Good Bye Mini Van

Over the course of the last six months we decided it was time to replace the family mini van, which is my car.  I love the mini van.  I am a mini van mom.  When we bought the mini van, it meant that I had finally reached "parenthood" and had kids to drive around.  Granted Mark was only 2 1/2 and Naomi wasn't around yet, but I had a family and kids.

In May, the beloved (beloved to me at least) mini van needed some expensive repairs ($2k) and was going to need more in the future.  After talking to a few people, we decided instead of throwing money into a 12 year old (nearly 13 year old) vehicle, we would buy a new one.

We decided we didn't need another mini van.  Mark is going to college in four years, and Naomi shortly there after, and in 12 years my kids would be out of college, and I would still have a mini van.  So we test drove a Highlander and a Pilot and a Pathfinder, all of which were great, and large.  As was the price tag.  It became clear to me that I did not NEED a 7 passenger car for the next 12 years.  So, we started to look at other cars, and tonight we pick up my new Toyota RAV4 - 5 passenger SUV.

Still the kids were not sad to see the mini van retired.  I am very sad.  So the kids and I developed a short Mini Van Memory List, so we can remember the beloved family mini van that has served us for nearly 12 years.

Not in any order.

Mark as a toddler puking in the mini van as it was snowing, and we stopped in CT in breakdown lane of I91 and I84.  Mark remembers being nearly naked and puking on the side of the road, in the snow.

Mark flapping with excitement when we picked up the new van.

Our trip to Maine during my maternity leave with Naomi.  My mom, Mark, Naomi and I drove to Maine (to a train museum) and Mark was hysterical that I didn't have a GPS, but I proved to him that I could read a map, and we got there and back with no problem, except for little Miss Naomi who had a full diaper of poop that stunk up the car so badly that I had to pull over and change her on a side street.

In the summer of 2015 getting rear ended twice by the same guy.

One kid during carpool season leaving a slice of pizza under my third row (don't ask, but luckily it was January and it froze).

Another mom hitting my car in front of the elementary school.

Going apple picking with the kids daycare, and me and one of the teachers forcing the kids to sing loudly so they would NOT fall asleep on the drive home.

Overnight camp drop off and pick up.

Ikea purchases.

Girl Scout cookie pick up

Naomi puking in the car on the way to Mark's third grade Kabbalat Sidur.

The Blue Zone

The mini van getting hit in the blue zone

Family trips to Long Island, NYC, Baseball Hall of Fame, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Hershey, Philadelphia, Storyland, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine and other places.

Getting stuck in Long Island post Christmas Traffic in a Target parking lot

Lots of first day of school drop offs

Lots of "I need to use the bathrooms"

Driving Naomi from daycare to the dentist after she fell and her teeth went into her gum.

Kids music.

Concerts!

Getting a flat tire and pulling into the Direct Tire parking lot.

Lots of memories, and the kids smiled to read how many memories we thought of in ten minutes.

Amazing Brownies

I made brownies over the weekend, and I did not bring one to work on Monday.  All I wanted in the afternoon was one of those amazing brownies.  VERY FUDGY brownies.  I can't remember the cookbook's name, but it is from the Culinary Institute of America.

Today I brought a brownie for myself for an afternoon snack.

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs
1 1/3 c sugar
2 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
1/4 c cake flour

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a 9 inch (or 8 inch) square pan with cooking spray.

Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler.  In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt on high for 4-5 minutes.  Scraping every once in a while.  Should be thick and light.

While stirring, pour some of the egg into the melted chocolate.  Then pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and blend on medium.  Mix in flour on low til just blended.  Pour into pan and spread.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  It will be done when a toothpick is inserted into the center of the brownies and comes out with a few crumbs.

Cool on a wire rack before cutting.

It says makes nine brownies, but I got 16!

Camp is Over

After having the kids at camp for seven weeks, they are home.

I have to say we did a lot over the summer.  Many people travel.  This is what we did:

1.  Research and test drive lots of cars for my next car.  The mini van is slowly dying, and we need to replace it by Thanksgiving.

2.  Buy a new sofa - our old one is 19 years old, and it had lived its useful life.

3.  Buy a new kitchen table and chairs - our Ikea set gave out.  We lost two chairs due to breakage.  So when we purchased the new sofa, we purchased a new kitchen set.

4.  Ate at lots of places that didn't serve chicken nuggets.

5.  Saw lots of our friends and had double dates that did NOT involve the kids.

6.  Attended a rocking party that included a game of Cards Against Humanity

7.  Attended Out of the Box and saw Aubrey Logan perform LIVE.

8.  Slept late on weekends

9.  Ate lots of mushrooms, since the kids don't like mushrooms.

Chilled Spanish White Gazpacho

CHILLED SPANISH WHITE GAZPACHO

Flour Baker – Joanne Chang

Adam really liked this.  I like my classic red gazpacho, but this was a nice change.

Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds seedless green grapes, stemmed

½ cup whole blanched almonds

2 garlic cloves

6 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons good-quality sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1¼ teaspoons kosher salt

2 English cucumbers, cut crosswise into 1- to 2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus

1½ to 2 tablespoons for finishing

Working in batches, combine the grapes, almonds, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, and salt in a blender and pulse until the almonds and garlic are chopped but not too finely. Add the cucumbers and pulse again until the cucumbers are blended. Do not overblend; you want the soup to have some texture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the 3 tablespoons of oil.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill the soup and to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and add salt, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and drizzle each with about 1 teaspoon oil before serving. The soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Summer Camp

Confession - I never went to overnight camp.  In all honesty, I didn't really like day camp all that much. I attended two weeks of local girl scout camp, and I really didn't like it, and I certainly did not like the overnights.  Often, my mom would get the call of "Please come pick me up."

As I got older nearly all the other kids went to overnight camp.  I was at home.  My mom didn't work, and some of my other friends were also home.  We spent the week days going to the pool or the beach.

When my eldest was in third grade he asked about overnight camp. . . . . . so we toured four different overnight camps.  After fourth grade, I dropped my eldest off for 3.5 weeks of overnight camp.  When I picked him up, he was in LOVE with overnight camp.  Can't wait for next year.

Five years later, I dropped off BOTH kids to the same camp, where they will stay for seven weeks, and love every moment of camp.  Part of me wishes that I had experienced the overnight camp experience.  I watch the weekly videos and see how much fun that they are having.

We have a home that we have both parents working full time.  I can see at overnight camp that they are busy from morning til bedtime.  They offer things that I can't offer - riflery (for the older one); water skiing (for the younger one); horseback riding, meals with kids three times a day, the ability to have a relationship with a counselor who is in college; the ability to live with 8-15 kids (of the same sex and age) and return yearly and be accepted.  The bonus for us is that it is a Jewish overnight camp, so they are experiencing praying as a group and learning to love Israel.  And of course their last year at camp (when they finish 10th grade) there will be a five week trip to Israel with their peers/friends.

They are learning independence. . . . . cleaning the bunk as a group, speaking up when they are sad or if they see something.

The love of camp that my kids have is real.  I miss them, but I realize even with the best day camp, I can't offer what they are experiencing.  I know that they love me.  But I am giving them an exprience that they will never forget.

Maple Ice Cream

A very tasty dessert for the summer!

A recipe by Bruce Weinstein

6 large egg yolks
1 cup maple syrup (the real stuff)  AND I used grade B which I love
2 t flour
1/2 t salt
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups of light cream
1 t vanilla

In my mixer, I beat the egg yolks, maple syrup, flour and salt.

Bring the half and half to a simmer in a heavy saucepan.  Slowly beat the hot half and half into the egg mixture.  Return to the saucepan and heat on low.  Stir until the mixture thickens.

Pour the mixture into a bowl.  Put in the fridge for an hour.  Add the light cream and vanilla and stir.  Let sit overnight in the fridge.

Pour into your ice cream maker and mix for 20 minutes.  Place ice cream into the freezer and wait 24 hours to eat.

Chocolate Tofu Pie

Really????  Yes, really.  It is really easy to make and I highly suggest trying it.

1 premade graham cracker crust

2 packages (12.3 oz each) silken tofu (mori nu is preferred)
1/4 cup of honey
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips

Whipped cream or strawberries as garnish

While melting the chocolate chips over a double boiler, place the tofu in a food processor and process until smooth.  Once chocolate is melted, add honey and vanilla to melted chocolate.  Stir.

Add melted chocolate to food processor and process until smooth and well blended.

Pour into prepared crust.

Cool for at least 2 hours.  Garnish with whipped cream or strawberries (or raspberries).

EAT!