4th Birthday Party

Arielle's birthday cake 

Party Favors (kraft paper bags and washi tape)

Party space

Last weekend we celebrated Arielle's 4th birthday with a party and great friends and family. I initially was not going to have a party because it felt like such a hassle but once we got a theme it was on. We tried to orchestrate a gymnastics party since she's really gotten into it since the success of the USA girls team. We had the party a the local YMCA which happens to be fairly new so it doesn't have that old school YMCA feel. Although the space we rented was nice, open and bright,  the management/party coordinator was horrible and gave us a hard time which upset me a bit. Otherwise the party went great and I think the kids had fun. As usual, I indulged in my love for all things party and tried to create a pink paradise for my sweet girl because she loves pink (and I don't!) and sugar!.  I was really interested in doing a sweets table a la Amy Atlas, so once I got excited about that, my planning went into overdrive. I made the tissue pom poms like last year, got all the girls fairy wings and the boys pirate hats, we had good treats and finger foods and pizza. I usually cook tons of food for our parties but this year I decided to make food for only the after party at our house. Afterwards, my family came back to the house and everyone relaxed,we had an even better time.  Arielle opened all her gifts and by the time everyone left she was so sleepy but really happy. It was fantastic to see everyone and most especially to see the looks of excitement and happiness on my sweet girls face. 

Evalie had a tutu..kind of

Sweets table

We got her birthday cake for the fourth year in a row from our favorite patisserie Jean Claude's. This was her interpretation of a whimsical take on the pinkish/purple sparkled costumes of Gabby Douglas. I baked the star tarts and cupcakes and we got the macrons and cake pops from Eat Sweet bake shop. 

Vanilla meringue and cake pops

vanilla and raspberry macarons

and Evalie even had her fairy wings

Thanks to everyone who came to the party from far and near ( even the later comers) We love you!

Italy Series: Rome: Trastevere..Our neighborhood

Via San Francesco a Ripa

When we arrived in Roma, it was hot and overwhelmingly different from New York in August. After our initial shock of how small the cars are ( and how much luggage we had), the drive in from

Fiumicino Airport was nice but I distinctly remember how anxious I was for what to expect. The city of Rome was rather empty and we soon found out people were still on their "summer break" where they shut down and leave town for a month or so. When we arrived in Trastevere, our friend Cinzia suggested having a cafe before unloading the car, I soon realized why, the apartment was four stories up and obviously there was no elevator. I immediately regretted bringing so much luggage. 

Cinzia and I

Once we settled in and met the sublet-er etc, we decided to go for a walk and see the neighborhood we would live in for the next four months. It was a short walk from the city center, across a small bridge which spans the Tiber river in an area called Trastevere right off the Piazza del Santa Maria in Trastevere (The name "Trastevere" derives from Latin "Trans Tiber" (across the Tiber).

Piazza del Santa Maria in Trastevere

We took a walk through a few windy streets which opened into beautiful Piazza's while listening to the buzzing of well spoken Italian and smell of fresh pasta and pizza. The sounds of the motorini were a bit overwhelming at first, broken up every hour by the chiming church bells. We made our way over to Lungo Sanzio where which is lined with vendors and then crossed the Ponte Sisto which is one of many ( I think seven) bridges that cross the Tiber River. 

Chiesa del Santa Maria in Trastevere

The Ponte Sisto is lined with squatters and their dogs which frightened me a bit but I would eventually get used to it. We then made our way to the Via Guilia, through Piazza di San Calisto and eventually came into Campo De' Fiore ( Field of Flowers). 

Ponte Sisto

Via Giulia

Vicolo del Polverone

Piazza di San Calisto

Via Giulia

The Campo was where the studio would be and basically where I would teach while in Roma. It was quite a happening place, filled with vendors for most of the day and then replaced with crowds of hungry patrons. We would stop into Joe Rivetto's for a cafe, before class and pick up some wine and dinner on the way back out almost every day from September until December. You may notice how much graffiti exists in Roma, its too bad because each building has some historic significance but like New Yorkers, I guess the city is just like any other place to them. Anyway, this is the start of the Italy series and if you keep up, you will really see the vast differences in the various parts we visited and of course Rome is not complete and can't be done in one post, theres so much more Pantheon, Giancolo, Roman Forum, Basillica San Pietro, Fontana di Trevi, Vatican, Roman Colosseum, Villa Adriano (Tivoli), Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps)..etc). I hope you'll stay with it

Campo De Fiore

Italy Series

View of Roma from Giancolo

Me standing outside our apartment

Six years ago on this day, at this time, I was in Italy, more specifically, Arezzo which is a city in the Tuscany region of Central Italy. This was during 4 month stay in Italy during which I stayed in Roma while traveling and teaching. We travelled the Northern cities (Venice, Vicenza, Verona, Milan, Florence, Bologna, Mantua and more), Southern cities (Naples, Sorrento, Pompeii, Positano, Paestum and more) and Hilltowns (Urbino, Pienza, Siena, Montepulciano, Arezzo and more) of Italy starting from Roma and ending in the Amalfi coast. I intend to do a post for each city or couple of cities depending on the complexity of the place. The series will start tomorrow and go on for as long as it takes me to finish it.
I remember this time being extremely stressful, challenging and liberating, I grew up a lot very quickly without even realizing it. It was a good time but one that you only appreciate later on and from the outside. I yearn for  the type of discovery and optimism I had during this time and so I have decided to dig up some of the images and relive the time through research and writing. My camera was horrible so most of my images are extremely blurry but I will try to curate a nice set of images to go along with thoughts I have.
You ask, "what does this have to do with babies?", I plan to have another opportunity like this soon and am excited it will be with my two little ones in tow. Its a bit tougher now with my husbands job but I remain optimistic. I grew up traveling with my parents and at the time hated moving so much but now I feel strongly about my daughters getting some exposure to other cultures. I know they are young but its not bad to expose them to the idea of traveling even though they may not comprehend or retain the various cultures of world but since I take so many pictures they will have the graphic memories. There is so much to experience outside of the little town we live in. It feels so devoid of this kind of complexity. I think this is what makes me feel like moving all the time, I know it only gets harder as the kids get older and start to identify with a specific place to be as mobile so I would love to take them somewhere for a few months, a year, to live not just to visit.

Husband acting cool outside apartment (notice the motorini-vehicle of choice for all Romans)

Montepulciano

Temple of Madonna di San Biagio, 1518-1529, 1545-1564

Piazza dei Salimbeni in Siena

Abbazia di San Galgano

Nigerian Vegetable Soup (Efo)

I remember growing up and having my mother always cook dinner, we would all sit down at the table every night as a family to eat dinner. My father would always send my sister and I into the kitchen to "help" my mother so we could learn to cook, which wasn't such a great idea since we were no help at all (or at least I wasn't). At the time, I would burn eggs when I attempted to cook..come to think of it I still burn eggs but at least now its not the only thing I try to cook anymore. Since having a child and moving to my own place, I have made an effort to learn how to cook. I cook things I like to eat, I don't know about you but my family and I like to eat. I also miss Nigerian food so when I get it I enjoy it but its usually at holidays or if my mother cooks for me. Anyway, I attempted making this soup on my own the other night and it actually came out rather well so I decided to try to replicate it and write down the recipe so I don't forget it or at least have proof that I can cook some Nigeria food. Now, the recipe is adjusted for the ingredients I can get here in the U.S. so its a bit different than what you may call authentic but its pretty close. Also, it is usually served with a starch as the vehicle (to get it to your mouth I supposed) such as rice, pounded yam or garri.

Ingredients

1lb beef, cubed (Stew cubes or other beef of choice) 

1lb large shrimp (peeled and devained tail-on)
2 bags of chopped spinach (frozen or fresh)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of water
1/4 cup Palm oil (essential for authentic taste)
2 tablespoons dried crayfish (essential for authentic taste)
1 teaspoon Nigerian pepper (substitute with cayenne)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1 teaspoon black pepper

1-2 Maggi cubes

Salt -to taste

Instructions

1. Marinate beef in a pinch of salt, pepper, oil, garlic powder and cumin for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. (this can be eliminated but then the meat might be a bit one dimensional which is why I don't like to cook beef without a bit of marinading)
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet on high until hot and add meat, fry until outside is brown, about 2 minutes each side.
3. Add water to the meat (or enough to cover the meat) and turn down the heat to medium.
4. Cook for 20 minutes until beef is tender and the water is almost absorbed.
5. If using frozen spinach, thaw in advance and drain excess water. Set aside
6. If using fresh spinach, wash thoroughly and chop. Set aside
7. Add spinach, maggi, pepper, salt, crayfish and palm oil, mix well turn up heat to high.
8. Cook on high for 10 minutes, mixture should not have excess water.
9. Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp turn pink.
10. Cook for another few minutes and serve over hot rice or next to a mound of pounded yam.
11. you may need to take a nap!