Memories Last a Lifetime. Blenders Die.

I was not a traditional bride. I know. Not shocking for anyone who knows me. You probably don’t even have to know me WELL to guess that.

Yes, it’s true. The white wedding, church/synagogue ceremony, bachelorette party thing was just never my m.o. I get why so many girls grow up planning and envisioning their perfect day and I’ve participated in and attended many wonderful, magical, memorable traditional weddings. I have nothing against them. In fact, I cry at every one. It’s true. Water. Works. I am a total softy.

Yet when it came to my own wedding I was a bit stumped cuz it wasn’t totally on my radar. I always dreamed about winning the Olympics in figure skating, or writing the next great fiction novel. About getting an Oscar for film direction, or about opening my own dog ranch (yes.. it was to be called the Canine Country Club and yes I even have a design for the logo).

My dreams never included a white dress. Ok.. maybe the skating one did but that’s just a coincidence.

And they never included receiving boatloads of boxes with blenders and toasters as a part of said wedding. In fact, the thought of that stresses me out.

I would never claim I am a minimalist – but I am an extremely practical person. So is my husband. It was also later in life for us. It was my first wedding (and only… so far) at 35 years old. He had been married before. We already had a blender. In fact, we had two (maybe 3)! We were already in the process of combining households and making difficult decisions like which plates to keep (his), who’s coffee maker was better (his) and who’s flatware to use (mine). Needless to say, we learned the art of negotiation well before we technically tied the knot. Good training I think.

So we weren’t hampered by tradition (the non-traditional wedding itself is a great story for another time) but we simply didn’t want more stuff. What to do about the wedding gifts?

Turned out it was easy. We asked for “consumables”. Things that we could experience. We challenged our guests to be creative. Help us enjoy life and better yet – let us do it with you, our dear friends. Don’t give us wine openers. Give us wine! But only if you come over and drink it with us.

Or take us to dinner. Make us dinner. Or, give us a gift certificate and let us take YOU to dinner.

And our friends rallied. We received travel vouchers, wonderful meals, cooking lessons, massages, hotel nights,cleaning supplies?, spectacular wine and more. Our wedding celebration extended for months as we enjoyed our “experiences” and felt the love of all of our friends and family and all of the people in our new, combined lives. Ultimately our experience wedding was far beyond what we even imagined. I am as thankful for all of those full-of-love experiences as I am for the enduring love I found in my wonderful husband.

The idea became a trend in our lives. Last year for the holidays we each designed a “day” of fun for the family as our gift to one another. As it turned out they both included outdoor hikes with the dog to places we had not yet discovered, long drives through the “country”, and new and different foods and restaurants. It was a blast.

This is not to say I never want new appliances (you should SEE our Cuisinart. Can you say “relic”? I literally saw it at the Smithsonian). No.. that is not the message.

Just that we all should be sure – especially this time of year – to celebrate and cherish the memories, experiences and the love in our lives. It can be a lot more satifying – and longer lasting – than anything that comes in a box.

And yes, I am tearing up as I write this. Told you I was a softy.

Gifts from my Father

September is a month of mourning.

For our country it represents 9/11 and a time to look back, remember and be thankful.

For me… it also represents the month I lost my father.

September, 2001 was in fact, the 10 year anniversary of the end of my dad’s valiant battle with Cancer. So now, 10 years from 9/11 it rather unbelievably marks 20 years since that fateful day of loss for my family.

It’s almost impossible to believe. My dad has been gone longer than he was in my life. I was 18 when he died – only weeks after starting my freshman year at college. So confused, depressed and overwhelmed as I started a new phase with this incredible weight on my shoulders. Leaving my mom and my brother and everything I knew. I look back and wonder how I did it? I realize now that my ability to soldier through was one of his many gifts. Gifts that have revealed themselves slowly over the last 20 years.

Recently, in part in memory of that 20 year mark, my mom and I spent some time inTucson,Arizona– a magical, quiet, spiritual place to which I had a surprisingly strong reaction. You see, my mom is at a similar place to where I was that awful September in 1991. She is about to embark upon the next phase in her life. Her Act Three.

But what’s different is that mom is armed! With many of those same gifts from my dad than I had to call upon back in 1991. If she doesn’t know already, I suspect she will soon enough.

So whether it really is Tucson for her or not, our weekend there got me really thinking about my mom, my parents, their life together, the incredible, strong, independent women my mom has become in the absence of my father, and all of the things I am so thankful to have, to have had, and to which I have to look forward. Many are gifts and lessons from both my parents – but a solid few are related directly to my father.

So… I made a list – in no particular order – to say “thanks dad” for a few of his gifts…such as:

• An appreciation for architecture
• The simplicity of the perfect necklace
• The will to keep looking till I find it
• The love…no, passion… for a great bargain
• Wit
• Making it OK to leave the knife in the brownies
• The satisfaction of dogged hard work
• Naughty humor
• The non-traditional
• New York City
• The ability for a dog to melt my heart
• Bagels and lox
• Not being afraid to get my hands dirty
• A passion for travel
• Diet Dr Browns Cream Soda
• A good eye
• The love of the process as much as the final product
• “Need” not necessarily being part of the equation
• A bullshit meter
• The Mahler 1^st Symphony
• Chutzpah
• All the things in my husband that remind me of you
• The ability to see people for who they are, not what they have or what they represent
• Sarcasm
• My comfort on a construction site
• Maine
• Good mustard
• The memory of your hands
• The closeness of my family
• The incredible women that is my mom….

And above all else, teaching us – all of us – to be survivors. To not “be helpless”.

We can do it ourselves. Make our own rules. Make it happen. Because, after all as you would have said, if they don’t like it, fuck em.

When Good Service Brands Go Bad

Think of brands known for service and you think of Nordstrom, Enterprise Rent a Car, Ritz, Virgin Airlines, Zappos, Starwood. These are brands known for differentiating themselves by their service DNA. And yet, sometimes even the brands that are known for getting it right, get it wrong.

Somehow this is even more devastating then if they had just not been “service focused” to begin with as it’s a break in the brand promise. You feel a bit mislead, fooled and disappointed. Or at least I do. In fact, it makes me angry.

Case in point – a recent bad travel day I had (and yes.. it was all on one day) with two of my most favorite service brands. Starwood and Enterprise Rent a Car.

Two brands to whom I am loyal despite the fact that they are not low cost providers (my usual preference). Why, you ask? Because Starwood brands reward me; with points, remembered preferences, special check in, exclusive floors, club level lounges, free internet and more. They reward me. They take care of me. And they have earned my devotion and trust (there it is.. TRUST) that they will live up to the promises they have made.

I choose Enterprise for many of the same reasons; points, preferences etc. And also.. because yes – just like the commercial says – they “pick me up”. It’s a big perk and I love it. And I love their management training program and the professional demeanor and genuine service levels their “team” exudes. It is always a wonderful experience renting from Enterprise as they “surprise and delight” with excessive explanation, proactive directions, accommodating my needs etc.

So.. great service brands, right? Thus my disappointment when both failed me. At once.

The first was Starwood. I was headed for a one night stay at the Westin Galleria in Houston. That day I found out I needed to stay another night, so I went online to extend. I got an error – saying it was too late to change and that I should call. OK. I dutifully picked up the phone and explained to the pleasant customer service person that I’d like to stay another night, to which she informed me that I was within 24 hours of my stay and in order to extend she’d have to cancel the reservation – which would result in forfeiting the cost of one night. Huh? I am trying to stay an additional night. I want to give you more money?? You can’t just extend my existing reservation? “No ma’am” I was told. At this point we’d have to cancel and start over.

Um, ok. Well then, let’s just make a second one night reservation then (but so help me if I have to move rooms I am going to be pissed!). Hold.. hold….

“I am sorry ma’am. The hotel is sold out”. OMG. We couldn’t have started there!!??? Forget it. I’ll find somewhere else to stay tomorrow night. Argh.

Besides, my ride was there to “pick me up” from Enterprise. I quickly put the Starwood experience behind me and traveled with the young, pleasant, good-looking (another benefit) young man to the Enterprise office. My car wasn’t quite ready yet (surprised as I’d given my pick up time and.. they’d PICKED ME UP…so they were expecting me, no?).. but after 15 minutes I was escorted to my car. We did the check list, I signed my life away.. and then.. as we were finishing the paperwork… almost as an afterthought.. the Enterprise guy casually mentions there is NO GAS in the car….

So…I should feel free to bring it back almost empty.

Um… what??? You are giving me an almost empty car?

What a pain in the ass! The very first thing I have to do is fill it? And then what?  I am supposed to run the risk of almost running out of gas to return it in the same state in which you gave it to me? So you can then do this to someone else?

I don’t think so.

I was shocked. When I expressed my frustration I was told that “sometimes they just didn’t have time to fill the cars”. Seriously? You had time to send someone to pick me up?

So I took my annoyed self to the gas station (and dropped $70, 5 minutes after picking up the car) and drove my annoyed self to Houston. Fuming the whole way.

Imagine my surprise when I check into the Westin Galleria and casually asked if it would be possible to stay an extra night… and with two keystrokes, it’s done. WHAT?

At the end of the day, both of these stories come down to channel conflict and logistics. I get that these challenges exist – but seriously Starwood – empower your people to over-ride systems when things are illogical. Are you really so bogged down in your systems, procedures and processes that you are willing to forfeit a night stay and frustrate a loyal customer? You are supposed to be better than that. There is the rub.

Learn from Zappos, whose customer service people will compare rates and find you a lower price – even on a competitors website!

Or, train your people to pick up the phone and call the local hotel if its’ showing full!

And Enterprise– stock gas vouchers or combine services.. so your “pick up” guy stops for gas on the way to pick up a client.

Surprising missteps for two brands I so admire for their service standards.  

I grant a few missteps here and there. I will continue to use both of these brands. But.. it’s a chink in the service and brand perception armor.

My guard is up. Please guys. Prove me wrong.

 

Email and the Demise of a Civil Society

Have you ever noticed how rude people can be when communicating via email? Especially when the email is to an unknown recipient. It’s as though we’ve all forgotten that there is still a real person on the receiving end of every email. Slipped our minds that our complaint, issue, concern or frustration has to be taken in by a human in order for a response to be generated. Like we have a hall pass to toss out all social norms just because there is no intimate connection with the recipient.

Ironically, it’s very likely that the person manning the support box had nothing to do with why you have your issue in the first place. They have just been assigned to help you. Poor them.

Why am I so intimate with this? Because I am totally guilty. I am often frustrated with poorly designed websites. In fact, frustrated puts it a little lightly. They make me angry. And I’ve been known to send off a snarky note or two to the email box of said website, expressing my frustration and suggesting ways in which they can improve their customer experience. No surprise… I’ve never received a response.

Until recently.

I had a complaint about the lack of intuitive navigation on a particular website and I sent a note suggesting (ok.. strongly suggesting) that they were alienating their customers with their bad user experience. Shockingly, a note came back the next day with a highly apologetic, understanding and empathetic “Jane” who validated my concerns, seemed to genuinely thank me for my feedback and offered to actually CALL ME to walk me through finding what I needed.

Um… wow. Thanks Jane.

I immediately felt guilty.

This was suddenly personal. Jane didn’t deserve my rant. It wasn’t her fault that it was a poor design. Yet I had just basically berated the one person who I was now asking to step up and help me get what I wanted. Oops.

This story is particularly telling because I myself am on the other side of the “support box” experience. In my work I am cc’d on the emails that come into our support box and let me tell you.. it is SHOCKING the way people communicate when they are frustrated. If they can’t see the face of the recipient who is the brunt of their rant, people are downright mean.

And yet 90% of the time the answer is right in front of them. They are in the wrong place or they have made some error (like a typo in their password). But because they can just send an email to an anonymous box nobody thinks about the HUMAN on the other end. They just blame, accuse, write in all caps, all bold, emote, berate and vent. It’s lovely reading really.

Ultimately, this lack of basic civility is a sad reflection on our society. Technology can be frustrating but the reality is that Customer Support people are human beings. They are people that go home at the end of every day, take the kids to baseball, make dinner, watch TV, do laundry, walk the dog, and then get up and do it all again the next day.

Jane helped me realize that. Just because I wasn’t walking into a corner store to interact with the shopkeeper I knew since I was a child didn’t mean she didn’t deserve my respect and polite, professional, civil behavior. How else can I expect her to want to help me?

So when you send an email to a support box and you’d like an answer or for someone to be happy to help you, remember there is no reason to be ugly. You’re inability to login is definitely not so important that you need to berate and degrade the person on the other end of you message.

They are humans. They are trying to help. They want to help. Take a breath.

They want to help a LOT less when you are ugly.

Who Has Hobbies Anymore?

“So, what are your hobbies?”

The question completely stumped me.

What, you mean like painting, or woodworking, or basket weaving or something?  It was our second date and he was trying to get to know me better.  It was a sweet question to which I had no answer.  Who has hobbies anymore?  I work, I socialize, I spend time with my family and my cats. I shop.  Um….that’s it.  OMG – I am totally boring.

It was a horrific and embarrassing realization.  Especially since the man I was talking to was a.. hmm.. let’s see… a marathon runner, wood-worker, chef, musician, motorcycle enthusiast, home renovator, furniture maker, baker, photographer, singer… um… I could go on.

Clearly I was the one “dating up” in this scenario.

The funny thing was that the question really pissed me off.  I spent weeks fuming.. then ruminating…then reflecting about my inability to give an answer to that simple question.  I found myself questioning the implication this had about who I was.  How did I define myself?  A good employee?  A reliable daughter?  A fun friend?  Animal lover???  LAME!!

What happened to the person I was growing up?  I had so many interests.  I WAS an ice skater, theatre and movie lover, reader, writer, amateur chef, skier, swimmer, traveler, photographer, antiquer and so much more.  So where did all that go?  I worked a lot.. but come on, I still had free time. What did I do with it?

Slowly I evaluated my daily existence over the next few weeks and I realized in fact I did have hobbies.  I just defined them differently.  For example, my love for cooking and interest in the food business had, over time and due to my single, working, city lifestyle, manifested itself as a borderline obsession with restaurants.  I loved to eat out, try new places, experience new things, uncover that hidden gem.  I even wrote a restaurant review column for our building newsletter. So that was one!  Restaurant going.  For me it was, and is, a hobby, interest, passion.  Whatever.  I love it.

And I still read.  Mostly online, the occasional paper, a lot of magazines and the sporadic good book – but I loved it then and still do now. Reading.  Definitely a hobby.

And “deal-finding”.  Another of my favorite past-times.  I grew up in a family that was focused on bargains, value and always finding the best deal.  My brother and I can both, to this day, can spend hours browsing the racks at Filene’s Basement, Nordstrom Rack or Loehmann’s, looking for the perfect item but better yet… the biggest bargain.  So.  Much.  Fun!

And movies.  I still love the movies.  Now I watch Netflix – with a particular focus and passion on the “bonus features”, biographies and documentaries.  I just don’t go to the theatre anymore.  Hello?  The world has changed!  But still, enjoying movies is definitely a hobby.

So while I am quite positive that the ice skating will not make a significant return to my life, it turns out many of my “old self” hobbies really are alive and well in my life every day.  And at the end of the day I couldn’t have been THAT boring since that date ended up being my last second date and eventually.. my husband!  

Apparently I decided to overlook the fact that he asked annoying questions.

My Emotional Food Journey

Food is such a basic need. It’s sustenance for your body, yes. But it’s so much more. Many of us have a love hate relationship with food. I love the way you taste – Tater Tots – but I hate the way you make me feel (especially when I eat half the bag).

Food is so simple yet so powerful because of its ability to trigger emotion. OK, guilt and frustration. But on the other side: family, warmth, life, belonging. And better than just pure emotion, it can trigger incredible memories. Just glancing at certain foods floods me with wonderful memories. I am immediately transported back in time. The smell. The taste. Just a wiff or a nibble and I am right back there.

The other day I made steamed artichokes with mayo lemon sauce and found myself lost in memories of being a 5 year old girl, when we lived for a summer in Palo Alto, CA, and would regularly pull over to the side of the road and buy fresh, giant (to my little girl eyes) chokes directly from the farmers. So fresh and tasty. And that wonderful, rich, cool, acid, flavorful sauce Mom would make to dip the leaves into. Yum.

And yet, dammit, no matter how many times I attempt to make that sauce it never really seems to match my memory. Because of course, nothing is ever as good as the first time you have it. You can be transported back in memory, but you can never really go back to that moment in time. That experience was a unique combination of youth, new tastes, inexperience, exciting flavors…. and, well, just newness. It just can’t be recreated. Not to say I haven’t tried. That damn sauce. I get close. So close it’s almost as if I am right there and its on the tip of my tongue, but somehow it’s still just out of reach.

I have tons of food memories like that. I am sure most people do. So last year for the holidays I asked Mom to make me a recipe book with some of my old favorites. Some things I hadn’t tasted in years. Like Sweet & Sour Chicken, Ambrosia, Noodle Kugel (creamy, warm, sweet and delicious), Tuna Casserole, Chocolate Trifle. And she did.

But alas, try as I might I could never exactly re-create the food from my childhood memories. And OMG.. the horror to discover some of my favorite things were made from Lipton’s soup mix, Worchester sauce, canned pineapple and ketchup. Seriously? But ohhh…the memories.

Ultimately the power of food memories reminds me that I have to treasure the memories that I have. I can go back in my mind, but I can’t re-create. I can, however, take that curious spirit forward and continue to try new things and have new experiences. Maybe not with the wonder and innocence of a five-year-old, but I know that now… still… even today…I have the chance to create new memories with every day and every meal. That’s the wonder of life. Bring it on!

History Repeating

My mom has a long history with Sears Roebuck & Co. She has always shared stories about how exciting it was when the massive catalog arrived at their doorstep with a thud, initiating near fist-fights between her and her brothers over who got to browse its’ pages first. They would dog-ear the pages that contained their coveted treasures and hope Mom and Dad would remember when their birthdays came around. Later, when a store opened near them it was an exciting destination because Sears sold everything they needed – all in one store. Tools for Pompa, seeds for grandma and toys for the kids. You need something you just went to Sears. My goodness, people even bought houses from Sears!

When she told me those stories I scoffed. What a crazy idea that one store could be an expert in every category? People must have been so unsophisticated to think they could get the best quality and pricing on everything in one place? Times sure have changed.

And then I realized… over the last few years my husband and I have purchased the following at one store:

Regular groceries… plus:

• two televisions
• a suitcase
• a sheet set
• two ladders
• mixing bowls
• a toaster oven
• a memory card
• countless roses, tulips, gladiolas
• orchids
• a calvin klein sweater
• earrings
• wine, beer, alcohol
• crab legs
• pies
• bug spray
• fresh produce
• toiletries: razors, lotions, cosmetics etc
• over the counter medicines
• cleaning supplies
• prepared foods
• a dog bed
• dog treats
• dog toys
• dog food
• a carton of cigarettes (gift…long story)
• eye exams
• greeting cards
• a custom photo album
• baby clothes
• books
• gas
• ice cream and hot dogs for lunch…

Wow. Costco really is the new Sears. What comes around, goes around.

Where to Stay and What to Do in Austin

One of the coolest parts about living in Austin is that we have a steady stream of visitors and guests.  If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked where to stay and what to do? Well… I’d at least have a hundred dollars. Every time I am asked though.. I whip out my ever growing list. Finally decided to just post it here.

 Generally these are my recommendations of what not to miss and my favorite things to do. Enjoy!

Where to stay in Austin

1. W Hotel – opened at the end of 2010 and a great location. Great bar scene and terrific location.

2. Hotel San Jose – super funky, great bar. The owner’s other hotel Hotel St. Cecelia is very $$$ and exclusive but also very very cool (at least from the pictures I’ve seen. I am not cool enough to get in and they only let hotel guests in I hear).

3. The Driskill Hotel - historic and right on E. 6th Street* (see note below re: E. 6th street).

4. Four Seasons - great spa and where all the celebs stay. Surprisingly pricey though as it’s not the nicest Four Seasons by a long shot.

5. Barton Creek Country Club – if you want a spa and out of town.

Literally…those are the best choices. After that everything is basically an Omni, Hyatt etc. boring…

 

What to do in Austin 

Outdoors

Running around Town Lake (also called Ladybird Lake)

Sunset at The Oasis on Lake Travis (30 min from downtown)

Rent kayaks on Town Lake

Swimming in Barton Springs

Hike the Greenbelt

 

BBQ

Salt Lick in Driftwood (just Google it…legendary)

County Line on The Lake (the bread is to die for)

Lamberts (good option downtown. in an old firehouse. cool.)

 

Other Foody things to do

75 cent happy hour oysters at Eddie V’s

Sangria on the patio at Hotel San Jose on S Congress

Shopping on S Congress

 

TexMex

Chuys (best one is the one on Barton Springs Road – see my YELP post. I heart Chuy’s)

Z Tejas (6th street location for Happy Hour)

Hula Hut (10 min from downtown)

La Condesa (across from Lamberts) 

 

AirStream Cuisine

Torchy’s Tacos - Go to the S. Austin Trailer Park and Eatery one. We LOVE the Brush Fire

Chilantro BBQ – Asian/Fusion BBQ

Kebabalicious - 

 A link to all of the Trailers and AirStream Eateries on Yelp.

Bars/clubs/music

Cedar Street

Malverde

West 6th street - Key Bar is our fav but they are all good down there

* re: e. 6th street. You may have heard of the “famous” 6th street in Austin. It’s a bit like Bourbon Street but not as crowded. It’s the place where the college kids hang… where you smell stale beer wafting from the doorways as you wander down the street. Now – that said – there is still a LOT of good music venues and it’s fun to check out and wander in for some live music. After that – for a better bar scene head to West 6th. Take a cab. It’s a couple miles.

That’s it. My two cents. This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are TONS of other things to do, places to see etc in Austin. Would love to hear your thoughts/comments/suggestions here too. My hubby has a few opinions too. Some above and a few others too.

Check it out here: www.LiveLoveAustin.com

ENJOY!

A Delightful See’s Candies Experience

Yesterday I had a totally unexpected and absolutely charming customer service/brand experience that still makes me smile to think about. I was in the Bay Area on business and noted a See’s Candies store. I have distinct emotional memories of See’s Candies from when I was a little girl – a good friend’s grandparents would bring them from California on every trip to Chicago… and I was always the secondary beneficiary of these magical chocolate suckers that were always in short supply and were an absolute treat! So random to see the store as I hadn’t thought about the brand, or the delightful chocolate candies, for years. Literally.

Anyway, I had some time to kill (and some particularly big chocolate fans coming to town for a visit soon) so I stopped in to indulge my nostalgia and my friends’ sweet tooth (ok, and mine too).

As I browsed I couldn’t help noticing that the two men behind the counter were quite merrily serving customers – offering each and every customer a free, full-size chocolate to enjoy as they fulfilled their orders. There was so much genuine cheer in their voices you couldn’t help but smile. I then realized that both gentlemen were older. In fact, neither could have been less than 65. Definitely rare for the retail world. I thought.. that’s sweet, applaud the brand, and went back to browsing.

Actually by that point I was no longer browsing. I was quite seriously shopping. I had found a box of 30 assorted suckers and was attempting to determine how the box price compared to the 70 cent per piece cost if I were to buy them a la carte. As I performed these complicated mathematically computations the strain must have shown on my face as one of the gentlemen from behind the counter approached to see how he could help – or at least that’s what I thought.

In fact, he was approaching to ask if I preferred milk or dark chocolate for my free sample. Apparently just entering the store made me eligible. It didn’t matter if I bought anything. Wow. I love it.

After we established that I’d prefer dark chocolate, because of course its good for me, I explained my dilemma – the savings was so significant with the box that I was considering the bulk purchase even though I didn’t want two of the flavors.

I can never pass up a good deal.

“No problem” he quipped – we can honor the box price and give you just the flavors you want! We want you to have what you want. Wow.

I bought 30 suckers – 50% chocolate and 50% café au lait – and found myself looking for a tip jar! He clearly loves his job. The company clearly gives their employee’s leeway to delight customers. See’s Candies is clearly delivering on a brand promise. And I was charmed and delighted. The brand, based on my experience, just leapt back into my life and I am looking forward to my next visit.

Oh.. and to those 30 chocolate suckers tucked away in my suitcase? They may not make it till the chocolate-loving friends visit after all!

The Satisfaction of Non-Traditional Tradition

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – hands down. It’s all about family, food and wine. Three of my favorite things.

I particularly love the approach my family has taken to the holiday over the years – adding non-traditional and personal touches that has formed our annual gathering into a quirky, fun celebration that is so indicative of the ones I love. And it seems every year we are lucky enough to include good friends as well. Those who can appreciate a day of hanging in the kitchen, cooking, setting the table, drinking (probably a bit too much), indulging and laughing. There is always a LOT of laughing.

This may "appear" traditional... but trust me. It's not!

It’s not so much about football in our family. And Aunt Edna’s green bean casserole that everybody hates. It’s more about telling stories, collective cooking (we are the definition of “too many cooks”), creative spins and trying new things. Like BBQ’ing the turkey on the grill. Or last years Colossal Thanksgiving Poolside Pot Luck with all our friends and neighbors that ended in a night of guitar-playing and singing around the fire pit. How can that NOT be a good time?

Our deviant approach has meant modifications to the traditional menu too - like my annual contribution of Cranberry Pear Chutney – a now-staple on our Thanksgiving table. And my mom’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Truffle Oil. To die for. And my husbands day-after Thanksgiving Pizza. Seriously. To date not a one that has tried it hasn’t loved it.

For us, it’s not the Norman Rockwell definition of a picture perfect celebration. It’s about having fun, a creative, adventuresome spirit and opening our arms to new people and new ideas.

Hope your Thanksgiving is as fun as mine is sure to be this year. In case you are feeling adventurous I share my recipe for Cranberry Chutney. It’s awesome on Greek yogurt for breakfast too. Happy Turkey Day!

Cranberry Pear Chutney
1. 1/2 c. fig vinegar (cider vinegar if necessary)
2. 2 1/2 c. lt. brown sugar
3. 2 T grated fresh ginger root
4. 2 T cinnamon
5. 1/2 t cloves
6. 1/2 c. water
7. 2 lemons, peeled, grated, pith discarded, cut flesh
into large pieces
8. 1 orange
9. 3 Bosc pears, coarsely chopped
10. 3 c. fresh cranberries
11. 1 c. raisins

In a large saucepan, heat 1 through 9 over medium-high
heat to boiling. And 1 1/2 cups cranberries and
raisins. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the
cranberries start to pop and release juices, about 10
minutes. Add remaining cranberries and simmer for
another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool. Cover and
refrigerate. Can be made up to 2 days ahead.