Women Workin' It

Excuse us, but why weren't we asked to pose for this?

Yes We Cake!

Amid the presidential election fervor, there arises the occasional effort that is just as adorable as it is inspiring. One such example is the new blog Yes We Cake which covers baked goods devoted to Obama. Delicious democracy!

Small Space Decorating

Now that it's been well over a year since I moved into my own apartment, my little abode is well settled and decorated and really only needs the occasional replacement of a dead plant. Ok, frequent replacement.

Therefore I am eager to help others decorate their new homes. Be warned, in the early 90's I convinced my mom to paint our living room mauve, so not all my ideas are spot on. For this reason, I'm turning to the experts at Apartment Therapy for ideas to decorate a lofty studio apartment. I found this article from earlier this year that shows off great use of color to separate spaces, and also color restraint to make small spaces appear big and airy.



If you have suggestions for small studios with high ceilings, let's hear 'em. I also liked this repurposing idea from Readymade. It will work well with his high ceilings.

Pining for Pumpkins

Just minutes into the first day of October and I'm already pining for pumpkins. When it comes to food, I think fall is truly the most romantic time of year. Sure summer has ripe veggies and berries, grilled things and cool drinks. But it's too damn hot to cook. Autumn invites butternut squash soups, a cup of hot apple cider in your mitts, baked apple crisps, and all the bounty of the harvest.

I hope to get out to a U-Pick farm this fall, because there's something satisfying about "harvesting" your own food, but at the very least I will waltz down to the local green market for some pumpkins and cider over the coming weeks. And when I do, I am armed with four delicious pumpkin recipes from Readymade.



Of course I can probably find versions of these pumpkin-y consumables ready-made for me at the market, leaving me more time for sipping cider and catching up on another fine thing that's returned for the fall season -- Gossip Girl.

A Good Wife Always Knows Her Place

A friend sent me this 1955 Good Housekeeping article about how to be a good wife to your hardworking hubby. I'll share with you some of my favorite tidbits:

"Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it."

"Let him talk first -- remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours."

"Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice."

"Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him."

"A good wife always knows her place."

"After providing your husband with a healthful meal, washing the dishes and putting your little treasures of children to bed, join your husband in the marital bed and open your vagina to him so you may perform your wifely duty."

Ok, I made up that last one, but it's pretty much implied anyway. Wow.

On a similar note, I've started reading a book called Finding Betty Crocker by Susan Marks. While I'm willing to bet Betty had a lot of advice similar to that above, she also had a lot of good, practical cooking advice for all those housewives (and out of work husbands). Granted it was all loosely veiled advertisements for Gold Medal Flour, but in the Depression Era at the dawn of radio, Betty Crocker was a revolution in brand marketing.

Also the idea of a radio cooking show maybe isn't really that weird.

Summer is for BBQs

I've been a slacker about posting on the blog all summer because I've been too busy doing what one is supposed to do in the summer -- abandon the kitchen for outdoor BBQs! Aside from taking one rainy Sunday to bake a strawberry rhubarb pie, I've been soaking up the sun at lots of friends' backyard and public park BBQs. Kudos to the Shameless Carnivore for grilling prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and delicious pickle brine-soaked pork chops last weekend, made from spicy McClure's pickle brine no less!

Summer also means outdoor concerts, and I've managed to see one almost every week between the Pool Parties, Celebrate Brooklyn, East River Music Project and River to River. But there is one event that will be combining my love of summer BBQ and summer outdoor music -- the New York Magazine "Highbrow BBQ" on August 23rd. It's part of their successful New York by New York live music series. Here's the info below -- buy your tickets now! You can even enter a Best BBQ food challenge.

What: Highbrow BBQ
Who: Former Top Chef contestant Chris "CJ" Jacobson and a full-set performance by Islands
When: Saturday, August 23rd, 1:00pm - 5:00pm. (Rain date August 24th, same time.)
Where: Solar One, East River waterfront at 23rd Street, Manhattan
How much: $25, buy your tickets at nymag.com/nyxny
Is that it? Nope, a 46 issue New York magazine subscription is included with each ticket purchase

This event is presented in collaboration with Glaceau. New York Cares is a charitable partner.

Admission is all ages but ID will be required for drinking.

Note [8/13]: Just added - DJs Never Forget and Tanlines. Preview the Tanlines jams here.

Wedding Version 2.0

Last weekend, after attending a childhood friend's wedding, I was lured by the promise of danishes and mimosas to a day-after brunch at the bride's parents' house. Turns out this was also a trick to get us to watch the newlyweds open their pile of wedding gifts. I've never really understood the appeal of sitting around watching someone open many gifts when you have no gifts of your own to open. I love Christmas morning gift opening, because everyone gets something, but bridal showers, baby showers, graduation parties... it's dull. Especially wedding gifts because we all saw the registry. There's rarely any surprises.

Even further beyond my understanding is why one would want to videotape the gift opening, as the father of the bride was on this occasion, and watch it again later. Of course, this particular video will have the running commentary of her dad's wonderfully awful puns. Guess which gifts were being opened while these one-liners were delivered: "They're barely married and you're already MUGGING them!" "Boy, I can really DISH it out!" "You seem really BOWLED over by that gift!" "I think this marriage has gone to POT!"

The good friend sitting next to me agreed that this is not an activity we'd ever want to relive by watching the video, which led to the plan that when I get married the gift opening will happen via webcam. That way anyone who really wants to watch can do so from home, and even fast-forward to their own gift being opened, while I remain in my pajamas amid a pile of Crate & Barrel boxes.

Even better, my friend added, "you can have the maid of honor Twitter all your gifts as you open them instead of taking notes!" It was then decided that my friend will get ordained online and preside over my eventual Web 2.0 wedding. Guests will be invited via Facebook and each sent home with a flashdrive keychain party favor.

You can add to my earlier post about this modern internet age two additional engagements I recently learned of thanks to Facebook. This is not including the wedding I'm heading to this weekend -- that's two weekends in a row! I get the feeling this couple are the type of people who already have everything, so I decided to get them a primarily edible gift. I filled a basket with local pickles, organic coffee, tea, dark chocolate covered peanuts, ginger chocolate, wine from the bride's home state and ceramic mugs from the city where the lovebirds met - NYC!