Tomato

I don't usually re-read books, but Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle is a worthy exception. The book tells the true story of Kingsolver and her family's yearlong adventure in local eating. I read it cover to cover a few years back; this time I am reading the chapters as they correspond to the current month. The chapter on August is entitled "Life in a Red State" as it mostly focuses on summer tomatoes and how to make them last through the winter. Kingsolver points out that twenty pounds of tomatoes cooks down to 5 jars of sauce, allowing one to both enjoy fresh produce and support local farmers all yearlong. I've never bought twenty pounds of tomatoes at once but have wanted to ever since I first read the book.

My tomato fantasy turned reality at the farmer's market this drizzly morning. One of the vendors was selling twenty five pound boxes for a mere $14! Deb and I picked a box to share, and I spent Elijah's afternoon nap in the kitchen. After peeling and seeding, the tomatoes yielded about 12 cups of puree. I saved three cups for Barbecue Relish (tomorrow's project) and used the rest for tomato sauce.

The sauce won approval from my two favorite critics and I was quite pleased with it as well. Unfortunately, there wasn't all that much left for the freezer. Will have to get my own box next time!

Superfood

Three cheers for meal tickets!! Upon starting my ED rotation, I was handed a fat wad of the precious white slips. I had initially planned to hoard them for future use, but have since started to indulge in Naked Juices. One of my favorites is Red Machine, an infusion of red fruits, ethically sourced bananas, flax and B vitamins. At 25mg of sugar/serving, I do have doubts about the "Superfood" claim. That said, it is chock full of vitamins and so very delicious. Yum.

Tasty little morsel

When Elijah is hungry, I'm happy. Today was a happy day. After polishing off a hearty portion of salmon and fried cauliflower, he peered up from his high chair longingly. His index fingers pressed to his thumbs and his hands anxiously tapped together. "More!? More?!" he pleaded. I gleefully obliged.
When Elijah was a newborn, I couldn't wait to cook for him. I'd see magazine articles about picky-eating toddlers and flip right past them. I was certain that any child of mine would love to eat, especially vegetables. The greener the better. Elijah has since taught me otherwise. Meal times are his opportunity to show me who is boss. Luke warm food is admonished, "Hot! Hot!" If something is not to his liking, he slowly squishes it out of his mouth and then smirks. Anything resembling bread is deemed "Challah!" and readily stuffed into his mouth. Sometimes he refuses to eat altogether. Sometimes he wildly rubs his hands across the tray and sends everything flying. And how he loves his bottle. Though somewhat proficient at drinking from a 'real' cup, he prefers the bottle and hates the sippy cup. He disdainfully pushes it away and demands"Bak! Bak!" (his short-hand way of saying 'bottle' in Hebrew).

Elijah's first phrase was, "All-done! All-done!" Until recently, he would often announce it after eating a bite or two. Thankfully, his appetite has vastly improved in the past weeks. If Elijah could choose his own menu, he'd probably start with a salad of ripe avocado, ruby red grapefruit and a squirt of lime. He'd follow with cubes of tofu, dotted with ketchup and served alongside grilled salmon and chunks of mango. For dessert, he'd have frozen blueberries, several helpings to be sure. Elijah has been a fan of frozen cherries and strawberries for some time, but the blue morsels are a recent and wonderful discovery. After eating them, he has a delightful blue beard and purplish grime under his finger nails for the rest of the day.

Though Elijah is now eating more, "All-done" remains a favorite refrain. Anything that is not to his liking is met with the same protest. Take too long to change his diaper, "All-done!" Strap him into the stroller, "All-done!" A family member was recently playing with him, when he abruptly announced "All-done!" and walked away.

Lovely Sher

Few people know this, but I was married once before. One evening during my junior year at U of I, I invited over some friends to watch the classic noodle western, “Tampopo.” It was on this fateful evening that I met Sher. She arrived at the house with a fondue pot, chocolate and fruit in tow. Needless to say, we hit it off immediately. Senior year I was lucky enough to live with Sher. Ok, so we weren't technically married, but there were times it certainly felt that way. Our relationship was grounded by a shared love of food and we sure ate well that year. I used to wonder if it was possible for me to coexist so happily with anyone else. Thankfully, I met Amiel and now Sher has her own permanent roommate too! A few weeks back, I had the honor of traveling to Arizona for Sher's wedding.

Tim & Sher, looking lovely at their lovely wedding

Last weekend, my two sweeties enjoying breakfast together

Want to see something cute?? Ask Elijah to stick out his tongue.