confession and redemption...

I use jarred tomato sauce - all.the.time.

To many people (and nearly all of my own friends) this is unheard of, not done, equal to a culinary sin. Most of my friends are Italian, at least in part. They grew up on homemade sauce and have known how to make it themselves since before they were tall enough to reach the dials on the stove. My mom made her own sauce, too. I have vivid memories of the blue enamel pot of delicious scented red sauce simmering on the stove in my childhood home for hours. It was rarely eaten the same day, instead made ahead of time for meals over the week. The extra was then frozen for another time. Everyone knows sauce (as is true with stews and soups) is better the next day, after the flavors have all melded together.

I've made sauce once or twice in my adult life but, living alone for more than 12 years post-college it just didn't make sense to make a huge pot of sauce for one. So, convenience won and I gave in to jarred sauce. Over and over and over.

Then, I moved in with my fiance and domesticity set in. I've been cooking a lot, baking some and doing the majority of grocery shopping and meal planning for our little family. Dinner has become a thing of pride for me. We've even entertained a few times. This week, we will have another couple over for dinner. It's getting pretty cold here in NY and I want to make comfort food. Something delicious that won't require a half dozen pots and pans - I actually want to entertain AND enjoy the meal with our guests - go figure. So, I'm planning to make baked ziti. However, one of our guests is Italian and I just can't do it. I can't serve my guests (namely one who will know better) jarred sauce. My pride, and the fact that I actually do know how, had me in the supermarket at lunch time buying cans of pureed and crushed tomatoes and a bunch of fresh basil.

Which brings me to this: Penance for years of Classico, Ragu and all brands of jarred sauce and quick-fix meals. A simmering pot of sauce. Homemade. By me. In preparation for a meal that is still two days away. The house smells heavenly!

Crap. I think I might actually be a grown-up.

where did THAT come from?

I'm a fan of television in general. Particularly, wedding shows right now (go figure) but during the regular season I'm addicted to Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, Lipstick Jungle, Chuck, Law and Order: SVU and a few others. When I moved into FI's house in June, we counted the televisions and just shook our heads. FOUR sets for TWO people. A 27", a 25" and two 13". Seriously a disgrace. We have one in the living area (open floor plan living/kitchen/dining), another in the bedroom, a third in the office and the last in the garage. All plugged in and functional.

On Saturday, FI called me me from work and had me write "Sunday 11:00 am West" on the fridge memo board, telling me he had to pick up a surprise and that I could not ask questions. Umm...okay? Later, he tells me that he will be picking up a pre-wedding gift and that he was asked not to tell me who it was from just yet. Fine. So, Sunday he went out to run his errand and came home with this: A 42" LCD HD-TV. Yes, shamefully, we now own FIVE televisions. Seriously. Conspicuous consumption is alive and well in the MrB and SoonToBeMrsB household!!! A lovely and unbelievably generous gift and one that will have at least one old set sitting out at the yard sale next weekend. FI was finally able to reveal the gift-giver last night - a long-time, close friend of the family who will be unable to make the wedding and wanted us to have the gift now.

Now, how exactly does one go about writing a thank you note for something of this magnitude?

faux pas (?) and a sugary bargain...

FI and I have set-up a fairly strict budget and saving schedule leading up to the wedding. We are each contributing as many dollars as we can, based on our income vs. expenses. While there is a little wiggle room for the occasional meal out and minor splurge, we are being very conscious of our spending. Though I thought it would be restrictive, it's really been fine and I've rarely felt my wallet being pinched. Until yesterday.

A few friends and I went out for dinner last night. This is a group of girls I know very well and have been close with for many years. We get together at least once a month to eat, laugh and chat about all things new. Keeping the budget in mind, I set myself a limit of $25.00 for dinner, including tax and tip. This way, I could still enjoy the time with friends but, would not have to stretch my weekly money. Good plan, right?

I arrived at the restaurant early (another girl's pick) and was seated at our reserved table. I settled in with the menu and a copy of the newest Martha Stewart Weddings magazine to wait for my friends. A quick glance at the menu made me wince a bit as I saw that the average entree price was over $30. One of the specials caught my eye (roast duck and black cherry ravioli with a shallot creme sauce - delish!) and was - score! - a bargain at $18.00. The waitress poured mineral water and I was content with my decision to stick with my food choice and the H2O.

My friends arrived and we had a great time. They all ordered drinks (martinis and wine), salad/appetizer and entrees. I stuck with my water and the dinner special. After an hour or so of lively chatting, comforting one friend and catching up on life, it was time to settle the bill. One of the girls took out her calculator to split the bill 4 ways. I hated doing it but, I had to say something - I just couldn't spend over $50.00 for what I had ordered. I mentioned that I was on a tight budget and would they mind if I just put in for my order and split the tip. Two of the girls were fine and I put my $25.00 on the check. The one with the calculator was visibly annoyed and gave me a very cold goodnight as we left. Clearly, in her mind, I had made a major faux pas.

If the split had been just over my budget, I would have went with it. I never fuss about splitting the bill and am always willing to pitch in an extra few dollars or, whatever to keep the math easy. But, to pay more than double my budget for food and drinks that I did not even enjoy in light of my current financial planning? Just couldn't justify it. It may be that what is burning me most is that I would never expect anyone else to put in that much over their share. I'm always the one to suggest, "Hey, that's nuts, just pay for what you ordered!"

Tell me - was I out of line? What would you have done in my shoes???

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And, not remotely related to anything other than the fact that I LOVE cheesecake...enjoy!

The Cheesecake Factory Serves Up a Delicious 30th Anniversary Celebration!
Celebrating “30 Delicious Years,” The Cheesecake Factory is serving up several sweet initiatives throughout 2008. To kick-off the anniversary celebration and in commemoration of National Cheesecake Day on July 30th, 2008, The Cheesecake Factory restaurants will offer every delicious slice of its more than 30 varieties of cheesecake with a dollop of nostalgia by featuring all cheesecakes at $1.50 per slice, limit one per guest, dine in only, on that day—as they were when the restaurant first opened in 1978.