The Knitting Circle

Hi Sweethearts!

I'm so excited you got to see me and Joe at Brotherhood Winery formulating our Fabellini! You didn't get to see it all, but we had such a great time that day. It's been such a great adventure, and I'm so grateful that you all love it! For information on where to buy it, visit my website.

Yes, Joe and I were a little annoyed with each other, but on the way in the car we were arguing about my brother and how he upsets me. Joe is sick of seeing me hurt and was telling me to move on. It wasn't pretty, but that's real life. That's being married for 12 years and dating since we were teenagers. We don't sugar coat our marriage and pretend things are roses for the audience. I wish marriage and relationships were always perfect, but we agreed to show our lives on camera, and we're showing it all. We don't change for the camera, pretending to be crazy romantic or super supportive of each other all of sudden when people are watching. We've always supported each other and we always will, even if we don't always say the perfect Hallmark thing.

Speaking of greeting card guys, how about that Chris Laurita? Who knew we had a new Housewife? I've known the guy for years and I've never heard him talk so much in my life! Of course I'm not loving what he has to say, especially since it's behind our backs. First of all, I think you can see my husband doesn't give a crap about other people's personal lives, and he's definitely not running around town talking about Chris. That's just insane. Joe said something to Chris at a birthday party that ended up being quoted in a tabloid, and I warned Joe that Chris shouldn't be trusted, but Joe just doesn't care. He keeps being nice to people, he'll stay friends with anyone. He just doesn't have time for bullshit. You could see he wasn't thrilled to be at the knitting circle clipping coupons and gossiping with the other husbands that night at Chris' house, but he showed up to keep the peace. And I'm so proud of him for defending me.

It's sad he has to defend me from my own family though. I have no idea why they're so bitter and ugly toward us. It was never this way until they got on the show, and now they seem to be hashing out all this teenage angst or something. The fact is we've always supported and helped them and never asked for anything in return. I'm glad you all got to see who gave Joey and Richie their starts in real estate: my Joe did. My Joe has a huge heart and he loves to help people. He does it just because wants to, not because he has to or it makes him look good. I wish everyone else was half the man my Joe is.

You'd think by now I'd be used to everyone on the show talking about me non-stop every single episode, but I'll admit I was shocked by Caroline's comment about my marriage. Not because I don't expect her to say nasty things about me and to constantly judge of me -- that's what she does. To quote Audriana's favorite movie right now, The Little Mermaid: "It's what she lives for." (Caroline does remind me of Ursula, come to think of it...) What shocked me is her hypocrisy.I don't usually read the other ladies blogs but my wonderful fans keep sending me pieces to show me how badly the other ladies lie and contradict themselves, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite comments:

On May 6, Caroline wrote in her Bravo blog that me calling MY OWN brother in PRIVATE to talk about his marriage (like we've always done our whole lives) was "cruel and thoughtless," and that talking about anyone's marriage is a "line that should never be crossed." Interesting. She should take her own advice. Maybe that she can't is why she doesn't have a talk show or write an advice column anymore... What Caroline said about me and Joe I think tells you all you need to know about who she is... (P.S. Read the rest of the Ursula song lyrics though. It's too funny: "Poor unfortunate souls./In pain, in need./This one longing to be thinner./That one wants to get the girl./And do I help them? Yes, indeed.")

Melissa's blog last week was also hilarious. She actually wrote my girls were "mocking" her singing. Are you kidding me? Milania said you "stink," just like she said Joe was an "old troll." That's not mocking your singing. We've all been so supportive of you, publicly and privately. Did you see the tour I gave of my beach house on Bravotv.com where all my girls are rocking out to Melissa's music? I didn't see her reading my cookbooks... I've only seen my family throw them in the trash actually... I honestly do want to hear Melissa sing without a background track. And I'm sorry, not karaoke. She writes that she sings in front of the girls all the time, then that they've never heard her sing. Which is it? Melissa also wrote about me last week: "I never question her cooking and I NEVER would." Except for all last season, right? She goes on to say: "That is her business and livelihood, what kind of person would I be if I tried to make people not believe in her?" Which brings me to Kathy...

What in the world is she doing? I'm trying to figure out what would possess her to come to my book signing (Finally, by the way! I've been having them for two years right near her house... First thing she hosts though, and I'm there!) and suggest the recipes were her mother's. First of all, you can tell she never read the book at all since she points out pizelle cookies which don't even have a recipe in the book (I use store bought for a quick kid ice cream sandwich dessert). Then she keeps pointing to pictures and saying "my mom's, my mom's." Who does that? I don't know why she wants people to think our moms are related and somehow I'm using her mom's recipes. Our mothers aren't related by blood, they didn't grow up together, and her mom didn't even grow up with my dad, her brother. And no, we've never baked together. And yes, I can bake. Always have. I'm not trying to be the Cake Boss, but I think I can make a cupcake!

I'm also pretty sure my mom's not the only Italian grandma with a cookie recipe, but my mom's is the one I use. What makes Kathy keep picking at my cooking success though? Is she insecure because she obviously came on my show to launch a new baking career and she thinks people will think she's stealing from me, so she puts it out there first? I don't know. I just know that she's calculated, she's passive aggressive, and "nice" is NOT her middle name. If it was, she'd clear this up herself immediately, and she would have cleared it up on WWHL with Andy Cohen. And I've asked her to. She didn't answer me back. I've told her I want to work with her, I support her, but all I see her doing is pushing bad rumors about me and letting her husband say evil things about me. I don't know too many nice girls who do that...I'm not sure I'll ever be used to being under such a microscope, having every little thing I say or do blown up, and I wasn't prepared for all the articles about a "feud" between me and Bethenny because I what I said on the show. Here's my response: I was not in any way slamming the SkinnyGirl brand! Bethenny did an amazing job building her brand from Bethenny Bakes to SkinnyGirl, and I've always supported her and all the other Housewives with their businesses.

I was talking about how I picked the taste for the formulation of my Fabellini, and mentioned that I don't like things that taste "diet-y." I don't even drink diet soda. Obviously lots of people love it, but it's just not my thing. I've always been the opposite of Bethenny in that way -- she cooks with tofu, I'm not that girl. I'm lucky that I was raised with authentic Italian food that's naturally healthy, and that's what I share with people in my cookbooks. (If they're out in your book store, they're still on Amazon here)

It's the same with drinks: Bethenny will take something with a million calories, like a margarita, and tell you how to change it to make it have less calories, but it's not going to taste like a regular full-calorie margarita. My drink of choice has always been the bellini, which is just sparkling wine and fruit nectar. It's naturally low in calories so you don't have to do anything to it or change the taste. You saw me drinking bellinis on the show before Bethenny ever did alcohol, when she was making her all-natural cookies. But bellinis are hard to find, and everyone kept asking me how to make them, so I decided to come out with my own: Fabellini!

I have nothing but love for the other Housewives and their products. Nothing but love. Even though they all don't have that for me, I want them all to be successful and happy! Every last one of them! I've publicly supported and congratulated them all, but just to make sure, please buy/support/visit: Bethenny's SkinnyGirl everything; Ramona's wines and jewelry; Jill's home collection; Kandi's music; Kim's wigs; Lisa's skincare line and restaurants; Adrienne's shoes; Vicki and Tamra's Wines by Wives club; Alexis' dresses, Gretchen's cosmetics; the Manzos sauce and water; Jacqueline's acne cream; Kathy's drink; the shapewear by Heather, Bethenny, and Jill; the books by Bethenny, Jill, LuAnn, Alex, Kelly, NeNe, Lisa and Kyle; the other television shows of NeNe, Kim, Kandi, Dina, and Bethenny; and of course, the songs by Kandi, Kim, Gretchen, LuAnn, Sheree, Simon, Michaele, Melissa, Lisa, Miss Lawrence, and what the heck, even Danielle! Did I miss anyone? If I did, tweet me and let me know @Teresa_Giudice.Finally, for the millionth time, I don't talk to the tabloids or sell stories about myself or anyone else. I think Caroline and co. think if they say it enough times it will be true, but it's odd that the stories are always about me, not them... I do give interviews to certain magazines though, just like Bethenny's on the cover of People magazine this week with the headline "How I Saved My Marriage." I'm sure she doesn't love that headline, but she doesn't get to write it, she only gets to answer their questions, and that's her talking to her fan base through the press, not selling her own stories to the tabloids. If anyone could explain this to the people on my show, I will be forever grateful!

Love, love, love you all! Visit my website for information about my books, my Fabellini, and my new hair care line Milania!

Tanti Baci,
Teresa xx