MommyCoddle

jiggetty-jog

Hello.

I have ten minutes to write this post. I'm sitting in the play area of our brand-spanking new Wegman's grocery store. Birdy and Elizabeth are happy at the train table, Mary and Emma are just a few blocks away, having their piano lessons. I was supposed to have more time sitting here to write and enjoy the free wifi, but I got bogged down in the toothbrushes when all I really needed was a gallon of milk and a pound of coffee beans. Isn't that always the case?

But I'm determined to be here this morning. I've opened up the "compose" window every day this week.

I'm home from New York City. It was a fantastic weekend. I was so glad to have my mom with me. We had such a fun time together. Navigating train stations and taxi fares. We dealt with overwhelming problems like where to have lunch and which store to shop in first–Purl or Fishs Eddy (thanks, Erin for turning me on to that one!) She lounged in the hotel room, and dined leisurely in the hotel restaurant, while I zipped from premieres to broadway. Tough weekend, huh?

I ate the best dessert I've ever had. Would I ever think I'd use the word orgasmic on my blog, let alone to describe a dessert? No, but there. I just did. It was. And now I'm blushing.

The movie was fantastic. One of those movies I really need to see again to take it all in one more time. To see it without seeing it through so many tears. Woah, the tears. It's a killer. I was a bit bummed that it doesn't seem to be one for younger kids (I was hoping I could take Emma). It definitely falls in the young adult category. Or it would make a great movie to see with your husband. There's lots of animal drama. That's tough for children.

I also got to step inside the home of my great-great grandmother. A beautiful tall, narrow townhouse on banker's row. Now a preserved landmark, nestled between highrises just like The Little House. Today it serves the unromantic role as a store front full of discount name brands. I'm not sure what my great-great-grandmother would say about the five foot square poster of a teen dressed in short-shorts and fur, dangling from her living room wall. I was scolded for taking pictures inside the building. But I explained my history and was given full photographic access.

Going away was wonderful, yes. I felt a bit like my life was on hold until I got the trip behind me. Now, I'm really looking forward to settling in for the rest of the advent season. I'm ready to slow the pace down a bit. And hunker down.

So happy weekend friends. Here's to slowing down and enjoying the rest of the season.

It's good to be home.

Hello.

But I'm determined to be here this morning. I've opened up the "compose" window every day this week.

I ate the best dessert I've ever had. Would I ever think I'd use the word orgasmic on my blog, let alone to describe a dessert? No, but there. I just did. It was. And now I'm blushing.

So happy weekend friends. Here's to slowing down and enjoying the rest of the season.

It's good to be home.

7 Comments

life (in general)

the profound stuff is hiding

Hi.

I decided last night, that even when I feel like my brain is too full to put together any kind of profound or coherent words, I still need to show up here and write.

This weekend, I'm heading to New York City representing the Babycenter blogs for the premiere of War Horse. I found a dress (In black. And no, I didn't pay that much!). And I ordered some tall black boots with a kitten heel. "Kitten Heel" being terminology that is both new to me and now used regularly in our house because it's just fun to say. And a ridiulously large and dramatic glitzy necklace. I tried the outfit on for my kids and they said I looked like somebody else. And the boots weren't my style. My dear children, I try not to make a habit of wearing knee-high black boots around the house, but mama can get a little funky when she needs to.

So, I'm sandwiched between still recovering from our Thanksgiving roadtrip last weekend and preparing to leave the brood behind with my husband for three days this weekend. I'm trying to make everything a little easier this time because on my last jig away from home, one child almost died and they survived on hotdogs at every meal. (The hotdog part possibly an exaggeration from my oldest child.) And just on cue with my imminent departure Elizabeth has an ear infection, and the baby is going through another phase of scream-only communication. Not to mention her uncanny ability to sniff out EVERY marker in this house (despite my attempt to HIDE every marker in this house), color both her cheeks, inside her ear, between her toes, and on any flat surface.

Today I made a brain-dumping to-do list in my journal. It was simultaneously cathartic and overwhelming.

But. BUT. Despite all this craziness, I'm pretty sure this weekend is going to be amazing. In a last minute exciting change of plans, my mom is coming too–riding the train up to NY with me, spending our free day Sunday together and lounging around in the swanky hotel with me (and without me). My husband, despite my attempts to drown myself in guilt for leaving, has been nothing but encouraging and all "everything's under control". And the stuff will get done. And some won't. And my house will probably be messy still when I leave. And there'll be laundry to do. But there will be meals in the freezer. And grain for the chickens and food for the barn cats.

The End. And that's all. That's my brain dumped out for all to see. I promise, there's some good stuff hiding in the back of it. But for now, this is what you get. In all it's un-profound glory.

Hi.

I decided last night, that even when I feel like my brain is too full to put together any kind of profound or coherent words, I still need to show up here and write.

Today I made a brain-dumping to-do list in my journal. It was simultaneously cathartic and overwhelming.

The End. And that's all. That's my brain dumped out for all to see. I promise, there's some good stuff hiding in the back of it. But for now, this is what you get. In all it's un-profound glory.

13 Comments

holidays / IN MY KITCHEN

Give the gift of chocolate (the less dangerous variety)

My family has a special well-loved by many generations recipe for something called Chocolate Chewy Sauce. It's killer. The moment the warm chocolate hits your cold ice cream it gets all thick and sticky and ohhh man, so good.

A few weekends ago, when my sister was in town, we decided this would be the perfect thing for dessert that night with our families and brood of children. But for some odd reason, the recipe was MIA from my box. Though mildly distressing ( I haven't put out an all-out search for it, so I'm not worrying, yet.) I found another version of chocolate fudge sauce in my box that I've stored away for years.

I heard about it from a college friend. And it is just as rich, not overly sugary sweet, and chocolately as the chewy stuff–but minus the chewiness. And as I was making a batch up, I realized that this hot fudge sauce would make a great holiday gift. The chewy sauce isn't for everyone. If you didn't grow up on it, you might not appreciate the jaw-clenching fun of our family's warm fudge sauce. You might not appreciate the work it takes to scrape every last bit of chocolate from the sides of your bowl. Or the fact that you must soak the bowls in hot water in order to remove the last bits of chocolate from their sides.

And who wants to be responsible for giving that kind of chocolately madness to a neighbor, co-worker or your daughter's preschool teacher?

Enter my much less dangerous, but still just as delicious version of hot fudge sauce. I can vouch that this recipe, once prepared, can be poured into cute little canning jars, or my personal favorite BonneMamam jars, with their red and white checkered lids. It can be refrigerated and then warmed in a pot of simmering water while you eat dinner and be perfectly ready for the dessert hour. I'm thinking the neighbors will each get a jar this year. It is easy to make, easy to store and something completely different from my usual plate of sugar cookies….Who doesn't love a good warm, fudge sacue over vanilla ice cream? Not many.

*FYI: Sauce in the picture is straight from the fridge, it will not be that thick once warm.**

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

5 squares unsweeted chocolate

1/2 cup butter

1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)

3 cups of powdered sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat. Mix in sugar and milk (alternating the two ingredients as you add them.). Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for 3-5 minutes so that sauce will thicken. Remove from heat stir in vanilla. Serve warm over ice cream. Leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to….it won't last long enough to worry about that.