If the economy didn't suck, I'd be a better hostess...

Well, maybe I'd be a better hostess. 


I love to entertain. I think it runs in my blood. 


My grandparents, Frank and Ang, ran a Czech restaurant in the Chicago suburbs for a number of years, but shut the doors in the early nineties. While I remember obscure decorative items in the building- such as a swordfish nailed to the wall-  most memories are limited. I was too young to people watch and, armed with the vernacular of any respectable five-year-old, had an arsenal of confined conversation topics. 


Still, when I look back at photos of my grandparents at the restaurant they look to be in their element. They seemed very comfortable and extremely skilled at making people feel at home in their restaurant. This is how I feel when I am entertaining or cooking for people.  As silly as this may sound, I get great satisfaction from making people feel at home in my home. In fact, I often get annoyed with guests who nervously congregate near the kitchen rather than sitting down and relaxing in the common area. That drives me nuts! 


Anyway... I invited the girls over for an apéritif on my roof top Friday evening to escape the unbearable Chicago Summer heat. Sangria is one of my all time favorite Summer drinks, and I thought it would be the perfect beverage to cool off my friends. I had a few bottles of white wine left over from earlier in the week, so I decided to take a stab at making some White Sangria. 


I figured I had most, if not all, of the ingredients needed to create the concoction. I'd made Red Sangria the previous weekend and had some left over orange juice, pineapple juice and brandy. While googling the recipe, I found myself fantasizing about wearing an apron and floating around the rooftop serving an abundance of flowing white sangria to my guests, who of course, were asking for a second and third glass. 


My dream was quickly deflated when I came across a recipe by Ms. Rachael Ray. According to said formula,  one needed apple liquor, soda water and a white Spanish wine. I found myself at a disadvantage... could I substitute White Franzia for the white Spanish wine!?


If the economy didn't suck, I probably would have marched my way to the liquor store a block away and picked up the necessary ingredients. But since it does- and I work in PR- I made a conscious decision to "wing it." 


The end product did not resemble your typical Cafe Iberico White Sangria, or anything close to the foodporn found on Rachael Ray's website. My version was opaque and clouded by the addition of the orange and pineapple juices. 


The fact that my friend, Christy, brought a bottle of pre-made, translucent white sangria as a hostess present probably should have left me with a tinge of embarrassment... but I don't embarrass easily. I thanked her for her thoughtful gift and quickly hid the bottle in the fridge before any of my other guests would notice. 


Regardless, everyone seemed to enjoy the unique white sangria I served, and I learned the following lessons from the experience:


1. There are a few instances in cooking where I would actually discourage following the recipe... sometimes, if you're lucky, the end result will work?!?


2. If a guest should bring a dish or beverage that looks more attractive than the one you've prepared, thank him or her and quickly hide the evidence before your other friends have a chance to comment


3. Don't let Rachael Ray's recipes intimidate you... ever.


Happy hosting

Two Six

After several failed attempts at blogging, I've decided to give it another shot. The irony of the situation is part of my job consists of monitoring, evaluating and rating blogs and the influence of bloggers. I am by no stretch of the imagination a social media maven, but I can honestly say my cubicle at the office is strategically placed in, what I fondly refer to as, Social Media Central.

I work for a full (sorta) service public relations firm.

Since the first day in in the office, one of the skills I've been required to master is social media monitoring- and yes, that actually exists.  Essentially, if a blogger posts something, positive or negative, about one of the accounts I work on, it is my responsibility to find it, evaluate it, report it and then, if appropriate, figure out how to respond. It's not the most thrilling part of my job, but I will say it's interesting.

However, sitting in Social Media Central, it's become painfully obvious how mundane the issues I monitor for are in comparison to the issues some of my colleagues monitor for... I monitor for stories about executives... a few weeks ago my cube mates were monitoring for coverage pertaining to a major fashion icon. Fashion is not a huge interest of mine, but these girls are so passionate about what they do, that I often feel envious, not of their work, but of their passion for their work. This experience with social media monitoring has inspired me to monitor my own life. In fact it's even caused me to take an audit of my career choices.

Did you know that the average American spends 85 percent of their lifetime working? No, you didn't because that statistic was made up due to Google's failure to generate the answer on the first two search pages. While the average American may or may not spend the majority of life at work, we certainly spend a significant amount of time working.

This begs the question, should we love what we're doing? If you're anything like my father, you're answer to this question is this: Work is not supposed to be fun... Guess what Dad... I disagree.


A preconceived notion of mine has always been that in order to write a blog, one needs to be a foodie, a fashionista or a mom... I am none of those things. I am twenty-six (and a half) and I am desperately seeking something that will spark my interest. My goal with this blog is to explore that and learn something along the way. Read on if you'd like, but please remember my thoughts and opinions are respectfully my own.