A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍
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Food and Life

Creating Memories at the Kitchen Table

July 17, 2012 · Narrative

I am very cognizant of the fact that I want my kids to look back on their childhood and have a smile slowly spread across their face when they think of it.  The whole thing.  I want them to have all sorts of memories and fondness for things we’ve done or shared together.  Moments, big and small, thread together to create one big happy life.  Of course not every moment is going to be happy, but when they look back on those trying times, they can reflect on how we handled it, together, as a family.

When Nick and Madeline have their own families, I want them to look back on some of the favorite things we shared and weave them into their own family traditions.

A lot of what I know will become favorite memories centers on food at our table.  And I use the word “table” loosely … for it is wherever we gather together to break bread as a family, whether it be the little table in the kitchen that used to be in Nick’s room when he was Madeline’s age, the dining room table that their Dad and I bought for our second house, the scratched up but well loved coffee table in the living room that opens up to reveal something much larger, the steps outside our front door, and even my bed, where we sometimes share a spontaneous movie night with food spread onto trays on our laps.

I can picture them reminiscing about their favorite meals.  Banana pancakes for sure.  Penne with Vodka sauce.  That crazy rainbow cake.

The fact that Nick will request to have his birthday dinner at home, as opposed to the restaurant of his choice, says it all.

As far as my own childhood food memories, one of the strongest is of this Italian Meat Pie that my Mom makes every year for Easter.  A tradition for as long as I can remember, it’s something that we look forward to every year.  It requires a few hours worth of work, and is sinfully decadent in a egg, cheese, pepperoni, salami overload kind of way.

This past year, my Mom invited Nick into the secret society of Italian Meat Pie makers, and they spent Good Friday afternoon rolling, measuring, mixing, and baking away.  She was happy to have a helper.  He was thrilled to be that helper.

Pie - Almost Done

And more food memories were created.

Pie - Egg Wash

Pie - notes

Pie - Done

Pie - aftermath

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: food traditions, Italian Meat Pie, parenting

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    July 18, 2012 at 6:25 am

    My memory is very strongly linked to food…I can remember things I ate years ago at family functions or just at everyday dinners. I love that you’re instilling this in your kids as well!
    Joanne recently posted..Recipe: Green Goddess Soup and Pesto Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

    Reply
  2. Ramona says

    July 18, 2012 at 9:47 am

    how terrific, I wish I could have cooked with my Grandmother

    Reply
  3. Sarah Caron says

    July 18, 2012 at 11:10 am

    My cousin and I were recently talking about the family reunions we went to as kids. And amazingly, despite all the action and excitement of the reunions — the pool time, the volleyball games, etc — the first thing we both started gushing about was how the buffet was set up in our cousin’s barn where everyone would fill their plates with brilliant red lobsters, salty clams and hot ears of sweet corn. We’d never talked about it before, and it was amazing to hear that we shared the same recollections so strongly — all relating to the food and the feeling that came with being with so many of our family members.
    Sarah Caron recently posted..Blueberry White Chocolate Sundaes

    Reply

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A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍

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