Adventures of a Hungry Mom/Food Writer

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Toilet Paper Madness

Okay, so I have figured out we are going through one roll of toilet paper a day this summer. Also, since the girls are home most days, all day long, we are constantly running to the grocery store. Thank goodness school starts next week.

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Another Quote of the Day

" I like this radio for tv thing," Emma Bryan, 9, about VH1, which she had never seen before today.

Quote of the Day

"I am not a person that likes to be patient,"—Tess Bryan, 7-years old.

Little Writer

Emma, my 9-year-old, has had rough year. Third grade is tough and she is bright, but a bit dreamy and creative, and would rather be outside playing than studying for exams. (Wouldn't we all?) Luckily, she has a very involved teacher, who has been careful to encourage Emma's natural abilities, along with trying to get her to work harder on the things that don't come as easy to her. This year, she chose Emma to attend the Young Author's Night—which is a program they send talented and gifted writers to in the Spring. Kids from Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County are selected to go. It makes them feel so special. One author talks to them about her life and what it's like to be a writer. Emma came home so inspired that she started to work on a mystery novel.;-) AS to how I feel about my daughter perhaps following in my foot steps...well, let's just say that a mixed of of emotion that might be better left for another post.

Here is the story Emma wrote that got her into this event and the one she shared while she was there. (Okay I am bragging and I am using my blog to publish my own daughter's story, wouldn't you?)

Don't you want to know about when I got lost at the children's museum in Lynchburg? It was July 27, 2006. I finally got to the children's museum after one hour of waiting in the car. We finally got to the the children's museum in Lynchburg. I jumped out of the car and raced to the door. I pushed open the door and glanced at the inside playground.
Soon after we got to the museum, my Dad asked me to climb all the way to the top floor, I said yes. So, I climbed to the last floor. I saw a tunnel through the playground. It was the only way to get to the next floor. So I went through and I got scared. Suddenly, my dress was caught on something so I turned around and saw a family. I screamed so loud that a lady who worked there heard me. She crawled in and found me. She grabbed me. She finally got me out of the terrible place. I looked behind me and saw a sign that said "tunnel of horror." I started to cry and asked the kind lady will I ever see my mommy and daddy again? Yes, she said. But it didn't sound like the lady. I looked up and saw my mommy.

Yoga in the Kitchen

Okay. When your child is home sick, and you have a few deadlines looming, you might think you are a smarty-pants Yoga Mom and sneak in a Downward Dog while you are waiting for the toast to be done. Don't do it. You will see the crud underneath your cabinets and it will haunt you all day.
Just a word of advice. This did not happen to me. Really....

quote of the day

"Sometimes watching my mommy is like watching tv," Tess, age 6.

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Top Ten things I Say ONLY to my kids

What do you say to your kids?

I've read a lot about what strange things come out of kids mouths. You know "out of the mouth of babes" stuff. But have you ever listened to yourself talking to your kids? I started to keep a list of stuff I say to them that I would never say to another person. Ever. Maybe you have a few of your own. Feel free to add some here.

Okay here are mine.

Please don't lick the table.
Don't eat your boogers.
Let me check your bottom.
It's okay to play with yourself, but just do it in private, and certainly not around your grandparents.
If you say vagina or poop one more time, I will scream.
Yes, I think the tooth fairy and santa actually know one another.
Is that you I smell?
Where did you get those underwear?
No, the Easter bunny does not smell like a dog.
I know you like to be naked, but please keep your clothes on.

Ya don't have to be nice, honey

My daughter Emma is a sweetie. Really. A very sensitive little girl who is trying to find her way in the harsh world of public school. Last year, on the playground a boy tried to take her ball from her, she grabbed it back off of him—and he pushed her down hard. The school kind pissed me off because they talked to her about how SHE could have handled the situation better. She was sticking up for herself—the boy took her ball. I told the assistant principal that we are teaching her to stand up for herself—whether they like it or not. Mostly, her feelings were because she thought the boy was her friend. I am still getting my feelings hurt over people who call themselves my friend and then prove that they are not. So I find I am at a loss to explain the complexities of friendship to my child.
Then last week, in the midst of my younger daughter being sick with the stomach flu, Emma came home sick from school she never even made it to her class. They called at 8:10. At first, I didn't think much of it because Tess was sick. But as the day wore on, I could tell Emma had gotten "better" very quickly. Turns out, there was an incident on the bus that upset her.
This is the kind of girl Emma is: she decided to make little drawings/posters for everybody on the bus. And one night she poured her heart out into these posters, working very hard on them. She just decided she wanted to do something nice for the kids she rides the bus with. Unfortunately, a group of them laughed at her and tore up the pictures.
It would have made me sick, too. Now, Emma is riding in the front of the bus and has been told that she doesn't have to be nice to those boys. She seemed confused, "But I have to be nice to everybody." But you don't have to be, do you? Especially if somebody treats you with disrespect, they don't deserve your attention, let alone your friendship or heart. It's a lesson I am still learning—it has been a difficult and painful one throughout my life—but to see my daughter dealing with this at the age of eight, it feels like a kick in the gut.

Welcome

When I first started to promote my book "Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant Cookbook: A Lifetime of Recipes from the Shenandoah Valley, " I was often asked to characterize the Valley. There's a great deal of curiosity about the place I call home. And there should be. It is a unique place, filled with both gorgeous mountain vistas and rolling farm fields. Let's not forget the quaint little towns, like Staunton, and Waynesboro.
Perhaps it's because of living in a valley, or maybe it's because we're fairly rural, but changes come slowly, trickling down through years of staid tradition. Whether it's religion, education, or food, new attitudes are considered suspicious. Eight years ago when we moved here from the DC area, I drove 30 miles to Charlottesville just to get organic milk. Now, I can find it everywhere. Changes are coming—however slowly.
I hope this blog will give a glimpse into the Shenandoah Valley. I hope to cover the farmer's markets, farmsteads, food festivals, and restaurants in the area. I'll also update you about my life as a mom and a writer. For me, food, family, and writing can't be separated. At least not right now. So, check back frequently. Write often.