Fancy That…Fancy This

The other day I was talking with my friend Nadia and she mentioned that I should be more open about my life on this blog.  In some ways I feel like I am…after all, you’ve already had the pleasure of seeing Ali’s hamper and my closet, and you know more about my bizarre eating habits then my own mother does.  Still I have to admit there are things I don’t share because I worry about how some of you will perceive me.  But what kind friend would I be if I didn’t take Nadia’s constructive criticism to heart? 

So it is with Nadia’s advice in mind that I make the following confession: I have a housekeeper.  

Okay, so you are probably thinking:

1. Is Ameena so busy that she has to pay someone to clean her house?
2. How much mess can three people really make?
3. Is Ameena so lazy that she has to pay someone to clean her house?

To answer your questions…yes, way too much, and yes.

The thing is that I cannot function unless each and every single thing in my house is in its designated space.  I hate mess.  I detest clutter.  I don’t like stuff.  I get this wonderful minimalist quality from my mother who used to gasp in fear if I so much as suggested taping a MacGyver poster up on a wall in my room.  She ran a tight ship for sure.  She had us kids on our hands and knees polishing the marble floor and washing the cars weekly.  We also had to clean the kitchen after dinner each night, shine my dad’s shoes, and vacuum the entire house bi-weekly.   You can just call me Cinderella.  And considering my harsh upbringing,  I’m sure we can all agree that I’ve earned the right to have a housekeeper. 

Mrs. Maria – as Maya calls her - came to us 8 years ago.  Since then she has not only made our house a cleaner place but she’s organized things that I didn’t even know needed organizing.  Our Tupperware drawer, our laundry room, Ali’s sock drawer(s), and more.  Mrs. Maria has also saved the Din household from countless fights and arguments over dirty dishes and displaced laundry.  Seriously, how ironic is it that a super anal person like myself lives with two of the messiest slobs to have ever walked the earth? 

In my opinion, I’d rather eat in every night and spend money to have a clean house then to stress about my dirty house while I eat a fancy dinner at a restaurant.  Call me crazy but there is nothing better than coming home to a spotless place every Monday.  It makes my entire day.

What do you splurge on that you think is worth every penny?

I don’t understand….how Giada De Laurentiis can be successful, beautiful, smart, articulate, and make one of the best jarred sauces I have ever tasted?

I picked this up at Target of all places (along with $100 worth of stuff I didn’t need) and it is amazing.  Seriously, I was eating this with a spoon, straight out of the jar.  Gross but true.

I don’t understand…how the Tasty Bite people put one of the world’s most delicious daal’s into a vacuum-packed, shelf-stable container that can be microwaved at a moment’s notice?

As I devour this amazing concoction weekly, I try not to think too much about the fact that it is shelf-stable.  And vacuum-packed.

I don’t understand…why I go to all kinds of effort to make food delicious and presentable for Maya and Ali?

But when it comes time for me to eat something I throw together the most random, un-photogenic meals imaginable.

I don’t understand…why I let my father-in-law pay $30 for the horrible fish I ordered but didn’t eat at Terranea?

Maybe the resort’s overpriced, sub-par food is part of the reason they are in bankruptcy?  Seriously, I’m feeling nauseous again just looking at this picture. 

I don’t understand…why gluten-free corn flakes are double the price of the regular ones?

I guess it doesn’t really matter though because I love them so much that I am willing to pay a premium.  It is because of this said premium that I informed Maya that she is not to touch my corn flakes.  I am a selfish and/or cheap mother.

I don’t understand…why I’ve never tasted millet until today?

I was chatting with Maie’s gorgeous sister Sunday night and she informed me that millet is delicious and super simple to make.  She is right! 

Black Bean Millet (1 serving)

1/4 cup of millet
1/2 cup of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup of salsa
1/2 avocado
1 cup of spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil

Rinse and drain the millet, follow the cooking instructions on the package (it cooks just like rice). Mix all of the remaining ingredients and enjoy.

Do you think that smart people are born smart? 

I often wonder about this.  My dad insists that brain power is just 10% of success and the rest is hard work, and while I agree with him to some extent, I do believe that there are some super special gifted people in this world that are blessed with a gene that allows them to excel in everything.  And then there are people like me who trudge along, just trying to make it to Friday.  Friday, 5pm to be exact.

My good friend Maie, for example, is not only a surgeon, but a wife, a mom of two boys, and the most patient person alive.  Maie is way too humble to talk about her many talents but when I Googled her to find out exactly what kind of doctor she is (I am a terrible friend for not knowing this!) I found out she also speaks four languages and has not only an MD but a PhD too. 

Despite keeping busy by doing surgery, research, and teaching all day long, Maie is also a dedicated mother who takes her kids to 5+ different activities each week and still has some time left over to organize really fun park dinners, one of which we attended last night.

The great thing about Maie is how completely humble she is.  I mean, if I were a doctor not only would I totally have the “God Complex” thing going on, but I’d be bragging to my patients about my ability to switch between French and Spanish with no problem, and I’d make it very clear that I was not just a doctor, but a doctor squared.  Instead Maie was telling everyone yesterday about my silly blog, as if writing about Maya’s diva-like behavior or Ali’s cable-addiction is even remotely on par with, I don’t know, saving a life?

While I usually have nothing in common with kids (Maya being no exception) I totally bonded with Maie’s 6-year-old son Zane who, incidentally, started reading at 3.  For those of you who don’t have children yet, Zane is basically a prodigy - not surprising considering who his mother is.  To give you a point of reference, Maya is 5 and can barely read her Hop on Pop books!  Again, not surprising considering who her mother is.

Anyway, I told Zane that I have big plans for him and Maya to get married down the line.  Zane and Maie, I assure you that I will work diligently with Maya so that my daughter will be able to write her “N’s” properly by then!

Maie you are an inspiration!