Summary of Summer

As summer draws to a close and I get excited for my very favorite time of year (autumn through Christmas) a little documentation of what we've been up to and the memories we've made this summer:

Lots of time spent at beaches.

My little sea turtle.

I finally feel I've hit my Boston groove - after three years spent denying that such a thing could possibly exist for the young-kids-no-family-here-no-money crowd.  Lately I've found that instead of wondering how to fill the time, I wonder how I'll find the time to do everything we want to do.  Some of our local faves:

• The Arlington Reservoir ("The Res").  Big thanks to Sarah for getting us into this.  Practically walking distance it's a beautiful, gradual, chlorinated beach that's perfect for post-naptime fun.  Matthew's fave.
• Various splash parks.  Thanks to Jen, Tammy, and Sarah for introducing me to some free but super fun places and providing excellent company for me and sweet playmates for Matthew.
• Gold's Gym.  Once Matthew was weaned and (finally!) sleeping through the night, I began going to the gym regularly, and Matthew loves the play room.  
• Children's Museum, Science Museum, and The Aquarium.  Best way to do these is to all get an annual pass to one place and take friends as guests.
• Wilson Farm.  I can hardly believe how rarely I get there for produce since we're so busy with everything else!

Splash Park + Ice Cream Truck = Sticky Summer Bliss

Throwing stones with Alex and Chase.

Belmont Splash Park.

We've hardly had time for our staples, like our morning walk on the bike path to Starbucks and the park.  I can't seem to get to Costco or the mall, either - it's hard enough to find a morning or afternoon for groceries!

Speaking of those mom friends, I've loved the time I've spent with Sarah, Jen, and Tammy and their kids.  I am so thankful for their friendships.  For so long here I wondered if I'd ever feel at home and I finally do and I owe so much of that to the comfort level I have with these ladies that only comes from time and shared memories.

What else is new?  Mark started fellowship at Dana-Farber.  This has brought many changes.  Notably:

• Relief that residency is over.  Mark's hours are still pretty bad but it's great knowing this is the final stretch. 
• Lots of thinking about cancer.  Lots of hearing sad stories.  Dana-Farber is one of the top cancer institutes in the world and most of Mark's patients are coming in for second or third opinions.  That usually means very difficult situations.  I don't know how he does it; I couldn't.
• Crazy schedule.  Baby gets to see Daddy maybe twice a week if I generally keep him up until 9:30 p.m.  So baby generally sleeps in until 9-10 and naps anywhere from 1:00/2:00 until 5:00 pm or later.  This makes playdates hard but it's well worth the father-son time we earn!
• Some really great weekend time with Mark, at least until he's allowed to moonlight again.  Blueberry picking at Parlee Farms, church at Highrock Covenant, and even a jaunt up to Maine.

Blueberry Loot.

My berry-picker.

Hiking in Maine.

Maine.

Maine.

Little Hiker.

World at their feet.

My Olaf boys at a restaurant in Maine.  Lobster rolls and blueberry pie!

Pregnancy.  I have 8 weeks to go and I look ready to pop.  I'm sure this will be another big baby and I can't deny I'm terrified after the traumatic delivery and recovery I had delivering all 9 lbs 10 ounces of Matthew and his 99th (sometimes 100th) percentile head.

Thanks to Mark I've been reading all the real medical journals on macrosomia (the medical term for "having a really big baby" which is defined as a baby 9 lb 4 oz or more... Matthew beat that by half a pound).  I've learned that having a macrosomic baby doubles your chance of a c-section.  At this point I think I'm more afraid of repeating Matthew's vaginal-but-barely delivery.  

17 Weeks

27 Weeks

Cape Cod.  I am thrilled that my parents, brother, and sister-in-law came out here to visit us.  My parents generously rented a house on Cape Cod that comfortably held all 6 of us (Mark couldn't go, but Matthew counts) and we had a wonderful time.  The house is walking distance to a gorgeous, gradual ocean beach with soft sand, PERFECT water temperature, and fun-but-not-scary waves.  On the way to the beach is a homemade ice cream shop, an adorable little cafe with house-made cinnamon rolls and breakfast sandwiches, and a "general store" serving amazing sandwiches.  The town (Falmouth) is adorable and good for a nice ladies' afternoon of shopping.  Plymouth made a great day trip with its fascinating "Pilgrim Hall" museum and a replica of The Mayflower.  Lobster rolls and creamery ice cream were had.  I cannot think of a better way to experience this region.

Chappy Beach.

Stretching with Grandpa.

Quintessential Cape Cod on our walk to the beach - ice cream shop and cafe.

Grandfather and grandson.

Fun with Uncle Jeff.

Brave li'l man.

Not even a Momma's Boy... a Nonna's boy.

Hillary.  Though her presence in town was brief this summer, my best friend returned to the area and we were able to get our babies together several times.  She threw me the best baby "sprinkle" a girl could ask for.

With Hillary's Annabelle (and my Claire, though I didn't know it at the time!) in Boston.

So there it is.  A really great summer.  As autumn approaches I know that still more changes are in store for us.

• I am dying to meet my daughter, but nervous for the transition to two.
• I am, as always, excited for autumn.  The crisp air, jeans and sweaters, colorful leaves and favorite autumn soups, pies, crisps, muffins, etc.  Apple picking, hay rides, and (out here) apple cider donuts.  "Orchard Day," our family's made-up holiday.  
• I am SO eager to not be pregnant anymore, possibly ever.  This pregnancy has been rough.
• I cannot wait to have fun dressing my baby girl and and big boy in autumn outfits.
• Hoping to still have time and energy to try new recipes!  

With my Little Man.

Dada.

Our family of - technically - four!

Bring it on, autumn!

I Married a Swede + What to Add to Tuna Salad

When people find out that my husband is half-Japanese, half-Swedish, lots of people ask questions about his Asian heritage.  "Does he speak Japanese?"  "Has he been to Japan?"  Etc.  One time an fellow law student, herself Asian, even asked me for advice on "How I'd gotten his family to accept that he'd married a white woman."  I tell ya', it wasn't easy...

Anyway, nobody has ever once asked about his Swedish heritage, which is too bad because I find it fascinating!  Also, he mostly identifies with his Swedish roots so it's really all I can talk about.  In addition to his family's amazing and very Swedish Christmas celebration every year (complete with two real Smorgasbords and this incredible from-scratch braided cardamom bread), his family lives near the Swedish area of Chicago, religiously attends North Park Covenant Church (a church with Swedish roots)... no pun intended... and I believe he was like the first person ever in his huuuuuge family not to attend college at North Park University.  I think even if you include those of us who married in, there are seriously only like 4 or 5 out of the twenty-two of us in this generation who did not attend North Park. 

Swedish Poser.

Christmas morning Smorgasbord.

This makes me a happily free-loading wannabe Swede.  I have LOVED being part of all these Swedish traditions - not to mention how cool it is to be part of such a big family.  As an aside, isn't it great to be an American??  I love that my name is Japanese, my traditions are mainly Swedish, and my mom's cooking is still some rockin' Italian.  To all the haters I say:  I love this country and I love my heritage.

Anyway, one of our very favorite Swedish traditions is something anybody living anywhere near Chicago can do for themselves.  For decades my in-laws have enjoyed going to Tre Kronor, a little authentically Swedish cafe/bistro located right by the above-mentioned authentically Swedish college and church.  This place is T**D**F and to all those of you who live or lived in Chicago and did NOT go there even though I told you to:  Shame, shame!

[Some-of-the] Girls Brunch Out - Christmas 2006

Deciding what to order is seriously torture!!  I mean I HAVE TO HAVE the baked onion soup, every time:

And the Vanilla-and-Orange French toast:

Um, and this too please, thanks:

But... what I most frequently order doesn't look nearly as exciting.  And yet, it's SO DARN GOOD that it often beats these out.  I (and a few other family members) most frequently order their "Tuna Salad with Grapes and Almonds."  And so because I've had this decade-long obsession, and in the hopes of freeing myself up to order more of my other favorites, I inspected it as closely as I could last time so that I could try to recreate it.  Here's what I've got:

Save yourself a lot of stress and effort and just ignore exact measurements and do this to taste.  Seriously.  This salad could take you 10 minutes to prepare or it could take up to an hour... go for the 10 mins, you can always add more of something if it's lacking.

(1) Start with tuna.  Obviously.  Say, 2 of the 4-5 ounce cans

(2) Add mayo.  For this much tuna, maybe a heaping big spoon.

(3) Add Henri's Tas-Tee Dressing.  Lots.  Maybe 1.5-2x as much as the mayo.  If you can't find it, use more mayo and a little bit of vinegar (white, or seasoned rice, or even apple cider would be fine) and increase all the herbs.

(4) Add dried minced onion (spice section - don't dry it yourself) or TINY diced shallots if you like onion more than I do.  Fairly minor amount.  Maybe 2 tsp??  Depends on your preference.  I noticed teeny tiny diced shallots during my inspection at Tre.

(5) Add lots of salt and pepper.

(6) Sprinkle some celery seed - more, if you can't get a hold of Tas-tee's.

(7) Add plenty of dill weed, fresh or not doesn't matter.

(8) Add dried cranberries (a handful).  This is my own addition, not found in Tre's.

(9) Add very small diced celery for crunch.  Best way to get it small is to make several slices the long way that don't go all the way to the end, then chop sideways through all the skinny long pieces.  This is also my own addition.  I like crunch.

(10) Add halved grapes, red is best.  Plenty.  The sweetness and the moisture are what make this salad.

(11) Add toasted almond slivers.  To toast, just pour some (1/2 cup?) in a saucepan and heat on medium low, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown and they smell done (5-10 min).  At some point, sprinkle with sea salt (or table salt) and stir to blend.  SO EASY.

Stir this all together, let the flavors coalesce for a bit, and enjoy.  I think tuna salad is the one sandwich that actually tastes better on wheat bread than on white.

Citrus Sweet Rolls (our Christmas recipe)

Oh.  My.  GOSH.  When my husband and I first bit into these rolls we were absolutely blown away.  Better than my wildest dreams, these rolls had it all:  Moist, stretchy dough texture - even on the outside of the roll, sweet citrus zing, and a hint of savory (if you do the cream cheese frosting - I now prefer a citrus glaze, details below!).

I love how citrus in seasonal in the winter - really brightens it up!

I wrote in an old blog entry that one of my goals is to try as many recipes as possible so that I can find THE best recipes to be the seasonal staples of my children's childhoods. Devouring my first roll I knew: I had arrived.  I'd found THE #1 Christmas morning recipe for my family.  For us, there can be no more important recipe. Of course, it'll be awhile before I'm hosting my own Christmases.  But for now, I'm thinking our tree-decorating day and whatever day we celebrate Christmas in Boston will include this recipe... and I'll make it at NO other time of the year, to preserve its magic.

Here it is, with pics. I tweaked and combined two different recipes to arrive at our final creation.

For the dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast
pinch of salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly whisked

For the filling:
1 stick butter, softened
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp orange extract
3/4 cup brown sugar (I used dark)

If you like cream cheese icing - leave butter and cream cheese out in advance!:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1.5 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1 teaspoons orange extract

If you prefer a citrus glaze:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups confectioners (powedered) sugar)
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp milk or cream, as preferred for consistency
Zest of 1 orange

Directions (takes a little time, but not at all difficult):

Place the flour sugar, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the buttermilk - this should bring it to a little warmer than room temp (too hot will kill the yeast), swish it around in the pan and add it to the bowl of dry ingredients.  Lightly whisk the eggs - just use the same pan you used for the butter/milk mixture, and add those too.  Mix in mixer a little until it comes together - use a dough hook attachment if you have one - then knead with your hands for about 7 minutes.  Place in a lightly greased or oiled bowl and flip it over so the top of the dough is also greased.  Cover (I use a wet dishcloth for moisture) and let rise in a warm place (I turn my oven on and off briefly so that the oven is slightly warm) for 2.5 hours or until doubled.

You should definitely invest in these baking mats, it is practically miraculous how the dough does not stick to them at all even without flouring them!  Check it out:

While dough rises, prepare the filling.  Simply mix everything together.  Then grease or butter a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.

Punch dough down, and again turn it out on lightly floured surface or baking mat.  Roll until it's about 18 inches by 12ish (doesn't have to be perfect).  Spread the filling evenly all over.

Spreading the filling is a great time for kids to help!

Roll up, starting at one of the longer (18") sides.  Once rolled, slice it into about 12 slices (so, 1.5 inches each to make 18 inches) - doesn't have to be perfect!!  By the way, I'm told unwaxed floss is great for the slicing, but I use this dough cutter by OXO - it's cheap and it's also really handy for scraping flour off surfaces and into the trash.  Place the slices as evenly as you can in the prepared baking dish.  At this point, you can cover and refrigerate overnight if you prefer!

Cover (I used the same moist dishcloth but you could use plastic wrap, you may want to grease it a little because it'll stick a little bit) and let rise again, again in a warm place, for about an hour, until rolls are all touching each other and appear to be the proper size.  If you refrigerated overnight, you may need to let them rise an extra 30 mins or so.

Fully risen, ready for the oven!

Then bake at 375 for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden on top.  Do not overcook!!!!  Or undercook.  It's worth it to test a roll with a knife, you can just eat that one later.  While it cooks and cools a bit, prepare the glaze OR the cream cheese frosting.  Just add everything in and stir (glaze) or mix in mixer (frosting).

Cover with the glaze (or frosting).  Serve.  Heavenly!!!!

Frosted.  PERFECT December morning.

And here's the final product with the citrus glaze.  I really can't pick a winner!!!

"This is it."

 Ever since I realized I'd one day be "an adult," I've spent a lot of time wondering and dreaming about that day.  I was never that into being a teenager - didn't like parties or cliques - and I wasn't exactly living up my twenties in law school, legal internships, and 3 1/2 years of practicing law.  Instead, I've sort of spent my life putting one foot in front of the other, doing all the things I "should" do... the things I "should" do to get back to my own childhood, this time as the adult.

I had a really great childhood.  I'm not at all trying to brag, just to explain what I experienced and what I want to give my children.  My parents had and still have a fantastic marriage.  My mom used to say that she never fit in with the other neighborhood moms in part because they were always complaining about their husbands and she had nothing to complain about.  "Your father is a good man," she'd say.  My mom's loud, Chicago-Italian laugh used to mortify me but my dad said it made his heart twinkle.  My mom was a fantastic mom - a little unconventional as a staunch feminist, but her work at a battered women's shelter and her demanding of respect from me, my brother, and everyone else she ever met lent her an enormous amount of credibility in my young eyes and gave me the backbone I'm proud (and glad) to have today.

A young couple

Helping Daddy clean the car.

Could Daddy have an ear infection?

My mom mandated family sit-down dinners - every night, unless you were eating over at a friend's house.  Everybody had to come to the table, and if you tarried after she called "time to eat!!" ... well, you didn't tarry.  She did the cooking but everyone else did the dishes and cleaning.  Television was generally off, as a rule, though I think we made a few exceptions for Roseanne.

Family vacations were annual.  We mainly continued my dad's family's three-generation tradition of going "Up North" every summer and renting a cabin in Minocqua, Wisconsin.  We did Disney twice, went skiing in Colorado once, and went to Cancun once too.  Nothing crazy, but my brother and I knew we were lucky to get to see these places.  Now I know I'm lucky to have the memories.

"Up North"

Cute baby brother

Dad took us sledding and built many snow forts... and taught us how to ride bikes and play chess... helped us with our math homework all the time... did karate with us for 6+ years... took me all over the state to weekend tournaments... took me to Minnesota a few times to visit colleges... and still takes me out to lunch when he can.

So throughout adolescence and early adulthood I've been trying to "get back to" that.  Maybe you have too.  I want to be the mom in a good marriage, with family meals every night, making summertime and the Christmas season times of happiness and wonder for my children.  Most of the time, it feels impossibly far off.  We live in a 2-bedroom apartment and will probably be here until we're 36... as a family of 4 or 5.  We have one car and we owe my parents a ton of money for it.  My husband is rarely home in time to have a family dinner (or any dinner), and he often goes weeks only seeing our son awake a few times, and only for about 20 minutes.

So I don't feel like an adult yet... I feel like a grad student, 27 years old max, with a baby.  The traditional markers of "adulthood" - or at least the ones I saw in my parents - haven't yet been attained.  But this morning, as I sat on the porch drinking iced coffee with my beautiful baby boy playing at my feet, it occurred to me:  This is it.  I'm the mom, finally, I'm the adult.  And I'm doing everything in my power to give my son the same great childhood I had with my family.  Earlier that morning we had read books, gone on a long walk on the bike trail, and stopped at the park to swing and crawl.  Yesterday I roasted a bunch of broccoli for him and he and I had a "Mommy-Son Date" with Kelly and Henry, ice cream in Davis Square.  We then went back to their place and splashed around in their plastic pool, and had a burrito dinner with Luke and little Miriam.  We had a great time.  We're having a great time, and a great life.

Not all the pieces are in place yet... but I believe they one day will be.  And until then I need to start realizing:  "This is it."  And... it's good.  My son is happy and loving life... even if it's sad to watch him look around for his Daddy and so often realize Daddy isn't home.  Daddy will be home more... someday.  And as Daddy says, "The ironic thing is that by the time this is all over, we'll be looking back at these years and wishing we were back here, young again, with our lives in front of us."  Yes, we will be.  So this IS it... and it isn't bad.  Time to enjoy it more... summer's here.

P.S.  Credit Kelly with the iced coffee.  Very easy to make:  Simply brew up some high-quality coffee extra strong, add and dissolve sugar while it's hot (and a few drops of vanilla or almond extract, if you feel like it) and chill.  Serve with ice and add cream... top with whipped cream, if you're me.  Enjoy on a hot summer's day.