Jersey Shore

I had read about the show and all it's controversy. I had even watched part of episode 4, but when Adam and I watched the episode 1 on demand, I was slack jawed and convinced the show wasn't actually real. Obviously, we had to watch episodes 2 and 3 to gather more information. Verdict is still out, waiting for the rest of the season.

Power & Negotiation - Flipside

Here's the another perspective of the whole chocolate negotiation situation with Zess and Zames, witnessed by Adam:

Zames: [walking out of Zess' room with a chocolate]
Zara: Hey Zames, where did you get the chocolate?
Zames: Zess gave it to me.
Zara: How nice of her!

Swedish Princess Cake

Not to be confused with Disney Princess character cakes, the Swedish Princess Cake is a deliciously confection for adults and kids alike. It's sponge cake layered with custard, whipped cream and raspberry jam and completely wrapped in a layer of marzipan. What could possibly be better. I bought my first slice at The Cakery in Burlingame for a snack last week and became obsessed with eating more Swedish Princess Cake before I left so I bought a whole six inch cake from the Copenhagen Bakery also in Burlingame just for the heck of it and enjoyed two more nights of dessert. I must confess, I was reluctant to share my cake with the broader family on night two and was kicking myself for not buying a ten inch cake when Adam's dad offered Zess some Princess Cake for dessert. I know I'm a sugar fiend and can be a terrible aunt. In the end, I selfishly enjoyed a second night of cake since Zess promptly forgot all about Princess Cake which was surprising since she loves Princesses and Cake.

Power & Negotiation - Creating Value

I was hanging out with my niece Zess the other day playing with her cash register math toy when her little bro Zames wandered in and started frenetically playing with the toy. The following is a reconstructed conversation:

Zess: ZAMES, you're not allowed in here, it's my room, stop playing with my toy.
Zames: [Ignores Zess]
Zess: You're going to break it, stop playing with it.
Zames: [Continues to ignore Zess]
Zess: [trying a new tactic] Zames, if you stop playing with my toy, I'll give you a chocolate coin or a big chocolate.
Zames: [no response]
Zess: How about I give you a big chocolate and you stop playing with my toy?
Zames: [relinquishes the toy, accepts the chocolate and leaves Zess' room]
Zess: [Sigh] Sometimes it's better to give him a chocolate than have a broken toy.

Wise words indeed...good job Zess for creating value through negotiation and finding an incentive that Zames wants more than the toy.

Little Hero Capes

Our Christmas gifts for the kids were a huge hit, we ordered each one a cape from Super Hero Capes. Zess got a purple/gold cape with a crown, Zames got a blue/red cape with a rocket ship and little Zhor got a green/lime green cape with a lightening bolt. I wasn't sure if the kids would all like their capes, but they all spent many hours wearing them as a super hero trio zooming around the backyard on their make believe adventures.

Bumpits - Eeeek!

I was watching MTV last night when I saw this commercial for Bumpits, a hair "volumizer" gadget and I was mortified. I thought it was a joke, especially after they started talking about the mini-Bumpit for volumizing bangs and then there's the Hollywood Bumpit for special occasions.

splityarn

I discovered these adorable pouches from splityarn, a local crafter, at my office's holiday crafts fair this year. I just love the patterns she uses, they're super cute and retro. I got Wheezy a wee pouch in this woodland teal print. The lovely print features that's slightly subversive because it features birds and squirrels and deer and tiny skulls. The one I got Wheezy has two subversive skulls front and center. Unfortunately, splityarn seems to be out of stock since it's a "one-woman sweatshop," but the patterns are very fun so check it out.

Savant Project - Nine Thumbs Up

We tried the Savant Project in Mission Hill last night for dinner with our Groupon coupon and the food was really delicious. I was surprised when we arrived because it has the vibe of an independent hipster coffeehouse with board games in the corner, hipster staff, quirky decor, etc. It reminded me of Diesel Cafe in Davis Square, but serving dinner. It's not the fanciest place, but the food sure was delicious.

We ordered:

Truffled Parmesan Polenta Logs - Awesome!

Braised Pork Ribs - Super Tender and Sweet with a Kick of Heat

Pan Seared Port Tenderloin over Sweet Mashed Sage Potatoes and Veggies - Giant Portion and Yummy

Churros with Chocolate Sauce for Dessert

We're looking forward to coming back sometime in the future, but most likely when it's warmer out. The Savant Project is near the Green E line, above ground, which runs about once every 20 minutes. We waited for 15 minutes in the frigid cold and managed to miss the train because were waiting in the wrong spot so we took a cab instead...I couldn't take waiting another 20 minutes in 15 degree weather.

Gifts - Earbud Holder

I sent MGDub some earbud holders from Levenger and clearly she opened her gift before Christmas. Orthodox Christmas I believe comes after English Christmas, not before. Bad MGDub! She was very confused by my gift and thought it was a dog bone or maybe a holder for plastic bags for scooping dog poop. Maybe I was sending her a puppy. She figured it out after doing some online research at Levenger...Yeah MGDub! Merry Christmas!

Sing Off

plasticann: Oh no, it's 9:15pm, Adam I forgot to tell you to DVR something for me.
Adam: Well it's recording right now.
plasticann: Well, there's this new show I really want to see, it's called...
Adam: Sing Off? That's what's recording right now, I had to move the Closer.
plasticann: How'd you know? Yipee!

Adam and I happen to love Acapella so the idea of watching eight Acapella groups compete on TV is super exciting. However, what's a dream for us is a nightmare for Wheezy who hates Acapella so Wheezy, be sure to avoid NBC at 8pm for a week so you don't fly into a murderous rage.

Diamonds and Coals - Mantra

As a shout out to George, my friend Steve’s friend and fellow Brown alum, a special Mantra edition of Diamonds and Coals:

Diamonds: Groupon for Mantra provided an opportunity for a fun night out
Coals: Service was really slow and I had to literally chase down our server who had tunnel vision. They only had two people in the kitchen and one server for the whole dining room.

Diamonds: We enjoyed the mustard crusted lamb chops from the appetizer menu, delicious!
Coals: Chipotle Tandoori Chicken was way under seasoned, no salt

Diamonds: Adam loved the green dip sauce and ate it up, very refreshing and Adam would love to buy vats of this sauce and eat it by the spoonful
Coals: the Foie Gras Momos were very disappointing, I’m not sure if there was even any Foie Gras in them, the chicken was dry and the dish rang up $2 higher than the menu price. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal

Diamonds: The dining room was nicely remodeled with slick modern furniture
Coals: The once slick bathrooms have not been updated, random holes in the walls in the stalls and burned out bulbs

Diamonds: We have wonderful memories of a great meal at Mantra about 7 years ago
Coals: We’ve decided to never go back, Mantra has seen better days

Lucy + Veggie Planet

Whenever Lucy Kaplansky's in town at Club Passim, we make it a priority to go. I just love Club Passim, it's small, cozy and the tickets are reasonable plus you get to order food for dinner and eat too. The food at Veggie Planet isn't my favorite, but they have a few items that are good and I don't mind eating there once or twice a year before a show, it's part of the experience. I do like their ice cream, it's from Christina's and they give you a nice portion for 2.75...not to shabby. Tonight, I think I'm going to get the Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons, sounds weird, but it's oddly delicious.

Chinatown Cake Club

I read about this subversive underground bakery or dessert salon in NYC called Chinatown Cake Club kinda like Fight Club for extreme dessert lovers. Sounds dangerous and awesome all the same time. Strangers gathering to gorge themselves on sweets for a $10 cover charge...diabetics need not apply.

Fish and Chips

Adam and I checked out Elephant and Castle last night for dinner since we had a Groupon coupon that as about to expire. We ordered the fish and chips shelling out a few more bucks for the halibut and we ordered the meatloaf. The food was alright, the fish was good, but the chips were just alright. We both agreed that the fish portion was much too small and we don't really need to go back to the Elephant and Castle. On a brighter fish and chips note, I'm eager to check out The Battery in Brighton, it claims to be an authentic English Chipper. They even offer the fried Mars bar for dessert.

Scamper Over To Scampo

Adam and I checked out Scampo at the Liberty Hotel last night for a very belated birthday dinner and the food was wonderful. The server was overly attentive, but it's just probably that one overly enthusiastic server who likes to check in at least twice during each course, maybe more. Alas, I digress. We enjoyed the following

White pizza of truffled cheese and sherry chanterelles
Mozzarella with prosciutto, crisp pear and quince paste
Ricotta ravioli with sun dried tomato and pork belly
Lamb ribs with pistachio butter and risotto with cherries
Sugar Pavlova with lemon cream and strawberries

Success!

With the help of our friends this morning, we successfully hosted our largest holiday brunch ever and it was super fun. No melt downs, no freak outs, couldn't have asked for better logistics. We both had fun even though we were serving, cooking and hosting throughout.

There were 52 adults, 7 kids and 4 babies. We were just shy of 5 dozen if we don't count babies who don't eat brunch food. Yet, I still managed to have too much food, but I've come to terms that I can never predict what people will eat each year and how much of it they will consume having too much food is not a bad thing. Adam and I have about 15 bagels in the freezer and a pound of lox so that'll be a nice treat for us.

Earl Gray Latte

I recently discovered the idea of steeping tea in hot non-water liquids, revolutionary and delicious. I had the "Chaider" at Tealuxe a few weeks ago, chai tea steeped in hot apple cider. Yesterday, I enjoyed a "Earl Gray Latte," earl gray tea steeped in steamed milk. It was delicious, but I think kept me up last night. I guess we can steep tea in pretty much anything hot although I'm staying away from savory soups for now.

Five Dozen Guests

Tonight I'll be food shopping for our annual holiday brunch and this year the RSVPs have grown to epic proportions, nearly 60 RSVPs. I'm hoping and praying this will be a fun celebration for our friends and that they'll come in waves. There will be lots of food and I have an extensive plan to ensure our event is fun and delicious. Adam wisely said last night that there are two keys to a successful brunch, "We should get to bed at a reasonable hour on Friday night and I [Adam] need to not freak out."

Avenue Q

We went and saw Avenue Q with Adam's ma and pa when they were visiting over Thanksgiving and it was super awesome. I just love cuddly puppets, they're just so cute even when they're being inappropriately funny. The show is unsuitable for kids, but hilarious and I would see it again. For now, Adam and I are entertaining ourselves by singing along to the soundtrack and watching YouTube videos to help us master the choreographed head motions to our favorite songs like "Everyone's a little bit racist."

Vanilla Bean Source

We found a great price on whole vanilla beans at Leroux Kitchen in Portland, ME. I bought a pack for $15 with over 30 whole beans from a San Francisco importer called Saffron. You can also buy them directly from Saffron for even less where they're selling a pound for $19.95, contains 85-100 beans.

Holiday Gift Idea: Map Totes

I just love these super fun and quirky Map Totes. Of course my favorite tote is Cambridge, but they're all super cute and at $15 reasonably priced as a gift. They're sold locally at Wardmaps, now on Mass Ave, and Passport, a wonderful travel themed store in Harvard Square.

Where's the ...?

Adam's took this week off from work to hang out with Mama and Papa Zakun which is very nice, but I'm realizing one downside, more occasions for Adam to call me when he can't find something at home. I guess when he's at work, he doesn't call me when he can't find something in the office. Other variations include "What is the...?" and "Do I like this?" I guess my role is to fill in the blanks or basically key details.

Q: Where is the Garmin?
A: Downstairs on the china cabinet by the fruit.

Q: Where is the Ketchup?
A: In the fridge, squat bottle, upside down.
Q: It's not in the door, I don't see it.
A: I guess we don't have any.

Q: What is the cheese shop in Seattle?
A: Beecher's.
Q: Oh yeah, it's so good, we can get it here in Boston at that place...what is that place called with the cheese?
A: Pemberton Farms.
Q: Oh yeah!

Q: Where is my scarf?
A: In the closet.

Q: Do I like this?
A: No!
Q: Are you sure?
A: Yes, you tried it last year, you said it wasn't your favorite.

Q: Where are my jeans?
A: You're wearing them.
Ha ha, this one's a joke!

Portland Take 2

Adam's parents are in town so we recreated about 90% of our summer trip to Portland, ME. It was lots of fun. However, we did discover a few more wonderful blog-worthy find this trip.

Rabelais Cookbook Store - A whole store specializing in wonderful new and old cookbooks

Dean's Sweets - Delicious samples, they even offer a "vegan" chocolate made with stout instead of dairy

Friendly Toast - Eclectic menu, delicious food and ginormous pancakes. Waitstaff at 8pm on Monday night is a little scattered so I was relieved the kitchen was prompt

I Heart Kindle

This update is about 10 months overdue, but better late than never especially since I have collected some stats to report. Adam, kindly, graciously, generously bought me a Kindle earlier this year. YEAH! He tried really hard to convince me the Kindle wasn't worth it. He even did a cost benefit analysis and tried to negotiate with me, offering to pick up books for me from library or buy them from Amazon. In the end, Adam generously relented from his strong opinion about the Kindle and got me one.

I'm love my Kindle, it's so great and it makes me so happy. I'm reading a lot more books, I love sampling free chapters and the wireless technology is awesome. I'm getting my Wall Street Journal on it and my recycling pile has gone way down. I've read 16 books so far and I'm in the middle of five right now. I convinced my aunt to get one and I'm in the process of selling plasticmom on it. I highly recommend it, I dare so it's maybe changed my life for the better. At the very least it's dramatically improved my reading habits and I really enjoy reading more now that I'm not lugging around books in my bag.

Kindle - 9 thumbs up

Unfounded Outrage

I'm a mentor for a college prep program for high school juniors and seniors. Last night was a fun field trip to a Celtics game. The following is reconstructed from a conversation I struck up with a student:

plasticann: Hi, we haven't met, I'm [plasticann].
Student: Hi, I'm [student].
plasticann: Where do you go to high school?
Student: Rindge and Latin.
plasticann: Are you a junior?
Student: Why? Do I look like a junior?
plasticann: Umm...I don't know, you're either a junior or a senior so it's a guess.
Student: [not bothering to clarify] Are you in college?
Note: Some mentors are college students
plasticann: No...[clarifying that I'm not a college drop out] I'm no longer in college.
Student: [Incredulously] YOU'RE done with college???
plasticann: Yes, I'm a few years out of college. [huge understatement]

He was potentially all riled up because I thought he was a junior when he might have been a senior. Whereas he was way off pegging me as at least 10 years younger than my actual age. Harumph! I considered driving the point home that he had no cause to be outraged by telling him I was nearly 10 years out of college, but I decided to just let it go. Yeah, how big of me for not getting into it with a kid. I guess when one is 16, the idea of someone thinking you're a year younger or older is a really HUGE deal.