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Have to say though, having had a DD iced coffee at 7am today, it wasn't all that good. Odd tasting even. Not even being free would have made me want to finish it.

I actually don't remember much from my wedding day...such a blur. But my guests still rave about the food, so it must have been good. The wedding was at Overhills Mansion in Catonsville, MD, and catered by Whitehouse Caterers who own the building. Normally I'd shy away from that kind of set up, but I was really happy with them. The event coordinator they provided made the day go smoothly, and really took great care of us. But, the FOOD! We had a buffet and carving station, both because sit down dinners are crazy expensive and because we wanted more of a flowing party than a formal one. I remember the cocktail meatballs being really, really tasty (and while some people might find such things boring or tacky, I'm a fan of comfort food and these guys made a pedestrian food taste great.) There was a beef roast and ham at the carving station with rolls, there was a cheese platter and fruit...honestly, that's all I can remember. If I had been planning an event just to please myself, I'd have done things differently, but mine was the first wedding in my family and my husbands in years (like more than a decade) so it was more about facilitating everyone seeing each other than about the food. I think that chosing to not do a sit down chicken-or-beef? style dinner made the day for us, because it made our guests feel more in control of their environment, and they could just mingle. (and I was relieved that it was well recieved, because my family is mostly older, so some of them come with *expectations* of what a wedding should be.)

Now, if I had it to do over...I would go for a late summer wedding so we could have lots of fresh local produce. Piles of salads, cheeses, breads. Grilled veggies. I'd still do the meat carving station though. For my passed apps during the cocktail hour I'd do Caprese Salad skewers for sure, but I'd have to think on what else...maybe stuffed dates (goat cheese and almonds.) And I wouldn't have worn that awful, puffy, pearl beaded and sequined dress. (Wedding dress shopping as a fat chick was not fun. My only regret is not having ignored mom's advice and made it myself regardless of how much she thought doing so would stress me.)

At my best friend's wedding last summer they had it catered by a local Lebanese restaurant. It was so yummy, and really different for their relatives. Hummus and pita on each table, and then a served buffet table. Quite tasty.

Having *just* submitted my Master's thesis this weekend and having spent the entirety of last week being unable to keep almost anything down because of the associated stress, I totally feel your pain.

Try some chicken noodle soup, but not the canned stuff if you can help it b/c that's a bit too acidic for my tummy. I just boil up some broth (Swanson's Natural Goodness, but I know not everyone here will approve of that...) and toss in some carrots and star pasta or the tiny egg noodles. That and plain yogurt with Honey Nut Cheerios are pretty much the only things I could handle. Mashed potatoes with turkey gravy usually works for me, as do Eggo waffles, and buttered dinner rolls. Not much protein there, but any food is better than none.

A few survival techniques to consider:
- caffeine is more effective in small, spread out doses than in huge mugs downed all at once. Plus, coffee can be a little harsh on my tummy and on my ability to concentrate. When I'm on the long haul I make a big pot of tea and nurse it slowly.

- I know (really I do) how hard this seems to do, but spend 15 minutes doing something totally else every few hours. Resist the drive to cram nonstop. Walk away from the books and stare at a tree.

and a final word of encouragement (from a TA who grades lots of final exams) I hate giving bad grades, and look for any opportunity to give points. I want my students to do well, it means I'm a good teacher. Don't panic.

Hi everyone, AliceBlue here (Alice is me, Blue is my cat.) Sorry I'm a bit late to the game; I haven't been online much this week because I was busy defending my Master's Project (successfully, btw.) I was raised by a vegetarian 'eat-to-live' mom who didn't understand that children need to be fed, so I started cooking for myself pretty early. Now I spend all the time I don't spend in Public History planning menus, and cook for 12 of my closest friends every Sunday night. I knew this was the community for me when the discussion came up about looking at the contents of other people's grocery carts...I remember being about fourteen years old and being really proud that everything in my cart was 'real' food. My cooking passion is for making comfort food, and always make it a point to know what my friends need to eat when they're feeling low (and then, of course, making it for them...) I'm about to graduate with my MA; if anyone in the Baltimore area needs to hire a Historian gimme a shout (since a paycheck goes a long way to keeping the pantry full.)

"Don't be afraid to take a big step"

My most memorable fortune cookie fortune is still in my wallet, after four years...it said that I should not be afraid to take a big step. It came to me just after I had lost my job (the first day back after my honeymoon no less) and my husband of one week said "don't worry about it, just go back to school full time instead of part time, we'll make it work."

I did go back to school (it had been ten years since I dropped out,) finished the Bachelor's in 18 months, and am graduating this May with my Master's.

It was a big step, and that fortune couldn't have been more appropriate, because I *was* afraid to take it. But I sure am glad I did.

My wife and I went out Mother's Day evening with another childless midde-aged couple (we would never go out for brunch on such a day, unless we were getting tacos or Chinese food). We went to Goldberg's Deli at Factoria mall on the Eastside of Lake Washington from Seattle, since our friends had given us a gift card. I'd been reading David Sax Savethedeli.com blog and just jonesing for some good Jewish soul food.

Nice space, little delicatessen shop in the front. My wife got a brunch special: bagels, omelet, hashbrowns, and an enormous piece of very nice smoked whitefish. She was very happy. My friend Suzanne had the stuffed cabbage, which looked very nice and she enjoyed it. My friend Jerry had the beef brisket dinner, which was a generous portion but the only DRY Jewish-style brisket that I have ever seen. I went very traditional -- potato knish, pastrami on rye with coleslaw on the side, and a generous piece of noodle kugel to follow. The knish was nice (the accompaniment of gravy was unfamiliar) but I think that it may have been zapped rather than oven reheated. The pastrami sandwich was very good, not oversized, tasty but a little dry but the Gulden's helped that (just French's yellow mustard and Gulden's -- no regular deli mustard). Heck, I like Gulden's. The noodle kugel was great, although obviously not as good as my mothers and mine.

So, a mostly positive experience. We got rugalach and Joyva halvah for the counter on the way out.

As a former server/cook/bartender/manager of restaurants let me say there is some truth to the difference in service/menu/etc on MD, VD, NYE, etc...we don't call it "Amateur Hour" for nothing! But a well-managed restaurant that typically has great service and standards will be able to adjust enough for the volume without sacrificing quality and service. As a server, if I "sucked it up" and had a positive attitude about providing a special once-a-year treat to otherwise infrequent diner-outers, I invariably had an acceptable day money-wise and a great day karma-wise.
That being said, you wouldn't catch me in a restaurant on these days....no matter what!

Although this memorable story isn't all about food, I feel like I just HAVE to share:

Last summer I attended the wedding of my little sister's high school friend, who had just graduated college and was marrying the "man of her dreams."
*To start things out, the rehearsal dinner was held at the local BOWLING ALLEY and hot dogs were the day's special.
*The groom spent the ENTIRE time during the ceremony "stretching it out." He was literally up there cracking his neck, shaking out his arms and looking like he was preparing for a 100 yd dash.
*We got to the reception, and it was pretty normal, aside from the absence of anything edible and nothing to drink if you're not a keg-stand fan.
*The bride went to cut her cake and, alas, her husband was nowhere to be found. That is, until an announcement over the PA system called attention to the fact he was out behind a decorative bush "relieving" himself.
*Finally, it was time for this wedding from hell to end----the bride and groom left the reception, were about to jump in the Extended 4x4 Truck limo when all of a sudden the groom ran back inside. He reappeared moments later ROLLING THE KEG behind him and stuffed it in his wife's lap before he jumped in the limo.
I still shake my head and can't believe it happened.

oh boy. just starting to plan a wedding for next summer. we are going to check out our first venue next week. we have heard amazing things about the place and the food, but i am dreading it being a disaster. i know how judgmental people can be about weddings... all the personal expectations... all the gossip. yikes!

Here's the other one: Tuna and White Bean Spread. This recipe came from Prevention magazine. The combination is unusual (at least in this country--the reason I tried it was because I had read that tuna and beans is a common combination in Italy), but it really works. I don't usually care for tuna, but I like this.

Roughly mash I can solid white tuna (drained) and 1 c. cooked white beans together with a fork. Stir in 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 heaping t. dried basil, 1/4 heaping t. dried oregano, 1 t. olive oil, 4 t. cider vinegar, 1/8 t. salt, and 1 small can sliced black olives, drained. Serve on crackers or in a pita. (The original recipe called for Kalamata olives, but they're a little strong-tasting for me.) Important: this recipe needs to be chilled for at least a couple of hours before you eat it.