Don’t Be The ‘Odd Mom Out’! 4 Fab Foods To Bring For Parents’ Weekend
On ‘Odd Mom Out,’ parents arrive at camp bearing culinary gifts. Andy Buckley (as Andy) is at center in blue plaid shirt, with Jill Kargman (at his left) as Jill. Image by Christopher Saunders/Bravo
Odd Mom Out, which premiered last week on Bravo, is a show about a “normal” woman named Jill living amongst a sea of prissy and perfect Upper East Side moms. Jill functions not only as comedy relief, but also as the Greek Chorus, directing our attention toward the absurdity of excessive lifestyles.
In the premiere episode, Jill went to her daughter’s camp for Parents’ Weekend. And as she waits with a crowd of parents and children to be let into camp, she strikes up a conversation with a bubble-gum snapping “new money” woman named Kara.
“So, what did you bring for bunk junk?” said Kara.
“Um, the twins decorated these cookies,” said Jill. “How about you?”
“Oy, what didn’t we bring,” said Kara, indicating the masses of bags her husband was bearing on his arms. “We’ve got Zabar’s cold bags, we’ve got Baked By Melissa, Mr. Chow’s and Sushi of Gari because they miss the ethnic so much up here.”
“Isn’t that stuff hard to keep fresh?” Jill’s husband inquired.
“No,” Kara replied. “We’ve got ice packs and we were wheels up about an hour ago, so.”
Now you may not have a private plane to ensure that the “bunk junk” you bring is at peak freshness, but here are four foods that are (relatively) affordable and will help you keep up with the Schwartzes — whom you just know will bring their daughter a prime cut steak from Wolfgang Puck.
1) Homemade babka
Breads Bakery Chocolate Babka Image by Courtesy of Breads Bakery
Move aside Ladurée — nothing beats a babka. Especially the kind of babka made by you. It’s preferable that this recipe have some family history, perfected over the course of generations and across continents. But if you don’t have the benefit of a grandmother who was a culinary whiz, there are some great recipes out there. Alternatively, get a babka from world-famous Bread’s Bakery.
2) Rice Krispies and Marshmallow Fluff
Image by getty images
Not the kind of parent who cooks? Not to worry. Rice Krispies and Marshmallow Fluff are the perfect package because not only are you bringing food, you’re bringing an activity the whole bunk can partake in. Your child and his or her bunkmates can spend the weekend with you making rice krispies treats. Warning: You may get a few jealous stares from parents for your creativity, and may find yourself feeling a bit superior to hoity-toity Mrs. Schwartz.
3) Cookie Dough
Image by cookiedonyc/instagram
Forget Baked by Melissa, bring your child the latest food trend that’s making its viral run on all their social media feeds: cookie dough. If you’re willing to spend hours waiting in line for the most popular thing to come to New York City since the Cronut, then get this delicious alternative to ice cream at DŌ Cookie Dough Confections in Manhattan. If not, lucky for you, you can get your kid cookie dough in a jar from Cookie Dough Cafe, which can be found in your local supermarket.
4) Rainbow Bagels
Image by heath_bar/Flickr
Order a dozen multi-hued bagels from the Bagel Store for your child to hand out to her bunkmates, to ensure supreme popularity. After all, who doesn’t love rainbows?
Michelle Honig is the food intern of the Forward. Find her on Instagram and Twitter.
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