I feel slightly cheated that I've ONLY DISCOVERED THIS DRINK THIS YEAR. I can't believe that I've walked past many a Booster Juice for fifteen years - all the while this beautiful drink was sitting there, watching me, silently taunting my ignorance. I've never tasted a smoothie as delicious as their Mind Over Matcha. You have to try it. I didn't (/still don't) know exactly what matcha is and I never bothered to look it up since the word itself never sounded very appetizing to me. I couldn't have been more wrong. Drink this baby. Drink it hard.
(And is it not nuts that Booster Juice has been around since 1999? That seems a little wild to me.)
I'm sorry but this seems like an adorable event. It happens in Central Park every year and it's pretty self-explanatory: you go to Central Park with a carved pumpkin and you set him afloat. You can find more details here.
Who the hell came up with this idea? I want to squeeze him/her quite hard.
The 9/11 Memorial Museum, free from 4:30pm - 7pm, and it's best to show up for this to get tickets at 4:15pm or so and they'll give you tickets with a time to come back at (which isn't a crazy request since it's free). If you're looking for things to do before your allotted time, there's a Century 21 across the street (not the real estate company, it's kind of a large department store) or you can see the Twin Towers water memorial infront of the museum.
Look at stars on The High Line - on Tuesdays through October, astronomers host free stargazing nights at New York City’s elevated park, where you can gaze up at the stars and planets via high-powered telescopes. Tuesdays through October. The High Line is between W. 13th St. and W. 14th St. at 10th Ave., 212-500-6035.
The Whitney Museum, free admission (or pay .25 cents, can't remember) from 6pm - 9pm
The Aquarium at Coney Island, Aquarium Admission on Summer Fridays goes from 4pm - 5pm (before Sept 2) and on Fall/Winter/Spring Fridays from 3:00pm - 3:30pm (after Sept 3) is by pay-what-you-wish donation.
The Noguchi Museum in Astoria is free on the first Friday of every month.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, it says that their admission is $25, but if you look closer that's the recommended price. Don't be a sap and pay that. Every single time I go, I pay either .25 cents or $1 depending on what I have with me. Maybe that's being cheap, but they allow it so I say do it. All you do is say, "One ticket, please" and hand over what you want to pay. Also, they have a rooftop exhibit area that has a really nice view of the park. More thoughts here.
Sabon, if you ever see a Sabon store (it's a Body Shop type place), go inside and they'll ask you if you want to have your hands put through one of their routines. This isn't a thing only women do, they have a "gentleman" line and it makes your hands wicked and soft and great. If they don't ask you, then loom around the fancy sink they have in the middle of the store and then they'll ask. I tell people to get this done all the time 'cause it's great.
There are cheap movies days and here's a listing of them.
I, in no way, encourage you to make these - but if you find yourself in a situation where you are in the process of making pot brownies, please please please use this lone tip.
You see this guy?
Magic Bullet
He's your best friend in the world for this act. You know how people use those tiny little grinders? THROW THAT SHIT AWAY! If you're making these brownies, you MUST grind it up in the Magic Bullet. After it's blended in here, you will see more crystals ground up than you ever thought possible. It's insane. I wish they could somehow include this tip in the complimentary booklet of recipes or something. Maybe someday they will, they definitely should.
I'm a big fan of internet challenges. I don't think they have the ability to completely change your routine and/or life permanently, but I think they're encouraging as hell and I'm sure there's at least one out there for anyone who's looking for a change in some aspect of his/her life.
Other than fitness and food challenges, it never occurred to me to try and find some more creatively-charged ones. I stumbled across this one on a now-defunct WordPress and I think it's a great one to take on when you find yourself in a writing rut.
I made this salad for Thanksgiving and IT IS INCREDIBLE. The next time you need to make a salad for a group of people, I aggressively encourage you to use this recipe. Other than the obnoxious pomegranate-cutting, it's ridiculously easy to make.
For The Vinaigrette
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepepr
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
For The Salad
4 cups arugula
2 ripe pears, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
In a small bowl combine the shallot, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil and let vinaigrette stand at room temperature until salad is assembled. Combine the arugula, romaine, pears and half of the pomegranate seeds in a large bowl. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the ingredients in the bowl (this works best if the cheese is very cold). Whisk the vinaigrette until uniform and add all but 2 tablespoons of it to the bowl. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking. Crumble the remaining cheese over the salad and sprinkle the remaining pomegranate seeds and the pistachios over the top. Serve immediately.
