Don't get MAD. (No, seriously. Don't.)

This week on Mom.me, I wrote about our little MAD magazine oops. (Oops!) 

Last Sunday, while Hal was picking up the week’s NYT and bagels, he plucked a little something for Archer as a surprise.

It was MAD magazine, Star Wars edition, and we all rejoiced when Hal knighted him with the issue, as if our childhoods were suddenly hand in hand. Even my dad scurried over to check out the issue.

“Oh, man. I LOVED MAD magazine when I was a kid,” he said.

“Me, too!!”

“Me too!”

“AND! It’s a Star Wars special!”

“Oh, man. I LOVE STAR WARS,” we all said in unison...

...Fast forward to thirty seconds later with Archer and my dad marveling over Spy vs Spy.

I snapped a photo of the moment, a grandson and his grandfather bonding over a timeless periodical. It was truly something.

“Is that the cutest?” I said to my mom.

“The cutest,” she answered back.

“So cute.”

“Cute.”

Of course, I hadn’t even thought to LOOK at the magazine. I mean, why on earth would I do that? Mad magazine was a silly magazine full of comics and lols… intended for kids?

At least that’s what it was like when I was a kid?

I think?

(Wasn’t it?)

I was actually talking to my Mom about this today when she emailed me the following....

"I loved MAD magazine and still remember my favorite take-off which was of the Flying Nun, a show with Sally Fields where she played a flying nun in Belgium called Sister Betrille. The name of the spoof was Sister Brazil, the Flying Nut, and still, to this day, it cracks me up... I think the main problem is that TV was clean in those days...there wasn't any cable TV, so the spoofs were a little edgy, but mostly clean. My parents even loved MAD Magazine!!!!!  Now....way different!!!..."

I always equated MAD to Beavis and Butthead which I was OBSESSED with as a tween. I mean, my first JOB was dressing up like Butthead with my BFF (Beavis) and waving to people on El Camino Real outside the "Halloween tent."

BUTTHEAD FOREVER!

Memories are a funny thing. We have different eyes at different ages. We judge from different comforts, relate based on experiences that have and haven’t happened yet. I’m sure I read and saw 7878798 things that I wouldn’t want my kids to read or see, and survived to… well… not remember any of it.

Same with my dad.

Same with my mom.

And Hal, who read MAD religiously at Archer’s age.

“We all did…”

MAD magazine, do you read it? Do your kids? Is my mom right? Is MAD's content THAT much more advanced because content EVERYWHERE is that much more advanced? I mean, my parents watched Cheers and Seinfeld when I was a kid whereas we watch Broad City (my favorite favorite) and Girls, you know? 

Very different material to work with, satire wise. Very not for kids. 

So what's up? Have the times changed or did we just... grow up? You can read the post in its entirety, here. 

Also, here is a photo of Fable reading (not MAD magazine) to our dog, Zadie, who occasionally dresses like a lady...

...Have a great weekend, everyone!

GGC

#TBT Jump, Joy, Rainbows

We had a double rainbow on Monday. It was right over the house and it was so epic, I got emotional. I had a full-on what does it mean moment as we were standing in the rain looking up. 

They don't last long, of course, and Hal and I were scrambling to get our shoes on and help the kids find their shoes so that they could go outside to see it and then it was like, well, screw shoes... our socks will just have to get wet, I guess... 

So they did. And we got wet, too, and none of that mattered of course and we stood there in the wind with our awe until the double faded to single faded to grey. 

I've been a bit scattered this week trying to come back to earth and landing, instead, somewhere in space, but the week is almost over and rainbows are a thing and it's been so beautiful here in Los Angeles with the rain and the sun and the skies... 

I didn't post any music this week, so, because it's throwback Thursday, I thought I'd post THIS "music video" we made a few months back that features my brother, David's song, Oh Heavenly, which completely rules. (My brother recorded this song many years ago, and then, a few months back, the girls got dressed up and we made a music video.)

Fable's hair was super long then and Revi's purse was full of blocks and SO heavy that I had to unpack it when she slept because I was afraid it would smother her in her sleep because she HAD TO SLEEP WITH IT ON HER ARM OR ELSE.

Oh! And the slow motion was totally Fable's idea because of the whole slo-mo setting on the phone camera. Technology is fun.

"1, 2, 3... ACTION!"

GGC

Eat Well: The Vegetarian's Guide to Cooking Meat

The following post was written by my mom, WWW. Thanks, Mom!

P.S. This is the first post in a series of posts I've been meaning to publish for all you vegetarian parents who cook the occasional meat dish for your kids. In my case, "meat" means fish and poultry, because pork and beef are where I draw the line in terms of cooking. (Sorry, kids. When you're 18 you can experiment with beef.) 

Ethically raised chicken (see below) and fish, however, have been served more and more in my house as of late, and while I really only know one chicken recipe (Tamara taught me how to cook chicken last summer) my mom knows a million recipes because only recently (relatively speaking) has she become a vegetarian. 

Also, and perhaps this is for another post, it is hugely important to me that my kids understand what it is they are eating and where it comes from... how it got there, how it was killed, etc. 

I stopped eating meat at age 12 because I could not NOT think of where the meat came from when I ate it and what it meant to consume another body in order to sustain my own. It is important for my kids to at least acknowledge where there food has come from and to pay homage to the creature they are consuming. 

"Thank you, Chicken. Thank you, Fish."

Sorry this is so long. I'm done now. 

For now. 

Take it away, WWW! 

***

Last week, I had the joy of helping Hal with the kids while Rebecca was in Peru and then San Francisco. I am incredibly lucky to have the flexibility in my work schedule so that I can help when needed. And although it would be amazing to live in the same town as my grand kids, there is something special about going there to stay; it feels almost like a mini vacation when I spend a few days, or a week, with the family in their house. My purpose is clear, my mind is present, and my regular life seems a million miles away.

I’m going to sound like a grandma now—I can’t help the gushing—but all four kids were amazing all week and I couldn’t be prouder of team BARF. We cooked together—made pancakes and cornbread, shelled English peas, and made heart-shaped chicken. 

Since the little ones are in preschool until 5, Archer, Fable and I had some really fun quality time together. We played Monopoly twice, (I was the big looser) Uno, Simon, and we built a really cool Lego building (Fable now has massive Lego skills like her brother.) And I was thrilled to be invited to Bo and Revi’s school on Wednesday to help make Chinese Lanterns for Chinese New Years. 

Of course I made some mistakes…forgot to take blankets to preschool one day, put the snack in the wrong spot in backpacks, left a bottle of my argan face oil open near the Sprout computer, which of course Bo decided to paint with (luckily no damage was done)…but all in all, it was an incredible week. 

I am in awe of how Rebecca and Hal manage to do everything without any help and both work full-time. I had big plans of going on outings while the kids were at school…hitting up the LACMA, the Getty Villa, taking long walks in the city and having lunches in sidewalk cafes.  But as it turned out, only once did I go to lunch (with one of my childhood friends) because by the time I finished answering my emails, cleaning, doing the wash, and getting things prepped for dinner, it was time to pick up the kids.  I remember these days so well…looking at the clock and realizing that it was already 2. Whew! Huge respect to all of you.

I know I don’t eat meat, but Rebecca’s kids eat chicken once a week, so while I was with them, I resurrected my favorite “kid chicken” recipe—a sure-fire favorite—and I want to share it with those of you who do eat meat.  I bought my chicken from Whole Foods, since they have The Five Step animal welfare rating. (I am very impressed with this rating system, and highly recommend watching this video.)

Whole foods also has already pounded breasts, but if you buy these there or anywhere else, make sure you pound them even more, to  about ¼ inch.

I have never known a child not to like this recipe. I made 5 huge breasts, and there wasn’t one drop left. The trick to this recipe is pounding the breasts as thin as possible (1/4 inch if you can). By pounding them, the tough protein fibers are broken down and the cooking time is short, ensuring the chicken to be both tender and juicy. Fable LOVED helping me make the chicken. She dredged the breasts with the flour and coated them with the breadcrumbs/Parmesan mixture. (She didn’t want to do the egg part because it was “icky.”)

Ina Garten’s Parmesan Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or already pounded breasts)

1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 extra-large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

1 ¼ cups seasoned dry bread crumbs (Italian)

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil (or a combo of olive oil and butter)

Pound the chicken breasts until they are ¼ inch thick.  You can use either a meat mallet or rolling pin.  (I put the breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a rolling pin.)

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, pour the egg and water mixture.  On a third plate, combine the breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese.  Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture, and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil (or combination of oil and butter) in a large frying pan on medium heat.  When nice and hot, add chicken, two breasts at a time, and cook for several minutes on a side, or until cooked through (I found it takes about 3 minutes on a side.)

Add more oil and cook the rest of the breasts. (Put the already cooked breasts in a warm (200 degree) oven until all breasts are cooked.)  Serve.

Enjoy!

P.S. Ina Garten suggests serving the chicken with an oil and lemon dressed salad, but I served the chicken with pea tendrils and arugula dressed with, my obsession, lemon miso salad dressing. 

Love,

WWW

"It's just another moment in your life."

a favorite moment from this past weekend

I know it's just the Oscars and the Oscars NEVER seem to get it right (no offense, Hollywood, but you're kind of a douche), but Boyhood, to me, was so special and so completely unlike anything else that I really wanted it to win all the things. Director, specifically. Best Picture, too.

It felt so alive and groundbreaking, and I find Ellar Coltrane so special and Linklater so humble and un-hollywood-esque. 

Anyway, I really loved Boyhood and wanted to give it one last shout-out. 

Because SNUB CITY. 

By nominating Boyhood, the academy gave itself the chance to recognize a movie that is not just good but revolutionary—a film that reconsiders, in surprising and rewarding ways, the medium’s relationship with time, with storytelling, and with its audience. It’s both a singular work—no one but Richard Linklater could have made it—and a universal one, reflecting the elemental formative experiences of nearly every viewer, even those who don’t, on the surface, have a lot in common with Mason or Samantha or Olivia or Mason Sr. It’s the crowning work of a crucial American filmmaker and a profound statement about the lives we live. 

For Boyhood fans, this is a must watch: 

Congratulations to everyone who worked on the film, specifically IFC who bankrolled Boyhood from the very beginning AS WELL as distributed it. Boyhood is as much about its behind-the-scenes magic as it is its on-screen impeccability. For those of you interested, this interview with Jonathan Sehring re: risk/reward a la funding Boyhood is wonderful. 

Lesson: Find someone willing to take a risk. Make them your partner. Go forth. 

(Stretch first, maybe?)

Cue: Hero by Family of the Year. 

***

Last year I watched a lot of movies and compiled a Top Favorite Films of 2013 post, which I am planning on doing once again this year as soon as I get to watching the rest of the 2014 lineup... if that ever happens.

GGC

"You are a mother and a sister."

It’s our first day in Lima and we're in the district of Chorrillos, where twenty-year old Rosa lives with her parents and two year old son, Gustavo. She has just shown us around her home. It is not what I'm used to in my world, and while it startles me at first when I see that there is no running water, no bathroom, she takes pride in her space the same way I do when showing people around mine.

“This is our bedroom. This is where we eat dinner… "

Rosa is new to the program. She found out about Krochet Kids through her sister, Jacque who is feisty like Rosa and lives a few houses up the hill. Jacque was one of the early participants of Krochet Kids.

There are two cats with two different litters in her home. Babies are everywhere. Animals roaming the streets, in and out of doors that do not close. The women here know very little about birth control, and as for the animals, well... "there are no vets here, and even if there were, no one would neuter. Our men think it's cruel to take away an animal's manhood..."

The tiny kittens meow under a Christmas tree that still stands and we marvel at the tiny paws.

We hop the bus and make our way down the hill, towards the market, where Rosa will shop for ingredients for today's meal.

Patricia is our translator for the day. She's also a mentor at Krochet Kids.  (All of the KK mentors are Peruvian.) She is poised and strong, the kind of woman you would want as a general -- to lead you to battle, to fight the good fight. I am struck by her presence in the same way I was struck by Rosa's when first kissing her cheek. (Kissing cheeks is the Peruvian handshake.) 

Rosa with her mentor, Patricia

Birth control education is a huge priority for Patricia. 

"These women don't learn about sex or birth control so that has been one of my big things here--educating the women about contraception...  I love children but I don't want any of my own. Most of the women here think I'm crazy because that is what we do here. We get married and have babies. I'm always trying to explain to them that it's okay for different women to want different things."

For a culture so influenced by the machismo, these are women who take very little shit. They are tough and beautifully proud. They are sisters, all. Determined, supportive, a team.

Lima is a desert, which surprised me. I assumed it would be green. Lima, lime... green... I pictured Machu Pichu and the surrounding foliage--but Lima is not that. Lima is sand and dust... with hues of brown and yellow, the occasional bougainvillea... but it is also filled with color. Homes are not white and brown but green and pink, blue, orange... green.

Rosa's home is lavender on the outside and a deep blue within--proof that richness lives where creativity reigns and color creates its own quiet revolution. Rainbows built on sand and dust.

This is my first experience on a trip like this. I have a hard time leaving my family and I feel, in some ways, that the differences I make in the world start at home--in my household--and through the topics I write about and organizations I support locally. But after the ONE trip in DC last year, my eyes were opened to the importance of raising global citizens, in setting an example for my children when it comes to crossing over lines and borders, ideas and institutions. 

What is happening outside our lines? And for those of us who have the platform and financial means to do so, how do we support our sisters across the world? How do we use our platforms to elevate the voices and stories and causes of others--GOOD causes -- the kind that empower communities to empower themselves? 

Several people have asked whether a KK is a missionary organization, and I wanted to respond to that because, although the founders of Krochet Kids are indeed Christians, they are not here to impose their beliefs on others. They are Christians in the true sense of the word -- people who have chosen to devote their lives to empowering those less privileged. The non-Peruvian workforce, as well as the KK interns, live in the same neighborhood as the participants, bringing people together to elevate each other and their communities so that they can move on, go back to school, start their own businesses and ultimately flourish on their own terms. 

We have arrived at Aida's house, another Krochet Kids participant. Aida and her children live on the roof of her mother’s house. Rooftop living isn’t uncommon for the city since it never rains here. They have a kitchen and a bedroom which they all share, but unlike Rosa, access to running water and a downstairs bathroom. Aida started working for Krochet Kids recently after finding herself unable to work the local market because of her infant daughter.

"How can we help?" we ask.

“No need. You sit…” they say in Spanish, as we take a seat and wait for lunch to be served. It has been almost three hours and Rosa and Aida are hard at work in Aida’s kitchen, cooking us a traditional Peruvian dish of rice and corn and potatoes with this amazing cheese sauce I am totally forgetting the name of.

Aida is a 31 year old mother of four with a one year old daughter who has just learned to walk. Aida’s older daughter, Ingrid, explains to us that she walked early and everyone is so proud of her.

“She started walking at eleven months, ” she tells us in Spanish. 

I do my best to speak what Spanish I can remember, which, well... it's been a while.

"Lo Siento. Mi Espanol es muy mal..." 

I can understand, though. Somewhat. And I can ask questions because that is what they teach you in high school Spanish class. They teach you how to ask all the questions.

When lunch is served, we all sit down together. There are six of us including Sarah Goodfellow (talk about an apropos name)--who is married to KK's Peru Director, Blake--and Patricia.

"No carne?" they ask me, as I clean my plate, save for the chicken.

"Lo Siento. Soy Vegetarian."

They laugh. Silly gringa.

Patricia speaks better English than I do and translates for all of us during lunch, which is otherworldly delicious and one by one we go around the table, exchanging stories.

Rosa tells us the story of her pregnancy – how she was 18 when she got pregnant, how her boyfriend left town as soon as he found out and how she spent her entire pregnancy trying to track him down, only to find him months after her son was born.

"I sued him for child support," she explained.

He began paying immediately and now visits his son once a week. Rosa dropped out of school when her son was born and has been working with Krochet Kids for the last eight months, and come spring, will go back and finish high school before enrolling in college, where she plans to study law. 

"That has been my dream since I was a little girl," she tells us. "To become a lawyer."

                                                                               ***

It is day two and we are touring the Krochet Kids intl. Headquarters, just a short bus ride away from Rosa and Aida’s homes up on the hill. It is no accident that HQ are so close to the women it employs. 

"We wanted HQ to be as accessible as possible to its participants," Blake tells us.

Blake moved here four years ago with Sarah, who is kindness personified, and their four children, giving up all stateside conveniences and living humbly with their staff, interns and mentors. Over the years, they have grown their staff as well as their product line and expanded their headquarters. They're the kind of people who make me proud to be a person.

Sarah and Blake Goodfellow

The Krochet Kids premises have grown considerably over the last four years. What was once one small building is now four, including a warehouse, a separate daycare facility, and multiple sewing rooms boasting crochet machines and tables for cutting. The women take turns overseeing operations so that everyone gets a chance to lead, and once a week a mandatory seminar takes place in the upstairs meeting hall--where women are trained in finance and business--because KK sees itself as a launch pad.

"We train our participants to go out on their own. To start their own businesses. To run their own lives. Our goal is for them to be self-sufficient after three years. They are all independent contractors so they get to choose whether or not they want to come into work each day..."

But everyone is here. On time. Hard at work. 

We are shown around the various levels. Rosa is here and she skips over to say hi. There's music blasting in many of the rooms as we make our way around the various levels. (I get a chance to meet Leanor and thank her for my orange hat.)

The mentors are here, too -- all with the same fierce-mama-vibe as Patricia. They are employed by Krochet Kids and help each woman one-on-one, working as aids with women in abusive situations, guides for teen moms, and friends to all. They are professional mamas to their sisters and it's beautiful.

The children in the daycare are coloring when we walk in. Some are dancing and a little girl is doing a puzzle on the floor.

The daycare worker shows us some of her handmade toys and puzzles, made from boxes and magazines, egg cartons and beads… the children are warm and like to hug and everyone is happy, here.

Like, REALLY happy. When the kids are old enough to go to school, they will do that, but for now it's art and music, learning to count, and more art. 

(attempting) translation of my tattoo

This has been my favorite part of the day. The kids remind me how much I miss my own, remind me how important is is for a mother to feel like her children are well cared for while she is working.

It is almost lunch time now, and the children will soon be reunited with their mothers, who join them every day during their lunch breaks...

***

It's day three with the KK team, and the women are gathered in a circle, clutching homemade gifts.

This week's mandatory meeting is about love. Valentines Day was Saturday and the women were assigned "secret valentines" to deliver  hand made gifts to, along with affirmations and words of amor. (The only rule was that all gifts must be handmade.)

One women stands and starts to speak, passing her gift to its recipient along with praise...who in turn passes hers along, and so on around the circle...

"You are an incredible mother.... a great friend and confidant..."  

"You make me laugh and I love your optimism..."

"Thank you for being a great friend. You are so beautiful."

...And I am reminded, once again, how similar we all are. How important rooms full of women are for the world. Circles of people are powerful--when everyone is able to see each other, something happens. We are as exposed as we are included. Even when it feels uncomfortable, we cannot help but look around. 

I recently gathered with my mother's women's group. That was the last time I found myself in a space, similar to this, where everyone was asked to share. To stand up and speak, three words or three-hundred, or whatever decided to come out. And I wonder why this isn't a part of every woman's work week... of every person's work week... the coming together, the inhale, the exhale. It feels exactly right.

The handmade gifts are amazing, of course. There are vests and dresses, shirts and jewelry, artisan pieces made with cardboard. 

"You are like a sister to me," the women say to each other over and over. "You are a mother and a sister."

This is an organization built on the concept of comeraderie, community and sisterhood. Krochet Kids’ intent is to build a bridge between unemployment and self sufficiency, equipping women in vulnerable communities with the resources to go out on their own. Many are saving to open their own businesses, purchase their own homes, go back to school. Some are survivors of domestic abuse; many are single mothers. Others are married with husbands who drift in and out of the picture. There are women with the mouths of many extended family members to feed, lesbians with live-in partners who, after being ostracized in surrounding communities, have found community, here, with co-workers and mentors. Mothers and sisters, all. 

I am honored to be a part of any/all projects that empower girls/women (and men/boys) to empower themselves. Because I grew up with all of the things. I had built-in mentors and access to sex education. I had the option to go to college, but also the option to choose not to, to find my education on my own.. I had all the options. The tools. Many of us were fortunate enough to have been given all the tools. And for those who were not, we can share with them our hammers and nails, so that they may build a better world for each other, for their children, for themselves. 

The goal of this trip, beyond spreading awareness for this incredible brand, is to sponsor 50 women for the year at $35 a month. By sponsoring a woman you provide her with top-level training from the Peruvian staff and partners. 100% of your donation goes directly to the program. Click here to donate. (Thank you!) 

You can also go shopping, which I will be posting a little bit more about next week with some of my favorite items, currently on sale. ED: I am writing this post in my Arizona headband (handmade by Julia Villegas) which I adore.

***

If you have any questions about Krochet Kids, I would be happy to answer them in the comments below. You can also read posts about our trip over at Dooce, Whoorl and Rage Against the Minivan. Thank you all in advance for your support.

With Sarah from whoorl.com, Heather from dooce.com, Kristen from Rage Against the Minivan and the Goodfellows, our gracious hosts. 

...And to Krochet Kids, thank you for inviting me into your world, for introducing me to the wonder of the Peruvian people and culture, and for creating a business model that empowers, elevates and educates its employees. I am proud to wear Krochet Kids and am humbled by your service and community. 

GGC