Double Wide

We braved the cold, sans snow, today. Winter garb for all and me schlepping the double stroller and the bags because Dave cannot lift anything over a gallon of milk. You do the math....kids + stroller = many gallons of milk. Off to the Poughkeepsie Galleria we headed to use holiday gift cards and we tried not to spend money in Target on things that we did not need just yet. This is in no way directed to anyone who lives in or around the Po'k area, but Dave and I thought we were in Hicksville. We were NOT in Kansas anymore or maybe we were. It was bizarre. Like bizarro world on SEINFELD. One girl who looked 16 and had the oddest pastel dye in her hair was talking like she drank too much kool aid and the guy oggling her, who just needed a piece of straw in his mouth and looked about ten years older than her, was hanging on to her every world. And everyone kept looking at our kids. They are cute, but good Lord, people, have you never seen cute kids or were they incredulous that they were not double fisting junk food and were not in ADD melt down mode? And then the woman and her 7 year old, who were VERY capable of NOT taking the elevator...2 women and a stroller enter first, as they were there first, followed by the mom and 7 year old. The mom stands smack dab in the middle of the elevator. REALLY? move to the side, moron, is what I said in my head, of course. I just pushed that double wide right straight into her with my best LEAVE IT TO BEAVER smile and she did move out of the way. You would think that this woman never had a baby. Shopping online is way easier and less entertaining, but after today's culture shock, cyberspace sounds more enticing.

The Sounds and Smells of My Commute

Flamenco guitar playing twin brothers with matching hats and glasses. A few solo act guitar playing women who sound like a cross between Joan Osborne/Jewel and Joan Baez. A guitar playing duo with bad 80s hair, but their music surprisingly doesn't mirror their looks. A soulful singing male and female duo, who wears wings and an aviator cap. The homeless guy on the track one or three shuttle to and from Grand Central Terminal, who has a guitar that's missing strings and sings "The Lord is Blessing Me" before asking for donations. This one disturbs me every time...a hunched over old man who plays a keyboard and has these creepy bobble head dolls. Then there are the smells. Well, it is NYC, so you know that it includes the good, bad and the ugly. When I'm in Grand Central, I'm assaulted with smells of wafting butter and chocolate and each day resist the urge to indulge in a black and white cookie. And in their food court, I see a "coming soon" sign for Magnolia Bakery. Did you know they just opened in Dubai? This is a glimpse into my harried commute. Snippets of songs and intoxicating smells that I encounter in my mad dash.

Snow

I am not a fan of the cold, winter or snow. I know some like the idea, but not me. Everyone gets in a tizzy and then it does not snow as predicted and then the next time, we do not heed the weatherman/woman's prediction and we get caught unprepared. Did you ever go to a grocery store before a storm is predicted? Then you know that that is NOT the time to go to the grocery store. That is why it is important to be stocked up in the cupboards and it is a good time to head to the freezer and take the casserole (or fill in the blank) you have had in the freezer out for dinner. I am taking the slow cooker out tomorrow. Not sure what I will do with the chicken yet, but it seems like a perfect day to bring the slow cooker down from its perch. I have visions of being snuggled on the sofa with the fam enjoying some hot chocolate, but you know that the four to five loads of laundry and other household duties will be calling in between. Get the shovel ready, the fridge stocked and let's see what happens today!

Eggs

Two weekends ago, hubby was sleeping in (and I was up with the kids) and I made myself fried eggs. Not too much olive oil and just enough of a runny yolk in my fave "green" omelet pan. A little salt and my fave buttered white bread from the health food store. Took me back to being a kid and when my dad and grandfathers would go hunting in Ellenville, NY and we would all roll out bed super early. The ladies would hang out at our friends' home for the day and the men would go hunting. Their house was like a museum. Ornate, over the top Italian furniture and tchotchokes. I was always fascinated going there. So much to explore. It is also maybe why I am not a fan of having a lot of things out that require dusting. Francesca would make the best fried eggs, so getting out of bed was worth it. My hubby likes egg whites. Yuck. He does make a mean omelet though. I have been able to make these eggs twice since two weekends ago and it is such an enjoyable breakfast. Every bite is savored. Funny how such a simple thing can make you so happy. So, try to do something nostalgic today. Hope it makes you do a happy dance (or something like that). . And by the way, Francesca made a mean homemade pasta.

Love To Watch Those Wheels Turn

I asked my son the other day what he wanted for breakfast and he said eggs. I explained the past few days he had asked for eggs and had left half or more. Would he like something else? He said French toast. As my morning is a race against the clock, that wasn't the best option. Yogurt? Waffles and fruit? I offered. He asked if he would have time to play? Of course! And then, I understood! He knew that asking for eggs and French toast would leave him with more time to play before breakfast! I laughed and said you are funny and told him I figured it out and he just gave me the sweetest smirk! Smart cookie for 3! How do little minds work? I'm not sure, but may he continue to be super smart and land a nice scholarship in 15 years! Kids are smarter than we think. Just give them love and the art of conversation and the sky is the limit. And don't make them watch a ton of TV. Gasp! He didn't watch TV until he was one. We got lots of grief for it. It was more exhausting constantly having to explain why than occupying him with other things.

No Cheese on Pasta that Has Fish/Seafood on It?

Is it an Italian thing? My grandparents and parents would always say not to add grated cheese on pasta that has fish or seafood. It ruins the flavor, they say. I don’t know, for me it adds flavor. When my parents had the restaurant, every Thursday, when dad would get the fish delivery, he would make calamari marinara for dinner. Until this day, my sister and I cannot stomach the sight of calamari, unless it is fried. Seeing a plate of calamari marinara, takes me back to sitting at table one at the restaurant on a Thursday. I think that is where the adding cheese thing to pasta became a way for us to force ourselves to eat the calamari. We laugh about it until this day. And I still continue to add that cheese on clam sauce or the tuna pasta dish I throw together, with apologies to Italians everywhere. For that tuna dish...saute garlic and onions in good olive oil, add sherry wine and spices when the garlic and onions are browned, add tuna and cook for about 5 minutes, add tomato sauce and olives and let bubble. Serve over pasta of your choice. Add cheese.

You say toe-MAY-toh, I say toe-MAH-toh...

My hubby does not like fresh tomatoes. I find this hard to comprehend. He loves sauce, but no fresh off the vine for him. There is nothing better than a ripe, tasty tomato in the summer with some extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, salt and pepper. He has attempted to try bruschetta and still, he is anti-tomato. That stuff is delish over toasted bread or pasta. My dad used to make the pasta version at the restaurant. Served hot or cold, it was a popular dish. Dave always had chicken parm there “back in the day.” He claims my dad makes the best chicken parm. He is right on that one. The key? Good, fresh oil. There is nothing worse than pulling into the parking lot of a restaurant and smelling the smell of old oil outside. That is a sign to run and not go inside to eat. And for those of you who want to whip up some bruschetta, chop tomatoes. Add salt, pepper, good olive oil (the greener, the betetr)and some fresh basil. Mix it up and serve on toasted bread that you have rubbed a clove of fresh garlic on. If you would like to serve this over pasta, same method and just heat it up in a sauté pan, if you want it hot. Serve over a pasta of your choice. If you want to make it spicy, add some cayenne or red crushed pepper flakes. The only way hubby has managed to eat the bruschetta (on bread) is with balsamic vinegar. I am determined to make him like tomatoes and blueberries one of these days.