Food For Thought – Page 4 – Growing Up Savvy

Published August 24, 2015 by Nadya

Pie Back

Even during college, when I was all grown up and could take care of myself, my parents doted on me by serving up my favorite dishes. That hospitality was naturally extended to Evan when he would join our family on the weekends. The hospitality hasn’t abated. In fact, my Mom and Dad have taken great care to nurture us and the kids with the most amazing treats week in and week out. Having arrived home from our recent trip we were welcomed by the not-too-unexpected sight of a fully stocked fridge.

Such incredible generosity (and I don’t mean in terms of the cost of ingredients) has inspired me to want to give back, to somehow show that we are grateful. Inspiration hit me this Sunday to make a pie crust. Between trying to savor my latest read and waiting for new yarn for a knitting project, I had a few minutes to myself. Why a pie crust? I make it from scratch with my hands and working butter into flour is tough on your joins. My mom suffers from arthritis, has mentioned several times how much she loves my home-made pie crust, and my dad loves anything dessert. Pie is really a synch to make once you have the crust and the late-harvest peaches make the perfect filling. I wanted to, in my own way, show my gratitude for being so lucky to be doted on.

Cookery Flavors Food For Thought

Published August 21, 2015 by Nadya

21

Exactly twenty one years ago today, on a dreary rainy evening, my family immigrated to the United States. The date is forever ingrained in my memory. I look back remembering what it was like then, what it is like now, and everything in between. It was then, and will forever be, the single most challenging experience for my parents, sister, and me. But as they say, no pain, no gain. The decision to emigrate, and a tiny bit of hard work, have also been incredibly rewarding.

Evan sent me this link that showcases what life was like in the Soviet Union in the mid-late 1980ies. As I watched the footage, listened to the people, I could understand the language but not relate or recall that that is what life was really like. Perhaps that, the fact that I don’t remember the every day life, is what has helped shaped me into the person that I am. That old life doesn’t hold me back and yet, everything that is positive about having come from another country (bilingualism, wanderlust) propels me forward. So thank you to all those who have been supportive and who have wished me and my family well.

Food For Thought

Published August 12, 2015 by Nadya

A Scandinavian Fairytale: Bits & Ends

I could, and I will, regale you with countless stories of our adventures in Denmark but wanted to share a few odds and ends, things we found unique, sensical, surprising or otherwise noteworthy.

The Danes are a tall set. There were multiple instances where I found myself too short to see a mirror mounted above a sink. I am 5’2.5 by the way. And yes, that half inch is very important—to me. An added bonus for Evan is that in addition to being a nation of giants (just my perspective, really), they also don’t carry petites, and as such, I wasn’t able to accomplish any clothes shopping.
This really is the land of endless summer sunshine. The sun is bright and it shines from very early on and until very, very late (at least in the summer). The sun set sometime around 9 or 10 PM when we were there and it stayed fairly light for another hour still.
You won’t find frumpy or cluttered spaces in this country that is the birthplace and epitome of modern decor. I noticed that many homes decorated their windowsills with various accents from lamps to candle, pottery or fine porcelain figurines. The windowsills were beautiful and gave a passer-by a quick peek into the personality of the home and its dwellers.
Kids, kids, and kids galore. The Danes, unlike Germany for example, are happy to be fruitful and multiply children. We saw many families with multiple children and many of them had three!
Fitness is high up on the list of priorities for the Danes. Although I only saw one gym, we saw many people biking and jogging along the banks of the Øresund.
Though important, fitness does not trump the amazing diet that the Danish population enjoys. Enjoying the fruits of the land and sea, the Danes follow a diet that is extremely similar to the one I grew up with. Breakfast is a big deal—cured meats, cheeses, breads, butter and dairy products are all staples on the table. A large and filling breakfast tends to carry you through to lunch which is enjoyed later than is typical for us at around 1:30 or 2:00. Smørrebrød or open-faced sandwiches are typical for lunch as are hot dishes. Beer flows freely even for those who have to go back to the office. The evening meal is much later (at least in the summer) and often enjoyed outdoors, soaking up the last sun-rays of the day. Small dishes and plenty of them are served for dinner chased with plenty of good wine and beer. Most surprising to me was the lack of vegetables we saw in the diet. Well, perhaps not vegetables, but rather salads. Carrots, peas and whatever else is seasonal was incorporated into the absolutely mouthwatering Danish cuisine. That said, I saw no salads, no heaps of lettuce or pounds of spinach weighed down with heavy dressings. Just as well, I didn’t grow up eating salads either and did not observe any obesity issues in the former USSR and not in Denmark either. Maybe these Danes are onto something? Maybe pickled herring and smoked mackerel, of which there were plenty, even at breakfast, is the magic diet food? Perhaps it is all about moderation, or the urban lifestyle?
Snacking was not at all common and neither was eating on the go. Coffee breaks and drinks, however, were observed with great enthusiasm. Evan and I were only too keen to try and blend in with the locals.
Dining, drinks and coffee were enjoyed at incredible leisure. In fact, it was very obvious that the locals viewed time out with company as not about the meal but more about spending time with company. It was as though they were paying for the time that can be spent at this establishment over the sole enjoyment of sustenance.
Picnicking is central to the culture and much supported through the many, many green spaces this small nation enjoys. Green spaces and clean air. The air, even in Copenhagen, one of the cleanest I’ve breathed in a long time. No great surprise as Denmark is powered entirely by wind power.
And last… not least… even the littlest royals, back in the day, enjoyed posh seating. This must be the most decadent high chair known to mankind ;-).

Food For Thought Life Travel

copenhagen denmark nordic cuisine travel

Published July 20, 2015 by Nadya

It Really Takes a Village

It was a busy, friend-filled weekend—you will have to take my word for it because there is little photographic evidence of this. One of the reasons for moving back to this area was to reclaim the life and friends we thoroughly missed. Having decided that seeing friends isn’t just left for birthday parties, and because almost every single girlfriend of mine is about to have a baby, we made plans to catch up and see our kids play together.

Sitting here, finally cooled off from having spent a few hours steaming away outdoors, I realized that many of the conversations I had had revolved around a central theme—support. Each of the friends I saw this weekend has asked, received, relied and embraced the support of family and friends in support of their growing families.

Speaking of support or because we maybe (actually) love seeing them dote on the kids (and us, too), we’ve enjoyed back-to-back time with Baba and Deda, too.

My dad, as it turns out, is an exceptional play-doh-er. Sophia couldn’t get enough of Deda time and even Eliza tried to get in on the action. Seeing at the kids run around my parents, I can’t help but look back on July 2014 when we had had a not-yet-3 year old and a newborn, when life had been a bit different; I am amazed at how much things change even in one year, how fast time flies, and how much I underestimated the degree to which our lives will change when we had a family. The one constant that I always knew was that our families are always going to be there, they will always stand by, come over, and play-doh.

Food For Thought

Published July 9, 2015 by Nadya

The Birthday Thanks

Thank you cards are sprawled on my desk waiting to capture our sincere gratitude for the friends and family who came out to celebrate Eliza’s birthday. Eliza loves every single gift she was showered with. We tried our best to find a home for each new item in our compact play area including this:

This chair, not the dolly, though we love the dolly, too. This chair, to us, is extra-ordinarily special. It is special because it was hand-painted by our nephew Alex especially for Eliza on the occasion of her 1st birthday. We seem to have started a tradition in our family where the girls receive a hand-made piece for their first birthday. My father made a doll’s bed for Sophia. My sister added to the already-special piece by hand-making all the bedding including the two-tone pillow cases and a real quilt.

When I really think about it, the doll’s bed (sitting sadly in our storage) and this beautiful chair are just things. Many kids have little beds for their dolls and chairs, but these were made for our kids—someone took the time to think about the girls, spent hours designing, polishing, painting, and sewing something that will be used time and again. This chair will stand the test of time; It will be with Eliza (and Sophia) as they grow up together and, one day, they will pass it on to be used by their kids, and their kids’ kids. More than that, they will pass on not just the item, but the story and lesson that goes on with it. Being an aunt or a cousin isn’t just about the label. It is about the relationship you choose to have with your cousins or nieces and the time and effort you invest in being with them. Little she may be, but she knows she is loved—there is no other way to validate her knowledge than the wide smiles she gives to those who surround her (with love).

I am blessed to have a nephew who values the importance of family and a sister (and brother-in-law) who have cultivated this in him. The chair, the chair is beautiful.

Food For Thought Life Moments

birthday family hand-made heirlooms

Published June 5, 2015 by Nadya

Moment

In lieu of a Friday Moment as has been the tradition here on Growing Up Savvy, I am sharing some thoughts.

My parents’ and my definition of success is when your kids did better than you did.
This world is too big to face on your own, so share the challenges, the burdens, and all the rewards with those who stand by you.
Jealousy is the quintessence of small mindedness. Don’t waste precious moments comparing yourself to others. Instead, work hard to achieve something.
Compassion is the face of true beauty.

Food For Thought Moments

Moments

Published March 16, 2015 by Nadya

A Mind’s Bloom

We forget our old lives, the roads taken to this place where we are now. And even if we try to look back and remember, we often find that the images are fuzzy. Trying to remember is valiant albeit futile. And while my heart flutters, the further time displaces and propels our lives forward, the less I mourn and the more sure I am that I am happiest where I am. Here and in the now.

Why the deep thoughts? Well, despite my otherwise bubbly personality, that to most casual observers will come off as a bit ditzy, there are serious thoughts that ruminate at all times. Evan says I have impostor syndrome and playing a ditz is a big part of that (according to him).

Big year, big changes, big realizations. My birthday is coming up. And yet again, I am ~~nagged~~ asked about what I want for my special day. Yet again, I don’t want anything because I don’t need anything. There are things I adore because I like pretty things and style. I love shoes and purses and beautiful jewelry. But they are all material things and, despite their luminosity and craftsmanship, are just things. They’re possessions that take space in your home and rarely, if ever, bring the type of joy that real life does. I am, in that respect, a lot like Evan. So in the end, all I want for my birthday is a date with my husband and some delicious cake with my family. And I happen to think that one of the most special things is to receive a call on the exact day because … you know someone thought of you and cared enough to remember.

Food For Thought Life

birthdays food for thought impostor syndrome

Published March 2, 2015 by Nadya

The Meaning of Life—Today

Last Thursday, I visited a preschool for Sophia in the neighboring Society Hill. Admittedly, I was hesitant to commit to the visit as it required me to take time off from work and also because I don’t like change. I am not sure if I am ready for her to go to school. Nevertheless, as I started walking away from my car and toward the pretty little street on which this preschool was situated, I saw old houses, cobblestones and historical markers all around me documenting people, places and events in centuries past. I took my time reading the signs because for as long as I have lived in Philadelphia, and as much as I walked these very streets, there is something new to discover. Always.

One day, my kids will be sitting in a classroom in school looking at a history book and reading about Betsy Ross or Benjamin Franklin. Instead of reading and picturing their life, it is my sincere wish that they will know what it feels like to stand on a sunny day in front of the building where our nation’s declaration of independence was signed. That they know where, unbeknownst to the throngs of tourists, early in the spring there are beautiful blooms on the oldest continually residential street in America. They will understand diversity and a fast pace of life. They will appreciate what it feels like to walk to a farmer’s market on a Sunday morning, to wander surrounding neighborhoods learning the secrets each one holds.

As we embark on the next chapter of our lives, searching for a new permanent place to live, I cannot stop but reflect on the following. I am who I am, we live how we live, for better or for worse. I hold no illusions that my life and the choices we make are better than that of most other people.

Food For Thought Life

choices city life

Published February 16, 2015 by Nadya

Work/Life Balance

I’ve recently had a few conversations about the changes in our lives and the affect they’ve had on us as a family. Namely Evan has continued working in D.C., and we’ve fully transitioned to being a family of four. We are in the midst of selling our house in Maryland, have sold my car (that’s right, we’re a 1 car household!) and I started a business with my sister.

To a large degree, we’ve shaped our world around the lives we want to have. There is a distinction between the lives we want to have and “having it all”. Having it all, to me, would probably mean having more me time, collapsing onto the couch at the end of a long day and having a glass of wine without any interruptions. However, that glass of wine or relaxation cannot replace the immense satisfaction I get from creating, from owning and doing something that satisfies my creative hunger. So after the kids go to bed, I stay up a bit to knit, to blog, pull down and edit pictures and do whatever else needs to be done.

After all that, Evan and I either catch up on reading or watching TV or sometimes, frankly, collapse into bed wishing tomorrow was Friday. It isn’t easy, but then again, I haven’t seen many families with young kids who say that their lives are easy. No one’s life is perfect despite the stories the pictures on their blog, instagram or facebook tell.

That said, there is some magic to juggling a busy lifestyle gracefully and my tricks include taking the first ten minutes after returning home from work to myself. Those ten minutes are what I use to acclimate to the new environment. I change into my mom uniform (loungewear), wash my face and mentally organize everything that needs to be done that evening and when.

Now-a-days I also take another ten minutes during dinner to talk Sophia and ask her all about her day, what happened that was funny, what she did and what she wants to do tomorrow. And then, because good habits start early, Evan and I talk about our days and the kids listen.

It isn’t perfect; I don’t have time to clean the house from top to bottom in one sitting, and I haven’t been out on a proper dinner date with Evan in months, perhaps over a year, but our life works for us.

Food For Thought

balancing your life growingupsavvy life-work balance

Published February 3, 2015 by Nadya

The Ebb and Flow

Life in the city has been a big positive. We went for a walk with the kids the other day and made an obligatory stop at a local candy store in the neighborhood. On the way back, we noticed a new toy shop that just opened up and stopped by just to see what it was all about. Walking by all the boutique stores and art galleries always feels refreshing. There is a vibe of constant creativity in Olde City that is inspiring. Our lives have gone through significant changes in the last few months and while we do not yet feel fully settled, being closer to our families and in the city we love has made the transition easier.

But really, not the candy shop, not the toy store, but friends and family. This is a recurring theme on this blog but I cannot stress the importance of family. I recently placed an order for girl scout cookies from Sophia’s little cousin and instead of having them mailed, I made a coffee date with my cousin (her mom) to pick them up. The cookies are just an excuse to spend the time.

But life is in constant ebb and flow and while some relationships grow, others degrade and experience (possibly irreversible) setbacks. There is a disconnect between the heart and the mind because the heart aches from the new void but the mind knows that “you can never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary”. Oscar Wilde was wise. Relationships … whether romantic or plutonic are based on pillars of selfless happiness for the object of your affection.

Food For Thought

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