Elska!

Elska means love in Icelandic. It's used for people and sometimes for animals, but not for inanimate things.

Elska is also a make-believe island, and the name of the children's music performer that Isaac and I, with our friends Emily and Coco danced around to this morning. It was funny to be going to a show so early, but also very exciting. I even wore sparkly eye-liner for the occasion.

We found the Islandic Elska on Hudson St. in the Tribeca 92nd st Y's moody, loungy back room. There was a bar with coffee and super yummy cookies, a big red cushy bench, and a table full of cute t-shirts that I do not have pictures of. We and about 75 other parents and kids grooved in the red glow to songs with names like Winter Bear, Man-made hole, and The Elska Express.

Some of her songs are catchy and dancey, some sweet and lullaby-y, and all are very twinkly. It's music that parents are happy to listen to, too. Even Jeremy danced around the living room when we came back and played Winter Bear. Emily, the Elska expert told me that the woman underneath the little blue hat had visited and fallen in love with Iceland and Elska was born of that.

She wears her orange patterned cloak with style, and the little balls on her head are so dang cute. She was graceful and incredibly earnest, and had nice props and signs that she pulled out of benches and corners, magician like. She only lost us during the short film, "Land of the Lost Socks", but I think it was because the film was not as bright as her.

You can listen to her music on her webiste, Island of Elska

Constructive Eating!

My stepbrother and his wife gave this plate and silverware combo to Isaac for his birthday. It's cuteness overwhelms and amazes all of us, especially Isaac, the big digger addict. They said they got it at Brooklyn Kitchen in Williamsburg (Of course! It's a cooler than cool place!), but yous away from Brooklyn, can get it at ConstructiveEating.com.

The utensils each have their own special spot.

A side view shows off the very important "pusher" utensil on the left.

In case you forget where they go :)

Happy kid sitting on the stoop with the spoon and the pusher.

 Thank you Jacob and Sophia!

I Welcome You Fall, With Red Lentil Soup

Goodbye dear summer. Hello slippers, sweaters, quiet apartment, and a kid who will sleep until 7:30am. Hallelujah! He doesn't do that in the summer, nooo way.  And an extra big welcome and hug for...soup!

Last night it was a red lentil, sage-y, cumin-y sort of soup that I took from a Martha Stewart cookbook, and changed by not putting in bacon as she suggested, (nothing against bacon, it just seemed gentler and cleaner without) and by accidentally putting way more cumin in than she suggested - a very happy mistake!

My recipe:

Chop up 3 or 4 lovely carrots, 1 onion, and some garlic, at least 2 cloves or more if you are garlicky and daring! Heat some olive oil in a biggish pot and put the chopped up veges on top to get all warm and snuggly and soft.

Happy together!

While the veggies are doing their thing, you can admire the beautiful sage you will soon mince, at least 6 leaves:

Holding the sage in the light will help with admiration

Add the sage once the veges seem to glisten and be happy together. Cook for a little longer, and then add 2 teaspoons cumin and 1 1/2 cups red lentils.

Red lentils are this lovely peachy color before they are cooked.

I really love red lentils. Mostly because they cook really fast. Regular lentils, of my mom's lentil soup are delicious, but they have to cook for hours and hours, and even then sometimes they aren't done. Red lentils you can decide to make at 6pm, and they are ready by 6:30. They also become creamy and rich and can be wonderful chunky like in this soup, or smooth as silk in a soup I made once with ginger. My final reason for loving red lentils is that they remind me of dal. And eating dal, or any kind of beans for that matter make me feel one with the world, because you gotta think at least half of the world is also eating some sorts of beans for dinner.

Pour in 5 cups of broth, chicken or veggie, and simmer while you go play with your kiddo, or your cat, or lie on the floor in a relaxation pose for 25 minutes, or until the soup looks and smells yummy.

And here it is!

I need a spoon.

Isaac wasn't sure where to begin!

A little corn, a little soup, a little cous cous

But then he concentrated and figured it out.

And he makes his move

Bon appetite!

It's Gonna Be a...

I've been waiting to write this until now so as not to jinx anything. Because there is nothing like pregnancy to make a person superstitious. It's on a par with baseball in this regard, no joke.

Deep breath....I've decided it's ok now.

I'm pregnant, and we're gonna have a girl!!!

The ultra-sound tech had a velvety Russian accent and called me momma. "Scoot leettle closer to me, mom-ma." Then, a few minutes into the scan she said, "So, you say you have leettle boy?" And I said, "Yes." And she said, "Well...thees looks like Preencess!"

We were crossing the Gowanus canal when J told me that he could really start to imagine the shape our family was going to take. I dreamily said "Yeah...", but on second thought wanted to know what he actually meant. He said (seriously), "With lots of yammering in different pitches." That really cracked me up.

look out world!

A Uniquely Delicious Way to Make Tofu

I always feel secure when there is a brick of tofu in our refrigerator. And I've been feeling even more secure since I figured out the easiest and most delicious way to cook it; a variation from my old Sivananda Ashram Yoga Cookbook. Isaac loves this kind of tofu and always wants more more more. And so do we!

Here is how you make it:

In a little oven-proof container put a three or so tablespoons of butter (the more the yummier) and about equal amounts plus a little more Tamari or Soy Sauce. Melt them together in your toaster oven. If you don't have a toaster oven, go get one! Or put a little pan on the stovetop, which would be perhaps easier than shopping right now.

While the butter is melting, take a brick of tofu, firm or soft, but not silken, and slice rectangles about 1/3 of an inch wide. It doesn't actually matter how thick or thin the rectangles are, it's just personal preference.

*Doesn't look so delicious now, but just wait!...

Lay the rectangles on a cookie sheet and brush both sides generously with the butter-tamari mixture, and then (this is the weird part), sprinkle them with nutritional yeast! I feel like a big hippy using nutritional yeast, but it's the magic ingredient in this dish, and this is the only time I actually use it, so I think that makes is alright. Nutritional yeast (in case you are wondering), is very popular with vegetarians because its a complete protein and has lots of B vitamins.

Now it looks even worse! Nutritional Yeast up close on the right.

Everything becomes much more OK after you put your tofu + yeast in the oven, hot. I like to do 450 for about 20 minutes. It will get a little crusty on top, brown, and super savory with the soy and the butter soaking into the tofu for maximum yumminess. The nutritional yeast gives the tofu a dimension it definitely does not have without. The best way to describe it would be a cheesiness, though that doesn't really give it the credit it deserves.

All lined up and ready to go!

With brown rice and vegetables, this is warm, yummy, and healthy. Plus you feel delightful after eating it, which is a definite plus for any meal.

*For this recipe, just to be daring, I tried using black bean tofu, that's why it looks a little speckle-y.

What's For Dinner?

Roasted Cauliflower, Spinach and Orange Salad!

Yummm!

Who says that little guys (or gals) can't eat salad? Actually I said that, and hadn't made a dinner salad in ages, but after coming home from our California road trip where we survived on bread, cheese, and peaches (not bad, but oh, am I sick of bread!), I felt the serious need for vegetables. And if I needed 'em, I decided the little guy needed 'em too!

I chose spinach because it's way easier for him to eat than lettuce; there's more of it to it for him to bite into, plus he likes the idea of eating leaves. He loves roasted cauliflower and the nutty sweetness that results from the little florets being roasted with the miracle combination of lemon juice and olive oil. Oranges give the salad a brightness and sweetness, which is the key to making a salad that people will actually eat. Finally eggs, because who doesn't need a little protein with their greens?  Tossed with a super simple dressing of flax seed oil that tastes buttery and grassy all at once, lemon, and a wee bit of salt, this salad was eaten!

My Recipe:

Cut up a cauliflower bunch into little florets, the smaller the better for the toddler set. Use the whole bunch even if it seems like a lot because it shrinks when it cooks and it's so yummy, people will want more! Put them on a cookie sheet and toss with salt, olive oil, and lemon. Place in a preheated to 450 oven and roast until they look nice and brown. If they aren't browning enough, give 'em a little shot under the broiler.

While you are waiting, boil a few eggs, just shy of hard so that they keep their bright yellow yolks.

In a big bowl toss baby spinach (I can't help but love the lazy kind that comes in a bag), cut up oranges, and if you have a little cheese, little cubes of that too. You can add peeled cucumber and avacado too if you are feeling very vegetable-y. With a dinner salad, you kinda want to go nuts and add all sorts of stuff. It makes it much more filling and fun. Sprinkle salt (Salad comes from the word salt! Proof that it needs a little) on top, your desired amount of flax seed oil (super healthy, they say), and lemon and toss.

Scoop the salad into bowls and top with the roasted cauliflower, and the eggs cut into pretty wedges. Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on the eggs and you're done!

Actually almost done. You should toast a little (dare I even mention) bread to go with, or my latest favorite, Ryvitta Rye crackers. Otherwise the people might still feel hungry (terrible to even mention)

And dig in with a big smile!

When the Kid Doesn't Nap

Maybe this guy (or gal?) could convince him to nap?

It makes me crazy. Crazier than just about anything else these days. It makes me feel like my insides are being squeezed. I freak out, to others probably unreasonably. And then I get even more upset because they just don't understand why I'm so upset.

I'm writing this while I can hear the springs squeaking in his crib from his jumping up and jumping down, his voice explaining something to his lion, Lionel. Probably telling him that  his mommy should pull herself off of the (blessed) couch and come to his rescue.

We went to the aquarium today, which was wonderful, but a long drive, and on the way home he got that spacey look in his eyes, the spacey look that I should know by now means a "waking nap", and that he's not gonna do it again, even if his eyes should spend awhile closed.

It's so frustrating because I know he's tired! He was rubbing his eyes like crazy before I put him down. But now he's wired. And I'm a mess too.

I NEED his nap as much as he does. I just realize now its because I need to have a few hours where all my mommy-receptors are turned off.

That's why, even though he's safe in his crib and I'm out here, its still hell, because the receptors are on. "When should I go in?" I'm thinking, "Is he ok? Am I traumatizing him? Will he maybe, by some miracle, finally fall asleep, jumping? And why is he calling me Eva instead of mommy!?"

Now is perhaps when I should either cry or call a babysitter.

Exploring San Francisco's Sutro Baths

Who's that in there!?

We have arrived.

A medley of knitwear

We love you, Sutro baths!

For the Love of Fire Trucks

We got lucky firetruck wise today. The Adelphi St. fire truck was parked out in front of Fort Greene park, and the firemen not only invited isaac in, but also let him push on the siren pedal with his feet, wear a (very heavy!) firefighter's helmet, and clip and unclip the seat belt about a thousand times.

Wow! This is very great.

Isaac was in heaven, and very sad to leave.

Portraits of an Exactly Two-Year-Old Boy

Isaac's two year old birthday began inbetween Anchor Bay and Gualala, Caifornia, in a little cottage at the bizarre and beautiful St. Orres Hotel. We wound through windy roads, dug into blustery beaches, bushwacked hilltops, drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, and landed deliriously happily at the home of Patty and Blade in San Fransisco.

Birthday morning, before breakfast

*Giving momma a blue flower.

Looking out the window at big trees!

Daddy and Isaac at the top of Horseshoe Point

Rocks in your toes!

Luxuriating on a lovely deck in San Fransisco

Arms up!

Lemon cake, all lit up!

*handknit vest by Bev Osband, aka Omi!