Catching Crabs....

The kids and I have been in Amelia for the last ten days... 

It sounded good on paper....

Three idyllic weeks in Florida... 

Letting the kids play in the pool, make sand castles on the beach, 

forget about schedules, camps 

and baseball games and just be kids for awhile...

 

And it's been mostly that...

Well, not counting the time outs, whining 

and Kate nearly losing her front teeth 

on the granite countertop today....

You can thank Jack for that one... 

Friends with kids close to the same age 

as Jack and Kate spent last week with us...

Let's face it... 

You gotta have buddies to keep the kids from killing each other...  

And it worked... 

They went nuts in the pool...  

They performed shows for us of great gymnastic feats... 

Posed with giant shrimp....

Hung out with pirates...

Ate liked starved dogs... 

And wore themselves out everyday...

We moms enjoyed conversations 

that lasted three minutes at a time versus thirty seconds... 

We drank a few glasses of wine.... 

Okay a lot ...  

Life was good....  

Now that the kids and I are on our own for a week or so, I am panicking... 

Without friends for distraction, I needed to find things 

for my darling children to do instead of devising ways to:

A. irritate each other...  

B. irritate me.... 

or C. destroy the planet...  

Luckily The Plantation has plenty of activities to amuse kids...  

The Nature Center offers kayak trips, beach digs for clams and shark teeth, fishing, turtle feeding and hiking.  There are tennis lessons, golf lessons, Segway tours and bike rentals. 

At the Beach Club pool, there are daily things to do, 

such as crafts, balloon busting contests, water relays, dive in movies, 

smore's roasts on the beach and volleyball games.  

We hit the clay courts this morning....  

The pro has a blank slate with Kate, but she listened and tried her best... 

Jack's swing looks good... 

and he actually enjoyed it after resisting 

and complaining that tennis is not intense enough...  

Little does he realize being his mom 

is a high intensity, high impact sport as it is....   

Next on the fun list was the "Crab Grab"...  

We golf carted to Walker's Landing 

and met Jessica from the Nature Center to fish for some crab...  

The floating dock faced a marsh 

and the intercoastal waterway... 

Jessica baited two crab traps 

and two sets of string and weights with chicken necks...

Apparently crabs eat mor chikin...haha! 

The kids dropped the bait off the dock and anxiously waited. 

They wanted to check the lines every three seconds...

Crabs take their time to nibble, I guess...

In the meantime, the kids caught miniature shrimps 

and tiny crabs that hung out on the dock posts...  

Easily caught, they provided instant gratification... 

Within minutes, Kate caught a good sized blue crab in her crab trap... 

They are feisty little buggers, but such an exciting catch... 

Luckily, Jack caught his own crab in his trap soon after.. 

God forbid this crabbing competition not be even... 

I would certainly not hear the end of it should be bounty be uneven....

Jessica then released the cranky crabs onto the dock 

and they scuttled into the brackish water, pronto.  

After the crab adventure, the kids pooled it 

and later watched a scratched version of Alvin and the Chipmunks 

at the Dive In Movie...  

At one point the blow up screen collapsed 

after they monkeyed with the bad disc for about twenty minutes...  

They must have used the dvd's from our car.....  

Overall, today I wore the little buggers out

and I even got to enjoy a cool and swirly beverage... 

Tomorrow will be a session at the beach 

to dig for clams and search for shark's teeth, 

followed by more pool time... 

Amazingly, the kids are tired of the beach and pool...

If any of you, preferably with kids, would like to join us next week, 

COME ON DOWN!  

I could use a wingman!

21 days

 

You may or may have not noticed 

that I have not posted much about food lately... 

No recipes or odes to raspberries in season...  

Well, it was because I put myself through a cleanse; 

The Clean Program, to be exact.  

Perhaps you heard of it, made famous by Gwyneth Paltrow 

and Martha Stewart...  

For several years, I have wanted to do the Cleanse, 

but did not have the three hundred odd something dollars for the kit...  

Of course, my husband, encouraging as he is at times, 

told me to just stop eating...  

I considered practicing my backhand with a cast iron pan, 

his head the ball, but I refrained and rolled my eyes... 

If only abstinence from food was that easy...  

Some people eat to live (Tom) 

and some people live to eat (me).  

I'm a low level foodie....

love to cook...

clip out recipes...

watch Top Chef and The Next Food Network Star... 

and, most of all...EAT!  

So to put myself through sure, sheer torture, 

to say no to that which gives me comfort 

and a hobby, notwithstanding regaining my pre Kate body, 

was a withering thought... 

Finally, when I realized I was at the water's edge of the next size up in shorts, 

I'd hit bottom, so to speak...  

I was ready to forego all that is tasty for a loss of flab...  

I was ready to embark on The Clean Program... 

All those Clean folks say that the cleanse is NOT about weight loss...

that it's about detoxing one's body of all that processed crap, 

and they are right... 

But dang, if I didn't shed some lbs after all this effort, 

I'd be one ticked off Clean gal!  

There are two ways to skin The Clean cat; 

buy the expensive kit and have the shakes and supplements all laid out for you 

or buy the book and do it all yourself...  

I bought the book...   

It's 21 days of homemade shake for breakfast, lunch and shake for dinner...  

Shakes consist of fresh fruits and veggies with approved sweeteners 

like agave and fillers like almonds 

and flax to give it oomph...    

Lunch is chicken or fish with approved veggies, 

brown rice, millet or quinoa...  

The approved/not approved foods are part of the "Elimination Diet", 

which in essence is a list of foods that you can't eat, 

like bananas, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, 

any and all sugar, carbs and meats... 

Everything that's left is what you can eat....

blech...  

It's a sobering page of food rules... 

So I pulled out the blender

and hit the store for all the foods 

I could have and looked for some support...  

Luckily, a good FB friend just completed The Cleanse, 

so she was hugely motivating...  

She lost nine pounds and looks fantastic..  

Also, one of my BFF's agreed to go on the Clean journey with me, 

so I had a buddy to help me through. 

The Clean Program also has a great support forum 

on the website.  Those folks cheer you on!

The first few days were like prison...  

I felt trapped in this goal, with a long road ahead...  

The smoothies were okay,

but the lunches were so spartan...  

Then I started to get into a groove 

and just accepted the deal and kept trucking along...  

There were weak moments, 

like when the kids had salty, fresh McDonald's fries in the car, 

or when Tom poured a chilly glass of Pinot Grigio for himself,

but I held strong...  

I made it until the end of Day 19, 

when we were invited to dinner at a friend's for the first time...  

How could I tell them I wasn't eating or drinking anything?  

I caved and that Lou Malnati's thin crust pizza 

and wine tasted SOOO GOOD! 

Today is day 22 and I learned the following:  

If you put your mind to it, you can do it....  

A buddy helps ALOT...  

Even though I am headed to vacation in FL this week, 

I won't be having any pina coladas.  

I am so sick of pineapple smoothies I might upchuck if I see one....  

Hummus crusted on chicken or anything else downright sucks....  

Fitting into dresses that are 8 years old feels REALLY GOOD!...  

I have more confidence in myself 

and I guess that is better than a stick of butter....  

I plan to keep making the smoothies and watching the portions.... 

Next Cleanse will be January 2012....  

So Sunday would have been the last day of The Clean Program, 

but since I ended it on Friday, 

I cooked for Tom on Sunday... 

He had been eating like a rat, 

searching trashcans, 

while I was on the program, 

so I made him steak, fresh green beans, roasted potatoes 

and tomato salad ala Paula Deen...  

 

Here is her tasty recipe.....

Yield:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 to 3 green onions, chopped
• 4 to 6 large tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl. Whisk well. Place tomatoes in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over. Marinate at room temperature for up to 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

Nine

It was weather like this when Jack decided to enter the world,

three weeks early... 

Bags of frozen peas and buckets of ice water

were the only remedies to my immense cankles. 

Tom was test driving an armored car that day

 and was so excited to drive me to the hospital in it...

Too bad it was midnight

and he did not have to drive on the shoulder

or flash the lights...

 

After nineteen hours of fun, he arrived, 

all 7 1/2 pounds of John Fitzgerald Herlihy,

and he changed our world forever... 

And he still is.... 

Nine years today...

It feels like three years,

although some days it feels much longer... 

I should have known he would be my wild one... 

Jack crawled like a soldier crossing a minefield,

dragging one leg... 

And when I held him,

all he wanted to do was bounce... 

He tested the durability of his exer-saucer

and he tested our nerves with his joyful screams... 

He is like a border collie who needs to be exhausted

by the end of the day...

He eats every 23 minutes...

does your child do that?

He lives to drive his sister (and me) nuts...

does your kid do that?

He gives hugs so spontaneously

and will still hold my hand (if no one is looking)...

He gets excited about pasta and Ragu  (awesome)

My sweet, intelligent, crazy child is

athletic,

nerdy,

stubborn,

silly,

sensitive,

spendthrifty

music lovin'

and all I could have hoped for... 

Happy Birthday, Lovey....

Zoolander....

  

It's about the money....  

The boy wants to make some bank, like his sister does...  

It's tough for kids to make money, 

what with those darned child labor laws and all...  

No more paper routes and few lawns to mow...  

When I was a kid, I picked buckets of black raspberries from our ravine, 

braving heat, terrain, mosquitos and daddy long legs...  

The corner grocery would pay me $2.00 

per pint for those juicy berries...  

Hard work, but cashola in the pocket... 

Jack has no idea how much Kate makes 

when she has a gig,

(it's not really that much),

but he wants in on the game... 

So, we had a little photo session the other day at North Avenue Beach 

to get a head shot or two 

to submit to the local agencies...  

Who knows if Surfer Boy will be of interest, 

but I sure think he is cute... 

Last week he got into some serious trouble with Mom and Dad 

and had to forfeit camp to mop, sweep and tote garbage 

for a whole day at HEAT Armor...

Lesson was learned, 

but maybe he would work at the factory 

for a little money now and then... 

And there is a good sized lawn to mow there...  

A little work is good for the eight year old soul... 

Cash buys Legos, after all....

In an Instant

In a second flat your world can change...  

We all have heard that and believe it, 

but we don't really absorb it until it happens to you... 

This summer, after I pick up Jack from sailing camp, 

we head up beautiful Lake Shore Drive and exit Wilson Avenue, 

west, to pick up Kate at her park district camp.  

Wilson cuts through a dicey neighborhood 

for about five blocks, but it's the quickest route.  

It was a peaceful ride....

Jack had fun sailing on a picture perfect summer day...

I was making back to school lists in my head 

as we sat at an intersection... 

Much to my husband's security-minded dismay, 

I did not notice the throngs of youths hanging out in the area... 

That was, until four gunshots rang out...  

Time slowed to a snail's pace...  

I looked to my left 

and saw about 20 kids running around the corner...

Then I heard shouts from about another 8 kids, 

diagonally across the intersection...

I thought about Jack, about our vulnerability 

and in that instant the light turned green....  

Tom was in my brain, 

shouting for me to hit the gas 

and I did....  

I didn't start shaking 

until I got out of the car and hugged Kate... 

I called Tom and he contacted the officer 

who patrols the area...  

She said there were conflicting reports 

of whether the shooter was in a car or on a bike...  

Good news is that no one was shot... 

Bad things happen anywhere...  

My eight year old baby was in that car with me 

and I am so grateful he is okay... 

I am still a little verklempt 

and at a loss for words...  

What I do know is that I will be driving a longer, 

statistically safer route from now on..... 

Hold your loved ones close....

Yard Man Returneth....

 

There is the old saying,  "A man's home is his castle..."  

Well, Tommy's castle is more like a double-wide, 

when you look at the exterior... 

The basement project, 

aka "Endless Disaster" 

transformed our lush surroundings to concrete, 

debris, weeds and mud for nearly three years...  

Although the project is still not totally completed...

don't ask...  

I'd finally had it with the despair 

I felt every time I looked out the window... 

We saved up a little cash 

 and I hit the Home Depot for some shrubs.  

They were half off!  

Then I got a little crazy and asked a local nursery 

to give me an estimate for sod 

and landscaping for the front/back of the house...

  

Trust me, their ideas were lovely, but the estimate came to, 

brace yourself....

$4,000.00 to sod approximately 

300 square feet and throw in a few bushes and a tree...  

That number was about, oh... 

$3500.00 MORE than I had budgeted for the deal... 

Call me naive, but I needed to figure this out a cheaper way... 

Well the answer is obvious....

Do it yourself!  

So, Tom and I took deep breaths, 

psyched ourselves up 

and scheduled the delivery of sod, soil conditioner, 

compost and two bushes... 

We rented a roto-tiller and bought an extra shovel...  

Now we understand why those landscaping guys 

are so strong and wiry...  

Scraping away two inches of weeds that are overgrown, 

 with wet soil is HARD work... 

Plus it rained buckets the night before, 

so the stuff was super heavy... 

We roto-tilled, 

scraped, 

raked, 

bagged, 

hauled, 

leveled, 

planted 

and then placed the grass in neat, herringbone patterns...  

We looked like mile 22 of the Muddy Iron Man competition 

and we felt like $2.00 

when we were finished about 5 hours later...

 

Despite the pain, heat, sweat and suffering, 

it was so worth it... 

We love the results 

and now my Yard Man is back...

Before the "Endless Disaster", 

we had a lovely yard in the front and back...  

Tom lovingly mowed the grass 

(it took about 7 minutes) 

in perfect lines...

  

He meticulously hand picked weeds 

from his and the neighbor's yards...

We sat on the front porch at dusk, 

wine in hand 

and enjoyed our little piece of heaven... 

Now, with our own sweat equity, it is back... 

Tom's castle 

(outdoors, anyway) 

has returned and we will enjoy the rest of the summer 

with a yard that no longer is redneck paradise...  

Now if only we can fix the rotting steps out front.......

And paint the shingles...

And.........

Steve Stunning...

In the day, his nickname was "Steve Stunning"...

Not too hard to imagine why...  

My dad was a looker...  

Mom wasn't too shabby herself!  

Today is my pop's birthday...  

Had to be a great time for a kid birthday celebration in the summer... 

He lived in Chicago as a kid, playing in the train yards,

setting fire to easter grass and keeping snakes 

(unbeknownst to my grandma) 

in the basement... 

Now I know where Jack gets his mischievous nature. ..

I also know where he gets some of his engineer brain... 

Jack's dad has a lot of that, too... 

Dad was the fun guy you wanted around... 

Always with that winning smile on his face, 

a willingness to jump in a game of baseball 

and along for the college pranks when needed... 

One time he and a bunch of guys managed to carry 

a small car into the basement of a college school building.  

Then they filled it with books... 

Another time they decided to drop a massive barrel of water 

from a two story 

building onto a targeted friend...  

Too bad they nailed the house mother instead.... 

Oops...

Knocked her flat...  

Yep...  

My dad is pictured in the dictionary next to "Work Ethic"...  

No guy has worked harder than he has...  

Before I was born my folks had something like 5 jobs 

between them to make ends meet...  

When Dad had his own architecture practice 

he worked long hours and most Saturdays...  

He managed to make most of our important events 

and even coached my softball team one year...  

I learned that hard work, determination 

and a little savvy goes a long way... 

My dad was the tough guy at work, 

but he was an old softie at home... 

He taught me to dance and we even won a dance contest, 

tearing it up at a festival in downtown Moline...

  

These days, my parents live near us in the suburbs 

and I get to see Dad everyday...  

He sits right next to me at work!  

We are partners in crime, helping each other, 

sharing bad jokes and enjoying the company...  

I am grateful to have my pop so close...  

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I love you.

Get Smart....

Today had its ups and downs....  

Here's how it shook:

1. Smart:  

Picked over 6 pints of fresh raspberries from my mother's yard....

Not So Smart:  

Asked the kids to help... 

That lasted about 36 seconds... 

And then they wanted to eat most of the ones I sweated, 

batted away wasps and pricked my fingers to harvest....

2.  Smart:  

Brought Tom along to fix the parent's hopelessly frozen computer...

Not So Smart:  

Also brought the kids... 

Little did I know the de-spyware-ing would take all day....  

The TV surely ate the logic and sense portion of their brains...

3. Smart:  

Had quality time shopping with my mom...

I scored a new set of sheets 

and got my Aldi shopping done....

Sweet.....

Not So Smart:  

The kids found the JC Penney bag and Jack 

complained that Kate got a pillow and he didn't...

No thank you nor mention of the new jersey sheets he scored.....  

So much for gratitude....

4. Smart:  

Decided to make a healthy Sunday dinner.....

Not So Smart:  

Deciding to make the kind of dinner 

that uses both the oven and stove.....

The house was already 80 degrees 

when we got home and I think I drove it up to 100 in the kitchen....

Great job, Ace....  

Dinner was a keeper, though....

So, I got that going for me.......

Here's the main dish recipe:

Make it in October.....

Chicken and Rice with Fresh Chorizo

1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 4 links fresh chorizo or hot Italian sausage
3. 4 whole chicken legs
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 2 garlic cloves, minced
6. 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
7. 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
8. 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
9. 1/4 cup dry white wine
10. One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
11. 6 cups chicken stock
12. 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
13. 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
14. 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
15. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
16. 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the chorizo, cover and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until richly browned and just cooked through, 10 minutes; transfer to a plate. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until browned, 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the chorizo.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the casserole. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 minutes. Add the turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the wine and boil over high heat until almost evaporated, 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Return the chorizo and chicken to the casserole along with any accumulated juices. Simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until coated with oil. Stir in 5 cups of the chicken cooking liquid into the rice. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat, stirring often, until the rice is just tender and has absorbed most of the cooking liquid, about 25 minutes. Stir in the peas, scallions, cilantro and jalapeño and warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cut each chorizo link into 3 pieces and return them to the casserole. Gently reheat the chicken and chorizo. Spoon the rice onto large plates and top with the chorizo pieces and chicken. Spoon some of the remaining cooking liquid on top and serve.