Antics in Altotting: of biking, hiking and picking, or living the country life June 28-July 6 2011

For the 8 years since Aunt B moved to live with her Rabbit in Germany, I had a certain image of where it was she lived.  My mind’s eye envisioned a small, stand-alone house quite like the one she lives in, though hers is attached.  Here it is, on our final day.

Little House On the Stinglhammer

The house has three floors.  On the first floor is a living room and kitchen, bathroom and backdoor which leads out to a lovely backyard.  The second floor houses a sitting room/office and the master bedroom and top floor contains the guest quarters.

During our stay Izzy and I shared the upstairs quarters.  Attic bedroom with street view, small bathroom and a room in which to leave our luggage.  The light (sometimes sun) shone brightly into our room each morning, awakening me earlier than I would have liked.  Though somehow not interrupting Izzy as he slept on.

Each morning Aunt B. prepared our breakfast - for Izzy, a bowl of fruit and yogurt, for me a bowl of fruit and tea.  On nice days we could have our breakfast in the backyard - gazing out at the large sunflower patches, mint and other assorted flowers which decorated the grasses. Chickens occasionally clucked by, stopped for some crusts of bread

Each day was a lazy one, in which we wouldn’t usually get out of the house until 11.  Should we go to market? Go out to lunch or have an adventure? Before any of that, we stopped at the local bakery to select our daily pretzel snack.  Sesame, poppy, salted or pumpkin seed?  Izzy and I favored the sesame seed ones which came pretzel-shaped or round, which I daresay are true kin to the bagel.

After our snack we chose an adventure.  Our first outing was a visit to the local Wednesday market in Neutotting.  There we bought some fixings for lunch etc. - head cheese, bread and other tidbits. That afternoon Brooke and Isadore went for a walk in the woods in search of frogs. 

Next day was bike riding in the fields and woods. We met some cats along the way.

Izzy and his new cat friend

One day we visited Burghausen - to see the castle


A highlight of our trip was blueberry picking at a nearby field where rows and rows of plump, juicy berries were ripe for picking.  Izzy, Brooke, Peter and I managed to collect about 10 lbs. of berries on our first outing.  Half were given away and we managed to eat 5 lbs. in 2 days.   They were a steady part of our diet and we liked them so much that we went back a second time to collect more so that we had extra to take with us on our trip to Italy.

Blueberry fields forever

Last but not least,  was our hike in the Bavarian Alps, worthy of a post all its own.

 So much more to say but have to get to the next part of our trip. Thank you Aunt B. and Uncle Rabbit for a most unforgettable visit.  See you next year :)!

 

Mad Science Birthday (My Boy Turned 7)

That was April 19th, 2010, party April 17th. Old news, but still news, even a month later...

Celebrating and preparing Izzy's birthday parties is always great fun. This year I wondered how I would pull it off but I knew I had to, someway, somehow. I figured I could manage since the party fell on one of the better weeks in my treatment schedule.

Izzy requested a "Franny K. Stein" mad science party. I know he was conjuring up explosions in the living room and I knew I wouldn't have the wherewithal to create them. Instead of doing everything myself, I hired a "mad scientist" to help out. I also enlisted the help of friends and family and all I had left to do was bake the cake (with test tubes - which Izzy declared he needed two days before the party), cupcakes and pop up the popcorn. All important to my party plan was keeping the party no longer than two hours (something all parents should consider).

Easier said than done. It was more work than I anticipated but it all came together in the end and I was able to sit through it for the most part.

The party was supposed to begin with snacks but Izzy and friends were so over-excited they had to be herded into the backyard where mayhem ensued. When the mad scientist arrived (which wasn't soon enough) the children settled into rapt attention.

From bubbles to explosions it was just what Izzy had in mind.



Experiments over, next on the agenda was cake and dessert.
My friend L. assembled a most professional-looking fruit arrangement, with beautiful organic fruit.


Too bad Izzy and his pals thought to use the skewers as weapons.


As for the cake it was similar to the one I made last year, Chocolate Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Frosting. This one was a more classic layer cake, adorned with test tubes which my dad found for me at a medical supply store. Perfect!



Much giddiness ensued and then it was time to sing "Happy Birthday".



So glad it turned out to be just the party Izzy had wished for. So glad that I could be there.

Much Awaited Milestone: One Tooth Gone...

Though this is already old news it has to be documented before the next one comes out!

Izzy was the last of his friends to finally lose a tooth. It happened December 14th, after days of anticipation. For what seemed like weeks on end, he wiggled and jiggled it with his tongue, showing off its looseness to all who could stomach it. His Papa couldn't bear the sight of the tooth and would run off in horror, whereas I was reminded of the enjoyable days of my own tooth wiggling.

It was only after a Chinese dinner with D. the dentist (his new pal) that the tooth began to hang by a thread. The following morning, a crust of toast did the trick and the tooth landed on Izzy's breakfast plate.

That night, the Tooth Fairy came with two dollars but Izzy insisted he knew it was me. No fooling him.

What Has Izzy Been Eating? Indeed !

After a long and unintended hiatus, I finally found myself at the Wednesday Union Square Market last week. So nice to be back amongst the local fruits, vegetables and cheese, whether I can eat them or not. I made my way over to 3-Corner Field Farm where I was heartily greeted by the sheep lady who noted my absence. I explained that I hadn't been feeling well and hadn't been cooking or eating much lately. She immediately asked about Izzy and what he had been eating. "What about your blog? Have you been posting, "Izzy eats nothing?" My quick reply, much to her dismay, was that we had been eating takeout. She would be relieved to hear that when I stopped to think about it more, I realized we haven't been eating it much more than usual.

Furthermore, Izzy has been eating and lots. I just haven't been posting. Weeks of meals and tidbits have vanished without a written trace. But others do live on in memories, photographic and otherwise.

There was a homemade soup with Udon noodles, a warm and comforting treat made by a friend...



And there was the excitement of trying something new...Izzy was the perfect Raclette participant. I love it myself but could merely nibble...



There was also a memorable take-out meal. City Bakery take-out that is. Macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, accompanied by a spinach salad I made at home.



And then there were many many potato latkes, which I churned out for Izzy's class at school, with the kind assistance of D., another mom. That day I was surrounded by an oily halo and the odor remained in my house for days. No Hanukkah party at home this year but at least I managed to make the latkes.

And so it goes...despite my eating woes, trying to get back into the blogging and cooking mode. There were other milestones and other recipes which are deserving of their own posts and I hope to get to those promptly!

An Apple For Izzy's Teacher?

No. Instead Ms. B. got a TKO. For those of you not in the know (that was me until the other day), a TKO is a Thomas Keller Oreo, sold at Bouchon Bakery. Even better than my homemade oreos because of the white chocolate ganache filling.

And the reason for the cookie you ask? Was it to butter up Ms. B.? No not at all. Today was her birthday.

I only knew it was Ms. B's birthday because last night, at bedtime, Izzy revealed the birthday wishes he had expressed in the card he had made for her...

Happy Birthday
"I hope you turn into a germ."

Suppressing a giggle I had to ask why he had written that. His reply?

"If she were a germ she would be sick and not at school and then I wouldn't have to do the hard math problems she gives me."

Of course I let Izzy know that those were not the kindest birthday wishes and I suggested perhaps we give her a little something (hence the cookie) as well. But it doesn't end there.

Today, after I gave Ms. B. the cookie, Izzy explained that he had changed the birthday card, which now read,

"I hope you turn into a gem".

Apparently the card also features a rendering of Ms. B. as a robot, along with some other "scientific" scribblings. Whatever the case may be, I hope Ms. B. enjoyed her TKO and "germ" or "gem", had a lovely birthday.

Just A Few Oranges...

Are all Izzy needs to make his own orange juice in the morning. Well, that and a Wearever vintage juicer, courtesy of my stepmother, who gave it to me ages ago.


Time was, I drank orange juice every morning. As a child, I was given the orange juice that was made from concentrate and later on graduated to the pasteurized variety. I simply had to have orange juice every morning or my breakfast wasn't complete. I have since kicked that habit, often having grapefruit juice or just tea instead. Although Izzy doesn't drink juice throughout the day, I started him on the same morning juice habit and he now expects some kind of juice with his breakfast.

Lately though, I have be rethinking this morning juice habit. I can't drink it myself anymore, for health reasons. So I have decided to take a break from buying orange juice, as the pasteurized, vitamin-fortified variety is a poor substitute for the real thing. In fact, not only is the flavor less appealing, it has hidden ingredients. I would rather that Izzy have something fresher, but what?

Home-squeezed juice was the obvious answer. Izzy only needs two oranges for an adequate amount of juice and he squeezes it while I make his breakfast. He looks forward to doing it every morning and revels in the taste difference.



Now I just have to make sure to keep an ample supply of oranges in the house, which hasn't been as easy as I thought. First I bought a bag from Trader Joe's and they were perfect. Next we tried some navel oranges from Whole Foods (which I realize are not juicing oranges but that was all they had). The former produced a beautifully vibrant colored orange juice while the later produced a paler less intense juice. As orange season approaches, it should get easier to find good juicing oranges. If not, I'll be seeking an on-line source.

To give, To Get, To Give Away: Willy Wonka and The Switch Witch on Halloween

To give: "Wonka Bars" and Yummy Earth organic lollipops, small bags of homemade popcorn and meringue ghosts.


To get: All manner of sticky, sugary, dyed treats; the usual chocolate suspects (m&m's, nestle crunch, mounds, etc.) lollipops in many colors, pretzels and surprisingly, no candy corn.

Does Izzy really need to accumulate other candy? That lollipop (the perfect accessory to his Willy Wonka costume) from Papabubble should last him until at least the age of 20!


To give away: Over 3/4 of his loot.

Izzy was quite the competitive trick-or-treater, racing in front of his friends to be the first to grab handfuls of whatever they had on offer, whether he would eat it or not. Odd considering what happened after he brought all of his loot home.

Like last year, he dumped it all out and sorted it into categories. It was then I brought up the "Switch Witch" a most clever way to help diminish overflowing Halloween candy bags and save your kids from sugary meltdowns. I had planted the idea of the "Switch Witch" in his head the other day so the idea was not new to him. In my version, a witch would come and take some of his candy, in exchange for books. He was certainly intrigued. Today I mentioned that she might bring his favorite books and asked how much candy he would be willing to give up. He said, "All of it." I told him that he could keep a small amount and that the Switch Witch would take the rest. He happily bagged it up and even double tied the bag!!! Any takers for the leftovers?

Banana- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake: The Definitive Recipe

This heavenly cake is apparently old news on the internet but for me is brand-new yet slightly familiar. The recipe is remarkably similar to my favorite Chocolate-Banana Cake; However in this version, the smooth banana flavor is highlighted with a light sprinkling of chocolate chips rather than vice versa.

I adapted Dorie Greenspan's recipe, by way of The Food Librarian.


Classic Banana Bundt Cake
Page 190, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Ingredients: Makes 1 Bundt Cake (24 small servings, perfect for school snack!)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
About 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. (If you use a silicone Bundt pan there’s no need to butter it.) Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the Bundt’s inner tube.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.

3. Mash bananas with one cup sour cream.

4. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the 1/3 of the banana mixture. Alternate with dry ingredients, then wet, until both incorporated into batter. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to debubble the batter and smooth the top.

5. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes (depending upon oven, you may need an additional 10 minutes) or until a thin chopstick, inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

This cake is good cooled and will also keep well for a few days.

You can wrap individual slices in plastic and freeze. Perfect to take along as a snack!

Keeping It Local For Labor Day Weekend...

That means...

Spending a lazy Saturday morning eating plenty of toast slathered with butter and jam, along with fresh cantaloupe from the Grove Street Farmer's Market. Petting purring kittens. Hanging the wash out on the line. Writing out birthday cards and gathering gifts to be mailed. Writing in Izzy's Cat Journal.

Walking to post letters only to discover it is too late. Stopping for a Cucumber-Lemonade from Ahymn Espresso Bar on Jersey Ave, so cool and refreshing. Sipping it outside and people-watching. Buying bagels for lunch from Wonder Bagels, across the street. Making another visit to the NEW TOY STORE in town, Jacks. We can't keep away from their fabulous assortment of perfect toys for all ages.

Meandering back home to eat bagels, cream cheese and avocado for lunch. Sitting on the stoop awaiting A.'s return from Europe. Gardening. Taming our backyard jungle. Weeding and mowing the grass.

Dining by candle-light overlooking the garden, on pasta, with a sauce made from plump ripe yellow and red tomatoes (csa), basil from our garden, garlic, fennel seeds and olive oil.

Feeling the air cooling down as the breeze blows through the screen door. Sweet dreams. Looking forward to another easy day tomorrow.

Perfect Jersey City Lunching: American Masala

A new American-Indian fusion restaurant has landed upon our shores and it is well worth a visit.

American Masala, located near Exchange Place, is owned by Suvi Saran, who also owns Devi in NYC. Many of the restaurant's dishes come from the owner's cookbook, for which the restaurant was so named. The innovative menu is chock full of comfort food with an Indian twist. I had been eager to try it since I read it about it here.

We took Izzy and his friend J., for an end of summer lunch, as they hadn't seen each other since the middle of July. It was the perfect choice for a sunny afternoon.

We seated ourselves on the terrace given the lovely weather, and the boys got reacquainted with one another while my friend G. and I perused the menu. It's always a good sign when too many things are appealing.

We ended up choosing the lamb burger and the house made veggie burger. The large burgers were enough for mother and child to share and both were accompanied by delicately spiced, ultra-crispy fries. We shared a fattoush salad which was fresh and colorful. G. and I were thrilled with our meal. We lingered at the table, nibbling each morsel as the boys played.



Throughout our meal, the staff was friendly and accommodating, especially the owner's sister Seema who came over to check on us as we were finishing up. We chatted a bit with her and she brought over some small servings of Firni, a rice pudding spiced with cardamom and pistachios. I have always been a fan of this fragrant pudding and it was the icing on the cake to our wonderful meal.

Right now the restaurant is only open for lunch from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. but come fall, they have plans keep it open for dinner as well.

Good Bye Ice Cream Man: Hello Ice Cream Maker

Kicking off a week of homemade frozen treats, here's Izzy after guzzling down the remains of our mixed berry frozen yogurt. We used our Kitchen-Aid Ice Cream Bowl attachment, a must have for regular ice cream making projects. That was yesterday.

After spending a week at the beach, deprived of truly great ice cream, and after contemplating the recent gripes about the ice cream man, I have decided to devote the next week to making our own frozen concoctions, from yogurt to Popsicles.

Today we prepared Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream...More on that tomorrow.

The Ice Cream Man Didn't Do It

Apparently, parents everywhere, are complaining about the ice cream man. He is on playgrounds and parks, hawking his wares each and every day throughout the summer, luring their precious spawn into begging for frozen treats. All this whining about how the ice cream man is always around, even at times when they don't want to purchase ice cream. Don't they realize that the ice cream man is not responsible for their children's ice cream issues?

Surprisingly (to me at least) these parents are not necessarily opposed to the ice cream in principal, they are just opposed to hearing their darlings whine for it, each and every day, at inopportune times. Don't get me wrong, I too have issues with the ice cream man but they are not the same. The difference is, I am not disturbed by his presence. He can turn up wherever he pleases (except in front of our house at Izzy's bedtime where the noise keeps him awake) but I will rarely, if ever purchase anything from him. The ice cream he sells, for the most part, is pure junk food, those cartoon-shaped pops being the absolute worst.

Izzy does not beg or plead for ice cream on a regular basis and for that I am grateful. I have made it quite clear, from early on that we just don't buy ice cream from the ice cream man. I certainly do not deprive Izzy of ice cream, as it is one of my favorite desserts. We either make it ourselves or buy it at ice cream parlours. We do buy the occasional ices from the ice lady and while at the beach we purchased a Froze Fruit (which has gone from being a reasonably healthful snack to a corn syrup laden pop) but that's about it.

Bottom-line: Parents need to stop blaming the ice cream man for causing meltdowns. Just saying NO to ice cream will go a long way towards teaching children to make better food choices. At the same time, be sure to offer other snack options so that your children don't feel deprived.

Channeling Violet Beauregarde: Izzy's First Gum

I'll admit, I was a chewing gum fiend. Rarely without a piece in my mouth, I praticed chomping, cracking and bubble blowing as if they were my occupation. My friends and I planned trips to the Cottage Inn just for pieces of individually wrapped Bazooka Bubble Gum ( as much for the gum as for the collectible comics inside). My grandma and first stepmonster S. bought me endless packs of Trident Sugarless and my grandfather constantly told me I looked like a cow, chewing "cow gummy ".

Gum chewer that I may have been, I have long kicked the habit and hoped to keep Izzy gum-free for as long as possible. He had led a gum-free existence thus far, reaching the age of nearly six and a half, without any gum at all. Occasionally he has remarked that his friends are allowed to chew (some quite often at that! ) but never made a fuss over not having any. Then we read Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and gum appeared ever more prominently on his radar. What it is that appeals about the gum cracking Violet Beauregarde it is hard to say but I too longed to chew one piece of gum for a record-breaking number of days and Izzy has fallen under the same spell.

He has been pestering me for gum ever since we saw the film and I mistakenly promised him some from a health food store. I managed to stall for a few weeks but we finally found ourselves at one today, Pangea Naturals in Manahawkin, the only health food store in close proximity to Long Beach Island. There I bought him some type of fruity gum with Xylitol, which I didn't know much about. I had heard that it actually helped prevent cavities but apparently the evidence to support that claim is rather scant. Not only that but Xylitol is not the miracle sweetener I had imagined, but rather an industrially produced sugar substitute that may cause diarrhea.

Izzy popped that gum into his mouth and was instantly smitten. He relished every chew, marveling over the novel experience.



Izzy may be stuck on gum but I don't intend to allow him to chew it on a regular basis. The question is: Which gum should he be chewing? It comes down to deciding which is the lesser of two evils, artificially sweetened gums that don't cause tooth decay but may ultimately cause something else, or natural gums made with cane sugar which will rot his teeth. At the moment I am leaning toward Glee Gum.

After A Long Day In The Sun

A cucumber eye treatment was in order.

Izzy spent 8 hours in the sun, far more than I knew was sensible. What I thought would be a few hours at low tide, turned into a long, hot day. Nothing could tear Izzy away. I had slathered him in sun block but had omitted his eye area ( note to self: stinging eyes are better than burnt ones).

I was similarly afflicted; left with burnt knees and other random spots. There was no aloe available at the local grocery so we had to improvise. Cucumbers seemed like a soothing alternative. Clearly, Izzy took his treatment quite seriously.

Sunburn or no, Izzy had worked up quite an appetite for dinner, which was served on the deck, with a lovely view of the beach.

Summer Day Sipping: Peach-Honey Lemonade

Izzy was in the mood to squeeze lemons and I had some peaches that had to be eaten.




15 minutes of squeezing, chopping, and blending is just enough time to create a lovely pitcher of summer.



Peach-Honey Lemonade

Ingredients

1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 peaches, peeled, chopped, blended and strained
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup sugar
3 cups water
1 cup of ice plus extra for glasses
thyme, mint or basil for garnish (optional)


1. Mix lemon juice with honey and sugar and stir vigorously.
2. Add water and stir again.
3. Stir in peaches and herbs.
4. Add ice.
5. Pour into glasses filled with ice and garnish with more fresh herbs.

Izzy Makes The News..

A photographer from the Jersey Journal, captured his image for posterity, with a forbidden lollipop in his mouth! They were giving them out at the Kitten Adoption Bonanza Event and I didn't have the wherewithal to say no since he had been such a trooper all day. Candy seems to show up in the unlikeliest of places. I usually try to have a replacement on hand but not so since I never associated kittens with candy...

A Chinese Food Picnic? Messy But Successful

When I think picnic, my mind immediately turns to chicken, roasted or fried, potato salad, corn on the cob, cookies and a fruity dessert. To complete the picture, a red-checkered tablecloth, glasses of lemonade and a bottle of rose.

This vision was overturned when we got together with some friends for a picnic by the water.
The last thing I expected to find was this...


A great spread of Chinese food. Noodles, sauces, rice, dumplings and all manner of dishes covered the blankets. My friend G. had organized everything, hauling blankets, cutlery, beverages and more, along with ordering up everything off of the menu from Confucius. Although it wasn't the picnic I envisioned, it turned out to be just right.

Turns out that my G., harbors the same picnic fantasy that I do but she opted to go the simple route, which turned out to be perfect when there is far too much else to do.

Kitten Adoption Bonanza: And then there were four..

So while my friend J. was off pressing organic apples into cider (something I'd sure love to do), somewhere off in sunny California,Izzy and I were stuck in front of City Hall, in sunny downtown Jersey City, attempting to find kind souls to adopt our kittens.

I crammed the Fang sisters into their cage which seems to be shrinking, plopped them onto Izzy's red wagon, and rolled them over to the event, meowing all the way.

We set up the cage, awaiting a larger one from the shelter and spent most of the day petting our kittens. There were 30 adorable kittens available. I think that the poor Fang sisters were over-looked by those attracted to some of the fancy-schmancy looking felines. As much as we love our Fang Sisters, they don't look pedigreed. But as I told Izzy, it's personality that matters most!




In the end, Tiger was adopted by a lovely neighborhood family and I will be happy to see her go to their home, where I know she will be well-cared for. Meanwhile, we are still seeking three more homes for her sisters.

Izzy's First Beer...

Root Beer, that is. As a matter of fact, I guess it qualifies as his first soda too.

A new taste sensation.

A gleeful experience.

At bedtime he informed we that it was the highlight of his day. He then asked, "Mama, are you going to tell Papa that I drank beer?" Even though I explained that it wasn't real beer, he still harbored the misconception that he was drinking beer like his Papa does.

Alas, that was not what I had in mind. I just remember drinking Birch Beer when I was a kid and wanted to share a similar experience. I thought that Fitz's Root Beer might not be as sweet as other brands. I haven't drunk Root Beer in ages but it seemed far too sweet to me. Still and all, Izzy got a kick out of it. He better not think it is going to happen again any time soon!

Tear-Free Pearly Whites: Izzy Visits The Dental Magician (plus a Whole Foods bonus)

I recognize that dental meltdowns are common amongst children but having bore witness to Izzy's, I can't imagine another more tragic. His dental trauma has become legendary in my mind. And so I dread taking him to the dentist, so much so that I let 9 months elapse between visits. Our last appointment wasn't nearly as bad as the previous but it still wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

Today things were very different. We were very excited to visit the dentist for two reasons.
First, we decided to try a new dentist. This pediatric dentist, Dr. Parhar, is my friend and mother of Izzy's great friend and schoolmate, J. Second, we were going along with Izzy's friend T. Our day was what I would characterize as a dental playdate! Something I highly recommend!

T. was first in the dentist's chair, while Izzy and I were invited to watch. Dr. P. had her giggling nearly the entire time. Her calm, gentle manner was just the thing to put her little patients at ease.

When it was Izzy's turn, he was eager to climb into the dentist's chair, not something I'd ever expected to see. Granted it helped that he knew her but given his past, I still envisioned some hesitation. There was none. Dr. P. managed to clean, floss and paint fluoride on without so much as a whimper. This time he actually didn't mind the taste of the toothpaste. He even got to try two flavors. Chocolate mint was definitely a hit, too bad my dentist doesn't have it! When the visit was over, the kids were treated to stickers, balloons and a summer-themed toy from the bin.

We grown-ups treated ourselves to a trip to Whole Foods, conveniently located only 5 minutes from the office. We had lunch and shopped. I marveled at Izzy's gleaming teeth as he chowed down on a full meal of Indian delights from the WF salad bar. When lunch was over, we strolled the vast aisles of the store and Izzy made a bee-line for the fish counter. The clams and shrimp called to him and I agreed to purchasing a bag shrimp for our dinner, which is something I am not wont to do. But that story is for tomorrow.

Tonight I will rest easy, knowing that Izzy's teeth are strong and healthy, ready to chew on all sorts of wonderful foods.


p.s. A bottom tooth is loose!!