I have always been accustomed to working hard, but the last five months have been filled with deadlines and insane pressure. I did a movie and we moved out of our home of sixteen years. We moved to New York and I did a play on Broadway, all while being an attuned mother and continuing to breastfeed. I’m sooooo ready for more balance! Thanksgiving week was a great opportunity to unwind and kickstart my more balanced future for now.
Here is how I spent it:
Monday night, the cast, writer, and director of The Performers got together for a dinner party at Ari Graynor’s house. It was just eight of us. I made the Leek and Mushroom Pesto Crostini from my book. It was a big hit! Daniel Breaker made a delicious beet couscous dish and a bean cassoulet. Ari made a stacked eggplant and tomato dish and Jenny made a nice salad with veggies. There was a lot of not-so-friendly food too. This is a very meat-friendly cast. I hope not for long!
Pre-Feasting At Candle Café
On Wednesday, Christopher, Bear and I took the subway to the Upper Westside Candle Café (the new one). It’s a very nice location with a cool bar. We just popped in quickly, so we sat at the bar with Bear between us in a highchair. He couldn’t see the bar…it was so high and the chair was so low. Very funny and cute! It looked like delicious cocktails were being freshly made. Christopher had his seitan picatta. I had the Mezze plate, and the quesadilla, which is great with avocado and salsa.
During The Performers, the cast ordered from Candle Café with me quite a few times. Henry Winkler loved the seitan picatta and the spaghetti and meatballs. Daniel Breaker did too. Well, the whole cast did! Anywho, after dinner at Candle Café, we went home, and I had a nice long bath with Bear.
Thanksgiving Times Two
Thanksgiving Day was great! I woke up to a little naked baby who gets on top of mommy every morning for breakfast boobies. I’m so lucky to have this precious time. Afterward, Bear usually tells me he needs to go potty. So, we do that. I love elimination communication. It’s the sweetest thing ever, and Bear gets to stay naked a lot, which he loves. We love it too – babies are soooo cute naked! For breakfast, we normally have mochi and greens, or steel cut oats and greens. On Thanksgiving morning, we had steel cut oats.
After breakfast, we all got ready to go to have a Thanksgiving meal with Leanne from Vaute Couture and her BFF Joshua Katcher from the Discerning Brute. Bear rode in the Ergo with me. This is one of my favorite times, when he in the Ergo with me – I love it so much! We took the train to Joshua’s house in Brooklyn. On the train, we talked to some nice people and a cute little 9 year-old girl.
We knew Joshua’s boyfriend from Real Food Daily. He used to work there. Anywho, this was such a lovely apartment, filled with lovely, warm vegans…yay! Everyone made different dishes. Joshua made a delicious bundt cake (Joshua’s Basic Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe). It was so yum and moist. We also had “cheese” from Dr. Cow with grapes and a plate of red pepper hummus and yum crackers. There were some guys who own a vegan donut shop in Brooklyn called Dun-Well Doughnuts. Their shop recently won best doughnut in the city. It wasn’t a “vegan doughnut” award; it was an award for the best doughnuts, period. And they happen to be vegan. Yay! I love that, and I want to try them.
Joshua showed me some eco, cruelty-free suits he designed. So stylish and lovely. What I’m most excited to report about is his men’s shoes line. Stop the press!! These are the best men’s shoes I have ever seen. The line is a collaboration between Brave Gentleman x Novacas. Run to get them. I’m taking my man to Moo Shoes ASAP to get them. He really needs some shoes, and these are lovely! Oh my gosh, they were amazing. I’ll post more about them soon.
Thanksgiving Dinner
After our Thanksgiving lunch with Leanne, we went home for a nap. Bear fell asleep on me in bed with his little arm around my shoulder. It was so sweet. Later, we went out again to another friend’s house for dinner, Rene Lou. She made a huge feast. Her quinoa was so good (see instructions for making it below). She also made a delicious, spicy pumpkin sauce, a huge, yum salad, and roasted little potatoes and spinach, which was divine. She served a big baked butternut squash, cut in half, lengthwise. It would make a great centerpiece instead of a dead animal – for any holiday meal. Everything was delicious.
Rene’s Hearty Quinoa Salad
Cook the quinoa in half veggie stock and half water (two parts liquid, to one part grain), then added an extra salt-free organic bouillon cube. After cooking, add some chopped parsley and scallions, a little olive oil and salt. Finish by adding cranberries and toasted nuts. You can add walnuts or almonds, or both.
Rene’s Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Mix cut up potatoes with olive oil in a baking dish. Add salt, pepper, dried thyme and rosemary. Bake at 425F for about 20 minutes (if cut small), then jack up the heat to 450F to make the potatoes nice and crispy.
Easy Cucumber Appetizer
Peel and slice cucumbers and season slices with salt and pepper. Arrange in a nice round pattern. Easy, yum finger food!
Unwinding With My Family
After dinner, we walked home with Bear in the Ergo. It was the best! We took another bath together, then off to bed. A perfect Thanksgiving in New York.
Ah, it’s nice to have some time to relax and have some fun!
Now, I want to hear how you spent your Thanksgiving!
Tell me in the comments below.
