We just couldn't eat any more TURKEY!

And so we had mussels for dinner the other night. A while back while watching BOBBY FLAY on his show THROW DOWN on the Food Network he visited a joint called Grandeville Moore in Washington DC. The Throw Down on this episode was on Mussels. I quickly emailed Emily to tell her of this restaurant and she's been 3 times! 3 TIMES! The only negative to this place is the wait. And wait she does - last week the wait was 2.5 hours! NOW THAT'S A VERY LONG TIME TO WAIT TO EAT MUSSELS. So my challenge the other night, was to make the mussels as good as she eats them down in DC. The recipe is really so straight forward, but my SECRET INGREDIENT is...MY HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK! Yes indeedy all those chickens I've been grilling all fall have made a freezer full of stock. I gathered together all the ingredients for steamed mussels which is basically, olive oil, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, butter and parsley - oh and of course the mussels. And did we devour them!

The final verdict from Em, 4 FORKS, or a BIG THUMBS UP for Jane! WOOT WOOT!

NO MORE TURKEY FOR A LONG WHILE HERE AT THE CAHNS!

Best,

Jane M

POST Thanksgiving

What can I say about the feasting holiday? I KNOW - IT WAS YUMMY! I made entirely too much food and we feasted our hearts out! Today - no L.O.'s. We will give ourselves a poultry break and tomorrow will dig into what's left.

I roasted the turkey on the grill which came out great. I kept having to adjust the grill temp as we were experiencing snow flurries then drizzle which kept cooling down the grill. I had the turkey on a bed of oh so delicious veggies which ended up burning to the bottom of the grill pan. What a chore it was to clean! But the turkey looked gorgeous and tasted just as great.

As usual the SWEET POTATO PIE stole the show! Every year it does and every year we all say that's the best tasting pie on EARTH!

Enjoy my photos of the great American feast!

Hope you sell MANY MANY THINGS INCLUDING OUR FINE TIES in your store today and the rest of the holiday season!

Best,

Jane M

PS We never ate the mini apple pies. Now what do we do with all of them? PPSS Russell rode the South Orange Rescue Squad all day and got NO CALLS! Seems like everyone was safe and sound in South Orange for the TURKEY DAY!

Off to NYC for the day

Gary and I took the train into NYC (today was the 1st Gridlock day of the season!). We needed to buy more fabric for ties and then we wondered up to Grand Central to the Penzey Spice Store. We also had a look at the Lord & Taylor Christmas windows. The city is READY for the upcoming holiday that's for sure! I just love this time of year! All the glitter, the lights, the decorations. It's just fun.

So now that I bought all these spices - let the cooking and baking begin!

Happy Weekend - sell a lot of TIES!

Best,

Jane M

The Trunk Show is over

And did we have fun! WOW retail is very very difficult on the feeties! I love my new fashion shoes I bought for this occasion and upcoming Trade Shows - but I think I need to buy those gel things for the soles of my feet! OUCH - my feet were burning by the time I got home! The day FLEW by! The store was PACKED with customers. Whole families came to get their sons outfitted for their Bar Mitzvahs or other special occasions. Dads came with their sons to buy clothes. Sam's was HUMMING all day long!

Here are some photos! Oh and the biscotti were a big hit as well!

Monday is coming to a close - not my favorite day of the week...

Best,
Jane M

Getting ready for the trunk show!

So we're getting ready to go to Sam's in Livingston tomorrow! The cookies are baked and wrapped, I've got my new shoes all scuffed on the bottom so I HOPEFULLY won't slip, and the ties of course are boxed up! I'm just about ready for my close-up! HA HA!

We're looking forward to meeting the public!

Happy Fall Weekend - please sell a lot of our ties! Thank you!

Best,
Jane M

We have the BEST PLUMBER EVER

Thanks to Stu Bury of Bury Brothers Inc. we have a brand new water heater! WOOT WOOT! Just what we felt like dropping a boat load of moolah on. But we NEED our hot water!

Stu came in at 4:30pm and did a bang up job removing the old heap and installing the new heater. It wasn't an easy task I'll say. (I was making fish tacos during this whole episode and all I heard was a bit of grunting and groaning).

This water heater is from a new company. We've got our fingers and toes crossed that it will last us more than 6 years and 2 months! Stu even found a Sharpie marker and wrote the date on this beauty so we would all know the install date. Write after I press "PUBLISH POST" I'm going to tape on his invoice as well.

So...I made my order for nifty neato XMAS cards and they came in yesterday (in record timing)so I've got another task at hand.

Happy FALL - I'm already thinking of my Thanksgiving meal! Sweet potato pie HERE WE COME!

Best,
Jane M

We're doing a TRUNK SHOW on Saturday!

Saturday will be a first for ME! Gary and I are invited to do a Trunk Show at Sams in Livingston NJ! If you're in the area come on by! I think I'm good at all the Trade Shows we go to, so this should be somewhat similar. You know, it will not be my first time in retail. Many moons ago my first job as a teenager was working in Epsteins Department store in Morristown NJ in the HOSIERY department! I had my very own see-through purse and locker in the Employee Only area of the store. When I became more experienced of a sales woman I was moved from department to department. I even worked in their bakery for a whole week! I thought WOW, right after school I'm going to glom down many pastries. Never happened because after working and serving the patrons, I was so not hungry for anything! Funny how that happens.

So I must close for now and get out all the November orders so that you can sell out our ties and order more for all the XMAS shoppers you will have!

Best,
Jane M

Look what I won?!!!!

1 morning, as my usual routine of reading my favorite blogs before starting my work, I entered a little contest. I follow the www.barefootkitchenwitch.com and she was giving away 4 cookie cutters - the winner gets to choose - from a cookie cutter website called Ann Clark. And I won!

I chose these 4 cutters - and today I have on my grocery list some baking items that I've run out of to bake these cookies! I wish Emily was home to help me frost the cookies as she is the BEST at that task. Maybe when she's home for the Thanksgiving break, we'll bake some more.

Time to head out to Wegmans!

Best,
Jane M

NEVER buy a water heater from this company

FULL ON VIEW OF THE BROKEN 50 GALLON WATER HEATER
LEAKY MESS
LOUSY COMPANY WHO MANUFACTURERS THIS APPLIANCE

AAAH NEW FLUFFY SLIPPERS ON THE WAY TO ME!

We are so annoyed! We have lived in our house for 17 years, 10 months and 5 days and we are now on our THIRD water heater - or will be after next week. The warranty expired 6 weeks ago on this last beauty and the company A.O. SMITH would have nothing to do with us over the phone in replacing this faulty appliance. I could go on and on venting but what good would that do? It will not get us any hotter water! This rotten company could use a lesson on GOOD CUSTOMER service like we have here at Private Stock!

So I will wait for the UPS man to bring my new fluffy Ugg Slippers later on today while I also wait for our plumber!

AAAH it is Friday - so I hope you sell a lot of our fabulous ties over the weekend!

Best,
Jane M