January 1, 2024

December Dalliances 2023

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

Welcome to the last monthly post of the year! I would say that this felt like a fast year but truthfully it still feels like 2012 to me so my opinions might not be reality-based. Here’s what went down last month!

Here are the best tweets of the month.
The best Christmas tweets can be found over here.
I recapped how I did on my autumn list.
I wrote my winter list of things that I want to do.
I got drinks at The Peninsula, which was fun and Christmas-y but wildly overpriced.

Some of the department store windows in NYC this year were fantastic.

The New York Public Library, December 2023

I made these espresso martini cookies and they were really good.
Nathan’s special was named Best YouTube Special of 2023 by The New York Times (!!!!!!!)
Finally got dinner at Mel’s (in the old Del Posto space) and it was good! But I never need to go again.
We’ve needed new pots and pans for over a decade, so it was immensely satisfying to buy this set from Wayfair.
I made this apple crumb cake over Christmas break and I didn’t try it (!), but it wasn’t a big hit since it was only half eaten by the time I left for New York so I should remember not to make this one again. (Also I never want to become the type of person who doesn’t eat the things she makes for others, it goes against everything I stand for??)
Speaking of Christmas food, so much was made!
- Still obsessed with making homemade pizza with sausage and fennel.
- Two charcuterie boards: I will forever add candy to these boards going forward. And I finally made the ricotta jam jar and it was a a big hit. Absolutely should be on all charcuterie boards at all times. (The tip I use to make this faster: make the tomato jam yourself, but absolutely buy jarred pesto.)
- The mushroom loaf (that I learned about from this tweet) that I will absolutely make again, it was so good.
- The leftover turkey sandwich: always a winner.
- The Nutella cookies: always my favourite. Next year I won’t be so stingy with the amount of Nutella.
- Made the spinach & artichoke puff pastry Christmas tree for the second time and I absolutely love this recipe. It’s delicious, beautiful and actually not difficult to make.
- Not every recipe can be a winner, so the losers this year? The Christmas lunch roast beef sandwiches. The meat was overcooked and tough enough that it made me instantly decide to try a new lunch recipe next year. Also I’ve messed up shortbread on TWO different recipes this month. The Alison Roman ones I always make during the holidays AND a new recipe of chocolate pistachio shortbread cookies. Both doughs were beyond crumbly, and they just didn’t taste right. So I’ll need to take a long shortbread break.

I’m still learning how to create a good board

Spinach & artichoke puff pastry Christmas tree

Obsessed with the Mighty Patch nose patches.
Some things I watched:
- I started Office Christmas Party and stopped it after twenty minutes, it was so bad.
- I finished The Crown. Oof. Other than the fact that this was, by far, the worst season of all - it really made me focus on what a terrible show it truly is and how thankful I am that it has ended. I hate that it was based on all of these real people, but so much of it is fiction. If the writers/creators would have just committed to either being fully truthful or fully fictitious then I wouldn’t be left with this feeling of disgust. There’s so much to complain about, but I’ll let it go because let’s just be glad it’s done. But really… the ghost of Diana? God, this series was sick.
The egg nog flavoured Greek yogurt at Trader Joe’s is spectacular.

We didn’t have the whole family together this Christmas (which never feels right), but we made the most of it.

Did my annual skating night with some close friends that truly heals us all, haha.

Buying skates at age 38 was the smartest decision I’ve made in my adult life

Nathan and I spent the past few days near Baltimore in Maryland and went to The B&O Railroad Museum (yes the B&O Railroad from Monopoly), which is a must-visit attraction if you’re nearby and then I had a great crab cake from Alexander’s Tavern.

Fun clouds make a photo a thousand times cooler

I told Nathan that one of his resolutions will (not “should”) be “take more photos of Liz.”

Train museums are the best museums, fight me

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: looking forward to seeing the Restaurant Week menus (it starts on January 16th), I’m going to start using this first-of-the-month checklist again and I’ll recap my resolutions from last year as well as make new 2024 ones.

If you have any interest in the other monthly roundups of 2023, they can be found here: November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February and January.

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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

December 5, 2021

Navigating November 2021

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

Should I comment on how fast this year has gone by or is that just a commonality of general life now and never needs to be said again?

Here’s what went down in November.

You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.
I wrote about the very best Thanksgiving recipes. I’m going to do this type of post again for Christmas recipes soon.
I detailed my visit to the Treasures exhibit at the New York Public Library.
My friend Irene & I tried the pizza at Di Fara’s in Brooklyn and while it was good, it was nowhere near worth the drive out there. Just way too far, we might as well have gone to New Jersey. Good pizza, though!

Here’s some advice on how to have a cheaper Christmas this year because everything costs a million dollars now?

If you’ve never been to the Octagon House in Irvington, New York then you now have no excuse not to go for yourself.
New things I watched:
- Only Murders in the Building - phenomenal! Everyone should watch! Can’t recommend it enough.
- Squid Game - yes I’m the last person on earth who watched it and yes it was fantastic. That old man! Fuck!
- The newest season of Curb Your Enthusiasm - yeah, I think I can’t watch anymore. I think I’m done with love/hate relationships because there’s no actual love here and why am I doing this to myself?
- The newest season of Big Mouth - the shame episode is phenomenal. This is just such a good show, I’m so glad it exists.
- The newest season of Nora From Queens - this season was really up and down for me, but it finished really strong. This is corny but the idea of not being lost if you have people you care for and who care for you? I love it. I’m in. The father is by far the best character and maybe the main reason I keep watching at this point.
- That’s Entertainment! Have you heard of this old movie? It’s not even a movie really, it’s a collection of moments from old Hollywood productions. I’d never even heard of Esther Williams, but oh my god what a woman.
I made these salty vanilla espresso chocolate chip cookies that exceeded expectations. I think I might only like cookies that have chocolate in them. It’s nice to finally realize this. It’s also nice to admit to fully being a child with this preference.
I can’t remember the last time autumn in New York looked this beautiful.

The Bow Bridge in Central Park, November 2021

A list of ten things you should do before Christmas (with the exception of visiting the Waldorf since it reopens in 2023).

Slightly obnoxious reminder: GET GIFT RECEIPTS.
Have you tried a satsuma mandarin? A seedless beauty.
New seasonal candles at Trader Joe’s!

New winter candles at Trader Joe’s, November 2021

My brother Gary’s podcast has returned and his first episode back was about Alf and it couldn’t be greater.

Nathan and I saw Jeff Daniels in To Kill A Mockingbird on Broadway and it was so, so good. Everyone should see him in it. But it was also just such a great feeling to be out on the town and dressed up.

to kill a mocking bird jeff daniels new york city broadway — November 2021

We’re redecorating our apartment right now and I couldn’t be more in love with our new washroom shelving. I feel like that sentence might make you sad for me, but don’t be! I’m actually living a really fun, cool life.
I’ve been craving tomato soup lately and the one at Il Bambino in Astoria is too perfect. But stay far far away from the one at Astoria Bier & Cheese because their tomato soup is putrid (which is weird because their sandwiches are great).

I’ve made this 10-ingredient lentil bolognese a few times and I think it’ll be in my permanent recipe rotation. It’s really hearty, but not at all bland and you really don’t miss the meat.

I’ll forever love Boursin cheese, this will always be true. And their new fig & balsamic flavour? Out of this world good.

I went to the beautiful restaurant on the water Red Hat on the River with my dear friend Diana and it was good! Nothing spectacular, but good. The mussels are the main reason to go, in my opinion. Tasty as hell.
I’m really on the fence about reusable gift wrap, but it does look simplistic and pretty.
I visited the Lyndhurst mansion that has been newly decorated for the holidays and it was very quaint. I will admit that the Octagon House was a little bit more exciting, but I’ll never turn down a visit to a nice house in the country.

Beautiful Diana inside the front door at Lyndhurst Mansion

Tiffany windows inside Lyndhurst Mansion

I’ve never wanted to live in a bathroom more

Loved this list of 90s Dad Thrillers, it’s just such a good genre.
Have you heard of the dollar-store-esque store Five Below? I hadn’t until this month and I’m mad I didn’t know about it sooner.
Can someone please buy me the winter spiced cranberry Sprite? Why does it look so damn good?
Loved, loved, loved this performance (below).

So I perused the new Chrissy Teigen cookbook and there’s really nothing exciting in it. And is it just me or does she use fish sauce as her “special ingredient” in almost every dish she has? And I like fish sauce, but this is getting ridiculous.

The fabric ornaments at West Elm are extremely cute this year. Did I need to buy a mouse wearing a sweater when I saw it and fell in love with it? I guess this is my life now?

Absolutely addicted to the new herbaceous cheesy bites from Trader Joe’s. A smaller, fancier mozzarella stick? I’m in, baby. (Also their seasonal rosemary nuts are fantastic.)
I had THE worst eyelash extension experience at Wow Threading Studio on 26th Street and no one should ever ever ever get eyelash “cluster” extensions. They couldn’t be worse. (Scathing review in the Yelp link.)
Incase you love seasonal episodes:

I bought a new winter mug with white snowflakes on Etsy and I’m in love.

Tried a donut from Mochi Mochi and you know what? I don’t like donuts that much these days, but this one I liked. Less dense than other donuts. (Tip: if you’re looking for Squid Game Dalgona candy, they sell them here at their location in Herald Square.)

The Union Square Holiday Market has begun and the duck fat poutine from Duck Season was INSANITY. So, so good. Better than some Canadian poutines. Go immediately.

Seasonal Poutine at Duck Season with duck fat fries, duck confit, fresh cheese curds, duck gravy $17

As soon as the colder weather starts, I always buy one new couch blanket (I guess adults call them throw blankets) and I’m in love with this Banana Republic Factory one (in the Burnt Umber colour). What is umber? Couldn’t tell you. But I can tell you that it’s chocolate coloured.

The Metropolitan Postcard Club sponsors a special two day show every November where approximately thirty-five to forty postcard dealers from around the nation and the world attend to introduce their cards to the public, so of course I went and here are some of the best ones I came across.

Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

I went to see the Dior exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum and I reviewed it over here.

The Thanksgiving croissant returned in all its glory! It is now $9 (because 2021 won’t let you have affordable things anymore), but it’s still amazing tasting. I also tried Milk Bar’s apple cake which was good but way too sweet. And their cinnamon pretzel soft serve was delicious. This place exhausts me with their new menu items, I don’t know how they continuously keep it up.

Details of the Thanksgiving croissant, November 2021

I think I’ve found the greatest scent of all time at Bath & Body Works: Fall Citrus Harvest.
I’ve mentioned my love of Supermoon Bakehouse before and my sweet friends Katie & Greg (thankyouthankyou!) got me a giant box treats from them that was absolutely decadent and incredible. Everyone must visit this bakery.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month:

I made this home movie of the holidays a few years ago that I might make again this year since we haven’t been together as a full family since December 2019 and I beg you to maybe do one of your own as well because you will watch it over and over, I promise.
If you’re at all superstitious or just, like, a cool person - don’t forget to buy your bayberry candles!
Will I be watching all of the snowy movies on this list? I’m only human, I have to.

While I’m in Ontario, I really want to get my hands on this vegan cheese that’s supposed to be incredible.

I’m planning on making roast beef on Christmas Eve mainly so I can make these roast beef sandwiches for lunch on Christmas Day.

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

November 22, 2021

Treasures Exhibit at The New York Public Library

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC

The exhibition takes place inside the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

As far as I know, the NYPL has never had an exhibit like this one before. It showcases literary pieces from their world-renowned research collections - from a draft of the Declaration of Independence to the original Winnie-the-Pooh and Friends and more. Here are the coolest things that I saw.

This is Charles Dickens’s desk, writing slope, lamp, desk calendar, and chair (below). Fun Fact: “In the fall of 1940, the mayor of New York City, Fiorello La Guardia, was invited (or took it upon himself; we don’t know which) to sit in Dickens’s chair and see how it would have felt to have been the great author. Whereupon he broke right through the caning in the seat, and nobody has ever been allowed to sit in Dickens’s chair since that date.”

Charles Dickens’s desk, writing slope, lamp, desk calendar, and chair, Treasures Exhibition, NYPL, 2021

This is the 1623 first folio of William Shakespeare’s works. It’s just insanity to be able to this see this person.

The first folio of William Shakespeare, Treasures Exhibition, NYPL, 2021

This is Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, and Eeyore. Pooh was purchased at Harrods department store in London and given by A. A. Milne to his son Christopher Robin on his first birthday, August 21, 1921. The rest of the toys were received as gifts by Christopher Robin between 1920 and 1928.

Winnie the Pooh and his friends, Treasures Exhibition, NYPL, 2021

This is Arthur Rackham’s design for the cover of the original Cinderella in pen and ink with watercolor from 1919.

Arthur Rackham’s design for the original cover of Cinderella, Treasures Exhibition, NYPL, 2021

And this is Charles Dickens’s paper knife from 1862. It is made of ivory, a cat’s paw and metal. Evidently he was a dog lover, but his daughter Mamie persuaded him to let her keep a cat, Williamina, who later gave birth to a litter of kittens; all but one - Bob - were given away. Mamie related that “the master’s cat,” so called by the household servants for his devotion to Dickens, would “follow him about the garden like a dog, and sit with him while he wrote,” and even snuff out candles with his paw in a bid for attention. After Bob died, his paw was fashioned into this paper knife. It is likely that the paper knife was not actively used, and that it was regarded as a decorative tribute to a beloved pet.

Charles Dickens’s cat paw paper knife, Treasures Exhibition, NYPL, 2021

You should definitely take some time before or after your visit to walk around the library itself because it’s breathtaking. It’s been around for over a hundred years and it’s a miracle that it’s still so well preserved. It’ll always blow my mind that it’s free to see.

Whatever you do, look up when you’re inside the NYPL

There are other incredible things to be seen (Virginia Woolf’s walking stick - the one that was found near the water where she killed herself, the Bill of Rights, Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence, etc.) so you really should go take a look for yourself.

Tickets are completely free and can be reserved here for a timed entry.

November 4, 2021

October Occurrences 2021

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

October is complete and I’m exhausted. Every year I try to make the most of October and every year I feel like I accomplish just that. And then November arrives and I feel like I can relax again for a minute before the rush and excitement of December begins. I complain, but I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way. Here’s what went down last month!

You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.
I visited the new rooftop terrace at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (a branch of the NYPL) and wrote about it.
I did three episodes of Nathan’s podcast throughout the month: #1, #2, & #3.
Your annual reminder that Christmas starts November 1st, these are the rules.
New nails alert!

Liz Heather nails — Smokey grey for autumn

I finally made the journey to Salem, Massachusetts and it was everything I’d hoped it would be.

I got this great temporary tattoo from Etsy that I kind of really want to get as a real tattoo now. Could this ever happen? Could I change my entire non-tattoo personality overnight? And if there’s a reality in which this could happen, what would I tell people is the reasoning behind it? That I love Halloween? That it’s a reminder to just live? (← Okay that might be the corniest thought on this entire blog but aren’t all reasons behind tattoos corny as hell? Do people even have reasoning behind their tattoos anymore? DID THEY EVER? Do you see why I’m not made for this??)

Liz Heather temporary ghost tattoo Halloween — Temporary ghost tattoo available on Etsy

I’ve seen most of the new SNLs this season and here are some thoughts:
- Owen Wilson ep. - based on the monologue alone, how is this man not considered the most charming celebrity on this planet? He’s so likable, it almost hurts. Love that whole family. (I still dream of Luke Wilson as my third husband or something. He just seems like he might treat me so good?) And the episode wasn’t bad overall but mostly because I think Owen’s just… so nice.
- Kim K. ep. - I won’t spell out the K word, I just won’t do it. This episode was an alien-level of bad. It blew my mind to find out that a lot of people thought differently and even liked it. Not even mainly because she was terrible (she was), but the writing was like… what the fuck is going on? These people are WRITERS? It made me so mad for a bit. Just agonizingly awful.
- Rami Malek ep. - entirely forgettable but not especially terrible.
- Jason Sudeikis ep. - okay, now this makes NO sense after the Kim episode, but this was the funniest episode I’ve seen in maybe years. What is going ON? Sudeikis was, obviously, perfect but of course he was gonna be. Can’t love this sketch more.
- SO EXCITED for Simu Liu to host next month, seems wild to have someone who knows where Square One is hosting this show.

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I tried the new apple cider truffles from Milk Bar and you guessed it: great.

Some of the family went on a mini trip to Niagara Falls and it was nice to get away, even for just a night. We were missing a few people though and that never feels right.

Tianna Heather Baby Dog Niagara Falls 2021 — Tianna & Baby Dog, Niagara Falls, October 2021

I attempted to get passes to Open House New York’s annual weekend and it went horribly. The site crashed immediately upon opening and then everything good was instantly sold out when it came back online. This damn city sometimes, I’m telling you.

I tried the pie crust cookies from Janie’s Life Changing Baked Goods on the Upper West Side and they did not disappoint. Honestly just love the bold name choice.

The chocolate pie crust cookie from Janie’s Life Changing Baked Goods, Upper West Side

I have watched so many movies this past month, they’re all kind of a blur. No true standouts, but one. Hubie Halloween. Do not watch it. A movie hasn’t made me that irrationally mad in years. Just unwatchable shit. Can that man just go somewhere and sit on all his money and be happy? He needs to be stopped.

I finished the series On My Block and it’s really just a sweet little show. Happy it ended the way it did and when it did. Fully recommend (the first two seasons mostly).
So I’m in the middle of giving up meat for a month for some health reasons (they’re boring reasons so I’m not going into details) and have you ever heard of meat withdrawal? I hadn’t but it’s real, baby. Thought I had the flu or COVID for awhile (I got tested and it was negative) but all the symptoms aligned with cutting meat. Who knew?
So I’m not going to buy the entire Simpsons collection because I’m not wildly irresponsible anymore, but I really want to buy this makeup bag.
My 16 year old niece visited New York for the first time and it was such a great trip. Highlights from the trip: we saw the Joker steps in the Bronx, we saw the musical Wicked (which was TOO good), she went to a cat cafe, we listened to jazz in Harlem, we had dessert at Serendipity, we went to Coney Island to walk around and ride the Wonder Wheel, it was such a busy weekend, I’m so glad we were able to do so much. Loved having her here.

I made an apple fritter cake for Thanksgiving in Canada that was heavenly. Definitely going to make it again at some point.

Links I’m Loving:

After reading so many good reviews, we got Mexican takeout from Ruta in Astoria and good god, that salsa. It’s incredible and deep red and I can’t wait to have it again.

I’m not a giant pumpkin fan but I made pumpkin pecan scones with a maple glaze that were very good. I tend to prefer a lighter, fluffier scone, but the pumpkin weighed these down a bit to make them a bit more dense. I also had so much leftover pumpkin, so I made some soft pumpkin cookies with salted maple icing that were really, really good. Both recipes can be made vegan if you’re better than the rest of us.

I found a new waxing place in Astoria that is incredible: Rio Wax Studio. Not only is it priced reasonably, but the service is incredible. She gets your ingrown hairs like a fucking scientist with special glasses and a magnifying device, it’s amazing. Never going anywhere else again.
I went to see the pumpkin flotilla in Central Park and it was wonderful. (People bring in their carved pumpkins and then the Central Park staff arrange them on these little planks to be floated across the water and lit up.) Yes, it’s an event aimed at children, but I like cute/fun things as much as any child.

The pumpkin flotilla in Central Park, October 2021

So I entered the Broadway ticket lottery and somehow won (why doesn’t everyone in NY enter this lottery, like, every day?), so I saw Aladdin on Broadway and look, it was cute. It isn’t for me, though. Off and on throughout the whole production I kept thinking about how the 1992 version is so far superior, but I looked around and the kids in that theatre were wowed. So that’s great. One thing that was incredible? The flying magic carpet scene. That was true beauty. Another highlight of the night was being able to walk around and see the inside of the New Amsterdam theatre. Just an architectural beauty. Every view in that theatre is magnificent.

Inside the New Amsterdam theatre in NYC, October 2021

It’s finally soup season, so you can find me most days at Il Bambino in Astoria. Every soup they’ve ever done has been spectacular.

Cream of spinach soup at Il Bambino in Astoria, Queens

I’d always heard good things about the Halloween decorations on the brownstones in the Upper West Side, so I spent the day wandering around up there and had such a nice walk searching for them. Here were the best streets should you want to see for yourself next year.
- 87th Street (between Columbus & Amsterdam)
- 95th Street (between Columbus & Central Park West)
- 94th Street (between Central Park West & Columbus)
- West 88th Street (between Central Park West & Columbus)
- West 69th Street (between Broadway and Central Park West)

For Halloween, Baby Dog dressed as Anne of Green Gables and Nathan & I were Bella & Mortimer Goth from The Sims.

Baby Dog Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather Anne of Green Gables halloween dog costume 2021 — Baby Dog as Anne of Green Gables, Halloween 2021

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I have to get my hands on Dave Grohl’s new book, it’s Thanksgiving croissant time (the best time of the year), the casual outpost of L’Artusi just opened (B’Artusi) so I’ll have to head over there soon, the new holiday stamps just came out and I can’t get to the post office fast enough, I got my ticket for the Dior exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum which should be great, I may or may be headed to another old mansion upstate for a holiday tour of the grounds, and I’m definitely going to write about recent visits to the fashion exhibit at the Met and about visiting The Octagon House upstate, too. Oh and if you care, don’t forget that the Sephora sale starts on November 5th if you’re doing any Christmas shopping.

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

October 6, 2021

The New Rooftop Terrace at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC

The view from the rooftop terrace of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, NYC

After three years of construction and $200 million dollars, the new seven-story branch of the New York Public Library (at 40th Street & Fifth Avenue) opened a few months ago right across the street from the flagship of the NYPL on Fifth Avenue (the Ghostbusters library). And there are few things more beautiful to me than a brand new shiny library.

The tables and chairs on the rooftop terrace

One of the best parts of the top floor (next to the terrace, indoors) is an outpost of Amy’s Bread (yes your favourite part of a library should probably not be the snacks they sell, but I can’t change who I am) that sells coffee, sandwiches & baked goods that are actually great and somehow not pricey - a slice of quiche for $5? Are you kidding? Is it the year 1998? That’s amazing. And right next to that is the cleanest washroom in NYC & must have cost more money than my entire apartment with Toto toilets and Dyson hand dryers.

The outdoor public terrace holds views of the main library across the street, the skyscrapers that line Bryant Park and really it’s just wild that this is the view from a public library. There are tables and chairs outside, as well as (covered) bench seating if it starts to rain. It’s truly worth a visit if you find yourself near Bryant Park, but also if you’re looking to spend some hours working in a (free) space that’s eons more relaxing than any coffee shop. The outdoor WiFi can be spotty, but I’ve been informed that it will be perfectly working before year’s end. I almost didn’t want to post about it here in fear of letting the secret out… you know, to the millions upon millions of readers I have.

Definitely worth a visit!

July 7, 2020

June Jaunts 2020

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

Can someone just hit me in the face hard enough so that I wake up in 2021? As a favour to me? (Also I love that we’re all assuming that a new year means a completely fresh new slate and that none of the actions taken this year will affect the rest of our lives? It’s ridiculous, but it’s a type of logic that I can absolutely get on board with.) In any case, life is hell right now. Here’s what went on in hell this month.

I found a new streaming site for movies that is incredible.
My brother Gary made another gravy video (this time a Swiss Chalet one) and of course it’s perfect.
My Dad turned 97!

View this post on Instagram

Happy 97th Birthday to my dad, the one & only ♥️

A post shared by Liz Heather (@lizheather) on Jun 5, 2020 at 1:46pm PDT

I started doing Ipsy bag reviews again. The best find from the bag this month: a REALHER lipstick. Just amazing quality and I need to look further into their other products.
I watched Get Me Roger Stone and the man seems like a needy psychopath.
I rewatched The Disaster Artist: still great.
I tried hard seltzer (not White Claw, it was a brand called HOOT) and it was very okay, I just don’t see the big deal? I think we all have low standards for things being good.
God, I miss Jon Stewart. I find myself just watching old segments from his show which are sadly still incredibly relevant.
I visited this coffee shop in Astoria called Coffee + Cake that’s so lovely. They make freshly baked goods each day and homemade ice cream and I’ll definitely return. This is their tomato & parmesan focaccia bread.

I tried to eat the black stem for some reason too?? Not my smartest idea.

I started taking antihistamine eye drops for seasonal allergies and they’ve cured me completely. It’s insane. I love them.
I tried birthday cake Kit Kats because why wouldn’t I and of course they’re good. But they’re basically just… white Kit Kats… and that’s already a thing that exists… and look I’m not trying to hate on them, so I’ll keep my mouth shut about it from here on out.
If I became famous, the first thing I’d endorse would be Vicks (obviously), but the second thing? This dairy-free, almond milk yogurt DAH! Yes, the name is terrible. But the yogurt is heavenly. The madagascar vanilla will change you.
Finally made this ricotta jam jar with crostini and it was everything I wanted it to be and more.
I’ve been keeping a collection of photos taken of the city throughout the pandemic that are just gorgeous photos, here are a few.

March 12th, 2020, the first night of Broadway going dark - photo by Gretchen Robinette for Gothamist

June 2020, photo by Benjamin Norman for The New York Times

I watched the Holy Chicken! documentary from the Super Size Me guy and it was okay. I did know a lot of those chicken facts already since we haven’t been eating meat these last few months, so it wasn’t anything revolutionary. And then after I watched it, I was reading about it and then came across all the gross behavior by the creator of the film and uggghhhh I wish I hadn’t watched and supported it now.

I tried this New Orleans cold brew and whoa. Good stuff. I don’t exactly know the difference between cold brew and coffee and it’s such a boring thing to look up, so… here we are.
Will forever love the food at The Thirsty Koala in Astoria. Thank you Katie, Greg & Irene for gifting us so much of their food this month! Truly so sweet of you.
Favourite tweets of the month.

They criminalize the homeless so that they don’t have to house them. They criminalize drug addicts so that they don’t have to address substance abuse as a public health problem. They criminalize the poor so that they don’t have to address wealth inequality.
— antifa’s bus driver (@Lwrathofkhan) June 6, 2020

Nothing more insulting than your dog walking into the room you're in, looking around and then leaving.
— Craig Brown (@Crugland) June 8, 2020

White people have no problem pronouncing Daenerys Targaryen but start stuttering when tryna pronounce Ahmed
— amna (@amnaaxs) June 8, 2020

Me, a fat person, breathes.

Everyone: You are so brave and courageous! I wish I could be as confident as you are.

Me: pic.twitter.com/Fg29VGDO8i
— Evette Dionne (@freeblackgirl) June 11, 2020

yesterday i told my therapist that i feel terrible and i don’t know why and she laughed and said “you don’t know WHY???”
— Scaachi (@Scaachi) June 5, 2020

My 7 year old can't believe that police don't go to law school. "Their whole job is the law, that doesn't make sense." No shit kid, go to bed.
— Edgar Blackmon (@edgarblackmon) June 11, 2020

Do u ever mention someone in ur prayers then u feel bad for not mentioning other people then suddenly ur including the whole population
— ُ (@fmlbruv) April 14, 2020

It’s weird how “daddy issues” became an insult to women when it’s men who fail as fathers.
— 🧚🏼‍♀️ (@DeeRosee_) June 15, 2020

I hate that good news, lately, has felt like a trap.
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) June 15, 2020

ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ Me when I send mail

ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ Me when I get mail back
— U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) June 16, 2020

It's the simple things that can make one's day! ☺️ pic.twitter.com/xsBx1dPUiq
— Mojo Crowe (@MojoCrowe) June 15, 2020

few things as sickening men obsessed with the idea of “legal adults”
— nikki “cute trash” black (@nikkiblackcat) June 17, 2020

You think I care about losing followers? Buddy in my day we wrote a 3 paragraph blog post to NOBODY and we freakin loved it
— Pigeon Fancier (@isabelzawtun) June 17, 2020

do you know how common it is for women to genuinely be terrified to reject a man just incase he reacts a certain way?
— women stan account. (@jxssica_c) June 16, 2020

Took my husband grocery shopping.
We got home, took off our masks, and darn it I brought home the wrong husband.
Be careful ladies.
— RUTH BUZZI (@Ruth_A_Buzzi) June 19, 2020

can we pls start valuing good people over ambitious people
— cassie cao (@thecassiecao) June 20, 2020

How great would it be if the entire NFL kneeled this season. And they just kept kneeling. And also didn’t play football. Watching sports is boring.
— Kase Raso (@KaseRaso) June 13, 2020

The US has tried to get rid of covid the way I try to get abs - I try really hard for a couple months then I get annoyed that it’s taking so long and decide abs aren’t real.
— Taylor Tomlinson (@taylortomlinson) June 12, 2020

“Defunding the police is too extreme” We make little kids do pyramid scheme fundraisers to keep their schools open lmao
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) June 20, 2020

would anyone care for some free serotonin pic.twitter.com/oekWgZJwdr
— rae paoletta🍍 (@PAYOLETTER) June 20, 2020

Remember when Pizza Hut pan pizzas were basically a goddamn culinary delicacy? They’d bring them out in a real fucking skillet that was piping at about 700 degrees Fahrenheit right as your third song kicked in on the jukebox after you’d played a game of Galaga. We were kings. pic.twitter.com/G7dQBRd3qQ
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) June 20, 2020

i know you all think your dads are the best but when my dad moved to the US he literally named himself Kenny Chee bc he loves Kenny G 💖😂
— Karen Chee (@karencheee) June 21, 2020

How old were you when you found the bottom drawer is for keeping foods warm and not for pans, like I have? pic.twitter.com/9QNDfCF3zW
— Strudel_licious👩‍⚕️🇵🇷🤓🌊💉 (@OyeKaren17) January 6, 2020

UH OH it is becoming increasingly difficult for my wife and I to trade off who gets to be the “sad one” at any given moment
— averymonsen (@averymonsen) June 22, 2020

I just saw a TURTLE run from 12 .. I’m crying https://t.co/1cz4uCCSgf
— HIM HARBAUGH 〽️ (@Noahh_GH) June 22, 2020

2020 is what 2012 tried so hard to be
— Ali San 🪐 (@TheSanPlanet) April 25, 2020

I told my sister I was going through it and she said “well go around it”
— kt ϟ (@itsktle) April 20, 2020

Imagine someone u love is fast asleep in bed after a long day of working to help others. Imagine that while she is asleep armed strangers break down her door & shoot her in her bed 8 times. If this was ur daughter or sister, u would want justice. #BreonnaTalyor deserves the same.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) June 23, 2020

Youre not alive just to work, pay bills, and lose weight.
— please stop calling me queen (@NikkiCallowayy) June 23, 2020

He said “ BITCH RIHANNA TOUCHIN ME” https://t.co/uxHyzIcskk
— ℳ𝓊𝓁𝒶𝓃 (@iamshyana) June 23, 2020

anybody wanna get married for 30 years, travel the world, start a family, and fall in love as a joke lol just like be joking the whole time haha
— nope (@LilNasX) June 24, 2020

not everyone who has been sexually assaulted immediately recognizes that is what happened to them. it can take days or weeks or even years for someone to realize what happened to them was not okay. believe victims rather than questioning why it took so long for them to speak up.
— kayla (@baz00per) June 23, 2020

Is it “cancel culture” or is it just repercussions
— BLM | andrew kimler (@AndyKimy) June 25, 2020

My conspiracy theory is that time travel IS real & someone keeps trying to fix 2020 by changing something but every time they do, they unwittingly make it worse. How else do you explain the sudden disappearance of murder hornets? They saved us from those but at what cost?!?!
— Chantal KC (@NSLCpunk) June 24, 2020

I wish every woman was a comedian. Women are casually so fucking funny
— Kelsey Caine (@kelsey_caine) June 27, 2020

The word "muse" was invented to not pay women for ideas right?
— Hana Michels (@HanaMichels) June 25, 2020

me: i look good today
my body dysmorphia: you look like this pic.twitter.com/TipiGDhMXm
— gary from teen mom (@garyfromteenmom) June 25, 2020

me, sobbing: please stop, you can’t just call every single kind of dessert pudding
british person, pointing to a cake: pudding
— Will Kellogg (@Will_Kellogg) June 28, 2020

A subtle hint. pic.twitter.com/oHoXvfjC3N
— 🕹️Puggerz (@The_Puggerz) June 5, 2020

The way he looked at her when he heard his song was priceless 🥰😂 pic.twitter.com/705qBSGqHi
— 🇧🇧 (@rahm3sh) May 29, 2020

I’m beginning to think “hindsight is 2020” was some kind of message from a future time traveler that we all misunderstood.
— Victoria Guida (@vtg2) June 27, 2020

It’s mind-boggling to me that, due to the failures and incompetence of our leaders, we’re all effectively going to lose a year of our lives. At least.
— Alex Blagg (@alexblagg) June 30, 2020

sorry i didnt text back i dont care about anything anymore
— follow me if u sad (@gIocki) June 29, 2020

New favourite Health-Ade kombucha flavour: passion fruit - tangerine. Absolutely unreal.

I bought a ton of underwear from Aerie since I don’t feel comfortable going into any stores or on the subway yet, and they’re actually pretty great quality (I’m sorry I didn’t get on this sooner, Marla.) The sizing is a little off in that one medium doesn’t fit like another medium, but once you figure it out, you’re good.
This girl. She’s still breaking my heart with these renditions.
How do I set my Google Alerts so that these types of stories are the only news stories I read?
I learned how to make vodka martinis at home, so what I’m trying to say is that I’m better than you now.
Truly don’t know how I feel about this news, but I think I have to support it, right? I wish we could just leave good things alone. Why must we always want more.
I watched The Joy Luck Club and here’s my takeaway: don’t have daughters. And also maybe don’t have mothers? It seems like everyone is a disappointment to every character in this movie. I was expecting to love it, so when that didn’t happen I was a little disappointed.
I watched Dan In Real Life (mainly because of Steve Carell who was way too good for this movie) and it suuuuucked. Hated Dane Cook. Hated the plot. Hated the whole white, rich, we-dance-as-a-family type aesthetic of the whole movie.
I watched the first season of You and a few episodes of the second season and uuuuuuuggggghhhhhh what a garbage show. I don’t need to see anyone romanticize some pathetic Gossip Girl loser who I feel no empathy for. It’s actually just so badly written and how on earth did someone green-light this trash. Here’s a good piece written about it.
Also watched a bunch of reruns of 3rd Rock From The Sun and what an underrated, great show. Wish I remembered it more.

I’ve been on a real Harrison Ford bender lately and I can’t see it stopping anytime soon. I watched Sabrina (which was okay, the best part was seeing him play a nerdish, unlovable character). I also watched Working Girl (which is really not a great movie, but it was only watchable for Ford). Also saw Air Force One and what a movie. How on earth have I never seen it before?? Such a fox. If you haven’t seen it before, I shall entice you with this one line:

Rainier cherries are in season now and while I don’t particularly love a cherry, these are delightful.
I’ve been sucking down these Saratoga Springs sparkling waters for days and there’s no turning back, they’re refreshing in a way I didn’t think existed. Just pure magic.
The only summer salad that’s worth a damn is this panzanella salad, but make sure you add fresh mozzarella to it.
I never thought I liked biscotti until a friend recently made it, so maybe I’m just into chocolate biscotti?
What a great idea (below):

If you’d like to hear the birds in NYC right now, get on over here.
I started watching Insecure but couldn’t really get into it, maybe I’ll give it more of a chance, maybe not. I feel like if you’re not hooked into a show within three episodes, it’s not gonna happen.
I rewatched Clueless and it’s really just a perfect movie. I could quote every line in this movie at one point in my life and I think I might still be able to. Still looking to emulate this perfect outfit one day.

Cannot stop making this broccoli pasta with Banza and the Beyond Meat sausage.
Absolutely haunted by this moving front page of the Times.

I finished watching Fuller House and I’ll never know why I wanted to, it’s such a corny/actually-bad show and yet I still watched. Thankfully it’s over forever.
Incase you’re looking for an alternative site to Amazon for buying books: Bookshop.org
I haven’t read a book in what feels like forever, so I finally finished Glennon Doyle’s Untamed and wrote about it.
Excited to one day see the new LaGuardia.
I went over what I did from my spring list that I made in March.
I naively made a list of what I’d like to do this summer.
It’s been a harder month than normal and I found myself watching The Land Before Time and uncontrollably weeping onto my yoga mat (I like to watch movies in the background when I’m working out). A kind of cry that comes around every decade or so where you can’t really breathe and you’re blinded my tears and everything is too much to handle. I know it’s a sad movie, but I think it was the movie and the combination of this month that made me react that way. In any case, I hope kids today still want to watch that movie. It’s a hard one, but it’s really still so good.
My grandmother Ma passed away this month and since travel is not allowed, it was especially difficult for this to happen now. I felt helpless being separated from most of my family so I wrote a bit about how it made me feel. I could talk about the greatness of this woman endlessly, how it’s insane that you could live in this day and age and not read or write and still enrich the lives of everyone you know, there’s no way to sum her up as a person. I’ll just miss her. Her voice, her endless encouragement, all of it.

Some things I’d like to do this month: I’d like to not sink into an unending pit of depression (that’d be great), I’d like to keep going on our nightly walks with Nathan, I’m likely going to buy these bike shorts as soon as they’re back in stock and you can’t stop me (I already have an outfit in mind, trust me it’s gonna look good), I was looking forward to movie theatres reopening (the Regal near our house specifically) but the date’s been pushed again to the end of July (which will likely get pushed again), and I’d really like to start and finish another book this month.

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