My little guy hardly looks like a “sensitive outsider” in this picture, and he’s not really. He’s as cheeky as they come.

So I suppose this book could really be for anyone who has ever felt they have something to offer, but no one around them seems to appreciate or understand.

Frederick, by Leo Lionni, is the story of a mouse who is a bit out of place in his family, but finds transcendence through words and imagination when he and his family face hunger during a long winter.

The other day, my three-year-old found it, and when I read it to him, I couldn’t stop crying. It’s one of those books where the words are very simple, very straightforward. And yet, as you read it, you know the story is speaking volumes between its pages. It resonates, and you believe that somehow, it will leave you better off for having read it.

What books resonate for you like that?

I didn’t realize until tonight that I started my blog exactly one year ago Sunday! It may not be that significant a milestone for many people who keep blogs, but for me, it has been a huge milestone.

Bear with me a moment as I get a bit personal without spilling too much (I imagine I will be spilling a bit more in the coming months).

A year ago, I started this blog as a way to express some of my interests and talents, hoping I would one day be able to see it grow into something more. Any of my expectations for readership were far surpassed in my first few months of blogging, and I was thrilled to see my stats on Google Analytics sky rocket in such a short time. It was in those beginning weeks I gained some of my most loyal readers.

Then in early October, my personal life was turned upside down (sorry I can’t really elaborate at this point, I can be more open about it in a future post), and blogging became very difficult. I want to say to all my loyal readers, who bore with me through the fall and winter, THANK YOU. I know there were weeks when I didn’t have much to share, but you came anyway, and I really appreciate that.

In the spring, I guess I got my second wind, because I was able to post more. That was also when my brother and I started to come up with the new look and feel of the blog, and the rest, of course, you can see before you.

I have grown in so many ways in the last year. Amidst my darkest days, I have felt the true love of friends, which has helped me carry on. Though I don’t know most of you, my readers, personally, your comments have helped keep me afloat in the most challenging time of my life. And because of that, this year has also been one of the most rewarding.

So, thank you! To everyone. I hope we have many more wonderful years to come, as we share with each other ideas on how to make our families well-read, well-bred, and well-fed.

big smooches,
Jaime

My daughter, of course, wouldn’t touch this dish, even though it looks like a sunflower.  My sons, however, did like it, especially the yogurt in the middle.

Some of these ingredients may be a little hard to find if you aren’t in a nicer grocery store.  I found the figs and the Greek yogurt at Whole Foods, one of my favorite places on the planet.  If you can’t find a Greek yogurt, substitute it for a vanilla whole milk yogurt, and drain it the same way as the directions.  If you can’t find figs, you could also use pears, or strawberries, or anything else you would like.

Also, if you don’t have a cheese cloth, that’s okay. just use a couple layers of white paper towels. I used cheese cloth because the lines look pretty on the yogurt.

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Connie, our wonderful guest mom, is back with us again and shares her recipe of talamee, a traditional Syrian flat bread.  She and her husband came to our house a couple weeks ago to show me how to make it.  This recipe makes a ton, so be ready to freeze what you don’t use the first day.

With our leftovers, we sliced the bread through the middle like a big ciabatta loaf and covered with sauce and cheese to make pizza.  Then this morning, I mixed up some eggs, milk, cinnamon, and sugar.  I crumbled the talamee into rough 1 inch pieced and dredged it in the eggs and milk mixture.  I grilled it all together in a nonstick pan and made a cross between bread pudding and French toast.  Yum.

talamee and family traditions, by Connie

My father was raised mostly by his Lebanese grandmother.  She had already done her fair share of raising children, having 17 of her own, but when her daughter had to go to work in another state, she took in her two young grandsons.

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Anyone want to take a whack at the definition?  It’s quite simple, and I imagine you’re all dealing with it in a heavy dose of it in your summer vacationing children right now.

Write your answer to the definition in the comment section, and then, let us know:  What are you all doing to overcome taedium (ted-ee-oom) during your summer break at your house?

At ours today, we took turns spraying each other with the hose.  Certainly not Disneyland, but we all feel much better.

I have never read, nor seen the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, but My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn is based on it.  I thought this line from the play really captures my view of what good etiquette is all about.

Every once in awhile, I will tap into my foodie self and become a fan of dark chocolate. The snobbery fills my soul with a sense of well-being, and I fancy myself a connoisseur of all things fine and elevated. I cannot look upon a Snickers bar, or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup with even the slightest tolerance, and I am a sophisticated woman.

Then something will happen to throw me off my high horse, and I am once again off the wagon (Look at those cliches! and that mixed metaphor!! But I did stick with horses. And transportation). Perhaps the most invincible temptation to thwart me from my fragile love of dark chocolate are those Cadbury Mini Eggs. I know it’s not Easter, but let’s talk about those for a minute. Could there be anything more wonderful than those dusty colors? Each time I take a handful, I take care to ensure there is at least one pink, one blue, one yellow, and one white. If I cannot find one of each in a handful, then I am forced to eat another handful with each essential color.  That’s when I surrender to my true self and go back to eating Snickers.

Anyway, here I am, writing to you in my milk chocolate loving days. If you are a dark chocolate fan, set it all aside, and give into your sugar-loving childlike self. You won’t be sorry.

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Here’s a chance for your kids to help you comment!

What have you read this summer so far?

What have been your favorite books? Which ones would you have rather left at the library?

On September 1, I will have a drawing for a $25 gift card to Borders. Starting today, every time you or your child reads a book, come to the comments section of this post, and tell us what book it was and how you liked it.

Then, on September 1, we’ll see who the winner is.

The more you read, the greater your chances will be, so have fun, and get reading!!!!

Alright, alright, the succotash has a lot of ingredients, and so maybe this isn’t the most simple recipe, but just look at it sitting there all by itself.  I said simplicity more for the way it looks.

Have you ever tried making succotash before?  It’s great.  You just start with the corn, and then throw in anything that sounds good.  I also tried making this with bacon and cream.  It was good, but a little heavy.  The Thai-ish version is a bit lighter for summer.
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Remember when I was talking about Latin being the language of the enlightened? Well, for awhile now, I’ve been wanting to enlighten us all by adding a little to our vocabulary.

My first Latin word of the week is an easy one, and appropriate for this week.

Now everyone say libertas, lee-bare-tahs. Very good.

And Happy Independence Day.