Happy Sunday

The kids spent the night at T's parents' house last night which is always such an enormous treat for Tom and me. Most unfortunately, Nutmeg jumped on my face at 5:15 this morning and I was never able to return to sleep but c'est la vie. And yes, I was sure we'd shut the door last night. That cat can apparate; I swear. The plus side of this ridiculously early wake was that I read quite a bit of the paper and made a pie and a good coffee, all before 8:20am. I wouldn't have wished to be so productive during those hours, but again, c'est la vie. T and I went to the farmers market together and ate fresh wood-oven grilled breakfast pizzas, picked up some treats -including these gorgeous peach blossom boughs- and headed home. I've managed to get a burr in my booty about spring-i-fying the house so MUST repaint the guest room. You'd think I was pregnant with all this nesting- a couple new pillows here, fresh flowers there, a new duvet here, different paint there. I swear just before Oliver was born, T found me ironing our guest room duvet cover. I hate to iron and said upon our engagement that I just do not do it, not did I intend to ever do it, so we both knew something was in the wind. Lo, Oliver came two days later.

But anyway, I put up two big paint samples and am about to go see how they've evolved in the drying process. Meanwhile, Jack had his second baseball game, got two hits, scored his team's first run of the season and though they ended up losing by one run, I just could not be more proud. You know when people surprise you? When they demonstrate an ability you didn't know they had, or a strength, or a weakness, or whatever? Well, Jack has never been terribly interested in sports nor has he demonstrated much in the way of athletic prowess (he gets this from me; though I insisted on playing softball, I was scared of balls and hid in right field for the entire season making designs in the dirt with my cleats. You think my parents were bored stiff? You bet). Anyway, he's really enjoying baseball and loves practicing, and you should have seen the look on his face today when he reached first base and then again when he ran through home. You couldn't have bought him (or me) for a million bucks.

We returned home with T's parents for blackberry pie and ice cream as an early birthday celebration for moi. The boys made me wonderful cards- do you LOVE this self-portrait of Oliver, complete with his chin dimple? And that circle between his legs is his tummy. Just some clarification.

Tonight I'm going to grill a steak, top it with my mint-pistachio pesto, roast some sunchokes, warm some good bread, open a Petite Sirah I've been saving and take a load off with my hubs.

2Amy's fava bean crostini

It is another stunner out there today, so after putting up the jam, I headed out; an appointment here, some window-shopping there, and then the realization that I was damn hungry. I was about a mile from 2Amy's, home of the best pizza in DC by a mile and my beloved fava bean crostini, a seasonal item that I stalk when the time is right and which inspired my own version of it (posted in recipes; delish). A quick call to Darlene, she of the delightful pink-streaked hair for you DC-area folks who might recognize and/or know her too, and I found that today's special app #3 IS this fab treat of a dish. I ordered that for me and some meatballs for the boys' dinner (you've never seen kids gorge on meatballs until you see them with a plate of 2A's polpette. It is truly a sight to behold so my little guys will get to indulge tonight. I just took these crostini down in about 30 seconds. Awesome.

Just look at those shavings of Parm, glistening with olive oil, speckled with Maldon. Feast your eyes on the fava bean purée, the grilled bread, the ridiculously good amalgam of flavors this dish is! Mamma mia.

I am about to scurry back out to pick up Ol but simply must share my complete belief in the power of looking in on your kids as they sleep as a way to alleviate any stress and/or irritation you may have acquired during the bath- and bedtime routine. I do this each night because the boys are so dear when they're beset with slumber. They don't talk or emit any foul noise. They are just perfect, and I always find that seeing them in such a sweet state helps refill my reservoir. Observe little O from last night.

Right?! ADORABLE.

Food bloggers against hunger in America

Yesterday, as Oliver thrilled in the sugary, chocolaty concoction that was his perfectly rendered eclair, I watched him with joy. I loved buying this treat for him; his happiness erased any hesitations I may have had about the $5 price tag on this artisanal, for-no-reason, mid-morning snack. We sat on the ground, in the sun, his little body nestled in the crook of my crossed legs, my arms around him, my fingers catching any stray chocolate pudding so that he wouldn't have to miss a bite. This morning, Jack asked for a toasted bagel with sour cherry jam; Oliver preferred oatmeal with blueberries and brown sugar. Tom ground and brewed fresh coffee; he and I ate bowls of different cereals. Mine was topped with almond milk, his with that from a good old cow. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction as I looked around at my family, all healthy, all able to eat until they were full and sated, no one left without in any way.

While I feel a tremendous sense of pride in my children's varied and adventurous palates and gratefulness that I can offer them meal-time choices to appease their culinary desires, I also feel very acutely that "wow, this is only possible because T has a good job and we are fortunate enough to never worry about whether or not we'll have food." Such is not nearly the case for too many of our fellow Americans, and this is a heart-wrenching travesty with serious ramifications.

According to Feeding America, 46.2 million Americans lived in poverty in 2011. In America, per the Department of Health and Human Services, a family of four falls below the poverty line if their total household income (annual) falls below $23,550. That's $5,887 per person per year, or $16 per person per day. This meager amount must cover food, shelter, clothing, education, school/work supplies, transportation, living expenses and so forth.

Also during 2011, according to Feeding America, 50.1 million lived in food-insecure homes; 16.7 million of those were children. The USDA defines food insecurity as meaning “consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.”

Though related, food insecurity and poverty are different issues, affecting different populations (socio-economic, geographic, racial, age) differently. For example, although the national food insecurity rate is 14.7%, 19.2% of Mississippi families are food insecure. Again in contrast to the national food insecurity rate of 14.7%, an enormous 36.8% of homes with children headed by single women were food insecure during 2011.

As a mother for whom my children's health is paramount, I feel sickened to my core when I think what it must be like for moms who have to watch their children suffer the pangs of hunger, who have to tell their kids that she's sorry but there's just not anything for breakfast today. The stress of that would be crushing for me, and it would be compounded by the fact that I'd know just how detrimental inadequate nutrition is for a growing body and a developing mind.

When my boys are hungry, they are less able to concentrate, less able to handle frustration and challenge. They're more susceptible to tears and/or anger being the response to difficulty of any sort. When I watch them devour breakfast each morning, as if they haven't eaten for days, I know that that healthy, hearty intake will sustain them through the early hours of school and recess, until snack-time comes and refuels them. But what if instead of that, there was nothing? What if the growls in their bellies had to be ignored? What if their next meal was unknown and that very thought prevented them from focusing on play, social interactions, learning?

You read about these horrifying statistics and then you read about how much food Americans waste every day, month and year: 33 million tons (40%) of food each year according to the National Resources Defense Council and Ira Flatow of NPR. This interview transcript about food waste in the US is beyond sobering, and the disconnect it illuminates -between hunger and waste- is heartbreaking. Surely we as a nation can do better.

So today, on behalf of Food Bloggers Against Hunger, consider what it'd be like to have just $4 a day to feed yourself and your family. What sorts of food can such a minuscule amount buy? Mostly empty calories with no real nutritional benefit unless you really shop with effort and an eye towards bargains and creative cooking. There's certainly no room for treats like that I could give Oliver yesterday. That would never include options at breakfast because it may not be enough for breakfast at all. Today, consider just how little some have, how close to the edge of extreme hunger many live. Consider taking some action, no matter how small: sign a petition, watch A Place at the Table, call your representatives, speak out against the current Farm Bill which makes corn syrup cheaper to buy than an apple.

Here's another petition, from No Kid Hungry. Signing only takes a second!

Visit The Giving Table to find out more about Food Bloggers Against Hunger and today's event and what you can do. And, here's The Giving Table's Facebook page.