Loving the Liebster Award

“And the nominees are…”

As an avid movie-goer, I watch the Oscars every year hoping my favorite movies, actors and actresses get nominated for awards. So imagine I am wearing a gorgeous full-lenth gown as I accept my very first blog award, the Liebster Award.

On the virtual red carpet with two of my daughters.

Thank you to L. Marie for enjoying Bmore Energy enough to nominate it for a Liebster Award! L. Marie earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and aspires to publish her fantasy for kids and teens.  Check out her blog El Space-The Blog of L. Marie to read her interviews with other writers and her thoughts on writing, movies and animation.

History:  It seems the honor is bestowed from one smallish blogger to another.  On a Sopphey Says post, the Liebster Award is thought to have originated with a German blogger (liebster means dearest in German) and, even though the rules have changed, its essence hasn’t.  As Sopphey says, “There is no real award, no judges, no website with an official team to congratulate you. It’s mostly what you want it to be. If you receive the award, you can 1) accept it and 2) pass it along. It’s that easy.”

Awards Speech: Not only do I want to thank L. Marie, but I’d like to thank everyone who has stopped by Bmore Energy. I appreciate the great feedback and comments!

Rules:  In accepting this nomination, there are a bunch of rules to follow. When the sharing is finished, I’ll be picking up my imaginary Swag Bag and heading out to a virtual After-Awards Party. Wonder which celebs I’ll run into?

The rules are…

First, accept the award, post a Liebster Award image on the top of post, say who nominated you and include a link to that blog site.

1. List 11 random facts about yourself.

2. Nominate 11 other bloggers for the Liebster Award and list their blogs sites (linking to them is great.)

3. Notify the bloggers of their award.

4. Ask the award winners 11 questions to answer when they accept their Liebster Award.

5. Answer the questions left for you by the blogger who gave you the award.

Eleven Random Facts:

up in the trees on a ropes course

1. I love to climb.  When I was high up on a ropes course I thought, I’d like to stay up here awhile!

2. Being picked last in gym for team sports, I never considered myself athletic.

3. I learned how to ski at 17 and it’s one of my favorite things to do.

A friend and I at Smuggler’s Notch, VT.

must-have movie snacks

California amusement park, Anaheim, CA

4. I love rollercoasters.

5. Raisnets poured into popcorn is my favorite movie snack.

6.  A friend and I backpacked through Europe after college.

7. I am a human chameleon.  I can talk to anyone, anytime about anything.

8. I find most insects fascinating and like to pick caterpillars and grasshoppers.

about to go white water rafting in Austria

holding The Very Hungry Caterpillar

9.  If there’s someone belting out pop songs in the car next toyou, there’s a good chance it’s me.

10. I love to dance.

11. I wept when Kate DiCamillo, speaking to a lecture hall full of writers and illustrators at an SCBWI conference, said, “Stand at the door…accepting that you are an artist.”

 

Questions I was asked by Linda Marie along with my answers:

1. What is one thing you want to do to help change the world?  Since I don’t have the resources to solve world hunger, I’ll settle for sharing my passion for the written word, art, music and nature one person at a time.

2. What is your favorite adaptation of a book to a movie?  The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.  I got chills when the characters emerged from the wardrobe into Narnia and it wasn’t because there was snow on the ground.

3. Why did you start your blog?  Bmore Energy is a commitment to myself to write and a place to present myself professionally.

4. When did you first discover that you wanted to write?  When I was ten, I wrote a children’s book, covered it in Saran Wrap so it would look like it was from the library and included a “photo of the author” sporting no front teeth.

5. Most inspiring outdoor space.  Why?  When I run or bike next to the forest and river in the preserved land near my house, I hear my characters whispering.

6. Do you have a life slogan? If so, what is it?  The saying taped to my fridge is:  ”To get something you’ve always wanted, you have to do something you’ve never done.”

7. Name one person who has influenced the way you see life right now. Why? My youngest daughter’s passion for books as well as her belief that I will achieve my goals fuels my hope that I actually will.

8. Who is one of your favorite authors? Why?  My kids and I never tired of reading Cynthia Rylant’s Henry and Mudge books. Why? Because her stories, depicting a loving  boy, his dog and his family, illustrate the wonder and humor in everyday life.

9. One piece of advice you would give to a middle schooler or an older teen is…don’t forget the things you loved to do when you were a little kid.

10. A goal you have now is to…get my books published so I can start my writing career.

11. A favorite statement a family member or friend has said to you recently about your writing is…My mom, who is an award-winning investigative journalist and edited a magazine for over thirty years, read one of my picture books and said, “This is really good!“

Newest nominees:  

Okay newest nominee, this is the deal.  I nominated you because your creativity, talent and dedication inspire me. You are under no obligation to accept, and knowing your work has been recognized might be award enough.  Either way, happy blogging hon!

Mutts Happening Now

Denise Dowling Mortensen

Healthy Eating Starts With A Poem

Three Different Meals

I Wish My Mom

Rear In Gear

Luke’s Adventures AKA Mischievous Hijinks

Mangrove Explorer Exploring The Wild Side of Florida

Happy and Simple

Next Stop

Chew Out Loud

Questions for the newest nominees:

(Some are the same I was asked, some aren’t.)

1. Why did you start a blog?
2. Most inspiring out door space.  Why?
3. Do you have a life slogan?  If so, what is it?
4. What do you like to do when you’re not blogging?
5. What is your favorite adaptation of a book to a movie?
6. What kind of music do you like to listen to?
7. Who is one of your favorite authors? Why?
8. Name a place you’d like to travel to.
9. The most common compliment you get is…
10. An accomplishment you are proud of is…
11. A goal you  have now is to…

Pink Flower Power

Ranunculus

Plum Tree

Hyacinth

Bleeding Heart  plant

Move over butterflies…I’m obsessed with photographing flowers.  I love the layered petals of the Ranunculus, the contrast of the Plum Tree’s pink blooms with the blue sky, the Hyacinth’s candy-striped petals and how daintily each Bleeding Heart flower hangs from the stem.

Tomorrow, I’ll be planting my flower boxes. Happy gardening, hon.

Mother’s Day Moment

Hon, please indulge me. It doesn’t have to be Mother’s Day for me to say how grateful I am to be a mom, how proud I am of my kids or how much I love them.  But, what I want to do today is spend time with all of them so this post is the prologue to the story of the last 18 1/2 year of my life.

(I can’t take credit for all of the photos. Some are mine and some aren’t.)

Baby A’s tiny hand in mine. This was the first day I was allowed to hold her. She was 10 days.

Baby A was only 2 pounds 9 ounces at birth and stayed in the NICU for 6 1/2 weeks. Despite being tiny, she could breath on her own (the tube in her nose above is a Gavage feeding tube). The nurses said she screamed loudly and a lot, which demonstrated how developed her lungs were. One nurse took to carrying her around on her shoulder to calm her down. As I scrubbed up before entering the NICU to take my smallest triplet home, one of the nurses, referring to my baby, said, “When is that mother going to get here already?” The mother bear in me came out when I answered, “I’m here!”

At 3 1/2.

As a counselor at a sleep-away camp.  Here she is with some of her campers.

Proud mama (and papa) moving our firstborn into her dorm room for freshman year.

Starting freshman year of college.

 

Baby B swaddled and sleeping. He was small but healthy.

Baby B was the largest triplet at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. In the NICU he was considered a “feeder and grower” and was able to come home after 10 days.  His colic lasted until he was 6 months. In an effort to deal with the colic, we switched to a non-dairy formula causing him to smell like a potato! He was such an affectionate baby, he’s meld into my body when I rocked him. As a toddler, he was the ringleader of the games “Let’s Smear Our Room In Vaseline,” “Let’s Step In the Diaper Rash Ointment,” and “Let’s Shred All Of The Audio Tapes Our Parents Made Of Our First Words!”

“Growl, I’m a tiger!”  At his 4th birthday party.

On move in day of freshman year at a university.

Proud mama (and papa) attending an ROTC Army event at our son’s university and seeing him in his dress blues.

Dress blues.

 

Baby C in her Isolette.  The nurses said her beauty “glowed” from the inside out.

Baby C, 4 pounds 4 ounces at birth, was allowed to come home after 12 days.  She had no problem sharing a bassinet with her brother and the two of them would contentedly stare at each other. But when Baby A came home from the hospital and I laid her down next to her sister, Baby C howled with displeasure as if to say, “Who is this baby and what is doing here?  I had to either lay them head to toe or put my son in the middle.  Hon, I am here to tell you that birth order dynamics are thrown to the wind when it comes to multiples. Baby C established herself as the “oldest” (that’s a euphemism for bossiest) even if she was born third.  She had the world’s best belly laugh and, if I could have bottled it, I’d be writing my books on an island in the Caribbean right now!

Pony ride at 3 3/4.

Bed’s made up and saying goodbye start of freshman year of college.

Proud Mama (and Papa) have known our daughter was artistic since she was 3 years old.  Her self portrait is stunning!

Self portrait our daughter painted of herself with with acrylic paints.

 

Our Plus One the day after she was born. She was happy and calm right from the start.

Hon, do you know what was strange about holding an 8 pounds 6 ounce newborn? She was the same size as our triplets were when they were able to sit up! Our Plus One was an easy, go-with-the-flow child who was happiest when she was surrounded by her family. Many people have asked if she was accident, to which I replied, “No, she was very planned!” More people have said, “Wow, that’s a lot of kids” to which I replied, “Four was always my lucky number.”  And countless people have said, “You had triplets and then another one?!” to which I replied, “She’s G-d’s gift to me!”

Our fourth as a toddler.

No fear on the trapeze.

Leaping at ballet class.

Proud Mama (and Papa) shed tears at our youngest’s “Moving Up” ceremony, but still celebrated the start of a new chapter in her life.

“Moving Up” from elementary to middle school.

 

Lemon Meringues

Lemon Meringues

Lemon Meringues

I was feeling ambitious when I decided to try this recipe.  This recipe can be made in one day or the meringues, lemon cream and chocolate-dipped nuts can be prepared 2 to 3 days in advance and assembled before serving.  The meringues were easier to make than I thought.  You can add food coloring to the meringue recipe if you want to make them a color.  Although the lemon cream is delicious, I thought it would have more body.  Napkin ready?  When you bite into this sweet and tangy dessert, it’ll be messy.  Spoon ready?  You’ll want to scoop up every last drop.  Happy baking, hon.

Egg whites being whisked.

Meringues spread into circles.

Meringues out of the oven.

Sugar, potato starch and water over a medium-high heat.

Lemon cream cooking.

Folding whipped cream into lemon mixture.

Whipping cream.

Lemon cream is almost done.

Assembling Lemon Meringues.

Lemon Meringues

 Lemon Meringue Ingredients:

Meringues:

2 egg whites

pinch salt

1/2 cup sugar, super-fine if possible

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Lemon Cream*:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup either cornstarch or potato starch

2 cups water

juice of 3 lemons (about 1/3 cup)

3 egg yolks

1 (8-ounce) container whipping cream

*I had lots of extra lemon cream using these proportions and could have doubled the meringue recipe.  The lemon cream was so delicious we just spooned up the extra and ate it.

Garnishes:

2 ounces semisweet chocolate

1 teaspoon margarine

6 hazelnuts or cashews

Directions:

Meringues:

Allow the egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  If you are short on time, place the egg whites in a stainless steel bowl and set it in a bowl of warm water for 2 minutes to bring egg whites to room temperature quickly.

Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to the lowest possible temperature, 140 – 175 degrees F.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer.  With the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with the salt about 5 minutes or until soft peaks form; the tips will curl.  Gradually add the sugar, beating on high until stiff peaks form; the tips will stand straight and sugar will be dissolved.  Fold in vanilla and almond extracts.

Evenly spread the meringues into 12 circles.  Flatten slightly so they have a diameter of about 3 to 4 inches. Place the two baking sheets in the oven for 4 hours.  When they are done, remove from the parchment; if the bottoms are sticky in the center, return them to the oven for longer.  You want them completely dried out but not browned.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

When completely cool, place in an airtight covered container.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Lemon Cream:

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch (or potato starch–whichever you’re using).  Whisk in the water, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to boil over a medium-high heat. Cool for 15 minutes.  Cover the top of filling with plastic wrap,making sure it touches the cream or a skin will form.  Cool to room temperature or refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days in advance.

In a large bowl, with mixer at high speed, whip the whipping cream. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in 3/4* of the whipping cream into the lemon cream.  Reserve rest of whipped cream for dollop on top.

*Next time I try this recipe, I’ll fold a little less whipped cream into the lemon cream so that the yellow color isn’t as diluted.

Garnishes:

Over a double boiler or in a microwave, melt the chocolate with the margarine.  Roll each nut in the chocolate and gently remove with a fork to a sheet of wax paper.  Let stand until the chocolate is set and shiny; can be put in refrigerator for 5 minutes.  Store in an airtight container until ready for use.

To assemble, spread half the meringues with lemon cream.  Top with remaining meringues.  Place a small dollop of whipped cream on the top of each “sandwich” and top with a chocolate dipped hazelnut or cashew.  Serve immediatley.

Yield:  6 servings

Source:  Susie Fishbein, Kosher by Design.

 

Trendsetter

“Peacock” chair for Cappellini, 2009, Dror Ben Shetrit, Israeli, felt with powdwer varnished metal base

Departures cover, May 2013′

Guess what’s featured on Departures‘ May cover? The very same chair whose felt folds intrigued me enough to include them in my recent post “Patterns at the Met.” The flash on my camera washed out the chair’s color, but the distinct design is a show stopper. The Peacock chair was included in the glossy mag’s “Please-be-Seated” layout of “the six most beautiful chairs in the world.”

Back in the day when I was an assistant buyer at Bloomingdale’s, my buyer and I visited a color forecaster to pick yarn colors for our own line of cashmere sweaters. I felt like a kid in a candy shop, only I was surrounded by hundreds of yarn samples with intriguing names. Who wouldn’t want to know how “Bunny Gray” compares to “Feather Gray” and “Gray Timber Wolf”? Picking colors for the next season was as exciting as buying a few of my own lines of women’s clothes. (I’d like to be the person who comes up with color names!)

I left the world of department store retail to research starting my own business. Treks to Manhattan’s fabric district yielded bolts of fabric. A season later, I’d see the same fabric on clothes in stores.

I packed up my business along with that part of my life when I became pregnant with triplets.

But, even though my designs are still sitting in my attic and my aspirations have transformed into something else, a funny thing happened. Those triplets have a knack for picking out trends. One daughter invariably picks out outfits that subsequently appear on  Pretty Young Things in magazines. She once bought an owl necklace at a mall kiosk months before the same necklace became all the rage.

My son considered wearing multi-crayon colored sneakers when all the other seventh grade boys’ sneakers were white and black. (He likes color as much as I do.) I said, “Buy them, they’re fun!  You’ll be a trendsetter.” My hubby thought they were hideous and a magnet for obnoxious comments.  Hmmm, bet you can figure out which sneakers made the cover of the New York Times Style section!

The third triplet, an artist, started her own business selling her designs on IPad and IPod covers as well as pillows and canvases. She’s put a lot of thought into what designs will sell and is constantly working on new designs.

I’m not sure what happened to those trendsetting days and I sure can’t predict if my new aspirations will come to fruition.  But, the Peacock chair opened up the window in my attic where dusty boxes of designs and my past sit, waiting to be cleaned out.

Antidote to Evil–Responsibility

Thirty one weeks pregnant with triplets.

Triplets at 12 weeks.

What are “antidotes to evil?”  As I learn of the world’s tragedies, horrors–unthinkable and senseless acts all–inflicted on people by other people, I wonder how to regain faith in humanity, how to feel sadness without letting it seep into my pores and effect my outlook.

My personal “antidotes to evil” include:  sweetness as in kindness, generosity and caring; the family we grew up with and the family we create; and faith, whatever religion you are and whatever that means to you.

Another word keeps circling overhead like the red-tailed hawk that rings the tall pine trees surrounding my house–responsibility.

On a small, personal scale, I was responsible for staying as healthy as I could in order to care for my unborn children.  As any parent can attest, taking care of newborns is an immense responsibility.

We have so much to teach our children.  Empathy, respect, the ability to determine right from wrong, recognizing beauty in people and the world around us, understanding the effect of our actions, and learning how to love and laugh top the list of the many things we have the responsibility to mean…to model…and to pass on.

I realize my view might be perceived as Polyannaish and doesn’t  take into account sociological and societal factors.  Still.  I can only hope that by being responsible, we can transform horrifying to happy, enmity to amity, and hatred to harmony.

Namaste.

Antidote to Evil–Faith

A view of the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Israel.

The Abuhav Synagogue, Tzfat, Israel.

As “antidotes to evil,” sweetness and family started Bmore’s week of inspirational words and images.

I hope the places and symbols of faith in this post are a salve for the psychic wounds we all share. I am inspired in many different places of worship.  Sitting in a hallowed hall, I feel faith envelope me.  I concentrate on absorbing the aura of holiness created by the religious symbols, the people and the prayer.  But, I don’t have to be in a place of worship to pray.  The edge of the ocean and the blue sky invite me to look inward and then upward.

Where does faith find you?

Native American Indian, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Buddha, Port St. Lucie, Florida

Saint-Chapelle, Paris, France

Antidote to Evil–Family

Lean on me.

This week’s posts will be my take on “Antidotes to Evil.”  The phrase popped in my head last week after news of the Boston Marathon bombing.  My youngest daughter expressed concern about not being safe at a marathon, movies, mall or in school.  I told her when I was her age, we didn’t worry (or even think) about the horrific things she sees in the news. Then I gave her a hug.

Family is one of the most important “Antidotes to Evil,” and one facet of family is siblings. My father took and developed the photo above in his darkroom. In this picture taken at the Maryland shore, I am standing in the middle while my sister and brother are on either side of me. Hon, this photo of us is one of my favorites!

Now that we are grown up, my sister, brother and I don’t slam each other’s bedroom doors, play tricks on each other, push and shove each other in the backseat of our parents’ cars, spy on each other when we have friends over or whine that, “It’s not fair…!”  As adults, my siblings and I support each other.

What word describes your relationship with your siblings?  How are they and your family your “Antidote to Evil?”

My sister and her youngest daughter.

My brother and his beautiful bride on their wedding day.  (disclaimer, I didn’t take this photo.)

Triplets plus one, the next generation.

My immediate family.

Antidote to Evil–Sweetness

milk and cookies featured on a handbuilt ceramic tray

flour mixture  combined with sugar mixture to form cookie dough

chocolate chips added to cookie dough

After I posted “Boston Bound,” the phrase “Antidote to Evil” popped into my head.  Words and images eddied around me like the tide surrounding my sand-covered feet.  They buoyed my heavy heart and spirit.  For the next week, all of my posts will carry the “Antidote to Evil” theme.

Sweetness means many things.  I’ll leave you with…

Sweet to meet, such delight.  Sweet to eat, take a bite.

What word or phrase is your remedy for this modern madness?

Tate’s Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies (thin and crisp)

I once commented to a friend how much I like Tate’s cookies and she promptly sent me this recipe.  I haven’t used another one since because these chocolate chip cookies are always delicious!  I usually double the recipe, bake a bunch and freeze the extra dough. Happy baking, hon.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (I used 1 cup unbleached flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup salted butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Either grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.

2.  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt.

3.  In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars.  Add the water and vanilla.  Mix the ingredients until they are just combined.

4.  Add the eggs and mix them lightly.  Stir in the flour mixture.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Don’t overmix the dough.

5.  Drop the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

6.  Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges and centers are brown.  Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Yield:  4 1/2 dozen three-inch cookies.

Unbaked cookie dough may be left in fridge for a few days and freezer for over a month.

Boston Bound

Qunicy Market, Boston, MA

Triplets, age 10, about to go on a Boston Duck Tour (land and water tour)

street performers

Quincy Market, Boston, MA

This is how I am bound to Boston.

Fall semester, senior year of college I lived in Brookline while I interned as an assistant buyer at Filene’s.  My husband went to MIT.  My brother got married in Boston and lives right outside of the city now.  An emergency room doctor, he and his family happened to be in Manhattan yesterday.  My sister attended Boston University and my niece graduated from B.U. a year ago.  My college age triplets have friends who attend universities in Boston. Our dear friends were watching the marathon two floors up from the bombing.

And I just read L.A. Byrne’s blog post, “Running For Boston” about her daughter who runs and her son who attends Boston College.

The horror. The unspeakable.

Tragedy.