Archive for 2009
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Today is a Monday, MAJOR. Perhaps it was too much pie (or stuffing or cheese or wine, you pick) or perhaps too many days left to fill as I saw fit – with great friends, family and no real agenda (ok, other than entertaining a lot, but I adore that — so why not?).
Whatever the reason- today came down, and hard – with a crash, bam, boom! So much swirling about today, leaving me only to consider, with a smile, the words of Louisa May Alcott:
Debate is masculine; conversation is feminine
See it’s not so bad, I’m simply reminded of yet another reason why I love being a girl….bring it on!
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Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Let’s just say it is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and you have made a sport/hobby/calling out of eating. Cheese is now in your dreams and carbs now feel like your best friend, if not your only food group. Let’s just assume, for the sake of this exercise that you have not exercised in, hmmm, let’s say a good 3 weeks. And let’s also say (and really this part is fiction ) that price is no object – but you need to go out to dinner this evening, with people you’ve not met before and pull of the super cute, totally together, yet totally original look that you fancy you are known for – what now curvy girl? Well funny you should ask – I have been poking around looking for a solution for just the same scenario…here is the greatest of the lot – may I present:
The Saturday After Thanksgiving, Still Got it Going on Look:
IF, (oh please let’s hope) your jeans still fit there are a few ways to go. First is this Robert Rodriguez super sexy, off the shoulder, lots and lots of room to hide a belly and show off your arms and beautiful face black top. You know the drill — great hair, braceletts up your arm and for goodness sake, very high, make the outfit heels…oh and if you can get someone with a wind machine to follow you around all night – all the better!
Robert Rodriguez, beaded top $295
Another option — play the night down a bit. Choose a great chunky knit, layer a jiggle management tank (must have some suck in it, but not too much -otherwise you end up with mega boobs), some skinny jeans and great boots. I would focus on neck interest here — a statement necklace or better still - a scarf to keep the attention away from your ass. Like this Michael Stars piece — it can go in lot of directions.
Michael Stars cashmere mock neck jacket $250
One more great jean option involves color. A little sheer color and some great detailing and poof – no one is lookng anywhere else…I own this Nanette Lapore piece in black (full disclosure, I paid retail – OUCH had a Care for Kids discount) and have worn it to the point of it owing me nothing. So invest in one of these – equally able to hold it own on good days and on pudge days. Also, if you stand like this model and point to other people that will distract from your holiday pounds!
Nanettte Lapore Karma Sutra Top $328
Finally – we need to address worst case scenario – your jeans do not zip. Well, this calls for a whole new plan. And that plan has a name – DRESS. The dress plan involves three basic elements -1. Spanx 2. shoes/boots 3. distraction. The first two should be fairly obvious — finding just the right dress is a little more difficult. Here are a few that really do it for me!
DVF Deluma dress in Silver Sequins $795
I adore this DVF dress– actually, I wish I could wear this tonight (we are dining with business associates of Bob’s – I am sure they are expecting me in Silver Sequins at the very least!!!) – but alas -too chere (hey that is a good pun!). Still, this is a fantastic option…go with the opaque black spanx and a chunky heel, excellent!
And one last dress idea -
Anthropology Fall Foliage Sweater Dress $148
I would wear this cozy red dress with a layer under (the best choice is a Wolford body suit, and yeah, I know this costs more than the entire dress, but you will wear it often and I found you one on sale!) and some very funky, chunky necklaces.
So now, get yourself all smoked and mirrored up and take on the night. Monday is coming…
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Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
Yesterday at lunch with the amazingly beautiful Nicole Feliciano, (of course we had lunch, we love lunch meetings) she asked if it was a requirement that someone at FW be pregnant at all times…good question. The answer is, no – but it is more often the case than not. It should also be noted, that I have “folded” and am no longer a part of the bump cycle (much to Samuel’s disappointment).
And the fertility wave is certainly not limited to our staff. As you know we have three pregnant clients in addition to Gina who is due in January. And one of our nearest and dearest, Danielle Friendland just gave birth to her son Asher last week!
Yesterday I spent some quality time in NY helping the newly back to work from baby #2 Laura transition into covering for the soon to deliver baby girl #3 Gina. It looked something like this:
Laura and Gina - in the W, US Living Room 11/23/09
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Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Things are always cooking here at Forty Weeks! We work hard – that is for sure. And when we entertain, we do that with the same passion and eye for perfection. So, in the spirit of the holiday (gobble gobble), I have asked the Forty Weeks family to share their favorite recipe of the season. Enjoy!
Julia Beck
Green Goddess Dip
I love to go a little retro – somehow, it always starts a conversation and makes people feel right at home. A few years ago, I started serving Crudités with Green Goddess Dip – the color is inviting, the flavor complex and it gets any gathering off to a great start!
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2+ anchovy fillets
1 medium shallot
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves peeled
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
½ cup light sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
½ cup good olive oil
Cut Veggies – carrots, celery, red pepper, sugar snap peas, etc.
Gina Contursi
Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
Savory, complex and full of good things – just like Gina. I suggest you serve this delicious soup in assorted antique tea cups to add even more ”wow” to the meal as a unique passed starter!
Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) butternut squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon curry powder
teaspoon salt
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 firm ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch dice
1/2 cup half and half
1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane.
Place squash halves, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast in preheated oven until very soft, about 45 minutes. Scoop the pulp from the peel, and reserve.
3. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt. Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and bring to a boil. Stir in the pears and the reserved squash, and simmer until the pears are very soft, about 30 minutes.
4. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender. Puree in batches until smooth.
Return the soup to the pot, stir in the half and half, and reheat
Laura Derrico
Sausage and Fennel Stuffing
Laura is the latest addition to our team. Much like stuffing is essential to a perfect Thanksgiving meal, LD is indispensable to us at Forty Weeks! Laura is from a big family – expect this to feed many!
Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing discarded
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 medium-large onions, chopped fine
1 1/2 pounds fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise, about 2 medium),
stalks trimmed flush with bulbs and bulbs chopped fine (about 4 1/2
cups)
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, chopped fine
1/4 cup Pernod or other anise-flavored apéritif
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried tarragon, crumbled
5 cups corn bread for stuffing or packaged corn bread stuffing
1. In a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet cook sausage over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer
pink.
2. Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
3. Add butter to fat remaining in skillet and cook onions, chopped fennel, fennel seeds, and salt to taste over moderate heat, stirring,
until fennel is softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Add apéritif, thyme, and tarragon and cook, stirring, until most liquid is evaporated.
5. Add mixture to sausage with corn bread or packaged stuffing and toss to combine well.
6. Season stuffing with salt and pepper and cool completely. Stuffing may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
(To prevent bacterial growth do not stuff turkey cavities ahead.)
Jules Galpin
Harvest Pear Crisp with Candied Ginger
Jules is my better half – no doubt! And like this irresistible dessert, she completes almost anything we do! This one combines rich autumnal flavors for a perfect ending to your holiday meal!
Ingredients:
Topping:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup coarsely chopped whole raw almonds
1/4 cup 1/4-inch cubes crystallized ginger
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 pounds firm but ripe pears (6 to 7 large), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
Topping
Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter. Working quickly so butter does not soften, rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form. Stir in oats, almonds, and ginger. Chill while preparing filling.
Filling
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add pears; toss. Transfer to 13×9x2-inch oval baking dish. Sprinkle topping over pear mixture. Bake until topping is crisp and golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 50 minutes. Serve warm.
Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit.com
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Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Gina, Laura and I are deep in Bravado talk in the lobby – want to come and talk nursing bras with us?
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Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
Before we carve our turkeys, we’ll be at an all-day planning session in New York. Find us at the W, US – especilly if you’ve got some ideas to share!
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Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
Zero – what we paid to park because Bob found us a coveted street spot (that man has the best “parking charisma” as he calls it)
One hard to score dinner reservation at Marvin – named in honor of the late, great Marvin Gaye
Two GG Martinis, with a twist
Three old friends and their incredible other-halves at a table in the back
Four kids that needed coverage in order to get out of casa loco for the night
Five – as is fifty percent off, which is what I scored my oh so fabulous new Nanette Lapore blouse for – pretty great
Six is the number of text messages I got from Rebecca during dinner
Seven is considered by many to be a lucky number – last night I felt very lucky!
Eight – the number of times one of us commented about how we were raising the average age in the joint – and leaving me to wonder how could anyone born in the 1980s possibly appreciate Marvin Gaye anyway?
Nine – the number of bangles going up my arm and making the most wonderful sound
Ten – Lila’s weekend bedtime which I have reason to believe she kept
Obviously, my night was priceless….here’s the proof:
11/21/09 - Washington, DC
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Friday, November 20th, 2009
Here in DC, what a nice change! An abbreviated day is planned – the Design Center calls, I’ve got paper and fabric on my mind…
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Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Tuesday is mad carpool day. I leave the office at 4 and spend the next three hours in an all-girl shuttle. I ping-pong from school to activity and there is very little overlap between Lila and Rebecca – one on one quality time is had by all.
Mostly, we are hanging – less agenda more conversation – and enjoying each other’s company. There is a lot of talking – and I get my fill of all sorts of questions, (yesterday one of my dear daughters wanted to know if what her friend said a douche was could possibly be true – yeah sorry kid, it is!) observations and if we get lucky – plain old silliness.
And because I am the mom – there is lots of music. Lila tends to battle me out less on station selection – Rebecca has got her sites set on XM 20 (or 26 if she is looking to compromise). Given my druthers – I am all about XM 45 – The Spectrum is my heat up the seats, crank up the tunes station of choice. Mark Goodman (come on – he was my first VJ crush) is hanging there so you can bet I am! Only yesterday I had this amazingly challenging moment…Around 4:20, there was this one-to punch of Charlie Mars – (dating future BFF Mary Louise Parker) Listen to the Dark Side and John Mayer - (dating everyone) Who Says – each one with their lower Manhattan meets Jack Johnson cool going on. I am a new fan of Charlie’s and I happen to love the song – feels familiar and very much of another time. John Mayer hits his formula well too. Both are Spectrum worthy…
Here is my issue shared with full disclosure as a liberal, as a former bad-girl and as one who has the mouth of a sailor and limited editing skills – why are we singing about getting high and getting stoned? What happened to creative use of language – the use of cleaver linguistic turns, metaphors and allusions to clearly communicate exactly what we knew we were talking about – you know - Day Tripper, Hotel California or Needle and Damage Done for example (I absolutely had no clue until I was old enough to have one).
Why am I sitting in a car toe-tapping along to the lyrics like – “Who Says I can’t get Stoned”? Really I am trying to figure out is this lazy song writing or me crossing some line? Should I be cool with driving along with my 13 and under set listening to songs that literally say “let’s get high”? Should I listen to their (ooooh oooh come do me shorty) crap instead? Or is it possible that, as the Stones sang – it is time for me to go “reaching for the shelter of my mother’s little helper” and just keep driving?
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Monday, November 16th, 2009
Today was a half day for my Step-daughter Rebecca. We spent some time discussing Twilight (oh just a few more days!) over sushi, and I was impressed! So, I asked her to blog her insights. The following are Rebecca’s (13 year old) thoughts on the Twilight phenomenon! Thank You Rebecca for this:
This past year I read a very popular book, called Twilight, although it was not as popular at the time. Many people know the famous vampires and werewolves of the story, and the gorgeous stars Edward Cullen and Jacob Black, but are their looks a good enough reason to read the books? I remember my seventh grade outdoor education trip, I was reading the second book of the series, New Moon, and when people saw me so intent on the book they thought I was weird for wanting to read so badly.
After the movie came out I was surprised to find everyone reading it. I soon realized it was because of the stars. I find it hard to believe that people would read a book just for the looks of the leads rather than the content.
Being a huge Jacob Black/ Taylor Lautner fan, I also can empathize. I am a huge twi-hard myself and it is hard to resist putting that Taylor Lautner poster on my wall. This also maybe because I am a 13 year old girl.
These books are about a typical love drunk teenager. She falls in love to fast she’s blinded by her love, bla bla bla. But what makes this book unique is that nothing is typical. The surprising thing is, Bella’s not shaken by anybody being different. “ I don’t care who’s a werewolf and who’s a vampire. If Angela turns out to be a witch, she can join the party, too.” (Eclipse, chapter 6, P. 143). Bella is totally fine with the whole supernatural thing, even though it means the majority of her life and of the world was lies. Although Bella is the major focus in the first three books and most of the fourth, Kristen seems to be almost brushed off for Robert and Taylor by fans. Which brings me back to my original question, why would people read something they are truly not interested in?
When I was asked to guest-blog, I was not required to talk about babies but I feel inclined to looking at all of the past blogs. So in the fourth book, breaking dawn, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has a daughter with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) named Renesmee (a mix of Renee and Esme). Renesmee has this draw to her, were everyone has to love her. They talk about this pull being unique, but I believe that all babies have this draw towards them, in some form. This baby is not human, she does not breast feed, and in fact she drinks blood.
The Twilight Sagas mix of readers; some adult some teens, come for the content and some for the characters. All of these make up a major part in the making of Twilight. No matter what their intentions are. I just wish people would pay as much attention to the story as the pretty faces.
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