A Summer Meal - - BEFORE summer ENDS!

Russell and I went to the supermarket today -- wow did I just say RUSSELL AND I went to the store????????????? I can't go marketing alone anymore. I need help choosing foods and using the scales and weighing my produce. Today Russ and I decided we wanted to try lobster. Russell never had it before - me, I seldom eat it myself. So we went to our fish counter and well...I had her steam it for me! She reached in and pulled up a soft shelled lobster to show me and he started moving! I felt so sad for him, that I said I could not do the deed at home. So Russ and I came home with 3 steamed lobsters. I also decided to make some fried calamari. Here are photos of our meal. Oh that corn...THAT NEW JERSEY CORN...DID IS JUST SAY CORN???????????? It was H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y! The best this year! What a treat. And see the tomatoes? They are heirlooms. So so tasty as well.

That's all I did today. I think I texted and tried calling Emily a bit too much today. Never heard back...oh yeah and instant messaging too...no word. Guess she's having FUN FUN FUN!

Hope you are all enjoying the holiday weekend.

Best,

Jane M

We ALL scream for ICE CREAM!

Here are some pictures of the finished product. I forgot to bring my camera to the kitchen to show the whole process, but look WE HAVE VANILLA ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!!! I took a tiny taste before freezing it and did it taste WONDERFUL. I guess you know what we'll be having for dessert tonight!

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best,

Jane M

Back to SCHOOL!

Em is back at her school!!!!!!!!!!!! She is beyond thrilled. Me too. She had a real blaaah of a summer - working and having no friends. She really buried herself in the couch with her computer and NETFLIX! Em and I had a 2 day road trip with an overnight stay at my sister's house. We all had fun. My sister does a cooking show on the WEB and Emily and I were guest hosts! Em really took to the camera - what a ham. My sister gave me this drop dead gorgeous ice cream maker...so what do you think I'll be doing right after posting this blog. My son Russell can't wait to make the 1st batch! so anyway, back to college. Emily's school is really a wonderful place...and the perfect school for our daughter. She's civically minded and wants to MAYBE become a lawyer on Capital Hill. I can really envision this career for our daughter. She's a real go getter! But back to her dorm. Remember how I told you her roommate won the housing lottery? Well these 4 Sophomores are living in the best dorm room on campus among all Seniors! And lemme tell you, this place is a palace! So what did I do? I completely furnished their kitchen! And Em made her first meal tonight with Jell-o as dessert. I think I taught me kids well about homemaking and stuffs like that!

Well I'm pooped. I made the drive all by myself listening to CNN on the radio which made the ride FLY by this afternoon! I think I might have had a lead foot, but no one stopped me. I also use my blue tooth when I talk on my phone.

Well it's back to work tomorrow for me.

Happy Labor Day to all! I'm off to churn some ice cream!!!!!!!!!!!! Picture to follow!

Best,

Jane M

To the Book Store

Emily and I went to our favorite bookstore to hang, read and possibly make a purchase. I am thinking you don't even have to guess to which section I head off to upon entering the store. YUP - the cookbook section!!!!!!!!!!!!! I gathered some books and went to the seating area which is right across from the magazines. And of course the cooking magazines are staring me right in the face. I pick up a special issue of Fine Cooking and see this yummy looking blueberry cake. I looked through my purse, found a crumpled old grocery list and my pen and jotted down the ingredients. Came home last night and whipped this up for breakfast. WE ALL HAD A SLICE and it was so so good. After posting I am going to type up the recipe to keep it in my repertoire.

This afternoon we are hosting our creative director and photographer for a meeting of the minds for the Fall Edition of the Pinnacle Publications. After, we will sit down to a yummy summer meal. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

We are also in the middle of the big pack for Emily to return to college for her Sophomore year. Don't even ask what her room has looked like for these past 4 months. Actually Emily asked me where should she begin to pack since her room is so disorganized and sloppy! I just had to laugh - BUT I'M NOT GOING TO TACKLE THAT ROOM -- NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I didn't make that mess so I'm not going to clean it!!!

OK then, we're heading into the last week of summer so maybe I should maybe START to work on my tan! HA HA.

Best,

Jane M

It's Sunday Evening

No more Phelps swimming to watch for me. NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? Maybe about 10 million more loads of LAUNDRY? That never ENDS - the laundry is driving me out of my mind!

Big week ahead. All the mannequins/bust forms are back from Chicago as well as all the ties and various other things that need to get put away. Then of course are all the orders that I must get to as well!

So on that note, it's time to flick around the TV channels and find something to watch to rest up for the week ahead.

Best,

Jane

Who would'da thunk

that when Gary and I went away for 4 days and 3 nights to the Chicago Men's Show,that my kids would MISS US so so much????????????? Most kids would most probably REJOICE to be left home alone with 2 cars, a ton of cash, and FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nope, not the Cahn kids!!!!!! YIPPEE for cell phones - I almost felt as though I never left home! This is what we had to deal with.

1. Flat tire in the driveway - tires purchased last November - luckily we bought tire INSURANCE in our town so they came right over and fixed it!

2. Emily calls me at 6:30am saying that the muscle cramp she had 2 days before was most probably a BLOOD CLOT and what should she do? A blood clot?????? Is she kidding me? She woke up early and watched TV and saw a commercial and went off the deep end! She has Russell drive her to the URGENT care only to find out that she had a MUSCLE CRAMP! Was sent home with a dissertation in print all about leg cramps. But...she lost her $100 perfect attendance for her life guarding job, as well as a day's pay!!!!

3. So since she had a day off -- yippee -- TV and FACEBOOK all the live long day. NOPE, the day was foiled. The electric company decided to come and trim the tree branches near the wires (at 9:00am)-- YUP THEY CLIPPED THE VERIZON WIRE! NO TV, NO INTERNET, NO PHONES FOR 1.5 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG WHAT MORE COULD WE ALL TAKE?????????

Oh it seems as though we spent more time on our cell phones putting out fires at home! Naah not really. Gary and I really enjoyed ourselves for the short time we were away. We came home saying we should do that more often - MAYBE WHEN THE KIDS ARE MARRIED AND OUT OF THE HOUSE?????????????? Emily told me it was the WORST 3 DAYS OF HER LIFE WITHOUT ME HOME! She said even the dog was acting pissy and annoyed by the different routine!

So I'm home, cleaning, cooking, DOING TIES and just being ME! Just JANE M!

Hope to hear from you all soon!

Best,
Jane M

Chicago Chicago

what a nice city! Never been here before. Never saw a Great Lake before! I'm not even sure I ever flew over a Great Lake - WOW are they HUGE is all I can say. Our flight was all on time and we were in Chicago mid-morning and headed right over to the Menswear Mart. What a nice trade show here in Chicago. Now from all my hard work here at Private Stock, I know many of the lines all around us. If you are reading this post and are a Store, please come by and see me and Gary! We're at booth 3009-3011. We think our booth came out great! We did a bang up job shipping out stuff and then styling the ties in our booth.

Have a look!

Best,
Jane M

As promised

a picture of our green lawn on August 8th! We've not had a green lawn in August since 2001! Now I'm not saying it will remain this way, but I know Sam B. is working his magic weekly! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Best,

Jane M

Look at this picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See anything familiar? Yup the soldier carrying a huge load of baked goods, with my box with the PRIVATE STOCK LOGO TAPE is on top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti made it to Iraq in less than a week (just like the Postmaster said it would in the South Orange Post Office!)I wonder if my cookies came in not crushed? I wonder if they were well received? So many unanswered questions! I did not sign up for Round 2 of the baking brigade because I'm busy at work getting ready to go to the Chicago show tomorrow. I will certainly get in on round 3! I'll probably have to bake something different as well.

OK just wanted to post the photo and say if you are in Chicago to come see me and Gary at booth 3009-3011 to see our fine neckwear!

Best,

Jane M

Baking for the Troops Update

No response yet from the troops that my cookies were received. But I did get an email from the blog poster who got me into this whole thing. She sent an email blast to all the bakers if anyone lives in the San Fran area as ABC NEWS was doing a story on this event! RATS RATS RATS! I would have so loved to be on the news! Oh well! I can't wait to hear how my chocolate biscotti were received.

Back to the grind here at Private Stock. The season has just opened and we're ready to fill your orders. In fact, I've been shipping like crazy and it's just early August! Come on now, don't be afraid to order online, or give me a call, or call 1 our fine salesmen in your area. We're ready when you are! Don't miss out on the FALL 2008 season! The ties are fan-damn-tastick!

On a side note, it's now August 5th and we still have green grass! We can't believe it. I'm going to take pictures tomorrow to show you all! Also my new side garden is growing in very nicely. If it weren't for those darn deer stomping around in there, my marigolds might even be bigger! But I'll take what I can get for now!

Best,

Jane

I was at the PHOTO SHOOT yesterday

for our Pinnacle Publications Fall 2008 magazine in NYC (Martha Stewart's building where she films her TV show). As usual, I felt like OLD MOTHER HUBBARD. I did not take any photos because well...I felt STUPID! Gary is becoming a PRO at setting up clothing and little details of a photo shoot. Our creative director took over from there and the day went smoooooooooooooooth as glass. Larry really put together a great team of workers and the models we hired really came through. In fact, our male model was in from Italy for 2 weeks and came to work for us. But the funny thing about Roger is that he is in a Barilla commercial that always makes me laugh. You might know it - the Mom and daughter go to a restaurant for dinner and the dad is the chef and makes this new "mini" pasta for their young daughter! Yup he was our model and lemme tell you - hubba hubba. Did he look wonderful in the suits and TIES. The female - a real knock out too! In a word, STUNNING. Me, not so - felt like an old house frau -but I did have a couple of good idears and put in my 2 cents. I can be a real boss at times! HA HA!

So today is AUGUST 1ST -- AUGUST 1ST!!!!!!!!!!!! How can that be? Time is flying. My daughter will be leaving me soon to go back to school and is she ever ready. Last night she and her friend went to the Yankee game and her friend caught a fly ball! Can you take it? The ball was actually coming for Emily, but luckily she had just gotten up to get a bottle of water or she would have been clobbered by the ball as well as crazy fans sitting behind them.

So that's my news for the day. Wish I had some pictures to show you all, but you will just have to wait for your magazines to be printed and mailed!

Best,

Jane M