First: Woohoo for 101 posts!! I'm a regular busy bee!
Second: I apologize for infrequent posts. I have begun the fun task of job-searching since returning from New York! I have also started up a new book blog (Bella Libreria) and have recently been approved to become a DIY Examiner!! :D
That and the wedding, I've been pretty busy! But I will be posting more, and I will set up an actual formula for this blog and the new one on Wordpress. I'm hoping to build a larger readership so that my blogs can become a community, one for DIY and cooking and the other for book lovers. Join me?
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Saturday, 3 July 2010
Artichoke Pizza in East Village, NYC
I don't do this, plug other people's food, but I have to in this case. My roommate and a friend dragged me away from the dorm last night to go for pizza. I hadn't had proper New York pizza yet, so I was intrigued and agreed.
I had to go back and get a picture this morning so I could properly write about this great place.
Artichoke had a line out the door, which really isn't saying much since the place is so small. There was no seating inside, but a couple of benches just out the door. We ended up ordering our food and eating on the neighbor's stoop, next to a bar.
Now, I do not like white sauces as a general rule. I'm not a fan of Parmesan cheese at all. However, I was talked into trying the artichoke pizza, which is artichoke, spinach, mozzarella ( I think anyway), and a white sauce. To say it was heavenly does not begin to cover how magnificent this pizza was!
A little warning, the pizza is extremely messy. The sauce kind of oozes everywhere. I'm also not a fan of messy foods, but the flavor kept me too happy to fuss too much.
Price: $4.50 per slice, which is huge
Options: Artichoke, Margherita ($4), Crab, and Sicilian ($4)
http://www.artichokepizza.com/
I had to go back and get a picture this morning so I could properly write about this great place.
Artichoke had a line out the door, which really isn't saying much since the place is so small. There was no seating inside, but a couple of benches just out the door. We ended up ordering our food and eating on the neighbor's stoop, next to a bar.
Now, I do not like white sauces as a general rule. I'm not a fan of Parmesan cheese at all. However, I was talked into trying the artichoke pizza, which is artichoke, spinach, mozzarella ( I think anyway), and a white sauce. To say it was heavenly does not begin to cover how magnificent this pizza was!
A little warning, the pizza is extremely messy. The sauce kind of oozes everywhere. I'm also not a fan of messy foods, but the flavor kept me too happy to fuss too much.
Price: $4.50 per slice, which is huge
Options: Artichoke, Margherita ($4), Crab, and Sicilian ($4)
http://www.artichokepizza.com/
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
The Today Show: Kristen Stewart
My roommate wanted to go to the Today Show to see a Twilight character. This wasn't our first attempt, I might add. We tried a couple of weeks ago to see Edward Cullen, but turns out that Rob wasn't actually there. It was a pre-recorded interview, so we had woken up for little reason. This time we went for Kristen Stewart, who was actually there.
In all fairness, I had an amazing time. The night before, we sat down and made out some posters for the big event. No one could think of anything particularly witty to say to Twilight, so we looked elsewhere. We ended up deciding to reference Kristen Stewart's older movies: Adventureland, Panic Room, and Zathura. Below is my poster.
The next morning, we woke up around 3:30 am and all (roomie, roomie's friend, and me) headed out at 4am. Thanks to our past experience, we knew not to try the Subway and so grabbed a cab. I haven't seen the streets so empty. Amazingly, we were not the first people in line at all. There were about 15-20 people already set up in front of us.
At some point, a free coffee and bagel van pulled up. I didn't get either the coffee or the bagel, but those who did said they were awful. I did, foolishly by the way, try the free Rosemary and Oil Chips, which were far too salty and the rosemary reminded me of roasted chicken.
Below are my roommate (on the right) and a friend she met at a Twilight convention.
Once inside, things did not speed up at all, despite having waiting 2.5 hours on the street. For whatever reason, the remaining 30-45 minutes until the fun part seemed to take a while. During our wait, we met Jennifer (pictured below) and Chef Jeff. Jennifer was amazing and seemed to be full of energy, which helped me perk up a bit.
I also got a kick out of seeing the hosts of The Today Show live. I had seen the show hundreds of times and never thought I would be right where I was standing, a member in the crowd with a goofy poster in hand. I even got to see Al Roker doing the weather.
Finally, Kristen Stewart came out. Amazingly, she came straight up to our section, though only did 2 autographs before walking over to her interview. I must say, though I haven't gotten into Twilight, I was slightly star struck. I put my camera on burst and took several pictures while the people around me scrambled to get autographs. It was the craziest feeling! And what a gorgeous girl.
Along with Kristen Stewart, the Today Show had a barbecue competition.
Chef Jeff won!! Then, of course, my roommate and I had to run to class. It was a lovely day and a great time.
In all fairness, I had an amazing time. The night before, we sat down and made out some posters for the big event. No one could think of anything particularly witty to say to Twilight, so we looked elsewhere. We ended up deciding to reference Kristen Stewart's older movies: Adventureland, Panic Room, and Zathura. Below is my poster.
The next morning, we woke up around 3:30 am and all (roomie, roomie's friend, and me) headed out at 4am. Thanks to our past experience, we knew not to try the Subway and so grabbed a cab. I haven't seen the streets so empty. Amazingly, we were not the first people in line at all. There were about 15-20 people already set up in front of us.
At some point, a free coffee and bagel van pulled up. I didn't get either the coffee or the bagel, but those who did said they were awful. I did, foolishly by the way, try the free Rosemary and Oil Chips, which were far too salty and the rosemary reminded me of roasted chicken.
Below are my roommate (on the right) and a friend she met at a Twilight convention.
Once inside, things did not speed up at all, despite having waiting 2.5 hours on the street. For whatever reason, the remaining 30-45 minutes until the fun part seemed to take a while. During our wait, we met Jennifer (pictured below) and Chef Jeff. Jennifer was amazing and seemed to be full of energy, which helped me perk up a bit.
I also got a kick out of seeing the hosts of The Today Show live. I had seen the show hundreds of times and never thought I would be right where I was standing, a member in the crowd with a goofy poster in hand. I even got to see Al Roker doing the weather.
Finally, Kristen Stewart came out. Amazingly, she came straight up to our section, though only did 2 autographs before walking over to her interview. I must say, though I haven't gotten into Twilight, I was slightly star struck. I put my camera on burst and took several pictures while the people around me scrambled to get autographs. It was the craziest feeling! And what a gorgeous girl.
Along with Kristen Stewart, the Today Show had a barbecue competition.
Chef Jeff won!! Then, of course, my roommate and I had to run to class. It was a lovely day and a great time.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
NYC: Busy in the City
New York, New York. This is one crazy town! We had a great weekend! A group of us went to Coney Island for the famous Mermaid Parade. It was absolutely amazing.
We rounded up around 11am and headed out on what seemed like the longest subway ride ever--in reality it was only an hour. One man on the train was extremely loud and excited about the parade, which only served to make me more excited about it as well. Then, the second I saw what I recognized from the movies as Coney Island, I turned into a 6 year old. I couldn't contain how thrilled I was to be finally seeing Coney Island, a place I had always said I'd go but never knew thought I actually would go.
It was as grungy and magical as I had expected. We went onto the boardwalk and got a Nathan's hot dog each, another item to cross off my bucket list (yes, I realize I'm a bit young to have one of those lists, but oh well). Then we went on the overpriced yet insanely fun rides! We only picked two each, which cost me $11 for my tickets alone.
Spook-o-Rama was hilarious! I rode with my roommate and we both screamed the entire time. I about died with laughter when we came out the other end. We also went on the Wonder Wheel, which I don't recommend if you're terrified of heights. We were in one of the colored cabs on the ferris wheel, which moves on a track. Oh my goodness! I knew it would swing but when it actually started sliding, I grabbed a hold of the cage and didn't let go again until we were closer to the ground. Irrational, yes. This particular ride boasts never having an accident in its 80 years of service.
The parade itself was so entertaining! Half of the marchers protested against BP and the oil spill with signs such as "End Violence Against Mermaids" and walking around with black paint splattered on their bodies. Others just danced and had a great time, like the man in the short wedding dress in one of the pictures below.
The crowd got overwhelming, so we didn't stay to see the whole thing. We moved towards the beach, a more difficult feat than we anticipated! It took several minutes to push through the crowd while trying to keep the group from being separated. The beach, though, was no better. I swear, I've never seen so many people on a beach before!
On the more ordinary side of things, my hands are completely stir-crazy. I "smartly" left my sewing and crocheting supplies at home, and so haven't crafted a thing in a couple of weeks. I'm dying to go out and find a craft store (hopefully not too expensive of one) and get some supplies. Then I won't feel so restless when I come in and have nothing to do. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know! :D
We rounded up around 11am and headed out on what seemed like the longest subway ride ever--in reality it was only an hour. One man on the train was extremely loud and excited about the parade, which only served to make me more excited about it as well. Then, the second I saw what I recognized from the movies as Coney Island, I turned into a 6 year old. I couldn't contain how thrilled I was to be finally seeing Coney Island, a place I had always said I'd go but never knew thought I actually would go.
It was as grungy and magical as I had expected. We went onto the boardwalk and got a Nathan's hot dog each, another item to cross off my bucket list (yes, I realize I'm a bit young to have one of those lists, but oh well). Then we went on the overpriced yet insanely fun rides! We only picked two each, which cost me $11 for my tickets alone.
Spook-o-Rama was hilarious! I rode with my roommate and we both screamed the entire time. I about died with laughter when we came out the other end. We also went on the Wonder Wheel, which I don't recommend if you're terrified of heights. We were in one of the colored cabs on the ferris wheel, which moves on a track. Oh my goodness! I knew it would swing but when it actually started sliding, I grabbed a hold of the cage and didn't let go again until we were closer to the ground. Irrational, yes. This particular ride boasts never having an accident in its 80 years of service.
The parade itself was so entertaining! Half of the marchers protested against BP and the oil spill with signs such as "End Violence Against Mermaids" and walking around with black paint splattered on their bodies. Others just danced and had a great time, like the man in the short wedding dress in one of the pictures below.
The crowd got overwhelming, so we didn't stay to see the whole thing. We moved towards the beach, a more difficult feat than we anticipated! It took several minutes to push through the crowd while trying to keep the group from being separated. The beach, though, was no better. I swear, I've never seen so many people on a beach before!
On the more ordinary side of things, my hands are completely stir-crazy. I "smartly" left my sewing and crocheting supplies at home, and so haven't crafted a thing in a couple of weeks. I'm dying to go out and find a craft store (hopefully not too expensive of one) and get some supplies. Then I won't feel so restless when I come in and have nothing to do. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know! :D
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Microwave Meal: Macaroni
I love love love Italian food, especially when made nearly from scratch. However, it's difficult to make a perfectly Italian, delicious meal when your only pot is the size of a butter melt. What to do?
Well, I popped over to Kmart and bought the bits and pieces to pull off spaghetti from a microwave, which is less difficult than one might think! I used microwavable safe mixing bowls, macaroni noodles (because I never cook spaghetti noodles properly), and a jar of spaghetti sauce.
1. In a large mixing bowl, put the noodles and enough 4-5 cups of water, more if you want more of a buffer. Place the bowl in the microwave for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it.
2. In a separate bowl, pour the spaghetti sauce. I love kicking things up a notch, so I added fresh minced garlic and a lot of basil (by far my favorite herb).
3. Once the noodles are done, put the sauce into the microwave. I like to go 2 minutes to start and then 30 second increments until the sauce is nice and hot.
Voila! Serve and enjoy!
Well, I popped over to Kmart and bought the bits and pieces to pull off spaghetti from a microwave, which is less difficult than one might think! I used microwavable safe mixing bowls, macaroni noodles (because I never cook spaghetti noodles properly), and a jar of spaghetti sauce.
1. In a large mixing bowl, put the noodles and enough 4-5 cups of water, more if you want more of a buffer. Place the bowl in the microwave for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it.
2. In a separate bowl, pour the spaghetti sauce. I love kicking things up a notch, so I added fresh minced garlic and a lot of basil (by far my favorite herb).
3. Once the noodles are done, put the sauce into the microwave. I like to go 2 minutes to start and then 30 second increments until the sauce is nice and hot.
Voila! Serve and enjoy!
Friday, 11 June 2010
Trader Joe's and Microwave Meals
The one thing I am really not enjoying about this summer at NYU is the kitchen. Now, I don't mind a small kitchen by any means. The problem is, I didn't bring any pans. (Smart girl!) All we have that I can use without going shopping is the microwave. I am going to have to get inventive if I want to cook during these 6 weeks!
Along those lines, I have just found Trader Joe'! We didn't have one of these in my area of Texas. For those of you who also don't have it, Trader Joe's seems to be organic, or at least healthy foods without a high price tag, which is perfect for students like me. The one downstairs is fairly small, but I can find almost anything I want.
For now, my meals have been microwave foods from the store, such as oriental soups and the French Onion soup. Both of which are amazing! However, I'm feeling restless. Friends! Colleagues! Does anyone have a great microwave recipe?
Along those lines, I have just found Trader Joe'! We didn't have one of these in my area of Texas. For those of you who also don't have it, Trader Joe's seems to be organic, or at least healthy foods without a high price tag, which is perfect for students like me. The one downstairs is fairly small, but I can find almost anything I want.
For now, my meals have been microwave foods from the store, such as oriental soups and the French Onion soup. Both of which are amazing! However, I'm feeling restless. Friends! Colleagues! Does anyone have a great microwave recipe?
Monday, 7 June 2010
NYC: Surviving Manhattan
First official day of NYU SPI! For the record, I probably won't write every day and I won't give away all the awesome goodness. To get that, you need to enroll in this program yourself! :P I will, though, check in and stuff.
So I'm checking in! It's been a super long day and I am about beat. We commenced "class" at 9am and I didn't leave the building until around 7:45-8pm. I'm completely exhausted. We talked about everything from where the money is in magazine publishing to the advancement of technology.
Let me tell you! One thing we talked about was electronic reusable paper, which is a lot like what the Kindle is apparently (I had no idea beforehand). It's supposedly going to be as thin and flexible as paper in the future! I want one now! lol But that is probably an exceptionally bad idea. I would be the nut who would think...if I fold it into an electronic reusable paper airplane, will it fly? And it will be broken.
I also learned a key difference between the Kindle and the iPad. Apparently, the Kindle's screen does not reflect light. In fact, the brighter the light, the clearer the text. Just like a regular print book. iPad has a regular screen that the brighter the light, the more reflected. Good to know!
I'm completely sore from the running around. I know, there hasn't been that much. Just up and down stairs in the subway and in the building, but I haven't been active much lately. I'm sure I will get used to it by the end of the program.
Same goes for traffic!! My goodness NYC is a slow city! In London when crossing the streets, if the hand says "no walking" you don't walk. You will get run over. Here, the cars will honk at you but they will always stop. It's nuts! And the people walk so much slower on the sidewalk. And everything looks like it's meant to be just like London (Subway is very similar not that it's underground transportation but if you actually look like it). Also, the regions have the same names, like Greenwich. It's like London on a sleeping pill, I think.
Well, this girl has homework to do that's due tomorrow!
BTW Trader Joe's oriental soups are awesome.
So I'm checking in! It's been a super long day and I am about beat. We commenced "class" at 9am and I didn't leave the building until around 7:45-8pm. I'm completely exhausted. We talked about everything from where the money is in magazine publishing to the advancement of technology.
Let me tell you! One thing we talked about was electronic reusable paper, which is a lot like what the Kindle is apparently (I had no idea beforehand). It's supposedly going to be as thin and flexible as paper in the future! I want one now! lol But that is probably an exceptionally bad idea. I would be the nut who would think...if I fold it into an electronic reusable paper airplane, will it fly? And it will be broken.
I also learned a key difference between the Kindle and the iPad. Apparently, the Kindle's screen does not reflect light. In fact, the brighter the light, the clearer the text. Just like a regular print book. iPad has a regular screen that the brighter the light, the more reflected. Good to know!
I'm completely sore from the running around. I know, there hasn't been that much. Just up and down stairs in the subway and in the building, but I haven't been active much lately. I'm sure I will get used to it by the end of the program.
Same goes for traffic!! My goodness NYC is a slow city! In London when crossing the streets, if the hand says "no walking" you don't walk. You will get run over. Here, the cars will honk at you but they will always stop. It's nuts! And the people walk so much slower on the sidewalk. And everything looks like it's meant to be just like London (Subway is very similar not that it's underground transportation but if you actually look like it). Also, the regions have the same names, like Greenwich. It's like London on a sleeping pill, I think.
Well, this girl has homework to do that's due tomorrow!
BTW Trader Joe's oriental soups are awesome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
