Year 3, Day 31: The Birthday Bash

Planning a party can make anyone anxious, but I am a super-neurotic, as anyone who who has planned a party with me can tell (ask Jill, if you don't believe me). We spent most of the day just coming and going. My brother and his family and mine all packed into the house and it was lot like a black and white comedy movie where people bump into each other and don't know what the other one is doing. We were all kind of excited about the big bash, which started at 5pm at the Great Neck Inn. David's family were staying at the hotel and I met him there and we made sure everything was a go, since there was audio and video sections of the party.

Breakfast
2 slices of Balthazar Multi-Grain (non-pan loaf) bread
Super chunky peanut butter
coffee

Lunch: Kensington Deli
Turkey roll-mops with pickle and mustard
cole slaw
Popcorn
Cashews & Almonds

Dinner/Party:
1 coconut chicken
1 filet mignon on toast
1 beef teriyaki
3 warm spinach salads
fillet mignon
3 chicken nuggets
string beans
a little sorbet
1 bite of coconut cake (from Balthazar)

When you're at a party it can be very tough to watch what you're eating, but when you're the host, fugetabout it. I didn't eat too many of the passed Hors D'oerves because even though I picked them (with my Mom) I figured I needed to watch my calories. I didn't have any liquor either. However, I did mow on the three spinach salads with warm bacon dressing (yummy) and even though I ordered salmon, I really got it for Emily because she ordered filet mignon and she didn't want it, and I really don't like salmon. Also, trying to get Magnolia to eat I was forced to eat chicken nuggets, and for the second time in two days, found them really quite appealing. Though we asked for ice cream, we got a weird sorbet concoction and then I got my Mom's favorite cake from Balthazar, but only got one, which the staff of the GNI tried in vain to cut into 70 pieces (they failed). Only half way through the biggest eating weekend except for Thanksgiving and I was already losing the battle (but having a good time).

Year 2, Day 355: At the Pallisades, Day Two

The IBM Palisades is a state-of-the-art conference facility built near what was once of the largest IBM offices in New York (New York had a lot of them). It truly is amazing. It borders somewhere between being a like a Catskills Resort and a modern college dormitory. But then you have to add a soupcant of Buddhist retreat. The place is very peaceful on its rolling hills campus; deer were seen frolicking on our way out. It has a walking path, a man-made river and a series of tennis courts. It has a lobby with a fake fire and a large cafeteria that overlooks all the above. It is serenely home-y, and naturally, being IBM, it is completely Wi-Fi'd to the max. Aside from all that, it features a state-of-the-art fitness center, game room, and a little conference nooks for meetings on each hotel floor, replete with pads of paper and white boards. Though Emily and I find it quite sad to have to stay at a hotel when visiting our relatives, you really couldn't do a lot better. The downside is probably the food—they could do more with their breakfast, but I make do with several cups of hotel coffee and lots of bacon. At night, we had all the cousins come over and eat what was left of Amy's Ice Cream Cake in a conference room. Everyone went around the room and started with the sentence "I called this meeting because..." Ruby said "because I want to have ice cream cake for dinner."

Breakfast
Omelet (Mushrooms, Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Ham, Cheese)
Bacon
Coffee

Lunch: The Great Neck Inn
Caesar Salad
Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Warm Bacon Dressing
Crab Cakes
Whole Wheat Rolls
Ahi Tuna (Black & Blue)
Grilled Salmon
Cheesecake

Snacks
1 Stick Beef Jerky
1 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 cup Boston Lite Popcorn
SO MANY ALMONDS

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Cauliflower
Broccoli

We are planning a party for my MOM and we are having the party at the Great Neck Inn. To make sure it would not be a food-disaster, we agreed to have lunch there. Because we were 'sampling' we ordered a lot of stuff from the menu. We didn't know they were picking up the tab, but everything we ordered was super-yummy even if the presentation needed work (see wilted greens, undressed greens, bad plates). However, the Turkey burger that I ordered was INEDIBLE. We had to send it back. For most of the meal, we were the only ones in the dining room. Later at Emily's sister's house, she had roasted almonds, that were in a bowl in the middle of the room. Do you have to guess? I dove off into the almond-pool and had marzipan dreams.