parenthood

What inspires you?

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

And I don’t just mean when it comes to food. I’m learning that the hardest part of being a parent is knowing what to say when life lifes. When games are lost, when small humans are worried about big things, when you’re trying to encourage someone to believe that the world is limitless while knowing that it’s also full of disappointment.

How can you be their biggest cheerleader and also a realist at the same time?

I mean, full disclosure, I am my child’s biggest fan. Biggest cheerleader, biggest advocate and most likely to tell him how amazing he is. Because I think he is AMAZING. But the better he gets at things, the harder the competition is, and the more often he faces adversity, and challenges, and losses. And that’s hard. For me, and for him. The me part of me wants to find the bright side. The mom part of me wants to make sure he doesn’t experience challenges- but if he does, I want to make him feel better and grow and learn. But losing can be hard. It can be tough. It can be disheartnening. So, as a parent of an amazing child, what do you do? What should I do?

I don’t know, and I don’t think any parent knows. But I’m trying. The phrase, “Pressure is a a privilege” has recently become a mantra. Billie Jean King first said it so it feels apt for a tennis family. And reflecting on my own life, it’s so true. So it feels appropriate to pass it on. Pressure creates diamonds and pressure is a privilege- it means people think you can…and maybe they expect you to DO as well. It’s not a bad thing.

We also talked about the poem, “If” by Rudyard Kipling. Again, it’s on the wall at Wimbledon Centre Court so it felt… right. If you don’t know it, it’s worth reading.

Also, I baked cookies this week. Kitchen Sink Cookies and Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies from the 100 Cookies book by Sarah Kieffer. Sarah’s blog “A Vanilla Bean Blog” is amazing! The cookbook is too.

This week has been challenging. There’s a lot going on- on every level, in every orbit of my life. From the National Guard on the streets of DC to my small person worrying about his tennis match, it hasn’t been easy. But pressure truly is a privilege and we are holding on!

Chili!!!!!

~ stephzuniga ~ Leave a comment

It’s chili night in the He Runs, I Cook household– YAY!

If you’re Australian, you’d say Chili Con Carne (or pronounced carnie– weird!), if you’re American, it’s just plain Chili, according to the The Runner, the Irish say it both ways…. whatever way you say it, tonight it’s Chili night in our house.

Chili is one of my favourite dishes in the world, and The Runner’s too oddly enough.  I’m convinced that my mother makes the best chili in the world, and even though I have her recipe– which, to be honest, is slight imprecise, I haven’t quite been able to replicate it– ever.

I think it’s one of those foods that only Mom can cook for me.  I love cooking it, but, chili in Australia is not the same as American chili.  

One, the crackers (or biscuits) here aren’t the same– Stoned Wheat thins are AWESOME crushed on top with cheese and rice.  I serve tortilla chips on top, but it’s not the same.

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Two, my mother honestly makes it better than I do.

Thirdly, it reminds me of home so whenever I eat it here, I get just a bit homesick.

And fourthly, it’s not cold enough in Australia.

Chili was always a funny dish growing up– it was one of my favourite things to eat but The Mom would only make it in Winter time.  Actually, my two favourite things to eat growing up were classed as Cold Weather Only foods…. Fondue and Chili.  

The Mom could not fathom why anyone would eat Chili or Fondue if it wasn’t snowing– or at least threatening to snow out.  It is NEVER EVER cold enough for chili or fondue in Australia if you follow The Mom’s food rules– and the funny thing is that I never eat fondue here and only really make chili about once a year.  The weird thing about parents is that they tend to instill certain values in you that stay with you for years and decades– even if they don’t really make that much sense.  I think that’s one thing I’m actually looking forward to about becoming a parent one day, being able to convince my children that I’m right about everything– at least for the first 5-15 years of their lives.  Case in point, one of my besties has convinced her two year old that carrots, are a “sweet” or dessert for those of you in the states.  No, not carrot cake, actual carrot sticks.  And her son believes it– brilliant!  I have to admit, I believed most of what my parents told me until I was about 22…. if not older! 

Anyway, I digress– it’s cold and it’s chili night and we’re about to tuck in!