What I learned this evening
While I am entirely capable of flipping a tortilla española under normal circumstances that allow me the full use of both hands and arms, I am not capable of doing so with a baby strapped to my hip in a sling.
He’s teething and there is simply no putting him down today. At all. He’s uncomfortable and wants to be held. No problem. I love to hold him. But I was also quite attached to the idea of tortilla for dinner. I tried to flip it using my usual “invert onto a plate veryvery quickly and then slide back into the pan” trick and found that I didn’t have enough range of motion on the side where the sling was. I found that out mid-flip. The tortilla fell apart. Well…now we’re having scrambled eggs with potato and onion. It’s not pretty but it tastes fine.
Isn’t this fascinating? I’m telling you about my kitchen disaster to distract from the fact that my agent wants more revisions. She’s right (she’s always right, I’m finding) but I’m beyond ready to be done with this book and move on to the next. Ah well. Back to work on it. Some day, when I’ve written and published three or four more books, please remind me to laugh about this.
In happier news, sweet Thumper is asleep next to me as I write this. Poor boy. Teething doesn’t look like much fun.
The best thing about teething is that we don’t remember it. Good luck with the revisions.
Posted by: Carole
Damn revisions. Damn teething. Damn broken tortillas (although I have found many a time that “scrambled eggs and potatoes and onion” taste just as good. Yes, it has happened exactly that way in my kitchen, even withOUT a baby on my hip.) Poor sweetie. Are you eating chocolate these days? Not milk, I realize, but dark chocolate perhaps? Please let me know…
Posted by: Norma
Do you know about Hyland’s Teething Tablets? They are homeopathic (I’ve even found them at CVS!), dissolve almost instantly on the tongue. They got my son through teething, and he even asked for them when his two year old molars came in. Hyland’s makes a homeopathic “Bumps and Bruises” which is also invaluable!
Good luck to you both!
Posted by: Anne
You are . . . SUPER MOTHER!
I’m sorry the tortillas didn’t work out, but just remember that when you’ve published three or four more books, you’ll look back on this an laugh.
(Reminder too soon?)
In a little while, Thumper is going to look up at you and say “Mom, thanks so much for taking care of me even at the expense of making tortillas. You made being a teething baby worth it.”
Posted by: David
The best thing about teething is that we don’t remember it. Good luck with the revisions.
Posted by: Carole
Damn revisions. Damn teething. Damn broken tortillas (although I have found many a time that “scrambled eggs and potatoes and onion” taste just as good. Yes, it has happened exactly that way in my kitchen, even withOUT a baby on my hip.) Poor sweetie. Are you eating chocolate these days? Not milk, I realize, but dark chocolate perhaps? Please let me know…
Posted by: Norma
Do you know about Hyland’s Teething Tablets? They are homeopathic (I’ve even found them at CVS!), dissolve almost instantly on the tongue. They got my son through teething, and he even asked for them when his two year old molars came in. Hyland’s makes a homeopathic “Bumps and Bruises” which is also invaluable!
Good luck to you both!
Posted by: Anne
You are . . . SUPER MOTHER!
I’m sorry the tortillas didn’t work out, but just remember that when you’ve published three or four more books, you’ll look back on this an laugh.
(Reminder too soon?)
In a little while, Thumper is going to look up at you and say “Mom, thanks so much for taking care of me even at the expense of making tortillas. You made being a teething baby worth it.”
Posted by: David
dont feel bad. a half-flipped-somewhat-falling-apart-tortilla-espanola is a typical meal in casa de stringTHEORY (and i dont even have a baby to fault)….they taste the same either way:)
Posted by: cristina
“Con lo que lleva, no puede estar malo” my grandmother says always 😉
You should try with una tapadera de sartén (I’m sorry I don’t how to say it in english) because has a holder and it’s esaier, I always do it with a plate, though.
Posted by: Lía
I always get Miquel to flip the tortillas at our house. I think I’ll try it myself and then end up chickening out at the last minute! We have a device here in Catalunya called a “tomba truites” or tortilla dumper, which is a ceramic plate with a big knob on the back of it so you can hold it in the middle.
Posted by: Jennifer
I’ve been wanting a tortilla for the past week or so, but I’m too chicken to try it. I learned the recipe from a Spanish friend, and he’d drop it all the time and would just laugh it off, but I’m afraid I’d end up with potatoes and eggs everywhere.
Can’t wait to see Thumper’s new teefs.
Posted by: Iris
Mmmm. Scrambled eggs with potato and onion….clearly I haven’t had breakfast yet. Thumper is a lucky dude.
I have complete faith that this novel is going to be kick-ass fantastic when its finally done. I’ll bet your super-agent feels the same way. Go get ’em!
Posted by: claudia
I second the Hyland’s Teething Tablets suggestion. They worked very well for us. I’m sorry Thumper is suffering through the teething. It does look miserable, doesn’t it?
Revisions do suck, but the end result will be worth it. I can’t wait to read it!
Posted by: regina
Two words: Frozen waffles
Posted by: juliette
I’m not so good at the tortilla flip even without the baby on my hip! (and i even have one of those tortilla flipping plates with the handle on the top!
Posted by: rebecca
Great for teething, a frozen waffle or bagle for Thumper to chew on.
Posted by: Bonnita
Amber is wonderful for teething too…I’ve had numerous babies clamouring for my amber necklaces to suck on whilst teething…worth trying anyhow…Good Luck…
Posted by: Kayla
What kind of sling do you use? I know you’ve mentioned it pretty often and use it all the time, so you must love it. We’re expecting our first in April and I’m soaking up all the advice I can get. Thanks! 🙂
Posted by: Deepa
Bella sends Thumper her sweetest sympathies, and a nice, hard toy (or wrist, or collarbone, or chin) to chew on.
Funny, her first 7 teeth didn’t bother her at all, number 8 has been a nightmare!
I hope that tooth cuts soon and gives you all some peace.
Posted by: ginchy
Oh dear, poor baby!
When I was a kid, the standard treatment for teething was this stuff called, (I think), paragoric. Turns out Paragoric was pretty much pure alcohol. So my parents would also rub a little whiskey on our gums in a pinch!
Which, in addition to having a drop of whiskey in tea from the time I was 13 or so (Irish mother), probably explains why I HATE whiskey now!!
Hang in there, Thumper!
Posted by: Annie
I used to slip the girls to my back while I cooked.
Would that work?
Posted by: Stephanie
I am quite certain that I could not flip a tortilla, even without a baby limiting my range of motion! I hope next time you give it a try it works out better for you. Still, eggs with potato and onion sound good. I love anything with potatoes.
Looking forward to reading your novel…
Posted by: Knittripps
dont feel bad. a half-flipped-somewhat-falling-apart-tortilla-espanola is a typical meal in casa de stringTHEORY (and i dont even have a baby to fault)….they taste the same either way:)
Posted by: cristina
“Con lo que lleva, no puede estar malo” my grandmother says always 😉
You should try with una tapadera de sartén (I’m sorry I don’t how to say it in english) because has a holder and it’s esaier, I always do it with a plate, though.
Posted by: Lía
I always get Miquel to flip the tortillas at our house. I think I’ll try it myself and then end up chickening out at the last minute! We have a device here in Catalunya called a “tomba truites” or tortilla dumper, which is a ceramic plate with a big knob on the back of it so you can hold it in the middle.
Posted by: Jennifer
I’ve been wanting a tortilla for the past week or so, but I’m too chicken to try it. I learned the recipe from a Spanish friend, and he’d drop it all the time and would just laugh it off, but I’m afraid I’d end up with potatoes and eggs everywhere.
Can’t wait to see Thumper’s new teefs.
Posted by: Iris
Mmmm. Scrambled eggs with potato and onion….clearly I haven’t had breakfast yet. Thumper is a lucky dude.
I have complete faith that this novel is going to be kick-ass fantastic when its finally done. I’ll bet your super-agent feels the same way. Go get ’em!
Posted by: claudia
I second the Hyland’s Teething Tablets suggestion. They worked very well for us. I’m sorry Thumper is suffering through the teething. It does look miserable, doesn’t it?
Revisions do suck, but the end result will be worth it. I can’t wait to read it!
Posted by: regina
Two words: Frozen waffles
Posted by: juliette
I’m not so good at the tortilla flip even without the baby on my hip! (and i even have one of those tortilla flipping plates with the handle on the top!
Posted by: rebecca
Great for teething, a frozen waffle or bagle for Thumper to chew on.
Posted by: Bonnita
Amber is wonderful for teething too…I’ve had numerous babies clamouring for my amber necklaces to suck on whilst teething…worth trying anyhow…Good Luck…
Posted by: Kayla
What kind of sling do you use? I know you’ve mentioned it pretty often and use it all the time, so you must love it. We’re expecting our first in April and I’m soaking up all the advice I can get. Thanks! 🙂
Posted by: Deepa
Bella sends Thumper her sweetest sympathies, and a nice, hard toy (or wrist, or collarbone, or chin) to chew on.
Funny, her first 7 teeth didn’t bother her at all, number 8 has been a nightmare!
I hope that tooth cuts soon and gives you all some peace.
Posted by: ginchy
Oh dear, poor baby!
When I was a kid, the standard treatment for teething was this stuff called, (I think), paragoric. Turns out Paragoric was pretty much pure alcohol. So my parents would also rub a little whiskey on our gums in a pinch!
Which, in addition to having a drop of whiskey in tea from the time I was 13 or so (Irish mother), probably explains why I HATE whiskey now!!
Hang in there, Thumper!
Posted by: Annie
I used to slip the girls to my back while I cooked.
Would that work?
Posted by: Stephanie
I am quite certain that I could not flip a tortilla, even without a baby limiting my range of motion! I hope next time you give it a try it works out better for you. Still, eggs with potato and onion sound good. I love anything with potatoes.
Looking forward to reading your novel…
Posted by: Knittripps