Snowmass Skiing January 2012

It's Day 4 of our two weeks in Snowmass, and we've decided to skip skiing today.  We normally ski every day possible, but the conditions this year are just, frankly, horrible.  The base is around 30", officially, but I don't really see that.  They haven't had any snow, other than the 8 inches they received on the day we flew in, and I think they've tried to move the little snow they do have around on the mountain to cover up the brown spots.   It's still skiing, and we still have beautiful wide open spaces and blue skies, and as J says, it's like a really good day skiing in Vermont, so I don't want to complain.  But we are so spoiled to the Colorado powder that we usually get this time of year that it's definitely taking some getting used to.  I'm seriously thinking about renting skis, because every time my skis go over the rocks and trees that are scattered around on every single run, I cringe.  There are deep scratches on the bottom of them, and that's only after skiing two days.  They were hoping to get snow last night, the only night that snow is forecast between now and when we go home, but the light dusting that actually happened didn't even register as any accumulation.  Oh well.

But we still absolutely love it here.  It is so beautiful, the air is so crisp and clean, there is much to do besides skiing, the summers are beyond belief,  and once we get acclimated to the altitude it just feels like home to us.  Yesterday we relaxed in the morning, did a little business over coffee, and headed out to Snowmass to get in a few runs.  It was a beautiful day, and the temps at the top of the mountain were in the low 20's, so it almost seemed like spring skiing, except for the lack of snow.  But we tried out my new Christmas present...goggles with a video camera built in, so you can see for yourself.  Watch for the little trees that stick out of the snow every now and then, and the bumps as we ski over little rocks.  But it's all good!

Enjoy this footage of Big Burn and Sheer Bliss, two blue runs that weren't too bad yesterday, along with Train's new single, "Drive By"

Here's to letting go of the Routine!

It's 3:20 on a Wednesday and I haven't worked out yet.  I have no idea what's for dinner and I just had lunch.  I slept in until 8 a.m....something I haven't done in ages.  I'm starting to get glimpses of what it will be like when H leaves for college.   For the last 18 years, my life has been defined by the routines and schedules that come with being a mom.  My schedule was her schedule.  Bedtime, awake time, meal time, study time,  cuddle time, worry time.  Ah yes, the worry.  Worrying about whether she was hungry, tired, warm, healthy, safe, happy...that is a constant, but the worries have progressed over the years to worrying about whether she was doing enough, doing too much, getting where she needed to be on time, doing her assignments on time, driving safely, making smart choices, not texting while driving-it never stops.  It became so entrenched that I don't really remember what I did or even worried about before she was born. 

H is in France.  Her school has a Winterim program every January, where the 9th and 10th graders take special interest classes instead of their regular classes (Women and Finance, Music of the 60's, sewing, The Beatles, The Kennedys, etc.), and the 11th and 12th graders go off campus-to internships or travel programs either in town or out of town.  H is in France doing a combination tour and home stay.  She will live with a French family for 9 days in southern France, learn about their food, schools, routines, and hopefully, polish her French.  It's an incredible opportunity for her, and I am thrilled she gets to do it.

She has traveled a lot in the last couple of years without us; Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Washington and China.  Each time was a little less worrisome.  At this age she is like a sponge, learning what to do and not to do when traveling (make sure her phone is charged, don't leave her computer on the plane), and at this point it has become much easier.  As her parent, I always worry (probably always will), but I know she has the maturity and wisdom to take care of herself.  It's also made it easier for me each time to let her go.  When she was a little girl I spent the entire time she was gone writing her letters, checking the camp website for photos, worrying and thinking about her almost constantly.  But the last couple of years I've begun to appreciate the unscheduled days.  The time with my dear husband for late, long, leisurely meals or hiking with the dogs, sleeping in, staying out late, eating popcorn for lunch, and even increasing the times I can volunteer is growing on me.

I could write a million pages about how difficult it's been for me to "let go" (and I actually have!)...I know that part of parenting is to let her make her own decisions and mistakes...but knowing and doing are two completely different things.  J tells me I "micromanage".  So lately, when I think I need to stay up late to pack HER suitcase, or make sure she submits HER college applications, I have to literally make myself STOP.   I didn't pack her suitcase for France.  I didn't go to Walgreens to buy the toiletries and things we didn't already have.  As difficult as it was,  I didn't stay up late to look over her shoulder while she wrote her college essays.   And you know what?  It all got done.  SHE packed, SHE shopped, SHE stayed up late and got the apps in on time.  It's very liberating.  Not easy, but it's a good feeling.

Halfway across the world, in a tunnel under the street in Paris, she ran into our neighbor and childhood friend!

Last night we went to sleep while she was still in the air on a flight to Paris (something I wouldn't have been able to do a couple of years ago).  The world didn't cave in.  I woke up this morning with a really good night's sleep and had a text from her that she was there.  I know the day that I take her to college, move her into her dorm room, and drive away will probably be the hardest thing I ever do.    But I know she will be OK.  Even more, I know that I will be OK.   Eventually.

The search for easy Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

Almost a year ago, my daughter decided to become a vegetarian. While I respected the motivation behind her decision, I was a little bit worried about how I was going to feed my family. We had finally gotten to a place where I could make ONE dinner and everyone would eat it. But my husband does not think it's a meal unless some form of meat is present. Fortunately, H will eat fish, but unfortunately, Jeff only ate swordfish, shrimp and lobster. Oh, and fried catfish at Sportsman's Grille. Fast forward a year, H is still a pesca-vegetarian (eating only fish), J has added Trout, Tuna, Scallops and Halibut to his list of edible seafood, and I've found the best places to buy seafood in Nashville (not an easy task since we're 8 hours from the nearest ocean).

But I can't serve fish every night. Sometimes I have to make vegetarian chili (added meat to J's), vegetarian pasta, and I am learning how to prepare tofu. The only experience we have had eating Tofu was the vegetarian lettuce wraps at PF Changs. And to be honest, it's hard to tell the difference between their tofu wraps and the chicken wraps. I found a recipe online for the PF Chang's version, but both times I made them the tofu just tasted blah...and the texture wasn't the same. Plus, after mixing together the marinade, the cooking sauce, and the dipping sauce, and chopping up the vegetables and tofu, my kitchen looked like Haiti probably looks this morning. (Small pause for a prayer for those victims).

So I have been experimenting with the recipe, and last night I made a much better, easier version of the above recipe. I think the key is how to prepare the tofu before stir-frying. I start with a block of firm tofu, drained, and put it on a stack of 5 or 6 paper towels. Then I top it with another few paper towels and put something heavy on top (a heavy pan, a plate with a teapot full of water, etc.) After about 20 minutes, I turn the tofu over, replace with a couple more paper towels (I know, bad for the environment), and repeat the process for another 10-15 minutes. Then I thinly dice it, put it on a roasting pan sprayed with cooking spray, and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. THEN, I marinate it. When tofu is warm, it supposedly takes the marinade flavors better. When I put the recipe together about 30 minutes before dinner, the tofu got really nice and chewy and very flavorful.

So here's the recipe:

Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

Marinade:
4 Tbsp. Soy sauce (low sodium)
2 Tbsp. Rice Wine
1 TBsp. Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 Tbsp. lime juice

Mix above together and cover prepared tofu for 1-2 hours, or longer before stir frying.

Filling:
1 block firm or extra firm tofu, or soy crumbles (see note)
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
1 small can water chestnuts, finely chopped
1/2 bag broccoli slaw mixture
2 Tbsp. canola, sesame or peanut oil
1/4 cup of Iron Chef Honey Garlic stir fry and marinade sauce (or similar bottled sauce)
Iceberg, Boston Bibb or Butter Lettuce Leaves

Heat oil in wok over medium heat, add drained, marinated tofu and stir fry 15-20 minutes, stirring gently until browned. You can see below how the tofu "pops" as it browns.



Remove from pan, and add remaining ingredients. Stir fry for 5 minutes until veggies begin to soften. Add a little bit of reserved marinade to deglaze if needed. Stir fry for a few more minutes as veggies continue to soften, then add stir fry sauce. Stir until veggies are done and sauce is warm. Add tofu and stir. Serve with Iceberg, Boston Bibb or Butter Lettuce leaves.

Dipping Sauce:
Lettuce Wrap Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Combine all ingredients and serve with lettuce wraps.

NOTE:  Sometimes I don't feel like going to the trouble of draining the tofu, so I substitute Soy Crumbles.  There are many different brands, but they can be found in the produce department, where you buy tofu and other vegetarian meat-type products.  They have the consistency of ground beef and work very well in this recipe because they soak up the taste of the stir fry sauce.