Good news! I learned how to make pizza at home and it’s EASY! Well, not super easy, but certainly doable. I always thought that it would be a big mess and/or too hard to actually make delicious pizza in my own kitchen. I never understood how I could get my regular oven hot enough to cook a pizza effectively.
Here’s the answer to that question: Line a sheet pan with several unglazed tiles (about 1/2″ thick) place it on the bottom of your oven, then cook the pizza directly on top of them.
Seriously – haven’t we had enough negative vibes launched in every direction? I certainly have. We have so much more to focus on and to be happy about.
I love a good list with already curated interesting info – Don’t you? Someone else can do the legwork for me. Many bloggers do a weekly/weekend round up of interesting news from around the world. My friend Kim from Tour of No Regrets does a great job with that.
You can check out Kim’s latest “gathering good” ==> Here
The always busy, Grand Central Terminal at Christmas
This is a follow up post from my yummy Wednesday post about Momofuku Sssam. I though it would be helpful to type up this itinerary for my friends and family who are traveling to New York in December!
If I could plan the perfect afternoon in New York City, what would it look like? The city is so massive that I could create a new itinerary for each day of the week, without repeating one activity, restaurant or destination.
So I thought I would just start numbering these lists of itineraries 1- 5 to see what I can come up with. I like to walk, but I also like to walk with a purpose and not just aimlessly while continually asking; “What do you want to do now?” I would rather have a game plan, but it doesn’t have to be too rigid, just smart. There needs to be room for change, adjustments and most likely, tired feet.
Today, I am in a New York state of mind – Our son is leaving for NY on Thursday, my friend Leisa is joining her mom, sister and niece for a girls trip on the 4th, my friend Meg is leaving Friday and Craig and I are leaving on Dec 11th. New York is so fabulous this time of year that many special trips are planned for the Big Apple in December! While in New York City a trip to Momofuku Ssam will impress and delight you.
Oh Momofuku!
Even if you don’t know what it means, Momofuku is delicious in any language. The Momofuku restaurant group was created by David Chang in 2004 with its first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar. As a multiple James Beard award winner, Chef Chang and his team have gained world-wide recognition for their innovative take on cuisine, while supporting local, sustainable and responsible farmers and food purveyors.
Most foodies will tell you they have heard of Momofuku, although they may not “have had a chance to go”. But it will be on their list and Momofuku Ssam should be on yours too! Actually ALL of his restaurants should be on your list!
There is never a day when to be kind should be a chore. We need to take a breath, slow it down and be kind to everyone.
Gratitude comes in all shapes and sizes, through wishes grand and miniscule. To share a story, to listen to a friend, to writing a thank you note for a kind act or gift, being grateful does not have to be complicated.
This holiday season I feel lots of different emotions. I am sad and happy and grateful. I miss my Dad who passed away in January. I worry for the stormy, negative conversation that is happening here in our beloved country.
I am happy to see longtime friends, my extended family and cherish my time with my grown kids who will both travel here this month.
Maybe ultimately, it will take one person, one grateful day at a time to help mend this fence between people.
The holidays are around the corner and if you are like me, you want to find just the right gift for everyone on your list!
The inspiring story of Uncommon Goods ~
The folks at Uncommon Goods wrote to me to introduce themselves and I am super happy that they did!
” In 1999, our founder Dave Bolotsky visited a Smithsonian Museum craft show in Washington D.C. and was captivated by the variety of unique handmade goods and the talented people behind them. He saw there was a significant public demand for beautiful design.”
“We attempt to minimize our environmental impact, working with our artists to use sustainable or recycled materials whenever possible, choosing environmentally friendlier packing materials, and printing our catalog on Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] certified and recycled paper.”
Uncommon Goods focuses on the artists and their stories and supports the creative community. I am super impressed with the message they send and their great big heart. What I loved most about the site is the unique gift items that they have listed. Although it may sound repetitive, these gifts are not typical, they are creative and different, not “common” at all.
On a rare rainy Sunday in Los Angeles, Craig and I took an insider’s tour of Dodger Stadium. It was an exciting event organized by the UCLA Bruin Alumni and the timing was perfect. We were all licking our wounds from Saturday’s butt-kicking by USC.
It is never a happy day when my Bruins lose a football game to our cross town rivals, but the Trojans certainly and expectedly, outplayed our team. That’s enough of football, so let us switch over to America’s favorite sport, baseball.
Recently, I have written about the Dodgers and our meeting with our beloved Vin Scully, but today we were privileged to receive a fabulous behind the scenes tour of Dodger Stadium. The tour guides enthusiastically showed us all over the stadium, the dugout, the field, the bull pen, the Clubhouse (no photos please) the weight room, the media room, Vin Scully’s Press Box, a luxury suite and we finished by eating a Dodger Dog from the Top Deck. Simply amazing. Two hours of Dodger statistics, trophies and memorabilia was most certainly a little bit of heaven on earth for Craig and I.
Here is what we saw on our tour of Dodger Stadium ~
How to handle the empty nester holidays ~ Do we need to adjust?
Holiday Decorating ~
I can remember during the first two years of living in the empty nest, it was pretty rough for me during the holidays. Craig was traveling a lot and my 6’4’’ college son was no longer available to put up the Christmas tree lights with me. One of the highlights of the season for me was to put on the Christmas music and help Nick with the lights on our very tall tree. Ugh, I did have quite the pity party…
The hard truth is that now that the kids are grown and out of the nest, it just isn’t the same and it really sucks sometimes. But I did get through that first year and kept reminding myself that times were changing and I needed to make a new plan; An empty nester plan for the holidays.
Do we decorate? Even if the kids may only be there for a short visit?
Absofrickenlutely! – Over the last few years I have pared down the home decorating, but there is still a strong holiday presence. I don’t cover every surface with Christmas decorations, but I do put up our familiar favorites. There is no reason not to is there?
One year ago, almost to the day, we attended our first Outstanding in the Field community dinner. Outstanding in the Field is a mobile culinary feast that travels the US and the globe to bring together local farmers, culinary artisans and food lovers to share an outdoor, farm to table meal. At each location, at these “restaurants without walls”, Outstanding in the Field chooses a local chef to manage the meal preparation to spotlight the local farmers, fishermen, ranchers and vintners. This group effort promotes the love of great food and celebrates ingredients that are chemical free and lovingly prepared.
Last year, we sat on a farm in Hollywood, CA (yes it does exist) with 150 other engaging, happy foodies, drinking wine by the light of mason jar candles, while eating a farm to table meal fit for a queen.
Please welcome my friend of 20 years who is a fantastic husband, father and friend, Randy Moraitis. Randy is a counselor, life coach and interventionist in private practice in Laguna Niguel, CA. He founded CarePossible to provide free mental health and addiction care to low-income families and veterans. On the eve of Veteran’s Day, I felt it was the perfect time for him to share his personal adventure with all of you! Thank you Randy.
(L) Randy’s daughter Amber and her husband Keith (R) Randy and his wife Kim
How to find your passion as an Empty Nester ~
Recently, after raising a blended family of five, my wife Kim and I became empty nesters (unless you count our Morkie named Rambo).
One of the best parts of being an empty nester is having more time and freedom to pursue one’s passion. My passion is helping those affected by mental health and addiction issues—specifically low income and military families.
After over a dozen years leading large mental health counseling and addiction recovery programs in some great mega-churches, I became exasperated by the number of people who finally get to a place where they really want help for their issues, but because they lack resources they end up slipping through the cracks of society, sometimes overdosing or committing suicide, or at the very least never living a life of purpose or contributing to the community.
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