If you have ever had kutya at a Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner, do you agree with me that it’s a bit much? Between the honey and the wheatberries, it’s a lot of sweetness and starch served as the last course of a 12-course dinner. It’s always much better for breakfast or a snack a day or two later.
Well now and then I crave kutya, but I don’t really care to make a batch. To be honest, I still don’t know how (but I will in time for my round of Christmas posts in December, I promise!). Also, it’s a lot of effort for a bowl or two…it’s really only worth making when you have a crowd. Thankfully, I’ve learned that it’s possible to make a single portion of something kutya-like for breakfast. (As I’ve said before, context is everything!)
Here’s how to do it: take a bowl of cooked grains–quinoa would be my first choice, but I just used some leftover cream of buckwheat. I think the key is to make sure the grain is either fluffy, like quinoa, or something with a thinner consistency, like farina. (A side note: oatmeal seems like a logical choice, but the thickness of it, it seems, may overpower the delicate flavors of the toppings. What do you think? If you try it out, let me know how it goes. I’ll try it too sometime…).
Warm the grain just a bit, and then top with a drizzle of honey, a spoonful of poppyseeds (which I found at the health food store), some walnuts, and dried cranberries or raisins.
That’s it! All the flavors come together so nicely and now there’s no need to wait until Christmas! Now I’m starting to think about a recipe for kutya-inspired granola. Could be fun, right?
Last week I posted about a new rule around here. Well today I have a new lullaby to share. The other day Otto and I got to go to Grandparents and Grand Friends Day at the school that our friends Emma and Sophie attend. There was a concert and then we got to visit them in their classrooms. The highlight for me was hearing this lovely song called Simple Gifts; the girls go to a Quaker school and this is their school song. It was written by a Shaker named Elder Joseph Brackett in 1848. I love that the words still have the same meaning today.
When I came home to look it up on iTunes, I found renditions by Yo Yo Ma and Jewel, but none compared to the sound of 100 little voices belting it out. (Here’s the video!)
I’m sharing the lyrics and printing them out to pin on Otto’s wall…it’s time for me to memorize this one–and mean every word as I sing it because it’s so true–so I can have a lovely new lullaby in my repertoire.
- ‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
- ‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
- And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
- ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
- When true simplicity is gain’d,
- To bow and to bend we shan’t be asham’d,
- To turn, turn will be our delight,
- Till by turning, turning we come ’round right
And after I master this in a day or two, I’m fastforwarding to the ’80s and I’ll be on to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. I downloaded this version the other day and I’m determined to sing along!
Much to Dolly’s chagrin, Otto’s meat of choice is ground lamb. Dolly, like her canine cousin Koji, goes NUTS when I cook it. I found a rather scientific explanation a while back…I’m not sure if there’s truth in it, but it seems it happens often enough that people start online discussions about it. I once tried to make a movie of Dolly flipping out. It didn’t turn out well, but that’s ok because I’ll have many more opportunities. I cook a batch at least once a week.
Otto’s not the only once loving lamb these days. I now make extra just to have around for quick dinners for me and Adam. The first thing I mixed up was this: 2 parts each of ground, cooked lamb and tzatziki sauce, and 1 part of feta cheese (you could certainly adjust the proportions….I like to go heavy with the tzatziki!). I served it with some pita wedges and a feta-less Greek salad. This was back in March, but I got to thinking how it would make a nice summertime dinner (like this!).
But then tonight, I had another idea…kind of the cold, grey day version of what’s above. I took some lavash bread (a Middle Eastern flatbread that’s discussed at length here, plus great recipes) and brushed the center with some olive oil, lamb, feta, and pitted kalamata olives, and rolled it up. I popped two in the oven at 450 but realized after 10 minutes (and charred edges) that was much too hot. 375 would do. I served it with a good sized dollop of tzatziki, of course. If I had a diner like the one we used to go to when we were in high school with the pictures of the dishes on the menu/signs behind the cash register, I’d have pictures of people enjoying whatever it is. Like this one of Adam, always such a sport with my dinner documentation….
Next time I might try all of this as a pizza instead. Thankfully, I can experiment away without Dolly flipping out. It’s just the raw to cooked stage that gets her. Then again, it’s always something with her. As I right this she’s growling at something down in the street. Our little white guard dog!
I have a wonderful new mothering rule for myself. Want to know what it is? Continue reading →
Hello! Where did nearly three weeks go??? I’ve been writing posts in my head, but getting them typed out and posted here just hasn’t happened because, well, I have priorities and sadly this one can’t top the list because there is a little mouth to feed. But we’ve been busy and having fun and now I’m back and excited to share something quickly. It’s the overalls I made Otto for his Ukrainian Easter outfit (more pictures here)….quite a contrast from his seersucker suit getup, right?
My favorite thing about these–next to the fact that he looks so cozy in them–is that they’re made out of an old boxy cashmere sweater that I bought at a thrift shop! I’ve learned that larger size sweaters offer just the right amount of material for a little one’s garment. Also, the stretch in the sweaters is quite forgiving, so if you don’t get the fit just right, it’s ok. And another thing….if you’re going through the trouble of making something, don’t worry so much about making sure it’s perfect. If you wanted perfect you could go to the gap or someplace and buy something that was made according to exacting standards. Each imperfection is a tiny little bit of love that goes into making something handmade.
I’d love to offer a little tutorial on making these, but there’s still lots to be done tonight. Like getting to bed early because I’m positively exhausted! But what I will suggest is that you look up a basic infant’s pants pattern, then just extend the top part by a few inches so that you end up with something that looks more like overalls. I used the pattern in Lotta Jansdotter’s book Simple Sewing for Baby to get me started. Also, as with any fabric, make sure you wash whatever sweater you’re using in hot water and put it in the dryer. That way you won’t end up with any shrinking surprises.
Here’s Otto wearing his fist mama-made creation. More to come, although I think my next sewing project will be something pretty for me. Yes, my time is so limited right now, but making things is so calming, and for that reason alone I think it needs to rank higher on the priorities list, right?
p.s. More homemade little boy clothes from my inspiring friend Carie.
Here’s the weekend highlight! It was a gorgeous day yesterday, and even though the Easter Parade was a bit overwhelming with the crowds and underwhelming with the gimmicky hats (I was expecting some millinery eye candy!), we still enjoyed a walk in the city and time with friends.
I have to laugh at myself because I’ve always thought subjecting a little baby to a rigid suit was kind of ridiculous–and that I would never do it. Well this one arrived as a gift and I was smitten. So much so that I had to go buy a little straw hat to complete the look. But Otto was a trouper and humored me. In the picture below, he looks just like a little old man at the park waiting for his friends to show up for lawn bowling or a game of cards, right? And up above, he’s got that “seriously, ma?” face. Yes, seriously. And now on to the Ukrainian Easter outfit, which I’m sewing up these next two nights. I’ve officially lost it…will share pics of that soon.
I won’t lie…this has been a tough week, but I’m trying my hardest to be light and see the opportunities in the setbacks. I won’t get bogged down in the details–that wouldn’t be very light of me, after all–and for now I’ll just say we’re looking forward to a fun weekend, which includes planting tomatoes on the roof and putting Otto in a seersucker suit and a little straw fedora for the Easter Parade! Here are a few things to share. Happy weekend!
This looks like a gorgeous 5K…literally! I’m thinking of signing up for the one in New York in August.
Valya was in a human vs. robot egg decorating contest on CBC, and of course she won! The robot eggs were pretty intriguing, though.
Speaking of eggs, how crazy are these?
A spot-on poem about in-the-moment parenting.
I posted this TED talk on Facebook last week, but I want to share it again. Lots to think about when it comes to this whole work-life balance game.
Image via by9.
I usually write a little story to preface my recipe, but writing out the recipe took long enough, so no story today! I’m just happy to share the recipe that both my mother and my baba have been using for decades (that’s my mother’s handiwork above), and the one that I tried on Saturday. I was surprised that it worked out–for some reason I thought the first try would be a messy failure–although I still have a ways to go with practicing my technique when it comes to forming the loaves.
When I was talking with my baba the other day about baking paska, I asked her if there’s any difference between paskas and babkas, and she said no. The babkas are just a different shape–they’re more narrow. She also reminded me that this isn’t her recipe, but Pani Chernovohorodsky’s from Welland, Ontario. She’s never one to take credit for work that’s not hers! And I’ll add one thing…it’s quite the process, but with practice, I’m sure it will get easier. Good luck! Continue reading →
Thanks to our Pysanka Party dinner this weekend, there was p-len-ty of cooking going on Friday night and all day Saturday. I planned to keep things simple, but of course I went a little overboard. The upsides: the guests enjoyed everything, and Otto got some pretty nice leftovers on Sunday. Here he is after his first creamed beets experience. He’s definitely my son because he ate every bit. He also got tastes of schnitzly, holubtsi, and varenyky. He must have a wooden leg because I don’t know he puts this bowls full of food. Speaking of bowls full, last night Adam was watching Colbert or something while snacking on a big bowl of creamed beets like it was ice cream or something. My no-beets eater has come a long way in five years!
It’s Meatless Monday and we had some leftover holubtsi for lunch today. I made a vegan version of these, and wanted to share how I did it. Instead of the pork and onions in that recipe, I sautéed three chopped portobello mushroom caps and one large chopped onion in some grapeseed oil. After a few minutes, I turned down the heat a bit and let them cook down for about 20 minutes. I then whizzed them in the food processor until finely chopped (almost pureed, now that I think of it.). I mixed that with the rice (brown basmati, which adds a nice layer of flavor) and assembled a dozen holubtsi. Full disclosure, I did use chicken stock for the baking part, but you could use vegetable stock instead.
One other highlight from the weekend: I finally made paska/babka! It was quite the task, but well worth it. I’m excited to share and I’ll post tomorrow!
Today’s edition of the friday list includes all the links you need to throw a successful Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating Party. I’ve held two of these in the past, and tomorrow night will be Party #3. I’ve always been the only Ukrainian present at these shindigs (I’m just pointing that out in case you think this is something only Ukrainians do) and I’m terrible at making pysanky (also, just sharing this because there are lots of intricately painted eggs out there that might leave you thinking this is just for experts). It’s really something that I’ve found to be fun no matter what age, ethnicity, or skill. And oddly, it’s this very calming activity. In the past, the group just chats in semi-hushed voices and takes in the pleasant scent of pure beeswax candles melting…first, as we apply it to the eggs, then as we melt it away to reveal the designs. And another thing, this is something that I think can be done any time of year….pysanky can be made into beautiful Christmas ornaments and baby mobiles, too!
I wish I could beam my sister in for the night because she’s the real pro (that’s her handiwork above and here’s her website). But no luck this time around, either. But Valya has a bunch of tutorials online, so I’m going to forward this to tomorrow night’s invitees so they can start getting inspired and excited. Continue reading →
