Cooking lessons...

I've never been a big fan of beef stew. I guess that's why I've never really had the desire to know how to make one.

Well yesterday that came back to haunt me.

S called and said" Call granma I need a recipe" keep in mind this was late morning for us so middle of the night for her.I said"what do you need ? You know I'm a good cook son" He said " I want to make beef stew" OMG,My face went flush,I felt dizzy and I got this tingling in my stomach that felt like fear..My little tiny (6ft ) baby boy was hungry for stew and I didn't know how to help him..He would starve and it would be all my fault.I failed him as a mother!!!
What kind of mother doesn't know how to make a life saving soup for her first born child?
ME!!!???

That is when my Momma mode kicked in..I started thinking of all the things I remembered my own mother putting into the pot of stewing vegetables and meat that I have never had a desire to eat.

That's when it hit me...He doesn't know the recipe or he would be asking, Soooo... in my mind I came up with a brilliant plan..Make a stew out of the ingredients I know he likes and he would never know the difference...My list included onions, corn,peas,carrots,tomatoes,green beans..And a VERY expensive cut of meat his dad and I had sent back with him on his last trip home.

This was a brillaint plan indeed because he would now think mom knows everything about cooking.

Then the next question came up.."Mom ,how do I make corn bread "?
My response
"Stew is best eaten with a fresh baguette"

Finally getting it right...

it seems after almost 9 long years of getting settled in here in Sweden..We are starting to get it right..

It seems the kids are doing better than ever before.
S seems to be getting it right with school and his *cough **cough* new flame.
E has finally found a group of friends that want to be her friend not for what they think they can gain by it.Just simply because she is a terrific person and she is fun to hang out with.


I feel blessed to have finally found my place in the world.
I feel blessed to have my family love me so much that they will travel so far just to see me.

New IS good!

Last week I made a post about not liking the saying "out with the old..in with the new..

This past week has been ALL about the "NEW" and "NEW BEGINNINGS,NEW HOPE"..I was a bit nervous about the week a head and made that post out of my feelings of insecurity.

Well I'm here to say NEW/CHANGE IS GOOD!

We had a great time in Stockholm and spending time with S was fabulous!!
Each time he makes a visit home, I realize just how he is growing and maturing and I have to say I'm impressed with the man he is becoming.I think the "new" in his life has made a big change for the better..But I'll leave that for now!

E has had to face some tough challenges this week and she came through each one of them with flying colors. We ARE SO PROUD OF THE COURAGE AND STRENGTH SHE HAS SHOWN US!!! Way to go E!!!