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For My Kids

Dear Jenna,
Thanks for making me a mom. Because of you, I’ve been a dance mom, a room mom, a cookie mom, occasionally an overprotective mom—cue the Jewish mom—and, so you tell me, a cool mom.

Dear Andrew,
Thanks for making me a boy mom. Because of you, I’ve been a scout mom, a swim mom, a water polo mom, a one-time stage mom, a working mom (to pay for all of your activities 😉 ), and, of course, a proud mom.

P.S. Thanks to both of you for giving me the gift of motherhood and endless content for my blog. (#bloggermom) You are the gifts that keep on giving. And you are such good sports! 😀

Dear Chloe,
Thanks for making me a dog mom, something I never thought I would be. Because of you, I’m the dog mom who stands out in the rain and snow waiting as long as it takes for you to pee, who worries about your little cough at night, and who has an “I love poodles” bumper sticker on my car.

XO,

Elisa (Mom)

Florida Feelings

Me, Scott, and Mickey Mouse.A few months ago, I reached out to an old friend to catch up and ask her a few business-related questions. In the initial text message, I invited her for coffee, thinking she still lived a few towns over. But I was surprised to learn that she and her husband had moved to Florida.

This is not the first of my friends to move there permanently or on a semi-perm basis. I have friends whose parents moved to Florida, but the parents are in their 70s and 80s. I once heard a comedian joke that it’s in the Torah to move to Florida after a certain age. So, I understood why they made aliyah.

(For those who don’t know, the phrase making aliyah refers to moving to Israel, not Florida. 😉 )

Anyway, today, a friend and I discussed how many of our mutual friends have made this move. She asked me what my feelings were about moving to Florida. So, here are my thoughts.

Pro: I’m a Disney adult and love to visit the parks for the rides, restaurants, and various concerts and festivals.
Con: I’d spend all my hard-earned money there and never vacation anywhere else.

Pro: The Phillies are in Clearwater, Florida, for spring training for a glorious six weeks out of the year. I went to spring training with Andrew one year and had the best time.
Con: The money I don’t spend in the Disney Parks would be spent on baseball games.

Pro: I love getting away from here and sitting in the Florida sunshine for a while. Let’s face it. It’s nice to wear shorts in the wintertime. I also love the palm trees!
Con: I get grumpy in the sweltering heat. I don’t think I could take it year-round.

More Cons:

  • I’m not a fan of alligators or bugs.
  • I would be too far away from my family and friends unless they came with me.
  • I don’t want to live in or near a tourist trap—even if we are near Mickey Mouse.

The bottom line is that Florida is a great place to visit. We always enjoy our time there, but I don’t think I’d like to live there full-time. For my friends who have made it their permanent home state, I miss you. And I am still 100% jealous of how close you are to the parks and the beaches and the fun. When I see your Facebook posts, I so wish I was having dinner at EPCOT with you or sitting outside without my heavy coat.

I promise that I’m not throwing you any shade—unless you need to get out of the Florida heat.

XO,

Elisa

My First Charcuterie Board

Full disclosure: This photo is not the charcuterie board I created. This is a stock photo.

I wish I had taken a photo of the one I made when I hosted book club at my house.

Picture this: three different kinds of cheese—gouda, goat, and brie and two different types of crackers —water and Ritz. Who says it has to be fancy, right?! I also put out little jars of raspberry fruit spread for added sweetness. Then, my board needed fruit, so I washed off some grapes. At first, I picked the grapes off their stems, but then I realized it would look nicer if I put them out in small bunches. It’s a good thing I had more grapes.

I added a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine, and voila…my first charcuterie board was born!

I was proud of myself for a few reasons. First, I wasn’t supposed to host book club that night, but my friend who was going to host had COVID. (We missed you!) I happily volunteered to host instead, but I didn’t have much time to plan what to serve. I knew I could find some things at Fresh Market, and it turned out to be a fun shopping experience. I loved checking out the cheese section, the different jams and other items I could have selected. In the interest of time and money, I decided to make this one simple. But I still remember the excitement I felt that I could put a nice board together without a ton of work.

Second, I usually depend on my husband to help me decide what to serve and how to arrange it. He is generally in charge of the food when we are entertaining because he has a vision. He knows what to make and how it should be arranged. These things stress me out, so I’m okay leaving it in his capable hands and doing the dishes afterward.

We all have our strengths.

But I climbed out of my comfort zone, and it was a big hit!

Finally, knowing it worked out when I tried something new is refreshing. I’m not always confident in my cooking skills or hosting duties. But I will definitely make a new board soon. It is much more fun to do than the spinach dip I am most known for. I’m happy to make the spinach dip, but there isn’t much variety to it. The boards are a chance to be creative and experiment with new foods. Maybe I’ll add olives, pepperoni slices, or mini quiches next time. The possibilities are endless!

And next time, I’ll remember to take a picture. 🙂

Do you make charcuterie boards? How about those new butter boards? Please leave me some suggestions in the comments. 

XO,

Elisa

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