Silver Linings

This past month has not been what I had hoped for, no, not even close. I had plans you see, plans of baking and crafting and all of the fun things that come with the holidays. I was completely unprepared for the rough onslaught of influenza we went through. Three boys. Each week a new boy would get sick. It was a low grade fever, severe sore throat, and lingering body aches kind of flu that made my boys need their mamma more than ever. Slowly they all recovered. I thought I wouldn't get it since it had been three weeks since I had first been exposed. Then, four days before Christmas, I succumbed to it. Christmas is a blur for me. I remember those days, propped up on the sofa, wishing I could swallow. We had planned to visit my folks up in Oregon. But we couldn't bring this sickness their way. So we stayed at home in Reno. I felt all kinds of mommy guilt for not making my family a nice Christmas dinner. They did eat, but what it was- I really have no idea.

So in light of this recent illness, I am really grateful now that I am recovering! I can swallow. I can breathe without difficulty at night. I don't have aches and pains. And I can swallow, which I know doesn't really sound like a big deal- but there it is, I feel grateful!
Sigh.

If I have a new year's resolution, it is to not take my (ordinarily) good health for granted, and to strive this year to become more healthy.
I guess in a way, this could sum up my Christmas:



Our dog Delta was underwhelmed with becoming a reindeer, and the little elf? Well, he couldn't accept the white stuff, it was intolerable. Those two must have thought I had lost my marbles, because neither of them was feeling the sweet joy of a toddlers' first steps in the snow being captured for all eternity by his hopeful mamma who was trying to take a nice holiday photo to send to the grandparents. They weren't feeling the joy, nope. Not at all.

But I still like the photo! I think it is kind of funny that my baby is so offended by snow. Before bringing him outside for his first steps in the snow he had been watching the fat soft flakes descending with great curiosity. And our dog? The look on her face just makes me want to kiss her nose. Silly girl, she is still adorable even if she was momentarily a reindeer.

But just so you know I am really back to being myself, let me show you the silver lining. Because there is always a silver lining to dark storm clouds, aren't there? As taught to me by my youngest wild thing of two years: snow may not be tolerable, but Christmas lights are magical!



So for those of you who sent us Christmas and New Year greetings, thank you! Although not reciprocated in a timely fashion, they were very appreciated. I wish each and every one of my readers, old friends and new, that this new year will make all your dreams come true!

A Recipe for Fun!

My friend Amy and I have known each other since before our children were born. Our eldest children used to have playdates while they were still in diapers. Although we had managed to visit each other through the years none of our kids had seen each other for more than 7 years. But on Saturday Amy and her wild things came to our house.
My middle son M cleaned out a pumpkin early that morning and roasted the pieces in the oven.



When our friends came over that afternoon the house had an interesting aroma of roasted pumpkin and pizza! We all ate some pizza and the teen girls started playing with L.
At first he was shy! But soon he realized that playing with two teen girls wasn't so bad, and he could be the center of attention.



We soon headed to a park very near our house where the shenannigans began.



Some of them thought they were mountain goats.



"Come on girl, you can make it!"



There was some posing.



...and more posing.



And in the end, it was the biggest and coolest wild things that remained on the top of the mountain.



This one was a whirlwind, but I caught him in a moment of calm.



Aren't they cute when they are nine years old? I wanted to pinch his cheeks and tell him how adorable he is, but I restrained myself, (lucky for him).

And my little L? Well of course he had new adventures on his horizon. Like figuring out how to actually get ON the skateboard.



Then it was time to say bye bye to the park.



And I commenced with the cooking bootcamp! Well why not? I love getting kids in the kitchen with me, and everyone enjoyed a turn. We took the pumpkin that M had roasted and scooped out the pulp away from the peel, and then pureed it. To that we added a few eggs, some ricotta cheese, nutmeg, salt and parmesan to make a filling for tortellini. We made the pasta ...









These girls said they felt like an Italian grandma!





And everyone got the chance to fill and shape by hand the tortellini.



We boiled our tortellini which by the way wanted to stay stuck together all in one lump. Luckily for us the water separated the tortellini and it turned out nicely. We served it very simply, with butter and fresh sage and a sprinkle of parmesan for those who wanted it.

The next morning, we made homemade crepes, filled with Nutella, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries, and as much whipped cream as anyone wanted...

Little L said it was very good!

Chocolate Encrusted Toes (No, Really)!

My youngest wild thing doesn't really like sweet things, at least anything sweeter than natural fruit. At least that's what I have always thought. Imagine my surprise then when I walked into the dining room and saw this!



Apparently, if you hunt sweet things down all by yourself, open the box, and open the individual packet- then sweet things taste great!

Also? If you then take your toes and dip them in the powdered chocolate, then lick them, and repeat- it tastes even better!



This is my reality. Help?

Have a beautiful week end my friends!

love,
Amber

Friday Photo - At Play

Several years ago my eldest two used to do this. They played! Now they still play but it is different, not spontaneous playing with knights and dragons and each other, but games on the computer or x box. So, all you mammas out there who have children, snap pictures of them playing. The time slips away faster than anyone can imagine.



Look at his face! He is lit up from inside with imagination! I already miss this.

How to Make a Frittata!

I love frittate (plural of frittata) and do you want to know why? They are endlessly adaptable and are simple to make. Best of all they are nutritious and taste great! What I have here for you today is less of a recipe and more of a suggestion.

But first, let's go back to the basics.

What is a frittata?
The frittata is an Italian dish, similar in composition to an omelet. Unlike an omelet, however, the veggies etc. are stirred into the egg mixture and fried on both sides (not hiding in the middle of an omelet).

What goes into a frittata?
This is where it gets good my friends! I will stop short of saying "anything can go into a frittata," but it is almost that adaptable. Pasta dressed or undressed, meats, poultry, vegetables, herbs and spices, cheese- all of these in an un-ending combination can go into a frittata. You can have a simple and elegant three ingredient frittata or you can have a complex mixture- whatever strikes your fancy.

How do you cook a frittata?
I am super attached to my old cast iron skillet that due to constant use through many years has become super smooth and almost non-stick like, but most people will want to use a non-stick skillet. My old skillet is heavy, and sliding out the frittata can sometimes be a challenge. But I digress.
1. Add olive oil to your skillet and then add any raw meat or veggies you want in your frittata and saute them until done, adding any herbs and spices you like.
2. Whisk eggs, more eggs for a thicker frittata, and less for a thinner frittata, and add any cheese to the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the meat and veggies and add anything else at this time- like pasta.
3. Go ahead and mix everything up. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until you notice the mixture is becoming firm. When you slip in a spatula along the sides of the pan, your frittata should begin to look golden brown.
4. Once it is done enough (and with practice you will soon know) slip out the frittata, cooked side down, onto a pizza pan. Many people suggest using a plate, but sometimes that just isn't big enough, depending upon the size of the skillet you are using. The semi cooked frittata is now on the pizza pan, and at this point you place your skillet upside down over the frittata.
5. Everything is hot folks, so place an oven-mitted hand under the pizza pan and an oven mitted hand over the top of the skillet and flip! Now the uncooked side of the frittata is in the skillet, and the golden brown side is on top.
6. Finish cooking until eggs are completely set and underside is nicely golden. That is how you cook a frittata!

Although in the interest of a full confession, I must tell you that sometimes with a super thick frittata, I have cooked it on the stovetop on one side and finished up by placing the whole thing under the broiler for a few minutes. But when you do that you are moving from a frittata and kind of going in the direction of a Spanish Tortilla, and isn't that a little confusing?



Some suggestions for tasty combinations of ingredients:

~black olives, smoked salmon and cream cheese~

~bacon, potatoes, spinach, and green onion~

~onion, cauliflower and cheese~

~leeks, gorgonzola and bacon~

~sundried tomatoes, olives, capers and garlic~


Buon appetito!

Do you have any favorite combinations you love in a frittata? Please share your ideas!

Oh and one last suggestion. Make it cheesey! Who doesn't like cheese!

love,
Amber

Friday Photo - Toga Toddler

We really should give up and make him a toga to wear, since he does this with all his clothes. Although this photo is actually several months old, this little wild thing is doing the same thing right now, left arm free of clothing while eating a snack. I can't figure it out, I will put his left arm back in the sleeve many many times a day. But the next time I see him, his left arm will be free again. Never his right arm. Why do kids do these things? I hope he will stay more dressed soon since winter is creeping up on us.

If he grows up to be a fashion designer, you already know what his special look will be!

Insalata con Melagrana - Pomegranate Salad

Detail from Madonna of the Pomegranate, by Sandro Botticelli ca. 1487 (Uffizi Gallery, Florence Italy)

Yes, that's me alright, just give me the chance to slip in an image by a famous Italian artist of a chubby beautiful baby! I'm not one to let that opportunity pass me by.

Are pomegranates lining the bins at your supermarket? They are in the stores near me! After trying this simple and scrumptious salad, I plan to have it again at least once a week while the pomegranates are in season.



All you need are:
Salad greens
one pomegranate
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt
1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans

Wash salad greens. Plate four salads, divide the arils (seed casings) of the pomegranate among the salads, add coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts to the salads and garnish with a drizzle each of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt to taste. Serves 4.

Buon appetito!

Today is my day!

Yes, I am another year older, and I say "Keep 'em coming!"

Who cares about getting older, right? Birthdays are the perfect way to celebrate all the things we have to be grateful for.

I am grateful for my kids, mio marito, my family and friends.

And I am grateful for little things too, like "pocket coffee," one of the little treats Massimo brought back to me from his recent trip Italy. He is so sweet like that! What a perfect way to start the day.

Sette Colori- Seven Colors

Ready for a song in Italian? My sweet husband is a man of many many talents. This song was written by his boy scout group in Italy, and he composed the music. Of course he never told me of this song, and it was only by chance that I heard it, and only because a friend of his asked him to record it. So after I heard it and saw how much our littlest wild thing enjoyed the song, I fed Massimo lunch and then grabbed the video recorder, and told him he was singing for his supper.

In English it goes something like this:

Seven are the colors of the rainbow

when the sky becomes calm

the sun plays and makes one (color of all the colors of the rainbow)

yellow is the color of the sun

and of the first star that shines

and indigo is the color of our sky

that at night fills itself with stars

red is the color of fire

that warms us and gives us life

green is the color of fields, of hope

and of the ray of the first star

orange is the color of the sunset

when our day ends

purple is the color of violets

that bloom in our fields

blue is the color of rivers

of our seas and of our uniforms

and now we end with the rainbow

that shines calmly in the sky.

Foreskin Dilemma

To be or not to be- circumcised, that is.

I have given birth to three babies, all boys. So I have made this choice three times already. Circumcision seems like it should be such a small matter, but I now realize it has the capacity to divide people. Strong feelings emerge whenever the subject comes up. With that being said, my purpose in sharing this is not to stir up a controversy, but simply to share a little of what my family has been going through in these past few weeks that I have abandoned my blog, which I still like, but as you see, my energy has been elsewhere!

I would never think to criticize another for their choice about circumcision, even if they chose the opposite of me. What I don't like is when a doctor, for his cultural reasons, tries to impose his choice upon me.

Three times after my babies were born I chose not to circumcise. The reasons were varied- such as believing that they were already perfect, so why change anything surgically and not wanting them to suffer any pain, and finally because my faith doesn't require it.

Last May our youngest son got a sudden infection of his penis. My husband and I had no previous experience with anything like that, and we took our baby to the local Emergency Room. The physician who saw us immediately told us our son would have to be circumcised, but he brought in a specialist, an urologist to consult. The urologist told us a circumcision definitely wasn't necessary or even helpful. Antibiotics were prescribed, and our son quickly recovered. We were happy to keep our son intact and quickly tried to put the experience behind us.

But, nearly three weeks ago our youngest got another infection. We quickly brought him to the pediatrician. Oh it has been such a learning experience! Our pediatrician told us that our son had "Phimosis" and should be circumcised. Not knowing what phimosis was, we started considering circumcision because of course we want what is best for our son, and we realize the doctors are experts, not us. So we made an appointment to see a specialist in October, an urologist who can do the surgery if necessary.

Meanwhile our son quickly recovered again with antibiotics. My husband and I started looking for answers to questions such as "What is phimosis, and why must you circumcise because of it?"
We have learned that phimosis simply means a foreskin doesn't retract.

In a Statement from the British Association of Paediatric Urologists on behalf of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons and the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists, they have this to say about the foreskin: "The Natural History of the Foreskin: There is developmental variability in the appearance of the normal foreskin throughout childhood and puberty. The inner foreskin is attached to the glans. Foreskin adhesions break down and form smegma pearls- white cysts under the foreskin which are then extruded. The foreskin does not retract before the age of 2 years. (This was interesting to us because our youngest is still under the age of two years.) The process of retractility is spontaneous and does not require manipulation. The majority of boys will have a retractile foreskin by 10 years of age, and 95% by 16- 17 years of age."

At our next well baby visit a week later with our pediatrician, I told him what my husband and I had learned about phimosis. He then told us our son had phimosis- with balanitis. He also said that normally he allows parents to make the choice about circumcision, but he wouldn't in our case as he felt that circumcision was the only course of action. This led me to wonder what he would do if we told him we would not consent to have our son circumcised, but I said nothing, and wrote down the new word, balanitis, to be able to learn more about later.

I went back to the statement from the British Association of Paediatric Urologists etc. and this is what is says about Balanitis: "Balanitis refers to inflammation of the glans that often spreads along the shaft and may occur in the circumcised population. Treatment: Simple bathing, topical steroids, and antibiotics."

Hmmm. It seems our pediatrician wants us to circumcise our son to manage his phimosis which at his age is completely normal, and he wants to circumcise because of the balanitis which is the inflammation caused by the infection that was in our sons' case, cured by the antibiotics. If this balanitis also occurs in circumcised people, then I wonder, how does circumcising our son help him?

It is hard, because we have to wait for our appointment in October to speak with an urologist. My husband is horrified by our pediatrician's insistence upon circumcision for our son when the reasons he gives aren't valid. My husband has told me many times that this type of infection must be managed very differently in Italy, because there circumcision is rare.

I contacted "Doctors Opposing Circumcision" and they have been a terrific source of information, and support. They are trying to help us find a "foreskin friendly" doctor here in Reno, and they have helped clear up a lot of the questions my husband and I have had. One of the physicians that has so kindly taken the time to correspond with me has told me "the diagnosis of phimosis in a patient of your son's age is NOT tenable since his foreskin has not retracted. Phimosis is a non-diagnosis in this case." Their lawyer has also written to us letting us know that "balanitis is only cause for a change in hygiene or a need for antibiotics, same as for a female". He also said "recurrent penile infections, just like colds and sniffles, are common in boys, intact or not. In the old days people paid so little attention these passed (cured themselves and ran their course) before they were noticed." He also advised "Stand your ground, Do Not sign any surgical consents at all." and he wanted us to know that he would be happy to defend us and our son's rights if it should become necessary.

We are still trying to find a new pediatrician that would treat any future infections our son may get, conservatively. Of course it can't happen quickly enough for me, and I find myself impatient. I wish I knew how one of my sons got these two infections when the other two boys (also uncircumcised) have never had anything like it.

How quickly I fell, from being a very confident mom, full of the wisdom 14 years of parenting have given to me, to feeling completely overwhelmed and grasping for answers. Parenting certainly isn't for the faint hearted.