Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Carpool Protocol

Today I got this request from a mom in my carpool: "I think there should be some sort of carpool protocol regarding which mom buckles the children in. Is it the mom in the car (the driver) or the mom whose child is climbing in?"
Apparently, since I am not home at the time of pickup, this mom must help buckle my child in. She is requesting reciprocity when her daughter comes into my car.

MY THOUGHTS:
A. My 4 1/2 year old is quite capable of getting buckled herself.
B. Does it need to be tit for tat? We each have different needs- I am not home, other moms are. My babysitter has an infant in the house at time of pickup, other moms have older children home.
C. If you just sent your daughter out, I'd make sure she either buckled herself of that I helped her before driving off. Why the need to establish a "protocol?"
D. SERIOUSLY?!?

...CARPOOL!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Aspiring Foodie

For all of these consecutive holidays, I have planned menus, shopped (thanks Jeremy for chipping in there), and cooked. In all my planning, I decided that we need to try some new recipes. So I turned to my twitter and Facebook friends and asked them for tips and ideas. I really got some good ones and experimented with some ingredients I have never before used.
So far, I made Pomegranate Brisket (click for recipe) and Kishka Stuffed Chicken from Joy of Kosher, and I adapted the recipe for a French Roast from Cook Kosher, made @karpoozi123's "Saucy Onion Chicken" that I may post later if I love it, tried and mastered Risotto for the first time off the rice package, and got recommendations for sweet potato pie from a friend on Facebook.
I learned a few things over the past 2 weeks and I am sure I will learn more as the holidays progress:
1. I love being a foodie and learning about recipes. I have been inspired by cooking shows and want to "up my game" to make more sophisticated recipes with flavorful ingredients.
2. I don't have time to be a foodie! I have stressed about how I will pull it all off and how the timing will work. So far, so good! I can't wait for my girls to grow up so they can join me in my kitchen as my sous chefs...
3. My food comes out pretty good, even with some adaptations. I am thankful that I can learn new recipes. Some people I know simply can't.
4. Social media is an amazing resource for tried and true recipes and ideas. There can be flaws... I tweeted for French Roast ideas, and got a response for French Toast! Yes, I know french toast is bread, eggs, milk, and cinnamon! But seriously, some great recipes are shared online. The only flaw is that it requires me to bookmark the sites on my phone and use it (without getting it dirty) in the kitchen. The time-out energy saver feature gets really annoying, but otherwise, it works!
5. If I keep this up, we will gain 10-20 lbs. per year! I do try to stick to healthy recipes and whole wheat pasta and breads...

One day, I hope to prove to myself that I am a foodie and really feel up to the task.
Can't wait to try more recipes!
Come again!