Picture Imperfect Tuesday

I haven't showered in two days, haven't exercised in three days, took exactly one picture for J's birthday, and haven't read the book for book club this month, which I am hosting at my house on Thursday, despite my house looking like it has endured a nuclear attack, even after having cleaned it for the majority of yesterday.

Added to that was my failure to take A's immunization record with me to her 2 year check up (yeah, she's 2 1/2) and inadvertently having her reimmunized for everything.

And then there was the jar of salsa that rolled out of the back of the car when I opened the hatchback.and smashed so elegantly on the driveway.

Oh, and I turn 30 in 5 days and I am not ready to say goodbye to my 20's quite yet.

Sigh.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Happy Birthday!

It's hard to believe that J. turned six today.  It seems like yesterday I had him.  He's come a long way this year.

Here's a list of some of the things he's learned this last year:

*reading--he's now reading books.  And sounding out words.  Like T-A-M-P-A-X.  So proud. But no, really, I'm very happy that he's reading and figuring out words himself.  That's a huge milestone.

*riding a bike--two weeks ago, we pushed J's training wheels up and taught him how to ride a two-wheeled bike in 30 minutes.  I felt a little ashamed that the whole reason I put it off for so long was because I was too lazy to invest the time I thought it would take.

*counting money--scary that he knows this, but he's becoming quite good at it.

*simple addition and subtraction--he knows how to add and subtract an array of numbers.  More than his buddy, the second grader.

*expanding his eating habits--he actuallly tried new foods this year.  HUGE!

*attitude adjustments--J's attitude has mellowed out quite a bit this year and we aren't butting heads as much.  Yay for that!

Happy Birthday Bug!!!

Book Review Sunday

Book: Between Two Worlds
Author: Roxana Saberi
Pages: 305

You know how you read articles about the Middle East and it seems so...foreign to you.  Like how the women have to live in seclusion and the government is corrupt and you can't seem to wrap your mind around the whole thing.  And then you read other articles that say that those articles aren't true and you have no idea what to believe, but since you have your own drama to contend with you just shake your head and move on to the next story about Prince William getting married.

Oh, not you?

Well, then let me enlighten you.

Prince William is getting married.  Like fairly soon, if the number of articles about the wedding and every minute detail is of any indication.  Though, why I should care is beyond me. 

Oh, you don't care either.

Hm...

Oh.  The book.

So, this book was a fascinating look at Iran, which is admittedly not a country that (a) I know a lot about and (b) a country I want to visit.  However, upon recommendation from a friend I read the book and realized some important things.  Mainly, that I'm stupid about the Middle East.  I don't know nearly as much as I should.  Probably none of us do really.  And if I were to ever find myself in Iran, I'd probably be jailed on suspicion of espionage.  Like the author did.  Just because I wouldn't know if I was or wasn't spying.  Their logic was so confusing and berating.

Saberi, an American who had been living in Iran for six years, was jailed one day because the regime thought she was a spy.  She had been researching for a book on Iran, but was thought to be spying for the US government. However, no matter what she said, or who she told, no one believed that she wasn't.  It was a terrifying look at the paranoia that is running a country completely capable of annihilating the entire globe. 

Though Saberi didn't encounter many of the troubles that face female prisoners in Iran, she talked with many who did, and the book is mostly to bring awareness to those who aren't privileged enough to have an entire government behind them urging for their release.  Many of the women who were jailed with Saberi were jailed for minor infractions such as religious protesting.  Some were there on bogus charges like Saberi's espionage charge.  I don't believe she met a single person who had been jailed for a valid reason. 

It's scary really.  The paranoia.  The lies.  The breach of human rights.  It was like reading about a junior high school and the manipulative stuff that goes on between friends and supposed enemies.  Yet, it's a major military force we're talking about.

Eek.

So yeah, it was an eye opener for sure.

Picture Perfect Tuesday

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

100 Miles to Nowhere

Today, I signed my first century ride.  A century ride is a bike ride of 100 (hence "century") miles.  But this particular ride will be different.

Sidenote: 5ks, 10ks, half marathons are races, but for the most part, bike rides are just that--rides.  I don't think they hand out prizes and age group awards.  You just ride.  It's all kind of uncompetitive, which isn't my nature, but I enjoy biking, so I guess I'll do it and see.

So, as I was saying, this ride will be different because it will be--more or less--by myself. 

The backstory:  A few years ago, I found a blog---fatcyclist.com--that was entertaining and informative and almost exclusively about two things, biking and the author's wife's fight with breast cancer.  Fatty, as the author is known, chronicled his fight for cancer using the blog and has become an international superstar.

Well, in the biking/cancer/blogging world anyways. 

When his wife passed away, I will admit, I shed tears.  When he remarried, I shed tears there too.  I'm a sucker.  I know.

So, in 2008, he set up this bet with a few of his readers (I wasn't one yet) that he couldn't ride 100 miles on his rollers (a set up that allows you to make your bike stationary) in the name of raising funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  And he raised some money, despite being crazy.  I mean, who would ever ride their bike for SIX hours in their basement going NOWHERE. 

The next year, he asked for people to join him--wherever they were. A virtual century ride to nowhere.  The only suggestions being that you try to do it on the same day as the majority of people, though if you can't, that's not a big deal.  And that you try to make the course brain-numbingly small.  No 50 miles to a turnaround and back.  Oh, and if you can't make it 100 miles, then 50 or 25 would work.  But at least try to bike the 100 miles.  The rules aren't very strigent.  Ride with people.  Ride alone.  Split it up so that you ride 25 miles for four days.  Whatever.

In the past, I've looked at this annual event with morbid curiousity.  People would ride their bikes around their blocks for 100 miles.  Or up and down one particularly steep hill for 100 miles.  A few stationed navy guys rode their bikes on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean for 100 miles.  It sounds a little ludicrous.  And slightly insane.  And, until now, my summers have been spent running so I hadn't given it much thought above that initial "huh.  That sounds interesting."

But this last year, my mom was diagnosed with cancer.  And though it was a relatively fast and easy treatment plan until she was cancer-free, it doesn't change the fact that she became, briefly, one of those statistics.  And my sister-in-law had Leukemia when she was younger that has led to a host of other health issues.  So, when Fatty announced this year's 100 Miles to Nowhere, I realized that this was my chance to join the crowd for a good cause.

And uphold my status in the neighborhood as the "person most likely to do the craziest things with you".  Yeah, there's a story there.

So,  June 18, I will set out on my own and ride 25 times around the four mile loop that wraps around my little town.  I'm expecting it to take me close to six hours, so I plan on starting at 5 am.  I have two friends who have agreed to join me for some of the ride so I'm not by myself for the whole thing.

I'm a little nervous seeing as I have only ridden 30 miles in one sitting before.  And the weather has been especially bipolar this year, so I'm not expecting to get in a lot of training beforehand.  I'll probably just wing it and pay the price later.  The four mile loop is practically level, so I won't be contending with any hills. Which will work to my advantage.

There are a few things I need to do to get ready for this ride.  And maybe I'll share those things and some of my training tips with you in a future post.  I'm also toying around with the idea of actually making this a fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong foundation, as some people have expressed interest in donating.  We'll see.

Wish me luck.

What's For Dinner Wednesday--Mozzarella Gnocchi

Source: Easy Vegetarian (cookbook) + Epicurious.com
Surprisingly a lot easier than it looked.

I looked everywhere for prepared gnocchi, but I couldn't find it.  For the uninitiated, gnocchi is a type of pasta made from potatoes.  So I decided to be brave and try making it myself.  And it really wasn't that bad.  It definitely didn't take the time that homemade tortellini took.  Or even ravioli.  It was surprisingly, very simple.

Homemade Gnocchi (from Epicurious.com)

3 large baking (Idaho) potatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), scrubbed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 C freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, or as needed


Bake the potatoes in a preheated 400°F oven until tender, about 40 minutes.

Let the potatoes stand just until cool enough to handle. (The hotter the potatoes are when they are peeled and riced, the lighter the gnocchi will be.) Working quickly and protecting the hand that holds the potatoes with a folded kitchen towel or oven mitt, scrape the skin from the potato with a paring knife. Press the peeled potatoes through a potato ricer. Alternatively, the potatoes can be passed through a food mill fitted with the fine disc, but a ricer makes fluffier potatoes and therefore lighter gnocchi. Spread the riced potatoes into a thin, even layer on the work surface, without pressing them or compacting them. Let them cool completely.

(I didn't have a ricer, so I put it through a food processer and that seemed to do the trick).

In a small bowl, beat the egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. Gather the cold potatoes into a mound and form a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well. Knead the potato and egg mixtures together with both hands, gradually adding the grated cheese and enough of the flour, about 1 1/2 cups, to form a smooth but slightly sticky dough. It should take no longer than 3 minutes to work the flour into the potato mixture; remember, the longer the dough is kneaded, the more flour it will require and the heavier it will become. As you knead the dough, it will stick to your hands and to the work surface: Repeatedly rub this rough dough from your hands and scrape it with a knife or dough scraper from the work surface back into the dough as you knead.

(Warning: This is messy)

Wash and dry your hands. Dust the dough, your hands, and the work surface lightly with some of the remaining flour. Cut the dough into six equal pieces and set off to one side of the work surface. Place one piece of dough in front of you and pat it into a rough oblong. Using both hands, in a smooth back-and-forth motion and exerting light downward pressure, roll the dough into a rope 1/2 inch thick, flouring the dough if necessary as you roll to keep it from sticking. (When you first begin making gnocchi, until your hands get the feel of the dough, you may find it easier to cut each piece of dough in half to roll it.)



Slice the ropes into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle the rounds lightly with flour and roll each piece quickly between your palms into a rough ball, flouring the dough and your hands as needed to prevent sticking. Hold the tines of a fork at a 45-degree angle to the table with the concave part facing up. Dip the tip of your thumb in flour. Take one ball of dough and with the tip of your thumb, press the dough lightly against the tines of the fork as you roll it downward toward the tips of the tines. As the dough wraps around the tip of your thumb, it will form into a dumpling with a deep indentation on one side and a ridged surface on the other. Set on a baking sheet lined with a floured kitchen towel and continue forming gnocchi from the remaining dough balls. Repeat the whole process with the remaining pieces of dough. At this point the gnocchi must be cooked immediately or frozen.

Cooking The Gnocchi
Place the fresh (or frozen--but the gnocchi must be 100% frozen, about 3 hours in the freezer) in a pan of boiling, salted water.  The gnocchi is done when it floats to the top, about 3 minutes. 

Mozzarella Gnocchi
Butter for greasing
1 lb potato gnocchi
scant 1 C heavy cream
8 oz Mozzarella Cheese
salt and pepper

Grease an 8 x 8 pan with butter (skipped this step) and add cooked gnocchi.  Season the cream with salt and pepper and drizzle over gnocchi.  Scatter over the cheese and cook under the broiler for a few minutes until the top is browned and bubbling.

Some thoughts:  I really liked this recipe, but Wade wasn't too fond of it.  He said it didn't have much taste.  Which he was right.  I didn't have the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, which is a little hardier than then the regular Parmesan cheese I used, and I don't think I put in enough of that anyways.  So next time, I would definitely use the right cheese.  Also, there was WAY too much cream.  I would drizzle just enough to moisten the pasta.  However, the browned mozzarella made the dish.

Anyways, the meal had a 50% success rate, but since it was me that liked it, I'm putting it here.

Precious Moments

It's J's birthday month and I thought I'd share some funny tidbits from my little man:

* Last night at dinner, he was saying the prayer and slipped the following into his blessing:  "Please bless Joshie to like church."

Part of me is happy that he is relying on the Lord to give him things he needs.  The other part of me is a little disconcerted that at five, he's already blessing God for church to be better.  Though, like a friend posted on FB when I shared this tidbit, it's genius that he's bypassing all the normal routes--like, is it the teachers, is it the people, is it me?--and going straight to the man in charge. 

* Friday, the weather was gorgeous and we spent a good deal of the day outside.  He had run down to a friend's house, while I was sitting on the porch swing reading watching A. play.  J ran back to our house, rooted around in the garage for a minute and then skipped back down to his friend's house with his helmet in hand.  I glanced over and could see the two boys playing basketball with their helmets on.  I walked down there to question them:  "Cuz, mom.  The ball kept hitting us in the head."

*At book club the other night, we were talking about Primary and I casually let it slip that things with J. were going much better now that I paid him to go to church.  The looks I received were almost like I had casually mentioned that we eat puppies for breakfast.  It's a dime folks.  And if I have to give my kid a dime to go to church and he gets ready without causing a major scene, then I'll keep doing it until it's no longer an effective bribery tool. 

I'm not above bribery.   Every kid has his currency and my kid's just happens to be real currency.  Right now A. will do just about anything for mandarin oranges.

*Speaking of money, we've been giving J. money for doing certain things like getting up in the morning, helping with chores, playing nicely with A, trying dinner.  Things like that.  And he's been saving for his Legos.  A few weeks ago he assembled these booklets of all the Legos he wanted and wrote down each price and in what order he wanted them.  He printed the pictures of the toys off of the computer and stapled them together according to which collection they were from. 

Unfortunately, he gets swayed by all the little things that are cheaper and thus faster to save for and so every other week or so we have to make a trip to the store to get him a dinky keychain or something.  But the point is that he's saving for them.  He's putting aside his tithing.  And that tithing thing is a hard principle to teach a kid.  So he's making some headway.  Mornings aren't as bad anymore.  I'm happier.  He's happier.  A.'s happier.  And he's even tried a few new foods.  It's a win-win situation.

* J came home from school the other day with a sheet of 30 simple math problems (2 +2, 3+1, 4+3...).  They were all filled in and correct.  The paper said it was a Mad Minute, meaning they had a minute to complete the page.  I was duly impressed with my budding mathematician. I quizzed him on the minute timed test and he assured me that it was a minute.

So then I was a little disconcerted...again.  Who was running this kindergarten class anyways?  Timed test on arithmetic?  I didn't do those until at least 4th grade. 

Turns out, the teacher gave them 15 minutes to do it and it wasn't timed at all.  J. is still really smart and probably a budding mathematician anyways, but now I don't have to worry about all the other kids he's leaving in the dust. :)

* Have I mentioned he's reading books.  BOOKS.  By himself at night, when he should be sleeping, but he's reading instead.  Ah...it melts my heart.

I love my Bug and now that he's getting older and more independent and able to communicate more efficiently, we're getting along a lot better too. 

Book Review Sunday

Look at me!  I'm back on the wagon for April.

Book: Stones Into Schools
Author: Greg Mortenson
Pages: 420

I'm a little embarassed to admit that I started this book back in November.  I even carted it with me to Cabo and back.  My biggest hang up was that I couldn't seem to keep everyone separated in my head and where they were from or headed and I'd get overwhelmed by the shear magnitude of it and put the book down.

Come February, I forced myself to stop going to the library to find other books and concentrate on this one because it was borrowed from a friend and I needed to return it.  Like 5 months ago.  So now that it's April and I've read very little because of my self imposed ban on the library, I sat down last Sunday night out of desperation and gave myself permission to skim over the names of people and places and just focus on the broader picture.

Once I did that, I really got into the book and had it finished by Monday afternoon.  (Kids?  What kids?)

This is the follow up to Three Cups of Tea and I was apprehensive that perhaps Mortenson wouldn't be as good of a writer as the person who wrote down the story of Three Cups of Tea from conversations with Mortenson, but it turned out to be really good.  A little wordy in parts, and as I mentioned, overwhelming with the names and the places, but otherwise a really good read.  A definite must read if you're a fan of Three Cups of Tea (see my review for Three Cups here (I just reread my review and am quite surprised at how...good it is.  Probably the best review I've ever written.))  If you haven't picked up Three Cups, you should definitely read it.  It's a must-read for any special ops headed to Afghanistan, plus for a host of students across the nation.

Back to Stones though.  The story picks up where we left off in Three Cups, about 2003 and continues the frenzied approach at which Mortenson is building schools in the Middle East.  It's mind boggling to think that one ordinary person--a former nurse--has achieved this more or less by himself.  He has bridged cultural, racial, and religious lines and has assembled a supporting cast that transcends the same boundaries.  It's truly remarkable.  He's wide known in the region and people spend days trying to reach him in order to request that a school be built in their community.

Mortenson's love for the people of the Middle East is tangible throughout the book.  He would gladly give the shirt off his back if it meant that someone from a small village cut off from the rest of the world got the chance to follow their dream. 

As in Three Cups, I was constantly surprised at the primitive conditions that the majority of the countries of the Middle East live in.  Many villages are cut off from everyone at the first snowfall until the spring melt, and many more still are hours away on the most inhospitable roads imaginable.  It's amazing to see clusters of groups survive in the harshest of conditions.

I marvel at how Mortenson has maintained a marriage and a family with his constant traveling and speaking arrangements.  I'm not sure I would be that gracious to have my husband gone most of the time, but I commend his wife for allowing him to continue on with his work.  As with the first book, there is a vast difference in what is being reported from the media and what is actually happening.

This is another testament to how one person really can make a difference.