November 28, 2010

happy thanksgiving

Perri and Perri's daughter, Lindsay, wish you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving. Perri and Lindsay are taking a short holiday, spending quality time with family and friends. Their next blog will be posted on Sunday, December 5th.

November 21, 2010

in recognition of thanksgiving

topic number twelve: a note of thanks


A simple note of thanks. This can be the best gift, the best reward, the best high and sometimes in today's world, the best surprise. Being me, too often than not, I have worried about whether a gift sent was ever received or if a dinner or deed even appreciated. No thank you note, no telephone call, no email, no text can also send a message! Thus, a handwritten note of thanks is more than just an acknowledgment. I can not think of anything so simple, so timeless, that uniquely contributes to humanity the way a thank you card does. Need I say more? AH...but I do.


All that is needed--a clean piece of paper with envelope and stamp, a pen and 10 minutes of focused thought, right? So why is it so difficult for some of us to do? Putting aside any clear physical or psychological ills, I suspect that it has to do with the experience of writing itself. As children, the writing process was sometimes linked to time-sensitive school assignments often equating pressure not pleasure. This is most regrettable. As adults, I think it is actually related to the products themselves. Do your note cards and pen call to you like your computer and keyboard? Most likely not. For some, the thought of sitting down to write a short note causes a certain amount of anxiety. Also, most regrettable. With these reasons in mind, here are a few tips for making note writing a preferential choice above a chore-


a. Buy better papers, creative cards and/or stationery-styles you yourself would like to receive. Purchase not one, but several favorites to have on hand at all times.

b. Find "the" pen to write with. This does not mean making do with what is sitting at your desk and mostly out of ink. An excursion to a stationery supply store is warranted here. Personally, I like using Pilot's Razor Point Gel Ink Pen with an extra fine tip.(black ink only)

c. Make sure that you have both a dictionary and thesaurus at arm's reach.(dictionary.com and thesaurus.com are also great resources.)

d. Use scratch paper or your computer word program to compose your note before it is placed in pen.

e. Think of your stationery and your pen as jewelry. Cherish it. Keep it in a clean, special place of honor.

f. Be intrepid! Write from the heart, write from the moment.


For me, the Thanksgiving holiday is about saying thank you, not turkey. So please know that I very much appreciate my blog readers-family, friends,acquaintances, strangers alike; whether you read and laugh or read and swear, thank you all!

a-p-p-r-e-c-i-a-t-e

Memories of the holidays and birthdays would not be a complete vision without the comings and goings on the "days after." Thanksgiving begets turkey sandwiches on small dinner rolls for days. Christmas includes the yearly untangling of the tree and removal of tasteful, well-placed decorations. New Year's Celebration is followed by resolutions. Gift-giving/receiving events are followed by thank you notes.


I never really objected to writing thank you notes. They are especially important in recognition for gifts that arrived from out of state--at least let the sender know you got it. My main problem as a young person was knowing what to say. It's not that I was not grateful. I just didn't know how to articulate this in written form. It seemed so formal and impersonal. But as I got older, I realized that thank you notes (and letters) are like an extended conversation. Yes, they are one sided, but they just take a bit of imagination.


I was never very good at spelling, so my mother made me memorize some standard words so I wouldn't burn through her nice, often expensive stationery. To this day, I still say each letter in "appreciate" when I write it like you do when you learn to spell "Mississippi." While this spelling problem was cleared up when I was little, sadly it wasn't until recently that I realized there is a difference between "Have a happy New Year's" and "Have a happy New Year." Oops.


Now, as a mail-deficient college student, getting a thank you note in my mailbox for a party invitation or unexpected help really brightens my day. I keep a box of stationery under my bed in order to pass on that sunshine right on down the line.

November 14, 2010

tables that top

topic number eleven: table mojo


My husband and I recently attended a local benefit where guests were seated as one might expect at a multitude of round tables set for the evening's dinner to follow. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to pay attention, repetitive ceremonial speeches were about to surrender me into unconsciousness. My mind began to wander, so I decided to put the time to better use--to observe each and every seated guest. Were they having a good time? Were they bored or distracted? Was there a disparity in the level of contentment between tables? I couldn't help but reflect on truly memorable parties and events my husband and I have been guests at over the years. Clearly this night was not one of them. But why?


There were numerous reasons, some more complex and others less so, and a few which were clearly preventable. We all know (or should know) that entertaining involves great libations and delicious food. More importantly it requires the due diligence and full presence of happy, engaged hosts and/or entertainers. This is a given in my book...however, I would like to take this a bit further.


Think about it--one half to two-thirds of an evening affair can be spent at a table. For those of you that can actually sit that long, "the" table, the one that is always eyed with longing is the one where guests are smiling, talking and laughing. It is the one where guests' backs are turned outward in a relaxed, "dare not unseat me" way. It is the table with guests who are usually the first on the dance floor, the first to raise bidding paddles, the first to sing and the last to leave. Having had the pleasure of sitting at some of those tables helps one understand another aspect of a life worthwhile.


Two carefully thought out items on one's entertainment checklist can make table guests feel that indeed they have the privilege of a seat at "the" table whether it be table number one or table number forty-four.


Take a very close look at table types first. Square tables, oval tables and unevenly extended tables can be quite distracting in and of themselves alone. Round tables make for easy conversation as long as they are not too small where one is elbow to elbow, wrist to wrist, literally locking knives. Nor should rounds be so large that megaphones are a required party favor.


I fondly remember one summer evening at the terrific home of friends, John and Efren. Smart guys as they are, they created a single very long table instead of the predictable floating of three or four 60 inch table rounds. It is this style of table configuration which can often be found for daily feasting festivities in Italy or Spain. When the party environment is appropriate, sitting at this type of table can be a wonderfully warm and welcoming dining experience. The table staged and set by John and Efren was just that and more. It was marvelous!


At seated dinner parties, people placement is a serious matter. This aspect of party planning can be particularly challenging. I suspect that more than some have a cousin "Stu" or a "Mr. Grump" who requires seating finesse. Trust me, people placement can make or break an evening filled with great food, drink and even the right table style. Table seat assignments can at times be a bit too formal, but there are ways to lighten the experience with clever cards and accouterments. I favor assignments for parties over six guests more often than not. Some may disagree, but I have found that in most instances "boy, girl, boy" tables are wearisome. We are not paper dolls people!


One of the most amazing seated dinner experiences was one that caught all attendees completely off guard--including myself. My husband, a business associate and I recently attended a dinner where we were each placed at a different table. Yes, the thought did occur to me to switch place cards, but at that point this thought was on everyone else's mind too! Young, old, coupled, partnered or not, we were all facing the same dilemma. With many out of their comfort zones, needless to say the first topic of table conversation was discussing this interesting people placement decision. And within a very short period of time-smiling, talking and laughing was in full force at each and every table. Why? Because our hosts, contrary to every one's initial concern, had indeed been quite thoughtful.


So, my point? For table carousers over killjoys--contemplate, then celebrate!


















high school lunch on the table

While my mother has an extraordinary skill for articulating all-about-tables for dinner parties, navigation of lunch tables is my particular ability . . . and my anxiety too.


My high school lunch experience was acutely atypical. To start, we called it "The Dining Room" not the cafeteria. For the three and a half years that I attended my institution of secondary education, I had assigned seating every day. We were arranged around round tables set with real plates, cups, and silverware (well, the fork at least), and a white linen tablecloth. One member of the table was the assigned "server" who had to go get a tray of food from the kitchen to be consumed family style. I, of course, was practically always server, a sick joke by my Dean of Students who knew I was characteristically clumsy.


As much as being assigned a seat in high school was a pain (I thought I was done with that nonsense after the 6th grade), it really did prepare me for life in a lot of ways. The administration put a lot of thought into it. Mixing up class years, every table had either a senior or a teacher to get inter-generational dialogues going. My favorite assignment rotation was when the tables were broken up based on first name. At my table there were 4 Lindsays, 1 Leslie, 1 Lisa, and a Louise. While interactions could often be confusing ("Lindsay! No, the other Lindsay . . . No, the other Lindsay . . ."), it was a remarkable ice breaker.


At lunch time, no homework was allowed and social interaction was required. Skipping was a punishable offense. Even though at times I really needed to study (or sleep), in hindsight, it was a nice break from the "daily grind." (On this point my father would disagree--He called my school "The Country Club.") Even if you didn't feel like talking, which would have been awkward, students were forced to engage with their peers. Specifically, one had to participate in the debate over "nose goes" or "you kill it, you fill it," a ritual in which you decide who is responsible for refilling the food. At the end of the meal, you had to work collectively to clear everything and reset the table, cloth and all. It was often a misguided race. Try that at your next dinner party!


Where does the anxiety part come in? Well, the day of assignment rotation, we always held our breaths to make sure "that weird kid" or "that mean teacher" were not at our table (place-card switching doesn't work in this case, mother). But in the end, no matter who I ended up eating with, I always learned something new about someone new, finding common ground on a surprising number of subjects and issues. So embrace the unknown. It might taste good.

November 7, 2010

pantries past and present

topic number ten: bag the bags



Few know that it was my ongoing battle with the use of plastic bags or as some say, baggies, that inspired the organization of my kitchen pantry. Certainly everyone has an item (or two) which constantly proves annoying. But I must say, the dislike and hostility I feel for these little plastic pouches started long before "green" groups campaigned for recycling, long before the reusable grocery sack and long before some of you were on two feet. I have to ask myself where did this severe reaction to zip-lock come from? Perhaps, it was because I could never find a way to bring the bag's lack of aesthetics into my realm of every day living. Have you ever tried to keep plastic bags filled with cookies, croutons and mixed nuts neatly aligned on one shelf?



Do understand that I begrudgingly use plastic bags on occasion, but I draw the line with plastic flowers and decorative plastic fruit. Without going too far out on a tangent, these two particularly bizarre creations quickly catapult me over the edge. I put them on the "not nor ever missed" list next to mosquitoes. With this said, there are many life altering plastic inventions worthy of every one's support, i.e. heart valves. So, I do not hold plastic itself in contempt.



I do know that my aversion to the plastic bag was accelerated by the fact that no one I know, at least in my household, ever seals the bag completely. Thus, after several bouts with ants and other even less desirable insects coupled by reaching for a bag of newly opened chips gone stale, I knew something had to be done. This truly was a pivotal moment, both aesthetic form and function were at stake!



My kitchen pantry is now filled with glass containers for all that must be contained. There are no longer opened cereal boxes waiting for weevils, no longer assorted cracked crackers in baggies, and no more paper sacks of flour powdering the shelf. I purchased various sizes of canning jars equipped with great sealing abilities. Large jars can be used for cereal and quantities of chips. Medium sized jars are good for snacks of all sorts. And small jars are great for anything from packages of substitute sugars to wasabi peas. Please know that these jars are not only easy to use, but the experience of this organization will bring delight each and every time you open your kitchen pantry door. Shelves stay clean, with the contents of each jar remaining fresh and the overall quality of your kitchen experience enhanced.



I applaud my cousin Steve who took pantry organization one step further. He created a great template for the top of each pantry jar to identify its contents. Do not underestimate the importance of this deed--especially as in Steve's case, with confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, cake flour and pastry flour all shelved side by side. This was an intervention.



Here are a couple of additional notes-for pantry ingredients which may require special preparation instructions, attach the information on the underside of the container lid. Also, my assortment of canning jars from the Container Store were originally purchased with orange rubber seals. But if you look further, you will find that the store carries packages of white replacement seals. This, of course, made my day! And I hope that these tips might make yours too.



p.s.-daughter Lindsay is away at an intercollegiate horse show, but will be back again posting shortly.