Summer travel: Hoboken + a pier playground

About three weeks ago we went up to NY to visit my brother and his wife.  Early on Saturday morning, the temperature was above the triple digits, but we crossed two rivers (from Brooklyn to Hoboken, NJ) and skipped Manhattan this time.  And although it was extremely hot, we managed to enjoy the view.  

The really cool playground, called Pier C is on a small pier across from Manhattan's Battery Park area.  Although the skies were hazy with heat, lower Manhattan was still very visible. The eco-friendly playground is surrounded by tall trees and other vegetation, which helps in keeping it cooler than its surroundings. 

So long, Hoboken, stay pretty!

In the kitchen: Greek chicken wraps

I love Greek food, in fact, Mediterranean cuisine is my favorite cuisine. I grew up eating Lebanese food, so the taste of olive, eggplant, yogurt, mint, garlic, and lemon are with me constantly. The other day, I had an abundance of hydroponic Boston lettuce in the fridge, and immediately thought of something Greek, like these chicken wraps. Here's my recipe.

Ingredients

1 package of organic chicken breast tenderloins
3 limes or lemons
2 cups of yogurt
4 cloves of garlic
Greek seasoning (in a container)
1 cup of mint
1/2 cup of diced cucumbers
1 cup of cilantro leaves
1/2 cup of thinly sliced red onion (has to be red)
one package of Boston lettuce (or any other butterhead type lettuce)
salt + pepper to taste
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken: Wash the chicken breasts in the juice of one lime. Take 2 garlic cloves and grate them, instead of chop them. This releases the juice and aroma much faster. Coat the chicken with the grated garlic and season with salt and Greek seasoning for up to one hour. In a skillet, heat up some butter instead of olive oil, which tends to splash everywhere when overheated in a skillet. Place your tenderloins and cook until the edges are white and the center is slightly pink (it means you are done cooking that side). Turn them and finish cooking the other side, about 8-10 minutes).

For the Greek sauce or dressing: In a food processor, place yogurt, olive oil, mint, cucumber, remaining garlic, and the juice of 2 limes, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. You can add more lime if you like it more citrusy. I personally do.

Wrapping: Take one piece of lettuce and layer it with one piece of chicken, a spoonful of onions, cilantro, and Greek sauce and take a bite! The crispy texture of the lettuce with the tangy-minty bite of the dressing paired with the garlic chicken makes this recipe extremely savory. And you can eat the entire badge, since there's no starchy carbohydrates anywhere. It's guilt-free and loaded with flavor.

And if you are still in the mood for more Greek, take a trip down to Santorini.  Liz's images and photos will blow you away.

A darling wishlist

Darling Clementine is a lovely shop for little ones.  Here you can find all sorts of unique and darling gifts.  Here's what I'm shopping for in my little head.

A Darling Clementine Wishlist 

Jersey jumpsuit / Pants / BAGGU striped handbag / Hat / Organic Eiffel Tower Tee / Chalkboard Silhouette Girl / Woodland Memory Game / Stacking Sailor Toy / Hip Hooray Pretty in Pink

Motherhood: On souls

Being a mother has recently opened up some moments for deep thought and reflection.  I've always been a believer of transcendental things.  My daughter will soon be 15 months old.  Like pieces of a puzzle, her personality and temperament are fully taking shape in front of our eyes.  Every new sound, gesture, disclosure is met with wonder, but also with a familiarity that is sometimes revealing.  I feel like I've known her a very long time.  As if our souls have somewhat embraced each other in another life.  Is this what they mean when they say your children choose you?  Or deeper in reflection:  Do souls congregate with other familiar souls for the purpose of closing the circle of life?

I believe in reincarnation.  In the evolution of souls. Evolution is not just for living things.  If cells have a (micro-life) purpose, and are programmed to fulfill that purpose, why couldn't souls be same?  I believe souls have a (macro-life) purpose.  And sometimes, this purpose doesn't get realized in one lifetime.  Am I making sense?  I hope I'm not scaring you.  We are human beings after all, and our intellect is given to us not just for the purpose of elevating our material yearnings. We also have the freewill need to connect and (potentially) merge with the Unknown, whether you call it god,  fate, alchemy or mother earth. And the road to this is raising questions and finding answers wherever you think they hide. Actually, our purpose in life should be to attain harmony and communion of the material and spiritual halves. To me it makes sense.  To you, something else makes sense. It's fine too.

I just like to believe that when they say that God doesn't give us more than we can't handle, or life has a way of working itself, what they really mean is that each of us is born with a lifemap that facilitates our journey. And souls are part of that lifemap, guiding us in our search for harmony.  That these souls have something to contribute.  That they've been with us for a while.  A nurturing (symbiotic) relationship similar to the one inside the body.  At a cellular level.  That these souls are with us because we have lessons to learn, love tales to weave, and more importantly, experiences that will help these souls and us, close the circle of life.

My daughter's soul has been with me for a while. And my mother's too. I know this now.

Have a happy weekend

Are you watching the Summer Olympics broadcast?  It turns out most of the world watched it live, except us.  It will be broadcasted tonight. When I was kid in the 80's we would all gather around to watch the Olympics, especially at night with dad. The idea that these games took place every four years was so unrealistic in my kid's mind, that I thought they only had one lifetime shot at the events. It was like the Halley Comet's path in '86, an event so out of this world, that all the kids at school would talk and write school essays about their experience seeing the Comet fly by.  My parents had to explain to me that most athletes had about a decade of their lives to appear in the games, and even then, I would be so caught up with the age factor and trying to figure out how many chances they had left, that it felt like schoolwork when watching the games.  I hope you have a happy relaxing weekend.  Here are some links which I have enjoyed this week.

cute candle stakes


there's no place like home, Rome!


the dumbest Summer Olympics moments


this recipe for lavender lemonade (le sigh)


these handbags from Building Block


the hollow sounds of an aching heart 


illustrations of crabs & lobsters 


the gender neutral style of Shiloh Jolie Pitt


want to eat here while in London for the Summer Olympics

Shop alert: Chewing the Cud

I recently discovered this amazing shop online.  It reminded me of  when I was pregnant with Emilu and was dreaming up what I thought were wild entrepreneurship ideas. I have always like things that you can reuse a hundred different ways and times.  So one idea was to use  plastic rental bins for moving.  I actually thought people, especially urban dwellers would be uniquely attracted to these, but I never calculated, they could become a flourishing business.  Same with these beautiful printed fabrics used as gift wraps. They are so clever, green and a lasting gift. 

It proves that some wild ideas are really good, actually.  You just have to put forward your hardest effort to make them happen. 

Kids Zone: Pretty tents

These kids' tents are so unique and creative. Kids love a tucked corner just for them, where make-believe happens. And they can be fun and even soothing, as they retreat into their own space to think, create or just play.  I know these images have been posted thousands of times all over the internet.  But, I couldn't help but feel like a kid again with these pretty tents.   I think I know where to put one. 

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{Images via MPMK}

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