Christmas Cookies & Ugly Christmas Sweaters

Pin It now! This holiday season, I think we did well trying to stretch it out as long as could.  We started by making Christmas cookies - my Mom and I have been trying to make this an annual tradition.  We used the same gingerbread cookie recipe from a couple of years ago, and after a disastrous first attempt at sugar cookies (which turned into giant cookie the size of a sheet pan), we went back to basics and used Alton Brown's recipe.  My favorite was the gingerbread, but it seemed like the linzer-like sandwich cookies were the hit this year.

Michael and I also hosted an ugly Christmas sweater party this year at a bar down the street.  It was hilarious and some people were really creative (uh, pinning Santas where you don't usually pin Santas), while others borrowed sweaters from their mother-in-laws.  We held a contest where the bar staff chose their favorite - Justin's grossly oversized snowman sweater won, with Greg's original 1980's Pierre Cardin sweater coming in second.  Everyone was a little surprised Trish's homemade, Christmas-lit, music-playing, ornament-adorned sweater didn't win, but there's always next year.  There were a lot more funny and funky sweaters, but I don't think I got all of them.  Again, next year.

Last Weekend of August

Pin It now! As we wait for Isaac to become a full blown hurricane in a day or two, all everyone talked about this weekend was about Hurricane Irene and how fast the last year passed by.  I still can't believe it's a full year ago that we filled our bathtubs, refused to evacuate Zone A, and watched how the storm hit our area during a homemade brunch at our friend's apartment the next morning.  Ok, fast forward to a year later... our last weekend of August.  One of Michael's friends came to visit.  His girlfriend, who is the perfect Southern gal, didn't make it with him this weekend, but he's trying to convince her to move up to NYC.  She should have been up this weekend and would have had a much better experience than her last time in NYC during New Year's.  No drunk people puking in the streets, just lots of good food, drinking, friendly neighbors, a baseball game and great bbq. 



Our first stop was happy hour at Mole and then the Wythe Hotel rooftop where we listened to a (free!) Cypress Hill and Sublime concert (and watched all the other suckers who paid $75 to get into the concert venue).  The view and music didn't disappoint.  You could see all of Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline (with a gorgeous sunset) and since the hotel roof looks over the Williamsburg Waterfront venue, we heard the concert perfectly.  The guys couldn't get the lyrics "I Ain't Goin Out Like That" out of their heads and sang it all night long.  Does anyone believe that song was from 1995?!  Feeling a bit old...

On Saturday, we headed to our annual La Mela dinner to celebrate all of our friends' August birthdays.  Seven courses of Italian food and unlimited drinks and somehow we ended our dinner conversation talking about 50 Shades of Grey (no I haven't read it!).  We planned on going for karaoke after dinner but our food coma sent us straight home.

And two random notes...Michael found this bug repellent last week and it's been a lifesaveer.  The two of us are notorious for getting bit wherever we go and for some reason the mosquito bites this year have left scars on my leg which look like bruises (ok, fine I can't resist scratching, I even wake myself up at night scratching those darn bites).  The spray is odor free and deet free, both of which I love.  It's heaven.

Second random...Do you have friends that you don't see for awhile and when you finally get together, it's still comfortable  and discussion flows freely, most about nothing and everything?  I hope you do, those are the best ones.

Lately

Pin It now! Sorry everyone, I was gone for the last few weeks (if you didn't already notice!).  I was overwhelmed and unmotivated, a terrible combination for someone who blogs.  I kept reading through other blogs that are over the top fabulous and I wanted to be just as creative, but everything I put together seemed blah and forced.  I felt like I lacked direction, so I stopped writing (to spare you too!).  I'm back, I think...Let's just get back to what I know and like to do and not care how pretty it's all supposed to be because at the end, what you love is what is best.

So what's been happening lately... Kentucky Derby at Maison Premiere, our ridiculously relaxing vaca in the Dominican Republic, BBQs, wonderfully hot days for the Memorial Day weekend, the best fried chicken dinner at Brooklyn Star, Madison Square Eats, having my semi-homeless sister as a house guest for a couple of weeks, finally putting up the perfect Etsy Brooklyn prints in the entryway, two weddings in Long Island, Cafeteria with Alysse, Turkish with the NJ girls, less buying and more spring cleaning, and saying good-bye to the house we grew up in.

Chinese New Year

Pin It now! Chinese New Year...twice at a neighbor's apartment, once at ours (where I made everything except the Peking Duck), and lastly at my cousin's (new and gigantic) house in NJ.  We better have a lot of good luck this year.

And I can't stop watching this New Year Shuffle that Lorraine sent me.  I already jump up out of my seat whenever I hear this song and having it used for a dragon dance makes it that much better.

The Rest of the (Long) Weekend

Pin It now! I started the long weekend on Thursday night with a free INXS concert at the Beacon Theatre.  Free!  I won them from a radio contest.  Earlier in the week, WPLJ was giving away free tickets to INXS if you were caller 95.  Michael thinks I was the only caller that morning to they had to give the tickets to anyone who called.  Whatever - I love INXS.  My favorite song is Beautiful Girl and I remember buying all their albums decades ago when I first heard the song on the radio.  M and I actually went to their concert in 2006 at Radio City Music Hall right after the reality show ended and the band found a new lead vocalist.  That concert was amazing - we didn't have any expectations and it was so much better than we thought it was going to be.  the new lead vocal JD Fortune was spot on and it was a little spooky how he sounded like Michael Hutchence.  Tonight's concert was for their Original Sin album which are remakes of their old songs. I was really disappointed because I didn't like the new version of Beautiful Girl, which was the one song I was looking forward to.  I'll see them again (if I win free tickets).

On Monday, we threw a birthday BBQ for the hubs (Happy birthday my darling!). I made a second batch of jello shots and a Macedonia berry salad (recipe is from Debi Mazar's show Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel - recipe is here).  Meatball Shop was my inspiration of the orange creamsicle jello shot - when we went a few weeks ago, the orange creamsicle was delicious.  I couldn't resist to make it on a large scale for the party.  The party was fun and we had a lot more people than expected.  Ed Westwick made an appearance too... yeah, because we roll like that. 

(posted with L's permission)

Just a note... to my husband and very best friend.  It's been 2 & 6 years together.  I'm thankful for every day and it's definitely an amazing ride.  I get weepy because I always daydreamed how I would be all grown up, and this life right now with you is better than I could have ever imagined.

The Weekend

Pin It now! How was everyone's weekend?  I hope you enjoyed the short bursts of summer we had on Saturday!

We had a friend's 30th birthday BBQ party in our building on Saturday.  I love that we didn't have to go very far (you can tell I'm making not traveling far a theme lately).  M's friend is the executive sous chef at Union Square Cafe and he made the most gourmet bbq party food I've had (sorry Dad). Juicy and flavorful burgers, chile-rubbed shrimp, grilled asparagus, and mango-fennel slaw.  Seriously, I wish I had more of everything right now - it was that good!

The party may have made it up to one of the empty penthouse apartments at one point.  How else can you get such a gorgeous sunset (courtesy of the hubs).

Our new neighbor friends are fantastic, and we just met their friends who opened up to us as if we've been friends for a long time.  I love people who are like that.  It was really nice be with new people and be completely comfortable with them.  And we were just invited to our neighbors' wedding in Costa Rica in November!

Dinner with an Old Friend

Pin It now! We had dinner with one of my closest friends, Alysse, and her (new!) fiance last night.  She just got engaged and we met her fiance for the first time.  It was only dinner and dessert, but I can tell he adores and loves her to pieces.  Alysse and I go way back - we met during college orientation, almost 15 years ago!  She's the kind of friend that knows all your secrets and insecurities and still loves you without judgment.  She's the kind of friend that calls you up from another country because she needs to hear a familiar voice.  She sends cards... by regular mail... just because.

Alysse and Matt were in town just for the night and it happened that we were able to grab dinner at Morandi.  It was a lovely night and perfect for sitting outside.  We ordered the stuffed olives (of course) and I had the perfect portion of linguine with clam sauce.  Michael suggested we go to the pastry shop, Rocco's, after dinner but this weekend it unexpectedly closed, so we went for gelato at Grom in stead.  We got a combination of tiramisu and pistachio.  Delicious!

She's starting her residency in New York in June so I'm lucky enough to have her in the same city for now.  I can't wait until she's moved and settled in!

Girls Trip to Seattle

Pin It now! The NJ girls and I took a girls trip to Seattle and Vancouver for a few days.  It was a fabulous trip!  Although cold and rainy, it turned out to be a beautiful city and we ate like queens.  I had an episode of stomach problems (don't eat the pizza in Graville Market in Vancouver), but otherwise it was a really relaxing and fun trip.  I love my girls - no drama, top notch dining choices and certainly fun times.  A trip in pictures...
(no food porn here - I didn't take any food pictures, but everyone else did so they might make an appearance)...

Back to NY

Pin It now! yael and bryan did their annual whirlwind tour of the states.  on their nyc leg, i met up with them at the frying pan tonight and caught up with a bunch of people.  i thought i took better pictures of birthday cupcakes and buckets of beers, but the only photo i have is this one i borrowed from yael (with my ridiculously red face).  love you guys!

The NJ Girls Take London

Pin It now! the girls flew in today and will be spending the rest of the time here with me in london. i love that i've had so many visitors while i was here. it made my time here fly by and i was able to experience everything here with all the people i love.

after work, i met the three lovely ladies at the tower hill station and we walked past tower hill, crossed the tower bridge, and then along the promenade. it was gorgeous night which made the tower bridge even more beautiful. we stopped by zizzi's for dinner. so delicious! i'm not sure what native londoners think of zizzi, but i think people here would think it's comparable to a high-scale olive garden (ex-pats, am i right?). i thought it was much nicer than any olive garden at home and the food was fantastic.

Susan's New Job Celebration

Pin It now! susan is starting a new job next week and she had drinks tonight with her co-workers...and me. i've been tagging along the entire time i've been here, and she hasn't gotten sick of me yet! she invited everyone out to las iguanas in soho. there were lots of shots of tequila and by the end of the night, she was just drinking out of the pitcher. (i'm sure she'll appreciate me documenting all of this online.)