I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work from home somedays. I can spend more time with Sophia those days since I don’t spend an hour each way (sometimes less, sometimes more) in traffic. Those are the days I treat everyone (Sophia, our nanny and Evan) to a nicer breakfast. This past Friday was that kind of a day. I happened to have purchased brioche which is a luxury in itself, but decided that all two year old’s should have tasted Pan Perdu (french toast). I had had it plenty of times while growing up, but rarely ever since. So… I found this recipe and it seemed reasonable. I also made a berry compote from scratch because … well, I didn’t need a reason. I just wanted to.
Any mother knows that the minute you hear that your child is unwell, you want to run to them and be with them. You would do anything to make them feel better. Something happened when I became a mother. All of a sudden, I had, without any deliberate effort, attained an acute sensitivity to suffering of any kind and especially, that of children. That isn’t to say that I was heartless before. In fact, most who know me extremely well, will say that I am very compassionate. But motherhood has somehow elevated my sense of compassion to a whole new level.
Someone close to me once said “all children get sick, it is no big deal.” She was obviously someone who does not yet have children. I found the comment to be ignorant but I bide my time until she becomes a mother. A prospect of a sick child doesn’t just mean a child in discomfort. It also guarantees sleepless nights (likely more than one) for the mother. But I digress…
I grew up in a family where when my sister or I were sick, my mom did everything and anything to make us feel better. There was first and foremost a stern lecture how we must have caught this cold because we didn’t a. wear our hat/scarf b. ran around until we broke a sweat and then gulped ice cold water and c. didn’t wash our hands before eating. The reasons were, universal if you’re Russian, dubious and likely untrue. Once the lecture was finished, we were loved. That meant hot tea with homemade raspberry jam on demand, hot chicken soup with matzo balls or dumplings. We were allowed and encouraged to lay down, watch tv or read books. Sometimes, when feeling especially poorly, my mom would lay down with us (even when we were older) and just hold us. It was just nice and I believe that children can feel that and it instantly calms them and soothes their already aching bodies. Just look at infants whose mothers can soothe them by just holding them. The infants can smell their mother and are instantly comforted. This and all that special yummy goodness continued well into adolescence. Not to be mistaken for a mommy’s girl, which I am definitely not, but I even felt infinitely better when my mom came and spent my first full day as a new mother in the hospital with me. She just gave me such reassurance.
This past Friday, Sophia had a runny nose. She’s so miserable when she has a cold because she have yet to master blowing her nose. Even though our nanny is more than capable of administrating medicine and trying to sooth Sophia, there is no-one better than Mama to make it all better. I rushed home from work to try and comfort her and hopefully curtail the advances of this cold. I defrosted some chicken soup, made warm tea (that’s right, we’re Russian and we drink tea!), bundled her in a warm cardigan and even held her while she napped. We thankfully nipped this cold or allergies or teething or … whatever it was in the bud. Fingers crossed. Oh and she drinks “flowering honeybush” tea which is naturally caffeine free.
Taking a selfie with my sleeping child is not beneath me :-). This is mothering. This is love.
We had the whole weekend to ourselves. Just the three of us save for a few hours earlier today when Evan and I were once again Sophia’s beards, so to speak. The young lady had a social engagement — a birthday fete to attend and we were simply the chauffeurs. We spent most of the days catching up on rest, relaxation and some good eats. Oh, I also knitted a verdant green hat for Sophia, but it is not yet finished. Stay tuned for pictures.
Every Thursday evening, the three of us sit down over books and magazines. Sophia usually selects some Dr. Seuss books though her favorite this week is Yum Yum Dim Sum. This book is such fun to read and Sophia always reminds us that her Aunt and Uncle (my sister and brother-in-law) brought it for her. While she is busy reading, we are busy looking at various cookbooks to figure out what to cook this weekend. One of us rushes to the grocery store on Friday evening with a compiled list of everything we will need. This weekend, we decided to make a Saba (mackerel) dish, Roasted Tomato Soup, Chinese dumplings, Chinese chicken soup, brownies and home-made granola.
Evan makes a mouthwatering Saba dish which he pairs with perfectly cooked rice and a cucumber salad. That was Friday evening’s dinner. I made the dumplings for Saturday’s dinner and made enough to freeze for another night (likely a week-night). Dumplings are a special food. If you’ve had someone’s homemade dumplings, it likely means that you are loved. If I’ve made dumplings for you, it means just that — that you’re someone very special to me. They are such a labor of love. Every single dumpling perfectly filled, folded and propped on a board waiting to be cooked and dressed in a special sauce. They take so much time to make and so little time to disappear into happy bellies. I have the most special memories of my mom making dumplings for us — it truly made my dad, sister and I feel loved and I would like nothing more than to hear the same sentiment from Sophia a few years from now.
Chicken soup is very special in our house. It isn’t difficult to make, but takes some time. Usually, my mom makes a few batches for us in case we get a cold. In my book, there are few more comforting dishes than chicken soup. But chicken soup is chicken soup and sometimes you want it with a twist. Enter Chinese chicken soup made with scallion whites and ginger. My house smells so good right now.
While psyching myself for chicken soup, I psyched myself for brownies. I must confess, it wasn’t terribly hard to psych myself for brownies. And once they were in the oven, the granola just sort of happened. Besides, I can’t just have plain greek yogurt for breakfast, can I?
The brownie may not be a looker, but trust me, it is everything a brownie should be. I thought it so nice, I just had it twice!
As is the ritual during the summer and fall months, we make an almost bi-weekly pilgrimage to Delaware and Pennsylvania to attend the many birthdays of our littlest cousins. As tiring as it can be to make the trek, we always enjoy our time and are happy to see our families. This past weekend was our youngest cousin’s 1st birthday party. The theme was The Cat in the Hat and it was executed beautifully. My cousin brought in a musician to do some signing and dancing with the kids. Sophia couldn’t get enough of all her cousins, the food was delicious and if you know my cousin, you know she likes to bake. The dessert table rivaled the savory offerings.
When the party dust had settled, it was quiet sibling (okay, cousin) time at my parents’ house. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they were siblings and that is just how I like it.
There is no one in the world who is a best friend like my sister. We are by all accounts, fairly different and yet have an unbreakable bond. She is ten years older, smarter, much better read, has a lot of patience and is much, much more responsible. In contrast to her, I am much goofier, more outgoing, impatient and obviously, much, much younger ;-). Despite all of these very serious and contrasting qualities, we manage to be quite goofy when left to our own devices which is, by the way, is almost never.
“Almost never” happened yesterday for a coffee/breakfast date while my parents babysat Sophia and Evan got some extra ZZzzzssss. I finally got a tour of my nephew’s new school. He recently switched schools as his previous only runs until 5th grade. It is a beautiful campus with perfectly manicured lawns where buildings with large windows dot the rolling hills. My sister and I both agree that we would love to go to this school. Then again, we both love to go to school and would be lifetime scholars if that sustained our families.
After strolling through the school grounds, we decided that some coffee was is order. We stopped by the Drip Cafe for lattes and this:
This … this is an apple and bacon pancake stack with caramel sauce.
Thankfully, an afternoon of running around Sophia was on my agenda. I would otherwise have no way to rationalize this calorie-laden, delicious breakfast. In the end, it didn’t really matter where we went to, though I will be back to the Drip Cafe. It mattered that we finally got a chance to catch up, just us, to talk about what interested us. When I think about sibling relationships, I understand that not everyone has this closeness, but I also realize that this is the very definition of sibling relationships. This coffee date, these few hours, made my weekend extra-ordinary because I am almost never afforded the luxury of time with my sister.
The grand 2nd birthday celebration was, by all accounts, a smashing success. Our house is still standing. The furniture and walls are without any additional adornments such as glitter and the guests all had plenty to eat. I assume the latter because we are almost finished the last of our leftovers and its Wednesday, people! I felt quite a bit of pressure to provide a nice spread because many of the guests were coming from out of town. Regardless, it is usually a good idea to have a plentiful spread to ensure that everyone can enjoy themselves. Not that I am Suzy Homemaker, but I have a cardinal set of rules — which I call the Party Food Commandments — by which I like to entertain.
Entertain because you want to and not because you feel you have to
Serve the food you would be happy to eat at other’s parties
Always, Always, A-L-W-A-Y-S accommodate allergies (not to be confused with preferences) especially for children and definitely when it impacts cake
This one is especially close to my heart. My nephew has tree-nut allergies. I am always disappointed when I am at a party with him and the host (if in the know about said allergy) has not provided a sweet alternative to a tree-nut contaminated cake. How would they feel if their child couldn’t eat cake and was going to a kid’s party?
Change things up. If I can guess your menu before arriving because it is always the same, then please change it up
My family is often guilty of this! Mom, if I see one more olivie (Russian potato salad) at your party, I am going to incite a mutiny!
For her first birthday, we hosted a bonafide tea party complete with tea sandwiches, scones and the likes. This time, it was hoagies and the likes. What’s next?
Thou shalt never buy store-made guacamole. Besides the fact that it is expensive, it is downright nasty-tasting
Drinks are just as important as food. Evan is in charge of ours and we usually settle on one or two types of beer, a red and a white wine. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just good.
Fall is here, the leaves are blanketing our neighborhood in a glorious patchwork of yellows, oranges and reds. I am sad about not being able to take long walks outside in just a light cardigan. I am however, looking forward to more cuddles with cozy blankets, kisses and art projects.
But really, fall is just a fiery reminder that life doesn’t stay still, that life changes, it goes on whether we like it or not. We can lament or get on board. We can savor and enjoy the moment because the moment will be gone in just a second.
