I love snow. I love snow days.
I love my daughter.
Give me a snow day with my daughter, and I'll learn plenty because she is a great teacher. She is a sweet and gentle girl, and looking for ways to open doors for her to enjoy life, learn, and grow on a snowy January day is what I call heaven.
Arriving at heaven is a random process around here, though.
For example, last week while rummaging through a storage tub full of wrapping paper, I unearthed some Mardi Gras masks that are about a decade old but are beautiful. So we dismanted our Christmas wreath and reinvented it as a Mardi Gras wreath with our gold, purple, and green doodads and a hot glue gun.
If you've got a wreath, you've got a party. If you've got a party, you've got to gather your friends around. If you do that, you know you need food.
So we planned a Mardi Gras party. My daughter designed the invitations and picked some recipes she thought would work. We have been trying them out, and Della has been eating well. The other day, we tried out a recipe she didn't have the energy to implement, so she left me at the helm. Brave child! I am not a very good cook; I felt a bit lonely trying this recipe for her without her help. But I did, and she loved this Cajun potato salad. From there we have moved on to black-eyed pea salsa, Cajun spiced potato wedges, pineapple-banana smoothies, a king's cake, and French toast with some bread we baked the other day.
I grew up in the 70s and early 80s. My junior high hom ec. teacher taugh me that cooking is knowing how to measure out the Bisquick. For everthing, the Bisquick. Do it over a paper towel, and you can save any spillage of that precious powder for the next recipe.
I wonder what would have happened if that teacher had told me to cook for your child is to love your child. To give your heart.
Some dusty feather masks in the bottom of a storage tub stuck in the corner of my basement kickstarted a thought process in my daughter in me that has us living better and loving with even more heart. One thing leads to another; beauty unfolds. Cajun potato salad is out of this world. Now, is it possible to make a king's cake in the bread machine?
16 Comments
Mardi Gras....awesome!!
ReplyDeleteHave been to quite a few..love those features Sandy...
This was a nice post, especially coz' again....I juz' love the bond you have with your daughter..its rare these days!! Keep blogging and having fun!!
Sandy please post that recipe. It sounds wonderful! Just a little seed, and you grew a big oak tree, created memories, your daughter will never forget! It there any better gift than "time." Giving of yourself, filling the gaps. What a great Mom!
ReplyDeleteI love your colourful wreath and the colourful ideas the masks evoked. Those dishes are making me hungry!
ReplyDeleteThe masks remind me of a craft we held for the kids at a Mardi Gras street party one year. If you're looking for something to keep your daughter's friends occupied, some plain masks, feather, glitter, sequins .. etc works well with creative imaginations.
sounds like serendipity....love those moments and events
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of growth from a tiny seed Sandy. Sounds like you've been cooking up a storm, I'd like to see the salad recipe too.
ReplyDeleteThe post re: 17 Park Lane, etc:
http://mypoeticpath.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/what-makes-a-poemgreatso-so-or-just-plain-bad/
Happy Weekend, G
a forever to be cherished post, Sandy
ReplyDeleteAloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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Your Mardi Gras wreath looks beautiful, and the foods you're testing sound delicious. I'm not sure who is luckier -- you or your daughter. I just know I'm fortunate to have heard this story.
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky to have a daughter like that! :) I'm glad for you!
ReplyDeleteI love salats, taco and beans and lenses.. Today I just bought Mungo beans.. :)
It is so GREAT to have fun, as you are, with your child.
ReplyDeleteI got a taste of those memories with my grandkids over Thanksgiving, especially when I involved them in making Christmas cookies! Just reaching over their shoulders, putting their hands in mine and molding the cookie dough was delightful! It took me back to my own kids.
Both you and Adella are enriched!
I just repaired my Belgian waffle maker, so Lacy and I are enjoying waffles nearly daily. Today, Bisquick got added to my list, since the old sealed box is now empty!
Keep practicing those recipes! You have time. From Wikipedia: "Mardi Gras 2011 falls on Tuesday, March 8. Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday”, is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent."
My junior high hom ec. teacher taugh me that cooking is knowing how to measure out the Bisquick. For everthing, the Bisquick.>>>> first to learn about the bisquick here.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful wreath with the feathery masks.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are cooking up some great memories!
Happy Mardi Gras party!
What a beuatiful post...
ReplyDeleteI think what can bring me down at times more than anything is the fact that I never got a chance to have children. I feel so strongly that they are one of the main reasons why we are here and they give our lives a purpose. As you so lovely write here, they teach us so much and make us see the world in a different light. They make us better people.
Love the new Mardi Gras wreath:;)
Have a lovely Sunday,
xoxo
I love kids and I love doing things with them
ReplyDeleteIt is so much fun and I highly recommend it :)I am sure you love your daughter. :)
beautiful post. we can learn a lot form both of you, too.
ReplyDeleteChildren are a constant inspiration and lead us to beautiful moments and memories of joy like this.
ReplyDeleteYour party is going to be so much fun. Love the wreath. It has given me inspiration to dig out some of my Mardi Gras decorations. FUN. By all means enjoy these years with your daughter. You are lucky to have this time to bond. The terrible teens will be a time you will want to remember this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here.