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LIZ HEATHER

November 8, 2023

October Occurrences 2023

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


This backyard is all I need sometimes

This backyard is all I need sometimes

That was one of the longest Octobers I’ve ever experienced and it couldn’t have been better. Here’s everything that went down last month:

  • The best tweets of October can be found over here, and I also did a post about the best Halloween tweets.

  • Our costume!

  • I started doing weekly Fall Fridays recaps because I can’t shut the hell up.

  • Made Halloween cake pops with Maya with meltable chocolate from Michaels (the funfetti vanilla is the best one) and I think these might be among my favourite desserts now. Nothing says ‘I’m almost 40’ like discovering how good cake pops are 15 years after they became popular?

Maya’s Halloween cake pops

  • Got a drink at Beetle House (the Beetlejuice-esque bar in the East Village) and that place is a party. Cocktails with dry ice should be mandatory at all bars for the prices we’re paying these days (I’d run on this platform alone if I were up for mayor).

Cocktail from Beetle House, NYC

  • I used a few of the single packets of the Dennis Gross triple eye serum and I could really see slight results in only a couple days. So annoying when expensive skincare products actually work well.

  • This chicken marsala remains one of my favourite top three dinners to make.

It’s a tall order, but please serve this chicken marsala at my funeral

  • TIP: if a recipe calls for softened butter but you forgot to soften it in advance, you should just brown the butter instead. This works for me literally every time. Browned butter is incredible.

  • Finally went to the Oscar Wilde bar and it was beautifully decorated for Halloween. It also had one of the best lighted washrooms I’ve ever seen in NYC.

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  • It’s one week into November so have I already had the Thanksgiving dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s as well as the Bobbie (Thanksgiving) sandwich from Capriotti’s? We both know the answer, don’t make me say it.

  • Made pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, but they were only okay. I think I’ll steer clear of the baking recipes from Bon Appétit for awhile. Independent bloggers almost always have better dessert recipes.

Underwhelming pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

  • Okay, the flagship Nordstrom in Manhattan? New favourite place to shop for dresses. There’s also a great happy hour bar on the fifth floor with this incredible locker that charges your phone while you walk around.

  • I’ve made the Chrissy Teigen jalapeno corn pudding for the past few years as part of our Thanksgiving meal and I might finally be sick of it? Looking for new corn recipes.

Jalapeno corn pudding

  • My favourite freezable meal right now is this short rib bolognese.

  • Walked through a section of Central Park that I’d never seen before (the north woods) and it felt like an entirely different park.

Look at that little face

  • Made apple cider doughnut cookies that turned out great. I thought the cinnamon sugar topping sounded a bit boring, but it was perfect.

Apple cider doughnut cookies

  • It is both a blessing and a curse that I learned of Nuts Factory existence (it’s basically American Bulk Barn).

  • Made this coconut chicken tikka masala in the slow cooker and it was pretty good. I doubt I’ll make it again though because I never cook rice anymore and this is a recipe begging for rice. (Why don’t I like to cook rice? Um, it takes forever? And I threw out my rice cooker because I hate having useless appliances that I’ll use once a year.)

  • The focaccia ready-made sandwiches at Eataly? Holy shit. Unbelievably good.

Focaccia sandwiches at Eataly, NYC

  • Went to Canada for Thanksgiving and it was so lovely, as always.

Camden leaves October 2023.jpeg
Camden October 2023.jpeg
Gary Heather October 2023.jpeg
Liam Tianna Downeys October 2023.jpeg
Romeo October 2023.jpeg
  • Some things I watched:

    • Sabrina The Teenage Witch (the movie): I had no idea it was a movie before it was a show. I’ll always love Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina, so this was a great find.

    • Urban Legend: totally forgot about how good this movie was. With the exception of the dog-in-a-microwave scene, obviously.

    • Knock At The Cabin: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, M. Night Shyamalan’s movies are always so hit or miss and this one? STUNK. I really hate that he insists on making cameos in them, too.

    • Prom Night: Great! Jamie Lee Curtis is a phenomenal dancer. Nobody talks about that.

    • Blades: it’s literally just a Jaws parody but with a lawnmower instead of a shark. So what I’m saying is that it was fantastic.

    • Trick R Treat: so terrible.

    • Halloween (the Rob Zombie one): UGH! Awful! Nathan claims that I hated it because apparently I don’t like “dysfunction or reality.” WHO DOES.

    • Coherence: so good! Everyone should see it.

    • The Fog: loved it! So fun when the villain is weather. And I LOVE the fact that when it was first released, they installed fog machines in some movie theatres where the movie was showing. God, that’s great.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: Nathan’s big Gramercy show this weekend, buying new cookware finally because our pots specifically are pretty toxic, might make these salted chocolate pecan pie bars for (fake) Thanksgiving later this month and I can’t wait to finally eat at the Christmas restaurant in the city Rolf’s.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went on in September over here. And my autumn highlights on Instagram can be found here.

October 2023

TAGS: Liz Heather, October, October Occurences, October Occurrences 2023, monthly post, monthly roundup, best Halloween tweets, best Halloween tweets 2023, Halloween costume 2023, Halloween cake pops, Beetle House NYC, Dr. Dennis Gross, Dennis Gross triple eye serum, best chicken marsala recipe, softened butter, butter tip, Oscar Wilde bar NYC, Mimi Cheng's, Capriotti's, Thanksgiving dumplings, Thanksgiving sandwich NYC, pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, Bon Appetite, autumn recipes, Nordstrom flagship NYC, charging stations NYC, Chrissy Teigen, Jalapeno Corn Pudding, Thanksgiving recipes, short rib bolognese, Central Park, Baby Dog, apple cider doughnut cookies, Nuts Factory, coconut chicken tikka masala, Eataly NYC, Eataly focaccia sandwiches, family, The Heathers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Urban Legend, The Fog, Knock At The Cabin, M. Night Shyamalan, Prom Night, Jamie Lee Curtis, Blades, Jaws, Trick R Treat, Halloween Rob Zombie, Coherence, movies, Bon Appétit


November 3, 2023

Fall Fridays Vol. 6

by Liz Heather in Fall Fridays


Central Park, November 2023

Central Park, November 2023

BAKING/COOKING

I physically cannot stop making chicken marsala. This recipe is restaurant quality.

Incredible chicken marsala recipe from Once Upon A Chef

CRAVING

It’s November so my radar is set on the Thanksgiving dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s as well as the Bobbie (Thanksgiving) sandwich from Capriotti’s.

DRINKING

So many blonde flat whites. There is no better hot beverage.

EATING

The heavenly duck croquettes at Satis Bistro in Jersey City.

EXPERIENCING

My dear friends Paul & Richard got me the (TikTok famous) bloody shower mat and it is great, if only slightly jarring. Nathan had a strong reaction to it, so we used it exclusively on Halloween and then I delicately packed it away for next year.

The TikTok bloody footprint shower mat

LISTENING

So I can’t stop listening to bad Christmas movies in the background while I wrap gifts. My logic: I don’t want good ones on in the background because I’ll want to watch those. If I have bad ones, then I can focus on what I’m doing but still have a Christmas vibe happening. And I can’t just put on Christmas music, it’s only November 3rd, I’m not a full psycho.

LOVING

All of the wildly nice messages about our costume this year.

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SHOPPING

I found these perfect (not expensive) high-end-looking gift tags for Christmas from Target. Sixteen of them for $5 is perfect.

Christmas gift tags from Target

WATCHING

God, so many horror movies - I’m 2% grateful October has come to a close. The last one I saw was Chucky 2 and it was actually pretty great.

WEARING

I tried on this Top Shop coat that I’m absolutely in love with. $170 isn’t insane, is it? I’m gonna wait for Black Friday.

My tombstone might say, “She took a lot of dressing room selfies”

And I’ve created an autumn highlight reel on my Instagram incase you care!

TAGS: Fall Fridays, fall, Fall Fridays Volume 6, Liz Heather, Central Park, Central Park autumn, chicken marsala, best chicken marsala, best chicken marsala recipe, Thanksgiving dumplings, Mimi Cheng's, The Bobbie sandwich, Thanksgiving sandwich NYC, Capriotti's, blonde flat white, duck croquettes, Satis Bistro, Jersey City, bloody shower mat, Christmas, Christmas movies, Christmas gift tags, Target gift tags, Wondershop gift tags, horror movies, Chucky 2, Top Shop coat, Black Friday


December 7, 2022

Navigating November 2022

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


How we intend to spend the remaining winter nights

  • You can find the best tweets of the month over here and here.

  • TIP: If you don’t pay for a Spotify subscription and you hate ads: just close the app every time an ad starts and then reopen the app and the song will start. How did it take me years to learn this?

  • So for the first time in nine years, Milk Bar didn’t have their Thanksgiving croissant. Criticisms have been declared and letters have been MAILED. If you think I’m kidding, you really don’t know me.

  • I rarely go to bars, but I went to Witching Hour in Brooklyn and I just loved the layout and general vibe. Must remember.

  • I returned to Minetta Tavern and it’s not as great as it used to be! You’re very crammed into each table and the food wasn’t really worth the price anymore. So that’s rough to realize.

Poppies should be worn year round

  • I also went to Don Angie for the first time and the lasagna is as good as they hype it up to be - same with their incredibly photogenic salad. Make sure to skip the veal tartare and the dessert, though.

  • I tried the Thanksgiving dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s and they were just all right, which was a little disappointing. Maybe I’m still in mourning for the Milk Bar croissants.

  • The Starbucks seasonal drinks keep making me sick and I keep returning for more. Someone explain?

  • Obsessed with this slip I got from Free People.

  • Made a batch of the insanely good Alison Roman chocolate chip shortbread cookies for the freezer, to make closer to Christmas.

  • So there was a beautiful, summer-y day in early November so I found an outdoor pool and headed to The Rockaway Hotel. Day passes for their heated pool are $30 all season, which is kind of amazing.

The Rockaway Hotel Pool, November 2022

Tanning in November

  • Some links I loved:

    • This great Times piece on all kinds of stuffing.

    • Some good cookie-making tips from Ina.

    • I had no idea Coney Island used to have these grand, gorgeous hotels.

    • How to donate stuff straight from home.

  • I got a drink at Miracle on 9th Street which was very cute and the drinks were great. If I’d known it was all the way over near Avenue C, I might not have gone but I’m glad I did.

Drinks at Miracle on 9th Street, Manhattan

  • Some things I watched:

    • Terrifier: okay I shouldn’t really count this since I saw a total of fifteen minutes before leaving the room. But Nathan continued watching it, so I could hear all the screams and sounds from the bedroom and I still somehow had nightmares?? So no I won’t be watching the sequel.

    • We saw Halloween Ends on November 1st and it has to be the absolute worst Halloween of the entire franchise. Just unreal. It felt like punishment for trying to watch a horror movie past October 31st, so lesson learned.

    • The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXXIII: it’s a bit depressing to hear how old Marge’s voice has become (this is an awful thought to voice and I apologize), but the Halloween episode was so good this year (especially the last segment).

    • Falling For Christmas: I am not a Hallmark movie person, but I was bored so I put this on and… I’m still firmly not a Hallmark person. These types of movies aren’t even enjoyably bad, I don’t get it.

    • A Christmas Story: this was never in my favourites of Christmas movies and it’s a very okay movie. Hundreds of better Christmas movies, though.

    • Knives Out: it was completely all right, nothing fantastic. I really hated Daniel Craig’s accent and the whole throwing-up-if-lying detail. Just seemed like a bad first screenplay idea.

    • The Fabelmans: it was good but not as epic as I’d hoped. It was really good at showing the memorable relationships through a child’s eye, especially when a kid starts to see his parents as real people.

    • The Crown (seasons 1-2): Love it, can’t wait to keep going. John Lithgow is wonderful. Loved this line: “I find, in general, people have very little understanding of who they are. One has to turn a blind eye to so much of oneself in order to get through life.”

    • Don’t ask me why but I watched some of the last season of The Big Bang Theory and just UGH. What a terrible show that was. The fact that the writers made Penny pregnant in the series finale even though there were countless episodes beforehand where she confidently said she wasn’t going to have children. JUST UGH. Of course it was written by a man.

  • I’ve already gone a few times, but the Union Square Holiday Market is really great this year.

  • You’re already Christmas shopping so just a gentle reminder: get the gift receipt.

  • The snow is coming and you will slip and possibly fall. Act accordingly.

  • I used to absolutely love Yogi Bear’s All Star Christmas Caper (it came out in 1982) and it absolutely still holds up. Link over here if you have kids and/or love nostalgia.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: of course I’ll be lighting my bayberry candles on Christmas Eve as well as New Year’s Eve, December is always the most expensive month but it doesn’t have to be, don’t forget to buy your mistletoe, I’ll definitely watch some of these, I’ll absolutely watch The Snowman yet again, I’ll make a family Christmas video again, if you’re in Ontario you kind of have to ice skate on this gorgeous path, and once again I’m begging you not to give lottery tickets as gifts.

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

TAGS: November, November 2022, Navigating November 2022, Navigating November, Baby Dog, Liz Heather, Spotify, Milk Bar, Witching Hour, Brooklyn, Minetta Tavern, NYC, Don Angie, Mimi Cheng's, Thanksgiving dumplings, Starbucks, Free People, Alison Roman, chocolate chip shortbread cookies, The Rockaway Hotel, pools NYC, stuffing, cooking making tips, Coney Island, donations, Miracle on 9th Street, Terrifier, Halloween Ends, The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror, Falling For Christmas, Hallmark movie, A Christmas Story, Knives Out, Daniel Craig, The Fabelmans, The Crown, The Big Bang Theory, Union Square Holiday Market, gift receipt, Christmas, snow, slip, fall, Yogi Bear, All Star Christmas Caper, Bob's Burgers Christmas episodes