In the spirit of summer vacation, I took the entire month of July off of writing on the computer. Yes, many said I couldn't do it, that I would fold under the pressure of pen and paper and sneak downstairs in the middle of the night to tap away briskly on the keys. But I made it.
Over the next few days, kids and schedule willing, I hope to take the notes from my notebooks and put together several more posts. But today is all about my day off. And for any mom (or dad, for that matter) who has packed for a camping trip, you will appreciate my day off.
For five days, we camped at Interlochen State Park. As a diabetic, I have to eat a certain diet and eat quite often, which means that before we go anywhere, I prepare all my meals. For days before we left I cooked quinoa, beans, ground beef, washed lettuce, sliced carrots and celery, made salad dressing...you get the idea. But it was all worth it because of what we did on Monday.
We left the campground and went to Good Harbor Beach, had a picnic lunch, went to a winery, then went swimming again. For me, it was a day away from household chores, writing and being a mom. On this day, I said "yes" to everything. I loved watching the girls grow bolder with each "yes":
Can we go swimming?
Yes.
Can we have a picnic?
Why not.
Can we go out for ice cream?
Yes!
Can we buy this?
I think we can.
Can we go swimming again?
I'd love to!
I want to carry that feeling into everyday, but chores must be done and being a mom takes energy and time and loads of patience (and laundry). But I can say "Yes" to my children when they ask me to play. I can make special moments throughout or weeks; perhaps not a full day of sunny-sunny fun, but when my kids ask me to be with them, I don't want to put anything else before them. I foresee dinners being a little late (or bowls of cereal for dinner - I know you do it too!), the laundry taking longer to complete, and perhaps my writing will be put on the back burner for a while.
My kids will always be my kids, but they are growing faster than I thought they would. Soon they will be adults. Someday they won't hold my hand when we cross the street or cuddle on the couch with me in the evening while we read together. So I'm leaving this post a little incomplete so I can go play with my son, then rock with him in the chair and enjoy listening to him breathe and dream in my arms.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A Wallet, a Stroller, and a Butterfly
The title of this post sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. Instead, it was the beginning of my Saturday morning. With my husband and three older daughters away camping, it's just me and the baby. My plan was to go to visit with my illustrator for a few hours in Grand Rapids - an hour away. Sounds simple. Until I realized that my wallet wasn't in my purse.
I had no idea where my wallet was. Completely stumped, I stared at my purse, thinking that maybe the mere power of my angry eyes could make it appear. Once again, I accepted the fact that I have no supernatural powers. What I did have this morning was a temper-fuse of a half-inch leading to some pretty seriously unstable TNT.
Over the phone, my husband checked my daughters purses and my mother offered helpful but maddeningly unsuccessful suggestions. The baby decided that crying and crawling after me like a lost puppy in need of a bottle was a good choice and the cat, enjoying the scene of the baby constantly under my feet, joined in, tripping my at every turn. I'm not proud, but I was crying. OK, I was sobbing. (At least you will know are not the only mom who suffers from extreme emotions!)
My mom prayed with me over the phone, asking every saint in heaven, especially St. Anthony to help her unfortunate daughter find her sanity and her wallet. Mom prayed to our Holy Mother, Mary, for a shred of patience and wisdom that would set my eyes on what I sought. And then I heard a whisper in my ear and I knew exactly where my wallet was.
The stroller.
I went for a walk yesterday and tucked my wallet in the back of the stroller in case I should be creamed by a truck and needed to be identified. (Yes, my mind thinks like that.)
My mom whooped and hollered for joy that what had been lost (my sanity) was now found. My frustration-sobs were replaced by tears of relief. I thanked God and St. Anthony and Mary for their tolerance of me and felt unworthy but relieved that God really does listen to every little prayer. But He had more in store for me. As if to remind me that He fills my cup to overflowing, another and greater prize than my wallet awaited ...a butterfly in our little butterfly garden had emerged. (You can insert your own symbolism here.)
Out of great struggles come greater rewards. God whispered in my ear today and then blessed me further by allowing me the opportunity to watch the first flight of a Swallow-tail butterfly.
All that before 10:00 AM.
I had no idea where my wallet was. Completely stumped, I stared at my purse, thinking that maybe the mere power of my angry eyes could make it appear. Once again, I accepted the fact that I have no supernatural powers. What I did have this morning was a temper-fuse of a half-inch leading to some pretty seriously unstable TNT.
Over the phone, my husband checked my daughters purses and my mother offered helpful but maddeningly unsuccessful suggestions. The baby decided that crying and crawling after me like a lost puppy in need of a bottle was a good choice and the cat, enjoying the scene of the baby constantly under my feet, joined in, tripping my at every turn. I'm not proud, but I was crying. OK, I was sobbing. (At least you will know are not the only mom who suffers from extreme emotions!)
My mom prayed with me over the phone, asking every saint in heaven, especially St. Anthony to help her unfortunate daughter find her sanity and her wallet. Mom prayed to our Holy Mother, Mary, for a shred of patience and wisdom that would set my eyes on what I sought. And then I heard a whisper in my ear and I knew exactly where my wallet was.
The stroller.
I went for a walk yesterday and tucked my wallet in the back of the stroller in case I should be creamed by a truck and needed to be identified. (Yes, my mind thinks like that.)
My mom whooped and hollered for joy that what had been lost (my sanity) was now found. My frustration-sobs were replaced by tears of relief. I thanked God and St. Anthony and Mary for their tolerance of me and felt unworthy but relieved that God really does listen to every little prayer. But He had more in store for me. As if to remind me that He fills my cup to overflowing, another and greater prize than my wallet awaited ...a butterfly in our little butterfly garden had emerged. (You can insert your own symbolism here.)
Out of great struggles come greater rewards. God whispered in my ear today and then blessed me further by allowing me the opportunity to watch the first flight of a Swallow-tail butterfly.
All that before 10:00 AM.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Zucchini Recipes
What do you do when the only plant in your garden that produces vegetables is the zucchini plant? And not just a few nice zucchinis, but 50 pounds of zucchini? Aside from considering tossing it into the neighbors cow pasture, I decided to take a walk on the ‘green’ side and find recipes.
Recipe One: Zucchini Pasta. This was actually my idea (I know, you’re gasping!) but I’m sure I’m not the first one to try it. Using my julienne slicer, I cut the oversized zucchini into pasta noodles, sprinkled them with parmesan cheese and baked @ 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes. I topped it with spaghetti and meat sauce, but meatballs, a marinara sauce, or a cream sauce are just as yummy.
My vote: 5 out of 5 stars.
Kids vote: 2 out of 5 stars.
Recipe Two. Zucchini Custard Pie, found in the Whole Foods recipe book. Surprisingly sweet and delightful. Great with a cup of coffee. (This would be best served immediately, as the next day the zucchini reduced the pie crust to a gooey mess).
My vote: 3 out of 5
Kids vote: 2 out of 5
Recipe Three: Roasted Garden Veggies. This is a personal favorite that I use year-round with whatever veggies are available. Today I used zucchini, Vidalia onions and sweet potatoes – all chopped into bite-size pieces. In a mixing bowl, I coated the veggies with about 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper (and sometimes a dash of cayenne pepper). Bake at 400 until potatoes are soft – usually about 40 minutes.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5
Recipe Four: Baked Zucchini Custard. Diced zucchini, onion and peppers in one bowl. Puree 2 eggs, about 10 ounces of silken tofu, ½ grated cheese. Mixed together with veggies. Pour into a baking dish. 350 F for about 40 minutes, or until the top is nice and golden brown.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 3 out of 5
Recipe Five: Good Ol’ Zucchini Bread and Muffins. There are three dozen different recipes in the cookbooks in my house and they are all wonderful.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5
Recipe Six: Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Same as above, just add cocoa powder.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5
Recipe Seven: Zucchini Pizza Crust. Again, this one is my creation – purely out of need. Grate 1-2 over-grown or 6-7 normal sized zucchini. Squeeze out extra water. Mix with 3-4 egg whites, parmesan cheese, chopped basil (fresh or dried), and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (for a gluten free pizza crust, use rice flour or any other flour substitute). Spread on a pizza pan and bake until eggs are done.
A variety of toppings go well on this: traditional pizza toppings or for a fresh meal, try fresh basil, tomato and mozzarella cheese. This is also good as a standalone zucchini bread without any toppings.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5 (although my youngest insisted on a 3 out of 5 rating)
Recipe One: Zucchini Pasta. This was actually my idea (I know, you’re gasping!) but I’m sure I’m not the first one to try it. Using my julienne slicer, I cut the oversized zucchini into pasta noodles, sprinkled them with parmesan cheese and baked @ 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes. I topped it with spaghetti and meat sauce, but meatballs, a marinara sauce, or a cream sauce are just as yummy.
My vote: 5 out of 5 stars.
Kids vote: 2 out of 5 stars.
Recipe Two. Zucchini Custard Pie, found in the Whole Foods recipe book. Surprisingly sweet and delightful. Great with a cup of coffee. (This would be best served immediately, as the next day the zucchini reduced the pie crust to a gooey mess).
My vote: 3 out of 5
Kids vote: 2 out of 5
Recipe Three: Roasted Garden Veggies. This is a personal favorite that I use year-round with whatever veggies are available. Today I used zucchini, Vidalia onions and sweet potatoes – all chopped into bite-size pieces. In a mixing bowl, I coated the veggies with about 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper (and sometimes a dash of cayenne pepper). Bake at 400 until potatoes are soft – usually about 40 minutes.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5
Recipe Four: Baked Zucchini Custard. Diced zucchini, onion and peppers in one bowl. Puree 2 eggs, about 10 ounces of silken tofu, ½ grated cheese. Mixed together with veggies. Pour into a baking dish. 350 F for about 40 minutes, or until the top is nice and golden brown.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 3 out of 5
Recipe Five: Good Ol’ Zucchini Bread and Muffins. There are three dozen different recipes in the cookbooks in my house and they are all wonderful.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5
Recipe Six: Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Same as above, just add cocoa powder.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5
Recipe Seven: Zucchini Pizza Crust. Again, this one is my creation – purely out of need. Grate 1-2 over-grown or 6-7 normal sized zucchini. Squeeze out extra water. Mix with 3-4 egg whites, parmesan cheese, chopped basil (fresh or dried), and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (for a gluten free pizza crust, use rice flour or any other flour substitute). Spread on a pizza pan and bake until eggs are done.
A variety of toppings go well on this: traditional pizza toppings or for a fresh meal, try fresh basil, tomato and mozzarella cheese. This is also good as a standalone zucchini bread without any toppings.
My vote: 5 out of 5
Kids vote: 5 out of 5 (although my youngest insisted on a 3 out of 5 rating)
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