CityMama™

Close Up Kitty Cat

Close up kitty cat
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Happy Halloween!

Love,
Wallie

Countercultural parenting and an open letter to Palo Alto teens

In the last six months, there have been four teen suicides in my town. All of them took their lives by putting themselves in the path of an oncoming train. All at the same railroad crossing. All of them students at the the same high school. The youngest was an incoming freshman. The oldest was headed to NYU.

The city has gated off the train tracks. They have hacked down the oleander bushes which, in the past, have given shelter to these teens as they contemplate suicide. For weeks after each suicide, Palo Alto police officers have staked out the tracks. And soon, they are gone, and another teen dies.

Let's Meal Plan Together for 10/26/09

Vegetable soup au pistou.  Last night's dinner. 

I'm back in the swing of cooking after about a week off of eating dinners out to celebrate my 40th.  Last night I was craving simplicity and made a delicious vegetable soup using marrow-rich beef shank bones as the base for the broth which I cooked in the oven for about 5 hours (look how clear the broth is--that's the beauty of the oven method.)  I added in loads of green veggies from the farmer's market: kale, cabbage, celery, zucchini, green beans, as well as garlic,  carrots and waxy potatoes.  I cooked some pasta separately and added those to the soup just before serving and it was topped with a zingy basil-garlic-pecorino Romano "pistou."  And it was yum.

Since I made about a gallon of soup, it will be repurposed tonight. I'm going to add some tomatoes and some sausage, some beans and some small pasta, and it will be minestrone.  What are you making this week?  Please let me know in the comments!

• Monday--Minestrone and salad
• Tuesday--Chicken and merguez sausage tagine with dried apricots, prunes and thyme, cous cous
• Wednesday--Omelettes and tomato- and garlic-rubbed toasted baguette (breakfast for dinner)
• Thursday--Saucisse de Toulouse with white beans, salad
• Friday--Dinner out, I think
• Saturday (Halloween)--Bunny has requested pumpkin soup and so my little Cleopatra shall have it
• Sunday--The month-long (or at least until Thanksgiving) "mostly vegan" challenge begins.  Maybe grilled portabello burgers...going to spend the week poring over my vegan cookbooks, of which I have surprisingly many.

Sunday also begins my most favorite time of the year--the holidays. I spend the entire month of November thinking about, mulling over, and eventually planning a special Thanksgiving meal. Even if we spend it away from home, I always cook a Thanksgiving dinner at some point over the weekend anyway.  I just have to do it because in the end, we like our own turkey, gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes best, don't we?  Are you thinking about Thanksgiving, too?  If you are, I won't think you are weird. Kindred spirit, here.

Things I Love: Fresh flowers in the house

File this under: "Things That Bring Happiness to Your Life:"

I love flowers, all kinds of flowers, and I love to have them everywhere in the house.  They are not something I have ever bought regularly--usually with my market budget, I'd rather spend the money on things we can eat, but when I am feeling flush, (and when my favorite peonies are in season) I buy flowers. Then I bring them home and wonder why I don't buy them more (or just grow pots and pots of them on my patio).

I also love to send flowers for birthdays and holidays. I've sent Thanksgiving centerpieces to family and friends or cute arrangements that friends can place on their buffets for their holiday open houses...I love to send as much as I love to receive. Who doesn't love flowers

Recently I was contacted by floral company Jackmans.com.  This small floral company has been around since 1908 and I can personally attest to the fact that their bouquets are beautiful. They generously sent me two bouquets (free of charge) last weekend for my 40th birthday—one dramatic, one very sweet and cheery—and a week later, they still look really nice.

I wanted to wait a week before writing about them because sometimes delivered arrangements can start to look sad after a few days, but not these. Definitely not. They look wonderful. The local florist they used to fulfill the order used impeccably fresh flowers that still look perky 7 days later. (And a bonus for me, the florist just happened to be the same one we used for our wedding.)  I wouldn't be gushing if the flowers weren't impeccable (said Ms. Pickypants), but don't take my word for it:

 

 

Pretty, right?

If you'd like to order some plants or flowers, use coupon code "BLOGGER" for 15% off delivery anywhere in North America.  Enjoy!

Green Goddess Dressing [I love it so much I could marry it.]

Do people even know what Green Goddess is anymore?  I wonder.  I want to start a Green Goddess revival, beginning with my own kids who LOVE it.  It's 2 good 2 B 4gotten, people.

Green Goddess has to be my favorite salad dressing of all time.  Growing up it was a dressing we had often, and as a result, my siblings and I share a deep and abiding love of this dressing. It has a little something for everyone: the earthiness of anchovies, the bite of fresh garlic, the grassy tarragon, and the zing from green onions. It's sharp and assertive and I think that's why it marries so well with tender, sweet leafy greens.

It's excellent on butter lettuce--it's like the two were meant for each other--but it's also a great medium for a chunky chicken salad which is accompanied by sliced tomatoes and avocado. Or a shrimp or crab salad. Or as a dip for crudité.

I use the Joy of Cooking's recipe as my jumping off point.  Instead of tarragon vinegar, though, I use lots of fresh tarragon.

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

Use only Best Foods/Hellman's mayo (or light mayo) for this.  (Note: Don't use the new olive oil-flavored mayonnaise "dressing."  I tried it and it ruined my Green Goddess dressing. Pleh. Trust me on this.)

Makes enough for several salads.  Keeps for about a week.

Dump the following into your blender (or use a stick blender) and whiz until green and creamy. It should contain darker green flecks from the herbs.

• 1 cup of Best Foods/Hellman's mayo
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 2 smashed garlic cloves
• 3 anchovy fillets (the kind packed in olive oil)
• a handful of chopped green onions (or chives)
• a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 bunch of chopped fresh tarragon, leaves only
• 2 tbsps of white wine or champagne vinegar
• a pinch of lemon zest
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Let sit in fridge at least an hour before serving.

Let's Meal Plan Together for 10/19/09

I haven't been meal planning much this month since my mom is visiting.  When she's here I get a break from cooking as we go out to dinner or over to her house (she lives here and in Hawaii).  It's great because we get to try new places but it also means I don't grocery shop so the cupboards are bare and I am scraping together school snacks and lunches.

Also adding to the mix this week is that two of my mom's best girlfriends and visiting, it's my 40th birthday week, and we have a funeral to attend.  There's too much going on this week for meal planning, but I'd love to know what you are cooking so I can resume my planning in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I have some fall recipes posted at my Cooking Mama column on Delish.com that I'd love for you to check out.  If you don't see recipes here, you can always check over there for good stuff to cook.  This week I'm sharing recipes for beef with red wine, steamed fish, and ravioli with butternut squash.  A little something for everyone.

Lastly, as we approach the holidays, I am thinking of doing a month's-worth of vegan (or as close to vegan as possible) eating and dining. I received a copy of Tal Ronnen's new cookbook in the mail and I'm beyond inspired by the recipes and photos included in it.  I accepted it out of curiosity, and frankly wasn't expecting to like it because you hear the words "Oprah cook" and think "gimmicky," but boy was I wrong.  It's called The Conscious Cook and what I love about it (vegans close your eyes) is that many of the recipes seem really earthy and "meaty." He uses bold flavors and treats veggies as if they were heartier proteins (like meat), but still maintains their integrity. It's not gimmicky or preachy, and he even notes recipes that are good for people transitioning to veganism.  It's just a good, solid cookbook that you should add to your library especially if you are an adventurous cook who loves veggies.  I highly recommend it.*

Anyway, if you've been thinking of eating cleaner for the holidays let me know.  I'd love to do the vegan challenge with friends.

I look forward to seeing your meal plans, especially now that it seems like fall is here for good.

*Note, I did receive the cookbook for free, but was not compensated in any way for this brief mention.

Second grade is when you learn just how big your heart is, and Bunny, yours is SO BIG

Bunny has had a rough transition to second grade. The first month of school was brutal in the worst ways that transitions can be, but now that we're two months in, things are finally starting to settle.

It started with Bunny being upset that I picked up Wallie from kindergarten at noon, right when Bunny's class gets out for lunch recess. She'd see me walking away with her sister and felt like she was being left behind. I had to reassure her that we weren't partying it up without her while she was at school.  I explained over and over again that we went home for lunch, maybe ran some errands, then came right back to school to pick her up.

She'd cry and cling to me and I kept trying to make the transition as quick as possible so that she could get back to the play ground and her friends, but it was a mess. Parents would stop me and say, "Bunny is over at the playground fence. I think she wants to say 'hi'."  And I'd grit my teeth and sigh, "I know. I see her." We'd walk over and Bunny would melt and whine that she wanted to go home. I would give her a kiss and hug and tell her that I'd see her soon and walk away trying not to look behind me.

Hipster owls that arrive in the mail

When I first started blogging about how "hipster owls" are this year's sparrows/robins/diving swallows, it was kind of a joke.

I started picking them up at thrift stores and antique fairs and posting about them, and then next thing I know people are sending them to me in the mail. People like the fabulous Amelia Sprout who also sent along a jar of her homemade tomato-ginger jam which is totally boss on double-cream brie spread on a cracker.

Check out these cuties:

And when I saw these note cards on Tiny Prints, I knew they had to come home to me. Thankfully I had a gift certificate* to burn.  Seriously, people. I mean, seriously:

 

Now, who wants a letter?

*Tiny Prints is a Clever Girls Collective client.

Blogalicious '09: Wish I could just bottle up this feeling and take it with me everywhere

I've been busy for the past couple of weeks getting ready to attend the Blogalicious Conference in Atlanta. My company, Clever Girls Collective, was an official sponsor and hosted one of the parties which was such a blast! (More on that in another post!)

Swag bags in the Clever Girls Suite--We match the swank decor!

When I first heard about Blogalicious, I knew I wanted to attend, but to be able to be there as a partner--to help to support the efforts of Justices Jones, Fergie and Ny--was a distinct honor. Their vision became a reality last weekend and every aspect of the conference, down to the very last detail, was a reflection of their grace, wisdom, community-building skills, and, most importantly, welcoming and generous spirit.

Panel session on social media basics

I made new friends that I can't wait to see again.

My soul was filled by seeing old friends and being able to just bask in their presence without feeling hurried or rushed or interrupted.

I saw incredible beauty. Everywhere.

I shared smiles that I will remember for a long, long time.

I had inspiring conversations with so many women that my brain hasn't stopped spinning long enough yet for me to process (and act upon) everything I heard.

I delivered opening remarks about where we've come since 2007 when a marketer famously told me regarding reaching out to women of color, "We just don't know what to do with you" to an audience empowered to foment change. (The take-away after this weekend: Look out, marketers.)

I witnessed the generosity and camaraderie that make small women's conferences so great and can't stop thinking that niche conferences are the way to go.

For a weekend, I was immersed in a world that felt right and real and like home and I can't wait for next year.

Women bloggers of color: How are we doing?

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I will leave for the Blogalicious conference in Atlanta. It's a conference for women bloggers of color (though certainly not exclusive to that demo), and I say, "It's about time."

Thinking, writing, and speaking about being a blogger of color is something I've done a lot of over the years (posts are collected here).  It began back in 2006 at BlogHer Chicago, continued the following year when I participated in a panel discussion about marketing to bloggers of color at BlogHer Business and this year at BlogHer I was on a "room of your own" panel discussion about marketing to bloggers of color, and I heard from lots of you that you liked that panel very much.

In just a couple of days, I will be delivering the opening remarks at the Blogalicious conference and I want to know, "Where are we?" and "How are we doing?"

I've heard a lot of opinions over the years about how to reach women of color (or how not to when, in 2006, one marketer infamously told me, "We just don't know what to do with you."), but I want to know how you feel about it.

Do you want to be pitched to differently--and by differently I mean marketers taking the time to notice your cultural perspective when contacting you?

Would you like your like blog title--if it references a particular cultural or potentially racially identifiable term (like Kimchi, for example)--to not scare marketers away?

How do you handle the pitches that are way-of-base? (the smart and gorgeous Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks famously tells the story of being pitched for hair clips...she has a beautiful head of hair that, well, just isn't right for those clips.)

Do you think about any of this or are you too busy sharing your stories?

I ask these questions sensitively and with the understanding that it's not about receiving yet another pitch or another sample. That isn't the point (or, if you are a review blogger of color, perhaps it is). The point is diversity and inclusion. We all know that big agencies have an African-American or Hispanic or Asian department. And then there are the agencies that specialize in marketing to one particular demographic. Have you heard from them?

The point I'm trying to make here is do marketers value diversity, and if so, in your opinion, are they doing an effective job of seeking it out?  And, most importantly, if they value and want to seek it out but don't know how--are they asking for help?

I'm on the side of wanting to provide that help.  If you feel the same--and, hey, especially if you feel differently--I'd love to hear from you.

So I ask you, my sister bloggers of color: How we doin' out there?

PS If you will be at Blogalicious, please let me know! I'd love to meet you.