Missing Rick and Life is Fragile

The kids and I have been out of town for 9 days. We came home tonight, and it feels good to be back in our home with Rick. Before I left town, I told a friend of mine that I really don't like going on vacation without Rick. When we lived in Buffalo and now that we live in NYC, it is common for moms to leave town with the kids while the dads stay home and work. We live far away from grandparents in the west, so I understand why so many families do this during the summer. I don't have the luxury to take off for a long period of time, because I also have a job. I am impressed with the moms who do make these long summer trips happen, because I get to a point when it is really tough for me to be gone without my husband. As I explained this to my friend, she was quick to realize that Rick must be a big help to me. He really is. I am so glad to be back home with him.

Rick is a wonderful husband and father. He likes to play with the kids, and he likes to challenge them to try new things. He is the one who taught Caleb how to spell his name, and he taught Natalie how to give high fives. While we were gone, he cleaned our apartment. I hate to admit this, but it was probably the cleanest it has ever been since we have lived here. It looked awesome. There are many times when I think, I am so lucky to be married to him.

Rick is generally a positive guy. He has not cried since he was 12 (or maybe younger). So you guessed it, I have never seen him cry. I am the opposite in the emotional department. I've been known to cry at small things, like if our kids start acting up. Since Rick shows emotion differently than me, it is tough to know if something really bothers him.

Tonight when Rick picked us up from the airport, he told me that he had some bad news. Rick only shares bad news if it really is bad, so I knew this was serious. He told me that his friend from high school, Mike McCullough, had passed away in a scuba diving accident. Wow. We talked about it for a little while, but I think I was mostly in shock. I had known Mike while Rick and I were dating. He came to our wedding, and we would run into him every other Christmas in WA. I didn't really know what Rick thought about all of this.

We came home. He watched Natalie wobble around the room and rediscover the toys she hadn't seen in 9 days. He helped Caleb get ready for bed by reading him a story and brushing his teeth. And then, when the kids were mostly in bed...I mean mostly because their time schedules were so off that they were not falling asleep. Rick checked out some facebook posts and some blog posts about Mike. He tried calling Mike's parents. We laid in bed talking about what had happened. That's when I realized that most of the night his mind was back in high school remembering Mike. I think Mike's death has affected him more than any other death he has known. Maybe it is because Mike was so young with a young family. Maybe it is because Rick wished he had been in better touch with his old friends. But, I think mostly it is because Rick had a relationship with Mike at a crucial point in his life. Adolescence is a crucial time, and I think Mike helped shape Rick into the person he is today.

We will miss you Mike, and we pray for your family. We are so grateful for the gospel and the knowledge that life goes on after we die.

Quinoa Pilaf & Sweet Potato Fries

Here are two more recipes I tried that I liked. The Quinoa Pilaf was super yummy. I will definitely make it again. It is even great chilled. Can I say that I LOVE QUINOA! The sweet potato fries were pretty good. I wish I could get them a little bit more crispy, but they still tasted great. The avocado dip was also super yummy...a little spicy, but not bad.

Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/quinoa-pilaf-with-pine-nuts-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

Put the broth and quinoa in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove nuts from pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the same skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, onions, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Per Serving:

Calories 180; Total Fat 8 g; (Sat Fat 1 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 3 g) ; Protein 6 g; Carb 23 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 30 mg

Sweet Potato Oven Fries with Avocado Dip

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ingrid-hoffmann/sweet-potato-oven-fries-with-avocado-dip-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Fries:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut into 4-inch long and 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick fries
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Coarse ground rock salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Avocado Dip, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and toss with olive oil until the sweet potatoes are coated. Add the paprika, chili powder, coriander, salt, and pepper; toss to distribute evenly.

Arrange the coated fries in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes on the lower rack until the sweet potatoes soften. Transfer the pan to the upper rack of the oven and bake 10 minutes longer, until fries are crispy. Serve with Avocado Dip.

Avocado Dip:

• 1 avocado, see Cook's Note*
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped.
• 2 scallions, white and light green part only, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the avocado, mayonnaise, cream cheese, jalapeno, scallions, and lime juice into a blender or small food processor. Blend for 1 minute or until you have a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve as a dip for the Sweet Potato Oven Fries.

* Cook's Note: We find that Hass avocados make the smoothest and best tasting Avocado dip.

Watch out for flying shoes and Toddler Blues

Just in case some of you are worried about my kids being too amazing, here is the post to bring them back to reality.

Caleb recently was promoted to a big boy car seat. He is now buckled into a booster with a regular seat belt. It didn't take him long to discover that he has a little bit more freedom in this new arrangement. Which is why we now use the child lock on the car doors. I am quickly learning that it is also important for me to make sure his seat belt is in a locked tight position - you know when you have to pull the belt all the way out and let it release so it is super tight. Well, he hates it when I do that. After I did that today, he got so angry. He chanted "Your a bad mom" over and over again. Then he proceeded to take off his shoes and throw them at me in the car. Lucky for me he has poor aim. In fact, the shoes kept hitting the seat in front of him and bouncing back to him (which was kind of funny, but I didn't laugh).

During his chanting and ranting, I wondered what can I do to keep my cool and teach him a lesson. Isn't that the greatest challenge in parenting? I tried rationalizing with him, which did not work. He was too angry to be rational. What seemed to work the best was to test him on our "House Rules". I asked him which rules he was breaking. Despite his irrational behavior, he was able to tell me some of the rules he was breaking. Sigh of relief, we had a little bit of a break through. I really can't say it was a complete turn around in his behavior, but it was a start.

Maybe Caleb's tendency to express his opinions has inspired the youngest Wolfgramm. My sweet little Natalie is quickly becoming a toddler with her new found independence. She is becoming more opinionated and demanding. One of my favorite demanding traits that she has occurs when she is eating. I hate to focus so much on food with Natalie, but food does seem to be linked to her personality in many ways. When she is hungry and I am not feeding her fast enough, she will pound the table, kind of like she is a judge with a gavel trying to get my attention. "Come on mom! Don't forget about me! I'm hungry!"

Her latest demanding attitude is coming out at nap time. I swear, less than a month ago, she was the easiest baby to lay down for a nap. The babysitting instructions were, "Just lay her down." No special instructions. She was so easy to put to bed. She would hardly make a sound. Now, she is not so easy. Today at nap time, she stood in her crib and cried for a good ten minutes before wearing herself out. Is it her age? Is there something I need to figure out to help her be happy again at nap time?

Sometimes I think my kids behaviors are like little problems that I need to solve. How can I help my son not be angry? How can I help my baby sleep? And probably the biggest problem - How do I keep my composure and not get frustrated in the process? I used to think that the kids were the ones learning the most through this parent-child relationship, but now I realize that I am learning some of the toughest lessons that life has to teach.

Both kids are up from their naps now. Caleb is happy. He hasn't tried to throw one toy at me. Natalie is happy. She gave me a huge grin when I rescued her from her crib. One of the great things about kids is that they quickly forgive you for whatever it was you did to make them angry or sad.

Dinosaurs, Dum Dum, and Black Olives

Today, we met up with Jon, Julie, and their family in Manhattan. First we went to the Natural History Museum. I learned that I need to watch "Night at the Museum" to find out who "Dum Dum" is. Some of the kids were sad to find out he (Dum Dum) didn't really talk to them. After the museum, we went to Grimaldi's....the best pizza place in NYC. I was also reminded that olives in New York are not the same olives you get on Domino's Pizza. Our little food trooper Natalie still liked the New York olives though. I guess she is a real New Yorker or a child that will eat anything. Tonight in his prayers, Caleb said, "Thank you that the Dinosaurs are dead, and the animals are not." He really does love dinosaurs, but he is glad they are not alive to eat us.

Two recipes I hope to replicate again

In the past week I tried both of these recipes, and I LOVED them! The potato salad recipe reminds me of the classic potato salad I ate growing up. I would like to compare it to my grandma's recipe, because it reminded me of her. The second recipe is a delicious vegetarian recipe made with quinoa - my new favorite seed. The quinoa salad is a great summer meal.

Potato Salad
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-specials/potato-salad-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 4 pounds Idaho potatoes
• 4 jumbo eggs, hard boiled
• 2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

In a large pot, add potatoes and water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender. Drain and cool. Peel cooked potatoes and cut into small chunks. Put in a very large serving bowl or container. Peel and finely chop hard boiled eggs and add to bowl. Add mayonnaise, green onions, celery, mustard, white pepper and salt. Mix until just combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours before serving.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad Recipe

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-black-bean-salad.php

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups cooked black beans. If using canned beans, drain and rinse well
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• Optional: 1 carrot, peeled, halfed lengthwise, sliced thin diagonally
• Optional: 1 cup chopped fresh yellow or green beans
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced OR 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced, OR 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 red pepper, sliced thin
• 1 green pepper, sliced thin
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or basil
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• Optional: 1 large ripe tomato
• Optional: 1/2 cup sliced olives
• Dressing:
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Pinch cayenne or chili powder

Directions

1. The quinoa can be made ahead of time and refrigerated
2. Soak the quinoa 10 - 15 minutes in cold water
3. Rinse well in water several times. For each rinse, pour off most of the water and finish draining through a large fine mesh strainer
4. Place in a 2 qt pot with 1 1/2 c. water and 1/2 tsp salt
5. Bring to a full boil, cover tightly, turn down to low, and cook for 15 minutes
6. Remove from heat and allow to sit 5 minutes covered
7. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and set aside to cool
8. Sauté jalapeno, fresh garlic, in 2 Tbsp oil until garlic is browned, pepper and celery are softened
9. Add the green and red peppers and sauté briefly
10. Add the cumin and coriander, cook and stir 5 minutes
11. Blend dressing ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar
12. Gently combine sautéed veggies, tomatoes, black beans, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl
13. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro and scallions, and serve warm or cover and chill

It starts now

The idea of starting a blog has been swimming around in my head for too long. I will probably explain the details in a future entry, but for now I want to write about what made me finally do it today. This will be short, because Rick has already come out to tell me it is time to go to bed.

Yesterday, was a really hot day in NYC. I heard that it was breaking heat. We spent most of the day indoors, except for a little trip to the library, which was an excursion, but it was also hot. We lost Natalie's shoe on the way home. I went back to look for it, but decided it was gone for good. It was a rather uneventful day. After dinner, Rick volunteered to take Natalie for a walk. And then, Natalie decided it was time to do some walking of her own. It was such a joy to watch her take her first steps. She was so proud of herself, and when she fell, she kept wanting to get back up and try again. We all cheered for her, which I think helped. Caleb gets so much attention in our family, that I think Natalie just eats up the praise when we give it to her. It was one of those moments when you think, "Life is great".

Last night, I read in the New Testament Reader with Caleb. We read about the Resurrection. Afterward, Caleb knelt to pray. I suggested that he thank Heavenly Father that Jesus was resurrected. When he finished his prayer he said, "I felt the Holy Ghost". Rick and I asked him what it felt like. He declared that, "It felt magical". I just smiled. How sweet for this four year old to have a "magical" feeling like that when he prays.

Today, Caleb got into trouble for licking the salad dressing lid. It is delicious salad dressing, but we do have some limits when it comes to our table manners. We mentioned it too many times, and then he was punished by not having ice cream for dessert. He started wailing. We sent him to his room. When he finally came out, he said, "I'm sorry Mom. Is there anything I can help you with?" I swear he came up with that all on his own. I knew I needed to stick to my guns on the ice cream, but my heart just melted.

Caleb didn't get ice cream, unless Rick sneaked some to him while I was gone.

Miraculously, I found Natalie's missing shoe in the street near our car.