TGIF!!

I'm really excited that it's Friday, because I get to spend the weekend with three of my favorite people!!

(Taken in Lake Placid, NY- home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics)

It is official: I'm spending the weekend with my family, so I'm sure I'll have loads of photos to share next week! I hope you have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

Pass the kleenex, please!

I spent the weekend popping pills.
But it's okay- a doctor told me to. You see, I've been a little under the weather!
I'm starting to feel better, which is good because I swear I've spent the last three days sleeping!
Now that I'm back on the road to recovery I have a lot to catch up on! I hope you had a good weekend- thanks for stopping by!

"Hot child in the city..."

Quick- can you name this area of NYC?
It's Union Square- were you correct?
I like spending time here! I usually grab seat on the steps along with my fellow New Yorkers...
And watch the world go by!
From this vantage point you can see the water tower on top of Filene's Basement...
And some of the larger buildings in the neighborhood.
Of course, on the day I was there the heat was unbearable- so every square inch of shade was occupied.
That didn't bother me- I was too busy taking pictures of random things- like light poles!
One of my favorite parts of Union Square is this statue of George Washington.
Ready for a little history?

The equestrian statue of George Washington, modeled by Henry Kirke Brown and unveiled in 1856, was first public sculpture erected in New York since the equestrian statue of George III in 1770 and the first American equestrian sculpture cast in bronze. (Courtesy of wikipedia)

Betcha didn't know that, right?
So there you have it- photos of a lovely summer afternoon at Union Square.
Thank you for stopping by- I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Walking up the west side

On Saturday, the weather was gorgeous here in NYC.
So SFS and I took advantage of the unseasonal temperature (47 degrees!!!), and walked along Central Park for a couple miles. We started around Columbus Circle and just headed north.
NOTE: I hope you aren't sick of seeing shots of Columbus Circle- I've noticed that over the past few months I've posted a lot of shots around this area.
As we walked along the park, we stopped a few times while I took pictures.
People were obviously taking advantage of the lovely afternoon!
I tried to get a shot of SFS- but I think he was having more fun teasing me with silly poses!
And while this is as close to the NYC sewers I'll ever want to be, I rather like the man hole covers!
Here are my boots... and my attempt at being 'artistic'.
This is a shot looking north along Central Park West... it seems like it goes on forever!
And here are some benches... another thing I love to take pictures of!
When we got to 63rd street, I noticed something funny...
Look at all those sad balloon swords in the trash can!
(Though I rather like how you can see a reflection of the neighborhood on that red balloon!)
We had a lovely walk, and thoroughly enjoyed the unexpectedly beautiful afternoon!
Thank you for stopping by- I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Sipping on some Saranac

A couple years ago, my family spent Thanksgiving in the Adirondacks. It was amazing- we had a blast, and I fell in love with the area! So imagine my excitement when SFS and I saw this at Whole Foods over the weekend!
Saranac Beer! That's right, these babies were brewed in the Adirondacks! They're made from the water in Lake Placid and the hops are grown in the area as well! The brewery has also been family owned since 1888... can you believe it? Also, I love the multi-pack... this way you can try six different kinds, to really figure out which one is your favorite!
First, the Pale Ale. As the company website says: A beer that would make the English jealous! This true English Pale Ale is rich and fruity, yet finishes crisp. You'll love the copper amber color and medium body.
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Malt Selections: Crystal English Pale Ale
Hop Selections: Cascade, East Kent Golden
Color: Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Lamb, beef, stews, cheeses
Next, the India Pale Ale. A hop lover's delight. In the India Pale Ale tradition this brew is very hoppy in both aroma and flavor from the generous amounts of cascade hops used in brewing. Look for a medium to full body and golden straw color.
Beer Style: American I.P.A.
Malt Selections: North American two-row
Hop Selections: Cascade
Color: Golden straw color
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Seafood, pizza, mexican
How about the Adirondack Lager? Our classic German lager has a perfect balance of caramel malt sweetness. Look for a rich, amber color and medium body.
Beer Style: German Amber Lager
Malt Selections: Two-row & Caramel
Hop Selections: Cascade, Mt Hood, German Hallertauer
Color: Golden/Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Red Pasta, Sandwiches, BBQ Chicken, Tex-Mex
Or maybe the Brown Ale is more your style. This Brown Ale is brewed with American malt and hops, and traditional ale yeast. Look for a sweet, chocolaty taste, with balanced bitterness resulting in a full flavored but smoothly drinkable beer.
Beer Style: American Brown Ale
Malt Selections: American Two-Row Pale, Victory, Chocolate
Hop Selections: Cascade, Columbus
Color: Medium Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Pizza and Spicy Foods
Or how about the Black and Tan? A beer lover's dream! This classic Irish stout and amber lager blend is malty, yet pleasantly bitter with many complex flavor notes. Look for a deep brown-black color and full-body.
Beer Style: Stout, amber lager blend
Malt Selections: Chocolate, caramel, black roasted barley
Hop Selections: Willamette
Color: Dark Brown / Black
Mouthfeel / Body: Heavy
Food Companions: Steaks, hearty stews, soups, oysters/clams
Check out the yummy Black Ale: A Bavarian black beer with distinctive carmel malt sweetness and rich creamy trademark head. Flavorful, yet smooth; it is very drinkable!
Beer Style: Bavarian black beer
Malt Selections: Two-row & caramel malt
Hop Selections: Mt hood, hallertauer
Color: Dark Brown / Black
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Ole' Mexican foods, grilled chicken dishes
But I couldn't just take pictures all night, so I popped open a couple bottles, and SFS, his roommate and I enjoyed a cold one.
SFS went with the Black Forest- it was so dark!
While I tried the Black and Tan!
We all thought the beers were yummy, and it was fun tryihg something new! Thanks for checking out the Saranac beers with me. If you ever see these in the grocery store, I recommend trying a bottle... they're fun, and I love the labels! I hope you're having a great day- thanks for stopping by!!

I'm a muffin makin' machine!

The air is crisper, the wind is cooler, and the leaves are getting crunchier... which means Fall is on the way! I'm not sure about you, but I love this time of year. I love the weather, I love the clothing, and I love the food! To inaugurate the new season, I decided to make Apple Muffins. Here were the ingredients I needed: Another reason I like fall is because of football. Big Ten football, to be more specific. While I made these muffins, I listened to the U of M game on the Internet (it wasn't televised on the East coast). I was having lots of fun, and was really getting into the game... obviously!
But back to the muffins. First, I had to prepare the apples.
When I was a kid, I was so impressed when my mom peeled an apple in one piece. I've been working on it...
And I'm getting pretty close! Are you impressed or what?
Once the apple was peeled, I chopped it up. (I ended up using an apple and a half... but I like to put lots of apples in the batter, which is usually more than the recipe called for!)
One by one, I added each of the ingredients to the mixing bowl.
Let me tell you, the smell of apple and cinnamon was divine!
I tried my new, unbleached muffin liners for these. Since the batter doesn't raise, I filled the cups about three quarters of the way full. Then, I got to sprinkling.
With a healthy dusting of cinnamon and sugar, these babies were ready for the oven!
And 20 minutes later, this is what I got.
Boy, did my kitchen smell good!
Though these muffins make for a delightful breakfast, they're good anytime of the day...
I'm pretty sure the Wolverines agree with me!

Apple Muffins
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups diced apple
Cinnamon sugar topping:
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. sugar

Cream sugar and shortening, then mix in eggs and the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle tops of muffin before baking at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.