Because I Care Part 3

Today I volunteered again for New York Cares, but this time I decided to try something new. I went to PS 270 in Clinton Hill to help a group of kids learn photography. They were all about 10 years old and all really sweet kids. Each volunteer had two kids that they were in charge of. I was excited to have two girls run up to me right away to work with me. Now I don't know much about photography but it was really just a way to get the kids outside, have fun and help them look at things in a new perspective. The goal today was to take pictures of colors. So we went out to the playground and I guided them into taking different photos of things they saw and try and look at them in a different way. So one girl was laying down on the jungle gym to take a picture of the sky and the tree. Mostly they just wanted to take pictures of themselves or each other. They were able to do this for about a 1/2 hour and then most of them seemed like they just wanted to hang on the swings or run around. But it was a Saturday so I don't blame them.

After, we went inside and printed out two of their favorite photos for them to put in their own little book. One of my girls chose a picture of my stomach, which was pretty funny because I was wearing a gray shirt so it really was not a picture of colors. But who am I to judge?

I'm always apprehensive about doing these volunteer days because I just don't know what to expect. But every time I go I seem to really enjoy it. I recommend everyone at least try doing something. It will open your eyes to knew things and maybe even make an impact on someone else.

It's Good to Know a Chef

This past weekend my in-laws were in town so my husband, Rick, decided to take them to dinner at The Grocery on Smith St. in Carroll Gardens. Rick has been interning there for a month or so because he wanted to work in a small, chef/owner operated, highly-regarded restaurant. We've been there twice before he started interning there and have loved it both times. Now that he knows the chef it made the dining experience a little different. We sat down at 5pm because that was the only time we could get a reservation for 5 people (his sister came, too). The place immediately started to get crowded but that didn't stop Charlie, the chef/owner, from treating us like we were "somebody." He brought us each a glass of champagne and two complimentary amuse bouche as well as some fresh slices of salmon to taste. Then he brings out an asparagus dish that was a variation of something that was on the menu for us to try. It was of course delicious. But the best part of the evening was when we all ordered our food. I ordered the vegetarian lasagna, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and my husband all ordered the scallops, and my father-in-law ordered lamb (I think). All of a sudden my husband gets a call on his cell phone and ignores it. Then it rings again. He decides to answer it and it's the chef calling from the kitchen! He says that he's not bringing out three scallop dishes and that my husband can just taste theirs so he has to pick something else to eat. It was pretty hilarious that he did that but he was right, why not order a bunch of different dishes and try everyone's? Everything was consistenly amazing. We even received complimentary sorbets in addition to the desserts we ordered. I definitely recommend going to The Grocery for your next dinner. And if you go on a Tuesday night you might just get something my husband made.