CurrentMom

Mom's Potato Latkes: A Chrismukkah Essential

Meal Monday

Every year we have the same conversation. I'm in my mother's kitchen, preparing to help her make potato latkes for the whole family. There's probably a football game on in the adjacent family room. The dogs are asleep on the couch.

Me: How many potatoes do we need?

My mother: Oh, I think 8 is enough.

Me: Oh, no, no, no. That is definitely not enough. Let's add a few more. (I add 10 potatoes to the bowl.)

My mother: Emily! That is too many. It will take us 3 hours to make all of those. (She takes 5 potatoes out of the bowl.)

Me: Mom, look, there are never enough potato latkes, ever. I could eat all of these myself. (I put the 5 potatoes back in the bowl).

(My mother glares at me.)

Me: Pleeeeeeeeeease.

My mother: Alright, fine, but you have to help me.

 Me: Of course!

And so it goes. And it's true, there are never enough of my mother's potato latkes. Maybe it's the combination of my Jewish and Irish roots (hence Chrismukkah!), but I think they are one of the most delicious foods on earth, period. Crispy, earthy, salty, with a little sourcream and applesauce it is tuber heaven. We only make them once a year, right around Hanukah, which makes them extra special.

Why Are You Blogging: Money or Self-Expression?

Startup Sunday

Photo by sunshinecity via Flickr.

When I talk to people about blogging, money eventually comes up in the conversation. Perhaps they're curious about how much I make from ads on this site (not much), or they're thinking about starting a blog and want to know how much profit to expect (again, not much).

They're usually disappointed to hear my opinion: out of all the good reasons to start blogging, money isn't in my top 10.

Now, I'm not saying that well-written blogs can't lead to lucrative book or endorsement deals. And certainly the success of blogging legends like Dooce and Julie Powell tempts every would-be scribe to start throwing words up on a screen in hopes of making it big. I give the same advice to someone following this path as I would a teenager hoping to make it in the NBA: make sure to have a back-up plan.

The End of the World As We Know It

Sharing Saturday

My 14-year old son (last seen in this column as an alien at Halloween) is convinced that the movie "2012" is based on fact. He has been reading various websites that assure him that the Mayans knew what they were talking about, and that the world is truly doomed to end in 2012.

My husband and I have tried to persuade him to understand that this is all truly bunk, that there have been end-of-the-world predictions for centuries, and that while humankind may well be hurling itself towards environmental self-destruction, it is highly unlikely that some Mayan doomsday clock will stop ticking in two years.

In-law Pie

Fatherhood Friday

I just returned from an overseas trip in time for Thanksgiving. Between the travel and the tryptophan I was feeling half a step behind hanging out with over 25 relatives who joined us at my in-laws' home for our Thanksgiving day meal. (Although on paper we reserve the right to decide each year between spending Thanksgiving at my in-laws or with my parents, in reality we alternate each year in order to keep the peace. But that's a topic for another post. . .)

Thanksgiving is a great time to consider your relationship with your in-laws. I feel very fortunate that I get along extremely well with my in-laws. That extends to my wife's siblings, cousins and aunts and uncles too. Overall its a great family, and having come from a very small extended family I enjoy the dynamics of being part of a larger family.

But there was one issue that came up. Because it was a holiday and all the family was over, we let our six-year old stay up late. At almost 9 p.m. he shows me a plate with a big piece of pumpkin pie. Now, he knows that we don't allow him to eat dessert late, especially when he already had his dessert earlier in the evening. (I'm pretty sure that's why he showed it to me.) But just to be sure that my wife and I didn't have a miscommunication I asked him if his mother said he could have it. He said no, and then pointed to a family member.

I told him that even though a family member gave it to him he couldn't have it; I added, just in case, that he hadn't done anything wrong. But I was irritated. If someone wants to give their kids slices of pie late in the evening I might not agree with it, but that's their parenting choice. Even if my kid is watching them eat it, the adult still shouldn't give him any. I was in the kitchen at the time; in my opinion she should have asked me if it was okay, or even asked him to ask me, before giving him that slice of pie.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened, but its been a while. Perhaps more important, we have 4 more days of all being together. (We live far away from each other and the whole family gets together maybe once or twice a year.) So, the question I have for Current Mom readers is, should I say anything to this person? 

Gratitude Journals

Technology Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick note today about gratitude journals. A gratitude journal is a blank notebook (I'm a fan of Moleskine notebooks for many things, including things like this) where you take a few moments each day to jot down 5 (or 3 or 10) things that you're grateful for. Christine Kane has a nice write-up about them:

What happens when you write in a gratitude journal every night?

My experience is that when I write out my I-am-grateful-for’s every night, I become more in tune throughout the next day. It’s like turning on an inner-switch that sets your awareness to look for material for your journal each night. So you might be driving out of your neighborhood in the morning, and catch the flash of a bluebird in the sunlight, and instead of blowing it off, you stop and notice it for a moment. You take it in. And you make a mental note to include that in your gratitude journal. Then, when you’re having lunch with a co-worker, she grabs the check and pays it. And not only do you thank her, but you make that mental note again. Your day becomes a basket where you collect things. It’s a private little game.

In essence, you become a gratitude magnet.

And, if the thought of keeping a notebook or Moleskine is too cumbersome, well, you know, there's an app for that, too!

Full disclosure: I tried to keep such a journal at the beginning of the year, but alas it didn't last very long. I've been thinking about restarting, though, so this post may be a good prod in that direction.