A photo from Ohio I forgot to publish:
These vintage bowls with handles (about $2 each at Schrock’s Amish Farm & Village, in Ohio) would be perfect for serving soup at a holiday gathering - freed from the shackles of cutlery, your guests can run amok through your home during the appetizer course.
Tuesday night, I stopped into Allen & Delancey with my friends Francesca and Anoush and was pleased to see that the bartender used these extra-large ice cubes in the whiskey-based drinks (Tailor does the same thing). Besides being totally fun, these ice cubes have the benefit of chilling the drink quickly while reducing the amount of surface area exposed to the beverage (the ice cube melts more slowly, and thus cools your whiskey without diluting it - a good thing).
(According to 175proof.com, spherical cubes are even better, as spheres have less surface area than a cube, volume for volume…but I prefer the look of square cubes.)
Tip: An (empty) button organizer can be used as a makeshift ice tray to create larger-than-normal cubes.
Tip: Boil water for 10 minutes before freezing to remove impurities.
This afternoon, Kendrick and I are flying to Florida with my parents (first vacation with the ‘rents…eek) to visit our dear family friends, Sharon and Eddie.
Earlier this evening, Kendrick and I headed over to the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church to volunteer at the soup kitchen, and were treated to a tour of the facilities (which include a shelter that sleeps 10-12). We talked to the wonderful people who run the soup kitchen, several of whom told me that they worked there because they themselves had been in similar situations in years past, and wanted to help others as they had been helped.
Besides the soup kitchen, Madison Avenue Presbyterian has many other volunteer opportunities, including the Angel Tree Program, which provides presents for children whose parents are in prison, and shifts at the shelter. Of course, this is just one of countless churches around the city offering such services; I’d advise you to just stop into your local church or homeless shelter and ask what you can do to help.
(Incidentally, I’m not affiliated with this church - or any church, for that matter - but I fully support the wonderful services that they provide to the community.)
Check out the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter for info on shelters in your area.
RTL TV arrived bright and early this morning to interview me about Jesse James and Sandra Bullock’s custody battle with Janine Lindemulder (James’ ex-wife). They called to ask if I was available while I was still in my pajamas, and I had only 45 minutes to get dressed, throw some color on my face, and research the latest developments in the story (that’s what I’m doing above). Not a problem, though - I’ve always liked working under pressure.
TopShop shirt, vintage earrings.
