We are moving! We are leaving New York City and heading a little further south to the Washington DC area (Arlington, VA to be precise). Hello green grass and more space! M grew up in the DC area and I've been visiting with him ever since we started dating. I instantly liked the area and thought it would be nice to move there, someday...
Well, after 4 years of dating (and almost 2 months of marriage!) and 5 years of living in the Big Apple, it looks like "someday" has come. M will be transferring to a DC Trader Joe's with a promotion into management, while continuing to create digital art and media. We will send out new address information soon! And everyone is invited to come spend some time with the Pinos! We'll fire up the grill for y'all...
(missing in [blogging] action that is) since BEfore CHRISTMAS!?!?! Yeah... um... I've been... busy?
I have been working on stuffs for the wedding, which is what is currently eating up all my time.
Speaking of eating, I've been obsessing about cookies lately. I'm not sure why exactly, perhaps the semi successful wedding diet I'm on? Or Easter? Or the just simple fact that I love cookies.
I dunno. But I thought I would round up a few of my ultimate all time favorites. Here they are in no particular order.
Earl Grey Tea Cookies
The very simple recipe for these little darlings are here on Martha Stewart Weddings . They are sooo delicious! You must go and make them NOW!
Next up we have...
Tate's Bake Shop Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Cookies
They sound practically healthy, but don't let the whole wheat put you off. They are so buttery and crisp and crunchy. Tate's Bake Shop is in Southhampton, but luckily for me they are sold in my neighborhood organic grocery store. And luckily for you they ship EVERYWHERE! Woohoo! All of the treats I've tried from them are delish, but these are my favorite flavor. Go get you some.
And lastly, the Mother of all Cookies.... drum roll please...
Macaroons! From Laduree! They are the most heavenly creations on Earth! Cue the harps and cherubs. Seriously, I'm not exaggerating one little bit. They are the perfect combination of crunchy, chewy, and creamy in every bite. And, I'm not the only one who thinks so...
French Macaroons used to be super hard to find in the States, but recently they have become really popular. They are everywhere and there are now lots of places to buy them. If you are in the NYC area, I recommend La Maison du Macaron in Chelsea or Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center.
We had Thanksgiving at our apartment again this year. I also used folks coming over as an excuse to get a head start on the Christmas decorating! Here are some pictures of the table all set and the tree a' glowing. I love to use my Grandmother's china, the pattern is Wedgwood Florentine, the linens were bought during a trip to Brussels and the glassware is Ikea ;) Also on the drop leaf claw foot table from my other Grandmother are citron votives from Anthropologie, a pewter leaf platter from Southern Homes & Gardens and extra greenery from our giant Douglas Fir Christmas tree. My next post will be all about the decorations in more detail!
Oh and I made breakfast casserole to watch during the Thanksgiving Day Parade and to tide us over until dinner. It is dee-lish! And oh so very simple. I make it every time I'm having folks over for a big holiday. Its great because you can make it the night before and then when you get up just pop it into the oven while you're making the coffee. I got the original recipe from my Mom but I've tweaked it to be a little bit healthier... So you will need
1 loaf of nutty whole rain bread
1 block cheese - use the good stuff, I like aged Cheddar or Gruyere
1 to 2 packages of apple chicken sausage
8-12 eggs - enough to cover the bread and sausage
1 cup of milk (skim!)
2 good sized tablespoonfuls of spicy Dijon mustard
and salt + pepper
First, spray the casserole dish with cooking spray. Tear the bread into small pieces and cover the bottom of the pan. Cut up the sausage into small pieces and brown in a frying pan with a little olive oil. Add to the bread. In a bowl mix the eggs, milk, mustard and salt + pepper. pour over bread and sausage. Lastly top it all with lots of cheese. Cover and refrigerate. Cook at 350 for approximately 45 minutes, or until the eggs set.
You will be the most popular and adored cooking goddess when you serve this casserole for your loved ones on holiday mornings!
Yesterday was a glorious fall day in NYC (even if it was a bit warm, hello upper 80's?) and I was M's assistant for a fashion shoot at the Javits Center for Fashion Coterie. While he was shooting away I got to stroll the huge space checking out all the latest styles for Spring 2011! How cool! There were lots of buyers and all of the top names showcasing their collections.
So yeah, basically just another Wednesday morning ;)
After M was done with his shoot we decided to just walk around, absorbing the city, to be flâneurs. Charles Baudelaire developed a derived meaning of "a person who walks the city in order to experience it". And so we did, aimlessly walking through the garment district and then down to Madison Square Park. We decided that some coffee would be nice and noticed what seemed to be a small little coffee shop, Eataly. Well, it turns out it is a little bit more than just a coffee shop... it is a foodie paradise! It is a HUGE gourmet food marketplace. It is something of a new concept, there are about 7 different restaurants housed in one space where you can order fresh specialized foods at each counter. After a delicious Iced Cappuccino we explored the cavernous space. Oh and, while we were there I literally ran in to Mario Batali, oops!
We will totally be back! I'm going to find an authentic Italian dish to make and then go food shopping away! xo y'all, Lea
we've been cooking a lot around here these days. for a number of reasons. Its healthy, you have control over all of the ingredients, and its cheap! now, I'm no chef but I like to experiment and I have a willing taste tester which means I've been able to come up with some pretty interesting and suuuper tasty combinations.
On the menu tonight... SPICY EGGS. c'mon who doesn't like breakfast for supper? It is my favorite and this dish is sooooooooooo friggin easy. one pan and like almost no clean up and done in FIVE minutes.
seriously.
Here is what you will need: -2 eggs per person ( one egg will do for a light dinner or a quick breakfast but for a proper supper go with 2) -2 pieces of multigrain bread (the nutty-er and grainy-er the better) -mayonnaise
-hot sauce; either a good salsa verde like this one from the Santa Ana Deli or vietnamese chili garlic sauce
1.put the bread in the toaster, toast it medium to dark 2. put a tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick frying pan, let it heat up for a minute
3. crack eggs right into the heated up pan and fry. once the eggs begin to set, add a little salt and pepper 4. after a minute flip the eggs over (careful not to break the yolks) and salt and pepper - also be careful not to over cook, the eggs must be runny!!! it will be faster than you think :) 5. spread a little bit of mayo on each piece of toast, i only do a little because i want to be as healthy as possible but i think we all know the mo' mayo the better... 6. place eggs on toast and add a dollop of either hot sauce.
I like a simple mixed green salad with vinaigrette with this to round out the meal. and ENJOY!!!
