Mr. Steinbeck may be on to something:
"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."
—John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America
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a breath of fresh air
Yesterday was a nice little respite from the cold, snowy days we've been seeing lately. Besides my heater running at 98 degrees without the capability to turn it off or down, I couldn't complain. It was so lovely being able to work with my window open and breathe in nice warm-ish air. While I've thoroughly enjoyed the snow over the last couple of weeks, spring can never arrive too early!
happy memorial day!
Happy Memorial Day, folks! I'm glad for this day that, in my mind, officially marks the start of my favorite season. And, more thankful for this day that is set aside to thank our troops and all the men and women who fight for our freedom. I hope you're relaxing and enjoying the summer weather somewhere fun today.
it's spring here in nyc!
I've said it once but I'll say it again: I can't believe I survived another winter in New York! As I say that I am, at the same time, knocking on my desk - made of wood, of course - knowing full well that winter may indeed peek it's ugly head out again. In the meantime, I am loving the beautiful flowers on the streets and this glorious, sunny 73 degree weather! Even if it's fleeting...
hellllllo, march!
the last weekend of summer
I can't believe it's that time again. Summer is over. What?! I wish I was spending the weekend with my floaties jumping into a pool, but I'll be here instead (with lots of fun things planned, I should add). I don't know where the time has gone or why it's going by so quickly, but it's going by like a speeding bullet. Here's to enjoying one more weekend of my favorite season of all!
[photo from here]
fall is coming!
We've had two mornings in a row now with temperatures of 65 degrees. Heavenly! And the new fall JCrew catalog came in the mail last week. If those two things don't bring the smell of fall, I don't think anything will.
And for the first time ever, I am even mildly excited about the new season being upon us.
summer, you have flown
It's August. Welcome...?!
...and, I wish I was wherever this photo was taken, by the way.
[from here on pinterest.]
heat wave
A heat wave, that's surely what we are having in New York today (and tomorrow, for that matter). When I woke up this morning before 8 AM, the temperature was already 78 degrees with 88 percent humidity. And the temp is only rising with tomorrow expected to reach 101. Whew. I could surely use one - or two - of these in this weather.
[found via pinterest here]
hello summer.
It's officially summer here in New York which means only one thing: I am the happiest girl in the world! It's my favorite season and there are so many fun things to do in NYC for the summer. And I try to take full advantage of those which results in a much busier schedule than I usually keep. Blogging may be more sporadic, but I promise I've got some good thoughts in the queue that are coming soon!
ditto.
this is what I look like today:
[this comic & more found here via The New Yorker]
autumn in new york city
not too shabby, huh? I snapped these pics on my walk home through Central Park yesterday afternoon. Apparently, the island of Manhattan somehow maintains its own climate which creates a difference in the weather patterns, like delaying the peak time for fall foliage. I'm not really sure what all of that means (or if it's even true...), but it's worth the wait for this!
fall dinner party
One thing I love about fall is that it just makes you feel like cozying inside with friends, making a homecooked meal for dinner, and gazing out the windows at the beautiful fall foliage (that is, if you live in the suburbs, I guess.) But, as a city-dweller, we can at least take advantage of the first two. And this past weekend, I did!
I tried to construct a menu that consisted of all things fall. Here are the recipes I used:
Hot Caramel Apple Cider (yields 12 ounces)
1 1/2 cups of apple cider
1 1/2 tablespoons caramel sauce (I used the stuff that is used for ice cream sundae toppings)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Combine apple cider, caramel, and vanilla into a sauce pan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until apple cider is hot and caramel has melted. (Be careful, it gets REALLY hot!) Pretty simple, huh? And very delicious!
Cowboy Stew (courtesy of my good friend-chef, Caylen)
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sausage
1 lb mexican velveeta cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
And, 1 can of each:
Black beans
Kidney beans (I used Pinto beans in place of this... because I like them better)
Rotel tomatoes
Stewed tomatoes
Corn
Chop veggies into small bite-sized pieces and saute in 2 tsp. olive oil until soft. Brown the meat, then add the veggies. Cut velveeta into chunks and melt into beans and meat, then add spices. Simmer until heated through. (Basically, I just cooked and opened everything and then poured it all together in a huge pot!) And believe me, it will feed an army!
I might have shared the recipe for these here before, but I'll share them again because they're that good!
Garlic Cheese Biscuits
2 cups buttermilk baking mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Combine all ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop dough by heaping tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/3 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine ingredients. Brush on warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.
A nice, not-especially-fallish salad (everything can't be fall-esque, I guess). Katherine majorly contributed to this, and Brendan got the cranberries and walnuts. The salad was his creation...too bad I forgot to snap a picture of it.Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes by Maggie (get her recipe here!) They taste as good as they look!
And, a delicious Pumpkin Crumple made by Ann-Marie (and I think Jon did the crumple on top). I don't have the recipe for this, or a picture, yet. But believe me, you'll want to add it to your recipe box as soon as I get it!
would rather be here
than HERE today. It's rainy (and, I mean raining cats and dogs) in New York today. It hasn't tapered off all afternoon. And did I mention cold? It's freezing...again. It's 51 degrees outside right now. And look how cozy and comfortable this bed looks! Not only is the decor beautiful, but it looks like the sun is shining in from a nearby window somewhere while the bed has a nice, relaxing place in this cute little alcove. Looks like the perfect alternative for days like today.