Thursday draws a blank

I have nothing to write about, or so I think today. I have decided, therefore, to dig out my "Writing Out Loud" notebook and share tidbits on days like today. This spring I was part of a very small group who got together every week and wrote on various topics brought to us by our facilitator. Some were greatly interesting to me. Some were struggles. All were valuable in getting pen to paper and thoughts flowing. Each topic was alloted a mere 5 minutes and we wrote like mad, shared, laughed and complimented. It was fantastic. Here is my entry from June 23rd. The topic: The person I am most like

I got photos back from Christmas last year and I had to look twice. Really hard. "Is that me??"

No. It was my mom. Granted, the photo was taken from a distance, but it was a tough call. Even the kids did a double take.

Aside from our facial features, we are physically less alike than she and my sister. Emotionally, however, we are as close to carbon copies as you can get. We both cry when angry or find ourselves having to confront someone. We both resort to the same self-depricating humour when in an awkward position. Our kids mean the world to us and our spouses drive us crazy in very similar ways. We'd both dearly love to do something meaningful during our time on this planet. We have had, or in my case, would love to have careers in the medical field. The list could go on and on and on...

I used to look at her and marvel at how she is getting more set in her ways and (sorry, Mom) stubborn as she ages. "This surely won't be me in 20 years," I thought. I honestly believed at one point that if she complained once more about having to show her Costco card at the door on the way in that I was going to lose it. And then, as I grumble about the library not taking "just my number** without my card" for what must be the billionth time, Jordan says, "Mom - they'll never take just your number. Try to remember your card next time." The apple is still not far from the tree I see...

**Mom and I both have an odd knack for remembering numbers...driver's licence, credit cards, library cards...

This assignment could just as easily have been about a person I admire. I'd still pick you, Mom.

xoxo

Lauren Tewes I am not

You remember her, don't you?? Julie McCoy?? The Love Boat's cruise director??

I have a friend, whose children are a smidgen older, who refused to play cruise director this summer. I need to read that chapter in the book because I feel like a lot of my time has been finding things for all of us to do, for them to do, for me to do and, when all else fails, for nothing to do.

We have camped

swum

biked

had a road trip to Vancouver & Kamloops to visit aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends

And then there were the crafts...never-ending crafts...they have a love for cutting, pasting, sticking, painting and colouring. Jordan has a fondness for diving into the craft books to find things we have the stuff to make and then getting down to business.

Experiments are likely my least favourite activity. I suppose that the notion of having baking soda and vinegar volcanoes erupt on the kitchen floor is directly conflicting with my type-A personality. Go outside...I know. I did allow Jordan to set up the water at different levels in several glasses to hear the different sounds they made. Maya was keen, but she eventually got tired of the noise (as did I). A short lived experiment to be sure.

Although summer was heaps of fun, I have to say that I'm looking forward to the routine of school days starting up next week. I'm not that anxious to be rid of the offspring, but I think the little break from one another will do them worlds of good. My highly coveted 5 hours a week to myself will hopefully see me on some end of the season rides and some long walks through the soon to be falling leaves.

Bliss...

Do NOT try this at home

Seriously. If you have little children, that is. Or a lentil-loathing spouse. Or an aversion to curry. Or a predisposition to gagging on spinach.

I made what I thought was a wonderful supper the other night, but the shine was taken off by the gagging, sighing, eye-rolling, moans of "Do I have to finish this?" and general stirring around of quickly cooling off "mush" (this was not my word, by the way).

Does it really look that bad?? It was rather delicious if I do say so myself...I'll stick the recipe at the bottom of this post for those of you brave enough to try it.

Conversely, last night's dinner was a roaring success - oh, except for my contribution to it. Who would dare complain about penne with Nonna's sauce?? Squishy fresh French bread from the store?? Cold glasses of milk & soy milk from the cow & the fields?? A couple of glasses of robust red from Mike's dad?? Homegrown basil, zucchini & tomatoes sauteed with store-bought olive oil, garlic & mushrooms?? Bingo. That was the one. I would have happily traded all other parts of dinner (except for the wine...you knew that!) for a big dish of that zucchini. And a wee piece of bread to mop up the juiciness. And a nibble of the penne. I had milk on my cereal, so I wouldn't have to have that...

At any rate, Jordan piped up between mouthfuls of yumminess, "You should put your recipes into a cookbook, Mom!" Yeah, the shovelling in of the zucchini saute and washing it down with a gulp of milk by one kid and the plugging of the nose and minutes long chewing of the zucchini by the other would be ringing endorsements for my new book. We joked about what we would call it...Stuff Not to Feed Your Kids and Don't Use These Recipes if You Want Your Kids to Eat were clear winners. Peals of laughter and general silliness ensued - not a bad thing. Sure beats the tears and bribery that have accompanied several other of my creations as of late.

I don't recall, but I am told that I wouldn't eat my liver one evening and was, therefore, not allowed to join my mother on a neighbourhood walk canvassing for the United Way. Apparently, I was sobbing about her going off to the United States and leaving me behind. Not wanting to break tradition we told Maya that she was not allowed to go casting in the green space the other night until she finished at least some of her dinner. Through tears and wails of, "I...want...to...go....caaaasssstiiiinnnngg....", she managed to gag down some of her cold supper and daddy relented. I sit here and wonder why we forced the issue. To prove a point? To avoid throwing out yet another plate of food? It certainly wasn't to get the peace and quiet I was craving!

Here, as promised, is the loosey goosey recipe for my Curried Chickpeas and Lentils. I promise not to make it when you come to visit :)

1 cup dried green lentils - rinsed and sorted

4 cups of water

3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

a splash of canola oil

1/2 small onion - diced

2 cloves garlic - diced

2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp coriander powder

1 can chickpeas - rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen's Fire Roasted)

1/2 bag of spinach - destemmed & roughly chopped

Cooked basmati rice

Soak the lentils in the water for an hour. Drain and place in a large saucepan with the vegetable stock.

Bring the lentils to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook about 45 minutes until tender.

When the lentils are cooked, saute the ginger, onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is translucent. Add the dried spices and saute another couple of minutes.

Add the tomatoes (undrained) and chickpeas.

While those simmer, use an immersion blender to roughly puree the lentils and stock. Add these to the pan when you like the consistency.

Toss in the spinach and stir until wilted.

Serve over bowls of basmati rice.