Eating our way through the big Apple!

I LOVE NEW YORK!!! I know, it's a cliche, but now I know why. We just got back from our visit to Blake and Whitney in Yonkers. Wow, it was fun. I love that place. So much energy and so many people and so many skyscrapers. The view from the Empire State building took my breath away. Cheering for the Yankees was a favorite of everyone and I liked it more than I thought I would (not being a fan). There were some wise-cracking New Yorkers sitting behind us and all I can say is... I am glad the home team was winning or that crowd could have gotten ugly! They take it very seriously.

Other notable sights: Central Park (it's so huge, we only saw a little), Times square, Broadway (didn't make it to a show-bummer!), Lady Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry, and Ground Zero. But my favorite thing about New York??? THE FOOD. What's a Knish, you ask? Mashed potatoes wrapped in pastry. How about Matzo soup? Chicken broth with noodles and cornmeal dumplings. Then there's the French bakeries, the pasta in Little Italy, and the chocolate shops. Hot dogs, gelato, fresh fruit smoothies... it was all good (except the Red Bean popsicle and the canned octupus). But our absolute favorite was the fresh mango that we bought from a vendor on the sidewalk. After that we looked for more but were dissapointed so we bought our own mangos and cut them up and it just wasn't the same.

Blake & Whitney's apartment is so nice, complete with a gym, media room and security guard. It has a view of the Hudson river and they have met some nice friends out there. Church was in a business complex so that was unique but the spirit was the same. Well, now it's time to unpack and go through the mail. It's good to be home, but I will miss New York... and the food!

Me and my girls on Mother's day

We are missing Whitney... she and Blake just arrived in New York on Saturday night!

Tell me if you agree... mother's day can be tricky. Not always the warm and fuzzy holiday it was intended to be. For many years, I felt that getting through it with a smile on my face was akin to walking through a field of land mines. If it wasn't the Hallmark commercials setting me up with false expectations, then it was the guilt of my obvious failings that would be my undoing. It's all so silly. We are what we are.

Being mom is like anything else in life; tough, messy, imperfect and a work in progress. It is NOT a Hollywood movie that you can edit, and do re-takes when you say/do things wrong (I wish!). But I will tell you the secret to being happy on Mother's day and any other day for that matter. Forget about yourself.

When I woke up on Sunday morning, for some reason I thought about my neighbor. She has three sons. Two have died, one in a tragic shooting accident and the other after years of illness. I wondered what mother's day must be like for her and how I admire her courage in facing life's challenges. She has developed a sense of humor and a lot of faith. That night we spent some time together talking.

It's not like I set out to be all self-less or anything. She just popped into my mind and all day I had a prayer in my heart for her. Turned out to be one of the happiest mother's days I can remember.

These pics are of me and my girls. Jake was the photographer and when our smiles got stale, he'd say something witty like "work-it!". Thanks Jake, you're the best!

So................... anyway, the weather on Easter weekend was pretty snowy at Mussentuchit. Maybe next year. Nicki and Haylie and I went shopping instead. I've really got to stop shopping. The money can vanish so fast at the mall! Or the bookstore... or the fabric store. But I did get to be with my beautiful grandson on Easter and so it was a wonderful day.

Spring is so beautiful now that the sun has decided to shine. Everything is so green. GREEN. Are you getting tired of that word? I MEAN IN ADVERTISING?! It's like the new marketing buzzword and soooooooooooo overused. Do the companies really think we are that gullible? Yes, they do. I'm going to actually start to boycott any company that uses the 'green' mantra, just to make my point. I know nobody will notice, but I will feel better. In fact, I want to go a whole month without buying anything but essentials like food and gas. Just to see if I can. In May. I'll let you know how the experiment goes. Definately, maybe, I'm going to do it.

~If someone dares me to I really will!

This Saturday we are planning to go to Mussentuchit. What a great name, huh! It is a little gem of a sand dune in the middle of nowhere, Utah. We went last Easter weekend so if we go this week it will be a tradition. I'm planning on making my 'famous by noon tomorrow' Asparagus Quiche for the picnic. Here's the recipe~

Whole wheat crust:

boil 1/3 cup water with 2 T. oil
then pour it into a bowl and toss in 1 cup
whole wheat flour and a bit of salt

Mix and roll out thin, put it in a pie dish.

Filling:
Saute some thinly sliced leeks
and a bunch of asparagus (trimmed & chopped)
until crisp-tender, let cool
In a bowl whip 4 eggs with 1/4 cup cream or 1/2 & 1/2
Mix in some grated cheese, any kind you like
Salt and pepper to taste...then add asparagus & leeks
Pour into pie shell
Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes

YUMMY and totally healthy!

Happy spring everybody~

The happy couple are just leaving in this pic and my favorite moment was when Blake walked out and said "smells like ranch". Evidently, the kids who decorated the car didn't come prepared so they had to use whatever they could find in the kitchen! Very creative, I thought.