Author: <span>Nadya</span>

Published May 2, 2016 by

We watched For Grace yesterday. I’ve, over the  last few months, preferred documentaries over fiction/drama.We’ve liked Cooked and Dior and I. People’s personal stories can be so powerful and their creativity inspirational.

The movie capped off a fairly busy weekend which started with a Friday evening tour of Sophia’s art at her school’s Lower School Art Show. She had two works on display—a watercolor of a wave and a clay butterfly. We capped the visit with a stop at the playground and retired home.

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IMG_5586We made it an early night on Friday to try and recuperate from the week. Busy and exhausting doesn’t even begin to describe it. The rest of the weekend was spent out biking with the kids, a brief dinner date, at dance class, and in a marathon blintz making session. My mom and I farmer’s cheeset wrapped ~90 blintzes. Mmm… That was punctuated by a home-made sprinkled donut snack and a glass of Jefferson Vineyards’ Meritage we brought from our babymoon in 2014.

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FullSizeRender (10)That babymoon was atypical because we took Sophia with us, toured Monticello, Madison’s house, visited wineries and explored University of Virginia’s glorious campus.

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art donuts kids' art Weekending

Published April 29, 2016 by

Moment

Moments

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Published April 25, 2016 by

Family Times

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The brisket at my parents was stunning this year as was the apple cake at Evan’s Bubbie’s Passover celebration. I refuse to believe the apple cake was kosher for passover because it was that good. Traveling to see family is arduous when your kids don’t nap and your commute is traffic laden. This year’s Passover celebrations were back-to-back which, despite not having to cook ourselves, was a serious undertaking on our part.

In addition to celebrating with family, Sophia had a birthday party to attend and we decided to sneak a quick trip to a coffee shop, too. I love the energy that coffee shops have on weekend mornings. They’re bursting with people who are optimistic and hopeful about their days off. The adults are looking forward to that ever-important first cup of coffee while the kids (both human and canine) explore their surroundings and indulge in baked goods. Our neighborhood has no fewer than 6 coffee shops in a three block radius. Coffee is a big deal in Olde City.

I wish I could regale you with stories of grand culinary undertakings but truthfully, we were too busy spending time with the kids, attending their social events, and visiting our extended families to really have the time. One thing we did make was ice cream. And not just one batch but three. It was a snowball effect, really. I made french vanilla and then Sophia asked for chocolate, so we made a batch of that. Vanilla and chocolate seemed too luxurious and fairly unhealthy so I made a batch of strawberry to balance it all out. That’s my story and I am sticking to it.

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chocolate ice cream homemade ice cream strawberry ice cream vanilla ice cream

Published April 22, 2016 by

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Published April 18, 2016 by

Three is Best

When it comes to celebrations anyway. This Saturday marked my third and final birthday celebration. Fitting it was, too, since this year I turned the double three or 33. Evan, the girls, and I hosted my parents, my in-laws and my sister and her family for brunch. We didn’t try to do anything fancy. Just bagels and lox, a vanilla-bean & rum bread pudding, my mom’s zucchini babka, and assemble-your-own granola parfaits. We presented everything on the island and decorated the spread with some very open tulips.

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You could say the whole thing was casual and effortless which is exactly how we prefer it. There wasn’t, however, anything effortless about the three birthday cakes everyone enjoyed afterwards. My mother-in-law brought her famous chocolate cake and my sister brought two home-made cakes. The first one was a farmer’s cheesecake laced with apples and topped with just barely toasted meringue and the second one was a multi-layered chocolate cake with mousseline topped with handmade truffles.

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FullSizeRender (9)So good were these that there are no leftovers anymore. It was the best, low-key celebration and I enjoyed seeing everyone catch up and spend time together. The weather outside had also turned glorious after weeks of cold and rainy days.

FullSizeRender (11)The only thing that topped the celebration was an invitation from Baba and Deda to have Eliza and Sophia help plant their vegetable and flower gardens. The girls spent their Sunday in Wilmington, most of it outdoors, picnic-style. The weekend was perfect, and for once, we are all ready and excited for the work/school week.

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brunch

Published April 15, 2016 by

Double Trouble

Life Moments

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Published April 11, 2016 by

Dinner à la Russe

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Too pretty to eat? Almost. Evan and I went out on a dinner date to celebrate my birthday this Saturday. I didn’t want anything for my birthday except for a leisurely dinner and maybe drinks. We went to a restaurant that is a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) and Evan surprised me by bringing wines from our travels past. He brought a white from the Landmark Vineyards which we visited when we took a not-even-two-year-old Sophia to Napa and Sonoma. Evan also brought a wine we bought in Alentejo in 2003 when we drove all across Portugal and visited Evora. Spectacular as those wines were, my dinner companion, and reminiscing about our travels made this birthday celebration very special.

The girls, meanwhile, did not sulk at home—they had Grammie and Pop to entertain them. FullSizeRender (6) There is something unbelievably charming about grandfathers and granddaughters and especially this lovely pair right here. Beautiful as his artwork was, I found the fact that my father-in-law embraced face painting with Sophia so very endearing. I love seeing how much he loves and dotes on his granddaughters.

To round out the weekend, Evan, the girls, and I entertained at home for the first time in this house. These friends are very special for us and we were looking forward to showcasing some Azerbaijani and Russian dishes. Putting on a dinner party isn’t always easy, and even more difficult when you’ve got a clingy, hip-hugging, almost-two year old companion toddling around. We made stuffed cabbage, an Azerbaijani eggplant chicken stew, a fish baked in an agrodolce sauce, and chermoula eggplant with bulgur and yogurt. There were also homemade blintzes with a fresh fruit compote.

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The kids played so beautifully together, the adults were able to socialize, and enjoy wine (from proper wine glasses). I suppose committing to unpack a box or two a week really does have its benefits. It felt great to host, to entertain, and to share food with friends. Happy Monday!

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blintzes Chicken stew Eggplant Russian dinner parties

Published April 8, 2016 by

Old or Young

Most will agree that there aren’t enough days in our lives that we devote to celebration, family, and ourselves. April is upon us, and once again, my birthday. In years past, I’ve adhered to what had become a tradition for birthday celebrations. This year is not too different in that I carved out a little bit of time for myself for a very leisurely cup of coffee and spent that time thinking on … whatever. That cup of coffee did come after making the girls’ lunch first thing before Sophia headed off to school—because birthday girl or not, I am first a #workingmom and an #early bird.

So how does it feel to be in my early thirties? Marvelous. I now recognize that these are the best years of my life. The kids are young (and oh so delicious) and the inconveniences of old age haven’t yet appeared. I may no longer be in my twenties but I still feel like my whole life is ahead of me, that there isn’t anything I cannot do, and more importantly, that I have a huge bucket list of things to do, places to travel to, and experiences I’d like to have. It is good to have goals and even better to have someone to share those goals with.

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balancing your life birthdays

Published April 4, 2016 by

The Early Bird

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… gets the worm. Or in my case, the groceries and the cooking started. The time after the kids are in bed is my time in that I rarely cook, clean or engage in anything I consider to be a chore. Instead, I use the time to craft, relax, catch up on reading, television, and generally spend time with Evan. Chores have to get accomplished at one point or another and I have resolved that it may as well at least start with my first cup of coffee early in the morning. I am a morning person so the time doesn’t phase me.

That first cup of coffee accompanied by the quiet hum of the city as it wakes up is just magical. I tend to linger over the coffee machine looking out the window to people watch, daydream, and plan the rest of the day. That time is the highlight of the day as it is packed with endless possibilities.

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Our weekend was once again busy with family events and we managed kugel, granola, oven-baked turkey meatballs, and a pear tart all before 10 am on Saturday. Good thing, too, because the girls don’t always eat what’s on offer while we are elsewhere and I often bring my own to ensure they don’t go hungry.

Sophia and Eliza have both embraced all things feminine and we have officially entered the tights and dresses stage. It is further accentuated by the jewels, necklaces, and hair accessories to ensure the most proper little girls emerge from our house each morning. Meanwhile, Evan and I emerge rather frazzled and are hoping (praying) that this is just a stage and that they shall soon see reason in our preference of leggings, t-shirts, sneakers, and all things casual and comfortable. A mom can only dream.

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Life

dresses

Published April 1, 2016 by

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