A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

Favorite Julia Child Quotes

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Today Julia Child would have turned 100 years old. (She passed away in 2004 at the age of 91.) I remember watching her cooking show on PBS when I was growing up. I’d get my younger brother to film me doing my own show afterward, which usually involved brownies or pineapple upside-down cake. I liked Julia’s enthusiasm and can-do attitude, but it wasn’t until I was older that I understood that she brought a much-needed enthusiasm back to the American kitchen.

Here are some of her most famous quotes, beautifully rendered by talented artists around the blogosphere. [Read more…] about Favorite Julia Child Quotes

Using Our CSA / Grandma’s Summer Salad

I was so happy when I got this week’s CSA box because, among other goodies, it contained the three main ingredients needed for Grandma Campobasso’s summer salad.

It’s the simplest salad in the world to make, just a couple of chopped cucumbers, green peppers, and tomatoes tossed in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and a dash of dried oregano. But I love it because it reminds me of visits to my grandparents when I was little. We’d pick the ingredients from their garden and Grandma would make this salad. It tastes like summer to me.

Olympic Fever / Playlist

The sight of Michael Phelps preparing for his Olympic races, headphones firmly in place, got me thinking about how I need some new workout music. Michael says he listens to Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, and Lil Jon (lots of Lils!), but since they’re not exactly my cup of tea, I went to my fitness-loving friends on Facebook for their favorite, most motivational workout songs.

Here are their suggestions, with links to iTunes. I love that it’s a mix of old and new songs. And I had to include “Spice Up Your Life” from the Closing Ceremonies! Go Mamas!

I can’t wait to download these songs and let them work their motivational magic. If I missed your favorites, please share them in the comments! Here you go: [Read more…] about Olympic Fever / Playlist

Our Favorite New (Old) Game

At this year’s Father’s Day gathering, my aunt brought an old-fashioned Bingo game for us to play. It was a huge hit. The kids loved spinning the wire cage, watching the balls drop, and calling the numbers. Aunt Karna even had prizes for the winners.

The next time we were at Target I took a peek in the games section, hoping they had a Bingo game like hers. And they did! It’s not exactly the same, but it works. We’ve taken to playing Bingo at nearly every gathering these days. All ages can play, and the kids keep at it for hours. At a recent get-together, we actually had to drag them away from the game to go outside and make s’mores. Unheard of!

I have a bag that I keep filled with prizes—nothing fancy, just things you can find in the dollar section at Target—to add a little excitement.

And a nice added bonus is that Bingo is great practice for people working on learning their numbers!

Country of the Week: England / Trifle

I totally forgot to post the trifle we made during England Week. The kids and their schedules are driving all thoughts from my brain. Actually, it’s not them—their schedules aren’t too crazy at the moment. It must be Olympic Fever!

Have you ever had trifle? It’s a crazy-good English dessert made from custard, fruit, sponge cake, whipped cream, and (in some versions) sherry. You can get really creative with trifles: my mom makes a fantastic version with angel food cake, strawberries and bananas, and pudding, and my boss at the publishing company made one with gingerbread, whipped cream, and butterscotch pudding. Delicious. [Read more…] about Country of the Week: England / Trifle