Blackmail Material

This video is too good not to post. It's the kind of footage that will make Nico cringe when he's older, I love it! It starts out with him talking about grande versus chiquito ( big v. small) and leads into a ridiculous dance to his favorite Black Eyed Peas song. Oh, and he's naked and picking his nose too! If you listen carefully you can hear him trying hard to sing along with the lyrics. Thank god for the digital age.

School Daze & French Toast

This post is dedicated to the incredible children of Mrs. Richardson's Monday Morning class at Olive Rec. Today was our last day in school, and we had our farewell Holiday party. Even though we only saw each other once a week, we grew very fond of everyone there.
Nico really came to love the rituals of the class: the craft, the playtime, the clean up, the songs, the lap time and the parachute. I remember in the beginning that Nico wanted nothing to do with the parachute, but the last 3 sessions he has been on it, under it and all about it. Now that's what I call growth!

We had such a great group of kids and parents: diverse, intresting and really nice. If anything I think we parents learned more from the class then the kids did. I especially took away a large dose of patience and understaning, many times just from watching my fellow parents and the interaction with their kids.

The program at Olive Rec makes me so happy to have moved to Burbank. It is a testament to what a great Park & Rec program can be and to how vital they are for a good healthy community.

We had a delicous potluck today. I was so flattered that so many moms wanted my creme brulee french toast recipe. I am posting it here for them to try. This is an easy and delicious breakfast, and tastes even better if prepped the night before.

See you guys next year! Feel free to email us for a playdate at mgrafica@sbcglobal.net

CREME BRULEE FRENCH TOAST

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  
• 1 loaf of Challah bread
  
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• cinnamon to taste
  
• 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier optional OR 1/4 cup of orange juice
• zest of the orange (optional)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and maple syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth (not boiling or hardening) and pour into a 13x 9 baking dish. Cut 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish on top of your caramel sauce, squeezing the bread slices slightly to fit into pan. You can cut smaller peices of the bread to fill in empty spots on the pan.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier or orange juice, cinnamon, a pinch of zest and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours for best results.

Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 45 minutes. I like to let it sit under broiler for a tiny bit to get it nice and golden. The puffing will go down once its cooled a bit.

Serve with powdered sugar or fresh fruit. Enjoy!

The Crew

Here's some of the crew watching Nemo at Tim's house. We recently gathered there to celebrate Sienna's first birthday. I feel so lucky that we are surrounded by so many friends who are also on a new parenting journey. It's like having a built in support group. Not to mention the hand me down perks. Even though our families are not here in LA with us, we are never alone. It's nice to know all of our kids have known each other since birth and the group of babies keeps growing. Who will we meet this year?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oh Mickey your so fine

Leave it to a toddler to knock down all your elitist sentiments about a certain mouse. No longer is Mickey the imperialist leader, gone are the Disney conspiracies, and I can't roll my eyes or snicker sarcastically when reffering to "the happiest place on Earth." When Nico says "Minty Mouse" it literally makes my eyes water. We spent Thanksgiving there this year. Nico had such a good time that he brought home a Mickey doll and has barely let go of it. These day's Mickey's gloves are a warm shade of grey. It coincidentally was the last day I nursed him, so perhaps his new found discovery of a " lovey" feels even more profound.
Since our Disney trip I have bought a SoCal pass. A perk of living near Anaheim is that for 6 bucks a month I can go to Disney on almost any weekday. We have been back twice! The trick is to bring your own food. (you didn't think I'd abandon all of my subversive ways did you? ) We eat our lunch, go on a few rides and then hit the road in time for nap. There's no pressure to stay late and go on every ride. Nico is not three yet so he is free. I also figure once he starts school we won't be able to go on weekdays, so this final year leading up to preschool is that sweet spot. These are the final months of mommy and me activites. It's bittersweet, and I want to make this memorable and fun for both of us. Our good friend and Hal's mom, Rebekah, recently joked that we're becoming the very thing we made fun of. She said that soon," we'll be wearing Mickey jewelry and celebrating our anniversaries at the Blue Bayou." Darn you Walt, darn you.


Nico let Poet take the lead at Disney last week.


Sitting together on it's a small world, looking pretty small.



Nico put his arm around his little lady on the ride.

Granola Chick

While not completely positive, I'm pretty sure that the legacy of the Beastie Boys will eventually reveal itself to be somewhat meaningful in the history of music. Even more relevant to me and moms like me everywhere (although I did buy the Paul's Boutique cassette in grade school) is one said Beastie's wife, the other half of Mike D., Tamra Davis.

Tamra is quite artistically accomplished in her own right, but forget all that... the lady can cook. My friend Beth turned me onto Tamradaviscookingshow.com and I have been pretty glued lately, rummaging through her archives for easy and healthy recipes. Her shows are compelling to watch, and super easy to execute. She has a great philosophy on healthy eating, a good reminder of the responsibility I have to my child to feed him healthy food. The idea of "some junk food here and there won't hurt him" is starting to get really old. Especially here in the USA where obesity and diabetes in children is an epidemic. When we are out and about I sometimes feel like it's me against the world, trying to shield Nico from really s%$tty food. Fried chicken fingers and sliders on kids menus? Come on! I hope I never give up in making sure he continues to love healthy food, because it would be just that, Giving Up.

But I digress! Back to the food at hand, Granola. Here is a sweet treat that anyone can enjoy, packed with energy for the day ahead. Or perhaps as a dessert over plain frozen yogurt. It was great having Nico help me measure out all the ingredients and it was so fast to make. I will never buy granola again! Bonus: My house smelled divine and my niño snacked in good health.

Messy Minute Dinner: fake sopes and mint rice

Last week we had a meal created totally out of necessity. I had fallen behind on my grocery shopping and suddenly the clock struck five. It was do or die. Start cooking or surely perish under the regime of a tantruming toddler. I found some ready made Polenta in my fridge. I buy this as Trader Joe's. I normally cook it with Marinera Sauce. But as luck would have it, I was out of the red stuff ( I have been sticking to not buying tomato sauce when a healthier more economical, and better tasting version can be made at home) Instead, I came to see the Polenta for what it really was, CORN! I lightly coated the medallions with olive oil and threw them on the grill outside. Meanwhile I steamed some brown rice and cooked up a can of black beans. I mashed the beans in the pan. I put all the mint I had in the blender with a splash of water. My friend Jason suggested the blender was better then the knife and he was right, the mint stays greener longer! I mixed the mint sauce into my rice. I diced a tiny bit of garlic into it and cooked it together for a short while. Just until I felt the mint had stuck to the rice. Once the polenta cakes were done I treated them like sopes. I topped them with beans and some grape tomato salsa I conjured up with onion, lemon (I was out of limes!), cilantro and sea salt. I sliced a some avocado onto them and served the rice on the side. It was such a good dinner. I can't wait to make it again with more time and a better selection of ingredients. They were beyond messy to eat, and I think that's why Nico loved them all the more.

L'homme Magnifique

Today on Sartorialist there were quite a few fetching fellas to daydream about. This is not to say that my hubby doesn't have style. He does in his own Skateboardy kind of way, which is also to say that he is pretty darn cute in my book. But there is no denying that men in other countries, including the country of New York City, have a distinct look. The boys abroad tend to be so stylish, unique, masculine and very sexy. Not even my favorite city SF can make such claims about its men. The few men in Los Angeles who are fashionistas are outnumbered by an army of Audigier. Perhaps because they are so rare, I really love seeing men explore their fashionable sides. I don't know that I'd like to be involved with a man like that, but they sure are fun to look at.

Dinner Time: Pizza and Mache

Tonight I took it easy and had pizza for dinner. I bought a pretty decent frozen pizza with whole wheat flour and no additives, like soy or sugar, from Whole Foods. I steamed some broccoli and then finely chopped it and coated the cooked pizza with it. I usually use a knife to work the veg into the hot cheese, right when the pizza comes out of the oven, so that it all melts together. I also made Nico a Mache salad. Its also known as lamb's ear greens. Some avocado, carrots, grape tomato, with oil and balsamic. He ate a large bowl with his hands and was begging for more. I really suggest trying Mache for the baby in your house. It's so soft, its fun to eat.

The Raven

My good friends the Koston's recently treated me to a spa at the Raven. I know its old news here in L.A., but the Raven is so good it bears repeating. The decor alone leaves you feeling pretty zen. And the long curly haired male receptionist with the soft voice goes from creepy to charming in under 5 minutes. I wanted to stay all day, but those days are gone. If you are anywhere near Silverlake, fly on over to the Raven. Thank you to Eric,Ashlee and Baby June. You know how to treat a mama right.

Fort Point

On our recent but short trip to SF we took Nico to visit Fort Point. I hadnt been there since probably the 4th grade. It is still populated by school-aged children and seagulls, just how I remembered it. The empty fort is cold, windy and full of echoes, just like any proper S.F. landmark. The bridge's underbelly is mesmerizing, her bolts are in perfect symmetry. If you assigned a musical note to each one you would have a symphony. Nico made sure to jump every cannon and did the rounds on the roof under my very watchful eye. It's scary up there! It's almost like the wind is so loud it impairs your vision too. I heart you S.F., more than you'll ever know.

Mishima Baby

My old friend Alice Talley is responsible for my love of soba. She got me hooked on the cold buckwheat noodles when we were in highschool. She even worked at Mifune for a bit, the best place in S.F.'s Jtown for a big plate of tenzaru. When Aaron and I started dating I was so happy he enjoyed it as much as I did. Cupid's arrow sank a little deeper when I saw him slurpping his noodles. Here in L.A., the best place for a cold bowl is Mishima. As newlyweds, Aaron and I would sit and watch families eating. We called the kids "mishima babies" and would make promises to each other about our future child learning to joyfully eat Japanese. Nico loves it at Mishima! Recently he enjoyed some soba, steamed chicken and rice, inari, crab, and roe. Stubborn as always, he demanded to eat only with chopsticks. When in Rome, I suppose.
Turns out that if you dream it enough, you can make it come true. We got our Mishima baby!

Around the House: WishList

I want this poster something bad. Not sure where it would go. I've noticed that anything I want, but has no place in my house, always gets redirected to Nico's room. His room has become a bastion for all things juvenile, poppy, trendy, vintage and colorful. Another great reason to have kids: To have one room in your house that doesn't have to look so grown up. The good designers at ORK made this posters and other type heavy posters in homage to major cities everywhere. Is yours there?

This recipe is via Trina Papini, mom of one August Miller. She found it on Kitchn, the Apartment Therapy cooking site. The Kitchn is as good for cooking as AT is for home inspiration. This was like a broccoli pesto, Nico loved it so. It was super fast to make and required little ingredients. I saved some of the sauce for the following day and spread it on toast for Nico to eat at breakfast with his eggs. Yummy!

Velvety Broccoli and Feta Pasta serves 2-4

1 pound broccoli
2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1/2 small onion or two shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped flat parsley
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup feta cheese (low-fat if you want to be good) - divided
1/4 cup water

Cut the broccoli into small florets and steam on the stove with the 2 tablespoons of water. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Cook the onion and garlic until it just begins to soften then add the broccoli. Cook for several minutes or until the onion turns translucent. Add the parsley and cook until it's well wilted. Pour in the lemon juice and simmer for about two minutes.

Transfer to a blender and add 1/4 cup of the feta cheese and the 1/4 cup water. Puree until smooth, adding a drizzle of olive oil and a little more water if it sticks and turns to a lump. Puree until as smooth or chunky as you prefer.

Taste and add any necessary additional salt and pepper. Serve with a good ridged pasta like rotini.

VacScene

You used to have the girl at Barney's call you when a certain bag comes in. Now you have the girl at the pediatricians call you when the h1n1 shot gets in. What in the world is going on? Where are these vaccines?

Yesterday we had a strange experience trying to get into a free vaccine clinic in nearby Glendale. On the road to the tent CalTrans set up huge electric signs that said NO MORE SHOTS. There was something so 28 Days Later about it. I dare to even say it felt doomsdayish, but then I realize how spoiled and American I am. Most of the world likely does this sort of wait for medicine, and even then don't get the decency of an informational sign.

To get Nico vaccinated has not been a question of if, but of when. To my own surprise I have become supportive of vaccines. I choose to space Nico's out, but he gets all of them nonetheless. I read this book by Dr. Sears and it helped educate me a lot on shots and why they work for the greater good. It took the fear out of vaccines for me and helped dispell the myths that accompany most of them. I suggest you read it, even if you aren't getting shots for your child. The more you know, the better! This Saturday, the morning of Nico's birthday party we are going to try and hit another vaccine tent in Hollywood. It will be interesting to see who shows up and how quickly they run out. I will keep you posted!

Vroom Vroom

FEO LOOKING UGLY.

Nico came out of the womb saying VROOM VROOM. Lately his car obsession is pretty intense. He loves the movie CARS. Strangely enough, but not so surprising, he loves the bad guy "Chick Hicks" who Nico calls "Feo"(ugly) because whenever Chick would try and hit another car, I would say,"Que feo!"

Riding on the current love of all things auto, I took Nico to the Petersen Auto Museum. This Museum is light on visitors and perhaps is best known for being the spot where Biggie Smalls got shot. That, and the place Aaron used to park when he worked for Skateboarder magazine.

It's not the most popular museum, and never in a million years did I think I would be buying a ticket for entry...but I come away a Petersen Fan!

It's a meticulously kept museum. The cars are gorgoeous. Your kid has lots of room to run and is not in danger of breaking a priceless Rodin sculpture. They have a kids playroom on the third floor with cars to climb, train tracks to set up and uniforms for dress up.

I fell in love with a Studebaker station wagon, and with the museum. Do I see a Membership in my future? I guess the car crush is contagious!

IN A PAST LIFE, I WAS THIS CAR.
WATCH YOUR BLINDSPOTS WHEN CHANGING LANES.
TRYING TO BREAK INTO HOT WHEELS EXHIBIT.
FIRST PLACE PRIZE FOR CREEPIEST EXHIBIT GOES TO:
A 1940's L.A. SUPERMARKET SCENE

Mr. Bones

On this day Nico and I headed out to the Mr. Bones Pumpkin patch in WEHO. This is the patch dujour for Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Celebs,and subsequently pappos, frequent this patch a lot. It's a pretty cute Halloween tradition, despite it's cliche LA status. Last year Seal and Heidi Klum almost caused a near riot. This year, we went on a random weekday and had the place almost to ourselves. Nico played in the hay and I hurt myself in the jumpy castle. The last time we were here Nico still preffered crawling to walking. He's come a long way! I think its incredible...how is Nico not on TMZ?

Beer Bread

I'm still new to baking, so got excited to see this post from the great blog Foodie Farm Girl.(Love her!) I thought I'd give it a try. Seemed easy enough. Some flour, a bottle of beer and some seasoning. It was a great toddler project too, Nico loved mixing the ingredients and pouring in the booze. It looked great in the oven and took on a lovely color and smell. Too bad it tasted horrible. There is a reason I don't drink: I hate the taste of alcohol. Even though it burned off in the oven I could distinctly taste the beer in this warm crusty loaf. So beer lovers, rejoice! Here is your new answer to your boring old sliced bread. As for me, I need to take the big plunge and learn to bake with real yeast. I'll keep you posted.

Boo!

Carving is so cool.
This is the first Halloween that Nico comprehends the jist of the holiday. He is really into the "boo" right now. At school we've made construction paper pumpkins and black cats, which are now proudly displayed in our window at home. We recently carved his first pumpkin (my first in over 15 years!) He helped me scoop the seeds and had a blast. Later we roasted the seeds with olive oil, salt and rosemary and a dash of cinnamon. The house smelled amazing! We bought him O.R. scrubs for his costume. I figured they are the least intrusive. Nico gets so claustrophobic, so I'm hoping he won't even notice this get up. The days of the adorable baby skunk costume are over. We have a few events lined up for Halloween: a pre-party at Fremont's house, a parade at the rec center, and a halloween party with friends. The Meza social schedule is suddenly of a very different nature. Scary!

Washed seeds awaiting seasoning.

Best Things in Life are Free

Out back we found a super long vine that made a loud whipping sound.This toy was a bit dangerous, but under supervision it entertained mister Nico for ages. I love the toreador look Nico has with it in hand. Toys R' Us doesn't have these in stock! Free toys are always the best ones. Give me a rock, a stick or a vine any old day. They are readily available, come in multiples for sharing and are recyclable.

Set it and Forget it

This is one of my favorites for dinner. I love roasting any hardy veggies I have in the fridge. I usually do a medley of Potato( cut into fries), Brussel Sprouts (cut in half), Carrot (matchsticked), and thickly sliced Red Onion. Now in winter I can add Parsnips too! This week I'll add beets to the mix, but off to the side so as not to stain the entire meal. I toss it all in Olive Oil, salt and pepper and roast it uncovered on a sheet at 425 for about 1 hour. It can serve as a main dish or as a side to portobello burgers is a fave around here. The house smells divine and the work is minimal. Nico loves this mix and nothing gives me greater joy then seeing him eat his veg. Any veggies you would add?

Baseball Bubba

At the Girl Company Picnic, Nico found his way into a baseball practice tent with fresh clay on the ground. He looked absolutely crazy when he was done playing. These were too good not to post. Anything that involves baseball is fun for Nico. He's pretty obsessed these days. Sometimes to get him to eat I have to do a pretend play by play with a Gorilla at bat and Abui in the outfield! When does little league start?

The Big Dig

I don't have a nanny or a baby sitter, but I do have mud! This stuff keeps Nico entertained for hours. I love leaving him in a muddy hole making mudpies. All I have to do is refill his water bottles for more mud making. This alone was good enough reason to buy this house. He now says "lodo" (mud) really clearly too. Gotta love that mud.

Summer Lovin'

Highlights to kill for.

Summer is over now so I thought I would publish a fond farewell to the days of sunshine. It was our first summer here on Sparks Street. We spent some great times in the backyard this season. Long dinners at the old table outside. Friends and Family. Getting wet with the garden hose. Sitting under the fan in our bathing suits. Eating watermelon all day. Los Angeles on fire. Planting tomatoes. The big white blanket on the lawn. Pinkberry. Late nights for Nico.
So long summer we'll miss you!

The white blanket was a summer staple.

Hal's 2nd Birthday

BEFORE
Today is Hal's second birthday. He has been Nico's closest friend for about, well, 2 years now. Meaning these guys hung out in while in utero and then were forced into friendship by Rebekah and I since birth. The good thing is they actually get along. Nico used to have a hitting problem with Hal, but since Hal stood up to him, Hal has become Nico's besty. Nico calls out for Hal often after a nap, or when we drive by his house. Hal has a mature sense of humor, patience for days, and a pouty lip to die for. He is an incredible litle boy. Hal and Nico are the cutest pair, ebony & ivory. We love you Hal. Feliz Cumpleanos. NOW

The zombies watching kung fu panda. Watch Hal ham
it up once he realizes he's on camera.

Where I'm From

I took Nico to Excelsior Park while we were in S.F. I did tiny tots,had my first playground brawl and swung on many a swing here. This neighborhood is one of the last bastions of the San Francisco native. It is ripe with authentic city characters and sometimes strife. I grew up on Edinburgh street between Persia and Brazil. I always got a laugh out of the irony of those exotic coordinates. I spent a lot of my youth figuring out how to get out of this neighborhood, and now that I "made it out" I spend time appreciating it and thanking it for making me who I am today. 

Stow Lake

We had fun being tourists in the City by the Bay. It was a sweet mixture of pride and nostalgia to get to show Nico some of my favorite S.F. spots. On this day we went to Stow Lake with my mom and Dumas the dog. After a short tantrum, Nico began to make his way around the woodsy path, full of locals and tourists alike. He threw rocks into the Asian Pond and sat at the waterfall. He's a bit too young, or maybe too rowdy to ride the rowboats yet. Maybe next time. Stow Lake is one of those bright shiny memories of a childhood in S.F. I'm so glad Nico got to experience it.