Wednesday Spaghetti

Spaghetti Friends

2012-01-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends - who never missed ONE single Wednesday (or Tuesday, or Thursday) Spaghetti at our house - moved to Connecticut. They totally got it. They fully understood the whole Wednesday Spaghetti thing: the showing up whenever they could get here, the bring something if it wasn't a stressful notion, the sit down and eat where space allowed, the kids running and playing and eating at their own paces, the casual and communal feel of it all. The husband staked out emptying the trash and recycling as his regular job; I could always count on finding him in the kitchen at some point in the evening taking care of that. He probably took our recycling out more times than I ever have. In the few Wednesday Spaghetti dinners we've had since they moved, there's a definite space at our table.

I don't know how I can adequately capture in words how...happy? proud? joyful? nope...those don't quite do it I felt when I got the evite last month from them. Their first Wednesday Spaghetti in their new neighborhood. They didn't know many of their neighbors yet, and they did it anyway. They weren't sure people quite got the concept, but they were sticking to it. And this month, they did it again.

One month, I'm just going to show up for one of their Wednesday Spaghettis. Bottle of wine or loaf of bread in hand.

I can't wait.

Spaghetti

2011-05-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

As I was sitting in the cafe at my new job, a guy sat down next to me and started talking about the Wednesday Spaghetti special. I, in turn, told everyone at the table about this little special.

That's all. Nothing else happened, but I thought it would be nice to get a current post here.

: )

Drink this Kool-Aid, I Dare You

2010-10-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

*Originally posted at www.wellreadhostess.com

About a year and a half ago, my friend Lora, who thinks, writes, and even lives the way I often wish my cluttered mind would allow me to, invited me and a few other local women bloggers over to her house for dinner. She'd postponed her usually Wednesday night gathering of neighborhood women to have us over for spaghetti.

Lora started Wednesday Spaghetti in her neighborhood as a way to live what she believes in, the importance of friends and family gathering regularly to build community in the most natural way - sharing a meal and talking about whatever people talk about when they are comfortable and eating dinner: family, life, schedules, politics, the neighborhood, marriage, relationships, work, the weather, anything. Every week, she puts on a big pot of water, heats up some sauce, and opens her door to a group of regulars.

She even wrote a mission statement: Wednesday Spaghetti was formed to increase public awareness of the need for families, caregivers, and peer groups to spend quality time together in an in-home, casual dining setting in order to discuss general life issues, household guidelines and practices, personal habits, issues, and goals, educational habits, issues, and goals, employment habits, issues and goals, family habits, issues, and goals, physical health-related issues, sexual health-related issues, emotional health-related issues, spiritual issues, relationship issues, community events and resources, and other such topics; to support and conduct nonpartisan research, educational and informational activities to increase public awareness of the importance of togetherness, communication, and good nutrition; to provide simple to make, nutritious meals to any family or group in the community, regardless of race, color, creed, sexuality, religious beliefs, ethnicity, economic status, or location at no cost to the family or group.

I fell in love with this idea. I'm not really sure why. Well, that's not entirely true. There are lots of reasons why, and I've come at that topic a few times, but it's a larger than life issue and I'm OK just letting it be that and not completely picking it apart like I do everything else.

We try to do Wednesday Spaghetti once a month, not every week, and unlike Lora's Wednesday Spaghetti, our guest list isn't just a few neighborhood women, it's a more extensive crowd of families and friends. The most we've ever had was 103 (we think, with so many kids, it's hard to get an entirely accurate count), but the average is about 50 or 60 guests.

Here are the two things I hear about Wednesday Spaghetti:

1) I love Wednesday Spaghetti.
So do I. Probably even more than you do.

2) I don't know how you do this.

I say, "It's not hard" and people look at me like I have a baby's arm growing out of my forehead. But it's true. I do lots of things that are hard, I sould know.

So here's how. And I want you to do it. I realize that I sound a little Jim Jones-y here. But this is some Kool Aid you want to drink. I promise you that you can do this, and you won't be sorry. Ask anyone who knows me, I am as uptight as they come, and if I can have 103 people come to my house on a Wednesday and eat spaghetti, mediocre spaghetti - at BEST, and not only not stress out about it but love every damn minute of it, you can, too.

How To Wednesday Spaghetti

1) Don't clean your house: Straighten up. Put stuff in closets. Close doors.

2) Keep it simple. Because I invite a ton of people, I use paper plates and plastic cutlery. I recycle and try not to think about the environmental sins I'm committing.

3) Cheap pasta. Cheap sauce. Nobody is there to eat gourmet food.

4) Sometimes I put some cookies on a plate. Sometimes I don't. If juiceboxes are on sale at the Acme, I buy some. Sometimes I put out some bottles of sparkling water. If we have some beer, I put it in a tub. Sometimes I make a salad. The first time I did this, I made sure we had spaghetti, sauce, bread, salad, and a dessert. Now I made spaghetti and sauce. I put out a few pitchers of ice water and, like I said, usually some juice for kids. People bring things. I don't ask people to RSVP and tell me what they're bringing, and if they ask, I tell them that if it doesn't stress them out to bring something, they should feel free. Sometimes we have spaghetti, sauce, water, wine, and a million brownies. Sometimes we have lots of salads, sometimes we have none. Most important thing: NOBODY CARES.

5) We had 103 people at our house for spaghetti last month. I have a dining room table that seats 8. My house is about 2000 square feet. We have a screened porch and a pretty decent sized yard. The neighbor brought over some some tables and chairs. People find places to sit. Don't worry about it. Kids don't sit anyway.

6) I really didn't clean my bathrooms yesterday. I usually at least wipe them down with a Clorox wipe. Not yesterday. Didn't have time. NOBODY CARES.

7) I say over and over again, to anyone who will listen, "It's not a party, it's just spaghetti." And people say, "Well, it sure feels like a party." That may be. But in my head, it's NOT a party, which means I don't worry about who's having a good time, I don't make sure I've greeted everyone, I don't go out of my way to introduce people I'm not positive haven't met before, I don't refill glasses. People come in, I say hi, I make some introductions because I'm not a barbarian, I point people in the direction of food and then everyone does their thing.

8) Sit down. Eat some spaghetti. Make the noodles ahead of time, put them in a lightly oiled pan in the oven, set to 200. Dump them in a big bowl and serve everything all at once when everyone gets there. Put the sauce in a crock pot. Let people help. Don't fuss.

9) You will be surprised by how this small thing, this boiling of water and heating of sauce and setting out of plates changes you. Your family will start to ask, "When is the next Wednesday Spaghetti?" People will say, "Can I bring our neighbors?" You will, of course, say yes. You will feel funny about people's gratitude towards you for hosting this event, because you feel like they are giving something to you as much as you are doing something for them, even more so. People will tell you, over and over again, how much they love this, and they'll have this look on their faces, like, "Isn't it weird? I mean? It's just spaghetti, but..."

10) Drink this Kool-Aid. It's delicious. And I double dog dare you.

2010-05-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Spaghetti has been on hold in my house for too long. But I'm back, and as soon as I can wrangle up my people I'll put on a pot of water and sit everyone around my table, just like olden times.

You can find Wednesday Spaghetti on Facebook! I would love to see you like it. I'm pretty sure it's set up correctly. I'll play with it a bit more over the next week or so.

I hope everyone is doing well and you are all finding time to sit down with the people you love.

Selfish Spaghetti

2010-03-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

Last night we had one of the best Wednesday Spaghettis ever. After each one, my husband and I do the recap and check in, since chances are we haven't had the chance to talk to each other all day up to that point. Some weeks he is more relaxed, some weeks I feel rushed, some weeks he feels like he hasn't helped enough (never true), and some weeks I fret that we didn't have enough salad/wine/bread/parm/whatever. We always have a great night, but we both agreed that there was something special about yesterday.

Maybe it was the weather. Yesterday was warm, and we opened up the windows and the doors and the kids played outside for most of the evening. Some people ate on the porch, christening it with red sauce and red wine for the season.

Maybe it was that most of the people there were "regulars." They knew the drill and didn't feel like they were at a party and they knew everybody and the neighborhood kids drifted in and out between homework assignments and just in time for dessert. I didn't feel like I desperately needed to talk to any guests who I hadn't seen in a while. I just hung out. We all did. And, as usual and with no small thanks to the whirlwind neighborlady cleanup squad, everybody was gone and the house was back together by 8:45.

I get embarrassed when the people who come for Wednesday Spaghetti make big pronouncements of gratitude for the fact that I do this thing I do once a month. Obviously, I appreciate their thanks, but I also feel like a bit of a fraud. While they may feel that I'm doing some kind of service for bringing us together and building community and providing an easy and comfortable environment for families to share a meal, I'm pretty sure I get more out of it than they do.

Spoiler Alert: I am a control freak. I know. You're stunned. I'll allow you a moment to recover ~~or stop laughing~~.

Opening my doors to anyone who is interested once a month, on a work and school night, and not sweating the fact that the floor isn't mopped and there is visible dust and there is dog hair on the couch and that I haven't changed my clothes or brushed my hair since 7 that morning or that there is no way on this green earth that I'm going to have time to cook something designed to dazzle the palate and impress the herd has had a profound effect on me. Without dipping my toe too heavily into the churning waters of melodrama, let me just say that as much as anybody who comes to my house for Wednesday Spaghetti thinks he/she loves it, I love it more.

*WRH post..poached.

The Twelve Days of Spaghetti

2009-12-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

On the first day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
A dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the second day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the third day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the fourth day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Four plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the fifth day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Five high school friends
four plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the sixth day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Six jars of red sauce
five high school friends
four plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the seventh day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Seven bowls of noodles
six jars of red sauce
five high school friends
four plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the eighth day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Eight smiling toddlers
seven bowls of noodles
six jars of red sauce
five high school friends
four plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the ninth day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Nine kids playing dress ups
eight smiling toddlers
seven bowls of noodles
six jars of red sauce
five high school friends
four plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the tenth day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Ten helpful teens
nine kids playing dress ups
eight smiling toddlers
seven bowls of noodles
six jars of red sauce
five high school friendsf
our plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the eleventh day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Eleven late arrivals (highway closed all day, couldn't be helped)
ten helpful teens
nine kids playing dress ups
eight smiling toddlers
seven bowls of noodles
six jars of red sauce
five high school friends
four plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

On the twelfth day of spaghetti, Well Read Hostess sent to me
Twelve times the joy
eleven late arrivals (highway closed all day, couldn't be helped)
ten helpful teens
nine kids playing dress ups
eight smiling toddlers
seven bowls of noodles
six jars of red sauce
five high school friends
four plates of cookies (most of which I ate myself)
three wine boxes
two birthday cakes
and a dog who ate a Christmas tree.

Today's history lesson:

On or sort of around this day in 2008, I was feeling a little stressed, apparently. As you can read about HERE.

Also, the "Twelve Days of Christmas" refers to the time between Christmas and the epiphany, which marks the day that one is struck by the sudden realization that her pants no longer fit her after eating Christmas cookies and chocolates for two weeks straight. A common myth about the lyrics to this song is that each of the items sent to "me" on the twelve days symbolizes a biblical or religious principle or event. For example, 11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles. Snopes says otherwise, and frankly, it does seem like a bit of stretch to equate French hens with the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Friday gatherings

2009-11-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

Me and my peeps enjoyed a potluck dinner last night. Kind of a Wednesday Spaghetti on a Friday and without the spaghetti. We also made a list of restaurants we will be going to each month for the next six months! Then we get to enjoy our gatherings with someone else cooking and cleaning up.

I made the following salad for the potluck. It was delicious and I came home with an empty bowl. It would be a great salad any time of the year, but it really seems appropriate for fall.

ROASTED SWEET POTATO SALAD WITH BLACK BEANS AND CHILI DRESSING

Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, preferably red, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh hot chili, such as jalapeno
1 clove garlic, peeled
Juice of 2 limes
2 cups cooked black beans, drained (canned are fine)
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put sweet potatoes and onions on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, toss to coat and spread out in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast, turning occasionally, until potatoes begin to brown on the corners and are just tender inside, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven; keep on pan until ready to mix with dressing.

Put chilies in a blender or mini food processor along with garlic, lime juice, the remaining olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Process until blended.

Put warm vegetables in a large bowl with beans and bell pepper; toss with dressing and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to a day.

Serves 4

Spaghetti Family

2009-11-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last night, as Wednesday Spaghetti was winding down, we were in the kitchen finishing off the wine and picking at the leftover dessert crumbs, and one of my neighbors remarked, "Wednesday Spaghetti feels like being at your favorite cousin's house. Everybody is just being themselves and kids are running around and it's so comfortable."

When I think about what I want to give my children most, it's the opportunity to make and share the memories that will sustain them now and for the rest of their lives. I don't think I knew, even just a few years ago, how one's family grows. Or maybe more accurately, how many opportunities, even those that come out of a box of noodles and a jar of the cheapest sauce on the shelf, there can be to grow that family.

Potato Soup and a snowy day in October!!

2009-10-20T18:06:00.001-07:00

So now that we are on the home stretch of football ( last official game is this weekend with the SuperBowl next weekend...) I am hoping to get back into the swing of cooking not only for my family but for my friends. And boy are they ready. As I have said.. I have some friends who dont do alot of cooking so when I cook they really seem to enjoy it or atleast they tell me they do!

I have using the Crock Pot alot lately ( with getting out of the house before 8am every morning and not getting home til after 5, then heading off right away to Football... by the time 8:00pm rolls around the last thing I want to do it cook.)
This past Sunday we snuggled in to watch The Patriots ( hey, I live in Mass) and believe it or not it was snowing. Already. Yup.

So I tried out this great recipe I got online from my bloggy friend Ace. Check it out. Its a great warm dish in the winter and is pretty cheap to make so you can make a ton...

Potato Soup

Potatoes
Flour
Milk
Seasoning
Onions
Oyster Crackers

Cut potatoes in chunks. Cut onion into slices or chunks. Boil both together til tender. Dump out most of the water, leaving enough to cover the potatoes slightly. In a separate container ( with cover) I mixed Flour with milk and seasoning until thin. I added this mixture to the potatoes and lightly mixed. I did leave some of the potatoes a little chunky but you can mash to your desired consistency. I then seasoned again with salt, pepper and garlic salt. I cooked on medium heat, stirring often for another 15 minutes or so.
When done, garnish with crackers, cheese, bacon bits... whatever you want. Be careful not to use too much flour otherwise the whole soup will taste like flour. Just enough to thicken up the broth.

Enjoy!!!

Recuerdo

2009-10-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

RECUERDO

We were very tired, we were very merry--

We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.

It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable--

But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table,

We lay on the hill-top underneath the moon;

And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.

We were very tired, we were very merry--

We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry;

And you ate an apple, and I ate a pear,

From a dozen of each we had bought somewhere;

And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold,

And the sun rose dripping, a bucketful of gold.

We were very tired, we were very merry,

We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.

We hailed, "Good morrow, mother!" to a shawl covered head,

And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read;

And she wept, "God bless you!" for the apples and the pears,

And we gave her all our money but our subway fares.

---Edna St. Vincent Millay

Playroom before Tuesday Wednesday Spaghetti

Playroom after Tuesday Wednesday Spaghetti

I offer up these pictures not to say, "Holy crap, and you should see the rest of the house." Rather, to show that people came over, ate some dinner, and their kids played happily while grownups visited and talked.

Some people brought food to share, some people didn't, some people came straight from work, some people came straight from soccer practice, some people brought friends, some people brought their friends' kids, some people ate spaghetti with sauce, some people ate spaghetti plain. One thing I heard more than a few times was, "Are you crazy to do this?" It felt really good to be able to say, with complete candor, "Maybe, but it wasn't hard and it doesn't stress me out." The idea of 50 people in your house on a Tuesday evening eating pasta and red sauce (from a jar, thanks, it's not gourmet night Chez WRH) sounds overwhelming, and maybe even a little crazy. But it's not. I shoved a lot of junk in drawers and closets and I swept and I will totally admit to mopping the floor behind the toilet in the kids' bathroom because I have a son and, well, AIM, CHILD. I boiled water and I bought paper plates. There are some dishes still in my sink today, but that's not unusual for midweek.

It is, I realize, an exercise in self-improvement and a bit of therapy for me to do this Wednesday Spaghetti thing. LOOK, you can not lose your mind at the thought of people seeing the dust elephants bunnies in corners. LOOK, you don't need to pull out all the culinary stops to impress anybody. LOOK, your life might be crowded and cluttered but you can maintain friendships. LOOK, kids are meant to get together and play dress up and make noise and jump on the furniture. LOOK, you are doing it. LOOK, you are happy. LOOK, you might not be changing the world and saving humanity and making a million dollars and becoming a household name in anybody's household but your own, but LOOK, you are OK.We were very, very merry and the apples and pears have never tasted better.

This post also appears at Well Read Hostess

*Thanks ATS for ESVM

The Folly of Enthusiasm

2009-10-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

The pace of our collective life chez WRH is, uh, shall we say, "brisk." So brisk in fact that TWGH has thrown his back out for the second time in a month and by 5 pm my voice is so shrill and whiny that it could shatter glass.

School year demands on teacher and students and Carpool Dad, three soccer teams between two kids, ballet, family obligations, new puppy, PTO meetings, volunteer responsibilities, mandatory back-to-school colds, you know. The usual.

The safe bet would be to keep everything humming along without any unnecessary interruption. Stick to the schedule, go with the flow, eyes on the prize, fake it 'til you make it, hum hum hum. No surprises, everything planned and routine.

I'm doubling down on What Are You Thinking, Woman?!!

I have to. I tried not to. I went all September without a Wednesday Spaghetti. October began and I looked at the calendar and I realized that there was no good day to do a Wednesday Spaghetti until at least mid-December. So, What Are You Thinking, Woman?!!

What this woman is thinking is that two hours with friends and neighbors, sharing a simple meal, no matter what state the house is in, that the dog isn't fully housebroken, that my daughter will still be wearing her clothes from ballet that afternoon, and that my husband might come late to his own house for dinner because of a work meeting, is too necessary to forgo.

Maintaining the connections that sustain us is as important as the sustenance delivered in spaghetti form.

Lora, founding mother of Wednesday Spaghetti, has this vision of people across the country beginning their own Wednesday Spaghetti traditions, modified by whatever fancy strikes and to meet the needs of a diverse many. Is it folly to think that something so simple could nudge us back to a place where we remember what matters? Not just on Wednesdays (or Tuesdays), but every day?

It's getting colder...

2009-10-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Cold weather means one thing in my house - time to get out the crockpot! Here is a very easy and delicious recipe that seems to please the palates of all age groups!

PULLED PORK SANDWICHES
2 to 21/2 pounds pork loin or tenderloin, trimmed of all visable fat
1 large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges
1 jar (12 oz) all natural barbecue sauce (I use Gates)
8 whole wheat hamburger buns

Add all the ingredients, except buns (that would be just gross!) to crock pot. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. When the meat is tender, remove from sauce and shred using 2 forks. Place
the meat back in the crock pot, and mix with the sauce.

This recipe is good with:

CRANBERRY COLESLAW
1/3 cup light canola mayo
3T cider Vinegar
3T maple syrup
1/2 t. salt
1 bag (16oz) coleslaw mix
3/4 c. dried cranberries

Whisk mayo, vinegar, maple syrup and salt into large bowl until smooth. Add the coleslaw mix and cranberries and gently blend. Serve right away or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Fun Autumn Recipe for WS

2009-09-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

Now that our hectic summer is over, I am hoping to get back on board with Wednesday Spaghetti. So last night I tried out a new recipe on my family in preparation for WS. I really enjoyed it and with a lot of prepared ingredients- it's really simple.

Cheese Ravioli with Pumpkin Maple Sage Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo Sauce (I used Buitoni)
1/2 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin (I used slightly more since I love that flavor)
1 tablespoon sage (I had to use ground since I had no fresh available)
Refrigerated or frozen Four Cheese Ravioli
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped green onion

DIRECTIONS
Cook wine and onion in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Stir in sauce, pumpkin, syrup and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving cup cooking water. Stir reserved water into sauce; toss with pasta. Sprinkle with green onion. Season with ground black pepper.

Fashionista Food - Sinful Chocolate Pots ;)

2009-08-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all ;) I have been super into cooking lately (could it be the new kitchen, or maybe it's the creativity inside of me needing to be unleashed... none the less, Vlad has been very happy about this recent development), and wanted to share this SUPER easy, super indulgent chocolate recipe with you... it will truly make your friends gasp when you show up to a dinner party/BBQ with these little luxuries in your arm ;) ... or even just a night in with your closest friends or lova... EVERYBODY loves chocolate!

So, this recipe is brought to you by the brilliant Jamie Oliver... oh Jamie... *sigh* such a beautiful man... My aunt actually gave me his cook book "The Naked Chef Takes Off" and it is the only one yet that has actually gotten me to get off my lazy ass and try a few of the insanely tasty recipes. Jamie... to get through to ME - YOU are a genius!

Here is what you'll need
serves 4

(I doubled my recipe to keep some in the fridge for me... uhhhhh I mean guests...)

1 cup light cream (I used 10%)
7oz best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids)... I used Bakers Semisweet Chocolate for a not-too bitter taste
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons brandy, the best you can get (I used Chemineaud and bought the little samplers you can get at your liquor store... so much better than splurging on a bottle of alchie you wont ever drink, plus they are something like $2.00! Ummm... hells yeah!)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons butter
cookie wafers, fresh fruit... whatever you would like to garnish your finished product with
Espresso cups, shot glasses, ramekins... (I used Asian teacups for mine - less is more... this recipe is VERY rich and better with just a taste)

That's it! Lets get rolling...

So first you are going to take your cup of cream and bring it to a boil in your nice big pot...

While you are waiting for the cream to come to a boil (stirring occasionally so that it doesn't burn... and YES, cream CAN burn...), take your two eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. This can be done easily by cracking the shell in half and tipping the egg whites over the shell while keeping the yolk in. If you need to, use a fork to block the egg yolk from falling out :)

Your yolks should look like this (free from the whites). Don't throw out the egg whites!!! You can make a great omelet with that for breakfast tomorrow morning...

Did you know?
The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

On to the yummy stuff...
Once your cream has come to a full boil, remove your pot and set it aside to cool for about a minute... then, you will be stirring in your chocolate!!!

Unwrap 7oz worth of your chocolate (Bakers Chocolate is great for that because they come pre-wrapped in 1oz squares - 7 squares = 7 ounces = easy math = happy Robyn :)

Start stirring those suckers in....

Did you know?

Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites.

As the chocolate melts slowly while you stir it will change into a beautiful chocolate brown... above is the look of the "halfway point".

Blame it on the A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-ALCOHOL! (Just HAD to make a T-pain reference... HAD to)... get out that brandy baby! Once your chocolate is all melted in and whisked to creamy perfection, it's time to add some flavorful booze!

So go ahead and add those 3 tablespoons of brandy to your pot of chocolate...

... mix it up... and let it cool down for a few more minutes (don't rush into the next step, as adding the butter when the chocolate is too warm will make it split... soooo... blast some music, do a little dance... have some fun and come back to it in five)

Did you know?
The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.

Alright... once you've given it some time to chill, go ahead and add in your butter - stirring occasionally until it is all melted and smooth!

Taste test! Hey... you gotta make sure it's edible right?

Next, you are ready to pour them into your little cups! I used a soup server looking spoon thing to fill them up (don't worry too much about making a mess on the sides... it is about what's on the INSIDE that counts... am I right ladies?)

Did you know?
Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

Place your little lovelies in your fridge for a good 20 min to solidify a bit...

... then take them out and decorate! I used cookie wafers and fresh strawberries (they are deliciously in season right now... and strawberries and chocolate... well... could there be a better match?!?!)

Did you know?
Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolate.

Here is my beautiful creation! And let me tell you... it is SINFULLY delicious ;)

Bonne Appetit!

http://www.fashionista514.com/

Football Season is upon us!!

2009-08-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

So I have been ultra busy lately. With summer, travel, work and now Football season has started ( for my 7 yr old) I haven't been doing WS like I intended. I miss it.
This time last year, Wednesday was actually a day that I would put together a quick meal for my family and have some of the other football players and their families over for dinner before practice. I am at my best when I have a full house and am entertaining. I also really like to cook!
I was working until 3, then I would come home, prepare dinner and we would gather outside on the deck, kids in the kitchen at the island or in the living room, sprawled out and chowing down, mostly on Spaghetti and meatballs and fresh salad from our local farm stand.
Then there would be a tornado as the dad's rushed to get the boys into uniforms and out the door while the moms and siblings helped me clean up and then we would hit Dunkin's for coffee and off to the field we would go.
I miss that terribly.
Now I am working until 5 and barely have enough time to grab a soda and change out of my work clothes in a mad dash for the practice field!

So look forward to some WS pics and posts from me, um... lets see... maybe in November when the season lets up!
Just kiddin! I plan to have everyone over on a Wednesday soon, just might be after practice this year!

Our Founding Mother's House

2009-07-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Spaghetti-like

2009-07-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am having a Wednesday Spaghetti-like event on Wednesday. I belong to a national moms group called Mothers & More and we are having a gathering to meet some our newer members. I will not be serving an entire meal, but mostly appetizers, desserts and drinks. Here's one recipe I will be serving. My neighbor has a gzillion fresh tomatoes. So many she doesn't know what to do with them all so I kindly offered to take some off of her hands. YUM - fresh, off the vine tomatoes, free of chemicals. Now if I could just make my own cheese...

My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

MOZZARELLA, TOMATO AND BASIL SALAD
4 large tomatoes
2 cups mozzarella cheese
8-10 leaves fresh basil
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Slice tomatoes and mozzarella cheese same thickness.
Arrange the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, alternating in a circle around a decorative serving dish.
Drizzle with olive oil (and balsamic vinegar if desired).
Serve with salt and pepper to individual taste.

Since I am serving it as an appetizer, I will be surrounding the salad with bread to look like this.

Bon Appetite!

Under the Influence

Wednesday Spaghetti on the weekend

2009-07-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is lucky enough to have her house to herself this weekend. Her husband is on a guy's trip and her son is visiting the grandparents. She decided to have a girls sleepover to celebrate! And as it turns out, my husband is gone for the weekend and my kids are going to the grandparents for a visit. This works out perfectly. So five or so of us are getting together for dinner, drinks, desserts and then movies at her house along with late night giggling and no sleep. Ok, some of the five will sleep, but I am a night owl and will probably be the last one standing.

We probably won't have spaghetti, but the spirit of Wednesday Spaghetti will be alive and well!

Being Real in the Momosphere

2009-07-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

I've been reading about the call to keyboard for authentic writing in the momosphere for the first week of August. It seems there are camps forming with two distinct themes. One is that being courted by businesses with a variety of giveaway goodies for the purpose of honest assessment and word of blog publicity is a good thing for women who blog. It's like having a "big girl" job. The other pov laments the takeover of real dialogue, deep thoughts, shared beliefs and community in favor of poorly written drivel and arguably deceptive posts.

My eyes hurt from all the rolling.

Most of the commercial mom blogs I read, or have skimmed, are businesses. And there is nothing wrong with a blogger taking advantage of the commerciality of their work. The net is the last frontier as far as low cost start-ups go and more power to you if you can convince someone to pay you for doing something you enjoy.

But here is the problem I have. These women, as far as I can tell, aren't getting paid. They are taking stuff. Maybe they sell it later on eBay to recoup expenses for their time and maybe not, but since when did "stuff" constitute a living? And when a blogger is willing (and plenty seem to be) to be compensated in goods what happens to the writers/bloggers who would rather have cash? I mean, not every mommy blogger has a daddy paycheck earner to take care of the pesky expenses, and last I heard, the people who hold your mortgage aren't keen on barter.

Here's the other thing that doesn't compute for me. How are we a community, or cyber friends even, when you are writing to convince me to buy things. That's almost as annoying as the friend who takes up Pampered Chef or Mary Kay or sex toy parties because now our friendship is threatened by an unspoken coercion that involves me feeling obligated to buy and you needing me to buy in order to maintain the flow of freebies and advertising. And now I am not a "dear reader" or a friend but rather a customer.

The bloggers at Momdot want moms to blog authentically for the first week of August. To just shut down the PR (it's unclear to me if this includes all the ads in the sidebars which make pages load so slowly) and get back to basics. Which begs the question of what a mom is to do if she began blogging simply to milk the cash cow but that is a call for others to decide.

Some are not really down with this. They are proud of the businesses they have built and rightfully so. If you are blogging for profit and are good at it and your "friends" are totally cool with funding you, the fact that it is a quasi-ponzi scheme shouldn't be an issue.

More and more I am uncomfortable in the momosphere. I have always been clear on the fact that I began blogging for me and it continues to be "all about me" which is probably too boring for most. And I am totally rethinking my connections with mom grogging because I am not allowed to be utterly me and write about women issues, wants, dreams, dilemmas, only some of which are mom-oriented. At my age, why should I care what companies think I need or should want? They are only interested in my money and will shill and wheedle and flatter their souls away to sell it to me. Their power? Lies in my willingness to buy and in someone else's willingness to sell themselves cheaply enough to promote it to me.

I just don't understand taking crap as payment - and if I have to dust, store, or pick it up and move it from one place to another - it's crap. It's like the white traders in the early days of North America buying land and goods from Native Americans with glass beads and cutlery. I don't remember who wrote this, maybe it was Konrath, but the sincerest form of flattery for a writer, and I think blogging counts as writing, is a paycheck, and if you aren't doing your bit to promote the idea of money as currency for writers than you are not a writer and you are hurting real writers with your posing. You are kind of like scabs who cross picket lines, under-cutting the common good for selfish gain.

"But I am feeding my family!"

Really? With movie passes and WiiFit?

We (and when I say "we", I mean "you") will always be ghetto-ized as Mommybloggers so long as the majority of us are mesmerized by the sprinkles tossed our way like bootie shaped confetti decorating a table cloth at a baby shower. We will not be taken seriously as a group or a force. And the sad thing is - we (and by "we" I mean "all women") could be a force if our more prominent members weren't so content to be stereotypes.

A Yummy Dish!

2009-07-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is a great salad to bring to a potluck. With the chicken, it could actually be a main dish. I often leave out the chicken and use fresh mushrooms in it's place.

Pecan, Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

INGREDIENTS for Dressing:
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar

INGREDIENTS for Salad:
1 cup wild rice
4 cups chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon
2 whole chicken breasts, cooked
1 bunch green onions, minced
6 to 8 ounces snow peas, trimmed
2 ripe avocados, chopped
1 cup pecan pieces, toasted

TO PREPARE:
For the dressing, combine the vinegar, oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and sugar in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to mix.

For the salad, combine the wild rice, stock and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until tender; drain. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Combine the dressing, rice, chicken, green onions and snow peas in a bowl 2 hours prior to serving and mix well. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator. Add the avocados and pecans just before serving and mix gently.

SERVES: 6 - 8

Enjoy!
Jo
Under the Influence

2009-07-09T17:47:00.001-07:00

anybody else swimming in basil about now?
me too.

I boiled some penne, and topped it with about 17000 torn up basil leaves, olive oil, a tiny bit of seasoning.

Secret ingredient?

Nutmeg.

I put nutmeg on all my green leafies, I don't know why I never thought about adding it to basil. Just a dash, or is it a pinch? Whichever is smaller.

I have regular old Corelle dishes. I filled a bowl up about quarter ways with the basil, topped it until it was half full of oil, added salt and pepper and garlic and bit of nutmeg and let that soak an hour or so.

If you are one of the WedSpaghers who've been to my house, you know about Ricotta Salata. That's the cheese I slice up and serve with honey mixed with McCormack Italian Seasoning Grinder stuff.
I shredded the Ricotta Salata and mixed it with parmesan and put that on top.

So incredible

Wednesday Spaghetti in New England

2009-07-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am back from a long needed (albeit rainy) vacation and ready for my spaghetti. My lovely friend, Lesley, invited me to her house tonight for dinner so I am very excited to not cook or clean! I had her over a few weeks back for WS, so she is returning the favor tonight. All I have to do is show up with some bread... easy cheesy. I am only taking one kid along (the oldest quietest one) so that I can kick back and relax a little. That doesn't happen often for me, so I am unusually elated for a pasta dinner.

I am looking forward to laughter, chatting, joking and maybe a few bites of pasta (this is not good for my diet, but I will let some bonding time get in the way of my need to get into a bathing suit any time soon.)

2009-06-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Once again, I find myself unable to keep up with the followers and commenters here at Wednesday Spaghetti! This is amazing!

Please don't be shy.
All are welcome to join the blog and join us in our WedSpags!
Just ask.
Feel free to steal the logo at the top of the page as a button for your blog.

There are no real rules. You don't ever have to post, or you can post when ever you would like. I do ask that you do not promote your main blog here, but you will be listed in the sidebar and of course you are more than welcome to visit all the blogs there and introduce yourself to the WedSpaghers, and comments are welcome on every post. You may link to your main blog in your post or place a hyperlink or button at the end of your post but this is more about food and friends and family and fun more than it is about upping your subscription count.

This coming from a girl who loves to watch her numbers go up...

If you would like to join the blog, please send me an email at lora@arrowsmiths.com or leave a comment here.

If you have already joined but you're not listed in the sidebar, let me know and I'll get you there immediately. Most of us have more than one blog, and you are welcome to have more than one listed there. I promise I have not excluded any for content, but I have found myself behind on linking. Plus there was that one time when I was Spagging on company time and I hit X rather than Save.

Thanks to everyone who participates in this little old thing. It means the world to me to know that you guys make time to take time with the people you love. It's so important, and it's so easy to let days and weeks slip by without spending quality time with one another.

Wednesday Spaghetti with a twist

2009-06-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking as much as I LOVE spaghetti, your guests might get a little tired of the same ol' spaghetti dinner each week. So here is a delicious recipe that is "spaghetti like" but not officially spaghetti. This is an easy recipe and the sauce can be made ahead of time. Wait to add the cream and parmesan until you are getting ready to cook the pasta and reheat the sauce.

Linguine with Vodka Tomato Sauce
2 tblsp. Olive oil
3 tblsp. Butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 can 28oz. Plum tomatoes (I usually used crushed tomatoes)
1 tsp. Dried basil
1/8 tsp. Red pepper flakes
½ cup vodka
½ cup whipping cream
¼ cup parmesan
12 oz. Linguine, cooked

Combine olive oil and butter in large pan. Sauté onion and garlic. Add tomatoes, basil, red pepper and vodka. Simmer about 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced. Add cream and simmer about 5 minutes. Add parmesan and combine with pasta.

And if you are looking for a family friendly dessert, try this one. I posted it not too long ago at Moms without Blogs. You can mix things up by changing the flavors of the ice cream and/or the flavors of the oreos. Yum!

OREO ICE CREAM DESSERT
· 1/2 gal vanilla ice cream, softened
· 12 oz Cool Whip
· 2 pkgs of Oreos, you will have some left over

For the crust, crush 45 Oreos and mix with 1/2 cup melted butter. Press into bottom and sides of 9x13 pan. For the filling, mix together the softened ice cream, the Cool Whip, and 30 Oreos broken into small pieces. Pour the filling over the crust and freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight. You will probably have some filling left over, which I pour into cups and freeze and it is like a DQ Blizzard.

Enjoy!
Jo
Under the Influence

Alright... so it isn't spaghetti, but...

2009-06-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

So, I always make dinner for my little family (My Babe & pug), and this particular night I caught it on tape... I think this was on Thursday...

Here is a condensed version of my sketchy (but very yummy) cooking :)

Souvlaki pita sticks (much better when done on the BBQ, but hey... I'm an apartment goer so these were made in the frying pan)... with smashed potatoes!!! mmmmmmm.... oh, and a nice big bottle of Pellegrino to wash it all down... bubbly :)

Easiest salad for a tomato lover - just cut up the ripest one you can find, season it with sea salt and some herbs, then douse it in an oriental flavoured salad dressing (so creamy, soooo good - cuts the acidity of the tomato a bit).

Babe here, packing 'em down ;)

Pug here sat in for me in this pic... she later had her own plate. This is what it's all about isn't it... just sharing some good food with the people in your life (yes, I DO consider pug to be a person)...

... and the mess that is still waiting for me in the kitchen... *I am rather bad when it comes to cleaning up, even though I do it eventually anyways*

Happy Fathers Day!

www.fashionista514.com

My Very First Wednesday Spaghetti!!!

2009-06-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

I have happily jumped on the bandwagon known as Wednesday Spaghetti!!!

Tonight was our first foray into the wonderful idea and tradition that is Wednesday Spaghetti, and I have posted a full recount on my blog, Seriously. No. Seriously.

Here's a synopsis...

Tonight we had 9 friends for a pot of spaghetti with sauce and meatballs... some garlic bread... watermelon... freeze pops... ice cream... brownies... and some extra treats brought by our guests... and we had SUCH a nice night. The kids played, the adults ate, the hamster had a workout and we can't wait to do it again next week.

Thanks to our guests for what you brought, but also for coming! What a great success!

Connor & everyone helps clean up!

Liam jumping in a mud puddle & the kids looking for a snake!

Addie eating an ice cream & the "kids'" table!

Have a Beautiful Weekend... and Never Forget...

2009-06-12T07:39:00.001-07:00

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater acheivements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!

-Christian D. Larson-

www.fashionista514.com

Good Food and Friends and a Great Cause!!

2009-06-11T19:28:00.001-07:00

OK, so its not Wednesday and I am sure we wont be having Spaghetti !

Tomorrow night we are all ( Hubby, Kylie, Trevor, and my nephews) off to the Relay For Life Cancer Walk in Gardner Mass. We do this every year. I had Cancer. My dad had Cancer. My nephew Liam had Cancer. We are all survivors.

My sister is a nurse and her hospital forms a team and we walk ... all night long!

The last few years we would go up and have a nice walk... have a little BBQ and then head home around 9PM.

Tomorrow we are actually camping out. Sleeping bags, tent... the whole sha~bang!

We are cooking hamburgers, hotdogs, pasta salad, chips, dip, veggies and dessert. There will be cupcakes (made by me!), cookies, banana bread, and lots more! We will walk the Survivors Lap and this year we will not only walk for ourselves but we will take my nephews hand and walk with him, as his mom ( my cousin) is gone. See, she and Liam's dad Todd were killed in a car accident last year. Liam is excited to walk tomorrow and we will walk with him... for Michelle would be proud that he is 5 years Cancer Free!!

So here's to good food, great friends and an amazing Cause!!

I will be thinking of all you other Cancer Survivors and those that have been affected by this terrible disease as I walk tomorrow!

What Really Matters

2009-06-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

Don't let their flash blind you.

www.fashionista514.com

Cooking Club

2009-06-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

Once a month I get together for a bunch of women for a cooking club that we do. We put together a list of what needs to come to each get together and then we cycle through who brings what. The hostess always chooses the theme and makes the main dish. Usually veryone is encouraged to make something that puts them outside of their comfort zone, but sometimes - after a long week- we're more understanding when someone brings a loaf of store bought bread instead of making their own :) But in general it's been a great way to try lots of foods we've never tried, or been too intimidated to make, it's a chance to connect with eachother without our children tugging at us and there's usually a fair amount of some kind of alcohol to help us relax.

We've had invetive themes and not so inventive ones. My favorite to date was our Indian themed night - someone brought the most amazing homemade mango chutney! But we've also had 'Three Ingredients or Less', "Mediterranian", "Vegitarian" and this month's is "A Victorian Picnic" (and we've been told we can leave our petticoats at home).

I'd encourage anyone to get a group of friends together and try something like this. It would be fun to do as couples also (our husbands call cooking club 'left over night') and as families though the dynamic would be totally different depending on how you set it up. Family night might not be quite as gourmet :)

sunday brunch

2009-06-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

went off with very few hitches.
A couple of the girls that were supposed to bring food had something come up last minute so we lived happily on cheeses with honey and cheeses with sea salt and cheeses with cheeses and biscuits and breads and sweets and booze. Real food may have just taken up valuable sweets and cheese and booze room in our bellies so it was just as well.

Because we are all somewhere near or past 30, I thought it would be fun to throw a girly girly tea party brunch because if you were born before 1980 you probably didn't get to have a princess party like all the little girls are having now.

And we deserve it, dammit.

I dusted off the china that hasn't been used in over 40 years (seriously). I sidewalk chalked my front pavement with hearts and flowers and stars and swirls. I glittered a path to my front door. There were candies and tiaras and lip glosses and nail polishes and Lisa Frank stuff and jewelry and all sorts of things all over my house. And glitter. And I blew up over 100 balloons and let them bounce around the living and dining rooms. And there was glitter. And we drank peach nectar with peach schnapps&blueberries&Asti and we drank gin&lemonade and we drank cans of Miller Lite and we wore fancy dresses and we talked about life and work and kids and dogs and sex and drugs and rock and roll.

And we may have listened to NKOTB. And LL Cool J.

Recipe: Pasta with goat cheese and asparagus

2009-06-01T05:46:00.001-07:00

Shake things up at your next Wednesday Spaghetti with this super-easy, but really tasty, pasta recipe.

Pasta with goat cheese and asparagus
1 lb. spiral pasta
4 oz. log of fresh goat cheese
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into pieces about 2 in. long
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 or 2 cups fresh chopped basil
olive oil
salt
pepper

Boil the pasta for about four minutes, adding a few dashes of salt after the first minute or two.
Add the cut asparagus to the boiling noodles and allow the pot to boil another two or three minutes. (The asparagus should be tender but still firm.)
Drain the pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, basil and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in.
Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed.
Season generously with salt and pepper.

taking the plunge

2009-05-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm going to do Wednesday Spaghetti. Maybe even this coming Wednesday. I have the urge. Spring is making me happy. I want to have spaghetti, and friends, and music and open windows. Maybe we'll even send the kids outside! I'll let you know how it goes!

There isn't some sort of minimum number of guests is there?

2009-05-28T11:49:00.001-07:00

Jake and I had a private MommyBaby Wednesday non-Spaghetti last night full of all of our favorite foods. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, hummus, edamame, sushi, and mozzarella cheese.
I wish the picture of him was a little bit better, but at least you get to see how well my child eats.
The secret is being a mean mom. I didn't let him eat "kiddie" foods until he developed a taste for adult stuff. I'm the worst.

my first post!

2009-05-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Funny story...

Steven and I share a birthday.
Because it's his birthday he figures he deserves a BJ.
Because it's mine I figure I shouldn't have to give one.

I don't think he gets the joke because after being together for 8.5 years he still doesn't think it's hilarious. Go figure.

*****

I've been reading some of these posts. I think it's a great idea! I'm definitely going to have to give this a try, and soon!

2009-05-27T10:48:00.001-07:00

holy crap, I'm drowning in Spaghetti.

If you read this blog and would like to join us, please leave a comment and I'll get you added as soon as possible. If your email address isn't in your profile, please leave that too, or email me at lora@arrowsmiths.com. You can't screw up Wednesday Spaghetti. All you have to do is make an effort once in awhile on any day of the week to eat any dinner you would like AT YOUR TABLE. It can be you and your friends. You and your family. You and your cat. You and your coworkers. You and the ladies auxiliary of whatever it is that you are auxiliaring. I don't invite (straight) boys over the age of 12, but you can. I let kids come over, but you don't have to. It's your chance to do things your way in the spirit of togetherness.

I do spaghetti because it is cheap and Wednesdays because my husband is out of the house. That's what works for me, but it might not work for you.

If you post to this blog and your blog isn't listed in the sidebar blogroll, please let me know. I added a handful of blogs there last week, but I forgot to hit SAVE in my haste to shut down the window when my boss' boss came over to my desk.

Fun and free for kids

2009-05-27T10:26:00.001-07:00

http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=89630

I'll be volunteering and hanging out with the husband and my little one, the big one will also be there rocking out. Free food, rides and entertainment. They had me at food.

Gathering with friends

2009-05-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

I belong to a moms group (Mothers & More). We get together once a week for a different activity each week - book club, game night, dinner out, etc. Some of us also get together on a Sunday for drinks and a movie. We do that every month or two. This group was a lifesaver for me when, in 2004, I moved 600 miles from a city I had lived in since college. I made some of the best friends ever through that group!

In 2007, we were transferred back to the city where my husband and I graduated college. I transferred my Mothers & More membership to the chapter here and have made a lot of new friends.

But I still keep in constant contact with those women I met in 2004. For the third year in a row, we are going on a moms and kids trip. There will be about five moms and 12 or so kids touring St. Louis and doing fun family oriented stuff during the day and resting and having cocktails by the pool in the evening. We made this trip to St. Louis last year, too. It's about a 1/2 way point between where I live now and where they still live. The year before that, we crashed a different city.

I also try to make it to at least one lake trip with these women each year. Unfortunately, I can't go this year and my attendance record at these "every four months" getaways is starting to get tarnished. I hope to do better next year!

Keeping in touch with "old" friends is so important. Obviously, due to distance, we can't do Wednesday Spaghetti, but we can do Occasional Spaghetti! So that's what we do and I am thankful for every moment of time we are together.

Spaghetti and All

2009-05-22T11:59:00.001-07:00

I had a successful Wednesday Spaghetti... we had spaghetti and it was Wednesday. I threw in 2 wonderful friends, garlic bread and some wine... voila!

When I told my husband that I had invited Lesley and Lori over for dinner, his first question was "Why?"
"Because I wanted to have some friends over to hang out."
"But they don't even know each other."
"So?"
"So, that is kind of random."
"That is the fun of it. They don't know each other so we'll have a lot to talk about and learn about each other."
"It's just weird."
"You're weird."

We ended up having a great time with great conversations and I can not wait to do it again with other random friends.

No more excuses!

2009-05-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

There are a million excuses for losing touch with your friends. “I’m too busy.” “We’re on different schedules.” “We live too far apart.”

Wednesday Spaghetti seeks to put an end to these excuses and to bring friends together over a nice, warm meal. What a simple, yet novel concept!

Since I can rarely make it up to Philly for Wednesday Spaghetti at Lora’s house, I started my own tradition called “Scrumptious Saturday!” My dinners differ from the original Wednesday Spaghetti idea in that I do Saturdays instead of Wednesdays since I don’t get home until 6:30 p.m. on the weekdays, and I don’t serve pasta. Instead, I cook a meal based on a theme that I choose.

Cooking is a passion of mine, so I love having an excuse to spend all day in the kitchen and to try new recipes. Jack usually serves as my “Sioux chef,” so cooking gives us an opportunity to spend some quality time together.

Also, having a weekly “dinner party” motivates me to keep my house clean. It’s not a feeling of obligation. I know my friends don’t care if there’s cat hair on the stairs or a pile of dirty towels outside the bathroom. It’s just that I want my house to be a comfortable and cozy place, especially when I’m opening my home to friends.

My first ever Scrumptious Saturday! had an Israeli theme. I made falafel and hummus from scratch, as well as Israeli salad, sour cabbage and labenah. I spent a total of 8 hours in the kitchen that day! Christine and Emily, new friends from my trip to Israel, and Alena, a friend since childhood, joined me for dinner that night. Alena brought her husband Melvin and little Andy, their toddler son. Andy wasn’t up for the Middle Eastern food, but Melvin certainly put a hurtin’ on the labenah!

Perhaps even more popular was taco night. I scoured the local Hispanic shops for hand-made tortillas. I made pineapple salsa, molidos, gallo pinto and mojitos using the mint from my herb garden. My friends Natasha, Kaki and Eddie hit it off, which was nice. Eddie brought her two little ones, Sofia and Isabel. Isa crawled around on the floor, while Sofia “watered” the papier-mâché Mexican flower I had given her to play with.

The past three Scrumptious Saturdays were part of my month-long birthday celebration. (Yes, I get a whole month!) The first weekend, Lauren and Matt, a couple of my Philly friends,came to Charm City to help me celebrate. I didn’t make dinner since it was my birthday, but we did plenty of drinking! Lauren, Matt, Jack and I hung out until the wee hours of the morning talking about the past, present and future.

The next Saturday, Kaki, Emily and Christine met me at Dukem, an Ethiopian restaurant in downtown Baltimore. We tried Ethiopian beer and ordered from a menu we couldn’t decipher. It was so much fun! We ate with our hands and speculated about which dish was which.

Lora and Nadine came down from Philly last Saturday for the final b-day celebration. My friend Monica also joined us. I didn’t make an elaborate meal—just a salad with strawberries, walnuts and feta cheese. We drank gin with lemonade and chatted while sitting around my dinner table. Then we went to “the bar” and had some more cocktails and good conversation. I hadn’t seen Nadine in three years, so it was nice to catch up. Monica headed home around midnight, and the three of us girls stayed up chatting until almost four in the morning. The next day, Nadine went home and Lora and I walked to Fells Point for brunch. We talked about everything and nothing all at once. That’s the beauty of good friends. You can go from serious to silly and from meaningless to deep conversations. You can be open and honest and can pick up right where you left off, no matter how much time has passed.

I Made Spaghetti and My Husband Didn't Leave Me

2009-05-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

...so, you know. It was a good night.

Last week I asked my husband if I could "do Wednesday Spaghetti." Thinking "Wednesday Spaghetti" = Have a bunch of bloggy chicks over while he and the kids go out for pizza and to the playground, he was all in favor.

Then he saw the evite I sent out. And the fact that 30 people, only two of whom and only by coincidence are bloggy chicks, had RSVP'd with a big, Hellzyeah.

I was thrilled. Delighted. Whoohoo.

Him. Not so much.

And I see his point. His brain was set on "I'm outta here for a few hours" and then he had to quickly adjust to "I'm not even remotely outta here and it's Wednesday and where are those extra chairs and do we have enough beer."

I refused to allow myself to get worked up, I didn't sweep a thing, nor did I frantically scrub toilet bowls, in anticipation of the spaghetti guests. I tried to emphasize that it isn't a PARTY, it's WEDNESDAY SPAGHETTI. Not allowing myself to get worked up sounds easier than it is, but I did it...in honor of the Wedspag.

It was just what I wanted it to be. Neighbors, friends, loved ones, eating their spaghetti. Kids racing around the yard. Old friends played catch-up and new friends got to know each other.

By 8:30 everyone had returned from whence they came, the kitchen was on its way back to cleaned up, and my husband hugged me, smiled, and said he'd had fun.

That's good. Because you should see the size of the invite list for the next one.

Dinner in the Desert

2009-05-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

This was my first Wednesday Spaghetti and it was the most relaxed get-together I've ever had at my house. I put no pressure on myself and enjoyed my friends and the evening without worrying. Who knew that good conversation and a simple dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread, and strawberry shortcake to top it off, could be so comforting and rejuvenating? As we sat around the table I wondered who else was doing the same and where. It was a good feeling.

WSSSS, NoCal style

2009-05-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Because Lora asked and my comment-in-response quickly became longer than a comment:

Spaghetti and sauce and spinach salad and strawberries. And water because I totally forgot that we might want something to wash all those s's down with. Don't come to my house parched. I'm the worst at remembering to offer you something to drink. Unless you're willing to help yourself to whatever happens to be on the bev shelf of the fridge, you might very well dry up and blow away.

Our entertainment involved watching the kiddos climb up and down the ladder in the "clubhouse"with hands filled to varying degrees with miscellaneous "tools" (no bets were taken on who'd bleed first, not that the over-under didn't cross my mind), intercepting sandbarkrocks from the planters in the garden, and turning kiddos upside down to make sure they weren't harboring any sand in their tiny tiny crevices. Also, lots of stories that began with "So as I was saying..." which, come to think of it, might very well have actually been just one story, the ending of which we never got to.

I looked forward to it all week and it did not disappoint. My house feels homiest after an evening of easy, unscripted chatter.

7 on the 7th..

2009-05-07T12:39:00.001-07:00

If you can spare $7 this is a great foundation. Click here to donate.

2009-05-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

For the first time in a year of WedSpags I had no idea who was having WedSpags of their own, and it was more than slightly awesome.

It's fun to sit around my table knowing that there were lots of others sitting around their tables, WedSpagging it up. One million and seven thank yous to everyone who Spaghed.

At my house we all ate chili and tamales and chips and peach salsa and drank wine and margaritas and then watched the movie KIDS, which is the ultimate feel good film of the mid-nineties, followed by American Idol where we totally tore Paula and her dumb performance apart and loved all over No Doubt.

What did you do at yours?

press and admin stuff

2009-05-04T13:19:00.001-07:00

Anyone is invited to get in on WedSpag, please let me know if any of your friends are interested in starting their own spaghetti nights and I'll get them set up on the blog. I've just about given up on adding everyone onto the evite- it's more complicated than it sounds. In fact, I may be ditching the evites totally because all y'all know that my door is open unless I say otherwise and no one really opens them up anymore anyway!

Thanks to everyone who is writing about Wednesday Spaghetti on their blogs. Here are a few posts from the past few weeks:

Mothers of Brothers

The Domestic Goddess

Well Read Hostess

In So many Words...

Cheese Party

I am Bossy

The Life You Choose

The New Girl

Life According to Lizzi

My first WedSpag!!!

2009-04-29T17:35:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!! I am Jenn from My Life with the Crazies and this is my first blog over here at Wednesday Spaghetti!! Lora is such a gracious hostess... and I was thrilled to jump on board!

Tonight marked my first ever WedSpag night here in my Crazy House! ( ok... that's not entirely true... I cook pasta ALOT in my house with 3 kids... one of them being a vegetarian and all..)

I actually was thrilled to start this here in my home town in Massachusetts because I have been so busy with work and sports and kids... and dogs... and blogging.... and twittering... well... you get the idea. So I haven't seen alot of my friends as of late and I just thought, "what the heck?"

Alot of my friends are busy moms and fortunately or not most of them don't cook much so they always seem to love when I cook and they can just come eat and socialize for awhile.(or I atleast think they like my cooking!)

I also am an avid photographer so alot of my posts contain pics! I hope you all can handle a little food tease!!

I invited my bestest girlfriend Julie and her Hubby Seth and their son Ty over for dinner tonight.Julie is a busy workin mom and isn't really a culinary expert. Once, shortly after moving into my new house... which has a gorgeous large kitchen with awesome island in the middle.... Julie commented that she would have to come over weekly for cooking lessons complete with video camera manned by my teen... and I would teach and do alittle Emeril for everyone while being filmed. ( We never did get around to that but it would be great to have a WedSpag on video, don't ya think?)

So they arrived... it is gorgeous tonight here in Mass, so the little ones headed out to play in the yard... the big boys retreated to the living room to discuss video game strategies while Julie and I hung in the kitchen cooking. Julie's younger teen sister even joined in the party and she and my teen hung out chattin.

A good time was had by all and it was so fun to catch up even for a few hours!

Here are some pics of our first WedSpag!

I look forward to more to come... with more people joining us!!

My Sad, Sad Journey Towards Friendships

2009-04-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

First off, thanks to Lora for inviting me to the secret society. I have never met Lora in real life as I live in the great north woods of New Hampshire. "You have internet there?" you ask. Why, yes, we do, only if we have power after we clear the ice off the lines!

Anyhow, I met Lora from stalking her indiscriminate Twitter banter. If any of you are on Twitter, you are familiar with most of the pompous, self promoting drivel that is on there, which is why Lora was so conspicuous.

And that is the short story of how Michele was invited over for spaghetti dinner.

When Lora invited me last week I was excited but apprehensive as this is something I have struggled with for years (female friendships... not eating spaghetti!) My friends from youth are spread from Washington to Rhode Island, which means I see very little of them. And building new female relationships has been an issue most of my adult life. I had my first child at 23... not too young (or so I thought), until I realized that most women at that age were still out partying and bar hopping, while I was home with a papoose attached to my nipple. Other 'moms' that I encountered were just... not cool. They wore mom jeans, gossiped about other mothers, and would make snide comments about piercings and tattoos (both of which I have).

It took me years to find women who I could be comfortable around and actually spend time with without wanting to jump out the nearest window. Now, I have a very small group of wonderful friends. But unfortunately, at this point in our lives, it is simply time that holds us back. After my invite to dinner, I immediately asked two girlfriends to join me. One works Wednesday evenings and one just can't get here in time once her husband gets home from work.

I will persevere. I might just have to pick up a random drunk chick at a bar and promise her a ride home, only to take a 'wrong turn', bring her to my house and force her to eat spaghetti with me... and LIKE it!

So, tonight, it will just be me and my 3 mini-girlfriends (AKA my daughters) and my hubby for spaghetti and garlic bread, which I bought special just for the occassion. I will raise my glass and send you all good cheer.

Hello to all the new kids!

2009-04-23T09:42:00.001-07:00

Do you know what is amazing? That a 99cent bag of semolina and a 2dollar jar of crushed tomatoes and spices can bring a group of people together.

Well, and maybe a couple fresh braids of mozzarella and about ten bottles of wine and a whole bunch of websites where everyone talks about themselves so that others may get to know them before they even get to see them really helps the whole process along.

Wednesdays just got bigger, and bigger is always better.

Check the sidebar to the right to see the new spaghettiers.

I look forward to seeing everyone of you around my table again sometime soon.

And I love getting emails on Thursday mornings about all of the spaghetti dinners that are happening around the world. You guys rock. It's nice to sit down to dinner on Wednesday night and know that people who are near to my heart but far from my kitchen are doing the same thing we are doing at my house. It warms my cockles.

I love when my cockles are warm.

sunday brunch

2009-04-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

ladies, would any of you be willing or able to do a Sunday Champagne brunch? I'm dying to serve these.
I think when this thing finally gets off the ground, Board meetings will be Sunday mornings and instead of doing annual Board appeals there will just be donations made then. That way you will feel like you are actually getting something for your money and it is spread out over 10 installments throughout the year. Plus I know none of you are in church, tithing your hard earned dollars away.

Scrumptious Saturday!

2009-04-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

As some of you already know, I have decided to start a dinner group similar to Wednesday Spaghetti here in Baltimore. The first-ever Scrumptious Saturday was last night--you can read all about it on my blog, In So Many Words.

The Wednesday Spaghetti ladies are always welcome for Scrumptious Saturday! If any of you are ever in the Baltimore-area on a Saturday, stop in for a great meal and good company--you have an open invitation.

The Ladies' Lending Library

2009-03-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's my list of Paperbacks: Free to a Good Home. If you want one, email me with where to send it and I'll drop it and a kiss into the mail to ya!

~~True at First Light, Ernest Hemingway~~
~~Silas Marner, George Eliot~~
~~The Wedding, Nicholas Sparks~~
The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks
~~Our Lady of the Lost and Found, Diane Schoemperlen~~
~~Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier~~
Ship of Magic, Robin Hobb (not sure why, but this one has no front cover.)
Mad Ship, Robin Hobb
Owls Well That Ends Well, Donna Andrews
Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter, Blaize Clement
A Good Year, Peter Mayle
Girl in Hyacinth Blue, Susan Vreeland
Cat Among the Pigeons, Agatha Christie (same story, different cover)
Murder of a Botoxed Blonde, Denise Swanson
The Rescue, Nicholas Sparks
~~A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain (same story, different cover)~~
Miss Garnet's Angel, Salley Vickers
The Ladies' Lending Library, Janice Kulyk Keefer

finding a place in this world

2009-03-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

So I took a test to see how I fit into all the religious bunk out there, and this is where I ended up. Of course I don't believe in the utmost authority of internet quizzes, but if I were to be a religiouschick, I would definitely go the UU route. Funny.

1.	Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2.	Neo-Pagan (89%)
3.	Liberal Quakers (83%)
4.	New Age (80%)
5.	Mahayana Buddhism (74%)
6.	Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (71%)
7.	Theravada Buddhism (70%)
8.	New Thought (69%)
9.	Secular Humanism (66%)
10.	Reform Judaism (59%)
11.	Scientology (57%)
12.	Taoism (55%)
13.	Hinduism (54%)
14.	Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (48%)
15.	Sikhism (48%)
16.	Jainism (42%)
17.	Nontheist (40%)
18.	Orthodox Quaker (39%)
19.	Baha'i Faith (33%)
20.	Orthodox Judaism (25%)
21.	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (25%)
22.	Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (18%)
23.	Seventh Day Adventist (18%)
24.	Eastern Orthodox (16%)
25.	Islam (16%)
26.	Roman Catholic (16%)
27.	Jehovah's Witness (10%)

read

2009-03-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to come up with a few ideas for the non-profit WedSpag, and I'd like to tie them in with our fun WedSpag too. One of the things that is important to me is literacy, especially encouraging reading among children and families.

My uncle suggested a book called Strega Nona, and I plan to see if we can get some sort of deal with the publishers and put it in with the food and other literature that I hope to distribute to families. (Even though I've worked in social services long enough to know that anything suggesting witchcraft or magic sometimes doesn't float so well with the families we serve. You can't win at anything, so to that I say "suck it")

Anyway, would you ladies be interested in maybe starting a WedSpag bookclub? It doesn't have to be the kind where we all sit down and talk about Chapters 1-7 in a book. It can be as simple as a book exchange or something. Everyone can bring a bag of books and we can swap and share. I am pretty generous with books, and rarely keep them after I'm done reading them but I know I still have a ton of them in the basement.

Just a thought...

$7 on the 7th!

2009-03-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

I am sure most of you know about Matt & Maddie Logelin and his foundation. Just wanted to encourage everybody to participate in $7 on the 7th. Donate $7 on the 7th of every month and make a difference. Please post on your blogs and websites and social networking sites and encourage others to do the same. Thanks!!!

Heads Up Fat Girls!

2009-03-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hey, hey friends! I am making the trip up from the deep south in the middle of March. I wanted to let any of the old pub crew know that it would be fun to reunite again. I am planning to be at Lora's for March 25th Wednesday Spagetti! Tavia maybe we could car pool?
And, I can't wait to meet all of the regular Wednesday spagetti goers!

PS-- Lora, I am assuming that all of your the readers know that Fat Girls is a state of mind and not a state of body, right?

Awesome

2009-02-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you Lora for having one awesome kid.

This pic was taken by Jake last WedSpag. It was followed by some quality chair and Diego time.

2009-02-25T13:43:00.001-08:00

I will be trying a new way to get to Lora's tonight! 76 to Passyunk. Now I always think of Martha when I see that word- anyway hopefully be there before 6 this time!

Thursday Cleanup

2009-02-24T04:41:00.000-08:00

we are a classy, classy bunch of ladies

Pity Post

2009-02-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

Now, when I say "pity post" I don't mean that no one besides Lora has posted since January. I mean pity me and pity me now please, pretty please, whimper and whine, whimper and whine.
I am sitting here at 36 weeks + 1 day pregnant and I am miserable. Up until last week everything was peachy. All of a sudden the child has decided to grow like a weed. My slight pregnant belly that I was secretly proud of has ballooned into a WHOA BABY you are pregnant. Those of you that read my personal blog (blog.wineplease.org) know that not but a few weeks ago I was complaining about not looking pregnant. Well those days are freaking O-V-E-R!

The kid weighs nearly 7 pounds according to the ultrasound and as a result my sciatic nerve is very unhappy. In the morning I am alright, but then after lunch my back is killing me and I can barely walk. That is a joy to add to my absolute phobia of waddling like a big, fat, pregnant lady. Does it help that I was overweight to begin with? Not at all. My belly pokes at farther than my boobs.

If that wasn't enough here is the real pity part. All I wanted in this world today was to come home from work and take a nice almost too warm bath. The water feels great on my back and the water relieves the stress on my back. Could I get the water warm at all. Hell no. So I had to drag myself up and take a lukewarm shower just to finish the bathing portion and get out.
The saving grace of this day is that I had a nice baby shower at work, and my lovely husband is bringing dinner home.
Amen.

A little help from my friends...

2009-02-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

Not to sound like an idiot or anything...but how do you post the new logo into your template? I am just not that HTML savvy. It is probably a cinch, but I am terrified I will screw it up and lose my blog into the Internet super universe. Help!

hello?

2009-02-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

over a month gone by and no one posted.

And I got snitty at Dave the other day when he said that I was failing miserably at keeping this thing going because I cancelled a few times in a row.

Screw that. The weather sucked. People died. I was tired.

The non-profit is still in the works, somewhere. I have to pick a font and a logo and I want Dave to do a little legal checking over before I get in over my head.

Also, Crab Chili this week! Just wait ladies. Canned crustation has never wowed you like it will wow you Wednesday. For those who participate the world over, this is so easy to make and delicious. You really can't screw it up. Dunkin Donuts has some decent cornbread muffins that I like to crumble in there. But this week the lovely Samantha will be making some Trader Joe's cornbread that I picked up the other day. This is how the world works. I want something so I buy it raw and push it off on someone else to do the dirty work.

Finally, I am adding new links over there on the right. Diane and Samantha have both given into the siren call of blogging.

Best. Spag. Ever.

2009-01-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

Spag (or veggie lasagna) is best when served without children. It's a bitchy thing to say but you know you were thinking it. Lora made a fantastic lasagna for dinner and for dessert we had hot chocolate spiked with peppermint schnapps. Lily is still banned from spaghetti, Jake was on a date with his aunt and the rest of the ladies are always child free. It was magical.

bad, fat friend

2009-01-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

I'll bring the schnapps and the skim, let me know what kind of cocoa you like and I'll bring that too. I haven't been pulling my weight around here, regifted bad wine and already opened cookies are an outrage! What kind of friend/guest am I why do I continue to get an invite?

I enjoy the portion of the evening when we complain about being fat. It is entertaining to listen to not really fat, fat girls talk about the ridiculous amount of food we consume. Honestly, I should be way fatter than I am. I ate 1 heaping bowl of spag (as opposed to my usual 2 or 3 but I had a late lunch) covered in cheese, a half block of cheese coated in oil, a half loaf of bread dipped in a cup of oil, a half jar of nutella and not a shred of lettuce in sight. I would have had a half bottle of bad wine to wash it all down if it weren't for those pesky brats always killing my buzz. I am constantly bitching about not being able to eat like I used to. Seriously???

gratitude

2009-01-08T10:41:00.001-08:00

Okay. I really appreciate those of you who are bringing wine to the WedSpags. It is SO much better than salad.

Remember when I had that big movement to have a seasonal drink that we could all share? I've failed miserably! I think that our winter drink was supposed to be peppermint schnapps in hot chocolate. Who wants to bring the schnapps next week? I'll make us some real cocoa on the stovetop and we will use skim milk and skip the big bowl of marinated cheese (read:all it is is mozzarella coated in olive oil. who thought of that?!?! so bad!). Because, even though I think all of us ladies are fabulously gorgeous and ballerina thin, I want it to be a long, long time before we all sit around my table and complain about how fat we are.

2008-12-29T07:12:00.000-08:00

I've been lifting the logos at the top of this blog off our Evites. Now that we are going to be world famous, I think it's time to come up with something a little more original.
I want it to be simple, and cute, but professionalish. I am going to start doing some web design stuff in the next couple months and would like to have a logo by May at the latest. I am thinking about maybe doing something scrolled and remniscent of a fancy restaurant menu. But I don't want it to be too over the top. If we go with a fancy text, I would like there to be something we can pull out of it to make a tiny logo, even if it is just a scripted WS.

Any ideas?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Is there anyone out there who might be interested in being the official graphic designer? The pay will most likely suck, but you will be able to put it on your resume and I'll cook you a kick-ass non-spaghetti meal with drinks included for every job you do. I'm going to be working with Dave to get this incorporated, and I plan to get it as close to being as official as humanly possible by mid-March.

The Bylaws are done, or close to it. The Articles of Incorporation are in the works.

step one

2008-12-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

www.wednesdayspaghetti.org

It's a start!

Do-gooding

2008-12-17T08:26:00.001-08:00

When I started Wednesday Spaghetti, I wanted it to be huge. Just want to let you guys know that I had a talk with Dave last night at the bar about gaining non-profit status. He knows how to do it in Jersey, so hopefully Pennsylvania isn't that much different.

You ladies, you original WedSpaggers, were chosen because you are mothers, step-mothers, teachers, social workers, care givers, community organizers, and generally good people. You aren't here by mistake, my friends. I'm totally using you for your virtues. Sorry. But it's not my fault you are such wonderful people.

My vision is to work with local community centers and social service agencies to promote women and families coming together over dinner. It rarely happens but it does a world of good when it does. Ideally, packages or baskets of noodles, sauce, and cheese would be handed out along with some literature about engaging families and friends at mealtime. We'll see.

I figure it is a good concept, and the whole basket of dinner wouldn't cost more than $10 to put together. Even less if we can get the cooperation of local grocers and I know a few people who do brochure printing. I've given $10 a million times over (well... maybe not a million) to people to put towards the charity of his or her choice. Lord knows I've pissed away $10 a thousand times over on booze and coffee and junk food and I can only imagine what else. I'm sure you have too and you'll do it again.

Right?

Right?

Is this thing on?

Now, just because I said this doesn't mean I'm rushing into it. So don't push me. I hope to be a non-profit by the end of 2009 and go from there. I'll keep you posted on my progress here.

Who's in?

biters

2008-12-11T06:43:00.000-08:00

Oh my god. I think I'm going to throw up. Look what I found when I was googling us.

I thought we were the only ones.

I thought we were special.

I wanted to get that dammed url.

please help me understand

2008-12-09T12:33:00.000-08:00

I am writing this here because I don't have my own blog and I think you are all intelligent women with lots of life experience. My husband is really smart, he has his MBA, he has run his own department at a major corporation and has kind of a fancy job. Why is it that when he puts my laundry away, he puts everything in a single drawer, socks, underwear, shirts, pajamas and exercise gear? He is welcome to leave it in the basket where it has been sitting for the past week which is what makes his motivation more confusing. Why is it that when he has to take a child somewhere without me, he must call me 5-8 times to confirm the where, when, why, how, even if directions are printed clearly on a piece of bright yellow paper? It wasn't always this way, he was once very competent on the home front. I love this man but this stuff amazes me.

On another note, the blog I posted here last week, I also emailed to all of my friends. A bunch of them donated a toy that their child/children never opened and would never notice it's absence. We were able to give 6 gifts to each child in a family of 5! Those who didn't donate toys, donated money and we were able to donate to another family living in a domestic violence shelter. It makes me really happy that we were able to do this but it is a bit shocking to see that our kids have such an overabundance of crap that their leftovers made another family's holiday. Social working forces me to see how lucky my family is, daily. I thought I'd share this with you in case you were feeling bad about the fact that the stores are all sold out of that thing your kid so desperately "needs". And I will now stop feeling bad about my stupid husband.

Do-gooding

2008-12-03T07:01:00.000-08:00

If any of you are coming for spag tonight and read this before and have a few bucks to spare and haven't already donated your time, energy, money are looking to get into heaven (or wherever you want to go), I am looking for donations for a family I work with. I am a social worker at a school and we get tons of donations for holiday gifts and one of the families started school here after all of the holiday programs dried up. There are 5 children, boys 12, 9, 4 and 3 and a 2 year old girl. If you are rotten like Lora and have new gifts that you never let your kid have, bring them. If not, $5 will do.

P.S. Just kidding about Lora, I think it is nicer to give to kids in need than to give to our spoiled rotten brats.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T05:58:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the holiday, a little Charlie Brown. Enjoy! These shows always make me warm and fuzzy...I can't wait for Sam to be old enough to share my excitement and popcorn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnohHTLMs3Q

BTW, I am not savvy enough on blogger to figure out how to post this as a nice little screen that you click play on. And, with a one year old, I have no time to try and figure it out.

FYI

2008-11-25T06:57:00.000-08:00

1. For the record, I totally endorse quitting life and moving to foreign countries. I merely suggested that there may be some road blocks along the way (AKA baby daddies). Whenever you are ready Lora, call me.

2. While I love my sapphire engagement ring, I do not recommend one. It is smashed to pieces because I don't know how to act. I bartended the first 5 years I owned this lovely piece of jewelry and now that I am on the other side of the bar, I frequently challenge my fellow slobs to arm wrestling matches. I am pretty sure those of you frequenting this blog are not very delicate, scrappy girls should stick with diamonds.

3. I am outraged by the fact that Lora has 7-8 days off days off from Jake. I really don't know how to make this happen in my life. What makes matters worse is that I am booked solid for this entire week so I can't even get a piece of the action.

Cats (update)

2008-11-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

Well, after much debate and opinions sought, I decided to adopt this sweet, little kitty.

Her name is Ethel (we'll change that). She is about 9 weeks old. She's not officially mine yet, but I am approved for adoption.

Thanks to everyone who gave input!

2008-11-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

Diane, Samantha, and I had a baby free WedSpag last night, and let me tell you- it was delicious. The baby free part. The Trader Joe's gnocchi were good, but not as good as the 99cent Anna ones you can find in your grocer's freezer. Diane came through with the TJ's meatless meatballs and we each had a couple cans of Miller Lite (in beer cozies because it was just too damn cold in my house to touch the can with your bare hands) and ate on the couch instead of at the table (on account of not having to set an example for anyone) and talked about important things like which Aveda shampoo is best and why Americans traditionally chose diamonds in their engagement rings even though sapphires and emeralds are ten times more beautiful (so they don't crack and chip because we are damned brutes who can't take care of our stuff) and why it probably isn't a good idea to drop out of life and run away to foreign countries.

You know, important things.

Cats

2008-11-12T08:15:00.001-08:00

Fellow Wed-Spag Ladies, I need advice.

I am considering getting a second cat. I know many of you are "cat people," so I was hoping you could help me make a decision.

My current cat--also known as princess--is very sweet and loves to play, but I'm not sure how she'd feel about another critter in the house. Sometimes she seems lonely (like when I'm ignoring her to do dishes or something), and I think: "she needs a friend."

I love cats. More is always better. Well, maybe not MORE litter boxes and vet bills.

What to do? What to do?

vote

2008-11-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

I propose to make it official. The third Wednesday of every month is Miercoles Chili night.

All in favor?

PubSpag

2008-11-05T05:47:00.001-08:00

Last Wednesday all us girls got together for the first time since forever. As in, it is probably the first time Luisa, Heather, Nicole, Tavia, Annie, MIkey, and I have been in a room together. We all worked at the same bar around the same time but Luisa jumped ship to Ireland soon after I started, Annie jumped ship to Devon, Heather moved to San Diego, Nicole had Kennedy, Mikey and I got a big girl jobs, Tavia got suburban, and we all grew up somewheres along the way. And managed to spit out eight babies between the lot of us. Who would've guessed that the original fatgirls could grow up to be fatladies?

I love you girls. We didn't know each other as children but we shared that weird transition period between college and adulthood, and I consider you my sisters.

Whose idea was it to try to put these kids on the steps and get their picture? I didn't get any of Keira. Putting a six week old on the third step didn't seem safe, but she is awfully adorable.

Next time we'll get Lynn and Christa and Kat in the mix and we'll leave the babies with the daddies.
Trouble and mayhem will ensue

I was unner dare

2008-10-02T06:37:00.001-07:00

In my own house. I was unner 8000 blocks, 600 pieces of crayon, 58 pictures of trains and a fountain of chocolate milk courtesy of JT while I sorted the "trash" and "keep" piles of half eaten books and ripped pictures which he thought was the funniest thing in the world.

I pretended the 3 Tyson chicken nuggets and plate of pineapple was some sort of noodley pasta concoction but it didn't come close. Neither did my desire to cook anything else so I ate JT's supper.

u unner dare?

2008-10-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

If you weren't there last night, you missed out. We ate a lot of noodles and bread and cheese and oil and Trader Joe's meatless balls and built a fort using a blanket and my kitchen table and we all hung out under there for a good while.

It's really hard to climb out of that kind of fort when you are a grown-up. I still haven't fully recovered.

I shoulda brought the camera in. Maybe next time, but I just don't think it will be the same.

housekeeping

2008-10-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Today is Lauren M's birthday, so be sure to gush all about it all day long! Nothing is as sacred as the day you were born, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Also, holy crap! Can you believe that the holidays are practically tomorrow? Dave and I were at Lowe's over the weekend and the Christmas trees were on display. Luckily I didn't see anything that I liked better than the one I bought at Target, and the one I wanted from Lowe's last year but they were out of wasn't there again this year. Maybe it was a fire hazard or something and the universe has once again saved me from going down in a firey inferno.

Anyway, the holidays are coming and I would like to do something fun with you guys. I'm closing WedSpag to the public on October 29th because my fat girls from the Pub will be in town and we are "habbing private pardy" that day.

On November 5th, please bring all your leftover Halloween candy and we can play trick-or-treats hide-and-seek with the kiddies. We will sit and they will scamper around looking for hidden treats. Like an Easter Egg Hunt but different. If the costumes are still intact, maybe we can let them dress up one last time. Thoughts?

For the week of November 26th I'm closing the doors on the outliers again, this time my friends I met on the internet are coming over and we are going to talk about how normal it is to feel so alone and scared when you are pregnant that you stalk people online and make them be your best friends.

We will resume some sort of normalcy on December 3rd, for a couple weeks at least. I'm assuming no one will be interested in coming over on Christmas Eve, but if you find yourself with nothing to do, I'm quite sure I will have a houseful of revelers. I usually do.

Oh! Angela accidentally won the honor of naming the official winter drink of WedSpag! Hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps. Delish. We will be serving ours beginning December 1st. If you are good, I'll make you REAL hot chocolate. You'll at least get brandnamed packets of the stuff if nothing else. Because I'm the boss, I'm naming hot cider and whiskey as the official drink of autumn. It's getting a little too brisk for our gin&lemonade with a cuke garnish.

Hope to see you at the table tonight. If not, let me know what kind of pasta you made at your house.

2008-09-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

I eat WedSpag leftovers for breakfast on Friday morning. Don't judge. Cold spaghetti is amazing, and once we eat it for dinner on Wednesday and Jake gets it for lunch on Thursday and Friday, there is a perfect amount left for me to enjoy with my coffee on Friday at 8am.

But, ohgod the heartburn.

I can't quit coffee and I don't want to quit spaghetti.

Getting old is the pits.

My meager offering

2008-09-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

serious problem

2008-09-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

I need to find a good clothing store. Any suggestions? I'm having a hard time finding pants that fit. Poor me, right? Like I'm the only one with this problem.

Pants for girls tend to be cut for girls with relatively narrow hips and those weird thighs that stick out on the sides. I don't have those. You don't have those. Who has those? Oh, wait. Most of the girls at my office.

Whatever. What about MY needs? Where do you buy your pants?

I used to be able to go to the Gap or Old Navy, but now everything at ON has ultra low waistbands and I have an ultra high muffin top when I wear them. The Gap only caters to wide hour glass people or thin string bean people. I can't win for losing there.

I like (love) Lucky, but a girl can only have so many pairs of $125 pants until her electric bill stops getting paid. Any time I buy something from there I don't buy lunch for a month, and I like lunch too much to give it up. Express is too slutty. The Limited is too much for people in their 40's. I'm too old for H&M, and I can't stand to buy one more pair of chintzy cheap pants from Mandees, Fashion Bug, etc. because I end up with 3 pairs of $30 pants that fall apart or stretch sideways or something in a month's time and then I'm $90 in the hole where I should have just bought one pair of $90 pants that last for 3 years.

Oh, I'm not above wearing the same pair of pants every day for two weeks. Or more. My kid is constantly pissing himself so it's not like I'm not doing tons of laundry four times a week.

That's enough for now, I'll complain about shirts another time.

Lying to children

2008-09-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

Working for the world's largest-museum complex makes for great people watching. At lunchtime, I often sit outside on a wrought iron bench in the Castle's perfectly manicured gardens, just watching hordes of tourists go by and making observations.

Today a man, woman and two children walked by holding hands. The little girl looked trustingly at the man--I'll call him her father, for the sake of argument--and asked, "When did they come up with the idea to make the Smithsonian." Without blinking an eye, her father responded, "1874."

Close, but no cigar. The correct answer is 1846.

Parent's lying to children is not uncommon around here. In fact, The Washington Post wrote an article, "Father Knows Best?", earlier this year about parent's making up information in response to their kids' questions about objects on display at the Air and Space Museum.

I wonder how many lies my own parents told me. I never believed in the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus, but that's probably because I'm Jewish. I do however recall being told things like, "Quit making that face or it will get stuck that way" and "don't swallow your gum or it will stick to your insides."

What lies do you remember being told? Do you lie to your kids? Do you plan to lie when the "where do babies come from" question pops up?

lemginumber

2008-09-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

Ladies, WedSpag has an official spokesdrink.

Thanks to my and Samantha's love of gin (because we think it is 1923) and Amy Jo's suggestion that the incredible organic lemonade from Whole Foods (or the cheap crap from the Chinese store on my corner) tastes even more incredibler with gin, and Sara's urban garden that produces cucumbers we found it.

Now it needs a name.

What do you call a lemonade with a healthy dose of gin and a garnish of cuke? I'm sure that it already has a name. Something so delicious has to already been invented but we can call it what we want. Anyone feeling creative this morning?

Oh, and by the way, no. No it doesn't taste so good with spaghetti, but it sure does taste good before spaghetti. I'll never drink another gin and tonic as long as we both shall live.

8.27

2008-08-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

We had a baby free WedSpag last night! I'm not sure where Sam and Amy were (most likely guarding their crops) but Diane and Lily had to take their poor dog Jessie to the vet ER because Jessie was sick. She was diagnosed with Lyme's Disease. All the more reminder to check yerself before you wreck yerself. Parasites scare me.
Jake decided he couldn't stay in our house without his dad so he went our for some man time.
Lauren got in a car wreck but is doing pretty well save for a few bumps and bruises.
Melanie had to go to a dinner at the restaurant she used to work at, so she and Jules were MIA too. Leigh Anne was at the park, I think, enjoying the second-to-last free concert in Rittenhouse before the season ends and I have no idea where the hell Hope was. Probably slaving for the devil, as she always is. Rich people blow.

So, it was just me, Samantha, and Kate and we got to talk about boys and sex and periods and stuff. Good times.

Speaking of periods, I am on my first pack of Yaz. You know, the birth control pill for the mentally unstable? We'll see how I do this month. What do you use to stop babies from growing all up in your guts?

Help to Maintain My Sanity

2008-08-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

I have some road rage. And some idiot rage. And a scosh of irritation rage. Basically if you are driving like a fool, inconsiderate of other people on the road, act like an idiot on a regular basis (and not just randomly because we all do that), or you are a flat our irritating person (i.e., my brother's wife, the woman at work whose laugh sounds like she just swallowed broken glass, or the girl at work who can't seem to form a complete sentence) you tend to frustrate/irritate me a bit.

Now, I try and let this not get to me. Noting that they are not doing it to me, but are just being themselves and it is me that is allowing them to have control over me by allowing it to irritate me. So, obviously I was listening in my psychology/sociology classes.

But here is the rub. I am pregnant. At least as far as I know. We have a Dr. appt. on September 4th. Hope to hear the heartbeat so I can put my mind at ease. As a pregnant woman, apparently my hormones are doing double duty.

For those of you that have a sweeter disposition than I....any suggestions for how to calm the F* down? I am open to anything. I haven't ever been much of a Yoga person, but will give it a shot if someone swears by it. Any ideas ladies?

Hope your spaghetti was exceptionally yummy last night!
Thanks in advance, and the Austin area thanks you too. And possibly my husband too.

Help! I'm a frizzy mess.

2008-08-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'd like to ask you lovely ladies for some hair care advice.

When I came home from the salon last week, my hair was smooth and shiny. My newly cut layers fell around my face in a sultry, Victoria's Secret Angels kind of way. I tried to preserve this look as long as posisble, but eventually I had to wash my hair. (I won't tell you how many days I waited.)

Thanks to my serious lack of styling skills, my beautiful haircut is now a dull, flat, frizzy mess. Ok, it's not that bad. But I definitley need help.

I suck at blowing my hair out and need any tips you can offer. I think I need a new brush. I use the cheapest mousse I can find for blowdrying and Pantene heat protectant for flat ironing. I am considering buying curlers, but I don't know how to use them.

Please help!

2008-08-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

Lora,

I'm sure I speak for the entire Wednesday Spaghetti crew when I say thank you for creating this blog. You are always so thoughtful!

Charm City

2008-08-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend I discovered a fabulous little Italian deli in my neighborhood, and thanks to Di Pascale’s plump meatballs and garlicky gravy, I am finally ready to accept “Charm City” as my home.

When I first made the “big move” two years ago, I drove back to Philly almost every weekend. But, as gas prices started going up, my trips became less and less frequent.

At first, I desperately missed Philadelphia. I missed the way Philadelphia’s pedestrians politely ignore one another when passing on the street. I paid a couple of hefty traffic tickets for turning left on red and nearly caused accidents doing the “south Philly slide” through stop signs in Baltimore. Store clerks glared at me when I refused to engage in small talk. I cringed each time I heard a Baltimorean say “Bawdmore” or “Warsh.” I longed for hoagies with “gabagool” and “prociutt’” on fresh baked bread from Dinardo’s and hand-made “muzzarel” braids from Mancuso’s. Ahhh....

While I still have a special place in my heart for Philly, I think I am finally beginning to “adjust” to my new life in Bmore. I have learned to give a “nod” when I walk past someone on the street and to comment on the weather while the convenient store clerk rings up my purchase. I’ve really begun to appreciate Baltimore’s “small town, regular person” feel, and I love how unpretentious Baltimore’s nightlife scene is. (Even our martini bars aren’t snooty :) And, now that I’ve found Di Pascale’s Italian deli, I feel complete again. Funny how something so simple can make a person feel at home.

Meatballs and Cat Pee

2008-08-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

How about that for a blog post title? Since I live in Texas, and am unable to participate in Spaghetti Wednesdays the least I can do is post an obscure blog about nonsense and such.
Last things first. My 16 year old cat has decided that she is anti litter box and has started to relieve herself on the rug underneath our kitchen table. So much so that I am taking it to be professionally cleaned immediately tomorrow in hopes of saving it. But how to make her stop? No idea.

In nicer thoughts.....I have a recipe for meatballs that is to die for. So, here is the recipe for the sinful meatballs, if you ever choose to add them to your noodles and sauce.
Pre-heat oven to 325.
mix 1 lb. lean ground beef with the following:
1 egg
1.5 packets of dry spaghetti sauce mix
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

mush together, forms balls, put on a flat apparatus and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Place in sauce and allow all to warm and mix together into a glorious package.

And if, while making this scrumptious addition to your Spaghetti Wednesdays, you can come up with a solution to our cat problem. It would be much appreciated.

Second Time Around...

2008-08-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Jake taught Sam the ins and outs of baseball. Sam seems to be destined for hockey, though. Jake kept asking me to pitch to him, but when it was Sam's turn he would put the ball on the ground and take a slap shot.

Does it make me an unfit mother that I was taking photos on the drive home? I didn't actually look into the shutter. I just held the camera up on the dash and clicked away. The sunset was crazy, and this photo doesn't do it justice.

See you next time!

Sam & Jake

2008-08-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

We have only attended Spaghetti Wednesday once, but we're planning on going again and again. But it's not just the good food and fun lady friends that have got me yearning to parallel park my uber-suburban station wagon somewheres in south Philly.

No, it's these two boys. Sam & Jake. Jake & Sam.

For almost three days after our first Spaghetti Wednesday adventure Sam would ask to go to 'new Jake's home' relentlessly. (He has a third cousin twice removed named Jake who has also made quite an impression on him. Therefore this Jake is 'new' Jake.) They are totally going to be bffs if their mamas have any say in it. I'm guessing we do, because until they are like, 17 or something we'll be the ones hauling their little asses around.

Only when he's 17 I'll make him do the parallel parking. It'll be good practice for his driver's exam.

hello!

2008-08-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

Because I feel the need to have a blog for everything, I thought maybe this would be one more way to keep in touch. Anyone can join, just so long as they are part of the Secret Spaghetti Society. Maybe this would be a good place to post questions and answers and tips and tricks about everything we talk about at WedSpag. Books, boys, booze, kids, neighbors, friends, food, pets, periods, parents, crappy girls who would never be invited to join, crappy housework that has to get done or else people will thing we are gross, and anything else that happens to come up.

Most WedSpaggers live pretty far away from the home office here in Philly, but they shouldn't be punished by missing out on the good stuff.