She was five. My daughter was five when she painted this cup. When she put her hand in the paint and made a print on the side.

“There is no way,” I thought. She just painted it yesterday, or Saturday, or last week. No, she was five.  She will be eighteen in March. I stood at my sink washing this cup as I have done over and over, dozens of times.

The date on the bottom 1998.

She will be off to College in the Fall. The little five year old that painted this cup in blues, browns, reds and oranges and wore little white apron, with long blond hair, or “white” as she called it.  The five year old who was called “Pie” by her older brother and still is to this day.

Growth.

As I looked out the kitchen window there it was staring me in the face, growth.

Apparently, it did happen.  How did I miss it?  I tried with all my might, looking out that window to remember 1998 and “Pie” when she was five. It saddens me that the memories are scattered. So unclear.

A cup and “Pie”, they make a nice pair. I love them both.

I often post what I make for dinner to facebook.  I don’t place the recipe, just a quick pic.  I have been asked (by Russ) to give out the recipes.  So here you go:

1 cup frozen corn kernals

8 skin-on, bone in chicken thighs

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons EV Olive Oil

1/3 pound bacon chopped

1 pound small potatoes, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 cup chicken stock

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

fresh chives

fresh dill

fresh flat leaf parsley

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons hot sauce

Sprinkle chicken w salt and pepper, heat EVOO in a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the chicken,skin side down, and cook until browned. Remove chicken to a plate. Add the bacon to the pot and cook until crisp, then remove to plate. Add potatoes to the bacon drippings and lightly brown for a couple minutes. Add the corn, onions and brown 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock. Return chicken and bacon to the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes. Combine the cream cheese with the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Add the cream cheese mixture to the succotash and stir well.  Add the hot sauce.

You can use a toasted sourdough bread at the bottom of a bowl with the succotash on top.

We went to Bella Rose last night in Haverstraw.  Our friends had already established residence in the front window seating area when we arrived.  Two brown leather club chairs, some bar stools and wooden seating with cushions flanked with a swanky chandelier. It was very comfortable and a nice area for a group of seven. I had La Rossa Moretti, a double malt Italian beer that I thought would be too bitter for me.  Of course, I am supposed to be staying away from gluten so having a beer at all was a big no no. And when the first was finished I said yes yes to another.  This dark icy cold ale had just enough sweetness to make it go down perfecto accompanied by Bella Rose pizza, calamari and chicken tender appetizers.  The Parting Glass Band played Irish music as we talked the night away and ended our visit perfectly with a cannoli and  delicious hot coffee from coffee lab roasters in Tarrytown.

Before the night was over, we went across the street to Union Restaurant where we met Pierce, the bartender who told us about his bicycling tales across the ferry to Lewes Delaware. Having a home in Fenwick, we knew all of the spots he spoke of with a twinkle in his eye as we missed being there.

Gift for my son, check.  Gift for my daughter, check.  Gift for my husband, not so easy.  The only other Valentine’s Day gift I would like to create this year is for my 95 year old grandmother.  I wrote a piece about Grandmother’s last year for patch.com: http://nyack.patch.com/articles/a-tribute-to-grandmothers-on-mothers-day.

My grandmother has dimentia and is in a nursing home in Tampa, lovingly visited by her youngest daughter everyday.  She says she is beautiful and has many boyfriends, my Grandmother not my Aunt. Well, she might say that too–not sure.

I need inspiration.