Leap Year Snow Day

     I got the call this morning somewhere around 5:30am.  I expected a delay...I had no idea there would be a closing.  I was excited.  There was something about it being Leap Year and how it was a little bonus day.  We haven't really had any snow days either so it was a real treat.  First Emily came up to ask why I had shut the alarm.  I told her the good news and that we were going to let Ethan sleep.  He had a rough night and was up crying around midnight so I knew he would sleep in if allowed.  After 8am he came up asking why it was so late.  I told him to stand on my bed.  I linked hands with both kiddies and announced with glee, "It's a SNOW DAY!!!!".  The jumping began.  I am a "Don't jump on the bed" kinda Mom but I have to tell you...it was pretty darn fun.  I might have to do it more often.  The strange little snow day continued.  Ethan's hair was smacked down in the middle and quite high on either side like little owl ears.  He reminded me of the lead singer from Flock of Seagulls which meant I then had to show them the video for "I Ran".  Next, we busted out an old friend that has been long neglected...the Webkinz website.  We played a new game called Scrambled.  Topped off our morning snuggle with a little recorded American Idol. 
     This was all before 10am.  Breakfast was next.  Rye toast, dippy eggs, sausages and OJ.  Em needed scrambled. Pop even broke from his cereal routine and joined in...always a sucker for a dippy egg.  Then we got dressed and headed out the door for a few errands.  Of course this is when we had the heaviest precipitation so I got us home as quickly as I could.  The afternoon brought some chores but in a more relaxed fashion than usual as well as Em's piano lesson.  I made a nice dinner and we rounded out the night with some good old-fashioned relaxation.  The snow itself might have only lasted an hour or two but it sure made for a nice day with my sweeties!  Happy Leap Year!  I promise not to wait another four years to jump on my bed!!!!

Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper from Popcorn Buddha

     Some days I leave my new thing to the universe.  Today, as I neared the school to pick up the kids...my hands turned the opposite direction...into the parking lot of Popcorn Buddha.  I had read the title of a new flavor on Facebook recently and it was pulling at me.  Tuesdays are busy with work, homework, karate, instruments, and cleaning.  I felt the need for a little treat while I sat in the short-lived quiet of the car line.  I had no idea it would be a little treat for the soul as well.
     I tasted the brand new sea salt and cracked pepper flavor.  The seasonings live on a layer of white cheddar and they get along quite harmoniously.  In fact, dare I say this is my new favorite flavor! But as I sampled this and some others...I talked to the popcorn pioneer himself.  We discussed life, the past, the future and the way we deal with it all.  It was a conversation as deep as any religious experience.  Maybe this is where the Buddha comes in.  It was also sprinkled with some magic just like his tasty treats.   This husband and wife team proves inspirational to say the least and when you leave with a simple little bag of popcorn you take with you so much more.  I needed it today.  The universe reminded me of what was important through their voices, stories and passion.  Maybe they needed the reminder as well.  I am grateful for what they gave to me today and I don't just mean the snack. 
     The kids got to taste a few pieces but I have to admit I was being a bit greedy with this gourmet grown up flavor.  The ONLY bad thing was that the bag was empty before I even made it home...guess I'll have to get a bigger bag next time!

Granola

     It's one of those things that I always said I should do.  And didn't.  Don't know why.  I love granola and complain about its price but the thought of all of that work over opening a bag of ready made just never got me to the kitchen.  It seems to romantic...to go on a hike...with your very own crunchy crunch....but nope.  Until now.  Oats, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, mixed dried berries, golden raisins and hazelnuts made up this first batch.  I have a feeling I have many more batches to come.  Now maybe the granola will inspire the hikes!  ;)

Olé Mole!

     The peppers have been in my pantry for too long.   Part of a gift from my mother...they were nestled in a basket with pumpkin seeds and authentic Mexican chocolate.  All waiting...to be made into a mole sauce.  She knew I was interested and wanted to give me the opportunity to experiment on yet another culinary adventure.  I would walk into the pantry and see them and put them on my mental to do list.  Almost every time.  Mole is not something you can rush through though.  I wanted the right day.  That day never seemed to come.  It was one thing or another.  A sick child...a busy day at work...too much time taking care of the necessities.  A day turns into a week...and a month...and a year.  Then someone gets ill and in between visits to the hospital and getting through the regular hustle and bustle...the special little peppers get shoved to the side of the pantry somewhere near the panko and the boxes of pasta....for someday.
     Then the very woman who got you the peppers...leaves you.  Now when you see the peppers...there is a sadness that she will never get to taste the delicious meal you are about to prepare.  There is a guilt that you never did it while she was alive.  There is even the strange feeling of the awareness that once you use these peppers...cook them in the way they were intended...they will be gone.  A little part of me kept them there I think like a smile or a nudge from her... a little "hello" if you will.  Just yesterday while we were playing cards I realized that the last time we had used the deck she was there with us.  Her essence on them like a fingerprint of memory.  I found the urge to make this sauce yesterday.  I believe she whispered into my ear, "enough waiting...make the mole". 
     I put on music that I liked and let the family keep each other company for a bit.  It was Ma, me and my mole in the kitchen.  I lined up my ingredients as if I were prepping for a cooking show.  I think in my head I might have even described what I was doing... an audition playing in my head.  This mole was intimidating me.  Just a silly little sauce making me question so much.  Doing the new might just seem like a new recipe to the outsider but it is usually so much more.  First. I threw the many types of dried peppers into a pan to begin their transition.  Next, they soaked with golden raisins to create a pool of rich colored liquid.  The pan then met its next batch of goodies...oregano, fresh thyme, pumpkin seeds, peppercorns and a cinnamon stick.  They filled the kitchen with even more aroma.  The pan was used a third time for the round of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onions and plum tomatoes.  They were sauteed until the point of perfection and thrown into a blender along with the ground spices and soaked peppers and plump raisins.  Mexican chocolate melted into the sauce as it whirred in the blender.  My dutch oven warmed as I seasoned my chicken thighs with salt, pepper and a fresh lemon.  The scent was now of a restaurant...somewhere exciting.  While everything simmered for hours I prepped the rice and the crisp and fresh cilantro, lime, radish and onion slaw.
We waited.  I started to wonder if piles of dishes, tons of prep and hours of time on a free Sunday (a rare commodity these days) was worth it.
    It was.  It was worth every seed that needed to be picked from the peppers.  It was worth the energy and time and money and hope that was put into this little dish.  It was layered and rich and gave your mouth an experience that you don't get to have on just a "regular" day.   It was the kind of dish that with each bite makes you grow a little bit sad that it will eventually be gone.   The beauty of it...I have a second batch waiting in the freezer  for next time!
     It is hard to let go of the things that were so very thoughtful.  She was a master at finding things I would cherish.  She thought of things I wouldn't have and found the things she knew I would adore.   She listened like no other.  One day in passing while watching a cooking show I might've mentioned wanting to make this sauce.  She would remember and research it and find a way to get what was needed.  I miss this part of her the most.  The way she would just know what to get....better than I would even know what I needed.  I will be sad when the peppers are gone but I now have a new meal in my recipe box...a notch in my apron's belt if you will.  I also spent a Sunday with a much missed mother and her mole...even if only in spirit. 

Family Night at the Y

     In the hopes of creating a well-rounded child I am always looking for different experiences.  Some are educational others are silly.  Some are cerebral and others are sporty.  Tonight, we headed to the local ymca for their version of "family night".  There might have been some bingo...I won't deny nor confirm.  But I can say that the kids rocked the rock wall.  We also played at a little basketball.  Oh and I can't forget the awesome games of dodgeball...even if the refs kept warning the bigger guys to "watch the Mom" on the side of the gym in a teasing fashion.  The last time I was playing on those very courts I was half my age...so I looked around at first to see who they were talking about until I realized it was indeed...me.  All I know is that my little critic was sure to give me a "that was fun" on the way out so it must've passed the test. 
    So this week my little guy: earned his stripe on his yellow belt, played catch with me in the yard to prep for T ball, climbed a rock wall, dribbled a basketball and played some dodgeball...not bad for one week with a mama!!!

Shamrock Shake

     It needs a chaser like a bad glass of booze.  It starts out ok and then as it settles into the back of your mouth....the nasty kicks in.  But when you have a busy day full of lots of stuff you love but you have done over and over...you have to buy a neon green shake and hope for the best.  Mark this as another one of those things I will not need to repeat!

Record Breaking "TV Night"

     Work.  Chores.  Kids.  Stuff.  Repeat.  That is the life of a Mom.  We love it but it is exhausting.  When we find ourselves on E...we need to fill up our tank with a little something that recharges our soul.  One of my tricks is tv night with my girl, Jenne.  We retired this event for quite some time.  Things were soooo crazy we couldn't even line up the time.  Now we are remembering that it should be a priority.  This week we both needed extra I suppose because we nearly made it to the very next day...and as we looked at the clock nearing midnight we couldn't believe that that much time had gone by.  Idol and some Maya on SNL and we were feeling better.  A couple hours of bitchin', whinin' and a-moanin' and we felt validated, heard and a tad bit lighter.
     At work we have a little desk calendar with words of inspiration for the day.  Last year I asked to take one of them home and it is stuck to the wall under a cabinet as a daily reminder for those around me.  Oh, and myself.  I need the reminder more than anyone.  It says:

     "The greatest gift you can give to your children is to take care of their mother."