Personal Places

This was a relaxing weekend for the Trophy Husband's with my incredible wife and daughter taking a vacation to Arizona. That left TH alone and finding something to do. The first thing on the list was shopping, a need for a new white dress shirt was essential, so off to the shops to see what we could find. Luckily, TH was able to not only find a shirt that was suitable to his taste, but it was on sale which allowed for the purchase of a second shirt and two, much needed ties.

After that enjoyable experience, it was off to enjoy a nice snack and drink for the day. That lead TH to Bodega Wine Bar in Pasadena. If you are in the LA area, I would highly recommend Bodega.  They have an incredible Happy Hour menu with excellent prices and good food. With the help of Edman, sorry if I spelled your name incorrectly, I enjoyed the following:

       Evohe Grancha (Spain)

       Bastide Saint Dominique (France)

       Homemade Hummus with warm pita & apple slices 

       Pepperoni and White Cheddar Plate

The atmosphere was excellent and I found myself moving for a bridal shower that made its way into the bar. I left feeling like I found a new home with some old friends. I plan on taking my incredible wife for a relaxing night, and might even venture to the Hollywood location. I will let you know how it turns out.


So TH asks, what little space have you come upon that you find enjoyable and why? Reply and lets let everyone know about these fun little places.


Until next time.
TH

The Feast of St Patrick

Today is a day that seems to bring out the "Irish" in all of us. And when I say that, I mean we seem to think it is a good reason to enjoy corned beef and cabbage and drink way too much green beer.


Now I am not against drinking beer, but there is so much we can learn from the Irish. One thing is that the Irish have been a people that enjoy the company of others. Their gift of hospitality can be found in their pubs, their stories and  their music. They seem to always have a drink ready for you, a story to tell and music to listen to and dance.


I have been enjoying the Dropkick Murphy's and Flogging Molly today. Although they are both more punk than traditional Irish or Celtic music, it does make me think about how simple the Irish are in their lives. They work hard, and then gather together at the local pub to enjoy community, tell stories (both real and long), catch up with each and lift a drink. It is something that we have not figured out here in the United States.


We get together to get wasted, or to blow of steam, but we don't regularly get together for community, to talk, trade stories, enjoy music, etc. If there is one thing that you should think about taking away from this year's Feast of St Patrick, maybe it is make a decision to get together together in public with friends and family on a regular basis, maybe weekly.


And don't let the gatherings be for the adults only, bring the children along. Let them see that living is not done in private but in public. Let them tell stories, let them show off their new creations, and maybe they will have some thing to teach us.


Yes, it is St Patrick's Day, a day to celebrate the Irish. But let's learn from them and maybe be like them more often then on this day.


Slainte
TH

St Valentine's Day

Tomorrow is the great celebration of Valentine’s Day, often attributed to an early church saint who was said to have been sent to prison for either marrying young men and women secretly during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius II , or for refusing to disavow his Christian faith and follow the Roman “gods”.  While in prison he was said to have sent one last “letter” to the blind daughter of the jailer signed, “from your Valentine.” Even though there is no evidence to link a Saint Valentine to these romantic notions, the day has become either a great celebration or a day of disappointment based on these myths.



As a Trophy Husband, I must first state that my lovely wife has planned and delivered several excellent Valentine’s Day events, however, it seems that festivities for the day have mostly landed on the males of our society to provide a “memorable celebration” for our wives, girlfriends, etc. For the modern man, and may I say Trophy “Man”, each day finds us planning special “dates” (a special spa day for the two of you), creating exciting dining experiments (a pan seared roast with garlic mash potatoes, garden salad, and an excellent wine), or giving a well thought out gift for the love of our lives (maybe seasonal flowers to let them know that the beauty of the flowers does not even compete with their beauty).


Then Valentine’s Day comes around and society believes that the male needs to go out and get flowers, jewelry, and make reservations at a “special” (meaning expensive) restaurant for the day to be memorable. I would like to know, why can’t it be the place of the “Modern Woman” to do the same
thing for their special partners? It seems that as males we are asked to give up most of manhood to be “equal” with women, but when it comes to “romance” or “special days” it is the RESPONSIBILITY of the man to do it all. If you are one of the many men who only use Valentine’s Day to plan, buy or be less selfish to your partner, then you need to re-evaluate the rest of the year and what you do normally.


I have to admit, my incredible wife already operates in the manner of taking up the planning of “special days” and it has been marvelous, sometimes better than my ideas. But for most men (Trophy Men), they don’t have the same opportunity. My question is why?


I call out to the Trophy Men of the world to take a stand to be treated special on Valentine’s Day. Suggest to your partner that they could plan the day. Maybe it is your day to sit back for your mani/pedi, your chocolate bon bon and champagne and relax.


Or, do what is chivalrous and plan a day, like any other day to let your girlfriend/wife know that they are your true love and remind them why you are their Trophy Husband!


Here’s to you St Valentine.


TH

Sauce Sunday

In years gone by, Sunday dinner played a major part in the weekend meal cycle. It was a time following church service when you would invite family and/or friends over for a large meal. It was usually at a different place each weekend, but consisted of the same items; a great homemade meal, long discussions about church, family or friends, a time for children to run around and play together, and if you were like my family, a couple bottles of wine to enjoy with the meal.

However, times have changed for the modern family. The idea of families attending church at the same time or attending at all is foreign in our society. Instead, we find ourselves rushing from one game to the next or working in the lawn or around the house. A day of rest and enjoyment has given way to busyness and clutter.

Several years ago, our close friends and the Trophy Husband family decided to get together for Sunday dinner. Due to the fact that between our two children and their two children, there were four games to attend, a simple dinner was chosen. The meal of choice, pasta with homemade red and white sauce along with appetizers, a fresh salad, and several bottles of wine to enjoy. As we sat to enjoy the meal together, we all realized how enjoyable the time was and the need for this to be a part of a regular schedule. Thus our “Sauce Sunday’s” began.

However, what started off as a simple pasta and sauce meal turned into an opportunity for both “Trophy Husbands” to engage in their passion of cooking and creating. (Sidebar, I am not the only TH but also my very close friend.) The premise of “Sauce” still was the focus but it slowly ventured into seafood based sauces, sauces with local butchered sausage and once the creation of bacon, blue cheese burgers (not blue cheese and bacon on top but melded into the actual patty). The enjoyment of cooking and drinking wine with my best friend and our sons while the ladies enjoyed time talking and laughing and our girls creating some sort of dessert led to discussions of the need for this in our society.

We live in a society that is over worked and over scheduled, with over weight and out shape people. We have forgotten the need to sit and enjoy each other around the dinner table and learn to eat fresh products. Our “Sauce Sunday’s” inspired us to look for fresh ingredients for all of our courses to insure the best flavors and low preservatives. We even began to look for local ingredients for our dinners.

We often look back at years gone by and wish things were still as simple as they once were for our daily lives. I would suggest, instead of wishing, do something about it. If you are a family, begin by scheduling a regular meal that you all share in the preparation of the meal. For those of you already doing it, maybe there is a close family that would also enjoy an opportunity to experience a “Sauce Dinner” with others. If you are single, or in college, maybe you can get a group together and split up to purchase and prepare different courses to share with each other. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but make it fresh and homemade, don’t just use store bought sauce. The web has many recipes for you to use, pick one.

Unfortunately, we have moved out of state from our close friends, but we still carry on “Sauce Sunday’s”. While we look for new friends to share this time with on Sunday’s, we do get together via Skype with our “Sauce Family” and eat at the table while “showing off” what we have prepared.

I dare you to start your own “Sauce Sunday’s” this year. If you do, come back and tell us about it.

TH

State of the Union

Last night, the Trophy Husband sat at home to watch the State of the Union address by the President. There was not a lot of hope for a strong message from the speech because the wide array for topics that need to be covered within a very long speech. It doesn't matter what party the President is from, it is hard to pull off a State of the Union that actually has any substance much less excitement.


What shocked me the most was not that I was disappointed with the speech, but my greatest disappointment of the night was the dress the First Lady wore for the event. I have to say that I could not believe what she wore, someone should be fired for the dress. Even though the color was incredible on the First Lady (I believe it was sapphire blue), the dress did not "lay" well on her. I thought that it fitted her like a sack rather than a contour fitting outfit that she often wears.


I know of the rumors that said she was pregnant but those have been denied. Even if she was, the dress picked for her for the speech could have been better. Mrs. Obama is a very attractive and classy lady, I am disappointed that she did not have something a little more flattering for her.


That is just the Trophy Husband's opinion, what do you think? 


TH

From Farm to Table

I had previously talked about the need to look at what we are eating and the opportunity we have to expose our families to different foods. Depending on where you live, some communities do not have a place to purchase fresh, locally grown products. The main form of food purchases is large chain groceries or big box stores.

I was recently reading an article in the paper about two chefs who had gone beyond the normal partnership with local farmers to purchase their fruits, vegetables, eggs, and other products for their restaurants. They decided to spend a year at a local farm managing the farm for the owners. This time allowed the owners the opportunity to focus on different areas that were neglected without the help, and it provided the chefs the experience of understanding how a farm works and the process of growing different items. 

It made me think about our purchasing habits and how we interact with local producers. I do have to admit that we are blessed to live in a region of the country that has local farms, orchards and vineyards for us to purchase from on a regular basis. This allows us not to only purchase from local providers but to also eat seasonally as opposed to whatever we desire to eat from product brought in from all over the country. 

Even though we are able to purchase from local producers we don't purchase 100% of our food this way. The reason, the cost is so high. The local producer does not have the opportunity to provide their items in central spaces and must rely on customers finding them as opposed to finding the customers in a large grocery store.  I find that I cave into my desires to purchase the easy pre-made items that add to my waist line instead of my enjoyment of food.

What would happen if there was an opportunity to start a business that allows for local producers to use the space to sell their items? Would it allow for more people to purchase fresh products as opposed to frozen breaded high fat instant items that large grocery chains provide? Or, what if we bring a group together to purchase land to start a community "farm" or "garden" to grow their own vegetables, fruits, or raise animals for milk, eggs, meat, etc.?

This is something that would go far in our battle to reeducate our society of eating healthy, by consuming fresh non-chemically enhanced food that brings us to our kitchens to cook together and to our dining rooms to eat and talk together. I know the Trophy Husband and his family do not do this because it is too "hard" but when we do, it becomes the most enjoyable evening.

The Trophy Husband challenges all of us to rethink how we purchase, cook and the consume food. I propose we set aside at least one night a week to purchase, cook and eat from products purchased locally. I understand that we cannot purchase "everything" locally, but try and get as much as possible. Then comment back as to what night you set aside and what you are purchasing, cooking and eating!!

Let's take this small step before moving on to bigger things. Be a part of the Trophy Husband Food Revolution!!! I may not be Jamie Oliver, but I am just as fanatic about food!!!

TH

Cute Baby Lambs or Dinner?

Tonight was a typical night for the Trophy Husband and his family. After a great day at work, I am sorry world but unfortunately I do have to work for the family, I came home to get ready for the nightly ritual of going for a walk and deciding what to have for dinner. Luckily, there is a local grocer on our route that allows us to pick items up for dinner. It is very European and provides opportunities for us to decide what to eat that night.


Tonight, the decision came for sushi, which was presented by neither myself nor my wife, but from our daughter (I must insert that I have a son and daughter). This made me start to think about the way that we have gone about raising our children and the way we eat. At an early age, we decided to introduce our entire family, that meant children and parents, to various culinary delights. This began with the basics of shrimp, salmon and lobster, but then started filtering into lamb, veal and sometime boar. They both grew up with the opportunity to experience many different foods and they thought it was normal, that every family operated in this fashion.


For The Princess, she discovered this wasn't so when she was with her best friend and her mom driving to their house for a play date. On the way to the house, the mom told the girls that she saw lambs in the field next to the road. My daughter's friend mentioned how cute they were while my daughter said, "Mmmmm, dinner!" The Princess realized that her friend's family didn't partake in the same culinary delights as we did as a family.


While this might seem like a  great idea when the children are younger, they don't stay that way. They begin to grow up, but still enjoy the same foods while discovering new delights, like manchego cheese and fig jam, and your food bills begin to climb. Their desire to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables along with quality food can be stunted by our ability to afford the items on a limited budgets. But that shouldn't be the norm. 


I am going to take the next few days to talk about eating and the debate on weight, eating right and living a healthy lifestyle. It might come as a shock to some of you but to others it might be the fire that lights a path you have been desiring to be on for you and your family.


So come along with me, raise your grocery sacks and forks and join me as we look at this issue of eating right and enjoying life.