In the Land of Childhood

 

It’s Thursday night, I should’ve have been working, or doing something else important and productive. Instead, I joined a childhood friend killing the evening by doing absolutely nothing. The weather was gorgeous, and Central Park was just steps away, so we called it a “mental health night”. Hey, the therapist needs a break too! Maybe even more than the clients!

Let just say we had our own therapy session, chatting, laughing, (shhhhh, eating ice cream) and and walking down the childhood memory lane. And that path was surely long. My friend and I know each other since we were 8. Along the way, we kind of forgot we weren’t blood related, and by now we are just family (the exact relation is unimportant, but the ties that bind us are un-breakable).

As we walked through the park, carefully navigating among the tourists (ughhhh, LOL), we talked about how certain locations, in the park itself, would always hold some specific memories. Which memories? I’m not sharing today, that was definitely “just girls” talk. But I will share the one about the Pond. In my mind, it will always stand along with my memory about going through chemotherapy treatments during the spring and summer of 2007. In between my 6 chemo sessions, right before the next treatment was scheduled, when I would feel strong enough to venture out and walk a bit in the city, I’d take my son (who just turned 10 at that time) to the Pond. He had just received a big motorized boat toy for his birthday and was eager to try it in action. Those quiet late spring and summer afternoons spent sitting on a bench (that’s all I had the strength for) watching my child play by the water were highlights of those 10 months being in treatment. In a stillness of each moment, savoring every seconds but hoping for many years ahead, those were the days when time ceased to exist bringing together the past and the future into one present “now”, experiencing joy in whichever form I had it, praying that life itself would never stop to exist…

But enough about sad and complicated things! It was still a perfect summer evening, and some fun was still ahead of us! Right where all childhood memories lead to in New York.

FAO Schwartz toy store.

This is where we met Grayer, Lola, Boo and Grover. And, no, they didn’t have those funny name tags attached, but they did speak to me, in that sweet plush whisper, introducing themselves and asking us to come out and play.

And we sure did.

Lola was a bit shy but very girly, we immediately “clicked” and felt like sisters.

I could’ve stayed in that sea of pink forever.

Grayer was definitely a fearless leader of the pack and needed a proper “hello”.

We did find some common ground though, not all “go-getters” are as scary as people view them (and I think he secretly likes me).

Boo was a bit moody, but I managed to talk her into a small chat, after that, we were fast friends.

I think we have some common personality traits.

But Grover was my favorite. With his plush skin and a big heart, he was everything I was looking for.

We talked and and talked for hours.

It was was love at the first sight.

Unfortunately, Grover came with a price tag of a whopping $70, so I had to leave him behind. Fickle me!

Can somebody pleeeeease buy me a teddy bear?!

I will pay in dessert!

 

What’s Cooking This Week

When we think of our childhood, we also remember some particular stories, toys and books of course. Today’s recipe is based on beloved children’s classic “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie”. It has an extra twist that will definitely be popular with parents – it’s full of green vegetables that are just so cleverly hidden. But you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it, it’s basically a green smoothie in a cake form.

Mini Spinach Cakes with Limoncello Glaze and Strawberry Mice

(Makes 5-6 mini cakes):

2 cups of fresh spinach

3 eggs

2 cups of flour (I used Cup4Cup gluten free mix)

1 1/4 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of olive oil

1 tspoon of vanilla

2 Tbspoons of lemon juice

3 tspoons of baking powder

1/2 tspoon of salt

Glaze and strawberry mice:

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 Tbspoons of limoncello (or lemon juice)

5-6 large strawberries

chocolate chips

sliced almonds

Twizzlers candy

blue or black gel pen

small cookies

Put away your mixer for this recipe and take the blender out. Blend together fresh spinach, eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar and lemon juice.

Sift together flour with salt and baking powder, then gradually add it to the green smoothie. Batter will be kind of thin (don’t worry, it will make the cakes very fluffy). Grease the cake forms and pour the batter in about 3/4 way.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before applying the glaze. To make it, mix together powdered sugar and limoncello or lemon juice and sprinkle over the cakes.

Let the glaze harden before placing a strawberry mouse. To make the mouse, put a strawberry on its side and slightly cut the bottom to let it stand on its own. Insert sliced almonds to make the ears. Use small toothpicks to insert a chocolate chip for a nose and a piece of Twizzlers candy for a tail. Use a gel pen to make the eyes.

Place each mouse on top of a mini cake and add a small cookie next to it.

If I give a mouse a cookie, will it come back for more?!

I say, definitely, if it sits on top of this spinach cake.

Enjoy!