Oooh! Sweet Nothing.

Although I love to cook and bake, typically, I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, but if there’s ever a combination of sweet and salty, I’m in. During the holiday season, I saw a segment of Martha Stewart’s show with Karen DeMasco who is the current pastry chef at Locanda Verde here in New York. She was promoting her new book, “The Craft of Baking“. The word “Craft” was a bit of wordplay since she is the former pastry chef at Tom Colicchio’s Craft Restaurant.

I was impressed with Karen’s ‘from scratch’ method, which is what we’ve been trying to live since moving to the city. In a city that moves so very fast, it’s a nice exercise in patience to not walk into the kitchen and zap something (presumably unhealthy) to eat in 3 minutes. When we moved to our apartment, we got rid of the microwave and have embarked on a From Scratch Journey. It has brought an unexpected total consciousness and awareness of the ingredients in recipes, so each eating decision we make is much more informed.

So when I heard of Karen’s spicy caramel corn and saw the recipe on Smitten Kitchen’s blog, I was eager to try it. It was a quick and easy treat. Tony brought it to his guy’s poker night, didn’t help him win money, but it helped him win friends.

I had not worked with caramel before. No joking – it is super duper hot. So if you’re a beginner like me, be sure to keep a glass of ice water within arm’s reach in case you get a dab of the hot caramel on your finger (like I did… which blistered). Also, do be sure to remove the unpopped kernels, finding one deep within the kernel is just enough to break a tooth….I would imagine.

A Tale of Three Frozen Treats

Tony, in passing, mentioned that he likes popsicles better than ice cream, so I picked up a popsicle mold and we’ve been playing. I loved this strawberry recipe which inspired me to create a banana yogurt pop with frozen bananas. That one turned out great too. I just processed 2 frozen bananas with a cup of yogurt (plus a drizzle of honey and cinnamon).

Years ago when we were eager puppy parents, spending too many dollars on dog products, we would purchase “Frosty Paws” in the frozen food section for and icy treat for our dog. It may sound crazy, but we were living in South Texas and thought it would be perfect for our cocker spaniel puppy. Indulgent? Yes. But, she loved it. We had since stopped spending frivolous dollars on the dog, but I couldn’t resist making this homemade version after I read about it on Modern Dog. I used an icecube tray and tried the peanut butter version. Ellie thought she was once again in doggie heaven. And the cool thing is that there are so few ingredients, compared to the Frosty Paws that are sold in stores. She liked them so much, that I’m pretty sure she ate the first one without chewing. So I chopped them in thirds after that to slow her down a little bit.

frozen treats

Soon after we started playing with the pops, Tony read an article on Lifehacker and I read an article on TheKitchn talking about the vegan frozen dessert of blending a frozen banana. That’s it. A frozen banana. It totally works. It’s a little soft (like frozen yogurt texture) when you’re done processing, but I imagine that popping it back in the freezer for a few minutes would bring it back to an ice-creamy texture. Or… maybe it was making it in August in our NYC apartment that lacks air conditioning. No complaints from us however, we loved the icy cool healthy treat.

Sewing in SoHo

Purl SoHo

I envy the girls whose moms taught them to sew and now make the oh-so-cool gifts made with the perfectly selected fabrics. So enough wishing… I’m going to take a class. I’ve never TOUCHED a sewing machine, so this should be fun!

Live What You Love

Tony and I usually gift experiences instead of items for birthdays, Christmas, anniversary, etc. This year we went to the US Open at Bethpage for Tony’s birthday. The course was beautiful. I was quite shocked actually, who can imagine rolling hills, deciduous trees, and serenity within a short drive of NYC?

But I couldn’t resist buying him a little somethin somethin. So I turned to Etsy, where I found the perfect gift. A letterpressed cutie at an unbelievable price.

Combine that with a batch of Tony’s favorites (carrot cake cupcakes) and a nice little birthday was complete.

Happy Birthday to my husband who has chosen the path less traveled and leads the life he loves.

Are You A DIY Kinda Guy… or Gal?

Are you a DIY kinda guy? Or a girl that is always looking for the next at home project? If so, I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite blogs, Design Sponge.

I have a love of furniture, I grew up watching my Dad work for various furniture manufacturers, went to High Point’s Furniture Market for many years, and also sold furniture for several years (which included living in the International Furniture Mecca of High Point). Some of my favorite memories were working with customers on their “COM” projects. This is where we’d head to an old brick warehouse filled with the complete gamut of top designer fabrics and select the perfect combination of fabrics for sofas, throw pillows, window treatments, etc.

Well part of living thriftily and also greenly is to reduce REUSE and recycle. Is there a dresser that can be spruced up? A dining chair that would be perfect with a different fabric bottom? Hit the thrift stores and find just the right pieces to complete the transition to make your house a home and head to Design Sponge for inspirational ideas on what these projects can look like.

PS – live in the High Point area? Be sure to head to Winston-Salem to visit 1502 Fabrics where you can wander through aisles and aisles of colorful inspiration. The High Point location even had a clearance room where remnants were sold, which may be just enough to cover that chair! Ask for my friend Julie and tell her I sent ya!

Recession Drinking Session

For the record, I’m not stating that drinking helps ease the financial woes of this recession… wait… maybe I am.

Tonight was a rare treat, a bottle of wine shared with Tony (while enjoying Tivo’d Lost episodes). Tony found this great bottle at our local wine shop for $4, with the adorable name “Recession Red”. And it was pretty damn good!

Another affordable favorite is the popular Trader Joes wine nicknamed “Two Buck Chuck”. If you have a Trader Joes nearby, that is a definite option for chic affordable grocery shopping. Full of the trendiest-foodiest fun treats, all easy on the pocketbook.

The Dillio

NYC Daily Deals

My friend Andy introduced me to this website. If you’re in the NYC metro area, Twitter these folks for some great deals in the city.

Don’t Forget Your Bow Tie

This dish is listed in Ina’s “Barefoot Contessa: Family Style” cookbook in the “cooking for kids” section. Man – do the child friends of Ina have it made! I think this dish is great for anyone, it’s one of our very favorites. Great year-round, the lemon really brightens up a winter day and once you buy some pine nuts, it uses very basic kitchen ingredients. And it reheats nicely as well.  When I make the dish, I do lessen the oil/butter combo, use just enough to flavor the broccoli if you’re wanting to make a healthier option.

Card Carrying Member

No matter where you live, look into becoming a member of the one museum you and your family would love to visit. Over the course of a year, you’ll more than recoup the investment with quality (non-tv) learning together. 

Tony and I are members of the American Museum of Natural History. Tony loves the primates, I love the planets, and we both love having “Night at the Museum” moments while looking at the dioramas. 

We’ll soon be visiting the museum for the fifth time this year, next trip’s focus? Dinosaurs. Above is a photo I shot with my phone last Friday at sunset from inside the museum, just outside of the Hayden Planetarium looking out onto the beautiful homes off Central Park West.

A Smitten Valentine

My friend Mary invited me over for dinner last week. Mary is a true inspiration. She introduced me to the Smitten Kitchen blog and really challenges me to try new culinary adventures. She’s an amazing baker and just watching her in the kitchen is motivation to go home and try.  This week, she made the delicious Smitten Kitchen’s Black Bean Tacos and after dinner, we worked on her valentines for her office. She made the cutest bookmarks and also had the great idea of baking soft pretzels in the shape of heart. Both were major successes.

This was definitely the year of homemade Valentines. The ‘lovebird’ valentine above was one I sent to my family and the ‘cupid arrow’ was the card I received from my valentine.  None are professional, but I think the love shines through even more deeply.

Hope you had a happy Valentine’s Day, receiving love from friends, family, or that special one.