I read an article by Arthur Brooks about "How Adult Children Affect Their Mother's Happiness." There was a lot of interesting information, only a small portion of which I would say applies to Mom. One fact I found both surprising and not, given our own experience, was that when Brooks used the 2018 General Social Survey collected by NORC at the University of Chicago to statistically model mothers’ reported happiness against the number of children they have, he found that "well-being increases as a woman has her first, second, and third child. The fourth child and beyond are associated with falling happiness." Nailed it!
Based on the social science research, Brooks suggested three ways for people to make their mother happier by trying to make sure she gets as much out of the relationship as she puts in. Of his suggestions, I think only one is relevant to Mom, but it's a good one:
The next time you call your mother—and make it today—ask her about something going on in her life that doesn’t involve you at all but that you know is important to her. Ask for details, listen, and then offer your thoughts. It might feel odd at first for both of you, but you’ll get used to it, and your mom will like it.
While the article was obviously timed to coincide with Mother's Day, Brooks's suggestion applies any day. Give it a try!
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We ran out of planned dinners this week before getting to the grocery again, so I thumbed through Power Plates looking for ideas and found this recipe, which I'd never noticed before. It uses all pantry staples, except for the kale, parsley, and scallions (thanks for the idea, Cassie!) that Mom has growing in her beloved garden (🠝hint🠝). It takes an hour to make, but there's hardly anything to chop and it's mostly hands-off simmering time. There's even time to get most of the dishes done while you're waiting for the dumplings to cook through. This was a big hit with Mom, Brad, and me, and we'll definitely have it again (soon).
Curried Tomato Stew with Chickpea Dumplings
Adapted from Power Plates (2018) by Gena Hamshaw, who adapted it from Shelly Westerhausen’s Vegetarian Ventures blog (Sept. 22, 2013)
Time: ~1 hour
You want crushed tomatoes that have some texture to them and aren’t overly smooth, like Muir Glen. If your brand of crushed tomatoes is very smooth, like Tuttorosso, use diced tomatoes instead. Using only the green parts of the scallions is not a waste; as Cassie taught us, you can re-plant the white parts and grow more scallions in a never-ending circle of life.
Stew
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small (~85 to 115 grams) white or yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes (see note)
135 grams (~¾ cup) dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed
415 grams (1¾ cups) vegetable broth (you can use 1¾ cups boiling water mixed with 10 grams Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups (~115 grams) chopped kale, baby spinach, or other greens
Dumplings
180 grams (1½ cups) chickpea flour (keep this in your pantry/fridge for Falafel Sliders)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or cilantro
1 scallion, green part only, finely chopped (see note)
½ cup (118 grams) water
For serving
a few scallions, green parts only, sliced on the bias, or snipped chives
Naan, optional
1. For the stew: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, curry powder, paprika, and turmeric, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, broth, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, lowering the heat to maintain a gentle simmer (around medium-low should do).
4. Stir in the red pepper flakes. Scatter the greens on top of the stew, without stirring them in. Cover the pot and let the greens steam for 5 minutes.
5. For the dumplings: While the stew is cooking in steps 3 and 4, combine the chickpea flour, ½ teaspoon salt, baking powder, cumin, parsley, and scallion in a medium bowl. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, stir until a thick, sticky dough has formed.
6. Give the stew a good stir, mixing in all of the greens. Drop the dumpling dough by rounded tablespoons on top of the stew—a #40 disher/cookie scoop (the one you use to make Katherine Redford’s Chocolate Chip Cookies) is perfect for this job; you should have about 11 dumplings. Cover the pot again and let the dumplings simmer and steam until they are firm and cooked through, about 7 or 8 minutes.
7. Serve promptly, garnished with scallions. Use some naan, if you have any, to scoop up the stew at the bottom of your bowl. If you’re feeding a crowd and really want to stretch the meal, you can also serve this over cooked basmati or jasmine rice. Serves 4.
Time: ~1 hour
You want crushed tomatoes that have some texture to them and aren’t overly smooth, like Muir Glen. If your brand of crushed tomatoes is very smooth, like Tuttorosso, use diced tomatoes instead. Using only the green parts of the scallions is not a waste; as Cassie taught us, you can re-plant the white parts and grow more scallions in a never-ending circle of life.
Stew
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small (~85 to 115 grams) white or yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes (see note)
135 grams (~¾ cup) dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed
415 grams (1¾ cups) vegetable broth (you can use 1¾ cups boiling water mixed with 10 grams Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups (~115 grams) chopped kale, baby spinach, or other greens
Dumplings
180 grams (1½ cups) chickpea flour (keep this in your pantry/fridge for Falafel Sliders)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or cilantro
1 scallion, green part only, finely chopped (see note)
½ cup (118 grams) water
For serving
a few scallions, green parts only, sliced on the bias, or snipped chives
Naan, optional
1. For the stew: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, curry powder, paprika, and turmeric, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, broth, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, lowering the heat to maintain a gentle simmer (around medium-low should do).
4. Stir in the red pepper flakes. Scatter the greens on top of the stew, without stirring them in. Cover the pot and let the greens steam for 5 minutes.
5. For the dumplings: While the stew is cooking in steps 3 and 4, combine the chickpea flour, ½ teaspoon salt, baking powder, cumin, parsley, and scallion in a medium bowl. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, stir until a thick, sticky dough has formed.
6. Give the stew a good stir, mixing in all of the greens. Drop the dumpling dough by rounded tablespoons on top of the stew—a #40 disher/cookie scoop (the one you use to make Katherine Redford’s Chocolate Chip Cookies) is perfect for this job; you should have about 11 dumplings. Cover the pot again and let the dumplings simmer and steam until they are firm and cooked through, about 7 or 8 minutes.
7. Serve promptly, garnished with scallions. Use some naan, if you have any, to scoop up the stew at the bottom of your bowl. If you’re feeding a crowd and really want to stretch the meal, you can also serve this over cooked basmati or jasmine rice. Serves 4.
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