2011 in review

Our year in review, month by month

In January, we experienced our first New York City winter, complete with the most snowfall in 20 years. (According to locals). The novelty wore off very quickly.

In February, we endured another terrible month of cold New York weather, hibernated indoors and brewed our first beer.

In March, we managed to avoid going completely stir-crazy from the weather, and 50 degrees started to feel like a heat wave. My parents came to visit, and I walked them into the ground exploring the city.

In April, I started sewing and made my first garment ever. I still think it was a pure stroke of luck that it fit.

Two pictures for May, because we got to go home for a week and spend some wonderful time with family, then we got to go to San Francisco and spend some wonderful time with friends.

In June, Lila came to visit us in New York. Unfortunately Neil and I both got sick with bronchitis, but we still managed to get out on the town! I also treated Neil to a Yankees game for his birthday. It rained, but luckily our seats were so high, we were under cover!

In July, we succumbed to the NYC heat and got air conditioning, and explored Long Island on one of our few weekend days together.

In August, I started a new job and got to go home for Maggie's birthday and see her do the obligatory birthday-cake smash:

In September, we rode the water taxi to go see the U.S. Open. We watched Roger Federer demolish his poor opponent.

In October, my parents came to visit again and we explored the Connecticut/Massachusetts countryside.

In November, we went apple picking in upstate NY and had an orphan Thanksgiving with good friends and good food.

And in December, Neil got a new job with weekends off, the best Christmas present ever! We flew home to spend a wonderful Christmas with our beloved family. And got to meet the new addition to our family - my cousin's baby Anora.

What an amazing year it has been, full of wonderful adventures! And I am filled with anticipation and excitement for what 2012 has in store for us! Hopefully many more adventures on the East Coast and maybe a return to the West Coast to end the year. Who knows what the future will hold! Happy New Year everyone!

Orphan Thanksgiving

So it was Thanksgiving yesterday. One of my favorite holidays - the relaxed time with loved ones, no pressure to buy/think of presents, the EATING! Last year, we flew home. And then, a month later we went home again for Christmas. It was wonderful to get to spend the time with family and be home for the holidays. However, our pocketbooks did not feel so wonderful. So this year, we decided to stay in New York. Luckily, our friends Yee and Huy were also staying, so we decided to join together to have an orphaned Oregonians Thanksgiving. And now that we have our new apartment, there is plenty of room for four people to gather together!

On Wednesday, Neil and I headed out into the wet, Portland-esque weather to gather provisions and to check out the Macy's parade balloons being inflated. The day before the parade, they inflate all the balloons around 4 blocks on the Upper West Side, and they open the whole thing up to the public to watch. Christmas music was playing, it was cold and crisp out, and kids and families were everywhere, enjoying the gigantic balloons. It felt like a quintessential New York activity to take part in.

We saw Snoopy, the Energizer bunny, Ronald McDonald, a Smurf, Spiderman, Hello Kitty. These balloons are just gigantic, and the number of people it takes to get them blown up is crazy! Some fun facts about the balloons and the Macy's day parade - the first year they had a balloon they inflated it, but didn't have a plan to deflate it, so they just released it at the end of the parade. They continued the tradition of releasing all of the balloons at the end of the parade for a few years. They would give rewards to people who returned the balloons if they found them. Some were never found. Then, one year, they released the balloons at the end of the parade, and one of them got tangled in the wing of an airplane and it crashed. Macy's ended the practice after that. Some times the balloons still get away, though. They lost Garfield in 2005.

The wind was cold, though, so after the first block of balloons, we decided to skip the rest of the route and head out to gather our last-minute Thanksgiving provisions. We took a little Thanksgiving Eve tour of Manhattan and Brooklyn, to Union square for wine, West Village to go to Murray's cheese shop (where I didn't actually buy anything because there were SO many people there and all the cheese is held behind the counter. It was just too stressful), and Park Slope for a chicken and cheese, meat and olives. Everyone was out picking up their pre-ordered fresh turkey's from the meat shop. And even though the lines were long, everyone seemed to be in pretty good spirits.

Our Thanksgiving menu looked like this:

Appetizer: 

Cheese/Meat/Olives 

First course:

Butternut Squash and Apple soup
Buttermilk Dinner Rolls (I substituted whole wheat flour)

Second course: 

Chicken Bacon Roulades

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

Third Course:

Rabbit fricassee with Tagliatelle

Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes, 

Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms

Quick Sauteed Kale with Toasted Pine Nuts

Dessert:

Cranberry Upside down cake

There was also plans for an Apple Cider Cream Pie, but I totally killed the pie crust - burned it beyond recognition - so that got jettisoned early in the afternoon.

I decided to go "course-style" because we just don't have the space to lay all that food out at one time, and stuff gets cold. So this way, we ate a little bit, kept the other stuff in the oven, warming, and then got to go back for another round of warm food. Except for the cream pie, there was really no fail in the entire  menu, which was quite a victory for me - I almost always completely fail at something. Probably because all of the dishes were tried and true. The soup was the only real brand new recipe in the group.

We did a tour of all places that we've lived in our cheese plate. We had a Rogue Creamery (from OR) Crater Lake blue cheese that was the favorite, Humboldt Fog goat cheese from CA, a Talleggio which was a cheese that Neil had on a pizza when we first moved to NY and then a triple-cream cheese that had no connection to anywhere we have lived, but it looked super yummy.

All the food was pretty tasty but the standout for me was, surprisingly, the soup. This was the only dish that I had never made before and it turned out absolutely delicious. I think I could have eaten only that with the rolls for the whole meal and been perfectly satisfied. It was a little bit spicy, a little bit sweet, there were just so many layers to it. I usually have a problem with pureed soups, I need something to chew, but this one was quite thick and perfect with the dinner rolls to scoop it up. I anticipate making this soup a LOT this winter. One butternut squash made a huge pot, too. And I made it the Sunday night before Thanksgiving and froze it and it thawed perfectly. I linked to the recipe above, but in case you don't click it, because you TOTALLY should, here it is again:

I didn't bother with the gremolata, and I personally don't think the soup needs any garnish. There is just so much flavor already in the soup. I also just used ground ginger instead of fresh and I omitted the chili  and hit the soup with Sriracha sauce after I pureed it. That gave it plenty of spice, along with the curry powder.

spicy winter squash soup with apples & orange scented gremolata
1 T butter (or Smart Balance or olive oil, if you want something non-dairy)
1 small onion, diced
2″ knob of ginger, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 birds eye chili, seeds removed & diced
1/2 t salt
1 t freshly ground pepper
1 heaping T curry paste (I used Patak’s Jalfrezi paste – curry powder works too!)
2 1/2 c cooked winter squash
2 apples, skinned & diced (I used russets)
6 c vegetable or chicken stock or water
a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce (optional)

In a large heavy pot, heat butter over medium-high heat and add in the onion and ginger, letting it sweat and get wilty – about 4 minutes. Add in the carrot, fresh chili, salt and ground pepper and stir around to get fragrant. Stir in the curry paste, along with the cooked squash and apples. Pour in the water or stock and give everything a good stir. Put on the lid and let simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes, checking at the half way point to add in additional liquid if needed, and stirring occasionally.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup and taste it to see if it needs more seasoning – I always add in some hot sauce here (vinegar based or sriracha, your call). Pour soup into bowls and top with gremolata. Makes 4-6 servings.

And now it's time to turn on the Christmas music and start getting ready for my favorite holiday!!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Soup dumplings...Mmmmmm

In September, my friends Yee and Huy moved here from Portland, increasing my pool of NY friends by 1/3. Even though I'm jealous that they get to live in Manhattan, I LOVE having them here, because they are super-awesome, super-fun people to have around, but also because they do thing like babysit nervous doggies for us while we move in a snowstorm. Also because they do all the heavy lifting when It comes to scoping out new, awesome places to eat, which, since I actually have to do work at work now (sigh), I don't have time to do on my own.

This weekend, they introduced me to Shanghai Cafe in Chinatown and this magnificent little gem of a food called a Soup Dumplings. Most of you worldly folks probably already know what these are, but to me, they were a mystery. How do you get soup to stay in a dumpling, for goodness sake? Wow, is all I can say. What a heart-warming, delicious little snack! Yummy meat, delicious broth, chewy dumpling. And it was dirt-cheap! Needless to say, I will be returning again and again.

Unfortunately, Neil couldn't join us. He found out that he has shingles this weekend and is quarantined from all people who have not had chicken pox, which is 1/3 of our friend pool here. Poor guy. But, it does give us an excuse to go back for more soup dumplings!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Change of scenery

I haven't felt much like blogging for the last few months, obviously. I switched jobs and started working for the Opera directly and as they are in a transitional period right now, leaving Lincoln Center, there was a LOT of work to be done and I worked more overtime than I have in a long time. So I wasn't getting out and about a lot, not exploring any uncharted NYC territory, and not really doing anything interesting to share with you. Life started to feel very much like it was in a rut, and there was just nothing interesting to blog about. 

But last weekend, we moved to a new apartment, in a different neighborhood in Brooklyn and, with that simple change of scenery, I feel inspired to write again. There is so much to tell you about now: it's Fall in New York, and just absolutely gorgeous, there is a new neighborhood to explore, I've had some friends move to the City and will hopefully be getting out and about more, even though Neil is still working weekends. The new apartment is absolutely fantastic - don't tell Neil but I have a little crush on it. It's two bedrooms so we actually have our bed in a separate room for the first time in three years. The other room Neil and I are sharing as a studio/craft room (Neil gets most of the space). Each room has a small balcony off of it, so I will be able to grow some stuff in small planters next year. The apartment has extremely high ceilings, maybe 12-15 feet high, and gets wonderful light. In general, I just somehow feel lighter in this place. I will not miss our old apartment at all. The neighborhood is very transitional, on the verge of gentrification, so not quite as nice as our old neighborhood but it also feels very exciting as you watch the changes happening. New restaurants and shops open every day and there is so much to explore. 

Here are a few pics of the new place:

The living space is tiny, but that's okay. Without the bed in the living room, we don't actually have that much furniture. It's a very comfortable size for just the two of us. 

The fall colors have finally come to New York. I met Neil in Central Park a few days ago for a lunchtime walk and was astounded by the vibrancy of the foliage in the park this year. I don't remember it being so vivid last year. 

It's also apple season. A couple of weekends ago, Neil and I drove upstate and went apple picking. It was a glorious fall day, with just a tiny chill in the air. Unfortunately, we were at the very end of the picking season and most of the apples were already off the tree and so we did more apple-gathering than apple-picking. But it was still a fun experience and the apple pie that I made from the apples was one of the best I have ever made. 

This last weekend was one of those perfect fall days, beautiful sunshine slanting in through the windows, crisp air but not too cold and, with the light streaming into the apartment and the windows opened, I was inspired to cook like I haven't been in a long time. I made a loaf of fresh bread, yogurt, the apple pie and I churned a batch of brown sugar ice cream to go with the pie. Then for dinner I braised a pork shoulder for carnitas. It felt like a return to myself. I haven't cooked like that since we left San Francisco. 

Sometimes you just need a change of scenery...

Runaway hobby

Spring has finally arrived in NYC! Blossoms on the trees, warmth in the air, asparagus at the market! About time. It has also brought with it quite a few April showers, which, in NYC, means thundershowers. I happen to love thundershowers. You don't really get those in the PacNW and I just love hearing the thunder and seeing the flashes of lightning through the curtains. Plus, usually when the thundershowers come, it's also pretty warm out, and there is nothing like a warm spring rain. With the smell of blossoms in the air. Ahh... I love seasons.

Even though the weather has been a lot nicer lately, I still haven't managed to get out much because I have developed a ridiculous addiction to sewing. I can't stop. Since I finished the tote bag, I have been on a pattern-buying, fabric coveting, sewing rampage. It's probably unhealthy, but I am completely obsessed. Here is the tote bag:

After the tote, I decided that I was ready to tackle knits (or stretchy fabric). Hmm... that wasn't my brightest decision, because even though the pattern was extremely easy, working with knits is not. They are slippery and slidey and flimsy and just generally not easy. The pattern was for a boat neck, long-sleeved t-shirt. I did finish the shirt but it's not really wearable. I mean, I could wear it, but it just so obviously screams "HOMEMADE!!!! AND NOT WELL...". You be the judge:

But I was not daunted by my shirt failure. At all. Because I was COMPLETELY hooked by that time. There is something SO magical for me about cutting out little pieces of fabric, making a few stitches and having it turn into a piece of clothing. I think in some ways, it's very much like making jewelry. You start with something flat and end up with something three-dimensional. So, I dove head first into a dress. With princess seams. And a lined skirt. And a zipper. And darts. And, lo and behold, after a week, and an entire day spent hemming, I turned out a completely wearable, super-comfortable dress. The fit is a little tight around the waist and when I wore it last Friday to work, after lunch I was a little bit uncomfortable. But, overall, I'm SO pleased with it. It's not hemmed yet, in this picture, so the skirt actually hits an inch or so above the knee now.



I found this super-cheerful linen at 50% off at the fabric store and although it does wrinkle, it's going to be really nice for summer days. I should probably also mention that this hasn't been ironed, so it no longer has a huge crease right down the middle. :)

One perk of working for the Opera and Ballet is complimentary tickets to the shows, and another perk, that I found out a couple of weeks ago, is that we also get invited to the Ballet's annual Spring gala. Us peons get to attend the cocktail hour and performance part of the gala, after which we are sent merrily on our way, while the glitterati get to stay and have a supper/ball. But that's fine with me - it should be a lot of fun to get all fancy and dressed up and rub elbows with other fancy people. Last year Sarah Jessica Parker and Natalie Portman attended.

Having no idea what one would wear to such an event, I googled some pictures from last year's event and realized that it is quite a dressy affair. For which I have ABSOLUTELY nothing appropriate in my closet. Me, not such a dressy person. And that's when the light bulb went on! I have successfully sewn and completed one, ONE dress in my lifetime - of course I should make my own gala ball gown, right? No problem. And of course I should pick a pattern that has a fitted, boned bodice and a gathered skirt even though I have never gathered anything in my life. Of course, this was bound to turn out to be an absolute disaster and I should have talked myself down off the ledge immediately. But I ignored my inner critic and tripped merrily off to Mood where I found some gorgeous wine-colored cotton sateen and set to work. And I'm very glad I didn't listen to my inner critic, because, in the end, it has turned out very nicely, if I do say so myself. I still have to hem the skirt and attach straps, but here is the progress so far:

It's a little bit hard to see because my iphone doesn't really take great pictures in low light, but there's some nice pleating on the overbodice, and the wrinkles in the midriff should ease out once I add the straps to hold everything up better. I actually like this strapless, but I'd need to add a LOT more boning to keep the thing up and Neil doesn't like strapless. So, straps it is!!

I'm just honestly glad that it's presentable so that I don't have to buy a dress at this point.

And so, this is where the last month of my life has been focused. I sew in the evenings when I get home from work, I sew on the weekends, sometimes I even find myself "sewing" in my sleep. It's completely out of control but I'm too far gone now. There's no going back. Next up - a shirt for Neil!

Happy Spring everyone!

What a difference a season makes

Wow, it's amazing how fast we changed from winter to spring here. My parents were visiting last week and there were a few blossoms and spring flowers here and there, but no leaves on the trees and basically, thongs were pretty bleak. This week, central park has just been exploding!! Blossoms everywhere, and today I noticed little green leaves popping out on all the trees. It's glorious and it's having a huge impact on my sense of well- being. I feel spring in my step, hopeful, excited about what the warm weather months will hold for us here. As I write this, I'm enjoying a lovely 60 degree afternoon in the park, listening to a great street performer and just feeling good about life.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

new hobby

I've been watching entirely too much Project Runway lately. I bought a sewing machine. It's just so amazing to see those people throw together such fabulous clothes in a day. So inspiring. And of course, I assume I can do exactly the same thing right off the bat, with no instruction, no experience, no fashion sense. :) But I just got that itch under my skin - the itch to do something and you just have no choice but to scratch it.

In my defense, I did do a little research before I bought the sewing machine, to see if it was actually something I would be interested in. I did a reconnaissance trip to Mood Fabrics - the fabric store that they shop at on Project Runway. Wow. The second I stepped in that door, I was done for. Three floors of amazing, beautiful fabric in every color, texture, print you could ever in a million years imagine. Every fabric I touched, I could imagine a piece of clothing. I'm pretty sure my eyes were actually gleaming. I immediately rushed right home and purchased a sewing machine. Without a second thought. And a few minutes after I bought the sewing machine, I checked my email and there it was - a Groupon to Mood Fabrics. $15 for $30 worth of fabric. It was a sign - it was MEANT to BE!

While waiting VERY impatiently for my sewing machine to ship, I browsed patterns online and picked out two. I figured that I would start out with a simple tote bag. Mainly because the one that I'm carrying my stuff around in right now is SO dirty it's embarrassing, but also because it's always advisable to start with something simple, right? Then I also found a pattern for a simple boatneck shirt. My sewing machine was supposed to arrive on Friday, but I wasn't home to receive it, so I had to send it to a Fedex location to hold, to pick up on Sunday morning. So on Saturday, I made the trek back to Mood to pick out my fabrics for the tote bag and the shirt.

I stood in the canvas aisle for an hour, at least. SO many fabrics, only one tote bag to make. I just couldn't decide. The people must have thought I was crazy. When I finally got my canvas picked out, I headed up to the jersey knit aisle, where I proceeded to stand for another hour. I was SO drawn to the stripes, and almost picked one out and then talked myself down from that ledge - it's going to be hard enough to create a shirt, much less try to do it while matching up stripes. So I just got a very nice grey jersey.

I picked up my sewing machine on Sunday, rolled out my fabric to start to make the tote and realized, hmm, I haven't used a sewing machine in 20 years, and the experience I do have is limited to trying to make one shirt with my mom helping me. A lot. So, I thought it wise to maybe do some practicing before jumping right into a finished project. I had a little bit extra of one of my canvas pieces, because they had swatched the end of it, so I cut out pieces to make a little mini-tote. I read through the entire sewing machine manual, got the bobbin wound and the sewing machine threaded, played around a little bit with different stitches, and then got to work.

Let me just say that the seam ripper is my best friend. I think that is going to be the hardest part, is getting the feel for the foot pedal. My seams were just kind of all over the place. Loose in some places, perfect in others. But in the end, I turned out a little mini-tote, which I'm using to hold my sewing tools.

 

It looks good enough to me, and I had a BLAST! I LOVE sewing! How did I not discover this hobby earlier? So next up, I'll get started on the actual tote, now that I've had a little practice. 

I've also been working on some jewelry, not finishing as much as I would like, but I have two pieces completed. 

In other news, it snowed this morning. Crazy. The weather channel predicted it, but I scoffed - snow in March, hah! Well, touche, weather channel. You win. Luckily it's a completely different kind of snow that the frigid, non-melting variety that we had on the ground for the entire month of January. There was about 1/4 of an inch of it, and it will be melted soon. That kind of snow, I can handle in March. It still feels like Spring. 

My parents will be visiting the first week in April, so hopefully I will have some NYC sights to share with you. We'll finally get out there and be tourists on your behalf! Happy Wednesday to everyone!