If the rumors are actually true or not, the more important questions are. What does a man wearing a dress, skirt or tight clothes have to do with being gay? That said, this evening Jeanine and I dined with Maya’s new friend Annabelle and her parents at the Flatbread Co.
My Italian heritage nearly forced me to object on principle.
Did you know that the grown up girls enjoyed bottled beer while their parents got to know ourselves. Jeanine talked me into a vegetable pped pizza featuring beets. Thankfully, I’m quite sure I was persuaded by Jeanine to give it a try and was quite surprised by how yummy the combination was. This is the case. We are all thrilled for him. Within minutes of returning home he concocted a reason to run a solo errand. Contingent on Nico maintaining good grades, we will make available to him our official car for new drivers, the Smart Car. We added another licensed driver to the family this afternoon. However, nicolai, more so than Kyle, worked to obtain his license as long as possible after reaching the legal age. Having a cool salad that felt so nourishing and springlike, brought me hope. Lasagna and casseroles were ugh to eat since none of us were very hungry, and the July heat was oppressive in our third floor condo.
We just couldn’t seem to get enough of it and every week a few arrived, I don’t know if the dish was in vogue or if it was a regional dish.
It was a solitary dish that really appealed to me.
Every night another meal will arrive from a Las Madres family. What I didn’t anticipate was the support this group should become after the birth of my son. Accordingly the weeks after his birth were filled with the aftermath of shock, medical visits and the demands of my other son. With that said, the generosity was uching and after two months we were astounded as the meals just kept coming. Cilantro, asted almonds, sesame seed oil, crunchy romaine, roasted chicken with the skin on, the recipe ingredients varied little and were a symphony of flavors. It is a huge surprise since the ultra sound didn’t pick up the abnormality. Now regarding the aforementioned fact… Every time a Chinese Chicken Salad arrived, I ate it. Anyways, nico was born without his right leg and hip. Actually, I am still suffering with a virus and opted to stay in for the night but did not miss the opportunity to photograph her before she left.
Jeanine attended a fund raising gala for the Concord Conservatory of Music this evening.
Kyle had Hannah over and Maya had her friend Sarinnagh sleeping over.
Jeanine and I are thrilled that our kids and their friends enjoy hanging out chez Calabria and it was nice to come home to this kind of a hotbed of fun after a particularly challenging week in the office. On my drive home from the office I stopped to pick up chips and soda for Nico who was hosting a poker party for his friends this evening. We were starting a brand new life on the West Coast, near high tech Silicon Valley and warm weather. Nonetheless, Kyle and I had instant community, before I knew it. Actually, what a way to become familiar with the position! On January 1, 1994 my husband Carl, my 18 month old son, Kyle, and I, boarded an airplane in Indianapolis, IN and flew west to Santa Clara. I now knew of a vast selection of play options in addition to learning which pediatricians were taking new patients, we met in another park every week, what days the farmers’ markets came to town, and the real pay dirt of the group.
My job for the next 6 months was to entertain an active ddler while incubating a baby.
I loved the prospects of exploring a new place and immediately joined Las Madres, an unique mother and child support group.
Almost any week, By the way I would race to the back page of the paper to check the playground location and times and plan everything else around the Las Madres gathering. Article is both a recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad and the story of Nicolai’s birth. Besides, jeanine received word last week that one of her stories had been accepted for publication by Exceptional Parent magazine. I was called on to provide pictures to accompany the story and had to complete my work quickly as Nico was chomping at the bit to have his dinner. Anyway, please note the outdoor temperature indicated in the lower rightof the in dash displayas I left for work this morning. For example, ignore the fact that I was driving when I ok this photo. Windchill temperatures varied from -20F to -50F. Considering the above said. Noone is making fun of my Mad Bomber hat today. Fifteen years later, my son, Nicolai, just home from soccer, puts in his order for Chinese Chicken Salad.Mom, morrow will you make Chinese Chicken Salad?
I dream about that salad! I was telling the guys about it and they’re coming over morrow night just to eat it. What I am referring to is the nostalgic significance this recipe has for meand indirectly him. For example, it’s wonderful that he’s not asking for pizza or pasta for the thousandth time. He can’t possibly know what this request means for me. I agree. I had an opportunity to introduce Jeanine to my colleagues and to meet their spouses although the music was more conducive to dancing than extended conversations. Remember, my company held its holiday Party this evening at the House of Blues. Basically, dance we did, for around 60 minutes. More than 700 employees and their significant others were treated to passed hors d’oeuvres, fine food, and live music by the band SoHo. Buses carried us from iRobot headquarters to the downtown venue located across the street from Fenway Park. Just think for a moment. What I don’t understand is how this dish had this particular impact on him.
Nico requests this salad regularly. Whenever wondering about the mysterious effects without any experience eating Chinese Chicken Salad and yet he asks for the food that nourished me back from sadness and landed me in my kitchen today. Every woman visits the valley of death when giving birth, and some are lucky enough to return to tell about it. Soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar, my eyes fill with tears, as I mix the dressing of sesame oil. She consequently shared with me what her Mexican grandmother said about childbirth.
Salty mouthful was accompanied by a pang of grief, you might wonder who in their right mind would continue making this dish, Therefore if I ld you that every tangy.
This salad wasn’t the source of grief, it was the sustenance that got me through a hard time.
Chinese Chicken Salad helped me to reckon that. However, I think of the women who supported my family during those post partum days, especially, Julie GutierrezMuegge. On p of this, julie reminded me that I was among the lucky ones. Every time I reckon about Chinese Chicken Salad, I’m brought back to the weeks following my son Nicolai’s birth in July 1994, Santa Clara. While I sat at her kitchen table, she wrote the recipe down for me on a Garfield Post it. Last weekend Maya and Jeanine volunteered at Open Table where food is prepared and served to anyone in need of a meal.
Jeanine brought her sous chef with her as she created a healthy and delicious meal for 100 guests. Jeanine forwarded this photo she received day of all the volunteers. Less than a month in, she has received positive word from Exceptional Parent monthly magazine and the Santa Clara Weekly newspaper. I surprised Jeanine with a bouquet of roses last night in celebration of her first published article. Her New Year’s resolution was to have one of her stories published. Now pay attention please. We received close to another foot of snow today. I am sure that the plow drivers are running out of places to pile the snow. Furthermore, it’s by far the worst winter since we moved to Concord some 7 years ago.