Aaaaaaah Xavier is driving me nuts. Tell me, why does he respond with "no" whenever I tell him to do something? Why does he argue with me? Why does he throw things? Why is he sure everybody hates him and loves his brother? Don't they outgrow that after they are two? I'm so sure he's going to have an anger management problem when he grows up. At this rate, I'm sure I'll have an anger management problem before he grows up.
Maybe I need to start watching those Nanny shows I've avoided like the plague?
I also need some help, dear Blog readers. Through a combination of Eddie and I each doing part of the shopping this weekend, plus our CSA, we now have three heads of cabbage. Tell me your favorite cabbage recipe. Or two.
Thanks!
posted by Mimi @ 10/06/2005 01:12:00 PM
16 Comments
16 Comments:
My boss' husband is the chef in their house. He makes the greatest vegetarian soup with cabbage. He shreds one head in the Cuisinart. Shreds a bunch (literally) of carrots. Shreds a few onions. And throws in canned chunky tomatoes with some water & chicken broth. Salt and pepper. Cook till the carrots and cabbage are done but not mushy, still crunchy.
He makes huge batches of this stuff and freezes it. It takes better and better the more often you heat it up.
Mimi, I share your pain ! Abby age 3 is the Queen of Negativity. I have never been as frustrated by beahviour in my life as I have by hers and by extension, mine too.
She is much better since she started school though !!
For five Unforgettable years - permanently scarred on my memory - we lived in Massachusetts. One of the few pleasant memories is the YMCA, where my son went to nursery school, and where, as a consequence of being members, we could swim in the summer.
One day a lady walked up to me and said, "I loved what you said to your daughter last week!" "What was that?" "She was annoyed with you about something and she said, 'And when you die, I'm not coming to your funeral!' And you said, 'If you're going to be that snotty, I don't want you there!'" I was frankly embarrassed that a complete stranger had overheard that exchange - my daughter was ticked because it was time to go home, and she wanted to stay - but the more I think of it, that kind of flip comeback is the only way to deal with teenagers - funny, but snatching away what they think is their power over you.
How old did you say Xavier is? Seems to me he's 12-ish or so? It's an age similar to two, only it lasts a lot longer; then, he was only moving from babyhood to boyhood. Now, he has to move from boyhood to manhood. Not easy. Time to start trying to relate to him as an adult. The only Nanny show I'd recommend is "The Nanny" on Lifetime TV - one of the most inane comedies I've ever been forced to suffer through (it was a favorite of my late aunt's), but since it was about a New Yorker, she had a lot of those flip one-liners that only New Yorkers seem able to deliver. That's probably why everybody in the greater U.S. hates us; but it's also how we survive teenagers.
Are you talking about my Max?
They say No because they are testing us, pushing us to our limits and then further. How do you stop it? Well, that one I am not sure about as I still here that word a bit, but we are working on "respect" in my house and I usually say think again after I hear that No. He gets the message and it is nice of me to give him that second chance. Lucky kid!!
I have some cabbage recipes, but I have to find them, probably in a box somewhere....dang boxes!
i'm e-mailing you my favorite cabbage recipe, has garlic, curry and lima beans. it's the only thing i make with lima beans.
MMMM...huluski. I add cheese ravioli to mine sometimes instead of the noodles.
I wish I had some great insight into the problem with Xavier, alas I'm just a mom to Boogs. But I'll send good thoughts your way!
I love Cabbage Patch Soup! I make it with a head of cabbage, a lb. of ground beef, a can of kidney beans, an onion, lots of garlic, carrots, and beef boullion. Freezes great, simple, and yummy, especially with all this chilly PNW weather!
As far as the negativity, maybe assign extra chores every time he says no???
Mimi~
Carmen at
momtothescreamingmasses.typepad.com
just wrote a post about this on her Oct. 1st entry titled "Once Upon a Time." She's got a 13-year old boy, and going through the same thing. :D
Good luck with the young'un.
Mimi, I just posted about you on my blog. In terms of your son, is there a local parental stress line? Child abuse prevention council? child protective services? family therapy agency? I am serious. If you do not deal with these problems, they will only go worse. Also Al-Anon and AA are helpful. You do not have to respond. These are just my suggestions, things I have found helpful.
for the cabbage, have you ever made sauerkraut? seriously, krout (and its Korean cousin, KimChee) were developed to provide a way to have vegetables in the midst of winter.
The one time that I made kraut, it was ridiculously simple - the hardest part was finding a scale to weigh the ingredients. Basically you layer shredded cabbage with salt and let it ferment. When it is done, you can can it or simply keep it in cold storage. I don't remember the proportions off-hand, but I think it may be in the Joy of Cooking.
If you have the time, try making cabbage rolls and freeze them for later.
I also have a recipe for cabbage stirfried with a soy sauce/vinegar/sugar
/red pepper dressing. Let me know if you are interested.
I do a sweet and sour sort of thing with cabbage that involves vinegar and brown sugar. It's actually pretty darn delicious.
I think your son sounds like just about every other boy I know. They all go through that. Doesn't help, I'm sure, but hang in there!! It'll get better.
Thank you everyone! Now, I'm actually planning on buying more cabbage! Great recipes all!
And, thanks also for the hugs and advice for Xavier. We'll make it through.
Although, Meg, I'm considering the Holy Water in his breakfast cereal ;)
Oh, and Alicia, YES, I'd love the recipes you mentioned.
cabbage, peasant food. :)
oh, and as far as negativity, i have to admit the family thought of me as "eyore" growing up. :) look at me now. of course, i hope you don't have to wait quite so long to get through it.
mimi - send me an email to ahuntley@interserv.com and ask about the recipe.
will get it to you better and faster that way!
We also do the CSA thing - and I have red cabbages and beets in the fridge right now. Time for borscht!
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