Well I'm hosting shabbos dinner this week. 6 adults, 1 fusspot.
According to a blog I read (with no citation, of course), the average American grocery story has 45,000 items. The average grocery store here has 15,000. And in the absurd exchange rate (which basically rules out salad) and the fact that it must be vegetarian by necessity (haven't made it to the butcher yet) and I'm sort-of at a loss for ideas ... oh, and my oven only goes up to 220 degrees. Of course, that may explain why the kitchen has no baking trays or pie pans (ruling out cookies or pie for dessert). Beats me why.
So, any clever ideas for easy, fun vegetarian dinner ideas? I was thinking of making a butternut squash soup (only ingredient purchased thus far) and a vegetarian curry. Recipes much appreciated. Maybe bruschetta for an appetizer, maybe an apple crisp for dessert? Any ideas for easy appetizers, entrees, sides or dessert very much appreciated.
My guess is that I am feeling so uninspired to cook (and I really do love to cook and to bake) because next Friday I'll be in the USA eating yummy holiday-food! That's right folks, only one more week until I see my much-missed husband again. 2.5 months down, 1 week to go.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
little, quiet tears of frustration
On Friday there was a little click on the slowly-moving cogs in the brain. Highly suspicious that the fusspot's half-finished bottles go bad so very quickly when I take them home from daycare (not that I could use them anyway, but they often smell rancid by the time I do the dishes around 9 pm).
So today I asked. And smiled wanely and tried not to cry.
Despite my clear instructions the first week, despite a full information sheet, they've been microwaving my breastmilk. 3 months. 2-3 5 oz. bottles a day. 5 days a week. Wasted.
If you microwave breastmilk it loses all of its magical qualities. Keeps the calories but no more antibodies, etc.
And these are supposed to be fully-trained professional daycare workers? It is obvious from across the room that it is breastmilk (since I pump it the day or night before it has separated into cream and milk by 9 am the next morning).
I know, I was pumping mainly to keep up my supply for when we are together. But all that wasted time? And those missed nutrients? And especially when the fusspot is happy to take her bottles cold! I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled milk, but how about a little exception for microwaved milk?
So today I asked. And smiled wanely and tried not to cry.
Despite my clear instructions the first week, despite a full information sheet, they've been microwaving my breastmilk. 3 months. 2-3 5 oz. bottles a day. 5 days a week. Wasted.
If you microwave breastmilk it loses all of its magical qualities. Keeps the calories but no more antibodies, etc.
And these are supposed to be fully-trained professional daycare workers? It is obvious from across the room that it is breastmilk (since I pump it the day or night before it has separated into cream and milk by 9 am the next morning).
I know, I was pumping mainly to keep up my supply for when we are together. But all that wasted time? And those missed nutrients? And especially when the fusspot is happy to take her bottles cold! I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled milk, but how about a little exception for microwaved milk?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Nothing new
Just trying to enjoy every moment here with my little fusspot and not think about planning out the details of next year and after.
And also trying to stay on top of the smaller stuff. Like the fact that I put the fusspot in a new outfit, played blocks with her, went for a bike ride, and then met a colleague for coffee. And the moment she picked the fusspot up she declared something "odd" and lifted her new dress to show me that I'd left the diaper cover nicely attached on the inside (and yes, I had washed the outfit). A+ for paying attention to my daughter who spent the morning with a set of diaper-cover-panties pinned to the inside of her dress.
The foodie baby (aka my gluttonous child) continues to eat her way through the spice cabinet. Over the weekend she has heartily endorsed the following: butternut squash with butter and cinammon, homemade baba ganoush (very heavy on the garlic because apparently lemon juice is a key ingredient and I'm still queasy about citrus foods), carrots dipped in tahini, and tofu with soy sauce. For a shabbos treat I let my fusspot pet a bowl of beets mixed with hummus and the girl practically squealed in delight, but oh what a mess!
And then I panicked about money and not knowing what my husband was thinking and being fair to the fusspot and getting older and stuff so I called JD and demanded to know whether he would have enough saved up for treatments when I get back. He asked how much (since the first go round I wanted to either have, or have access to, as much as we would spend before moving on to another option for parenting, so at least 3 rounds of IVF and figuring out where we would borrow that much money was quite a mind-boggling job) and I told him $10,000 (figuring 3 rounds of o-induction or IUI if necessary and 1 IVF -at the very most- before my salary kicks in in mid-October) and he said fine. Exhale. He didn't say he thought it was the most brilliant plan ever, but he also didn't say no way.
Sometimes I forget how incredible my husband is.
I don't think he's forgotten how distracted I am. He called me on the way to the airport. Funny thing is that I had no idea he was going on a trip. But when I searched in my e-mail, he'd told me about it several times. Did I mention I let my daughter leave the house this morning with diaper-cover-panties pinned to her dress?
Tomorrow I am meeting up with a friend on maternity leave, and then a group of English-speaking new and expectant moms. And I am glad that I just called and asked point-blank whether my husband was on the same page I am. Not only do I feel better, but he's stuck around for this long (a full year of marriage already, folks! plus almost a decade as friends and then partners before that) so I doubt he was all that surprised.
And also trying to stay on top of the smaller stuff. Like the fact that I put the fusspot in a new outfit, played blocks with her, went for a bike ride, and then met a colleague for coffee. And the moment she picked the fusspot up she declared something "odd" and lifted her new dress to show me that I'd left the diaper cover nicely attached on the inside (and yes, I had washed the outfit). A+ for paying attention to my daughter who spent the morning with a set of diaper-cover-panties pinned to the inside of her dress.
The foodie baby (aka my gluttonous child) continues to eat her way through the spice cabinet. Over the weekend she has heartily endorsed the following: butternut squash with butter and cinammon, homemade baba ganoush (very heavy on the garlic because apparently lemon juice is a key ingredient and I'm still queasy about citrus foods), carrots dipped in tahini, and tofu with soy sauce. For a shabbos treat I let my fusspot pet a bowl of beets mixed with hummus and the girl practically squealed in delight, but oh what a mess!
And then I panicked about money and not knowing what my husband was thinking and being fair to the fusspot and getting older and stuff so I called JD and demanded to know whether he would have enough saved up for treatments when I get back. He asked how much (since the first go round I wanted to either have, or have access to, as much as we would spend before moving on to another option for parenting, so at least 3 rounds of IVF and figuring out where we would borrow that much money was quite a mind-boggling job) and I told him $10,000 (figuring 3 rounds of o-induction or IUI if necessary and 1 IVF -at the very most- before my salary kicks in in mid-October) and he said fine. Exhale. He didn't say he thought it was the most brilliant plan ever, but he also didn't say no way.
Sometimes I forget how incredible my husband is.
I don't think he's forgotten how distracted I am. He called me on the way to the airport. Funny thing is that I had no idea he was going on a trip. But when I searched in my e-mail, he'd told me about it several times. Did I mention I let my daughter leave the house this morning with diaper-cover-panties pinned to her dress?
Tomorrow I am meeting up with a friend on maternity leave, and then a group of English-speaking new and expectant moms. And I am glad that I just called and asked point-blank whether my husband was on the same page I am. Not only do I feel better, but he's stuck around for this long (a full year of marriage already, folks! plus almost a decade as friends and then partners before that) so I doubt he was all that surprised.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
A practical question of the stinky kind
For those of you with babies or pets or very poorly-behaved guests, any suggestions on how to clean up after near misses on our baby toilet? Since this is a rental apartment, I can't do anything about the wall-to-wall carpeting in the bedroom (where we keep our baby toilet) or the elegant room-sized carpets upstairs.
Also, we have a leather couch and 2 leather armchairs which are at some point going to get peed on.
Any advice much appreciated.
Also, we have a leather couch and 2 leather armchairs which are at some point going to get peed on.
Any advice much appreciated.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
I really do love him
However, I will not claim he's perfect.
I finally delegated the project of making the fusspot legal to JD. He told me that after 2 hours on hold he finally got through to someone, but they couldn't find her record. That would be because he had forgotten her birthday. That's right, less than 9 months after the big day JD can't remember the exact date. [Sidenote: My father is infamous for a hysterical voicemail he left me on my sister's birthday. He starts out by wishing me a happy birthday, talking about the upcoming year, then apparently realizes that he might just have confused us and tries to cover it up by adding "that he's just calling a few months early in case I'm too busy partying on my birthday proper for him to reach me." Nice save.]
Last week JD also e-mailed me a profile of a woman with a note that if I leave him, after crying for weeks of course, he's going to marry her.
Unlike the fusspot I picked the right guy.
I finally delegated the project of making the fusspot legal to JD. He told me that after 2 hours on hold he finally got through to someone, but they couldn't find her record. That would be because he had forgotten her birthday. That's right, less than 9 months after the big day JD can't remember the exact date. [Sidenote: My father is infamous for a hysterical voicemail he left me on my sister's birthday. He starts out by wishing me a happy birthday, talking about the upcoming year, then apparently realizes that he might just have confused us and tries to cover it up by adding "that he's just calling a few months early in case I'm too busy partying on my birthday proper for him to reach me." Nice save.]
Last week JD also e-mailed me a profile of a woman with a note that if I leave him, after crying for weeks of course, he's going to marry her.
Unlike the fusspot I picked the right guy.
Wrong guy
Hopefully she's not going to make a habit of it.
The fusspot has a boyfriend at daycare. Her teacher has been telling me for several days about this guy, but apparently his mom picks him up particularly early. So I did not meet him until today.
And while I'm glad that she is making friends, and I love the idea of her keeping up with the boys and all (especially since she's not yet mobile so the other toddlers have to bring the toys to her), well, did she really have to pick this particular little guy? Or at least this guy this week? I am really hoping that his pox are of the exzema/allergy sort, but a quick glance suggests that they are far more likely to be of the chicken pox variety (on his stomach, arms, and face. Not concentrated in any particular area. Dr. Google is in concurrence). I seem to recall chicken pox has a really long incubation period.
In other health news, I feed the fusspot the following for dinner:
- 1/2 banana
- Grapes (cut up very finely)
- 4 frozen cubes of spinach microwaved and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese
- Tahini
And despite having my epi-pen at the ready (and yes, I worked for a family with a severe nut allergy and I know that it is extraordinarily unlikely that a first time reaction would require an epipen), all seems to be well with the fusspot. We are in high gear for "beat your iron deficiency test." I've been a bit worried about it because she sleeps quite so much and is not crawling yet, but she's also still about 95% breastmilk, so we'll see. I'm going to have her tested in a few weeks. In the meantime, trying to fill her up on spinach and tahini and melons and cheerios. Any other ideas?
The fusspot has a boyfriend at daycare. Her teacher has been telling me for several days about this guy, but apparently his mom picks him up particularly early. So I did not meet him until today.
And while I'm glad that she is making friends, and I love the idea of her keeping up with the boys and all (especially since she's not yet mobile so the other toddlers have to bring the toys to her), well, did she really have to pick this particular little guy? Or at least this guy this week? I am really hoping that his pox are of the exzema/allergy sort, but a quick glance suggests that they are far more likely to be of the chicken pox variety (on his stomach, arms, and face. Not concentrated in any particular area. Dr. Google is in concurrence). I seem to recall chicken pox has a really long incubation period.
In other health news, I feed the fusspot the following for dinner:
- 1/2 banana
- Grapes (cut up very finely)
- 4 frozen cubes of spinach microwaved and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese
- Tahini
And despite having my epi-pen at the ready (and yes, I worked for a family with a severe nut allergy and I know that it is extraordinarily unlikely that a first time reaction would require an epipen), all seems to be well with the fusspot. We are in high gear for "beat your iron deficiency test." I've been a bit worried about it because she sleeps quite so much and is not crawling yet, but she's also still about 95% breastmilk, so we'll see. I'm going to have her tested in a few weeks. In the meantime, trying to fill her up on spinach and tahini and melons and cheerios. Any other ideas?
Busy week
My quest for legal residency has hit yet another road block. I am now a legal resident, the fusspot is not. Apparently her birth certificate just isn't new and shiny enough for the courts here.
My beautiful new bike is in the repair shop. Hopefully ready tomorrow.
And in other news, I've taken in a boarder. Makes me feel younger and less responsible to invite a guy I just met, friend of a friend, to crash on my couch for a few weeks. We'll see how this works out.
My beautiful new bike is in the repair shop. Hopefully ready tomorrow.
And in other news, I've taken in a boarder. Makes me feel younger and less responsible to invite a guy I just met, friend of a friend, to crash on my couch for a few weeks. We'll see how this works out.
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