Our children are on polar opposite ends of the picky-eater scale, almost as far apart in preference as you can get. Our oldest will eat almost everything. This is a kid who was downing legitimate sushi at 3, friends. I couldn’t have been more thrilled as a parent, and I’m sure I patted myself on the back on one too many occasions. Because child #2 really couldn’t have come MORE picky.

I’ve related here (in my Camping with Kiddos post) that he would gladly have eaten chicken nuggets every meal of every day if we had allowed it. He woke up asking for chicken nuggets for breakfast, and honestly, he almost ALWAYS had chicken nuggets for dinner. Sushi? Are you kidding me? Pasta? No way! Sandwiches? I’ll pass. Salads? Yeah, right.

Things went on this way with Chicken Nugget for nearly two years. in his second year of life we subscribed to The Scramble*, and I found myself making two dinners every night. Which, I guess, wasn’t that different from what we’d been doing before. I mean, we didn’t fall whim to his palate and start eating chicken nuggets every blessed day. Eventually I was tired of the two-dinner tango. Even if it only meant that we had to throw some chicken nuggets in the microwave.

It was time to rip off the band-aid. We simply allowed #2 to eat chicken nuggets for lunch EVERY DAY (without exception), but when it came to dinner we let him know that he didn’t have to eat what we were serving but that THERE WOULDN’T BE ANY CHICKEN NUGGETS or other food stuffs offered later (without exception).For the most part, this has worked.

This salad is a perfect example of something the #2 would not have taken one bite of two years ago. Turn up the nose, ask for a nugget. That was his M.O. Now, in the present, the food is eaten. Sometimes varying portions, sometimes a squinty expression, sometimes some actual whining (however, people at our table are invited to spend time in their bedrooms if they don’t want to eat). Man, this makes us sound like we are hardcore, but I promise we are nice about it. Nice, but firm.

On to the salad!

Ingredients for main dish

• 1 – 1 1/2 lb. chicken tenderloins, or use sliced portobello mushrooms
• 8 oz. balsamic vinaigrette dressing, (store-bought or homemade, see Note below)
• 8 oz. mixed salad greens
• 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds or shelled pistachios, lightly toasted, if desired
• 10 fresh basil or mint leaves, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, or use kernels off of 2 ears of corn

Marinate:  This recipe doesn’t actually call for extended marinating time. I just like the flavors to really mesh with my meat. So I marinated my 1 1/2 lbs. of chicken overnight in 6 oz. balsamic vinaigrette in a baking pan. (You can reserve a few oz. to dress your salad with after it is assembled.)

Homemade Orange Balsamic from The Scramble: To make orange balsamic vinaigrette, in a large measuring cup, thoroughly whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard. Add ¼ – ½ tsp. garlic or dried herbs, if desired. BOOM!

Bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the entire pan of chicken into the oven for 10-15 minutes. (Alternative remove chicken from the marinade and grill it for 3-5 minutes each side depending on the temp of your grill.)

Toss: Meanwhile, throw all of the other ingredients– greens, cherries, almonds, basil or mint– except the corn in to a salad bowl. When your chicken is almost cooked, warm your corn kernels for 2-3 minutes in the microwave (or simmer it stovetop). Add them to the mix. Slice the cooked chicken and add it to your salad. Toss the entire salad with the remaining dressing to taste.

Eat!

I don’t have a picture here of #1 happily chowing down on his salad, but his reaction was positive, I assure you. #2 ate three or four bites of this delicious fare, and I count that as a win. Every bite. Every time. If it’s more diverse than micro zapped chicken pound, it’s a win for us with Chicken Nugget!

Have a Fabulous Friday!

XX, Megan *The Scramble is a meal planning service to which you can subscribe here. For a fantastic price you will receive 5 weekly meals which means 5 recipes, complete grocery list, the ability to tweak the number of people you are making for, and full nutrition facts. PLUS tips as to how best to PREP your meal beforehand, add a punch of FLAVOR, and how to SLOW COOK almost every recipe if you’re especially slammed that night. This wonderful service really does live up to it’s name. You can come home at 6 p.m. and be sitting down to a DELICIOUS, HEALTHY, HOME COOKED meal by 6:30 p.m. most nights.

Because my schedule is flexible, I am usually able to prep our meal at 4:00 p.m. HOWEVER, if you are a busy professional parent, remember that you can go through your weekly menu and do a ton of prep on the weekend. Recipes always say how long you can keep the prepared dish in the fridge or whether or not you can FREEZE the meal. Win, WIN! You can read a little more about our introduction to The Scramble on my ABOUT page.

Image above “Blek le Rat: This is Not a Banksy”, The Independent, 2008

I didn’t put much thought into all of the commentary surrounding Banksy when I took those outfit photos I posted yesterday. To be honest, I hadn’t done my homework before those snaps. I thought Banksy was an uber-cool, uber-famous graffiti artist tagging for the win, turning social gaffes into palatable packets of graffiti around the world. Ironically because of his fame, I just heard an artist’s name I’d come to equate with GOOD– good art, good pictures, good graffiti. Good on you, Banksy.

I didn’t realize there was such foment around his work. In fact, the most controversial traction Banksy gathered in my memory was the story of a Utah man who had defaced another of his pieces in Park City, spraying it over with brown spray paint. (The man was ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution, incidentally.) What a shame. An inherent risk of artistic mode, I thought. But there was so much MORE.

Naively, I thought Banksy was further advancing his vote in the debate of graffiti vs. art, or graffiti as art. ART, tally mark, I got it. I didn’t even take the hint when the piece I stood in front of featured a camera man, innocuously filming a vibrant flower… Until a more careful observer realizes that the camera-person has pulled out the entire plant down to the root. Ignorance– it’s a b*!@$!

Needless to say, too many hours spent scanning the inter-webs have brought me to a totally different place of understanding. If not understanding, at least KNOWING. Banksy’s images celebrate anything but the smilingly brief soul-of-wit I originally thought they were intended to project– a little cuff on the proverbial head of each of us.

Instead Banksy condemns all of us, or at least those of us who hold a portion of power pie. He actually attempts to represent the tip of the iceberg of human antipathy, subtly and not so subtly pointing to the nearly 90% of the BERG that lies submerged just below us. Maybe that ice berg analogy is WEAK and the message is actually a MOUNTAIN in front of us, none of which lies subterraneanly. A massive pile of conviction we still want to treat as a mole hill.

This mountain of enmity stands for widespread societal apathy to human suffering: pain, war, policing, consumerism, sexism, racism, capitalism, the result of which drives some of the most horrific, gruesome, grotesque and UNIVERSALLY hateful actions we give as a dole to the poor, the underprivileged, and disenfranchised of human-kind. That which we would like to term indiscriminate indifference serves to drive the hatred of discriminative detention and deprivation on the least of these– our very own human brothers and sisters.

Back in 2008 the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery hosted an installation titled “RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture”. After some thoughtful days about the messages of Bansky’s art I went back to find the poem that was actually played in a room along with this art installation titled “No Thief to Blame”, by Shiniqe Smith:

It’s Not a Just Situation:
Though We Just Can’t Keep Crying About It

By Nikki Giovanni

You don’t
Just wake up and brush your teeth and make up your bed
and put on your favorite pair of blue jeans

You don’t
on other evenings
Just sneak away from your sleeping lover
Just to grab a bite of Quik Stop
Just to hop a train

You don’t
Just visit the 24 hour superstore
Just to get a few cans
of spray paint
And
Just happen to have a case to put them in

You are not
Just out of yellow
So you’ll
Just shadow with grey this time
And
Just shy of metallic blue you will
Just fill in with electric orange

You are not
Just bored
Or hungry or silly or
Just crying for attention

You are
Just, if there is a
Just
Trying to be an artist

You are
Just
If there is any
Justice
Trying to find a way of not
Just surviving but living

You are just
trying to show the beautiful soul of your people
You are just
trying to say “I’m alive”
You are just
determined to be more
than what the powers who
Just hate the idea of you want you to be

You are just
trying to discover the route
of the neo underground railroad
so that your kids can
Just be free

You are just
being a man
You are just realizing
your womanhood
You are just singing and smiling
because you
Just don’t want to cry anymore

You are just
falling in love
because hatred is too hard to bear

You are just
determined
to be the very best you and
You just guess
you better not let anyone take that away

You are just
a person
with a big heart and wonderful talent
That you just
think should be shared

Put a button on it
people

‘cause suspenders
Just
won’t
do

Banksy and even his contemporary counterparts with more Queens or Detroit street cred, are also not the first to co-opt this art form as a method of activism, voice, protest, and social commentary. Graffiti may have been around as long as petroglyphs and pictographs etched and sketched their way into human history.

A French artist who goes by the name Blek le Rat used graffiti as his mode beginning in the early 1980s. Again, there is a beautiful read of his work, here, in The Independent. Bleck’s sheep and businessman are the banner picture to this post. Can you say, Baaaaaa! Society! It totally smacks of Charlie Chaplain’s Modern Times.

Where Blek began, Banksy’s work goes further. Perhaps he’s trying even harder to strike at the nerves of social justice and rage at the roots of global human disenfranchisement because there is no end sighted, no reprieve, no overcome.

If you, too, want to be examining the interplay between society and long-held hierarchies, war and the callousness the media’s removed third-person apathy festers in each of us, hatred and questions of color, race, nationality, poverty, power, powerlessness, and any other cogent social or environmental question you should check out Banksy’s Instagram feed, or Banksy’s website.

If you believe that the conversation surrounding graffiti as art is long decided, like I foolishly did, consider the comments peddled by the Westminster County Council after their vote to remove the image below from a building housing the Royal Mail and other businesses. The Times reported Robert Davis, the chairman of Westminster’s planning committee, as saying that the personality behind the artwork was irrelevant. “If we condone this then we might as well say that any kid with a spray can is producing art,” he said.

The mural showed a red-hooded little boy on a ladder rolling the message up the wall, “One nation under CCTV”, while a police officer and a brown dog watched on. Apparently Big Brother didn’t like the message, and the mural was removed in 2011. GRAFFITI: a child dissident with a spray paint can, TRASH. Tally mark, I got it.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you will necessarily like what you see. In fact, even a fan of Banksy’s work wouldn’t or shouldn’t, I don’t think, LIKE what they see. There are many, many images and arts laced with all manner of controversy, as is approached in this article in Mental Floss, “Banksy’s 11 Most Complicated Works”. Great and small, controversiality is the entire intent. But don’t also fool yourself into thinking that you shouldn’t, don’t, or can’t grapple with what those works of art read– objectively AND subjectively.

I look and look and look some more. I read and read and read again. I am convicted.

Megan

Growing up we often skipped Sunday dinner. Instead we’d sup on popcorn, apples, and other simple eats. This was due to the fact that we’d often eat a large dinner or late lunch. I’m also pretty sure that feeding five kids 21+ times a week also had something to do with this Sunday tradition.

As a parent there are times that I am simply exhausted by food preparation– the getting, the prepping, the making, the eating, the cleaning. It can feel more like “throwing a bone on the table” than a delightful family dinner. This from a woman who sings the benefits and blessings of family dinner every chance she gets.

I didn’t know that this Sunday supping would become a tradition in my own home. Granted, it’s not every Sunday that I reach for a bag of microwave popcorn and leftover fruit and veggies. But this month has allowed me some extended time with the babes at home as our Dad conquers Europe in a single bound (okay two week-long business trips, but still). I have often made it to Sunday Eve with no proper food plan, no desire for takeout, and no ambition to do anything other than throw a popcorn party.

In the simple words of Sheldon Harnick’s Tevye, “TRADITION!”

You know what? It’s been great. Remarkable even. Mommy has had  a moment to breath. Boys have had several indoor picnics. Life sans large dinner has actually felt rather perfect. I’ll leave you to these pictures of my sweet angels sitting rapt in some movie on my Grandmother Dorothy’s quilt. But I’d love to know what relaxing moments you’ve shared with family or friends lately?

What are some of your traditions? They don’t have to surround Sunday dinner, or even meal-time. Are there any traditions that have made your home-life infinitely better? I’d love to hear!

XX, Megan

Let’s lighten up this Friday with a delicious and nutritious recipe!

We’re gobbling up this salad for dinner tonight and I am posting it tomorrow, but I actually had this for dinner on Wednesday and I am absolutely reveling in the flavors! This is a great side dish for a more formal dinner, and you can make up to two days in advance (refrigerate for 3 days total) if you’re hosting something special and want to check off a few dishes in advance.

Check out some of the extras you can add to this salad (below the recipe in the notes are some fun ideas). Try it and tell me! Did you like it? I am still salivating over the light and delicious flavor paired with such a nutritious line-up of characters. Lick your lips, it’s a good one!

XX, Megan

Ingredients for main dish

• 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (1/4-inch pieces), or use 1/2 cup chopped jarred red peppers
• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans), canned or cooked (rinsed and drained if using canned)
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted or toasted pine nuts*
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup), or use a red onion
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 lemon, juice only, about 1/4 cup
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (preferably naturally sweetened)*

*I substituted cashews for pine nuts, and dried cherries for the cranberries. Aviva also suggested that you could put a more mediterranean twist on this recipe by adding kalamata olives, finely sliced shallots, or even faro to this salad which I am DEFINITELY going to try next time!

http://www.thescramble.com/recipes/broccoli-chickpea-salad-lemon-vinaigrette/

I like to begin by gathering the cast of ingredients:

If you are using a head of broccoli instead of these pre-cut florets like I grabbed, begin by chopping your broccoli into bite size florets (alternatively, you can steam the broccoli head and THEN chop into florets, whichever you prefer).

Steam the broccoli for 3 minutes in the microwave or on the stovetop in an inch or so of water. It should turn a nice rich green color. While your broccoli is steaming, chop the red pepper, scallions, parsley and drain and rinse the chickpeas. Once the broccoli is steamed, allow it to cool for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. You can mix up the dressing now in a large measuring cup. Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, juice of one lemon, and salt and pepper. Whisk.

Combine the broccoli, red pepper, chickpeas, parsley, nuts, scallions. Toss with the dressing. Gently stir in the cranberries. Garnish with feta. (Here again, you can stir the feta into the entire salad, or for more picky eaters, reserve the feta for adult bowls only!) Side dish link below!

Don’t be afraid of a vegetable overload! Try these Baked Parmesan Zucchini for a side dish!

http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/21/baked-parmesan-zucchini/

Coming to you from my smart phone, and my mother-in-law’s computer. Cheers to typing with one finger, feeling the warm sun on your back, weekend soccer games at Grandma’s, hints of Spring, and starting fresh– Monday.

Sometime mid-February our weather here went from the low 60s (extremely unseasonal for the mountains) back to the 30s and snowy (that’s more like it). While the quiet solace snow brings can be insular, even comforting, I can’t help but look ahead.  I am dreaming of Spring.

Blades of green grass and daffodils ruffled by light breezes. That fresh, chilled snow-breaking smell of warming soil and children’s voices ringing happily outdoors. It’s hard for us humans to love where we’re at. To juice our moments for all their worth.

It’s hard for me to love the last of this winter. I’m lusting after mid-morning sun on bare legs, the crimson brown of new branch growth– buds nubbing out, getting bigger, breaking almost silently as they succumb to a fresh stab of leaf.

Spring.

These Spring thoughts moved me to mulling over The Waste Land. T.S. Eliot’s seminal epic draws on the seasons throughout, and never ceases to surface in my mind this time of year. It’s the thread of that first verse. Some mnemonic device of the barren branches, unpredictable weather, dead worms. Poetic power, “IL MIGIOR FABBRO.”

Indeed:

“April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

Winter kept us warm, covering

Earth in forgetful snow, feeding

A little life with dried tubers…”

Breaking down means rebuilding. Inevitably, this time of year I’m not only watching the sun, the grass, the flowers and trees. I’m ready to break out of my cozy sweaters, I’m ready to feel the light air on my neck and arms, I’m ready for my winter toes to go naked in a favorite pair of slides.

One area you can look to both break down and rebuild is your wardrobe. I’m also ready to CLEAN out. I am one of those who really does get that Spring cleaning bug. Do you feel me? So in this fever, I’m writing about white shirts for one reason– the white shirt is the perfect transition piece. The perfect always and anytime, no excuse. The perfect bridge to any full-fledged season.

Listen, I understand it is a stretch to call on the strength of Eliot’s words in a post about a white shirt, but the reality is we all make our own reality. Take the tumult and the churn of Spring– the crazy, uproarious gusts of cold wind contrasted with mild lamb-like afternoons, the scattered snow and rain alongside cerulean skies and lung-burning fresh air– and put a white shirt on it.

Pick one that has some structure, that holds its shape. Choose a cut that flatters your figure by hugging your waist but not gapping or pulling across the chest. (This can sometimes be difficult, we’ll talk options on Wednesday.) Don’t go for something trendy, or do, if you think that you can turn that trendy white shirt into a classic in your closet. Wear it now and years to come.

Spring to Fall and around again, you’ll pull out that white shirt and pair it with everything from high-waisted mom jeans and slimming pencil skirts, to track pants for a Saturday morning or a destroyed pair of Levi’s for the beach. Pop the collar and go to brunch with friends, or pull out an old ratty version that you may never wear in public again to clean your toilets. Borrow your husband’s french cuffed, long-tailed version for a lazy Saturday.

Pick a white shirt that makes you feel doe-eyed and perfect:

Or young and sultry:

In control of your universe:

Or my personal favorite, just really freaking jazzed. Carpe!:

“The river’s tent is broken: the last fingers of leaf

Clutch and sink into the wet bank.The wind

Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed.

Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,

Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends…”      

You know, Eliot wore white shirts too:

Not bad, eh? You’ll probably never again read a juxtaposition of Eliot’s The Waste Land alongside a white shirt prospectus, but at least you can’t call it regurgitated!

Summer will end and Fall will come again. And if you see the shirt below pass by like flotsam on the Thames, pluck it out. It’s a great wear! The tumult will continue– seasons, tides, family– all of it. But there are certain things that will prevail. Like… the white shirt.

XX, Megan

Images 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8