Don’t Be Afraid of the Cold… January 22, 2008

I haven’t been running lately.  It all started just before Thanksgiving when I awoke with a sniffly nose and congestion in my chest.  My breathing was somewhat labored – enough to let me know that I shouldn’t go for a run that day.  So, took the week off – tried to move and walk as  much as I could – things stayed together, somewhat….

Headed into Thanksgiving – wham!  Hit by another sniffle, cold, annoying thing.  Not enough to be fully incapacitated – but enough to limit my activity.  Took another week off.  This time we were in the Adirondacks – not as much opportunity to move when you have two young children in tow.  They are too little to skate, or ski.  We walked a little bit, and played outside a little bit more.  Mostly we sat around and ate and drank (my husband and I drank, not the kids) - not the best fitness strategy, but hey I figured I would be back in business next week.  So, I took another week off from running.

And then December happened, and along came something very unusual.  In those two short weeks when I was down for the count with some silly sniffling thing – I forgot to make room for running in my life.  Sure, I was busy running around – sending out queries, baking cookies, buying presents, mailing cards – but somehow running simply dropped from my list of things “to do”.  Now, I have been running for 18 years – I have a long and convoluted love relationship with my running.  It is me.  It is what I love to do.  Running has always been there for me – carrying me through crazy times, happy times, sad times.  It is generally not something that I forget to do!  How on earth did I replace my deep and committed running relationship with the sordidness of holiday busyness!

It just happened.  It snuck up on me so slowly that it took me six weeks to even notice that running was missing.  For the past four years, since the birth of our first child, Saturday morning has become about me busily negotiating with my husband as to when, and for how long, I can fit a run in that will coincide with all of the weekend plans that we need to accomplish as a family.  Then suddenly one Saturday I awoke and realized that it had been an awfully long time since I had participated in the those negotiations.  A two week sniffle – had turned into a six week lapse. 

Then I read the article in the New York Times this past Friday –  ”Too Cold to Exercise?  Try Another Excuse”, written by Gina Kulata.  The title pretty much sums up the substance of the article.  In other words, it has to get pretty darn cold for you to use it as an excuse to exercise outside in the winter – no, your lungs will not freeze, and yes, you should always where a hat.   And then I realized that is exactly what I had been doing.  I was born and raised in the Canadian West and am no stranger to cold.  I used to play hockey outside with my brother until my toes and fingers were frozen and then only come inside for a quick hot chocolate and then head out again.  However, I had to admit that living in NYC these past few years had turned me into a softie.  I had missed the great outdoors.  That is where I love to run.  Treadmills are okay in a pinch, like maybe a torrential rain storm – but really my instinct has always to be outside – with the wind in my face, and the pavement pounding at my feet.

 So, I hit the great outdoors with a vengeance this past weekend!  Temperatures in the Adirondacks dipped to below zero (yes, that is below zero in Fahrenheit, not Celsius) – good old Canadain winter type temperatures!  And there I was.  Heading onto the road – bundled up somewhat – a little cold at first – but before I knew it I was running, and warming up, and giggling to myself, and reminding myself that this 38 year old body could definitely feel like a child again!

It feels good to be reunited with my running.  I am a better person when I run.  A better mother, a better wife, a better writer, a better daughter, a better sister.  It is as if running unites all the roles and responsibilities that make up my being and unites them into one.  I cannot explain it, but it sure feels good to have rediscovered it.  

Every Woman Should Have & Should Know by the Time She is 30… January 1, 2008

As I read through my old journals this morning in an attempt to find any material that might inspire, I found the following lists.  It was originally published in GlamourMagazine (1997) by Pamela Redmond Satran.  It has also made it rounds as an electronic chain letter over the years.  I find the list poignant in an odd sort of way – a lot of truth lies behind these little words.  Plus, now that I am over 30 by some years it is comforting to realize that I do indeed have more, and know more than I thought I did!  I hope they might serve to inspire and motivate as we march into 2008!

Every Woman Should Have by the Time She is 30…

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you have come.
2. Enough money within your control to move out and rent a place of your own, even if you never want to, or need to.
3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you are not ashamed to be seen carrying.
5. A youth you are content to move beyond.
6. A past juicy enough you are looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
7. The realisation that you are actually going to have an old age and some money set aside to help fund it.
8. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.
9. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
10. A good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
11. Eight matching plates, wineglasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make your guests feel honored.
12. A resume that is not even the slightest bit padded.
13. A feeling of control over your destiny.
14. A skin care regime, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.
15. A solid start in a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better after 30.

What Every Woman Should Know by the Time She is 30…

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How you feel about having kids.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
5. How to kiss a man in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and would not like to happen next.
6. How to have a good time at a party you would never choose to attend.
7. How to ask for what you want in a way that makes it most likely you will get it.
8. That you cannot change the length of your calves, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.
9. That you childhood may not have been perfect, but it is over.
10. What you would and would not do for love.
11. How to live alone, even if you do not like it.
12. Who you can trust, who you cannot, and why you should not take it personally.
13. Where to go – be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a charming inn hidden in the woods – when your soul needs soothing.
14. What you can and cannot accomplish in a day, a month, a year.
15. Why they say life begins at 30!

Mommy athletes? December 26, 2007

I have always considered myself an athlete.  I grew up playing sports, in an era when women were not always applauded for their athletic prowess.  I played softball in the spring and summer and hockey and ringette in the fall and winter.  All through high-school I was either training, or practicing, or playing, or eventually coaching in my senior year.  I attended a college where the only sports open to female athletes were: gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, swimming, and track & field.  None of which I was able to participate in at a competitive level – given my athletic background.  So, I joined the intramural women’s hockey team – where we played different faculty departments and sororities.  Some of the players were competitive, but for the most part it was difficult breaking a sweat.

I graduated from college and put my skates, gloves, pucks, and softballs away.  It was time to grow up, or at least that was the message I received from the rest of society.  I had reached the point in my life where as I had no intention of pursuing athletics professionally (due to limited opportunities) I must shed all vestiges of enjoyment in moving my body to become a grown up.  It’s as if now that you are an adult you aren’t allowed to have fun anymore – instead you have to do boring things like join a gym and count fat grams and mature stuff like that – instead of just listening and feeling your body respond. 

As I near the age of forty I am beginning to slowly regain my athleticism.  I have joined gyms in the past, but have never lasted long.  Part of it is the sheer boredom that is found in repetitive exercise machines, plus the fact that I felt trapped in the great indoors!  I started running in my early 20’s.  It was cheap, easy, and I could do it anywhere and according to my own schedule.  I started running in competitive races – I never placed in my age group – but I slowly noticed an improvement in my times.  I trained for two marathons – but blew my back out training for the first one – and found myself pregnant while training for the second.  So I decided I should stick to the half marathon – a distance where I can actually see an improvement – I think I would run one marathon and be done with it!

I also believe that having children can increase our athleticism.  I see this as our daughter approaches the age of four.  She has taken a couple of ice skating lessons, and we are heading out to the ski hill this weekend.  I grew up in the Rockies and when I moved to NYC had pretty much given up on the idea that I would ever ski again.  However, for Christmas I received a new pair of skis and skates – so I am all set to get things started again.  It will be exciting to see my children grow into their abilities. 

Skating around the outdoor rink this afternoon made me think of the first time that I set out to skate.  Thinking I would hit the ice like my idol, Dorothy Hamill.  I hit the ice of course – but not quite what I expected.  Anyways, it was a great feeling to see the joy in my daughter’s eyes as she did her best to do her version of skating.  I want to have that feeling again.  Forget about all those grown up things I am heading outside to play…

The Trouble with Home-Cooked Meals… December 17, 2007

Why do I do, what I do?  Why do I insist on cooking almost every night for my children (one four year old and one 20 month old)?  Why do I believe it is important for my children to be exposed to good food?  To sit down with them at the table and share a meal?  To involve them in the cooking process as much as they are able to participate?

Some nights things run as smoothly as possible.  The children are engaged in some sort of activity – playing well together – I am in the kitchen dicing, and slicing, and sauteing, and whatever else it is that I do in order to get some sort of delicious home cooked food on the table in time for dinner.  More often than not it is bedlam in the area I call the kitchen – and not always of the disastrous sort – just enough craziness that it feels like I am up against something.  Not the smooth kind of cooking that takes place on TV shows, or the Food Network.  I have always thought that a wonderful reality/cooking show would be to film a mother who comes in the door at around 3:30 or 4:00 and must have a delicious meal on the table by 5:30 – meanwhile her children are flinging themselves at her and around the kitchen as she attempts to put something together.  Move over Rachel Ray and those 30 minute meals that always take way longer than 30 minutes to make!

I digress.  Meal prep at my house usually involves a variety of different stages.  Sometimes I actually start cooking dinner when I get up in the morning – or at least I try to get some of the work done at that time.  Chop an onion, chop some vegetables, put the tofu in the marinade, put all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another so all I have to do when I get home is throw them together, or what ever else I can do to reduce the time it takes me to get dinner cooking.  Of course, that only happens on the days when I am organized, on the days when I actually know what we are going to have for dinner before I walk in the door.  Many days it is 3:00 and I am heading for home and I have absolutely no idea what groceries we might have in the refrigerator, let alone what I might concoct for dinner. 

To add to the confusion I am the kind of shopper that goes to the grocery store everyday.  Okay, maybe every second day – but you get the picture.  I like to have fresh produce.  I might have an idea of what kind of food I want to eat a couple days of head, but I don’t think I have the ability to plan out a weeks worth of menus in one shot – although that is my resolution for the coming year so I will check in with more on that later!  I am not the kind that is able to stock pile my refrigerator and freezer with food items.  I have a minimum amount – but have never really caught onto the processed food thing.  Both my sister and my mother have two refrigerators and a deep freeze.  These various contraptions are always FULL!  I have no idea what they have in there, but it kind of scares me.  They are both Costco goers and like to buy in bulk (not that there is anything wrong with that), but I swear they have enough food in there homes to last for at least a year. 

The other issue is – I am a “crash and burn” type of cook.  My husband (who is a classically trained French chef) can whip up a multi-course meal and leave only one bowl in the sink that needs to be cleaned.  If it weren’t for the smells emitting from the oven there is scant evidence that anyone has even cooked a meal.  Myself, on the other hand, leave plenty of evidence that the kitchen has not only been used, but is also well loved.  I generally use every bowl in the kitchen, leave a trail of something snaking across the counter-top or the stove, breadcrumbs or flour invariably spill from their containers, and a variety of other messes all add to the ambiance.  My reasoning is that I only have about 20 minutes to throw a meal together without being bombarded by one or both of the children – therefore, I do not have time to deal with minutiae – like stopping to wipe the counters, or rinse out the blender.  I save that for my housekeeper (oh wait, that is me  too!).

Anyways, enough babbling.  I love to cook.  I enjoy experimenting with foods and flavors – however, my children are not quite at that stage where they are interested in experimenting with their food.  I do have an idea of what my children will eat, so I am able to branch out from there – but sometimes I feel like maybe I should throw in the towel.  Heck, I live in NYC and can get anything delivered to my apartment.  Why don’t I develop a relationship with the drawerful of delivery menus in the front hall table.  But somewhere deep down inside I want better.  Restaurant food tastes okay for awhile – then it is all the same.  Plus, I hate to pay money for something that I know I could have cooked better. 

So what exactly is my point here.  Heading back to my original questions – why do I bother?  I bother because I believe children should eat good food – it doesn’t have to be fancy – but it needs to satisfy.  I believe that children should be involved in food preparation and some nights mine engage fully.  Setting the table, putting pickles in a bowl, spinning and ripping the salad greens.  I believe that taking the time to cook a meal satisfies on so many levels – it is a way to take some time out of your day and sit down and share - or that is at least the romantic notion I carry around in my head.  Some nights we are close to attaining this – all munching and talking away in unison.  Some nights there are turned up noses, and crossed arms, and “This is yucky.  I want noodles”  Which is tough to hear when you have spent time cooking a meal – but I don’t give in – but they are always welcome to eat bread and butter.  I believe that someday we will get there…

What are we celebrating? December 13, 2007

What happened to children’s birthday parties?  Whatever happened to having some kids over to your house, or your backyard (maybe to the bowling alley or a movie if you were lucky), playing pin the tail on the donkey, having cake and ice cream, and calling it a day?  When did things change?  I guess it was somewhere between the time I turned twelve and when my daughter started going to birthday parties, which was about six months ago. 

You’ve come a long way humble birthday party!  In all fairness to the birthday party I do live in Manhattan where things are often larger than life and space is at a premium so it is not always possible to have a party in your own home.  However, it seems like kiddie birthday parties are a big thing everywhere – according to the amount of coverage it receives in national magazines. 

This is my first year of the “birthday party”.  My daughter is only four so we are at the cusp of the madness that might descend upon us when it comes to birthday parties.  At least the type of party that is expected of you from the preschool crowd.  First of all it has become necessary to invite the entire class (at 20 kids in my daughter’s class this seems like sheer lunacy) because heaven forbid you would want to upset a child.  Some parents do try to circumvent this by inviting only “all the girls”, or “all the boys” in the class.  It has also become a necessity to invite siblings – both younger and older – and hey, why not bring along both mom and dad at the same time.  This leads to massive amounts, of what I consider to be, “unnecessary people”; a ridiculous amount of junky toys that are disguised as gifts; and turns a four year old’s birthday party into an event that parallels my wedding for the amount of planning that went into the “big day”.

The preschool that my daughter attends suggests that “young children can not handle large parties, therefore it is best to invite two or three friends and to keep activities to a minimum”.  As an educator I agree.  However, it appears that none of the preschool parents listen – as they continue to invite the entire class, and siblings, and parents to the blessed celebration.  The venues tend to become a little crazier each year as well - puppet theaters, painting studio, gymnastics studios, Build-a-Bear.  One family I know rented out a disco for the their daughter’s fifth birthday.  Close to 100 people were there – there was a candy and ice cream bar for children, an open bar for parents, disco dancing lessons, make-up stations – which is all ridiculously ostentatious.  I shudder to think at what the plans might be for her 16th birthday!

I am all for small family celebrations with a few close friends.  Doing dorky things like decorating cupcakes together, and choosing a special meal to cook and eat.   A birthday should definitely be a celebration – but it should have more to do with how your child came into your life – sharing birth stories, or stories from what it felt like the first time you held your child, looking through photo albums together and talking about funny moments from different years – creating a time line, scrapbook or journal that you and your child can add to each year and remark upon the growth – that is what birthdays are all about.  Not the pile of presents, or the over the top party that leaves everyone exhausted, and cranky, and definitely does not honor the child – but only leaves a funny taste in your mouth…. 

Tonight’s the night… December 10, 2007

…for Tofurkey!  Yes, that is right.  I finally manged to get around to cooking the Tofurkey dinner that I have had in my refrigerator since Thanksgiving.  And guess what?  I should have left it in the refrigerator until next Thanksgiving.  Thank goodness the entire meal only cost me $14.99.  Also, thank goodness my husband wasn’t around to witness the debacle – though I might have to send my poor children to counseling to recover from the experience.  Yes, it was that bad…

I was disappointed.  I wanted Tofurkey to withstand all the jokes that are thrown its way.  Tofurkey has somehow become the one vegan/vegetarian product that everyone is familiar with.  It is the one item that my non-vegan friends taunt and tease me with – I guess in its own weird way Tofurkey is sort of like Spam – it doesn’t get a great deal of respect.  I know people that love Tofurkey – which was the reason I went with it.  I ordered it for Thanksgiving and then forgot to take it to the cabin.  It had since taken up residence in my refrigerator and I could finally stand it no longer, I was ready to take the plunge…

It tasted so artificial.  I guess that was my biggest disappointment.  I am not sure what I expected it to taste like – but with a list of ingredients an arm’s length long – it wasn’t surprising that it didn’t taste like any real food that I know.  It did bring back memories, buried long ago from my childhood, when my parents would go out for the evening and leave the sitter in charge of putting Swanson’s TV Dinners in the oven.  It had that same sort of fake, processed, mystery ingredient taste. 

The entire experience really just underscored my long held grudge against processed foods – especially organic and all natural “processed” foods – that they are still processed no matter what the quality of the ingredients are – and are therefore, expected to have a long life span – and in the end do you really want to put all those ingredients in your body – natural or not!  Plus, it was all just so weird – eating a product made of non-animal products that was designed to replace and to look like an animal product.  Does that make sense?  I think I will stick to my vegetables, and fruits, and grains, in combinations that leave them with a resemblence to what they might look like in nature.  May the Tofurkey rest in peace, at least in this household…

Where did all my free time go?… December 10, 2007

Sitting at home alone, I cannot help but think what I might be missing out on.  What do people do after dark?  I guess I used to have an idea, but I don’t think I ever really capitalized on it.  Having all that freedom – before children arrived that is.  What did I used to do?  How did I spend my time? 

I know that I spent a lot of time curled up on our couch watching Law and Order reruns (I can never seem to remember exactly who does what in each episode, therefore I continuously become sucked into watching them over and over again), drinking peppermint tea, and eating some variation of snack food.  I guess occasionally I also must have worked out – either taking my time and going to a yoga class, or trying to fit in a run after work.  But how exactly what was I trying to fit a run into?  What the heck else did I do with my life before I had children?

Sure, I worked – but I became really good, really fast at not bringing my work home with me.  I had a husband – but he was usually too busy working late to include in my evening plans – yes we did have the occasional weeknight dinner together, and I know that he also came home for the odd meal which usually meant I would have to either cook him something to eat, or decide which take out menu to use.
I was also working on my master’s degree – but in retrospect I really wasn’t that busy all of the time – especially compared to the busyness of having children.  The reality of being on call 24/7 differs from work schedules, dinner dates, and assignment deadlines.

Not to denigrate the work of others who do not have children.  They are busy doing important work – leading full lives, enjoying themselves, establishing themselves in their careers and creating relationships.  I don’t take away their busyness and say that it is all pointless compared to the busyness of those with children.  However, I do know that it is just different somehow – and I really do not know what it can be compared to. 

I believe it is the resulting lack of “me” time that is built into your day as a mother that can be the most difficult to accept.  Especially when you had some sort of life, engaged in something fulfilling before you had children.  Independence of career, of financial stability, of coursework, and having the freedom to do what you want with your life are pretty much taken for granted by young women – who are not always prepared for the unending commitment that comes with the birth of your first child.  It takes a great effort to remain your self through the entire process, which I believe is completely important in maintaining your sense of sanity.  But there is no doubt about it, your entire life will change. 

I have likened it to Marine boot camp – where you are completely stripped down to nothing and then slowly built back up again.  I believe this is a necessary process on the path to motherhood, and really fatherhood to for that matter.  It is absolutely amazing how demanding a little 7lb bundle of a baby can be – and how you will adapt your entire life around this little being at the snap of their finger. 

The role of a parent in these early stages is really to render one’s self helpless – to absolutely give yourself over to your child – respond to their every need – let them know that you are there for them.  There is too much talk about spoiling a child by picking them up too much, or by responding to every cry – it is extremely hard to spoil a newborn – they need love unconditionally, as sleep deprived as you may be.  Besides spoiling has more to do with the level of consumer consumption that your child undergoes in their lifetime – how quickly you respond to their requests to “have, have, have” – rather than simply holding your child in the middle of the night when they have had a bad dream.

Now that my children are somewhat older (4 years and 20 months), I do see “me” moments slipping back into my life.  There is now time for sips, and sometimes even cups, of peppermint tea; some mornings I can finish most sections of the newspaper; requests are not as demanding, or at least they can wait, until Mommy is finished reading the page, stirring the soup, brushing her teeth.  I don’t take these moments for granted as I once did – time by myself has become precious – now if I could only do something about those bloody Law & Order reruns!

Roasted Green Beans December 6, 2007

DSC_0212Originally uploaded by k.krywko

My first photo is now officially posted! A bowlful (okay, I ate about half of them before I thought about taking a picture) of the roasted green beans*, that I have instantly become smitten with! 
 

 

* Recipe from Veganomicon

My own private energy crisis… December 6, 2007

At what age do you lose the ability to leap out of bed and face the day with boundless energy and enthusiasm?  At what age do you all of a sudden find yourself in dire need of a dose of caffeine before you can even contemplate putting together a complete thought?  And trust me some days the dose needs to be heavier than others!

I ask myself these questions as my two children bound into our bedroom – terrier-like – anywhere between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.  A few mornings last week my 20  month old son believed it to be most engaging to begin his day at 4:30 a.m.  Not very thoughtful of him, I say.

I am not that far gone that I have forgotten what it was like to have an endless supply of energy.  I am just not sure when things changed, exactly.  Perhaps, at some point in college.  After all, that is the point in my life when I began to drink copious amounts of coffee.  A self-perpetuating ritual of dumping about half a tin of milk, and equal amounts of sugar into a paper cup.  At least at that point in my life if I didn’t really feel like awakening and going to class I didn’t really have to.  Most of my morning classes were taught in large sections, so unless there was an exam that day no one would notice my absence.  Plus, college was also a time in my life when I could party with the best of them until about 3:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m. and still make it through the next day on 2 or 3 hours of sleep.  Oh, if only I could have kept some of that energy on reserve.

Prior to having children I often bounded out of bed myself on weekends, much to the annoyance of my husband.  Unless of course we were out drinking the night before – a graduate school custom that we perhaps outgrew a little later than others.  In my previous life as a childless woman – I was often awake at first light.  Now I could easily fall asleep bathed in the atomic glow of the sun at high noon!  Saturdays were often my long-run days (again, this neatly fits into my previous life) and 6:30 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. always seemed like a good time to start – especially in the summer when the heat and humidity always provided an easy excuse not to run at all.

I think the practice of practically mainlining caffeine began with the introduction of children into our sleep patterns.  Having the second child only intensified the need to drink as much coffee in the shortest period of time possible.  I find myself exhausted in the morning.  My children sleep through the night, I generally fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, and on most nights I get at least seven hours of sleep.  That may not sound like much – but trust me in parenting lingo seven hours of uninterrupted sleep is a small slice of heaven.   My energy crisis has less to do with what happens at night, and more with what happens during the day.  Energy is sucked out of me in little fits and bursts – right from the early hours until it is lights out for the kid-lets at 8:00 p.m.  It is all the usual suspects of modern life – combined with children – unanswered emails, phone calls to return, books to read, games to play, articles to write, research to conduct, meals to prep and cook, husbands to look after, relatives to worry about, presents to buy, groceries to order – and so on, and so off.  I am not complaining – I love my kids, I love my life, I just hope that the price of coffee doesn’t go up….

Who Knew? December 5, 2007

Last night’s dinner – a rather thrown together affair, but one that came out just right.  I usually eat with my kids at 5:00 or 5:30.  My day usually starts at 6:00 a.m., so I am ready to call it dinner at that time.  Yesterday worked out differently – at least for a week night.  First of all my husband said that he would actually be home for dinner.  He travels a great deal, and on many of the nights that he is not traveling he is eating dinner with clients in lavish steakhouses. 

Secondly, my husband had a rather odd request that he wanted “some sort of bean and couscous dish – maybe with some mint or basil thrown in.  You must have a recipe for something like that in one of your vegan cookbooks”.  Odd for my husband, because he is a full blown carnivore.  If he could figure out how to have steak for three meals a day he would do it – thankfully the idea of steak smoothies have not caught on!  Although, to give my dear husband a break – his palate has expanded to include – tofu, and tempeh, and a greater assortment of vegetables over the past few years.  However, one thing he has refused to grasp onto is the whole “bean thing”.  So, after I picked my jaw up off the floor – I got to work – or I at least thought about getting to work.

Problem #1 – the cookbook that has an awesome bean salad recipe in it is at our cabin.  So, on to plan B – which is to say I began to improvise.  I can do this – I wrote a bloody post on the concept yesterday – so I should be able to pull something out of my hat.  The first thing that needs to happen when you begin to improvise in the kitchen is to give yourself permission to not follow a recipe.  We have become an nation of expert-followers – and are often hesitant or unsure what to do if there is not one in the vicinity.  I know what flavors work together – plus,  I have certainly cooked enough beans in my lifetime to be able to pull something together. 

So, what to do.  Can of black beans in the pantry, excellent (okay, I live in a small Manhattan apartment so I don’t actually have a pantry – but it sounds so grown up), frozen corn in freezer.  I have olive oil and red wine vinegar, salt and pepper so I can throw all that together for some sort of dressing.  Perfect, shallots in the cupboard, I will add one of those.  I will pick up some cilantro, couscous, red peppers, and some kale to serve as a side-dish.  The peppers were a bust at the market 11.99/lb – which is a tad bit ridiculous – so I found a jar of roasted red peppers in my fridge that will work just as well.  I get home throw everything together except for the couscous (and kale, of course), to let the flavors have some time to meld in the fridge.

Feed the kids at their usual time – I am going to eat with my husband after the kids are in bed.  I make the children ravioli and roasted green bean (amazing! Recipe to follow), and kiwi.  I tell them that the green beans are “green bean french fries” and serve them with ketchup.

Kids are in bed.  Remove bean mixture from refrigerator and bring to room temp.  Boil some water – add some couscous and vegan margarine.  Remove from heat, let sit for five minutes.  Mix couscous and bean mixture.  I get a little crazy at the end and slice an avocado and add pine-nuts to the mix – and voila!  Sort, of a kitchen sink approach, but it all worked out in the end.  I never did make the kale.  The roasted green beans I made were incredible (thanks to Veganomicon) I finished the rest of the batch off, which must have been about 3/4 of a lb. 

So, a relatively quick and easy meal.  The green beans were wilting in my refrigerator and my first thought was to steam them and do the usual toss in vegan margarine and watch my children, and myself, try to gag them down.  I am not really that fond of green beans, but for some reason feel compelled to buy them.  Anyway, I have become a devotee after one simple recipe from Veganomicon for roasted green beans- I know it sounds crazy, but trust me.  Preheat oven at 400; trim green beans; toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper (I also added some bread crumbs – but you could just as easily add vegan parm, or nutritional yeast); throw them in the oven for 15 minutes – and then come out crunchy, and tender, and yummy, and just go out and buy some green beans and try them…