September 5, 2023

August Actions 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television, Travel

Summer is almost over and I think this is the first time in years that I’ve been a little sad to see it go. I was able to visit Scotland with my family, Marla came to see me in New York, I spent the majority of August in Ontario with friends and the kids, we played so much of Wii’s Warioware: Smooth Moves, I’m maintaining the tan of my dreams and I’ve never eaten so much fresh corn in my life. What kind of summer-loving fiend have I become?? In any case, here’s what went down in August.

I finished my Summer Saturdays series that I loved doing. I’ll definitely do this again (maybe sooner than you think).
The best tweets of August can be found over here.
Loving the new Urban Outfitters Cherry ICEEEE nail polish.

The coolest job of life would be to come up with nail polish names

Obsessed with making this heirloom tomato toast as long as it’s in season.
Made these stuffed summer shells that I’d definitely make again. Summer pasta is underrated.

Went to a Blue Jays game with my brother Robbie and some of his kids and it was so great.

I need to bite the bullet and just buy the Lemax pumpkin patch train, right?
Maple syrup greek yogurt? I never knew how much I needed you.
Also made cake pops for the first time with my niece Maya and they turned out perfect. Halloween cake pops up next.
At my parent’s house, I found myself constantly making pizza (with store-bought dough) and it’s so much better than I remember homemade pizza being. Maybe it’s because you need to heat the spread-out dough (on parchment, with olive oil rubbed on top) for ten minutes at 450 degrees and THEN put all the sauce/toppings/cheese on it and put it back in for another ten minutes at 500 degrees.

If you’re anywhere near Woodstock, Ontario then you need to get these incredibly squeaky cheese curds.
Went to the Humber Bay Shores Farmers Market and got this great honey soda.

My greatest discovery this summer? Sponge toffee is ungodly perfect. NO ONE TOLD ME.
In my shopping cart:
- These gorgeous creamy nude polish collection.
- Snow globe Christmas stamps from the USPS.
- Warm Apple Pie candle at Bath & Body Works
- Witches dancing in the moonlight from Lemax (okay, I legit might have a problem)

I’m in love with the Silk Creamy Maple Almond milk flavour for iced coffee.
My dad got a letter from King Charles for his 100th birthday, which is a big deal whether you care about the royals or not. And since his coronation was in the middle of May and my dad’s birthday was the first week of June, there’s a very good chance that this was the very first 100th birthday letter signed by THE KING OF ENGLAND, which is absolutely the neatest thing on the planet.

Dad’s 100th Birthday letter from King Charles

I went to the CNE with my mom and it was lovely. Tried the footlong freak fries that were texturally amazing. I was intrigued by the street corn soft serve but was unwilling to spend over $5 for it. And nobody should pay over $20 for a pina colada in a pineapple so we made them at home instead.

I tried the Benefit brow pencil (because I was temporarily out of the Colourpop one I love) and it was absolute trash. Returned it immediately.
Also flew in a Harvard airplane!

Some things I watched:
- Barbie (for the second time): would honestly go a third time if anyone’s into it.
- The Summer I Turned Pretty (season two): I think I loved this season even more than the first. I loved that almost every episode had some fun event that took over the entire episode (the carnival one, the house party one, the motel one, etc.).
- Outer Banks (first two seasons): I can’t explain the grip this show has on me. The disgust-turned-to-love I have for JOHN B confuses even me.
- Simply Irresistible: so laughably awful, I’m surprised Sarah Michelle Gellar got any work after this. The magical crab was the best character.
- M3GAN: first of all, it’s not a horror movie so it’s weird it was sold that way. It’s really not good, but also very fun to watch with kids.
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit: I forced the kids to watch this one because my brothers and I saw it about ten thousand times when we grew up. Heathers love this movie.
- Junior: how did I never see this 90s classic? It should be law to watch one 90s movie each month. They’re so uncomplicated and good.
- The last ten minutes of Beverly Hills Chihuahua: I came home to my niece Tianna watching this with my mom and Baby Dog and I saw literal minutes of it and cried. I can’t see pretend-dead-dogs even when they turn out to not be dead. I’M ONLY HUMAN. (The movie itself seemed actually adorable, maybe.)
- And So It Goes (the Michael Douglas/Diane Keaton movie): ugh! So bad. When you get Rob Reiner to do a job meant for Nora Ephron - you get this piece of shit.
- And Just Like That (season two): are there people out there who don’t see what a train wreck this show is? I want to talk to them. Also, Carrie is not a cat person. Whoever made that choice truly does not understand this character. Since when does Steve speak Italian? Charlotte was the real winner of the season.
- Only Murders In The Building (season three): love how it’s starting out so far, but it’s not really as exciting as the previous seasons.
- Summer Rental: truly the worst John Candy movie of all time.
- Talk To Me: good/original, but too much gross-out horror for me.
Since it’s the first day of school today, I always think of what we should’ve been learning in school instead this time of year.
I got Baby Dog’s teeth cleaned for the first time in her life and it was a phenomenal experience. I was at Pet Valu and saw that they worked with an organization that cleans your dog’s teeth without putting them under anesthesia. The team at KissableK9 Care was beyond impressive and kind and the whole thing took thirty minutes. I have before and after photos that are pure insanity. I would post them here, but like… even a chihuahua likes her privacy sometimes. Cannot recommend KissableK9 enough!
Visited the Applewood outdoor pool in Mississauga a few times and I can’t wait to try their lane swimming next summer.

My babies! (Yes their boyfriends are my babies too I guess…?)

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: putting the final touches on my Halloween costume, creating an autumn list of things to do, taking Nathan to see The Shark Is Broken on Broadway and I really want to eat the tomato salad at Shukette.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in July over here. And my summer highlights on Instagram can be seen here.

July 4, 2023

June Jaunts 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Drinks, Family, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television, Travel

Sometimes you need a mini day trip to see a horse in New Jersey

June was so packed with stuff, I can’t believe it’s actually over. Here’s what went down!

I started a new series of posts I’ll do for the whole summer - Summer Saturdays, which is just a summary of what I do each week. Volume 1 posted over here.
I recapped how I did with my spring bucket list.
I wrote a brand new summer list of things I’d love to do.
I finally wrote about seeing the Karl Lagerfeld exhibit at The Met.
The best tweets of June can be read over here.
I made these strawberry cobbler bars that were pretty good, but I think I liked this strawberry crumble cake recipe a bit more.

I bought this Aritzia 1/2 zip sweatshirt in both white and black and I’m really considering getting the pink one now, too. I might have a problem.
If you like dark chocolate, then you must make this dark chocolate cake. It’s the absolute best recipe I’ve ever tried. And with this chocolate icing? Unreal. It’s heavenly. (Pro tip: don’t refrigerate it, it tastes incredible at room temperature, even days later.)

I was about to talk about how great my dad’s 100th birthday went, but there are so many details that I’ll just do a post about it this week instead.
I will never get over how incredible the frozen yogurt at Freshii is. Nobody talks about this enough.

Freshii frozen yogurt might even be better than TCBY

A great small batch pancake recipe I keep using.
I went to Activate and it was surprisingly really fun! It’s kind of like Squid Game but in real life and with less death.
I made this basil sangria during a blackout at my parent’s house and it was so strong and perfect.

Did you know about the secret, unadvertised Baskin Robbins deal? On the 31st of every month (on months that have 31 days), they offer 31% of all scoops and pints. Pass it on.

I made a lemon blueberry layer cake that was such a great summer dessert, absolutely would make again.

I ate at the S&P counter and it was only fine? NYC has so many options, I’m angry that anyone ever told me this place was anything special.
The duck confit spring rolls at Sojourn however are little bites of luxury. I will return.
Here’s one of the recent Zara dresses that I can’t stop wearing.

I’m so sick of pants without pockets, so I’m obviously in love with these green Halara bike shorts.
A great (updated often) list of carnivals in the NYC area.
Always gonna be excited when Trader Joe’s drops a new candle scent.

Trader Joe’s salted caramel and pistachio scented candle

I tried some curried fried rice at a friend’s house recently and I can’t stop thinking about it, such a genius way to do fried rice.
I’ve been eyeing mattress toppers for a few months now (my mattress is old and springy), but they’re always too expensive. So instead I bought a thick comforter for about $20 and spread that underneath my fitted sheet and it is now the most comfortable bed in this country. It’s a strange feeling to have all the answers and still not be ruler of the world?
Officially into rhubarb now since I was introduced to this rhubarb syrup, which is a phenomenal mixer for anything alcoholic.

Lays, I love you. Never stop with your insane flavours.

I was in Canada for a bit and good god, it was a perfect spring visit.

Fully recommend having friends who just GET IT

I went to Canada’s Wonderland with my nieces and there is nothing more satisfying than the end-of-day funnel cake you’re legally required to have before leaving. Also loved the new(ish) Yukon Striker.

I stopped by the new reincarnation of Zellers (it’s in a weird, small section at the back of The Bay) and the deals are wild. Go. If they bring back those Zellers diners with that gravy, they will be unstoppable.

The Barbie section at Ulta is wild. I want it all?

Truly all the Barbie collaborations are wonderful.
I got a “root shadowing” done at Bloc + Mane in Etobicoke (by the lovely Amanda) and it was everything I needed. It’s a process that blends your hair colour if you’ve dyed it in the past year but you don’t want that aggressive grow-out line.
The USPS new stamps this year are insanely cool.

A gentle reminder: your beach body is already here.

Some things I’ve watched & rewatched:
- Since the new Indy was coming out, I rewatched Temple of Doom and wow is Kate Capshaw so unbelievably bad in it. Sure I’m no expert on great acting, but this is just torture to watch.
- And Just Like That: I’ve said it before, but we’re in a hate/hate relationship. The dialogue is so horrid that it reinforces the idea that anyone can succeed in the entertainment business. Talent has zero to do with it.
- The Bear (season two): absolutely LOVED it. Did they use an offensive amount of R.E.M. songs this season? Sure! But once you look past that, it’s a flawless season.
I bought these gorgeous olive coloured running shoes from Call It Spring that are beyond comfortable.

Men’s running shoes are eons prettier than women’s

I’d love to try any of these summer recipes:
- Vietnamese Tomato Salad
- Marinated Zucchini with Hazelnuts and Ricotta
- Summer Coconut Chickpea Curry
- Burger Au Poivre (everything should be au poivre, as far as I’m concerned)

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: are you aware that there’s a third My Big Fat Greek Wedding coming out?? And I can’t wait for some reason? Even I don’t really understand why, but I loved that first one so much when it came out. Other things: obviously excited for Barbie, my great friend Marla’s coming for a visit (!), I really want to find some good soft serve and I have a family trip to Scotland that I can’t wait for.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in May over here.

I just told her she isn’t coming to Scotland with me

June 15, 2023

May Musings 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Reviews, Television

God, I love the spring months. Everyone seems to be in a good mood, the wind is the perfect amount of chilly, the birds can’t seem to shut up and asparagus soup is on every single restaurant menu. Perfect season, no notes. Here’s what went down in May!

The best tweets of May can be found over here.
I wrote about the book Keep Moving by Dick Van Dyke.
I finally got to visit the abandoned City Hall subway station.
I flew with Flair Airlines for the first time and say what you will about them, but it’s amazing that they have a system in place so that you can pay for your pet-in-cabin online. ZERO other airlines have that figured out.
In love with the Essie polish “sew gifted” even if the name is atrocious.

I tried the banana pudding monthly flavour at Magnolia Bakery (brownie caramel) and it was only meh. They really don’t need to be so flashy, the original is perfectly great.

I’ve been using the Trader Joe’s facial sunscreen (it’s supposed to be a dupe for the Supergoop one) and it’s wonderful. I mean, I think it is? I’m not smart enough to understand the qualities of good sunscreen.

Are we aware of how great The Smith’s happy hour is? The black truffle arancini? Yowza. So good.

With Irene at The Smith for martini happy hour

Here’s a gentle reminder to take photos of good outfits.

I perused Alison Roman’s newest cookbook Sweet Enough and I definitely want to make Nora Ephron’s bread pudding from it.

If you grew up in Ontario in the 90s, then you understand the greatness of Tahiti Treat. The LCBO just released a vodka version of it, and yes it’s as good as you can imagine.

I took my niece Tianna to the Spirit Tree Estate Cidery in Caledon and it was so lovely! We had flights of different ciders, insanely good pizza and I bought a jug of coffee milk that blew my mind.

My friend Marla made me this heavenly rhubarb syrup for drinks/cocktails and I’m forever onboard with rhubarb now.
I returned to Corner Bistro for the first time in years and here’s a thought: a fatter burger doesn’t necessarily equate to a better burger.
How the hell am I learning NOW that there’s a Capriotti’s in NYC?! I thought it was only in Vegas. Love knowing that I can get a Thanksgiving sandwich any time I damn well please.

The Bobbie Thanksgiving sandwich at Capriotti’s, NYC

I saw Bad Cinderella on Broadway since it’s closing soon and yes I’ll always support ALW - but this was on another level of bad. Hated the lead actress, hated the music.

Okay, if you’re not buying wild blueberries then you should be. I’ve had it with the cheap, flavourless blueberries that are the size of softballs. BLUEBERRIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TEENY. The frozen, wild ones from Whole Foods are the best tasting ones I’ve found in NY, but the Canadian frozen ones from the east coast are top tier too. Make blueberries tiny again.

In other Liz-Is-Angry news, a “Pittsburgh salad recipe” never needs to see the light of day. Food bloggers really need to take time off sometimes.
I went to Scooter’s Roller Palace (grateful that it still exists after all these years) and it was beyond fun.

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I went to see the new fashion exhibit at The Met and it warrants a full post, so you can read about it over here. I also saw the new rooftop exhibit that I didn’t love.

I tried the Holler & Glow self-heating eye mask and it’s incredible. Perfect for headaches and allergies, especially. Gonna buy five more.
I read somewhere that the best brownie mix was the Trader Joe’s one, so I got it and it’s great, sure, but mainly because there are added chocolate chips in the mix. So really as long as you add chocolate chips to any brownie mix, it’ll be amazing (but this should already be clear to you - who isn’t adding extra chocolate to brownies? Losers, that’s who).
I made this lemon almond pudding cake that was good, but I don’t think I ever need to make it again.

But these protein cookies? Will absolutely make again.

Love a classic bread pudding and this recipe turned out great.
It took me 38 years to discover my love of green curry. I have my dear friend Richard to thank for this, so now I’m on a mission to find the best one in this city.
Ate at Cactus Club twice and even if the service is terrible, the food is still pretty good. And the company was even better.

With Marla at Cactus Club in Mississauga, ON

Some things I watched:
- Nora From Queens (newest season): I only watched the first episode and honestly gasped at how bad it was. Struggling to muster the energy to keep watching.
- Fatal Attraction (the TV series): In all honesty, I only watched this to see Pacey have sex on screen. And I did enjoy the series up until the ending, WHICH WAS SO TERRIBLE that I regret ever having started it.
- Party Down (newest season): Only watched the first episode and it’s all right. Kind of hate that COVID is apart of it. Might not finish.
- If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast: Loved it. Everyone should see it. Love that Seinfeld’s mother lived to be 99.
- Carol: an incredibly slow movie, but fine. Can’t remember why this was on my must-watch list.
Baby Dog in a basket will always make me happy.

Zara can be the worst or best store, depending on the season. And right now, it’s on FIRE. I think I bought three Zara dresses in the last month alone. (A polka dot midi dress, a strapless tulle dress and a printed tunic dress.)

Loving the mango lip scrub from The Body Shop.

Does it make sense that Tim Hortons has incredible ice cream? Absolutely not. But their maple crunch flavour? Good god. Better than Häagen-Dazs.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: finishing off some final spring activities, writing my summer list, going to Wonderland with the girls and then taking advantage of strawberry season.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in April over here.

March 15, 2023

February Feats 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Travel

snow Canada backyard Liz Heather — Backyard snow, February 2023

Forgive the lateness, it will absolutely happen again. Here’s what went down last month!

The best tweets of February can be found over here. And my favourite Valentine’s Day ones can be found here.

the tonight show Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather February 2023 — Nathan at rehearsal for The Tonight Show, February 2023

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Liz Heather The Tonight Show Nathan Macintosh February 2023 Jimmy Fallon — The Tonight Show outfit #2

Okay, so two biggest things: Nathan did his second Tonight Show and his special GOT REVIEWED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.

the new york times Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather — Nathan’s NEW YORK TIMES

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The French baguette candle from Bath & Body Works? Whoa. I hate how much I love it.
Could not be more in love with this black sweater.
Had dinner at The Bar Room and the grilled chicken on top of their caesar salad was unparalleled. Another thing I love doing when I’m eating in midtown is going to JG Melon afterward for coffee or dessert. It’s the only move.
Speaking of good moves, have you ever sat out on a patio just as the weather’s starting to change and ordered a Peroni? Just one, for the whole afternoon? Might be the answer to everything.
I had a blister on my heel and these Band-Aid Hydro-Seal bandages worked perfectly.
I got drinks at Nubeluz by Jose Andres at The Ritz-Carlton and it was so lovely. The service is great, the views are wild and the drinks and food were perfect. The only thing that made no sense was the waitress/hostess uniforms, but I’m picky as hell??

nubeluz jose andres ritz-carlton nyc view — View from Nubeluz, NYC

nubeluz jose andres bathroom nyc Liz Heather — Love when places care about wallpaper, at Nubeluz

I tried two products from Hero since I love their blemish patches - the lightening pads and the brightening stick and both were shit. Returned.
I made these Greek chicken meatballs and they were so bland, so I think I’ll stick with that sweet and spicy recipe I love.

I ate at Golden Unicorn in Chinatown and it was really nothing special. I did love the atmosphere, it was very 90s banquet hall-y. But the food was wildly underwhelming.

golden unicorn chinatown nyc new york city Liz Heather — Pigs at Golden Unicorn, NYC

chinatown new york city Liz Heather — Chinatown, NYC

Also ate at Olio E Piu and wow was that bad. It was just insanely loud, had way too many 22 year olds with flashes going off, and the dessert was hard as a rock. Never again. Hate getting burned like this.

Went to The Guggenheim to see the Nick Cave exhibit and yes it was good/fine, but my dumbass thought it was the other Nick Cave. So that’s on me. I guess I’ll just always be disappointed by the exhibits here until they decide to make use of their central space again like they used to do years ago.

nick cave guggenheim new york city Liz Heather — The Guggenheim, February 2023

Some things I watched:
- The Player: this started out as one of the coolest movies I’ve seen in such a long time (especially the opening twenty minutes) and then as it went on turned into one of the worst? That rarely happens, so that was confusing.
- Pamela, A Love Story: so great. One thing I especially love about her? At the first sign of abuse in any of her relationships, she’s out the door. You don’t hear that a lot and it makes me love her even more. God, it’s still infuriating that Hulu made that series without her permission.
- Split: okay, I may be the only person with this opinion (HOW?!). but holy hell did I hate this movie. It should be studied how polarizing M. Night Shyamalan can be. I have absolutely loved some of his movies and I have wanted to vomit at others. How can this be possible? I don’t understand it.
I had this stupid little reaction video blow up on Instagram, which is wild. Stay out of the comments though, it’s crazy in there.

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I was also in Canada for a little bit, so I went skating, ate that perfect caesar at Scaddabush, shoveled driveways and basked in numerous snowstorms.

backyard snowstorm Canada Liz Heather — Parent’s backyard, February 2023

ice rink Ontario Canada Liz Heather — Ice rink, Etobicoke

caesar salad Scaddabush Mississauga Ontario Liz Heather — Caesar salad at Scaddabush, Mississauga

Baby Dog Stan Heather Canada Liz Heather — Baby Dog & Dad, February 2023

snow on tree Ontario Canada Liz Heather — I took this while laying in the snow and it might be my favourite photo of all time.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: so many birthday things, it’s almost aggressive.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in January, come on over here.

winter sunset Queens NYC Liz Heather — Winter sunsets, man.

January 7, 2023

December Dalliances 2022

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Movies, Personal, Recipes, Television

christmas at home view Liz Heather December 2022 — Christmas Eve view, December 2022

You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here. (I also made a list of my very favourite Christmas tweets.)
I recapped my autumn list of things to do and made a new seasonal list of things I’d like to do this winter.
I compiled my favourite photos of 2022.
I finally wrote about my trip to Las Vegas from back in September.
I read and reviewed Dave Grohl’s memoir.
I went to the newly opened (and fantastic) Museum of Broadway.
I got a seasonal latte at Elevenses Cafe in Astoria and it was very cute, I’d go again.
I have fallen in love with The Body Shop’s new scent Wild Pine. I’m fearful that it may be a seasonal scent, so I’ve already stocked up.
I ate at Soothr and it was so, so good. Love a new thai place.

soothr nyc thai food Liz Heather — Paul at Soothr, NYC

Some things I watched this month:
- The Santa Clauses (the new Tim Allen show): Ugh, it was terrible. Maybe I’m not the audience it’s supposed to be for, but still - just a stinkfest.
- Jack Frost: I love Michael Keaton, but I just couldn’t get past the first half hour. It’s way too sad.
- The Crown (seasons 3-5): Loved the season three Wales episode. The moon landing one was also perfect. It’s a great show, but extremely depressing if you’re binging it over a short period of time.
- Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?: God, I hated it. Netflix has this annoying habit of making documentary series out of things that could easily be 40 minutes long and it is obnoxious as hell. You do not need to watch this. Read the Wikipedia page about it instead, you’ll save yourself so much wasted time.
I was looking up trivia for the movie Scrooged and learned that the childhood house in the movie is a real place in Queens! So obviously I walked over to see it in person. Insanity that it hasn’t changed after all of this time.

frank cross childhood home Queens New York Scrooged film set film location Liz Heather — Frank Cross’ childhood home from Scrooged (1988) in Queens, New York

I won a lottery ticket to see A Christmas Carol on Broadway and… YIKES. I can’t describe how bad it was. First of all, IT WAS A ONE MAN SHOW. And I didn’t know that beforehand, so yes that’s my fault. But oh my god, it was agony.

a christmas carol broadway new york city december 2022 Liz Heather — A Christmas Carol on Broadway in New York, December 2022

Are we all aware of how garbage the brand Silani is? I tried it for the first time and lord was it bad. Never again. Spend the extra dollar and eat something edible.
I watched the final World Cup game with my parents and I’m glad France lost, give others a chance to win too, ya know?

world cup final game 2022 Liz Heather — World Cup final with my parents, December 2022

I will never be above latte art.

santa claus christmas latte at san remos etobicoke ontario Liz Heather — Latte art from San Remo’s in Etobicoke, Ontario

I went to Bell, Book & Candle for some Christmas themed drinks and it was great. Love a divey, but good bar.

bell book and candle christmas theme drinks nyc Liz Heather — With Irene at Bell, Book & Candle, NYC

Is it even Christmas if I don’t make Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies? I also made a few batches of Alison Roman’s amazing chocolate chunk shortbread cookies that were a big hit.

nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies Liz Heather Christmas cookies — The Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies from Ambitious Kitchen

Obviously I went to my parent’s house for Christmas and it was exactly what I wanted & needed.

nephews christmas tree december 2022 Liz Heather — My nephews watching Jingle All The Way, December 2022

holiday christmas lights home christmas 2022 Liz Heather pretty lights — My mom’s Christmas window can’t be beat

Christmas Morning family photo December 2022 Liz Heather presents gifts — Christmas Day, December 2022

Christmas tree gifts presents Liz Heather December 2022 — Our Christmas tree

snow falling hedges christmas winter Canada Liz Heather December 2022 — Snowfall before Christmas is everything to me

Went ice skating for the first time in twenty years and it was great. Think I’m gonna buy some skates and make this a yearly thing.

ice skating Mississauga ontario celebration square Liz Heather Gary Heather winter activity — Ice skating at Celebration Square in Mississauga, Ontario

Jackbox and Nintendo Switch games remain the perfect family activity around the holidays.

nintendo switch family game Liz Heather Phantom of the Opera funny — The game Use Your Words on Nintendo Switch

nintendo switch family games funny Liz Heather — The game Use Your Words on Nintendo Switch

My mom and I saw a wild fox in her backyard and it. was. incredible. It was just playing in the snow and I can’t believe we got to see him/her.
Winter skies might be the best skies.

winter sky Mississauga ontario canada Liz Heather December 2022 — December 2022

winter sky Mississauga ontario Canada Liz Heather deep blue sky December 2022 — If only I could bottle this kind of blue and keep it in my pocket

I made the Christmas tree spinach and artichoke dip and it was a hit. It did not look pretty, but the flavours were great.

I also made a leftover turkey sandwich with STUFFING WAFFLES and it was so, so good. Again it photographed rough, but tasted incredible. I used this recipe to make the waffles. Definitely have to do this again.
The main reason to go to the Union Square Holiday Market? Duck confit poutine at Duck Season. It’s honestly a better poutine than some Canadian places.

duck poutine new york city union square holiday market Liz Heather — Duck confit poutine at Duck Season in NYC

I fell absolutely in love with the newest Bob’s Burgers Christmas episode, The Plight Before Christmas.
Crate & Barrel continues to have the cutest fabric Christmas ornaments.

crate and barrel christmas tree fabric decorations Liz Heather — Harry Potter-looking cat ornament at Crate & Barrel

Trader Joe’s had Christmas wreaths this year, so I got one and it was perfect. It makes me feel so together to have a wreath on my door. I still have it up. I don’t want to say goodbye.

trader joe's christmas wreath new york city Liz Heather — Christmas wreath from Trader Joe’s

I went to see Noah Baumbach talk about his new movie White Noise at a NYPL event and it was very all right. I wish he’d talked more about older movies of his that I’ve loved, but I guess it makes sense that he didn’t since he was promoting this one.

noah baumbach nypl white noise — Noah Baumbach speaking at an NYPL event promoting White Noise, December 2022

The candy cane cold brew from Blank Street? Unparalleled.
One of my favourite things to do in December in New York is to walk around the city looking at the holiday lights and listen to that Darlene Love song on repeat.

christmas tree rockefeller center Liz Heather December 2022 — The Rockefeller Christmas Tree, December 2022

saks christmas decorations holiday lights new york city Liz Heather December 2022 — Saks holiday lights, December 2022

macys holiday display new york city december 2022 — Macy’s holiday decorations, December 2022

new york city christmas decorations fifth avenue Liz Heather December 2022 — Holiday taxi display on Fifth Avenue, December 2022

I went to Essex Market to see their Gingerbread Village display, which was cute but I wish it was bigger. And since I was there, I took a look at the sandwich menu at Shopsin’s and holy christ I need to go back.

gingerbread house village essex market new york city Liz Heather December 2022 — Gingerbread Village at Essex Market in NYC, December 2022

Nothing better than a Boxing Day puzzle.

boxing day Canada family puzzle december 2022 Liz Heather — Boxing Day, December 2022

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going to get real dressed up and go see Moulin Rouge on Broadway with my friend Diana, I’m excited about seeing the Restaurant Week menus for this season, I’m going to start using this first-of-the-month checklist again, Classpass is doing a free monthly promotion right now so I’ll keep doing that until it starts charging again, and I really can’t wait to make this lasagna soup.

the heathers christmas family photo December 2022 — The Heathers 2022

If you have any interest in the other monthly roundups of 2022, they can be found here: November 2022, October 2022, September 2022, August 2022, July 2022, June 2022, May 2022, April 2022, March 2022, February 2022 & January 2022.

baby dog christmas Liz Heather Nathan Macintosh December 2022 chihuahua — Baby Dog, December 2022

January 2, 2023

Favourite Photos of 2022

by Liz Heather in Family, Personal

(You can see my favourite photos from 2021 over here.)

November 2, 2022

October Occurrences 2022

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Halloween, Ideas, Links, Movies, Music, Personal, Recipes, Television, Travel

ontario canada autumn leaves trees fall weather changing Liz Heather October 2022 — Ontario, Canada - October 2022

This might be the hardest week of the year because it’s officially the longest period of time until next Halloween. I tend to take a few days to decompress a bit, so by this coming weekend I’ll be fully ready for holiday-mode. That being said, October was such a great month that felt like almost a year long - in a good way. Here’s what went down.

You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.
I think it’s clear that I watched every good 90s Halloween sitcom episode that I could find links for.
For Halloween, I dressed up as Tony Montana (Al Pacino) from Scarface and Baby Dog was, umm, my main accessory.
In love with this article, “The Secret To Marriage Is Never Getting Married.”
I’ve always wanted to make the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip oatmeal cookies recipe (on the back of the Toll House package) and they were really, really good. Might become a staple in my cookie repertoire.
I made these soft pumpkin cookies with salted maple icing again this year and they continue to be incredible - and that’s coming from someone who truly hates soft cookies.
I also made these garlic butter chicken meatballs with creamy orzo (in a slow cooker) and the meatballs were great, I’ll definitely make those again. But the orzo cooked in a crockpot? Hard pass. Pasta always tastes terrible from a crockpot, I knew this and still went ahead, so it’s my fault really.
I was in Canada for awhile, so I…
- Went to the new(ish) Keg near Square One and it kind of sucked? What the hell? The meat was nowhere worth the price, which is weird because I remember that it used to be better. I’m trying to find my new Canyon Creek (since it closed) and it’s a hard task to undertake but I won’t give up.
- I had the burger from Ozzy’s Burgers and the lamb was terrible, but the regular burgers were fantastic.
- My niece Layla turned 17 (!) so thankfully we were able to get the Milk Bar birthday cake from the Toronto location. It’s such a shame that location is closing at the end of the year.
- I also planted some bulbs in the garden with my mom, which makes me even more excited for spring to come next year to see if anything blooms.
- I tried the new Lays flavour Fries & Gravy and good god I love this country.
- I made the apple fritter cake (again) for (Canadian) (real) Thanksgiving and I. love. this. cake.
- My dad put up his seasonal bird feeder and I think I’ve said this before, but the answer to life is getting a bird feeder and then sitting down to watch it. Nothing better.

bird feeder cardinal bird watching Canada — Heaven on earth?

baby dog Liz Heather Canada — My dad & Baby Dog, October 2022

Mississauga Ontario Canada Liz Heather October 2022 autumn leaves fall trees — Mississauga, Ontario - October 2022

lays limited edition potato chips fries and gravy flavour Liz Heather October 2022 — Fries & Gravy Lays

autumn leaves Canada Liz Heather — Oakville, Ontario - October 2022

I made my way to the Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard in North Salem, NY (with my friend Diana) where we had the best warm apple cider donuts and cider mimosas. Afterward we went for brunch at The Arch restaurant, which was beautiful & old, but nothing really spectacular food-wise.

harvest moon orchard and farm north salem new york Liz Heather cider mimosa October 2022 — Cider mimosa at Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, North Salem, New York

harvest moon farm and orchard north salem new york Liz Heather October 2022 — Cider donuts at Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, North Salem, New York

On Halloween, I took Baby Dog on our annual autumn visit to Central Park and it was bursting with beauty.

central park New York City autumn fall October 2022 Liz Heather leaves — Central Park, October 2022

When it comes to all purpose cleaners, I’m in love with Mrs. Meyers. The snowdrop scent is my favourite one (which should be coming out again soon), but I just got the apple cider one and yikes. It’s perfect. Is it sad to have favourite seasonal all purpose cleaners? Absolutely. But here we are. Welcome to your late 30s.

mrs. meyer's all purpose cleaner apple cider Liz Heather autumn cleaner — Mrs. Meyer’s Apple Cider Limited Edition Scent

Now if we’re talking seasonal coffee drinks? The Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew (only 1/2 shot of syrup, extra foam) makes me a little sick by the end of the drink, but I still love it. And the vanilla cream cold brew at Tim Hortons is also really good. Oooo and the Tim Hortons hazelnut cold brew with espresso foam? Get out of here, so good. I think I just like foam.
Loving the new Charlie Brown stamps from the USPS. Wait, who is in charge of deciding the new stamps? Oh god, have I discovered the greatest job on earth? I THINK I HAVE??
So I got a new Apple charger from The Apple Store, the one that apparently charges faster. Aaaaaand my battery dies even quicker now! Sweet!

I was scrambling to find a dress for a wedding this month and Bloomingdale’s saved me. How do I always forget about that place? I love an old, good department store. Yes they can be overwhelming, but they’re practically deserted. I have to remember this for the future. Oh! And Macy’s too! Such great dresses for special occasions.
So Nathan and I went to Los Angeles for a wedding (the dress code was “outdo us”) and we stayed at Citizen M hotel in downtown LA. Let me just say that this is not the type of hotel for two people to share a room, that’s the nicest way I can put it. It’s definitely clean and relatively nice, but the rooms are laughably small. The wedding was fun and I loved walking around downtown LA mostly because of the incredibly well preserved buildings. Sure, the area is pretty dicey but it’s beautifully ancient. We walked to Santee Alley (where I got my new favourite feather clutch) and three days was the perfect amount of time to stay in that area. And the baja tacos from Tocaya were insanely good. Also the Wolfgang Puck Express stand at LAX had really good food to take on the plane.

citizenm hotel citizen m hotel la downtown LA Liz Heather Baby Dog small hotel — Citizen M hotel room, this bed is literally the width of the room

tocaya modern mexican downtown la mexican food Liz Heather baja tacos fish taco — Baja taco from Tocaya, Downtown LA

Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather Los Angeles sunglasses in car — Ummm, is Nathan somehow cooler in LA??

Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather citizenm hotel downtown LA elevator — Okay hold up, are we BOTH COOLER IN LA??

Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather Los Angeles downtown LA wedding — WE BAD

Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather Los Angeles wedding October 2022 — California blonde dreams coming true

Los Angeles downtown LA Liz Heather October 2022 — The Los Angeles Theatre opened in 1931 - Downtown LA

Speaking of airports, the restaurant The Hearth by Lynn Crawford at Pearson in Terminal 1 in Toronto is great! Get the meatballs. Love it when airport food is above average.

Of course I listened to the new Taylor Swift album Midnights and the best songs are Question…?, Sweet Nothing, Anti-Hero, Bejeweled, Maroon and You’re On Your Own, Kid.
Some things I watched this month:
- Smile: such a fun time. Love a fun horror movie.
- I rewatched the first two Friday The 13th movies with Layla (her first time seeing them) and I’d forgotten how good they were. They really hold up well over time.
- Recent SNLs: Nothing super noteworthy in any of the episodes, I like the new guys. I was introduced to that great Megan Thee Stallion song Anxiety, which I can’t stop playing. The worst sketch I’ve seen in years was that Jack Harlow one with the joker. Just awful. Oh, and Colin Farrell looks alarmingly good.
- Celebrity Jeopardy: I solely watched because I love Ike Barinholtz (and he was great). But look, I know that Celebrity Jeopardy is, like, the easiest Jeopardy to exist. I understand that. But I had no idea how incredibly dumb most celebrities are. I mean, I know they’re not exactly known for their IQ levels but this was actually just wild to watch. Every single person on each episode I saw was a complete moron (with the exception of Ike and Simu Liu).
- Barbarian: so great, loved every bit of it. Bill Skarsgård remains as hot as always. (Sidenote: I was gushing about Skarsgård later to Nathan before bed and he scoffed and dismissed it so I asked him, “You probably don’t even have an answer, but who would you consider an attractive celebrity man?” and without even a second of hesitation he goes, “Pierce Brosnan in ‘97.” Hahahahahah, god I died. He’s not wrong.)

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I’ve already put my order in for this year’s bayberry candles, I’m finally going to read Dave Grohl’s book, of course I’ll get the Thanksgiving croissant from Milk Bar, I’m definitely gonna go to the NY postcard show, and I’ve already got my ticket to see the Thierry Mugler exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum which opens on the 18th. Oh! And a gentle reminder if you’ve started Christmas shopping: get the damn gift receipt.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in September, come on over here.

Baby Dog Mississauga Ontario Canada autumn leaves trees changing Liz Heather October 2022 ray of sunshine — Ray of sunshine on my ray of sunshine

September 14, 2022

August Actions 2022

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Links, Movies, Music, Personal

sunflowers sunflower summer liz heather august 2022

Wow, this is by far the latest monthly post, sorry about that. I wish I had an excuse for my lateness, but this is a free site so I don’t owe you a damn thing!

Summer is almost at an end and I couldn’t be happier about it. This will soon be me.

betty boop pumpkin lighting halloween gif

Here’s what went down in August!

You can find my favourites tweets of the month over here and here.
I got coffee at Cafe Renis in Astoria and it’s perfect. Love an independent coffee place.

I’ve decided that the best canned tomatoes you can get in the U.S. come from the brand Afeltra and they’re sold at Eataly.
The Chelsea Hotel finally reopened so I stopped by for a (ridiculously overpriced) coffee and yes the renovation took forever, but damn it’s gorgeous.

the chelsea hotel new york city nyc august 2022 liz heather — The Chelsea Hotel lobby, August 2022

I bought these running shoes I found at Marshalls and I loooooove them. Who doesn’t love a shoe that feels like a heavy sock?
I also can’t stop taking photos in this Zara dress. Clearly.
It’s finally the time of year when Lemax (the worldwide leader in collectable village miniatures) releases their new Halloween collection and I’m fighting every urge inside my body to buy THE GLOOM ROOM.

gloom room lemax 2022 collection liz Heather Halloween miniatures — The Gloom Room from Lemax, 2022 Collection (not shown: the figures DANCING IN THE ROOFTOP BALLROOM)

Completely out of nowhere, but does everyone know how cool-looking the Tommy Bahama wrapping paper is? Just beautiful.
I tried these Lays West Indies’ Hot ‘n’ Sweet Chilli and they were tasty as hell.

lays west indies hot n sweet chilli potato chips liz heather

I have forever loved the top of this building (below) and have always wondered what the inside looks like. Now I know and it’s shot to the top of my must-live-in list.

141 fifth avenue new york city ny favourite apartment — The Cupola Penthouse at 141 Fifth Avenue, NYC

I had dinner at the breathtaking Riverpark with Irene and the food was really good.
It’s almost embarrassing how many times I’ve listened to Beach House by Carly Rae Jepsen.
Some things I watched this month:
- Bodies Bodies Bodies - Did I see this solely because of Lee Pace? Yes. And he wasn’t in it nearly enough. Also, it is not a good movie.
- The Rehearsal - Look, I get it, it was fine. Definitely not the masterpiece that everyone claims it is. Love Nathan Fielder, though. A Canadian king.
- Sister Act - Okay, I haven’t rewatched this in maybe… twenty years? It’s still amazing. And god, that soundtrack. All hits.
- Violation - My friend Dusty made this movie and it’s incredible. No bias either, I promise you - he’s just wildly talented.
I also got to go to Canada for a short visit to see some friends and family, which is always great.

I finally got to visit my best friend Harmeet’s lake house in Ontario and it. was. unreal. Such a fun few days away.

lake house daytime pier view liz heather

liz heather harmeet litt august 2022 best friends — Harmeet!

Is it weird that I’ve never done a tea service before? Wait, is that how I even word that? In any case, my dear friend Marla took me to my first one! I can’t believe how many things you get. We went to The Wild Tart in Elora, Ontario and it was wonderful.

While we were in Elora, we also went to see the gorge and quarry (where scenes from It were filmed!). I had no idea that Elora was such a nice little town. I also discovered this greeting card company that I’m absolutely in love with.

elora ontario quarry august 2022 — Elora Quarry, August 2022

elora quarry ontario Canada august 2022 liz heather — Marla!

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I’m pretty excited about coming up with my autumn list of things to do this year, I need to catch up on writing some travel posts that I’ve been putting off since July, I need to make some final decisions on our Halloween costumes, and we’re getting a brand new oven that I’m pretty jacked about.

If you have any interest in what went on in July, come on over here.

baby dog august 2022 liz heather — That’s her excited-for-September face

April 6, 2022

March Magic 2022

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Reviews, Television

staten island ferry bay water view March 2022 Liz Heather — View from the Staten Island Ferry as it crosses the bay, March 2022

“Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.”

— Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Sometimes I write these monthly posts and think, “How the hell did I do all of that in one month?” I mean, obviously I love it but sometimes it just seems bewildering that I get to do all of these things that make me so happy. I wish I could go back in time and tell kid Liz what a sweet life she’ll have. She’d never believe it. Anywaaaay, maybe that paragraph should’ve been a diary entry…? Here’s what went down in March, babies.

The best tweets of March can be found over here and here.
I recapped what I did from my winter list of things to do.
I made a spring list of things I want to do.
I wrote about the fashion exhibit on now at The Met (In America: A Lexicon of Fashion).
I tried out the new Vicks bath salts and they are incredible. I know that all bath salts hit hard, but these? Just beyond relaxing. I also tried the Vicks scented Puffs tissue paper and oh my god. Take all my money, Vicks. Such a genius idea to incorporate that smell when you blow your nose.

I went to the downtown location of Eataly and it’s less chaotic than the Flatiron one. And I don’t hate Eataly, but you definitely have to know why to go here. It’s overpriced and terrible if you’re going for a sit down meal or even their pre-packaged meals. But if you’re going for high quality dried pasta, incredible canned tomatoes and specialty items like anchovy paste and canned seafood, then it’s a cook’s dream.

I dyed my hair even blonder and… I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to natural. I love this look so much. I think my goal this year is to… become… untouchable?

The New York Times had a piece on the former mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion!

Sometimes I like to sit in Barnes & Noble and peruse the cookbooks for inspiration and meal ideas since one day B&N will definitely go bankrupt and cease to exist. I give it ten more years, max. So in the meantime, I will take advantage. I looked through The Pepper Thai Cookbook (Chrissy Teigen’s mom) and it wasn’t anything special. I swear, her and her daughter make 90% of their recipes with fish sauce. And look, fish sauce is great when used sparsely, but it’s enough already. I also looked through The Milk Bar cookbook and again, nothing special.
I got coffee at the fancy coffee place Felix Roasting Co. and yes it’s a pretty space, but they really need to clean the fabric of their booths because they look ROUGH. I can’t stand it when a business puts so much effort and time into creating a different, beautiful space and then there is zero upkeep. Why spend all that money up front and then get lazy with the actual management of the place? It’s such a waste. And not to be a bitch, but the Starbucks flat white is better than whatever they’re serving here. Never again. And if you’d like to see the most pretentious coffee shop menu of all time, gently look below.

felix roasting co menu NYC — $15 for a S’MORES LATTE? We’ve entered hell on earth.

I can never find them, but damn those North Fork BBQ potato chips are everything.

Kind of over-the-moon in love with this Levi’s x The Simpsons collab. God, that cloud vest is perfect.
Obviously, you know how Ulta & Sephora give you a birthday gift during your birthday month, so add Kiehl’s to that list now too. Got their pear scented lip balm for free.
My brothers and I all surprised my mom and came to Canada for her 70th birthday and it was so nice. Can’t believe it actually happened.

Liz Heather family photo March 2022 — The Heathers, March 2022

I bought this fake suede green coat from Zara that is the absolute softest and will be completely ruined if it rains.

I tried the new croissant croutons from Trader Joe’s and they taste like little butter cubes. Just an insane amount of butter in these. They should’ve crumbled these up and sold them as a croissant breadcrumb instead. But what do I know (other than everything).
Every single time I go to Mimi Cheng’s, I remember how much I love them all over again. Not really for their every day items, but their monthly specials are always incredible. In March they had French onion soup dumplings that were so intensely flavourful, they didn’t even need a dipping sauce. Love this place.

mimi cheng's dumplings March 2022 special french onion soup dumplings

My best friend Harmeet was visiting, so we had drinks at The Palm Court at The Plaza before going over to see Plaza Suite on Broadway (her idea to do both, a genius one at that). The play was too good. When did they start letting you order a whole bottle of wine to take to your seat? Love that. And Sarah Jessica Parker was magnificent, but Matthew Broderick? Not so great! He just seemed… tired. Or unenthusiastic. Which seems weird because doesn’t he have tons of Broadway experience?

I had my steak Diane at The Dowlings at The Carlyle and it was divine. Ordered the raviolo carbonara, the wedge salad and the table-side flambéed steak and what a glorious night it was. The Carlyle is such a beautiful hotel, I love that they still have mail chutes prominently shown (below).

dowling's at the carlyle bread and butter March 2022 — I love embossed butter (at Dowlings At The Carlyle, NYC)

Liz Heather dowling's at the carlyle dinner March 2022 — Appetizers, Dowlings At The Carlyle, NYC

mail chute nyc the carlyle march 2022 — Mail chute at The Carlyle, March 2022

I had lunch at Robert for the first time and it was perfectly all right. The food/service/view were all good, but who decorated this place? Bit of a yikes situation with the colour scheme.

robert nyc march 2022 dining room — Robert dining room, NYC

robert nyc march 2022 columbus circle view dining room — View onto Columbus Circle from Robert, NYC

This week in things that are too beautiful + too expensive:
I’ve mentioned my love of Bread Alone bakery (they always have a stand at the Union Square farmer’s market), but I hadn’t tried their oat chocolate chip cookie until now and it’s even better than the basic chocolate chip one. They also have incredible whole wheat sourdough.
I saw the Harry Potter play (SPOILERS) even though I’ve never read the books nor cared about the movies, so maybe that’s why I didn’t love it. One standout part, though? Those damn dementors, they were WILD. Do not see this play high. The effects of them were true insanity and if you liked the series even 1%, this is the main reason to see the play.

I love the spring collection of colours that Essie puts out and my favourite colour right now is definitely their Well Nested Energy.

I had the Vallata lunch special ($29 for a pasta & glass of wine) which was really, really good. Especially for that price. In 2022. Couldn’t believe it. I’m sure it won’t last.
Sweetest Irene treated me to birthday dinner at Rezdôra (I’ve been dying to go here for ages) and it was phenomenal. We had the Cacio E Pepe in Emilia, this puffed up prosciutto thing and some toasted bread to start and then for our entrees, the truffle Raviolo (the giant raviolo with black truffles), the Grandma Walking Through Forest in Emilia (the green pasta), and the Maccheroni al Pettine with duck ragu (truly heaven on earth). NOTE: I just noticed on their new, updated menu that the duck ragu is gone and replaced with a sausage ragu! I’ve already sent out an email to those in charge questioning this decision. I’ll do everything in my power to get it back on that menu.

rezdora nyc march 2022 — Cacio E Pepe in Emilia, Rezdôra NYC, March 2022

rezdora march 2022 nyc — Truffle Raviolo (the giant raviolo with black truffles), the Grandma Walking Through Forest in Emilia (the green pasta), the Maccheroni al Pettine with duck ragu, Rezdôra NYC, March 2022

Things I’ve Watched:
- To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday: Okay, I watched this because I was turning 37 this month and I thought “that sounds fun” so of course it wasn’t. Spoiler but Gillian IS DEAD. She died on her 35th birthday! I had no idea the whole movie was about the grief of her death, so obviously this wasn’t a fun watch. Also, all the gross flirting with minors was… a lot.
- Malice: Okay, do you know anything about this movie? If not, don’t look it up. Just watch it. I was ON CLOUD NINE watching this one. So many twists, there’s a great Alec Baldwin monologue in it, it’s just a party of a movie. Especially if you love early 90s semi-sexy psychological thrillers, WHICH I DO. Such a great movie.
- Impeachment: Great watch. Started watching it at the airport out of boredom and then it really picked up. Fully recommend.
I tried these great Vicks-like patches called Salonpas that you can stick on any area that needs pain relief but without the stickiness of an ointment.
I visited Argosy Book Store (one of the oldest book stores in NYC) and it’s wild that this place has managed to stay alive.

argosy book store march 2022 — Argosy Book Store, March 2022

Did you know that every night at 11:57pm, fifteen screens in Times Square shut down at the same time and display art for three minutes? It’s called the Midnight Moment.

This Welsh restaurant in Astoria Snowdonia has started to do tacos on Tuesday that are beyond incredible, especially the lamb.
I’m over the moon that Manhatta finally reopened, so Nathan and I went for my birthday and it’s still as beautiful as ever. So thankful they were able to reopen.

manhatta nyc march 2022 — Cocktail menu at Manhatta, NYC, March 2022

So my dear friend Diana and I had brunch together and I found potentially my favourite burger (au poivre) in all of NYC at Raoul’s and I can’t recommend it enough. They only serve it for brunch on the weekends and then a limited amount at the bar on week days. Find this burger. Eat this burger. This is your only option. Christ, it’s a revelation.

Since when did Tim Hortons bring back the apple fritter? So messy and good. Not better than San Remo’s, but a respectable alternative. Now all they need to bring back are the salted caramel Timbits and I’ll stop complaining.
I made this lemon orzo with peas and parmesan and it tasted so flat, it was weird. I love all those ingredients in it, I was just confused eating it. It’s like when you meet someone you think is so gorgeous and you talk to them and there’s zero chemistry. Like, what the fuck… we coulda been something here.
I made this crazy easy lasagna (with jarred sauce instead of tomatoes) last minute and it came out great. Love a fast lasagna. No one has time for a béchamel sauce.
One of the best dishes I’ve eaten in a loooong time: the roasted corn and couscous risotto with parmesan from Glass House Tavern. Holy hell, was it good.
I made scallops for the first time at home and they tasted so ordinary. They might just be one of those dishes that taste better when somebody else makes it.
Some spring inspired recipes I’d love to make soon:
So I saw one of the best plays I’ve ever seen on Broadway: Birthday Candles with Debra Messing. I wrote about it here, but oh my god. I laughed, I cried, I can’t believe how good it was.

birthday candles playbill debra messing broadway march 2022 nyc

Things I’m looking forward to: I’ve gone to the open galleries in Chelsea on Thursdays but I didn’t know that on the third Thursday of every month most of the galleries on the Lower East Side remain open from 4pm-8pm so I’m definitely going to do that if the weather’s nice, I’m excited for all the rain that’s coming (does this sound insane?) because it’s a known fact that spring rain is the least depressing rain, and I really want to make a dent in my “movies to watch” list.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in February, come on over here.