A Day That is Dessert

Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:40:00 +0000

Hello, friends.

I'm looking forward to some media-free time over the weekend, and I look forward to catching up with you again next week.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:40:00 +0000

Last weekend at Spinasse.

Our school's annual art and music event was last night. This is the first year the boys didn't both sack out on the drive home; usually Alexi has to carry them up the two flights of stairs to their beds. No school for the rest of the week or Monday - we feel lucky for the down time. Starting to get excited about the approach of 'the' weekend. And just like that, it'll be summer.

Happy Thursday.

on friendship, and baking

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:31:00 +0000

I met Sherri when Cal was two weeks old. We were participating in one of Seattle Central Community College’s Parent Child classes. Her daughter is a few months older than Cal; she would roll, then scoot, then crawl, as she got older and more capable, to the center of our circle as we sat on the floor holding our babies, and entertain us as we discussed the topic of the day. If it hadn’t been for her daughter’s gregarious nature, I might never have noticed and gotten to know Sherri, especially since I was there with my second born child, and was not as free to get together before or after class as some did. But lucky for me, we became acquainted, and realized we lived within walking distance of each other. We’ve remained friends to this day.

Sherri is a great baker. In the past I’ve been the lucky recipient of wedges of cake, tarts, brownies, cookies… whatever just came out of her oven. Now we live at opposite ends of the city, so we get together at restaurants instead of walking to each other’s houses, and try other people’s food. For my last birthday, she gave me a book called Fat Witch Brownies. Cal doesn’t like chocolate, so I don’t make many brownies, but there are a few good chocolate-free bar recipes in this book. The cherry oatmeal bars are delicious; similar to an oatmeal cookie. Make no mistake – they are not granola bars. The quantity of butter puts them squarely in the camp of dessert. The beauty of this recipe is the ease with which it comes together – no scooping and rolling, no removing individual cookies from their sheets. You mix together all eight ingredients, press them into the pan, bake, then cut them out.

Here, as in any baked good, I recommend using good quality butter, as the flavor really shines through. I bake with Kerrygold.

The original recipe calls for one packed cup of dried cherries; I’ve reduced it by half, as none of us liked the bars with that much fruit. Use whatever kind of dried fruit you like. You can stir in ½ cup chopped nuts if you like.

Cherry Oatmeal Bars
Slightly adapted from Fat Witch Brownies by Patricia Helding

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup dried cherries

Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour and tap out the excess, or line the pan with a piece of parchment paper and let the excess hang over the sides, for easy removal after baking. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon with a wooden spoon, flattening any lumps. Then pour in the melted butter mixture and blend until well incorporated. Stir in the cherries.

Spread the dough into the prepared pan, using your hands to pat it down.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour, then cut into squares.

Yield: 16 bars

field trip

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:40:00 +0000

Last week I accompanied Cal's first grade class on a field trip to the University of Washington's Botany Greenhouse. We learned about carnivorous plants, plants that have mutualistic relationships with ants, plants that smell sweet and plants that don't, cacti, orchids, and many other things.

Monday morning

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:23:00 +0000

We've gone our separate ways, carrying home with us in some way. There is a certain joy in the leaving and in the coming back together.

Happy Monday.

Thursday evening

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:24:00 +0000

Shorts to school every day this week.
Lilacs in bloom.
Macduff successfully executed (so to speak).
Two neighbors home from college.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a thing or two, but I'd say the week is ending on a good note. Hope yours is, too.

make way for ducklings

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:49:00 +0000

I stepped out of a restaurant and into this scene, straight out of Robert McClosky's book, in downtown Ballard today. An entourage was following the mama and her ducklings; an officious man in a tie told me they were 'guiding' her back to the water.

Never a dull moment around here.

Happy Wednesday.

tastes like summer

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:20:00 +0000

As I ate my lunch today, I read the foreward to A Platter of Figs. Alice Waters wrote that David Tanis knows “creating a meal means creating your own reality.” I wrote the phrase on a post-it, and stuck it inside my spice cabinet door. Truer words were never spoken.

Our collective family life often gets busy during the school year. I’d love to be able to say we’re around the table, lingering, every night. During the school year, on weeknights, there is always a night – or two – when dinner is something quick, sometimes even in the car. In those pockets of busyness we do what we can to stay connected, to check in with each other all the same, to eat well.

This salad is in regular rotation here in warmer weather; sometimes enjoyed in the bleachers at a baseball game on a school night. When I took my first bite, I was surprised to be taken instantly to a picnic blanket in my mind’s eye. A taste memory from last summer.

The flavor improves with time - make it a few hours before you’re going to eat it (or even the day before, if you leave out the tomatoes and walnuts until the last minute).

Lentil-Bulgur Salad
Adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

According to the author, “Similar to Tabouli, but more complex (although no more difficult to prepare), this salad is a perfectly balanced protein dish that can be served as a main course – especially for lunch on a hot summer day. All you need to complete the meal is toasted pita bread and some ripe fresh fruit for dessert. This is also a good dish to bring to potluck parties. You can easily double the amounts.”

1 cup French lentils, picked through for pebbles and such
3 cups water

1 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 cup boiling water

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint, or 2 teaspoons dried mint
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill, or 2 to 3 teaspoons dried dill
fresh black pepper, to taste
½ packed cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup finely minced red onion
1 small bell pepper, any color, diced
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup Nicoise olives (1/4 lb.)
1 medium sized tomato, sliced
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
wedges of lemons, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, cover the lentils with the 3 cups water, and bring them just to the boiling point. Turn the heat way down, partially cover, and allow them to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are tender but not mushy. Drain well, and rinse under cold water. Transfer the cooked lentils to a large bowl.

While the lentils are cooking, place the bulgur in a small bowl – I use a cereal bowl. Add the cup of boiling water, cover with a plate, and let it stand, undisturbed, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add everything to the lentils, except the tomatoes, walnuts, and lemon wedges, and mix gently. Cover tightly and refrigerate.

Just before serving, top with the tomatoes and walnuts, or serve them on the side. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Yield: 6 servings

Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:46:00 +0000

I spent half the day at school hanging art for the annual Spring Arts Showcase next week. This and several other end-of-the-year commitments are filling my calendar the next couple of weeks; there will be a continuous stream of busyness until it's over mid-June. It starts to get out of hand emotionally, but I'm going with it.

Where does it go?

Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Today I was reminded that, for some of us, this day is hard. Some are faced with failings as parents and broken relationships. Some of us have mothers or children who've died; some were never able to have children. Maybe our hopes for our relationship with our mother don't match up with our reality.

I woke up to coffee in bed. Abbott made eggs and toast for my breakfast.

My step father-in-law left me what was perhaps the nicest phone message ever, in appreciation of my mothering work.

And the homemade cards and other efforts to make me feel loved, honored and respected from my family! - they made my heart sing.

Sending love to you today, whatever your circumstances.

Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:37:00 +0000

at Belle Epicurean

Burning both ends of the candle this week, and I am just fine with that. I've woken to an alarm, unusual for me, early, and have been surprised to discover that it's light already. I've gone running right after slugging down a glass of water and a mug of coffee. There is a pink cast to the sidewalks, and a different crowd than my usual mid-morning cohort of moms with strollers, friends walking together, and older, hat-tipping gentlemen. Along with the serious-looking runners with earbuds in place, who pass me, there are dog-walkers, and couples out for a walk before work, holding hands.

Now, it's close to my bedtime, and it's light, still. I love this time of year.

Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

The refrain in my head all week has gone something like this. It started when I met my friend Kathleen for dessert at the Boat Street Cafe last Thursday. I had the rhubarb clafoutis; she had the bread pudding. Saturday night, I found myself at Boat Street again. (While I love the place, twice in one week was a first.) Rhubarb margarita was the special; Alexi and I each had one. Sunday, I decided to make a rhubarb cake. I expected to love it based on the list of ingredients and the recipe's author; it was only okay. Today, I made a rhubarb buckle - also only okay.

RIP Maurice Sendack. Sendack On Death (and life) (via Stephanie).

Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Tue, 08 May 2012 03:33:00 +0000

The day was full of sun and shadows.

The fourth grade class play - Macbeth this year - is in 10 days; we're busy rehearsing lines and cues and inflection. Abbott is Macduff. Hefty choice for this age group, seems to me, but not to him.

I've said it before, I'll say it again - my love for camellias could not be overstated. They're fading fast. The petal snow is happening in earnest, from these and all the other blossoms, everywhere I turn. Soon, it will be summer.

I coached the boys on putting the utensils in the drawer all facing the same direction when they unload the dishwasher. I tell myself this will benefit their future well being; possibly they'll simply remember that as one of my neuroses when they're adults.

I hope your week has gotten off to a great start.

Happy Monday.

Sunday evening

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:35:00 +0000

Book launch party for my friend Leora.

Each day of my weekend contained an expression of love from a community toward one of its members. One planned, one spontaneous; equally heartfelt.

I live in a city. My life is at times isolated. I suspect part of me is just fine with that, or I’d be elsewhere. Wouldn’t I? Other times, the world I exist in is disconcertingly small. I experience loneliness and a craving for anonymity in equal measure. Twice this weekend I was in a circumstance in which the smallness of this city was juxtaposed against its vastness. Ultimately I’m left with the reminder that we're all in it together.

Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:52:00 +0000

This morning, I met my new oncologist for a routine followup. (You may recall, my doctor of 13 years recently left clinical practice for an administrative position.) I took the boys to school, then drove to the medical center. As I sat in the waiting room, my nose started to drip, and I had to search for a tissue. Oh. I'm nervous, I realized. Usually it happens in conversation. Some people blush, my nose drips. Come to think of it, I blush, too.

After the medical assistant took me back to the exam room and weighed me, took my temperature, and worried over my low blood pressure ('It's always like that!' I tried to reassure her), I looked around the room, and noticed my new doctor has a bachelor's degree from Harvard in Comparative Religion. I decided I liked that in an oncologist. She came in a moment later, before I had a chance to peruse the certificates identifying where she went to medical school and did her residency, and as we talked, I realized my nose was no longer dripping.

Wishing you and yours a relaxing weekend.

Washington Park Arboretum

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:42:00 +0000

I spent the morning with Cal's first grade class at the Washington Park Arboretum. Several years ago, I wrote a bit about its history, if you're curious.

Happy Wednesday.

dandelion wishes

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:44:00 +0000

I, for one, am glad to be moving into May.

these days

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:31:00 +0000

I sat on the beach and watched them play baseball with a piece of driftwood and a purple plastic bouncy ball we brought with us, and came close to tears. I don't know what they'd do without each other.

A week or so ago, they moved into separate rooms. I worried about a number of things. A loss of connection between them. Lessened understanding. Isolation. Yet it has been just what they need. At times there are closed doors. There is always a reconnection. This morning I found Cal wrapped only in a blanket, lying on the floor of Abbott's room, talking softly to him. I'm sure they'll always have each other.

The friends we had over last night are moving in two short months, all the way across the country, back to where they came from. Although we've known the move was inevitable since we met them nine and a half years ago, its approach is devastating. Their son is Abbott's oldest friend.

As I tucked Abbott in tonight I saw through the window the house of the neighbor they spent the afternoon with. I am so glad they have him. And all felt right with the world.

Sunday night

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:40:00 +0000

My favorite way to end the weekend has always been with a good dinner party.

Have I mentioned before that Alexi does most all the carving type things around here? I assured him tonight that I didn't marry him for his knife skills, although they are a welcome bonus.

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead.

Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:04:00 +0000

Today I finished listening to Steve Jobs’ biography; it made quite an impression on me. It took me back to elementary school, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and our school’s computer lab full of brand new Apple computers. I remember learning about computers and flowcharts. I didn’t have any way of understanding what a moment in history it was.

I was reminded of the Radio Shack TRS80 we had at home, and the dozens of hours of typing code with my sister and brother, trying to get a video game to work.

Maybe four years ago, while visiting our friend Henry at his cabin on Lopez Island, we sat on the beach, looking out at Alec Bay, and discussed the iphone. Alexi and I were contemplating getting them, but were unsure they merited the price tag. He described his iphone as his most prized possession.

My kids may read the same biography at some point in the future, but it won’t be the same read for them. They didn’t live in those moments of history in the same way, but enjoy the fruits of them.

Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:20:00 +0000

I spent the day with Cal's first grade class at the Mercer Slough. The kids were greatly enthusiastic about all of it, most especially each and every slug we encountered while hiking around the slough. For the first time, I saw the respiratory opening of a slug, called a pneumostome. I discovered that skunk cabbage truly has a skunky smell. We brought a jar of pond water into a classroom, with the task of finding and identifying some of the wetland wonders. The kids were totally fascinated by what they found.

Tomorrow morning, Alexi and I will be helping the fourth graders dissect cow eyes. The learning around here never ends.

Happy Wednesday.

Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 03:21:00 +0000

We're inching a little closer to summer each day. The light, the air, our energy. Loving it all.

the basic black dress of pasta salads

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:09:00 +0000

When I went to make this last weekend for a potluck, I was surprised I hadn't already written it up here. I make this all the time; it goes well with just about everything.

My friend Juni once told me she always brings a main dish to a potluck, because there are never enough. At the time, I didn't yet have children, and I couldn't see what would be so bad about having an all-dessert potluck, if that's all people brought. Now, I get it. I always bring something we can have for our meal, and sometimes also a dessert or something else. In those circumstances, Abbott, not always an adventurous eater, asks me what I made, and only puts that on his plate, plus a dessert.

Marcella Rosene calls this the "basic black dress" of pasta salads; it really is. Our friend Katie gave us her book as a wedding gift. It contains some of our other favorite recipes as well, among them Downtown Oatmeal Scones and her Beef Lasagne.

The House Pasta
adapted from Pasta & Co by Request by Marcella Rosene

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon dried basil and 1 tablespoon dried oregano OR dried or fresh herbs of your choice and to your taste
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 pound dried pasta of your choice (if you're using fresh pasta, use up to 2 pounds)
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cream, herbs, Tabasco, salt, and garlic. Whisk in the lemon juice.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until tender. Rinse immediately under cold water and drain thoroughly.

Add the pasta to the olive oil mixture and toss until well coated. Add the Romano, and toss again. Top with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

This will keep well, refrigerated, for at least two days.

Yield: 8 to 9 cups

Sunday night.

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:54:00 +0000

The coffee pot is set up, ready to push the 'on' button in the morning. Dishwasher's unloaded.

We're all tired from our first long bike ride of the year, and will presumably sleep like logs. Previously, the boys could out-skate and out-ski me; now, they can out-bike me, too. So it goes.

The house was hot when we got home just an hour ago; I've got the deck doors next to my bedroom open and am enjoying the breeze and the sound of the breeze on the water. Somehow, the sound is more noticeable when it's dark.

Still thinking about what the pastor had to say this morning about how narcissism and loneliness have grown in our society in equal measure; the two go hand in hand. He challenged us to envision ourselves in the middle of a tic tac toe grid this week, and make sure we've met the people in the homes that correspond with the surrounding squares. Better yet, to know something that is important to each of them. I offer you the same challenge for your week.

have a beautiful weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Lecia) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:39:00 +0000

I just got a postcard coupon in the mail from Eileen Fisher, one of my favorite places to shop. (I'm not being paid to say this; I don't accept sponsored posts.) I was introduced to the brand on my 30th birthday. I had lunch, then went shopping, with my friend Paris; she took me to their boutique downtown. I've been a regular customer ever since.

From the postcard:

You are about to...

See more knees.
Smell charcoal.
Lose your sunglasses.
Tread water.
Eat a peach.
Break out your bike.

So there you have it. Happy weekend, friends.