morning time

The morning view from our deck and from our bedroom window.

inheritance

Usually when you move into a new apartment or house there is something left behind, either purposefully or accidentally. Our condo in Boston had no such treasures as we were the first people to live in it after it was gutted and converted into condos. In Lincoln we found $5 up high on top of the kitchen cabinets, a bottle of cheap champagne in the fridge, and assorted containers hidden behind a drawer. Below are some of the "treasures" we found here in Kansas.


We have two hoses and a sprinkler tractor that drives around watering our grass. Clearly the driver of this tractor must have been on strike due unfavorable working conditions (too hot) because our lawn is brownish and crunchy. Jim managed to get him back to business this morning.

This hidden gem was located in our closet.


ooo, fancy

helping amy

My dear Amy just wrote a lovely entry about one of her students and a giant zucchini. Clearly the previous post on jalapeno cornbread is not going to help her with this larger than average vegetable.

Maybe something here can help...

Simply Recipes is my go to food blog. It is so well organized and you can find anything. Elise, the author, is amazing.

Stuffed zucchini

Zucchini Fritters

Then of course there is Martha who knows every thing about anything including zucchini

Then there is my mother. When I was a kid we had a garden that also produced an enormous amount of zucchini. After making all the fried zucchini, zucchini bread, and anything else should could think of she turned to freezing it. She would shred the massive vegetable and then divide it into the proper amount for a loaf of zucchini bread. Then freeze each section in its own ziploc bag making fresh zucchini bread possible anytime of year.

Amy, make that kindergarten student proud. Bring him a picture of your creation! Actually, knowing you I bet you already have a scrapbook layout in mind.

this might be rushing it

Summer is not my happy time. It's hot and yuck outside. The calendar tells me that Fall is coming up soon. The stores are showing me that it is time for Halloween, I see all that tempting candy. If I had a TV it would show me that it's almost time for football. Oh Fall my love, I'm glad you're on the way. However, the weather outside tells me it's not ready to let up..whatever.

Jalapeno Cornbread


Makes one 10inch round cornbread or
Makes four small loafs or
A vast number of muffins (12)

Ingredients
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-4 fresh jalapeno, diced
-6 scallions, white part and green, thinly sliced
-2cups stone ground yellow cornmeal
-1 ½ cups of flour
-2 tablespoons of sugar
-2 tablespoons baking powder
-2 teaspoons salt
-2 eggs
-2 cups light cream, half-and-half, buttermilk, or milk… whatever you like
-1 stick unsalted butter, melted
-1/4 cup cilantro leaves

If you just want regular cornbread take out all the fun stuff (jalapenos, scallions, cilantro) and increase the sugar to 1/4 cup

I only like my spicy food to be slightly spicy, so there is no way I am using 4 jalapenos. Also, I'm not the biggest cilantro fan so I'll cut that out all together.

Directions
1.Pour the oil into a small sauté pan and add the chilies and scallions. Place over medium heat and cook just until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
2.Set a rack in the middle level of the over and heat to 375.
3.Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix.
4.In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, butter, the cooked chilies and scallions, and cilantro.
5.Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture all at once and use a large rubber spatula to fold them into the liquid.
6.Scrape the batter into whatever buttered and floured pan you decided to use. Bake until the cornbread is risen and passes the toothpick test. About 3o minutes for the 10 inch round pan, less if you make muffins
7.Let it cool for 5 minutes or until you feel like eating it!
8.Enjoy

sale

I stopped at Boarders to pick up a book for the girls I tutor. I was shocked that no library in Kansas City had a copy of Mouse Paint, that's just wrong. Lincoln, has by far, the best library system of the four states I've lived in.

Anyway, in the vestibule area of Boarders where they pile sale books was my second favorite baking cookbook. Second to Martha's Baking Handbook. It was on deep discount, only $5.99 for a beautiful hardcover book filled with bunches of delicious recipes and pictures. Don't tell Jim, but I bet I've paid more than that in late fees borrowing it from the library.



Happy to finally own it and for such a great price. Only 7 more days until I have a really real kitchen again

8-18-82

I really enjoy birthdays. I mean a celebration all about me, or whoever happens to be having one that day. Today it happens to be me. However, not all my birthdays went the way I hoped they would. Here are some examples...

Once on my birthday I really really wanted it to snow so I wore a turtleneck shirt and a pair of pants (no air conditioning) Sadly wearing snow appropriate close won't make it snow in August.

On your birthday you get to choose what kind of cake you want, right? I mean it's your birthday. I always wanted vanilla cake, vanilla icing, and vanilla ice cream. My mother refused to make it, said it was too boring and no one else would want it. What does that matter for?

It's not like anyone is actually coming! When your birthday is in August in New York no kids come to your party because they are all still at camp. Don't even get me started on mid August in the mid west. Why do you start school so darn early?

Moving on to this year. Jim has decided that the my birthday should be postponed. Can he even decide that? I guess our shabby apartment does not easily lend its self to the carrot cake creating that I demand of him on this occasion. Homemade, double layer, cream cheese frosting, carrot cake takes some space and equipment.

So now I get to pick a new birthday. Just for this year...I hope.

just thinking about it makes me want a big glass of milk

A few people commented on the previous post. Most people I talked to had positive things to say so lets give it a try. No fancy site or pay pal account yet. I'll use the blog, facebook, and my email to manage everything for now. Thanks to Jen, Courtney, and Audrey for being my potential first subscribers/guinea pigs.

The menu -for now -photos to come
Chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies with pecans
Double chocolate chip cookies
White chocolate chip cookies with craisins

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Oatmeal chocolate chip with coconut, chocolate chips, and pecans (yum!)
Oatmeal butterscotch

Peanut butter cookies
Chocolate Nutella Cookies

Brownies –Chewy and Chocolaty
Regular
Mint
Double chocolate
Turtle (pecans and caramel)
The Blondie -not so chocolaty

Chocolate shortbread bars
Cranberry Bliss Bars (think Starbucks at holiday time)

*Everything is made with really real ingredients like butter, sugar, chocolate, nuts, homemade caramel, etc. No margarine. Everything will be made and shipped on the same day to ensure the best possible freshness.

Subscriptions
3 month $60
6 month $120
9 month $180
12 month $220
All subscriptions include 3 dozen cookies or 24 brownies/bars, shipping, joy in knowing you are helping a baby make it from an orphanage to a home.

What you have to do
Choose your subscription
Decide what you want and when you want service to start
Send me an email at trisha.tylick@gmail.com
Upon receiving your check I'll get started on your order.

Note-September is the first possible month I can send anything out. I don't have a house yet!

what do you think?

Jim and I fall into the financial range where we don't really qualify for grants to help fund the adoption but yet it still feels a bit like a stretch on our budget. It's the typical middle class story.

So forget the grants on to the fund raising. I already shared my problem with garage sales in a previous post...nothing to sell. I'm not young enough or cute enough to set up a lemonade stand in my neighborhood. Could I make the kids I nanny for sit at a lemonade stand? Probably not. Plus I can't charge $5 for a glass of lemonade so it might not be worth it. I don't have a giant spinning circular griddle so a pancake feed (Mideastern term) is out.

I really like to bake. Some have said the things I make are yummy. I think I want to start a 'snack of the month club' You have heard of those 'of the month clubs' wine of the month, flower of the month, salsa of the month, etc.

Here is how my pretend 'of the month club' works in my head...
You choose what you want off the menu, how many months you're interested in subscribing, send the check (or use pay-pal if I set it up online), receive delicious homemade snacks delivered right to your address, enjoy eating your cookies, brownies, scones, bars, knowing you are helping an adorable Russian make it from an orphanage to a home (our home to be specific)

So...thoughts?

what a disgrace

I tutor two sisters. One is going into third grade and the other into kindergarten. Sometimes I play Jenga with the girls. Read this sight word correctly and you can remove a block. Answer this multiplication question and you can remove a block. And so on...

Recently they went on vacation to Ireland to visit some friends. Today was my first day back since their trip. During the older daughters session I asked what was something fun she did. She mentioned she got to play giant Jenga and didn't even have to answer multiplication questions to play. End of story. We got to work.



Next it was the kindergartner's turn. Here is how it went.
Me -"I heard you got to play giant Jenga on your trip"
Her-"Yeah, it was a disgrace"
Me-Trying not to laugh "A disgrace, what happened"
Her -"Conrad knocked it over" (two year old brother)
Me-"That is disgraceful, did you try playing again"
Her-"We tried but it was unsuccessful"

I need to get my under two year old home quick because in order for him to be this funny, and me to understand it, I need to start teaching him English.

you're just making it hotter

I went to Whole Foods today, you know it, the overpriced super crunchy grocery store I wish I could shop at on a regular basis. I just stopped in to see if they had any delicious Indian food on the lunch buffet. I pull into a parking spot and the Land Rover in front of me is running but no one is in it, not a very "Whole Foods" kind of thing to do. It's like 103 outside, but still. I go in and do a lap around the store, you know, just to see if there are any free samples. There was some juice it was good but mostly just because it was really cold. Watched the fish guy show off some huge fish to a very impressed toddler and then headed for the buffet. Found, paid for, and ate some yummy Indian food and drank a large glass of water. How many minutes does all that take? Maybe 30ish. The Land Rover in front of my car is still running. I think that just makes it hotter outside.

back in kansas

The journey to Russia was simple. The trip back here was not nearly as smooth...

We woke up Friday morning in Moscow, packed our bags, double checked, and waited for our driver to arrive. We were planning on taking the train, but changed our minds. Good thing! The weather report in Moscow that day... HOT, SMOKE. Due to the crazy heat and drought there are forest fires east of Moscow. It's a bad day when smoke is in the forecast. Yuck. It looked like a thick fog but as soon as you took a breath you knew it wasn't. The van had air conditioning and we were able to keep the windows shut.

We arrived at the airport to see that our flight was delayed already, that meant we would also miss our connecting flight. We got the Delta lady to get us on a different flight. The airport is not air conditioned, which I am fine with. However, the smoke from outside is starting to make it's way into the airport and misery is settling upon us. On top of the smoke for outside people are also smoking cigarettes inside, give your lungs a chance people. Eventually, it's time (3:00) to get on the plane and begin the 10 hour flight. I sleep the whole time, minus the time they bring us ice cream. I will wake up for ice cream.

We arrived at JKF sometime in the afternoon. JFK is a horrible horrible place. When you arrive from an international flight you are herded into the basement and yelled at as you go through customs and security. Not looking forward to doing that alone with an under two year old. Oh please let me fly into to Boston or Atlanta the next time.

Finally we are in Kansas City on the airport shuttle bus on the way to our car. I open up my purse to retrieve the keys and they are....no where. I made it half way around the earth and back and I can't get 36 miles back to my house because I have lost my car keys. It's then that I realize we live in a land where we have yet to make friends. There is no one I can call at midnight and ask for a ride home to get our spare keys. UGH. We ride the shuttle back to the airport, have them look on our plane, give up, call a cab, and use our Holiday Inn points and book a room.

Morning arrives and we wonder do we even have friends we can call on a Saturday morning for help...Nope. We try a co worker of Jim's and he does not return the call. We try our real estate agent, but she is busy. We call Geico because they are paid to help us. They hook us up with a tow truck, he picks us up at the hotel, and we drive to the airport parking lot. Turns out my car is too boxed in by other cars and can only be towed if I would like to inflict injury upon it. Instead the tow truck driver gives us a ride to the apartment, we get an apartment key from the building manager, find my spare car keys, and drive back to the airport.

As for the keys they are somewhere between Russia and Kansas. I am certain of it.

paka paka (bye bye)

They, other blogs I read, say that the second day is so much better than the first. I never really believed it, but it was totally true.

When we arrived the director asked if we had any other questions for her. We pressed her for a bit more details about his story and she was willing to share what she knew...well I assume so the writing was all Russian I kinda have to take her word. After a bit more questions the caretaker brought him in wearing the cute outfit we left him in yesterday and of course his socks and sandals.

We went off to the gym to play. The gym is a room covered in those rugs that have tracks for toy cars all over them. It has balls and slides and mats on the floor and ladders to climb. We sit down like yesterday and we can already tell he is clearly calmer. Only a short time of lip quivering and then we are good to go. We change him into a new outfit, have a little snuggle time and move on to playing.

Jim really wants to see him crawl. The director says he is crawling and standing with the help of furniture, but we have yet to see it. He loves the snacks we brought so we feed him some the put them a short distance away so he will crawl over...no such luck. He just sits there. We get out some toys and figure we will work on crawling later. All the sudden he catches a glance at a ball that the other family is playing with and bolts off in their direction...yep he can crawl, but only when he wants to!

The rest of the time we are there follows much the same. Stacking blocks, knocking them down, hugs, snacks, hugs, crawling, etc... It's sweet to see him interacting with the boy that the other family is adopting. Turns out the boys are in the same room and they do know each other. Hopefully we can keep it that way even when they get home, what a special connection. Then the caretakers come and sweep the kids away to take a nap. We leave him with his study guide, stuffed owl, and some disposable cameras (thanks Nathalie). Just like that. All done. See you in??? Who knows how long...
--------
Note about the giant stuffed owl...

I bought this stuffed owl on amazon, you can see pictures in the study guide. It is a great shade of green, so soft, and has these huge crazy eyes. Lets just say the owl was a lot larger than I thought it would be. Honestly we thought he would be scared of it, quite the opposite. He loves that owl. When we handed it to him yesterday he grabbed it by the neck and squeezed and proceeded to rub it and pull on the ears. It was so precious and the same happened today. We are so happy for it to be with him in his crib or bed or where ever it is he hangs out at night. We will order another just in case this one doesn't make it home.

Pictures, Details, Name.

Nope, Sorry, Not now. This adoption isn't finished and nothing is certain until we pass court and wait out the ten day waiting period.

what, what?

It didn't hit me until the first night at the Moscow Holiday Inn. I'm in my twin bed and Jim is in his. We are listening to Russian pop music mixed with Backstreet Boys being played on the built in night stand radio. I wonder...what on earth are we doing here?

It happened again at our hotel in Siberia. I'm in my twin bed, after an overnight flight that robbed me of sleep. I'm watching Russian MTV (which is completely hilarious) and wondering, what made me think this was a brilliant idea?

9:00 this morning we met our translator and she prepped us about the events of the day. We drove about 45 minuted to the orphanage. Today I got to sit in the back and the drive was much slower on country roads, so not as exciting as yesterday. Anyway, we get to the orphanage, learn about our child's history, ask questions, and then BAM they bring him in. There he is in his mismatched orphanage clothes rocking the socks with sandals look wondering who on earth we are and why we are so excited to see him. We stay in the "official" office a bit longer just holding him and trying to keep that quivering lip from breaking into a cry. Finally they take us and the other family that we are traveling with to a room where we can play.

I can tell he is feeling sad. I'm strange and I know it. But he never really cries. His eyes are watery, his lip keeps quivering, and he occasionally takes those quick little breaths that you need when you are feeling nervous. He enjoys the toys we brought as well as just being held and he especially enjoys the snacks. I know the way to a person heart is though food and I'll use that trick on anyone!!

Then it hits me. All the stuff I was wondering about, what have I gotten myself into, what is going on? It melts away. This is our story. This is how it's meant to be...random hotels, crazy music, adventurous rides, mysterious food and the adorable under two year old waiting there at the orphanage.

After, I'm not sure how long, you can clearly tell it is nap time. The caregiver comes in to take him for a nap. Tomorrow, we sign the paperwork and give him a new name (nope still not telling)

in the driver's seat but not driving

Sunday night we left Moscow on a 11:40PM flight to Kemerovo. After a 3 hour flight we arrived in Kemerovo at 7:00AM and were greeted by our coordinator, swept off to a cafe for some food and prep for the day.

We knew we had to do something with paperwork today but no idea about details of the situation. We met with some official lady, who wore a lot of tweed and didn't smile much. She looked through all our documents, while chatting on her cell, and then decided we had everything she showed us our referral's photo and gave us some information about him. She asked if we would like to sign the paperwork to meet him...um yeah I think that's what I'm here for.

Our coordinator left us with our driver who took us on the 3 hour trek to Novokuznetsk. Now I don't know what you picture when you think of Siberia, but what I saw was not what I thought. It's lush. One side of the road is all towering stick straight birch trees and the other side is a mix of grass, trees, and fields of crops. Every so often we slow down as we pass a town. Our driver rolls down his window and the cool (65) Siberian air fills the car...glorious. Towns consists of some assorted houses, babushkas selling vegetables on the side of the road, and a couple cows that seem much to close to the street.

Some how it was decided, back in Kemerovo, that I got to sit in the front. I'm fine with that. The view was great. It's a little different because our driver's steering wheel is on the passenger's side, which put me in the driver's seat but with no controls. It's odd but it seems fine, until our driver decides that the person in front of him is going to slow and he wants to pass. I can see there is traffic, but how can he? He is so close to the truck in front of us. It seems like a funny little dance. Pulling over into the other lane and then ducking back in when you realize that you will be hit head on if you don't. Repeating until it's "safe" to pass the truck. I decided early on that fear was going to have to be set aside.