Trick or Treat!

I dressed up for my students today and they seemed to enjoy. Although, they did call me Ratatouille, which is a food so I think we need to work on comprehension next week.

And you know, I like wearing this coat...I feel sort of superior and prestigious. No wonder the chefs act the way they do, it's all in the whites. What are your plans tonight? I'll be passing out candy in full costume. It's been a long week and as nice as it is outside, I'm happy to be dishing out the good to the little ones.

Happy Halloween!

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-

Chef and Wife

I loved my dress. I hate my bangs! I loved my old blunt bangs, but my hairdresser/friend said they made me look like a kid so she swept them over and now I kind of hate it. I look like a nerd-girl.
DCW_NYC
-Hilary-

PS. My computer is fixed!!

Sure, I'll Eat Anything!

Erik and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary this past weekend. We drove upstate to Tarrytown to eat at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. It was fantastic! They brought us some of the produce, still dirty from being pulled right out of the Earth, to show us the before and after. The presentation was fun and interactive, too. The food came out on large flat stones, the same kind that the barns are built of. Also, there were wood blocks with nails sticking out that held the freshly seasons vegetables. And the craziest part was when the server brought us a small plate with an egg over something unidentifiable. He hinted that we should eat before he told us what is was. Keep in mind that Blue Hill has no menu, they serve what they serve. Well, I looked at this kid and with an air of coolness I leaned back and said, "I've eaten pretty much everything there is to eat. Come on, what is it?"

Lamb's testicles. 

My jaw dropped, but I ate it and it tasted like sweetbreads. Not great, but I'm so proud of myself for even trying it. 

So the big question is, would you eat lamb's testicles??

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-

Hydroponics: Lettuce Update

How fast did this lettuce grow? I cannot believe it! And this picture was taken today after I picked a bowlful for my salad. I highly recommend growing lettuce if you've got a hydroponic set up because it's much easier than any other plant and it grows so fast. 

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-

ChefMumbles: Spanish Edition

Dios Mio! Mi esposo molestame en la noche. 

The other morning I was creeping by Erik to day good-bye when he mumbled:

"Tiempo! I need the timer. Tiempo!"

I know most of you enjoy reading this segment of the blog, however I'm taking this personally now. I mean why can't he just turn on at least 5% of his [English speaking] brain to mumble the words I want to hear? ....I love you...good-bye...have a good day....you look so sophisticated in that sweater....something!

After all, I get up during my sleeping time to: fix a late night meal, watch tv, chat, clean up the late night meal, and even talk in bed. But on the other hand, I suppose he can't control his midnight mumbles. Unless he worked less than 72 hundred hours a week. 

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-

Healthlife Part 2

I just got back from the doctor and the news I heard wasn't something I wanted to hear. The good news comes in two parts. First, I don't have to wear the heart monitor anymore. Second, my blood work came back excellent. The thyroid is good, cholesterol is good, the liver is good...good, good, good. BUT, I have to wait another week to get the results of the EKG. And there is a chance it could be an arrhythmia. I didn't like the way my doctor said that was a "problem" either. So, until then, I'll just keep talking about this because that will help me to relax. 

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-

Computer Nightmare

Since I have the rights to www.desperatechefswives.com it's my responsibility to keep the website going. Well, let me tell you about my Sunday evening nightmare. I've been getting email reminders that I need to renew my domain registration. BUT I DID! And I have the receipt for it too. So I thought nothing of it until my website was shut down and it was taken over by some scamming search engine with my blog name! I was fuming! So I tried about a million ways to get the website back and nothing was working. I was in such a rage that I threw my laptop on the floor (trying to prove I was mad, not trying to actually do any damage) and now it won't turn on!! I am freaking out! Meanwhile, the website is back on, I guess google finally got it together. I am so grateful that Erik bought the Mac I'm typing on now. I'm bringing my laptop to the school's IT guy tomorrow and hopefully it will be ready by the weekend. If I had no computer...I'd probably suffer miserably. Luckily, I've got my iPhone, just in case. 

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-

Hydroponics: Lettuce

Erik's sous chef Omar has got us going on bibb lettuce now that our basil has ended its life cycle. Hydroponics is so easy! I mean, after Omar does all the hard work of getting the seedlings going, really all you have to do is watch them grow! We've got a timer on the lights and the motor that supplies the bubbles/oxygen to the water runs all day and night. Once in a while the water has to be changed, but overall-this is so easy!

Check out these babies.

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-

Apple Pickins

Last Monday while laying in bed enjoying my Columbus Day off, Erik and I decided at the last minute to go apple picking. We went to the same orchard that we went to last year, Barton Orchards in Dutchess County New York.

Check out Erik juggling some apples! We had such a great time picking apples, and although against orchard rules, we climbed trees like two little kids. The Hudson Valley is such a beautiful place and a perfect escape from the city.

Since we were so close so our old 'hood we drove by the "garden" apartment we used to live in. Wow, we've come a long way. Our new condo isn't drafty, potheads don't live all around us...at least that we know of, and we have wood floors instead of industrial carpet. But our old town of Wappingers Falls isn't all a mess like the apartments we lived in. We made a pit stop at Planet Wings for two #1s with hot sauce and Dr. Pepper...and 30 more wings to last us for a couple days. Then we headed over to Gymnastics City where I coached gymnastics and cheerleading before moving to Jersey City. It was so nice to see everyone I used to work with and even some of the kids I taught. If I had time and less residual back pain I'd love to get back into coaching. Maybe after I retire.

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-

ChefWife HealthLife

I just got back from the doctor and due to some odd heart palpitations I've been strapped with this heart monitor for four weeks. I have two pads on my chest and when I feel an irregularity I push the red button. It records what is going on with my heart. Then after thirty seconds I call this 888 number and playback the sounds the monitor makes over the phone and it faxes the info over to my doctor. I just went to the doctor thinking he would tell me to write down when the palpitations happen, but after only 45 minutes I had blood work done and I was strapped with this machine. Although I'm a little nervous about people noticing the Blackberry sized monitor clipped on my hip I'm so impressed with the speed and concern of my new doctor. 

Pray and think good thoughts about my little heart. 

DCW_NYC

-Hilary-