What’s a baby bond? For those of you who aren’t familiar with this tradition, it was once common for the relatives of a new mother or father to give their newborn baby a gift. Now, this gift certainly wasn’t the cutest thing you could get for a baby. It wasn’t a precious onesie or an itty-bitty bib. The gift was a bond. The idea behind it was that you were giving something that would, in the long run, be much more important than an item of clothing, soon to be outgrown. The bond would be purchased at its current value and would be placed in a safe place to mature over many years. When the child grew up, the bond could be cashed in and used toward anything from weddings to college education to a first home. So as the child grows, so does the value of the gift. The later you wait to cash it in, the more it’s worth. Way to teach delayed gratification at a (very!) young age.

In the summer of 2007, I headed to my hometown of Potomac, Maryland to finish up the final plans for our wedding before setting up our first household in Cleveland. Because it didn’t make sense for her to hold them anymore, my mom gave me my baby bonds that summer. Although I could’ve cashed them in during our first year of marriage, I eventually decided to hold onto them a bit longer – because now that I’m older, I understand their value.

But the baby bonds aren’t the only things that have gained value over the past 4 years. Over time, I’ve realized that my marriage is like a baby bond.

Most of you probably know that I was married at the young age of 21. To most people these days, especially from my hometown, that’s considered quite young and immature; now that I’m older, I can’t help but agree. While I recall my passion and excitement for our wedding and our first days of building a home together, I really don’t think I truly knew what I was getting myself into. During that first year, I fought dirty. I thought of myself as more important than Joe. And I was a lousy encourager to him, even as he worked hard as a teacher to put me through my first years of law school.

Thank God that Joe had patience with me, because if either of us had cut and run, that bond would have cashed in for very little in its first year or two. But God gave us this bond, for better or for worse, and we had to keep it safe and wait for it grow in value.

In the years to come, I couldn’t believe what blossomed before my eyes. Seeing the sacrifices Joe made for me, the patient care with which he comforted me, and the thoughtful ways he romanced me, my heart truly began to melt into his. It certainly hasn’t been a cakewalk – Joe pushes me hard to be my best. In fact, he’s pushed me to be more than I thought was my best, because he saw more potential in me than I did myself. That’s just love, pure and true.

Now, here we are, exactly four years into our marriage. While Joe takes the Ohio Bar Exam, I work on a business that he helped me create and will one day co-own. I am floored by what has become of this bond that God has given us, and I continue to be amazed at the way it has matured. The truth is, I don’t know what its value will be in 10 years, 20 years, or 50 years. But I know today that I am honored to hold and cherish this bond, and to believe that God will protect it as we wait for it to grow, and grow, and grow.

Happy Anniversary, Babers. You couldn’t be more valuable to me!

The Tremont Farmers Market has become a Tuesday night tradition for us during these warm months. There’s the specialty olive oils (once got some from Julia – it did NOT disappoint!), Amish cheeses, fresh fruits & veggies, and even the Knife Sharpener Guy who offers free dog treats (..always accepted by us, then refused by Butters… how embarrassing). Last week, we had an abundance of produce at home, so we went for one item and one item only – freshly picked SOUR cherries.

Sour cherry season seems to be relatively short, so I was eager to take advantage of the opportunity to venture my first shot at making a tasty Persian dish, Albaloo Polo with Chicken (Chicken and Rice with a Sour Cherry Sauce).

From Drop Box

Harder than finding sour cherries is the task of finding a thorough, well-written Persian recipe on the Internets. So here’s what I did.

Persian-Style Rice
Ingredients
1 cup Basmati Rice
Generous pinch of salt
1 Potato (I used Russet)
1/4 cup of oil
1 Tsp of Turmeric
2 tbsp of water

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and a cup of Basmati rice. Boil for 7-10 minutes. Strain. Chop 1 potato and place at the bottom of the rice pot. Then add 1/4 cup of oil, a teaspoon of turmeric, and a little water and sizzle them ‘taters for a few minutes. Then add the rice back, turn the heat down, and cover. Cook for an additional 35 minutes or so until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Chicken
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
s&p
2 tbsp oil (I used olive)
1/4 cup water
4 pieces chicken (preferably thighs)

Add an onion, a tsp. of turmeric, salt & pepper, a few tbsp. of oil, and 1/4 cup of water to a pan. Add chicken pieces (I only had one big breast, but I think a few thighs would work best), cover, and cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Albaloo Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup sour cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp orange zest
Chopped pistachios, for garnish

Pit 1 cup of cherries. Add cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tsp of orange zest to a small pot and simmer until combined and juicy (about 5 minutes). (I had a little pomegranate syrup, so I added a bit of that too!)

Once the sauce is complete, mix with chicken and onion mixture. Serve rice with potatoes, and top with chicken-cherry sauce mixture. Top with chopped pistachios.

This dish is one of the most colorful I’ve ever eaten! Reds and pinks from the cherries, oranges and yellows from the turmeric, and green from the pistachios. What a delightful summer dish, especially when served with Persian ice cream made rosewater, pistachios, and orange zest!