Sometimes I don't know what to say.
First of all, if my due date was exactly 10 months to the day after the daddy got out of prison -- I'm not going to brag about that it public.
Secondly, if I am 27 years old, and this is my ninth pregnancy, and only one infant has actually been born. And that baby was born preterm and low birth weight. And, if I smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, and have never bothered to cut during any of these previous pregnancies. I would think that somewhere before my seventh miscarriage I might have started to see a connection.
Thirdly, I would like to remind everyone that a vasectomy scheduled in the future is not birth control today. A direct quote from the single client today, who exhibited all of the above behavior: "Well, we had the vasectomy scheduled for the 30th, so we didn't think I was gonna get pregnant."
Really, what can I possibly say to this parent?
Sometimes a client just stymies me and I kind of flounder in my seat for a moment, trying to think of the proper approach. I always want my clients to feel I'm on their side, otherwise nothing I say is going to penetrate. I can't make them defensive of their parenting skills. So, while what I wanted to say was "Well, call us if this baby manages to survive, and we'll get it on the program too, because I can't even imagine you are going to breastfeed, so obviously you will be needing some formula." What I actually did say was "I'm just so worried about your history, but make sure you're keeping up with your prenatal appointments and follow your doctor's advice. Make sure you're getting the nutrition you and the baby both need, and God forbid, if something happens, let us know that too. We want to make sure you recover from this pregnancy, and even if something happens, you'll still be kept on the program until you are six months postpartum."
I always know it's almost time to plan a vacation when I find myself still angry at a client when I get home at night. So anger, combined with cold, means soup to me. I needed a bowl of soothing warm something to make the day go away. I had recently found a recipe on Tastespotting for a savory biscotti made with black pepper and parmesan, and the results of that experiment were waiting in the freezer. Also in the freezer was a bag of mixed ends of canned tomatoes -- where I only needed part of a can, so I kept throwing the leftovers into the same bag together -- some puree, some chopped, some strained.
I wanted to add some blue cheese, but there was nothing usable in the cheese tray. Instead, I went with some of the Alder Smoked Sea Salt I was experimenting with this summer on corn and tomatoes. It really lent a big meaty taste to the soup. I was very happy with the results, and a big mug of soup, some cheesy biscotti, and sitting under a blanket with my dog on my feet went a long way toward making my world right again.
Smoky Tomato Soup
2 T olive oil
3 1/2 oz. red onion, small dice
3 1/4 oz. celery, small dice
2 3/4 oz. carrots, small dice
4 3/8 oz. white potato, small dice
3/8 oz. garlic, smashed
Sweat as long as you can stand it with salt and pepper, until everything is just really limp.
1/2 c. pinot grigot (or whatever white wine is lying about)
Add and scrape up any bits of potato that may have gotten stuck to the bottom of the pan.
2 1/2 c. canned tomato parts (puree, chopped, sauce, whatever you have on hand)
1 t. smoked sea salt
Add all, let simmer about 30 minutes. Puree in batches. Return to pot.
1 cup broth (again, whatever flavor you want)
Add until soup is desired consistency. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot with something to dip in it.
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