The other day a young woman said to me, “I love your jeans!” I had to look down to see which pair I was wearing. Blue jeans make up the larger part of my wardrobe. I was wearing a pair of 2001 Levi’s. I smiled…
My daughters were in grade 10 in 2001. I had volunteered to direct their high school’s Shakespearean play. The day of auditions, I stood on the auditorium stage welcoming the students and giving them a general idea of what the audition process would look like. My girls were not auditioning. They sat in the audience watching with, what I would later remember, rather grim faces. They sat through half of the auditions then quietly, as they were leaving, asked if we could have a family discussion when I got home. I agreed.
When I arrived home, the girls were waiting for me in the living-room. Normally, we’d chat while I made supper. I knew they wanted my undivided attention. They were sitting side by side on the couch. The position they took whenever they were making a full frontal attack. As I took the chair across from them, Kaitie cleared her throat. She’d pulled the short straw!
“Mom, please don’t be upset but there’s something we need to talk to you about.”
Telling me not to be upset was their way of letting me know ahead of time that I wasn’t going to like what I heard.
“We’re really OK with you directing the play at school but – ”
Oh no. I’d thought volunteering at the school would be a way to spend time with the girls without being in their faces. Were they planning to tell me they didn’t like the idea?
“if you’re going to be around our friends you can’t wear ‘mom’ jeans.”
The intensely serious expressions on each of their faces remains one of my favourite memories. I stifled the laughter that wanted to bust out of my belly and waited for Kate to continue.
“Would you mind if we went shopping tonight so that you’ll have new jeans before you go back to the school?”
After dinner that night, my three daughters took me shopping. I tried on, at least, a dozen pairs of denims before they saw the ones they liked. I would be replacing my high-waisted, peg-legged George W. Groovy’s with a pair of low-riding, bell-bottomed Levi’s. It took me months to stop feeling like my pants were falling down!
I loved the idea that the girls were fine with me being at their school and around their friends, as long as I didn’t dress like a ‘mom’.
I’ve accepted the fact that winter is not ending this year. To prove it, rather than sharing a Spring type recipe I’m cooking up a cozy low-cal, low-carb cauliflower chowder – again with the alliteration – for all my frozen to the bone Maritime readers. Hope this helps…
Cauliflower Chowder – Low-Carb Low-Cal Serves 4
4 slices prosciutto, cut into strips
¼ cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
THE STEPS:
- Heat a medium stock pot over medium high heat.
- Add prosciutto and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add butter to melt.
- When butter is foaming, add garlic, onion, carrots and celery.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes
- Pour in chicken broth
- Stir in cauliflower and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender.
- Add skim milk and thyme leaves heat thoroughly.
- Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
THE LOVE: I figured since I was giving up carbs in this low-carb chowder I might splurge with some cream but then thought better of it. I used skim milk and the flavour was lovely but feel free to use cream – it would be fantastic!
one year ago: goat cheese pesto popovers
two years ago: buttermilk biscuits
Thanks for reading.
