catharsis completed

Time for a quick check:

allergies still there - check
new, unlikely dosage of clotting protein (9 ccs of liquid? hah) stands - check
schools still undecided (child #1) - check
school still decided (child #2) - check
dissertation trying to eat its way out of brain - check
car partly buried in ice - check
grumpy about it all - check no, wait - hmn. Let's try that one again.
depressed and angry about it all - no. Can't be bothered. That, after all, is what blogging is for.

Got to go take batch of bread #1 out of the oven. Got to stick batch #2 into the oven. Got to pack to see Mirrie in NYC, where she is doing a fine imitation of a human being who got accidentally married to another human being who happens to be a rabbi. Holiness optional.

They are scrubbing their fridge. They are making lists and checking them thrice, and my heart glows. Meanwhile, my mother is testing out a batch of gluten-free, vegan chocolate pudding cake - and she is doing so calmly. This morning, the Eldest and I had a perfect stick - a new vein, a tricky spot, and a pair of people working together. It balanced out the wailing, angry mess we'd made of the last factor day, when I missed the vein and the Eldest screeched indignance over the maternal failure. No, it outweighs it. It's easy to cry - it's harder to work together, to shape something positive in light of adversity. And, of course, chocolate.

Order may never reign around here, but we do have the oddest pockets of calm. With this one comes a shabbat of happy chatting with one of my dearest friends, menfolk fulfilling their roles as Nature intended - babysitting while the wimmenfolk talk.

*grin*
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Made a raw foods caesar salad, based on this recipe: http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/135-Spinach-Caesar-Salad-and-Caesar-Salad

Here is my version:

The Rabbi Came to Lunch (vegan) Salad
1 large bunch spinach (well, well washed) or 1 head romaine, torn
1/2 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 lemon, juiced (note: some people like this dressing lemonier than others - taste and decide!)
1 tsp mustard - not the bright yellow stuff, I'm begging you
4 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp sea salt (crunchier than table salt, also kinder to the corn allergic)
1 avocado, sliced
Optional: kickass garlic croutons - made my first vegan, gluten free batch yesterday, and the kids and I ate them all! So cute to see the Toddles jonesing for some garlicy, crunchy goodness.

Toss greens, avocado, croutons (if using) in a bowl. In a food processor, blend the heck out of the remaining ingredients. Keep blending until it looks almost frothy and thick - this is, I believe, called the emulsification process. Call it Jim Doyle if you like, it certainly makes the dressing smooth and lovely.

Toss enough dressing with salad to just coat the leaves (you'll have about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the dressing left over). If using sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin, you may need to adjust the flavor with a bit of extra olive oil and curry powder.
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oh yes, and while we're on the subject of food...the best dietary advice I've seen yet is http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ei=5090&en=a18a7f35515014c7&ex=1327640400&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all here. For the Eldest, I simplified the matter. I told him to try and count three colors on the table, and to eat a bit of each.

The inimitable joy sent me also to these: http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ and http://community.livejournal.com/jewishvegan/. Reading, I love the Vegan LunchLady - I wish I made cute, funky lunches like she does! But it's painful to see the stuff she makes - that corn and black bean salad looks amazing...oh, wait. Corn. Beans. But what about the really neat dragon sandwich? No, wait, wheat.

I have got to get better at this insane vegan, gluten-free, allergy thing. I want to make dragon sandwiches! Maybe I'll find solace over here: http://www.squarefootgardening.com/. Pretty sure he's not talking about gluten (grr)...or star-shaped jicama slices (oooh).