Battle Hymn of the Western Childhood

Post Edit: I just watched an interview with Amy Chua and she seemed a perfectly reasonable, intelligent woman. Maybe the reviews were really just a lot of unfair hype. But then again, now I will plunk down my dollars and read the book. So maybe all of this unfair hype is good for Amy (and her pocketbook) after all. Then again, maybe I'm getting it all wrong. See why I could never be a Tiger Mother? I'm always second guessing myself. Love, Kitten Mother

There's a lot of buzz about a new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Amy Chua, a Yale law professor, wrote this memoir to her Chinese style parenting. I haven't read the book but I've read alot of the hype. My Dad sent me an article yesterday from the Wall Street Journal that was titled something like if not exactly, "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior." I was expecting ten ancient Chinese secrets for rearing children to be happy, healthy, and loyal family members. Instead, I read a monument to abuse. I'm sure that the reviews include only the most sensational elements of the story, so I spent more time reading up on Amy Chua and her methods. I will read the book before I cement my views, but here's my impression. Her basic premise is that Western parenting has gone soft. Children that are not at the top of their class and rising are virtually dunces. Children who do not spend two to three hours on instruments (piano and violin only) are doomed to mediocrity. Her theories are odd but her practices are offensive. She threatens to burn her children's toys, withold birthday parties and gifts, and calls them garbage-all this if they can not master a particular piece on the piano. The children, unsurprisingly, conform and perform. This is a totalitarian regime and mama means business. Amy pats herself on the back as a successful parent. After all, she believed they were capable right from the start, even when there hands slipped clumsily over the piano keys. There are no play dates, no school plays, no television. There are instead performances at Carnegie Hall and Ivy League futures. But does that make a child successful? What about the magic of childhood, the only time when you can paint pictures, kick a ball, or sing operettas all day even if you are lousy at it ? And at what point do we allow our children to discover what they are passionate about? Why not buy a dog to train if it is only hard, certifiable results that we are after? Success-or happiness for that matter-isn't always about a showy performance and a stellar resume. It's about figuring out who you are, what you love, how to be kind and connect with other human beings. It's learning that you are good enough, even if you never make it to America's got Talent or land on the Fortune 500. And if you're good enough, then everybody out there is good enough. And you'll treat them that way.

Here's what I wrote my Dad about the article: Pop, I read the article with interest but in the end I concluded that her style is abusive. Many Chinese mothers are decrying her system, stating that it does not represent their methods or philosophies. I'm sure that her girls will grow up to be conventionally successful, but I worry that they will be unkind, unfeeling, uncreative, disconnected and unresponsive to conventional displays of affection. What do you think, Dad?

Then my Dad wrote me a kind email and came over for ice cream. That's the kind of Dad he is. Soft and Western and absolutely perfect. I hope your parents were just like that too.

"Above all else, children need to know and feel they are loved, wanted, and appreciated. They need to be assured of that often. Obviously this is a role parents should fill..."

Ezra Taft Benson

Gingerbread Granola

I spent the weekend in California, in Huntington Beach specifically, visiting my little sister and her family. I can't decide if I want to come home and aggressively jump into my workpile and ferociously make and conquer new goals or.... not. Maybe I just want to move to Huntington Beach and collect seashells, take up the ukelele, and chase pigeons all day. It might be just as fulfilling. It might even be more fulfilling. What is the meaning of life, by the way? Is it six-mile jogs and flax smoothies or is is it relaxation and double cheeseburgers? Because I could really get into either. Just point me in any direction and obsession kicks in. But hang on. I'm starting to suspect that the meaning of life is all of it: the double cheeseburger, the flax smoothie, the six-mile jog and the beach bum sloth.

While I'm sitting on the fence thinking about such important and meaningless things, I think I'll have some granola. Gingerbread granola, to be exact. It's just the right thing for wafflers like me, because it's about as healthy as that flax smoothie I mentioned earlier and almost as satisfying as a double cheeseburger. I love the warm wintery combination of molasses, cinnamon and ginger. It makes January seem a little more celebratory and a lot less serious. Make some of my granola and have it on a big bowl of yogurt with frozen berries. Or not. Have it on triple scoops of vanilla bean ice cream with caramel sauce and whipped cream. Either way you'll be getting it right. Here's to a New Year of success and failure, work and play, gluttony and diet. Stick around.

Gingerbread Granola

Estimated Cost: $2.00 for 8 servings

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon dried ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

4 cups old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients except oats. Add oats and toss to coat. Spread onto foil lined cookie sheet. Bake for 28 minutes, stirring every seven minutes. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.

Next Up:

Better for You Pizza

Sesame and Soy Roasted Broccoli

I promised you some healthful January food. But it's no good if it isn't delicious. So rest at ease; this broccoli is delicious. You might be thinking that my New Year's Resolutions have made me a little loopy. I might be a little loopy, but it has nothing to do with my New Year's Resolutions. (Besides I didn't make any.) This broccoli is not your typical microwaved, soggy, cruciferous florets. Broccoli that is roasted at a high temperature becomes slightly sweet and delicately crispy with a pleasant, nutty aftertaste. With a drizzle of soy and sesame it really is delicious. So make it in January because it's healthful and full of fiber and antioxidants-just like I promised-but make it all year because it tastes really, really good. Besides it will make your mother really happy if you tell her you had broccoli for dinner and that you liked it.
Money Saving Tips: Check the price on loose broccoli and bagged. Sometimes the bagged is cheaper and it's a great time saver. Sesame oil is pricey but a little goes a very long way.
Sesame and Soy Roasted Broccoli
Estimated Cost: $4.00 for six generous servings (about 1 cup each)
1 (12 ounce) bag broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Line cookie sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread broccoli on cookie sheet and coat drizzle with olive oil (or coat with cooking spray) and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast broccoli for 10 minutes. Drizzle with sesame and soy and roast for10 minutes longer, or until broccoli is browned in places and crisp tender.
Next Up: Better for you Homemade Pizza

Ringing in a New Year

Before we toss out the butter and the cream, I wanted to show you my New Year's Appetizer Party. It's just the kind of food that we swear off in January. Good bye spinach and garlic stuffed mushrooms.

Sweet Chili meatballs, it was nice knowin' ya.

My Dad's cottage cheese dip. We won't say good-bye. Just au revoir. Cottage cheese dip, you're invited to the Super Bowl party.Baked brie with French Bread and blackberry jam. I'll miss you.

Hot Jalapeno Popper Dip. We were just getting to know each other.

Veggies and Sweet Curry Dip. You might be allowed to hang around still.

Chips and Salsa. I could never, ever give you up.

Teeny-Tiny Chocolate Chip Cookies. They're kind of harmless, don't you think? Never mind the fact that I can eat 87 in one sitting.

See how innocent they look in the hand of a five year old niece?

Happy New Year! There are lots of good, healthy dishes waiting around the corner. (And plenty of bad-for-you food too. I gotta be me.

And one more thing before I go. Take a look at the snow we woke up to yesterday. I live in the desert. Those are palm trees that you see covered in snow.

PS This is my parent's pool. This is where we hang out in the summer when we have days that are approximately 100 degrees hotter than yesterday.

Be back soon with fiber and antioxidants.

Happy New Year 2011

It's a little late to be posting a recipe for your party tonight, but you can still pull it off. It's Jalapeno Popper Dip and when you eat it, steam will come out your nose and your face will turn red and you will snort like a bull. I love it when that happens. If setting your tongue on fire is not your idea of a good time, then use more green chilies and less of fiery peppers. This morning I've been working on my New Year's card, as opposed to a Christmas card which I can never manage to send. (Do you want a New Year's card? Send me your address at prudencepenny@aol.com) I've been looking at all of our best memories of 2010. But then I realized that I failed to include any pictures from this last week. This week was kind of an important one. So I'm putting my pictures here instead. And since they aren't going on a card, I can include the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let's start with the ugly. This is when I dropped my cell phone in the pumpkin pie because I was on the phone with my sister Leslie while baking. I should never ever bake when I talk to Leslie. Haven't I said this before?This is our rag-tag Star Wars-y Nativity. We have a Jedi costume, two Princess Leia costumes, a belly dancing costume, and a real authentic galibea (spelling?) on West from my trip to Egypt. This is West with his new electric drumset. I think he must have seen a movie with some cool kids and their boomboxes. Well, he can try.

Sailor has been wanting an American Girl doll for years, but between you and me, I've always thought they were too pricey. Then Santa stepped in. The charges cut out cookies all by their lonesomes while I finished up some pressing work. Can't remember why it was so pressing now. I should have been cutting cookies with this two. A little boy breakfast party. I love having parties that aren't birthday parties. The expectations are low. I can live up to that.
The same party, next day with the itty-bitty neighborhood females. Same menu. Same low expectations.

We almost went biblical and built an ark to escape the rains. But then a beautiful rainbow appeared in the backyard. Then it started raining again. But that doesn't make a good end to the story, does it? Let's end with the dip instead.Here's that dip I was telling you about. The idea is to capture everything you love about jalapeno poppers in a scoopable form. I tried a couple of versions and we liked this hybrid version best. You can top it with breadcrumbs to mimic the coating on a popper, but it seemed like overkill to me if you are going to serve it with tortilla chips. It's better with just another layer of melted cheese. I'm going to make another batch right now. Guests arrive in 4 and 1/2 hours. Happy Spicy New Year!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Estimated Cost $5.00

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 sour cream

4-8 jalapenos, minced

1 tablespoon lime juice, plus 1 teaspoon lime zest

1 cup shredded jack, plus more for the top

1 (7 ounce) can diced green chilies

crushed red peppers, optional

Grease a pie or quiche dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust heat by adding crushed red peppers. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with extra cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

Do you Mastermind too?

I am in the throes of a serious obsession. Don't try to help me because I don't want out. Yet. I haven't written and I won't call. There will be no homecooked meals or midnight movies or tidied rooms till this thing runs its course. It's Mastermind and Sailor got it for Christmas. She hasn't had a chance to touch it since except to set new codes for me. Have you ever played Mastermind? If not, don't bother unless you are willing to ignore your offspring, your hungerpangs, your Christmas decorations, and your blog. You've been warned.

PS Play online right here. It's not quite the same as handling the candy-colored pieces in your hand, but it'll do till you can run to Target.

PSS I'll be back with Jalapeno Popper Dip. You can dip with one hand while you play Mastermind with the other.

What to do after Christmas.

How was it, everybody? Was Christmas everything you hoped it would be with sugar on top? We had a lovely, happy day around here. We did everything in slooooooooow motion to make the magic last. We spent four and 1/2 hours opening presents. Don't worry-it's not because we spent our retirement on a million presents. Everything we opened, we stopped and played with together. Slowly. With enthusiasm. And patience. We put together A Hello Kitty puzzle, played Star Wars Guess Who, banged on West's drumset, dressed up Sailor's doll, read a chapter in West's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and another chapter in Sailor's "Sisters Grimm, then "designed a dress for Sailor's fashion studio, used West's science kit to make laboratory snow, doodled in Sailor's sketchbook, read Far Side comics, and rollerskated up and down the neighborhood in between. I'm doing it this way from here on out. Of course, there's nothing new to do today since we've already done it all. We can solve that. It was unforgettable. And sweet. And very, very Merry. Hope yours was too (with sugar on top).

Today I'm browsing around Blogher and I'm hoping you'll do the same. They've got an incredible prize for a lucky someone who comes poking around: A full conference pass to BlogHer Food11 in Atlanta, Georgia. Click here to peruse and enter. You can't win it if you're not in it. So give it a go!

But there are so many reasons, not just the chance of a prize, to check out Blogher. They've got expert advice, light hearted stories, discussion panels, recipes-you name it. If you're thinking of starting a blog, they'll help you get there. If you've got a blog, but you'd like it to be better (um, me), they've got writing pointers for bloggers. They've got their Month of Features page, which aptly highlights sidedishes (jalapeno creamed corn!) for December and will switch to Health and Fitness for January. Speaking of January, if you need a shot in the arm during the bleakest month, check out the Kids Give me Hope feature for some sweet warm fuzzies. I dare you not to smile. My favorite new feature I saved for last. Own Your Own Beauty is a movement to redefine what beauty looks like. This month's theme: Creativity.Real women are standing up for authentic beauty that comes from within-not the kind that comes in a bottle, a bag, or a plastic surgeon's chair. I love the motto: "We are the beautiful people. All women. Everyone of us. And that's Amazing." Be part of the change. Check out some of the posts, tips, and pictures. Take the pledge to Own Your Own Beauty. I'm doing it because I have to raise my daughter in this image obsessed world. We can help be part of the change for the next generation.

There's something for you to do today while the kids are using up their batteries and showing off their Christmas loot. I promise that it's much more fun than taking down Christmas trees and throwing away wrapping paper. That can all wait till tomorrow. Or never.

Be back tomorrow with Jalapeno Popper Dip. Thats right you heard me.