Asheville At Night - Drum Circles And Nepali Food

Last night, we headed into Asheville to meet up with friends to check out a Drum Circle that was taking place at a downtown park . (That's the picture you see above.) Our friends, Tom and Christy, have lived in the area for about 8 years and Christy owns a spa in our town so she's completely plugged into local events and knows pretty much everyone. Our sons are best friends and spent ridiculous amounts of time together, so I end up tagging along to all kinds of events that I would normally steer clear of. You know, like hundreds of people gathered in a small space and dancing to the beat of drums. I volunteered to watch the car (from the inside) while the rest of the group went on over. Of course, they just all laughed at me and (forcefully) dragged me along.

I'll admit, it was pretty interesting. There were about 20 or so drummers there and the sounds of the beat carried throughout downtown. We hung out and the boys danced for about 20 minutes and then we went off searching for food. With 3 kids and 4 adults, we were looking for someplace loud.

As we were strolling the streets, Christy spotted her friend's Nepali restaurant, which was really nice and definitely not kid-friendly, but she wanted to pop in to say hello. So, our (quite loud) group made it's way into the restaurant and I bribed the kids with coins to pipe down. It's amazing how much quiet time a handful of pennies will buy you.

The owner of the restaurant, whom Christy hangs out with regularly, came our from the back to greet us and when we told her that we were just popping in for a hello, but would dine elsewhere, she had other ideas. You see, her two children were in the back office watching TV and coloring and she would be more than happy to watch the three kids we brought along so that we could have a nice and quiet dinner. Are you kidding me? She was dead serious. Once we realized that she wasn't joking, we hustled the kids into the back room and sat down to enjoy some seriously good food.

Let me pause here to say that I have never in my life gone to a restaurant and had my child babysat while I ate. What a great business idea though! It was wonderful - Parker was just in the back room to be checked on periodically and we had a great dinner that lasted about 90 minutes. You can imagine the tip we left.

We didn't end up leaving Asheville until almost 11pm (thank goodness Parker and I took a long and late nap!), but it was the most fun we'd had in a long time. I'm glad that we met Tom and Christy and that our boys get along so well. And while I grudgingly get dragged to drum circles and pottery shows and yoga events, I always end up having a good time.

Hiatus Over - Time To Bring It!

Rest is a necessary part of fitness. Without it, injuries are more likely and so is the dreaded burn out. Personally, I know that I'm close to the onset of burn out when all running miles ahead of me feel pointless or when the thought of hours at the gym seems more a chore than a joy. This mindset is completely counterproductive and it generally signals that I need a break.

So, every three or four months, I generally take about a week or two off from my strict schedule. I eat more freely and I leave my running shoes in the closet. And between day 5 and day 9...I start to feel antsy. And bloated. And generally useless. This, by the way, is a good thing because there is nothing I hate worse than feeling antsy, bloated and useless (it's a gross feeling, isn't it?) so I come back from my hiatus energized and ready for action.

And that's exactly where I am right now. In control and motivated. And that, my friends, is a wonderful feeling. So, here's the game plan - for the next week, I'm stripping all processed foods. Nothing resets your system quite like clean eating. For me, clean eating is whole foods - uncooked fruits, steamed and raw vegetables, hard boiled eggs, salmon seasoned with lemon juice, grilled shrimp, etc. I remove all excess sugar and salt and really load up on water and tea. By day three, I'll feel like my insides took a shower.

As far as workouts go, I can't wait to hit the gym and the track. Remember, you have to always keep your workouts fresh to keep burn out at bay. With regard to running, I really want to work on my speed so for the next couple of months, I'll drop my mileage and pick up the pace. I'm really looking forward to intervals at the track and fast 3-4 milers on the hills. I need to jump start my muscles that spent long hours on the treadmill this winter.

Now that the weather is warming up, I can take my bike off of the trainer and get her back on the pavement. I cannot wait to feel the wind whipping by me as I test out this mountain terrain. It's my first spring up here and I fully intend to take advantage of the glorious weather.

Finally, it's time for a pool reunion. I haven't been in the water in about 9 months and while my muscles will protest for the first couple of weeks, I am eagerly awaiting the smell of chlorine on my skin and the feel of the sun on my back. Yup, it's time to "spring" back into action. Rest feels good, but moving feels even better.

Easter Sunday Wrap Up - Kickball, Egg Breaking and Other Shenanigans

Easter was our last official day of vacation. We headed out to the park bright and early for an Easter picnic with the Irishman's family. It involved lots of grilling, amateur kite flying and a spirited game of kickball, which Parker picked up pretty quickly (well, once he figured out that kickball and soccer are not the same sport).

Here's half the gang playing outfield.

Check out Parker in the middle of the field in the picture above - he's quite intent on the ball, but that's mainly because he wants to kick it. Badly. In fact, when his team got three outs, he insisted on being first up to kick.

His foot eye coordination is pretty good! Now run, Parker, run!

My mother in-law actually yelled, "Run, Forrest, Run!" And Parker yelled back, "My name is Parker, not Forrest!" Too stinkin' cute. Anyway, the kickball game was played in the late afternoon and we had to make it back to my parents' house for celebration #2. After all, there was lots of egg cracking to be done.

Now folks, I'm going to show you proper egg cracking technique, if there is such a thing. (My egg is on the bottom and my dad's is on top).

Notice that I'm holding the egg pretty firmly - that's mainly so it doesn't go flying out of my hand when it's hit. Also notice that my dad is initiating the cracking from only inches away. The point is to exert just enough force to crack one of the eggs.

Actually, I'm not sure if that is the point. I'm not sure if there even is a point. Regardless, it's fun to watch the egg cracking tournament unfold. I'm not sure what is gained by the winner other than bragging rights (and let's face it, there aren't many circles that would be impressed by your title of "Egg Cracking Grand Champion"), but it's tradition. Here's Parker cracking his first ever egg with his Uncle Dean.

I'm quite certain that Parker cracked a good dozen all by himself. Oh and in case you missed it...I was the Grand Champion. And of course, Dean accused me of cheating. Don't be a hater Dean. It's just skill. And luck. And the molten lead that I put in my egg instead of the yolk. Here's the winning egg.

I'm going to study it's shape before next year's contest so that I can gain bragging rights for two years in a row. Yup, that's ambition.

All in all, it was a fun day. We packed it up later that night and then spent 15.6 hours in a car driving home. Parker took the long ride like a champ...the Irishman and I were whining like babies. And all was right in the world.

Haluski - Cabbage and Noodles

The Irishman's family is from Pittsburgh and their love of all things Pittsburghian extends beyond their beloved Steelers. They also love all of the Polish food common the the city - this includes pirogies and Haluski. I had never head of Haluski until my mother-in-law cooked it up for us when she was visiting last October. I had forgotten about it until just last week when my mother mentioned that she had a head of cabbage that she didn't know what to do with. The original Haluski recipe is simple, delicious...and fattening. It includes cabbage, onions, noodles and 2 sticks of butter. Yikes!

As tasty as the original version was, I mentally started calculating how to cut the butter so after consulting with my mom, we settled on 2 Tbs. of butter and 2 Tbs. of olive oil. Alright, this is what you'll need to make this Polish dish.

1 large head of cabbage, shredded

1 onion, diced

1 box noodles (we used bow ties)

1-2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. olive oil

First, bring a large pot of water to boil and get your pasta going. Then, in a deep saute pan, add your butter and olive oil. Once the butter is melted, saute the onion for 3 minutes and then add in your shredded cabbage. Cook down for about 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once your pasta is done, drain it, return it to the pan and add in the cabbage and onion mixture.

And that's it! This is generally served with grilled kielbasa (which is equally easy to make) and is a warm and filling meal. I wasn't sure how the absence of the butter would play out, but it still had a rich, buttery flavor. So, next time you have a head of cabbage hanging out in your fridge without a final destination, give this Haluski a go.

Easter Egg Hunt - South Florida Style

Today, we took Parker to the Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Easter egg hunt. Parker is just now at an age that he understands the following things (1) the point is to collect the eggs, and (2) there is candy inside of them. In other words, he was out for blood (along with the other rabid children there).

We arrived right as they were about to start and after seeing the sea of people ready to storm the battle field, I happily handed over the "helping" duty to my mother-in-law as I kept my eyes on the exit. As I was looking skittishly around, I was so happy to see my friend Courtney and her family. I've known Courtney since first grade! I'm seriously annoyed with myself for not snapping a picture of us together, but it was before I had coffee and I was still contemplating my escape plan. Regardless, it was lovely seeing a familiar face and her children are absolutely gorgeous.

Before I knew it, the 0-3 year olds were off. My mother-in-law had a strategy for Parker to clean house. She ran with him all the way to the back and started gather eggs back there. And less than 30 seconds later...it was all over.

Of course, since we were back home, the Irishman's family came out. Here's the muchkin with his grandparents and his great grandmother.

Then, we headed inside to see the Easter Bunny. Parker was excited to see him, but maintained his usual serious demeanor. He insisted that he was too old to sit on his lap, so he stood in front of him instead.

After all of the excitement at the hunt and my own personal excitement to get the heck out of there, we went to a small diner down the street for breakfast.

Our wait time was only 10 minutes, so naturally, I let everyone else entertain Parker so I could work on my tan by standing in the sun. I'm such a giving person.

The best part about the Easter egg hunt was that now we had toys and candy to hold hostage and to use as bribes to ensure a quiet and peaceful meal. Bribery is parenting at its best. Here's the gang again at breakfast.

And here's sweet Parker wearing one of the fake egg tattoos that he got as loot.

All in all, it was a great morning and as always, I'm thankful for my role as official family photographer so that I can avoid actually being in the action as it unfolds.

Greek Easter Traditions - Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know...And So Much More.

For Greeks, Easter is the most important holiday of the year. As I understand it, the birth of Jesus (Christmas) isn’t nearly as miraculous as his death and subsequent resurrection (Easter) for those of the Greek Orthodox faith. I think this is because no one disputes that Jesus Christ existed. The miracle of the Christian faith is in the resurrection. Hey look mom, Sunday school lessons are paying off! What’s funny is that when I was a child, I thought that Jesus was born on Christmas and died just three months later on Easter. I thought the miracle was the fact that he managed to age 35 years in a matter of three months. Imagine my disappointment to find out that I was wrong and that he was only the son of God taking human form to save us all from damnation. Just kidding. Not really.

Okay, back to Easter traditions. The Thursday before Easter (Holy Thursday), we bake tsoureki, a brioche-like. It’s sweet and shiny, apparently meant to symbolize the light brought to the Christians during the resurrection…or something like that. My mother fussed at me because I requested that we start baking the tsoureki on Wednesday night, but by the time that she baked it, it was technically already Holy Thursday in Greece, so we were good.

Here is our lovely tsoureki, which I made by myself for the first time…ever.

In case you’re interested, I’m going to include the recipe at the end of this post. Mostly, that’s for my own personal Easter-traditions reference, but it really is a delightful and sweet bread, which would make a smashing French toast or bread pudding (but please don’t tell the purists on me).

Next up on the menu for Holy Thursday is the dying of red eggs.

The egg in general symbolizes the renewal of life (you know, the whole chicken or the egg question) and the red symbolizes both the blood of Christ as well as the victory over evil. Pretty deep, huh? There's no Easter bunny hanging around here during Easter - just the battle of good and evil and blood and death. Oh and if we had any baby lambs, we’d dab their heads and tails with red dye to ward off the evils. No, I’m so not making this up, but I'm not sure if people on the motherland still do that or not.

So, with our tsoureki made and our eggs dyed, our duties for Holy Thursday are over. The church services on the evening of Holy Thursday are focused on the crucifixion and a 3-day period of mourning begins. The Holiest day of the week is Great Friday. It’s a day of mourning and Greeks will neither cook nor work. When I was growing up, we would go to the church on Great Friday to attend Jesus’ funeral. We would walk behind the Epitaphio, the symbolic bier of Christ, carrying candles. There were literally hundreds of parishioners in attendance and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office would shut down streets for the procession.

On Saturday, we will make mageritsa, a traditional lamb stew, to break the 40 day fast when we get home from midnight services. My ever-adaptable mother has devised a vegetarian version for me. I have to say that the midnight mass on Easter Sunday was the coolest experience growing up. Right before midnight, all of the lights were extinguished and there was dead silence. The only light in the church is a single candle on the alter, the Eternal Flame. At the stroke of midnight, the priest calls, “Xristos Anesti,” which means Christ has risen. The Eternal Flame is passed to the altar boys' candles and is then spread to the parishioners. As the light passes from candle to candle, a traditional Byzantine hymn begins. It is haunting and beautiful. You can’t help but feel caught up in the elation of the moment. In a matter of minutes, thousands of people are illuminated only by candle light and singing the hymn. Typically, this can last an hour or so, but I recall that one year, our priest kept up well into the wee hours of the morning. That priest was FatherNick, whom you may recall is the same priest that my father and I hid from in a xenophobic event.

After the hymn singing is over, you carefully bring the Eternal Flame home and bless your house and all of the doorways. Then, you eat and break eggs. I’ll detail the egg breaking on Easter Sunday so that I can demonstrate with pictures exactly what transpires. For that day (and a number of subsequent days), Greeks will greet each other with, “Xristos Anesti” (Christ has risen) and the proper response is “Alithos Anesti” (he has truly risen). The lamb stew signifies the breaking of the fast.

Well, there you have it – the Greek traditions and the meanings behind them as it was told to me. As promised, here is the tsoureki recipe. The dough rises several times so the baking of this break is a half-day event.

Ingredients and Process:

3 pkgs. Rapid-rise yeast
2 cups flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1.5 cups very warm milk (110 degrees)
.5 cups very warm water

Mix the above together, cover and put in a draft-free place to let it sit for 25 minutes. The microwave is a good place for this. While that’s sitting, get the following together.

6 eggs + 2 egg whites
1 cup hot, melted butter
cups sugar

Beat the above for about 10 minutes on medium. Once that is done and the 25 minutes are up, add in the yeast mixture to the egg mixture and fold together with a wooden spoon. Now, add in the zest and juice of one orange. Okay, now it’s time to add the flour. We’re going to add about 8-9 cups total and the first four cups can be added one cup at a time with the mixer. Once those are in, add them one at a time, but switch to a wooden spoon to mix it together. Once that gets too difficult, just dig in with your hands. You want the consistency to be spongy and firm. If it’s at all sticky, add a bit more flour (and trust me, it will be VERY sticky until you get to the 8^th cup of flour or so).

Now, cover the flour with plastic wrap and let it rise in a draft-free area for 2-3 hours or until it has doubled in size. Are you still with me? Good. Now, lightly flour a surface that you can work on. Put the dough on your working surface and punch it down. I mean really squeeze the crap out of it. Now, cut the dough into three or four pieces (depending on how many loaves you want to make) and then cut each loaf into 3 pieces. Roll each of those three pieces into a long log (squeeze all of the air out of the dough) and then braid the three pieces together. Repeat with the other loaves. Brush the tops of the loaves with an egg wash (2 egg yolks and 2 Tbs. of water) to make them shiny.

Finally, grease a pan and allow the braided loaves to rise for another hour. Now bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. And that’s it! Congratulations, you are now an honorary member of the Greek Orthodox Easter baking club.

Next up, step by step instructions on how to slaughter and roast a lamb. Just kidding, folks.

Grandparents Rock

As I'm getting ready to chronicle the Easter baking and dying of eggs, I wanted to leave you with this thought...

It only takes one picture to illustrate why grandparents are preferable to parents any day of the week.

Parker is going to be very sorry to leave here.