text:
Preschool |
1109 Newfield Avenue
Stamford, CT 06905
Fairfield County | Map
Baby Cottage Inc is a preschool located in Stamford, Connecticut.
This preschool's average Community Rating, based on 4 reviews, is 4 out of 5 stars.
0.2 miles
0.5 miles
0.6 miles
Building Blocks Early Learning Center
0.8 miles
I have been at BC for the past year - starting in the nursery. They go out of their way to make sure each child is well cared for and important. The school is clean and safe. They have outdoor play areas, separated by age groups. They try to have the children have outside/fresh air time as much as possible, weather permitting. If the neighbor hears yelling, maybe she is confused by laughter outside - they are children. Not having to pack diapers/wipes/food is a major plus! What a great school - I plan on keeping my child there until she enters school.
As a concerned parent, I looked at every preschool in Stamford and found that BC provides the benefits of a smaller center (cozy, comfortable, individualized attention) while offering the structure and advantages of a larger school (daily reports, day schedule, music entertainment, story telling, consulting education specialist, nurse, etc.). The fact they provide formula, all meals, snacks, diapers, is also fantastic for working parents. Management is competent and present. The Owner and the Director are always available to parents, teachers and children. We have two daughters (18 and 29 months old) who started as newborns and we are very pleased with BC. If you can look past the older classrooms and toys, you will find a group of caring teachers who truly care about the well being of your child in a clean, comfortable, safe and welcoming environment.
Liked the feel of a home daycare but with the staff & amenities of a larger center. Management is very competent & very flexible.
Share your own experience with Baby Cottage Inc. Submit a review »
Suggestions on preschool in Syracuse
Hi! With my family we moved to Syracuse in August... (0 replies)
Hi,we are planning to move out here within few... (2 replies)
Hi My kid is going to 3 yrs now. I am looking... (1 reply)
Got a question about preschools?
Thank you! You will begin to receive newsletters from us shortly.
Great work! Only one more step. Now we just need you to verify your email address. Please click on the link in the email we just sent you to complete your registration.
Great work! Only one more step. Now we just need you to verify your email address. Please click on the link in the email we just sent you to submit your review.
Please click on the link in the verification email we just sent you to complete your change of email address.
Whoops! It looks like we still need to verify your email. To do so, please click on the link in the email we sent you. Can't find the e-mail? Click the button below and we'll send you a new one.
Thanks for registering. Welcome to GreatSchools, the largest online community committed to improving educational outcomes through parental involvement.
Thanks for verifying your updated email address.
Oops! That email verification link has expired. Please click the button below to receive a new one.
Create an account to submit your answers.
Sign in with an existing GreatSchools account or using Facebook:
Your review has been posted to GreatSchools.
Welcome to GreatSchools!
For principals and school officials, we offer a special Enhanced School Profile (ESP) which allows you to update and add information about your school, as well as respond to reviews. If you are a school official, click Continue to start.
Please note that it can take up to 48 hours for your comment to be posted to our site. While you're here, we'd like to invite you to fill out a survey on your school's programs, activities, and extracurriculars. It only takes a few minutes and will help parents get a full picture of your school.
Continue to compare the schools you have already selected or Edit schools to change your selection.
Get started now! You have successfully registered and can now start updating your Official School Profile. The information you provide is extremely valuable in helping parents and students learn more about your school, so thanks for taking the time!
Oops! You haven't verified your email address yet. To do so, please click on the link in the email we sent you. Can't find the email? Click the button below to receive a new one.
Get timely updates for Baby Cottage Inc, including performance data and recently posted user reviews.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Valdosta Railway (reporting mark VR) is a shortline railroad in the U.S. state of Georgia, connecting Clyattville to CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway at Valdosta. The company began operations in 1992 as a subsidiary of the Rail Management and Consulting Corporation, and was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. in 2005. The line had formerly been operated by the Georgia and Florida Railroad, whose predecessor, the Florida Midland and Georgia Railroad, built the line in the 1880s or 1890s. The Valdosta Southern Railroad (reporting mark VSO) was incorporated in August 1951 and bought the portion from Valdosta south to Madison, Florida, which the G&F planned to abandon. The line was cut back to Clyattville in March 1972, and in 1992 the new Valdosta Railway took over operations.


text:
October 25, 2014
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Juwan Staten scored 18 points to lead seven West Virginia players in double figures as the Mountaineers broke a two-game losing streak by defeating Virginia Military Institute 94-69 Wednesday night.
The victory by the Mountaineers (2-3) was the 42nd in their last 43 home games against nonconference opponents.
Staten, a guard who sat out a year after transferring from Dayton, led all scorers with 18 points, but he got plenty of help. Senior center Deniz Kilicli and Aaric Murray, another transfer (LaSalle), finished with 13 points apiece. Reserve guard Gary Browne and Keaton Miles each added 11 off the bench. Freshman Eron Harris and Terry Henderson scored 10 apiece.
Staten's and Miles' scoring totals were their West Virginia highs. Staten also had seven rebounds and three assists, and Miles had four steals and two blocks.
Stan Okoye led VMI with 14 points, D.J. Covington had 12 and Tim Marshall 11.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
The potential utility of XBRL as a tool for regulators to fight fraud and investors to better analyze companies makes its numerous flaws that much more of a shame. I can only hope that the SEC realizes the value of XBRL and makes a commitment to ensuring the accuracy and validity of XBRL data.Read More
Finding the best ETFs is an increasingly difficult task in a world with so many ETFs to choose from.Read More
The focus of this article is investing risk or the relative investment potential of the ETF. This risk is much more difficult to asses because it requires researching the investment potential of the ETFs holdings.Read More
Exxon was my Stock Pick of the Week last week. Here is an excerpt from my article: "Buying Exxon Mobil (XOM) now is one of the easiest calls in the market these days…"Read More
Sometimes, picking stocks is easy if you focus on the basic principles of cash flows, valuation and competitive advantage.Read More
The all-cap blend style ranks third out of the twelve fund styles as detailed in my style roadmap. It gets my Neutral rating, which is based on aggregation of ratings of 33 ETFs and 669 mutual funds in the all-cap blend style as of July 17, 2012.Read More
The Energy sector ranks seventh out of the ten sectors as detailed in my sector roadmap. It gets my Neutral rating, which is based on aggregation of ratings of 20 ETFs and 89 mutual funds in the Energy sector as of April 17, 2012.Read More
As one financial scandal follows another, it seems the good guys are having a tougher time catching the bad guys. Recent revelations about MF Global's ponzi scheme are another reminder of how our regulatory and oversight systems seem to let whales pass through their net.Read More
Two of the three stocks added to our large/mid cap Most Dangerous stocks list for November are from the energy sector. Those stocks are Energy XXI (Bermuda) Ltd. (EXXI) and Superior Energy Services (SPN) – both get my very dangerous rating as do all of the Most Dangerous stocks.
All of the energy sector ETFs get a dangerous rating, which means you should sell them.
There are 36 "large cap value" ETFs. Per Figure 1, these 36 ETFs have drastically different stock holdings and, therefore, allocations. The lowest number of holdings is 30 while the highest is 1178.
How do investors pick the ETF that will deliver the best performance?
We recommend investors avoid all energy sector ETFs. We found no ETFs in the sector that offer investors attractive investment merit and acceptable structural integrity. We also rate the investment merit of the top-9 energy sector ETFs.Read More


text:
Message Boards » Recipes
TOPIC: Need help with healthy snack ideas please
Topic has been inactive for 30 days or more and images have been disabled.
Display All Images
Joined Aug 2010
Posts: 21
October 6, 2012 11:37 AM
I just started using MFP on Monday and have been doing ok staying near my calorie goal. One thing I've noticed though is that when I'm hungry and I do have extra calories I can eat as a snack, I have a hard time finding something that really appeals to me. I am not even that big of fan of Graham Crackers, but I ate those a couple times this week for a snack just b/c they were here.
What are some of your favorites?
Joined May 2012
Posts: 1,038
October 6, 2012 11:48 AM
I play snack by ear eating what my body is craving. Most often its fruit (banana, peach, plum, grapes, lots of cantaloupe) but I never limit myself from anything. I occasionally have ice cream, skinny cow chocolate, peanut butter chewy bars, yogurt raisins, nuts, and even a little debbie 100 calorie peanut butter nutty bar. Some people will say I am doing it wrong but doing what keeps me from throwing in the towel is what I feel is most important. I have found that listening more to my body is what makes me most successful.
Joined Jan 2012
Posts: 781
October 6, 2012 11:50 AM
Almonds, sunflower seeds, apples, bananas, crackerbread, protein shake.
Edited by GuybrushThreepw00d On October 6, 2012 11:51 AM
Joined Aug 2012
Posts: 281
October 6, 2012 11:54 AM
I like your thinking about listening to our bodies. There are times that I eat all around what I really want then crash and eat what I really wanted in the first place now I've really eaten too much. So I agree listen to your cravings. In moderation of course.........
Joined Jan 2012
Posts: 2
October 6, 2012 3:17 PM
I really like Honeycrisp apples and strawberries for a sweet snack. For a more savory snack I like laughing cow cheese on a few (5 max) crackers or natural peanut butter, or if I'm really hungry but not quite time for a meal I have made tuna salad substituting humus instead of mayonnaise and eat that on either endive or crackers. Many of times I'll drink a full glass of water before deciding what to eat to figure out whether I'm hungry because I'm bored...or because I'm in need of food.
Joined Apr 2012
Posts: 86
October 6, 2012 3:26 PM
honey crisp apples sliced thin, peanut butter on no sugar wheat toast, sooo good. a couple egg whites fills me up, baby carrets and peanut butter(weird sounding but good).
Joined Oct 2010
Posts: 109
October 6, 2012 6:24 PM
Kind Bars are my Fav and Cocoa Almonds
Joined Feb 2011
Posts: 13
October 6, 2012 6:26 PM
Caramel Ricecake with a smear of peanutbutter. Yummy.
Joined Aug 2010
Posts: 21
October 6, 2012 7:45 PM
Thank you all for the great ideas and pointers!
Joined May 2011
Posts: 1
October 8, 2012 3:17 AM
apple slices with dried cranberries or cheese, peanut butter and baby carrot, banana and peanut butter toast, wheat thins and apples, wheat thins and hummus, quaker oats chewy chocolate oatmeal bar, handful of cashews, any fruit really.
Joined Sep 2011
Posts: 3,444
October 8, 2012 3:37 AM
Fresh vegetables with a side my homemade Southwestern Garden Ranch dressing... I made some for work a couple weeks back and it was nearly all gone!
Got fed up with people bringing in junk food and decided to bring in a tray. Saw people flock to it like mad-nuts! lol!!!
Anyhoo - it keeps me full and content and not hungry for quite a while
Joined Aug 2012
Posts: 57
October 8, 2012 3:43 AM
Quavers, 88 cals
Joined Aug 2012
Posts: 58
October 8, 2012 3:58 AM
what's your southwestern ranch dressing made of?
sounds interesting..mmm...
Joined Feb 2012
Posts: 7,703
October 8, 2012 4:05 AM
Carrots, brocolli, cucumber, celery, cauliflower, green peppers with ranch dressing.
Goldfish crackers.
Granola bars.
Joined Apr 2011
Posts: 859
October 8, 2012 4:44 AM
Almonds are good. Travel well, healthy fat, low carb, tasty, lots of crunching to keep your jaws happy
There are threads on MFP with snack ideas, I can never find them again so I copied the ideas ... hang on ..... found it! Thanks to whomever first posted these ideas - lots to think on here - I haven't tried them all!
1. Mini PB&F: One fig Newton with 1 teaspoon peanut butter.
2. Chocolate Banana: Half a frozen banana dipped in two squares of melted dark chocolate.
3. Frozen grapes (any color): 1 cup (about 28 grapes), stuck in the freezer for 2+ hours.
4. Honeyed Yogurt: 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon honey.
5. Spiced Orange: One orange— about the size of a tennis ball— sprinkled with cinnamon.
6. Grilled Pineapple: 2 1/4-inch thick pineapple rounds (about 1 cup), grilled (or sautéed) for two minutes or until golden.
7. Berries n' Cream: 1 cup blueberries with 2 tablespoons whipped topping.
8. Stuffed Figs: Two small dried figs with 1 tablespoon reduced-fat ricotta stuffed inside. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
9. Oats n' Berries: 1/3 cup rolled oats (cooked with water), topped with cinnamon and 1/4 cup freshberries.
10. Dark Chocolate: One block, or three squares.
11. Nut-Stuffed Date: One Medjool Date filled with one teaspoon natural unsalted almond butter.
12. Chocolate Milk: 6 ounces skim milk mixed with 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup.
13. Cinnamon Applesauce: 1 cup unsweetened applesauce. Or, try this homemade version!
14. Citrus-Berry Salad: 1 cup mixed berry salad (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries) tossed with one tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice.
15. Maple-Pumpkin Yogurt: 1/2 cup non-fat regular yogurt (go Greek for extra protein!) with 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon maple syrup… like this!
16. Chocolate Pudding: One 4oz package. Try a fat/sugar free version or a homemade one!
17. Chocolate Covered Strawberries: Five strawberries dipped in two squares melted dark chocolate.
18. Tropical Juice Smoothie: 1/4 cup pineapple juice, orange juice, and apple juice, blended with ice.
19. Vanilla and Banana Smoothie: 1/2 cup sliced banana, 1/4 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, and a handful of ice blended until smooth.
20. MYO Banana Chips: One sliced banana dipped in lemon juice and baked.
21. Baked Apple: One tennis ball-sized apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until tender.
22. Fruity Waffles: One 7-grain frozen waffle toasted and topped with 1/4cup fresh mixed berries.
23. Skinny S'more: Two graham crackers with one roasted marshmallow and one small square dark chocolate.
24. Cinnamon Graham Crackers & Peanut butter: Two graham cracker squares with 1 teaspoon peanut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
25. Cereal and Milk: 1/2 cup rice krispies with 1/2 cup skim milk.
26. Milk n' Cookies: Five animal crackers with 1/2 cup skim milk.
27. Warm Spiced Cider: 6 ounces apple cider with sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg, warmed.
28. Citrus Sherbet: 1/2 cup lime sherbet (about one standard-sized ice-cream scoop) with 1/2 sliced kiwi.
29. Café Latte: 8 ounces steamed skim milk with 1 shot espresso.
30. Jelly Beans: 25 of 'em! Although we don't recommend these.
31. Marshmallow Pear: 1/2 pear diced and topped with 1 tablespoon marshmallow fluff.
32. Protein Shake: One scoop protein powder with 8 ounces water (choose from tasty powder flavors like cookies n' cream and chocolate peanut butter!).
33. M.Y.O. Popsicle: 8 ounces lemonade frozen in an ice pop mold, or use a small paper cup as a mold.
34. Apple Chips: Munch on 3/4 cup of kinds like these, or use this recipe!
35. Carrots n' Hummus: About 10 baby carrots with 2 tablespoons hummus.
36. Pistachios: A couple handfuls— about 25 nuts (Crackin' them open will take more time and avoid grabbing 25 more).
37. Cheese n' Crackers: Five Kashi 7-grain crackers with 1 stick reduced-fat string cheese.
38. Dippy Egg: One over easy egg with 1/2 slice whole-wheat toast, sliced (to dip in yolk!).
39. Cheesy Breaded Tomatoes: Two roasted plum tomatoes sliced and topped with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
40. Curried Sweet Potato: One medium sweet potato (about 5 inches long) cooked for six minutes in the microwave and mashed with 1 teaspoon curry, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
41. "Cheesy" Popcorn: 2 cups air-popped popcorn with 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast— it'll taste like real cheese!
42. Guacamole stuffed Egg Whites: Halve a hardboiled egg, remove yolk, and stuff the empty space with 2 tablespoons guacamole (avocado, lime, cilantro and salt).
43. Grilled Spinach and Feta Polenta: 3 oz polenta (about the size of a deck of cards) cooked with 1 1/2 cups water and topped with 1 teaspoon feta cheese and a handful spinach.
44. Soy Edamame: 1/4 cup boiled Edamame with 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
45. Dijon Pretzels: Two pretzel rods with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
46. Crunchy Curried Tuna Salad: 1/2 cup canned tuna with 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 tablespoon chopped red onion, and two ribs celery (chopped).
47. Greek Tomatoes: One tomato (about the size of a tennis ball) chopped and mixed with 1 tablespoon feta and a squeeze of lemon juice.
48. Shrimp Cocktail: Eight medium sized shrimp boiled and served with 2 tablespoons classic cocktail sauce.
49. Smoked Beef Jerky: About 1 ounce— look for low sodium versions!
50. Cheddar and Tomato Soup: 1/2 cup tomato soup with 1 tablespoon shredded low-fat cheddar cheese.
51. Kale Chips: 1/2 cup raw kale— stems removed— baked with 1 teaspoon olive oil at 400° until crisp.
52. Sweet Potato Fries: One light-bulb sized sweet potato sliced, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° for 10 minutes.
53. Cucumber Sandwich: 1/2 English muffin with 2 tablespoons cottage cheese and three slices of cucumber.
54. Turkey Roll-Ups: Four slices smoked turkey rolled up and dipped in 2 teaspoons honey mustard.
55. Mixed Olives: About 8 olives.
56. Antipasto Plate: One Pepperocini, a 1/2 inch cube of cheddar cheese, one slice pepperoni, and one olive.
57. Pumpkin Seeds: 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, sprayed with oil (just a spritz!) and baked at for 400° for 15 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
58. Choco-Soy Nuts: 3 tablespoons soy nuts with 1 teaspoon cocoa nibs.
59. Wasabi Peas: About 1/3 cup of these green treats.
60. Balsamic Veggies: 3 cups raw peppers (any color!) dipped in 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction.
61. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus: Four spears (spritzed with olive-oil spray) and topped with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, baked for 10 minutes at 400°.
62. Cucumber salad: One large cucumber (sliced) with 2 tablespoons chopped red onion and 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar.
63. Spinach and Feta Egg-White Scramble: Three egg whites scrambled and mixed with 1/2 cup raw spinach and 1 tbsp feta cheese. Cook in frying pan or zap in microwave until egg whites are no longer runny (about 1-2 minutes).
64. Crunchy Kale Salad: 1 cup kale leaves chopped with 1 teaspoon honey and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
65. Chick Pea Salad: 1/4 chickpeas with 1 tablespoon sliced scallions, a squeeze of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup diced tomatoes.
66. Grilled Garlic Corn on the Cob: One small-sized ear brushed with 1 teaspoon sautéed minced garlic and 1 teaspoon olive oil, grilled until tender.
67. Pretzels & Cream Cheese: 15 mini pretzel sticks with 2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese.
68. Bacon Brussels Salad: Seven brussel spouts thinly sliced and mixed with one piece lean bacon, chopped.
69. Rosemary Potatoes: 1/3 cup thinly sliced potato tossed with 1 teaspoons olive oil and a teaspoon of chopped rosemary.
70. Spicy Black Beans: 1/4 cup black beans with 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon non-fat Greek yogurt.
71. Caprese Salad: 1 ounce (hockey puck sized) of fresh mozzarella with 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
72. Goldfish: About 40 fishies…try the cheddar kind!
73. Chips n' Salsa: 10 baked tortilla chips with 1/4 cup salsa.
74. Mini Ham Sandwich: Two slices honey-baked ham with 2 teaspoons honey mustard rolled in a lettuce leaf.
75. Lox Bagel: 1/2 whole-wheat mini bagel with two thin slices of lox.
76. Chocolate Trail Mix: Eight almonds, four chocolate chips, and 1 tablespoon raisins.
77. Apples and Cheese: 1 non-fat mozzarella cheese stick with half of a baseball-sized apple (any variety), sliced.
78. PB & Celery: 1 medium celery stalk with 1 tablespoon peanut butter.
79. Cottage Cheese Melon Boat: 1 cup melon balls with 1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese.
80. Carrot and Raisin Salad: 1 cup shaved carrots with 2 tablespoons raisins and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
81. Tropical Cottage Cheese: 1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup fresh mango and pineapple, chopped.
82. Blue-Cheese Stuffed Apricots: Three dried apricots with 1 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese.
83. Rice Cake and Almond Butter: One rice cake (try brown rice!) with 2 teaspoons almond butter.
84. Sweet n' Spicy Pecans: Five pecans roasted with 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
85. Apples n' Peanut Butter: 1/2 an apple, sliced and dipped in 1 teaspoon natural peanut butter.
86. Chocolate Hazelnut Crackers: Four wheat thins dipped in 1 teaspoon Nutella (or other hazelnut spread).
87. Strawberry Salad: 1 cup raw spinach with 1/2 cup sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon balsamic.
88. Cacao-Roasted Almonds: Pop in eight almonds like these
89. half a can of tuna with a tablespoon of dijon mustard with cracked pepper (from misswhitneyyy)
90. 100 calorie pack of Cocoa Roasted Almonds (trishgrace)
91. soak grapes in water for an hour and then freeze them (jeffdoc)
92. 2 slices of regular-cut bacon is roughly 80 calories (Shfiftyfive)
93. one light mini baby bell (50cal) and half a cucumber (25 cal) filling (BriaMc)
94. make ice cubes with fresh fruit juice today and then crush them up like a healthy slushie (jeffdoc)
95. just under a tablespoon of peanut butter sprinkled with cocoa (amount of peanut butter depends on the kind you like, unsweetened cocoa) (#95-108 from Robin_Bin)
96. a cup of spinach leaves with 1/8 cup of mango salsa
97. small apple or 1/2 large apple, slice and dip in honey
98. a Ginger-Lemon Oatmeal Cookie (Melissa d'Arabian via Foodnetwork)
99. about 3 pieces of vegetable sushi (not the kinds with mayonnaise, avocado or tempura)
100. about 80 grams of Trader Joe's dark chocolate covered ginger
101. 5-8 prunes (depends on brand and size)
102. one piece of fudge (if you can stick to just one piece)
103. a cup of skim milk with cocoa - warm if you like, no sugar
104. homemade smoothie - 1/2 banana, 4 medium strawberries, ice and 2 oz of orange juice, mix in blender with ice (can also freeze the banana pieces and strawberries first)
105. 10 grapes, 40 blueberries and 6 strawberries (cut the grapes in 1/2 and cut up the strawberries for even more pieces)
106. 4" pancake with 3 sliced strawberries on top
107. cup of miso soup
108. cup of honey glazed carrots
109. 2 cups of gazpacho (brneydgrlie)
110. 100g sweet potato with paprika, chilli and garlic salt sprinkled on it. Microwave for 4-5 mins, under the grill for 10 and you have healthy chilli fries/chips (Matt_Wild)
111. an ear of corn on the cob (Robin_Bin)
112. a cup of skim milk (Robin_Bin)
113. 1 wedge of Lite Laughing Cow cheese with 12 Special K crackers (95 cal) (bakz4)
114. popcorn and nutritional yeast! Really good and nutritional yeast has a decent amount of B12 so it's great for anyone who doesn't eat a lot of meat in their diet. (cheezy_blasters)
115. 1 Mallow cup (LessLikeHer)
116. Skinny Cow Ice Cream - the Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream Bar
Joined Feb 2012
Posts: 47
October 8, 2012 4:59 AM
Popcorn Indiana, Quaker rice cakes - the mini kind. There are both sweet and salty flavors with both of these brands. Of course, fruits and veggies are always awesome. I love blueberries and apples. Cucumbers with hummus, or tomatoes with a little salt and pepper. And when I am craving ice cream I love Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom caramel and vanilla swirl. It is only 70 calories. Good luck! : )
Joined Mar 2012
Posts: 80
October 8, 2012 5:06 AM
Save yourself some money and processed food intake by pre-selecting some non-perishable snacks and dividing them up in snack-size baggies. They are ready to grab and go when you are ready to run out the door!!
My favorite snacks are: fresh fruits, smoked almonds, old fashioned popped-popcorn, cereal and raisins (favorite is Smart Start cereal with 100% vitamins) and this is good to add to yogurt. It makes you think you have crunchy granola in the yogurt without the hundreds of calories! Make it your own!
Joined May 2011
Posts: 9,971
October 8, 2012 5:06 AM
boiled eggs!
Joined Aug 2011
Posts: 180
October 8, 2012 5:15 AM
just bumping for now
Joined Oct 2012
Posts: 13
October 8, 2012 5:49 AM
I've been eating apples with peanut butter since I was a kid so I'm going to suggest that...but make it a small (lunchbox sized) apple and a teaspoon or two of peanut butter.
The crunch & sweetness of the apple is really satisfying and the peanut butter will help with the protein.
Joined Jun 2010
Posts: 230
October 8, 2012 5:53 AM
Try making a trail mix bag with beef jerky, raw nuts, and dried berries and just eat it throughout the day.
Joined Feb 2012
Posts: 631
October 8, 2012 5:53 AM
love cantelope, watermelon, peanuts or peanut butter. All depends on what I have and how hungry I really feel.
Joined Jun 2010
Posts: 230
October 8, 2012 5:53 AM
boiled eggs!
or this.
Joined Jan 2012
Posts: 760
October 8, 2012 5:54 AM
yoghurt, nuts, fruit, carrot sticks !
Joined Feb 2012
Posts: 269
October 8, 2012 5:57 AM
feeling snacky?!?!?!? eat some meat! yum yum - now you're full up!
if you eat processed carbs, you'll want more very soon.......
I tested myself the other nite, choccy biscuit, ooooh nice, I'll have another....oooooh that was good,
shall I have another.....
I wasn't getting full....I was acting like a crack addict....more more more!
So I had 4 rashers of bacon with a a little chicken!
full up in 2 mins!
Message Boards » Recipes
Posts by members, moderators and admins should not be considered medical advice and no guarantee is made against accuracy.


text:
45 notes &
Reading Quietly. HTC says Shhhh!
Quietly Brilliant? What do they mean? Is HTC perhaps secretly outstanding? Are we to think that HTC mobiles are sparklingly average? Or possibly they look glitteringly inconspicuous? What does the antithesis in this HTC tagline tell us about HTC and how does it help to understand how HTC wants to communicate its brand? As I un-knit my eyebrows I wonder, how do you read HTC?
Smartphone advertising is prone to smugness, knowing that it's got a willing audience for the latest toy. But mobile marketeers mistakenly assume that we're as fascinated with the product as the industry is fixated with itself. Not so, not for many of us anyway. What HTC seems to be selling is not a mouthy little monster that's constantly squawking at us to feed it attention pellets, but a serene little gizmo that hums Mogwai-like, patiently awaiting the next time we wish to be served. HTC is apparently about humility and putting people, not technology first.
This brand positioning pops up in another piece of textbook copywriting for HTCs YOU campaign: "You don't need to get a phone, you need a phone that gets you." Another antithesis: a clear contrast of the HTC philosophy with the how the other guy thinks. Brilliant! Mobile technology that's an expression of you rather than fascinated with itself.
We hear the voiceover say: "Because in the end, innovation doesn't really matter, unless it does something that really matters to you" (at this point, I'm starting to recognise a pattern in how the HTC copywriter works out what words would work, when she's working with words). This user-centered design, we're told, cuts-the-consumer-mustard because your self-effacing little HTC phone only wants to do what you want to do. Bless it!
The idea of empowering people comes through in the copy and in the HTC script font and matching doodles. The pen is a tactile, intuitive tool which we wield with dexterity and ease. Like all simple tools, the pen is a powerful extension of the hand. And when things are simple, when we intuitively understand something, "It just makes HTC sense" (note the less-than-humble appropriation of the word sense). By extending this notion, HTC can make what appears to be an entirely reasonable series of appeals to our common sense, rather than marketing claims for a product; such as, "You shouldn't have to wait ages for the internet" or "You can hear it in your bag because it automatically rings louder". Clever, clever! Being intuitive and seeming reasonable then are all part of being Quietly Brilliant.
So, has the HTC brand totally killed the noise? Well, if you visit www.htc.com you certainly get a lot of clean, white space. Dig a little deeper and HTC doesn't sound quite so modest. Claims like: "Want to be entertained like never before?" and "impressive from every angle" don't seem consistent with the Quietly Brilliant tone of voice. And what about those product names? If HTC really want us to believe that they are Quietly Brilliant then okay, but from now on the HTC Sensation becomes the HTC Serene, the HTC Incredible becomes the HTC Nice, and the HTC Desire turns into the HTC Don't-Mind-If-I-Do.


text:
Browse By
My AlbumRequest Image(s)
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen
Since meeting in 1970, Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen, a writer and curator, collaborated on more than 25 large-scale projects. In 1985 the city of Venice was introduced to the artists' humorously monumental vocabulary by The Course of the Knife, a two-day multimedia, multiwork, land-and-water spectacle that also involved human performers. As in Oldenburg's Happenings of the 1960s, objects in The Course of the Knife were transformed from props and sets into essential players, including an 18-foot-wide espresso cup and saucer, and Houseball, a 12-foot-diameter ball to which various pieces of foam furniture were bound. As a dramatic finale to the performance, the motorized sculpture Knife Ship I, a giant Swiss Army pocketknife set afloat like a colossal Venetian gondola, was launched from the Arsenale naval yard, its blade and corkscrew sails cleaving the air. Like many of their monuments to banal everyday items, Oldenburg and Van Bruggen's Knife Ship I, in its absurdity, challenges viewers' ordinary relationship to objects and the environment.


text:
Espresso Accent Table:
- Espresso finish
- 1 drawer
- Ample sized top for a phone or to rest your beverage
- Display shelf to house your favorite collectibles
- Solid and durable construction
- Material: Pine and pine Veneer
Finish: Espresso
15"w x 22"d x 25"h
Furnished Over 1 Million Homes Since 1997...
I was very satisfied with One Way Furniture Service. I have referred them to many friends, family, and customers. Thank you. Kathy A. Eisele, Boston, MA
Product Review - Espresso End Table with Display Shelf
Furniture Brand
Linon Home Decor Furniture provides great selections and craftsmanship at affordable prices. Counter stools, coffee tables, and end tables are just a few of the quality pieces that Linon furniture creates. Natural wood coffee tables and wood counter stools by Linon are breathtakingly beautiful. All of our wood coffee tables, counter stools, and Linon Home Decor Furniture is at discount prices. Shop and be happy at One Way Furniture as you deliver all the top manufacturers to you. Linon
Weight & Size
Reference - Sku: 98258KESP-01-KD-U - Espresso End Table with Display Shelf by Linon


text:
Ratings based on 46 Verified Reviews
They paid and stayed. We double-checked.
4.4 Room cleanliness
3.9 Service & staff
4.0 Room comfort
4.0 Hotel condition
They paid and stayed.
We double-checked.
We double-checked.
for Everyoneby A verified traveler
UniquePosted Aug 18, 2014
Great hotel, great ubication. Walking distance to bars, restaurants etc
for Getaway With Friendsby A verified traveler
Great location but...Posted Jul 9, 2014 on Hotels.com
Title says it all, It was a great idea of the hotel, modern, architecturally different and unique but they have not maintained it at all. Location was perfect!
Recommendedby A verified traveler
Bad servicdPosted Jun 22, 2014 on Hotels.com
The service was terrible. Unable to order room service from phone...they couldn't understand me. Have to come down yo make the order and still received the wrong order. Staff was rude and impatient. Not a 5 star in term of service. But nice hotel in term of look and location
for Everyoneby A verified traveler from Calero
Great location, amazing staffPosted Jun 11, 2014
The location, and the staff of the best of the hotel, you can't get better in playa del carmen, the hotel has a unique decor, and i love it i will recomend the hotel, you can see that they are making huge improvements in the hotel, very well located that is the best!!!
for Couplesby Michael
Poor Receptionist ServicePosted May 6, 2014 on Hotels.com
We stayed one night at the hotel on our way to Tulum. We called the Manager Aaron for a wake up call and advised him we had a tour planned with a pick up at an outside location. In the morning we were not called. We eventually wake up and speak to a Jonathan who states that it was not documented and he is sorry. We asked him to cover a cab fair to make our schedule as a courtesy. He initially states yes but when the cab arrives does not. We speak later to Aaron the manager in the afternoon and he makes not efforts to make the situation right. we made our tour by 1 minute. It was not a pleasant experience. For a hotel that charges more than American rates, in a country where the average person makes 10 dollars a day, you would expect much more.
Recommendedby Antonis
Posted Mar 28, 2014 on Hotels.com
for Couplesby Bill from Green Bay
Great Hotel Close to 5th AvePosted Mar 12, 2014
Pros: Location and price.
Cons: The lighting is a bit weird, but that is part of the design.
The Reina Roja Hotel is great. It is close to beach and 5th Ave. The hotel is unique and the rooms are comfortable. Housekeeping did there job and all the staff we talked to were helpful. The breakfast include was perfect for what we wanted. The bar has made fine cocktails. This is more of a party hotel than a quiet retreat, and the music never bothered us.
for Everyoneby terry from portland
hip place - different in a good way, good locationPosted Mar 6, 2014
Pros: it was something different and cool
Cons: price should be closer to $100 per night
Location: cool bars, shops, locals right out the door
cool place for sure, i'd stay again in Playa ... nice showers, beds are pretty cozy and the breakfast in the morning onsite is rad
for Everyoneby A verified traveler
Probably would have been a great hotel five yearsPosted Mar 5, 2014
Cons: Hotel should offer bottled/purified water. Confusing light switches in room (and most do not work). Horribly uncomfortable bed.
While I think this hotel was probably pretty fantastic five years ago, it's clear that it has begun to fall apart a bit. Beds are uncomfortable, many non-working light switches resulting in really dark rooms, and no bottled/purified water. Staff were great and I liked the pool, rooftop, complimentary breakfast, and room decor. But overall this place has deteriorated a bit, and it seemed like we were the only people staying there the whole time. Odd.
Recommendedby Chloé from L
Great location, trendy hotelPosted Feb 7, 2014 on Hotels.com
This hotel is stylish and extremely conveniently located right by the pedestrian area of Playa del Carmen. Very trendy looking hotel, with spacious and modern rooms. The breakfast is amazing, with complementary coffee, juice, fresh fruit and granola and your choice of egg dish. The staff at the front desk is very friendly and helpful, and they offer free underground parking for your rental car. I would highly recommend staying at La Reina Roja.


text:
From the article: Milestones a NICU Baby Must Reach Before Discharge
NICU babies need to meet certain milestones before they can be discharged from the hospital. Parents wonder when they can bring their baby home, but doctors usually can't give a definite answer. Talking to other NICU parents can help moms and dads cope with having a baby in the hospital. How early was your baby? How long did your baby stay in the NICU? What were some of the roadblocks to discharge you faced?
23 weeker
- My baby was born at 23 weeks. He was one lb and 10 oz. I was already in the hospital on BR and lo and behold one day I started to have these cramps. I already had no cervix left and was dilated one cm. So the cramps started and I was leaking some fluid. Then they checked me and claimed everything was cool. Then I started having stronger pains. So after a while they shipped me to L&D. They started picking up contractions and they were close so they rush me back put me to sleep cut me up and down and then he was out. That was 5-25-13. Today is 3-10-14 and he is still in there today he's 9 mos almost 10.
- —Guest Tiffany
- My Grandson, Jude, was in the NICU for 207 days. He was 1lb 11oz and born at 25 weeks 6 days gestation from placenta aburption. He is the 2nd child, first child was full-term. He had Sepsis and DIC and recovered. He was on the vent 7 weeks with BPD. He had 40% of his small intestine removed due to blockage in-utero. He had state 1 or 2 brain bleeds that resolved. He had more blood transfusions than I can count. He graduated from the NICU with only an NG tube and that was removed after being home 3 days. He is 7 mo from birth and doing very well. His feedings held him back in the NICU due to his abdominal surgery. It is a very slow (months) process for the "gut" to work properly. He is where he should be physically and mentally. Stay positive and keep the faith.
- —Guest Lora B
12 days in the nicu
- My son was born at exactly 34 weeks. My water broke at 33 weeks 3 days they were able to keep me pregnant on bed-rest until 34 weeks. He was breach as well. He was born 5 lbs 2 oz and 18 1/4 inches long. He's three months old now and over 12 lbs and 23 in!
- —Guest Miriam
31 weeks
- My baby came on Valentines Day, she is in the NICU for now for a few weeks. Soon I have to go home. It's hard to leave her. I will be back every evening, but I wish I could take her home.
- —Guest mware
Bleeding at baby shower
- This is my first pregancy and during my baby shower I started bleeding and was rushed in to the hospital at 34wks pregnant. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and placenta abruption. A c-section was done a week later. My baby was born healthy thanks God. He weighed 4lbs and stayed in nicu for 21 days. I'm planning to go for a vbac for second pregnancy, ;)
- —Guest Ana
34 weeks 2 days
- My lb was born at 34 wks 2 days and weighed 3lb 8oz. I was originally going to be induced around wk 37 as I had a high pi so I had already had steroid injections incase the hospital wished to induce me earlier. However on 27/7/13, I started bleeding heavily and was rushed to hospital, it turned out I had had a placenta abruption which meant my placenta had come away from the wall causing internal bleeding. The drs said if they never had got my son out within the minute we both could have died. I had to have 2 blood transfusions but I'm glad to say we both made it :) my lb was in nicu for 13 days, tube fed for 1 day and then straight in to bottles. He is now 8 wks old and doing so well
- —Guest Dennie's mummy
25-week gestation, 86 days in NICU
- I abruptly went into labour 25 weeks into my first pregnancy with no apparent cause. Due to cord prolapse when my water broke, my son was born by emerg c-section. Weighed 820grams (1lb 13 0oz). There were lots of complications - hemorraging in his brain, immature lungs requiring respirator, a lung infection, PDA valve open, heart murmur. At one point the physicians had "the talk" with me about just how sick my baby was and their concerns that he might not pull through. Now he's an amazingly healthy, typically developing 4 1/2 year old! Miraculously there have been no long term complications or health challenges as a result. My second child was born at 37 weeks and did spend 5 days in the NICU due to concerns about her small size (4lb 9oz), abnormal blood sugar levels, and poor initial feeding but that admission was a total cakewalk compared to the first!!
- —Guest Tricia
33 Weeks
- I gave birth to two infant newborn twins. The hospital was really weird to me, I delivered and the doctor ordered a psych consult. It came into my room 7 minutes after I was wheeled into the recovery room, and declared I was speaking in psychosis and was unfit to see my children or hold them. Then the hospital released my infants after 2 days of being born to a foreign foster family... I feel really weird about the infants being released from intensive care after 33 weeks gestation and being only there for 2 days. I feel like they just did something extremely illegal to me.
- —Lightyearllama
1st baby brother
- My mother just gave birth last Aug 19 2013, my newborn brother weighted 1.75lbs. My mother gave birth at a birthing clinic so since my brother was premature he was rushed to the hospital right away to be incubated. It's his day 1 in the NICU, but the doctor said he's doing fine.
- —Guest guest von
Duration in NICU
- Our sweet daughter was born at 28.5 weeks. On June 3 my water broke and I was immediately taken to the er. Thanks to God, an amazing husband, & dedicated staff, I was able to receive the surfactant for my unborn babies lungs and the care I needed to not deliver until the 11th of June. Madisyn weighed only 2.12 lbs and was 15 in long. She was on a vent for just 1 day and the cannula for the next several weeks. She was discharged from the NICU 2 days shy of her 2 month mark. Other complications she had/has were/are a stage 1 brain bleed, apnea and Brady's, ROP (also stage 1), and two heart murmurs - all of which the drs state she will most likely overcome by age 1. I encourage any parents with their child/children in the NICU to ask a million questions. My husband & I found it very comforting having our many many questions answered (along with literature in some cases), because let's face it, we're all terrified of the unknown. Maddy is our little miracle and we truly are blessed.
- —Guest Madisyns mom
28 Weeks
- My waters broke at 28 weeks. They left me for three days until they finally decided to get him after knowing a infection had started to set in. I had a c-section on Monday 12 aug 13. He weighed 2pound 9 oz. He's in nicu breathing by himself just having a drip to give him his feeds but he's doing really well considering the situation.
- —Guest Jessica
Still Pregnant
- I am 29 weeks pregnant, and have been in the hospital with 'real' contractions twice now. I've had the steroid shots and have been on bedrest for 2 weeks. I'm already dilated to a 1. The nurses say I will probably deliver around 32 weeks... I am hoping to keep him in longer. They say to prepare for him to be in the NICU until his due date... But he got the steroid shots and he's always been a little bigger than most his age and... I hope to take him home within a month.
- —Guest Pookie
26 weeks 6 days
- I delivered my sweet baby girl on May 9, 2013. She weighed 1lb 3oz after being admitted to the hospital due to low placenta and heavy bleeding Mollie Irie made her grand enterance. Mollie was only on the vent for a few hours then put on the cpap. After maybe 3 weeks they removed cpap and put her on the nasal cannula. Then shortly after that I walked in her room and the cpap was back. So now we've been back on cpap for about 5weeks. Her o2 that she is receiving is on about 26% so hopefully she'll be off of that in a few days. She has not began taking a bottle yet but the nurses' are convinced that once they put a bottle to her mouth that she would suck immediately because she does very well with her passie while feeds are going in. Today July 9th we're still here and hopefully she'll be coming home soon. Mollie's current weight is 4lbs 3oz.
- —Guest Whitney
Twins born at 31 weeks 2 days
- My boy/girl twins were just born on 6/28/13. They were just 31 weeks 2 days gestational age. They were 3lbs 8 oz and 3 lbs 4 oz. they did not have to be in a ventilator, just minimal oxygen support which is great I am told. I am told they could stay as long as their due date, Aug. 28th which would be two months. We are hoping to have them home well before that. All reports have been positive... We'll see what happens
- —Guest Tom
micro preemie born @ 28 weeks
- Jax was born at 28 weeks. I was in labor for a week and the doctors tried everything to stop the birth. He was born on 5/28/12. We stayed in the nicu for 55 days, he had a double hernia surgery and a circumcision the day before discharge. He came home without any monitors @ 35 weeks 6 days gestational age. He weighed 4lbs. 11oz. He has done great since, I work with him everyday. He is right on track with his adjusted age and on track with speech and weight in his actual age.
- —Guest jax's mom
1-15 of 208Next


text:
Stress comes in many disguises. It can accompany a happy occasion, such as a wedding, or it can be triggered by an unhappy event, perhaps a financial setback. But it is mostly the little stresses—the delay from a traffic jam, the line at the supermarket, or the check that doesn't arrive in the mail—that wear us out on a day-to-day basis. … Back to Article
Join/Renew AARP Today
Join/Renew for Just $16 A Year
- Discounts on travel and everyday savings
- Subscription to AARP The Magazine
- Free membership for your spouse or partner


text: Cebu Tindahan creates exclusivity within the community of Cebu in the buying and selling market. Our service will help cut down expenses on shipping fees and other problems brought by geographical blocks. Through us, the buyer and the seller can just meet up in any convenient location of their choosing without the burden of distance or waiting time.


text:
Dr. Joseph H. Worischeck, MD
Urological Surgery, Southwest Urological Specialists
- 6007 E Baseline Rd Ste 105
Mesa, AZ 85206
- 1 Office Location
- Email a Friend
- (480) 897-2727
Dr. Joseph H. Worischeck has been practicing medicine for 27 years. Dr. Worischeck graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 1987. He practices medicine in Mesa, AZ and specializes in Urological Surgery. Dr. Worischeck is affiliated with Banner Baywood Medical Center. He speaks English and Spanish.
Gender: Male
Years in Practice: 27 Years
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Medical School: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Graduation Date: 1987
Hospital Affiliations: Banner Baywood Medical Center
Specialties: Urological Surgery
©2005-2014 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.


text:
For Sale
Horses are on allbreedpedigree.com under their given name, if applicable. Please call or email for prices and any questions; our contact information is on our home page. Thank you.
Outlaw- 2008 Quarter Horse gelding
Outlaw is branded with a circle P on his left hip, from the Pryor Ranch in NE Iowa, he is grade however. He is all cow and foundation bred; great conformation, bone and joints. This gelding is very laid back and easy going, is a good baby sitter for our foals, and is that gorgeous buckskin color to boot. We have used him on trails and he did very well. He has been used in a feed yard and tracked a few steers, he shows a lot of interest in cattle. Outlaw is in training now, he is cold backed if not rode on a consistent basis. At this time he needs an experienced adult rider, one who will put the time and training into him. He will stay in training with us until sold, he stands 15.1 hands.
RP Watch My Dust-2009 AQHA chestnut gelding
"Dusty" is Pitzer Ranch bred-Mr Joes Song, Watch Joe Jack, Two Eyed Jack, Mr Baron Red, Red Baron Bell, Baron Bell, etc. Pitzer bred horses are well known for their great conformation, heartiness, dispositions & are very solid riding horses; this gelding is going to be no different. He will make a great arena, ranch, or just trail gelding. We bought him as a coming yearling from the breeder. He has his ground basics done, has been saddled/bridled and worked lightly in the round pen. Dusty will be started under saddle in summer 2014. Currently he stands 15.2 hands and is really starting to fill out. Picture from summer 2013, will get recent pics soon. Email for them.
Kings Cutter Sunbar-2010 AQHA/NFQHA filly
"Peanut" is a flashy 91% foundation bred filly that currently stands 14.1 hands, should mature to 14.3/15 hands. This filly is built like a brick house; awesome bone & joints, cute little head, just good all around conformation. She will make a great cutting, ranch, or playday horse for any age of rider. Peanut has not been started under saddle or even introduced to the saddle, bridle, or round pen yet. We will start her under saddle fall 2014 if we still have her.
Omalis Last Buckaroo-2010 AQHA (pending) filly
"Tiny" is the last foal by Omalis Buckaroo (deceased TB: Buckaroo X Buckpasser) also a 17 hand half brother to the legendary 1985 Kentucky Derby winner Spend A Buck and out of our 15.2 hand cutting mare Sonitas Peppy Bar (Sonitas Last). At this time Tiny sells as grade as we have been unable to obtain papers for her. Tiny has excellent conformation; great bone and joints and a good disposition. She has been saddled, worked lightly in the round pen, stands, ties, leads, loads, stands for farrier, etc. We will start her under saddle fall 2014 if we still have her. Stands 15.2 hands now and should mature to 16, her sire's lines are very slow to mature. Going to make a good barrel/pole horse but also may advance well in endurance riding.
RP American Storm-2009 AQHA gelding
"Perks" is a nice barrel/pole. trail, and ranch horse prospect, he has a great easy going disposition and is starting to grow into himself. He is by Perks All American (deceased) a 16.1 hand 1D son of the great Dash For Perks and out of a daughter of Rocket Wrangler. This geldings dam is a foundation QH (15 hands) who has a lot of great older lines, we love the speed/cow crosses. We bought Perks from his breeder as a coming yearling. This gelding has his ground basics done, been saddled/bridled, and worked lightly in the round pen. He is in training now and showing great promise to be an excellent all around horse in and out of the arena.
Royal Stylish Chic-2009 QH mare
"Kitty" we got as a coming 3 year old and started her under saddle with 30 days. Afterward she was kicked out to pasture to grow and unfortunately we haven't had the time to get her back into training. This little mare stands 14.2 hands and is built like a tank, nice straight legs and strong hooves. Awesome disposition and conformation. Kitty is out of great cutting pedigree, view it on allbreedpedigree.com under Royal Stylish Chic. She is by RPM Mr Stylish (Docs Stylish Oak X daughter of Docs Hickory) out of a daughter of Royal Chic Olena (Smart Chic Olena) and Yukon Page. She sells as grade but can be registered if the buyer wishes. This little mare is going to make a great cutting or working cow horse. We will put Kitty back into training this fall if she is still with us.
Flannigan-1996 Thoroughbred Stallion
"Flannigan" is a 1996 Chestnut Jockey Registered stallion by Relaunch O/O Rose Sonata, he stands 16 hands. Out of 21 starts he had 3 wins, a bowed tendon ended his racing career but he had winnings of over $108,000. He has foals running on the track and in the barrel arena, from his pedigree he would produce some great Hunter Jumpers as well. Great bone, joints, straight conformation, and a sweet disposition.
Copy & paste to view his pedigree: http://www.pedigreequery.com/flannigan
Copy & paste to view his pedigree: http://www.pedigreequery.com/flannigan


text:
News from WTOP
News from the AP
Mike Causey
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
- The 2014 Big Picture on Cyber Security
- AFCEA Answers
- American Readiness: Renewable Power and Efficiency Technologies
- Ask the CIO
- Building the Hybrid Cloud
- CDWG/NetApp
- Connected Government: How to Build and Procure Network Services for the Future
- Continuing Diagnostics and Mitigation: Discussion of Progress and Next Steps
- Delivering the Digital Government Mission
- Federal Executive Forum
- Federal News Radio's National Cyber Security Awareness Month Special Panel Discussion
- Federal Tech Talk
- The Future of Government Data Centers
- The Future of IT: How CIOs Can Enable the Service-Oriented Enterprise
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- The Intersection: Where Technology Meets Transformation
- Maximizing ROI Through Data Center Consolidation
- Mitigating Insider Threats in Virtual & Cloud Environments
- Modern Mission Critical Series
- The New Generation of Database
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
- Targeting Advanced Threats: Proven Methods from Detection through Remediation
- Transformative Technology: Desktop Virtualization in Government
- The Truth About IT Opex and Software Defined Networking
- Air Traffic Management Transformation Report
- Cloud First Report
- General Dynamics IT Enterprise Center
- Gov Cloud Minute
- Government in Technology Series
- Homeland Security Cybersecurity Market Report
- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month
- Technology Insights
- The Cyber Security Report
- The Next Generation Cyber Security Experts
Shows & Panels
White House crowdsources for cybersecurity ideas
Thursday - 5/20/2010, 5:46pm EDT
Cybersecurity Update - Tune in weekdays at 30 minutes past the hour for the latest cybersecurity news on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris (6-10 a.m.) and DorobekInsider with Chris Dorobek (3-5 p.m.). Listen live at FederalNewsRadio.com or on the radio at 1500 and 820 AM in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
- What are the game changing ideas in cybersecurity research and development? That's the question posed in a blog post by White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt, and federal CTO Aneesh Chopra. The White House announced the creation of a cybersecurity forum with the goal of promoting the exchange of information and ideas on how to advance federal cybersecurity. So far, they've come up with three game-changing concepts: Making systems Moving Targets (systems that move in multiple dimensions will disadvantage an attacker); creating a 'security will' tailored to the needs of a particular transaction, rather than the other way around; and creating cyber economic incentives that reward good cybersecurity practices.
- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking for technology to stop insider threats. Known as Suspected Malicious Insider Threat Elimination, the technology will be able to predict insider attacks, determine when one is underway and detect if an attack has already taken place. The agency will use forensics to find clues of past cyber attacks and use that information to create a more secure network. Government Computer News reports that the technology will be used to find individuals operating on U.S. networks.
Check out all of Federal News Radio's coverage of cybersecurity issues here.


text:
Do You Have Any Advice for Catering My Own Wedding?
Good Questions
Q: I am getting married next year, most likely in either March or April. We are thinking we'll have a wedding party of about 100 to 120 people. I have always dreamed of catering my own wedding. I love to cook and it's something people know about me so it's important to me to give it a good college try before potentially hiring a caterer.
My question is this: Has anyone in The Kitchn community undertaken such a feat at that time of year? I think it would be much easier in the summer because we could do an outdoor/grilling party but the summer won't work for us. I need ideas for indoor food. Any suggestions, advice, or support you all have to offer would be appreciated.
Sent by Leann
Editor: Leann, first of all, congratulations! We applaud your desire to cater your own wedding and to share yourself in that way to your guests. It is definitely possible to cater your own wedding, and there are more and more resources for this online.
My own personal opinion, however, from extensive experience in catering and weddings, is that a guest list of that size is very difficult to cater on your own without a lot of help. So I think this depends on what your idea of catering is. If you want to be actually cooking and serving on your wedding day, then this is a crowd size that probably won't let you do anything else that day. You may want to reconsider that, as it will be hard to focus on the guests themselves and on getting married if you have that much cooking and serving to do. But, on the other hand, if you just want to be involved with the food and help cook it ahead of time, then if you get a lot of help on the day of, you may be able to pull it off.
This also depends on what sort of meal you want to serve. If it's just finger food and hors d'ouevres, then sure, you could whip up a lot of appetizers and meats and cheeses ahead of time and hire a couple waiters to serve these. But if you want a full hot meal, again, the logistical issues on the day of will necessitate a lot of help.
Personally, I also wanted to cater my wedding. I am so glad now that I did not. We had a wonderful caterer and I designed the menu and they even used some of my own recipes. But I didn't have to worry about a thing on the day of the wedding. I did, however, make my own cakes and ice cream too. My aunts and grandmother brought homemade cookies. So there was a lot of personal, homemade food.
So those are my own personal opinions. I in no way would want to talk you out of something you want to do for your own wedding, especially if you have a lot of help standing by! But don't underestimate the sheer labor and coordination involved in feeding that many people, on one of the most memorable days of your life.
One writer for our site, Jill, did cater her own wedding with her own two hands! Here's a look back at how she did this. It was a lovely meal!
• Living the DIY Wedding: The Food
• Living the DIY Wedding: The Cake
Here are the posts I did about my own catered wedding with homemade cake and desserts:
• Home Cooking: The Homemade Wedding Cake
• DIY Wedding Inspiration: How To Make Your Own Wedding Cake (Without Losing Your Mind)
• Home Cooking: The Home Cooked Wedding
• Home Cooking: The Family Dessert Buffet
• DIY Wedding Cake and Ice Cream: The Recipes
Readers, what advice, recipe recommendations, and other suggestions do you have for Leann?
Related: Catering Your Own Wedding: A Step-by-Step Guide
(Image: Bom Yi Kim)
62 Comments
My aunt catered her own wedding and it was fantastic. She prepared all the food ahead of time, and used all her friends' freezers in the weeks leading up to the wedding to store stuff. She didn't do any serving during the event. She hired waiters for that. The wedding was held at the home of a friend of hers, so that friend helped with the preparation and serving on the day, so my aunt didn't have to do anything except get married. It was awesome and so memorable!
catering your own wedding sounds like a good idea, but i feel you should focus on what is really important that day- your marriage. cater your friend's wedding or your sister's wedding. enjoy your own.
I would say it would be very hard to cater your own wedding AND have time to enjoy the day (i.e. having time with your wedding party, taking photos etc.) .
I have catered family weddings, the largest affair being 75 people (but 3 separate meals over 2 days, including the wedding reception, all of which had hot components). If you want to do it yourself or with family helping, I'd say the most practical approach would be a picnic-style wedding reception, with lots of food that can be made ahead, and isn't too sensitive about sitting out. Even doing salads, there will be certain things that need to be prepped and/or mixed last minute, so the more hands, the easier! BBQ is another great option, if you have help and a couple of BBQs
I was part of a bridal party many years ago when the bride and groom catered their own party. It proved to be difficult - no matter how well organized you are, there are always some little things that need your attention. We were all cooking and getting the food ready the night before the wedding (after the rehearsal dinner) when we should have been celebrating and relaxing for the big day. It turned out just fine, but you will have a lot on your mind, and if you can, I suggest as Janice does, that you recruit as many people as possible to sweat the small stuff on your big day (and the night before).
My sister doesn't particularly want to hire a caterer either for her wedding next year, so she's thinking of doing a community type wedding. Since her and her fiance don't want any gifts, they're asking everyone to bring some food to share.
Definitely hire workers or enlist volunteers who love you very very much to take care of serving/replenishing food and cleanup. I cooked every bit of the food served at our wedding, but somehow it didn't occur to me that I'd be a mite busy the day of the event. We put in a crazy couple of days (and nights) getting everything ready and set up for our guests. I had wonderful family members and friends who helped, but everybody would have had a more relaxed, more enjoyable day if we'd turned that part of the job over to professionals.
One word. DON'T
Like you, it was important to me to do my own food at my wedding. As a compromise, I found a woman who did half of the menu for me. Then, I did my signature dishes. And we did it in March! Our guest list was around 80.
Two questions:
1. Have you previously catered an event that size?
2. Have you previously gotten married?
If the answer to either of those questions is "No," I'd suggest that you are in over your head.
My parents and grandparents catered my wedding. I was still in college living in a very small apartment with a tiny kitchen at the time, so they did all the work for me. We probably had 50-75 guests and bridal party to serve. We set the food up buffet style and I think everyone served themselves. My Aunt, Uncle, Grandma and cousins made sure the food was always full.
Everything thing they made was cooked ahead of time and frozen. The food had to be transported across the state so there really was no place to prepare the food at the reception site. Everything was reheated in large electric roasters during the wedding.
We served hot turkey sandwiches (the buns we pre-ordered from the local bakery), my Grandma's amazing mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. It was simple but everything tasted so good since my family made my favorite recipes.
After the wedding I quickly helped set things up while waiting for the guests to arrive at the reception. It was a small affair so it worked for my husband and me, and we have no regrets about the way we did it.
Best wishes!
Yes, don't.
Cater your first anniversary party instead.
There are various possibilities available to you on how to "cater" your own wedding:
1. hire a caterer who will make your recipes and provide servers;
2. hire a caterer who will do half of the food, while you cook the other half, but will provide servers;
3. cook all of the food yourself and hire your own servers; or
4. cook all of the food yourself with no servers (I do not recommend at all).
As you determine what is most important to you (that you have made the food yourself, that friends and family get to experience food that you have enjoyed with them, cost, or the ability to enjoy your wedding day), you'll be able to determine which of the four options suits you and your situation best. Personally, I would choose either option 1 or 2 because often a good caterer will help you determine which recipes are workable at the particular venue or event. You can also do a variant of #2 by hiring someone to do bbq or have one of those mobile pizza ovens.
All I can say is I once threw a 300 person anniversary party for my parents where I did all of the decorating and clean-up and NONE of the catering and barely had time to eat, sit-down, or enjoy myself.
I had a an April wedding with around 100 people. The wedding was at 11 am so we served lunch afterward. Along with 4 other friends/family, I made all of the food, which was actually a really fun and relaxing way to spend the days before the big day. On the day of the wedding, we hired 2 students from the local culinary school to oversee heating the few items that needed heating and to replenish the dishes that were out. We focused on salads, relatively simple pasta dishes (baked ziti, pasta with feta & kale) and lots of baguette sandwiches of all sorts (hummus & veggie, chicken salad, cold cuts, baked tofu banh-mi style). This stuff was pretty easy to prepare mostly or fully in the couple of days leading up to the wedding and then only had final touches the night before/morning of. I had a number of people tell me it was the best wedding food they'd ever had, before they found out we did it ourselves. I think the key was that we kept it fairly casual.
Make pickles, make jam, pass them out as favors. Make cakes, even. But don't be the caterer on the day of.
I just got married in May, and catered it myself. Two important points: 1. There were maybe 50-60 people to feed, total. 2. We had rented a big house in the mountains, and both families joined us for the entire week to hang out but also to help in the prep. We weren't trying to cook the food and then take it somewhere else. I cook, too, and I couldn't afford to/stand the thought of someone else doing the cooking. We prepped ahead of time as much as possible, and the final two days were a blur, but with everyone helping (EVERYONE, at least 8-10 people busy in the kitchen at all times) we got it done.
Rehearsal night dinner, for 50: chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, seafood gumbo, green salad, garlic bread. Wedding dinner, for 60: barbecue, potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw, green salad. Desserts for both: assorted pre-made cookies, brownies, fudge, etc. (no wedding cake). We bought 100 pounds of Boston butt and slow-roasted each roast (there were 5 or 6 of them) for 12 hours overnight, each night, freeing up the oven for daytime use. That way the barbecue was done ahead of time and just needed to be shredded/rewarmed on the day of. Making all the gumbo got a little crazy with only one stovetop, but it was delicious, all the same.
the idea of having your guest's take-home memento of the wedding be some your honeccoked fare is fantastic!
We prepped the light food we served ourselves, with help from family and friends, and then some extended family friends did the serving for us... Looking back, even just a year ago, the ENTIRE day is a blur and I hardly remember anything from it! If I'd had to do more work on the food than that, I think I would have regretted focusing on that. I love to cook, love to host dinners, etc... still, it was more important to me on that day to just focus on getting married and having a good time!
Check with your venue about bringing your own food if you are renting a place. My cousin wanted my mom to make her wedding cake but the venue said all food must come from a licensed commercial kitchen. She ended up spending way too much on an ugly cake that tasted like lemon Pledge.
Congrats, and good luck!
I was married about a year ago, and I have to admit that I am very glad it was catered. Cake and all. I just wanted to enjoy my husband, family, and friends.
However, if you really want to do it yourself, I would suggest a trial run. Cook for your shower, if you're having one. See how much time it takes to feed as many people as you have, and then use that to estimate feeding 100.
As far as food is concerned, I think a Mediterranean theme might be nice. Hummus, olives, tabbouleh, pita bread, grilled or roasted meat, and phyllo pastries are all nice at room temperature, and can all be prepared in advance.
Compromise--a good lesson for marriage, too.
Why don't you just bake the cake? or one special dish that is meaningful?
Cater the rest. As much as you love to cook, I would NOT cater my own wedding. There are too many other things to think about--the ceremony, meeting and greeting all your guests, pictures, dancing, toasts, celebrating.
You are certainly expected to play a role in determining the menu. Some caterers will even be amenable to your own recipes.
Good luck, and congratulations!
My husband and I were married in September and we had a pig roast - his family is from TX. It was fun - everyone chipped in - but it was exhausting. Do not underestimate how much work this can be.
Hi there! This is Leann --
First of all, thank you so much for providing such quick feedback. I have to admit that I was pretty certain I'd get the 'don't do it yourself' reaction (I think maybe I was hoping for it, to be honest).
My next question is this -- if any of you are in the Indianapolis area do you know of a caterer that will allow you to set the menu for your event? So far the few I've talked to have been the kind where you just choose from their 3 chicken options, 2 starch options, etc... I definetly DO NOT want that. I want our personalities in the food for the day.
To the folks who mentioned it, we have been lucky enough to find a venue that will allow us to use our own caterer. They're even allowing us to provide our own alcohol for the event, which is a big coup!
Thanks again for taking the time to provide feedback.
@Leann don't forget to check non-catering companies: Whole Foods does some catering, as do some restaurants. If there is a good organic-type restaurant that you like, ask them if they cater, or if they know of someone else like them who does!
Good luck -- keep us in the loop! We'd all love to hear how it goes!
I'm also planning to self-cater my wedding next month. I tried to hire a caterer to cook my recipes and help with prep and service and cleaning, but in the end it didn't work out. I think it's hard to find a caterer who's truly willing to work to fulfill your vision, and not their own, and if your vision about food is important to you, best to take ownership of it and let other, less important things go. I was willing to compromise on the dress, photos, location, flowers, guests, music -- pretty much everything else -- but the food is super important to me and I wasn't willing to compromise on it.
Having said that, we're not fully catering our own wedding. We're ordering a lot of food from our favorite restaurant. We found this was definitely cheaper than having the same dishes made for us, and often cheaper than making them ourselves. Some will be heated up on-site using a grill, but all our sides can be served room temperature. We're serving family style, so it's not as much work to get the food out to the tables and it can be done in a bigger window of time.
For the actual day of, we're hiring the younger sisters of a friend to help dish the sides into family style bowls, put them on the tables, set up appetizers, make lemonade, and then clear the tables and help clean up. We're hiring one woman with catering experience to run the grill and to do general food coordination, delegating to the girls and overseeing everything.
I definitely have heard a ton of warnings about doing food myself, similar to the comments you're receiving here, but I feel really excited and optimistic. I'm happy to be saving thousands of dollars, I'm happy to know that the most important part of the event to me is in my own hands, and I'm genuinely excited to think about prepping food with my best girlfriends a few days before the wedding. I love to cook and find it much more relaxing to think of doing that than to think of hair appointments and pedicures and last minute meetings. I would only say to think carefully about whether there's anything else in the day of the wedding that you can't compromise on: are you willing to not get your hair done, or to only have a few minutes to get dressed, to not spend hours on wedding photos? I realize that the food will take a ton of time -- more than I can imagine now -- and logistical planning (storing and refrigerating that much food will be tricky, but refrigerators can be rented or borrowed), but if it's important to you and you'll have fun doing it, more power to you!
To find non-traditional caterers who may be more willing to adapt, there are a couple options.
If you are looking for a particular style of food, say you're from Louisiana and really want Cajun food, contact restaurants with that style and see if they can adapt and use some of your recipes/ some of theirs.
Try Craigslist under services. Post what you are looking for, look for personal chefs, etc.
You may have to contact lots of people but hopefully you can find what you are looking for!
As a bride also planning a wedding, my advice is to not cater your own wedding. You have a LOT of stuff to focus on regarding your upcoming wedding, and with this, you're really just adding a HUGE task on top of everything else.
To renerodgers:
Please ask your sister to rethink her potluck reception. It's poor wedding etiquette.
To RLB:
Who cares about wedding etiquette anymore? It's their big day and they should be able to do what they want.
I was part of the bridal party for an almost entirely DIY wedding 2 weeks ago. My advice to you, DON'T!
We did everything ourselves, except for the food. For DIYing on a big event like a wedding, you will need a lot of help from friends and family, regardless of how organize you are. While most of your friends will likely glad to help (I still don't regret putting in so much effort for my best friend's wedding), you as the host probably would want your friends and family to enjoy your day as well, not to mention YOU.
My friend's wedding is about 140 people. We tried to do as much as we can before the actual day, but there were still many many things that needed to be setup the day off. Most of the bride's and groom's friends and family helped out to pull that off. Everyone was running around manically before the wedding instead of relaxing and taking in the beautiful scenery around. I can't imagine what it would be like if we needed to cook onsite as well.
With her 140 people wedding, the bride still didn't have time to catch up with all of her friends. She would have had even less time for her guests if she were to prepare all the food.
This is coming from the opinion of someone who helped out at her friend's wedding. For my own wedding, I would not have ask so much from my friends and family. I would have hire outside help so that my friends and family can enjoy my wedding as well.
We had about 100 guests and served them family-made appetizers while we were getting photographs taken after the ceremony. Chocolate covered strawberries, prosciutto/basil/sundried tomato bundles, various crostini, etc. That gave us a chance to have our own spin on some of the food without too much work, then we all headed over to the reception for a catered meal. Good luck with whatever you decide!
P.S. Hurrah to amandabryce!
I considered it. We DIYed the entire wedding, even the photographer was my Sister-in-law. I was quite pleased with how it all turned out, but I couldn't have managed the food too. It would have been a nightmare just trying to set the tables without the catering staff...and I had a wedding coordinator and her two assistants to boot with a guest list of only 75 including the bridal party! Try setting up a buffet service just like the one you'd like to serve at someone else's house for 10 people and time it. Then multiply that time by twelve and see if there are even enough hours in the day to accomplish this before you move further along with your plans. I'm all for DIY, but you need to have a little time to enjoy your day, too.
Also, depending on where you have it, if there's alcohol...it must be manned. Meaning a person must stand by it 100% of the time to prevent underage drinking. My caterers did this too...and cut the cake, rinsed and repacked the dishes, brought my mom her coffee with the right type of creamer, as well as passing appetizers during photos and serving the main buffet line. Absolutely worth every stinking penny I paid.
I've been a part of a complete food-DIY wedding for 60 (which took 8 volunteers 3 days of non-stop work to complete and had a simple meal of soup, salad and lasagna) and a partial food-DIY (they dropped off trays of Indian food..and ran out 3/4 of the way through the crowd so some people just ate rice!). Even with a staff of 6 in the kitchen for that one, it was crazy.
It's one very memorable day of your life. If you can swing it, hire a caterer. Worth every penny for the lack of worry. And if you're in the Bay Area, call Herbs and Spices in Alameda. They literally MADE my wedding day...even though I never told them it was for my wedding! *wink*
Cooking is really important to me, and with the help of a few dear friends and my parents, I am catering my own wedding. There will be about 50 people total. We're doing a very casual, buffet-style meal: Roasted chickens, country ham, biscuits, some vegetable salads. It's going to be hard work, but it's going to be great, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Besides, I'm getting married in Embarrass, MN. Not really any caterers to speak of up there...
Nearly 20 years ago my husband, who is a professional chef and I planned our August wedding to take place at our newly purchased home. At the time I had baked and decorated many of my friend wedding cakes. We thought we had planned everything. We both took the week before the wedding off to plan the last minute details of our simple menu - cold sliced roasted meats and vegetables, fruit salad. A tent and furniture were rented and setup, servers were hired. I woke the morning of the wedding to discover that a good portion of the frosting on my beautiful cake had melted and could no longer be decorated by traditional means - I sent my sister off to buy fresh flowers to tuck between the layers and hide the melted frosting - I ended up pleased with the result. However, the servers chose to take their own tour of our home. They locked our two cats into our un-airconditioned attic where there was no water and the temperature exceed 95 degrees. We successfully feed everyone and we both felt that the reception itself was wonderful. However at the end, the servers left before clearing and storing the leftovers and the people we had hired to take down the tables and chairs did not show (college students who felt they'd rather swim than earn money that day). That left my new husband and I doing all of the clean-up in my yard that day. We were both so exhausted from the work leading up to the wedding and the work on the wedding day that we wasted three days of our honeymoon, which was to take place in Door County, Wisconsin, recovering at home.
In retrospect, we do have wonderful memories from the wedding, but we wouldn't do it the same way if we were to do it again. We both agree we'd get married in front of immediate family and very close friends at the courthouse and then have a small snacks and cake reception, perhaps in a restaurant.
If I had it to do again, I'd want to be able to spend time with my Mom getting ready. I'd want to be well rested and relaxed. I want to be not exhausted so that I could enjoy the beginning of my honeymoon in the plae where we planned to be.
Focus on the marriage. Do what you must about the event.
Sincere Best Wishes,
During the winter of 2008, I helped cater a DIY wedding. It was fantastic!
The bride and her mother sat down with me and we designed the menu. We then considered how long things would take to prepare, how long they could be held in the refrigerator, and what the prep time would be.
We laid out an easy going schedule: shopping on Sunday, prepping food on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, tidying up on Friday, then getting ready for the wedding on Saturday.
I skipped the ceremony to cook the food and get everything set up. I did end up running about 20 minutes behind, but the guests who weren't part of the wedding party pictures were more than willing to help.
In all we served over 100 people without a problem. I didn't have to clean up, got paid to skip the ceremony, and helped a good friend celebrate her special day!
It really helps if you have someone who knows what they're doing. I run a restaurant and am in charge of the catering side. We made sure we had plenty of time in case things went wrong, which they didn't, and everything came up roses.
Happy day to you and good luck!
I would make it a champagne and cake style early-to-late afternoon reception with a little bit of fingerfood that you can prepare in advance. Otherwise, see if you can get an army of friends (or your mother's friends) to help.
Let me just say that I have never commented on any posts before, but had to on this one. Don't cater your own wedding. You're only going to have one wedding. You can have all the parties you want in your married life, but just enjoy this one day. It's a whirlwind even if you don't do any of it yourself. Focus on enjoying the day with your family and friends because that is what it's all about. If you feel you must, just plan it so that you don't have to do any of it the day of the wedding itself. No matter how much you plan, it's always going to be more work than you think it is. Much, much more.
Don't do it. Seriously. I cater weddings large and small, and the biggest mistake I ever made was catering my brother's wedding AND serving as the maid of honor - I was not even the bride. Unless you have an army of people ready - and CAPABLE to plate and final-prep food between ceremony and reception, and you don't care about photos - go right ahead, but it's not worth the trouble - just being totally honest here.
dont do it
We did, and three years later we still have people talking about how great the food was. (while all the catered weddings of friends around that time were dreadful - one even ran out of food - we had to go to KFC for dinner. Caterer didn't seem to care.)
Sure you can't easily do the silver-service sit-down meal - but who wants all that frippery getting in the way of a great day (and great food) with family, friends and beloved anyway?
My best friend just catered her own wedding with a guest list of about 50. The menu was very simple, and nearly everything was prepared ahead of time so that the day of was mostly warming things up, but the biggest mistake was not to hire at least one or two people to help. The mother of the bride and the bridesmaids were running in and out of the kitchen for several hours and couldn't relax until everyone was full. Just hiring a server and someone in the kitchen to keep food flowing would have made everything a dream. The worst part is that several beautiful little details were forgotten in the hustle that would have really added to the charm. Also, we luckily had two kitchens to work in, without which I think it might have been impossible. One last point - we spent a huge amount of time in the few days before shopping for food. That was tough when there were so many things to do.
A "pot-luck" wedding is probably a misnomer. They're most likely less formal---perhaps outdoor or backyard weddings---and the closest friends and family co-ordinate and prepare favorite recipes, NOT the bride or groom's boss from work. (YIKES)
Ideally, there are hired helpers for tending bar, set-up, and clean-up. The food and presentation at these celebrations can be amazing!
Good wedding etiquette is whatever makes the the couple and their guests feel comfortable and welcome.
My husband's parents are professional cooks -- they own a restaurant. They catered the food for my SIL's wedding. Absolute nightmare. They spent all week gathering ingredients, prepping, doing what they could ahead of time. The day of, we woke up at the crack of dawn and ran around like crazy until the photographer dragged us over for pictures. During the wedding, we were so busy trying to keep the buffet replenished & tidy, that we literally did nothing else. And then after the guests left, we spent HOURS cleaning everything up. Miserable, miserable experience. It was such a shame that the bride's family didn't get to enjoy her wedding with her.
For our wedding, they insisted on providing some food. We had them prepare a few batches of our favorites, which our caterer was happy to tray-up and pass during the cocktail hour.
At most weddings I've been to, the caterer's team does ALOT more than just prepare food; they set up the dining area; supply all the plates, utensils, glasses, etc., as well as the serving trays, equipment, etc.; and break down and clean up the dining area. For any kind of formal or large-scale event, I really think it's worth the money (and peace of mind) to have a professional do this. Or at least someone who doesn't have other priorities that day.
I'm also planning my wedding for this fall, also for about 110 guests. Ultimately we decided that it would be too difficult to cater our own wedding with everything else going on that day, but we thought of some other ways to work our love of food and drink into the reception.
Have you considered making some sort of homemade edible party favors guests could take with them? For instance - jams, pickles, etc. could be done weeks or months in advance. We're also brewing our own saison-style beer to serve in lieu of champagne for the toast - another project that can be done months ahead of time.
Ha! When I called my mom to say that I was engaged, she said "I want you to promise me one thing: that you won't try to cater your own wedding."
But part of me really, really wants to!
Instead, I am doing a potluck. I haven't put someone in charge yet, but my plan goes like this:
1) Delegate! Appoint a leader of the potluck crew
2) Locate a kitchen space that out of towners and in-towners-with-few-kitchen-skills can use to cook together
3) Menu plan with my potluck leader, including dishes that can feed lots of people and that friends with little experience can help with (e.g., potatoes au gratin -- lots of slicing and prep, and then one person can head up the cooking)
4) Help with prep as much as possible -- shopping, planning, menu testing, providing things I can make in advance
5) DO NOT SET FOOT IN KITCHEN ON WEDDING DAY. Not just because I promised my mom, but because I will get sucked in and be there forever and be all grubby and wound up at my wedding.
Ooh! I see that the poster before me is doing a homebrew toast. We are, too! And I'm making liqueur at this very moment for signature cocktails.
If you do cater it yourself, just be really realistic about what you can do. Plan a simple menu (if you google self-catered wedding, you should come up with a nice sandwich bar), and go through it step by step, grossly exaggerating the time required for each dish, to make sure you're not taking on too much.
Check out Young House Love's blog. They did a DYI wedding and she has some good tips and ideas.
amandabryce - FAIL. Good wedding etiquette is still very much relevant and alive. Unless the wedding is as a later poster suggested, a backyard at-home barbecue type of affair, then a pot luck reception is very much in poor taste. And as far as the "it's YOUR pretty princess day" crap goes, NO. Once you invite family and friends, it's less about the bride. They can do whatever they want, but they run the risk of being very rude.
I am damn glad that won't be my wedding. Have some consideration.
Whatever your case for etiquette, you just lost any credibility as an expert.
Oh god, not "wedding etiquette." Has there ever been a more insidious, nosy, dreadful phrase in the English language? I don't think so.
Wedding Etiquette also insists married women have no names and simply exist as Mrs. MyHusband. Hang wedding etiquette. It's 2010, you can kick all those old busybodies in the rear and do what you like.
A potluck wedding sounds lovely for a smaller party, especially in place of a gift! Considering how much the average guest spends on a gift, asking for food instead is actually quite thoughtful and considerate. If you're a young couple with a large group of young friends with not a lot of money, it's a very good idea indeed. It would only be problematic for a larger gathering from sheer logistics of feeding everyone a good variety, not because it's not "polite."
The only wedding "etiquette" you should ever consider is the exact same sensibility that should inform any party - be thoughtful, make sure everyone can have fun, make it easy to get there and easy to go home, make sure everyone has something nice to eat even with dietary restrictions, try to set up social groups that mix well. Done and done.
I catered my own wedding for 95 people last year... The most important things I learned were:
Make a thorough inventory of what supplies, utensils, baking dishes, etc. are available to you. Afterall, you need a LOT of baking pans, serving dishes, knives, etc. to cater an event like that.
The best idea we had was to do a cold buffet. It was serving hot foods that REALLY would have complicated things.
I wish I would've done the prep two days before instead of the night before... it would've still been fine (in terms of freshness) but took much longer than I had anticipated (15lbs of strawberries to slice and hull is a LOT! lol)
Simple, delicious, seasonal food will win out every time. Fewer, better ingredients both saved time and effort and ended up costing less in the long run.
I also make a "cake buffet" which I made ahead of time and iced the morning of... it might sound crazy, but I kept the decorating simple and rustic and concentrated on making things delicious instead of "perfect".
I have to comment on the wedding etiquette/potluck thing: the economy is bad, people don't have a lot of money, and I think a potluck wedding reception - if done with love - is a wonderful idea. I would not hesitate to bring a dish to a friend's wedding if I thought it would ease financial concerns and contribute to a beautiful day.
No, no, no, no!
a) You have no choice.
b) You are a professional cook and are having a small wedding.
c) You are not a professional cook but are having a VERY small wedding.
d) You don't want to see your guests anyway.
Didn't someone ask this a few months ago? A party of 115 is just way too much to do, I don't care how much help you get.
Make favors and print out cute copies of your recipe, or maybe make the hors d'ouevres, but don't try to cater this thing yourself. It's not really a dream, it's a nightmare.
I agree about the economy and that bringing or preparing food for an event should be in lieu of a gift. Besides, these are people close enough to you that they've probably already given a shower gift.
I agree to not do it yourself.
As far as finding someone that will be flexible enough to follow your preferences - look for smaller companies that are more of a 'mom and pop' business. We used a husband and wife caterer for our wedding in Chicago a year ago and it was the best decision! They were so fantastic and flexible and all our friends are still talking about how good the food wa.
Slightly OT, but I'm quite scared of the large numbers here which seem to be considered small weddings :-) 75, 50-60 etc. I would definitely consider catering my own civil partnership, but then I am only planning on inviting somewhere between 3 and 10 other people so I guess that might work out ok.
Good luck to all those with big parties to cater for, I really hope it all works out and everyone has a great time :-)
I haven't read all the comments, but I write for a wedding blog (weddingbee), so I know from experience just how complicated, frustrating, wonderful, exacerbating, and confusing planning a wedding can be.
Leann, if you've gotten any comments here that disappoint you (a la, "you'd be silly to cater your own wedding"), don't feel for a second that you need to listen to them. In the end, YOU will be the one deciding how to create your wedding day.
If that wedding day involves you doing the catering, so be it! If that's how you envision your day of celebration coming together, then GO FOR IT. I can attest that cooking for a wedding is difficult, but it is worth it. I made my wedding cake, and it was everything I had wanted (my only regret is that I had to frantically re-do some meringue buttercream while my husband got to play frisbee).
If you haven't found this source yet for wedding planning, you MUST read her archives:
Sara Cotner catered her own wedding, and the ENTIRE wedding was less than $2000. She and her husband didn't lose their minds, they didn't empty their pocket books, and they stuck to their values.
It CAN be done! AND you can stay sane at the same time!
Good luck!
I did cater my wedding - BUT it was very informal, smallish (30 or so people), and held at a friends house. Also money was an issue.
We did hire someone to set up and serve (buffet-style) so I had zero food-related responsibilities on the day of, and clean up. And it really went quite well. But for a larger or more formal wedding? God, no.
I've also been to a pot-luck wedding reception and it was surprisingly nice. Again, it was a very informal wedding. The wedding was outside at the bride's father's home and the reception was at the groom's parent's home a few miles out of town. There were around 75 or so people, the food was great, and I really had a good time!
So take that, wedding etiquette lady! I'm happier at a simple wedding that expresses the tastes and values of the couple rather than one that adheres to the rules of what a "proper wedding" should be like.
theeater: "You're only going to have one wedding." ??
lol...you're so cute!! But how I wish you were right. I've been to more than a few 2nd or 3rd "dream weddings" of 40-something brides.
I catered my own wedding with 85 guests, 16 years ago and people are still talking about it BUT the only way to be successful and not stressed is to PLAN, ENLIST HELP, AND HIRE PEOPLE TO DO THE WORK ON WEDDING DAY! I'd catered alot before this and still spent a lot of time planning. Everything needs to be done in advance, last minute prep left to the hired help and make copious notes on each dish - what serving pieces to use, what garnishes are appropriate, where it goes on the buffet etc. If it's what you want to do go for it but make sure that your prep work is under control. If you're a control freak forget about it - during the ceremony you need to focus on your spouse and not what the help is doing.
I'm a little late to this thread, but I'm glad I saw it! I actually just catered my own wedding about 4 weeks ago, and it was the best decision I could have possibly made. We had about 100 guests (including the wedding party--and about 20 kids, to be fair); the best advice I can give you is (a) make things that you can freeze, and cook the day of (pesto palmiers, dumplings, anything in puff pastry shells, meatballs, shrimp cocktail, etc), (b) hire somebody to cook the food the day of (that's what I did--I have no idea how I would have done it otherwise), and (c) ask people for help. I'll say it again: ask people for help. You may feel skeptical--I did--but trust me: your friends and family <I>want</I> to help, they're just waiting for you to ask them to. Think back to the amazing appetizer your future sister in law has served at dinners before, or the veggie dip your mom always makes, or the great chicken dish your old roommate made the last time you had dinner at her place--and ask them if they'd mind making it for your wedding. Trust me--people will start to come out of the woodwork once you start asking around and will volunteer their services.
Hearty hors d' oreuvers are my best advice for what to cook. My wedding was at the beginning of June, so, slightly different weather, but all of the food was cooked inside and brought outside, so I think it would work for your wedding, too.
I'd love to talk to you about this if you have any questions or anything--my email is firstname.lastname@example.com please get in touch if you want to talk at all!
I'm very late to this thread, but hey, if I found it two years later, others might be looking for the same information! All great advice for self-catering a wedding, and I'll just chime in with the idea of preparing as much beforehand as possible, and then having a restaurant or caterer provide the main entree (or the one that is the most labor-intensive), and time it to arrive ready-to-serve at the reception. Do the planning yourself, then delegate the day-of managing to someone else so you can enjoy the day.
For a very small wedding, I'd think it's easier to cater it yourself. But for anything over 20 guests it starts getting hard. Read http://weddings.gatheringguide.com/ac/diy-wedding-tips/diy-catering-is-it-possible-with-a-regular-kitchen for some background on trying to cater in a normal kitchen. And if you're doing your own cake, that's a whole other story: http://weddings.gatheringguide.com/ac/diy-wedding-tips/making-your-own-wedding-cake-whats-really-involved. I hope that helps anyone thinking of trying it themselves. It's possible, but really hard!