Somewhere in the Middle

Happy Faces = Euros In Our House

In 3rd grade, I was sent to the principal's office with my friends, Deanne & Alicia. I was usually very good & never got into any trouble at school but on this one & only occasion I managed to get myself in the middle of some drama involving my two best friends. I remember crying even before I entered the principal's office knowing this wasn't going to be a nice visit. I was so incredibly worried that he would cancel my trip to the circus. I was terrified. How did I get myself into this mess. Wasn't it just the bad kids that met with the principal? And as I grew older, my views didn't change. I didn't want my principal to know my name. I preferred to be anonymous.

But times have changed thank goodness. At Lil' C's school they've incorporated a wonderful award system. Every week children who perform well go to the principal's office to receive an award. They also have an assembly so everyone in the school knows why you received that award. The kids love it and get incredibly excited. This positive reinforcement is fabulous not only for the kids but for the administration as well.  A few weeks ago I was working on an art project with some older children and the teacher loved the results so much she sent them all to the principal's office! haha For an award that is. They were all thrilled! Can you imagine. What a difference from when I was in school.

This award system works so well at school I decided to try it at home. It's a great way to encourage good behavior and at the same time increase self esteem. Every time Lil' C does something great he gets to color in a happy face. Once he colors it in, I record the date & the reason he received a smiley. We reward Lil' C for normal things like getting ready for school in a timely manner, being a good helper, and setting the table (without being asked). We also reward him for thinking positive, being independent, good reading, letting Mommy & Daddy sleep a few more minutes on the weekends, and being patient among other things. When he completed his first happy face we went over the smilies and talked about what he did to deserve each one. Lil' C was beaming; he was so proud of himself.

I've tried many different ways to encourage good behavior but this is the first method I've used consistently. It's simple, easy to track and most of all it works for him. Recently, Lil' C has grown very fond of the Build-A-Bear Workshop. He loves the animals and all the outfits & accessories available. It all started when I picked him up from an after school activity and he told me about S's little Sugar Brown Puppy. Lil' C said she bought it at the Build-A-Bear website and he handed me a little piece of paper his friend had given him with the web address. He was so taken with these bears that he used his Christmas money from Grandma G to buy his leopard along with several outfits.

Seeing how much he enjoys his Build-A-Bear items & the long wish list of things he wants to buy, I started thinking he could use money he earns from his completed happy faces to buy these items. I thought it would be a good introduction to money management. But because it takes so much time to order the things he wants I decided it would be wise to open a little shop in our house with things on his wish list. Teaching him the difference between Euros & US dollars is a bit challenging especially when I explain how the same toy is cheaper if we buy it online using US dollars than if we buy it right on the spot using Euros. I suppose waiting for a toy in the mail because you've decided to use American currency is one way to teach a child about saving money & avoiding compulsive shopping. ;)

Every time Lil' C completes a happy face he receives 5 Euros. He is doing great too and managed to save over 15 Euros. So when I received the Build-A-Bear package I showed him all the items and he decided to buy another bear along with a tee. He's quite motivated to earn more Euros so he can buy the little bear a wardrobe. Until then Lil' Bear will be hanging out in his overalls.

I'll have a Pimm's Winter #3 please...

Ok, so I may have gone a littttllle overboard with the Pimm's. But it's such a fabulous winter drink I couldn't help myself. I'll explain...

Earlier this month, the ladies from the UK sponsored a luncheon. While I waited to be assigned a seat I saw a bartender handing out these pretty ginger colored drinks with a mint leaf. Tea?... I though to myself but why on earth would the British be serving tea in high ball glasses? After I visited the various vendors I made my way to the drink area.

As I approached the table a British woman I know came up to me and said, "Daarrlling... have you had a Pimm's yet?"

"No, I haven't."

Seeing two different drinks-one a crystal clear ginger color and the other.. a muddled looking amber color I asked her, "What's the difference between these two drinks?"

She quickly motioned to the muddled glass as if to dismiss it entirely and said, "Oh, that one is non-alcoholic but THIS one is fabbuulous." And in the blink of an eye I had the fabulous drink in my hands. And WOW was she right! I was so taken with the drink I went back later for a refill and asked the bartender what type of alcohol was in the drink.

He told me, "Pimm's Winter #3. It's only available during the winter & holiday months."

The bartender went on to tell me there was another popular British drink made with lemonade & the original Pimm's. According to him this drink was quite delicious and perfect for the summer. The bartender went on to say that if I wanted to make this drink I'd need to heat the Pimm's Winter #3 with Ginger Ale and add a slice of apple and mint leave. I asked him if I could get the Pimm's at the local liquor store and he said he wasn't sure since it's a seasonal item. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to ask him what ratio I should use when making the drink.

The luncheon was a lot of fun. I sat with my friends I & C along with a few other Spanish ladies. The women from Spain are always so fun to hang out with... they're lively and always laughing.

The entertainment was especially good. It began with with a harp & piano player and when the luncheon began the women were lead into the ballroom by two bagpipe players from Scotland.

During lunch the UK military band played a variety of traditional tunes from around the British Isles. There were also traditional Scottish dancers.

After the luncheon I dropped by the store to see if I could find Pimm's Winter #3 but they were closed. When I went back the following day I was so happy to see they did in fact have it. So... I bought every single bottle on the shelf! haha! I had to. My rationale was... "What happens if I'm not here next Winter? I need to take advantage." Which explains why I now own 7 bottles of Pimm's #3. I'm still working on perfecting the drink but last weekend I came really close to it tasting like the one I had at the luncheon.

Carnivals, Freaks, & Geek Love

Last Thursday I hosted my monthly book club meeting. The book I chose for February was "Geek Love" by Katherine Dunn. It's a very interesting story but not for the faint of hearts. I knew that when I chose it. In my group, I encourage members to chose books that are outside of their comfort zone.  Reading books that challenge our beliefs and ideas makes for a good book discussion. How boring when everyone agrees that they love the book and there isn't a spark of controversy.

When I chose "Geek Love" I knew some of our members could possibly find the story line a bit difficult to read. The story focuses on a family who own a traveling carnival & decide to breed their own freak show by creating genetically altered children through the use of experimental drugs. At the beginning of the book, Lily, the mother in "Geek Love", muses "What greater gift could you offer your children than an inherent ability to earn a living just by being themselves?" It's a bizarre tale. And the more I read the more I was convinced no one was going to show up for the meeting! It reminded me of Rohinton Mistry's book, "A Fine Balance" which by the way is a fantastic read. In this story, there is so much tragedy that you think things couldn't possibly get any worst but unfortunately they DO. "Geek Love" was similar except the story kept getting weirder and weirder.

"Geek Love" is really the first book I've ever chosen where I thought, "Oh, god what are these ladies going to think of me for choosing this book" especially since many of our members don't really know me. I remember speaking to my girlfriend a few days before the meeting and I said, "I really don't think anyone is going to show up to the discussion!" Her response wasn't exactly the most positive. She said, "Whatever you do don't clean your house or make anything special to eat." haha I couldn't do that though it's just not my nature. But our discussion that night did start when one of our members said to me, "I want to know... what was behind you choosing this book?" 

Since most of the story in"Geek Love" takes place at a carnival I thought it would be fun to do a carnival theme. I cooked a variety of goodies traditionally found at carnivals & festivals and tried to elevate these already delicious dishes to an Epicurious level. I started thinking... pizza, hot dogs/sausages, ice cream, fried dough, candy, popcorn, and lemonade. I even looked into making home-made cotton candy but decided I was getting a bit carried away especially when I saw the recipe.

My menu for the night included BBQ Cilantro Grilled Chicken pizza (sorry no photo... pizza was consumed too quickly) and Sausage Turnovers-Phyllo dough stuffed with German sausages, caramelized onions, and apples.

I also made my Rosemary Prosciutto Quesadillas. You probably won't find these at a carnival but they were just too good to pass up. Look at that rosemary. Beautiful. Fresh is always best but dried rosemary works well too.

The rosemary sauce is what turns these quesadillas from good to amazing! 

I also made home-made lemonade with Vodka & Rum on hand in case anyone was interested in spiking their drink. And of course I decorated the table with candy... Valentine hearts, red Swedish fish, M&M's, and gummy candy alphabets along with yummy Salt & Pepper popcorn.

For dessert, I made these... a Brownie & Chocolate Chip Cake with a Ganache frosting. Things couldn't possibly get any more sinful than this.

In the end, we had a group of seven ladies beside myself. Unfortunately, only five of us read the book and of those five only three actually finished the book. I do hope the discussion we had that night encouraged some of the other ladies to give the book a try. I found the story fascinating & in my book when a writer can make ordinary actions like walking or going to sleep sound completely grotesque and bring an image to mind that is absolutely unforgettable I consider that pretty amazing. 

I think this review says it all,

"Those entering the world of carnival freaks will find no escape from a story at once engrossing and repellent, funny and terrifying, unreal and true to human nature. Dunn's vivid, energetic prose, her soaring imagination and assured narrative skill fuse to produce an unforgettable tale." 

Recipe for a Chilly Day

Living in a cold, damp place has a way of shifting my cravings away from my beloved orange juice and into the arms of a steamy, hot drink. If I'm not warming up to a cup of hot chocolate (thanks to my Bialetti Chocolate maker), I'm brewing hot water so I can enjoy some tea. 

I fell hard for my Bialetti. Love at first site. The minute I tasted my first sip of hot chocolate I knew we'd be together for a long time. I mean he's so low maintenance. Just pour milk, a little sugar, and chocolate shavings into the container, set the timer and walk away.

And about 8 minutes later you have this rich, hot chocolate waiting for you. No longer am I whisking the milk into a frothy foam or worrying about scalding the milk & making a mess. My thanks go to my MIL and the sweet manager at the Williams-Sonoma in VA who agreed to mail the Bialetti to me. The item was completely sold out online so I decided to randomly call various William-Sonoma shops throughout the US until I found a manager who was willing to walk into a post office and mail the chocolate maker to me. I was a determined woman; luckily the VA William-Sonoma shop was the second one I contacted. After the holidays I sent the manager a thank you note and a small bar of Pierre Marcolini's newest Brazilian chocolate.

Between drinking my Bialetti/Pierre hot chocolate and Mariage Frères teas my morning ritual is cozy & relaxing. The other day my friend Kiki came over for tea & she was sharing with me how much she loved her Bialetti hot chocolate maker. She started to talk about chocolate and I had to laugh. I told her,"You are such a chocolate snob!" ;) It's true though. Ask anyone who has lived here. After living in Belgium you come away with a new appreciation for chocolate and beautiful sunny days. But now it seems as if I'm turning into a tea snob too. ;)

Recently, I discovered Kate from Tea Noir. She blends an amazing selection of teas. As I read the fun & quirky tea descriptions I knew I had to give Tea Noir a try. What's so wonderful is you can try all her unique tea blends in a sampler set so you don't have to worry about being left with a bag of tea you don't enjoy. Here is what she says about her sampler set...

"You're afraid of commitment. No, no, it's okay to admit it. Everyone gets a little commitment-phobic from time to time. Tea Noir understands. It's tough to pick out a new brew. Sometimes you just don't want to take the plunge."

I ordered two sampler sets along with a bag of Casablanca & Blackout. Ever since the package arrived my mornings begin with a wonderful little surprise as I think, "Hmm... which new tea blend will I try today" ;)  It doesn't take much to make this girl happy. Trying something new is a fun way to start the day. My sampler set included:

• Victoriana: Earl Grey with lavender and rosemary
• Backwoods: black tea with maple and black walnut
• Turkish Delight:black tea with cardamom, pistachio, and rose
• Caramel Apple: Rooibos with cinnamon, caramel, and apple
• Maltese Falcon: black tea with ginger
• Heat of the Night: spicy chocolate chai
• Ultraviolet: violet-scented oolong

My favorites are Casablanca, Victoriana (love how the lavender & rosemary combination smells), Turkish Delight, and Caramel Apple. The Blackout tea steeped in milk brewed with cloves, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and fresh ginger is absolutely fabulous too. There are several more teas I'd love to try like the Orient Express (jasmine green tea) or maybe the Blue Dahlia (black tea with juniper, vanilla, clove, pepper). But I'll have to wait since Tea Noir is taking a hiatus while she renovates a house to turn into Tea Central. Fortunately, I ordered enough tea to keep me warm for a while. ;)

Why I believe...

One of my friends sent me a link to this episode of StoryCorps and wrote,

"Love is all there is, in the final analysis, and along the way too"

This story is a perfect example why I'm an organ donor and believe it's so important. Donating your organs is one of the most selfless things a person can do.

Listen for yourself. And if you're not an organ donor perhaps this story will make you reconsider. 

P.S. Grab a few tissues before you listen.

Countdown to the Wedding

Well, it's official... we're going to California. Last night I bought our airline tickets. I can't believe Gigi's wedding is just around the corner! I'm getting so excited. Weddings are always a little crazy and this one will be no exception! Just coordinating everyone's flight arrival is going to be hectic. Before I bought my ticket I kept checking & rechecking my parents & grandmother's airline tickets to ensure we were arriving at the appropriate airport and our time schedules coordinated with everyone else.

Last month G sent me an e-mail that said,

"Here are the pictures of the bridesmaids dress that I choose.It's Vera Wang and I think you are really going to like it. It's elegant and definitely something you can wear again. Call me so I can tell you more. Love you. G"

The first thing I thought when I read her message was, "Vera Wang? Cha-ching!" And you know all brides say the same thing..."It's definitely a dress you can wear again." Sure, it is. But it's my sister's wedding and frankly I'll wear whatever she wants. A muslin potato sack. Done, no problem. If that's what she has her heart set on then that's what I'll be wearing as I walk down the aisle. So it really doesn't matter how hideous or god awful the color of the dress is. When you agree to be a part of the wedding party you also make a silent agreement whether you know it or not to wear whatever the bride wants. But thank goodness my sister is being kind to us and has chosen a beautiful dress. Whew! ;) When I saw photos of the dress I was actually surprised... it really is a dress you can wear again. It's very classy & elegant. The dress is much more conservative than what I originally thought Gigi would chose. I was thinking she'd either pick something strapless, backless, or very low cut. And even though I haven't tried on the dress I think I'm going to like the fit.

After I received Gigi's e-mail I tried to call her to get the details on the dress but when she wasn't home I called my Mom instead. Here is a bit of our conversation about the dress.

"Mom, did G tell you she picked our dresses?"

"Yeah, she told me."

"Did she tell you how much the dress is?

"Expensive."

"How expensive?"

"I don't know if I should tell you."

"Mom, go ahead and tell me. I'm eventually going to find out when I pay for it."

"$250."

"$250, that's it.. for a Vera Wang dress?"

I have to admit I'm surprised to find out how inexpensive the dress is especially for a special occasion dress. The minute my sister said it was a Vera Wang I was thinking it was double the actual cost. One of the girls in the bridal party felt the dress was a bit pricey so Gigi started having second thoughts about her choice even though the 4 other girls in her wedding party were ok with the price. I told Gigi I'd rather spend a little more on a quality dress that an inexpensive one that's going to wrinkle just by looking at it. Like Secret Agent B says, "What's another glass of water when you're drinking the ocean." And it's true if Gigi chose another dress it really wasn't going to be that much less.

After looking at more bridesmaid dresses for another week or two Gigi was convinced the Vera Wang dress was the one she really wanted us to wear. I'm happy she didn't change her mind. What I'm most relieved about though is that I don't have to worry about finding a dress for this event. Being part of the wedding party and being told exactly what I'm wearing is an absolute blessing. Finding a dress for the rehearsal dinner is going to be stressful enough.

I'm also really worried about the toast I have to give during dinner. Finding the right words to express my happiness without crying is going to be tough. I'm so emotional and I cry quite easily. I remember when I was in high school & college and I'd attend Gigi's school talent shows I'd start tearing up during her performances. Can you imagine at her wedding! I'm going to be a mess. I think what I'll do is keep it short & sweet and if I want to add anything more I'll write it in a letter.

According to my sister, everything for the wedding is pretty much set. Gigi's dress already came in and it's quite unique. It's exactly what she wanted. She's going to be a beautiful bride. I'd share the link to the dress with you but she'd kill me if anyone attending the wedding saw her dress before the event. So I'll have to keep you in suspense.

Map of C's Heart

In the past week, I've looked at so many craft blogs that I now have a very long list of projects I'd love to make with Lil' C. There was one project in particular that I really loved and it was perfect timing being that this weekend was Valentine's Day. It was to create a map of your heart...

I started by talking to Lil' C about maps and I asked him, "If we created a map of your heart what would it include?"

We talked about the things in his life he loves & bring him joy. We spoke about people, places, favorite toys, activities, good memories, food, etc. Lil' C used phonetic spelling to write all of the words in his heart. Drawing little pictures to accompany each word was his clever idea.

When he had one more area of his heart to complete I asked him, "Who else do you love... who else is really special to you?" And he said, "Myself". I told Lil' C, "I think that's a great answer!"

I hope throughout his lifetime he continues to love himself always. ;)

He used watercolors to color the heart. Thanks to S for scanning the image so the colors aren't so washed out. ;)

The project was really fun & I love the idea of doing a map every Valentines to see how his heart map changes as he grows older.

I plan to frame the heart and put it in our home. Before Lil' C went to sleep tonight he asked me if he could bring his Heart Map to school tomorrow for "Show & Tell". I told him I'd make a copy of it and put it in his backpack so he could bring it to school. I'm so glad to see he really enjoyed making the Heart Map.

If you're interested, you can find out more about this project here, here, and here.

It's Love Day

This year Lil' C began referring to Valentine's as Love Day. ;) I love it! Yesterday, I made these cute Lollipop flowers for Lil' C's classmates. Since Lil' C attends an international school it's really interesting to see how only the American children celebrate the day. For this project, I originally wanted to use BlowPop Lollipops but believe it or not I could not find them anywhere so I settled for these lolly's. The kids loved them.

We had a wonderful "Love Day". It started out bright & early when Lil' C woke us up. He was so excited about opening our Valentine's gifts. A little after 8:30am, S pulled the metal shades up and the room was suddenly filled with rays of sunshine. I could barely see as Lil' C put my Valentine's present in my hand. I love how excited he gets about gift giving. S surprised me with an Irish Claddagh ring he bought while on business in Dublin & Lil' C gave me the sweetest flower drawn on a Valentine's card. I surprised S with a personalized black & white photograph that spelled "Love" with various architectural elements. It's really unique. And Lil' C was super excited about the mini castle Playmobil set we gave him. He loves it!

The week tends to fly by around here so I didn't have a chance to make any Valentine crafts with Lil' C. I researched various craft blogs for Valentine craft ideas and there are so many wonderful projects out there. It makes me wish I would have known about all these cool things when he was much younger. With all these ideas floating in my head now I  decided we needed to get down to business and actually make some of these fun projects. So this afternoon Lil' C and I went to a stationary store and picked up a few necessary items.

Today we made these cute felt flowers. Lil' C was excited to try his hand at sewing. He did a fabulous job too. He only pricked himself once.

I hope to create some more fun things with Lil' C tomorrow. Stay tuned.

The rest of our day was pretty relaxing... a bit of cooking, playing, creating, and spending time with one another which really IS what "Love Day" is all about.

Not in a million years...

Would I believe someone if they told me I'd be attending a "Cat Show"! Me, at a cat show! haha Not only am I allergic to cats but there's just something about these animals that makes me feel uneasy. Some people may find cat eyes beautiful but they give me the creeps. Anytime I look into a cats eyes I'm always the one to turn away first. It's like there is an old soul staring out at me. Makes me feel completely transparent & uncomfortable. As if this wasn't reason enough to dislike cats, I remember a co-worker from my college days telling me how her cat attacked her when she came home from a long weekend. Can you imagine? Yes, I think I'd have to agree with S when he says cats are too moody.

I put my feelings aside today for Lil' C and we spent the afternoon at the Centrale Feline Belge in Brussels. Lil' C loves cats and is constantly asking us for a pet. Not in a million years! I thought about telling him he was also allergic to cats but I decided the truth would be better... We don't have time for pets nor do we want to make the time. I'd be a horrible pet owner. I laughed and told Lil' C I wasn't responsible enough to be a pet owner. Sure kittens & puppies are adorable but I'm just not a pet person. I don't want to be licked or jumped on nor do I want to touch their wet noses or clean dirty paws. I just don't feel the love pet owners feel. I remember my girlfriend trying to convince me to take one of her cute little rabbits home with me. Unfortunately, she went about it the wrong way. She started to describe how she had to pick this gooey stuff out of her rabbit's eyes and how one of her rabbit's teeth grew at an abnormal rate so every few weeks she'd have to cut his teeth using these ultra heavy duty clippers. As she's describing the rabbit's maintenance routine I about wanted to pass out. Now that is love. If that rabbit were mine he'd end up in the Guiness World Record for having the longest rabbit teeth ever! As you can imagine I decided to pass on that cute little rabbit.
 

The "Cat Show" was interesting. Although I was surprised to see so many cats in their cages. I suppose they were just waiting to be examined & judged by one of the Cat experts. If was funny to see these experts examine each cat and discuss their findings with the owners. One of the experts was British & she spoke to the owners in English when she discussed her findings with the owners.

Lil' C insisted on bring his leopard to the show so she could spend some time with her relatives. I think she was the prettiest cat there and what I really love about her is she is so low maintenance. ;)

We saw a variety of cats today. Some with long or short hair and even a few with no hair. Hairless cats remind me of pagans you'd see in an Egyptian museum exhibit. In my opinion, not the prettiest cats... definitely a little scary.

A few of the owners did have their cats outside the cages so Lil' C was able to pet a few.

Even if the cats were in their cages I'd catch Lil' C inching his finger under the cover to stroke the cats. The cats loved it so I didn't say anything to him. I think it's really cute how much he cares & loves cats. He's a gentle little soul.

Just add cinnamon

Several years ago, I was at my friend TD's house helping decorate her Christmas tree. When I opened one of the ornament boxes, the most wonderful scent came out. It was an intense cinnamon smell from the cutest little gingerbread men decorations. TD told me her Mom made them using cinnamon and apple sauce. Yum! Not so much to eat (believe me I've tried the mixture)... but the smell is delicious.

When Lil' C was 2 yrs old I thought making the cinnamon ornaments would be a great holiday project during a playgroup with my MOM's group. The kids were too little and lost interest in about 5 mins. But the Mom's really got into it. We had so much fun that afternoon mixing, baking, and decorating our ornaments. Most of those ornaments are still used to decorate our tree.

Making crafts is so fun and Lil' C really enjoys it which I love. So this year I wanted to try and make the cinnamon ornaments again. R was with us so we put him to work too. haha!

This project is simple and fun. We made these ornaments over two days.

The first day we prepared the dough, cut out the ornaments using various cookie cutters, and baked them for 2.5 hrs. 

The ornaments are pretty sturdy but if you roll out your dough too thin they have a greater tendency to break as we experienced with a few of the snowflakes & Christmas trees.

On the second day, we decorated the cinnamon ornaments using puffy fabric paint. You can get pretty creative with your designs plus I think it makes the project more fun.

When I put the ornaments away at the end of the Christmas season, I wrap them in wax paper. Next year I'm thinking about using them as gift tags and maybe writing the gift recipients name on the ornament.

Here are two ornaments Lil' C decorated. Some of the ornaments weren't completely dry as you can see from the dark outlines on the snowflake.

I wish I'd taken more photos of our finished decorations but now that my ornaments are all put away it's too late for that. This is what happens when you're blogging about Christmas in February! haha

Cinnamon Ornaments

Ingredients:
3/4 cup applesauce
1 bottle (4.12 ounces)

Supplies needed:
Cookie cutters, drinking straw, colorful ribbon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°F.

2. Mix applesauce & cinnamon with hands in small bowl until a smooth ball of dough is formed. Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. Peel off top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Make a hole in top of ornament with drinking straw. Place ornaments on baking sheet.

3. Bake 2 1/2 hours. Cool ornaments on wire rack. (Or, to dry ornaments at room temperature, carefully place them on wire rack. Let stand 1 to 2 days or until thoroughly dry, turning occasionally.)

4. Insert ribbon through holes and tie to hang.

Makes 12 to 15 ornaments.