Gracious Living, part three.

"Ice makes the drink." my Uncle Joe always used to say. Ice is an overlooked commodity. Empty trays in your fridge are evidence of an unthoughtful host. People will come over at the oddest times and nothing says gracious living more than a frosty jefferson cup filled with Kettle One and a homemade pickled tomatillo. Guests savor the hospitality, and you stun them with the vodka. Win, win. Ice is a necessity for shocking the color into tasty asparagus when blanching them for cruditees, ice is a necessity for when guests ignore the tasty aspargus, have multiple frosty jefferson cups filled with Kettle One, passout on your persian (rug) and wakeup with a terrible headache. A lovely icepack can make a guest feel warm and cared for as you retell the events of the night before. Ice doesn't ship well. Dry ice does, but for our purposes here, the only thing we like dry are armpits and martinis. Ice chills champagne and lower backs nicely. It makes lovely diversions for nephews and nieces as shaved, snowcones. It stacks well and can make pretty, pretty pyramids. It can revitalize a dehydrated golden retriever as well as a flaccid nipple. It is wonderful for post-sporting injuries and pre-sporting tailgating. It can be worn as an accessory, but quickly. You can name your ice to personalize your hospitality. Nothing says detail-oriented more than telling your guest that the rawbar is replete with Devon, Deborah and Dillon. Your guest will also appreciate your sense of organization by noting the gracious use of alphabetization. Then they will also find you a Xanax without you even asking. Remember, a plate is never returned empty, phone calls are returned promptly and the power of a ThankYou note is immense. So, stop whatever you are doing and run to the Icebox (see it's impact on the English language, too!). Check your trays and run at the mouth, of the sink for impending guests. Remember:


"Remember, you rule the ice. Don't let the ice rule you." - Birthday girl, Salvatrees. We love her.