And yes, that is a box of Charleston Chews on the counter. Am I the only one who HAS to eat something right away after getting home from work or I'll die? The meal that only needed one leek was really awesome as well. I made a Cauliflower and Potato Gratin that I found on this website: http://www.thewednesdaychef.com. It was like homemade mac-and-cheese, but better. The potato and cauliflower are soft and have their own flavor which makes them better than noodles. Have a bit of this with a simple bitter salad for dinner; its a nice combo. We had arugula with oranges and an olive oil and lemon juice dressing. I have to admit though, it was a little bit hard to eat salad with this hot, melty, cheesy option on the other half of the plate. (Note: I cannot put the full website address of the links I give here because I have yet to learn how to make a link work in my blog and if I type the whole address it runs off the page. But if you go to either of those blogs you can look for the recipes posted in early January and you will find them).
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Soup Kitchen
Look Mom, I used up those leeks! Last week I made a dinner that needed only one leek and when I called my mom from the grocery store to ask her what a leek was, she told me I should try to find a way to use up the rest of the package of leeks. I love how she never misses an opportunity to help me. So, this week I found a recipe for potato and leek soup; I bought myself an immersion blender and whipped it up the other night for dinner. I love it for several reasons. First, it tastes great; second, it's pretty low-cal and healthy; third, its pretty darn cheap; fourth, it was super easy and quick to prepare; fifth, it lasts in the fridge and so is an easy weeknight dinner for multiple nights. I used the recipe at http://www.davidlebovitz.com.
And yes, that is a box of Charleston Chews on the counter. Am I the only one who HAS to eat something right away after getting home from work or I'll die? The meal that only needed one leek was really awesome as well. I made a Cauliflower and Potato Gratin that I found on this website: http://www.thewednesdaychef.com. It was like homemade mac-and-cheese, but better. The potato and cauliflower are soft and have their own flavor which makes them better than noodles. Have a bit of this with a simple bitter salad for dinner; its a nice combo. We had arugula with oranges and an olive oil and lemon juice dressing. I have to admit though, it was a little bit hard to eat salad with this hot, melty, cheesy option on the other half of the plate. (Note: I cannot put the full website address of the links I give here because I have yet to learn how to make a link work in my blog and if I type the whole address it runs off the page. But if you go to either of those blogs you can look for the recipes posted in early January and you will find them).
And yes, that is a box of Charleston Chews on the counter. Am I the only one who HAS to eat something right away after getting home from work or I'll die? The meal that only needed one leek was really awesome as well. I made a Cauliflower and Potato Gratin that I found on this website: http://www.thewednesdaychef.com. It was like homemade mac-and-cheese, but better. The potato and cauliflower are soft and have their own flavor which makes them better than noodles. Have a bit of this with a simple bitter salad for dinner; its a nice combo. We had arugula with oranges and an olive oil and lemon juice dressing. I have to admit though, it was a little bit hard to eat salad with this hot, melty, cheesy option on the other half of the plate. (Note: I cannot put the full website address of the links I give here because I have yet to learn how to make a link work in my blog and if I type the whole address it runs off the page. But if you go to either of those blogs you can look for the recipes posted in early January and you will find them).
Where I'm Working Now
For my job, I generally work directly out of a client's location rather than our office. Since September I have been downtown at the World Financial Center which is directly adjacent, on the west side, to the World Trade Center site. I take the W train directly from home to Rector street. I kind of like working downtown, even though the commute is a little on the long side--the buildings have a lot of character and the streets are not over-crowded with people.
Here is the view, seen from the north, of the 3 towers of the World Financial Center. I work in the middle tower.
Here is the World Trade Center site as seen from a hallway in the building I work in. A lot of tourists come in to try to take pictures. Even tour groups come through. They are doing construction on what will be Tower 4 right now and you can see the squares where the memorial will be. If you go to http://www.wtc.com/media/images/wtc-construction there are some really good pictures of the construction in progress. There is even a shot of glacial rock formation in the site.
Inside the building I am in, there is this lobby type area called the Winter Garden. It's really quite beautiful there. They hold all sorts of free events, like music and dancing. A lot of people show up and the floor is covered with all the people sitting. There are a lot of stores in the building too...Ann Taylor, Gap, Banana Republic...makes a great escape from work during the day!
This is a shot from on the far side of the Winter Garden. There is a huge patio and we are right on the Hudson River. When it's warm outside, they have BBQ on the patio and a lot of restaurants have outdoor seating. There is a Ciao Bella, and in the few warm days we had when I first started working here, S met me after work and we got gelato and walked up the river a bit. It's really a gorgeous and relatively hidden bit of Manhattan. The spot is called the Esplanade and it has some cool public art, sculptures, great views of the statue of liberty and of all the sailboats docked there, and has a lot of seating for just hanging out next to the river. All the buildings in the background are part of Jersey City. There is also a dock where you can catch a short ferry ride to Jersey City or Times Square and a few other destinations. I would say this is one of my favorite places in the city (in the Summer--too cold in the Winter!).
This is a small public space called Zuccotti Park that I pass on my way to and from work. I love the lights on the trees, but I don't think they will be up too much longer since they were kind of a holiday thing. Its a great spot for people to eat lunch outside. If you can see it, there is a very large, red sculpture in the back of the park. It's a 70 foot tall sculpture by Mark di Suvero, called Joie de Vivre. 
Also next to the park is this famous sculpture: Isamu Noguchi's Red Cube. Sorry the picture is so dark, I think I was blocking the flash with my finger (that's the drawback of having a tiny camera). This guy also did the relief sculpture at the entrance of the Associated Press building in Rockefeller Plaza, called News. Check it out at this awesome Flickr page I just found: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/451876063. This person's Flickr page is full of amazing pictures from around New York with great descriptions.
And we are getting closer to home...this is Trinity Church, the back of which is at my Subway stop. This church was built in 1846 and is one of the first examples (and finest examples, according to their website) of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United States. 
This is the graveyard at the side of the Church. Alexander Hamilton was buried here in 1804. There are many other gravestones from the 1700's. If you are interested in that kind of thing, you can find more information, including a detailed map of the churchyard where you can click on each gravestone for details, on their website at www.trinitywallstreet.org and look under the history menu.
Well, that is it. You have all the highlights from my current work location. I'll be sure to update you at my next client site if it's some place good, although that isn't usually my luck (last work locations: Connecticut and Bryn Mawr, PA).
Here is the view, seen from the north, of the 3 towers of the World Financial Center. I work in the middle tower.
Here is the World Trade Center site as seen from a hallway in the building I work in. A lot of tourists come in to try to take pictures. Even tour groups come through. They are doing construction on what will be Tower 4 right now and you can see the squares where the memorial will be. If you go to http://www.wtc.com/media/images/wtc-construction there are some really good pictures of the construction in progress. There is even a shot of glacial rock formation in the site.
Inside the building I am in, there is this lobby type area called the Winter Garden. It's really quite beautiful there. They hold all sorts of free events, like music and dancing. A lot of people show up and the floor is covered with all the people sitting. There are a lot of stores in the building too...Ann Taylor, Gap, Banana Republic...makes a great escape from work during the day!
This is a shot from on the far side of the Winter Garden. There is a huge patio and we are right on the Hudson River. When it's warm outside, they have BBQ on the patio and a lot of restaurants have outdoor seating. There is a Ciao Bella, and in the few warm days we had when I first started working here, S met me after work and we got gelato and walked up the river a bit. It's really a gorgeous and relatively hidden bit of Manhattan. The spot is called the Esplanade and it has some cool public art, sculptures, great views of the statue of liberty and of all the sailboats docked there, and has a lot of seating for just hanging out next to the river. All the buildings in the background are part of Jersey City. There is also a dock where you can catch a short ferry ride to Jersey City or Times Square and a few other destinations. I would say this is one of my favorite places in the city (in the Summer--too cold in the Winter!).
This is a small public space called Zuccotti Park that I pass on my way to and from work. I love the lights on the trees, but I don't think they will be up too much longer since they were kind of a holiday thing. Its a great spot for people to eat lunch outside. If you can see it, there is a very large, red sculpture in the back of the park. It's a 70 foot tall sculpture by Mark di Suvero, called Joie de Vivre. 
Also next to the park is this famous sculpture: Isamu Noguchi's Red Cube. Sorry the picture is so dark, I think I was blocking the flash with my finger (that's the drawback of having a tiny camera). This guy also did the relief sculpture at the entrance of the Associated Press building in Rockefeller Plaza, called News. Check it out at this awesome Flickr page I just found: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/451876063. This person's Flickr page is full of amazing pictures from around New York with great descriptions.
And we are getting closer to home...this is Trinity Church, the back of which is at my Subway stop. This church was built in 1846 and is one of the first examples (and finest examples, according to their website) of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United States. 
This is the graveyard at the side of the Church. Alexander Hamilton was buried here in 1804. There are many other gravestones from the 1700's. If you are interested in that kind of thing, you can find more information, including a detailed map of the churchyard where you can click on each gravestone for details, on their website at www.trinitywallstreet.org and look under the history menu.
Well, that is it. You have all the highlights from my current work location. I'll be sure to update you at my next client site if it's some place good, although that isn't usually my luck (last work locations: Connecticut and Bryn Mawr, PA).
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Kurt and Debbie have News
Looks like I'll be having another niece/nephew in 8 more months! They really make cute kids; exhibit A:
That's Drew showing me his toothbrush while we were at Mom's house this December. I'm really excited for you guys!
That's Drew showing me his toothbrush while we were at Mom's house this December. I'm really excited for you guys!
Project: Chair
I always wanted to be handy, so when I saw this cute chair at a thrift store for $10 I thought I might as well give refinishing it a shot. You know, start small? I have no idea what I'm going to do with it or how feasible it is to refinish a chair in an apartment, but I'll see how it goes. I've been looking at it for several months now, but I think I'm ready to finally do something with it. So now for some research about my first step. I'll keep my progress posted; its going to be slow going, especially since I still have one more exam to finish for my CPA. Can't wait for February 22nd to come and go and be completely done with all my tests! Fingers crossed I'll pass and then be a genuine, bona fide, Certified Public Accountant. Yes, some people want to be that, ok?
Apple Cider Donuts
I stopped in at the farmer's market in Union Square today and I always like to get hot cider from this stand. Today they had apple cider donuts and I decided to give those a try. They were awesome plain, but I decided to make a glaze for them.
I made a glaze for the first time. Glaze is pretty easy to make...3 ingredients, a slightly annoying bit of sifting, and then whisk.
Here is my attempt to add glaze to the donuts. Yeah, it's a little sloppy. I think next time I will dip the top of the donut in the glaze rather than try to pour it on...because that obviously didn't work. Tasted great though!
I made a glaze for the first time. Glaze is pretty easy to make...3 ingredients, a slightly annoying bit of sifting, and then whisk.
Here is my attempt to add glaze to the donuts. Yeah, it's a little sloppy. I think next time I will dip the top of the donut in the glaze rather than try to pour it on...because that obviously didn't work. Tasted great though!
Out and About
S and I braved the cold weather and ran a few errands around town today. All it took were two layers of pants and two thermal shirts, a sweatshirt with a fleece and jacket, plus gloves, hat, and scarf. All the layers made the temperature bearable, but difficult to move limbs. Our first stop was this little Indian restaurant, Sangam, in the Village. They have pretty good biryani and it was really great on a cold day like today.
I wanted to pick out some good coffee to send to my mom and S had seen this coffee importer in the Village so we decided to go here and check out the selection. This place was awesome- bags and bags of beans of all kinds of different flavors and roasts. I wanted to take a picture inside, but they wouldn't let me--what is up with that? So many stores do not allow pictures. It was hard to choose what to get, but the people who work there were very helpful. I ended up getting French Kenya, French Italian Espresso, and Cafe Blend for my mom. I got Pumpkin Spice and French Cinnamon for myself. I normally don't get flavored coffee, but I wanted something different to have on occasion.
Last, we decided to have a coffee at S's favorite place, Esperanto Cafe, but we discovered that it was out of business. That was a disappointment, however we found this little place down the block. The cappuccino was excellent and it was really cute inside; overall, not a bad replacement for Esperanto, although I got the impression from S that their Tiramasu didn't measure up.
We had a really good time hanging out in Greenwich Village today....now, it's time to watch the Jets finish off the Bengals.
I wanted to pick out some good coffee to send to my mom and S had seen this coffee importer in the Village so we decided to go here and check out the selection. This place was awesome- bags and bags of beans of all kinds of different flavors and roasts. I wanted to take a picture inside, but they wouldn't let me--what is up with that? So many stores do not allow pictures. It was hard to choose what to get, but the people who work there were very helpful. I ended up getting French Kenya, French Italian Espresso, and Cafe Blend for my mom. I got Pumpkin Spice and French Cinnamon for myself. I normally don't get flavored coffee, but I wanted something different to have on occasion.
Last, we decided to have a coffee at S's favorite place, Esperanto Cafe, but we discovered that it was out of business. That was a disappointment, however we found this little place down the block. The cappuccino was excellent and it was really cute inside; overall, not a bad replacement for Esperanto, although I got the impression from S that their Tiramasu didn't measure up.
We had a really good time hanging out in Greenwich Village today....now, it's time to watch the Jets finish off the Bengals.
My New Point and Shoot
I finally got a new camera! I've had mine for 7 years so it was time for an upgrade. I chose the Sony T90, mostly based on looks. It got great reviews online too. I took it out on the town today for the first time and so far I'm really liking it. I love how small and light it is.
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