Urban Nightmare

I had a terrible morning. I woke up, went into the kitchen and out of the corner of my eye I saw it. A cockroach. In the playroom. We live in downtown NYC, so when we see a cockroach, it's not your run of the mill bug. It's one of those huge, slimy, black, monstrous, crawl into your nightmares kind of water bug cockroach. I become paralyzed every time I see one.

(this is our playroom)

My seven year old, who does not share my phobia, tried to trap it under a plastic container but the sucker was too fast for her and escaped around the corner of our bookshelves. Now what?

(it ran around that white bookcase, behind all those boxes)

"Girls, get dressed, we're going out for breakfast."

I walked into my room to find that my sixteen-year-old cat threw up on my rug. Did I mention it is a silk weave? I threw a towel over it (I'll deal with it later), made sure every last light was turned on and we were off. That's when my eleven-year-old started in.

(the cat vomit is under that towel)

"I'm going to be late for school, we don't have enough time to go out for breakfast. I can't be late."

So I did what any mom of a tween would do. I stooped to the level of a small child and started mimicking her. She didn't think it was funny. But my seven-year-old did. (I kind of did too).

I drop off the kids, stretch my meeting as long as I can, but eventually I have to head home. And what am I supposed to do about my visitor? Not a problem. My wonderful brave doorman will take care of it for me.

Except he's out sick today.

Sigh. I knew this was going to turn into a terrible day.

Biscotti Dreams

I had the weirdest dream. I was taking a nap on Saturday afternoon. I don't normally nap during the day time. I swear! But the girls were outside playing and Oliver was doing some work somewhere in the house. I had a migraine so I took some pills and the next thing you know, I'm napping. I went into a really deep sleep, which is unusual for an afternoon nap (not that I would know), and for a migraine sleep.

In my dream I was outside and these two large dogs were bothering me. They may have been black labs, not sure. All I know is I was holding onto a chocolate biscotti and they wanted it. I knew I could throw it and they would chase it and leave me alone. But I didn't want to give up that biscotti. It was really good and it was mine. I tried to break off a piece the size of a crumb to give to one of them and I guess the dog got mad and started biting my arm. I was wearing a big winter coat, so it didn't hurt. Throughout the entire dream, I wasn't worried about the dogs. I just wanted them to leave me alone so I could eat my biscotti.

And then my 7 year old woke me up because she needed someone to plug in her bouncy castle. Sigh. Nothing like being woken from a deep sleep. Before I got to eat my biscotti.

At least my migraine went away.

What's the Next Big Thing Blog Hop

My author friend, Naomi Gruer invited me to take part in What’s The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. It's a traveling blog that asks writers whom they consider the Next Big Thing. Writers answer questions about their work in progress, then pass the questions on to other writers.
Many thanks to Naomi for tagging me. Read Naomi's blog, Bmore Energy to hear her hilarious stories about life with triplets plus one, and learn about her latest children's book Cora Gets Carried Away.

Okay, sounds like fun!  For the first part, here are my answers to the questions...  

What is the working title of your book?

The Interpreters

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I love the subway. I have a bit of a taxi phobia, so I really rely on the subway when it's too far to walk. Or when it's raining. I hate the rain.  

Living in NYC, I ride the subway almost every day. Depending on the time of day (or night), there can be some pretty strange (and creepy) passengers riding along with me. I make up stories in my head, like the whole car is filled with vampires or aliens. Sometimes I wonder if they can read my mind. Then I started thinking, what if the police that ride the subway could read minds? And what if it rained in the city every day and the rain was poison? After that, the ideas just sort of piled on top of themselves.

What genre does your book fall under?

Upper middle grade dystopia.  

What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I don’t really have specific actors in mind. Lily, thirteen years old, is tough, urban and a little grungy. Sergio, also a teen, has deep, soulful eyes but a shallow personality. Any ideas?

What is a one sentence synopsis of the book?

A thirteen-year-old girl must decide whether to help a convicted murderer prove his innocence, and if she doesn't make the right choice, the fate of the planet is at stake. One sentence doesn't tell you much.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I would love for my book to be represented by an agency. I am in the process of drafting my query and researching agents.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

Three months. But then I worked on it for another nine before I was willing to call it a completed first draft.

What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?

Well, Hunger Games, Divergent and Delirium because of the underlying themes of separate cities (or districts or factions). My intended audience is upper middle grade, so I’ve toned down the violence and focused more on young teens making tough decisions during a time of significant personal change. I don't think my 11-year old is ready to read the Hunger Games (although it is one of my favorite books ever) but she loved reading The Giver and Matched.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

One of the biggest controversies that exists today is privacy vs. security. I wanted to explore the ultimate invasion of privacy: the ability of someone with power and influence to read minds and how that would change a culture. 

What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

I love imagining what New York City, or the planet will look like in the future. And what future generations will think of the choices we are making today.  

Here's the first chapter of The Interpreters.  I hope you enjoy it! 

Thanks for reading my post.  Coming soon, the next part... tagging writers that I think are The Next Big Thing...

Grass Fed Beef Short Ribs

Ah, the dilemma. Grass fed or grain fed? Organic or local? Free range or caged? Does it really matter? If you ask my dad, he's say if it hasn't killed him after all these years, it's okay to keep eating it. And my husband just wants to know how much it costs.

So as I was pondering these life changing questions, Easter was coming up and I decided to make short ribs. We love short ribs. Well, Oliver and I do. But if I serve them with pasta, then the girls will eat some. Well, two of them will. The third gets chicken nuggets. I can only do so much.

Here's my recipe. They are so amazing, but the best part is, they're incredibly easy, but taste like a lot of work went into them. I bought my ribs at Whole Foods, and the grass fed ones were the same price as the regular kind. Bonus.

I use one pound per person. There's always leftovers, but that's okay. They're even better the next day.  In fact, I made these the night before.

Ingredients:

4 pounds grass fed short ribs, bone in

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 carrots, diced or sliced

3 celery stalks, roughly chopped

3 shallots, diced

2 large bay leaves

bunch of fresh parsley

fresh thyme

3 cups chicken stock

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups hearty red wine (I use a cabernet)

Place the ribs on a big broiler pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven at 450 for 45 minutes, turning once after 20 minutes. 

Take them out, turn the oven down to 375. Transfer to a dutch oven and throw in the garlic, carrots, celery, shallots, bay leaves and a bunch of the parsley and thyme.  

By now the roasting pan should have cooled enough to throw those juices in. Add the wine, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock.  

Maybe some more wine. 

Put it back in the oven, uncovered, and let it cook for 2 1/2 hours.

By now they will be falling off the bone delicious. Like I said, I made them the night before and then let them simmer on the stove for a few hours before serving. Serve over pappardelle or polenta. With some freshly grated pecorino romano cheese on top. And a glass of cabernet.

A Typical Day

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a writer. Duh. What I mean is, I'm writing books. Fiction, mostly young adult. Which I hope to one day publish. I've written three manuscripts so far, but the first two were just practice.

Writing a novel is hard work. It takes a lot of discipline and self motivation. And a constant war with my inner censor, but that's for another post.

Being a stay at home, it's easy to get distracted by the little things. Food shopping, cleaning, scheduling doctor appointments, planning birthday parties, field trips, volunteer stuff. You get the picture. So, I try working off a schedule.

It goes something like this...

8:30:      Take kids to school
9-11:      Work on rewrite of The Interpreters (make Sergio a more likable character, try a different POV)
11-1:      Work on blog (post entry about lemon water, take some pictures)
1-2:45:   Work on query letters (research fabulous literary agent, revise my hook)
3:00:       Pick up kids

It's a nice, concise, manageable schedule. I would consider this a fulfilling, worthwhile day. A big accomplishment. Working towards my goals.

Unfortunately, you know how it goes with the best laid plans...

8:30:          Take kids to school
9-9:30:       Eat granola and drink (more) coffee
9:30-10:     Phone call (my sister in Tallahassee, haven't talked to her in weeks, I had to pick up the phone)
10-10:30:   Book ski trip (if I don't do it, who will?)

10:30-11:   Confirm tennis (and get in a little gossip)
11:15-12:   Pilates class (because I can't sit on my ass all day staring at a computer screen)
12-1:          Make and eat lunch (something involving way too much cheese)
1:15-2:       Send a few emails, mostly complaining about stuff and people (OMG, I am SO high school)
2:2:30:       Have a(nother) snack
2:45:          Pick up kids (leave a little early so I have time to chat with moms)

Sigh. There's always tomorrow.

To read the first chapter of The Interpreters, click here.

Lemon water

Drink more water. Even more. Not that much. Don't drink it cold. Don't drink after 7pm (because it's time to move on to a glass of wine. Or two...).

I know I don't drink enough water. If I drank more, my skin would look younger and I'd probably get fewer headaches. The thing is, unless I'm really thirsty, I don't love the taste of water. It's okay, better than soda but not as good as coffee. But it's not good enough on its own for me to consume sixty four ounces a day. And, to be honest, it doesn't completely quench my thirst anyway.

Still, I know I need to drink more water. My solution? A squeeze of fresh lemon juice. What a difference! It tastes so good, I can easily drink a lot during the day and it totally quenches my thirst. Really. So, what's behind this miraculous fruit? Here's what I've found out...

Raw lemons are great for you. Unless you're allergic to citrus fruits, like my Aunt Kathy. In that case, skip this post.

Apparently everyone knows that lemons have antioxidant properties. I didn't. Here are some other benefits:

• good for digestion (without getting too specific, it's made me quite regular)
• high in vitamin C, which is good for the skin
• can help you lose weight
• good for fighting stress
• cleanses the liver and kidneys
• contains calcium, magnesium and potassium
• a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning kick starts your metabolism
• helps fight a nauseous stomach 

Just writing down all this stuff makes me want to get a big tall glass of water with lemon.

I go to this incredible massage therapist who's been helping me with my migraines. One afternoon she asked me if I'd been drinking a lot (of wine) lately. Uh, yes. She suggested I try drinking water with lemon because of the alkaline content. I had no idea what she was talking about, but if she recommends something, I do it.  Even though the lemon itself is acidic, when it's in your body it becomes alkaline. Um, ok.

Of course, if it's not easy, I won't do it. So to simplify, every morning after dropping the kids at school, I fill a Tiffany pitcher with water (I'm finally using something from my wedding registry) and squeeze 2 or 3 lemon wedges into it. The pitcher holds about 56 ounces of water, so my goal is to drink it all over the course of the day.

I'm thinking of buying one of those meyer lemon trees. I hear they are easy to grow indoors.

source: brighterblooms.com

How much should you drink?

Well, according to Lyn-Genet Recitas book, The Plan, you should drink half your body weight in ounces. So, let's say I weigh 100 pounds. Just say it. Then I should drink 50 ounces of water per day. She also recommends that you don't drink more than that, and drink it all before 7:30pm.
 

source:  lyngenet.com

Btw, the other reason why I like Lyn-Genet Recitas is because she believes that too much exercise is bad for you. Can't argue with that.

p.s. sorry Aunt Kathy, I promise the next post won't be about citrus fruit.  Or strawberries.  Or carrots...


For more detailed information on the health benefits of lemons and lemon water:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4769/Why-You-Should-Drink-Warm-Water-Lemon.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Physical-Health/Hidden-Health-Secrets-of-Lemons.aspx
http://www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/2006/02/10/lemon-water-alkalising-superstar/
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/16-health-benefits-of-lemons.html

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's a journey. Trying to create a healthy lifestyle for my family. For myself. There are many roads and sometimes it seems like we're all on a different one. My six year old is often on Marshmallow Ave., while my nine year old prefers Butter Lane. Occasionally our paths cross and we share a single meal together. But mostly I make three different ones, every day, and from those choices the five of us find nourishment. So if I can include some healthy choices in the mix, I feel like we're moving forward.

To further complicate my life, my husband has decide to train for a triathlon. (It's amazing what one marathon can do for your confidence). For some reason, he thinks this means he needs to become a vegan. I may have to rename the blog Four Different Meals.

Who am I? I am a flawed mother of three. Don't believe me? Just ask my middle child how bad I am at my job. She'll tell you.

But that's all backstory. Today it's about finding an egg free chocolate chip cookie recipe. My youngest daughter has an egg allergy. Usually I substitute ground flax seed for eggs and it works great. But her birthday is coming up and our school is nut and seed free, so I need another option.

Ok, so chocolate chip cookies don't exactly fit into the healthy category. But as I said, it's a journey. And today we're going off-roading.

I found this amazing recipe on Pinterest. It's similar to the regular toll house recipe but without the eggs. No substitutions. Really. These cookies are amazing. They remind me of Tate's chocolate chip cookies. Only better because they're homemade and warm and I know every last organic ingredient that went into them. I may never go back to ground flax seeds.

Here's the recipe. Or you can go right to the source (It's a gorgeous blog called Crunchy Creamy Sweet and her pictures are infinitely better than mine).

Ingredients
2 cups unbleached flour (sometimes I use half white, half whole wheat)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I used coarse sea salt and loved the unexpected bursts of salt)
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar (we use turbinado)
2 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (or a little more...)

Preheat oven to 375.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  (I use the pre-cut baking sheets, so easy).  Mix together dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  In large bowl, using electric mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add milk and vanilla and combine.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop rounded teaspoon size balls onto baking sheet and flatten gently.  Bake 13-15 minutes.

Take them out of the oven, eat 1 or 2, and hide the rest.

Since these were a trial batch, I divided the cookies into little baggies and stuck them in the freezer.  At least for the next few days, I won't have to worry about an after school snack.