The Last Supper...

Image courtesy NYC *NYC blog

Central Park will be a little darker. The mood will be a little more somber. Especially after tonight, New Year's Eve when the famed Tavern on the Green will serve it's last supper and close its doors and turn off its lights. Forever. A piece of my childhood will be gone. Forever.

Just three years ago the restaurant was serving more than 700,000 meals annually, bringing in more than $38 million in revenue. The restaurant (and really so much more) which sits at the edge of Central Park on the West Side, animated by twinkling lights and fake topiary animals, is preparing for New Year's Eve, when it will serve its last meal.

But the meals served was not enough, nor were the millions it earned. The restaurant could not keep the landmark restaurant out of bankruptcy. The restaurant is $8 million debt and in order to pay it off Tavern on the Green will auction off its Baccarat and Waterford chandeliers, Tiffany stained glass, a mural depicting Central Park as well as numerous opulent (gaudy even?) decor that has bewitched visitors for decades.

The restaurant's name itself is even up for grabs. It is said that another restauranteur will be taking over the 27,000 square feet of space currently owned by the city. If the name is auctioned off will the new eatery be able to reopen as Tavern on the Green?

Tavern on The Green first opened its doors in 1934 during the Great Depression. Once a sheepfold for sheep grazing Sheep Meadow, former NY Commissioner of Parks Robert Moses renovated the park and added the restaurant. It has attracted diners from around the world since. It is said that the ever elegant Grace Kelly dined there regularly. The restaurant appeared in numerous films including Edward Scissorhands, Wall Street, and Ghostbusters.

The Restaurant was owned by Walter LeRoy who also owned the famed Russian Tea Room, also in Manhattan. After his passing in 2001 The Russian Tea Room closed down. His daughter, inexperienced, was unable to keep the restaurant in operations. Her inexperience, it seems, has also led to the demise of yet another New York Landmark.

Would you like to own a little piece of history? A little piece of Americana? The following items will all be sold (and many many more) at auction.

These amazing chandeliers are all for sale. I do think my dining room ceiling to be a bit too low... perhaps one would fit in our front entryway!

Yes! Every house should have a brass elk!

The famed Tiffany lamps will all find new homes...

as will this faux topiary elephant! Perfect for any Republican who has a sense of humor,
loves whimsy and has a black thumb!

The Tiffany mural is a bit too much for my personality,

but one can never have too many white wrought iron chairs on their veranda!

Should you find the items at auction more than your purse strings will allow, perhaps you can still get seating for their Last Supper...

NEW YEARS GALA MENU 2009

HUDSON VALLEY DUCK FOIE GRAS AND PISTACHIO TERRINE
TOASTED BRIOCHE, APRICOT ICE WINE SYRUP
OXTAIL CONSOMMÉ
PEDRO XIMENÉZ SHERRY, DICED ROOT VEGETABLES
...
TATAKI BLUE FIN TUNA SALAD
CARAMEL SOY, SEAWEED SALAD, KYURI CUCUMBER
MAINE SCALLOP SALAD
CRÈME FRAÎCHE FINES HERBS DRESSING, BABY ARUGULA
...
BAKED AMERICAN RED SNAPPER
CAULIFLOWER PURÉE, CHAMPAGNE CAVIAR SAUCE
CHILEAN SEA BASS
ARTICHOKE LEMON RISOTTO, BLACK TRUFFLE SAUCE
...
ROAST LOIN OF VENISON
QUINCE PURÉE, BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND CHESTNUT COGNAC SAUCE
RACK OF COLORADO LAMB
SLOW BAKED VEGETABLE GRATIN,WHITE TRUFFLE WHITE CORN POLENTA, LAMB JUS
...
ROBIOLLA, PIAVE AND FOURME D’ AMBERT CHEESE PLATTER
...
APPLE TARTE TATIN
VANILLA ANGLAISE, CRÈME FRAÎCHE
HAZELNUT NAPOLEON
MILK CHOCOLATE SAUCE

And should you be privvy to the First Seating in the Crystal Room, this will be your menu

NEW YEARS MENU FIRST SEATING 2009
CRYSTAL ROOM
$129 PER PERSON

(INCLUDES CHAMPAGNE TOAST AND CHOICE OF ONE APPETIZER,
ENTRÉE, DESSERT AND CHEESE COURSE)

APPETIZER

HUDSON VALLEY DUCK FOIE GRAS AND PISTACHIO TERRINE
TOASTED BRIOCHE, APRICOT ICE WINE SYRUP
OXTAIL CONSOMMÉ
PEDRO XIMENÉZ SHERRY, DICED ROOT VEGETABLES
TATAKI BLUE FIN TUNA SALAD
CARAMEL SOY, SEAWEED SALAD, KYURI CUCUMBER
MAINE SCALLOP SALAD
CRÈME FRAÎCHE FINES HERBS DRESSING, BABY ARUGULA
LOBSTER BISQUE
TARRAGON CRÈME FRAÎCHE, LOBSTER CHUNKS

ENTRÉE

BAKED AMERICAN RED SNAPPER
CAULIFLOWER PURÉE, CHAMPAGNE CAVIAR SAUCE
CHILEAN SEA BASS
ARTICHOKE LEMON RISOTTO, BLACK TRUFFLE SAUCE
ROAST LOIN OF VENISON
QUINCE PURÉE, BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND CHESTNUT COGNAC SAUCE
RACK OF COLORADO LAMB
SLOW BAKED VEGETABLE GRATIN,WHITE TRUFFLE WHITE CORN POLENTA, LAMB JUS
GRILLED FILET MIGNON
FINGERLING POTATOES, SAUTÉED SPINACH, FRIZZLED ONIONS, RED WINE SAUCE
CHEESE COURSE
ROBIOLLA, PIAVE AND FOURME D’ AMBERT CHEESE PLATTER

DESSERT

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE
VALRHONA CHOCOLATE SAUCE
PEAR HONEY NUT CAKE
CRÈME FRAÎCHE

Otherwise, all else will dine on

NEW YEARS MENU
FIRST SEATING 2009
$109 PER PERSON

(INCLUDES CHAMPAGNE TOAST AND CHOICE OF ONE
APPETIZER, ENTRÉE AND DESSERT)

APPETIZER

HUDSON VALLEY DUCK FOIE GRAS AND PISTACHIO TERRINE TOASTED BRIOCHE, APRICOT ICE WINE SYRUP OXTAIL CONSOMMÉ PEDRO XIMENÉZ SHERRY, DICED ROOT VEGETABLES TATAKI BLUE FIN TUNA SALAD CARAMEL SOY, SEAWEED SALAD, KYURI CUCUMBER MAINE SCALLOP SALAD CRÈME FRAÎCHE FINES HERBS DRESSING, BABY ARUGULA LOBSTER BISQUE TARRAGON CRÈME FRAÎCHE, LOBSTER CHUNKS

ENTRÉE

BAKED AMERICAN RED SNAPPER CAULIFLOWER PURÉE, CHAMPAGNE CAVIAR SAUCE CHILEAN SEA BASS ARTICHOKE LEMON RISOTTO, BLACK TRUFFLE SAUCE ROAST LOIN OF VENISON QUINCE PURÉE, BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND CHESTNUT COGNAC SAUCE RACK OF COLORADO LAMB SLOW BAKED VEGETABLE GRATIN,WHITE TRUFFLE WHITE CORN POLENTA, LAMB JUS GRILLED FILET MIGNON FINGERLING POTATOES, SAUTÉED SPINACH, FRIZZLED ONIONS, RED WINE SAUCE

DESSERT

ROBIOLLA, PIAVE AND FOURME D’ AMBERT CHEESE PLATTER
MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE VALRHONA CHOCOLATE SAUCE
PEAR HONEY NUT CAKE CRÈME FRAÎCHE

Now, if I may say so, 8.888% sales tax and 20% gratuity aside, a meal, a memory and a piece of history for that price isn't so hard to swallow!

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

New Year's traditions and resolutions date back to Babylonian times. It was the early Christians who thought that the first day of the New Year should be spent reflecting on past mistakes and focusing on how to improve them. Thus began the New Year's resolutions of today and the centuries of making and breaking them!

The noise making and fireworks that accompany New Year's Eve date from way back as well. It was thought that the fire and noise would ward the evil spirits away, thus making it possible to enter into a New Year safely.

In the Netherlands they hold large bonfires of Christmas trees on the street and launch fireworks. The fires are meant to purge the old and welcome the new.

The Greeks celebrate the Festival of St. Basil on New Year's Day. St. Basil was one of the founders of the The Greek Orthodox Church. The Greeks will feast upon Vassilopitta, St Basil's cake where a silver or gold coin is baked inside. Lore has it that whoever finds the coin in their piece will be especially lucky during the new year.

If you are Austrian you will celebrate Sylvesterabend which is the Eve of Saint Sylvester. You will drink a punch made in his honor made of cinnamon, sugar, and red wine in honor of him. (Save some for me please!) You will also dine on suckling pig. The pig symbolizes good luck. Often the table is decorated with little miniature pigs made of marzipan, maple sugar, fudge, cookie dough or chocolate.

I love the Spanish tradition. And since my husband is partly Spanish, it makes sense to me to start practicing as they do. Each person eats 12 grapes at midnight. Each grape symbolizes a month of the year. All the sweet grapes represent the happy months while the sour ones represent those that could be more troublesome... Can one sample all the grapes beforehand, I wonder, or might that be cheating?!

Image courtesy Martha Stewart

Enjoy a Grape-ful Champagne Toast
and ring in the New Year as the Spanish do.
Be sure to use a good Cava,
Spain's sparkling white whine to authenticate your cocktail!

What will you be doing this New Year's Eve? Will you be ringing in the New Year in style while attending some grand party? Or will you ring it in more quietly with family and friends nearby? Will you make any resolutions? Will you partake in any New Year's Eve traditions?

We'll be ringing in the New Year together at home as a family, safe and sound. We'll munch on hors d'oeuvres in front of the fire and perhaps we'll watch a movie until we tune in to the Great Big Ball in Times Square. This is how I most enjoy celebrating.

Do you make resolutions? I was recently asked by Jennifer if I might contribute mine to her wonderful blog, Sky Blue Events.

And so, without further ado, here is my New Year's Resolution as I wrote for Jennifer:

For many years I made resolutions (to lose weight, stop smoking, go back to school, etc) and I would never follow through. I did give up smoking years ago, but that had less to do with resolutions than me being pregnant and wanting the best for my child. For many years I stopped making resolutions altogether because I knew I never followed through.

2010 is different and I’ve been thinking about this resolution stuff for a good bit of time now. It seems that we could all use a little improvement. So my resolution for 2010 is not as clear cut as to lose weight (a few sit ups couldn’t hurt me) or give up smoking since I no longer do. And I will be damned if someone take my wine glass away!

What I could use is a bit of fine tuning, or betterment (not to mention a nip and a tuck). So the year 2010 will be about improvement, betterment if you will. I will be working on bettering the small things such as finishing projects that often get started and then left behind. I will make an attempt to spend more quality time with the children. I’ll keep working on the house as that is not only something I love to do, but a complete reflection of one’s self, really. I’ll take better care of myself (getting to doctors I have been avoiding) and the foods I eat. Not one of these is anything terribly huge and earth shattering, yet when combined these small initiatives could be part of something big and great. This year of betterment will be reflected on everything from my parenting to my blog. This is a New Year’s Resolution I am really excited about!

Please stop by Sky Blue Events to see other Resolutions and all the wonderful stuff she has!

Croquembouche: The Ultimate Celebratory Dessert

Image courtesy Martha Stewart

As a child who summered with her Jolie Grandmere in France, well not just France, but Cannes, I was privileged to so many wonderful experiences that most would think would be wasted on a young child. But I was not a typical young child. I was an only child living in Manhattan attending the Lycee Francais de New York on 72nd street right off Fifth. By 5 I had mastered the French language and was completely bilingual. My parents both worked and were hugely successful. My father shone in the world of banking and my mother made quite a name for herself in the world of public relations where she headed the department for the Whitney Museum long before PR was fashionable and en vogue. My mother, much like my grandmother, was ahead of the times. So this only child lived in an adult world. This is not to say that I did not have friends my age. I did and plenty of them. But I was also immersed into a very grown up and sophisticated world. And even at a young age I adored it!

That world could not be any more different than the world my children live in. The craziness of three running amok in a large house in suburbia is quite the contrast! But I wouldn't have this life any other way.

My mother and I summered in France, in Cannes, with my grandparents Bettina and Larry. I lived in the lap of luxury quite unaware that there should be any other way to live. We spent our days on the private beach club, Bijou Plage and spent the afternoon at my grandparents house up in the mountains just a few miles away. We drank tea and ate wonderful pastries. These afternoons were relaxing and almost lazy. My grandmother would read my tea leaves and make up wonderful images from the leaves that had deposited creatively along the insides of my cup. I'd swim in the pool and play with my mother and my dolls. Life could not have been more perfect. And I am pretty sure, that even in my youth, I was aware of this. My summers in France are as crystal clear today as they were yesterday.

I was a well behaved child. My grandmother worked hard on my manners the summer I was 6. At 6 she thought that I was old enough to look a grownup in the eye when spoken to, shake hands with my elders and curtsy to royalty. We practiced these skills all summer long. Yes, I met quite a few dignitary and my curtseying skills were perfected. My grandmother would reward me (read: bribe!) every time I mastered one of these skills.

When she came to visit me in New York the following fall she had a suitcase of small trinkets that were my rewards. I believe there were 21 items in all. One item, a small navy silk scarf resembling a bandana, I still have today!

Image was everything to my grandmother. Image was more than what you wore. It was how you acted and how you spoke. A smile was equally as important as the neatly combed hair, as the well pressed smocked dress and shiny black patent leather Mary Janes.

Because I was so well behaved I was allowed to accompany my parents to many wonderful restaurants. I had two favorites. One was called Vesuvius and the other was The Blue Bar. One could bring dogs into restaurants and it was not uncommon at all to see a dog lying down at the foot of his master. Bettina often brought Ballyhoo and Tipperary, her Kerry Blue Terriers.
At Vesuvius I would order Spaghetti Carbonara. The waiter would bring this great enormous bowl of pasta, and at the table would crack an egg (or was it two?) onto it and promptly mix it in. I thought this fascinating and fun. And it was delicious to boot!

But my most favorite childhood restaurant was The Blue Bar. On the famed Croisette this restaurant sat, well hustled really. I know we ate dinner before dessert but I remember nothing about the food, just the sweets. Perhaps that was because Bettina always insisted the food to be mediocre but the desserts outstanding. Perhaps we only went for dessert. I really cannot remember. What I remember were the most incredible desserts I have had in my life. I remember my first experience with Oeufs a la Neige (Eggs in Snow). This incredibly fluffy and light egg white meringue that floated so elegantly in a sea of creamy vanilla custard sauce. Incroyable!

Below is the definition per Epicurious:

floating islands
1. A light dessert of stiffly beaten, sweetened egg white mounds that have been poached in milk. These puffs are then floated in a thin CUSTARD sauce. The dessert is also known as oeufs à la neige , "snow eggs." 2. In France, île flottante ("floating island") is LIQUEUR-sprinkled sponge cake spread with jam, sprinkled with nuts, topped with whipped cream and surrounded by a pool of custard.

I had totally forgotten that it was also called Ile Flottante!

My other favorite childhood dessert is the subject of this post. I was first introduced to it at the Blue Bar, but my grandmother would create it for decades to come for festive occasion. I also served the croquembouche at my wedding in lieu of a wedding cake.

After dinner the waitstaff paraded out of the catering tent into our tent, each one carrying his own croquembouche. Each table would have their very own, and a larger, more delicate version dressed with a great big confectionary bow would make it's way to the Bride and Groom. It was a grand and dramatic entrance perfect for a grand and dramtic dessert!


Croquembouche, as defined by Epicurious:

[kroh-kuhm-BOOSH]
French for "crisp in mouth," this elaborate dessert is classically made with PROFITEROLES (tiny, custard-filled cream puffs), coated with CARAMEL and stacked into a tall pyramid shape. As the caramel hardens, it becomes crisp. For added glamour, the croquembouche can be wreathed or draped with SPUN SUGAR.

Martha Stewart has recreated the dessert to perfection. For more information and instructions, click here.

The Remains of the Day
La Jolie Grandmere with my mother with what remained
of the Croquembouche at their table!

Please note that a Croquembouche is not generally assembled on a cone as pictured above, but each Croquembouche would have been too massive for each table
and we needed some filler!

Why not serve up a Croquembouche for your new Year's Eve party? It's delightful with a lovely champagne or light and flippant prosecco!

tiny bubbles are BIG on flavor: an introdcution to Champagne and other sparkling wines

I plan to ring in my New Year's with a bang, though not a crash!

I will ring in the New Year with some bubbly.

Most people associate champagne with New Year's Eve and other special occasions. I adore a good bubbly and drink it all the time. There are many sparkling wines to be enjoyed. Champagne is a sparkling wine, though not all sparkling wines are champagne. A sparkling beverage can only be called a champagne if the grapes are harvested in the Champagne region in France. Only grapes from this region may be called champagne. It used to be that Champagne was superior to all other sparkling wines. Luckily for us this is no longer true. There are other lovely sparkling beverages from Italy, Spain and California that are superior, delicious and often carry a much more desirable price tag.

Here's a little lesson for you all.

Many sparkling wines and all chamapgnes are made using the Methode Champanoise (Champagne method).

The Méthode Champenoise process starts by making wines, usually white. Grapes most often used are chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot gris. Usually champagne is made from a blend of grapes, but it can also be made using solely the chardonnay grape. The grapes are used to form a "cuvée", which just means a blend of wines. Blending is considered by most experienced winemakers to be the key to the art of méthode champenoise.

Once the cuvee has been formed the creating the tiny, delicate bubbles is the next order of business. They are produced by a natural process in the best Champagnes. A "liquer de tirage"(a mixture of yeast and sugar) is added to the cuvée, bottled, stoppered, and laid up "en tirage" to trap the carbon dioxide gas produced by the yeast as it consumes its food-- the sugar.

When the yeast has consumed all of the sugar and produced the coveted natural tiny CO₂ bubbles the now carbonated wine will clear and leave a deposit of yeast. It is now ready for "riddling".

A-framed racks called "riddling racks" house the bottles as a process known as "remuage" takes place. Remuage is a slow and laborious process of dropping the yeast deposit into the neck of the bottle, is performed over several weeks to several months.

When the Champagne is yeast-free, a little sugar can be added to offset the dryness of the disgorged Champagne. The amount determines the sweetness, or the lack of it preserves the natural dryness of the Champagne. Most Champagnes tend to be quite acidic. Dry BRUT is very slightly sweetened, but is still drier than a so-called "Extra Dry," which is really not at all dry. DEMI-SEC is slightly sweet, and our DOUX is medium sweet and luscious.

This is the oldest and most traditional way to make sparkling wine. It was supposedly developed by Dom (Pierre) Perignon, a Benedictine Monk in the Champagne district of France, born in1638, and is known as Méthode Champenoise.

Other methods cost a good deal less and are less labor and time intensive. These apply to Cavas and Proseccos. The Cava is a sparkling wine that hails from Spain, and the Prosecco hails from Italy. Prosecco is made by utilizing the Metodo Italiano, otherwise known as the Charmat process.

The Charmat, Metodo Charmat-Martinotti (or Metodo Italiano) hails from Italy, but developed by a French man, where it was invented and is most used. Here wine undergoes secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks or steel vessels covered with vitreous enamel rather than individual bottles, and is bottled under pressure in a continuous process. Many grape varieties, including Prosecco, are best suited for fermentation in tanks. Charmat method sparkling wines can be produced at a slightly lower cost than méthode champenoise wine.

This method follows the first steps of "methode champenoise" in that after primary fermentation the cuvee is transferred to bottle to complete secondary fermentation. When the secondary fermentation is complete and the wine has spent the desired amount of time in bottle on yeast lees (six months is the requirement to label a wine 'bottle fermented') then the individual bottles are transferred (hence the name) into a larger tank. The wine is then filtered, the liqueur de dosage (sugar solution) added, and then filled back into new bottles for sale. This method allows for complexity to be built into the wine, but also gives scope for blending options after the wine has gone into bottle.

So there is your mini lesson. Interesting, isn't it?

I adore Champagne. Likewise I have found other good bubbly that I adore just as well. With a lower price tag I can enjoy a nice bubbly throughout the year with no reason whatsoever!

In the past Champagne was really considered to be the only sparkling beverage to drink. But there are many wonderful alternatives to try. And I do suggest you have fun and try them all!

For a special moment, or if you really feel like splurging you can never go wrong with the following Champagnes:

The original methode, Dom is as good as it gets! The $150 price tag means that most of us can only enjoy this for the most special of occasions.


About $125 a bottle, this fabulous champagne makes a wonderful gift for a truly special occasion. The hand painted bottle is a treasure in itself.


For less than $50, and often around the $40 this champagne is reasonably affordable. It is also one of my absolute favorites and most likely what I will be sipping on New Year's Eve!

It's no secret that I love Prosecco. Here is a little more about Italy's contribution to the sparkling wine.

Except for the bubbles, Prosecco has no similarity to Champagne. It's as different from Champagne as Sauvignon Blanc is from Chardonnay. Champagne is yeasty and serious. Prosecco is fresh, fruity and flippant. (I'm fresh, fruity and flippant too! We make a perfect pairing!) Champagne, especially vintage Champagne, is meant to age. Prosecco should be consumed as young as possible. Prosecco is rarely vintage-dated and when it is, the specific year carries no special significance. Brut Champagne (the driest) outshines Extra-Dry Champagne (Extra Dry, paradoxically, is sweeter than Brut despite its name). The opposite is true for Prosecco. Even Prosecco labeled Brut has a touch more sweetness than Brut Champagne. In addition to being a great aperitif, Prosecco is a wonderful "celebratory" drink and an excellent choice for spicy Asian food.

Prosecco is the name of both the grape and the wine. But as with most Italian wines, matters rapidly get more complicated. The grape's 'natural habitat' is a series of hills in between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in the Veneto, just North of Venice. The hills are key because the elevation-900 to 1300 feet-of the vineyards results in excellent day-night temperature differences that enhance the engaging floral character of the grapes and hence, the wine.

Above are three wonderful and highly rated bottles of Prosecco. All are priced between $10 and $20 which makes it possible to be enjoyed frequently. The Rustico is one of my personal favorites.

Perhaps you would like to dress up your Prosecco. Well, Prosecco was the original sparkling wine used for Italy's famed Peach Bellini!


The Bellini is a famous champagne cocktail created by Giuseppe Cipriani, proprietor of Harry's Bar in Venice. Cipriani named his drink after Giovanni Bellini, his favorite Italian painter, because the color of the champagne cocktail matched the color Bellini used in one of his paintings for a saint's toga. The Bellini has become one of the most famous and popular of all wine cocktails or champagne cocktails. It's also difficult to make because of the scarcity of pureed peaches.

We served these at my wedding. Perfect for my light, fruity and flippant personality!

For a Basic, Traditional Bellini Recipe

You will need:
2 parts (4oz) extra dry sparkling wine
2oz) peach puree (approximately 1 pureed peach)
Mix:
Pour the peach puree at the bottom of a champagne flute.
Add a dash or two of grenadine or raspberry puree on the top, if you want.
Gently pour dry sparkling wine to full the glass.
Not to be shaken or stirred!


And one final tip for you all!

How to preserve your Champagne once you have already opened your bottle:

If you find yourself wanting to open a bottle of bubbly but you know that you won't finish it in the same night you can trap the bubbles so that you can enjoy your beverage for up to 36 hours after uncorking!

All you need is a piece of Saran Wrap and a good rubber band.

Simply place the plastic wrap over the mouth of the bottle and seal tightly. You will instantly see it rise. The air and bubbles have now been trapped. Using a rubber band, secure the plastic wrap in place as tightly as possible. Place the bottle back into the refrigerator for later consumption!

My grandmother, La Jolie Grandmere, taught me this trick and it works like a charm! It is absolutely fool proof!


Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you enjoy your tiny bubbles!


The above information was made possible from the following websites: Wikipedia, WineSparkle, Wine Intro, A Taste of Wine, and Micheal Apstein's article on Prosecco for Wine Review Online

a christmas to remember...

(excuse any typos, please!)

we had a lovely time with two christmases on friday. we had an intimate morning at our house where we spent all morning opening gifts. santa delivered the kids wishes. a few tears were shed when alexander opened not one but two broken toys! i promised we would return them for new ones as soon as possible. there was still plenty to keep him occupied! i got some martini glasses from vixen and santa even gave me my very own elph! we had a much needed relaxing morning before heading off to celebrate with my husband's family. another lovely christmas followed. we didn't arrive home until sometime after 10pm and didn't get to bed until nearly 11:00!

getting up to have the house prepared for our third christmas, was proving difficult! my parents were coming from newport to spend the day with us. there was much rushing and tidying to do. i got dressed (would wash hair and soak in the jaccuzzi in the afternoon.) meantime there was a dishwasher to empty, floors to vacuum and clutter to put away.

as i was getting dressed i heard a yell, a crash and another yell. alexander was at the top of the stairs. daddy was on the floor, nutcrackers scattered and broken, coffee mug scattered and broken -- coffee all over the place. i wasn't sure what had happened but somehow figured that alexander might have been to blame.

daddy then shouted out for a towel as he was lying on the ground. he had somehow hit his head on something... and well, we know how head wounds are... as i ran down the stairs i skidded on some of the coffee and went down in such a way that i managed to dislocate my shoulder i knew immediately and ran off to find a phone before i knew i wouldn't be able to move. rebecca got the towel. what a scary sight for the kids to have to witness... she amazed me despite her daily drama when it mattered she was stoic, calm and helpful. she really did amaze me.

i called 411 and said i would need an ambulance. the moment i hung up i called back per daddy's request. after he had cleaned himself up he knew that he too would need to go and get stitched up. timing couldn't have been more perfect. parents were on their way and were already in new haven, about 30 minutes away. meantime the police came. hoards of them. because really there is never much for them to do in this bucolic town landscaped by farms and horses. they initially were concerned about the "head injury" but when they saw he was ok they tended to me, the one with the less serious injury, but in more pain. we were a sight!

we live but a 10 minute drive from the hospital and amazingly we got there before the mayhem and crowds appeared. i was checked in and seen first so they could get an iv in me to administer my drugs. the nurses who were on duty were wonderful, compassionate and speedy. after my vitals were taken they administered something to take the edge off. made me sleepy and loopy but really didn't diminish the pain. after my xrays they found me a bed and topped me off with some more. meanwhile daddy was already getting stitched up. he was finished long before i was and eventually met me in my room with my father who had accompanied us so that we could have a ride home. i had to be put under for them to be able to place my arm back in place. i had them try without knocking me out but then came to my senses!

once my arm was back in place i was immediately better... of course my cocktail of medicines were helping!

we were in and out in just 3 hours. i was so grateful to have had my parents nearby... i was glad that my father was able to keep me company... i was glad that moo was able to be with the children... so it could have been worse on so many levels... now i just have a messy house to try to clean. i am grateful to roomba! the laundry can wait and perhaps i will use this time to actually slow down due to the fact that my good arm and hand are out of commission for a while.

turns out what happened was this... daddy told alexander not to dangle his leapster over the stairs at that moment alexander let go. daddy reached up to try to prevent the toy from falling and smashing on, and breaking all the wooden nutcrackers directly below. he slipped and brought the nutcrackers with him, and since he had a cup of coffee in his hand he had nothing to brace his fall with. the mug broke into pieces and coffee went everywhere. he is still unsure as to where and how he hit his head. i fell as i was trying to help him. slipped on the coffee. used my left arm to brace my fall. (i am left-handed) and that's when my shoulder dislocated. all this over a stupid toy!

of course i maintained my sense of humor (it would be ungraceful and unpreppy of me not to!) and, when in the hospital, the volunteer came by to see if we needed anything my request for a glass of champagne was met with laughter all around! they thought i was kidding, but i wasn't!

the final sad news of the day was that we had to flush Comet late last night.

but the leapster survived the flight down and works as well as ever. go figure.

i need to break open my new christmas present from vixen. i need a gimlet. this one hand typing stuff is for the birds!

Do You See What I See?

I often wonder what you all think when you come to my blog. You see this bucolic house in suburbia not far from Manhattan. You see my decorating, crafts and cooking. You hear my stories some funny others not so much. I try to portray reality. My successes as well as my faults. No one is perfect. I certainly am not. My children certainly are not. This is why I felt it important to tell you all of our day in the city as it was. I could have easily said it was a lovely day and posted pictures. But that would have been a partial truth. And it certainly would not have been entertaining.

As I sit and compose this post, in lieu of lovely family time filled with togetherness by the fire I sit alone in the kitchen. Chocolate chip cookies are baking in the oven. I did not make these myself. I bought the dough through a school fundraiser.

And I cannot for the life of me get these things to bake properly. Some are undercooked and others are overcooked like hockey pucks. I chuckle as I know my husband would have some wise-ass comment like "Nice cookie. And you have a food blog?" Much the way, every time the smoke detector goes off he shouts from his office "Uh-oh Mommy's cooking again!" We joke around like this all the time. So I have these things that vaguely resemble cookies and we are supposed to leave them for Santa. Um, do you think he'd like some apple pie a la mode because I seriously fucked these up!

Ahhh, and Merry Christmas to you too my Little Hockey Puck!

I also have a few more Christmas cards to get out. Addresses that got lost when the old laptop died last year and cards I have received from people I had completely forgotten about... blame the old computer crashing for that too.

When we open our Christmas cards in the mail we usually see beautifully dressed children with their hair done neatly smiling happily at the camera. Well most of us know the blood, sweat and tears it takes to get that one perfect picture. Before I had a digital SLR I would use my old Canon to try to capture that perfect memory. I would spend a ton of money developing roll after roll after roll only to have to go back and reshoot my subjects causing yet more blood, sweat and tears. Christmas pictures are hard things. As my kids get older it doesn't get easier. There is always one unwilling to play nicely and smile for the camera.

This past summer we went to the lovely Peak's Island off the coast of Maine to celebrate our aunt's 70th Birthday and my In-law's 50th Wedding Anniversary. The children, especially my daughter, looked particularly pretty that day. And since I had my camera this would prove to be the perfect opportunity to take pictures for our Christmas cards. The boys wore their navy blazers and their shorts, madras and seersucker, and Rebecca proudly wore her pink and green Lilly. I knew I was going to have the best photos. Until I was proven wrong.

As I sorted through hundreds upon hundreds of pictures earlier this month I found not one good picture of all three children. Not a one!

So I did what any good mother with a sense of humor would do. I used our outtakes! Nothing better shows my kids' personalities at their best!


Below is our card... a photograph of it because I still don't know to use the scanner. Anyhow a bit blurry, but here it is!

(cover)

(Inside top)

(Inside bottom)

Merry Christmas
from our perfectly imperfectly family to yours!
Cheers!

Not Norman Rockwell's Christmas Day in The City

I had the day all planned out. Beautiful, idyllic, one that would go down in the memory book as perfect for forever!

I packed sandwiches in the morning that the kids (and parents!) could eat in the car en route to the city. I made baloney as a treat. The stuff is not allowed but the kids and their father do adore it. I used a fresh-from-the-bakery Italian semolina bread coated with a little bit of mayonnaise (light, Hellman's only!) and a good slathering of Dijon mustard followed by some crispy Romaine piled high and topped off with a couple of slices of baloney. I also packed clementines for dessert. Napkins and some Crystal Light lemonade that I poured into sports bottles for kids. (We had run out of water bottles!) I also packed some cheese and crackers and more fruit for the ride home unless we were to grab dinner someplace in the city. I had books for Alexander, a movie (Elf) to watch in the car, and some magazines for myself. I also had my small digital camera (better for the city and smaller) that had been charging all morning. Kids outfits had been chosen as had mine. I wore white in the city. White! How silly is that? I wore my full length off white down Calvin Klein coat with a black wool Banana Republic turtleneck sweater, off white stretch velveteen pants and In dirty slushy city snow! Because I had not brought my boots to the cobbler, opting instead to temporarily fix them up with Sharpie and Vaseline, I was able to wear them too. Well, in the city where everyone wears black (maybe a little brown or grey) white was a good thing. I was easily spottable! And OMG was it crowded. Even for me. It was a bit unbearable, really.

Our drive in was lovely and uneventful. My wise husband managed to find us a garage over on 33rd street (just 2 blocks away from Madison Square Garden -- to which New Yorkers simply call The Garden) for just $30 for 6 or more hours including the oversize fee, including the luxury vehicle fee. He's good like that!

We got to the theater, got our seats and even managed to find rest rooms with no lines! The show commenced and Alexander was riveted! He quickly climbed upon my lap, where he stayed for nearly two hours, after a very tall woman arrived after the performance had started and sat directly in front of him. He was mesmerized by it all! The music, the dance, the acrobatics... all of it! Wintuk was a fun performance but quite different from other Cirque performances... (In case you have certain expectations -- they may not be met with Wintuk. Go with children and an open mind and it will be a very pleasant experience!)

From 33rd street and 6th Avenue we headed uptown to the flagship Toys R Us store. We passed by the magical windows in Macy's of Herald Square and kept plodding uptown. Alexander was getting tired. We had no stroller. (Daddy didn't want to be bothered.) But there was so much to see and look at that this kept his mind and eyes occupied. Finally we squeeze through the doors like a ton of salmon spawning up river and burst through the doors (Ugh) and there she was, the huge Toys R Us Ferris wheel. We got on line and bought tickets, then got on another line to ride it. At this point my battery died. The battery that had charge all morning had gone kaput. I know I hadn't taken that many pictures. (Later I found out that I had taken just 40!)

I was totally and terribly disappointed that my camera had died. We hadn't gotten on to the ferris wheel, seen the tree, the stars at Saks or their windows! Quelle Horreur! I think this was the point I started to get cranky. The crowd was not helping. But eventually we got on our ride. We got a My Little Pony car and Christopher was horrified! So much so he wouldn't let me take his picture! I was able to squeeze out about 10 more (blurry) pictures sans flash! Despite the fact this little ride was only 4 stories high I didn't like it!

After the ride we hit the Candy Land section of the store and bought a few pieces of candy for like $75. Seriously, ugh... Then we walked through the store but it was way too crowded to actually stop and look at all the wonderful items on display. The Lego section is rivaled only by Lego World in Disney. The Thomas the train section is the best I have ever seen. We'll bring the kids back. But not at Christmastime! We got to shake Spidey's hand as we walked out of the store and had our picture taken with him. But then the line to see the pictures was too long. And I am sure that a wallet sized one would have broken the bank. So off we went to see the tree.

We headeded away from Broadway and over the Fifth Avenue. We were blocks away and Alexander wanted to get a cab. He was rightfully exhausted. But we were just blocks away. I could see the large sign for Radio City Music Hall screaming at us in bright red. But Daddy was sure it was more uptown. For some reason he didn't believe me. Nevermind that I know midtown like the veins in my own hands. Alexander trudged along. Such a trooper, really. And then just two blocks later I could see the top of Rockefeller Center. This is where my husband believes me. Great. There was no getting a cab, anyhow. Finding a cab in New York City in midtown during the holidays is like trying to find a piece of candy on the set of The Biggest Loser, now really!

We got to the tree which was smaller than past trees, but no less magnificent. We did see the wonderful light show across the way but it was shorter than in past years. Much shorter. But it could just be me. I was a bit disappointed by this. But Alexander was tired and thisclose to a massive meltdown. And Christopher was hungry. Daddy suggested grabbing dinner at the restaurant by rinks down below. We could eat, relax and watch the skaters. But I was not that hungry and I knew that the wait at the restaurant would ruin the whole day that a Major Meltdown loomed in our immediate future. I knew we needed to get to the car, and stat!

We headed back downtown. On foot. We completely forgot to check out the wonderful windows at Saks and I was and am deeply disappointed and saddened by this. I really expected Alexander to collapse in front of me. Nary a cab to be seen. Christopher was hungry. Starving. Rebecca was whining. Complaining about this that and the other as she is so apt to do these days. And the bickering between older two siblings really took off. Just get Christopher a hot dog, for crying out loud! Street meat to eat on the feet en route to the car. But Daddy had a different idea. He walked in to a Sbarro's pizza. (Ew!) And after Rebecca, Alexander and I protest we marched immediately back outside. Just down the street he stopped into this place and while it was not dirty, anything but I was leary... the boys got soda? Soda?!! That's not food. It's liquid sugar. Great, I thought to myself, now Alexander is going to have to pee in the middle of the Bronx with no where to stop. Daddy was getting annoyed with me. I was getting annoyed with the whining girl and the fact we had no stroller. I would have loved nothing more than to immediately fill Christopher's skinny and hollow tummy and get the little one off his feet. And while Christopher was famished he did very little complaining and kept plodding along. My boys are troopers!

Finally we spotted a cab! Alexander pered up again. He has wanted nothing more than to hop in a cab! A yellow New York Taxi cab! Daddy hopped in front and the kids and I sat in the back which was roomier and comfier than I expected it to be. Alexander was riveted by the touch screen television set in front of me. Alexander kept pushing the map buttons. Christopher wanted the ESPN buttons. More bickering ensued. Daddy reached behind him and pretended to close the thick plastic partition that separated us from the driver. (How I would love one of those in my car!) The bickering and whining was really getting to me.

Finally we're at the garage and got out to see our SUV at the top waiting for us already. (Tipping gets you far in the city!) I spotted a Subways across the street and suggested we get something for Christopher to eat in the car. And then it happened. A meltdown like no other. A very well behaved and very tired 4 year old simply could take it no more. "I just want to go home", he sobs. "I just want to get out of the city. Now!" More sobs. Poor little guy was inconsolable. He left with his father to get the car as I stayed to pay for the sandwiches.

Alexander did not immediately fall asleep as I expected him to do. He comfortably (with Sunkist orange soda in tow) enjoyed the sights of the city all around him as we inched our way closer to home. Finally sweet snores escape from his seat and we were well on the way home.

As we exit the theater there is the most magnificent crescent shaped moon overhead. I have to take a picture!

The kids thoroughly enjoy Macy's windows!

Ummm, how do I explain this play to my daughter?!


Here is where my camera dies and I try to shoot without using the flash to capture a few more images... Amazing the brilliance of Broadway!


The view from the top of the ferris wheel, sans flash


More blurry ferris wheel shots...


Christopher is hiding from me... won't be caught dead photographed in a My Little Pony car!




enough light on the set of The Today Show....


and a blurry picture of the tree... the very last image my camera manages to capture...

As a photographer I am still so saddened by this.

NB -- Thank you for your kind comments. I am editing this post to say that while the day in the city was not all I had expected, and despite the crowds, cold temperatures, dead camera battery, tired children we still did have a lovely time. Maybe not picture perfect, but fun none the less and I'm not disappointed and I'm happy we went!

Christmas in New York

Every year we make the pilgrimage (all 1 hour and a half of it!) to the city to see all of the wonderful Christmas sights. Really, There is No Place Like Home, or New York City (my birthplace and home of my youth) during the holidays. New York is special and wonderful any time of year, but come December when the weather cools and the magnificent lights and sounds and smells permeate the chilly air something magical happens! It's as though there is fairy dust in Manhattan. How I love New York! How I love new York in December!

The excitement starts as we drive over the Triboro Bridge and see the magnificent and majestic skyscrapers proudly wearing their robes of lights in the distance. The hustle and bustle renews my energy... gets my blood circulating. I've said it before and I will say it again and again and again. You can take the girl out of the city, but you cannot take the city out of the girl!

My kids are not used to the madness of Manhattan. It's too busy and too fast paced and too big and too scary. But I love it! I love it! I love it! I like this fear as they keep tight grips on our hands!

My husband has the week off and we decided that today would be a great day to venture in. Public schools are still in session and most of the working world is at work. We won't have too much traffic to battle with as we head over to the West Side and the theater at Madison Square Garden.

At first we were going to go in for a couple of hours to see the tree which hails from our home town this year! The tree which was on its last leg and due to be cut down anyhow. We must see the tree that hails, practically from our back yard!

But yesterday as the television was on I saw an ad for Wintuk, the Cirque de Soleil winter performance about a little boy and his quest for snow. The ad mentioned that with two paying adults kids could go free! So I mentioned this to the hubs and we decided to see if getting tickets was feasible. Next thing I know I am confirming 5 tickets to see the 2:30 matinee performance at the WaMu theater at the Garden! (For those of you who live in the metro NY area click on the link if you are interested. This is a great deal to be had! Tickets are still available and the show runs through the 3rd of January!)

After the show we will head over to Broadway as the children want to head over to the Toys R Us Flagship store which blows any other Toys R Us, any other toy store for that matter (including FAO) out of the water. Alexander wants to ride the ferris wheel inside the store that is made up of oversized Little Tykes ride on toys!

From there we will walk over (or cab it, depending on taxi availability and weather and exhaustion) over to Fifth Avenue. We'll see the tree at Rockefeller Center as well as the magnificent Light Show at Saks Fifth Avenue. (Click on the link to sample the wonderful display of lights and sounds to Carol of the Bells which is even more magnificent in person!) Then we'll cross the street and check out Sak's Magnificent windows all dressed up for the holidays. I'll be sure to take pictures!

Perhaps we'll stroll past my favorite wintertime building, the Cartier Building all dressed up in her red bow!



We leave in a few hours and I can hardly wait! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!

XOXO,

Moi!

Oh Chritstmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree,..

Greetings from Snowy Southern Connecticut!

And now for my tree! I would love to call it the formal tree, and I suppose it is. But more than anything it is my tree!


Here is the tree as she stands in the living room as seen from the foyer.
And below the view from the center of the Living Room. Now that I look at it on the screen I see that I will need some more filler balls. I have a bunch of leftover silver ones that I will use. They are nothing fancy. Just simple, and best, they were inexpensive and from Target!


The tree, like my decorating style, is classic with whimsy. I have mixed formal with informal, and fun and festive.

My ornaments vary from quite pricey to very inexpensive. Some are very formal and others are whimsical. This tree, for the most part, is dressed in gold, silver, and glass. I love the simplicity of it. My kids think it quite boring though!


The above was a simple ornament that I found at Target.


I love these pine cones!



Many of my glass ornaments actually hail from Banana Republic and Pottery Barn!


My mother had these angelic ornaments on her tree. She has an angel collection but no longer puts up a Christmas tree. I have inherited these wonderful cherubic delights... which is a good thing since they were all gifts from me in my youth!

This glass pineapple is one of my favorites. it is from Newport. The pineapple is the Welcome symbol and seen throughout the town. I recently got one for a friend as a gift as she has a wonderful and extensive pineapple collection.

I love this wonderful Waterford ornament. It was a gift from my mother in law.

And my whimsy. This is Santa's bell... right off his very own sleigh!



This is one of my favorite ornaments... It was from an ornament exchange that my girlfriends and I attend yearly!


This angel bears the only true "color" on my tree. She is an antique, a favorite of mine and a gift to my mother from me in my youth. My mother regifted it to me. Who says regifting is a bad thing? This angel makes me happy. She makes me smile. She reminds me of the tree at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A tree I frequented a good bit as a child.


And this is the only item on the tree that is not mine, was not purchased by me or for me. This is Rebecca's angel standing gracefully on top. She looks lovely there!

Many of you have asked about my White Cookbooks. Indeed they belonged to my grandmother, La Jolie Grandmere. There is a lovely story behind them. But these cookbooks are worthy of their very own post... and I am working on that. So hang tight! My grandmother covered them all in white so that they would look prettier in her kitchen. The books in her Living Room were arranged by color in lieu of by title or author. This is the same Grandmother who painted her television pink to go with the pink walls in her bedroom! And the quirky apple does not fall far from the quirky apple tree!

I have much shopping (for my darling husband) and baking in store for me today. The cleaning people show at 3:30 so I would like to have made my mess before their arrival, as opposed to after their arrival which is usually the case!