Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Wise words


"There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it."Chinese Proverb


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Monday, May 14, 2012

May you not skin your knees.

There were moments when I said Ilaria should start official socialization at 4 years of age.
But, as a result of a 1 month long process of thinking, discussions and negotiations, we decided to cut the age to 2 years and 7 months. On Wednesday Ilaria started kindergarten and I started the hard lesson of let-it-go.


I imagined the moment as picture perfect: sunny day, sweet dress, perfect hair, time for the good picture. And this was the reality:

cloudy, too cold for a dress, not a good hair day, no time for good pictures.


And it was just the beginning of our transition from the last 2.5 years of dolce vita toward an entire lifetime of rush.


At least I was happy that she was happy and excited to meet new friends and to play with new toys. This made the day easier for me.


During the 3 hours of waiting, I took a good walk with Maria in the old part of the city, happy for the change of our daily decor.



It felt strange not to have my first baby around. My baby who changed me from woman to mother. My baby who was now, for the first time, alone, in the hands of some strangers. But I know the time has come for me to learn to let her "fly" away. Because she loves children and games and toys. (Even if she doesn't love to share yet.)


And everything was pretty good on that day...
...until a nice lady, who probably noticed the strange light in my eyes, asked me something about Maria. I answered her back and then I was surprised to hear myself telling her, unasked, about Ilaria. That was the point when I become undone, with tears in my eyes. It was the sign that I failed my 1st lesson of let it go...


A Wish for My Children - Evangeline Paterson


On this doorstep I stand
year after year
to watch you going


and think: May you not
skin your knees. May you
not catch your fingers
in car doors. May
your hearts not break.


May tide and weather
wait for your coming


and may you grow strong
to break
all webs of my weaving.

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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Picture of the day


This is what Ilaria gets when I don't have cooked food for her. We call them "soldăţei" (little soldiers). She simply devours such meals in order to produce a bunch of empty sticks asap.
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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Rhubarb cake / Prăjitură cu rubarbă

I decided to fight with my demons. So I made a deal with Adrian: every time I surf and surf and surf some more the Internet after 10PM, as punishment, I have to bake a cake later on. The deal is probably 3 months old and I am... 5 cakes behind.


On Sunday I started to wash my sins and I made this sweetie:

It was a hit ;-)

What you need:


Mix 150g sugar + 5 yolks + 5T milk + 150g butter + 300g flour + 15g baking powder + a little bit of salt. Spread the dough onto a baking tray.


Spread the peeled and chopped rhubarb over the dough. Don't be too generous. Also in this case, less is more; don't put too much rhubarb, otherwise your cake will became too juicy and it won't bake very well.


Place the cake in the oven.

Prepare the meringue, by beating the 5 egg whites with 200g sugar.

When the cake is "1/2 baked" (starts to turn brown at corners), take it out from the oven.


Spread the meringue on top of the cake.


Bake the cake until brown again.


We, housewives from Transylvania, know this recipe from our former German neighbors. So, I wish you: Mahlzeit! (Bon appetit!) 
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