I cheated, but they loved it! I rarely, if ever cook with a packet. I did last night and Lana gave my Pantry Party a thumbs up. Can I accept that compliment? I cheated, but I will take it nonetheless as compliments in this kitchen are a rarity.
We are moving. Details and the long story to follow, but right now I am all about starting to get this house in order. I have initiated a game. We are calling it a pantry party. Sounds fab, I know! At the top of the week each of my kids will go to the pantry and select two items. I have to create 4 meals during the week that will each include an item they have selected. My kids did ask if they could start with the M&Ms their aunt bought them. Obviously no one read the rules of the game.
My daughter of course found the one meat influenced item in the pantry.
The less we say about it the better
Make it up as we go along
Feet on the ground, head in the sky
It’s okay, I know nothing’s wrong, nothing
I got plenty of time
You got light in your eyes
And you’re standing here beside me
I love the passing of time
Never for money, always for love
Cover up and say goodnight, say goodnight
Home, is where I want to be
But I guess I’m already there
I come home, she lifted up her wings
I guess that this must be the place
I can’t tell one from the other
I find you, or you find me?
There was a time before we were born
If someone asks, this is where I’ll be, where I’ll be
We drift in and out
Sing into my mouth
Out of all those kinds of people
You got a face with a view
I’m just an animal looking for a home
And share the same space for a minute or two
And you love me till my heart stops
Love me till I’m dead
Eyes that light up
Eyes look through you
Cover up the blank spots
Hit me on the head
…I dragged myself out of bed and forced myself to run. I felt better. I feel better. It´s so simple. Now to remember to keep moving every day.
To be very honest I have been feeling a bit down recently. Today I was writing a guest post for a friend´s blog and I realized that this may be in part to my not getting in many workouts since the start of summer. That is a reality that I must change because I know that exercise has a direct relationship to how I am feeling.
But there is something else. I am feeling very unsettled. We had decided a few months back that we were going to stay here. There wasn´t any reason that made us say Portugal was IT. It was just that none of us felt like leaving. Does that make sense?
I am not exactly sure what it is I am feeling, but unsettled it is. I do not know if we can make this a forever home. But if this isn´t it I am not sure what is. I will tell you I envy my friends who can, ´Let go, and let God´. It´s been a long time since I uttered those words, but I am feeling that I have to let go. Hard thing to do when you are a mommy and you want to make sure YOU are doing right by your kids.
So, if you have any positive vibes to spare, please send them my way. I am fortunate that most my days are happy ones. This doesn´t feel too good and I want it to pass.
I had a thought, and that thought was that it was illegal to publish someone else´s recipes without their permission. I might, just might ask Isa Chandra Moskowitz if I can publish her recipes in Portugusese. She might say yes….if not, then I think my project to share recipes in Portuguese may come to an end before it started.
In the meantime I have cracked into another vegetable cookbook. It´s a beautiful book I discovered in Colorado. I broke a rule there and bought a cookbook that I had not tested. But alas, we live but once.
After finishing off the leftover chick pea soup I roasted some cauliflower in a lemon, paprika and olive ´dressing´. I didn´t love it. But I love that I eat well. And that I feed my body well. I appreciate what transitioning to a mostly plant based diet has done for how I think about meals. A meal does not have to contain meat to be delicious and incredibly filling. Tonight, was once again proof of that.
Eu vou-lhes contar um segredo….Eu adoro a Isa Chandra Moskowitz!
Quem é a Isa Chandra? É uma chefe de comida vegan. Eu não lembro-me como é que eu descobri o site dela, mas desde que descobri ( e da Terry Hope Romero) as receitas dela têm invadido a minha cozinha.
Eu tenho um marido que come carne. Por causo, ele gosta muito de carne, mas ele adora as receitas da Post Punk Kitchen. Parece que cada vez um expermento com uma nova receita ele diz que eu devia lhe servir todas as semanas. Mais do que não a comida é muito saborosa e sempre saudavel. Amanhã vamos traduzir a receita para a Chana Masala.
O meu pai está em Portugal visitar-nos. Ainda é esquisito dizer dessa forma, mas na realidade ele considera os Estados Unidos a sua ‘casa’. Quando ele nos ‘visitou’ pela primeira vez há três anos, ele insistiu que seria a última vez que ele vinha a Portugal. Ele sentia que ele era muito velho para a viagem, e com todos os seus médicos e a sua ‘vida’ nos Estados Unidos fazia mais sentido para ele estar lá. Eu não gostava dessa ideia, mas eu tive que aceitar.
A segunda primavera que estávamos em Portugal eu liguei para o meu pai para lhe dizer que eu ia contratar alguém para me ajudar a plantar um jardim. O Nuno estava muito interessado em agricultura e eu não tinha idéia de por onde começar. Dois dias depois da nossa conversa o meu pai me ligou. Ele disse para eu não contratar ninguém como ele j’a tinha feito uma marcação para viajar para Portugal. Ele vinha para plantar um jardim com seu neto. Essa viagem foi duas vezes mais longo que o primeiro.
Este ano, o meu pai está aqui para dois meses. Isso é em parte porque o meu irmão está aqui agora e meu sobrinho (o filho da minha irmã) estará aqui no final de agosto e meu pai queria estar cá com os dois.
Na semana passada, o meu pai fez os 82 anos. No ano passado, ele evitou festas. Mas este ano ele não apenas concordou com a idea de ter uma festa, mas parecia que queria mesmo celebrar com a sua irmã, a sobrinha e outros familiares & amigos. Há alguns anos atrás nós organizamos uma festa de aniversário do meu filho na nossa casa quando ele estava aqui e ele comentou que parecia que minha mãe estava presente. Ele continua ser um homem apaixonado por sua esposa, embora ela faleceu há 18 anos.
A festa foi um sucesso. Mas antes que terminou, eu fiz um brinde dedicado ao meu pai.
Primeiro tive que agradecer o nosso amigo Joaquim que foi o cozinheiro, e a Ti Evangelina que cozeu o pão, também agradeci todos os convidados que trouxeram frutas, legumes, sumo e vinho. Depois tomei esta oportunidade para agradecer ao meu pai por duas coisas.
Primeiro eu agradeci ao meu pai para nos levar para os Estados Unidos em 1974. Ele tomou um grande risco em levar a sua mulher e os seus 7 filhos a procura de uma nova vida. Ele fez isso com o 4o ano e sem saber inglês, mas com um grande desejo para um melhor futuro para a sua famÃlia. Por causa dele, todos os meus irmãos foram capazes de voltar à escola. Todos, menos eu e a Alzira já tinham sido da escola. As idades deles variaram entre 13-21anos. Os EUA nos deu uma oportunidade que uma famÃlia pobre não facilmente podia ter em Portugal na década de 1970.
Depois eu agradeci o meu pai para a casa onde estávamos a celebrar os anos dele. O meus pais renovaram esta casa na década de 80. Ninguém pensava que era uma boa idéia para construir uma casa tão grande, quando nós só voltávamos cá a cada três anos. Mas é por causa desta casa que veio para passar um ano em Portugal. Um ano que tornou-se em três…e agora onde eu estou a criar os meus filhos. É por causa desta casa que os meus sobrinhos e sobrinhas sentem-se a vontade de vir a Portugal sabendo que eles têm cá casa. É por causa desta casa que os amigos, e até amigos de amigos, têm sido capazes de explorar Portugal de uma aldeia que acolhe todos como se fossem da terra.
Obrigado pai. Qualquer sucesso que tenho tido devo a você e mãe. Para isso estou eternamente grato.
My dad is in Portugal visiting us. It seems silly to say it that way, but he considers the United States his home. Actually, when he ´visited´ us here the first time three years ago, he insisted that it would be the last time he came to Portugal. He felt he was too old for the trek and that with all his doctors and his ´life´ back in the States it just made more sense for him to be there. I didn´t like it, but I accepted it.
The second spring we were here I called him to tell him that I was going to hire someone to help me plant a garden. Nuno was very interested in agriculture and I had no idea where to start. My father called me two days after that conversation and told me not to hire anyone as he had booked his trip and that he was coming for a month to plant a garden with his grandson. That trip was twice as long as the first one. This year my father is here for two months. That is in part because my brother is here now and my nephew (another sibling´s child) will be here at the end on August and my dad wanted to be here for them both.
Last week my father turned 82. In years past he has shied away from parties. But this year he not only agreed to having a party, but he seemed excited at the prospect. A few years back we hosted a birthday party at the house when he was here and he commented that it felt like my mother was present. He is very much a man in love with his wife even though she passed away 18 years ago this month.
The party was a success. But before the guest left, I toasted this man.
After thanking our friend Jack who catered the event, and Ti Evangelina who baked the delicious bread as well as all the guests who brought fruit, veggies, juice and wine I took a minute to thank my dad for two things.
First I thanked him for taking us to the United States in 1974. My dad took a tremendous gamble seeking a new life for himself and his 7 children. He did so with a 4th grade education, no English but a hell of a lot of desire. Because of him all my siblings were able to return to school. Everyone but Alzira and me was already in the workforce. Their ages ranged from 13-21. America gave us an opportunity that a poor family was not afforded in this country in the 1970s.
Then I thanked him for the house where we were celebrating. My parents renovated that house in the 80’s. No one thought it was a good idea back then to build such a big house when we only came back every few years. But it is because of that house that we came to spend a year in Portugal. It is because of that house that my nieces and nephews feel they can come to Portugal whenever and know they have a home. It is because of that house that friends, and even friends of friends, have been able to explore Portugal basing themselves in a village that warmly welcomes everyone.
Thank you daddy. Any success any of us has had we owe to you and mommy and for that I can only be forever grateful.
Ontem foi o primeiro dia de férias de verão sem atividades programadas. Infelizmente a Lana acordou com um vÃrus gastroenterite que a mantinha em casa. Enquanto eu organizei algo para fazer com o Nuno, eu pensei que ele podia-me ajudar a fazer o almoço. Durante o ano escolar, ele tem tantas atividades que é raro que ele pode ajudar a cozinhar. Hoje foi um prazer para nós dois.
Vou incluir a receita da salada de feijão preto. É mesmo uma delicia.
