dumplings, spicy soy sauce (add a bit at a time, to taste) and mushrooms and mix. (If you want, at this point you can add a dash of sesame oil and mix.)
– Garnish with scallions and serve.
ENJOY!
The Verdict:
Tuesday: To enjoy the fresh bread, we decided to have Heather’s meal first and save our dumplings/noodles for Wednesday dinner. And let me start with said bread!! Braydon…you ARE the BREAD MASTER! That HUGE loaf was almost all gone in a matter of minutes. All four of us loved it! We ask that we get Braydon’s bread more often! Alex focused almost entirely on the soup/bread part of the meal, whereas Kavya decided to experiment with sliced apples in her soup and claimed “this is better than anything!” As for Dave and I, we enjoyed the salad the most (after the bread of course!). Thanks, Heather & Braydon!
Wednesday: Our 9th anniversary. We used to plan special outings for our anniversary…go to restaurants and places we have never been…have long elaborate meals…plan and dream about our future. Now that those dreams are here (in the sprightly shapes of K & A)…no point going anywhere…we celebrate by staying home and enjoying a special meal. So, this year our special meal was the kids’ special meal from two weeks ago. Like before, Kavya gobbled up the dumplings and Alex slurped up the noodles. Should have taken some pictures but was too much in the moment to remember.
Recent comments