Do you ever find bananas sitting in your fridge or on the kitchen counter, turning brown and almost black? When bananas become too soft to enjoy on their own but seem too good to throw away, this is one of the first easy recipes that comes to mind. I first learned this simple pancake recipe
One of the most overwhelming moments of parenting is when a child suddenly becomes ill in the middle of the night. A child who was playing happily and eating well during the day suddenly feels hot to the touch, and the numbers on the thermometer keep climbing. A blocked nose keeps them from falling asleep,
Raising children in Poland, I sometimes need a little time for myself. But it’s not always easy to go out and leave the kids behind, and signing up for expensive private classes every time can add up quickly. That’s why I’d love to recommend Dom Kultury, Poland’s local cultural centers. They offer great value for
Living in Poland, I’ve come to realize just how many stories a person’s name can tell. Names change depending on how they are used in a sentence, and a husband and wife may even have different endings to their surnames. There is a special day to celebrate your name in addition to your birthday, and
The way people use first names and surnames varies from country to country. In Korea, it is customary to use a surname followed by a two-syllable given name. But when you live in Europe, you begin to notice that the way people address one another is different, and that surnames are used in different ways,
If my first pregnancy and birth were filled with fear because everything was new to me, and my second was a whirlwind of changing jobs and attempting a VBAC, our third baby truly felt like an unexpected gift who arrived at the most unexpected moment. Just when I was physically and emotionally exhausted from our
I used to regularly prepare sandwiches, soups, or baked goods for dinner—simple meals my kids love and eat well. These were familiar options for my children, who attend daycare and kindergarten here in Poland, and they were quick and easy for me on busy days. Recently, however, my 2.5-year-old started asking for a proper “cooked
Following my first story about giving birth to my firstborn through an emergency C-section—alone and overwhelmed in the middle of the pandemic—I’d like to share the story of having my second child. My first and second births could not have been more different. The first was a series of unpredictable and frightening events. The second
One day, I opened the fridge and realized that the mascarpone cheese was nearing its expiration date. As it happened, I had been invited to a BBQ party that evening, so I decided to bake a lemon cake—something fresh and citrusy that would be the perfect light dessert after a meal of rich, grilled meats.
A few days ago, I took my third child to get vaccinated. In Poland, children’s vaccinations are usually given at a pediatrician’s office or clinic within the POZ (Podstawowa Opieka Zdrowotna, primary healthcare) system. If you search for “Przychodnia” in your local area, you can easily find these primary healthcare clinics. This time, my third
