the OTHER mother

Bento Boxes

Marcia bought laptop lunch kits for the girls.  They're adorable, and I like the bento concept, although I must confess I had a total Ricky Ricardo moment when I found out how much they cost. Ay yai yai!

Bird Rock Coffee

Good morning from San Diego, CA.  Mmmmmmm.

Carrie is Hungry

I've been combing through my archives tonight and found a little clip of Carrie eating lunch.  She was 13 months old.  (Now she's 2!)  It was made with one of those disposable camcorders, and the quality is poor, but I still thought it might amuse you.  Find it in the side bar on the right or click on the icon below.

Virginia Xmas 1206

Houston Cool 5

Another truly marvelous thing about Houston is that we have great Vietnamese restaurants. That might surprise you, but Houston has one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the United States. 

My favorites restaurants are Van Loc and Kim Son, and they serve up authentic dishes. For a funky twist on Vietnamese cooking, Jenny's Noodle House is always fun.

Click here to review the previous Houston Cool posts.

It's the Weekend

Marcia's 9 month teaching gig (Saturdays only) ended last week, and this is our first two-day weekend together in quite a while.  To celebrate that and the months we have managed to be vegans, Marcia signed us up for massages. 

This was my first bodywork of any kind in four or five years, and it was trippy for me.  I imagined that the two "babies" from my miscarriages came out of my body for an hour.  They were beautiful, colorful butterflies of light, dancing in the air.  I say "butterflies" only to suggest their way of moving; they were bodiless, rainbowy blips. Then they peaceably returned to me as the massage ended.  It felt very positive and comforting.

The vegan lifestyle still feels extremely new.  We don't have a repertoire of favorite foods.  Once we understand that, it will make a big difference.  I must say, though, that I don't dream of steaks or anything.  Giving up animal products wasn't hard at all.

Have a great Sunday.

Ode to the Avocado

One of Carrie's favorite foods is a favorite of her Papa's also--mashed avocado on toast. Carrie also loves fruit smoothies for two.  She and her Mommy share one smoothie with two straws.

My Next Post

Here a new bullet list of what's going on with us.

• Carrie has adjusted quickly to nursery school.  She doesn't cry when she's dropped off.  She seems to have assumed a leadership role of sorts.  For example, she refuses to paint with her fingers.  A brush is a must.  All her classmates have followed suit. 
• She likes to play peekaboo with her blue blankie.  She likes to be turned upside down, but only temporarily.  She tickles herself, tosses back her head, and laughs.
• Carrie likes to climb up the foot of her parents bed and use the remote control to turn on the television.  Carrie is a television addict.  She will watch absolutely anything, even static.
• She enjoys doing things that she knows are forbidden.  Throwing food onto the floor, drinking soapy bathtub water, stealing Mommy or Baba's glasses from their faces--these are the true pleasures of life.

• Pearl can identify most of the letters of the alphabet, and she is learning to write her name. 
• Her love of stories and storytelling continues to grow stronger. She dumps out all of her cars/trains/dinosaurs/farm animals, and uses them to create elaborate tales.
• Her favorite new book this month is The Different Dragon.
• Pearl loves climbing and running and playing in the park.  Today she and her friend Miles were pretending to be brother and sister.  She told me, "We even fell down together!"

• This month Marcia and I have embarked on vegetarianism.  So far, it's going well. Our guidebook is Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman.
• I'm growing herbs in clay pots on our back steps.
• Marcia has been doing video editing with her students.  Here's one example.
• Marcia and I have an anniversary coming up, and we're brainstorming about how we want to celebrate it. 

Your turn.  What's up with you?

Adventures with Chopsticks

Tonight I picked up Chinese food on the way home from work. We've been reading Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin, a book suggested to us by our friend Tae.  Pearl and Carrie decided to give the chopsticks a try.  They ate and laughed and laughed some more.  It was a fun meal.

This weekend Marcia worked both Saturday and Sunday. Pearl, Carrie, and Baba did many outdoor activities.  We played in parks, went to a farmer's market, took walks, and played in the sprinkler in the backyard.  It's cool that the girls can play

together more now.  They really crack each other
up.  Of course they also already make each other furious, but much of the time they seem to be allies.

 

Eat a Meal with Pearl

Scene: Round table in the breakfast room. 

Characters: Robin and Marcia (the moms) and Pearl (the 19-month old child)

Action:

R: Pearl, do you like these [pointing at the centerpiece, pot of chrysanthemums}?

P: Purple flowahs

M: Here's a cup of water for you.

P: Nuke!  Nuke!

M: You had a bottle of milk already.  What would you like for your breakfast?

P: boggle and keem chee

R: I'm toasting the bagel.  It's almost ready.  Instead of cream cheese, how about jam?

P: jam

P: and sha sha jizz

R: Okay, I'll put the sausages in the microwave.  While you're waiting, would you like some fruit?

P: fruit!

M: How about strawberries?

[No comment necessary here because all fruits are equally wonderful.]

R: Breakfast is served.

[As soon as food arrives, Pearl begins eating.  She's a very serious eater.  Robin brings the bagel and the sausage, both diced into tiny bits.  As soon as sausages appear, she forgets all the other foods and eats them first.]

M: More, peas.

R: More what?

P: Sha sha jizz!

Aunt Pearl's Squash Casserole with Running Commentary from Gram

I really love this email from my mother to all her kids and their partners, so I thought I would share it with you.  For those of you who have followed this blog from the start, you may recall that Pearl was named after my great aunt Pearl, a fiesty, tiny cajun lady who loved to cook and wear bright colors and have a good time.  We included one of her okra recipes in Pearl's birth announcement back in March 2004.  Below, Aunt Pearl's words are in bold, and the rest is the commentary from my mom.

Since Robin and Marcia are interested in Aunt Pearl's recipes, I made this squash casserole with many changes this past Friday.  Karen and David Davis seemed to like it, as did I, so I am going to pass it on to you. The original is in Aunt Pearl's handwriting but the paper is stained from use and is yellowing so I will keep a copy too.

BAKED SQUASH: (No amounts are specified - so I wing it).

1. "Peel squash and take seeds out and let it cook in a little water until
very well done stiring all the time so it won't brown or you can boil the
squash with peal on and after they are cool you can peel them and take
seed out". 

I boil the squash in a big deep skillet so that I can later saute the
vegetables in the same pot and not have to clean so many utensils. I
NEVER peel the squash NOR do I take the seeds out.  (That was in the days
when she had a cook and she delegated all such chores to her assistant.)  I
scrap off any blemishes on the surface of the peeling, cut the squash in
pieces, put in salted water, boil until tender (usually turns a deeper
yellow or light green), then drain the squash in a colander. I leave the
squash in the collander until I am ready to mix into the sauteed veggies.

2. "Chop an onion, about 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 bell pepper, and a clove
of garlic." 

Since Dad does not like bell pepper I skip it.  I am more generous with
the onion, celery, garlic. Sometimes I have even put fresh tomatoes in it.
Put all or as little as you want.  I spray the deep skillet or pot with pam, then add canola oil or some fat into the pan, throw in the veggies and cook slowly. I never stand an stir all the time - all of her recipes call for that -- again slave labor economy.

3. "If you are going to use ground meat, fry your chopped seasoning first
then when that is golden brown add your ground meat or your chopped liver
& gizards or you can use  half & half then add that to your onion mixture
and let it fry until you think it is done then add your mashed squash".

I do not add ground meat or any meats but it is an option.

4."Put your squash back into the sauteed veggies, heat up, stir and mash
up the squash in the veggies, then break a raw egg into the pan and stir
constantly for 2 minutes until the egg is mixed in and cooked."

I do follow this and stir the two minutes.  Actually, when Aunt Pearl made
this it was more like a custard as her squash was softer than mine since I
have peeling and seeds in it.  Hers was delicious.

5. "Add a tablesppon of fine bread crumbs season to taste with a lump of
butter or olio a tablespoon or more (to taste) and a dash of Lea & Perrin".

You can add salt, pepper, and more of any of the above that you want
including Hot Sauce.  True Cajun.

6. "Put in a greased cassrole, sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with
butter and bake until brown"

I bake in a 350 degree oven. The more butter you use, the better.  Of
course Olio will do too.  Bon appetite!!! 

Bon Apetite

In our extended family, Pearl's cousin Max has earned the honorary title of Mr. Eat-It.  He can shovel in food.  Leftovers, anyone?  Max can help you out.

Pearl is a hearty eater too.  Our pediatrician keeps telling us that Pearl will hit a moment in her development in which she will become disinterested in food.  We're certainly not there yet.  She is a champion of digestion.  This morning she saw a photograph of a ripe tomato, and she promptly kissed it passionately and said, Mmmmmmmmmm. 

She digs in to all the food groups with gusto.  I hereby name her--until further notice--the honorary title, Baby Eat-It.  Bon apetite!

In Need of a Plan - Please Advise

We are supposed to be making the transition from breastfeeding to so-called solid foods. So far, we've fed Pearl assorted gruels--rice cereal, oatmeal, and a few of the phase 1 vegetables, such as yams, squash, and peas.

At first she thought eating was fun. Now she seems less interested. Or I should say she is less interested in eating the food, more interested in painting herself and others with it. Our dog Jake is the member of our family most enthusiastic about Pearl's future as a food artist.

We've been feeding her every evening. At the six month check (which went very well, by the way), our pediatrician Dr. Alex said she should now be eating three meals a day. Herein lies the problem. We have no plan! We read that you introduce new foods for 3-5 days to make sure she's not allergic to each one. We've done that. No allergies, thus far. But 3 meals a day is serious business!

First thing this morning I got a newsletter from the Gerber company. I was reading along thinking, "This is very helpful," but then reality struck. These days the sales pitch is disguised as helpful information. When you find yourself fooled by the advertisement, you have to consult the pros. So here are my questions for you.

1) Do you make homemade baby food or use the bottled kind? Please explain.

2) Do you use organic foods?

3) How should we proceed in the introduction of new foods?

On the consumer front, the good news is that last week I purchased a new blender and a big bib that's made of 100% raincoat.

The Daily Show

Really there's still more to say about our vacation, but those posts will have to wait until the weekend. For now, there's meatloaf to label and refrigerate. There's baby spit-up on the floors and colorful toys everywhere. And I mean everywhere. The laundry spins around and around inside the washing machine. The cat needs her insulin shot; the dog, his ear drops. I say: turn on the TV; it's time for a snack.

Epicurious

This week Pearl has expanded her repertoire. She has left behind her a life of just drink and has started eating solid food. Solid food is a technical term that is applied very loosely in this instance. Whoever categorized the rice cereal she's eating as a solid needs an eye exam. The stuff is grool. But Baby Pearl is making a big adventure of her foray into the wide world of food & drink.

How much of the sticky paste actually makes it into her stomach? We estimate: very little. But it's a fun game, and goodness knows she's not starving to death.

One thing we are noticing in Pearl is that she seems to have a Texas-sized independence streak in her. She doesn't want to be fed by her moms. When we try to assist, she grabs the spoon and tries to take over. Her dexterity is not perfect, nor is her aim true. Nevertheless she is determined to take control. Same thing has happened with the old sippy cup. She's a do-it-yourselfer in the making.