Smooth operator

A recipe for you, courtesy of Quinn Lilly, for a fast breakfast treat for the whole family.  Here’s the “list*” of ingredients:

Lacking punctuation – it’s ice, milk not ice milk

Place together in blender and push the button.  Simple!

The chocolate mustache tells the tale.

Seeing as how we’re (finally) done with foil-wrapped chocolate Easter eggs, I imagine we’ll be modifying this recipe.  What will remain consistent is the absolute joy this boy gives to me.

*Some may call it a recipe, but Q prefers list.

Done with Mother’s Day

Yet another benefit of drinking – flower boxes!

Screw Hallmark – as far as I’m concerned, May 5th was my ideal Mother’s Day. No matter what happens next Sunday, I will cherish the day I had, from the scandalously late start to the fortified-with-an-afternoon-nap late ending – perfect! Let me be a little more specific…

Saturday night, I shot a SEEN gallery down at Prime 677.  The occasion was a fundraiser for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America and it was a lovely event.  The food was spectacular and the folks at Empire Wines rallied the troops to put on an extraordinary wine tasting.  It’s been noted by some astute Times Union readers that whenever an event involves wine, I’m usually there.  Guilty as charged.

I got home from the party working at about 10:30 only to find my little guy desperately upset that he had been denied a ‘s’more from the neighbor’s party, a situation I was able to correct with a soothing shower and some ice cream.  Tucking him in at such a late hour gave me the first gift of Sunday – he slept until 10:00, which gave me an incredibly quiet morning.  Soft music, strong coffee and the paper comprise my personal morning bliss trifecta.  So far, so good.

After the boys departed at noon for their Dad’s, I got busy in the front yard with mulch and some annuals.  The sun was glorious, birds were chirping and the simple joy of getting a little dirty made my heart sing.  I had a mid afternoon visit from the person I most love spending time with and the day moved along at a pace that was completely enjoyable.  I accomplished some other chores, including eating a fantastic lunch salad, and punctuated the afternoon with an indulgent nap on clean sheets. But, wait – there’s more.

Caesar salad with shaved Romano and grilled asparagus

As the day cooled down a bit, I tied on my running shoes and hit the streets for a 5-mile lap through the neighborhood.  I had intended to go a bit further, but contented myself with not pushing myself too hard and tried to just enjoy myself.  Done.  A shower, a quick visit with the neighbors for a glass of wine and then home again for finale of the only reality show I would ever want to be on, The Amazing Race, and I was in bed by 10:15, thoroughly relaxed and satisfied with my day.

There weren’t any tulips or handmade crafts, but nonetheless it was a lovely day with a wonderful mix of boys, friends, productivity, relaxation and good food and wine.  Mother’s Day 2013 is a done deal, as far as I am concerned.  Any additional gifts are truly unnecessary, although I do have a fondness for the imperfectly made card along with a hankering for a French lilac bush.  Just saying.

April Moms@Work & Women@Work catch-up

My byline snap

Notice I said catch-up instead of catsup or ketchup.  We all (or those of us who hang on every word of dialogue in Mad Men at least) know there’s only 1 ketchup.

I digress – anyway, here are some blog posts from my other spot out here on the internet, Moms@Work.

• Would you do it all again?  (“Probably not” was the impression I apparently conveyed in this one.)
• Travels in parenthood (Includes a nifty picture of me doing a ringer of  Molly Ringwald impersonation.)
• Tests of spring  (Where I talk about the NYS math assessments, but don’t acknowledge that I can’t do 8th grade math.  I saved that for FB and Twitter.)
• What do you think about a “good enough life?” (Even if you don’t read my post, read the one which inspired it.  Please.)

Also, excitedly enough for me, the print edition of the May/June issue of Women@Work is now available in all sorts of lobbies and waiting rooms around town.  Grab one, why don’t you and read my piece on page 59.  Don’t forget to linger over my name on the page listing of contributing writers!

Taco Tuesday

Here’s my latest Moms@Work post.

Creamy fettucine with leeks and bacon

My middle son and I have continued our monthly new recipe explorations, despite my not being more consistent about sharing our exploits with you all.  Last month we stepped away from Bon Appetit because everything was so damn holiday-centric and attempted Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu, a recipe we found in Cucina Italiana.  Of course, in my typical half-assed fashion, there were some modifications…apparently pappardelle is not available in Price Chopper, so I substituted fettucine.  There was also a snafu with the wild boar, or cianghiale, as I like to call it, and we had to go with ground pork in its place – whatever.  I’m cooking for teenagers and a grade-schooler.  Picky and well-traveled they may be, incredibly discerning?  Not so much.  I didn’t take any photos of that meal, although it was tasty, because it wasn’t very visually appealing, in my opinion.  I would make it again, but would be tempted to add some color with maybe a bit of tomato or carrot or something.

Last night’s dinner was this keeper from Bon Appetit.  Again, I’d be inclined to add more vegetables, although the leeks were splendid.  Maybe asparagus or sweet baby peas?  Generally, though, this was an easy recipe, rich and creamy with the lovely sweetness of essentially carmelized leeks.  And bacon – don’t forget the bacon!  Skip the calorie count and console yourself with the knowledge that it’s damn cold out and winter is the time for a bit of pasta indulgence.  Winner!

Butter, olive oil and bacon…a close second holy trinity.

Leeks releasing flavor and fragrance.

The finished item – yum!

 

From tepid to hot to steamy

In my attempt to recreate last year’s Christmas in the desert, I bought myself a week’s worth of unlimited yoga classes at the Hot Yoga Spot in Stuyvesant Plaza.  I’d heard good things about this studio and was excited to sample as many classes as possible during my holiday break and for $25, it was a lot less expensive than a plane ticket to Palm Springs.

My first class, Hot Core Flow, taken on Christmas Eve, left me cold.  It started a bit late, the studio was a disorganized arrangement of mats, someone’s phone chimed and there were a lot more pre-class conversations than I’m accustomed to.  I had remembered to bring a hand towel to blot my face and other sweaty parts, a forethought that turned out to be completely unnecessary since I never really got that hot.  Meh.

Two days later I went back for the Runner’s Yoga class and was much more satisfied with the experience.  The class was well-paced, the directions were explicit and I definitely felt limber and stretched afterwards. There were only a handful of participants and the instructor, Aaron, offered plenty of personal attention and  corrections.  During shavasana, he coaxed my shoulders to the floor from their upwardly curled position and I felt myself dissolve into the floor when he stroked my face.  I had actually hoped to follow the class with a run, but I worked so hard  in the class that I  made myself a little nauseous – winning!

Yesterday afternoon I headed back for another Hot Core Flow with a different instructor  and I really got my ass kicked.  This class was crowded, but somehow didn’t bother me the way my first class had. Maybe it was the fact that I saw some familiar faces?  Regardless, we all squeezed in and got to work – and I do mean work, I was positively dripping wet when class finished.  The flows were challenging, requiring focus and strength.  There were definite moments when I doubted my capacity to finish the class, or even my ability to complete holding a position for the number of breaths we were attempting. Yikes!  Again, I had imagined a run following this class, but all I could do upon arriving home was strip, shower and eat – I had nothing left.

My hope is to get back for one more class over the weekend, perhaps with yet another instructor.  Overall, the experience has been super and if time and budget allowed, I would definitely avail myself of the Hot Yoga Spot with great frequency.  I’m going to attempt to take that Friday class on weeks when I don’t work and during the summer I’ll try to get there as often as possible.  If you haven’t been there before, I highly recommend the $25 deal.  It is a wonderful value and you deserve it!  Namaste, my friend.

12 days of Christmas ~ Dining DelSo

On the second day of Christmas my second born was thrilled to receive two freshly filled cannoli from Cardona’s Market.  This child, who doesn’t even like cheese, could not consume the lovely Italian pastries fast enough.  I mean, the powdered sugar was flying as he gobbled them down, no joke.  In addition to their delicious baked goods, Cardona’s offers everything necessary to make a slamming meal. Antipasti, high quality meats (Murray’s chickens!) and cheeses, soups, canned and packaged goods and a full spread of prepared items are all available.  And the smell of the place!  My goodness, you could practically satisfy a minor hunger with a lungful of Cardona’s succulent aroma!  Whether it’s the ingredients for a fantastic lasagna recipe, some speciality items for a favorite hostess, (hint, hint) or a thoughtfully prepared lunch or dinner, Cardona’s is the perfect place any day of the year.