Another Beginning

Moments like these are the ones we treasure ,

The ones that happen on a cold winter night in a beautiful city.

On a bridge in the park when a son asks a beautiful lady to become his wife

Oliver and Marisa are embarking on a great journey.

They will now go forward facing life together and as they make room for a child, they will hold on tight...to each other and to those around them, they will learn new things about themselves and they will look to us for reminders of how it is done. How to laugh when you want to cry. How to keep going when you want to give up, and how to love with all your heart, ALWAYS

It's the love, the hope, and the faith in their young faces and in their smiles, in the joy of new beginnings, that makes us all remember our own.

We are starting on the journey with them so...........................

we eat and drink , we cry tears of joy and laugh until our bellies ache.

We share stories of our own journeys and revel in the promise of theirs.

It will be bumpy and the road will not always be easy, but together they will see it through

They have each other and all of us beside them cheering them on.

Because these are the memories we treasure most.............

The ones that happen on a cold winter night in a beautiful city.

On a bridge in the park when a son asks a beautiful lady to become his wife

New Column Exclusively Today in The Concord Monitor

Photo by Ken Williams for The Concord Monitor

Frug Eye for the Cheap Guy

It was probably the exhaust fumes. What else but near asphyxiation could explain the TV show we dreamed up as we both sat outside Rundlett Middle School on a recent frosty afternoon waiting for our Nordic stars to emerge from practice?

We were convinced that all of America would tune in to watch us share the secrets of zhuzh (pronounced the way the Gabor sisters would say shush) which is the ancient art of spiffing up all the plain, boring, inexpensive things that form the basis of suburban existence. Well, our suburban existence anyway. Carson Kressley might have been the first to use the term but the Fru Gals have been zhuzhing up our lives since Carson was getting stuffed into his middle school locker for wearing his blazer with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, shirt cuffs akimbo. In our little day dream Oprah was airing The Frug Eye for the Cheap Guy on her new network and we were rich and famous.

All it took was one little glance in our rear view mirrors to realize that the two of us are pushing our luck with a newspaper column and a two year old photo.

Maybe it’s a combination of the countess bland pairs of khakis, the endless casseroles of brown food and the hundreds of beige towels that we’ve had to endure through our years of motherhood, but something in us is always striving to make things look better than the price tag might suggest. The rich may have cash, but the Frugs have zhuzh.

Decorating Zhuzh

No time or money for a paint job? Grab a couple bunches of the fresh tulips from the grocery store and jam them into a pretty teapot or pitcher and place it squarely in the middle of your kitchen table. The bright burst of color will draw your eye away from the dinged moldings and the lacy shreds of cobwebs. We like to sit and have a cup of coffee and just stare at the tulips. We can’t help but feel that spring is on its way, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Has the great old quilt you’ve loved forever now become thread bare in spots? Throw it over your kitchen table, figure out which area is in the best shape and trim the rest away. Stitch or glue on some trim (or just fold the raw edge over and sew it up). The quilted fabric and pretty patterns make a wonderful spring tablecloth. So what if your kids think it’s creepy, remember that these are the people who think a Star Wars poster is high art. Trust us, you will garner compliments from everyone who walks in the house. And now that you’ve got an unused tablecloth that is likely stained in a few spots, why not turn that into a new bunch of napkins. The internet is full of DIY directions and videos for making a killer fringed hem on a napkin.

School Project Zhuzh

It didn’t take us long to figure out that most school projects get a check mark from the Concord teachers. While this must be unbearably disappointing for those overzealous parents who used a skill saw and 15 varieties of wood to create accurate topographical maps of Mount Washington, it is just perfect for weary parents like us. We’ve been known to zhuzh up a project from the archives (as we like to call our attics—and if anyone needs a Mary Baker Eddy report, we are your gals). With just about 50 additional toothpicks, Fort #4 can become one of the more rustic buildings at Strawberry Banke.

The Seventh grade cell model project is another good time to break out the zhuzh—why make the model out of clay or colored paper when with very little skill you can bedazzle a box mix sheet cake with leftover Christmas candy to make an awesome and edible model, one that won’t wind up in the archives.

Outfit Zhuzh

It’s February. We’ve been wearing the same four turtlenecks and the same sad pair of yoga pants and ratty fleece vest since what seems like Halloween. So how do we keep it fresh and our hubbies interested? Scarf zhuzh. We have loads of soft and colorful scarves that we tie insouciantly around our necks. You can find a good scarf nearly anywhere—Marshalls, Yankee Swaps and even, if you are very lucky, in the dress up box a friend keeps for her visiting grands. Not only are our outfits interesting, you can hardly see how crepey our necks have become.

Food Zhuzh

Box mix brownies for the buffet? Again? A bag of chocolate chips is the perfect zhuzh. Fill the bottom of a rimmed platter with a couple handfuls of chips, add the brownies and scatter another handful of chips over the pile. Cute and yummy.

Another great zhuzh is to use glass jars for leftovers. Save the big pickle jars and the jam jars with the colorful lids, run them through the dishwasher a time or two to get the labels off and voila – your left over soups and tuna fish will be all classy and retro looking. Some would say healthier too, as opposed to storing them in a warped old plastic tub that came filled with butter spread.

This week’s recipe is for a simple cabbage soup with Italian sausage. Delicious yes, but kind of sad looking. We zhuzhed it right up by hollowing out a nice little round bread loaf and ladling in the soup. Our children clapped with glee and gobbled it right down, cabbage and all. The bread bowl is also the perfect zhuzh for chowder and beef stew.

Cabbage Soup with Sausage
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
½ cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, roughly chopped
½ cup crisp white wine
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
½ half medium sized head of cabbage, tough core removed, sliced into thin ribbons
8 cups chicken broth
1 28 once can petite diced tomatoes
1 parmesan rind (optional but adds wonderful flavor)
For serving:
6-8 small round bread boules hollowed out for serving
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Prick the sausages with a fork and place them in a large, heavy dutch oven or stock pot.
Add ½ cup of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Cook until sausages are no longer pink and water has just evaporated, 7-9 minutes, turning occasionally.
Remove the sausages and add the butter and the olive oil to the pan.
Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until the onion is limp and glossy.
Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits.
Add the broth, carrots, sausage and Parmesan rind to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Place the lid on the pot and let simmer for for 20 minutes until the carrot and the cabbage are tender.
Slice the sausages and add back to the pot.
Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes to warm the sausages and to blend the flavors.
Fish the Parmesan rind out if you used one and ladle the soup into individual bread bowls or into wide soup bowls.
In either case garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and if you didn’t use the bread bowls, serve a loaf of crusty bread for dipping.

Something I Had to Share...perspective I say

Why Parents Go Crazy

A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to 'Dad.'

With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.


Dear Dad:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you.

I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice.

But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am.
But it's not only the passion...Dad she's pregnant.

Stacy said that we will be very happy.

She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter.
We share a dream of having many more children.

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone.
We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy.

In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so
Stacy can get better. She deserves it.

Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself.

Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.


Love, Your Son John



PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house.


I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the report card that's in my center desk drawer.

I love you.

Call me when it's safe to come home.

Community Cookbook Cuisine: Oven Roasted Cioppino

Have I mentioned how much I lurv community cookbooks? Oh so much, the more cream of mushroom soup the better.

Real cookbooks from real chefs typically have a handful of excellent recipes and a lot of filler. Wolfgang Puck made his reputation on a couple of high end pizzas, and then his editor prolly demanded a hundred more recipes and so his cookbooks are filled with silly dishes NO ONE would ever even try.

Breakfast Steak with Red Bell Pepper Relish anyone? Anyone? Buehler?

Community cookbooks are the exact opposite.

Home cooks share their best recipes--their go-to recipes for family gatherings and potluck dinners--the ones that never fail to get gobbled down--the ones that all the other ladies insist on getting the recipe for--the ones of which they are most proud.

How can a busy mother not love these books? I've got to get dinner on the table for seven most every night of the week, and I do not live in Alaska and I cannot go out after an easy day of pontificating on the Fox News and shoot a moose or two, so I am typically looking for a recipe that is quick and will pacify the hungry hordes.


This cookbook comes from my parents' Florida tennis community of Sea Oaks, aka Boca Vista Del Mar Phase III.

The first recipe that caught my eye was for a recipe for Cioppino that cooks in the oven--about a million years ago I made a Cioppino recipe for my husband and my inlaws when then came to visit our first home, and it took 3 days and a hundred bucks--and even back then, when I had three days and a hundred bucks that recipe was not nearly worth the effort and I've never made it since.

This recipe was more than worth the wait.

Next time I make this, and there will be a next time, I'll add a thinly sliced bulb of fennel and a couple of diced carrots to the vegetable mix, but otherwise it was perfection.

Oven Roasted Cioppino
Adapted from the recipe by Abby McInnis
Sea Oaks Serves
A Community Cookbook

To serve 6

3 ribs celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup seafood stock or bottled clam juice (LOVE the Bar Harbor brand)
grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (Lowry's)
4 cloves minced garlic
3 pounds chowder fish (the bits and ends from the fish counter)
or 3 pounds of a combination of cod, haddock, scallops and shelled shrimp
Handful of fresh parsley, minced

1 loaf of crusty bread for sopping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large, covered dutch oven or soup pot saute the celery, onion and red pepper in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until the vegetables are limp and glossy.
Add the garlic and saute for another minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the white wine orange zest and the clam broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the fish and return to a simmer. Cover the pot and place it in the preheated oven for about 30 minute, until the fish is cooked through.
Squeeze the orange juice into the pot and garnish with the minced parsley.

Serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread.

Happy Valentine's Day

Cupcakes + jummies + lollies + spearmint leaves = easy Valentine's Day treat.

La La Lemon Bars

Looking for something to nibble on this weekend? Nothing beats the winter blahs like a nice tart lemon bar. Lemoncello is also nice.......


Lemon Bars Deluxe

Recipe from What's Cooking in America

Crust:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Extra softened butter for greasing pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Lightly butter a 13- x 9-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper or wax paper allowing edges to come over the sides.
Pulse flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor. Add butter and blend, 8 to 10 seconds, and then pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle mixture into prepared baking pan and press firmly into an even layer with slightly raised sides to hold in the filling.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes and then bake until golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes; remove from oven, place on a wire cooling rack, and let cool slightly. After crust is finished baking, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Lemon Filling:
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely-grated lemon zest (from two large lemons)
2/3 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice, strained
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
Extra powdered (confectioner's) sugar to decorate finished bars

While crust is baking, make the lemon filling: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and flour; stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, and salt to blend well. Pour mixture onto the pan on top of the warm crust.

NOTE: You may set prepared Lemon Filling aside until crust is finished baking. When ready to pour on warm crust, re-blend Lemon Filling mixture and pour into the warm crust.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the filling feels firm when touched lightly. Remove from oven and transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes. After cooling, grasp the parchment paper and carefully lift the bars onto a cutting board. Cut into serving size squares or bars, wiping your knife clean between cuts if necessary.

Sieve powdered or confectioners' sugar over bars and serve. NOTE: The powdered sugar will start to be absorbed into the lemon filling after several hours, but it can be reapplied before serving.

New Frugal Feasts Column Today Exclusively in The Concord Monitor

Photo by Ken Williams for The Concord Monitor

Just about the only similarity between the Fru Gals and mother tigers are the chin hairs.

We have even less in common with the Tiger Mothers detailed in that book that is scandalizing parents across America. Mothers are in a tizzy about the Chinese parenting style that creates math wizards with Ivy League degrees and perfect pitch. We’ve read The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and our question is this: How can we write the next book that will make us rich and everyone else miserable?

For some reason—probably the chemicals leaching to our bottled water ( we read that book too) we American mothers love to feel horribly guilty about our choices and are happy to shell out twenty bucks to learn precisely what we are doing wrong. When the Fru Gals were pregnant those What to Expect books shamed us into eating brown rice and laying off the chips and ice cream during the only time in our lives it would have been socially acceptable to have a tummy. There we were interviewing pediatricians and looking up baby swing safety ratings in Consumer Reports as our mothers regaled us with tales of all the cigarettes they smoked and cocktails they tossed back while they were pregnant with us and restricted to gaining 10 pounds by their doctors. Come to think of it, this might explain why we didn’t make it to Harvard.

And now Amy Chua has detailed why another generation of Broadbents and Ellinwoods will only be in the stands of the Harvard/Yale football game if they are selling hotdogs. There have been other books that have irritated women over the past couple decade but we can’t remember one that irked as badly as this tiger mother thing. We will admit that Amy Chua seems to have succeeded in raising two daughters who towed the line and turned out okay but we’d like to see what would have happened if fate had given Amy a busy little boy or two. It’s hard to imagine getting three hours of piano practice out of a child who needs to be strapped into his chair in order to stay seated for a 15 minute family dinner.

In some ways, the things that Tiger Mothers ban actually make their lives easier. No play dates or sleepovers? How simple. What we wouldn’t give to get back the minutes we spent making homemade play dough and the hours we spent scraping it out of the rugs when the preschool set came over for the afternoon. And we probably wouldn’t look nearly as haggard if we had not allowed endless ‘tween slumber parties with giggly midnight fashion shows and 3 am pizza feasts. The simple truth is that if one is going to spend 5 hours a day monitoring piano practice and math worksheets, there is no time for anything else—no outings, no family dinners, no carpools--not even the one to Carnegie Hall. Apparently the key to success is sitting in the living room for hours on end plus yelling. The yelling part we get; it’s the sitting part that must be what smartens the kids right up. If yelling worked we wouldn’t be able to see out of the rear window of our cars, it would be so full of prestigious decals.

The one thing that we have learned over our 45 combined years of parenting is that nearly everything we are doing is wrong. But we don’t need a $25 book to tell us that, our kids are happy to let us know what isn’t working for them on a daily basis. Our mothers too. So far no one has made it to Harvard, but no one is an axe murderer either. We’ve never thrown a homemade birthday card back at anyone either—if looking forward to an “I love you Mom” scrawled in brown crayon on a folded sheet of notebook paper is wrong, then we don’t want to be right.

We might not spend hours drilling our kids on fractions and Bach’s concerto in D, but we do spend loads of time in the kitchen and we love to cook with our kids. And since it looks like jobs in food service might be all they are qualified to do after 20 years of western parenting, it’s probably a good thing that they learn their way around a recipe or two.
This one is easy for the 8-11 year old crowd. And here is one more thing we know: kids usually will eat food they help to prepare, and if the food is cute, so much the better. So make a big pan of these roll ups together, and pile up the parenting books to help them reach the counter.


Pepperoni Roll Ups
10 servings

2 boxes no-bake lasagna noodles
2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
16 ounces part skim ricotta
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 4 ounce package sliced turkey pepperoni, sliced into thin shreds
4 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

Lay the noodles in a deep roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to cover and set aside for 10 minutes to allow noodles to soften.

While noodles are soaking make the sauce and the filling.

Quick tomato sauce:

Stir together the crushed tomatoes, paste and salt in a large bowl. Taste and add more salt if needed. Pour about a half cup sauce into a 11X15 inch baking pan and set aside.

Pepperoni Noodle Filling

Stir together the ricotta, eggs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, Parmesan, pepperoni and 2 cups of the mozzarella in a large bowl.

To assemble the roll ups:

Lay a clean dishtowel on the counter. Remove one noodle from the water and place it on the towel. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture and mound it up at one short end of the noodle. Roll the noodle up and place it, seam side down, into the baking dish. Continue filling and rolling until all the noodles are used up or you run out of filling, or the pan is full. You should wind up with approximately 20 roll ups.

New Frugal Feasts Column: Exclusively in The Concord Monitor

Photo by Ken Williams for The Concord Monitor

We knew we liked Michelle Obama, but when we saw her menu for last week's state dinner, we nearly swooned. Finally, we can say we have something in common with our first lady. Her menu of rib eye, twice-baked potatoes, creamed spinach and a nice apple dessert is almost exactly our go-to menu for special guests. Of course our portions of steak are a little smaller, not to mention the size of our kitchen staff, but it is a start. Besides, who knows where this could lead - we can feel our arms toning right up as we write this column.

We'd also like a crack at her closet. We have a first lady who knows how to mix Jason Wu and J Crew and we are jealous. Not that we don't love living and shopping in Concord, but it is hard to cultivate a look of eclectic elegance when the two biggest women's clothing stores are owned by the same company and everyone you know shops there. Of course, even if we could get our greedy hands on an Alexander McQueen gown, we'd have to wrap up in a pashmina to shield our back fat from the cameras.

Oh to entertain with such ease. Michelle always appears so cool and calm we suspect she doesn't spend the last 20 minutes before the doorbell chimes fighting with her husband and stuffing clutter into anything that closes. Either of our husbands could be the leader of the free world - we'd still have to send him out for more ice and upstairs to change his shoes.

We do have one small thing over Michelle - living in the White House means she will never know the joy of opening a cupboard and discovering a missing math book, the dog's leash and that reminder postcard from the dentist for appointments that miraculously are tomorrow and not yesterday.

The White House must have an amazing mud room - and the Obamas' guests must know to use the front door when they are coming to a party, because we did not see a giant plastic tub of sporting equipment in any of the photos of arriving guests. Neither Anna Wintour nor Barbara Streisand had to maneuver around four lacrosse sticks, a full set of hockey goalie pads and the two pairs of slalom skis that Malia promised some boy she would tune and wax before morning. Of course, someone probably shovels and sands the front walk at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., so the mudroom door isn't the only one that is passable from December through March, but still.

We try to keep that bin out of sight but it always seems to creep out in the open, looking like a cross between the dumpster behind the Goodwill and a very small parade float depicting boys' sports.

President Obama keeps telling us to put aside our petty differences and celebrate the things we have in common. We have created a frugal feast based on the meal served to Hu Jintao last week, and we are going to try our hardest to not be jealous of Michelle Obama. She is a working mom, trying to raise her children well in a difficult world, just like us.

Steak

We can't afford rib eye, but we do love a steak called beef chuck eye steak, first cut boneless. It comes from the smaller end of the rib eye and is always less than $4 a pound. Keep the portions small, add a lot of veggies and you won't break the budget. We typically get about 3 small servings per pound, so for six people we would buy about 2¼ pounds.

This time of year we like to cook these on top of the stove in a ridge grill pan. Season with salt and pepper before throwing them on the preheated pan that has been spritzed with some Pam. Grill for about 4 minutes per side for medium rare, longer if you prefer.


Twice Baked Potatoes

7 baking potatoes, scrubbed, pricked with a fork and baked at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, until dry and crackly on the outside and soft on the inside.
1 cup shredded cheddar
4 scallions, roughly chopped
½ cup light cream or whole milk,
½ teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Use a paring knife to carefully cut a large oval opening in the top of six of the baked potatoes to make sort of a boat shape. Carefully scrape the insides out of each of the opened potatoes into a large mixing bowl, leaving about a half inch of potato attached to the skin for stability. Season the potato shells with salt and pepper and set aside.

Peel the seventh potato and add it to the bowl of scraped potatoes. Mash with a fork and add the cheese, scallions and milk or cream. Mix well. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Carefully spoon potatoes into shells and smooth tops.
These can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat in a 300-degree oven until hot and puffy.
Serve garnished with additional chopped scallions. Makes 6 potatoes.


Creamed Spinach

2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and with tough stems removed (see note)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup finely chopped shallots or onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup heavy cream

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the fresh spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well, pressing with a slotted spoon to release as much water as possible. Finely chop the spinach and set aside.

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until limp and glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for a minute or two, stirring well. Add the heavy cream, salt and pepper and let simmer until the cream is reduced by about half. Serve immediately.
Note: Feel free to use two 8-ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach in place of fresh.

Thaw, drain well and proceed with the second part of the recipe.

Photo by Ken Williams for The Concord Monitor

Baked Apples

6 Cortland or Granny Smith apples
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 large slice lemon peel
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts
whipped cream or ice cream
Combine the brown sugar, water, lemon peel and raisins in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, until the syrup begins to thicken and the raisins are plump.

Remove from the heat, cover and let sit while you prepare the apples.
Core each apple, but leave the bottom skin intact. A pairing knife and a melon baller are perfect for doing this properly: Cut a circular wedge out of the top of the apple around the stem and then use the melon baller to remove the rest of the core. Slowly work your way down to about a half inch from the bottom.
Place the cored apples in a shallow baking dish. Use a slotted spoon to fill the cored holes with the raisins and then pour the sugar syrup over all the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, basting once or twice with the syrup, until the apples are soft and slightly wrinkled.

Let cool to warm room temperature and serve, garnished with the nuts and whipped cream or ice cream.