Dated

One night--a few years ago--after a row with Momo I had a conversation with my dad that went something like this:
Me: "She drives me CRAZY, how do you put up with her???!"
Dad: "You know, when your mother and I don't quite see eye-to-eye, I can't help but get distracted by how gorgeous she is. And truth be told, that can help a lot."

While Dad's advice didn't really help me process my teenage angst, it still warms my heart that my father was so enamored with my mother just a couple of months shy of their 30th wedding anniversary. Dad was good with romance. I cannot count the number of bouquets he brought home for Momo "just because," or the number of times I walked in to the kitchen to see Momo dipped back and dad planting a big ol' smooch on her lips (yuck ;), or the number of dates they went on.

As a kid, this final act always puzzled me. "Why in the world do they go away to spend time together, when they spend all their time together anyway?" I would think. Well, I have seen the light in a couple of ways. 1) Momo and I get along great now, and 2) I love date night. And with Dr. P's insistence and Groupon's assistance, we've been making sure follow in my parents footsteps, and give dad's old fashioned romance a try when we can.

Here are some favorite pictures from a few of our recent dates!

Shake Up!

Our Milk Shake Hunt continues... this time with an Oreo malt from Potbelly

Keeping the feminine mystique alive and well!

Chinatown Express in, well Chinatown.
I love this place (in fact, it featured in one of my college app essays),
the food is actually only okay, but you can't beat the authenticity of it all!

Exhibit A: Fresh noodles made in the front window

Exhibit B: "Today's Special"

Exhibit 2A: Noodle soup!

Spies Like Us!

The International Spy Museum

A tale of two greens, Part deux or Have yourself a Fiesta for St. Patti's

If you want some mean, green food, I think some of the greatest success won't be found in Ireland (though I hear the potatoes are great) but south of the border in Mexico.  Here is one of my favorite dips for any time.  It's inspired by something I had at the Frontera Grill in Chicago (Rick Bayless' restaurant).  I think it would be kind of funny and ironic to have a Mexican themed St. Patrick's day, where you eat chili rellenos, green chili smothered burritos, salsa verde, guacamole and other green Mexican dishes.  So maybe I am the only person who thought that was funny... Oh well...

2 medium, ripe avacados
1 champagne mango
1 jalapeno
about 20 springs of cilantro 
1/2 red onion
3 limes
zest of 1 lime
a little salt 

Place the yummy mush inside of the avocado in a medium sized bowl.  Slice mango into thin strips, about an 8th inch wide and half an inch long. Dice onion, pepper and cilantro.  Add.  Zest lime into bowl.  Squeeze in lime juice.

It's like animation... but different.

Mush it together.  If you want, add some salt but only a pinch. Eat fast because when I made it, by the time I got back from washing my hands it was gone!!

A Liberal Arts Major's Imperfect Tribute to Mathematical Perfection

Happy Pi Day!

Pi and Pie have a similar place in my heart: 

There are other things on which I'd rather spend my time. 

Here's one of them:

Behold.

Clafouti is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and WAY lower stress than either math or pastry dough.  It is a flexible and forgiving recipe that is easy to make with random stuff that I generally have on hand.  And if that's not worth celebrating on a Monday morning, I don't know what is.

Clafouti (not Pie)

Butter a 9- or 10-inch tart dish (or a pie pan or 6 medium ramekins), and dust it evenly with sugar.  Beat three eggs with 1/3 cup sugar (white, brown or powdered -- each is delicious!) until it is light and fluffy.  Slowly add 1 1/2 cups milky stuff (I've used skim, whole, cream, soy, almond, Greek yogurt, sour cream and strange combinations of the above -- universally divine!).  Add 6 Tablespoons flour (I've only tried white, but I've seen it done with almond and rice flours, and once in a pinch I used a chunk of Danish marzipan -- winning!).  Add something to make it interesting, like: juice of half a lemon (or a quarter grapefruit), zest of a whole lemon (or lime), a tablespoon of good bourbon vanilla (and/or a splash of brandy), and a pinch of kosher salt.  Beat it all together for several minutes until it resembles fragrant clouds (or pancake batter).  Set it aside and turn your oven to 375. 

While the oven is heating, tend to your fruit.  Any fruit will do. I like cherries, pears and berries, but my absolute favorite are small Italian plums, which are lush and sweet and even more gorgeous to eat than they are to look at.  Of course, Italian plums are really best if you get them in season.  And in Italy.  And, while we're at it, clafouti is really best when it's baked in the South of France in early September with the windows open. But last Sunday it was raining cats and dogs and we used a bag of frozen peaches and it was still pretty dang good....  

ANYWAY -- Arrange your fruit (sliced, if appropriate) so it's pretty in the bottom of the sugared pan, dollop the batter over the top and pop it in the over for about 40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is golden.  Clafouti is delicious and not overly-sweet straight from the oven.  If you want even more fun, adorn the top with powdered sugar, whipped cream, creme fraiche, creme anglaise or Greek yogurt whipped with honey.  Or anything that strikes your fancy.  I love how versatile this recipe is -- you can make it light or decadent, and adapt it for seasonal fruit all year long; every incarnation is a delectable adventure.  Seriously -- I think if it were possible to make a bad clafouti, I certainly would have succeeded by now...



In other news, Momo sent the Princess a new umbrella. She loves to play with it -- wide open -- inside the house.  I am happy to report that her charmed life appears unaltered, despite her reckless, fortune-tempting ways.  She also likes to sleep with it.

Middle School? Ask 5.

Q: I am in charge of 12 year old girls at my church and am always looking for words of wisdom for the little loves. (That sounded a little sarcastic, I'm afraid---I want you to know that we have a very solid mutual admiration society going here. I'm crazy about them!) My question is: If you could give any advice to your twelve-year-old selves, what would it be?

I think it would be good to get the perspective of girls your ages since it's probably not outside their imagination's ability to see themselves at your ages, whereas I'm afraid that I'm kind of getting up there...!

A5

One (Old Fogey): Ahhh. So much to say... Be kind. Practice your piano. Read good books. Be patient with others. Be patient with yourself. Your mom might be completely crazy and determined to destroy your life. But she's probably not. You really will be happier if you do the right thing. And it is *so* much easier to do the right thing if you're happy and confident about who you are. So try to figure out how you really enjoy spending your time and don't waste energy on stuff that feels vaguely lame, even if everyone else does. Trust me: you'll never look back and wish you'd gone to more church dances.


Two (She's awesome, not cool.): Don't try to be cool; try to be happy, good and successful. If you get one of those three things, you'll be way cooler than most people.


Three (Fugly Duckling): First the quick fixes-- Cut your hair, do your math homework (if it seems easy then move on to the next lesson/grade), stop biting your nails, and DO NOT get the gold braces (unless you tell everyone you like them because they're "crunk").

Now for the serious stuff. A few months ago amid a rash of suicides among gay teenagers, a man named Dan Savage started the It Gets Better Project. While the project has distinct audience--LGBT youth being bullied for their sexual orientation--the messages recorded by everyone from world leaders to the lady next door can speak to anyone going through a hard time. Adolescence can be hard, BUT it does indeed get better. Knowing who you are today--let alone who you want to be in 10, or 20, or 75 years--is confusing, but if you're hoping things get better, TAKE ACTION! Invest in yourself, because you're stuck with yourself. BE NICE. Kids can be mean, and it doesn't feel good to be on either side when that happens. Finally, "It Get's Better" isn't about vengeance, or Karma, or retribution, it's about growth. The world is a glorious place with infinite opportunities, so grow, and prepare yourself to take your place in it!

Four (I was born in the 90s too!): Focus on things that really matter (read: trying to be a good person and trying to learn everything you can). Challenge yourself. Read the classics (they're called that for a reason). Even if they seem confusing at first, they'll make sense eventually and the lessons you learn from them will help shape you into the kind of person you really want to be. Form good habits. When your mom tells you to practice your piano because "it will make you a happier person in the future", she's telling the truth! Be nice. Go out of your way to befriend those who look lonely or left out. You'll never regret it--and it's an easy thing that you can do to make the world a better place. In the same vein, smile! It will make you--and everyone around you--happier.

P.S. Don't be self conscious. You're pretty great. Don't worry about being completely divorced from pop culture. It Does Not Matter At All. Never try to be someone you're not. Don't worry about boys. Until you get *much* older, they're a complete waste of time! Finally, make your sisters your best friends because they are the best friends you'll ever have and will always be there for you.


Five (Recovering Adolescent):
Say what you think is right and don't do what you know is wrong. People won't think that you're lame or annoying (unless you're anal about it -- stay chill), and they'll often respect you more for it. Also, most things really aren't that big of a deal. It may seem HUGE at the time, but within a week, a month, or even a year, it will be nothing.* In conclusion, you're rad awesome, 12-year-old Five. I'm confident that you'll turn out. . . pretty epically great.

*On that note, as long as you don't die, some of the worst situations make the best stories (I have a hilarious one about stowing away in a Hungarian cattle car, but it was freaking terrifying at the time).

For Those Geniuses Unrecognized Among Us

*Geekologie.com

I would like to acknowledge this anonymous worker. Rarely have I heard more artfully crafted insults or witnessed such command of mathematical concepts -- as well an appreciation for cake batter and timelessly catchy phrases. Though I do not know how he came to work in the food-service industry or what he is doing now that he has been released as 'assistant manager' at a Dominoes Pizza franchise, I have little doubt that this curmudgeonly savant and I are kindred spirits. I hope to one day shake his hand and say to him "I appreciate you".

Ditto to all those whose situations have not yet met their ability -- I appreciate you.

The Book Bed

Over the last few weeks, due to impending deadlines and unexpected obligations, I have become less well acquainted with my bed. This has been hard because I really love my bed. But, I'm not gonna lie, when I saw this wonderful creation, I felt a little unfaithful. Maybe it's the lack of time we've spent together recently, or maybe it's something more serious. But my beautiful antique bed and I are going to have to talk because I can't really get over this newer model. Isn't it dreamy?

It reminds me of summers when 2, 3, 4--or 5!--of us would sleep in the same, giant bed. It wasn't always the most comfortable sleeping arrangement, but it was always the most fun. Sleepovers with sisters are my favorite. This bed looks like it could fit four or five of us totally comfortably! Don't you love it?

2

3--We all look *so* happy

4--Two looks less than thrilled to have us as sleeping buddies

And this is what happens when there isn't enough room for all of us in the same bed...yeah, not pretty.

*You may note the absence of One in these pictures. That's because--for the last six years or so--she's been sharing a bed with someone else...Lame!

Hooray for Brother L!!!

Do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy of today's Wall Street Journal. On page 12 you will find an EXTREMELY insightful commentary on the future of electric vehicles. Why the sudden interest in energy policy and technology?

(Well, the truth is it's not that sudden an interest, I studied this stuff. And personally, I think everyone should feel invested in it, but especially women and mothers. This type of sustainable technology has something to do what we do now, but honestly it's more about what we leave for folks like Princess H and Tiny... *Phew* Can you say TANGENT?!)

Anyway, I do have a bit of an ulterior motive in bringing up this article in particular; our brilliant, handsome, single, brother L authored the piece, and we are so proud of him. As you all know the Five Sisters are incredibly lucky to have each other, but we are extra blessed to have some of the most amazing brothers a group of girls could ask for, and brother L is no exception. So Bravo Big Brother! Keep up the great work!

*While the piece isn't available in the online version of WSJ, we would be happy to share a pdf of it with folks who are interested. Just shoot us an email at fivetdsisters@gmail.com and we'll hook you up!