Archive for food

The most beautiful child ever born (biased much?)

May 9, 2008 · Filed under Léa, family, food

My niece, Léa Madeline (it’s pronounced LAY-ah, just like the Princess), who will be three this September, has finally started to really talk, in both French and English. My sister-in-law, Priscille, speaks to her almost exclusively in French, while my brother, Sam, uses only English (well, very little French, and with a really horrendous accent). You can ask her, “Quest-ce va tu desire pour dessert?” and she will answer unabashedly, “Glace!” “Vanille ou chocolat?” “Chocolat!” Right answer, every time (that’s chocolate ice cream to those who don’t parlez). She can count, “One, two, threefourfive!” and then, “Un, deux, troisquatrecinq!” She is simply enchanting, I cannot stop drinking her in. My mother says that this is what it was like when I was her age. I positively fawn over her. I ask her, “Bisou?” and she plants one right on my lips. I cannot believe how amazing she is, and I’m not even her mother. She does high-fives, and says “Ta-da!” when she’s done something particularly cool, and throws her hands up over her head and exclaims, “Cowboys!” (my brother is a HUGE fan, don’t even start with me.) So here are two pictures of her, and her mother and father (you can totally see from where she gets her looks), and the two birthday cards she drew for me. Can you see the face on each? Priscille helped with the letters, but otherwise, it was all Léa.

We went for dinner at Hanada Hibachi in Mohegan Lake to celebrate my birthday. It was Léa’s first hibachi dinner, and she was appropriately impressed with the chef’s antics. He completely played to her.

Today is Elisa’s (twelfth? thirteenth? I don’t remember which, I’m a bad aunt) birthday. We got her a nice pair of 5mm pearl earrings from Whitehall. She loved them.

Comments (3) »

On turning forty

May 6, 2008 · Filed under G, culture, family, food, pampering, self-awareness, shopping, yarn

I am having a hard time reconciling the fact that Friday, May 2d, I turned 40. Where has the time gone? I’m not where I thought I’d be.

To that end, I signed up for a jewelry design class at the Westchester Arts Workshop, which is affiliated with Westchester Community College. It is a for-credit class, so it will add to my paltry and widespread transcript. Jewelry design is something I’ve always been interested in, more consistently that any other field in my life. I began at age eight in summer camp, making crude (at first) copper jewelry with Red, the scary (to everyone but me) and ancient Silver Shop teacher. She resembled quite closely the shrunken apple head dolls she made with other kids. With her permission (and that of my parents), I quickly progressed on to working in sterling silver, setting stones (in particular a large picture jasper for Nanny, my father’s jewelry-loving mother), forging a linked bracelet (which I summarily lost playing soccer), each link by hand, never fusing two links together but soldering each one individually. I was Red’s pet, and I worked in the shop a huge lot of the time I was there. Each summer I returned, for six years, to work under the wing of the ever-more wizened, sharp-minded old woman. I continued on in high school, taking Advanced Jewelry Design with Diana, the eccentric art teacher. It escapes me what I produced in high school. Damned Wellbutrin.

To celebrate my fortieth, my father and stepmother provided G and I with a weekend of decadence. A weekend at the Waldorf=Astoria (don’t ask me why they put in an equals sign instead of a hyphen), including the horrifically expensive room service (see photo to see what a $100 breakfast looks like. There are four tea bags there). An amazing dinner with them Friday night at Daniel. “Passing Strange” at the Belasco Theater Saturday night. “Walking-around money” to do with what I would. I had some plans for us in the in-between time; Bodies…The Exhibition down at the South Street Seaport with maybe an excursion to Seaport Yarn, more yarn shopping, perhaps at Purl (we didn’t get there, only Stitches East). My allergies were totally kicking my ass and G’s were as well, so we moseyed down to Battery Park after the Seaport to relax on the green. I conked out for an hour and a half while G read. An exhausting, but fun weekend.

Edited to add: This is what G gave me for my fortieth; the most amazing stop sign ever. 5/8 carat total weight in brilliant, baguette, and radiant-cut diamonds in 14k white gold. No one else is wearing one of these!

Comments (4) »

Blood’s Bounty

January 10, 2008 · Filed under Holidays, food

Blood’s BountyThis is what the inside of my refrigerator looks like, well, at least one of the drawers. A few weeks before Chanukah we got a card from Blood’s Hammock Groves informing us that we were going to be the lucky recipients of a case of navel oranges, courtesy of my father and stepmother. The box arrived today (my poor UPS guy!) and after slicing into it with my old, dull Henckels, I retrieved a piece of Florida’s Most Pampered Fruit®. The thinness of the skin surprised me; I was expecting something much thicker and harder to peel. They simply are the juiciest, most delicious seedless oranges I’ve ever had! I was wondering how two people are going to get through them all, but I’ve eaten two already, and my mouth is watering thinking about them. And we can give a few to the neighbors. The good neighbors, that is.

Comments (3) »

First snow

December 3, 2007 · Filed under G, Life in Peekskill, food, tv

The first one that stuck, anyway. The first one of which I got pictures. Here’s the view from my upstairs bath off the master bedroom, of our miniscule back yard:

Our tiny back yard

And here’s from the front door, of our porch out to the street.

Time to get rid of the pumpkins, I think

It stayed very cold all day, we kept the fire fed, and G made a delicious gumbo for dinner. We watched the recorded Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Tree (everyone except Josh Groban was lip-synching), and Heroes. I can’t barely wait for tonight’s season finalé!

No comment »

Dinner for six (sort of)

November 26, 2007 · Filed under G, Life in Peekskill, Zeke, family, food, grill

ZekealiciousTonight was our Thanksgiving redux, replete with grilled turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes with cheese and sausage, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin bread. Everything except the bread (which I baked) was made from scratch. I can’t say enough about the stuffing. I’m a stuffing fiend, going so far as eating StoveTop for dinner, plain, when I was single. I’m lucky enough to have a husband who really puts everything he has into the dishes he cooks. You can taste the love with every bite. Joining us at our groaning table were our friends Josh and Tony, my sister, Carolynn, her husband, Tom, and their son, my adorable nephew, Zeke (in case you forgot what he looks like, here he is).

We all ate way too much (I have my nutritionist tomorrow morning, what an idiot girl am I?) and enjoyed each other’s company, and in the end, packed up all sort of leftovers to take to friends (I may feast on stuffing alone yet again!). The Clementines I picked up for dessert weren’t as sweet as I’d have liked, but edible. I’ll have another before bed, perhaps.

—–

On this day: Still good 2005

No comment »

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 24, 2007 · Filed under Hello Kitty, Life in Peekskill, Léa, Zeke, bipolar, cats, family, food, meds

First, let’s get the adorable kin pictures out of the way. Here’s Léa, manhandling her apple pie á la mode:

Léa Madeline, eating Mom’s apple pie

And little Zeke, slurping on his daddy’s head:

Zeke, licking Tom’s pate. Yummy!

Both youngsters were delightedly well-behaved. Léa even had some of G’s delicious Cheddar Soup (almost everyone else had seconds). We got home around 7 pm to re-watch the parade, since I missed seeing Hello Kitty Supercute and my sister informed me that she was definitely there. Meredith Viera even commented on her appearance, wrongly pointing out “her signature right-side bow.” If you’re looking at her it’s on the right, but it’s on Kitty’s left. Idiot wasn’t even paying attention. Oh well, she’s in the parade, that’s all that counts. I got all stupid and choked up watching the Rockettes and the marching bands. Why do I do that? A good day, all in all.

A few things to be thankful for:

My snoring husband, because this means that he is at home with me, lying next to me in our king-size bed with kitties akimbo, and is slumbering sweetly and peacefully.

The internet, for bringing friends to my virtual door.

My family, without whom I wouldn’t be as fucked up as I am, making life much more interesting.

Blogs, which a lot of the time, feel like group therapy, which in real life, I CANNOT STAND, but online, feel much less creepy.

My expensive medication, which is a lot less expensive than it used to be thanks to my new job and a fabulous pdoc who gifts me with samples, and allows me to live something like a semi-normal life. I’m striving for normal. I’ll get there someday.

My new job, which aggravates the shit out of me because they want me to be manic. But I have a job to aggravate me, and therefore, a steady paycheck with benefits.

Espresso. ‘Nuff said.

Tigger, who wakes me up at 5:30 am to pee by smacking my face, without whom I would not be here.

Pye and Harry, who have the awesome power to simply be and that is enough to make me smile.

Life is hard. Wear comfortable shoes.

—–

On this day: Thanksgiving morning 2005

Comments (1) »

3:30 p.m. Fallout

November 17, 2007 · Filed under bipolar, food, work

My energy, that is, practically all over the floor. Had a little o’this and my spirits perked right up. I stationed myself in Glass/Tabletop, ostensibly to fold more large plastic bags, but really it was to be within arms’ reach of the delectable delicacy. I’d been miserable after lunch, my brain faltering and my mood plummeting, wanting more than most to go home early. But a wee nip of the brittle (okay, more like five or six pieces) and I was happy as the proverbial clam. I suppose I could have just as easily sucked down a Triple Chocolate Chaos Balance Bar after my Garlic Chicken Lean Cuisine Pizza, but this was much more surreptitious and wicked-feeling, sneaking it right under management’s nose. “Eggnog Brittle? No calories, since it’s a free sample!” My customers ate it up, with gusto.

—–

On this day: The sun is at a different place in the sky in the autumn 2005

No comment »

Cho. Co. Late.

November 15, 2007 · Filed under food

I love it with a passion. Hershey’s, Scharffenberger, Dove, Nestlé, Lake Champlain; most chocolate is delectable to my taste buds. J.K. Rowling offered proof that chocolate has healing properties (which it does!). Even the Barton’s Passover chocolate we used to hawk as kids in Jew School wasn’t too bad. But don’t, don’t you dare, neglect to add it to my morning mocha, or bloodshed may ensue. I was already five minutes down Route 9a when I took my first sip of this morning’s drug, and realized that the Chatty Cathy barista didn’t dose me with the very mochaness that I needed. My mocha sputtered and quit, leaving me high, dry, and exhausted at around 4 pm. I never quite felt the “kick” that I felt on Saturday. I’ll have to watch tomorrow with an eagle eye or risk lassitude and hebetude. Gotta keep this j.o.b. at least until something better comes along.

Comments (2) »

Léa Madeline at 2

September 8, 2007 · Filed under G, Léa, family, food

my delicious niece, had her second birthday party today. She is, quite possibly, the most beautiful child on the planet. Don’t believe me? Judge for yourself!

Léa et Maman blowing out candlesLéa manger le gateauLéa et les cadeauxLéa et la bicyclette

She didn’t seem to recognize her Tata Lysa and Oncle Gary at first, but then warmed right up to us, leading me into her playroom to show me her stereo and cds and toys (my goodness, the toys!). We all had a wonderful time, devouring a buttercream-and-chocolate-mousse gateau with three tiny blue candles on it. She actually blew out the last candle and was taken aback when we all applauded (”bravo!”). She was particularly interested in the Play-Doh she received as a gift, going back to it again and again until we snuck it away from her so she could open more cadeaux. My mother and father were there (Grand-mere et Pop-Pop), as well as her French babysitter, Marie-Laurence. She’s saying more and more things, (”eat” and “cake”, although not together) and it’s just a matter of time until we won’t be able to keep up with her. As a bilingual child, she’s somewhat slower to put words together, but when she finally does, it’ll be a torrent. In two languages.

We had a nice time talking with Sam and Priscille after Mademoiselle went up for her nap, and stopped for dinner in Pound Ridge at an Italian restaurant called DiNardo’s. Spent more than we normally would, even on sushi, but the meal was a good one, and we won’t be doing it again soon.

New blog! Gary and I have a new photo journal called Cats, Sheep, & Penguins, that will catalog more of our lives together. Check it out!

Comments (1) »

Whew…

September 4, 2007 · Filed under G, Halloween, Life in Peekskill, food, knitting, work

Ready for the first day of workThe first day of my new job is officially over. I feel like I look like a freaking Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon in that picture. At least I was relatively comfortable. Even the new shoes didn’t kill me like they did the last time I bought them. I spent the day with J in the stockroom, pricing all sort of neat gadgets. Like this. And this. Not to mention this. So it was kind of boring, but everyone was really nice. Tomorrow I spend the morning with S, the assistant manager, and then the afternoon with V, the stockroom manager. Thursday I close, Friday and Saturday I have off (so we can attend Mlle Léa’s second birthday party!), and Sunday I only work from 9:30 until 2 pm, and I’ll be getting register trained! I don’t know what the exact deal is with the discount, J seemed to think that “after six months, it’s 30%, after two or three years, it’s 40%.” I don’t think he has much occasion to shop at C&B, or he’d know for sure. I think I’ll ask E, one of the department managers, or I can ask S when I train with him tomorrow.

All my panicking about not getting to work on time, not finding the right entrance to the parking garage, my new coworkers hating me (”Are you nuts? Everybody loves you.” Thanks, G), all was for naught. I officially clocked in at 9:15 am, finding the right parking garage entrance (by Neiman Marcus) on the first try, and everyone was very friendly, with more than one person welcoming me to “the team.” I do need to leave for work an hour before I’m due especially in the morning, there was traffic on both 9 and 287, but other than that little panic attack, everything was fine. Found the bathroom after being shown once where it was (nice and clean, and I won’t be cleaning it either), had my 45-minute lunch in the Food Court (won’t be doing that again, not for $7.50 for Ranch 1, I don’t care how good the fries are), knitted one row on the Hallowig, then went to call G, and got interrupted on my way to calling him by a nasty little reminder that I hadn’t paid my cell phone bill. Oops. Paid the minimum, then got to talk to G for about a minute and a half, long enough to tell him that my day was fun, well, not fun, but interesting, well, not interesting, okay, I was in the stockroom all day, but I was enjoying myself. He laughed, and so did I.

I finished for the day at 4:30, talked to my manager for a bit, hammering out my schedule for the rest of the week, and then on home, where I sit now, sated from a delicious meal of slow-cooked pork fried rice (which was devoured too quickly to photograph, I apologize). I just picked up a pint each of Fossil Fuel and Dublin Mudslide Ben & Jerry’s, we’re going to watch Earthsea and then pass out.

All in all, a pretty good first day.

Comments (3) »

« Previous entries