Seasonal Summer Lunch with Lifetime Friend

Now, I know that this post is long over due with a title of Season Summer Lunch. But even though this menu features some seasonal items, you can still get most of them or swap them out for ones that are in season. I felt this post was important to share not just for the food but for the sentiment of friendship, and the enduring bonds built from long ago. One of life’s great gifts is having friends. Even better, is a lifelong friend. So as luck would have it one of mine happened to be passing through Westchester. Dianne and I have known each other since Junior High. We even went to the same college, Binghamton University. Without dating ourselves, trust me when I say that we have been friends for a very long time. Busy lives, crazy work schedules and distances have kept us from seeing one another but lifelong friendships are just that… forever. So, the only logical thing to entice her to not just drive past my house on her way to Connecticut was to offer up a summertime lunch. Some of my picks; Tomatoes (both from our garden & farm stand), yellow squash and other greens would be the feature. Thankfully Dianne is a foodie too and so the enticement worked as well as the timing. With initial menu ideas in the works, I moved on to setting a simple yet pretty table.

Flowers cut from my garden, casual placemats and purple napkins to brighten things up.

Once again I find myself hosting during the week, and with each visit I am loving this idea of “work week’ entertaining. As these last few blog posts have proven, I’ve been ‘week day entertaining’ of late. My schedule affords me the luxury of being flexible and available, so these moments aren’t stressful at all. On the contrary, they are a joy to break up the work week. (Which is an ironic and funny statement since the majority of work week is cooking. What I mean is that the break comes in the form of being social. And THAT is a great thing.) I do understand that even with the work from home scenario your schedule might not allow for this much flexibility. But if it does, here is a menu that might suit your needs. And if not, then serve it as a weekend lunch option, or a light dinner. Also, this meal doesn’t need to be summer only, which is why I don’t feel so badly posting it so late.

Here’s how it went down. Even for a simple lunch, it’s always nice to have a starter to offer when your guest(s) arrive.

Appetizer - The Ubiquitous Cheese/Charcuterie Platter
(There is a reason this platter is so popular. It just works. You don’t have to go crazy with a huge platter. A few nibbles is all that is needed to whet the appetite. I put out a few things that I had on hand: Mortadella, Humboldt Goat Cheese, Cucumber slices, Picos (Spanish Mini Breadsticks), G. F. crackers, olives, sliced fresh apricots)

Choose a platter size that is appropriate for the amount of people. That way you can fill it to fill abundant, even if it’s a small offering.

Main Lunch Meal

Arugula & Kale Caesar Salad

I used both baby Arugula & baby Kale for this salad. It’s fresh and crisp and the arugula adds a peppery bite.

Oven Roasted Herb Oil Cod with garden picked grape tomatoes & green olives

• Place the cod, grape tomatoes and green olives on a baking sheet.

• Season with oil, salt and pepper (you can add chopped parsley & thyme)

• Roast at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the cod.

This is easy to prep prior, covered and placed in fridge until ready to roast.

Plate it up and pour all those delicious juices over top.

Basmati Rice with Sautéed Red Onion

• Bring 1 cup of rice to 1.5 c water to a boil.

• Lower to simmer, cover and let cook for 13 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam with cover on for another 5-10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a cast iron pan sauté diced onions in olive oil, salt, pepper until caramelized. Then add the rice to onions and ‘fry’ it up.

This is such a simple way to enhance rice that makes it more than just a carb side dish.

Feta Stuffed Yellow Squash Bake

As far as prep, I could have done all this the morning of but I had an early morning meeting away from my home. So, I prepped the Yellow Squash dish the day before. Partly because this was a brand new creation which required a think through process along with time to set up for proper photos. The added benefit was that it proved to me that this new recipe could be made ahead of time and then finished before serving. Another disclosure; I already had the homemade Caesar dressing from a couple of days before from our dinner. But if you don’t have time to make fresh, then find the best, most natural dressing you can. I make most everything from scratch, especially dressings, but that doesn’t mean you have to. If this is an area where you can relieve the workload, then do so. However, if you have the time, there is nothing like fresh, homemade.

We finished by sitting outside enjoying homemade ice cream sandwiches. Dianne and I had the most lovely visit. Juancarlos was able to join us for lunch which was nice. We certainly missed, Lenny, Dianne’s husband, and hoping we can lure him for next time. I feel so grateful to have friends, and ones that have lasted decades. Spending time with people you care about enriches the soul. I believe we all are quite aware of just how true that is after spending almost 3 years in isolation.

If you can’t chisel out a weekday calendar slice, then do try to carve out a weekend moment to share it with old, and new friends alike.

Here we are.

Dianne, always so thoughtful and gracious brought me a hostess gift that was right up my alley. A lovely candle and napkins with beautiful friendship sayings. Besides her presence, these were the most perfect gifts.

Summer Lunch - All Day Eating with Friends

JuanCarlos and I are super fortunate in many ways. And when it comes to the friend category, we absolutely score. We have the most amazing friends, all over the country. One such lovely group lives in Princeton, NJ and are always willing to make the long drive to visit us. Given the time they invest in traveling, JuanCarlos and I make sure that we prepare an all day affair filled with delectable bites. The food ranges from easy and simple mixed with some other items that require a tad more prep. But the fun part is that we keep it casual and flowing, bringing out items as they are ready. It allows us to mingle, chat, and relax without any formal schedule yet with plenty of food from which to choose. It’s like a grazing event.

Louisa & Rocco sampling the appetizers.

I actually love this type of entertaining because it affords me the opportunity to prepare a variety of different plates. Sometimes I get overly enthused, and just want to offer up the world… on a platter. It feeds my need to experiment plus have a group of food lovers to test out my ideas. I will admit that often times I have to reign myself in for parties. I get so excited, wanting to make more dishes than are humanely possible to consume, unless an army shows up. That said, I do a good job of keeping to amounts that makes sense.

I know I’m always giving advice about making a plan, having a budget, being organized, etc. All of which are necessary. Having a list, knowing what to buy, prep and what to make when, plus staying within your financial limits all are essential. I keep to the first rules diligently. List making, organizing, prepping; that’s my jam. Which is why I included a printable complete shop/prep/menu list at the end of the blog if you choose to replicate this menu. However, one thing I will admit openly; we rarely, if ever, follow a budget. JuanCarlos and I are both of the same mindset. If we are hosting, we will make whatever we deem is appropriate for the occasion and not be concerned about the cost. I don’t recommend this approach for everyone. Having a budget in mind helps to keep you on track and from over buying.

Ok, enough chit chat. This post is going to be chock full of food, so the least said the better. Although, I believe I’ve past that point already. Onward!

Table Setting

I’ve said it a thousand times, as my many posts dedicated to table settings will prove, and I will continue to say it. DO NOT skimp on your outdoor table. Plain and simple: Make it inviting.

Note: If you want me to stop saying it, send me some photo examples of your tables and I will dispense with the repetitive table setting suggestion.

I chose a bold green and black tablecloth that is similar to the one I recently featured Green & Black: A Graphic Table Setting.

I laid a neutral table runner with a bold, black graphic design across the wooden table that was used as a buffet. . I felt that the dramatic outline paired well with that of the tablecloth. I then kept everything else extremely simple.

I bought this khaki colored table runner from IKEA. It was the stark, graphic print that attracted me.

Big white plates, white napkins with a simple rectangle fold placed on the plate lengthwise with the utensils atop. Flowers were from Trader Joe’s. Nothing expensive or extravagant put a fresh pop of color that complemented the tablecloth colors.

Simple but still feels special.

I love the contrast of magenta and lime green. In a pinch, you can’t beat Trader Joe’s for flowers.

Drinks
Have a variety of drinks, but don’t go overboard. I can tell you from experience, people aren’t expecting to have every drink option under the sun. We used to offer a full bar, but through the years have pared down considerably on our offerings.

First tip, know your crowd. If most of your guests enjoy beer over wine, buy accordingly. Our groups are typically wine drinkers. No surprise there. So we offer a variety of wines, sparkling and flat water plus I usually make home iced tea as a non alcoholic option.

Second tip, be gracious; pour and refill your guests glasses. Sure, you would hope they feel comfortable serving themselves, but not everyone will. And it certainly makes them feel special when you are an attentive host.

Keep ‘em refreshed!

Starter | Appetizers

Have a 2-3 different dishes.

You all know that I’m a huge fan of the ubiquitous cheese/charcuterie platter. Since this was a warm August day I wanted to keep the starters less fussy without tons of cheeses melting in the sun. Instead I skewed this a bit lighter with a more tamed grazing platter.

Grazing Platter

Mortadella, French Breakfast Radishes with herb salted butter, salchichon, marcona almonds and dates.

Instead of the big cheese/charcuterie platter, I opted for a more simplified version I dubbed The Grazing Platter.

Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Squares topped with feta, pickled red onions & mint drizzled with balsamic vinegar over a bed of arugula

Nothing more refreshing than watermelon. Up the ante and top it with tangy feta, sharp pickled onion and the fresh herbaceous hit of mint, a drizzle of balsamic adds sweetness. It’s a party in your mouth.

Stuffed Endive

Endive stuffed with whipped cream cheese & goat cheese two ways:
Strawberry | Grape tomato | Basil
Sautéed Peas | Shallots with Pea Shoots.
Click here for recipe

Endive are the perfect vehicle to deliver food into your mouth. I love stuffing them with tons of fillings. These offerings were perfect for a hot summer day.

Intermezzo

This is a small course that we like to serve in between the appetizers and the main meal. I know what you are saying… Food in between the food courses? Well, I did say it was an all day eating affair. For this occasion we served a surf and turf tasting of scallops and grilled meats.

Butter Seared Scallops with Peas/Shallots

These scallops were seared in a cast iron pan on the grill. I used some of the pea/shallot mixture leftover from the endive dish to accompany the scallop. It was a beautiful pairing, and a tasty bite.

Seared scallop with peas

If you can’t get fresh, use frozen peas.

Grilled Meat

No explanation necessary. Grill up some of your favorite meats and serve it family style on a wooden board.

My husband loves, loves, loves to grill. He also loves to have his friends around him while he grills. So offering up both the scallops and the meat right off the flames is right up his alley.

Pluma is the end of the pork loin from an Ibérico pig from Spain. It is moist and tender, and quite the special bite of grilled pork.

My happy grill master, JuanCarlos, chatting it up with Ivor.

Dinner

Salmon Burgers

with Buns & all the fixings (raw red onion slices, pickled red onions, heirloom tomato slices, basil & pea shoots. People can choose whatever floats their boat.

Click here for recipe.

Build a burger station.

Heirloom tomatoes in big slices, raw and pickled onions, fresh basil. Just that is a great salad!

My gluten & egg free salmon burgers. On this occasion, I encrusted them in cornmeal to give them an extra crunch.

Pea shoots and micro greens are more delicate for the salmon burgers. Plus I had leftover from the endive appetizer, so use what you have.

Our friend, Louisa, has celiac intolerance, and I am wheat intolerant. The gluten & egg free salmon burgers were ideal for us and the rest of our guests. While they enjoyed the burgers with a bun, we each choose a different way to stack our burger using a tomato slab; making it our own.

All the other guests enjoyed the bun.

Tomato on top…

Tomato on the bottom…

Spicy Slaw

I love serving this salad because it complements so many dishes. It pairs great with grilled meats or fish. It’s a natural with burgers. So it made sense to sit alongside my salmon burgers.

Click here for recipe.

Spicy Slaw, a crisp, refreshing and hearty salad.

Smashed Baby Potatoes with herb garlic oil

Nothing hard about this one. And the best part is that the majority of this can be made ahead. I use new potatoes, but you really can use any potato you like. Boil them up fork tender but not overdone. Drain well and let them cool slightly on a baking tray. Then using the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup press down on each potato smashing them flat but still keeping them together. You don’t want to fully smash or they will completely fall apart. If making ahead, refrigerator until you are ready to fry them up. To finish them, you can either bake them at 400 degrees in the oven with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper. You can fry them in a cast iron pan on the stove or on the grill, as we did.

I love serving these with either my marinated feta or a simple herb garlic oil, much like a chimichurri sauce. Simply mince cilantro, parsley, basil, chives, crushed garlic, lemon zest, squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. If you want to kick up the heat, add red pepper flakes. You can add whatever herbs you like or have. Make it your own.

Nothing better that the crispy skin of a potato with the soft interior. Slather with herb oil and you are in heaven!

Grilled Asparagus

If you have grill fired up, might as well throw on some asparagus. It’s a great summertime green BBQ vegetable.

Dessert was a variety of my ice cream sandwiches. More wine and after dinner drinks. We ate. We drank. We talked. We laughed and ate and drank some more. We love spending time with our Princeton pals, and feel so incredibly fortunate that they make the drive to our little haven in Westchester.

My chocolate chip cookie with vanilla chocolate chip ice cream. All homemade, of course.

Chocolate crisp cookie with vanilla chocolate chip ice cream.

Lemon spice cookie with strawberry basil ice cream.

Now this may feel like a ton of food for 6 people. But remember we paced ourselves and were nibbling all day. You don’t have to make all of these. Try a few. But if you do want to tackle this entire menu check out the printable Prep list document for the entire shop, prep, to do rundown.
I hope you have friends that you would enjoy spending all day with. If you do, make it special. It’s worth every minute!

Print Friendly To Do Prep List

Entertaining - How I Miss It | Make Ahead Appetizers

Our Miami crew. How we love sharing time with them.

This has been a difficult year. And it’s certainly not over. Although statistics are improving, we are still grappling with the pandemic and its multitude of ripple effects on our lives. From the obvious life and death fears to struggling to stay employed to figuring out how to juggle Zoom calls with toddlers, it has been challenging. (Newsflash: I don’t have toddlers but can only imagine.)

There are so many issues relating to how our lives have been affected, but the one that seems to really hit most people at their emotional core is the isolation. The inability to freely move about and spend time with the ones we love. I know this has rocked me at my center. I miss hugging people. For those you know me, to say that I am a touchy, feely person is an understatement. Hey, not in a groping way, in a caring way. ( Alright, maybe I do want to see how big your biceps are.) It’s a known fact that human touch has healing qualities. Which highlights how counterintuitive it is to try to heal people through a pandemic without that essential restorative, mentally medicinal element. Ironic and heartbreaking, really. But I digress, or should I say wandered off the road a bit.

I miss people. I miss my family and friends, (or as we like to call them, framily) and the joy of sharing a meal and good time with them. JuanCarlos has joked about how much free time we now have during the weekends, since in his mind we used to spend every one of them hosting parties. Not true, and an over exaggeration . But true, entertaining is in my DNA. From as early as junior high and high school I can remember wanting to invite my friends over for a meal or to play games and enjoy snacks. I preferred it over going to a stale beer smelling bar, filled with billows of smoke, raucous noise and tons of other people with whom I didn’t care to share my time. What a nerd. That that nerd would grow up to enjoy entertaining as a later career shouldn’t come as such a surprise. But here we are, without the ability to do just that. Yet, as we learned from last post, I still found a way.

In all honesty, I’ve been struggling about which posts to launch since so many of them feature groups sharing food. To post them feels either disingenuous or taunting. I don’t want to be either. But as I rummaged through photos, rather than feeling sad and longing, I instead felt hope and anticipation. So, I’m posting this to put out the positive energy that this kind of gathering can resume soon. With that wish at hand, it seemed appropriate to provide some options for make ahead appetizer ideas for your future event. And so, lifting myself up by my house slippers, I’m sharing a moment when we gathered for a few nibbles with our dear friends in our Miami apartment. These handful of simple appetizers might be the perfect strategy to ease our way back into entertaining after a long reprieve.

Sometimes the best way to enjoy one another’s company is to make the food portion as easy and carefree as possible. Serving appetizers that can be enjoyed cold or room temperature allows the host(s) to remain with the party and not in the kitchen. Pre-made and/or ready to assembly right before guests arrive is the ideal way to have everything finished, and allow the fun and conversation from being interrupted. You know I love putting out a big spread. Whether it be a multi-course meal or tapas style, I’m known for my abundance. But there is a beauty to simplicity.
And that was the focus of this gathering several years back.

Skewers make it easy to grab and go.

And don’t forget the drink. It’s also important to have a partner that does their part in hosting. JuanCarlos is always at the ready serving up beverages. P.S. also one of my favorite shirts. It’s a party wrapped around a party!

Just because these were nibbles didn’t mean that it wasn’t substantial. On the contrary, it was filling and satisfying. Every one of these dishes were made ahead of time.

Cucumbers provide the cool and refreshing, grape tomatoes the sweet and the sardines bring the salt. An all in one bite.

Sardine Lettuce Wrap Skewers

Food that you can pick up and eat are perfect appetizers. Wraps fit that bill, so do skewers And this appetizer combines both.

Using a good quality Spanish sardine and some fresh, crisp veggies made this no cook appetizer fast to prepare and easy to enjoy. Spain is famous for its high quality conservas; fish in tins. One of my favorite brands is Cabo de Peñas. Simply skewer Persian cucumber* rounds, grape tomatoes. Then using romaine lettuce cut into 3” pieces, tuck a piece of the sardine in each creating a taco-like envelope to hold the sardine.

*Persian cucumbers are smaller and have less seeds and better for skewering. If you can’t find those, use English cucumbers and cut them smaller. If you can only find regular cucumbers, then scoop out the seeds, and cut them into small chunks.

Pulpo -Potato Skewers

Pulpo - Potato Skewers
Pulpo, Spanish for octopus, is one of those items that I always buy pre-cooked either in a tin or vacuumed sealed. Trust me, it’s delicious and SO much easier than cooking octopus. The Mediterranean countries are known for serving the most delicious octopus, so you can’t go wrong with any from Italy, Spain or Greece. I have two favorites: again , Cabo de Peñas in a tin and the vacuum sealed package from Don Bocarte*. (Even the famous NY Times writer Florence Fabricant agrees.)

To make, cut small new potatoes in half, boil until tender but not overdone or they will fall apart when trying to skewer them. Season with salt and pepper, then skewer them alternating between potato and octopus. Drizzle with good olive oil. It’s that simple.

*Please note that the Don Bocarte vacuum pack is only available at Despaña Soho store.

Shrimp & Avocado Endive Boats

Grill or sauté shrimp that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. Let cool, then cut them into small pieces. Cut avocado into small cubes, toss with shrimp and then spoon both into endive leaves. Make a quick creamy topping by combining either greek yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche with finely chopped red onion and cucumber and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Room Temp Bean & Veg Salad

Sauté small cubed red/orange peppers, zucchini and summer squash with red onion in oil, salt and pepper. Make a quick vinaigrette of crushed garlic, lemon zest and juice, dried oregano and olive oil. Mix the sautéed vegetables together with chick peas, cannelini beans, and pour dressing over the entire mixture. Serve at room temperature. (Of course, this can also be served warm, but the point is to not have to be in the kitchen.)

3 Bean Salad with raw veggies. A slightly difference version offering a completely no cook option.

For a completely no cook version: use raw red/yellow peppers, grape tomatoes and cucumbers plus black beans and toss with an herb dressing. Replace the dried oregano with fresh parsley, cilantro and mint.

Bite sized cubes of salmon

Sear them in a cast iron pan.

Grilled Salmon

Cut salmon into 2” squares. Season with salt and pepper and using olive oil, sear in a cast iron pan. That’s all this needs, or maybe a squeeze of lemon right before serving. This can be made ahead, refrigerated and served either cold or room temp. The small cubes makes these much easier to eat and requires no utensils. Pick it and pop it in your mouth.

Is there anything better to please your guests than a platter full of dairy rich bites? I think not.

Cheese Platter
The ubiquitous cheese platter. It never gets old and it’s everyone’s favorite.

You know what to do here. Place a variety of cheeses on a platter and fill up and around with crackers, nuts, fruits and jams. Remember color blocking and keeping each element together to create focus and visual appeal. Too much scattering just creates visual clutter.

And just like that you have a hearty table of nibbles perfect for no kitchen distractions. I miss all my peeps and this post gave me hope and inspiration for the next time, hopefully soon, when we will all meet again, and be able to safely blow out candles on a cake.

Although this may seem like a similar shot, it’s important to include because we can see John’s face and it includes JuanCarlos.

WAY before the pandemic when no one thought twice about blowing onto to the top of a cake!

We miss our friends and we miss Miami. And we are counting the days until we can all do this again, safely and with tons of love and laughter.

To wrap up, here are a few visual reminders of the sunshine, sunsets and the pure glory of our second home, Miami, and a couple of other reasons why we miss it so much.

Our favorite spot on Miami Beach where we place our chairs and towels and hang for hours.

The view as we walk along the miles of Miami Beach boardwalk.

The stunning sunset from our apartment. You can see why we love to sit on our terrace and enjoy a cocktail.

Another one just because it’s so calming.

Mint Tea Be Cocktail

Just recently I had a full day adventure in NYC with old friends. These were unexpected, last minute plans and were perfect moments for both reminiscing and making new memories. Outings that make life full and rewarding.

First, I met up with college pals. Dianne, who I’ve known since Junior High, and Dominique, since right after college, all of us graduating from University of Binghamton. We walked around eating and drinking, and window shopping our way through Soho. After attempting to eat at a French American Bistro, we ended up in a Sicilian Enoteca. The bistro didn’t open until 12n and it was 11:30a, and apparently we were all so hungry we couldn’t wait the half hour. Not even sexy drinks would tempt us into waiting. I had spotted the Enoteca as we were walking, as did Dom, so suggested it. I figured the Italians would be ready to serve food at any hour. If the sun had risen and people were awake, the Italians were ready with food. I’m glad we didn’t wait for the bistro to open their kitchen. Our Italian lunch was a symphony of delicious simplicity. We shared 3 plates; an Arugula Salad, a Fennel and Orange Salad and then Gluten Free Ziti with Shrimp in a creamy burrata, tomato sauce. I literally lapped up the last morsels of the pasta using a spoon to scoop up all it’s luscious goodness. I enjoyed the dish so much that I asked where they buy their pasta. Fortunately, it comes from Di Paolo’s Italian Market right near by in Little Italy. But before heading over to snag some gluten free goodness, we shopped a bit and I bought these flouncy white pants. Apparently, the ‘one size fits all’ JUST fits, and didn’t deter me one bit from racing to buy that pasta. Once home, I made my own version of it a few days later.

Feeling brave sharing this Rubenesque modeling moment.
Photo credit: Dianne Guarino

Really love this brand of gluten free pasta

Paolo’s Gluten Free Ziti with fresh tomatoes and herb goat cheese. Clearly not the same but just as good.

After more walking, shopping, talking and catching up we said our goodbyes to our friend Dom, then Dianne and I met up with friends from our elementary/junior high/high school days for drinks and light dinner. My original idea of meeting up at The Ten Bells was quickly shut down when we realized they didn’t open until 5 and we were all meeting at 4pm with a hard out time. Yet another timing dilemma. But I always find that these situations are for the better, as witnessed with the lunch happening. We ended up at Dudley’s, a cute little place with outdoor seating, with good food and drink in the Lower East Side. And that is where this post is really going. To share with you a recreation of the drink I so enjoyed. Sure, I meandered around to get here, but that was what the day was all about. Spending time with old friends with no real agenda but to share old and new memories. This day was not just good for me, but a great way to encourage you to do so too. I know, I’ve spouted a lot of words about a lot of other things just to get to the cocktail. But that is the beauty of life and the road we journey to arrive somewhere. It’s the mishaps and redirects that get you to the exact place you are supposed to be. In this case, Lunch Italian Style plus 4pm consumption of a refreshing cocktail with dear friends.

Friends for life: Dominique, Me and Dianne. AKA 3D. Smiles of well fed women looking for bargains. Photo credit: Dianne Guarino

Nancy, Kathy, me and Dianne. Photo credit: Kathy Lashlee

I’m not a big drinker these days. Can’t seem to hold my liquor. But the drink that caught my eye was the cleverly called Mint to Be. An auspicious name for a cocktail that clearly defined the day and all our happenstances. It was so dang refreshing. I suppose I could have used my handy dandy phone to take a photo of the ingredients, but didn’t. Thank goodness, I only had one drink so from memory, it had Vodka, St. Germaine, tea and mint. I had no idea in what proportions so when recreating, I just guessed. And on my first try, I guessed right.
Here’s what I did.

Ingredients

2 oz. Green Tea, brewed with mint leaves & cooled
1 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. St. Germain
Fresh Mint leaves & Cucumber for garnish

Enjoyed this drink so much,I actually almost finished it!
Photo credit: Kathy Lashlee

Cocktail set up. Mint, Freshly brewed Green Tea, St Germain, Vodka and cucumber

I brewed green tea and let it steep with fresh mint leaves and let it cool. In a shaker, I put ice, vodka, St. Germaine and more mint leaves then added the tea once it was fully cooled.

Shake shake shake, then poured it into a cocktail glass over ice. I added a cucumber slice and more mint leaves.

Refreshing? Almost too refreshing. These babies will go down fast. So be careful. Of course, if you like your drinks stronger, you can certainly add more vodka, although it will change the flavor profile a bit. I like these ratios because it’s very smooth. JuanCarlos, who usually is the one making cocktails around these parts was pretty impressed. So we invited our neighbor friends over to enjoy. I don’t need to tell you that they did, indeed.

It truly was Mint Tea Be.

Served with crisp cucumber slices and crunchy, salty marcona almonds… A perfect cooling cocktail that suits to a T.

This cocktail paired with pretty much anything. Including langostinos with sautéd tomatoes & peas.

Thank Fullness

I’m really digging this idea of posting my gratitude on Thanksgiving instead of a recipe. At this point, you are already in the thick of cooking up a storm and a food recipe would be a bit too late. Although, I suppose this could be considered a recipe of sorts. One without food ingredients or instructions, but a recipe for living thoughtfully, gratefully and lovingly.

I usually pause daily with grateful glee, but I do enjoy looking back on a yearlong’s journey of gratitude to feel the magnitude. I count my entire family’s accomplishments as part of my blessings because they create such joy in my life. So, here goes another acknowledgement for all of life’s waves washing upon our shores.

And as always, I am grateful for family and friends, health and abundance but I like starting with my favorite bunch of achievers - my nieces and nephew.

Gabrielle Brooke

My oldest niece, with a sharp eye for design, decor, and beauty is out there paving her way and turning heads with her multitude of talents. She consistently wows and impresses at her job at Traditions, producing successful marketing campaigns and in-store events with proven, quantitative results. The owner was so impressed with the store’s overall success and increased business that she took the entire staff to Paris to celebrate. Gabrielle, amongst great works of art, furniture, culture and food. A perfect mix.

Gabrielle Brooke in chez Paris!

Gabrielle has garnered such great exposure that it has attracted the attention of other companies in need of marketing and social media presence. Her entrepreneurial spark was lit this year as she took on private clients, in addition to her full time job. She’s always willing to lend hand or good advice, as I can confirm since she has guided me through the social media quagmire. With a blend of kindness, poise and strength, instinct and resourcefulness, she has what it takes. I fully expect her to head up her own firm, using her intelligence, grace and charm.

And a last minute gratitude addition; she will be closing on the purchase of her first home before year’s end. WooHoo!

Holiday Sales Event at Traditions

Social Media and Marketing Manager, Gabrielle

John Joseph
After going above and beyond, doing an awesome job at a start up company last year, John gained invaluable experience that helped him branch out and build his own brand, Sauc. He is also in process of launching a second brand, John & Tom's. From the NextGen Summit to Burning Man, he is an adventurer putting himself in places to seek knowledge. Through research and travel, he sought out experts to help him grow his company.

But more impressive is how he grows, always thoughtful in the things he puts forth into the world. His entrepreneurial spirit soared this year, as he navigated through the business world in the most gentle, giving way. Helping others and always putting good energy out in the world. Watch out world, we have a serious do-gooder on our hands. Thank goodness.

Michella Rae

Allow me to introduce you to the next Erin Andrews… Michella is taking every opportunity to put herself in scenarios to be seen and heard in her field of Communications and Sports Reporting. She garnered a kick ass internship with Fox Sports this summer. Normally, interns just assist, watch and learn. However, Fox Sports was smart enough to take notice and be so impressed with her abilities that they had her conducting on-camera interviews, reporting and field producing. Back at school, she is shooting, editing and conducting post game interviews for IMG Media, which covers all of Georgia’s sporting events. Michella has some of the most natural on-camera talent I have ever seen. Her sports knowledge, research ability, confidence and sheer star power continues to soar. I’m always blown away with her poise and professionalism. Check out a clip below and watch out for her on the sidelines of the SuperBowl one day!

Gianna Marie

Big things happening for Gianna in her 3rd year at Binghamton as she excels academically and socially. She moved into her first apartment, and independent living, which also meant cooking for herself. She loves telling when she’s making one of my recipes or a pasta dish that we made together. And during her breaks home, she always finds a way to carve out a time to spend with me. Warms my heart, to no end. Her gentle soul and caring propelled her to do volunteer work with animals. She is so good at taking care of those in need, whether two or four legged. I know about the former, as she helped me big time this summer with projects big and small. She is majoring in anthropology with a minor in forensic health. Gianna took on the extra credit by working directly with her professor on an independent study of the analysis of bones. Fortunately, no real bones in this photo. CSI, leave a spot open for Gianna Marie.

Melanie Nicole

Mel graduated from HS and received a Senior Honors Award in Foreign Language. After years of begging, she finally got the dog she always wanted. Charlie makes her smile, for sure. Tons of schools visits lead her to chose the small college of University of Scranton which has proven to be an ideal fit for her. So in August, with Charlie along for the ride, she headed off to Pennsylvania where her focus is criminal justice/pre-law. Mel immediately made a slew of new friends and is rocking her first year of college like a champ.

Nicolette Grace

She may be the youngest in the family, but she is a big achiever in her own right. While juggling two highly intense and competitive sports, soccer and lacrosse, she also received straight A’s in her sophomore year in HS. She is a dedicated team member, a top defender and captain of her soccer team. She leads by example with her strong work ethic, making it easy to see why she is loved by her coach and peers, and by me! It’s because of her natural leadership qualities that she was chosen to take on the role of coaching the 5 year olds’ soccer team. She is bright, and funny, but more importantly has the strongest sense of morality and doing the right thing even when it’s not popular. Nicolette is driving, yes driving and doing very well, taking it as serious as she does everything she tackles.

My siblings and parents…

Alyssa

After decades of hard work, she is thinking about the next stage, and how to work and play at the same time. That idea transformed itself in purchasing a vacation/work-from-home place in Boulder CO. Hard work and determination paid off. So happy for her on this next chapter, where she can explore nature with a healthy work life balance.

Jill

Traveling like George Clooney in the movie “Up In The Air”, she had some awesome opportunities of visiting more than NYC this year. Her travels took her to Los Angeles, Switzerland and Phuket, Thailand. Although more air time keeps her away from her family, she did get a chance to spend quality time with our brother, Robert, in LA, with her co-workers in Thailand, and was blessed to hang out with my favorite animal, the elephants.

Robert
Continuing his career as a screenwriter, he finished rewrites on a script about a rags to riches true story about Fernando Montanyo, who emerged from the slums of Buena Ventura to dance in the Royal Ballet of London. Robert’s passion
for capturing stunning imagery is ever present, including location photography he shot as he gears up to make an independent feature about a murder that took place in Amish country.

He also started his own business as an astrology reader. He has deep interest in this subject and pure desire to help others navigate the celestial energizes. His research and knowledge are incredibly on point and valuable. He has guided me through some interesting astrological times, steering me in the right direction. Check out his instagram @thestarscience

Adrienne & Gene

This year marks one year since my Mom’s knee replacement AND exactly a year later my Dad got a new knee of his own. Talk about timing. Now, between them they have two good legs to stand on and ton of good health.
We couldn’t be more fortunate. They also traveled to Miami for their annual winter retreat, and to NC to visit Jill, Bobby and the girls. We are looking forward to watching them take many painless walks together.

These two enjoying a gift certificate from their grandson, John, to their favorite eatery in Miami, Harry’s Pizzeria

JuanCarlos

My talented husband landed one of the biggest clients he has ever had - The Waldorf Astoria renovation. Of all the signage design companies in the world, ribbit, inc. was chosen. And wisely chosen.

I couldn’t be prouder. And worth celebrating.

This year several other cool projects came knocking on ribbit’s door. Some smaller like H Club in LA, and others bigger like The New Wild Dunes Hotel and The Waterfront in Charleston, SC.

Leap frog! LEAP! You have always been my prince.

As for me, being a part of my family and framily is such a joy.

I have been blessed with work that continues to feed my love of food and entertaining, as well as in the production world. I feel honored that so many of you enjoy my blog. And I am continually grateful to those who buy and read my books… and then take the time to thank me like these two young readers!

On that note, my biggest accomplishment this year was taking the leap, Thinking first, then jumping to pitch my children’s book series Think then Jump as a TV series with my friend, Stephanie Kontzamany/Skala Connections. We went to this year’s Kidscreen Conference and met with several interested parties, but it was the BBC who showed interest in developing a pilot for a potential TV series. This was one of those overnight successes that took a decade. Definitely a lot of Thinking before Jumping. It’s still a long road ahead to see what transpires but I can’t begin to tell you the triumph and gratitude I feel in reaching this point and receiving such kind words about my books, the stories, the illustrations. There literally are no words to express what this means to me.

Stephanie and I heading into NYC to meet with the BBC about funding a pilot for The Grumpy Frog!

Then I had the most unbelievable experience of working in a prep kitchen for a James Beard Award winning restaurant group. Can you say “pinch me, now, I must be dreaming.” What a joy it was to wake up early to make the donuts, as they say. I didn’t actually make the dough or fry them, but did some of the decorating. I had my daily pastry duties and learned so much from Chef MJ, and am forever grateful to the executives who granted me this opportunity. I had no idea how much I would truly love this.

The kitchen team

Donuts, extraordinaire

Chef MJ and me. I adore her!

I was also super fortunate to be able to celebrate a special birthday with my dear, best friend Emilce in the South of France. Taking time to celebrate with the ones we love… a gratitude ricochet.

And as if all that weren’t enough, this year I also hit year 13 of good health. Each year another reminder of how blessed I am for surviving and thriving.

As much as the big accomplishments are a wonderful to rejoice, and easy to recognize, it’s the small ones I like to focus on. One, because they force you to dig deep to see the blessings in the small gifts. Two, because they actually come more often, daily even. Like the beauty of a body of water as it reveals itself upon reaching the peak of a bridge, or the burst of color in floral arrangement that came together just as it was envisioned, or the love that is felt when a text arrives from a friend reaching out with gentle support.

I am fully aware at how the world we live in can seem bleak. So much destruction, so much bickering, and so much grief. But if we neglect to appreciate, and cling to good, then it will be difficult to get through the harder times.

So I focus on those. So many grateful moments. So many positive blimps in day. So much to make me smile every moment. I, too, need reminding of all that. With my super support system showing me so much joy, they help me flip the switch off on negativity and see the light.

May light shine on you. May it be bright and joyous. May it be filled with gifts you need to be your truest self. May you be the light to others, and shine brightly today and each day. Light of love.