Growing Up

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[Note to readers: I have been invited to participate in the Autumn Blog Challenge (see the button below on the right), which involves following a writing prompt every day between now and October 31.  I'm not sure time is going to allow me to participate fully, but I'm going to do my best. Today's writing prompt asks me to write about what I wanted to be when I grew up.]

I grew up surrounded by books - my father is a clergyman and my mother is a teacher - and I learned to read at an unusually early age.  (My mother claims that I was reading fluently in preschool, around age 3.)  As soon as I found out that books were written by people, I resolved to be one of those people.

My mother read to me and my sisters (and later to my brother, too) every single night.  We curled up on her bed in the matching nightgowns that my grandmother had sewn for us, and we listened. There were nursery rhymes and fairy tales from my mother's My Book House anthology, and later I remember a story called My Naughty Little Sister. When I got older and started reading on my own, I went to the public library and checked out every single book by Carolyn Haywood and Sydney Taylor. I wrote to my favorite writers and asked them for advice.  Their advice was, of course, "write."

And so write I did. I made up stories and cartoons and poems. In third grade, I wrote a series of stories about sisters I called "The Swiss Triplets."  I named the main characters after my best friends, Jackie, Pam, and Gail.  I submitted my stories to American Girl magazine, but they were always rejected.  In fifth grade, inspired by the television show "Eight is Enough" and Sydney Taylor's books, I worked on composing a tale about a large family. My fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Baglieri, read my installments regularly and encouraged me to continue. "Someday," she wrote in my 1976 yearbook, "I want to go to the library and check out a book by Jennie Arlin."

Mrs. Baglieri hasn't seen her wish come true yet, and I'll tell you why. I have always had to earn my own living, and I never figured out how to do so as a fiction writer. My skill at stringing words together ended me up in law school, and though I hated it from the beginning, being a lawyer provided me with a decent paycheck until I became a mother. And when I finally escaped the full-time practice of law and decided to embrace stay-at-home motherhood, there was simply no time to write.

I don't really have much of an excuse now. I still have to practice law on a part-time basis at home, but there should be at least a little time to write creatively, if I really try.

I started this blog a couple of years ago as a first step toward reclaiming my childhood dream. I have an idea for a novel (actually, I have several), but every time I sit down to work on it something else interferes. There's the paying work that has to get done even though I get no pleasure out of it.  And there's the daunting task of keeping house for three teenagers, an overworked husband, and two dogs. In my spare time - I admit it - I usually practice my guitar or read. I should really be spending that time writing. I'm not getting any younger.

I'll admit that I am intimidated by the process of traditional publication. I hear story after story of the novel that took years and years to find a publisher. I don't have years and years. I find the blog platform easy because I can write something quickly, from the heart, and see it published immediately. But this blog doesn't have a lot of readers, so I don't get a lot of feedback. (Frankly, a large chunk of the feedback I get is from disapproving relatives. That doesn't do much to encourage me.)

So there you have it. I am not yet what I want to be. I worry that I never will be. But I feel like I owe it to myself - and to Mrs. Baglieri - to at least try.

Profound Goals

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I did not write in response to yesterday's prompt, and I'll tell you why.  The prompt was to write about "the most profound thing to happen in your life today."  First of all, I generally write early in the morning, because that's the time when I can best concentrate and when I have the fewest distractions. And there is no way I can write about the most profound thing that's happened in my day before my day has even happened yet. By 9:00 yesterday morning, the most profound thing that had happened in my house was the making of a pot of coffee.Secondly, as the day went on, absolutely nothing profound happened. In my town, schools were closed yesterday and the day before for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. We don't celebrate Rosh Hashanah, so the kids slept late yesterday and spent their day relaxing. Someone had a friend stay overnight; someone finished an English paper; and someone did nothing of any moment that I can remember. The weather was bad; in between cloudbursts, high winds caused branches and power lines to fall all over town.  Our neighbors lost power temporarily. My husband worked a normal day; the kids and I went out for lunch. In the evening, the two younger kids saw "Paranorman." (One of them loved it and the other thought it was "creepy.") Nothing out of the ordinary or particularly profound went on here.Today's blog prompt is to list five short-term personal goals.  That's easier because it's more mundane and, for me, doesn't require a lot of thought.  Here are my personal goals:1.  I need to get into better physical shape. You've read about this in this space before and it shouldn't come as a surprise that my sedentary and well-nourished lifestyle have not helped me in this regard.2.  I am attending my first-ever blogging conference this Saturday. I am looking forward to making some new connections and learning how to use Triberr, an online service that increases readership for blogs. I am also nervous about what to wear, how to get there, and whether everyone else in attendance will think I'm a total Luddite amateur. Some of these concerns are legitimate and some are not.3.  I have two memoranda of law and a will that need to be completed by the end of next week. They are all in progress, but I worry that they won't get finished by deadline. (Deadline is, of course, a bad word to use in connection with the drafting of a will, but there it is.)4.  I need to establish some rules about the excessive playing of video games in my household. I'm not a video gamer, so I guess I don't understand how someone can spend an entire day doing nothing else. On the other hand, I'm the mom, and I am entitled for no other reason than that to establish oppressive rules about things I don't understand.5. I need to write more. It would be a good idea to get out in front of the daily prompt situation, so that I don't have to write hasty two-at-a-time posts like this one. I owe at least one thank-you note that I can think of. And maybe I should get around to at least outlining that brilliant novel that lives in my head.In the midst of all this, I need to turn 46 without incident and without getting too depressed about my failure to achieve my short- and long-term goals. With any luck, that will happen next week with as little fanfare as possible.Did anything profound happen to you yesterday? What are your short-term goals for the next couple of weeks?

Desert Island

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Today, my assignment is to tell you which three items I'd want to have with me if I were trapped on a desert island.

I am going to assume, for purposes of this assignment, that people and animals are not eligible to be brought along. By so assuming, I avoid hurting the feelings of (a) the FOUR other people who live in my household, (b) my mom, and (c) Sparky the Wonder Dog. I should note that Sparky would be the most hurt of all if I didn't bring him along - not because he loves desert islands, but because he loves to go on road trips. He doesn't care about the destination; for Sparky, life is all about the journey. He is majorly offended if I so much as go to the supermarket without him.

Anyway, back to my assignment. The first thing I'd like to have with me is my Kindle. I'd finally be able to finish the Fifty Shades trilogy, and because I'd be alone on a desert island, no one would be around to make fun of me for reading it. And without laundry to do, dinner to cook, carpool to drive, or house to clean, I'd finally be able to reread the classics.  My Kindle also has a Scrabble application on it, which would come in handy since I have yet to beat my husband's cousin at that game. With unlimited, uninterrupted time, I'm pretty sure I could eventually bury him with my brilliance.

Second, I'd like to have a solar charger for my Kindle. I assume my reasons for this are obvious.

And third, I'd like to have my knitting bag. If I had the opportunity before being sent off to the island, I'd stuff it with as much yarn and as many different needles as possible. I currently have three baby blankets that need finishing, and I'm three-quarters of the way through the first of a pair of socks. If the island is warm and I need neither blankets nor socks for myself, I'd just knit a big pile of gifts and hang onto them until I got rescued. With any luck, I'd finally have enough time to knit for everyone in my life who deserves it. (That's a lot of people.)

Here's a short list of things I would not bring.

1. Food. Because I watched a lot of Gilligan's Island as a kid, I know that there's a veritable banquet of fruit and fish available on desert islands. Imagine the weight I'd lose if I were deprived of Cheez-Its for the duration of my stay and forced to eat only healthy yummy stuff.

2. Exercise equipment. Because of the lack of snacks, I wouldn't need it.

3. My phone. I'd have a pretty good excuse not to answer it, so why not take advantage and leave it behind?

Finally, if, by some weird glitch, I were actually allowed to bring FOUR things with me, Sparky would probably win. Sorry, Mom.

The World's Most Womanly Laptop

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This summer, a funny little internet phenomenon occurred: the Amazon.com listing for the BIC Cristal "For Her" pen, a pen designed for and marketed to women, gave rise to a slew of satiric comments and reviews praising the pen's ability to meet the "unique writing needs" of women. The sparkly pink pens, designed to fit in "a woman's smaller hands," became a symbol of sexist marketing and a source of endless jokes.

The Cristal pen hilarity was followed, this fall, by a similarly silly set of comments and reviews on the Amazon listing for an Avery Durable 3-ring binder. In the wake of Mitt Romney's now famous debate remark about his "binders full of women," the internet wags reviewed the binders with tongue-in-cheek cheekiness, complaining that the binders did not actually come with women, or that purchasers had difficulty folding themselves or their daughters into the binders.

But the ultimate insult to women was yet to come. On October 19, Fujitsu Limited announced the release of its new "Floral Kiss" brand of personal computers, designed by and intended for the exclusive use of women. Among the features touted in Fujitsu's proud press release are three available colors (Elegant White, Feminine Pink, and Luxury Brown); a top casing equipped with a flip latch that will not break long, lacquered fingernails; pearl- and crystal-adorned buttons and keys; and custom-designed applications that will facilitate such womanly pursuits as diary-writing, digital scrapbooking, and horoscope reading.

An alternative model is offered "in collaboration with the jewelry brand Agate, which is known for its drive to constantly offer stylish new products that reflect the latest trends in women's lifestyles and fashion." The Agate model has a cursive-key font, a unique packaging box, and a lovely little tote bag. It is available in Agate jewelry shops.

I write this blog on a little MacBook that my husband gave me for my birthday last year, shortly after my last laptop died a slow, torturous death. For the same occasion, my friend Derek gave me a gift certificate for an adhesive laptop skin, so my little laptop, I admit, has a pretty, swirly design on its cover. All of its other features, however, are woefully unisex. No pink sparkly buttons for me. The damned thing is all silver, except for the keys, which are a plain old boring - and, now that I think of it, sort of masculine - black.

I had no idea that I needed a female computer. I have been using a personal computer on a daily basis since I was about thirteen years old. The first one I ever used was an Apple II, situated in the computer room of my all-girls' high school. It, too, was designed by and for men, with no thought to the length of its ultimate users' fingernails and, as far as I know, no built-in horoscope software. I and my high-school buddies all lived a pretty privileged life back then, or so we thought; we had no idea how disadvantaged we were at the time, having to use a men's computer for our math homework and our college applications.

I've known for a long time that I am fashion-challenged (as mentioned, I sometimes buy jeans at K-Mart and Kohl's, because those stores carry clothes that fit my circumference), but I really didn't understand the extent to which my lifestyle had been compromised by my lack of womanly computing supplies. For years, I have been drafting all my legal work - motions, briefs, petitions for certiorari - as well as blog posts - on a men's computer. Had my friend Patricia (a gifted artist - here's a shameless plug for her beautiful and clever children's book) not brought the new Fujitsu "Floral Kiss" to my attention, I might never have known that I had other, more suitable options. A mother-of-pearl power switch! A cursive font available at the touch of a button! A cool purse in which to carry my fancy she-machine around! How did I ever survive without such a thing?

As you know by now, women's issues are near and dear to my heart. In this very contentious election season, I have lost at least three Facebook friends because of my "stupid, idiotic, elitist, obsessive" (their words) views about women and their proper place in the world. I clearly need further education on the subject of what is and is not appropriate behavior for women in and out of the home.

Having the right computing equipment should be a good start for me.

P.S. Thank you for supporting me in my CROP Walk on Sunday. The day was gorgeous here in northern New Jersey. My daughter and I walked the course together; we raised over $1000 to fight hunger at home and abroad. Hunger is not a women's issue. It is a human issue. I shall leave the link up on the right for another week or so in case anyone is inspired to make a further donation; in the meantime, please accept my sincerest gratitude. My readers are the best.

Baking a Difference - Today's the Day!

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I apologize for the short post. I'm working against a deadline at my real job, and I need to focus on that right now. But I did say I'd remind you, so here you go.

HEAD OVER TO A HALF BAKED LIFE TODAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT to bid on the delicious treats that I and several other bloggers are baking to benefit the United Way's Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.

I'll tell you a secret. JHL, who is running the auction, says that bakers have only agreed to ship to US addresses. But if you buy one of my items, I will be happy to ship it to you anywhere at my expense. (Be warned, however, that sometimes international packages, even sent express, take forever, and that may impact the freshness of your purchase. I can't guarantee delivery times or freshness outside of the US.)

I was looking at the items this morning, and several of them had bids - but not mine. My self-esteem is flagging. Please at least check the cookies out. Aren't they pretty?

And if you are watching calories, JHL has provided a "donate only" button.

Reentering the Workforce in the 21st Century

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I often have the radio on while I am working around the house, and the station I listen to most often is NPR (National Public Radio). This morning, I folded a few loads of laundry while I listened to the Brian Lehrer Show on NPR. One of Lehrer's guests today was the writer Judith Shulevitz from the New Republic, discussing her article "How Older Parenthood Will Upend American Society." Shulevitz spoke generally about the current trend among parents to start their families later in life than the prior generation did, and what she calls the "scary consequences of the grayest generation." She took calls from listeners who both applauded and took issue with her concerns. It was actually a very interesting program, and I paused over the laundry to listen closely.

There was a time when women were advised to have their children at as young an age as possible, to lessen the possibility of age-related birth defects (which, for a long time, were considered the "responsibility" or "fault" of a mother who waited too long to conceive). My mother, a product of that  time, still thinks that anyone who has children over the age of thirty is an "older" parent. Much of that advice has been left in the rearview mirror, what with the advent of sophisticated prenatal testing and the knowledge that men's age too plays a role in the health of a baby.

But the women who were advised to complete their families in their twenties were part of a generation in which they were not expected, and did not need, to work outside of the home. The education of women and attitudes toward us in the workplace have changed. Most working- and middle-class American women are now expected to enter the workforce and to have a career other than - or in addition to - motherhood.

Shulevitz spoke a little bit about the effect on children, and on society generally, of women who become mothers after they have established careers. She spoke about older grandparents, and difficulty with conception into one's forties, and the now-familiar juggling act women are expected to perform when they have small children at home but nevertheless work full-time in an office, alongside male and childless counterparts.

But the thing she mentioned that really caught my attention was that most women who leave the workforce after a period of being home with their children find it difficult - or impossible - to reenter the workforce after their children are grown. She suggested that employers should provide, as a basic benefit of employment, the opportunity for stay-at-home parents to reenter the workforce at the level at which they left.

This idea struck me as revolutionary (and, to be honest, extremely unlikely). The working world, like it or not, penalizes women for leaving to care for their kids.

I practiced law for ten years before stopping to be a stay-at-home mother to my three. The job I left was a wonderful one in a big firm in Manhattan, and my bosses - the partners at the firm - were kind and accommodating of my needs. But my children had issues that required them to have a parent at home, and, frankly, I wanted to be that parent.

I was home full-time for seven years, and I would have stayed home longer if finances had allowed. But the difficulty of living on one income became overwhelming. I had to go back.

I called my old firm and was told that the job I left had been filled by a man. I sent resumés to dozens of places, only to be told that the seven-year gap in my working history was a major problem. I asked friends and professional associates for help, but I came up empty-handed. I eventually settled on a less-than-entry-level position at another big firm, at a fraction of the pay I had earned before leaving. I worked at that job for two years, while hunting for something better.

I was eventually offered a job that seemed promising: an in-house position at a German-owned company that would allow me to use my language skills and my legal training. The pay wasn't good, but the work as it was described to me seemed challenging, and the benefits would be a great help to my family of five. Unfortunately, when I started there, I discovered that, despite my title of "Attorney," I was actually a secretary to the general counsel. My job responsibilities included taking dictation (which I was terrible at, having had no experience or training), typing and filing, and serving coffee at meetings.

My protests - that I was every bit as educated (and more) than the male boss whose office I dusted and whose plants I watered - fell on deaf ears. I stayed for a year. When I explained to the CEO, on my last day, why I was leaving, he said, "We did bring you in with the promise of being a lawyer again, but we thought that, as a woman with young children, you'd actually prefer the less demanding secretarial work."

I'm home again now, working part-time doing writing projects for my husband's busy criminal law practice. The work is sporadic, and the pay is nonexistent. Our financial issues persist, and now we have college tuition in the short-term future. I don't know what the answer is. As a lawyer, I am virtually unemployable because of a choice I made in 2001 - one that seemed correct at the time.

Ms. Shulevitz's idea of employers offering parents the option to return to the work force after a period of staying at home is a tantalizing one. Imagine if I could have had my old job - or a similar one - back after my hiatus! The seven years I spent at home were hardly wasted time. I served on the board of the local library, approving budgets and drafting resolutions; I led a Girl Scout troop where the lessons and activities were heavy on civics and fund-raising; and I raised three bright, happy, well-adjusted children into their teens, while my husband was able to focus on building his business and his professional reputation.

Surely someone who's done things like that would be a desirable employee and should be welcomed back?

Society talks a lot about the value of women in the workforce, and about jumping through all kinds of hoops to keep them from dropping out. At the same time, we are sent the conflicting message that a woman's highest calling is to be a wife and a mother. Can we raise our own children while still earning a living? Can we take the breaks we need from our professional lives without dooming ourselves to underemployment or lifelong financial struggles? If delaying parenthood to a more financially secure period in our lives is a trend with numerous negative consequences (as Ms. Shulevitz seems to think it is), what are our alternatives?

My Reaction to the Newtown Shootings

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Several people have asked me when I am going to write a post in response to the shootings that occurred on Friday morning at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. My response has been "when I'm ready." But the truth is, I have no idea what to write about it.

I could write about my longstanding opposition to the ownership of assault rifles by civilians, about my disgust with those who insist that their right to bear arms is more important than the lives of little children, or about the movement my husband and I are trying to start to get some intelligent dialogue going about the gun issue. (You may wish to join our community on Facebook, March on Washington for Sensible Gun Laws, to stay in touch until we have a chance to get our permanent website up).

I could write about all those children, administrators, and teachers: the fear and horror they faced that day, the loss of innocent lives for no readily apparent reason, and the community permanently scarred by fear. I could write about the grieving families and their loss, if I could even begin to imagine it. I could write about the nightmares my fifteen-year-old daughter has been having, waking up in the middle of the night screaming, under the impression that someone has cornered her and is trying to kill her. I could tell you about her extreme reluctance to go to school this morning, and the fact that I had to take her out to lunch today because she could not bear to spend her midday free period by herself in the library.

I could even try to cover the broader cultural underpinnings of the disaster. The cowboy mentality of Americans and their guns, the every-man-for-himself society in which we refuse to contribute to other people's health care costs, the bloody and horrific violence that occurs every single day in our large cities and our small towns. People are shot in so-called domestic disputes; in drug deals; in robberies and home invasions; in hospitals, schools, places of worship, in theaters, on street corners. The victims are old, with years of memories stored away, or young, just beginning to experience all the world has to offer.

I could tell you about how my husband got up in church on Sunday morning at announcement time and hollered, at the top of his lungs, about his anger at the situation. About the young mother in the pew in front of me who dashed out in tears. (I found her a moment later in the ladies' room, gave her a hug, and talked with her for a minute before she wiped her eyes and returned to the service with me. I'd sat behind her for years, but I hadn't known until yesterday that she was a teacher.)

I could write about how we have decided to unplug that infernal X-Box thing in our living room, around which teenaged boys have been gathering for weeks without a meaningful break to do other things. Or how about last night at Stew Leonard's, a giant food and garden store in Yonkers, New York, where we'd gone to buy our Christmas tree? A group of rowdy teenagers burst into the store laughing and yelling and singing loudly - just being rowdy teenagers - and we all ducked for cover, terrified at even the slightest noise or disturbance in a public place.

I could write about the anger that has boiled over onto Facebook. The neighbor who scolded me and Sam for setting up the March on Washington page before the customary mourning period in his religious sect had passed. People who suffer from non-violent mental illnesses who took offense at my suggestion that the shooter must have been mentally ill. People who suggested that if we just let God back into our schools, this would not have happened. (Did they not hear about the shooting at the Amish school, or at the Sikh temple? Do they believe in a deity who metes out punishment for having secular schools by murdering our children? Good heavens) I could write about the arguments I've had about the nature of Asperger's syndrome, or why a mother with a troubled child would make automatic weapons available to him in their home.

But I can't really write about any of this. I wouldn't know where to begin. The problem seems so complex and overwhelming to me that I am paralyzed by it. Two thousand people will die in the next year in the United States in gun-related violence unless we act quickly and decisively to change things.

They say that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. (I apologize for the bizarre metaphor, but it's the only appropriate one I can think of at the moment.) What we can do now, in the short term, is tighten up the gun laws. I have always believed, and I still believe, that no American civilian has a need for an assault rifle in his or her home. Those are weapons designed for law enforcement and warfare; they are designed to kill large numbers of people in a small period of time. Let's get them out of the hands of regular citizens. We can do this; Senators Feinstein and Gillibrand are already working hard to get something passed early in Congress's 2013 term. Please support them.

In the mid-range term, we need to do something about the troubled, suicidal loners, mostly men, who commit mass shootings. Whatever their demons - and I admit I know very little about this subject matter - we need to get them help, and fast - before they kill another room full of first graders (or college students, or worshippers, or moviegoers). We need universal healthcare that includes mental health screening and treatment. The small amount you contribute to someone else's care could save countless lives. Stop being selfish, America, and start being forward-looking. Like you used to be.

And in the long term, we need to change the way we view violence as a society. We glorify it. We worship characters like Rambo. We adore movies where some guy dressed in black shoots a room full of people to get revenge for some past wrong. We must stop promoting a violent image of masculinity to our sons. The men we want to raise are thoughtful, intellectual, physically strong, helpful to the weak, and respectful of the rules that hold our society together. We can no longer afford to raise outlaws and problem-makers. We need to raise problem-solvers, cooperators, agents of social change for the better.

I'll probably write more about this as my thoughts settle. But for now, this will have to do.

As we end our Hanukkah celebrations or move toward the beginning of our Christmas celebrations, as we press forward into 2013, our hearts full of grief, may we turn sorrow into action. It is the least we can do in memory of those lost.

A Poem For the Days Before Christmas

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The sky is gray, flattened, putty, for days on end, and we wonder
whether it will always be thus, or whether
spring will come as it always has,
blindingly brilliant, sweater-shedding, flowers rising from the mud.

But for now, we turn on the car's headlights
in mid-afternoon, swipe away the occasional snowflakes,
try to be kind by holding the shop doors
for those laden with packages and secret surprises.

We are not ready. The wrong chords in our heads,
the wrong song in our hearts,
the lack of money sliding smoothly into skipped meals,
skipped gratuities, panic about skipped gifts.

The doors we hold, the hands we hold, the songs we sing,
the hearts we measure, beat by beat, in the ice-laden air
should count for something, and it is that something that we seek
to define, as the year slowly rolls, once more, to a silent close.

Cheesecake

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yet another home delice who share this passion with us sublime recipe for "cheese pie", and we see very well the super softness of the pie, shame it has not a picture of a small part, but I think she has not had a chance to make a photo, so that nothing remained.
For 8 people
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
For the dough:
250 g flour
125 g butter
40 g sugar
1 packet of vanilla sugar
50 ml of milk
salt
For the cheese:
500 g of cheese
100 m of cream
4 eggs
40 g of cornstarch
115 g of sugar
1 packet of vanilla sugar
Decor:
icing sugar
Prepare the dough:
Put 250 g of flour 125 g butter, cut into cubes in a bowl, mix the sand and the hands.
Add 40 g of sugar, vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt
stir, then pour gently kneading, milk. 

Work the dough, roll into a ball and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Spread the dough, and sprinkle a springform pan (high-sided, type cake pan) of 25 cm in diameter, sulfurized paper liners. Prick the pastry with a fork and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 200 ° C.
Prepare the garnish cheesecake:
In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, cream, egg yolks with a whisk.
Then add the cornstarch and sugar.
Beat the egg whites until very stiff with a pinch of salt, and incorporate the mixture of cottage cheese with a spatula, gently lifting the preparation, not to break the egg whites.
Pour the mixture over the dough.
Bake and cook 40 minutes.
At the exit of the oven, wait 5 minutes. Then turn the pan on a rack. And let cool completely, pie, on the grid in reverse.
When the pie is cold. Turn the dish served on and sprinkle with icing sugar.
I hope you enjoy the recipe

The best recipe quiche

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Classic cuisine familly, the quiche can also be broken down into many variations.
Ingredients (4 people):
1 / 4 liters of milk, 1 / 4 of cream, 200 grams of bacon, a pastry, 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks, 120 grams of Emmental and a little salt, pepper and nutmeg .



preparation:
In a bowl pour the milk and cream, stir and then add the eggs and yolks.
Mix well.
In a saucepan pour the bacon and cook.
In a pie plate and gently lay the dough to make holes in it with a fork.
Once the bacon is cooked, spread in pie plate, add (a little) of Emmental.
In the bowl there or there is liquid with the cream ... add a little salt, nutmeg ...
Then pour the mixture into the pan, add the rest of the Emmental on top and bake at 160 ° 35 to 40 minutes depending on the color of the dough if it is enough gold is ready.
I hope this recipe you more!

Behind The Scenes | Emma & Mr. Darcy's Christmas Photo Shoot

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The Christmas Emma Monster is going to get you!

We have never sent out a Christmas card before.  Last year we tried to get a good photo of all of us right after Emma was born, but didn't get it done in time... and our shoot was a big 'fail' (as you might remember from my post) juggling a new baby and the Mister.

You can find Emma's PJ's, here!





But, I always look forward to receiving the cards with perfectly posed "Brooks Brothers" families all gussied up in their sweater vests and patent leather.


It makes me believe that perfect children and families do exist!


For at least one day of the year...


 My baby grooving to the jingle bell rock...


We call this Emma's "Oo-Oo Oo-Oo" dance.


We will be sending out our first Christmas card this year (that I rushed ordered last night at 11pm... of course).


 It is complete with perfect photos of our babies.   The shoot, however, was far from perfect...

 
Far from perfect.  Mostly funny (read : frustrating).  And blurry (which is also frustrating).


And very sweet.  Did I mention blurry?



I ended up with a ton of really fun photos of Emma and Mr. D playing with my "Christmas Morning Under the Christmas Tree" props.  Here they are searching for the TV remotes and tennis balls in the stocking that I hid in there to intrigue them.  So tricky...


Hope you enjoyed our outtakes! 


This was probably the 'perfect' smile... too bad she's not facing the right direction!

Easy DIY Holiday Centerpiece : Pale Pink Amaryllis, Magnolia Leaf & Cedar Flower Arrangement

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For Emma's party I wanted the create a very soft and feminine flower arrangement that would be fitting my soft and feminine little lady.

Just as I designed her invitation (here's the post about the invitation) to just have a glimpse of Christmas, I didn't want the arrangement to be overly "holiday," but I wanted it to be appropriate for the season.  I think it is important to always decorate seasonally - arrangements seem to"fit" better when the seasonality is considered... not to mention flowers that are in season are easier to find and of a higher quality.

I selected these soft pink amaryllis along with magnolia leaf and cedar sprigs.  The arrangement came together very easily.


Here you can see the shiny green and velvety brown magnolia leafs - my favorite.  They are so easy to use and seem to "make" any arrangement I use them in.


Here is the arrangement on the night of the party with the cakes in the center of the table.


Here are the Easy DIY steps.  You can certainly use red amaryllis for a more traditional holiday centerpiece for Christmas.  I think you'll see how easy it is!


Start by placing the cedar sprigs in the vase that is filled with water.  Trim the stems before you put them in so they just drape over the sides.  


Next, insert the amaryllis - I used three stalks that had 3 blooms each.  



Finally, insert the magnolia leaves around the base of the flowers.


Here is the easy-to-pin step-by-step!

My Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining Tips on MyWell-Being.com

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As most of you know, I write a monthly blog for MyWell-Being.com, a site that serves as a "guide to getting started on the path to complete well-being in every aspect of your life—health and money, people and play."  On their site they explain Well-Being as :

Well-being. It’s about so much more than simply being well.

While your health—physical and mental—is a big part of your well-being, it’s only one piece of a much bigger picture.

 Think about the sense of contentment you get from feeling close and connected to family, friends, and your broader community. That’s well-being.

And remember how good it feels to be financially confident? When your career’s in good shape and you’re on top of your savings—that’s well-being, too.

And let’s not forget the lift you get from the time you spend at play, traveling the world, or exploring new—and old—interests. Well-being, again. 

Isn't that great?  Their philosophy of "well-being" is very much in line with my beliefs of "living well" on a daily basis and what I try to inspire you, my readers, to do through entertaining friends and family, creating a warm home or traveling to a relaxing destination.


This month, my MyWell-Being.com post is all about Stress-Free Entertaining for the Holidays.  Here is a small excerpt.  You can read the rest at MyWell-Being.com :

At the beginning of each Holiday season, many of us make the resolution to spend less, rush around less, stress less and give more.  However, even with our good intentions, there are still Holiday dinners to be prepared, gifts to be purchased and parties to attend that seem to fill up our month of joyful celebrations with a list endless obligations.  Even now, as I write this I'm feeling very behind on my own Holiday checklist!

One way to make our Holiday "to-do's" less stressful is to simplify our Holiday Entertaining.  Hosting the perfect family dinner or festive cocktail party this time of year can sometimes seem like a big burden.  Too often, we feel like our homes have to look perfect and the food has to be expensive and elaborate so we can impress our friends and family.  With these high expectations come a lot of stress and not a whole lot of fun...

 Read the rest of the post and my 3 Solutions for Stress-Free Parties at MyWell-Being.com

*Do you remember this tablesetting?  I created it last year!  I think it is the perfect Christmas Morning Brunch table... complete with cookies at each place setting.  Read about the details, here.

Easy, Easy Snowflake Sugar Cookies | Just in time for the snow!

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Is my timing great, or what?



Here are the cookies all stacked up ready for our neighborhood open house tonight... just in time for the snow!  I guess it is a good thing that everyone can just walk home...



These snowflakes are soooo easy to decorate.  If you can make a straight line and sprinkle sprinkles, you're golden.  All you need is a plastic piping bag (you can get one from your bakery at the grocery store) and clear sprinkles... or white, or whatever you can find.





















Here is my recipe for the sugar cookies and icing, and here is the step-by-step for decorating these snowflakes :


1) Bake the cookies
2) Put a layer of white icing all over the cookie.
3) Let it dry and harden for 1+ hours.



Here is the first layer, dried.  


Here is the design I made one most of the cookies.  If you have trouble with straight lines, then you can do dots, which look really cute, too.


Pour sprinkles over...


Shake off.  


 Done.  Look, it is snowing inside, too!


The paperwhites in my kitchen looking out to the snow.

 Emma got in on the fun, too...


With colored sprinkles for her friends at schools and the teachers.  Next up, bath time.


Here is the easy-to-pin strip!

 

Priest's Beef Stew (Papaz Yahnisi)

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Since I haven't posted a new recipe in a while, I wanted to break the silence with a heavily delicious or deliciously heavy one: priest's beef stew or ragout. This succulent ragout recipe comes from the Aegean part of Turkey, and judging by the name, priest--not "yahni" since it is of Persian origin for meat and onion dishes--the dish must be originally Greek. Another clue about its Greek roots is the use of cinnamon. Although it is an indispensable spice in Turkish cooking, cinnamon is used for the most part in desserts, not in savory dishes and most definitely not in stews. But here we go, this stew asks for cinnamon and allspice, and in the end the beef braised for hours with these spices is just fantastic. If you are a meat eater, you will want to write this recipe down.    


serves 4-6, depending on the appetite 2 lb stew beef1 lb pearl onions, peeled (you can use frozen ones, but I really think they don't taste the same)3 tbsp butter1 head of garlic,8-10 cloves, don't panic it's good3 tbsp red wine vinegar or 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar1 can of diced tomatoes or 3 tomatoes, grated1 tsp sugar1 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp allspice, ground1 tsp sugar1 tsp or more salt1 tsp black pepper1/4 c flour 2 c hot waterparsley, finely chopped to garnish
-Place stew beef on a flat surface (a big plate or a tray), sprinkle flour on top, and make sure each piece is coated.-Melt the butter in a stew pot, add stew beef, and on medium heat saute until they are all browned and crispy outside: ~6-7 minutes.-Add pearl onions and garlic and stir for  another 6-7 minutes. At this point flour on the beef might stick to the bottom of the pot, but that's fine. Keep stirring; it'll go away once you add tomatoes and water.-Add diced or grated tomatoes (I always put diced tomatoes in a food processor or a hand blender and pulse 2-3 seconds to have a smoother texture), spices, salt, and boiling water.-Once it bubbles, turn the heat down to low, cover ans simmer for at least 2 hours, and get a beer &  go outside because the delicious smell will drive you crazy. -Serve with rice and/or crusty bread.
I started making papaz yahnisi based on a recipe that I read from a Turkish cookbook back in the day when I didn't have a blog and wasn't careful about my recipe sources. and now I cannot remember the name of the writer or the book. If I remember, I'll definitely cite it. TweetPin It

Emma's Wish List

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Emma's been a good girl this year, so she put together a list for Santa!  Just like my own list, I created it on Pinterest for easy linking.  I added some of our favorite brands - Baby Gap, Noodle & Boo Bath Products, and goodies from Pottery Barn Kids.  And, those Cole Haan driving loafers are the cutest things I've ever seen!  If you have any little girls to buy for, it will give you some great ideas!  I'll be adding more finds throughout the season...

Emma's Wish List

Emma's Room | Soft Pink & Ivory Room with Holiday Touches

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Emma's 1st nursery, as you may recall, was painted powder blue with ivory and charcoal grey accents.  I had full intentions of painting her new room a very similar shade, but something was pulling me in the pink direction...  I guess it was Emma!

Now that we know her sweet little personality, she really seems like a pink girl (as her closet confirms).  I had the room painted Ben Moore Pristine.  It is found amongst the "Whites" and is more of a cream with pink/peach undertones.  In Emma's very small room, the painted walls feed off of each other and enhance the color to feel perfectly pink.  I'm soooo glad we didn't go with a more saturated hue.  A re-paint would definitely be in order.

Walls : Ben Moore Pristine, Flat
Trim : Navajo White, Satin
Ceiling : Bone White at 50%

We kept most of the elements of her first room, including the ivory slipcovered rocker from Pottery Barn Kids.  My Mom made the quilt for me about 6 years ago. 

Emma's little buddies - the lamb from Pottery Barn Kids and the Sheep Blah Blah Doll Mike's mom bought for her during their stay at Blackberry Farm.

The pink dot curtains are from Pottery Barn Kids, as well as her lamb rocking "horse."  I had a Martha Stewart carpet (style : Olana, color : Bone Folder) from the Home Depot cut to fit her room with a 6" border around the room to show the wood floor.   I also had one cut for our bedroom and runners for the and hallway.



Notice the lamb theme still continues... from the blue room to the pink room!



More buddies - Jelly Cat dolls and a Blah Blah rattle.  You might remember this Blah Blah rattle is what originally inspired the room's design... until I changed it.



Lots of baskets filled with toys... my #1 organizational tip for keeping things "neat," although I've given up on trying to make the house look perfect every moment of the day.  The baskets do make picking up really easy... I'm sure there are socks and pj's and who knows what else also stuffed in the basket.  It is the equivalent of "under the bed" cleaning...



We keep a basket of Emma's books by the big chair for story time.


Here is another view of the room that shows her little tree in the dormer.


This was one of the trees that I used for the Home Depot Style Challenge.  I spray painted the urn navajo white to make the trim in her room.

I decorated it with my Hallmark Mary's Angels collection.

Every year it is our family tradition for the God Parents to give their God Children ornaments. 

My Godmother/Aunt Phyllis gave me the Angels - and I still love them.  My Mom officially handed them over to me this year.  

My sister, one of Emma's godparents, has continued the tradition and started giving Emma an angel ornament each year from the same Hallmark collection.

 Emma is checking them out... I think this shot was immediately followed by a dropped ornament.

This is the first one I received - the original "Mary."  I think she looks a little like Emma!




 These Emma photos hang in a line above her rocking chair - all pics from 4 - 6 mos.


We are stilling using the blanket chest as a changing table as we did in her first room.  It will eventually get replaced with a chest of drawers when Emma needs more storage.  Speaking of storage - did I mention that Emma has a giant closet?  In the future, I hope to transform it into a whimsical tiny play room.


I made this memory board to hang above her changing table.  It is covered in the same fabric as her curtains.   DIY to follow!  Her and Mr. Darcy's 2nd set of stockings are hung above the changing table with care...


Speaking of Mr...  he's confused - where all of the toys are that are usually covering the floor!?

If you'd like to tour the rest of our house, visit this link!