✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the w “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl ✨
We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister an We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister and her family were away. She has settled into a new routine here (ours 😂), and now doesn’t get up until after 9 am, stays up until well past midnight, eats a very late dinner, knows that the kitchen is where the magic happens and sits for a treat after her morning backyard visit. We’ve broken her in nicely but she will be returning with her continued bad habit of suffering from #fomo, playing tag with the cats, and barking every time she hears a door open or sees someone go up the street. We did our best. 😇
The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Gar The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Garlic butter and bleu cheese butter from @njgarlic (the bleu on steak! 😍), empanadas from @catalina_empanadas_2017, half sour pickles from @pickleculture and the quiche and bread were from a vendor I forgot to get the name of. This was all from the @bernardsvillefarmersmarket. Today I hit the @denvillemarket and added full sour pickles from @pickle_licious and a roasted garlic and duck fat loaf and cheese biscuit from @bobolinkdairyandbakehouse. Basically give us all the bread, cheese, butter and pickles and we’re happy campers! Did you hit up a farmers market this weekend? What’d ya get?
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it is with the gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. Skip what their directions tell you and pan fry them in olive oil, add some of their 4-green bag of vegetables, salt, pepper, drizzles of pesto and a sprinkle of parm. So freaking good and dinner on the table faster than you can order take out. 🤤
✨As far as first day of summer sunsets go, this ✨As far as first day of summer sunsets go, this one is pretty alright. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

It Takes a Village {Recipe: Cheesy Potato Fries}

June 13, 2012 · Narrative

Cheesy Potato Fries
Is it me or does that word “cheesy” look weird when it’s spelled that way?  And adding a y for “cheesey” doesn’t seem to make it better.

Not matter your political leanings, nothing can be truer than the words that Hillary Rodham Clinton became famous for some fifteen years ago.  It truly takes a village to raise a child.  No matter what Bob Dole said about it.

My interpretation of her famous phrase is slightly different though.  To me, I look at it as a way to make it ok to need help.  To ask for help.

And that is truly one of the hardest lessons to swallow sometimes.  Asking for help.

When I was younger, married, and Nick was just a few years old, I always wanted to be that parent (which is slightly different than this that parent).  The one that seemingly had it all together.  Balancing work, family, home with the ease of a walk in the park.  I can be Super Woman.  I can do it all.  No doubt.

But at what price?  Extra stress?  Less sleep?  Reduced levels of patience?

No, thank you.

It truly wasn’t until I separated from my (then) husband that I realized I couldn’t.  I mean, well, in theory I could.  But I wasn’t willing to do it at the cost it came with.

And so little by little, if people offered help, I took it.  It started with baby steps.  If someone was coming over for dinner and asked what they could bring, I suggested something.  Instead of saying “nothing.”  Easy enough.  Dipping my toes in the water.  Seeing how it felt.

And you know what?  It felt fine.

Whether you’re a parent or not.  Whether you’re the mom of a German Shepherd or a two-year-old or a succulent plant on your kitchen window sill.  No matter your lot in life.

It’s ok to ask for help.

We are all in this together.

We schedule car pools to lessen the burden.  Pick up extra items at a grocery store that we know someone needs.  Watch each other’s kids to save a few bucks on babysitting.  Drop off dinner just because.

We have each others’ backs.

Sometimes there is nothing greater than the people you can lean on in your friends and family network.  Who can you call at 1 am when you need help?  Those are your villagers.  Your people.

Over the past few weeks in particular, there has been a lot of village raising.  Last week it meant a bottle of wine and an ear for a friend that is going through a particularly difficult and messy time.  I offered some words of wisdom, and a phone number or two, and did what I could.  It’s not enough, but enough for that Friday night.

A friend’s Dad recently died, so this weekend, it will mean cooking up a dinner so she doesn’t have to think about feeding her kids during her trials.

And last night, it was watching friends’ kids so they could visit an immediate family member who is in the hospital.

Ask.  Give.  Some days you’ll be on the giving end.  Some days, the receiving.  It’s all ok.  And when it comes to kids, I think it’s always pretty awesome knowing that my kids have pseudo extra parents out there.  One friend texted me about kids’ sunglasses on sale today, and brought dessert to complete dinner at our house tonight.   There’s always someone going that extra mile.  Giving that extra pair of hands.  Reminding you that you’re not alone.

Even though it sometimes feels like you are.

And trust me, I’m there with you.

With two extra little smiling faces at our dinner table last night, I wanted to keep the meal super kid-friendly.  And I wanted to have the kids fed before they were picked up, to make it easier on their parents.  I have the hardest time with side dishes at the dinner table.  Salad or fresh fruit is a no-brainer, but vegetables are sometimes always more challenging.  I found this recipe for Cheesy Potato Fries on Pinterest (my vegetable board is here) and figured if the potatoes were a tough sell, the cheese might help a swing vote in my favor.

Truth be told, my kids want nothing to do with potatoes.  Mashed, baked, double-stuffed, they want no part of it.  They barely like french fries.  But cheese?  Maybe.

The cheesy potato fries were simple to make, and while I’m trying to avoid carbs at dinner, I couldn’t resist digging in myself.  Even Mystic, who doesn’t like sour cream, went back for seconds.

Four little faces at the dinner table last night, and the littlest (at nearly three) actually ate the most.  But each of them ate the potatoes.

And if you know kids, you know getting four kids to agree on the same food is almost like winning the lottery.

Well, it totally is.

The spud lottery.

So you can find the recipe here.  Go make them.  Share them with your villagers.  Or your kids.  Or just during a really good night of reality tv.  I won’t tell.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: Bob Dole, Cheesy Potato Fries, Hillary Rodham Clinton, it takes a village, kid-friendly, Pinterest, Vegetables

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    June 14, 2012 at 6:35 am

    It really does take a village…my mom and her sister both had kids at around the same time so they gave each other a ton of support while we were little. There were other family friends too, who pitched in and who my mom helped in their times of need. It’s just the right thing to do and so worth it.

    Reply
  2. Patricia says

    June 15, 2012 at 11:09 pm

    You know my feelings on this. Trusting anyone outside the immediate family with our kids was a very hard thing for us. Babysitters were unheard of..My parents never left us with anyone But, sometimes life has other plans and you find that you can’t do it alone and that in a pinch family can’t always be there.
    We are so thankful to have you and your crew in our “village”. Thanks so much for being there!!

    Reply

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✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the w “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl ✨

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✌🏻 ✌🏻
About last night … we spontaneously decided to m About last night … we spontaneously decided to make a @crumblcookies run at 8:30 and snagged a front seat to Mother Nature’s show. 😍
I took five books with me when we went on a little I took five books with me when we went on a little vacation in May, and got through two of them, one of which was The Magnolia Story. You are, no doubt, familiar with Chip and Joanna Gaines, but you might not know how they became so popular or how their business exploded. This book, told by both of them, shares their journey from their dating stages to just a few years ago. It’s quite amazing how their path unfolded, with the universe seemingly guiding them every single step of the way. Every time they hit a crossroads, they received clear signs to continue to point them in the right direction. It was interesting to learn more about their story, and a great reminder that you need to trust in yourself and follow your passions, and everything really does just fall into place. Chip has his own book out too, Capital Gaines, which I added to my list after I read this one. If you’re curious about their story or just need confirmation to continue to chase your dreams, read this one. ✨ #catesbookaweek 6/52
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the w “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl ✨
We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister an We’ve been dog sitting Gracie while my sister and her family were away. She has settled into a new routine here (ours 😂), and now doesn’t get up until after 9 am, stays up until well past midnight, eats a very late dinner, knows that the kitchen is where the magic happens and sits for a treat after her morning backyard visit. We’ve broken her in nicely but she will be returning with her continued bad habit of suffering from #fomo, playing tag with the cats, and barking every time she hears a door open or sees someone go up the street. We did our best. 😇
The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Gar The rewards of a weekend of farmers marketing! Garlic butter and bleu cheese butter from @njgarlic (the bleu on steak! 😍), empanadas from @catalina_empanadas_2017, half sour pickles from @pickleculture and the quiche and bread were from a vendor I forgot to get the name of. This was all from the @bernardsvillefarmersmarket. Today I hit the @denvillemarket and added full sour pickles from @pickle_licious and a roasted garlic and duck fat loaf and cheese biscuit from @bobolinkdairyandbakehouse. Basically give us all the bread, cheese, butter and pickles and we’re happy campers! Did you hit up a farmers market this weekend? What’d ya get?
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and so it is with the gnocchi from Trader Joe’s. Skip what their directions tell you and pan fry them in olive oil, add some of their 4-green bag of vegetables, salt, pepper, drizzles of pesto and a sprinkle of parm. So freaking good and dinner on the table faster than you can order take out. 🤤
✨As far as first day of summer sunsets go, this ✨As far as first day of summer sunsets go, this one is pretty alright. ✨

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