How much of my summer list did I complete? Well, let’s see.
“Eat the burger at Whit’s End in Rockaway.” - Totally ate it and it was wildly tiny. Good, but tiny. (You can see it over here.)
“Successfully keep my houseplants alive for at least a full season.” - All right, look. I’ve learned that this is not my thing. Nathan is much better at keeping them alive, so it’s officially become his job in our house. I’ll collect no points for learning this fact.
“Wear at least ten of my lipsticks over the course of summer (bonus point if I buy nothing from Sephora this summer).” - I think I wore five over the whole summer, which is pretty great for me considering I rarely wear the makeup I buy. And I did end up buying one thing from Sephora (the NARS concealer I like) as a replacement, so I won’t get the bonus point.
“Go swimming at least twice.” - Fuck. Yes. SIX TIMES! Scatter my remains in someone’s pool, please. I belong there.
“Go to the beach at least three times.” - Yep, three times! And really, three is enough. Anyone going more than three times should figure their life out.
“See The Farewell in theatres.” - I did and loved it, everyone should see it.
“Make these meatball stuffed garlic bread sliders.” - Okay, I did not. But only because July 4th was too hot to really use our oven, and I’m not gonna make 16 sliders for just Nathan & I (we’re not depressed anymore). Still want to make this someday, though.
“Make the mushroom garganelli from L’Artusi.” - I made it and it was beautiful. I think I made it three times this summer? It even tastes good with the Banza pasta. It wasn’t the exact same as it is at the restaurant, but I mean… pretty close. I also didn’t make homemade pasta (too intimidating), so that’s probably why it wasn’t 100% the same.
“Lay out & look at the stars.” - This sort of happened, only I didn’t lay on the ground. There are night bugs that live in the grass and I 1) didn’t want to kill them and 2) didn’t want them to kill me. But in Vermont, the sky was absolutely unreal at night, so I spent some time looking at them when we walked Baby Dog. Gotta do this more.
7.5 / 10 - Whoa! I mean, I’m impressed with that.
I really never thought this day would arrive… the last day of summer. Let us all bask in it in preparation for THE GREATEST TIME OF THE YEAR!
For our ten year anniversary, Nathan and I (yet again) returned to Vermont. It was a last minute decision and I’m so glad we did. We didn’t stay at the same place as last time, we chose The Manchester View instead and… whoa. Such a lovely place to stay. It had the feel of a hotel from the ‘90s, if that makes any sense. It just sort of felt untouched. It was more rustic than modern, but still well maintained and in the middle of seemingly nowhere in the middle of the mountains. The front desk so graciously upgraded us to stay in the Robert Frost suite when I mentioned (not casually) that we were celebrating our anniversary (SIDENOTE: always tell people when you’re celebrating something, everyone always wants to help you celebrate in any way and it’s always sweet) (and if you feel weird telling someone that you’re celebrating: grow up! Everything should be celebrated, we’ll be dead one day). Robert Frost lived and wrote in Vermont for some of his life and he’s a pretty celebrated figure in Vermont, thus the room name choice.
Robert Frost greets you
Bip, clearly a Frost fan
They were very pet friendly and the grounds had tons and tons of grass for Baby Dog to run around in. The pool was great, although I’d find greatness in any pool, let’s be real.
Make my coffin a clawfoot tub, please/thanks
Literally looking for a frog to bite
The staff was so friendly and accommodating, I’m so, so glad we chose to stay here.
The house behind the hotel
There were so many frogs and chipmunks, it was unreal. As if someone requested only the cutest creatures surround this beautiful property.
The view from our front porch
So what I’m saying is… I guess we’re Vermont people now? Even Nathan said, “Maybe next year we should just book Vermont a little earlier to get a price break” and my jaw sort of dropped at the notion of obviously we’re Vermont people now. And honestly, maybe we are? Is this my life? Living a cool, Vermont-in-the-summer, better-than-you kind of life? In any case, great vacation, great place. Other highlights of the town:
There’s a little meat & cheese shop in town (Fortuna’s Sausage & Italian Market) where they put out SAMPLES FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY CHEESE & MEAT THEY SELL. Tianna would’ve been in heaven. Why on earth don’t all cheese places do this? So fucking smart. The cheese that I loved and left was this one.
Find this cheese. Eat this cheese. Available at Fortuna’s, Manchester, VT
Great service and food at Gringo Jack’s (Baja fish tacos, especially).
For our anniversary dinner, we were treated laughably bad at The Chantecleer (scathing Yelp review coming soon) so we got our asses out of there and went to Copper Grouse at the Kimpton Taconic Hotel (where we stayed last year) and had a great meal/time. It’s wild to me what a trained chef can do to an ordinary chicken. Medals should be given out.
Words cannot express… the emotions going on inside me right now.
AUTUMN IS A FEW SHORT WEEKS AWAY. This is absolutely the start of the best time of the year because it’s basically autumn eve. That’s how I treat all of early September. Last year I went a little nuts in celebrating every single day of autumn and… I want to go even harder this year. I sort of winged it last year, but this year I’ve already started planning ways to celebrate the best time of the year. I have a problem. I know. But I’ve come to terms with that, so you should too. So let me tell you what went down last month so that we can fully move into the GREATEST, PUREST TIME OF YEAR.
I watched Why Do Fools Fall In Love on Netflix and jesus christ, the dog-being-thrown-out-the-window part? WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME. Will not watch again.
I love a good summer shark/alligator/dumb movie, so we obviously saw Crawl and it was very fun. The dog was the best part. (Are you seeing a pattern here? I’M NOT HARD TO PLEASE, HOLLYWOOD.)
I forced Maya to come to a sunflower farm with me and it was lovely. Why would a person with a bee allergy want to go to such a place? I’m not well.
I rewatched my favourite John Ritter movie Stay Tuned because it’s just something everyone should do once in awhile. Such a weird, perfect movie.
I attempted to read Samantha Irby’s book We Are Never Meeting In Real Life and I just couldn’t get into it, so I stopped. It’s weird ‘cause I really enjoyed Meaty, so I don’t know what happened here. Maybe ‘cause it’s summer and I think I hate reading in the summer? Haven’t picked up a book in months that I wanted to read.
I do not need to be the one who tells you how good hazelnut Kit Kats are, but I guess that’s what I’m doing at the moment - SO GOOD.
I watched part of the new 90210 reboot and ughhhh. It’s awful. In every way. Also, Luke Perry JUST died. They couldn’t have postponed or cancelled this trash?
I watched the first season of Tuca & Bertie and it’s so, so crazy good. Absolutely love it. Thank you to Harmeet for making me watch! I was so skeptical at first, but it’s incredible. So many similarities to Broad City in its goodness.
I went to the CNE with my Mom for the first time is yeeeears and it was so nice.
She did my braids, I can’t do nice braids on myself
Since Restaurant Week is always a big part of my life, I went to Park Avenue Summer for lunch earlier in the month and got the corn bread, corn gnocchi and corn creme brulee. YES, YOU’RE READING THAT RIGHT. Love a fucking cob. It was all very tasty, if not a little too corny (but that’s my fault, let’s be real). I also got the chicken and it was incredible. I’d love to be able to crisp a chicken skin as perfectly as they did.
I made this hot honey salmon and if salmon weren’t such a disgusting fish, this would be a killer recipe. (And if you actually enjoy salmon, this really is great.)
I finally watched the rest of the new Black Mirror episodes and I stand by my thoughts that the Striking Vipers one was the best one of the season. Smithereens was okay and all, I’ll always love a Topher Grace. The main actor (Andrew Scott) did a great job, too. And the Miley Cyrus one was just okay? I don’t understand why that’s the common favourite of the season. It’s average, at best.
I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it before, but I love reading the (monthly?) Grub Street Diet columns from New York Magazine. They profile different (semi-known, sometimes-famous) people and what they eat in the span of a few days. I mostly love it for recommendations of good things to eat around New York, but also I love hearing about what people do for snacks and routine meals.
I watched all of On My Block on Netflix and it’s so, so good (thank you, Marla!). I’m an idiot for not watching it sooner. My favourite character is definitely Jamal, I love the florist with the gnomes, and the musical choices are phenomenal. Such a great show. If you haven’t seen it, I’d describe it as a modern day coming of age story set in South Central LA inspired by The Goonies. SO GOOD.
Did you know that eating tomatoes helps prevent colon cancer? Did not know. I’m forcing Nathan to eat them now, enough of this “I don’t like tomatoes” shit. Not standing for it anymore!
I went to two weddings this month, which were both beautiful. LOVE a wedding.
I tried the seasonal tomato gelato at Il Laboratorio Del Gelato and it was rough. I did taste the corn gelato and that one was actually pretty good, I should’ve gotten that one. This was my first time here and my main thought: it has a horrifying interior. Like if Patrick Bateman ran an ice cream shop.
Lately I’ve started shopping more at small businesses and less at chains. Partially because these places will disappear if I keep doing what I’m doing and I hate that idea. So no more writing/drinking at Starbucks. No more books from Amazon. No more crazy cheap dish soap at Dollar General. No more plants from Home Depot. Enough of this shit!
This sounds like a broken record, but I did Nathan’s podcast again! We talked about our relationship and why we think it works, etc. etc. Very self-indulgent stuff here, guys.
So you know how I tried and loved that chocolate dessert hummus a few months ago? TRADER JOE’S IS RIPPING IT OFF & has made their own version. For two dollars. Now look, I know companies get ripped off all the time by bigger corporations who steal the idea and make their own… but fuck. This fucking sucks. I first heard and tried dessert hummus because of seeing it on Shark Tank (the company is Delighted By Hummus) and I want to say that they invented the idea, but I can’t say for sure. I hate this.
Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m SO excited to see It: Chapter Two, possibly planning out details for a trip to Salem, finishing up the last of the summer things to do list, I’ve gotta find something new and good to read, there are so many photos that I love from visiting my family/friends this summer so I might do a photo post solely of my favourite ones, finalizing my AUTUMN THINGS TO DO list, and I’d really love to pack away all of my summer clothes at some point this month to make room for the gazillion sweaters I’m waiting to wear.
So technically the end of August is the appropriate time to start any and all Halloween/autumn talk (I think I made up that rule, but it feels right), so I’ll respect that and wait. Just know that I’m inwardly filling up with joy in anticipation of the best time of the year. Here’s what went down this month!
We had a small party for July 4th and it was the best. Here’s what I made and loved: Panzanella Salad with Fresh Mozzarella (I used the How Sweet Eats recipe, but added mozzarella and omitted the corn and avocado - I also made the croutons the Ree Drummond way, because that’s the tastiest way), Spinach Bacon & Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms (because they’re so delicious I want to scream), I used bell peppers as the bowls for holding the ranch for the vegetables, Slow Cooker Ribs, Eggplant Lasagna (I can’t remember the recipe I used, but it was pretty basic), Peanut Butter & Nutella Cheesecake Bars (this was the second time I’ve made these and it’s a perfect dessert to make a night or two before so that it can really set up), Blueberry Lemon Bread, and a charcuterie board (which is like assembling food art & I love it).
My favourite fruit/vegetable season is the end of summer mainly because of the fresh tomatoes and corn, so I can’t wait to try some of these corn dishes available in NYC right now. Although I don’t know how any of them are going to compete with the corn gnocchi at Park Avenue Summer. (I just looked and there’s also a sweet corn agnolotti with black summer truffles on the menu now too, so things just got interesting.)
I went for lunch at the cafe at Lilia in Brooklyn and it was ONLY AVERAGE. So that was disappointing. Maybe I ordered badly? I got the prosciutto, parmigiano butter, balsamic mustard sandwich - and even though it looks great (love whole grain mustard), it was really just too bready and not very flavourful.
Prosciutto, parmigiano butter, balsamic mustard sandwich at Lilia Cafe, Brooklyn
I saw Midsommar (by the same guy who did Hereditary last year) and I really liked it. Some parts are just unnecessarily graphic (and the slow motion shots of this stuff are insane to watch), but the plot was great. Love an original movie.
Watched the entirety of Champions on Netflix and it really bums me out that it got cancelled, it was a really fun show.
I also rewatched Dante’s Peak (still a great movie) and Twister (again, it holds up). I think I was in a natural disaster kinda mood that week.
Do you remember experiencing or hearing about the ride Kongfrontation at Universal Studios in Florida? I’ve only ever heard of it, but it seems like it was probably the best ride that ever existed at that park. I hate how most rides these days are just 3D screens with no real interaction or animatronics, it’s bullshit.
Fucking obsessed with this strawberry lemonade kombucha that’s apparently only available at Trader Joe’s. I thought their gingerade was the best flavour, but now I have to reassess everything. (Also tried the “watermelon wonder” but it’s pure trash.)
I refuse to shut up about how great the (square bottle) nail polishes are at Urban Outfitters. They’ve been consistently great for years. I’ve been wearing their neon pink Hot Tub off and on for at least five years, and they keep putting out wicked new colours. There’s almost always a 3 for $10 deal and recently I got Coffee Creamer, Sun Bunny & Optic White and they’re BEAUTIFUL.
It’s currently Restaurant Week again (it’s on until August 16th), so of course I went back to The Dutch for their beautiful wagyu steak tartare. I also had the corn cappelletti with chanterelle mushrooms and marjoram that was heavenly.
Wagyu steak tartare, The Dutch, NYC
Corn cappelletti, The Dutch, NYC
I saw The Farewell and it’s everything I wanted it to be and more! Definitely go see it. It also reminded me of this beautiful song that I had to sing for a competition once years ago, Caro Mio Ben.
There’s a deal with ClassPass where you can use the service for free for two weeks, so I tried it and it’s not that great. It’s just too expensive to justify having it when I already have a monthly gym membership somewhere else. I did try an aqua cycling class through Aqua Studio during the free trial and it was… only okay. I mean, it’s fun and great to be in the salt water, but it wasn’t all that challenging as a workout.
I wasn’t planning on buying it, but I tried it, loved it, so had to buy it: Glossier’s Brow Flick. I’m still learning how to use it properly, but so far I’m really into it. It inspired this eyebrow products video that I posted last week.
I saw Toy Story 4 and I really hope this is the final one they make because the ending was so good. That’s all I’ll say. Quality series of movies, right here.
Some friends of mine recently opened up a small, late night food place called Foodstruck in Astoria and the food is really good. They’ve just opened, so they’re still figuring out their hours but I think they’re catering to the late night crowd, especially servers/bartenders who get off work late. Check out some of the food specials from this past week.
Burger with gruyere, onion marmalade, sun dried tomatoes & a rosemary garlic butter on a potato bun
Fried boneless chicken thighs with a garlic soy tamarind glaze
Fried chicken sandwich with a spicy mayo, cheese sauce & pickles on a potato bun
My too-kind friend Irene got us a housewarming gift of a Diptyque candle (in eucalyptus) and somehow it’s still going after three months of daily use, which is incredible. Do not look up how expensive this candle is.
I watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix and really liked it! Especially the hot tub scene. But let’s not get into it. I double-checked to make sure they’re both over 21 and they are, so all’s good.
Made this pappardelle pasta with mushroom ragu when Nathan was out of town (I like to get my mushroom recipes in when he’s gone) and it’s definitely going on my favourite-dinner-recipes list.
I ate at Misi in Brooklyn because I’ve wanted to go for ages and the pasta was solid as hell, I’d definitely go back. We had the charred peppers, marjoram, and whipped ricotta crostini, the corzetti with marinated sungold (peeled) tomatoes, garlic, pecorino & summer herbs (have you ever eaten a PEELED tomato? It almost feels wrong. The good kind of wrong), the strangozzi with pork sugo, nutmeg and parmigiana and for dessert we had the strawberries and cream gelato (it was a special that night) and the espresso gelato. Everything was so crazy good. The service was fantastic and the space is huge. Is it better than Lilia or L'Artusi (pasta-wise)? Ugh, that's such a hard question. It's really good. I'll have to revisit to get more intel to make a final decision on that.
I went to Coney Island with Irene and it was great, as it always should be.
Kill me, so cute
Oh yeah!
I visited the Profundo Day Club (mainly to get my ass in a pool) earlier this month, and I highly doubt that I’ll return. Mostly because even though the pool was nice (small, but nice) and refreshing, the blaring house music in the middle of the day was a little excessive. There’s also a disco ball above the pool itself. And a unicorn floatie that drifts around the water. And waitresses who shoot sparklers off when someone buys a bottle of liquor. It’s… not for me, let’s say. And the cheapest pass was $70 (tax included), which is waaaay too expensive for Queens. Let’s be real.
There’s a new season of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee and the Martin Short episode is just lovely. It almost killed me when he was talking about when he bought his house and said, “We bought it in 1986” even though his wife passed away years ago. Am I being ridiculous in thinking that him using the word “we” is so sad and sweet and nice? Or maybe that’s a normal thing to say and I’d melt at anything to come out of his mouth. And while it was a good episode, I got so fucking sick of all the filler shots of coffee being brewed, coffee being poured into a cup, beans being tossed in a can, flowers sitting in vases - for fuck sake JUST TALK TO MARTIN SHORT AND SHOW ME THAT. Annoying as hell.
Nathan and I started watching season three of Stranger Things and… it’s not good? We saw all of the first season, which was pretty good. Attempted season two and never finished it because it became boring. And last week, we watched the first couple episodes of season three and I think we’ve silently agreed on just stopping it altogether. And look, I’m happy other people like it, but it’s just not for me. Demogorgons are too close to being dragons, maybe that’s why I can’t care about them?
I like to go to at least one baseball game each season, so I went to a Mets game last weekend and got this beauty that was the giveaway (below) since it was the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Mr. Met Moon Landing Bobble Head
I mean, there was even a promo video for it. How amazing is that?
My bobble head day is truly out of this world! 👨🚀🚀
Honestly, this bobblehead makes me so happy for some reason. I love going to Citi Field especially ‘cause the food is always so good. We got the filet mignon steak sandwich from the aptly named Pat LaFrieda’s Original Filet Mignon Steak Sandwich, incredible fries from Box Frites, souvenir cups & drinks from Effen Vodka Bar, mozzarella sticks from Big Mozz, and chips & queso with ginger lime margaritas from Cantina.
Pat LaFrieda’s filet mignon steak sandwich, Citi Field
Fries with parmesan ranch and cheese sauce from Box Frites, Citi Field
Two new things that I’m going to start doing:
1. Buying less things off of Amazon. If there’s an alternative, independently run company that I can find the item at (and if the price isn’t wildly more expensive) then I’ll shop there instead. Every new thing I hear about Amazon makes me shudder, and I hate that it’s become my default place for me to buy anything.
2. If a store/restaurant is cashless (ie. credit cards only), then I’ll refuse to shop there. It’s insane that this isn’t illegal everywhere yet. I’m so sick of it and cash should be accepted everywhere, it’s nuts that I even need to say that. (I was excited to have lunch at Ole & Steen in Union Square for lunch the other day, but they’re “cashfree” so fuck them!)
Some things that I’m looking forward to doing this month: I’ve already sent in my email requesting tickets for Saturday Night Live (you can only request tickets during the entire month of August), I can’t wait to see Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark with Layla, there’s a tomato gelato that I want to try that sounds either awful or life-affirming, going on our anniversary trip at the end of the month, excited for a Canyon Creek caesar salad with Harmeet, planning on going to the CNE with my mom (haven’t done this in years), going to two weddings (!!) and I love weddings, being in a pool with Marla and a bunch of our kids, and taking advantage of a few more Restaurant Week specials. Excited for the last month of trash weather!
Happy Canada Day! Here’s what went down last month.
I finally started taking collagen powder and I really think it’s working (thanks for the tip, Harmeet!) because my nails are longer than ever and my hair seems more luscious? I could just be feeling myself on the hair, though. Hard to tell for sure.
I made the mushroom garganelli pasta that I dream about from L’Artusi and it was phenomenal. The mushroom ragu tastes EXACTLY like it could be a meat sauce. Even Nathan agreed that it was amazing and he hates mushrooms. Makes zero sense. This dish is witchcraft.
Saw Late Night, and while I will always support that vision of a woman, the movie was only okay. Very specific opinion, but I wish Cate Blanchett had played the main character.
Speaking of Mindy, look at this gorgeous, perfect outfit.
Remember those flavoured powders for popcorn that were popular a few years ago? How have I never thought of making a homemade dill topping for at-home popcorn?! HOW?! Such a good idea.
Watched the Black Mirror episode Striking Vipers and loved it, I don’t want to even watch the other two new ones because how could they possibly be better than that one. (Also, are we really calling three episodes a season? Get real.)
I have made Ina Garten’s rigatoni with sausage & fennel so many times this month and I’m still not sick of it, such a crazy good pasta. Especially if you’re trying to impress someone.
IDEA: Turn burger buns into garlic bread, THEN eat as part of a burger.
I don’t know why but I finished The Big Bang Theory. I know, it’s embarrassing to admit. It was not a good show!
‘NOTHER IDEA: Clean your Apple headphones with toothpicks! Totally didn’t know you could do this. And if you haven’t, you really should. Some nasty stuff gets up in there. It’s pretty satisfying to clean, too. Just do it in private.
Tried the (super tiny) burger at Whit’s End in Rockaway and yes it was good, but WHERE WAS THE REST OF IT?!
I should’ve put a quarter next to it for scale
I rewatched Waiting To Exhale (I think I saw it when I was a kid) and man, that movie holds up. So, so good.
So in love with this brand. I don’t love the phrase Toronto VS. Everybody, but if they make a Mississauga one? WATCH OUT.
Gotta be honest, kinda excited to see the glaze waterfall. You know what makes Krispy Kreme better than most donuts? Not a lot of doughiness inside. The best kind of donut showcases the outside coating. A KK donut is all outside coating. It’s practically hollow on the inside. This is the secret. I could go on about this, but I’ve already said too much.
Completely forgot about the show You Wish, which I can’t stop watching. Summertime sadness?
Saw the new Child’s Play as well as the old one. Obviously the old one is better, but the new one really isn’t that bad. Human murderers are always better than robot murderers.
Everyone should make this panzanella salad. It is profoundly good. I added fresh mozzarella to it and it only got better. I didn’t even add the avocado OR corn and still licked the bowl.
SUCH a good fish recipe. And these are hard to come by. Or maybe it was just the sauce. A good sauce can trick you sometimes.
Salmon with dill sauce
Saw Ma in theatres and you know what it really wasn’t bad, whatever anyone tells you. I think I’d classify it as wacky as hell.
This is honestly the best egg salad I’ve ever had. It’s definitely due to the addition of dill pickle juice (fucking nuts for dill this month) and the elimination of celery.
Found maybe the best poutine in this country at The Astorian in Queens.
Check those fuckin’ curds
I started using Benefit’s Mini Gimme Brow and it’s cool?? Honestly, I don’t even know. Sometimes I think I need another, smarter woman to just sit me down and tell me what’s good and what’s not. This is supposed to help make thin eyebrows look bushy, right? If that is actually its intent, then it’s doing its job correctly.
All right, look. You KNOW that I hate having opinions on celebrities (ie. people NONE OF US KNOW), but I’m putting a hold on that for a sec. Here’s who I hated this month: Amber Rose (or anyone repping any fucking laxative tea), Bernie Sanders (the arrogance that comes off of this man… I can’t stand it, he doesn’t have all of the answers, can we please stop acting like he’s some sort of savior), and Chris Brown. How is Chris Brown still someone people are in love with? How are people still okay with him? MAN BEATS PEOPLE. For fuck sake.
Never had Georgian food before but it’s pretty much just bread and cheese and I’m 100% fine with that, culturally speaking.
I will never make all of her recipes, but a third cookbook very much excites me.
It’s taken me years to understand that Modern Family just isn’t good. There are two good characters. That’s it, that’s the trick they’re playing on us all.
And that was June! Some things I’d like to do this month: visit Profundo Day Club for the rooftop pool, find some humidity-proof houseplants (recommendations welcome), spend some time in Coney Island, try to see Crawl and maybe make some fun food for the 4th of July.
The main reason that I know I can get through the overwhelmingly disgusting next three months is because the absolute best time of year is just over the horizon. It’s so close. Three measly months. So let’s make the most of our time while we wait. Here’s what I’d like to do this season.
Wear at least ten of my lipsticks over the course of summer because Christ, why were they even bought if I’m not wearing them. (Bonus point if I buy nothing from Sephora this summer.)
Go swimming at least twice. (This estimate is low, I know. I’m trying to be realistic.)
Make the wildly delicious mushroom garganelli from L’Artusi (I just found the recipe online and I have to know if I can make it just like the restaurant does, because if I can… watch the fuck out, world.)
Lay out & look at the stars. (This will likely happen in Canada since, you know, New York isn’t equipped for romantic shit like this.)
Honestly, this was the greatest spring, weather-wise, in recent memory. We actually had a real spring! Some rain, cool nights, and not unbearably early heat. Just unreal. And with the worst season officially arriving tomorrow, we shall revisit my spring list.
Eat at a Michelin starred restaurant (bonus points if I finally make it to Casa Enrique).
All right, so I went to a Michelin-recommended place (L’Artusi), which isn’t the same thing but it’s on the right path. But still. Not the same. No point.
The date of the book was pushed to autumn! So I’ll take it off the list until that time.
Make the salted caramel chocolate pie from the Waitress musical pie book (they sold these mini pies at intermission and this. pie. was. insanity. and it needs to be made).
I looked EVERYWHERE to find this recipe and it simply isn’t available to the public. I even looked in the official Waitress pie cookbook to no avail. So I took a photo of what the ingredients are on the actual pie container and will one day attempt to make it, not knowing exact measurements.
I’ve been waiting to write this post for about… five years? So just a warning: it’ll be a meaty one. We finally moved into a great apartment! And look, I loved our old basement apartment as much as one could love a basement apartment (this song seriously helped a lot), but we needed more windows/light. And an oven. And a doorbell. And a bathtub. And a reason to get up in the morning. And somehow we managed to find this great place that we’re pretty over the moon about. Everything is finally set up and I’m honestly so happy with how it all looks. I got a bunch of little things that I've always wanted to have in my home, so if you have any interest in seeing the place, then this is the post for you, baby.
Here’s the kitchen!
1. Dining area
2. Hahahah, but also watch out
3. Windowsill that looks out onto the courtyard
5. Spices & countertop
KITCHEN DETAILS
Aprons should be hung in the kitchen because if you see it, you’ll use it - I’ve only recently learned this fact (I found this apron at an antique store years ago). The fruit bowl is from Anthropologie (it isn’t available anymore, but they do have other nice ones) as well as the recipe box beside it. I’ve only started to use the recipe box, and I only put recipes in there that I use constantly so I don’t have to have my laptop in the kitchen when cooking. I’m not in love with that table runner (from Marshalls) but it was the only summery one I found, so I got it. Yes, I like to have seasonal table runners, it’s a condition I have. And the huge clock hanging above is something I got online years ago because everyone should have at least one big clock. It always reminds me of Benjamin Button. Also, the rum cocktails dish towel was a gift from my parents from some island. I think I put it up in hopes to make those drinks some day.
Nathan got this sign in Texas and it makes us very happy. Self explanatory.
The watering can is the can that literally every woman in my life owns because she has good taste (from Ikea) and the plant is an orchid from Home Depot. The window ledges in this place might be my favorite part. On one side of the place, they all look out to the courtyard of our building which endlessly reminds me of Rear Window (which maybe doesn’t seem that impressive but I loved Alfred Hitchcock so much growing up, so this is big for me).
The utensil holder is from Crate & Barrel (only $10!) and I only own four cookbooks (two are ChrissyTeigen ones, one is the Bob’s Burgers one and the last one isn’t really a cookbook but a guide about what ingredients work well together called The Flavor Thesaurus), but doesn’t it make sense to keep them in the kitchen? I’m on the hunt for more really good cookbooks and warmly welcome any suggestions. I keep my garlic in that yellow butter dish (from Anthropologie, bought years ago) and the spice ledge is from Bed Bath & Beyond.
1. The fluffiness of this bathmat makes my life complete
2. The best reference to Trinidad & Tobago I’ll ever own
WASHROOM DETAILS
The floor mats are from Bed Bath & Beyond. The Aqua Notes hanging on the wall inside the shower is from Amazon (it allows you to write notes/thoughts while you’re in there) and the curtain is from The Container Store. Pretty basic stuff here.
1. When I die, wrap me up in this carpet and then Bin Laden me
2. WHY HAVE I NEVER HAD THIS BIN BEFORE NOW?!
3. Hallway heaven
4. Closet storage
5. Baby Dog’s accessories
6. Towel organization
HALLWAY & CLOSET DETAILS
I love this hallway runner carpet so much, it blows my mind that I found it on Amazon. It’s so pretty, I want to die. The mirror was $20 from Ikea and I like it so much that I’ll eventually buy the larger version of it as well. Now… the shoe rack is something I don’t love, but Nathan likes it there so it was a compromise (it was originally hiding within the closet). The gorgeous shoe tray that I bought and loved is now in the closet for boots, etc. but really… I’m over it. Can you tell? His main reason for hating the shoe tray: “Are we serving the shoes??”
This bin from The Container Store is on a shelf in the front hallway closet and it’s been kind of a dream of mine to actually have. Never again will we have bags of clothes/other shit lounging around on the floors to get rid of now that we have this allocated bin! Honestly it’s small things like this that make me feel like I’d be a monster as a parent. Self-acceptance though, yeah?
This is the storage closet! Labels were made from my laminator machine that I’ve had since I was 15, duh. The dry cleaned winter coats stay in here when it’s not winter. We’re all following the policy of dry cleaning our winter coats come spring, AREN’T WE?
All of Baby Dog’s personal stuff is in that first bin (toothpaste/toothbrush/treats/bags/medicine/leash) and the second bin (that’s supposed to store shoes I think?) is from The Container Store and I use it to hold her new pee pads. Opening it each day to take out a new pee pad fulfills me in a way that I didn’t know I needed.
Other things not shown: a clear plastic box from The Container Store with the label of Cord City because every household has a comical amount of wires & cables that no one knows what to do with, but might come in handy some day. Another box from The Container Store that holds the tool box and any other loose tools and nails. I also bought these binder rings to hang/store individual purses in my closet.
Onto the bedroom!
1. Night stand!
2. Moon prints!
3. Overview
4. Above my desk!
5. Dresser!
6. Desk!
7. Fire escape!
8. Corner!
BEDROOM DETAILS
This night stand from Target is so lovely and comes fully assembled, which is madness. It reminds me only slightly of Mad Men, which I think is a good thing.
These prints came from Etsy (and they come in every size imaginable) and I’ve wanted moon prints for years and years. I think it has to do with having those glow in the dark stars & planets on my ceiling when I was a kid (which I think every kid should have, I feel like it makes you dream big… like you know, for laminating machines, etc.).
This is a pretty decent photo of what most of the room looks like. Might be my favourite room. I hung the hats on the wall like that with nails because I feel like seeing them all the time will encourage me to wear them more. The small print above them is from when Marla & I went to Costa Rica years ago, still love it. The hamper that you can barely see in the right corner is beauuuuuutiful (from Bed Bath & Beyond) and I want everyone to have it (and with coupons it was $10!).
The wire basket is supposed to be used to hold bathroom accessories, but it works amazingly as my Cards & Stationary holder that houses any upcoming cards I need as well as my address book. Above that hangs my letter from Queen Elizabeth as well as a print that Harmeet gave me years ago that I love dearly (it’s a page from a book about two rabbits who travel across Canada together, I think). And not to get too corny, but the roses alongside are the first flowers that Nathan gave me years ago.
Had this dresser for years (it came from a furniture store on Steinway) and here you can see that gorgeous hamper better. Who knew that a hamper could prompt such desire in a person? Not me! Well, maybe me. A beautiful photo of Ma hangs above it.
My desk! Got it years ago from somewhere on Steinway, too. The small photos on it are of Camden as a baby and Jasmine. There’s a beagle coaster. Baby Dog’s paw print stamp. Alarm clock from Ikea. The glass jar is filled with notes from over the years that have things I don’t want to forget written inside (funny stories, kind things that have happened, generally just things that have made me happy).
The view of the fire escape! I’ve wanted a New York fire escape for a trillion years and that dream has come true. I wanted to get a small bird house for the fire escape since my desk looks out onto it, but decided against it because I read a story about a woman who did that and the falling seeds from the bird house attracted rats on the ground. So that idea was quickly abandoned. I refuse to have any more rat issues in my lifetime.
This shelf is from Amazon and it’s pretty easy to put together, even without instructions. The daisies are from the Union Square Greenmarket. The iPod dock is from Best Buy (bought about 20 years ago so there’s no link) that I still use often (I think I’m the last person on earth who happily uses her iPod). The candlesticks are from Ikea that have been discontinued. And there’s a Vincent Van Gogh doll down there that has a detachable ear.
Not shown: 1. Me, excitedly sleeping. 2. Nathan’s closet because that would be weird of me to show you. I’m not a maniac.
And lastly, the living room!
1. Overview!
2. Windowsill #1
3. Windowsill #2
4. Basket of Baby Dog’s friends
5. Coffee table
6. Tickless clock
LIVING ROOM DETAILS
Nova Scotia flag. Nathan’s desk. Chair from Ikea. Simpsons painting from my mom. Moose from FAO Schwartz.
This basket used to hold winter hats & gloves, now we use it to hold any of Baby Dog’s friends that she’s not playing with.
I love this coffee table from Target. It weighs a ton and was pretty easy to put together. The flowers are ageratums from the market as well.
This clock from Amazon doesn’t make any ticking sounds and it’s lovely. Just bought a second one in a different colour for the bedroom.
Not shown: Nathan’s whole desk area because of, ya know, privacy. (But basically all you’re missing is a Hulk Hogan statue, a rooster painting and various artifacts celebrating his many successes.)
And that’s the place! Too much information? Possibly. But here you are reading about it, so maybe this is partially your fault for silently encouraging me. If I didn’t think people cared about this kind of stuff, then I wouldn’t have wanted to write about it? Wait, that’s a lie. In any case, thanks for giving a shit!
And look, I tried to try more of the collagen powder but Nathan finished it all (and his hair has been looking pretty good lately now that I think about it) and I’m waiting to get more. I promise to finally take this regularly next month.
One of the regulars in my snack rotation has been these zucchini pizza bites that are surprisingly delightful, especially if you’re adding sopressata and/or jalapeños as part of the toppings.
I saw Jason Mantzoukas walking in Soho and he was so handsome I was afraid to say anything. Like alarmingly handsome. I knew he was good looking, but in real life? Whoa.
I am in love with this font. Someone tell me if it has a name.
I attempted to start season two of Barry, but it’s been so long since I saw the first season that I forgot most of what has happened. Could I have just rewatched the finale of season one and then moved on to number two? Sure. Will I? Now that’s another question.
I just bought a pair of these heavenly, high-waisted, button-fly Gap jeans and I think everyone should go buy them ($42 right now with the sale), they fit like a dream. I might go back and get another pair in a different colour. Actually, yeah. I’m definitely doing that.
Ate at La Contenta and it was absolutely nothing special. Everything was too salty, overpriced and crowded.
I’ve already made three batches of these banana walnut muffins, they’re so perfect for the morning or for a snack. Ignore that they’re paleo, I promise you they’re good. Definitely not a party muffin, but a good-for-you muffin.
So excited that people will finally stop talking about Game of Thrones. Usually I don’t mind when other people love something that I don’t care about, but with this show it’s just been overkill. We get it. It was a show. Let’s move on?
Nobody told me about how smokey it gets when you attempt to make burgers in your kitchen at home? Or was everyone aware of this already but me?
I just bought pink sunglasses (at Nathan’s encouragement) and I just became cool. May 2019. That’s when it happened. (I’d post of photo of them but I’ll be wearing them until I’m cold and dead in the ground, so believe me, you’ll see them on me soon.)
I can’t believe how good this looks. I love it when fall movies just say fuck it and come out in late summer.
I tried the mozzarella sticks at Big Mozz in Chelsea Market and whoa. They’re pretty serious. The tomato sauce that comes with them is insanity, too.
My niece Tianna came to visit New York for the first time! Some highlights: I finally ate a cronut and they’re waaaaay too sweet, and coming from me that should mean something because I love all things dessert. Maybe it’s because we ate it so early in the morning? I don’t know. I really don’t understand the big deal about them, though. We also walked through Chinatown and down to the financial district to get lunch at Manhatta, which was lovely. I forced her to eat my favourite pad thai at Lovely Day in Soho. We shared a cheese plate at The Cellar at Beecher’s, walked around the west village to see the Friends building and the stoop from The Cosby Show, we had dinner at L’Artusi where she had her first steak tartare. We walked through Grand Central Terminal to get to the dog museum (which is cute as hell), we saw and went backstage at the musical Waitress, had dinner at Shake Shack, saw the 9/11 memorial, shopped at Century 21, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, got pizza at Juliana’s (which wasn’t as good as I remembered?), walked with Baby Dog in Central Park to see the Balto statue, perused Chelsea Market and walked along The High Line, went to the galleries on Thursday night where we met Luis Guzman (!), and ate gelato at Grom. This was all within four days. No idea how we did that much stuff, but I slept for 13 straight hours the day after she left, so maybe I’m not as young as I once was.
Tianna, backstage at Waitress!
Tianna, The Brooklyn Bridge
Tianna & Baby Dog, Central Park
I started watching the new version of The Twilight Zone with the assumption that I’d dislike it since the original is so great, however I’ve only seen one episode so far (the blue scorpion one) and I think I really like it. Obviously the classic series is untouchable, but this one is done really well.
I learned about the existence of Book Off in midtown, it’s a store “for the people who don’t want to waste.” They buy your old CDs, DVDs, books, action figures, electronics. It’s amazing.
Season three of Riverdale is over! This is the only show that I watch every week, so it was a big deal for me. And honestly, it was a fun season, despite everyone on earth’s opinions of it. Favourite tweet from the finale?
Honestly I’m not worried about them writing jughead off the show ... They still haven’t written off the actual corpse of Jason blossom #Riverdalepic.twitter.com/RgQTsIrSKX
Strawberries are about to be in season, so I got a huge carton of them from a farmer’s market and made these strawberry oatmeal bars. Pretty good! They also work well crumbled up in greek yogurt.
I have made this chicken marsala so many times that I’m taking a break from them. But for the first few times I made it, it was so, so satisfying.
All right, look. I fully expected to love Wine Country on Netflix, but maaaaaan. It is not good. It isn’t funny or sweet or anything. I think I also hate it when Tina Fey tries to be a character actor, it’s always just the worst. Do not watch.
Here’s your semi-annual reminder that Bath & Body Works is having their huge twice-a-year sale starting on June 1st, I think. It’s never advertised in advance, but I’m almost positive that it’s the first week of June. Apologies that this sounds like an ad, I just really like their foaming hand soaps and I’m cheap as hell.
Made the roasted cauliflower, feta, orzo salad from Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook and yes it was really, really good. The only issue is that the portion size is way too big. We had leftovers for days and got pretty sick of eating it, so if you’re doing this for two people, definitely size it down. Also, I had no idea there were different types of feta. French feta is creamier than traditional Greek and maaaan is it good.
What am I looking forward to next month? I’m planning on seeing Mindy’s new movie Late Night, watching some more of the new Twilight Zone episodes, polishing off my spring list, preparing my summer list, thinking about if I’ll ignore or celebrate National Best Friend Day on June 8th, figuring out a Father’s Day gift for the 16th, I do want to see Toy Story 4 but it feels weird to not see it with a niece/nephew, and I’ll definitely take photos of the new apartment and my favourite items that I bought for the apartment post I promised last month.
