A Tale of Two Sisters

As you may know I have two daughters, ages 14 and 16. I write those numbers and I am staring at them in disbelief. How can I feel like I was 16 just a few years ago and yet have a 16 year old daughter? But then my 30th high school reunion is around the corner and my youngest is graduating from 8th grade today.

Each stage of parenting is difficult and complex and feels like the hardest one but parenting teenage daughters is definitely a pinnacle moment for me. As tough and frustrating and rewarding as it is, and as much as I feel that I am failing at my job, I am incredibly grateful they have each other.

They are 22 months apart in age and from the way I carried them in me to today, they are very different kids. Except they are also very similar. One is often compared to my husband, Kelley. One is often compared to me. One is naturally athletic and things come a little easier for her when she works hard at it. One has to work hard at something and still has to fight for it. They were born gestationally on the same day, four and a half weeks early. One ended up in the NICU. One came home with us when we left the hospital. I remember being in the hospital waiting for Sage to be born, holding a picture of Sosie in my hand and feeling so worried that Sosie would feel sad or somehow betrayed that we had introduced someone new to the family. When we were all home, Sosie sat on the stairs with me and said, "Me no want Sage". After months of countless books on introducing a new sibling into the family, here we were. I said, "Sosie. Sage is part of our family now and she loves you very much. In fact, she loves you so much that she got you this present." Cue the gift!!! Sosie ran over to her sister after opening the present and said she loved her. Their story began. This was the first time Sosie saw her sister.

They do love each other. There was the time Sosie decided to sleep in Sage's room for a year. We even bought sheets and a blanket for her to use in there. There was the time Sosie wanted to run away from home and I asked her who I should call to be her new mom and Sage was in the background hysterical crying that her sister might leave her. There were the summers they traveled to PA and DC every summer with my parents for 2 weeks starting at the age of 2 and 3, so they learned to be together and rely on each other. There was the time the girls wore matching necklaces to symbolize their love for each other. Family.

This was a challenging school year. For many reasons. Kelley took on a new role at work. Sosie had two concussions, a health scare, a car accident and learned to adjust to life as a teenage driver and as a 16 year old in this day and age. Sage faced new challenges and learned to sit in the front seat of the car when someone was driving, literally and figuratively. Close friends had moved away and there were adjustments and growth abound. If you looked at both kids, you'd assume Sage had the better year. Her grades are incredibly strong. She had many successes and worked very hard to achieve those successes. She played varsity soccer with her sister and was on the field more often than not. Yes, that created a bit of tension but Sosie's pride for her sister never waned. As hard as it was at times, love overcame. 

I look at their years differently. Sosie faced countless challenges and each one she met them head on. She faltered and sometimes fell but every single time she got back up again. With a smile on her face for the world to see. Even when inside it might have felt differently. With strife there is growth. The journey can be painful but I am so proud of where she is now and will continue to go. Sage struggles differently and puts a ton of pressure on herself and her stress comes out at moments sometimes when you least expect it. But in the end, they are both young women who are figuring out this crazy world. It isn't easy and their paths are different but they have strength and grit and....each other. I remember Kelley and I used to think we were so different when we were dating. It was a sticking point for us. But then, then, a very sage person said to us - you are more alike than you are different. And we realized that she was right. So, even when Sosie and Sage seem like they are different, I see all of their similarities. And I look at the world that way. Yes, people are uniquely different and there are many qualities that make every person special across the world. But remember, we are all human. We are all so similar and have like experiences, even in the smallest of details. It is time to treat each other that way. In the meantime, I am so grateful my girls have each other.

Time to put on Hopeless Wanderer by Mumford and Sons and let's get cooking.

Today I am doing something different. On the pages section of my blog, I have two pages of recipes. Over 80 recipes included. Time to pick your favorite recipe from your life. It can be a childhood meal. It can be one you have make every week. It can be one that takes some time or one that only takes minutes to prepare. Find one. Choose one. And enjoy the process of cooking it. Enjoy the moment, the simple moment.

Have a great day!

Remember all of your senses in those simple moments

Lately I have been thinking about all of the senses that the human body generally has, including hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste. Of course there has always been discussion about the sixth sense or intuition as well. We use these senses in different ways all day long to live our every day lives. Some people have stronger individual senses than others and some don't have a particular sense so rely on others even more so.

How many of you rely on your senses with memory? Which ones? A certain sight might catch you remembering, or hearing a particular song or tasting a meal that touched your soul. For me, I think about a particular sound that comes in the spring/summer, along with the warmth of the sun, that brings me back to my backyard at my childhood home. Smelling the air. Hearing the birds and insects alive in just a certain way can instantly bring me back 40 years in an instant. I remember the way my grandparent's house smelled-a mix of history, life, Armenian food, books, love, safety, home. Sitting 11-20 people in one modest room, the television in the background and books on the shelves witness to multiple conversations about everything from family history to food to love to sports to politics. Boboo would have been 102 yesterday.

Pictures do a lot to bring memories to life. Sometimes photographs become the memory itself as years wear on and small details fade.

I think about technology and the role it plays in our lives now. It has always played a role in life across generations. On this Mother's Day, I think about our lives as children and I think about our childrens' lives. How they have never not known life without a school shooting in the news, or life without a cell phone. While it is difficult for us to identify with what it is like to be a teenager in this day and age, I think about the power of their technology. While it is terrifying, it is also truly amazing. The fact that they have all of these ways to express their creativity and themselves is awesome. They are able to take a picture and design it and post it to share with their community. They are able to share music among their friends in an instant. There are many negatives to the positives of course and I hope they don't forget to experience life and not just document it but then I think about the fact that this is the present and the future. We need to support them and find ways to make sure they utilize their skills and talents in all forms. Making sure that every kid understands what makes them unique, special and important in this crazy world.

Like Sage's picture from art class above, Be yourself. Be kind. Accept others. Forget haters.

Put on Flapper Girl by The Lumineers and let's get cooking!!

This year I ventured into meal services and there are a million of them out there now. Life got a little crazy and I went through a serious rut of figuring out new recipes that the family would enjoy. Having two meals determined for me during the week was just very helpful. We have tried two different services. Hello Fresh and Plated. Hands down I like Plated better in terms of the tastes and the recipes and the kinds of meals are more suited to my liking. I think the quality of the food is also better and as you would imagine, it is a tiny bit more expensive. I will say that my kids probably like Hello Fresh better because I would say the recipes have more comfort food meals included.

That said, I am going to include a link to a meal I made this week from Plated. I really enjoyed it because I love the tastes in this food. Plus it was pretty and colorful. It wasn't as popular with the kids but it was very good.

Moroccan Beef Kefta

The finished product:

Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!!!! 

Practice Aloha

Practice Aloha. This picture is of a bumper sticker and saying all over this cool restaurant in Lahaina, Maui called Honu (sea turtle). Our family had a conversation about what this means over cocktails and mocktails. Aloha means hello. We all immediately gravitated to kindness. Saying hello is kindness. Practicing kindness. Practice saying hello and being kind to everyone. It stuck with me. And it certainly rang true with the culture of Maui.

Kelley and I went to Maui and Kauai for our honeymoon (almost 20 years ago-omg, 20 years-I feel very old!!) and we have been wanting to return ever since. At first, we said we would go back at 5 years and at 5 years, we laughed heartily and moved on. Finally, the stars aligned and we went for our 20th and it didn't occur to us NOT to bring Sosie and Sage as it was on their bucket list of places to go. In fact, we had been talking about it for years. Maui was much busier and there was much more traffic and many more buildings. The airport was a great deal larger. But the soul was the same. The culture was there.

Each family member chose an adventure and we scheduled them. One by one, we took ownership of our family experiences. To return 20 years into our marriage with the biggest gifts of our marriage was incredibly meaningful. I am just so freaking grateful.

Kelley's adventure was for the family to take surfing lessons. I tried to schedule a spa appointment during that time but, no dice, I was out there in the ocean with everyone, facing some fears of my own. The sight of me on the board was one to behold, let me tell you, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Seeing my two girls get up on a surf board without missing a beat and look so natural filled my heart with a pride I can't really express. Sage had a dog on her board for a full run and I so wish I had a picture of it but having that memory is almost better. It also brought back very fond memories of surfing in Maine with Felicia and her kids. Surfing struck a chord with Sage. She immediately wanted to move to Maui, become a local and surf in competitions. Kelley was blown away at how hard it was to surf, even on a tiny wave, and loved when he started to feel more connected and that it clicked for him. Sosie learned that she did better when she just went on instinct and didn't think too hard about what she was doing.

Sage's adventure was to snorkel and snuba with sea turtles. In fact, Sage saw many sea turtles. She was fascinated with them. We saw them at the beach, snorkeling and in many places but funnily enough, NOT when we went snuba. I didn't remember sea turtles being so prolific on Hawaii when we went last time. Sage has always adored turtles and attaches many feelings to her experiences with them. "Mom - Are they happy. There was only one there. Is he lonely or sad. His expression looked unhappy." I looked up what sea turtles represented. The inter-webs said that sea turtles often typify patience, wisdom, endurance and good luck. I can handle that. So what we lacked in turtles during snuba we made up for in whales. We were within 10 feet of a mom and baby whale. Swimming, jumping, breeching. Incredible sights. Sosie told me that I kept saying that we are just visitors here in their home. Pretty amazing to witness nature at work.

Mine was to do a hike and zipline through an organization named Hike Maui. We had done a hike with them on our honeymoon.  A much different organization now but still very fun. I wanted the kids to see things in nature that they couldn't see except to walk to it and something they couldn't see anywhere else but in Hawaii. We did some ziplines and on the drive there saw a part of Maui that was incredibly beautiful. More residential, less touristy and very lush. We hiked to two waterfalls, including one they could jump off from - yes, I said they. I haven't jumped off a bridge or waterfall since the bridge on Martha's Vineyard many years ago. But, Kelley and the kids took multiple leaps of faith and took lots of pictures in the rainforest of Maui. We saw plants and trees that you don't see other places and had a great day.

Sosie's adventure was a helicopter tour and unfortunately it was cancelled twice due to weather. We were all incredibly disappointed but that just made me realize that we are not finished with Hawaii. There is more for us there. We will need to return together. I was so excited for Sosie's adventure because it signified a lot about her - spirit for adventure, willingness to face fear of heights, interest in seeing the bigger picture of the island and to then have access to smaller details and areas that she wouldn't be able to experience otherwise.

There are two other highlights I would like to mention with your permission. We went to a restaurant we used to visit on Martha's Vineyard frequently.  There are a few restaurants in New England and then one on Maui. We went there and ended up eating there 3 times. A bit of comfort, a bit of home in Paia, Maui.

Finally, we were trying all week to get to the volcano, Haleakala. We were concerned that it would be cloudy without a view. One day Sage said, "Let's go. We can sit at the pool any time. We can't visit a volcano every day." So, off we went. Turns out it is the tallest mountain in the world. I know, I know. Everest. BUT, if you count the mountain below sea level, then it is taller. 19,000+ feet below sea level, 10,000 feet+ above sea level. Pretty stunning to think about. And, it was the tallest mountain at 10,000 feet + that the girls had ever been at the top of in their lives. Above the clouds, above the tree line. 

So, some vacations are for pure relaxation. Some are for adventure. Some have meaning because you have never been and it is a bucket list item. Some have meaning because you have been and it is a special place where you breathe just a little better. A place where your shoulders relax and you can take a little more in. A place that speaks to your core a little bit. It opens your world a little. It gives you a little bit of space and allows you expand. 

Time to put on Upside Down by Jack Johnson (Hawaii native) and let's get cooking. 

This meal I made quite awhile ago and wasn't blogging at the time so didn't take pictures during the actual preparation but it was so pretty that I decided to photograph it at the end. Seeing as it was 87 degrees today, I thought it was a perfect day to post it. 

Smitten Kitchen's Beefsteak Skirt Steak Salad (from Smitten Kitchen, Every Day, Deb Perelman)

Vinaigrette

·         1 large or 2 small garlic cloves

·         1 1/2 cups (55 grams) packed coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

·         1/2 cup (20 grams) packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

·         1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil

·         1 tbsp (15 ml) plus 1 tsp (5 ml) white wine vinegar

·         2 tsp (10 grams) smooth Dijon mustard

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         Pinches of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Salad and assembly

·         2 to 3 cups (40 to 60 grams) mixed salad greens (optional)

·         1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) beefsteak tomatoes, in thick half-moon slices

·         1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) thickly crumbled blue cheese

·         1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

·         1 pound (455 grams) skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat if necessary, at room temperature

·         1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

Make the dressing
In a blender or food processor, pulse the garlic, basil, and parsley together until they’re chopped as finely as you can get them. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil, then the vinegar and mustard, scraping down the sides as needed. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. No machine? Mince the garlic and herbs as finely as you can with a knife, transfer them to a bowl, and, whisking the whole time, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and vinegar before seasoning with salt and peppers.

Make the salad

If using salad greens, place them first on a platter. Arrange the tomatoes on top, fanned out and slightly overlapped. Scatter half of the blue cheese and onion over the tomatoes. Pat the steak dry, and season on both sides with 1/2 tsp salt and many grinds of black pepper.

To cook the steak on the stove

Heat your largest, heaviest skillet over medium-high to high heat, and add 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is very hot, place the steak in the skillet, and do not move it for 5 minutes. Turn it once, and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare. If your steak is larger than your biggest skillet, cut it in half and cook it in two pieces.

To cook the steak on a grill

Prepare a hot charcoal or high-heat gas grill for cooking. Lightly oil the grill rack, and grill the steak, turning once, 4 to 6 minutes for medium-rare. If you’re using a gas grill, it’s best to keep the lid on while grilling, to prevent heat loss.

To finish

Transfer the steak to a cutting board, and cover it loosely with foil while it rests for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak on the diagonal, across the grain, and arrange over the tomatoes. Scatter with the remaining blue cheese and onion. Drizzle vinaigrette on top, or serve it on the side.

Enjoy and have a happy day everyone!

Throwback to when I used to write a blog

I have missed writing. I have missed this blog. It is not lost on me that the last time I posted was right after the inauguration in 2017. It doesn't seem as long as that but in some ways it feels like a lifetime. I guess that is how time goes when you get older or maybe it is just in these times. So, over the past week, I started to get the itch. The itch to put pen to paper or in this case, fingers to keyboard. I thought to myself, what would I say? What do I want to talk about to those willing to listen? Then, yesterday a close friend's mom passed away. She is a special friend to me, with a special family and her mom fought the hardest fight until her last breath. That brought me back to community and family and how hard it is to say goodbye. It made me think of courage and strength and resilience and fight. And hope. 

So then I went through my photos on my phone and I just selected ones that seem to hit me at this very moment. Seems like they are fitting my thought processes, except you might not think the spoons work. That picture was taken on a recent trip to Asheville with another family who had moved away. It was a weekend of amazing food, laughter, lightness, friendship, exploration, sunshine (and freezing cold weather). It fits. 

My thoughts turn to my dad. I have written about him here and on Facebook. My dad. My father who is not the person he was and won't be again. It breaks my heart to a million pieces when I think about how my mom has been cheated out of a stage of her life with her husband. It breaks my heart to think about how people will remember him when he passes as he is now, not as man he was. It breaks my heart that he is hard to be around because of various things he does or things he says. It breaks my heart that he is going away, each day a little farther. It breaks my heart that he is a constant concern and worry for my mom and the toll it takes on her.  It breaks my heart that she is so far from me. It breaks my heart that I mourn for my dad yet he is still living and breathing on this earth.

But then, then I think about the man he is now.

Unlike many with his disease, he is mostly happy. He is blissfully unaware of what has been taken from him and those around him. He is extremely childlike. He loves to give compliments - the same compliments to everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) regardless of age, gender, race, size, level of wealth. Think about that. All he wants to do is play solitaire and watch videos on his phone of his grandchildren and wife, or listen to Mozart which will always bring him back to talking about his family. He will go into an old family portrait every day from when he was younger and say hi to everyone in his family, most of which are deceased. His mom. His dad. His brothers. He is all about connection with people and trying to make them smile. For many who encounter him, they may think he is weird or that something is wrong with him or annoying with his constant coughing, but underneath he is just a guy trying to connect with people. Still. When I say I love him, he is visibly moved and surprised and appreciative. He is also amazing at completing art projects at his day care center. So much so that I ask my mom in our daily (sometimes more than once daily) phone calls what he has made that day. He proudly hands them to her at the end of the day and is angry when they can't be brought home because it is being displayed on the wall. The details and focus clear in his work. My dad. Then and now, I love him.

OK, time to put on Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars and let's get cooking.

So, I am really loving making salads again at home and having charcuterie boards. Christmas this year was ALL about the cheese board, starting with my husband's gift which was an oversized wine barrel top. During the holidays many a night were spent with a cocktail, a warm fire and a charcuterie spread. It was downright heavenly.

Salads are more than just lettuce and dressing. You can add olives, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, roasted peppers, chick peas, purple or orange tomatoes, red or sweet onion, cucumbers, etc. Be creative. Look for what will make the bowl pretty. So, while I don't have a specific recipe this post, I urge you to think on a fresh salad and a nice cheese board. Dinner, a different way.

Have a happy day, everyone and enjoy!

Inauguration, Marches and Football, oh my!

It is already mid-January, 2017. Where does the time go? I mean, I feel like the older I get, the faster time flies. Harder to grab onto moments and hold them, even for a few seconds. I saw this on Facebook recently.

I have taken out the words attached and I don't know if this was staged in some way but I felt like this message was so loud and clear. In so many different ways. This is not just a comment on technology for me.

Many eventful moments have and will be taking place this week - MLK, Jr. Day, Inauguration, multiple marches around the nation, and lest I forget, NFL football playoffs. A peaceful transition of power. Peaceful demonstrations. And football (Go Patriots!!).

I know many, many friends and family (men, women and children) who will be participating in the marches around the country this weekend. No matter your political background, the fact that thousands upon thousands are gathering together to show strength, support and unite together is a powerful, amazing thing. At a single point in time, differences and similarities among us all in the nation are celebrated. The Mission and Vision statement from the website on the March in Washington is, "We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country." Take in these precious moments if you are attending and please be safe. I am proud of your courage and strength.

If reading that paragraph has been upsetting in any way, understand that the fact that we live in a country where these peaceful demonstrations can take place in multiple cities on one day is a freedom that I am so grateful to have in this country. A freedom that has been so generously and selfishly fought for and one that makes this country so special. This country is founded in part on differences of opinion and respect for those differences. Similarities make us comfortable, differences are what makes us unique. Respect and kindness are what bind us. Something we all need to remember.

Put on Ophelia by The Lumineers and get cooking! You might also listen to some patriotic songs - This Land is Your Land, The Star Spangled Banner, etc......A good week for that. I eat an extraordinary amount of cauliflower. For some reason I really love it. So when I saw this recipe, I leaped to make it.

Greek Chicken Stew With Cauliflower and Olives, Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large red onion, chopped (I used half)
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
6-8 chicken legs and/or thighs, skinned
2T red wine vinegar
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice, pulsed in a food processor (I did not pulse in a processor)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme, or 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 small or 1/2 large cauliflower, cored, broken into florets, and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
12 kalamata olives (about 45 grams) rinsed, pitted and cut in half (optional)
1 to 2T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 to 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional) (I used more)

Heat 1T of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep, heavy lidded skillet or casserole and brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes, on each side. Remove the pieces to a plate or bowl as they are browned. Pour off the fat from the pan.  Add the vinegar to the pan and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.

 Add the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan, and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover, and let the onion cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it is lightly browned and very soft.

 Add the garlic and stir together for a minute or two more, until the garlic is fragrant, then add the tomatoes and their juice, the cinnamon, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is reduced slightly and fragrant.

 Return the chicken pieces to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. If necessary, add enough water to barely cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and kalamata olives and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken is about falling off the bone (I used boneless). Stir in the parsley, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with grains, with the feta sprinkled on top of desired. I did it a little differently at the end as you will see below.

Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!

Escape to TV Land: The Walking Dead, Orphan Black, The Americans, etc.....

Escape. Escape. Escape. This election has been so distressing to me. I mean, I don't think I have been this upset during an election year in my lifetime. I feel as though the country is in a very scary place and depending on who is elected president, it could get much, much worse.

Read the sentence I just wrote again. I feel as though the country is in a very scary place and depending on who is elected president, it could get much, much worse.

The thing is that most Americans might agree with that statement, but incredibly are voting for extremely different candidates. It will take a very long time to recover from this election, as a country. We are fractured.

So, aside from taking part in the solution or doing something responsible about where we are at, what do we do? What do I do? I escape, of course!!! Everyone has escapes, some more healthy than others - yoga, running, biking, cooking, drinking. My husband is an athlete - he runs, bikes and swims primarily. That is his stress reducer, his escape. He has been taking some pictures during his outings. They are so beautiful.

Personally, I like to do many things to escape. To take my mind off of the stressors that get me all wound up. I do love to walk most days. The one I probably miss the very most is yoga. I miss my studio in Needham (HYP) more than words can express. I  also love to read when I can shut my mind off long enough to get involved in the book I am reading. I love to cook but that should be obvious to those reading this blog by now. I wouldn't say I am a great cook, but I love to cook, to create, and of course, to eat. Things that force me to be in the moment. Right? So, in a way it isn't really escaping as much as it is not worrying about the past or the future, or even the current state of where the country is. It is being in the moment, in the now, which is almost different than the present in a way. The present has all the baggage with it. The now is just being.

Well, lately, TV has been my favorite escape. Yes, I know. It is sedentary. It is all sorts of things that aren't exercise or active. When radio was invented, people sat around and listened to stories on it. They were able to visualize and imagine what was happening. Then, television was invented and while you couldn't use your imagination as much, it still managed to bring people together. I have such vivid memories of living in Washington, D.C. after graduating from Colgate. There would be like 10-20 of us gathered around a television to watch everything from presidential debates to the cliffhanger on Melrose Place! We were able to share an experience together as a group.

It is fun and exciting to get so caught up in a story, and yes, binge watch all sorts of shows and talk about them!!! The Walking Dead, Bloodline, House of Cards, American Crime, The Americans, Stranger Things, Orphan Black, Broadchurch, Marcella, The Fall, Marseille, The Killing, This is Us. These are my recent favorites. A good escape, at least for 43 minutes, or a couple of hours!!!

Put on Flowers in Your Hair by The Lumineers and get cooking.

This is a very easy and very good recipe. Perfect for a weeknight. I will definitely be making it again and my children, especially Sage loved it.

Roasted Chicken With Potatoes, Arugula and Garlic Yogurt, Melissa Clark, New York Times
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 1/4 lbs small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more as needed (I used less)
1/2 tsp black pepper, more as needed
2 T harissa (or use another thick hot sauce, such as sriracha) (I used less)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp lemon zest (from 1/2 lemon)
1/3 cup plain yogurt (recipe says not to use Greek yogurt but I did- it was fine)
1 small garlic clove
2 oz baby arugula
Chopped fresh dill, as needed
Lemon juice, as needed

Combine chicken and potatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together harissa, cumin, and 3 T oil. Pour over chicken and potatoes and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine leeks, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and the remaining 1 1/2 T oil.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange chicken and potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 15 minutes. Toss potatoes lightly. Scatter leeks over pan. Roast until chicken and potatoes are cooked through and everything is golden and slightly crisped, 25-30 minutes longer.

While chicken cooks, place yogurt in a small bowl. Grate garlic over yogurt and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon yogurt over chicken and vegetables in the pan. Scatter arugula and dill over mixture. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice and serve.

Yum! Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!

Kindness Matters

Kindness Matters
Kindness Matters

Maybe it is because it is an election year and this is such a bizarre election, at best.
Maybe it is because people are feeling overwhelmed with fall, holidays, school, work.
Maybe it is a bit of both and much more.

I find myself scouring the news and social media looking for feel good stories. Ones where people are kind to one another. Ones where people put themselves second to others. I am even yearning for cute animal videos. I need to find the good.

In a nation where there is so much division and outspoken hatred at the moment, take some time to be extra nice to someone today. Buy the person behind you a cup of tea. Look at people you pass by in the eyes and say hello. Smile at them.

An older woman ahead of me in the store a couple of weeks ago bought her groceries and loaded her car. She came back in because she had forgotten to purchase a cup of coffee. She stood in line behind me as the clerk was checking me out. I felt badly that she would have to wait so I told her I would buy her coffee for her. She was taken aback. She thanked me twice or three times.

The little things count. They add up.

Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world; indeed, its the only thing that ever does." This is not just about politics in my mind. This is about being a good human being and citizen of the world. I have this hanging in my kitchen as a reminder.

It is important to look for and appreciate differences and similarities in this world. In people. In life. In everything. I find that differences in life make it special. Similarities make it comfortable. Respect both.

Take a step back in order to take a step forward.

Mary Silveria graciously allowed me to post a couple of her autumn pictures. They do add a smile to my face. Thank you, Mary!!

Put on Reflections by MisterWives and get cooking!

I could have sworn that I had blogged this recipe. It is one of my favorites to cook, especially in the fall and winter and it makes your house smell soooo good. I would say this is more of a weekend meal, but certainly could be cooked on a Sunday and eaten on a Monday. It tastes so much better the next day. It comes from one of my favorite restaurants in Needham called Sweet Basil.

Chicken Cacciatore, Sweet Basil, Needham, MA
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper, to taste
2T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped (I use 3)
2 medium onions, chopped (I use much less)
3 stalks celery, chopped
10 mushrooms, quartered
1 cup chopped bottled roasted red peppers
2 cups chicken stock
1 3/4 cup port
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 can (28 ounces) imported whole tomatoes, crushed in a bowl
1 bay leaf (I use 2)
1 lb farfalle (bowtie) pasta, cooked until tender and drained
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese (yes, I use MUCH more)
2T chopped fresh basil (I use more)

Set the oven at 400 degrees. In a large ovenproof dish, arrange the thighs in one layer, skinned side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Cook the garlic, carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, and roasted red peppers over medium heat, stirring often for 20 minutes.

Add the stock, port, balsamic vinegar, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaf to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Pour this over the chicken thighs, cover with foil, and return the dish to the oven.

Cook the cacciatore for 1 1/2 hours. Toss the pasta and cacciatore and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Yum!! Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!!!