A calm start to the week

So we had a rotten weekend (hence the lack of blog posts). We were actually supposed to be very busy with Rory’s school’s Spring Fair, a leaving party, date night and a birthday party at the carousel. All had to be cancelled because Rory wasn’t feeling too well. A high temperature, a horrid rash, a constant runny nose and barking cough which kept him (and therefore us) awake for most of the night meant we had one grumpy little boy on our hands. We decided that what he needed was quiet and rest. It seemed to work though because he was definitely on the mend by today. However, I still kept it simple by canceling parent and child and enjoying some quiet mummy and Rory time. We had a quiet walk together before heading home for lunch and then he enjoyed a much needed monster nap. In the afternoon we did a spot of food shopping and met up with Lucy and Teddy for some gentle park time. This evening I cooked this warm salad as we all need all the nutrients we can get at the moment. I added fresh french feta because I love cheese, me.

Roasted Peppers, Cauliflower, and Almonds

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeds removed
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle red pepper slices and cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden and tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. In a bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange roasted red peppers and cauliflower on a platter.
4. Top with olives, almonds, and parsley. Drizzle with dressing.

 

 

King of the forest

This morning Rory and I polished off a yummy smoothie (vegan with raw coconut, greens and chai seeds and yes he couldn’t get enough) before meeting up with Jennifer and Saffron and heading to Forest School. Usually Rory heads straight to the mud soup making, but today he enjoyed hanging out with Charlie doing boys work. They rolled logs over for us to sit on, collected some more big sticks to make the tee pee stronger and then made some crowns – one for Charlie and one for Rory. It was soon time to wash hands and enjoy snack and tea (Rory’s favorite) and Rory had five helpings today. Afterwards all of the children followed Jane to do a spot of fishing with big sticks. Rory loved seeing two ducks and a turtle come very close to him but couldn’t understand why they swam away when he splashed them with his stick. Once he was happily wet enough, we headed back to the meadow for circle time songs and rhymes. After a spot of kite flying it was time to go home for long showers and longer naps (both of us). If you’re wondering why I nap so much check out this article that Mel sent (saying I’d obviously like it) and you can see the scientific reasoning, not that I need any. After we woke we enjoyed fresh strawberries and this yummy Ronnybrook yoghurt drink (with lots of probiotics). In the afternoon we met up with Christine, Gracie and Mason and Lora, Oliver and Maeve and headed to the park for a good catch up. We were chatting so much that I didn’t realize how late it was. We power walked home but luckily I had made jacket potatoes which had cooked in the oven whilst we were out. We enjoyed them with avocado and cheese. Rory could not get enough of it. PS As you all know I have a love for potatoes so I’m rather enjoying this article.

The hottest day of the year so far

We’re still easing into the week given that Rory is still on the mend after his horrid weekend cold, O is away again on business and it was the hottest day of the year so far. After music class we headed to the park to meet with Randi and Marlowe and Christine, Gracie and Mason. It was good to catch up. We enjoyed a ‘green’ soup for lunch (lots of broccoli and green beans with potato) before Rory refused to have a nap – boo. Instead we decided to have yummy watermelon and headed back out into the heat for a gentle afternoon at the park. We caught up with Caroline and  Roxanne and Lucy and Teddy before heading home. Since it was so warm I was craving a little summer, easy Italian dish so cooked my trusty favorite summer linguine from Supernatural Everyday. Yummy.

• 2 medium-large zucchini or yellow summer squash, coarsely grated
• Fine-grain sea salt
• 4 ounces whole wheat linguine or other thin pasta
• 4 ounces durum wheat linguine or other thin pasta
• 2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbls unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
• Freshly ground black pepper

Put the zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with a few generous pinches of salt, and let sit over a bowl or in the sink for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in separate pots or sequentially. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, add the linguine, and cook according to the package directions, or until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a little cooking water.

Just before you are ready to eat, heat the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant and the garlic just begins to brown. Squeeze the zucchini between your hands, over the sink, to eliminate any excess liquid and add to the skillet. Cook until tender, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

Add the pasta to the pan and add a little cooking water if the zucchini mixture seems on the dry side. Toss to distribute the zucchini throughout the pasta. Add the butter and cheese and toss again.

Season with salt and black pepper and divide among bowls. Top with more cheese if you like.

Serves 2 -4

 

 

 

Sand and ice cream sandwiches

Rory and I headed off to the shops this morning to pick up some yummy ingredients for supper and the weekend. We popped in to the book store on the way where Rory loves to look at all of the transportation section and makes me read them to him. The day was too nice not to be at the park, so we made a quick stop off at Pirate where the sandpit was incredibly busy. Whilst I prepared lunch, Rory played with his cart. He’s currently very into making things with his cart, using chairs or a broom to make it into a tow truck. Today we was trying to work out how to attach his push cart to the back. In the afternoon we made the most of the beautiful weather by joining Lucy and Teddy and strolling along the river to sandbox village, where the boys played happily all afternoon. We arrived home and I put on some Willy Mason and threw together a delicious and light watermelon, tomato and feta salad. For a Friday night treat we enjoyed salted caramel ice cream sandwiches from Jacques Torres, yummy. 

 

 

Croissants by the river

This morning Rory and I enjoyed freshly baked croissants by the river with that stunning view of Manhattan. Although this age is certainly not all smooth sailing, (This article seems to make so much sense to me) it was so wonderful to see how grown up he was, sitting next to me on the bench just admiring the view and lingering over his breakfast. Afterwards we joined Marji, Gray and Luke on a long walk along the river down to the park where the boys enjoyed playing in cars. In the afternoon we gave Annsley a little birthday gift and whilst she and Rory were at the park I indulged in my new book which is highly addictive stuff. 

 

Daddy comes to Forest School

This morning O took a little time off work to join Rory and I at Forest School. Rory loved showing him our routine (which train we catch, which side of the platform to wait and which exit to use etc.) which made me realise that he really isn’t a baby at all anymore! Rory enjoyed showing the wooden train tracks, making mud soup, the tee-pee, washing hands, snack, flying his kite and knowing all of the songs. It was all incredibly sweet and O loved it. Rory and I both needed a good rest afterwards and in the afternoon headed to the park where we met up with a large group of friends. O is out tonight so I reverted back to my childhood days with a trusty jacket potato with cheese and beans. Delicious. Rory also enjoyed it, but mostly likes the skin which I’m most impressed with as it took me up until the age of 15 to actually eat the most nourishing part of the potato. This evening I used this new soothing balm on his chest and back to aid good sleep. If nothing else it smells divine. Off to enjoy a girly night…

 

 

 

 

 

Mud soup and sweet corn risotto

I can’t tell you what a difference a day makes with Rory. He couldn’t have been more chilled today. I think the slower pace and being more available for him is helping. We started off our day with music class before heading out into the sunshine at the park with Christine, Gracie and Mason. Rory and Gracie discovered some large tree branches that they loved playing with and dragging around. Rory then started making some mud soup. After a two and a half hour nap (yay – he’s back) we enjoyed some delicious strawberries Lora had given us. I had chopped them in half and when Rory took one he correctly noticed that it was a triangle shape – good everyday maths. In the afternoon we headed out for some more gentle park time. I sat on a wall and Rory sat next to me. He spent a lot of time gathering twigs and stones and other bits of mud to continue making mud soup and stirring it. He also enjoyed some small world play in the sand pit with his digger and dump truck, imagining a construction site. We came home and I started on supper. I’m trying to use up lots of my freezer things so didn’t have a lot to play with. I decided on this sweet corn risotto with herbes de provence. Easy to make, with few ingredients (and isn’t making and stirring a risotto terribly relaxing and nourishing for the soul?!) Rory couldn’t get enough of this (he had FIVE helpings). A couple of notes: when making a simple risotto I find it terribly important to use a good quality stock to give it it’s flavor. I also didn’t have parmesan so substituted yummy cream cheese which gave it such a rich, delicious creaminess which thoroughly complemented the sweet corn. For dessert we enjoyed perfectly ripe cherries.

Sweet Corn Risotto with Herbes de Provence

Ingredients
5 cups Rich Chicken Stock or store-bought low-sodium stock
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (or Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
3/4 cup fresh corn (see note, page 53) or frozen, thawed
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, reduce the heat to low, and keep the stock at a low simmer.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Cook the scallions, stirring, just until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, stirring slowly and continuously with a wooden spoon until the grains are opaque and coated in the oil, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and pour in the wine. Cook and stir until all the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Don’t let the rice brown.

Ladle in about 1 cup of the warm stock and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 6 minutes. When almost all the liquid is gone, ladle in another 1/2 cup stock. Keep stirring and adding the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. After the rice has absorbed 2 1/2 cups stock, taste it. The rice should be firm to the bite but creamy. If it is hard, continue to add stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice tastes perfect to you. (You may not need all of the stock.)

Stir in the corn and reduce the heat to very low so the risotto stops simmering. Stir in the butter, cheese, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new toothbrush

We started the week off brilliantly with a lovely long Skype chat with Granny M and Granddad (the best way to start your Monday) and received an email from the gorgeous Mel. All is good the other side of the pond. Rory and I did a few jobs around the house before heading out to the park and meeting Lora, Oliver, Maeve and Marji, Gray and Luke. We enjoyed a healthy salad lunch before nap and then headed out to parent and child class in the afternoon. This evening I introduced Rory’s first electric toothbrush to him. It’s an OralB (like ours) but with Winnie the Pooh on it. He LOVED it and spent a rather long time brushing his pearly whites. sweet.

Give A Thought

Happy Mother’s Day to all my beautiful mummy friends. Thank you for always inspiring me, supporting me, listening to me, laughing with me and loving me through this wonderful roller coaster of an adventure with Rorykins. I had a wonderful day, which started off with a lie in whilst O prepared a yummy brunch (hash with poached egg). I was able to enjoy a lovely long pamper whilst O took Rory out to watch more Spiderman filming from our roof terrace (check out the burning bus scene) and then a beautiful sunny walk along the promenade with my favourite boys with one of my favourite views. I’m also feeling very proud of O and his work colleagues for all of their hard work with the brilliant Every Mother Counts. Below is their ‘Give A Thought‘ campaign for Mother’s Day.

“When it comes to Mother’s Day gifts, moms always say it’s the thought that counts – and they’re right.  So this Mother’s Day, instead of giving flowers or candy, we will encourage people to give something more thoughtful – a thought.

The campaign invites people to choose from over 40 thoughts (some heartfelt, some more quirky) to share with friends and family.  Each thought is accompanied by information about maternal mortality and an invitation to make a donation.”

Spiderman

It was a horrid rainy day but that didn’t perturb Rory’s excitement about watching the filming of Spiderman from our apartment. Initially it was the excitement of the car chase and several chasing police cars but soon enough he spotted a figure on a tow truck dressed in an interesting fashion. We explained that this was Spiderman. Rory is now in love with ‘spied man’ and so we had to watch take after take (luckily it was perfect entertainment on a horrid day). We took a short break to head to Almondine where Rory chose a macaroon as his treat and then headed to the park where we bumped into everyone we knew in the neighbourhood, who were obviously taking advantage of the break in the weather also. We had a lazy afternoon and then snuggled in with flour-less chocolate cake and watched more House of Cards whilst Rory dreamt of ‘Spied man’. We’re becoming obsessed.