Not Your Mother's Day Tea

What am I doing on this beautiful, sunny Mother's Day? Since next Sunday I am hosting a one year reunion picnic of our Girls' Trip to Italy ...


I'm making limoncello, of course.

Capri and the Amalfi Coast ... lemons everywhere!

lemon zest + pure grain alcohol + sugar = limoncello

Thinly sliced lemon peels ... no pith!

Yeah ... so, those lemon peels aren't soaking in water ;-)

What to do with the poor, naked lemons?

Make lemon sorbet, of course!

A Twilight's Whisper

Yesterday, I had the best Mother’s Day.

It started in the morning when Nicholas and I had an appointment at the Evans Post Office to renew our passports -- I needed to renew mine because my old one expired this past January and I have never, ever, in all my life, been without a passport; Nicholas needed one going into his senior year because, with a passport in hand, he is primed and ready for adventure. When I handed the clerk Nicholas' birth certificate, signed documents and turned in his old passport, I felt like I was giving my son to the world. He is ready; I am not.

Then, later that afternoon Nicholas accompanied me to Milledgeville to pick up Jonathan.  Just the two of us in the car for ninety minutes. We listened to some of his cd’s (mostly classical soundtracks from video games), we talked about a study abroad, and then Nicholas, who is this close to a degree in Computer Engineering, brought up the topic of technology – its place in society and the danger of allowing it to take over the essence of who we are as humans. It was a deep, philosophical discussion, with moral overtones, and I enjoyed it immensely.

In Milledgeville we went to work.

As we climbed up and down stairs (again and again) carrying the contents of Jonathan’s dorm room, and later when the three of us had dinner together before driving back home, I was so thrilled to see how many people greeted Jonathan by name and who stopped to speak with us. What a contrast to the emotions we experienced last summer: the shock when Jonathan didn’t get into his college of choice, the betrayal when he was denied again during an appeal, and the feeling of dread this past fall when we dropped him off at a different college knowing that he didn't know a single person.

But yesterday, in the chaos of a dorm emptying for the summer, I saw my son's ready smile and was reassured to see how Jonathan had found his way. This past year he met new friends, played intramural basketball, walked to Church (mostly) every Sunday, and made the Dean’s List (both semesters).

On the drive home, the setting sun turned farm fields golden yellow, wooden fences cast rippling shadows, and the hilly, two lane road led us closer and closer to twilight. I was driving, Nicholas was napping, and Jonathan – squished in the back between mountains of stuff – was listening to music on his headphones.  It was very quiet. But it was a good quiet, the kind which cradles memories, nurtures introspection, and nestles in gratitude.

The kind of quiet which whispers, “Happy Mother’s Day."

Buon Appetito, compliments of the Pontifical Swiss Guard

The Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Christoph Graf, provided the recipe for our entrée in today's pranzo with i Nonni. His recipe contribution, Veal Cutlets in Cream Sauce (The Vatican Cookbook, p 81), was a huge hit despite the fact I made a few changes -- I substituted the veal with thinly sliced chicken cutlets, and instead of the roasted vegetables I served it on a bed of wilted greens. The recipe is definitely a keeper. Here is the menu for our pranzo ...

Chicken Cutlets in a Wine and Cream Sauce

served on a bed of wilted greens

Italian Roasted Potatoes

with olive oil and herbs

Salad with Strawberries and Almonds

tossed with a light, Italian vinaigrette

Gelato

choice of:

straciatella or peanut butter chocolate swirl

Espresso

Lt. Col. Christoph Graf, vice commander of the Swiss Guard, reviews Swiss Guards in Dec. 2014.
Photo: CNS/Paul Haring

The Story of a Work Nook

Two years ago we totally redesigned our master bedroom with hardwood flooring, freshly painted walls, new bedroom furniture, and this ...

This cute little French writing desk is for sale.
I plan on turning this work nook into a sitting area.

a cozy nook where I could work, write, and create.


The idea was that I could go upstairs, close the bedroom door, and seclude myself from any and all distractions; that sitting at that cute little French writing desk with my pretty notebooks and pencils all the writing muses would descend en masse and inspire me to write cleverly crafted paragraphs and spin gold with words.


Except, every time I had to stir the pot of minestrone bubbling on the stove or throw in a pile of laundry I had to go all the way downstairs. Most inconvenient.


Except, working upstairs was boring. Very, very boring.


Except, the desk was too small. When I write I have handwritten notes, transcribed notes, and research notes so I need surface area the size of a barn door.


Now, I don't have a barn door (although the idea of taking a barn door, placing it on a pair of trestles, and using it as a desk sends my heart all a-flutter). What I do have, however, is a dining room table ...

Bia's work nook:
the eye of the storm

which, as you can see, gives me room to spread out. Everything is within reach: laptop, day planner, recipe books with notes of recipes I want to try, legal pads, a pewter mug containing all manner of writing utensils, and a stack of passport applications (a story for another day).


And best of all, if I want to stir the minestrone I just need take three giant steps and I'm in the kitchen.

Into the Kitchen

I’ve had so much on my plate lately (work, Masters prep, my parents’ 50^th anniversary party, spring break) that I’ve fallen off the culinary bandwagon; as a result, there have been too many quick meals, too many trips to the grocery store without a list, and all too little forethought, imagination, and creativity in the kitchen. Sadly, it’s been a while since I’ve …

-tried a new recipe

-cooked something that took longer than 30 minutes to prepare

-made homemade bread, pasta, ice cream, sorbet, or pasta sauce

-planned a week’s worth of meals

-organized my grocery lists

-shopped at a Farmer’s Market

 

And I’ve missed doing all those things. Planning meals, cooking, and setting a table that invites people to linger is a creative process for me; it’s what I like to do and it is how I give.  But now, with the boys coming home from college and schedules winding down, I have plans to …

-buy organic lemons -- lemon peels for limoncello and lemons for sorbet

-make homemade ice cream for the boys (several flavors)

-pull out my “recipes to try” file and … try new recipes

-update my recipe binder (file, purge, add recipes)

-cook homemade pizza on the grill

-keep a fruit salad and a pitcher of tea in the refrigerator at all times

-dine al fresco at least once a day (even if it’s just a cappuccino on the back deck in the morning, or a glass of wine on the patio in the evening)

-eat out: that is, make grilled panini, pack them in a basket with some bottles of San Pellegrino, and … picnic for dinner!

 

During the summer, I make one of these every 2-3 days

There are also some cookbooks I want to read. I like to collect Italian cookbooks, and I especially like the ones which feature great photography and regional recipes with historical background on each dish. My most recent addition is the Vatican Cookbook which I ordered solely because it’s published by the Pontifical Swiss Guard and I have a thing for the Swiss Guards (all of them). Of course, as you can see from the photo, not all my cookbooks are Italian. I look forward to reading, for example, Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Easy (I know she gets a lot of grief, but I fundamentally agree with her approach to food that is not only healthy and simple, but also contributes to a feeling of wholeness).

And there you have it. If you need me, or want a cappuccino or a slice of homemade pizza, you know where to find me.

"One of the very nicest things about life

is the way we must regularly stop whatever

it is we are doing and devote our

attention to eating."

-Luciano Pavarotti, opera singer

In which I survive my first 5K

Earlier this week a good friend of mine called and asked if I wanted to go to Aiken, SC and participate in a 5K Fun Run in honor of Earth Day.


Now, I am not a runner, but sometimes I like to do interval training by alternating speed walking and jogging (although, if I'm being honest, the speed walking intervals are longer than the jogging ones).


Since I've always wanted to do a 5K (but never had the courage to do so), and since this was billed as a Fun Run, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and face my insecurities. My friend registered us online and we came up with a game plan: we would concentrate on the FUN part and do what we wanted to with the RUN part.


Except, when we signed in this morning and received our Earth Day t-shirts the organizers mentioned obstacles, balance beams, hills , and forest trails.


Whoa.


Except, there were some people - a LOT of people - who missed the memo on the FUN part and were clearly there for the RUN part.


Party poopers, the lot of them.


When we lined up at the starting line, several people around us started stretching and running in place and I began to feel intimidated. Like, really intimidated as in ... what in the heck did I get myself into?


Evidently we needed another game plan. In order to save face, we decided to run at the start of the race, and once we got beyond (way beyond!) the cameras we would then set our own pace.


And that's what we did. We ran the first three blocks in downtown Aiken, turned a corner, and resorted to speed walking which - and let me be perfectly clear - was not a leisurely stroll. We were hoofing it through the woods, over logs, across muddy paths, up hills and down.


And because my boys will inevitably ask, let me be clear about something else: we were NOT at the back of the pack; in fact, we even passed TWO people.


Then, with two blocks to go we started running again, mainly because we could see the flashing police lights and hear the cheering cheerleaders and we got excited. We crossed that finish line and, I'm not going to lie, boy did it feel good.


We also got medals.


I know, I know. EVERYONE got a medal. It was a PARTICIPATION medal.


But you know what? I'm kind of proud of that medal.

Yes, I'm sweaty.
Yes, I'm a mess.
But I just did a 5K.
And that's something.

Four Corners of a Situation Room

This time of year our dining room is used for everything EXCEPT dining.


Instead, in the weeks leading up to The Great Exodus which is otherwise known as Masters Week, it becomes The Situation Room. Think of it as Headquarters, Home Base, Mission Control, Central Dispatch, and War Room rolled into one.


Our Situation Room is a disorganized organized system of multi-tasking. It can be a little frightening to venture in, and between now and Masters Sunday it will only get worse, but rest assured that before we leave it will POOF! return to being a dining room.


In the meantime, though, here's what's going on (clockwise from top):


Corner 1: Planning a 50th anniversary party means stockpiling vases, decorations, bonbonniere, candles, and Jordan almonds.


Corner 2: Those framed prints are on Joe's Honey-do List. And the Zazzle boxes? My files containing guest list, save-the-date cards, invitations, deejay info, catering info, reception menu ... I mean, it's like I'm planning a wedding. My parents should just go ahead and get married again.


Corner 3: In between planning a party, preparing to rent our house for Masters Week, and doing all the normal, every day stuff I always do (cooking, cleaning, carpooling), I also have to work. So my work station is set up in the middle of The Situation Room so I can write, assemble bonbonniere, and fold sheets all at the same time!


Corner 4: Did I mention Master's prep? Freshly laundered sheets and towels are folded and stacked on the dining room table waiting to be carried upstairs.