My New(ish) Job

So at Thanksgiving I became unemployed. Luckily my wedding kept me pretty busy but after all that hustle and bustle and crazy traveling I came back to NYC and started freaking out about not having a job. So I started working on that problem and (as usual, Ryan says) had a job before 2 weeks were up. How, What and Where, you ask?

I emailed one of my old bosses about being a reference and she emailed me back saying that her company had been without a managing director since August and would I like the position. I met her for coffee, we talked about what needed to be done and I showed up that next Monday. Unhappily it was the Monday after they went to IPAY, but such is life.

I am currently the Interim Managing Director for FOI/Ardea Arts Inc. I handle all the money issues, which includes logging the sea of invoices and bills that haven't been entered into Quickbooks going back to August. I plan events such as Open Houses and this summer's Southampton Benefit. I handle social media; blogs, facebook, twitter and linkedin and I run the office. Running the office includes setting up and documenting procedures for everyday tasks, handling the ordering of supplies, phones, email, fixing technical problems, fundraising, grant writing, cleaning and making sure the trash and recycling goes out. I am also creating budgets for touring and future productions and in March I probably need to start interviewing and training at least some summer interns if not a new managing director because Ryan and I move away from NYC in May.

Oh and the office includes me, my boss and my intern. Very cosy.

Very exciting and exhausting stuff-

(add us to your twitter! familyopera - my goal is to double the followers by May. Please help!)

The Soup Experiment- Pumpkin Curry Soup

From: Patricia Torpis originally from Karen Shepard

Times Prepared: this is the first!

Recipe:

1 med onion finely chopped (1/2 cup)

2 TBS butter- to saute onion and mushrooms

2 TBS flour- add to onion and mushrooms before adding broth

16 oz of pumpkin- NOT pumpkin pie mixture

8oz of whipping cream

1 veggie bouillon in 3 cups of water or 3 cups veggie broth

1/2 lb of sliced mushrooms

1 TBS curry powder

dash of hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and mushrooms with butter in a large saucepan till tender not brown.

Stir in flour. Add veggie broth, pumpkin and curry powder.

When all are well-blended add hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Add cream- do not let soup boil! serve with croutons.

Comments: Currently smells amazing but I haven't tasted it yet- ok I have, but just a sip. We actually sorta doubled this recipe by adding more pumpkin and 2 cups more broth and then more curry.

Tools note: no special tools for this one.

Overall: easy to make although it was difficult to find pumpkin.

Next up-not sure but probably something from my new book- Simple Suppers given to us by Teran and John.

Snow Day!

All week the forcasters have been telling us that we are going to receive a monster snow on Wednesday. NYC cancelled government and schools on Tuesday morning when it was dry as a bone and in the mid 30's. Walking through Times Square last night you could pick out the tourists because they were the only ones bundled up. Last night Ryan and I went out to dinner and walked back in dry clear weather that wasn't even cold.

I woke up at 2am and there was no snow. I woke up at 5am and there was a light dusting. At 8 I conferenced with my employer and she was willing to let it be a snow day but didn't understand what all the fuss was about. At 9... HOLY COW! We currently have about 4 inches or so outside our building and it is coming down like huge fat rain drops.

Snow Day!!!

The Soup Experiment- Chili and Corn Chowder

From: Better Homes and Gardens- Vegetarian Recipes

Times Prepared: this is the first!

Recipe:

1 med onion chopped

2 TBS butter

2 TBS flour

1 large potato diced

2 cups water

2 cup milk

10oz of corn- they ask you to use frozen or fresh but we had to go with canned.

1 veggie bouillon

1/4 tsp ground pepper - we had to use regular table pepper

1 4oz can green chili peppers

2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley- we had to do without

Saute onion with butter in a large saucepan till tender not brown.

Stir in flour. Add water, peeled potato, corn, chili peppers, bouillon and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes till potatoes are tender.

Stir in milk and cilantro- heat through and serve in individual bowls decorated with cilantro or parsley springs and fresh chili peppers

Comments: We've been waiting on this one. Veggie Bouillon is very expensive and hard to find so my mom sent us 3 packages. I ended up squishing some of the potatoes to get a thicker soup.

Tools note: no special tools for this one.

Overall: We had to do without a lot of the special ingredients that would have added a lot of flavor but even with the subtractions the soup is good and filling for the cold weather we've been having. All in all- good stuff.

Next up- a recipe that we received from Patricia Torpis at our recipe/ornament shower this winter. Pumpkin soup with curry!