a photo essay

Friday was a frustrating day for me. I made arrangements for Three to be babysat so I could go and get my first mammogram. I went to the appointment in a good enough mood, and found out I was late. 24 hours late. For an appointment I made last year. I am rescheduled -- for MARCH.

So, I decided to turn around my frustration and tackle a new couple of recipes in the kitchen -- North Indian Stuffed Eggplant and Caramelized Onion, Pear and Gorgonzola Flatbread. Away I went...

Slicing pears...

Cararmelizing onions...

Preparing potatoes for mashing...
Baking eggplant...
Sauteing more onions, carrots, ginger, garlic for the eggplant dish. Oh, the kitchen smelled so yummy by now!

Mashing potatoes and mixing with cream cheese (more eggplant filling)...

And, finally, the flatbread. It turned out deeelicious and much easier than I thought. (Side note, I made pita bread a couple of weeks ago and found the same thing - pretty easy! I'm enjoying branching away from traditional bread loaves. What's next? Maybe english muffins!)

Here's the eggplant, fresh from the oven. Looks ok, no? Well, it turned out to be a complete flop, at least in my family. The boys were universally turned off and wouldn't even attempt a bite. Bob and I gamely shared one, and halfway thru, I asked for his honest opinion. He paused. I said, "I don't really like it." Relieved, he agreed. I called a couple of nearby neighbors/friends whom I thought would be game, and they both agreed to take some.

As I left the house to deliver the food, warm dish in hand, I was feeling the day's frustration. Why couldn't I write that appointment on the correct day? Why couldn't I more accurately predict my family's food tastes? Really, what kind of mother would expect their children to eat such an ambitious dish? Why am I hanging on to all of these mistakes?

I walked, and the crisp night air soothed me. My neighbor was happy to give the food a try, and we had a brief, friendly chat. As I left, I looked up, and saw a bright, spectacular full moon.

I ran back home to grab my camera to try to capture the glow. I stood outside, snapping pictures, and I became thankful for all of the mistakes in the day that led to that moment.