so i have a girl crush.

so i have a girl crush. and my kids have heard wayyyy too much about her.

rachel hollis, of the book, girl wash your face fame (omg, omg, the book: a must read) has been inspiring me for the last nine months since i found her on audible.com. it was fate. you know those moments, when you are in a place and just need to hear that one particular message delivered in just that one perfect way? well that was what did it. everything i have been working towards for the last four years of my life summed up by someone else's story, everything i've been fighting for and not quite knowing how to achieve coming through my ear buds. i was sold.

i've been playing around with this in my head for the last nine months. trying to figure out how to follow my DREAM while playing myself down like it's no big deal. i want to be successful and grow, i want to knock it the hell out of the park, but maybe i should just keep a lampshade on my lamp, set myself in the corner and keep my big DREAM quiet and hidden in the lowlight. stay small. but i can't. that's just not me. i'm kind of loud and aggressive and hyper when it comes to my DREAM and i just can't wait around and keep hoping it's going to come to fruition by playing it small. nope. i can't. i've allowed others to shush me my whole life.

"why would you want to open a restaurant? you have kids. don't you want to be a good mother and raise them yourself."

(implying, what? that bad mothers who work aren't good mothers at all?)

i realize today (for the past nine months to be exact), that i've allowed those people to shush me because i don't like friction. i'm a pleaser. i don't love making waves. sure, i have a DREAM, and like many others, i've been passively DREAMING it rather than going out and getting it. why? because every time i moved towards it, took that step into my DREAM, it caused friction. for my husband. for my kids. sometimes for my friends and extended family. less time at home. tired at the end of the day. not present as much as i would like to be. that motion causes friction. but that's the price to pay for the DREAM.

spent the last three years trying to make catchy. good. i set about to create a business that had wings, was self supporting, that drew people in. it was my only DREAM for too many years to count. i had to learn how to pump out great food consistently for 10-12 hours a day. then i had to learn how to hire the best people. not just amazing chefs, amazing PEOPLE. hard working and talented, sure, but more importantly ones with heart and a never-ending supply of grit and determination to be better at what they do every day. then came balancing a budget. holy LORD did i fail at that more months than not in the beginning: first way to destroy a business? give it all away in donations because i didn't want anyone not to like me. uhhhh. i will never forget when my dad sent me a quote in college that said "the recipe for failure is trying to make everyone happy." truer words.

but over those three years i have figured it out with more help and brainpower from every person i surrounded myself with: managers. chefs. friends. siblings. podcasters. self help books. because i can't stop at catchy.just being good. that was okay for the beginning. but it's time. time to be extraordinary. it's time i make catchy. GREAT.

so february 1st marked the day i decided it was time to:

GROW catchy. BIG IN 2019.

to do that i'm gonna have to get big. cause friction. be bold when there is a piece of me that likes to play it safe and maybe just a bit small. so here it is, to pursue my DREAM, i realized i have to ask it. ASK FOR THE BUSINESS. every day, right here. RIGHT NOW. so i'm calling on you all - my 1500 followers: spread the word to your friends, at your office, to your kid's schools. we do teacher appreciation lunches. we do pasta parties. we do weddings. we do corporate. WE DO EVERYTHING.

and for EVERY one of you that helps me grow, who refers me to a friend who uses us, you will receive a referral fee in the form of a gift card from catchy. to use however you choose. i'm asking you to partner with me on this DREAM. i want to expand catchy. i want to buy this building we occupy. i want increase this space and drive catchy. so big that we expand into other towns and possibly even a state or two. i'm chasing down my DREAM today and every day until 2019 is over and i can see that we grew 10% and are geared up to grow 15% in 2020.

and i'm going to keep doing it over and over whether it makes me annoyed and uncomfortable or not. who's with me?? all in favor: order lunch online t

my apologies for going all dark on you...

wow. i know. it's been a while.

my apologies for going all dark on you on the blog line. i needed a little radio silence. after that month of catering and holiday drama i almost hid under the covers for a few weeks.

but i'm back, it's 2019 people we have got some FOOD for you over here. it's january and it would seem you folks are looking for some healthy choices. as usual, catchy. has you covered but just in case you have been on a starvation diet too called being "separated-and- not-being-able-to-keep-weight-on" we ALSO have a little something called fettucini alfredo with big, luscious chunks of white meat chicken that just blew my mind when i just snuck a little nibble when i was snapping this picture over here to my right. dontcha love how added a cup of steamed broccoli to it so it looks like we care about your eating some part of the rainbow. i know. we're givers.

but if you do happen to be wondering how we could reinvent our salads ONE MORE TIME and put together some ridiculously new and delicious choices for you: wonder no longer. we've got the chimichurri chicken salad with hunks of avocado & roasted pumpkin seeds with a lemony delish dressing. and we've got the spinach salad with gorgonzola, crispy bacon, apples & walnuts in a warm bacon vinaigrette (not sure that's really diet but man, it sure is good). and lastly we are rocking a crispy this chicken salad with napa cabbage, cashews, scallions, snow peas & carrots...YUMMM.

and btw, it's cold as nards out there, order online at www.thecatchycaterer.com and request delivery. no sense in being a hero and braving this stuff. #toodamncold

holy cripes it's cold out there.

holy cripes it's cold out there. minus 4 degrees this morning when i went to turn my car on in the driveway. MINUS FOUR. this is not minnesota, people. i am just not equipped for this sh*t.

i'm a thin skinned jersey girl. i like sunshine and plus thirty degree temps (actually i like plus sixty degree temps) and am not, i repeat, NOT good in the cold. every time january rolls around i begin to wonder what i was thinking building our dream house up north (well, now that i'm separated i wonder just what in the hell i was thinking building a dream house at all, but that's a story for another time)? how did it not occur to me that florida might have been a better fit for my weak-weathered constitution??

as i closed my door this morning, praying the car would heat up quickly, i glimpsed sight of a hardened jogger, headlamp bobbing as he bounced down the road. dude what are you thinking? it is was minus 4 now, what the hell was it when you left your house a half hour ago? minus 8? i can barely manage the chill of my gym when i walk in and have to talk my jacket off and start padding along on the treadmill and this spartan warrior was cutting an 8-minute mile pace in the dark. i am weak people. WEAK.

so i'm going to throw some food out there for you this week that will warm the cockles of your heart (yes, i just typed cockles. i blame the cold). we have got our savory MEATLOAF with CREAMY MASHED POTATOES for dinner along with our usual veal & ricotta meatballs over linguine, baked shrimp scampi & lasagna bolognese to stick to your ribs. or if you are still trending towards the healthy (which by the record breaking first three weeks of january it would seem you are - whoo!) we've a KALE CAESAR with GRILLED CHICKEN! yes, me: kale caesar, i'm going for it, healthy greens in hopes or cancelling out the number of diet cokes i've been throwing back. in addition, we've got our crispy CRAB CAKE SALAD (yes sir, that'll make you think summertime, boom!) or our WINTER WEDGE (think creamy blue cheese crumbles draping over a crisp wedge of iceberg with one of our delicious homemade vinaigrettes - because ALL of our vinaigrettes are homemade...yup. ask your other favor haunts if they blend their dressings by hand every morning...they do not).

we will conquer this cold together. oh, and we deliver. so you don't even have to go out in the cold for our tasty food. word.

these are what we call NIRVANA.

we are just seven days away from SUPERBOWL LIII. this could be my absolute favorite eating holiday of the year, i live for bar food.

get. it. on.

see these? did i make the image big enough? these are what we call NIRVANA.

buffalo chicken fingers. freshly cut white meat chicken (antibiotic free of course). freshly breaded with crispy, crunchy panko breadcrumbs (as in like every. single. day. no, they're not frozen. ever). then we wait to sauce them at the VERY. LAST. MINUTE. do you know why? because i like crispy, panko crusted buffalo chicken finger PERFECTION and that only happens when we don't jump the shark. patience. you only sauce after you've heated and the game has begun. yes. this is a science. and i've made it mine.

so that is our first shout out this week about our SUPER BOWL delectables. oh, there will be more. a little meatball parm spring rolls here, then we'll throw a little love at the roasted corn guac. whatever the super bowl food, catchy. does it better than anyone else.

now i am back to my bed to convalesce. between puking kids home hugging my avocado and some sinus surgery hell two days ago, this week has not been my finest. by the time this super bowl rolls around i should be ready to knock back about four quarts of guacamole and enough buffalo chicken goodness to add two sizes to my pants. i'm fired up!

that super bowl was a LOT.

aghhhhh, that super bowl was a LOT.

a LOT of chili. a LOT of roasted corn guacamole & chips. and a LOT of those double chocolate brownies i vowed i would not touch because there is some chip missing in my brain that doesn't' tell me i have hit satiety and i just KEEP. EATING. THEM. UNTIL. well, until i want to hurl.

but that's cool, because it's a lot, but it's just one day a year. one day a year of consuming 6284 calories isn't going to kill me. one day a year where i get to eat whatever the hell i want because of a football game where a 41 year old can best all his younger competitors & win his sixth national championship, where tattooed rock stars can shed their ugly shirts and gyrate on stage, and where my kids get to hang with their cousins until which only leads to the crankiest morning on record today (hence the delay in my blog). but what's a little fudgey happiness? just a blip on the radar.

and now we are back to reality. and catchy. has got options for you. we've got incredible salads like "the ridiculous" where we scoop quinoa and roasted brussels sprouts, spiced pecans and roasted butternut squash onto a heap of arugula and maybe even toss a grilled piece of salmon on top to really make it sing. or we have our sticky beef & broccoli over jasmine rice & steamed broccoli for a more satisfying dinner experience that is still light and delicious. or you can just say f*ck it, and dive into a mound of the sauciest, savoriest pulled pork you have EVER. PUT. IN. YOUR. MOUTH. on a mound of triple cheesy macaroni & cheese & a side of steamed broccoli (because i love to pretend that will undo the effects of the creamy noodley, pork extravaganza).

so GET ON IT. order up. send your favorite neighbor who just had a baby a dinner. or just call in for yourself. fill up your own cup with all of this tasty goodness. catchy. has got you covered.

don't judge me.


this guy is going to be the death of me. and yes, that is a bag of miniature chocolates i have in my refrigerator for emergencies. don't judge me.

the holidays are hard. christmas presents. school concerts. decorating the house. cookie swaps (which necessitate cookie ingredient shopping, cookie baking, cookie sampling). and then impromptu holiday get togethers in your house (last night) that last five hours and total 3,895 calories of oreo mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich ingestion. it's hard. but what's harder than all that: the post-party hour of washing bowls and wine glasses and sweeping up the tortilla chips your ravenous children manage to crunch into every crack of your hard wood floor is the f*cking elf. whyyyyyy?? why did america give us one more thing to remember in a month where there is already SO MUCH TO REMEMBER?!?

i can't even.

my husband used to manage the elf. and that's to say, i had to try and remember to remind him every night (sorry, not to throw you under the bus butttt, #iftheshoefits). that was fruitless. our kids would race downstairs every morning and come back up whining that our elf hadn't moved. cripes. i would come up with some half baked explanation blaming, perhaps, their naughty behavior or unwillingness to clean their room the day before on his immobility. but the bottom line is, they always thought our elf a little lazy and a little challenged because, somehow, he just ended up in the same spot night after night after night.

so this year i vowed would be different. our elf was going to kill it in 2018. in a year when i couldn't possibly manage another thing, i pledged to myself our elf would be: the fun elf this year. and damn it if i didn't start december off with a bang. cherry the elf made cookies. he got into a tussle with the scotch tape dispenser and adhered himself to a kitchen window. i. was. on. a. ROLL. and then last night happened. the party and the clean up and my resolve was shot to sh*t. i got up in the middle of the night to ponder how the hell i was going to manage life as a single mom pretty soon and suddenly i remembered! sh*t! i didn't move cherry!!

i hustled downstairs, grabbed the elf and scoped the joint out. where? i couldn't come up with a single, damn creative thought (in my defense, it was 2:45am). stumped, i opened the fridge and jammed him into the bag of emergency, feel-better-for-yelling-at-kids-for-the-seventy-third-time-today, mini treats i have on hand. it was weak, it was unimaginative, it was pathetic really, but it was all i had in my tank. elf grade for the day: D-. so be it.

the moral of the story is ENOUGH. something is better than nothing and i am not going to compare myself to the freakin' lists on pinterest of people who CLEARLLLLY have more time and imagination than i do. it is what it is kids and if you don't like it, than cherry can fly back to the north pole and tell santa what a loser he is for not being a more fun elf like your friend's tiny little red fairies. i only have so many shits to give, and this one ain't getting one.

let loose today and leave your elf in the same spot. teach these kids that life is full of disappointments and it's all going to work out in the end. and then order up some ass-kicking buffalo chicken fingers and crispy fries to dispense with your sadness. it's the holidays after all. we are all allowed a little indulgence.

boom. boom. explosions everywhere.

straight from the sandy beaches of north palm: relaxed, a little tanned, my pockets filled with the greens, blues & browns of the sea glass i love to search for, i was peaceful for what only seemed like a fleeting moment. and then like clockwork: BOOM. BOOM. explosions everywhere.

i was unpacking my suitcase when i reached in and was treated to a soft, silky, handful of shampoo. oh, come onnn. what the f*ckkkkk. it was everywhere. on my sunglasses. in my journal. dripping down the inside of my new running shoes. for the love, why did i not pack it in a ziploc?? ey. as i started removing each item from my suitcase, my phone rang for the fourth time. arghhh. with a palmful of herbal essences, i couldn't quite pick up the first few times but when the voicemail icon suddenly popped onto the screen, i decided to play it as background to my cleaning escapades. not such a great idea.

"erin, it's your aunt jean. i'm going to leave a message because i have tried to call four times (this was said with annoyance, sorry aunt jean, i'm not always available) and i wanted to share my thoughts. i just read your blog from last week. honey, i'm not sure you should be writing all that. i think some people might be, well, how do i say this (then she paused for ten or twelve seconds to decide how to say what no one asked her) 'PUT OFF'

(i could envision the air quotes) by hearing all that. no one really wants to hear about other peoples troubles i don't think. so i know you are having a tough time, but really, i think it would be better for your whole family, if you just kept that to yourself. take care though okay? and if you need me, just shout." oh, i need you alright. i need you to mind ya business and keep your opinion to yourself aunt jean.

i'm not sure which little explosion annoyed me more. a handful of 2-in-1 conditioner or someone poking their nose into my life. i'm gonna say it was a straight-up tie.

you see, i'm a big believer in people being entitled to their opinions. you have a FaceBook page and want to spout on about trump being the next coming. go right ahead. it's a free country, no one should stop you. you want to post 12,000 pictures of your baby in her 47 outfits sitting, sleeping, standing. knock yourself out. that's the beauty of america. it's a free country. you are allowed to be just whatever the hell you want to be. again: AMERICA, SUPER LUCKY.

me? i am having a shitty few months. this blog? my space. the one that has always afforded me enormous leeway to work through whatever madness races around my wacky little head. sometimes it's all happiness about my kids and their kickass achievements. other times, it includes (possibly too many) cool pictures snapped of my catering events where my team of people dazzles guests at their christmases, weddings or first communions. and other times (like now aunt jean), it's where i share how tremendously awful it feels to be sitting in a broken marriage while trying to keep four kids excited about the holidays as their world comes tumbling around them. without judgment. my blog is where i am free to be me: it took me 45 years to get to that place of not giving a crap what others think so thanks for your opinion aunt jean, but no thanks. we are like planet fitness over here: THIS IS THE NO JUDGEMENT ZONE.

so just a holiday disclaimer from someone who's been there, if you have an opinion of someone, perhaps wait to share it. because you never know. someone, somewhere may be having a really tough time and however that presents itself to you, while maybe not the way you might handle it, is saving them just a little bit that day.

go easy on everyone this holiday season folks. this time of year can be tricky whether you are happy as a clam or down in the dumps. and if you need cheering up, plan a party and order some tasty candy bacon. i can't promise anything, oh, wait - YES I CAN. that sh*t will change your life.

we are a toddler!

and so it's begun. december has arrived and we are off to the races folks.

party time.

the swing from thanksgiving into hanukkah & christmas happened so fast we jumped right over december 1st. DECEMBER 1st!! it was the three year anniversary of opening our little storefront on north maple and amidst all the madness of the cafe, catering and four kids running in eight different directions, it just slipped right past me. THREE YEARS!! holy crap! (i'm not going to lie, it's felt like a decade at least). we are a toddler!

i want to say thank you. thank you for coming to our cafe. thank you for referring us (shout out to those facebook mom pages: wyckoff! upper saddle river! ridgewood! allendale! and of course hohokus! oh my lord! so many kinds words!). and thank you for sharing your stories while you listened to mine. you helped me create a little community within my community where i get to celebrate your kids milestones and take part in your holidays. you welcomed us into your lives on very special occasions from baptisms to funerals repasts and i'm so grateful for that honor. i'm not sure where my fledging company would have been without your kind compliments and rave reviews to your friends. when we opened our doors, i was told not to expect to make a dime for five years. you visited us so often and passed along your praise to so many we were out of the red by our seventh month and we haven't looked back since. thank you for helping me make a success out of something that was only a dream in my mind for so many years.

i hope we are around for many years to come and can keep making your holidays and celebrations great moments to remember.