Circle after sunset...

Do you know what this is?
At first glance it looks like the Unisphere, but it's actually a similar looking sculpture in front of the Trump Tower at Columbus Circle.
I was walking through Columbus Circle the other night, and decided to take some photos...
Because even though I walk through this area every day, I sometimes forget to take photos of the "mundane" things... so I tried to rectify that!
Things look particularly pretty at night in this neighborhood, thanks to all the landscape lighting.
Not to mention how pretty the towers look in the dark!
Even the monument looked difference after the sun had set...
Kind of fun, right?
Thank you for stopping by- I hope you had a great weekend!

Simply squash

Do you know what I like best about butternut squashes?
All the delicious things you can make with them! One of my favorite side dishes during the fall is this simple roasted squash. Not only is it delicious when made fresh, but it freezes beautifully and can be added to so many kinds of meals. My family has made squash this way for as long as I can remember, and I absolutely love it! So the other weekend I decided to whip up a batch... here's how I did it:
I started with a butternut squash (it was just over 4 pounds).
Using my biggest knife, I cut it into 6 pieces and scooped out the gunk and seeds.
Using tin foil...
I wrapped the pieces of squash until they were totally covered.
After I'd prepared the entire squash, I popped it into the oven at 350 degrees.
After a while in the oven, the squash was soft when I inserted a sharp knife which meant it was finished!
So I unfolded the tin foil...
And started scooping the cooked squash from the peel.
Once I'd scraped the skin clean on all 6 pieces...
I added some butter, salt and pepper to the squash...
And used my mixer to beat it to the perfect consistency!
Topped with a little extra pepper, this is one of the best ways to enjoy this scrumptious squash!
And while it's great on it's own, it also makes a delicious side dish!
One of my favorite weeknight meals is a plate of brussels sprouts, hallal chicken from my local grocer, and a bowl of squash... YUM!
Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a great day!

Come on ride the train...

The other morning I was waiting for the train...
And there was no one else on the platform...
And the bells were pealing at a nearby church...
The sky was blue...
The sun was shining...
And it was just a wonderful moment! So- I took a bunch of pictures and I didn't even mind that I had to wait for a train for a few minutes! I got so caught up in my own thoughts that I forgot to be annoyed- don't you just love when that happens?
Thank you for stopping by- I hope you have a great day!

Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies

I decided to make cookies for a coworker the other day using my leftover Halloween candy!
Believe it or not, I had some candy left after the holiday so I whipped up some yummy baked goods. I think these tasty little cookies could use any mish-mosh of candies, but I happened to have some M&Ms on hand so that's what I used!
Everything else that this recipe called for happened to be in my pantry or 'fridge- how easy is that?
I started by creaming the butter with two different kinds of sugar.
After beating in the eggs...
I tossed in the dry ingredients...
Before adding the M&Ms. (Note: if you make these for yourself, I would recommend NOT opening the candy until it's ready to be added to the batter- otherwise it's really hard not to snack the whole time you're preparing the dough.)
After a few minutes in a hot oven...
I had a whole tray of delicious cookies!
If you'd like to try this recipe for yourself, here you go:

Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup Butter, Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup White Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 cups Flour
¾ cups Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt

Leftover candy (I used a bag of M&Ms)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare cookies sheet(s) with parchment paper. Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla. The add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add candy until combined. Drop by spoonful onto the baking sheets and bake cookies 8-12 minutes (do NOT over-bake, they should be slightly chewy) and place on a rack to cool.

They're very tasty: extremely chocolatey and the perfect way to use up any extra candy lying about!
Thank you for visiting- I hope you have a great day!

Autumn has arrived...

This weekend I spent some time in Central Park.
The weather here in NYC has been cooling down the past few days, and I'm happy to say that fall as officially arrived!
The leaves are changing and dropping...
And everything looks so colorful!
I had a wonderful time walking around- I felt like I had the park to myself...
Which doesn't often happen, since I share this patch of green with 1.61 million people!
But it was wonderful while it lasted!
Plus, walking around outside like that reminds me of home...
Except for all the skyscrapers and stuff!
Thanks for joining me on this tour through Central Park!
I hope you had a great weekend!