"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."

Eleanor Roosevelt

[what's cookin'] Risotto Milanese or Food and Gaming

I currently am running a group of players through the Call of Cthulhu campaign, Horror on the Orient Express.  It's part of our usual Monday Night gaming group, so we only get together about once a month to play my game.  As such, I do sometimes look for ways to make the night memorable outside of just what happens in the game, itself.

One such way is to look at ways to incorporate snacks and drinks into the setting.  Since the Investigators are traveling across 1920s Europe, I've done things like bring tea and sandwiches, themed cocktails, and the like.

The party just entered Milan during the last session and while I had hoped to have had some sort of Milanese snack or similar to offer, I found myself too busy to put something together.  But the idea had not left my head even after the game session.

While digging around for typical Milanese delights, I found this recipe for risotto.  As I actually had all of the ingredients, or their vegan-friendly substitutions, on hand, I decided that I wanted to give it a try.  And oh! am I glad that I did.  It's delicious!

Vegan Risotto Milanese

Ingredients:

Olive or any mostly neutral-tasting oil

1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

salt

2 cups short-grain rice

2 large pinches saffron (I like the Trader Joe's brand)

4 cups of Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken broth

1/2 to 1 cup dry vermouth or a dry white wine

2 tablespoons Earth Balance

1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Violife Parm

Instructions:

In an Instant Pot, press the SAUTE button and allow it to come to heat.  Add a good drizzle of olive oil and once shimmering, add the diced onion to the pot.  Sweat the onions thoroughly, add a pinch or two of salt if needed.  

While the onions sweat, add the saffron to the broth and allow it to steep a bit.

Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil, adding more oil if needed.  Allow some of the rice to brown a bit, so do not go too vigorous on the stirring.  After about four minutes, deglaze the pan with the vermouth or white wine.  I do not usually measure out the wine exactly.  Rather, I pour enough into the pan to deglaze the browned bit from the bottom of the pot.

Next, add the broth and the saffron to the pot.  Close the lid and set the iPot to MANUAL for five minutes.  Be sure that the release valve is locked!

After the five minutes are up, turn off the Instant Pot and open the steam release.  You can do this in bursts if you prefer.  Once the steam is released and the pot is no longer locked, carefully open the pot.  Add the Earth Balance and Violife to the hot risotto and give it all a good stir.  Add salt to taste.

Optional: I do love to add a little green to my risotto dishes and while that would not be exactly traditional, the fact that this is already a veganized version means that we've pretty much thrown tradition right out on its ass.  So, throw in a half cup or so of frozen peas right after opening, if you want.  Fresh parsley could also be a tasty addition.

A ridiculously personal ramble

I did something tonight that I haven't done in a long time: I cried in my car. A few big sobs, some careful dabbing of wet eyes with a paper napkin, and some sniffles that stayed with me until I drove back home. 

---

Last night, really early this morning, my son woke up vomiting. Poor guy, he kept complaining of a hurt tummy, and had a few more bouts of vomiting before daybreak. I didn't get much sleep after that and spent most of the day cuddling and soothing the sick little boy. 

As soon as my husband returned home, I jumped into the car to make my Weight Watchers meeting. It was there that the incident happened that lead me to rush to my car to find a safe place and to cry. 

No, it wasn't a matter of bad news on the scale. Rather, it was after I spoke up in the meeting that I noticed a regular attendee talking to another woman about me. While I could not catch everything that was said, what I did discern wasn't exactly positive. When I made eye-contact with the listener, she quickly averted her eyes from mine and began to blush. So I'm left doubting that they were speaking complimentary about me.

I felt immediate embarrassment, followed quickly by emotional pain. I was a target, and I didn't like being singled out for snide commentary. 

With the pain welling up inside me, the only thing I could think to do was to try and make eye-contact again, but this time to let them know that their gossip hurt. Not that made it any obvious difference. 

The moment the meeting ended, I shot up and made for the door. Before I could even get to my car, a few tears had already fallen. Could my sleep deprivation have contributed?  Could I have just been a touch too sensitive?

Here's the thing: I am embarrassed that I rushed to my car to cry. I'm a grown damn woman. But I also realized that after years of being a target, and after thinking that part of my life was done--I can safely say I'm still sick of it. Lack of sleep or no, being singled out for even minor ridicule sucks. 

It left me wondering, could it be that I've been using my weight to hide?  Have I been so desperate to be ignored, for fear of such awful criticism, that I've kept myself fat?  Let's face it, it's easier to be ignored when no one really wants to look at you...

A fews hours have passed now and I'm able to reflect on the incident with a lot less sting. I'm still embarrassed. Boy, howdy!  But I'm also wondering if it is even worth mentioning, if I should even share these thoughts.  Or if I should just suck it up, try and grow a thicker skin, and move on. I really couldn't care any less what those women think. It's never crossed my mind before. It's the being targeted aspect that gets so deeply under my skin. 

And now I'm repeating myself, so it's probably best that I close. 

[peaceful parenting] Adventures in Potty Training

I asked Declan if his diaper was okay. He shook his head. 

I asked him if I could remove it. He launched himself into this position and mumbled, "I don't want to take off my diaper."

[peaceful parenting] Bomem

I have long been fascinated by language. Now that Declan is becoming quite the chatterbox, I am often tickled by his mispronunciations and his currently understanding of words. 

I know that I have already forgotten some of his "cute-isms" so I am jotting down what can come to mind now for future enjoyment:

--Bomem: n. Bottom

--Emek: v. To open (no longer in current use)

--Perperp: n. Toilet paper

--P Balls: n. Paintballs

[in stitches] Hand sewing, finishing touches

[jet set] Packing for the United Kingdom, a few thoughts

Our family will be enjoying a rare (for us) treat this summer: an actual get-out-of-town vacation!  Tickets have been purchased, hotels and B&Bs booked, car rental reserved…  There is no backing out now!  As we are traveling with a three year-old, we will not be sticking to a strict schedule.  We have a list of sights we’d like to see, but are going to play it by ear when we arrive.

With most of our flexible agenda decided, my thoughts turn to other preparations—specifically packing!

Four people, fourteen days, four different overnight locations.  We’d like to travel as light as we can.  Ideally, each person should have no more than one bag.  Preferably, that bag should be carry-on sized.  I have yet to inventory our luggage, though, so we may have to settle on whatever sized bag we have at our disposal.

Most of our stay will be in Bed & Breakfast establishments, so in room laundry is limited to washing a few items in our ensuite sink.  I certainly do not want to spend any of my time off at a British laundromat, so it’ll be necessary to pack a variety of clothing.  Thankfully, most of our trip will be spent enjoying museums, so no need for specialized garments (beach clothing, ski attire, et cetera).

The last out-of-country trip that I took, I decided to try the valet packing technique/bundle wrapping.  I used tissue paper and folded the clothing into the requisite bundles.  It worked beautifully in keeping my clothing mostly wrinkle-free.  But this time around, I want to give the rolling method a go so as to not feel pressured to completely unpack at every destination.  (Did I mention that there are four?)

Since I’ll be folding and rolling my clothes, wrinkle-free fabrics seem the best bet.  Fortunately, there are a lot of beautiful, classic knit and jersey items that are also mostly wrinkle-free.  I decided against wearing vintage for this trip because we may have to check a bag and lo! would I be upset if I lost any of my favorite pieces.  Anyway—on to the list!

I find that for a trip like ours, two pairs of shoes are needed.  No more than three should be taken.  I’d like a pair of shoes well suited to hours of walking.  This pair should also be able to handle cobblestones and rougher terrain without compromising my comfort.  I used to own such a pair—purchased specifically for our trip to Ireland back in 2010, but since we moved into our haus I haven’t seen them.  If we cannot find that pair, I may be stuck with bringing my well-loved Birkis.

The second pair will be my Dansko sandals.  I’ve been able to wear these beauties all day at Disneyland with 100% comfort.  I know that they’ll be great for long walks, but probably not too grand on cobblestone.  However, they dress up nicely and we do have one night at the theatre already planned for my daughter and I.

IF I bring a third pair, I’m thinking of packing my running shoes.  In the off chance that I am able to go for a jog, I’d like to be prepared.  Sure, I could also use them for some touristy errands, but we’re going to the UK.  To many Brits, the sneakers with everyday clothes is an immediate call-out for the touristy American—a designation I’d like to avoid when simply glanced.

Now that shoes are settled, it’s time to think on the clothes.  I like to break it down thusly—first choose a handful of classic neutrals that layer and pair well.  A classic tee, black trouser, neutral tank, cardigan… 

Next, select some separates to add color and interest.  Again, I go for classics over trends, since I tend to dress more retro-inspired when I’m not wearing actual vintage.  Finally, choose a handful of accessories to finish the look.  Scarves will be my go-to here.

Outer wear is easy in my case as I still have the raincoat I purchased in Ireland.  It’s a beautiful gray, looks great, fits beautifully.  I did also recently score a red London Fog ladies coat that I will likely lend to my daughter.  Either option works great and will be worn on the plane so as to be immediately available upon landing, should we need it, so it will not take up valuable space in the suitcase.

Here is what I have on-hand, besides the items listed above, that I’m considering:

• White with red polka dots blouse
• Gray, plain cardigan
• Gray, denim, sailor-style pants
• 2 black, convertible dresses.  One is from a company that no longer exists, sadly.  The other is from Hayley Starr.  Both also double as skirts.
• Black, lacey, long sleeve top
• Two camisoles: one white, one black
• A variety of scarves
• Classic sliver Tiffany necklace
• Classic silver Tiffany charm bracelet.

Here is what I’d like to round out my list:

• A colorful dress—ideally, a wrap dress or other classic silhouette
• One more pair of pants—ideally in a neutral color, perhaps capri-length
• A classic long sleeve white tee
• One or two more shirts—ideally a boat neck with stripes, or a colorful classic blouse

So far, I think I’m on the right track.  If done right, I’ll have multiple outfit combinations to wear that will easily fit into a carry-on sized suitcase.

Do you strategize your packing?