How I love being taught by the other Mamas ~ The Name is Mom

"Thank you, Mom!"

Very simply, I love learning more about being Mom. I am in the phase with a pre and a teen where I'm doing the mom thing differently. I feel more awake and aware in it than ever. I like it. My awakening is to the changes around my folks. They are thinkers and doers and interesting people. My mothering requires wisdom and thought.
Imagine how thrilled I am to find this post from Mary at The Yellow Door Paperie on teaching gratitude. I hope you enjoy it too. What inspires you on your path?

A Friday Recipe ~ The Sunrise Bowl and Breakfast with My Man

Every once in a while you have to steal away for a romantic adventure with your espoused.

My dear and I ran away for breakfast this morning. He'd been at an early, early appointment and caught me home after school drops. I love the very romantic notion of the impromptu date with my dear.

As we sat at our favorite, favorite breakfast spot, The Coffee Cup, we talked about nothing of importance and enjoyed every minute. I had my favorite, soup and eggs for breakfast.
Here's a recipe for my (other) find of day: The Sunrise Bowl. It's founded in good Black Bean soup. If you'd want to try this at home, you can start with Dave Lieberman's recipe. (I'll credit the picture to his page at the Food Network, too.) For a super simple homemade version try the one below.

The Sunrise Bowl a la mi Casa

• 1 cup black bean soup (I like Trader Joe's Cuban Black beans partially blended with a little chicken stock for consistency)
• 2 poached eggs
• 1/4 avocado 
• Pico de gallo salsa
• Corn tortillas

Assemble in a deep soup bowl as follows:
Place soup in the bowl, Drop in freshly poached eggs. Top with thinly sliced avocado and pico de gallo. Serve with a warm corn tortilla or two. (or not...) High in protein, fiber and yumminess.

Inspired Island Four Step Chicken

My husband and my teen man are enthralled with Robert Irvine on Dinner Impossible. They tape the show and watch it together. They are always amazed at what Robert and his team can pull off. Me too, only I have a little kitchen experience and can almost feel the rhythm of invention as he and David and George go.
This afternoon when we walked in after school, Dad had the TV ready to go. All activity came to a halt. It was the episode where Robert's mission was to serve the LOST cast and crew LOST style. (Oh, some of us are major LOST fans. Major. ) You can see this episode on Food Network or Hulu or somewhere, somehow. It doesn't seem to be on-line quite yet.
Watching Robert cook shrimp in a pineapple inspired me to whip up an island version of Melissa D'Arabian's Four Step Chicken. Oh, and these baby peppers from Trader Joe's called out to me too. (We saw Hurley. Did I mention we have major LOST fans?)

Islandy Four Step Chicken

• Season flour with salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Cut 4 chicken breasts into lengthwise strips - toss in flour
• Add to heated skillet seasoned with 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Toss in skillet until nearly cooked through
• Remove from pan and set aside
• Add Maui Onion, chopped, with 1/4 teaspoon thyme, sweat on low
• Add 1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chopped
• Add 6 baby red, orange, yellow peppers cut lengthwise in quarters
• Remove when softened
• Deglaze pan with 3/4 cup chicken stock and 1/4 cup white wine
• Reduce
• Return chicken to pan over low heat
• Return veggies and fruit
• Add sliced about 6 sliced strawberries

Serve over brown and wild rice.

I was tempted to mash a couple of tiny coconut macaroons into the mixture for flavor and thickening. Next time.
Melissa's Recipe has become my favorite fall back. As long as I can find inspiration in a tomato, and olive, lemon or now, pineapple, I'm in great shape.
What inspires you in the kitchen?

Kohlrabi! Who knew?

Oh my, my! I just cut my first kohlrabi, this huge sputnik-looking veggie into pieces. What a revelation! Into my salad adding crunch and yum. Soon to be in the next salad I dream up.
Now, the sad truth is that I've spent many years avoiding the kohlrabi. (Someday there will be a revealing post on my mid-western grandmother's cooking and her penchant for white roots: turnips, parsnips, rutabaga and kohlrabi. My pre-teen heart could only say, "yuck!")

So here I find myself, thinking about kohlrabi.
With lemon, olive oil and a bit of Pecarino Reggiano.
Kohlrabi and fennel.
Kohlrabi, my new love.
All from a box of organic veggies, delivered by my Monday morning milk man.
Do you like kohlrabi?

The Redbuds ~ toward summer.

I'm ever-enthralled with the beauty of the Cercis Occidentalis, the Western Redbud Tree. It's constantly changing nature keeps me attentive and en-wrapped.  In early spring, there is the lovely pink show of tiny buds followed by the vivid, light green leaves. Now, the magenta pods make their debut. They will hold through summer making and change as the leaves do in fall. But who would think of fall? Expunge it from your thoughts! It is glorious spring, hinting of summer and all that awaits us, all.

Ahh, a cool and rainy spring morning

Growing up, there was the fragrance of rain on asphalt that sang in an odd way, of spring. I have no asphalt near my door, but this morning awoke to the sight of rain on my brick welcoming path. The Cranesbill geraniums are waking to it, too.
May has been unpredictable this year. And I appreciate this greatly. I love the cool and the crisp of a somewhat rainy morning. Especially in the midst of warm, hinting of summer, days.

Quotable Sunday ~ The Name is Mom

"What am I supposed to do with my life?  The question of how to live our lives especially presses on those of us who sense we are not merely humans trying to be spiritual, but are deeply spiritual beings endeavoring to live as fully human."

- Brent Bill, The Sacred Compass

Spiritual motherhood might be more interesting a consideration than I have, well, considered. It isn't the intentional teaching of the theological thought, the Bible story, the scripture. It is the glasses I loan to my boy or my girl who, standing in the yard, declares to the beauty of the night's sky -- "Wow!," when I simply say, "Yes -- He is that amazing."