Oil & Vinegar

Look at these sweet faces.... Sugar and spice and everything nice? Sisters and gal pals forever? I remember when Josephine was born, being overjoyed that Isabella would have a sister close in age, a built in best friend. Visions of matching cloths and late night giggles coming from their shared bedroom filled my mind... I thought that perhaps I would be able to live vicariously through them, enjoying the close sibling bond that managed to elude me during my own childhood. My older sister was never to keen on me invading her turf that she had held solo for 7 years before I came along, and in retaliation spent the better part of a decade taunting and tormenting me at any given opportunity. I worshiped her (what this says about me I have yet to determine). On the flip side, my two little sisters, now 9 an 10, were continually mistaken for my own children in public. I knew early on that I wanted a houseful, a close knit family with picture perfect stair-step children that would be close enough in age to actually enjoy a traditional sibling relationship. Little did I know that being close chorologically was not a guarantee of closeness in personality. Isabella, for example, is sweet, sensitive, and gentle... she can be inflicted with the tiniest of injuries and then feels the necessity to be laid up on the sofa with pillows, an ice pack, a variety of ointments and fluids, and of course, the extra special movie. Josephine on the other hand (while also as silly and girlie as they come) is more of the rough and tumbly type with boundless energy (she might actually be made of rubber, but we are not sure), and, more often than not, the cause of Isabella's said injuries. Having only a 3 bedroom house, I knew that the girls would begin sharing a bedroom once the new baby arrived. So before Samuel was born, I began putting Josephine in Isabella's room, which meant that they would be sleeping together in double sized bed (we were/are not in a financial position to rush out and buy two twin sized beds/mattresses/the necessary Pottery Barn Kids bedding sets). Being a snuggler myself, I thought that this would only solidify their sisterly bond, and while Isabella was thrilled, Josephine was insufferable. Every night, the giggles I had heard so happily in my head were being traded out for quibbles and cries. And so it came to be that my girls were dubbed "oil and vinegar", I'll let you decipher which is which. The good news is, with proper emulsification, oil and vinegar can be harmoniously mixed. Unfortunately however, I can not throw my children together in a blender. It does seem though, especially lately, that when I am (almost) not looking, they are so friendly and sweet to one another, helping and sharing and caring and doing for each other. When I notice this, I can not help being overwhelmed with pride, watching what I always wanted both for myself and now for my kids, take form. The magic of childhood is a beautiful thing, and just to be on the safe side, I try not exhale loudly, lest I brake the spell.

Ever Versatile Vinaigrette
2 garlic cloves or 1 shallot, minced
2 tsp dijon mustard
3 TBS vinegar (balsamic, red, or white wine)
pinch of sugar
generous pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

-whisk together everything but the olive oil
-slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking continuously, until smooth and emulsified

You could also blend in a blender or food processor, again adding the oil in a steady stream with the machine on.