Hello from Sarabeth's in Chelsea Market, the bustling, Come-to-Jesus foodie mecca on Ninth Avenue between 15th and 16th streets. I was invited on a little tour by a marketing firm that represents Blackbarn, a restaurant and shop I WROTE ABOUT for the spring issue of ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME Magazine.
I will blog in a separate post about the tour...but first, here is my update from yesterday.
I rose at 6:20 a.m. to start cleaning my house! I'm in two book groups, one for well over 10 years [and they know my little, imperfect home, dust bunnies and all] and one for a year, called BCBC for Boot Camp Book Group or Book Camp.
I love my boot camp friends and miss them terribly. But Dan and I both cleaned a lot. These friends have fancy houses, I told him. We sprayed and wiped and swept and moved clutter.
Of course, my friends were gracious. I don't think they noticed the stain on the tan couch [Punchy spilled something?] and I hope they weren't offended by the tendency toward, um, keeping too much stuff.
When you host the group, you get to choose the book and I chose this one:
It came in a set, with a collection of CDs so you could hear Jackie's voice in lengthy interviews she agreed to soon after JFK was shot. The interviews were locked in a vault for 50 years and then, after much thought, her daughter, Caroline Kennedy, decided to release them.
We all talked a lot yesterday, and it was provocative. Her life, their marriage, the role of women at that time.
Since Jackie was polished and into French designers and speaking French, I made a tomato + cheese tart that looked French. I googled her favorite desserts and came up with Crème Brûlée and Strawberries Romanoff, a dessert she served to Princess Grace of Monaco. I made the latter, with help from my friend Sue, who rinsed and quartered two quarts of organic strawberries for me--since I was running behind--and from Dan, who ran out to get me a bottle of Grand Marnier to douse the berries before topping them with a nice rich cloud of real whipped cream with sour cream and confectioner's sugar folded in. Supersimple to make, but pretty and ladylike. I served them in my mother's stemmed wedding-crystal glasses.
It's 2:02 p.m. and I have a work email to write also, so let me do my money record:
SUNDAY $ SPENT OUT OF POCKET
RUNNING TOTAL FOR MONTH AS OF MAY 19: $1,633.81.
MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $85.99.
Money thought: I wanted the best organic strawberries at the best price, so I went to Whole Foods. I was late, and it didn't feel good to be in a panic like that, but I didn't overspend in a crazy way.
I will blog in a separate post about the tour...but first, here is my update from yesterday.
I rose at 6:20 a.m. to start cleaning my house! I'm in two book groups, one for well over 10 years [and they know my little, imperfect home, dust bunnies and all] and one for a year, called BCBC for Boot Camp Book Group or Book Camp.
I love my boot camp friends and miss them terribly. But Dan and I both cleaned a lot. These friends have fancy houses, I told him. We sprayed and wiped and swept and moved clutter.
Of course, my friends were gracious. I don't think they noticed the stain on the tan couch [Punchy spilled something?] and I hope they weren't offended by the tendency toward, um, keeping too much stuff.
When you host the group, you get to choose the book and I chose this one:
It came in a set, with a collection of CDs so you could hear Jackie's voice in lengthy interviews she agreed to soon after JFK was shot. The interviews were locked in a vault for 50 years and then, after much thought, her daughter, Caroline Kennedy, decided to release them.
We all talked a lot yesterday, and it was provocative. Her life, their marriage, the role of women at that time.
Since Jackie was polished and into French designers and speaking French, I made a tomato + cheese tart that looked French. I googled her favorite desserts and came up with Crème Brûlée and Strawberries Romanoff, a dessert she served to Princess Grace of Monaco. I made the latter, with help from my friend Sue, who rinsed and quartered two quarts of organic strawberries for me--since I was running behind--and from Dan, who ran out to get me a bottle of Grand Marnier to douse the berries before topping them with a nice rich cloud of real whipped cream with sour cream and confectioner's sugar folded in. Supersimple to make, but pretty and ladylike. I served them in my mother's stemmed wedding-crystal glasses.
It's 2:02 p.m. and I have a work email to write also, so let me do my money record:
SUNDAY $ SPENT OUT OF POCKET
- Whole Foods, 3 large organic tomatoes, fresh basil and wedge of fine cheese to grate for tart; 3 quarts organic strawberries; big wedge watermelon; 2 small loaves French bread; large container lemon-garlic olives; prepared green beans with crisp shallots; big bottle of good cold brew iced coffee that I put in large glass pitcher with lots of ice and half and half; organic orange juice [to have with Prosecco]; heavy cream; sour cream; plant-based half and half for Fig to try; jar Grey Poupon Dijon mustard for tart recipe; 2 bottles seltzer; 1 bottle Italian mineral water; 2 rolls recycled paper towels; 2 protein bars, $97.50.
RUNNING TOTAL FOR MONTH AS OF MAY 19: $1,633.81.
MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $85.99.
Money thought: I wanted the best organic strawberries at the best price, so I went to Whole Foods. I was late, and it didn't feel good to be in a panic like that, but I didn't overspend in a crazy way.
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| I love this big, bright book. Bought it last week at Stamford Public Library while visiting Sis. I think it was under $5. I found the rich dough recipe and the tart recipe in here. |
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