This morning I could have slept in til 4:30, but I woke up at 4 - and stayed awake. You know, just in case I accidentally fell back to sleep for too long, perhaps lost in a dream about nursing the beautiful, now-injured Vincenzo Iaquinta back to health in time to play for Italy in the Euro Cup this summer...
No, nothing like that. I woke up half an hour early because I was nervously thinking of at least 6 or 8 more things I was going to need for the food styling I was scheduled to do at 7, for Tony Danza and his son Marc, so they could make Date Sauce.
OK yeah. I'll back up.
Thursday, on my way home from hiking in the hills, I got a call on my cell phone from the lady who turned out to be Tony Danza's publicist. She was asking about my availability less than 24 hours later, to style food for a morning segment on Good Day LA. Tony and his son Marc have written a memoir cookbook, and they would be making Date Sauce for the segment.
Now. I had had my coffee already, and granted I was located kind of off the beaten track when I was speaking with this lovely person I'd never met before but, I had to ask, "Now are there dates in the sauce, like the dried fruit? Or..." (even though I was quite sure I'd heard her correctly).
No, she said. It's a sauce you make for dates as in, a romantic dinner at home.
Oh. Yes. That kind of sauce. Oh. Fine. Yes. I can make those.
We made plans to email or speak again when she had more details and, now I was committed to a job that could conceivably take on a life of its own if it tried (this kind of thing happens regularly). That afternoon I had originally made plans to explore Japanese noodle places during a late-lunch R&D excursion with my sister on behalf of R&D for Melting Pot Tours.
Now instead, after SportsBites radio, I shopped - again - at Crate&Barrel.
It took until after 10pm last night to get everything shopped-prepped-packed for Date Sauce. Which brings us back to my waking up at 4, not dreaming about Iaquinta...getting to FOX studios early actually, to prep for the TV segment, meet the Danzas, etc., it all went well. Then the even- better part of my day arrived.
My sister Suz teaches first grade, and today her 14 little students were hosting their mothers for a Tea Party, and a little Mothers Day program they have been long preparing for. Suz needed quality grown-up help, and as we always want these things done right, we recruit family accordingly. My mom, Lisa, and I arrived by 11am with our sleeves rolled up.
It was difficult not to fall in love as soon as I walked into the classroom. 14 beautiful little people were very excited about their new guest because they'd never met me before. Some children were doing math, others were painting little cakes with frosting. I wondered out loud, right away, what was wrong with that picture, and was told very calmly by my sister that "we are taking turns." Of course.
I was already in food mode, so immediately I was on strawberry detail (rinsing, slicing), then we made tea sandwiches with the children. Ours were cream cheese and cucumber, yum.
We also made cream tarts topped with the sliced strawberries, bananas, and mandarin oranges. Then my mom and I made ham and cheese sandwiches while the children were at 'lunch'.
When they came in there was still grown-up work to do to get everything ready for the moms' arrival at 1pm. To keep the children entertained, I was ordered gently but firmly to "read them a story!"
I was handed a picture book called Pigsty - what a laugh. Its hero Wendell has a messy room and while uninspired to clean it, some pigs move in and his life gets more complicated. Hilarious. Perfect for even those of us who love to honor their 6-year-old child inside.
I made story hour interactive - too much fun! I started by asking the children if they knew what a pigsty was, and every single one of them did in fact know that word. We wondered if we knew ANYbody whose room was like a pigsty? We learned that there are farms in France and Italy, since one of the pigs in the story arrived with a big suitcase with Rome and Paris stickers on it! We had tremendous fun with the story and were all disappointed when it had to end, which punch line I wouldn't dare spoil for you.
It was time for the mothers to arrive, and they did. It was such an incredibly beautiful afternoon for them, for all of us. The food was of course very delicious, and the interaction between these beautiful little children and their moms was so moving. I loved every second of it.
My sister is a genius. She has taken (originally) very difficult little people, and since September has inspired them to be so much more of who they really are. I am so proud of her. It was a joy, pleasure, and privilege to be with her there today to share their very special day.
And, I collected hugs all afternoon, one little girl has the same name as me so we're new best friends, one little boy is a big soccer fan, one even looks like a miniature Bruno (France)....I can't wait to go back and visit them again. Plus, they all really enjoyed cooking, what's not to love.
I promised Suz I definitely wanted that reading a story opportunity again, at which request she and Lisa agreed that I was so much fun and that the kids really liked me! What a wonderful compliment. What a fabulous day.
It's a no-brainer. I really am only 6 years old inside.
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