So Long, Farewell…

This will be my last post on Mom Mom’s Apron. I have accomplished my mission of chronicling some of my favorite recipes as well as some of my life from mid-2011 to present, although there has not been much chronicling going on this year. You may have noticed this.

Life is hectic but good. Ed and the boys are doing well. We had a beautiful family trip to Germany and Switzerland in June, memories I will cherish until my days in the nursing home. As I’ve said many times on this blog, money spent on creating memories is the best money you will ever spend.

Work is also good, but it is probably responsible for my lack of blog upkeep. As a SAHM without much companionship, this blog filled a void in my life which my coworkers and clients now fill. Translation: I talk all day long. I almost can’t stand the sound of my own voice! I do a lot of communicating. When it comes to my downtime, I crave solitude, books, mindless tv.

I will keep up my archives so we can access all recipes posted. There may be a point in the future when I decide to blog again in a different direction, and I promise to let you know if that day comes. But for now, it is time to hang up Mom Mom’s Apron.

Thank you for listening to me when I needed someone to listen. Thank you for your encouraging comments. Thank you for the validation that I can cook AND write. Thank you for allowing me to share a little bit of myself and my family with you. It has meant more than you’ll ever know.

xoxo

Dawn

Why I Always Bake Cookies on the First Day of School

Years ago, when my college Junior was around two, I received one of the best pieces of parenting advice I’ve ever gotten. I am sure at the time I was beating myself up for some typical human shortcoming such as raising my voice or not brushing my son’s teeth within two hours of eating raisins or skipping playgroup because I just couldn’t deal that week with an obnoxious, braggy mom even though my son loved to play with her child. Whatever it was, and I truly cannot remember now, I’m sure A) It was completely trivial, unimportant and/or stupid, and B) I made a big giant deal out of it.

Anyway, my friend said something like, “Kids don’t need perfect mothers, they need Good Enough mothers,” and it stopped me in my tracks. While I never stopped trying to be the best parent I could be, I also cut myself more of a break when things turned out less than ideal in Momland. Which, it turns out, would be lots and lots of times when multiplied by three kids over twenty years.

I say all of this because when I mention that I am baking cookies on the first day of school (and I actually requested off from work this year to do so), inevitably people will say, “Oh, you’re such a perfect mom.” And then that makes me feel like a big, fat fraud, since I am sooooo far from perfect and have long given up the quest to be so.

But you know what’s perfect? Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies are perfect. Starting a new school year is always a little difficult and scary (for me, too), Transitions can be tough, so it’s nice to come back home to something safe, familiar and comforting like a warm chocolate chip cookie and cold milk. Every family has their traditions, and this is ours. It’s a tough world out there, and I always want my kids to feel like home is their happy space. I will never be the perfect mom, but I can do my best to create some perfect moments along the way, and that’s Good Enough.

Wishing everyone a wonderful school year and some good after school snacks!

Of Madness & Reason: My Trip to Hill Farmstead Brewery

Greetings from Vermont! We are here this week on vacation, and even though we’ve been coming here for seventeen years, this beautiful state still enchants us. We love everything about you, Vermont!

Our friends are here with us this year, and while plotting out our week’s activities, they lobbied hard for a trip to the holy mecca of beer enthusiasts, Hill Farmstead Brewery. I was all set to sit this trip out and indulge in my favorite vacation activities of napping and reading rather than waiting in a long line for super special beer, but they appealed to my blogging sensibilities. They know I’m a sucker for hype and appreciate any hard to obtain food or beverage that inspires religious fervor, and who knows if I will have this opportunity again? So we set out on the 45 mile journey, growler in hand from our other friend who previously made the pilgrimage.

The trip up to Greensboro, Vermont is every bit as picturesque as one might expect.

When we finally arrived, the parking lot was pretty full, but we found a spot. The brewery itself is fairly utilitarian and rustic, without flashiness, bells or whistles. I found this refreshing, since they hold a boatload of prestigious awards, including Best Brewer in the World. THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! Thank God I didn’t sit this trip out. What was I thinking? Their logo comes from the Hill family tavern in the early 1800s, part of a long tradition of providing quality libations.

As usual, I was a little overwhelmed when faced with a beer choice, but lovely Kristin (pictured above) told me that the Madness and Reason #1 (Nitro) sounded like something I might enjoy: an Imperial Stout base with vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa nibs and chipotle.Well, I knew I loved the name, and it certainly sounded interesting, so we gave it a go.

It’s not often I’m at a loss for words to describe food or beverage, but I was struck dumb. Dumb and in love. This was truly amazing. I needed Kristin to give me words besides sublime, the only word I kept uttering besides, “Yes. More.” Some of Kristin’s words about the sublime Madness and Reason: well-balanced, complex, having it all, sweet-bitter-spicy, rich, velvety, creamy, variegated, 5 star. Yes, more.

Alas, there was no more. It was not available in a bottle or a growler, only in itty bitty 4 ounce tasting glasses. How disappointing for me!

Fortunately, everyone else managed to find beer that that they liked, and we brought some home. I personally enjoyed the Mary, a German style pilsner. Ed also bought the Arthur (saison) and Clara (grisette). And our friends bought…lots more!

Before we departed, we got a quick bite to eat at the taco truck parked outside. We tried and enjoyed all three varieties of tacos offered (black bean with fried plantain, beef with crunchy jalapeno, and buffalo chicken). At four dollars a piece, they were the perfect compliment to our beer.

I’m glad I said yes to this journey. While I’ve always enjoyed an above-average beer, I’m just not part of the #beerculture in a way which the true enthusiasts are. However, I am a big fan of family businesses, high quality, limited supplies and true craftsmanship. Madness and Reason provided me with my first transcendental beer experience, and I finally understood why people get all worked up and travel many miles for the perfect beer. It was definitely worth the trip.

Dawn’s Delicious Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Bread

Zucchini season is upon us! I made this last year when looking to purge some too-giant-for-a-sidedish zucchinis, the kind where on Monday you stupidly thought, “Still too small; one more day and this will be perfect to pick.” And then you blink and Monday turns to Wednesday and the just-right zucchini morphs into mutant baseball bat zucchini and NOW look what you did? Yeah, those. Don’t throw them out! Make this delicious zucchini bread instead, and you can smugly tell all your friends, “I MEANT to do that.”

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups sugar

2 cups grated zucchini (one very large or two normal size)

2 lemons, zest only

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 to 4 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. In large bowl, beat three eggs. Mix in with eggs by hand sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla, and lemon zest. In smaller bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix. Gently add blueberries.

Divide into two 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pans, and bake at 350 for about 70 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out cleanly. Beware of over-baking!

Maille Collections les Jardins Secrets des Chefs

Springtime is upon us here in the northeastern United States, and it’s only natural our thoughts turn to love, flowers and…mustard! I was thrilled to learn of the newest gourmet mustard collection by Maille, a trio of garden inspired varieties:

Mustard with White Wine, Beet and a Hint of Honey
Mustard with Olives and Herbes de Provence
Mustard with Carrot and a Hint of Shallot

Maille was kind enough to send me this newest collection to review, and I was more than happy to oblige. Anyone who knows me knows I have a ~~strange obsessive love~~ very strong enthusiasm for Maille mustard. Visiting their mustard shop in Paris was one of the many unexpected pleasures of my trip, and I hoarded every last bit of their chablis mustard from the pump. Then I ferociously hounded every friend visiting Paris for the next few years, begging them to be my mustard mule to bring back another mustard from the pump. Come on, I said. It’s little. Just maybe triple bag it so it doesn’t break all over your luggage, okay? Every single one of them refused. Hmmph.

When Maille opened their New York City store (185 Columbus Avenue at 68th Street), I was overjoyed. Now I was allowed to order their mustard from the tap (legally!), as well as peruse their online shop for any special edition mustard.

The first thing I noticed is how beautifully the trio of mustard is packaged. If you, like me, have a few slightly challenging people to shop for, I propose this as a lovely little hostess or housewarming gift. Look at this gorgeous box!

Maille Spring Collection 2016 - Set - Pack Shot(1)

They are as delicious as they are beautiful The Maille website has all sorts of creative suggestions which I will share in a moment, but to be perfectly honest, our favorite thing to do with these is to concoct simple vinaigrettes and sauces or to spread directly onto cheese. They each have their own distinct complexity which is interesting yet not overpowering.

Mustard with Carrot and a Hint of Shallot (my personal favorite): Slather on beef before roasting, spread atop of white fish, or swirl into soup.

Mustard with Olives and Herbes de Provence: A perfect complement to roasted eggplant and cauliflower. Add a spoonful to a refreshing gazpacho, or smear atop grilled lamb chops.

Mustard with White Wine, Beet and a Hint of Honey: For entertaining, serve on crostini with creamy goat cheese and slivered almonds or with whipped ricotta and chopped pistachios. Use as a spread to elevate even a simple turkey sandwich.

If any of these mustards strike your fancy, bear in mind they are available for a limited time only. They can be purchased individually or as a set at the Maille store or ordered at http://www.maille.com until the end of August.

Mom Mom's Apron

Of food and life