for the tummy

This meal was a surprise hit so I have no evidence of it's beauty.  It was all digested.  But I will be making this again at the request of at least two of my kin.  Feel free to change out the cheeses and the bread.  I know this would go well on flatbread, or in a filled stromboli, or on it's own for that matter.
Kale and Potato Burrito
4 Large red potatoes
1 bunch kale
1/2 onion diced
1/4 c gorganzola cheese
1/4 c parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, garlic

1. Quater and slice the potatoes 1/4 inch thick and place in lidded skillet with oil, salt, pepper and garlic to taste. 
2. cook unstirred about 10 minutes.  add chopped oinion and stir carefully.
3. when potatoes are soft place chopped kale on top of potatoes, and the tortialla on top of the kale, reaplace the lid.
4. after about 3 minutes, remove lid, and tortilla which are now perfectly steamed.
5. stir together the potato and kale mixture and add the cheeses. 
6. fill the tortilla with mixture and serve hot.

Choices and their potential ridicule

As a holistic parent, there comes a time when your choices will be given less than positive attention.  Sometimes it is your choice of poo catching devices that get the side eye.  Other times it is the lack of happy meals that you bring through your drivers side window that will demand explanation.  No matter the choice in question, the challenge is always tough.  I never enjoy the moment when I have to divulge my parenting choices to a person who I know will disagree.  The moment that they decide if they will be offended by your decision, taking it as a slight against their choices.  It truly makes my skin crawl.  I avoid those moments at all cost and have faked-it like a champ as a freeze pop is handed over to my two year old.  But as I grow as a parent and individual I have gained the strength in my decisions that boils down to the simplest idea: I demand the same respect for my choices as I give yours.  I try my darnedest to treat all members of the child-raising community with the same respect, keeping in mind that to each their own.  I slip, daily.  I cringe when i see a child eating a lollipop at 9 am.  Mostly for the mom who has to spend her day in wonderment as to why Johnny is bouncing off the walls and throwing tantrums that could shift the rotation of the earth.  But I would never engage that parent in a face off of values.  It diminishes the parent-potential in yourself.   I find that when I look at Johnny's mom and wonder what possessed her to hand over said pop at the wee hours of the day, I force myself to think of any choices that I made recently that went against my own parenting ethos. I may have bent the rules on tv that morning to get in a much needed chat with a sister or friend in need a few non-screaming moments.  I may have overlooked the mess of toys to get out the door to a playdate to get some much needed mom time.  No matter the reason, it was a sacrifice I made to keep life running smoothly for my family.  I make decisions that work for us but look a hot mess to an outsider.  Who knows, johnny may have finally peed on the potty that morning and not in the dog's kibble.  I would gladly hand over a pop for that feat.  It would be organic and I would feel a bit better about myself for thirty seconds until I felt the earth shift a bit as the tantrums began.   I hope that before you start judging you remember that there are eyes pointed in your direction.  We all need a break sometimes, and commiserating with a worn down member of our parent community will always go farther than judgement.  I personally accept the most help when I feel my ideas are respected and will assume others do as well until I am proven otherwise.  It keeps me in hope that someday I won't have to explain why I don't go to Walmart and why my three year old prefers our necks to a teddy bear as a bed mate. 

Last Day of School

Today Cora becomes a second grader!  I will be very sad to leave behind one of the greatest teachers I have met.  It is truly a pleasure to know that she was so respected for her thoughts and concerns.  It is not often that you find a person who allows children to feel so important.  Thank you for a wonderful year Ms. B.

Oven Woes

Short of stumbling blindly into a giant pile of money, I will never own this.  This beauty comes form Good Time Stove and sells for over 10K.  I would be hard pressed to spend that much money on a car let alone a stove, but I can dream a pretty dream about it.  I have not always been in the habit of pining over vintage appliances.  I believe that this habit has come with living without a working oven for about three years on and off.  First we struggled with burners that burned too hot and moved on to burners that didn't work at all.  Then we moved and found an oven that cooked our food as if it was angry that I would even consider asking it to bake.  It scorched our food in seconds.  I eventually learned that a 100 degree difference in temperature was the culprit rather than an irritable appliance.  Now we have the same oven deciding about half way through it's job, that it would rather not work.  I am back to the idea that it may be an irritable appliance with a distaste for people who ask it to work the occasional overtime.  I realize that baking all our own bread, and making just about everything I can from scratch is asking a lot of it considering it may not have ever been used by the previous tenant. Ever. In three years.  All the same, I once again have no oven.  I have had to be pretty creative about our meals as to avoid using one whole appliance.  The one that is used to cook most meals eaten in the home.  Therefore, stove-top suppers it has been.  I am running low on ideas though and have had my fill of rice and stir fry.  So for now, I fill my time gazing at pretty vintage stoves and dream of the breads that would come from those doors.  Cause there is none coming from mine.