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First day of camp. And along with it, of course, the expected: the first day jitters, the butterflies, the “I don’t feel good” and the “please let me stay home, just for today”. Forty five minutes of emotional torture, feeling like the worse mother in the entire world, because I can feel his pain and his upset. Exactly the same way I felt when my mom sent me away to camp, a million years ago. Amazing how easily certain feelings come back to us. All we need, is the right trigger.

It took a whole lot of strength for me to stay firm and finally convince my 6 year old that everything would be fine. That he was going to have the best time. That there was no need to feel nervous or upset… when really, all I wanted to do was wipe his tears and tell him that he didn’t have to go if he didn’t want to.

But he did go, and all that anguish disappeared the second we got there and he saw his friends. Just like that.

So now I’m the one sitting here with the first day jitters and the butterflies, wondering if he’s ok. With the phone by my side in case I get a call, with nothing other than my iced coffee to comfort me. And I know that, just like every other mom out there, I too will get over it.

But in the mean time, words of encouragement are certainly welcome… Ladies, feel free to share your wisdom. I’m all ears 🙂

Happy Monday everyone.

Ruth

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onions (1 medium)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (1 medium)
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
  • 1 cup shelled fava beans
  • 2/3 cup diced carrots (2 medium)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 1/4 cups of water (you can also use broth)
  1. In a large skillet, saute onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent, 3-4 minutes
  2. Add peppers, celery, fava beans and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and cook at medium-low heat for about 10 minutes
  3. Add basmati rice, mix well with the vegetables and let it cook for about 5 minutes
  4. In the meantime, in a separate skillet saute cilantro in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it starts to wilt, about 2 minutes. Set aside
  5. Add water or broth to rice then add cooked cilantro.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes
  6. Turn off heat and let stand for  10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork
  7. ENJOY! From May I have that recipe