Facts of Life

Simplify Simplify

February 5, 2012 By The Well Read Hostess 4 Comments

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.”

I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but this year I started out with a general theme of simplification. My goal was to pare down most aspects of my life. Clear my schedule, my house, my mind, my focus, my body, all of it. Get rid of the excess that cluttered my literal, emotional, mental pathways and concentrate on the things I really care about and that ultimately feel the most rewarding: the dinners around the table, the time to think about some idea that has grabbed me, the comfortable and informal gatherings of friends and community.

So, you know, I decided to paint the hallways, redecorate the basement, plow through the extensive “must read” list I created, start cooking the kinds of meals I used to cook, ebay a bunch of crap in the attic, clean out my closets, refinance the mortgage, plan two vacations, train for a half-marathon, dive into a jump-start-the-creative-mind project…and then break a thumb, throw out my back, have a kid with strep, a kid with a stomach virus, and catch the Cold of the Century.

Oops.

I dusted of my “No, thanks,” and “Sorry, can’t do it” and put them back into regular rotation this past week. I’m sticking with the reading and some of the cooking, and I have to finish painting the hallway because it’s almost finished except for one wall and that would just look weird. Otherwise, no, thanks, and sorry, can’t do it.

But I’d love to talk to you about the books I’m reading, and you are always welcome for spaghetti.

Filed Under: Facts of Life, Keeping it Real, Wednesday Spaghetti Tagged With: chaos, Wednesday Spaghetti

Memory Meals

January 27, 2012 By The Well Read Hostess 6 Comments

I never have an answer when someone asks me what my favorite food is. There are certainly things I love to eat, but I am hard pressed to say what my absolute favorite is. I like to go out to eat, but not necessarily to the big time, big name expensive restaurants. I do remember distinctly, growing up, a few special meals. There were meals that signified certain occasions or events or even just represented a celebratory mood. There was crown roast – big event, usually a holiday. A French restaurant in the city – not usually for any occasion but a family affair, time to act like a respectable human being. Fancy brunch in a hotel – special occasion or celebration. And then there was fondue. At home, not usually for any particular reason, but it certainly didn’t happen on just any old Tuesday, maybe it was over a holiday break or extended vacation period at home.

My son eats anything. Sushi? Why not! Indian food – sure. Hey, want to try some octopus? Abso-lutely.

My daughter. Not so much. Food can’t be touching and must be being in color. Possibly yellow. Occasionally orange. If it’s a month with a “Y” in it.

So I made fondue. Modified. No wine, I made a roux, added a lot of milk, stirred in Gruyere and cheddar. Weird consistency, so I whisked it a lot. It needed a ton of salt and pepper not to be bland. Frankly, regular cheese fondue with wine and kirsch is a ton better, but I knew that would never sell. We ate it with crusty bread, tomatoes, cauliflower, and green peppers. And by “we” I mean three of us. One of us ate a lot of bread and melty cheese.

Good times were had by all. So much, in fact, that I forgot to take a picture.

Until…dessert.

Then I remembered.

Melt chocolate – mostly semi-sweet, some milk, over a double boiler, add half and half or light cream until it’s a pourable consistency. Serve with fruit, cut up pound cake, and marshmallows. Give children Benadryl so they sleep.

Filed Under: Facts of Life, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Parent of the Year Tagged With: fondue

Critical Mass

January 17, 2012 By The Well Read Hostess 12 Comments

Over the weekend my daughter turned 8. She spent a lot of time making little signs that said, “Happy Birthday!” and sticking them to windows and doors, as if to remind us that we weren’t quite meeting her standards of celebration. Everybody’s a critic. I’d put the picture my brother took of her wearing the outfit her aunt got her for a birthday present up here to show you that she might actually be 17, not 8, but every time I look at it I get hives because she’s too good looking and too saucy for everyone’s good.

Yes. I just said “saucy.”

We saw We Bought A Zoo over the weekend. Worst title for a movie I think I’ve ever heard. It wasn’t a movie I really cared much about seeing. I’m not a big animal-story fan. It’s not about animals, as it turns out. It’s about people – and I cried seventeen times. Every so often my son would look over at my and announce, “Oh look, there goes mom again!” I was like the freaking Trevi Fountain, minus the filthy tourist-maimed coins. I don’t even know if I liked it; I know I wasn’t manipulated. I just know it worked.

Animal print hair extensions:

Nope.

Temporary lip tattoos:

Oh, yes. I rather think so.

Yesterday, whilst dodging reminders that it was someone else’s VERY SPECIAL DAY, I got a present. This book:

Not only is the book completely spectacular – more on that later, but the giftiness of it just took my breath away. You know how you’re just living your life, minding your own business, when these perfect people wander through your door? Out of the ordinary but sane, funky but brilliant, uplifting but grounded? And then they become your friends and your life is so much the better for having them in it – there is laughter and community and did I mention the laughter? Well…that. Sometimes fate has other plans and when you are too good at what you do, you have to follow where your star leads – even if your star leads to New Haven, or thereabouts. So they moved, but not without taking the spirit of Wednesday Spaghetti with them. They’ve had two of their own Wednesday Spaghetti dinners now in their new home.

This cookbook begins with an introduction written by the author that captures the absolute spirit of Wednesday Spaghetti – don’t freak out, just invite people over. Of course, then she gives some gorgeous recipes so that the food is somewhat more impressive than boxed noodles and jarred sauce. Maybe if I can, one week, get the numbers down under 50, I’ll rustle up a Wednesday Pork Roast (but don’t count on it).

Filed Under: Facts of Life, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Virtually Well Read, Wednesday Spaghetti Tagged With: animal print hair extensions, I cry too much at movies, Lip tattoos, Pam Anderson, Perfect Recipes, We Bought A Zoo