Archive | May, 2013

another pre-baby getaway to Taormina

May 15, 2013 at 9:25 am

My friend Becca is about to have her fourth baby any day now, which is about the stage I was at the last time we went to Taormina. Both of us love the gorgeous vistas and old-world charm of this beautiful cliff-top town, and we’ve been visiting it together since we first became friends. (See photos of our first adventure to Taormina here, back when Lena was just four months old!)

With just one week left of Becca’s pregnancy, we decided to brave the hour-long drive and steep hills for a fun day with our little kiddos. There is no lovelier time to visit than on a balmy May morning! We parked along the water and rode the cable car up into the town, wandered down to the city park (Villa Communale) to eat a picnic lunch, and then stopped for granite (Italian ice) on the way back to the cable car.

I really hope we get to go to Taormina one more time together before the dear Arthur family moves late this summer. By that time Becca’s baby girl might be four months old… which would be an ironic way to finish off our adventures together after we’ve now visited with four-month-old Lena and four-month-old Gil over the years!

But that’s enough talk of people moving! I think it’s often — but not always — hardest for the ones left behind, don’t you?

5 :: in friends, Sicily, Taormina

a Sicilian tradition :: Breaded Eggplant Cutlets

May 14, 2013 at 2:07 pm

Recently Elliott and I have been trying to eat more vegetarian meals, especially after reading the fascinating results of this study. I also am always trying to find new eggplant recipes, because eggplants are cheap, plentiful, and everywhere in Sicily. This isn’t easy when I don’t particularly like eggplant! (Do you??) I have recently learned two great eggplant recipes (a Sicilian pasta dish and an Italian antipasto). But eggplant and me… still not great friends.

However, when I bit into these uh-may-zing eggplant cutlets at a recent cooking class, I began to reconsider my preferences. Maybe it’s because everything breaded and fried is delicious? Here’s how to make them at home:

First, peel and slice the eggplant lengthwise.

Then dip it in beaten eggs.

Dredge the cutlets in a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and salt.

Fry ’em up in butter. Or vegetable or olive oil, as you prefer. (The health study I mentioned earlier would probably recommend olive oil over butter. Just a guess.)

Remove from the pan and let drain on paper towels. As soon as they’re cool enough (they’ll burn your tongue!), cut them up and enjoy.

If you don’t have time to do the breading and frying yourself, Trader Joe’s sells pre-cut and pre-breaded eggplant cutlets. They recommend using them as a meatless main dish and adding a little tomato sauce and cheese on top… yum yum!

I’ve included the kitchen-friendly recipe below. Do you have an eggplant recipe you love? Please share any ideas in the comments; I need some new recipes!

Breaded Fried Eggplant Cutlets

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant
¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt
2 eggs
Vegetable oil or butter

DIRECTIONS

Peel & slice eggplant into ¼ width cutlets
Dip cutlets in egg wash.
Dredge eggplant pieces in breadcrumb mixture (breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, & salt).
Fry eggplant cutlets in vegetable oil or butter in large, non-stick pan until brown on both sides.
Remove from pan onto paper towels.

14 :: in eat this, Italy, Sicily

savoring life with my littles… I think

May 9, 2013 at 3:51 pm

“And what’s your plan for the day?” Elliott asked me this morning as he poured coffee into his travel mug.

“Absolutely… nothing… planned,” I replied, sorting through my schedule and coming up empty. “Maybe we’ll take a walk?”

“Sounds nice,” he sighed wistfully. “Taking a walk, reading books, all with your kids….” With that he kissed us all goodbye and walked out the door for another day in the vet clinic.

He’s so right, I realized as I sat down on the rug a few minutes later to play with Lena and Gil. It has been good for my soul to be at home with our children these past two years in Sicily. I know that Elliott, too, would trade places with me in heartbeat. And yet for this season of life it’s been my privilege to be the one who gets to be at home.

In an act of thankfulness, I picked up my camera and took some pictures of our morning.

And then I read this article today entitled Don’t Savor Every Moment and have since struggled over posting these pictures. The author of the article challenged the tendency today for young mothers “to take in all of life and to feel the constant beauty of motherhood. We are a generation that puts an incredible premium on happiness.” Her conclusion is that we should learn in every situation to be content (Philippians 4:11) and to let go of the burden of savoring and capturing every moment.

I know that this article was written just for people like me. I know the pressure of wanting to capture these years with my children; I know the desire to edit my life along with my pictures. I often let my motherhood become my identity instead of finding my roots in the renewing work of Christ within me, as the author so aptly put it.

In the end, I am a mother for this season here on earth, at home with two beautiful children, shouldering the weight of parenthood and adult responsibility with a compassionate husband. Yet this is not my ultimate identity, or my final identity. It is like a spark, here and gone, in the grand scheme of my life and in the far broader swath of eternity. But I love this spark, these moments, and so I savor them for as long as they are given to me.

And so here are the pictures from this morning, already a moment here and gone.

^ Lena read books in bed while I put Gil to bed. She’s proudly showing me the horse she found.

^ I don’t know about you, but I’ve given up on dust covers on children’s books. A stack of them waits to be used again… never?

^ When Gil wakes up, they seem to be saying to each other, “Why… hello there!”

What about you? Do you feel like you meticulously, even frantically, capture and savor every moment? Or do you feel like you’re still waiting for your life to start? Or have you found a balance that gives you roots in a greater story?

18 :: in Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom Series, home sweet home, motherhood, naptime diaries, thoughts

Gil’s 3-month photo shoot

May 7, 2013 at 2:15 pm

The days are whizzing by and our little boy is growing up. Three-and-a-half months already! I haven’t done a photo shoot with Gil since he was two weeks old and figured it was time to get him gussied up and pull out the big camera.

I seriously think I am falling more in love with Gil every day. We had a rough start, but over the last month he really has become a very different baby. His sleep schedule is much more regular and his smiles, coos, and even little chuckles are becoming a part of everyday life. He is content to hang out by himself for long periods of time while listening to me work in the kitchen or while lying on the rug while Lena and I play.

Speaking of Lena, he loves her. I get such a kick out of seeing him break into a grin when he sees her! He tolerates her so well, too. Yesterday she wanted to take off all his clothes, roll him over on a blanket for tummy time, and put cookie cutters on his arms like bracelets (“Mama, look! Gil sooo pretty!”). I think he actually enjoyed all of it; he seems curious to see what she’ll come up with next. And trust me, there’s no end to her ideas.

^ With a daddy who is a veterinarian, of course Gil has puppies on his corduroys!

I really need to print out some new pictures for Elliott to have in his office… because I haven’t done that since I was pregnant with Lena. (?!?!) One of these photos will probably be a part of that update. Which photo is your favorite?

15 :: in Gil

saying goodbye, Sicilian style

May 6, 2013 at 2:34 pm

Oh, sigh… bittersweet pictures. They’re from a goodbye party for some of our very dear friends — Emily, Nathan, and their little daughter Ava — who left Sicily last week. I still can’t believe they’re gone! Emily and Ava came up to my house every single Wednesday to play and visit. This Wednesday is going to be especially glum.

They did host a fabulous goodbye party for themselves, though. The location they chose was the farm of Mariska and Emilio, an Italian and Swiss couple whose beautiful farm — Azienda Agricola Infantino — is hidden away in the rolling green hills of Sicily. Mariska and Emilio host groups for al fresco lunches and dinners, offer Italian cooking classes, and sell their delicious olive oil online.

We spent a late April afternoon there, soaking up the sun and eating pasta with half-a-dozen different sauces. The children jumped on the trampoline and played with the animals; the adults traded off child duty and otherwise sat in the shade and drank wine. If there is a good way to leave Sicily, I think our friends found it!