the tasty secret

watermelon with feta cheese. this unusual combination was entirely new to me when i came to israel 7 years ago. as most other fruits and vegetables in israel, watermelon is a seasonal thing. it is a summer thing. in fact watermelon is summer around here.

the beach cafes and restaurants will usually serve it in slices with feta cheese on the side. and that's how i tasted it first. that is, after i had debated with d for a while that it was the most bizarre combination. i mean, fresh and sweet watermelon with salty and creamy feta...?! anyway, i could have saved my energy and just tasted the darn thing. then i would have known from the beginning, that it is such a perfect combination. and that it actually makes absolutely sense.

-----------------------

i googled it before posting and i think it's safe to say that it's not really a secret. in fact there are plenty of recipes out there with watermelon and feta as main ingredients. but for me it was absolutely new. and i have noticed that that is the case for many foreigners visiting israel, so maybe i will actually surprise a few of you out there.

but - tadaaa - i have my own version of this salad: cut both feta and watermelon into cubes, add roasted pine nuts and some fresh mint leaves and you have a totally yummy, fresh summer salad that takes you pretty much 5 minutes to make. (and it even looks really good, right?)

corner view: best kept secret

i think i might have build up a momentum for this corner view, one i'm afraid i cannot live up to. oops. sorry about that :)

so, i said i would go and buy the ingredients for this - tasty - best kept secret of mine. but i didn't. i skipped grocery shopping yesterday because i was too tired. and the reason why i was tired? well, i realized that the reason why i was so tired, is in fact one of the best kept secrets about me. ohhh. and it's a dark one. ooohhhh. literally.

--------------------------

i have a thing with dark, quiet nights. not very often and not always, but sometimes i have this fear of falling asleep when it's dark and quiet, and i'm all alone. which i hardly am anymore, since we're a family of five.

the summer when i was 19 and just finished high school, i was living on my own. that summer, one night, i had this dream, or feeling, like i was caught in that very moment, when you're just falling asleep, but not yet. this weird moment that you don't realize is there, unless you suddenly become aware of it, and then it's already gone. this night i got aware of it, but it didn't go away. i felt awake in a dream. and someone was in the room with me, but i couldn't move. my body had frozen. i couldn't turn around, shake myself out of it.

i am still wondering if i was frozen from fear, because i was scared beyond believe. or if the whole thing was a dream, that wouldn't let go and only faded ever so slowly, leaving me with a pounding heart and shaking hands. and this deep fear of being caught in that moment again. and sometimes that fear reappears. the fear of fearing.

i have later settled with the believe that i had a good old-fashioned anxiety attack, probably due to all the stress a kid feels when high school is over and the "real" life is set to begin.

that summer i mostly stayed awake until dawn if i was on my own. luckily it was summer, so lot's of summerhouses and vacation gave me the company of family and friends. and those nights i would be on my own, well, thank god i was in denmark, where the first light of dawn appears before 4 in the morning during the summer.

but once in a blue moon this fear of falling asleep returns. i never really talk about it, so most people don't know. the next day the fear is almost as faded and impossible to grasp as those dreams that are caught on the tip of your tongue. but it really hardly ever happens anymore. and anyway, the bedroom looks so peaceful and soft in the early morning light.

-------------------------------

these last two nights, being alone with the kids, i had this fear again. not big time (it helps being a tired mom). nevertheless it just felt darker and more quiet than usual in the house after the kids went to sleep. and i somehow managed to postpone bed time, despite being worn out. and when i did go to bed, my senses were all over the place.

last night i dozed off around 2, i think. then around 3 j woke and i gave him water to drink. and i asked if he wanted to sleep in our bed. while listening to him breathing, quietly, i felt at peace. and i slept good the rest of the night. but a little part of me almost felt ashamed. like it wasn't fair to use my baby to keep my own fears away in the dark night. does it make any sense?

want more secrets? there are plenty to dive into:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian, athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja

summer gift: the books

nope, these are not the best kept secret (this week's corner view theme). the best kept secret is coming up. i just need to get to the grocery store and buy the ingredients. can't show and tell without a photo, you know. until then another amazing gift i have been spoiled with.

d has been in new york on and off this month because of work. which didn't make The Month of Sickness any easier (and i hope this will be the absolute final time i mention it. probably you start to hope that too. sickness is boring).

he went last week, came back for the weekend, just in time to get the bug and start antibiotics before he left again.

he brought back these books last week. i have been wanting for a while, but didn't think i really needed them. but when hewas passing barnes & nobles constantly, i thought it would be a shame to not have him bring me these.

i am not really sure when i'll have time to actually read them, not to mention try the recipes in a homemade life, or the printing techniques in printing by hand. but it's ok. so far i am happy to just look at them and look forward to the things i will try at some point. and to admire their beautiful covers.

summer gift: the floral print dress

my mom gave me this beautiful dress on that one day where we escaped sick children or being sick ourselves (in 3 weeks!) and managed to spent an afternoon in the tel aviv. and then she took these beautiful photos of me and j in our garden today.

he didn't go to kindergarten. we have had another week of sickness. this month seems like it's been the never-ending story of sickness. i know i wrote last week that we were fine. and i thought so, but i was wrong as the entire family is now on antibiotics due to a throat infection. we were given exactly 3 days of somewhat normality before the fever struck the first child again. then the next, my mom, me, d, and finally last child.

as much as i don't like taking antibiotics, or to give it to the kids, i was a stage where i was like "whatever works, i'll take it". i cannot describe my gratitude when the antibiotics started to work, the fever cleared and things started to get better. thank you so much, modern science! if you ever need anything, just let me know.

same goes for you, sweet television. even though i'm pretty liberal when it comes to kids and television (as long as i choose what they see), i do have limits. but they completely vanished as we all got sick again. and again. now when every one seems to be well, it's time for the big time tv-detox in this house. that, i am sure, will not be an easy fight. but i will win: the remote is under my control :)

neve tzedek

neve tzedek means "place of justice" or "garden of justice". it is the name of one of the oldest neighborhoods in tel aviv, founded in 1887 by a group of jewish families looking for a more peaceful place than what they could find in the crowded town of jaffa.

as tel aviv was founded in 1909 - just celebrated its 100 year anniversary - neve tzedek became quickly became the connecting point between the two cities dynamic cities of jaffa and tel aviv, which today. many artists made neve tzedek their home together with wealthy tel avivians looking for peace and quiet. later, during the mid-20th century neve tzedek was neglected, and in the 1960's it was close to being demolished.

luckily that didn't happen, and during the 1980's efforts began to renovate and preserve the old and beautiful architecture of neve tzedek. cultural establishments found new homes in old buildings, among them the suzanne dellal dance and theater Center and the nahum gutman museum, which is actually located in the home of this russian born painter, sculptor and writer.

today neve tzedek is a fashionable and popular upmarket residential area. the little street of this amazing place is now again filled with creativity: artists' studios, galleries and little shops selling hand made crafts and art. and of course plenty of great cafes and bars alongside cozy and amazing restaurants.

------------------------------------------------

a little note: i have decided to take a break from my "this red monday" posts. maybe they will return, maybe they will change to another color, maybe i will come up with something completely different. we'll see... :)

daan's pirates

some time ago daan from maandagdaandag had a giveaway with gray boy's underwear with a pirate print. and i won! yihaa! that would be the first and - so far ;) - only time i won a giveaway.

so i was very excited when i received the present. and i love it. and so do the boys. which means it will probably not just be used as underwear, more like all around summer wear. they didn't even fight about how to divide it.

thank you so much, daan. it is really beautiful :)

they didn't love my photo session though, so i had to bribe them with pringles (yes, on occasions it happens that i bribe my children, if you don't, please tell me the secret).

bits of purple

taking time

this week's word: time. what a challenge. check out other participants over at anairam's blog.

corner view: 7:45 pm

i didn't follow much blogging for the last week, and missed out on the 7:45 pm photo sessions over the weekend. but i'm not going to miss another corner view.

so i am using these - 7:45 pm (or pretty close), thursday a couple of weeks back. the kabbalat shabbat, which means "receiving the shabbat". most kindergartens in israel do a kabbalat shabbat with the kids on friday mornings. two of the kids are chosen as ima and abba shabbat (mom and dad) and will bring the challa bread. then they do the traditional prayer, light candles, drink the kiddush wine, and pass a piece of bread out to each child, everything followed by singing and dancing.

sometimes my boys play kabbalat shabbat at home. sitting with kippas doing the whole thing. i think it's adorable.

israel is a very polarized country when it comes to religion. there is an unfortunate mix of religion and state. you cannot marry civil here. it must be religious - either jewish, muslim or christian. or you'll have to go abroad. like we did. and the common interest in what religion you belong to is overwhelming for someone who grew up in an extremely secular country like denmark. where, if you are religious, you most likely keep it to yourself, and it's considered a private matter.

i was not baptized, but i grew up with christian culture and traditions. religion has mainly been like a cultural phenomena to me. like visiting amazing catholic churches in sourthern europe. or experiencing a buddhist prayer in thailand. and here in israel there are the most sacred historical and religious sites. there's just something about walking down via dolorosa in jerusalem for example - even for a non-religious person.

many secular jews in israel are very anti religion. probably because it's being imposed on them against their will. like no public transportation on shabbat. or very investigative questioning into intimate details of their life when they apply for marriage in israel (which is through the orthodox rabbinut only). just to mention a few. some end up despising the religious people. others are absolutely relaxed about religion, but would still feel very bad - for historical reasons - if they were to celebrate christmas (where they would have no problem participating in a buddhist celebration, for example). and then there are all those who are not considering themselves religious, but still don't eat seafood, bacon or mix meat and milk. because it just doesn't seem right to them. and there are quite a few who never practice judaism except for one day a year, when they participate in the yom kippur fast.

so, beyond being partly responsible for the mess and insanity going on in the middle east, religion is also a very present issue among all the jews living in israel. it's present in the public institutions as well as in many of the private choices and considerations most people make on a daily basis. and it is present in my childrens play at home.

we're not religious. not keeping kosher or keeping shabbat. we do appreciate traditions, though. so these boys are celebrating easter and pesach, rosh hashana and new year, chanukka and christmas. like last year, where we had chanukka candles, chritmas tree, kippas and santa's hat - all in one merry mess:


more 7:45 pm corner views:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, virgina, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian, athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara

this red monday: beach art

phew! what a week. there's nothing so draining as having sick children. except for having sick children while being sick yourself. but this weekend we slowly got back to normal life. which of course includes the beach. and going to the beach includes collecting shells and stones.

i have posted about this shell collage before, but it can handle another go. i made it a while back. little shells added while paint is still wet. it's an easy and a fun way to use a bit of those shells some of us just can't help bringing back home. and it's a cool project for kids too: just paint and add the shells. should they fall of when the paint dries, then glue them back on. but in the process it's just paint and shells.

with this post i hope it's safe to say, that i am back as usual. with one little change: i have decided to answer questions in the comments section itself (i wish blogger would add that cool comment thread feature they have on typepad).

wishing you a happy and healthy week!

still hibernating

just a quick hello to say thank you for or your well wishes. we're still recovering. two out of three kids are fine, crossing my fingers that they'll stay like that. one is getting there, but still weak. me too. not sick, but exhausted from nursing sick children. luckily my mom is back in business and is making things happy. so i can rest a bit more.

those little round things in my previous post are a little mystery to me as well. i started finding them on the ground and wasn't sure where they came from. then i found one still attached to a little flower branch. i assume they are the seeds from some wild plants that grew next to the porch, but dried out. we'll see if they re-emerge. they are tiny, but really pretty.

i am looking very much forward to take a look at all the revealings of the true self in yesterday's corner view. but for now i am still hibernating. and i will work on my own revealing, but trust me, you don't want to see the true me after this past week.

take care, have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the summer.

still life

life is on hold here. a flu is working it's way through the family. even my mom who is visiting these days. i was down, now i'm up, meaning tending to the kids. best part is, that it seems pretty quick in and out of the body. so, i hope we'll be through this very soon.

until then, another still life. nature treasures from garden and beach on display on the porch.

have a wonderful week.

corner view: places of reflection

of course there is the sea. theoretically that is the place where i would go to reflect. think. dream. empty my mind and let it fill with fresh air - from a summer breeze or a chilly winter storm.

but even though i tell myself over and over again that i need to take that time, go on my own, then that moment, where i can just leave, it doesn't seem to happen much. not right now in this life with little kids, work from home and work in the home. it will change, i know. life does and at some point i will have that time again, time to me, time to go to the places where i can truly block out the noise and the brain clutter.

so for now reflection takes place in those little moments throughout the day where i suddenly find myself in a vacuum of time: driving to do some grocery shopping while listening to a favorite song in the radio, filling up with good memories and happiness. or in the train to meetings in the city, watching the landscape passing as a visual expression of my mind, letting thoughts and ideas pass.

or it happens when i do those daily tasks where the hands just work and the mind is free. like hanging the laundry, which by the way, is one of my favorite tasks. there's just something really great about hanging laundry (whereas folding it and putting it away is one of those things i just cannot get done).

so i cherish those moments of reflection that are given to me throughout the day. i breathe them in until they are suddenly interrupted, as someone hunk at me to move faster at the parking lot of the grocery store, or when the train stops in the hectic city center and i'm pushed through the gates to the street. or when someone has the sudden urge to run laughing through my laundry, bringing me back to here and now.

so, follow along as i will take a worldwide tour to places of reflection:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, virgina, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian, jeanette, athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, satsuki

tel aviv street art: klone

this face can be found several places in tel aviv. this specific one i found in nahalat benyamin in a little entrance alley. it is facing an exact copy on the opposite wall.

see more tel aviv: street art

this red monday: panton's flowerpot

i love this this lamp from verner panton . it's a classic. only problem would be to pick the right color, as it comes in so many great colors.

we had a couple of his topan lamps in my childhood home in the orange-red shade. they really worked well with those orange and yellow giant flower printed curtains. which i, by the way, still have. not as curtains, but the fabric. my mom has saved so many great things, including the fabric that made up our curtains, bedspreads, sheets etc. back in the 70's.

take a look at the verner panton online museum if you want to know more about this creative and inspiring man.

-----------------------------------

other shades of red (and white and yellow) this week are these absolutely adorable photos with red outfits from the cherry blossom girl. but all her other outfits are darling as well. right now she's showing this fairy-like diy white flower head band. not sure i could pull it off, but i like it. a lot.
also adorable is this red candy cat brooch from godrillhas21. he's also making some absolutely fabulous mobile phone straps, like this tiny baby on banana.

have a great week!

corner view: staple food

beans. i only recently discovered how fantastic beans are. D got completely into adamame beans 3-4 years ago. and that was my eye opener. i started adding beans to salads and other dishes. since my twin boys turned three last year and suddenly decided they wanted a say on what they put in their mouth (preferably deep fried or really sweet), i started using beans as my secret super ingredient. meaning i cook beans (or lentils or qiunoa), mash them and mix the paste with either minced meat, potato or tuna. then i add veggies, like zucchini, carrot, peppers, add egg and flour and cook on a pan, like meatballs. and the kids love them! and i love them too. not only because they taste good and are really healthy, but also because they make up a meal-in-one item, and the kids can eat them outside, like finger food, which is a really important factor these days, as we eat quite a lot of meals in the garden. and quite a lot of those meals are pretty spontaneous and not really around the table.

... potatoes and zucchinis

...mixed with well cooked white beans

...and voila!! absolute yummy finger food for the kids in the garden.

all i need to add then is some fresh veggies cut out, or some fruit for dessert - and they had a good and healthy meal!


i myself love to make bean salad. this one is my latest favorite. it's black beans, cranberrie beans (optional) and quinoa, with feta cheese, coriander and finely chopped onion. the dressing is made from olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a touch of sugar. it's eatable perfection!

------------------------------

a very common sort of stable food in israel is wheat or barley. but honestly, i'm not the biggest fan myself. as it is not allowed to cook on shabbat according to judaism, there are quite a few dishes that involves slow cooking. people can then prepare the dishes and place it in a slow cooker or oven on a lower temperature before shabbat sets in friday evening and the dish will be ready to eat for lunch on saturday (shabbat).

D's family are morrocan jews and so the traditional shabbat lunch at his parents house is the sephardi type of chamin (chamin is the name for the warm dishes served on shabbat, literally meaning warm). in a pot you mix barley, wheat or rice with meat or chicken, potatoes and eggs. everything turns brown during the slow-cooking process, even the eggs, and it - honestly - doesn't look that beautiful (if you ask me). i do like the meat, though. it's very tender and soft from the slow cooking process (which - by the way - in my opinion is the best way to prepare kosher meat. kosher meat is drained from blood and i don't think it is used best for a steak as it is not as juicy as non-kosher meat. but in these slow cooked dishes it works perfect!)

and then there's the cous-cous. obviously that plays a big role in a moroccan household. i don't make it myself, but we often bring it back from D's mother. she makes it with sweet chicken, that is, chicken cooked with raisins, nuts, carrots, apricots and spring onions. absolutely delicous!

but this is the middle east, so let's not forget staple food number one: hummus! chickpeas mashed and mixed with tehini and olive oil is eaten as a meal on its own with salad, eggs and pita breads. or used as a side dish with pretty much every meal that involves meat and/or bread.

more stable food from around the world:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad, caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, virgina, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian, jeanette, athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, satsuki