And many more

This week, we celebrated Amiel's birthday by doing what we do best. On Saturday, we kicked things off with a Steuerman-Kruss breakfast at Walker's Brothers. It's a family favorite which never disappoints. Amiel and I typically start with eggs, rye toast and sliced tomatoes. I like to order some hashbrowns (extra crispy) and a side of cheddar cheese too. After that, we get dessert. A short stack of chocolate chippers for me and Swedish pancakes for Amiel. It sounds like alot, but we do have a growing boy to share with.

On Tuesday, I told Amiel he had to be home by 7:15 for a special dining adventure. He clocked in 2 minutes early and was quickly prompted to switch out of his day clothes and into a black t-shirt and jeans. He knew something was up when I whisked out the leather biker jacket (I usually keep it well hidden amongst our other outwear). We then loaded Elijah into his carseat and headed to Roscoe Village. After driving way west on Belmont, we approached a dimly lit bar with a smattering of motorcycles outside the door. "Where are you taking us?" Amiel hesitated as he unstrapped Elijah from the Britax.

Kuma's Corner is a Chicago institution which I had always wanted to try. It's a heavy metal bar, known for it's cleverly titled hamburgers and peppery fries. An unlikely choice and a real treat. The make-your-own macaroni and cheese was amazing, and the burger (read portabello) choices were mouth-watering. The Lair of the Minatour and Metallica were tempting, but I opted for Neurosis. Who can resist carmelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, cheese and horseradish mayo? Did I mention that the burgers are served on a pretzel roll? Food wise, my only (slight) disappointment were the fries. They were fabulous, but too salty. The music was as bit much too, but everyone was super-nice (and tatooed). It was the first time I'd seen fishnet stockings in a long time. Elijah was completely unfazed by his surroundings and spent the night juggling wrapping paper balls with Daddy. I am already plotting my next visit, but I'll be sure to avoid the need for earplugs and sit outside next time.

On his actual birthday, we picked something on the opposite end of the dining spectrum. Arun's is world-class Thai restaurant whose tasting menu rivals that of Charlie Trotter's (in this diner's opinion). Suffice to say, it was an elegant and heavenly meal. The menu is catered to every diner's particular food preferences, and every course is a feast for the senses. I had to resist the desire to lick my plate on several occasions. Our friends Ron and Dori were perfect dining companions and (forgetting the insane cost) I would have gladly enjoyed the exact same meal for breakfast the following day.

It was a wonderful birthday celebration for a wonderful husband. I'm thinking French Laundry and Waffle House for next year.

Little Sugar River Farm

Amiel and I just returned from a blissful weekend at the Little Sugar River Farm. We clearly needed a vacation. Much of the 130.2 mile ride to Albany, Wisconsin, was spent declaring how beautiful the view (from the interstate) was and how much fun we were already having (sitting in the car). After the sun set, the glow of the city slowly faded and the sky filled with stars. We switched on our "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, and Amiel made fun of my fumbling to turn on the brights. After twisting and turning down a dozen country roads, we finally found a gravel driveway with a perfect little house at the end. We were greeted by our gracious host (Frank) and escorted inside for cheese, home-grown tomatoes and Spotted Cow beer. Frank had the lights dimmed down and a mix of low-key tunes playing. It was just perfect.

Frank lent Amiel a guitar for the weekend

This is a view from the interstate. We pulled over to the shoulder, and I poked out of the sunroof while the cars whizzed by.

The guesthouse itself is a gem. The wood floors and furniture were gorgeous. My favorite feature is the lighting. There are an abundance of windows and the natural light pours in. In the night-time, virtually every light is on a dimmer and there are little reading lamps in all the right places.

I love this shot of a neighboring farm. I think it would be fun to have an old barn for hosting big parties and sleepovers.
I was particularly curious about the carefree tendrils swishing outside the house. They looked like dill gone wild, but we learned that they are actually asparagus.

I loved sitting on our porch swing and watching the prairie grasses sway in the wind.
It was fun to just wander in the fields. We could pick whatever we wanted to eat or cook. These zucchini blossoms caught my attention, but they were too pretty to disturb.
On Saturday, we stopped by New Glarus for a Swiss-inspired lunch and bakery treats. We then drove on to Mineral Point to poke around the art galleries. We found an old area of town called Shake Rag Alley (named for the miner's wives who shook dish towels at mealtime). We had fun poking around the old buildings and gardens.

Before leaving Mineral Point, we stopped at the Brewery for an excellent dinner. En route to the farm, we were chattering away and got a wee bit lost. After stopping for directions (and an explanation of cow chip throwing), we eventually made our way back to Albany. Unfortunately this entailed a U-turn which was prompty followed by the all-too-familiar-flashing lights of a squad car. The cop greeted us casually from his vehicle. We excitedly explained that we had gotten lost, but had finally found our way. He said that was fine but U-turns are illegal on a highway. We apologized and he miraculous let us go without so much as a warning.
In addition to produce, the farm is full of beautiful flowers and industrious bees. Frank is a beekeeper; and we had a big jar of honey waiting for us in the pantry, perfect for spreading on toast or savoring by the spoonful.Zinnias have always been one of my favorites. I love the vibrant pinks and happy oranges.

A pretty garlic blossom
Frank with his dogs, Juneau (with Frank) and Tiva (in front). One night, Frank cooked us a gourmet meal fresh from the fields; corn chowder, grilled salmon, roasted potatoes, cucumber-dill salad and homemade strawberry ice-cream. Amiel deemed the ice-cream orgasmic, and everything was so amazing that I couldn't even pick a favorite. On Sunday, we took a leisurely bike ride down the Sugar River bike trail.
A highlight of the trip was enjoying farm fresh eggs. The night we arrived, Frank took us to the chicken coop to collect eggs for the next morning's breakfast. A view of the guest house from the fields. We were sad to leave and can't wait to go back.

Sunny days

Doda Gilie found this great little car for Elijah. He loves driving (and pushing) it up and down the Castlewood sidewalk.

Sweet Sabba

Sabba's 87th birthday bash was a huge success! We danced to fabulous Jamaican music, and a tasty spread was served up in the new Kruss kitchen. Friends came from all over, and sweet Sabba was all smiles.

Double trouble

When Elijah was first born, I remember proudly parading him around the neighborhood in his little black pram. Strangers would smile approvingly as we passed, and I would feel the teensiest bit sorry for other parents. Their kids were cute, but Elijah was gorgeous! Ok, fine, I still think Elijah is gorgeous, and I still assume those looks are pure admiration and unrelated to our sidewalk monopolizing tendencies. Last week's ratio of "what a cute kid" to "get out of my way" was the highest on record. I was watching my friend's son Peter and the two toe-heads certainly attracted attention. Peter and Elijah are just over a year apart, and I think a lot of those smiles were the "better you than me" kind. We stopped by Stella's for brunch, and the parents at the table beside us look visibly relieved when I explained that both children were not mine. As for onlookers encountered on our walk, I just beamed at anyone who looked our way. It felt like a ruse, but that was part of the fun.

Summer snapshots

Clark Avenue at dusk

Lili and Auntie Deba at the playground

Lili and Peter chillin'

Adin helps feed Lili

Dancing at Millenium Park's kids' concert

Na'ama, Ori, Orly and Yael at the famous "Bean"

Lili romping in the fountain

Lili at the Millenium Park Kid's Tent

Shelly and Savta enjoying delicious Max and Benny's bagels

Talia and Amiel enjoying Israeli pickles!

Neal, Adin, Elijah and me walking down Harvest Lane (photo courtesy of Clarissa)

Two in October

With Elijah's second birthday around the corner, I am starting to garner odd looks when I report his age in months. As any parent of a toddler can tell you, the diffence between 1 1/2 and 2 is a big one. That said, I suppose it is just as well to say "he'll be two in October." It seems to limit the confusion and it's fun to start thinking about his upcoming birthday! I've yet to make party plans, but I'm considering a Halloween theme this year. October 30th is a perfect birthday. His birthday bashes won't be perpetually interupted by tricker-treaters, but he'll always have an excuse to throw a kick-ass costume party.

Now that Elijah is almost two, he is starting to use two (and three!) word sentences. The first and third word are invariably "more" and "please." Our days are peppered with sweet requests. "More cheese please?" and "More book please?" His earnest "thank you" makes me melt. He recently started to repeat me when I say, "I love you." Just precious. Elijah's mastery of multisyllabic words is also coming along. Some of my favorites include "underdog," "bicycle" and "butterfly."

Elijah and Sabba

Elijah loves to sing and some of his favorite songs include "B-I-N-G-O," "Twinkle-twinkle" and the "Sha-na-na-na" goodbye song. He continues to enjoy the "Sh'ma" and doesn't hesitate to belt it out at random times throughout the day.

Elijah and Jacob make funny faces

Garbage is of particular interest to Elijah. He has always been the investigative type, searching about for small objects and presenting them to me with bright eyes. He has recently come to realize that some of his discoveries are fated for the nearest trash receptacle, and he is eager to help them achieve their destiny. I'm impressed at how accurately he is able to discern what is actually garbage. During a recent walk to the park, he recruited another little boy to pick up all the bottle-tops, paper-scraps and other unsavory objects in sight. Despite an abundance of rocks, sticks, bark and other plant-matter, he never did throw away something that belonged outside. Pretty clever little guy.

I don't know how this didn't come up before, but I must mention Elijah's love of stuffed animals. For his first year and half, they were of little (if any) interest, but Elijah is now very tight with his posse of fuzzy critters. It is not uncommon to see Elijah walking around the house with 4+ animals somehow stuffed between his little arms. His favorites are Blue Doggy aka Doggy (pictured above with Elijah and Karen) and Blue Hippo aka Hop-oh. If they aren't in his crib at bed/naptime, he is sure to request them. He then gives them a big hug before curling up to sleep. I love to peek into his room and watch him snuggled up with a stuffy to his chest. So far, he has been very cooperative about letting them "take a nap" in his crib whenever we leave the house. Am hoping he'll continue to go along with this; otherwise I'll have to consider embedding them with some sort of GPS device.

Zucchini bread

The abundance of fabulous summer produce has inspired me to spend much of my free time in the kitchen. I've been trying all sorts of new recipes and whipping up some old favorites like this zucchini bread recipe from Auntie Syl. Since it makes two loaves, there is always enough to share with a friend (or slice up and freeze).

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 cups grated zucchini

3 cups flour

{I use 2 cups regular and 1 cup whole wheat}

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

chopped nuts {optional}

Beat eggs and add in sugar, oil and zucchini. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix wet and dry ingredients. Pour into 2 greased pans and bake at 325 for one hour.

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Do try it, you won't be sorry. I love simple recipes, but I occasionally attempt something complicated. A few nights ago, I made a sweet and spicy seasoning paste from one of my Rick Bayless texts. The recipe called for toasting dried ancho chiles, grinding whole spices and straining the whole mixture through a fine mesh sieve. It's a bit time consuming, but it felt like an exotic adventure to me. I mixed the paste with a bit of balsamic vinegar and slathered it on piece of salmon for broiling. Served alongside some cilantro rice and roasted veggies, the food looked and tasted pretty impressive. Pretty impressive, until dessert. I sliced a mango and plunked the happy yellow pieces onto a couple saucers. That was about it. The fruit was sweet, a tiny bit tart and slightly nutty. A perfect mango. There's just no competing with mango perfection.

Fourth of July

I love holiday weekends. Our Independence Day festivities started out with a trip to our neighborhood McDonald's. As always, it was quite amusing to watch Amiel place an order with the cashier. The numbered meal-deals don't fit our specific dining needs; Amiel and the poor kid behind the counter inevitably end up confused. Ronald has yet to start offering vegetarian sausage, so I brought my own and enjoyed a tasty Sausage McMuffin with egg. The hotcakes were pretty disappointing, so we made our own chocolate-chip banana pancakes the next morning.

They're lovin' it

"Sausage" McMuffin with Egg

After Elijah's nap, we headed to the beach for a picnic with friends Mike, Marina and Max.

Happy Fourth of July!

Short but sweet

Elijah and I just returned from visiting my Grandma Doris in Boca Raton. My sister, Deborah, joined us, and I must admit that having her there was a huge bonus. In addition to her entertainingly crude company, she was a huge help with Elijah and a fun people watching companion at the airport. Though shy at first, Elijah quickly warmed up to his great-grandma and was soon running around the house exclaiming "Gigi! Gigi!" Other trip highlights included: seeing Cousin Sheryl and meeting her darling baby, piling into Grandma's bed with Deb and Elijah every morning, eating at Aunt Susan's house where the food always rocks, splashing in the pool with Deb and Elijah, and staying up late to eat pie and watch movies with Grandma.

Deborah, Hannah, Elijah and Sheryl
Grandma Doris on the patio
Elijah and Deb snuggle poolside

I once read that swaddling your toddler is a sign you are ready for more children. Don't know about that, but there is something very cozy about wrapping up Elijah in a big, fluffy beach towel.