The Hurricane Party. And Bean Dip

Apparently we had a hurricane here in NYC this weekend.

This hurricane wasn't like Katrina in New Orleans or anything. This one was a lot of rain and some wind and a lot of really excited weather men, using the word "hurricane" over and over because it is waaaaaaay more dramatic than the word, oh I don't know, "rain".

Weathermen, I believe, must have the most boring job on the planet. They spend most of their days telling us the weather will be "partly cloudy, partly sunny, with a chance of rain". This is our weather in a nutshell. It is always "partly sunny, partly cloudy, with a chance of rain". The weather man is a bore in a TV-ready suit.

But give these weather people some rain and a little 20 mile an hour wind and they are talking "disaster preparation". All of a sudden, their two minutes slot at the end of the news, with their little cardboard, smiley-face suns dotting the big map, becomes a top-of-the-hour, 20 minute meteorological dissertation on how to ride out a hurricane.

They were so excited they nearly wet themselves.

So, we did what any self-respecting family would do if a hurricane was baring down on us and we knew the weather men were full of shit: We had a hurricane party. Which is a fancy way of saying we ate bean dip, drank beer (us not the kids) did a huge art project and then ate Dibs for dessert (Don't tell me you never heard of Dibs - if you've never had a Dib, you are completely missing out). Calling it a hurricane party made it feel more like an event and Lucy was so excited to see the hurricane up close that she decided to dance in it.

I wish I had photos of Lucy soaking wet and dancing in circles, waving her arms and kicking up her heels in the warm downpour, but I don't because it was all so spontaneous. I was transfixed, really. Stuck in one place, blown away by how she can turn anything into joy. Everything is an adventure. Amazing.


This is what I love about having kids. I never would have thought to run around in the hurricane in my underpants, laughing madly, enjoying this thing that seems like a fun day killer. But it was Lucy who saw it for what it was: pure delight.

Take that, weather people.

And let me just tell you, no one laughs like Lucy. It is the stuff of magical elves. The sound is like an untamed gurgle from some bubbly, wild spring deep inside her. She laughs with her whole body. It is pure joy and has been ever since she was a baby. It is my absolute favorite sound in the whole world. If you ask her what Mommy's favorite sounds are, she'll tell you: "Lucy laughing and Lucy singing". I guess I tell her a lot.

I have nothing else to offer you, so here's the very simple recipe for bean dip that we had at our Hurricane Party. I may have posted this before, I can't remember, but it's worth another go around. It's that easy and that addictive.

xo YM
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The Yummy Mummy's Hurricane Party Bean Dip

Prep time: 7 minutes, faster if you have the tomato, cilantro and onion pre-chopped

1 can of black beans (small white beans work as well, but black is better)
1 medium tomato
1 handful of chopped fresh cilantro
1 small onion, finely diced
Juice of half a lemon
(a little Jalapeno is optional, but go for it if you like a little heat)
1 generous dollop of sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, except sour cream. Get everything mixed together well. Make a small well in the middle of the bean mixture. Add a generous dollop of sour cream. Garnish with a little chopped tomato and a sprig of cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.