Lean In

I just finished Lean In.  While I thought it was a good read, I have to admit that many things left me wondering.  I think the book makes people (both men and women) about work-family balance.  What I have a hard time with is that right now the author's children are young.  I have a pre-teen son, and I can tell you that things get more complicated as the kids get older.  Sure, you can pay someone to pick up your child at daycare, but can you pay them to watch your son's little league game?  Can you pay someone to watch the school play?  Can you pay someone to be present in your child's parent teacher conference?  Yes, you can outsource many things (cleaning, cooking and childcare) however as children get older, they have other needs.  Of course every parents wants to be there for their children.

Do I have guilt about not volunteering in my child's classroom?  Yes.

Do I know that my children have great teachers?  Yes.

Do I know that I am organized enough to send my kids with lunch, snacks and the book order on the correct days?  Yes.

I really enjoy working.  I really LOVE my family.  I am balancing both.

But I know not all workers have the ability to work at home when their child is sick.  I also know that some people live in fear of losing their jobs because they stayed home with a sick child.  A waitress can not work from home.  A nurse can not work from home.  I am lucky that I can work from home when needed.

But she also needs to define what is success.  Success to many people is to become CEO or President, with the corner office.  But not everyone has that same definition of success.  Success is different and unique to each person. 

I am interested to read what others thought about Lean In.

Next up: Prisoner B 3087 - a book for fifth graders about surviving the Holocaust.  I let Mark read it first, however I am nearly done with it. . . . . I wonder what he thought about the whole thing.  Some parts were graphic and very sad.

Spring is here

Spring time is here!  The good weather is here.  I can put away the winter boots.  However, with spring, comes the end of the school year and the start of camp.  It seems as though each classroom has a special spring thing. . . . along with the spring concert for All City Band (which was amazing), the spring concert for All City Chorus, the spring Angier concert, the Fifth Grade Special Stuff, more forms and of course birthday parties galore!

We hosted Mark's birthday party recently.  We had 8 boys total.  The boys played video games, ate pizza, cake and ice cream and then watched a movie.  A dream come true for an 11 year old boy!  He got lots of nice gifts.

The next part is for Naomi, but that is around Mother's Day so I have some time to prep.

I can't complete this post without telling you that Mark wanted the oreo cookie cake for his birthday party.  A hit amongst the children!

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/goldtouch-nonstick-sandwich-cookie-cake-pan-and-mix-set/

Of course, I made the cake from scratch, and it was delicous.

Books

I haven't written about books for a bit!

I have purchased a few new cookbooks.  One of the new purchases includes the Barefoot Contessa Foolproof Book.  I am not the biggest fan of the Barefoot Contessa, but the cookbook does have tasty recipes.  So tasty that twice all four of us liked the same recipe.

I also just purchased Old School Comfort Food by Alex Guarnaschelli.  It was released April 9, and I received mine yesterday in the mail, however I have been too busy to really read it!  I am hoping to have a few days to look it over and plan to make a few things.

I am really really waiting for Flour Too by Joanne Chang to be published.  Even though it is the savory side of the bakery, I am really excited to get my hands on that book.  Amazon is telling me that I only have to wait til June 4!

Besides cookbooks, I have just finished Keeping the Faith by Jodi Picoult.  Jodi is one of the authors that once I start to read the book, I just can't put it down.  The story just sucks me in.  She isn't anything like Shakespeare but for modern fiction, I do like the books . . . . . I just can't read too many in a row.

I read Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver and liked it, especially the ending. Many of the characters were people I would not normally identify with, but it kept my interest.

I read The Dove Keepers which I really liked.  I also finished How Children Succeed for Book Club at work.

I am trying to read Visit From the Goon Squad, however I got side tracked by Lean In.  I didn't think I would like Lean In, but I find myself thinking about many things.  One paragraph of the book spoke about Having It All and how women strive for that (good family and good job), however the author also pointed out that many of us are in the day to day grind, trying to hold it all together.  We are thinking about Losing it All.  I know that on my most stressful days (kids are sick, there is a snow day and a huge deadline looming) I fear about Losing it All.  I think about balancing the successful career, and a loving family, and the health insurance, the doctor's appointments, the school performances, work deadlines, meetings that I need to attend at work and meetings that I need to attend for the organizations that I am involved in.  I am hoping that I continue to enjoy the book.

Back to cooking and reading!

Passover Blintzes

Passover is a holiday where the kitchen is a busy place.  Because of the different food restrictions of the holiday and the cost of prepared foods, I find myself in the kitchen a lot.  And since there are no short cuts, I find myself with a hungry family and a meal not quite ready, especially during the work week.  However, during the weekend, I like to treat my family to homemade blintzes.  Blintzes are a favorite around here, and they are time consuming to make.  However, because there are not as many favorite Passover recipes, I am more likely to prepare this recipe to satisfy their hunger.

Passover Blintzes

Batter:

6 eggs

1 cup potato starch

1 cup cold water

1 cup cold seltzer water

Sweet Cheese Filling:

1 pound farmer’s cheese

2 egg yolks

½ pound of cream cheese

2 T sugar

Blend the eggs in a blender; slowly add the potato starch, and both waters.  Blend until pale, yellow and foamy.  Pour into a bowl.

Lightly oil a 6 inch skillet over medium high flame.  Melt some butter in a small Pyrex bowl.  Brush the skillet with a bit of melted butter.  Using a ladle pour batter to coat pan, drain off excess batter.  When the crepe seems dry, use a rubber spatula to make sure the crepe is not sticking to the pan.  Shake crepe onto a cloth and let cool.  Brush pan with butter.  Stir batter and ladle onto pan.  Repeat until all batter is gone.  When the crepes are dry and cool, you may pile.

Mix filling ingredients until well blended.  Place a tablespoon of filing on the top third of the crepe in the middle.  Fold down the top, and the left and right sides, and then roll, into a blintz.  Repeat. 

Put folded blintzes into a greased Pyrex pan.

Preheat oven to 375.  Bake blintzes for 15-20 minutes.

Invention Invasion

Last night we attended the Invention Invasion at the local elementary school.  Our daughter had an invention.  The problem that her invention solved was "what to do if your parents won't let you have a pet."  She invented the "Auto Cat" (short for the automatic cat).  The cat and the three kittens are remote controlled pets.  They have special food.  They can sit.  They can play.  They can purr on demand.  And your mom doesn't have to clean up after them or take them to the vet!  Problem solved.

One child solved the problem of tasting gross food - a tongue cover!

Another child solved the problem of not being able to bend down to give the cat food - a tube that you can drop the food into and it will pour it into the cat bowl!

Another child the van-conveyor belt.  Have the parent put the juice box and snack on the belt, and it will rotate around the car to the child in the back seat.  No more flinging food to the back seat while driving on the highway!

Another child created the TOY CLEANER UPPER!  I need one of those.

I love seeing the problems that the kids solve.  They have great inventions.  The inventions don't have to work.  Just be a prototype.  A great activity for kids - creative minds.

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Dinner last night was amazing.  I made my second recipe from the Barefoot Contessa’s new cookbook, however I made it vegetarian.  It was called orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage.

 

12 oz. vegetarian sausage

1/3 c. olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

½ c. red white

¼ c. tomato paste

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 pound orecchiette

One large bunch broccoli rabe

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place sausage on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with Pam.  Roast for 15 minutes. Let cool and slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the sausage slices and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic slices and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the red wine, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and let the mixture simmer over low heat while you prepare the pasta and broccoli rabe.

Cook pasta for nine minutes.  While the pasta is cooking trim the stems off the broccoli rabe, and then roughly cut the broccoli rabe.  After nine minutes, put the broccoli rabe into the boiling water and pasta, and cook for another three minutes.  Drain.  Add the pasta and broccoli rabe to the pot with the tomato and sausage.  Stir in the parmesan cheese.

We got 8 servings out of this meal.  All four of us loved it!

Vote yes yes yes

Newton is having an important vote on Tuesday.  It is important to vote and for me to vote yes.  My kids attend a school that should have been replaced years ago.  Newton is experiencing a student population boom, and most schools are overcrowded.  There are many people trying to tell voters that we should get rid of METCO and the kids of newton teachers .....in reality that is not the problem.  The other side wants more cuts in salaries. Our mayor has cut fat in the government but there is no way you can demand union workers to go from paying 20% of their monthly health care premium to 50%.  Our mayor got the u ion to agree to 25%.  Sure it isn't 50% but this is what he was able to negotiate.  One step at a time.

Angier and Cabot must be replaced.  There is no way that these schools can continue to function as schools in their current conditions.  No student should have to sit next to a sub pump house while learning fractions - the pump is run during class time.

No student should have to sit in a classroom that is eighty degrees in January ....on a daily basis.  That same student then has to put on a winter coat to attend music class since that room is cold.

No student should have to be in a library that also functions as a specialist classroom and an ELL (English language learner) classroom.

Please vote yes yes yes.