Little Jay...

Almost two weeks ago now, I tried out a new recipe for Jay. We found some eggplant at the farmer's market and wanted to make him some eggplant Parmesan. So I searched on-line and found a recipe. From my few years of experience as a mom, I have found the best time to introduce new fruits & vegetables is while they are waiting for dinner to be ready. So, Elim pushed over his white chair and climbed up to try some eggplant. But he was eating some of it raw.

Eggplant Parmesan was Jay's maternal grandmother's signature recipe just for him. She always told the story of her making the fried eggplant and they were disappearing off the plate just as fast as she was cooking them. Jay and Lisa (although she probably would deny it now!) were eating the eggplant and calling them biscuits. So I know she was smiling down at little E trying the eggplant and I could not resist a picture. (So when he is older he can't deny his part in it!)

As Jay grew up, eggplant Parmesan was his favorite. Even while we were dating and married living in Texas, Nancy would make him eggplant Parmesan when she came to visit.

Hannah Moriah did tried the fried eggplant, but was not impressed (Aunt Lisa understands why!) However, my husband was almost in heaven with his grandmother! He really enjoyed it.

Several years ago, Jay and I had experience the loss of our 4 closest grandparents within 12 months. We both struggled with grief in different ways. The loss seemed so great especially with having little babies, knowing they (HM & E) would never know those who were so special to us. Somewhere I read about celebrating birthdays of grandparents that had passed away. This idea seemed like a wonderful way to share with HM & E about our grandparents. While we were eating dinner, I also reminded him that it was his grandmother's birthday, June 30. It was fitting that our new tradition for her birthday will be to fix eggplant Parmesan, but I don't know if Jay can live with it only once a year!

We also had some summer Silver Queen corn to go with our dinner which helped my grandfather's birthday. He was a farmer, and while I was young, he had a garden in the yard. Silver Queen corn was always a favorite of his and I have many memories of him shucking corn under the big shade tree. Several summers, I was even at their house when they froze the corn- what a mess! Since my grandfather's birthday, June 21, fell on Father's Day this year, we were unable to celebrate his birthday.

Buttering and salting those white little kernels and digging in was a great salute to a wonderful grandfather who gave away most of the reward of his garden to others.

Dipping and frying those white thin circles and eating up was an offered praise to a "Little General" who was short but had the biggest heart.