Posts categorized as Gifts

Time is passing here in Rockaway and we are moving forward. Our neighborhood is not where it was or where we hope it could be, but it is winter and spring will bring renewal. But we need the familiar, the normal, the comforts of before Sandy. In this spirit, after Thanksgiving had come and gone in the cold, I was reminded of what was always normal for me at this time of year — pumpkin bread. Every year I would bake all through November and create delicious, spicy, tasty pumpkin [...]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am working from my companies disaster recovery site (not sure thats even the right terminology). The working environment is  different than what I am used to. I’m used to having a cube and only some slightly noisy neighbors (one being my brother Chris who has the office adjacent to my cube). Now, the set up is similar to a trading floor or a newsroom, where there are no dividers and just desks, everyone can see each other. As someone who used to [...]

  One of the things I missed in the weeks after Sandy — besides, heat, hot water and electricity, of course — was the ability to create a delicious meal. Mike and I were in the house for a time in the dark and cold but we still had to eat (although our appetite was diminished a bit due to stress and cold.) Our power was out, but we still had the gas stove to cook food and make coffee  All I had to do was turn the knob and [...]

To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, my husband Mike signed me up for a cooking class at Rustico in Manhattan. I thought for a second that he was dissatisfied with the food I have been serving him, until he explained why he got it for me. “I thought it would be something different,” he said. No longer offended, I checked out the site to see what class I’d choose. I selected a holiday cookie class. We would make 6 Italian style cookies in less than 3 hours – something I [...]

Of late, I’ve been into giving (and receiving) gifts of food and beverage. It’s a fun idea to consider this holiday season. Lets get the juices flowing… Wine, beer or alcohol: if you have a friend/family member that indulges in these pleasures, you just can’t go wrong with these gifts. Usually I pick up wine for 13 bucks or less, so receiving a fancy bottle is always a welcomed treat. Same goes for vodka, whiskey and other liquors. Peroni for your beer drinking paisans – so easy! I’m sure your friends [...]

What to do with pumpkins once the frost has fallen… make pumpkin bread! Every year I refuse to buy real pumpkins because they usually get funky with all the warm weather. I wait until my very nice neighbor, Kristin, is tossing out all the pumpkins she bought and I recycle them. However, this year I received a gift of three pumpkins and for purposes of this blog, I purchased a small one. You didn’t actually think I was going to peel one of those big ones, did you? First, try [...]

My friend Jackie is an awesome gift giver. A few years back for my birthday, she handed me a tupperware of homemade french onion soup, grated gruyere cheese, and a loaf of french bread. Seriously thoughtful gift for a food lover. As you may know from my wine basket post, I was asked to be in Jackie’s bridal party – her wedding was this past weekend – the weather was 85 and clear, the vineyard was gorgeous and the food was out of this world. We had a blast! Each guest [...]

It’s wedding season and I’m a bridesmaid! My childhood friend Jackie is getting married to her fiancé Rich this June. I accepted the invitation to be in her bridal party happily and I’m truly honored to have a special role in my friend’s wedding celebration. The bridal shower was this past weekend and I was delegated the task of creating the wine poem basket. For those unfamiliar, this gift basket is filled with a variety of wines for the newlyweds to share – one each for a special occasion that [...]

I’ll admit it, I’m very jealous of my sister-in-law Paula and my brother James. They both have outdoor spaces in Queens, a luxury for apartment living. Of course I would love a RD (thats slang for “roof deck”) or a backyard where I could garden and Bill could BBQ and throw back lots of beers, but alas, we are not amongst the privileged. I have had a few plants in our apartment which were not very successful and by that, I mean they were murdered. There is still some mystery [...]

Last Thursday I was having an afternoon cocktail on the RD when I had a crafty DIY idea. I decided sponge painting paper wine bags would look totally chic. A new liquor store opened a few blocks from me and instead of the unsteady, non-reusable black plastic bags often given, Sanctuary of Spirits uses a strong narrow brown paper bag (I’ve been saving them). I thought if I jazz it up, when I visit friends for dinner parties and such, I can bring wine in the embellished wine carriers. Below [...]