143 replies to this topic

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I am so transparent. Pierogi got it immediately! Yeppers, I'm going to be the blogger of the week, starting officially tomorrow.

Some things are the same from my first foodblog in 2006: Same kids, same dog, still haven't seen a Clinton around town. Some things have changed: Firstborn is away at school (with my car, boo hoo), Secondborn has a host of new critters in his room, and they all need feeding (sigh).

Of course, the kitchen is new. It doesn't look like this any more:

I love my new kitchen -- I am eventually going to start teaching in it, but until that starts in March, I am cooking for everyone who'll let me.

Which brings us to: Mr. Foodbabe is turning 50 this week, and as I lead you-all through my new appliances and kitchen, I'll be prepping for his party. Here's the invitation (well, it was on prettier paper):


And some things are going to change dramatically, soon. Jean-luc is getting a new brother in a couple of weeks, and we need to name him:

So, what would you like to see and know? Im going to try to accommodate special requests and not be too dull

Oh -- we're also going out to dinner on Mr. Foodbabe's actual birth-day, Thursday, at a much-lauded new place in White Plains.

[judiu]

You GO, girl! This is gonna be fun! Any names in mind for the new fur-baby? Do we get a vote? I go for "Blogger" myself...

[Megan Blocker]

Yay!!! I am so excited for this blog, Fabby! And the new baby is adorable...I have puppy envy.

What's the deal with the party? Sitdown? Buffet? Cocktails? Just wild times? Can't wait to find out.

[Shelby]

Awwwww your new furry baby is just the sweetest looking cutie!!!!

[tsquare]

He looks like a Bernard to me.

[Kerry Beal]

He looks like a Bernard to me.

He does, doesn't he? Or maybe a Harold!

[Shelby]

I think he looks like a Moe

[crouching tyler]

Oh, I had been wondering if you were ever going to show off that new kitchen of yours (I've been following along on your blog).

That pup looks like a Winston to me, by the way.

[Wein1965]

I really enjoyed your last blog, so am looking forward to this one as well.

I own a Basset, so of course I have a soft spot in my heart for them. Maybe Sebastian as a name for your new pup?

[racheld]

Oh, Fabby, what a treat!!! It's 7:10, I just put the last dish in the last dishwasher load from Chris' birthday brunch and sat down to THIS!!!

Thank you, thank you PTB. And you, too, FABBY, of course.

Edited by racheld, 27 January 2008 - 05:05 PM.

[CaliPoutine]

Can't wait to see your new kitchen and the puppy is so adorable. I have a soft spot for long doggies!!

I love the name Barney for a Bassett.

[MarketStEl]

Missed the teasers! Glad to see you're blogging, Fabby!

Congratulate your husband on his half century. I'll catch up with him this October 22.

Since your kitchen is all new, of course, we need photos, including the obligatories.

Where in Westchester are you located? Let's see some of your town's native charm. Given the Clinton reference, I'm guessing Chappaqua.

And should you serve Green Bean Casserole, I definitely want documentation!

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Awww, thank you all for the warm welcome! I curtsy to you and hope I can give a good show. I'm very glad to be here.

I'm really loving these names! The one I had picked out, Carl, can't be used because you need two syllables to call a dog (my husband is fixated on that). He still thinks that one day, a basset hound will come when he's called without a major bribe. I've got another week or so to decide.

Here's a little shot of the kitchen the night we had some friends for dinner:

Yeah, that's the birthday boy. He looks like he's about 30, and eats yucky stuff all the time. He finally got some gray hair a few years ago.

I've mentioned all the creatures in our house; Jean-Luc has already dined. The snake, land crab and skink eat on Mondays so I'll get some photos of that tomorrow (shudder). Fishies eat every night but are harder to photograph. They eat plankton, brine shrimp, and some nasty green flake stuff that my kid can talk about for 30 minutes. Here's a portion of our aquarium

See that clam on the left? It was a tiny thing when we got it in 2003. Now, we expect to see Esther Williams swimming out of it any day.

So, the party. I'm doing exactly what my husband wants, and he's being slightly cooperative. He refuses to wear a crown or a robe! Geez. OH well. We're having passed hors d'oeuvres, and two food stations. No foie gras, not even a pate or mousse, no lamb, and no Jello shots! (I may go ahead and do those anyway. I had suggested oyster shooters, but he nixed that as well.) As I make the hors d'oeuvres, I'll tell more about the menu. I'm starting tomorrow, with tartlet shells for the sea bass tartare.

Sandy, too funny! I had threatened to have only his "favorite" foods served at the party, like Cheeseburger Helper, pimento cheese on white bread, green beans, All Bran, creamed chipped beef on toast, boneless skinless chicken breasts, salad with Kraft Fat-Free Ranch Dressing, and salmon. He thought I was making fun of him. Moi? Nevah.

And yes, we live in Chappaqua, via Atlanta, North Jersey, Central Ohio, Central California, and Southern Ohio (for me) and for my husband, add North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina; and he was born in California while his Dad was in the Navy.

We moved into our house in late July, 2001. I have never in my life lived anywhere for six years, or even five. I love it here and with God as my witness, I will see a Clinton before the election!

Until tomorrow,

Fabby

[FabulousFoodBabe]

At the risk of making basset-talk the focus of this blog, I want to say: Sebastian! LOL! And Winston is just as good! Wein, what is yours named, and Cali, you love long dogs because you have a : _______?

I love dogs.

Barney, Bernard, Winston, Sebastian, Harold, and Moe. Hey, the breeder has another litter coming ...

Yeah. I'd be catapulted out of my neighborhood so fast we couldn't capture it for the blog. But one can dream!

[CaliPoutine]

At the risk of making basset-talk the focus of this blog, I want to say: Sebastian! LOL! And Winston is just as good! Wein, what is yours named, and Cali, you love long dogs because you have a : _______?

I have 2 dachsunds!! Oliver and Harley.

[Wein1965]

At the risk of making basset-talk the focus of this blog, I want to say:  Sebastian!  LOL!  And Winston is just as good!  Wein, what is yours named, and Cali, you love long dogs because you have a : _______?

We currently have a Baxter. We had a Daisy Mae and a Mickey, both of whom we lost in 2004. I also had a Lulubelle while growing up. I actually wanted to name our first male Elvis, but was vetoed by my husband, hence the Mickey name. And Baxter just didn't look like an Elvis.....so maybe we need to get another one, too.

[constanela]

If you liked Carl but need two syllables, why not Carlos?

[Kim Shook]

Wonderful!! Fabby blogging. I will absolutely savor this week!

I once knew two bassets named Morley and Edna Mae. I think that bassets deserve formal and almost stuffy names.

This is definitely a blog I will be checking every few minutes!

Kim

[Smithy]

I've always enjoyed your writing, and I look forward to this blog and seeing you work in your new, wonderful kitchen!

Where in California? Your husband musta been born on the coast somewhere, in light of his dad's being in the Navy at the time. Where? And where in Central California did you live?

Sorry, I have no bassett names, although it occurs to me that "kitty" has two syllables.

[Alex]

As a resident of Grand Rapids, MI, home of Wolverine World Wide (well, almost -- they're in Rockford, a suburb), maker of Hush Puppies, I offer a piece of trivia. The basset hound who appeared in all those famous Hush Puppies ads in the late 80s was named Jason, full name Jasonian of Westchester (!).

[Domestic Goddess]

FBB, I LOL'ed when I saw the title of your blog. I know this will be a fun ride. I agree with the others, you've got a cutie of a dog. I second the motion for Harvey or Jason as his name.

[Milagai]

Congratulations on all the milestones (kitchens, birthdays, puppies etc.). Looking forward to reading about you this week.

Request: you have many animals? Do you buy pet food for all of them, or do you make any? If you make pet food, could that find space in yr blog?

Thanks
M

[Marya]

Can't wait to see your BlueStar in action. I've had the 48" cooktop for a couple of years but would like to hear your take on the oven and broiler function. I occasionally regret not getting the range.

Since you have Jean-Luc, how about Hubert (as in Givenchy) to keep with the French theme?

[racheld]

Commander Riker---You have the Con!

Edited by racheld, 28 January 2008 - 02:32 AM.

[therese]

Congrats, Fabbie. Give our best to the Captain.

And as for the new arrival, I'm thinking something along the lines of Gerard. As in Depardieu.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I actually wanted to name our first male Elvis, but was vetoed by my husband, hence the Mickey name. And Baxter just didn't look like an Elvis.....so maybe we need to get another one, too. 

Bassets are like potato chips, don't you think?.

Where in California? Your husband musta been born on the coast somewhere, in light of his dad's being in the Navy at the time. Where? And where in Central California did you live

San Diego is his birthplace. We lived in Modesto -- when Mr. FB worked for the Gallo Winery. Good people, good place.

As a resident of Grand Rapids, MI, home of Wolverine World Wide (well, almost -- they're in Rockford, a suburb), maker of Hush Puppies, I offer a piece of trivia. The basset hound who appeared in all those famous Hush Puppies ads in the late 80s was named Jason, full name Jasonian of Westchester (!).

Is that Kismet or Karma or Fate? LOL -- (I still have purple suede Hush Puppies from when they were cool.)

Request: you have many animals? Do you buy pet food for all of them, or do you make any? If you make pet food, could that find space in yr blog?

Let's see: Johnny (kitty -- hey, two syllables is right! ) is battling Feline Obesity, so he's on diet cat food. Jean-Luc has a very sensitive stomach; we learned the hard way to keep him on the Eukanuba The skink, land crab, and fish are all on live food. I do need to make some dog biscuits this week for Jean-Luc's best friends in the neighborhood (two whippets and a greyhound, all in one family). If I find the time, I'll show that.


Marya, therese -- yeah, French! Gerard is very good. And thank you, therese, for not doing as I asked you a year or so ago: to smack me upside the head if I ever talk about getting a new puppy again.

racheld -- what the heck are you talking about?

Back to human food.

[racheld]

If you're serious about asking, Riker is Jean Luc's second-in-command.

Of course, there's always Data, but unless your pup has yellow eyes, that won't fly.

And Geordi, of course, of the COOL eye-gear.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Today, we all slept late (5:30). The backup alarm clock didn't go off -- apparently, by taking it to the golf course yesterday and letting it chase geese off lead for a couple of hours, it was too exhausted to do the usual 4:30 a.m. wake-up.

Since breakfast has always been the meal we have together, I like to do requests for the boys. My son wanted pancakes and bacon, with a hot chocolate (no espresso shot). We didn't have much time so I wasn't able to get a good photo of that. He can't have a car at school yet, so he drives in the morning; I ride along and really cherish that 20 minutes of alone-time where we either listen to his music, or he tells me his latest thoughts on politics, Scientology, and marine life.

When I got back to the house and the first cappuccino of the day, in my very cool Miele Coffee Center. It has a little panel that tells you what to do


First, the milk froth

And then you're prompted to move your cup under the espresso dispenser


With a slice of honey-wheat bread that I made yesterday, and some strawberry preserves, we have breakfast.


For the first time in a long time, no workmen are scheduled! Immediately after the renovation completed and the punchlist was done, we had the housepainters do the rest of the interior. (I guess this is what you do when you live in the same place for more than 24 months? ) They're finally done, and we finally have our garage back.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

If you're serious about asking, Riker is Jean Luc's second-in-command.

Of course, there's always Data, but unless your pup has yellow eyes, that won't fly.

And Geordi, of course, of the COOL eye-gear.

Oh! Like Jean-Luc Picard! Gotcha. Wow. This is making sense out of a lot of things people have said to us over the years we've had J-L. Gawd, I'm a dork.

[johnnyd]

Cheers to you & Mr. Foodbabe!
I as well turn 50 but two weeks from Thursday.
Apparently, I have been denied favorites like oysters and foie gras, to be replaced with All Bran and cheeseburger helper... maybe we should switch places??

Nice Sea urchin you got there. I suppose I could eat that...