Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending a book party for Margaret Hoover hosted by GOProud, the only group representing conservative gays and their allies.  I am proud to serve on the GOProud Advisory Council.  They always have fantastic parties because they bring together a diverse crowd of conservatives.  Young and old.  Gay and straight.  Conservatives and Frum staff members. 

From left: GOProud Board Chairman Chris Barron, GOProud Executive Director Jimmy LaSalvia, Margaret Hoover

Margaret Hoover is the great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover and a frequent contributor to Fox News. Margaret’s book, American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party, is a must-read for all candidates and policymakers who want to reach out to millennials (those born between 1980 and 1999). 

Photo courtesy of Gabriel Malor

The event took place at Hotel Monaco and included two D.C. staples — open bar and mini crabcakes.  Woohoo!

From left: Danielle, Andrew and LOTUS

It was great to see former ACU interns and CPAC volunteers at the party.  Though I may not be working in the conservative movement now, I am so thankful for all of the wonderful people I’ve met.

Thanks again to Jimmy, Chris and the GOProud interns for putting on a fantastic event!

Have you ever read the Missed Connections on Craig’s List and wondered if people really do find one another?  Well, this list is my version of that — missed opportunities to indulge in tasty food.

- A few weeks ago I used a Groupon for Arrowine, a great cheese shop in Arlington, VA.  My $30.00 was quickly spent on a few cheeses, apricots and wafer crackers.  The minute I paid for everything I turned around and saw the freezer case for Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.  Staring right at me was the Pistachio and Honey.  I love pistachio ice cream and gelato, but sometimes there’s not enough sweetness.  The addition of honey sounded like a great combination.  I didn’t want to do another transaction, so I left.  Now that I’ve checked them out online, I also see they have a flavor called Bourbon Buttered Pecan.  Sigh…

- I’m obsessed with food trucks.  I watch the Cooking Channel show about them.  I follow them on Twitter.  I check Washingtonian Magazine’s daily list of locations.  But, guess what?  I’ve never had food truck food.  One of my favorites to follow is the Red Hook Lobster Truck.  I’ve heard and read that they do fantastic lobster rolls.  One day I was meeting a friend for lunch in downtown D.C.  I don’t even remember where we ate, just that I had a very mediocre tuna salad.  As I was walking back to my car I saw the Red Hook Lobster Truck WITH NO LINE. (For those outside of D.C., this truck, apparently, always has a line.)  I didn’t have any cash on me.  I thought about finding an ATM, but then remembered, “Oh yeah, I just ate lunch.”  I relunctantly kept walking.  I later found out that many food trucks, including Red Hook, take credit cards.  Red Hook Lobster Truck has become my great, white whale.  Hopefully, we’ll meet again soon.

- A little over two years ago I cut pasta, rice and bread out of my diet, as well as cut down on portion size in general.  It’s paid off and I haven’t made any exceptions.  Naturally, the gourmet burger has taken D.C. by storm and I’m left wondering what the buzz is all about.  Ray’s Hellburger, Good Stuff Eatery, BGR Burger Joint all seem to have outstanding burgers that I’ll never eat.  Exotic condiments. Various cheeses.  Bacon.  Sure, I can (and have once or twice) gotten a burger without the bun, but it’s not the same.  I once organized an event for Dr. Laura, talk radio host who converted to Orthodox Judaism.  Someone asked her what she thought heaven would be like.  She said she thinks heaven is unlimited bacon cheeseburgers.  Praise Cheeses!

- At CPAC this year the Reagan Banquet celebrated President Reagan’s 100th birthday with a cake from Carlo’s Bakery of “Cake Boss” fame.  Everyone said the cake was fantastic.  Unfortunately, I was too busy to try a piece.  Road trip to New Jersey, anyone?

- The worst thing about Trader Joe’s is that once you find a great product it seems to disappear.  Frozen Mashed Potatoes (seasonal), Identity Crisis Tortilla Chips (discontinued), Salted Chocolate-covered Caramels (seasonal).  I’m sure there are more, but those are the ones that come to mind.

- A few weeks ago I wrote about my trip to Fire Island.  No disrespect to the great people I met (or to Betty), but the highlight of the weekend was the watermelon gazpacho. It was a blended soup (my favorite), topped with crumbled feta cheese and swirls of creme fraiche and avocado cream.  My regret?  I didn’t finish my bowl before the next course came out.  Thankfully, I got the recipe.  I can’t wait to make it.  I just hope it’s as good as the original!

Have you had an tmissed food connections?  Feel free to share in the comments!

Over the last three months I’ve become an expert in minimizing non-essential expenses. As a single woman that didn’t listen to Suze “8 months emergency fund” Orman as much as she should, I learned quickly that I had to cut back on spending. Below are a few tips I’ve compiled. Please read on… with an open mind!

1. Beware of a Good Deal
Every morning when I check my email the first thing I do is delete every “free shipping,” “one day sale” or “free gift with purchase” email. When money was coming in I loved to online shop, especially when there was an incentive. Now it’s best to just avoid these offers altogether so I’m not tempted. I also avoid coupons. Yes, avoid coupons. For me, coupons encourage me to buy things I really don’t need. Unless it’s a coupon for a staple like chicken breasts or vegetables or, um, Diet Coke, it’s really just adding to my expenses if I have to pay the remainder of an item I wouldn’t normally buy.

2. Go Out with Friends
When I was gainfully employed I was frequently the one to pick up the tab, particularly when dining with friends who were interns or just starting out in their careers. I didn’t dwell on the inequity and was happy to treat when I could. When friends who have benefitted from your generosity in the past offer to take you out to dinner or a movie, don’t protest, just say thank you and take them up on the offer. Don’t forget to send a thank you note the next day.

3. Go on Vacation
This is really only a good tip if you live alone and pay household expenses. I have a friend with a beach house who graciously let me stay there for a few weeks. During this time I saved on home expenses like water, gas and electric. I spent a little more on gas to get to the house, but once I was there I never had to fill up my car because everything was within walking distance of the house. Obviously, in order for this to work you have to make sure travel expenses are less than what you save in household expenses. In my case, it was worth it. Just don’t forget to turn off the A/C before you leave home!

4. Get New Clothes
Ok, not really “new” clothes. There are a lot of great clothing swap events (check Swap.com) that allow you to declutter your closet and get clothes, shoes and accessories for free or small entry fee. For the several swap events I’ve attended, my goal was to get rid of clothes rather than take some home. Also, all the clothes that are remaining usually go to a local women’s shelter or Goodwill. Going through my closet reminded me of what I have and sometimes felt like I was shopping in my own home when I found something new that I had forgotten about. While I didn’t take much home when I went to swaps, it still feeds the need to “shop” and see what’s out there. For high-quality items that are brand name or have tags, find a consignment shop in your area. Get over the fact that you won’t get anywhere near what you spent. Space in your closet is money in your wallet.

5. Indulge in Good Food
Not at a restaurant, at the grocery store. Don’t shy away from proteins. Similar to tip #1, you may have the tendency to go for the cheap food – snack or processed items that are on sale. Often these foods offer little nutritional value and end up costing more because they don’t serve as filling meals. You’ll end up eating twice as much. Any nutritionist will tell you to always eat something with protein when eating carbs or fruit because it makes you feel full longer. Indulge in nuts, peanut butter and other proteins when snacking or sitting down for a meal. When beef, chicken or your favorite fish is on sale, stock up and freeze them. The great advantage proteins have over other healthy foods is that you really can stock-up and save money in the long run. Sale on lettuce? Don’t be tempted to overbuy when you know there are only so many salads you can eat before it goes bad. Same goes for fruit unless you’re the type that really will freeze it and use for smoothies (don’t forget to add protein!). I don’t even want to calculate how much money good intentions have cost me. Be honest with yourself and spend wisely.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.

This past weekend I was fortunate to be invited to a friend’s lovely beach house in Fire Island Pines, NY, a predominently gay community. It was a happy coincidence that the weekend was scheduled for just after I joined the GOProud Advisory Council. GOProud is a group for gay conservatives and their allies. It also became a historic weekend for gay New Yorkers when late Friday night, the Republican Senate in New York passed a bill to allow gay marriage. More about that later.

In addition to my dazzling personality, I think I was also brought in as a political prop. One of my hosts is a die-hard independent (he doesn’t want to call himself a Republican or conservative) who likes to stir things up among his friends on Facebook. I was the real-life version. There were 10 men and two women in the house. The other girl, Betty, is a gorgeous bulldog.

There was some political talk the first night. La Belle Pinot and La Belle Butch (the fake names they came up with when I mentioned I might write about the weekend) cooked a fantastic dinner. As they chopped and busied themselves around the kitchen, I learned that LBP admired Palin, but disagreed with everything she says. He likes her guts. LBB mentioned he liked her hair. I asked, “If gay marriage were off the table, would you vote Republican?” LBP said he would vote for a purely fiscal Republican. If that’s the case, I told him, don’t you think the Democrats have a vested interest in keeping gay marriage as a wedge issue? He agreed that they do, but didn’t think they would do that solely to keep the gay vote. Perhaps I’ve been in D.C. too long because I think that’s exactly what Democrats are doing.

LBP asked if my Republican friends knew I was spending the weekend with a bunch of gay men. I said, “What do you mean? I came here to meet a man!” The search for my soul mate, much like in the real world outside Fire Island, became a weekend punch line.

In all seriousness, I told them my Republican friends have no problem with me visiting Fire Island and the most pervasive emotion was jealousy, not outrage. Too often, both sides present the other side’s least appealing spokesperson. I don’t believe the average Democrat is as awful a human being as Nancy Pelosi . Likewise, the average Republican is not the caricature of the anti-gay bigot that the media likes to present. It’s unfortunate that the bigots and media become allies. The bigots want a microphone and the media is all too happy to give them one in order to damage the entire movement. (Please note that I am not referring to people who support traditional marriage, but those who want to keep gays out of the conservative movement.)

Dinner that evening was a wonderful watermelon gazpacho with crème fraiche and avocado cream, filet of beef with béarnaise and asparagus. Dessert was blueberry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Thankfully the sun came out on Saturday, which meant I was making a bee-line for the beach. As I was walking on the boardwalk, I became unsure of whether I was in a section that was to a private or public beach. Fire Island Pines doesn’t allow cars and there are no sidewalks. You walk from house to beach to town by boardwalk. I stopped a couple and asked if I was headed in the right direction. They assured me that I was and welcomed me to the island. Now, I don’t want this to come off the wrong way, but the couples were a lot friendlier than the singles. The single guys in the house I stayed at were nice, but outside the house and in the small town area I felt like I was just in the way. To characterize it as resentment that I was on their island might be a little strong, but not far off. Barely a word was said to me when I purchased a $4.40 (!) 20 ounce Diet Coke. (Btw, I made a habit of announcing the price of things as dinner was being made. “Eight dollars for mayonnaise!” Everything is so expensive.)

Speaking of being in the way, one daily tradition on Fire Island is going to the Pavilion area for high and low tea. From what I can tell, it’s really an opportunity to drink and meet guys. I chose not to go with the group. They invited me several times, but I think it was my own insecurities that made me want to stay behind.

Saturday dinner was also fantastic. Chesty Rockwell (again, his self-appointed fake name), a Syrian, made the best Mexican food I’ve had in awhile. Soft and hard tacos with slow-cooked chicken and ground turkey with a buffet of accoutrements – bean and corn salsa, guacamole, heirloom tomato salad, to name a few. Dessert was simple – dried cherries, dark and milk chocolate and dessert wine that I mistakenly drank as a shot. It was rough going down, but the flavor that lingered wasn’t so bad. LBP remarked that it was like saying, “I prefer the memory of you.” (Hello, every relationship I’ve ever been in.)

Table talk turned to the previous night’s Senate vote to legalize gay marriage. One person wondered what would happen next. Someone guessed that “triples” would be next and pointed out there was a triple down the road. Most seem to agree that this wasn’t a realistic next step and didn’t seem to care either way. I said that if gay polygamy is legalized, then straight polygamy should also be legalized. Sure, I understand the complications this brings up, but I stand by what I said that night – The family on TLC’s “Sisterwives” is the most normal and well-adjusted family on reality TV. Actually, those in the house weren’t really concerned about the “next step” that some on the right use as scare tactics. They were happy for the victory and I took pleasure in reminding them it was thanks to a Republican-controlled Senate.

On Sunday most of the group spent the day at the beach. Prior to going to Fire Island, I had heard that bathing suits were optional. I didn’t see any naked men, but lots and lots of swim briefs (like Speedos). Men of all shapes and sizes enjoyed their skin-tight bathing suits. There a few men who looked pretty good in them, too. One minute a group was swimming around in the Atlantic, the next minute someone’s red Diesel suit was being tossed around from person to person. His modesty was amusing. He wouldn’t get out of the ocean unless someone threw back his suit. Eventually, someone brought him a towel and he made a run for the suit.

Dinner on our last night was sandwiches with leftover filet, tomatoes, basil mayonnaise, Roquefort cheese and horseradish.

Since I didn’t have to lift a finger for my meals that weekend, I jokingly said I would write a haiku for payment. To prove that some Republicans keep their promises, here it is:

Betty sleeps soundly
Diesel suit floats in the surf
My soul mate awaits

I’m not one of those annoying girls that boasts about her gay friends to prove that she is fabulous and open-minded. The only requisite I have for friendship is a beach house I can visit. Thanks to Chris and Anthony!