Some Recipes, Some Rumblings

A couple of family-friendly pasta recipes are forthcoming, but first, two minor musings...

Dateline: Sunday: One of the best Triathlons in the country takes place this time every year, and just so happens to run (literally) right past the Hollenberg Hacienda. It's a chance for us to spend time outside in the St. Pete sunshine, cheer on the racers, and enjoy some bagels, coffee, the occasional mimosa or two with friends and neighbors in our yard. For years, I've had the itch to train to be on the other side of the fence (again, literally -- my house has a white picket fence around it), and compete. Well, my body hasn't been able to cash the checks my heart and/or head care to write (see also: 2 degenerative discs; double inguinal hernia) recently, as it did a decade or so ago, when I ran the NYC Marathon twice. But, my discovery of yoga and one hernia surgery later has me thinking swim/bike/run again, albeit not on the other side of my fence.
Instead, on the suggestion from a good buddy of mine, Rob Dickinson (calling him out by name so he'll feel guiltier if he dropped out), we've tentatively decided to train for an August "sprint" triathlon -- 1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 3.1 mile run -- at nearby Ft. DeSoto Park.
There, I said it. I remember once in an interview with Emmitt Smith, he told me he was taught to always write down his dreams, because it was only then that they became goals. Didn't turn out too bad for him.
May the force be with me...

The other big interesting thing in my life as HOD: I happened upon an opportunity to put some of my recipe-mongering to good use, and dovetail it with my TV career. Turns out a smart lady named Bernie Day has created an online reality series, "Home Cooking Star," celebrating just that, home cooks. No formal training allowed! Think "American Idol" (you go, Danny Gokey!)meets "Top Chef" (Fabio was my man!). LOVE IT! As it turns out, instead of using this blog to solicit voters to support my entry and become the inaugural Home Cooking Star, as I originally thought, I may be the face of the show! Discussions are taking place; nothing more just yet. But regardless, I applaud Ms. Day for recognizing the increasing viability for internet and TV to meld into one. More and more, the on-camera work I am contracted to do is steering toward three letters (WWW) than two (TV).... Stay tuned, and you can check it out more at www.homecookingstar.com ...
Season one focuses on the best BBQ recipes, but still, an ample segue ...


TEMPT 'EM WITH TEXTURE

I like meals with varied flavor profiles, but also complimentary textures. This pasta dish uses a couple of basics along with a couple of pleasant surprises, the outcome being sweet, salty, and sensational. Thanks to Real Simple for this one...

1. Cook 1 box Rigatoni (texture!) while toasting 1/4c pine nuts (texture! toasty!) until golden brown (I always use my toaster oven, not a conventional one).
2. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a saucepan. Saute 4 (sliced/chopped) garlic cloves until golden.
3. Add 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes (sweet!), 1/3c golden raisins (sweet!), 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper. Simmer until slightly thickened (approx. 10 minutes).
4. Stir in 2 tbsp. capers (salty!).
5. Toss pasta with tomato mixture and stir in pine nuts.

Once again (like a previous pasta dish I've listed) -- no sauce, but still sweet and flavorful.

Now here's one more that's one the more traditional side, but definitely one the kids should especially love...

BAKED SPAGHETTI PIE

1. Cook 1/2 lb. spaghetti. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix 2 beaten eggs, 1 (15 oz.) container ricotta (I always use part skim), & 3/4 c grated parmesan cheese.
3. Add pasta to mixture and pour into a greased 9" pie plate.
4. Top with 1 c marinara sauce. Layer on 3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese & 2 extra tbsp. parmesan (Editor's note: I always prefer MORE cheese than any recipe ever calls for; that's always factored in to what you'll read here)
5. Bake for 25 minutes; let stand for 10 more, for easier serving.

Before I go, a shout out to my Internet Nanie: she tried my Tilapia recipe I posted, and she and Papa Harry loved it... woo hoo! A first for the HOD blog!

A Breather

It's 9 o'clock... Survivor's waiting on the DVR... 30 Rock/Office about to come on, but the DVR will babysit those, too... A chance to exhale in front of my trusty HP... This is the second Daddy Night in a row for me, and I relish the chance to be alone with my kiddies. Being an HOD means I get to see Jason and Lindsey (and Jill) a lot more than most men see their families, but the quality time is still at a minimum, especially since I've been running around a lot lately. I'm producing a 2:00 infomercial right now for a makeup product coming to market, called Aloe Glow (Shameless plug alert: I will be keeping you posted when the project goes "live," on the air and on the web). It's a premium quality click-pen concealer, loaded with good stuff that makes you look and feel good. Aaaanyway, it's been occupying a large section of brain space for me, so Daddy Night is a great chance for me to decompress from outside stresses and really FOCUS on the kids. Jill had Girls Night Out last night, and tonight she went to a Dave Ramsey seminar (very fiscally responsible, that one!)...
Dinner, bath, reading, bedtime...such simple activities, yet so vital for me to reconnect. I sometimes wonder who benefits more from the routine: J & L, or me...

Random thoughts:

• Is it just my 'inching-toward-dinosaur-status' PC, or is Facebook getting more and more difficult to load and navigate? Don't ruin a good thing, there, Zuckerberg...


• And speaking of Facebook: what's with all the Top 5 lists?? If you know me at all, you know I love lists (I used to doodle my list of favorite music acts in my 6th grade notebook during class -- for the record: Bruce, Van Halen, The Police, & Def Leppard topped the chart at the time)... but 5? FIVE?? I filled out a couple of them, and it's HARD! Can't they at least make 'em Top 10's instead?!?...


• Never realized how monumental it would be to make a decision on where to send your child to kindergarten... it's so cliche but so true that everyone gets so much older faster these days (Mr. Berra would be proud of that one!)...


• You know your life has shifted toward middle age when you find yourself listening to DJ Lance more than Run DMC (if you don't get that reference, then you don't watch Noggin with your kids! Check yo'self. Word.)...


• Funny moment of the week: Took Jason to the Rays-White Sox game Sunday, and his pet peeve was all the screaming. He got so fed up with the beverage hawking in the aisles, that he yelled out (for the whole of section 111 to hear), "I DON'T WANT ANY COLD BEER!" ... can't say I agreed with him at that point, but funny, nevertheless...


• Today marks the exact one-month countdown to Baby #3's scheduled arrival. Still no name decided on. Negotiations at a stand still. I wish I had a big enough blog following to solicit suggestions... anyone?... Bueller? .... (cue the crickets chirping)...


• Do I use ellipses too much...?

I wrap up with a previously alluded-to ground beef recipe I whipped up for the team the other night...

Grown-Up Ground Beef

Pulled from Southern Living mag, we really enjoyed this one, because it's simple, yet a decidedly different way to enjoy ground beef. Jill loved it, and, since she's my only consistent focus group, I take her word for it, especially in this case, because she's somewhat hot-cold when it's comes to hamburger meat in general...

1. Preheat oven to 350. Boil 3 qts. salted water. Whisk in 1c plain yellow cornmeal. Simmer and whisk until thick. Season with steak seasoning and 1/4 shredded cheddar cheese. Spread mixture into a slightly greased 11x7 (or 13x9) baking dish.


2. Brown 1 lb. ground chuck in a skillet until done; drain and transfer to bowl.


3. Saute 1 chopped onion, 1 medium sliced zucchini in 1 tbsp. olive oil until crisp-tender. Stir in beef. Add 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste & 2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes, drained. Simmer for 10 minutes.


4. Pour beef mixture on top of cornmeal. Cover with 3/4c (or more, to liking) cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.


5. Garnish with parsley, if so desired.

Head's up: Don't know if it might've needed some extra time in the oven, but my cornmeal crust wasn't crusty at all, it was more like solidified grits on the bottom. Still tasty (or else it wouldn't be in this blog), but not the consistency I expected...

Lindsey just popped downstairs for a surprise visit before mommy gets home. Normally, I would mind. Tonight, not so mcuh. She's had me wrapped around her finger since the day she arrived nearly 4 years ago. Seems like 4 days ago. Graphic description alert from the TMI Department: We didn't know if L would be a boy or girl. Jill was convinced 110% it was a boy. I remember the doctor pulling out the newborn, lifting her up, and me being the first to confirm it was indeed a VAGINA I was looking at, then the entire room (Me, Jill, both our moms) erupting into 'It's a GIRRRRRRRRRRL' shrieks! O, happy day...

...Did I mention how quickly they seem to grow up...?

Hollenberg Family Favorite

1. Made this one tonight for the troops. Jill has declared this her #1 favorite...and that's saying something, considering my wife's super hero alter ego is 'The Appreciator'...
   
   NO SAUCE, NO PROBLEM
   1) Preheat oven to 400. Toss 3c cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (you can use 2 pints instead of measuring -- be generous, this is the best part!), with 1/4c balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove (or 1 tsp) garlic, S & P (*you can really just eyeball all of these). Spread on foil-lined baking sheet.
   2) Roast tomatoes for 20+ minutes, until browned and somewhat caramelized.
   3) Meanwhile, cook 1 box pasta (ever try Ronzoni Smart Taste or Dreamfield's??)
   4) Lightly toast a big handful of pine nuts
   5) Shred 1c Asiago cheese
   6) Drain pasta; place 1 bag spinach in pasta pot. Pour drained pasta back in.
   7) Add tomatoes, pine nuts, cheese; sprinkle on basil to your liking. Mix.
   
   You will never miss the fact that there is no 'sauce' in this pasta dish. It is so fresh and light, yet bursting with flavor. This recipes claims to serve 6 -- Jill & I feel like we can crush the whole damn thing by ourselves (an extra glass of red wine, and that's not unrealistic!)

Family & Friends (but no recipes!)

A brief divergence from the recipe roll call... I feel compelled to let you know about a business I have stumbled into, by way of a friend and neighbor of mine. I was looking for ways to stay busy during the downtime that being a TV personality affords me, while keeping up the lifestyle of the Home-Office Dad I'd created.
Anyway, my friend started a company call Family & Friends Financial, and I got involved, first on the video production end, and became so intrigued I now have a vested interest in the company's success. He started it in true grass-roots fashion, and the roots are starting to really take hold and grow.
It is very rewarding to see the positive response we're getting, without a single shred of marketing and/or promotion. We now even have a "fan club" on Facebook (just type in Family and Friends Financial in the search bar)! People interested in a FREE, HOME-BASED INCOME opportunity have found it on their own, or through word-of-mouth, and the # of people jumping on board is really starting to climb!
Please visit www.familyandfriends.com/Rich to find out more. You'll see my mug all over the videos -- they're there to explain what this company is, and to guide you through the basics of getting involved. Stay tuned, because we are about to shoot the second round of videos, which will provide even more information and updates on how you can succeed by becoming a representative.
Of course, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions whatsoever...

Thanks! ~ Rich

Breaking Baking News!!

MANDEL BREAD (like manna from Heaven)
This just in: handed down from my late, great-grandmother Nanie Sadie (one of the best bakers in the History of Little Jewish Ladies Baking -- I still have dreams about her coconut custard pie) to my grandma Nanie Ceil... and the best thing about this posting is Nanie Ceil e-mailed it to me after reading this blog!!!!! Gotta love this crazy thing called the Internet...
(Editor's note: for those of you not familiar, think a slightly moister version of biscotti)

1. Mix together 1 stick of softened margarine, 1/4c. vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 3/4c sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 cups of regular flour, 2 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 cup finely ground almonds, 1/2 bag of chocolate bits (Nanie says 'optional.' I say 'mandatory!')
2. form 3 rolls put on a floured baking sheet and bake at 350 till the rolls are hard enough.
3. slice when cooled sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixed and put back to toast.

L'chaim!!

Sweet Tooth Salvation

I am not one of those chocholics...I like my sweets to have some complexity to them. Don't get me wrong, I love my Snickers, and my Dove (converted from Hershey's when I got married...try it & you will, too), but I'd rather create desserts these days. Funny how I'm just noticing that 3 of the 4 desserts I'm going to post feature bananas, peanut butter, or both! I have come to understand that this is strictly from osmosis: my children could live on banana-peanut butter (and so could their mom and dad!)...

NOT YO MAMA'S BANANA PUDDING
Discovered this little gem on the Food Network web site. It's down-home, but gets classed up with the cookies for looks, and taste... I brought it to a casual New Year's Eve party and it was a huge hit (makes enough for a small party)...

1. Line a 13x9 dish with 1 bag Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies
2. Layer 7 sliced bananas on top
3. Blend 2 cups milk & 1 (5 oz.) box instant French Vanilla Pudding mix
4. In another bowl, blend 1 (8 oz.) package softened cream cheese & 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk, until smooth
5. Fold 1 (12 oz.) container of thawed whipped topping into cream cheese mixture
6. Add that to the pudding mixture until smooth
7. Pour over the cookies/bananas, then cover with 2nd bag of Chessmen
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve

NUTTER BUTTER-BANANA PUDDING TRIFLE

This one comes from Southern Living magazine (Jill loves the articles about the homes...I dig the recipes). Nutter Butters are my all-time fave cookie, and my family's undying love affair with the union of bananas & peanut butter is now well-documented. Hence, this no-brainer that would make Elvis sit up in his grave (or wherever he is)... I got the kids involved when I made this one (licking the bowl is always good incentive to help with mixing duties)...

1. Combine 3 cups milk, 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour in a large saucepan, whisking constantly until thickened (up to 20 min.)
2. Remove from heat; add 2 tbsp. butter & 2 tsp. vanilla extract
3. Refrigerate, and let stand, but stir occasionally for about 30 minutes (*you could also put it in an 'ice bath' on the countertop)
4. Cut 6 ripe bananas into thin slices; break 1 package Nutter Butters into thirds
5. When thoroughly chilled, spoon half pudding mixture into a 3-qt. bowl (clear glass is better!)
6. Top with bananas & cookies
7. Repeat steps 5-6
8. Top with 2 cups whipped cream (I used Cool Whip)
9. Cover & chill

The best thing about this is, like most leftovers, this dessert seemed to get better as the days went on. It's pretty sweet, so a little goes a long way. Do what I say, not what I do: enjoy in (relatively) small portions!!

SHOUT OUT TO THE DIABETICS

After being diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes a few years ago, I knew my life as a dessert lover was going to change. Luckily, I am learning how to enjoy everything I used to, albeit in moderation. Still, I went on a vision quest for desserts that could fill the void, if there ever was one to be filled. This is taken from the folks at South Beach Diet (which, FYI, is synonymous with a diabetic dietary lifestyle). I found this clever and creative, and the taste didn't disappoint...

1. Nuke a sugar-free fudgcicle for about :15 to soften it
2. Scrape it into a small bowl
3. Add 2 tbsp. peanut butter & 2 tbsp. light Cool Whip
4. Mix together until swirled (or swirl together until mixed)... Devour.

Simple, right?

KIDDIE CLASSIC

OK, last (for now) but not least... a new-fangled, fun way to enjoy your All-American treat of milk & cookies. This comes from a kiddie cookbook Jill bought me for Hanukkah (Southern Living Kids Cookbook), and is the #1 request from my soon-to-be 6-year-old, Jason. He and his little sis, Lindsey, love helping out with this one...

1. Crush 3 whole graham cracker sheets in a zip-loc freezer bag (kids LOVE that part!)
2. Sprinkle a heaping spoonful of crumbs in bottom of 6 (1 cup) glasses or container (we used juice glasses)
3. Dip 1 chocolate chip cookie in milk (about :10) to soften. Place cookie on top of crumbs. Repeat for other 5 glasses
4. Spread 1/4 cup Cool Whip on top of each cookie
5. Repeat steps 3-4 two more times
6. Crumble last 2 cookies (you'll need 20 total) and sprinkle evenly over each glass
7. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours (although I can speak from experience that they taste great after just a little while, too!)

Off to go fix dinner. Leftovers tonight. Made a dynamite ground beef dish last night that I'll be sharing soon...

Friends & Recipes

BROCCOLI SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

I'm always looking for interesting ways of consuming my least favorite veggie: broccoli. Never ate it (and most every other veg) my whole life, but in recent years, I'm finally coming around to the fact that it's good enough for me to suck it up and get creative enough to tolerate it. Thanks to Dawn Goddard for sharing this one that's easy to make, and fun to eat as a snack or a side dish...

1. Steam one large bunch of trimmed, coarsely chopped broccoli over simmering water, 8-9 minutes, until just crisp-tender


2. Plunge in cold water and drain


3. Toast 1 tbsp. (or more) sesame seeds (toaster oven is the easiest); set aside


4. Season broccoli with S & P


5. Combine 2 tbsp. sesame oil, 1/4 cup salad oil, 3 tbsp. rice vinegar, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, & 1/2 tsp. sugar; whisk together until blended.


6. Pour over broccoli and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.

(Here's another super-simple way to serve broccoli without the YECH factor... season with salt and roast it in the oven. For some unknown reason, I never thought of this until our friends Curt & Michelle served it that way...)

TERRIFIC TILAPIA

Jill and I were first introduced to tilapia years ago at a party thrown by our friends, Pete & Deb Kilcullen. Deb's relatively rustic approach to prepping this moist, mild fish is like Geico (so easy even a caveman can do it!)...

(you may also note there's broccoli in this dish, too -- I'm evolving!)

1. Toss tilapia filets in flour and bread crumbs.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet; add broccoli florets, sun-dried tomatoes, & drained artichoke hearts.
3. Add lemon juice, white wine, & garlic as veggies brown and pan dries up.
4. Remove veggies, and place tilapia in pan; cook 3 minutes/side, adding juice, wine, & garlic again.
5. You can either pile all the veggies back in the pan and serve, or plate each separately.

I have a lot more recipes to go...but for some reason I have a sweet tooth, so my next posting will give you a trio of my favorite desserts: 2 of them you'll go bananas over...and third is new twist on an all-time kid classic!

Also on my blog "to-do" list: pasta dishes, beef, salmon, and my top "rip-out recipes" from magazines...

Rich's Recipes: Family & Friends Edition

I don't want these recipe blogs to look and feel too much like a cut-and-paste cookbook (unless a cookbook publisher happens upon my blog, then YES! -- this would be perfect for a cookbook!), so without further ado (is that a drum roll I hear, or crickets chirping...?) this section has to go first, in my mind. A couple from some dear friends whose talent in the kitchen I greatly admire, but mostly, it includes age-old recipes passed down from generations (mostly on my mom's side), and having mostly to do with Jewish holidays (which I now realize ingrained me with a love of eating, if not cooking, at a young age)...

BRING ON THE BRISKET
Kudos to my mom and my sister on this one. This recipe has probably been in my family for more than 4 generations, but I think they'd agree, it gets better with age. I made it for the first time myself this past Passover, and BAM! -- it transported me back to when I was a child, which is some of the highest praise I can think of for any food creation...

1. Trim fat off brisket (get at least 6-8 lbs. -- I made the rookie mistake of only buying 4 lbs. -- think leftovers!)
2. Rub brisket with spice mixture of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, onion
3. Saute 3 onions in a pan... transfer to an 8-qt. stock pot
4. In same pan, sear both sides of brisket... transfer to same stock pot
5. Add 3 cans tomato soup, 1 bottle chili sauce, a bunch of chopped carrots
6. Cover and slow cook for 4 hours or until brisket is fork tender
7. Take out and slice brisket after letting it sit for 30 minutes
8. Put sliced brisket in tupperware and cover with sauce
9. Store leftover sauce (believe me, it tastes good with everything!)
10. Re-heat covered with tin foil in a baking dish at 350 degrees until hot

My take: This is better the 2nd night than the first night, and the first night is outrageous! Make it at least a day in advance to let all the juice and sauce coagulate...

SPINACH-MATZO PUDDING Shout out to my Aunt Doris, who I believe gets the lion's share of credit for this recipe... Make this with egg noodles when it's not Passover and it tastes amazing...but on this night (a little Hebrew humor. Sorry if you don't get it!)...

1. Saute 2 onions in butter
2. rinse and drain 4 packages, frozen chopped spinach
3. rinse and drain 1 container matzo farfel
4. 6 eggs, lightly beaten
5. 1 large sour cream
6. 1 stick margarine, melted
7. plenty of salt and pepper
8. Combine all ingredients
9. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until browned throughout

PASSOVER ROLLS Tastes so good you won't even know it's for Passover!

1. Boil 1 cup water
2. Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil; lower heat
3. Mix in 1 2/3 cups matzo meal, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt
4. Remove from heat; beat in 4 eggs, one at a time
5. Form into about a dozen balls; place on greased cookie sheet
6. form an "x" on top of each ball
7. Bake @ 375 degrees for 1 hour or until brown

CHICKEN BROTH/SOUP Credit to Michelle Miller for this delicious, basic stock recipe. I added my matzo balls to this... YUM! I like to use rotisserie chicken to give it a bit of extra flavor...

1. In an 8-qt. crock pot place leftover chicken scraps (bones, skin, etc.) and fill with water until chicken is covered
2. rough cut 2 onions, bunch of celery, & carrots
3. Add salt & pepper
4. Bring to a boil, then keep adding water as it cooks down

GRANDMA STELLA'S BISCUITS Lucky me: I was born to love food, but I also married into a Southern family, whose matriarch is a war bride who came to Georgia from Mother England 60 some-odd years ago. The only way you get better biscuits than the ones made in the South is if the recipe comes from a Southerner who was born in the UK! Of course, these taste even better with a spot of tea in the morning or at nighttime...

1. Mix 4 tbsp. shortening with 2 cups self-rising flour, and crumble with fork
2. Put 1/2 cup buttermilk in and stir a bit
3. Add another 1/2 cup buttermilk to make a soft dough (*handle as little as possible)
4. Bake @ 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

If you want to enjoy them the Southern way, drizzle them with honey, or smother them with butter and jelly!

(Also, if you don't have self-rising flour, use plain flour and add 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, & 1/2 tsp. baking soda)

Dad's in the Kitchen

At least at first, I envisioned this blog to be mostly about what I have become as passionate about as any other hobby/diversion/activity: cooking (neck and neck with my first love, sports, but hey, I can admit it, my jump shot ain't what it used to be. In fact, there seems to be a direct correlation between my disintegrating athletic prowess and my increasing ability to practice the culinary arts). Through my job experiences, I've had the honor and privilege of working with and befriending some of the most talented chefs in the craft. Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Roy Yamaguchi, & Cat Cora are names you might recognize. But there's also Scott Conant (NYC), Tim Love (DFW), Michelle Bernstein (Miami), & Zach Gross (TB), whom I am proud to call friends, and who are more than able to carry the culinary torch into the next generation right now (and have the chops in the kitchen, and the telegenic personalities to match, I might add).
Anyway, I digress. Their talent has fueled my passion for spending time in the kitchen, and what started for me as labor has blossomed into a labor of love. I take great pride and comfort knowing that I am able to provide for my family on another level. I smile when I hear my son say "Dad's in the kitchen..." I hold dear a quote I learned from Art Smith (Oprah's personal chef -- am I name-dropping too much? OK, at least I'm aware of it!), who said, "Feeding each other is one of the most sacred acts we as humans share."
With that said, I will be setting forth a number of my favorite recipes that I have tested through the years, and collected over time: from family and friends, to the cook books I collect, to magazines, web sites, and, yes, my foodie mentors mentioned earlier in the posting.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did making them, and my family did eating them...

My Opening Salvo, Part 2

...OK, lunch for the kids (Jason, 5; Lindsey, 3; Baby Boy (as yet unnamed) due May 23)...check. Rays game with Jason...check. Just enough time before Jason's tennis clinic to squeeze in some more blogging...
Now back to the HOD (Home Office Dad) mission statement: to boldly serve as a voice of men who have taken on increased domestic roles in their homes while still serving as the main bread-winner of the household. Never before has the cooking, cleaning, and caring been distributed as evenly between the sexes as it is today, and for many and various reasons:

• Last generation's women's lib movement (coupled with the crappy economy) has given birth the largest-ever population of working moms,


• The advent of the internet, and more recently, mobile devices, has made working at home a legitimate and viable option (at least part of the time), for many workers, and


• The (over)scheduling of our children's extra-curriculars has forced many dads to get more hands on, out of necessity.

For some of us, "home office" is an oxymoron -- the two words simply contradict each other, and cannot legitimately or peacefully coexist. To wit: I know of at least two dad friends who could work full-time out of their homes, but have rented office space elsewhere... just to be out of the house!! It is not that they don't want to help out, or don't love their wives and kids. It is that the line between being at home, and being at work (in your office) is perpetually blurred. They feel that if their wives or children see them in the house (even with the office door closed!), they are still free game. Their earnings potential -- and their sanity -- hinged on this decision.

For my part, my converted closet-turned-home office continues to suffice. I do a good amount of my work there, and juggle the cooking, the kids, and whatever falls in between on any given day, with pride (if not sometimes begrudgingly). I am a true Home Office Dad...

And I know I am not alone...

Tales of a Home Office Dad

I realize I'm a bit late to the blogging game, but, better late than never...
Thanks for checking out my blog. My long term goal (not that you asked)? To create a landing site that captures the essence of a fairly new genus (or is it species?) of man I like to refer to as the HOME OFFICE DAD. This is decidedly not Mr. Mom, mind you. Rather, it is what I have (proudly) become: a working, struggling, ambitious, frustrated, grateful husband and father, who just so happens to do most of his "bringing home the bacon" from home! It is, in a sense, a by-product of last generation's women's lib...
Wait a sec, this maiden voyage blog will have to be continued... gotta go make my 3-year-old, Lindsey, a sandwich (case in point, which I will explain next posting)...