Babyrama

Lately, I feel like everyone I know has a baby and last weekend, Anthony and I saw all of those people. It was a three-day baby parade but luckily, the kids were adorable and well-behaved; we were able to hold them and play with them and then leave them with their parents. Not a bad deal.

And on top of that, we just found out my sister-in-law is having a girl. Another little lady to add to our crazy family. It's an understatement to say that we're excited for her arrival in October. xo

Hearts (and Cars) Afire

Valentine's Day was kind of a bust this year. I don't consider it to be a real 'holiday' so Anthony and I normally just celebrate by giving each other cards and some type of candy from CVS. And not one of those red hearts filled with candy either. I'm talking about a big giant bag of M&Ms.  There isn't a rose in sight at our home.

On Friday morning, my car had a meltdown while I was driving to work. I barely made it to my parking garage, but at night, I decided to fill up with coolant, say a prayer and hightail it to the mechanic, after a brief stop at my grandfather's house.  After several stops on the side of the road, I finally made it there. I've never been so close to having my car catch on fire. Valentine's Day truly filled my heart and my car's engine with flames of love.

By the time Anthony and I met up, it was nearly 9:00pm and we were both starving.  We had a very romantic dinner at the diner, complete with one milkshake and two straws, Lady and the Tramp-style.

After getting my car back on Saturday morning (belts fixed=cool engine, no overheating and no more deafening squealing while driving), Anthony and I went and had a grown-up lunch at Mecha Noodle Bar. We each ordered different phos, which were both great, but the hot chili oil dumplings were so delicious that I seriously could have eaten three thousand of them.

Lesson of the weekend: sometimes rice noodles and car repairs are pure romance. xo

Reason #874 That I Love My Husband

 

Sure, we got stuck in the ice, but how gorgeous is this snowy beach at high tide?

When things go wrong, my husband is never one to point fingers. Instead, he calmly (sometimes too calmly in my opinion) tries to figure out how to alleviate the problem. It only makes me love him more.

On Saturday, he voluntarily came with me to the Paper Source, and I then bought him a cupcake at Crumbs. It was freezing out and I thought it'd be fun to get some hot cocoa to go along with the cupcake for when we got home. The last time we were at Shake Shack, there were signs for their new Dark Chocolate Cocoa (supposedly made with Mast Chocolate!) so that's where Anthony stopped on our way to the highway.

It took FOREVER, not to mention that our order was actually put in wrong.  Our receipt said one 'hot dog' instead of one 'hot chocolate.' Umm, there's a big difference there: one is a tasty drink and the other is compressed processed animal parts.  After that was squared away and we were on the road, I had the brilliant idea of stopping by the beach. I thought the water would be beautiful in this blustery weather.

So yeah, we got stuck in the beach parking lot. The city hadn't really plowed the lot, yada yada, Anthony had to get out and rock the Jeep back and forth until he literally pushed it out of the ice ridges and we could drive away.  I felt horrible about getting us into this predicament and he just smiled and told me not to worry.  He didn't complain once.

Moral of the story: I am not full of great ideas, but I was lucky enough to marry a wonderful, incredibly patient man.


BONUS
Reason #1390 That I Love My Husband: when I asked him how the monstrosity of a pimple on my chin looked, he told me it wasn't bad at all, even thought it looks like a giant crater. He has to love me a lot to lie about such a horrible blemish.

Starting the Week with a Never-Ending Cold

Anthony and I share everything. Last week, he was sick and this week, it's my turn. Although, if I was really being honest, everyone in my office has been sick so I guess I actually am sharing with all my co-workers as well. What a generous bunch we all are.

When you feel like you're living in a virus-infested cloud, time seems to stop, or at least slow down. It's only Tuesday but the weekend feels like it was ten years ago. I can't recall much of what I did except for this awesome checkerboard cake I made for my father's birthday. This project was advanced beyond my baking skill set but I still managed to make a super-impressive dessert. Just imagine how much better it would have been if my head hadn't been pounding.

Now, I'm headed back to the couch for a little more rest before I go back to work tomorrow.  Hopefully, you're making it through the week happy and healthy. xo

The Scoop

How convenient is it that on the day I was planning to post about our visit to UCONN's Dairy Bar, I came across this article which names the University's ice cream parlor one of the best in the country? It only took me two years to get up to Storrs but, seriously, it was so worth it.

Yes, this is the cone that I ordered, with the required rainbow sprinkles (I have standards). I don't think I've ever ordered a waffle cone but they were freshly-made and I couldn't imagine a better time to go all out.  Despite the hole in the tip of my cone, it was one of the best desserts I've had in a really long time.  I highly recommend the Jonathan Supreme and the Toasted Almond Amaretto, but since all of the ice cream is made from fresh milk, cream and other ingredients, I'm sure all of the flavors are just as delicious.  With its chill vibe and plenty of outdoor seating (good for summer, not a selling point in winter, obvs), this would be a perfect 'last stop' on a Connecticut food crawl.

I forgot how beautiful the University of Connecticut campus is. It's changed so much since the last time I visited but it's a great place to walk around and enjoy a late summer day. On this particular Saturday, there was such a wonderful mix of students and local families exploring the grounds and, of course, stopping for Dairy Bar ice cream. xo

Sidenote: For lunch beforehand, Anthony and I met our friend at Corey's Catsup and Mustard in Manchester.  I enjoyed my burger but the real stand-outs were the french fries and accompanying dipping sauces. We shared a couple of orders and still didn't finish them all. And when they say 'Garlic Parmesan Fries,' they really mean it. The coating was beyond impressive.

Weekend Reads

 

 

Short weeks always seem like the longest weeks, no? Yesterday, my day started with logging in to pay my credit card and finding a bunch of fraudulent charges in my account. I was less than pleased, especially when I was told my credit card had to be cancelled. Perhaps that's just the price I have to pay for living in a technology-driven world (I ironically state as I blog about this incident).

Anyway, today I had to put on a cardigan on my way to work because it was a bit chilly and that made me happy. And I'm gearing up for a bachelorette party tomorrow that's entitled "Sex on the Table: Aphrodisiac Cooking."  As long as they don't feed me raw oysters, I'm set.

In the meantime, I'm going to keep thinking about a visit to Bantam Bagels to try these amazing-looking bagel ball concoctions. Four of them equal a whole bagel. Let's just grab an entire box and eat a casual breakfast in the park one Sunday.

And now, some of my favorite links from the week. Have a lovely weekend! xo

• The new panda at the National Zoo is a girl. How cute is she going to look with little bows in her fur? Cute enough to make me want to jump on a train and visit, that's for sure.

• Splitsider featured comedy in television and movies for the fall. I'm really excited for some of these. 

•  I've been pinning recipes like it's my job. The one I can't wait to try: Jalapeno Cheddar Parmesan Cornbread

•  I want all of the products featured in this DailyCandy slideshow about drugstore beauty must-haves. I wish CVS let you try things out before you buy them though.

• Once is going to be at the Shubert in New Haven next year. I predict now that we will wait way too long to purchase tickets but will then snag really good, inexpensive ones last-minute. Optimism is my friend sometimes.

Photo of bagel balls courtesy of Bantam Bagels

Weekend Recap: Fairs Galore

Mid-August is high season for festivals and fairs in Connecticut and I feel like we put in some pretty good effort this week with partaking in the activities.

On Saturday morning, we drove over to the Milford Oyster Festival and walked around the green for a while. We got there right when it started and there were already tons of people walking up and down the aisles. My favorite purchases were two small bags of homemade gummi candies. I don't think I've ever come across homemade gummi bears before and it was easy to see that they were time-consuming to make. I was super-impressed with them though and now kind of want to try making them myself. I'm a bit impressionable when it comes to food.

 

I wish we had a place to put one of these cheerful birdhouses.

Gorgeous lazy susans and cutting boards made from local trees.

 

 Homemade gummi candies. The sour cherry rings were amazing.

 

I usually hate these balloon carts but how cute is that giant blow-up popsicle?

We headed back up to New Haven on Sunday morning to check out the Pop-Up Shop set up in the Broadway parking lot downtown. The first Pop-Up Shop was a couple of months ago in Fairfield, and I was bummed to miss such a cool event right in our backyard so we made an effort to check it out this time. I really love the idea of this nomadic independent fair; it's like a smaller, local version of the wonderful Renegade Craft that takes place twice a year in Brooklyn. Again, we were there right when the vendors opened for business, but there were already lots of people walking through and checking everything out.

The food area was really great with a combination of about ten trucks and stands, mostly from the surrounding areas. Craft Butchery from Westport was serving these amazing pork green chile tacos, and Anthony and I wound up splitting an order of the philly steak fries from the Fryborg truck. The band was awesome too; it would have been great to have a few more tables and chairs in the center but all in all, I couldn't have asked for a better event in New Haven. We can't wait for the next Pop-Up in the fall.

 

I love when sidewalk chalk is in use.

These Connecticut cards and pins were really cute. 

 Best pork green chile tacos from Craft Butchery.

Philly steak fries from Fryborg.

Obligatory armshot photo in front of the usual Yale scaffolding.

Did you guys visit any fairs or festivals this weekend?  Happy Monday! xo

Travel Diary: The Berkshires, Massachusetts

I know most people wouldn't consider the Berkshires a destination for your typical 'girls' weekend,' but that's where my friend and I headed last week for a couple of quiet days in the mountains. We're not hikers and we didn't attend any Tanglewood performances but there were plenty of things to keep us busy in the forty or so hours that we were in town.  The region is a mere two-hour drive from us, but with the surrounding mountains serving as a gorgeous backdrop, we felt like we were much farther from home.

We wasted no time and headed to the Furnace Brook Winery in Richmond as soon as we arrived in town.  Apple orchards surround the country store with plenty of walking trails for exploring. It was only noon but we started off with a wine tasting.  The wines were all so light and refreshing, most made with grapes from Long Island. The hard ciders were delicious, barely tasting alcoholic. We purchased a bottle of the Sweet Muscato (and a bottle of their French Cidre for later) and headed out to the picnic tables with a half-dozen fresh cider doughnuts. Yes, we had wine and cider doughnuts for lunch. It was fabulous.

 

From there, we headed through Stockbridge to the Norman Rockwell Museum, located in a little white house on manicured grounds. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this museum. Rockwell's works when viewed up-close are true wonders. His brush strokes are so delicate and strategic that his paintings almost look like photographs. There were several Civil Rights era paintings that were achingly beautiful; these were projects he worked on in his spare time because there weren't any publications that would buy them. The images are still poignant fifty years later.

"Gossip," my favorite Rockwell painting.

Driving through Lenox on the way to our hotel, we stopped for a walk around the center of town and found ourselves drawn to Najaime's Wine, which is essentially a liquor store with a huge selection of fancy cheeses and crackers. We each picked two cheeses (how could I pass up horseradish cheddar spread?) and several boxes of crackers, which wound up being our dinner the next night. Did I mention that it was a low-key trip?

 

Horizontal apple tree branches at the Great Barrington Co-Op.

The next day, we explored Great Barrington a bit, visited the life-size Stations of the Cross at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy and relaxed at Lenox Coffee for part of the afternoon, but our evening was spent at The Mount, the estate of Edith Wharton, one of my favorite writers from the last century. The grounds are beyond lovely with lush flower beds and wooded paths. Modern sculptures are scattered around on the edges of the trees and there was a live show of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" being performed as we explored the grounds. As we walked through the manicured gardens, it almost felt like we were transported back in time.

 

Those two days went by so quickly but we really enjoyed the Berkshires.  It reminded me so much of Southern Vermont (my family used to spend so much time in Brattleboro when I was growing up).  I'd love to go back again to visit MASS MoCA or even to make the drive up to Mount Greylock State Park.  I may be wrong but this really seems like a region that's beautiful in all seasons. xo

Weekend Reads

Happy weekend! I can't wait to claim my extra hour of sleep tomorrow morning. This week was long but productive. I finally finished and mailed out the last of our wedding thank you cards, and we've slowly been making small changes to our apartment so that it's more like a home and less like a tight space where we just stack everything we own.  It's been an unbelievable relief to cross several things off of the to-do list, and not just because I love lists so very much.

Here are a few of my favorite links from the week if you're looking for some light reading.

• Between media coverage of horrific accidents, murder trials and Middle East war zones, it was heartwarming to read about these newlywed couples in Minnesota. Love is truly all you need.

• I'm in love with these hangers.

• These are the prettiest ice cubes that ever were.

• Kettle corn at home? Yes, please.

• Anthony and I watched Bill Cunningham New York and I'm convinced that if I ever saw Mr. Cunningham on the street in Manhattan taking photos, I would probably freak out in the best way possible.

• Later this week, I'm headed to the Berkshires for a short vacation with a friend. Any suggestions for us? Right now, I'm particularly excited about a visit to the Mount and stopping at the Furnace Brook Winery.

Have a wonderful weekend, dearies! xo

Weekend Recap

This weekend was the antithesis of glamorous. We helped my grandfather in his garden, we got Dairy Queen, I cleaned and organized our kitchen cabinets. Anthony had a few friends over on Sunday so I went out to run errands solo. And for dinner, we grilled on our little balcony.  It was the calmest two days I think I've ever had.

I finally got my margarita, frozen and mango-flavored.

My grandfather has a killer garden this year.

There's actually an ear of corn in there, per my brother.

The jalapenos are spherical as they grow. I can't wait to taste them.

Below view of huge sunflowers.

Enjoying Dairy Queen on a hot summer night with the person that you love

 is what dreams are made of.

In case you were wondering, decent shish kabobs can be made on a mini camp grill.

Some of that zen carried over into today, although I'm sure the feeling will be fleeting. Also, I'm really craving s'mores and a round of mini golf. Let's try to do something about that soon. I hope you enjoyed your weekends. Happy Monday! xo

Weekend Reads

 

This week had that 'lazy summer' feel to it: long days, warm nights, an unquenchable thirst for slightly sour lemonade, and true lack of focus, at least for me.  

We don't have a pool or even a backyard, but as soon as summer hits, all I want to do is throw some kind of outdoor party. I want to make big bowls of fresh salsa and homemade guacamole and string up twinkle lights. Oh, and that blender we have but never use? I want that thing to be whizzing all night with slushy margaritas.

So my goal is to have a margarita this weekend, even if we don't make it ourselves. The rest of our plans include some furniture assembly, a little bit of grocery shopping and maybe a stop in my hometown at the annual Savin Rock Fest on the water. I also have this grand idea of making an official 'Summer' bulletin board list, although it might just be an excuse to use the blackboard paint I bought two years ago.  There's no shame in a healthy love of crafts.

I'm wishing lovely weekends for you all.  Here's a quick round-up of a few of my favorites reads from the week. Stay cool, dears! xo

• This fluffernutter ice cream actually makes me want to buy an ice cream machine.

•  While we're on the topic of ice cream, these Pop Tart ice cream sandwiches look incredible.

•  I love this Cup of Jo post all about cheese.

• Understated beauty is totally Woody Allen's thing. 

• This NPR story about Green Houses instead of nursing homes for the elderly really struck a chord in me.

• And finally, a new baby was born in England. Mazel mazel to William and Kate!

Beautiful photo above courtesy of Bits of Pretty blog

Weekend Recap: Love and Marriage

I love weddings. Have I ever mentioned that? This weekend, Anthony and I attended our first wedding as a married couple and it was a lovely night of celebrating with friends, drinking champagne and dancing on a full dance floor.  The bride and groom were beautiful and just so in love.  I must say that it's so much easier to be carefree when it isn't your own wedding, and I know that from experience now.  I've never had such a wonderful time with my husband; I feel like I fall in love with him more and more every day, and Saturday night was no exception. 

And yes, I did cry. It's always the toasts that push me over.

The country club was sprawling; I had to resist the urge to walk around on the golf course. I also really wanted to lounge in one of these Adirondack chairs (did I mention it was hot outside?) but I thought it might be frowned upon since I was in a fancy dress at a very fancy place.  The men weren't even allowed to untuck their shirts, forget about undoing their ties. It was kind of a sweat fest.

But we totally rocked Table 12.  Oh, and we did a pretty good job at the sundae bar too. 

There's nothing better than a twirly, whirly summer wedding. xo

Weekend Reads

Happy Friday! If you made it through the week without melting to death or drowning in your own sweat, congratulations! I'm a cold-weather girl so when the weather is this hot, it's almost hard to remember a time when it wasn't sweltering. Man, I miss my scarves.

So it seems like this week's theme was 'Just Make It Through--You Can Do It!' Other than full, busy days at the office, I feel like the only thing I did was concentrate on not sticking to the couch. I did put in a long day of jury duty on Wednesday though; they picked for eight cases and I somehow emerged free at the end of the day.  Sitting in a room full of strangers for hours was a real experience. It's worth noting that most people were wearing clothes to court that I wouldn't wear out of my apartment. Tie-dyed shirts? See-through yoga pants? I'd hate to see what they think is appropriate to wear to a funeral.

I hope you have wonderful plans for the weekend--we're headed to a country-club wedding tomorrow night. Yay for celebrating love (Dear Lord, I hope the venue is air-conditioned). If you are looking for some reading material, here are some of my favorite reads from the week.  Stay cool, my lovelies! xo

•  The Norwalk Stew Leonard's is selling a version of the cronut. Way to keep on top of the culinary trends, Connecticut!

•  These Chipotle Beer Shrimp Quesadillas look amazing and perfect for summer.

• I love this Jimmy Fallon segment with Matt Harvey, the new Mets star pitcher.

•  This New York Times article about Jack Handey is so interesting. I really want to read his new book.

• REI has this awesome diagram detailing the assembly process of a s'more. I'm officially on the lookout for a campfire.

• Peanut butter cup crack brownies? I would turn on the oven to make these.

Photo of asperatus clouds over New Zealand via NASA Astronomy site

Weekend Recap: Nada Edition

I did not take one photo this entire weekend. There were very few visually-stimulating moments in the last few days, but we did manage to make it through without completely melting. Other than attending a bridal shower for a dear college friend, the highlight was realizing that I acquired five new cookbooks in the past month.

A few were birthday presents.  The Giada book was given to my mother-in-law as a gift and she didn't think she'd use it and passed it along to me. And I won the Baked: Explorations cookbook from Culture Cheese magazine (woot!).  Just looking at the stack makes me immeasurably happy. xo

Weekend Reading

I feel like we should all get prizes for making it through this week. I have no idea why the past five days were so insane but a new week is almost here and for that, I'm thankful. Every year, I find that the weeks after July 4th become a whirlwind. There are lots of weddings and bridal showers and new babies already. Summer always seems like the official season of celebration.

I hope you all have lovely weekends planned. My one desire for Sunday is to go to the movies; I don't even really care what we see but I so want to sit in a dark theater and watch a good film.  Keep cool and if you are looking for some reading material, here are a few of my favorite links from this week. xo
 

• I made these Peanut Butter Oat cookies from Serious Eats the other night and brought the batch to the hospital when we went to see family friends who just had a baby.  I skipped the buttercream and didn't sandwich the cookies, but on their own, they are light and kind of crispy. And since they have oats in them and no butter, I kept telling people that they were healthy.*  

•  Martha Stewart has this #BestSummerEver checklist that I am obsessing over. It makes me want to catch fireflies and eat s'mores every night.

• After reading about Miranda Kerr's favorite iPhone apps on Refinery29, I downloaded 'Squats.' My legs are killing me but I kind of like it.

• My mouth is watering from this round-up of great Chinese food restaurants in New York. Anyone up for a daytrip?

• These amazing word portraits of fourth-graders from around the world are so touching. It's extremely heartbreaking to see how many kids are really worried about their parents and money.

 


*I don't think that the exclusion of butter made these cookies healthy since the recipe called for a cup of peanut butter but no one seemed to mind much.



Photo courtesy of 100layercakelet