Every Day of Summer Photo Blog: Summer Week 9

Week 9 was yet another busy week! Why are the weeks so busy? Isn't time supposed to go slower in the summer? And stress is supposed to not exist? That's what I signed up for! It was the second to last week of "summer" in the sense of summer being between Memorial and Labor Day. I am enjoying the fact that summer is still going strong for a little less than a month so I will be savoring every last second of it! Highlights in week 9 were cooking & baking, a girls night with Kim, and packing for a trip to the wilderness (aka Lake George)! Good times!

Summer Day 57: Hollywood moves to Sunnyside - A whole lot of movie trailers and generators took up home around the corner from my apartment this day. I'm not sure where they were filming, but they were filming something pretty big. I'm glad Sunnyside will be showing up on the big screen soon - it's pretty and the backdrop of the skyline is beyond awesome. 

Summer Day 58: Lazy Night - Sometimes I just want to watch TV when I get home from work, which is a very rare thing since it's usually the last thing I want to do. Tonight though, it was hot and I had to finish watching Arrested Development. My brother has been telling me for years that I need to watch that show and I finally did. It's awesome. I'm obsessed with it and want to watch it all over again. Which I just might do one night when I come home itching for that spot on the couch. Awesomely enough, it'll be premiering a final season AND a movie soon!

Summer Day 59: When Kim ordered a custom pasta dish - Kim and I had a girls night out and I suggested the restaurants. We've been to many places already so it was time for something different. I read good reviews on this restaurant in the west village so we went. One of our many waiters (we had like 5 different ones - strange) mentioned that if we didn't see it on the menu, we could make something ourselves. Well, Kim took that seriously and ordered this customized pasta - which was simply garlic, oil, tomato, basil, and some mozzarella. She asked for penne, they brought her fettuccine. Classic. It's always an adventure of some kind when Kim and I are together. 

Summer Day 60: Baking Chocolate Chip Muffins - My family trip to Lake George starts on Day 61 so today I baked some cupcakes for the clan to take up with them to enjoy (I was meeting them a few days later). On the menu were chocolate chip & banana walnut muffins. Yum! The chocolate chip I wasn't too fond of so I will not be making them again. Nor sharing the recipe. 

Summer Day 61: Descending - Ever take the escalator at the Lexington Avenue/53rd St Station? It has to be the scariest escalator that I've encountered here in NYC. The worst experience I ever had was in the Metro in Madrid, Spain. Those escalators are about 3 times longer than this one. 

Summer Day 62: Fresh Figs Goodness - Figs are in season! I enjoyed these for breakfast, fried in butter and honey then placed over greek yogurt. Delicious start to the morning. 

Summer Day 63: Bag is Ready! Lake George Bound in the am! - Don't fool yourself, this wasn't my only packed bag for my time in the wilderness. I had already sent up a duffel bag with my parents. This was simply my train bag. Still cute. 

Summer BBQ '12!

Each summer, I host a BBQ which ends up having to be at my parents house since they have a lot of room to accommodate all my guests. The BBQ provides a time for people to see each other who may not normally see each other too often and gives me a chance to do all the cooking and baking my little heart desires. It's not at all a social fest for me because I end up buried in the kitchen and over the grill the whole time. But I very much enjoy everyone having a good time and putting good food in their stomachs.

The menu this year was extensive, more than past BBQs and it was a lot of work, but was so much fun. And oh so worth it. Here it is, along with links to the recipes (if the recipes aren't top secret!):

Baby "buck" Ribs
Pulled Pork
Shell Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil, and Grilled Chicken
Burgers
Sausage and Peppers
Farro Salad
Tortellini Pasta with Walnut Pesto
Chickpea Salad
Cornbread
Mac n' Cheese

Oreo Cupcakes
Coca Cola Cake
Banana S'mores
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Peanut Butter & Nutella Swirl Cookies
Dutch Fudge Cookies

I had help with the cooking: the rubs & pork being courtesy of my brother and his awesome bbq'ing skills and the sausage & peppers were my mom's famous, but all else was made by my little hands! Tons of fun, tons of great recipes so I hope you indulge in them yourself (especially the Oreo Cupcakes & Coco Cola Cake).

Here are some really awesome photos of people, food, and desserts taken by Eric (so thankful to him for these great pictures):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what better way to end the night than with a bottle of tequila direct from Mexico? 

Now the next planning is a Dessert Only Party - - which I think can be most enjoyable!

Every Day of Summer Photo Blog: Summer Week 8

Eight weeks have already passed, I can't believe it, since summer began. Just shy of a month left, where does the time go?! The days are all blurring together now with just a handful of them really sticking out, but the memories of this summer have been awesome. Week 8 was a busy one. I hosted a BBQ and spent a lot of days prepping that then recovering from that. But aside from the BBQ there were other highlights of this week: 

Summer Day 50: Lost Package - I spent the beginning of week 8 in search of a missing Fed Ex package. Any wonder it went missing - there was no waybill on the box or inside the box and the box itself looked like it was being put out for trash. Magically it ended up at my office, hand delivered by a creepy guy who gave me a very long lingering handshake. Gross.

Summer Day 51: Peas in a  Pod - I was prepping for a farro salad I was making for my bbq and I came across the most perfect pod of peas so delicately hanging. I've never seen such a perfect pod!

Summer Day 52: When My Shoulder Became Someone's Seat - There are so many annoying things about commuting, but dealing with inconsiderate people probably takes the cake. This woman parker her backside right on my shoulder on my commute home. What nerve! I moved my shoulder so many times but she seemed oblivious to the fact that she was in my way! Or on me! Luckily I just had two stops before I got home. When I attempted to leave the train, she didn't even move out of the way and blocked the door. How are some people so absorbed in their lives that they neglect to see anyone around them!

 

Summer Day 53: Last BBQ's Standing - this is a dark photo, mostly because it was so late in the evening and partly because aside from the string lights, there's zero light in my parents backyard. You know when people have a good time when they stay well after the main crowd leaves. I always enjoy hosting parties where people don't like to leave. 

Summer Day 54: BBQ Leftovers - I finally took a photo of my brother's famous pulled pork and my cornbread. These were left overs from the bbq, but oh so good still. Mmmmm

Summer Day 55: End of Summer Work Party - My company hosted an end of the summer bash (is it already really nearing the end?!) at The Frying Pan. It's a great spot to chill, take in the breeze of the Hudson, and sip a white sangria like what's posted. Oh and to watch the sunset over NJ. Beautiful. Even if NJ is the backdrop. It turned into a surprisingly fun night. I got to talk to people I work with who I often don't get to talk to on a personal level so it was really nice and ended in forming a writing club, which I am very much looking forward to. 

Summer Day 56: A Slumber Wine/Cookie Party with Kendra - who says slumber parties need to wait till the weekend? It was a great way to spend a Tuesday night: cookies, merlot, and girl talk. Just what the doctor ordered. 

Three Sisters Salad

You gotta love Southern Living Magazine... even if you have zero traces to being Southern (like me). In the latest issue I poured over while drinking some sweet tea, I came across a Tex Mex menu and found a salad that made me want to eat the page of the magazine. Three Sister Salad. My latest go-to recipe. It's simply light and packs in flavor with every bite. 

Aside from having to de-membrane / peel / cut up the butternut squash, this was a relatively simple recipe. Since it has to settle in the fridge for a few hours, I suggest making it on a Sunday night and enjoying it Monday at work (or for dinner if you are doing the whole menu). The longer this salad sits, the better the flavors become married together. 

Here are some photos from my prep/final salad product: 

Tossing together corn, basil, cannellini beans, and red onions: 

The final product: serving the salad over arugula: 

Here's the recipe: 

Three Sister Salad 
from: Southern Living  AUGUST 2012

• 2 pounds butternut squash 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 (15.5-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels 
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced 
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• Balsamic Vinaigrette (see below) 
• 3 cups loosely packed arugula 

Balsamic Vinaigrette: Whisk together 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 large shallot minced, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of seasoned pepper. Add 1/4 cup canola oil in a slow steady stream whisking until blended. 

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Peel and seed butternut squash; cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss squash with olive oil to coat; place in a single layer in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 20 minutes or until squash is just tender and begins to brown (do not overcook), stirring once after 10 minutes. Cool completely (about 20 minutes).
2. 2. Toss together cannellini beans, next 4 ingredients, and squash in a large bowl; cover and chill 2 to 4 hours. Toss with arugula just before serving.

If you're interested in the entire Tex-Mex menu click here. 

I made the hibiscus tea (delicious - even if you add vodka!) and the chicken enchiladas (I found them to be a bit heavy but they were still delicious). 

Every Day of Summer Photo Blog: Summer Week 7

I am two weeks behind updating this blog on anything. What a crazy two weeks. I had a BBQ that took up most of my time the week before last (more about that in another post) then this past week at work was nuts so here I am frantically on a Saturday trying to do laundry, make muffins, pack for Lake George, and update all the posts I've been meaning to for the past two weeks. So here we go .... 

Week 7 of Summer provided more heat, some fall shopping, and some sharks. Yay! 

Summer Day 43: Summer Camp Kids - I do love children, but on my morning commute it's a hard pill to swallow when I walk on a subway car and find myself surrounded by bright yellow tshirts and the kids wearing them. I know they're kids and they're loud by nature, but I wish they would be quiet on the commute. I often think what I would do if I were their teacher and then I remember why I specifically didn't want to pursue a teaching career and I end at that. What's summer without the day camp kiddies? 

Summer Day 44: Crucified By Alcohol (Recycled Jesus) - an outsider art space installation at Holy Apostles Episcopal church by John Hearity (made from all recycled bottles) - I pass by the Holy Apostles church every morning on my walk to work. Each morning there is a line around the block of men waiting to go into their soup kitchen. These men do not give the air of being homeless. I never fear getting close to them and sometimes just want to hug them because they look like they need a hug. On some mornings, The Relief Bus sets up right across the street and provide even more meals, clothes, drug rehab, jobs, and various other resources to those men. It's really an uplifting sight to see in the morning - people giving up their time to volunteer and help the homeless by feeding or providing much needed resources. 

Summer Day 45: Early Purchase of Fall Shoes - I'm ready for "sweater weather" and so when I came across these booties, I couldn't resist (as if buying it would bring on the fall season more quickly). Aren't they cool/different/cute? And comfy too, big plus for all the walking I do. I can't wait till I can start wearing them! 

Summer Day 46: Italian Feast Time! - Maybe it's synonymous to summer in the boroughs, but each summer I look forward to Italian Feasts. They're church fundraisers and this one was for Our Lady of Grace in Howard Beach - which happens to be my brother's new neighborhood. It was a fun night, hot but still fun, and I got to play my favorite carnival game (what's in the picture above). My nephews had a ball and we wrapped the night eating zeppoli's - the only way to end a night at the feast. 

Summer Day 47: Succulent Plants Watering Day - Each Sunday, I gather all my succulent plants and put them in my kitchen sink and do their weekly watering. They thrive when their leaves are watered more than their soil. I have several varieties of succulents and through the past five years some of them have gotten very large and seem to be outgrowing my small apartment. These are great low-maintenance plants. I highly recommend getting a succulent in your life!  

Summer Day 48: Shark Sighting! - My mom actually took this photo so I have to give her the photo credit. This was taken in the Rockaways, a large surfing community. My mom said even with these posted everywhere, there were still surfers in the water. This summer, we've been talking a lot about sharks because my nephew Liam has developed a bit of a shark phobia. All he talks about are sharks and shark attacks and where the latest shark sightings have been. Then he talks about Jaws. Nonstop. It's hilarious. We opted to not tell him about sharks being practically in our backyard. 

Summer Day 49: Latest Obsession: 16 Handles - if you don't know about 16 Handles yet, read about them here. They are ridiculously delicious. The nice thing is you can sample flavors so I've tried to sample them all. My favorite though are dulce de leche and cookies & cream. Salted caramel comes into 3rd place. Excellent treat.