Here it is almost Labor Day and I have yet to write about the most iconic of American summer foods: corn on the cob. Well, how much is there to say about corn on the cob? More than you might think. First of all, you should know that I am a corn snob, and I get that from my mother. No grocery store corn for me, thank you very much. Fresh corn may … [Read more...]
August 24, 2010 By
The Arts Come Alive at Summer Art Camp
This post originally appeared earlier this week on my new blogging community, The Chicago Moms. I hope that you will swing by and check out some of great voices being featured there. Arts and crafts has long been a summer camp staple, but imagine a camp where kids paint, draw, dance, and create with professional artists in real studios … [Read more...]
August 23, 2010 By
Last Day of Summer Vacation: Millennium Park!
When you live in a thriving urban suburban community as I do, it is easy to get lazy about venturing into The Big City. This is a shame because when there's no traffic -- uh, which is never -- it is a mere 15 minute drive down I-290 -- known locally as "the Eisenhower" or, even more informally, the "Ike" -- to the heart of the Chicago Loop. … [Read more...]
August 19, 2010 By
Fall Fashion Round-Up
It's a good week at West of the Loop because my mailbox is full-to-bursting with thick, glossy magazines trumpeting the top fall trends. I love this time of year when, despite 90 degree heat, I run to the store to try on chunky cardigans and dream of all the boots I am going to buy. Of course, like some of you, I'm a thirty-something mom who … [Read more...]
August 16, 2010 By
Surviving a Near-Death Experience
What would make a woman say that being stabbed ten times and nearly dying was "the best thing that ever happened to" her? Floating in shark-infested water for two days after a boating accident is "a great blessing?" It can be, if you live to tell about it. My fellow temple board member, Tribune reporter Barbara Brotman, wrote a column in … [Read more...]
August 15, 2010 By
Another Zucchini Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Cake!
Last week, my Rabbi and his wife hosted a cookout at their house as a social event for our temple's governing Board. As I do in any potluck situation, I signed up to bring a dessert. I thought about what to make all week. Southern-style jam cake? It does show off my homemade jam, but remember last time I made it? I didn't mix the jam in … [Read more...]
August 14, 2010 By
Am I Raising a Perfectionist?
This post originally appeared earlier this week on my new blogging community, The Chicago Moms. I hope that you will swing by and check out some of great voices being featured there. My father came to visit us recently just because it had been a few weeks since he had seen my kids. That’s the kind of grandfather he is: adoring, devoted, … [Read more...]
August 12, 2010 By
Want Some Loot?
I have a new sponsor for West of the Loop that I am really excited about it, not only because it is a service that I believe will be of interest to my readers, but also because it is a business started by a cool enterprising mama. The company is called mamaloot. Mamaloot is a daily deal site that offers hefty discounts on the kind of things … [Read more...]
August 7, 2010 By
Stuffed Zucchini: Going Vegetarian, or even (gasp!) Vegan
Recently, I was out with a group of moms at a social event for our preschool board and I took it upon myself to order some appetizers for the table. Without asking if anyone was a vegetarian, I ordered some chicken kabobs, and when they arrived, I practically pushed one of the kabobs at the woman sitting next to me, who had not eaten dinner … [Read more...]
August 3, 2010 By
When Mama is Away: Part II
While I was away on my girls' trip this past weekend, I was hearing reports from my husband of not only a vomiting, feverish Zuzu, but also of an irrational, tantrumy J.R. I knew that J.R. had been going through a big Mommy phase for the past, say, three and a half years, so I attributed his bad behavior to my absence. What I didn't know … [Read more...]
August 2, 2010 By
When Mama is Away: Part I
My husband travels quite a bit for work. He is usually gone at least one, and sometimes two, nights a week. Any mom with a husband who travels frequently will tell you that everything bad – from sick kids to a flooded basement -- seems to happen when Daddy is gone. Dealing with the crises on your own becomes a Mommy Badge of Honor. But what … [Read more...]
