Sarah Tenberg

As Christmas approaches, my favorite holiday, there comes that time where we all begin thinking about what to make for the many family & friend gatherings that we miraculously manage to squeeze into one month. I say this is my favorite holiday for many reasons. For one,  I cannot tell you how excited I get days in advance planning out the menu and compiling all of the ingredients, and the day of, waking up early, getting things prepped and in the oven, then finding space for the rest of the dishes.

I have found the devil here on earth. His name is Ragweed. I’m not kidding. It’s him, I swear, really. Just a little more green and, er, plant like. Well  whatever, if you’ve had a run in with ragweed, you believe me 100%. I surely have, but it is more like a strangle hold than a run in, that has propped my rear end directly in the bed for the last week. WEEK! Me, doing nothing but producing phlegm (sorry, TMI) for a WEEK. Wasn’t my last article about trying to slow down?? I think the universe must have been  listening. LOL.

While speeding through yet another day at light speed, I came across a quote recently that really struck me. It went like this “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk.  Uh, ok, I get it. Of course I get it – in theory, and I’m already 2/3 rds there. Smile: check, breathe: kinda necessary, Go slowly: uh, err, WHAT??

Yep, I’m always prepared.  Just like a boy scout. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Mmm hmm, that’s the absolute truth (can you see my crossed fingers from there??) All right, I give — I just totally fibbed. I do try though.
In my mind I always go into Monday thinking I have a week’s worth of menu plans in my arsenal, so I’m not sure what went awry yesterday. I opened my fridge thinking: easy. Reality hits.... not so easy...it’s all but empty.

Batten down the hatches boys; she got her hands on the turmeric again. No, I’m just kidding..kind of.

It…is…SO hot here. I mean, HOT. It’s hot, too. Have I mentioned it’s hot? And I’ll tell you one other thing: it’s HOT! I’m melting. I’m thinking that Vogue magazine should run a feature on Gonzales summer accessories:  a bottle of water, an ice pack and oxygen tank because without them you can almost bet that you’ll be spending all your day sweltering to death. Ugh.

Everyone fantasizes about something. Don’t even lie, you’ll blush and be busted. For some it’s Brad Pitt finally realizing his truest love- you. For others it winning the lottery (and Not ending up on the “how I lost my insta-millions” documentary on PBS).  For me, my fantasy lays nestled deep in the layers of beef and fat that is a thick cut, well marbled, butter basted, seared Rib eye steak. Keep your Brad P and your multi millions, just back away from my plate- it’s mine, all mine. Wahahahaha. No, that’s not nice, I’ll share.

Nostalgia is great, isn’t it? I spent last weekend in Rockport and did something I hadn’t done in probably 20 years. I cracked blue crabs. The minute that hammer hit claw, I was flooded with memories