Punch is going through hard times, missing her Mom. Seeing her for two visits has stirred up deep emotions, of course. Feelings very heavy for a little girl to hold and manage.
She left after school for the visit and came home 8:30. She was still hungry, though I'd packed a tuna sandwich, strawberries, little cheese crackers, a Clif bar and milk.
I didn't have any dinner, she said. Neither had I, since I chose a nap with Sug on the couch instead in the warm, empty house, snoozing as the basement boiler chugged away, sending heat up through the old radiators.
So we took our places at the stove and made the Butternut Squash Polenta with Sausage and Onion from wonderful Melissa Clark in the NY Times. Here's the LINK. It was delicious and homey, and pretty fast, too, especially since Whole Foods sells peeled, raw butternut squash halves in the produce section, easy to shred on your box grater. The squash adds sunniness and nutrition to the porridge. Punch grated a big, bumpy hunk of fine Parmigiano-Reggiano over our steaming bowls. We made chicken sausage instead of pork sausage, and Punch wanted hers on the side. We ate on TV trays with cups of ice water, watching a little bit of Animal Planet.
My Italian grandma, Rosie, made polenta, and Sis favors it, too. So with every stir and spoonful, I felt connected to them.
I have been eating sugar again. Chocolate cake pops from bakery today*. But I've been trying to focus on cooking healthy things, not sweets, and I think/hope that is helping. Spanakopita, chicken soup, whole-grain dill bread, tonight's entree. Trying to shift my focus.
Good night.
*One thing I need to face is that I cannot buy treats under the pretense of saving them for Punch. It won't happen. I bought four chocolate cake pops, figuring I'd have one and save the rest. It didn't work out that way. Next time, just buy one to eat.
TCOY
She left after school for the visit and came home 8:30. She was still hungry, though I'd packed a tuna sandwich, strawberries, little cheese crackers, a Clif bar and milk.
I didn't have any dinner, she said. Neither had I, since I chose a nap with Sug on the couch instead in the warm, empty house, snoozing as the basement boiler chugged away, sending heat up through the old radiators.
So we took our places at the stove and made the Butternut Squash Polenta with Sausage and Onion from wonderful Melissa Clark in the NY Times. Here's the LINK. It was delicious and homey, and pretty fast, too, especially since Whole Foods sells peeled, raw butternut squash halves in the produce section, easy to shred on your box grater. The squash adds sunniness and nutrition to the porridge. Punch grated a big, bumpy hunk of fine Parmigiano-Reggiano over our steaming bowls. We made chicken sausage instead of pork sausage, and Punch wanted hers on the side. We ate on TV trays with cups of ice water, watching a little bit of Animal Planet.
My Italian grandma, Rosie, made polenta, and Sis favors it, too. So with every stir and spoonful, I felt connected to them.
I have been eating sugar again. Chocolate cake pops from bakery today*. But I've been trying to focus on cooking healthy things, not sweets, and I think/hope that is helping. Spanakopita, chicken soup, whole-grain dill bread, tonight's entree. Trying to shift my focus.
Good night.
*One thing I need to face is that I cannot buy treats under the pretense of saving them for Punch. It won't happen. I bought four chocolate cake pops, figuring I'd have one and save the rest. It didn't work out that way. Next time, just buy one to eat.
TCOY
- Private Benjamin with H.
- Salon blowout.
- That nap on the couch. For sure.
- Carving out time to go on women's retreat tomorrow about 6 p.m. It's at a church nearby and ends by the next night 7:30 p.m. I went on one maybe 10 years ago and found it really meaningful.
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This is a lovely post, Alice. Cling to those moments of serenity and connection in this turbulent time.
ReplyDeleteKim :)
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