family – Page 10 – Peaceful Reader

Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Ari and Gage experience their mother’s death and are taken in by her old friend, Janna, someone they hardly know, and raised in a very different way. It becomes too much for Gage as the older brother to be not trusted and unloved. His mother’s wishes were for the two of them to stay together so when he feels like it is time to leave he takes Ari with him, even though it means lying to Janna.

He does not have an apartment arranged or a job for himself. He and Ari take turns staying at shelters and friend’s apartments. Hiking their way around the city and trying to get Ari to school everyday is difficult for both of them. Ari lies to her teachers, her classmates, and her best friend about how she is living. Her teachers watch her slip behind, coming in with her unclean and stinky clothes and hair. She struggles to get homework turned in and her friends make fun of her. As an educator I wanted to stop her in the hall and ask if all was okay, how can I help?

This well-written realistic fiction shows the difficulty of homeless children. How do you keep your stuff together, how do you take a shower, how do you keep your life from falling all apart and still love and trust the brother who put you into this situation? This story should help anyone gain more empathy and compassion for students in this situation.

Jennifer Richard Jacobson is an eduator as well and I’ve heard great things about Small as an Elephant. I’ll have to get that one at the library as well. Thank you, Tina, for the recommendation.

#birthdaylove

Groovy Girl turned 13 over the weekend. We celebrated in style and had fun on Friday afternoon with a camping-themed sleepover.

We put up our Coleman tent, ordered pizzas, set out pink lemonade, and most importantly cleaned up after the dogs all over the backyard. Fun stuff.

{Camp site}

Four girls arrived sleeping bags and pillows in hand. Groovy Girl and I had mapped out a tentative schedule and she requested that we basically stay away. Funny.

So I ordered and retrieved the pizza from our favorite $5 pizza joint down the hill. I took three pizzas to the backyard for the girls and took one inside for the adults (me and two friends). And then really they didn’t ever need me again. At one point they used some manly help from dad to set up a projector but beyond that we had our own little happy birthday celebration inside.

After all the birthday parties we’ve hosted for that girl over the years it is funny to be asked to step aside. I get it though; she wants to be able to relax with her friends and talk about stuff. And the stuff they talk about is going to get deeper. I’m cool with it as long as she continues to talk to me about the big stuff.

They slept all the way through the night in the tent, fairly cuddled together to keep warm. We had cinnamon rolls and watermelon for breakfast. As I wandered into the backyard in the morning before they know I was there I overheard them talking about hashtags-what was that hashtag we made up last night? These are mine: #successfulbirthday #13yearsold and #biglove

School starts WHEN??

Yes, tomorrow. I’m ready. I think. It doesn’t make any difference if I’m really ready or not; kids will come through the library doors tomorrow no matter what. They will be excited to tell me what they did over summer break. Some will be pleased to share how many books they read over the summer. Others will be happy to tell me all they things they did BUT read. Either way I will welcome them in with open arms and hope that I can help the challenging students to find a book they will embrace (could be non-fiction, graphic novel, or a really interesting fiction) and I will help the strong readers to reach for the stars.

Groovy Girl starts 8th grade. She will be a cheerleader this year for school. Her best friend just moved around the corner from our house and life can’t get much better. This weekend she’s shared her concerns though about school fears. Last year it was a rough beginning to middle school and she’s worried that this year she will again have those same troubles. No amount of talking her down about it seems to work so we’ll just have to see how it plays out.

Handsome son begins his second year at our local community college and he’s living with friends near school. I hope for him a great year as well. It’s a new experience having a child live in town but not in your house. He stops by to eat, do laundry, and just hang out every once in awhile.

Our oldest daughter, Kaylee, finished at The Salt Institute and is headed to Brooklyn to work for the podcast Reply All in September. She has her own website and is striving toward life as a full-time writer. I know she will miss Portland but new opportunities await her.

My husband also started a new job last week as artistic director of our community theatre. Long ago he was the children’s theatre director at the same theatre so it is a little like going home for him but with greater responsibility. His first play, Little Shop of Horrors, opens in October.

Everyone starts something new here and whether it is a new school year, a new job, a new house it’s important to remember that home is where you go at the end of the day to feel secure and loved. We are just going to take one day at a time.

It's August! My month to rule like a queen.

My birthday is tomorrow (two days ago now)! While birthdays don’t hold the same excitement as I’ve aged-it’s still fun to have your own big day

Reflecting back on other birthdays that were full of flair I remember one party that involved our big blue boat, about 9 friends, and our small town yacht club (it did have a swimming pool). We boated and swam and ate cake. It remember the joy and the excitement of turning another year older.

I remember another birthday where I felt full of frustration. The day had been a boring one; no breakfast in bed, friends, or party plans and THEN my mom made me go take a nap. What!? Crazy. I wasn’t a baby or even a toddler anymore. I wish she’d have thought of some other method of distraction but no, off to my room I was sent. After a couple of hours I was summoned back down where a surprise party had been arranged. It was fun and I knew that was why I had been sent to bed so party preparations could be made; it was just so unfair to take a nap on what, for kids, is right next to Christmas in celebrations.

Now I’d pay money to have a good nap on my birthday, to be sent to my room for quiet time. And luckily on my day I did get about 2 hours to just read in the sunshine on my patio. I also had breakfast in bed, an hour of fun at our local pool, and a lovely dinner out with teenage boy/college son/making his own way young man, Groovy Girl, and handsome husband. After dinner older brother took Groovy Girl home so we could walk down the street for a cocktail with friends. It was a beautiful day and I didn’t mind turning another year older because I think this year could be the best year ever. Really. Lots to look forward to and many things to accomplish. All I have to do is do it. So cheers to a new year to check things off my list.

Other vacation treats (Baltimore)

While we were on the East Coast we tried several places on the recommendation of a friend and lucky for us they turned out to be delightful. If you find yourself in the Baltimore area try these two places out and you will be grateful.

{Greg’s Bagels}

Greg’s bagels: My friend worked here during high school which added to the charm as I tried to picture her behind the counter but the real pull was the l-o-n-g chalkboard list of salmon varieties and the incredible flavor we experienced after we’d ordered. Jenette had said to introduce ourselves to Greg, the bagel maker, and we did. He was effusive and charming even as he bumbled about the kitchen, laughing with young employees and restocking bagel baskets. My sister-in-law was with us and experienced the deliciousness and plans to take her husband back soon. She’s lucky she lives only a short 30 minute drive. We only head back every few years but this will be on our repeat list.

Captain James Seafood Palace: I remember when I was in high school our family had a fantastic East Coast trip where we gorged ourselves at oyster bars and crab houses and I wanted to share the same experience with our 20-year-old son. He loves seafood like many of us but we rarely eat at seafood restaurants because my husband has a shellfish allergy. We ordered the all-you-can-eat crab at $31.99 and it came complete with corn-on-the-cob, bread, and crab soup. It was cool to watch my son attack the pile of crabs with his mallet, cracking and picking out every little piece of meat. There was not a lot of talking from him.

My husband tried the wings, we shared a plate of calamari, and a cold pitcher of summer shandy. Sitting outside on the bay, which was beautiful even with the floating trash, watching the boats and hum of people activity made for a perfect evening in Baltimore for the 3 of us.

He made it through almost the entire pile of crabs and the last three I snuck home in a large napkin. Cheating, I know, but I knew Groovy Girl would want to try one as well.

I love to experience new places and it helps when you have a solid recommendation from a trusted source. Thanks Jenette for your last minute long list of places to eat!

Weekly Recipes 6 (the vacation files)

We’ve been on vacation for a few weeks in the Baltimore/DC area staying with Greg’s family. Every time we make it out here we try and explore something new in the capital. This time we went to The Building Museum and National Museum of the American Indian; both were fantastic. My husband and I walked through the Hirshhorn by ourselves one afternoon which had a fantastic display by Shirin Neshat, an Iranian artist.

Exploring Takoma Park area with my my husband’s brother and his wife we tried an amazing restaurant, Republic, that we could walk to from their house. Love that accessibility. Our dinner was extremely good. Expensive but worth it. I would eat there again on our next visit. Hopefully it stays put. We shared a mix of delicious appetizers; squash blossoms, oysters, and the crispy shrimp with kimchi. They brought out a basket of crusty bread with a bean dip. I ordered a salmon app for dinner and it was just the right amount. While the dessert menu looked appealing we were too full. Luckily with our bill we received a plate of bite-sized house brownies! Thank you to Matthew for the excellent service that night.

Fish Tacos-my sister-in-law Jayne made this for us one night. They were delicious and I loved all the variety of toppings she had for us. We ate after sitting on their lovely front porch for an hour or so enjoying the weather, the view, and a beverage or two.

Cherry-Apricot Crumble-Jayne served this for dessert and it comes with an interesting story. She keeps a notebook of guests and what she served to them and to her surprise when she flipped back to early entries she found she’d served this exact dessert to our family when our oldest two were young and Groovy Girl had not yet graced us with her presence. She remembered Teenage Boy exclaiming that it was the “best dessert he’d ever had” in his 6-year-old voice so she decided to make it again for us. It was delicious and this time I asked for the recipe.

Stuffed Peppers-recipe from my mother-in-law Phyllis, I prepared it for everyone though as she had Groovy Girl and her cousin off on an adventure. The peppers plus a salad made a great easy dinner. My mother-in-law is an excellent cook and I love to share recipes with her. She made us quite a few great meals including her famous taco salad. I appreciate all the recipes she shared with me over the years.

At this point we are ready to head home with great new memories, a few treasures tucked away, and very full bellies. Hope your weeks have been just as full.

Weekly Recipes 4

While I visited with Barb and her family I made dinner several nights just to share recipes. Her kitchen is an excellent place to cook and I like that. She, like me, is an ex-vegetarian who now eats good, local meat. It was fun to cook for her family. They like unique dishes just like me.

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Quinoa Tabbouleh with chickpeas-It was delicious; light and refreshing, a perfect summer dish. Simple ingredients all tossed together:

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
½ pound Persian cucumbers or 2 hothouse cucumbers (if using hothouse, seed the cucumbers first), sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup finely chopped green onion, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup chopped mint leaves
⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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And I made these black bean burritos with sweet potato added in. They were so yummy; I could have eaten 3 or 4 but I kept it to one. It’s all about eating good food in small quantities.

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Once we returned home I made this kid-friendly dish (crock pot enchiladas) on a very busy day so dinner would be ready when the family walked through the door. I was gone-off to hear music at the Gentleman of the Road tour-and it was fantastic! even though it was a little strange to be away from the family, off doing my own thing at our sacred dinner hour. Every once in while you need to surprise them with a twist. I made them dinner so they would still love me while I was gone.

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Another day I made this berry tart which also turned out great. Barb sent me home with a few pie shells so I didn’t have to make the dough, which made it simple.

What did you create this week?

A trip to the bakery

My friend, Barb and her family, own a bakery in Indiana and for the last 2 years Groovy Girl and I have traveled the 5 1/2 hours east to visit her and work in the bakery. Her uncle owns a strawberry farm and the bakery is attached. It’s hard to figure out which draws more; the bakery or the u-pick farm and garden center.

It’s strawberry season and this past weekend it was strawberry fest on the farm. They were super busy which in turn makes the bakery busy. As we worked in the back making strawberry donuts and buckwheat pancakes with strawberry syrup we could see the line wind several times through the store and out into the parking lot. It was crazy!

It’s a serious working vacation. I get to spend time with my friends and help at the same time. The only time they are not busy is late December, January, and February, right when I’m in school so we make this work. And my back can tell you I worked really hard this week. I made batch after batch of steamy donuts; measuring out and weighing the ingredients, mixing it, pouring it into the donut hopper so it can drop perfectly into the hot grease where it is a perfect circle of dough. It makes its way down the small converyer belt; frying and turning to create a golden orb (with the ever important hole) and then tossed into a bowl of sugar and laid out on a tray to be sold. I made trays, and trays, and trays + +.

I now dream about making donuts. Last year I didn’t make quite as many and we were not here for as long. I’m also a year older and I didn’t sleep well this week; I woke up this morning with a terrible pain in my lower back. Barb and I did about 45 minutes of yoga; deep stretching with modifications for my back and my heart. She’s a trained yoga instructor as well. I don’t know how she does it all! We did kayak which is one of my favorite things to do but it’s been off/on rainy for days and our kayak venture was cut very short.

We did prepare delicious dinners together as well but that is another blog post. If you get a chance to stop in Hobart, IN be sure to stop by Marilyn’s Bakery (her mother started the bakery in 1986). You won’t be disappointed and if it happens to be strawberry season you might just glimpse me in the back pouring and dipping donuts. I need a vacation to help me recover from this intense working…vacation?!

Weekly Recipes 3

In my constant search for new and different foods to lay at our table I made this delicious (say the kids) chicken recipe this week:

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Ginger Rice
{weeknight gluten free by Kristine Kidd}
*we are not gluten-free; I only used regular ingredients where it specifies gluten-free

Shallot, 2 T, minced
gluten-free tamari, 2 T.
Sugar, 1 1/2 T.
Asian fish sauce, 1 1/2 T.
Lemongrass stalks, 1 fat or 2 thin, peeled and minced, or 2 tsp lemon zest
vegetable oil, 1 T.
Asian chile sauce, 1/2 tsp
kosher salt, 1/2 tsp
skinless, boneless chicken thighs, 1 1/2 pounds

Ginger Rice
Fresh ginger, 1 1/2 T., minced
kosher salt, 1/8 tsp
uncooked brown basmati or jasmine rice, 1 cup
Gluten-free tamari, 2 tsp
chopped green onions for garnish

1. In a bowl, mix the shallot, 2 T. tamari, sugar, fish sauce, lemongrass, oil, chili sauce, and salt. Cut any excess fat from the chidken. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat. Let the chicken marinate while preparing the rice.
2. To make the ginger rice, in a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water, the ginger, and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for at least 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then mix in the tamari.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the grill for direct-heat cooking over high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the grill rack, cover and cook until springy to the touch and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
4. Divide the rice among 4 warmed plates. Top with the chicken, sprinkle green onions, and serve right away.

My normal habit of not reading the recipe all the way through was a problem here-I did not know about the GRILL-I cooked the chicken in my huge cast iron skillet, added marinade in, put the lid on and let it cook/steam to done. Also my kids would balk if I cut green onions over the top so avoided that step altogether. My son said the chicken was wonderful, flavorful, and tender. I made this meal just so he would eat something while the rest of us were out of town for 2 days. Over-mothering, yes, but he weighs next to nothing so I do what I have to to get food into him.

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Plus I made this amazing rhubarb recipe. They are tart and just the perfect size!

How was your week of cooking?

Weekly Recipes 2

This week has been filled with a lot of work and the beginning of my summer. We are working on a Hansen garden project so even though my last day of work was Tuesday I’ve still been at work every day helping to move and replant our raised garden beds. I am so excited for this to be a fully realized project, to have kids snap off vegetables and love them (or at least try them).

It’s also the start of summer break. I always dream that I will find a perfect summer job-make a little extra money working at a book store, restaurant, or bakery but it would need to be short hours and great pay to make it worth my while. I like to get a lot of reading, resting, and cleaning done during break.

Here’s what I made this week to keep us fed:

1. The black bean soup was amazing! We had it twice. Once just as soup and I served it with sour cream, guac, cilantro, and french bread.

The second time we had it with tortillas and rice, drizzling it together to make burritos. I just had it as soup again as I’m opposed to the big fat flour tortilla.

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2. Pork Roast: I am experimenting with meat and I found this at a good price from a good source. I looked at several different recipes and came to the conclusion that I could basically treat it like the pot roast my grandmother made. I used my handy crock pot so it would be ready after I spent the afternoon at the garden. I sautéed onions and garlic, browned the pork on all sides and scooped it into the slow cooker with celery, carrots, a few small yellow potatoes and some vegetable broth. I ate a salad while everyone else seemed to love the roast.

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3. Pork Roast part 2: pulled pork sandwiches for lunch today. I read a Ree Drummond post about pulled pork and went with it. Mine was already cooked so all I needed to do was “pull” it all apart. She advised forks but I gave that up quickly and just used my hands. As a veggie I have to admit it felt fatty. Sesame buns, pickles, sweet potato chips, and a veggie tray made a terrific late summer lunch. It would have made a great picnic except it was freezing outside today. Also Groovy Girl refused to eat them; she says BBQ sauce is disgusting. She, like me, ate the side dishes.

4. Rhubarb sauce: I love rhubarb and visited a friend who has a huge patch in her garden. I brought home a hefty stack of stalks and used at least half to whip up this delicious sauce. It’s now in my refrigerator in glass canning jars. The taste is amazing.

I cleaned my entire kitchen yesterday also and it looks amazing. I reorganized it so I could clear clutter off the counter tops. I love it. This is my plan for the rest of the house. That is my summer job. Unless a book store moves in downtown.

How was your week in the kitchen?