Cooking Again!

Okay. If you like to cook at all, even a little bit, go see the movie Julie & Julia - fun, inspiring as a cook. I totally enjoyed it. I think even if you don't like to cook it was a good movie but probably not as much. Hard for me to know because I love to cook! lol

So tonight I did my first meal out of the cookbook.

Well, first yesterday I steam an artichoke and made a sauce from the book for it but I made the same sauce tonight so it'll be covered here.

I am just guessing but I think I best not post the recipes from her book on here. I'm certain that's a serious copyright infringement or something. I'll put the pages numbers and stuff though. :)

Master the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child

Okay. The other thing is this cookbook uses alcohol in almost every recipe. It's unbelievable how much alcohol is involved. lol But since I don't drink or cook with alcohol I am going to become a master at the substitutions for everything. I will also make note of what I used, of course.

First I did to Shrimp which she says to do on page 213. This calls for 3 cups of dry white wine - I used ginger ale. So ginger ale, water, fresh parsley, peppercorns, tarragon, bay leaf, thyme, an onion, carrot, and celery. All of that cooks together for a long time, then add the shrimp for a few minutes and pull them back out after. The wonderful thing is the shrimp tastes like all those things. The flavors just soaked right in. It was amazing.

Here is the shrimp still in the pot:



Then I made two butter sauces. (pg 97-98) She has you do a base and then slowly add the butter. Just a table spoon at a time while you whisk it. So it turns into this creamy delicious concoction that I can't even explain. I did Beurre Blanc (White butter sauce) - it had white wine vinegar, green onions, lemon juice, salt, white pepper. The other was a lot more lemon juice - Beuree au Citron. You start with lemon juice and then reduce it and add butter. Intense lemon flavor.

I wish I had words for those sauces. Let's just say it took me awhile to decide whether it was wrong to drink it...

The one on the right is the White Butter Sauce, on the left is the Lemon.

And I did 'Gratin Dauphinois' (pg 523) - Scalloped Potatoes with milk, Swiss cheese, a tiny hint of garlic. The garlic is only there because you rub the pan down with a clove of garlic first. This was the biggest hit for Drew.

Here is that:

Backlash vs. Post-Crisis

So whenever there is a crisis in my life or with my family, I'm pretty good. I hold together well during a crisis - especially a long term one. I might have a meltdown every now and then but then I'm back at it. Keeping it together, etc.

But after the crisis is over...

whoosh. Deflate. Then I process all the feelings and depression that is supposed to go WITH the crisis.

So now that everything is fine, Drew is working steady, it looks like it's gonna hold, there are other things on the horizon, I have a new job (have I posted about that? I don't think I have. oops - well, it's all from home, uses my degree in math, and I'm very happy to have the opportunity!), things are good!

But me? I can't hardly get up and get going. I don't want to do anything. I feel emotionally disconnected and weepy all at the same time. I heard it called "backlash depression" once. That term is often used for the type of depression some people get when going off anti-depressants but in this case it refers to getting depression after the fact. Maybe I should call it "post-crisis depression". haha.

I didn't realize what was happening at first. The ridiculous thing is I even predicted this would happen. I know my own pattern. But I called my sister (who is ever so helpful when I'm needing perspective) and she helped me realize what I was doing.

So now I know - and knowing makes it better - really I have to give over to it a little bit, take some extra vitamin B, and keep moving. It will balance out.

This is what I think it comes down to:

I am by nature an incredibly emotional person. To set my emotions aside in a crisis - it has a price. They must be dealt with eventually.

I suppose it's better this way. I'd hate to be useless during a short of long-term crisis!

Choices

You know how "give the child choices" is like the most popular parenting article topic? It's all about giving them choices, etc.

So I do that a lot but it doesn't really work here the way "they" say it will...

Even from the when she could first talk I would give her choices and she would answer in one word with a third choice. "You want juice or milk." "water." Of course Leah. Sheesh.

So it's always been this way & I'm used to it but today we had a new one -

"Do you want me to A, B, or C?"

"ummmmm" as she slowly counts up 3 fingers to count the choices...

"Those are not good choices."

Twerp ;)

Fabulous week

On Sunday Leah & I left town with my mom and went to Denver. It was a fantastic trip! We had so much fun.

Monday - we got up early and went to the zoo. We stayed there until 12:30 or so. Leah loved it of course. Then we had lunch and went to see the movie Julie & Julia - which I positively loved! Then we shopped at the mall.

Tuesday - we shopped from beginning to end. We were EXHAUSTED. It was wonderful. lol

Wednesday - we packed up all our stuff from the hotel room, ran a few left over errands from the day before and then we headed off to meet a highschool friend (Nathalie - I hadn't seen her since highschool. I was so great to see her!) and then we headed home.

Now. The food on this trip. Maybe to everyone the making or breaking of a vacation/trip isn't about the food... but to me? It's all about the food. Sure it can be fun without it - good company, good fun - BUT the food! Ya. Anyway.

So Monday at lunch we were in the mall waiting for the movie and we checked the "food court" (not really a food court in this mall - more like a restaurant row). Anyway, we went into a panda express and I see a sign that says "Honey Walnut Shrimp" and a picture of it. I got so excited. See - there was this dish at a Vietnamese place in Boise - Crunchy Walnut Shrimp they called it. I don't have any family in Boise anymore and I thought I would never have that dish again. But here it was! In a panda express! I walk up and the woman didn't even ask - she just stabbed a piece with a tooth pick and handed it to me & mom. And ya - it was it. It was delicious!! We ordered and then went next door to Sbarro's to get Leah a piece of pepperoni pizza. Oh and earlier in the day we passed a Starbucks and got to have creme blended frappes. :)

Monday night we were driving up & down the street our hotel is on deciding where to eat - and I saw... a Schlotzky's!!! Mom & I both love the place. We were so ridiculously excited that mom says "We're going to have to contain ourselves before we go in or it's going to be embarrassing." hehe. After we got food for us from there we went to the KFC/Arby's across the street to get Leah something (she still won't eat sandwiches) and I got to order cheese curds there too! Schlotzsky's AND cheese curds. I was one happy woman.

Tuesday after we'd been shopping all that time already, we decided we wanted to sit to have lunch and rest and we tried a new place... Kona Grill. Kona Grill is now my new favorite restaurant. It was so good. So yummy. So fantastic. The first thing we ate there was an appetizer that was a fried wonton, laid flat, when a very thin slice of pan seared tuna, and a wasabi aioli drizzled all over it.... I can't even explain. One of the yummiest things I've ever put in my mouth. Seriously. We also ordered a dish to split and some sushi. All of which was just fantastic.

We didn't get hungry again until pretty late and decided to order food from the Mexican place across the street. Again - fabulous! Who knew?!? It was all delicious. All these yummy sauces and perfect tortillas.

Wednesday for lunch we decided to hit Kona Grill again. It was that good. Really. We ordered most if it to go because we were in a hurry to get to where I was meeting Nathalie. We were 30 minutes late meeting her as it was. (I'm lame) After having fun with her we went to a Krispy Kreme!

Seriously. The food on this trip. It was perfection.

I suppose maybe if I lived somewhere that had good restaurants and all the choices in the world - like in the middle of Denver - perhaps I wouldn't feel this way about eating great food on vacation. But alas.

I love food.

We also got to shop in a Whole Foods grocery store. I bought all kinds of yummy foods. It'll be fun for awhile to have all these unusual things to eat that I'm loving.

And it gives me lots of ideas - for things I can make myself.

Good thing I love to cook too!

There. Now you know how mental I am about food.

But seriously - if you live anywhere near a Kona Grill - go. now. :)

Enjoy it

There are a million funny memories in my head from Leah. Adorable things she says through out the day.

Today she cleaned her room and while it still required many suggests about what to clean next and it took forever - there was no screaming fits and no tears and no time outs. So I stood her on the bed so we were eye-to-eye and said: Thank you Leah for cleaning your room without screaming or crying or yelling. Thank you.

And she threw her arms around my neck and said: Thanks mommy!

I loved that!

But the moments I think about more are like this (which has crossed my mind probably 20 times today):

I wake up at some point in the middle of the night...

"Mommy can I get in bed with you?"

"Sure baby"

...she crawls up the side (our bed is high) settles in & I'm nearly already asleep and she says while searching under the covers near me...

"Mommy? Will you sleep holding my hand?"

...

Wow.

I love those quiet sleepy requests. So tender. So precious.

And while I know she will make me laugh and touch my heart with her personality & her fabulousness long into adulthood and beyond, those precious little requests won't last forever.

So, Leah - yes, please wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me to hold your hand because I would love to. I will cherish it for the brief little moments they are.

I may even go get her and bring her to my bed in a few minutes. Drew's not here and she will love it.

Being a mommy is the best thing ever.

Tea Party Etiquette

So Leah & I are having a pretend tea party where she has prepared muffins. About the muffins she tells me. "I made these in my kitchen - I mean in my restaurant."

"Really?"

"Yes. I used eggs and oil and flour and everything else I needed." (I love my kid. How funny she knows what goes in muffins)

Then as we are having the tea party and she keeps saying "Here Mother" "Would you like some more Mother?" "Do you need anything Mother?"

I don't know why she is calling me Mother. She's never called me that before. Very good proper tea party etiquette!

She's adorable!

***

Once months ago she came in and says to me "I'm a restauranter."

"Do you mean a waitress?"
"The person who takes the order."
"Yes, waitress."
"Oh. I'm the waitress. What would you like?" (Pen & paper in hand)
"I'd like some pizza."
"Sorry. We sure don't have any pizza. How 'bout a hamburger?" (I think it was hamburger. That was awhile ago)

I laughed so hard. What the heck? It's invisible food! Why can't I have what I want??

Today she asked me that and said I wanted an egg roll and she told me no. "My restaurant doesn't have egg rolls. You can have this carrot."

Sheesh!

What to do, what to do

I keep coming to my blog and wanting to write. I want to get back to blogging more regularly like I used to. But I come here and then I can't decide what to write about. It's not a habit anymore to make little notes in my head to blog about stuff. So what to do about it? I don't know.

Life is good here right now. Drew is working steadily again, things are back to normal. Well - it doesn't feel like normal anymore. But it's very pleasant all the same.

This morning Leah comes to me and says "You can take me somewhere." "Oh ya?" "Yes, you can take me to McDonald's for breakfast! I said you can do that!" (all the while dancing around excitedly) She got dressed and started packing herself a bag of toys. I didn't have to heart to tell her no. She was so dang excited. I don't really like McDonald's. Bleh. But she was one happy chick!

I've been trying to make myself sit down and make a plan for homeschooling this year. I put it all in front of me and then I can't decide where to start. Maybe I'll go try to do that now.

I need a planning calendar.

What a boring post.

Oh well. I gotta start somewhere!

Next time it'll be brilliance.

Maybe. ;)

Two Giveaways

Two Giveaways I entered this morning below. I love giveaways!

http://justanotherreviewblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/wanna-see-my-mussels.html

The first is for Musselman Applesauce - which I love!

http://justanotherreviewblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/clay-so-cute-giveaway.html

The second is for a craft book that I would love to have for craft time with the homeschooling. It's for clay and it looks adorable!

Another Nephew!

Another Nephew! Hooray! This is Ean Benjamin. He was 9 lbs 12 oz! Big boy :) (born yesterda)

This is Leah's 18th cousin. She got all excited when I showed her his picture and said it was another cousin. So fun!