I heart a quick tart!

What can you make out of these simple ingredients?
A delicious Apple Tart! I saw the recipe on PW, and after my mom tried it and recommended it, I decided to go for it! But since I'm not feeding a farm full of people, I modified the original recipe a bit! First, I cored and sliced one apple. (I tried to make the slices even, but my knife skills are nowhere NEAR those that I see on Top Chef!) I tossed the slices with a 1/4 cup of brown sugar, the juice from 1/4 of a lemon, and a pinch of kosher salt.
Yes- I used my fingers instead of a spoon- and it was sticky and messy! I set the bowl aside (to let the apples get a little juicier), and focused my attention on the pastry. Since I like a lot of puff, I went ahead and used half a sheet of puff pastry for this tart. I put it on a piece of Pam-ed Reynold's Wrap, and proceeded to lay the apples upon it. (PW placed her apples with the innards facing up, but since mine didn't have a pretty, rounded core area, I tried to conceal it as best I could...)
After baking for 15 minutes in a 415 degree oven, this is what I got:
It was kinda pretty!
And most important- it was delicious! Of course I had a bit a mess when a bit of the sugar juice ran off the pan... but the tinfoil caught most of that for me!
In conclusion, I would recommend baking this scrumptious little treat. It bakes up in no time and is delish right out of the oven!

It's a stormy day here in NYC (followed by a really stormy evening with crazy amounts of thunder and lightning)... wherever you are, I hope you're having a good day! Happy Tuesday!

Time flies...

When you're having a BLAST! And that's exactly what this weekend was for me- three days of FUN! I spent Friday doing my crafty thing (which I will post pictures of, as SOON as I get my camera back from the shop). On Saturday, SFS and I decided to enjoy the weather is my neighborhood, and hit up Astoria Park.
As the parks and recreation department says:

Although widely known for its beautiful pool, the oldest and largest in the city, Astoria Park offers more than aquatic pleasures. Outdoor tennis courts, a track, a bandstand, multiple trails, basketball courts, and playgrounds lure visitors from the five boroughs and beyond. And the views! Sitting on the edge of the East River and resting between the Triborough Bridge and Hell Gate Bridge, the park offers shoreline sights and sounds that make the benches along its perimeter popular spots year-round.

We walked for a bit before choosing a bench along the water- here's a view from where we sat.
And to truly make the day complete, we had stopped at Brooklyn Bagel on the way to the park. (Can we take a moment and chuckle over the fact that although their are THREE of these stores in NYC, not ONE of them is actually in Brooklyn?) I love their bagels, and enjoyed a plain one with strawberry shmear. SFS might have had one with lox, which is more traditional, but not as pretty to look at, in my opinion...
As we sat enjoying our breakfast, we watched the water traffic along the East River. We saw barges from the DEP, people on jet skis (can you believe it?), and these lovely sail boats.
I miss my camera SO much...
After walking along the water for a while, we picked a spot in the park and sat down for some 'sun time'. We took my bike along for the day- I rode while SFS walked really fast... I love my bike SO much... I even filled the basket up with all sorts of goodies that we used along the way...
And unlike last weekend, I thought to bring along a sheet for us to sit on. Note to self: remember to bring FLAT sheet and not fitted sheet, or else you will look like a major dork!
We set up shop right below the Triborough Bridge... this was our view from where we sat. Ooops- sorry about that- I mean we sat beneath the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge... I keep forgetting that they recently changed it's name!
Even though I lived in TX for a couple years, I am a Midwesterner through and through... which meant I couldn't handle laying in the sun too long! Lucky for me, SFS is very accommodating, and we eventually made our way to the Beer Garden. If you haven't heard of it, the Beer Garden is a real gem in this city- they have TONS of imported beer on tap, and they have a GIANT (by NYC standards) patio area, full of picnic tables. It's a really popular place to congregate with large groups of people- pitchers of beer are a flat price, and the seating is first come, first serve... plus, they have awesome food! SFS and I shared some fresh cucumber salad and a brat... it was DELISH!
On the way back to my apartment, I let SFS ride my bike... and he left me in his dust!
Later on that evening, I decided I wanted to make homemade pizza. I had picked up the dough at a local bakery, and SFS showed me how real Italians stretch a pie! (Despite the picture, I promise he was having a good time!)
Not to be outdone, I decided to use some HOME GROWN BASIL on the pizza, along with some tomatoes and artichokes on one half. It turned out decently, but I'll have do a little more practice before I make it for anyone else. (I'm lucky that SFS is a doll and will eat anything I make!)On Sunday, my friend Mase was in town- we had gone to SMU together, and I hadn't seen him since graduation a few years ago. As we waited to meet up with him, SFS and I headed over to Times Square to check out the new pedestrian area. If you've been to the Crossroads of the World, you know just how congested it really is! The city of NY is trying to combat that by closing down traffic on Broadway between 47th and 42nd streets. Though the cross streets are open, the rest of Broadway is now strewn with folding chairs and the like... all provided by the city! I believe the idea is still in the temporary stages- but if things work out, they'll do some construction and really make it an urban promenade.
And because SFS has a weird sort of luck, we happened to find seats RIGHT NEXT to the Naked Cowboy. Wow, was THAT a site to behold. There was a line of people looking to take a picture with him- and at $1 a pop, he was raking it in! (Don't worry- I didn't take a pic of that!)
And now, I have an embarrassing little secret... I'm officially obsessed with those Pure Michigan commercials. Have you seen them? The first time I saw one a few months ago, I was a mess... and since then, I get teary-eyed whenever I see one. Thankfully, I'm not the only one who feels that way. My friend Greg, from the the Grand Rapids area, feels the same way! One day he sent me a link to the MI tourism website and we each watched ALL the ads! Needless to say, my mascara was running that day!
So as SFS and I were relaxing in Times Square, guess what he spotted? A Pure Michigan billboard... at 48th and 7th Ave! I was thrilled, and we headed to the top of the TKTS stairs to get a picture... and a nice tourist offered to take one of us together!
I hope you can see it just to the right of me... the blue billboard? I was thrilled!

After that, SFS and I went with Mase and his friend Kathy to brunch at Rue 57, followed by a stroll up to Lincoln Center to check out the new construction. It was such a fun weekend, and I didn't get any sunburn- YAY! I hope you had a great weekend as well- Happy Monday!

S'MAC for dinner!

Last night, SFS and I met for dinner at S'MAC. Have you heard of it? S'MAC (short for Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese) is a restaurant in the East Village... and all they serve is MAC AND CHEESE!
They offer 12 different kinds, or you can go to town with the "Build Your Own" option. The place is pretty small, and is decorated in yellows and oranges. All the meals are baked on individual cast iron skillets, hence the theme of the order number that you take to your table. (Also, I just noticed that I took this picture at the precise moment that a garbage truck was rolling by... weird...)
I ordered the Napoletana, which had fresh mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, and fresh basil. (I declined the offer of bread crumbs on top... so sue me!)
SFS went with the 4 Cheese: Cheddar, Muenster, Gruyere and a touch of Pecorino. Sounds yummy, right? (Please also notice the shaker of chili flakes... those didn't go anywhere NEAR my skillet!)
The pasta comes out PIPING hot and is SO yummy!
After valiant attempts at finishing, SFS ended up taking the rest home in a little styrofoam container... perhaps it will be a nice, warm addition to his lunch on a rainy day like this one? Or a delish midnight snack?
S'MAC was so fun, and we were really lucky to go when the crowd was small and we got SEATS! That's it for me on this rainy, blustery morning in NYC- I hope you have a terrific Thursday!

A little slice of Bleecker Street

While I was running a few errands this morning, I snapped a couple more cell phone pictures on the block where I work. This first one I see everyday, and it never ceases to make me smile.
Technically the quote reads "Not so cool kids love origami", though I couldn't fit it all on my camera phone (I miss my good camera!). This is part of a marketing campaign for Not So Cool Kids, a clothing line... kind of brilliant, right? The sign is totally steamed into the asphalt... I wonder if they ever got in trouble for doing it?

There's a fabulous building right on the same corner. See the reddish building with the cool cupola on top? That's the one I'm talking about- it has amazing windows and some beautiful architecture.
On the ground floor is a shop called Atrium. With designers like Alexander McQueen, 7 for all Mankind, Christian Dior, etc., it's a little out of my price league- but that doesn't stop me from window shopping! And if you continue down Bleecker Street a few feet, you'll come to...
THIS! This is the entrance to my building. Not bad, eh?
This is the only Louis Sullivan building in NYC, and was built in 1899. If Sullivan isn't a familiar name, you should check out Devil in the White City. Sullivan was considered the creator of the modern sky scraper, was a member of the Prairie School and mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and was one of the architects that designed the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.

OK- that's enough of a history lesson from me... I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday!

NoHo... where I spend my days...

In NYC, people like to label neighborhoods... like, A LOT! You've probably heard of some of these: TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal), Chelsea, The Village, SoHo (South of Houston), etc. Everyday, I get to travel to NoHo, which as you might have guessed, stands for North of Houston (and you have to pronounce it [how-ston] or people will look at you like you're nuts). It's often considered a fancy neighborhood, as New York Magazine pointed out:

Above Houston, lawyers, bankers, and their arty spouses live in Viking-appointed lofts. Below, filmmakers and fashionistas nest in renovated tenements, drawn by nightlife and shopping. Oh, and don’t forget the celebrities (David Bowie and Iman, Lauren Hutton) in Lafayette Street’s airy conversions.

I love walking around during my lunch hour- there are tons of stores for window shopping (the Bond No. 9 shop is just around the corner) and I love to see the uber-trendy things people decide to wear! As you travel east from Broadway, things get a little more interesting; for example, on Bowery you can find a Patricia Field and the Bowery Poetry Club within 10 feet.

So on my way back from lunch today, I thought I'd take a couple quick cell-pics. First, please find a shot of the St. Anthony Flea Market. To be honest, until a minute ago I didn't even know this place had a name (but thanks to my Internet super-sleuthing, I do now!). Everyday around 1 pm, the tarps are rolled up and the chain link door swung open to reveal the most eclectic items I have ever seen. Depending on the day, I've seen an 8 foot tall fiber glass Santa Clause, a moose head, antique snow skis, and SO much more. Today, it seems like they had a special on subway signs...
Isn't that funny? The entrance to the flea market is that dark opening to the left of the photo... I haven't gotten up my nerves to check out the inside quite yet... but the sidewalk-wares have never left me disappointed!

A little farther down the block, you get this beauty:
How's that for some neon? The graffiti artists are starting to add their own embellishments, but this wall is still pretty BRIGHT! When the sun is shining off of that yellow-orange color, watch out!!

I supposed that's it for my brief, lunch time tour of NoHo. There's lots more to share- I'll just have to wait until I get my good camera back... ok? I hope you're having a super Tuesday!

Brooklyn, baby!

I hope you are all enjoying this sunny Monday morning! Here in NYC, the sun is out and there's a nice breeze... it was REALLY hard to actually enter my office this morning- I just wanted to stay outside! But, I suppose this will make me enjoy my lunch hour EVEN MORE, right?

We had beautiful weather this past weekend, as well! SFS and I took advantage of the sun, and spent Saturday exploring Brooklyn. But first, we had to get there. Living in NYC has some major perks- one of them being the amazing transportation system. Unfortunately, because it runs nonstop, the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) often use the weekend to make major repairs. It's not uncommon to enter the subway on a Saturday to find that all trains are making local stops, certain stations are being bypassed, etc. So imagine our delight upon entering the subway station, and having a functioning EXPRESS train waiting for us in the station. No wonder SFS looks so happy, right?
(NOTE: I broke my camera over Memorial Day weekend. SFS was nice enough to loan me his camera for a while, but after I wore out the batteries, I had to resort to my camera phone. I'm not sure when my nice camera will be back in commission- until then, please bear with me!)
Our first stop in Brooklyn was the Grand Army Plaza. The plaza was designed in 1867 by Frederick Law Olmstead (of Central Park fame) and Calvert Vaux. John H. Duncan eventually designed the Arc de Triomphe looking monument in 1889- he would later go on to design Grant's Tomb. President Cleveland presided over the unveiling on October 21, 1892.
As Wikipedia explains:

The Quadriga resides at the top and depicts the lady Columbia, an allegorical representation of the United States, riding in a chariot drawn by two horses. Two winged Victory figures, each leading a horse, trumpet Columbia's arrival. The lower pedestals facing the park hold the Spirit of the Army group and the Spirit of the Navy group. Installation of the groups began four years later, starting with the Quadriga on December 4, 1898, and finishing with the Navy group on April 13, 1901. The work took nearly seven years to complete, about twice as long as the construction of the arch itself.

I don't care HOW long it took to create... it's pretty spectacular, right? And it gets even better. Guess what sets up shop in front of the monument... I'll give you a hint:
A GreenMarket! That's right- just another little slice of Farmer's Market heaven. SFS and I decided to grab some breakfast right on the spot... I pretended like I was in Paris and got a baguette...
It was a really yummy one!!
And we visited a street vendor for beverages... can you guess which one is mine?
We stopped to eat on a little bench in the plaza, right in front of this urn. Isn't it different?
After that yummy diversion, it was time to head into the park... Prospect Park! As their website so clearly explains:

Prospect Park is a 585-acre urban oasis located in the heart of Brooklyn, New York City’s most populous borough. The masterpiece of famed landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also designed Central Park, Prospect Park features the 90-acre Long Meadow, the 60-acre Lake and Brooklyn’s only forest.

I had never really spent time here, but boy was it nice! We ended up walking around for a bit, and came across this:
Yeah, I have no idea what it's called, or anything... but the inside is all wood!
Isn't that cool? All the underpasses in Central Park are stone, which makes this unique in my book... plus, this one has benches along both sides... fascinating!
And as it typical in NYC, there was something odd going on. In the corner, there was a pile of books and a computer scanner... just sitting there... with no one in sight...

As we continued on our walk, we kept witnessing funny things. For example, at all the puddles we came across, there were tons of kids riding their bikes through the water. I remember doing it as a kid, but I'm not sure if I'd want my child playing in stagnant water in the city...
And then we saw this: a special little swimming spot for dogs. For real- the parks department fenced off a piece of this pond, and dogs are allowed to roam free. Maybe other cities have this and I'm just not aware of it? The best part is that the couple in the middle was trying to teach their puppy to swim, and he just wasn't having it... every time they put him in the water, he'd just float there before starting to kick his little legs!
Eventually, we made our way to a spot in the grass. It was such a nice day, we just laid there for a while.
The sky was so pretty. Plus, a group of people started a kickball game a few yards from us, which provided quite the entertainment.
After being lazy for a while, we continued on our tour of Park Slope. It is so much fun to wander down the tree-lined streets, picking out which brownstone is the best (I always go for the ones with a big stoop and wooden doors). Plus, there were tons of "Stoop Sales" (what we'd call Garage Sales in Michigan)... and SFS picked this baby up FOR FREE!
Yep, that's a cast iron skillet- what a deal! Though he had to schlep it around Brooklyn the rest of the afternoon, so he did have to work for it! In all of our exploration, we came across a 7-11. Since there's only one in Manhattan, I really miss Slurpees... so we treated ourselves to a little frozen treat. Don't I look excited? I'm pretty sure this was right before my brain-freeze set in!
We had a really good time walking up 5th Avenue. We window shopped and stopped in cool places like Odd Twin Vintage, before settling in a 'Snice for some lunch. It's a vegan restaurant, and I had the 'Autumn Salad', while SFS tried the Burrito. They had an outdoor patio, so we could enjoy our lunch in the sun... perfect!
After that, we made our way to the subway station at Atlantic Avenue, and back to Manhattan. I really like Brooklyn, and can totally understand why people move out there... maybe I'll join them someday!

That's it for me... I hope you had a good weekend as well, and Happy Monday!