New Year's Eve

Alrighty, peeps. Maybe I'm aging and if so, I don't really care, but it's 9:40p, we had a great dinner, some nice champagne and wine, and now are off to watch a movie in PJs. I feel satisfied. Completely. And I will be in bed well before midnight, and that's great too.

We had toasted baguette with thyme pesto and preserved lemon crème fraîche, steak fajitas, roasted fennel and potatoes with radicchio, endive and bagna cauda (ridiculous sauce made of anchovies, capers, garlic, lemon, butter and olive oil), and in the fridge lies in wait a chocolate-caramel-hazelnut tart. Mamma mia. I'm stuffed! T is chugging water and we're just happy the boys are in bed.

Honest to god, they killed me today. During bath time I imposed monetary fines on them starting then for 1) purposefully dissolving their bath soap in their bath water ($2), 2) using the words butt, crack, fart, hole, tongue, lick and several others anymore (25 cents per transgression), 3) general rudeness, especially in the form of not listening and basic cleaning when asked (25 cents per transgression), and 4) NO dessert or gifts until I see wildly improved behavior.

"But Mom, at my old school, I LOVED the puppet theater, so I NEED one in my room."

A likely story I say. "And no puppet theater for you!"

I had such big and hopeful plans for Em-i-lis 2013 Year in Review as well as Predictions for 2014 pieces for you tonight, but the children beat me to a pulp, and this is all I can manage. Also, the dentist mentioned something about a pulpectomy or some such shit for Jack's unclean 7 year old mouth, but that kid needs to pony up with better behavior before we go on with pulp crap that costs a fortune.

So, in the meantime, I wish you all the happiest and healthiest and best-ever of years as 2014 reaches you. If you're a parent in any way to anyone, I wish you patience and godspeed. Also R&R whenever possible, even if you have to plead or pay for it.

Remember:

• if you chew gum, don't smack it with an open mouth;
• if you're wearing tight and/or white pants, please check your rearview via trusty mirror or human source before leaving your home;
• be kind because you don't know what others are dealing with;
• that said, stand up for yourself because usually, people can do more;
• write thank-you  notes, seriously!
• let things go if you can or if it's warranted (that includes to-dos, "friendships", piles of unread "I swear I'm getting to thems", etc;
• give, thank, love;
• be nice to Mother Earth;
• listen to and/or read an old, amazing speech, like the Gettysburg Address.

Happy New Year!

It is SO hot, article, misc

Wow, peeps. I like to be hot, but this 100+ weather is excessive, even my my standards. Dios! Have been in the kitchen all day in preparation for a bridal shower tomorrow. The menu is absolutely beautiful: Chardonnay-poached salmon; arugula salad with roasted peaches, mozzarella and pistachios; MB's potato salad; an array of breads; grapefruit tart; milk chocolate-caramel-hazelnut tart; watermelon-mint lassi. Aah! The salmon is poached and both desserts are made, the peaches are bundled together just ripening away, the watermelon is chopped and awaiting a trip through the blender tomorrow. Unfortunately it's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow, but it makes me all the more glad that this is such a light and lovely amalgam of dishes! ``````

I'm not sure if any of you follow Mark Bittman on twitter, but I do and found this article he tweeted recently to be interesting and sad. What a state we're in regarding food production, eating, obesity and health in this country. We are NOT healthy, we are NOT eating well, and it shows. Literally. Why change to our food policies -the Ag Bill and such- are so dreadfully slow/non-existent is beyond me. It is so short-sighted and irresponsible.

Along these lines, if you'd like to further encourage the FDA to ban unnecessary use of antibiotics in food-producing animals -a serious problem- you can sign this petition that's being circulated by the Center for Food Safety.

And, I've just signed on to a national movement in support of fair and humane treatment, pay and rights for the workers, many of whom are migrants, who enable Florida's enormous tomato industry: "From November to May, 90% of tomatoes sourced domestically and consumed in the United States are picked by farmworkers in and around Immokalee, Florida." The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a community-based organization of migrant workers, has partnered with the Fair Food Standards Council to implement the Fair Food Program. Tuesday, July 24 will be Slave-Free Tomato Day: before, on and after that Tuesday, consider purchasing your tomatoes from farmers markets and/or supermarkets and restaurants who've signed on to the Fair Food Program (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods). On the 24th, I and a number of other food bloggers will be dedicating a post to a recipe utilizing slave-free tomatoes and offering ways for you to take action and encourage responsible purchasing. Visit The Giving Table for more information or to sign on.