Hi All!
I had another relaxing day at home today--I drank lots of homemade hot apple cider and fixed my Cablevision box (now I can change channels again!). The rain had stopped by the afternoon and my electricity never went out!
I still haven't gone outside and really seen the damage, but I'll be going in to WeSell tomorrow so I'll have more to report then.
Figuring out how to get to work was a little stressful. The subways are still shut down and will be for a few days yet. The buses are partially running and cabs are in full force, making a killing I'm sure. Around 9:30 tonight I found out that the buses should be in full service tomorrow, which was a huge relief since a taxi would cost about $100 round trip since I'm so far from Midtown. So for the second time since I've been in NYC I'll be taking a bus!
I'm a little nervous as I'm sure it will be packed and, like I said I'm not used to taking buses... But it will be fun to be above ground the whole time and I'll get to see the city as I go, what's left of it. A new adventure!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Hurricane Day
Well Hurricane Sandy aka Frankenstorm is blasting through NYC.
I have to admit, I was a little excited to witness a hurricane, especially one that was getting this much hype! I've always lived inland and hurricanes were never an issue, although the tornadoes I was in Kansas for were pretty exciting. So my first hurricane being a "hybrid" storm-- hurricane mixing with a winter storm front from the west and coming in at high tide on a full moon-- seemed like a pretty big deal!
I worked at Hill Country yesterday. I was the opening host and we ended up closing early (at 5) so I did all the closing work too. There was so much electricity in the air as we all rushed to get the place closed and get everyone home before the subways shut down at 7.
Today the storm rolled in. I awoke to the sound of rain and wind, the wind getting worse as the day went on. I've been fortunate enough not to lose power or to have any flooding (something I was warned my ground-level apartment was prone to doing). With the subways being shut down, most of New York is too. Even the New York Stock Exchange closed for today and tomorrow, the first unplanned closing since 9/11.
Since I didn't have any hindrances, today was just a nice day off from work! (Well the buttons on my Cablevision box did stop working and since my remote has never really worked my tv is now stuck on Starz, which so far hasn't been too bad.) And hopefully tomorrow will be another nice break (praying that the electricity stays on all day!)
It was so nice to sleep in this morning and have a day where I had to stay home and mostly just relax! I like to wake up slow in the mornings. And make myself something delicious for breakfast of course :) In my quest for more mug recipes I found this recipe for French Toast in a Mug and thought it would be a perfect Hurricane Day breakfast (ok, brunch if we're talking time of day).
I made it for the first time a couple days ago and was impressed! Last time (when these pics were taken), I was fancy and used bread from a mini baguette I had gotten at the grocery but today I used regular bread slices and it was just as delicious!
Since I didn't have any hindrances, today was just a nice day off from work! (Well the buttons on my Cablevision box did stop working and since my remote has never really worked my tv is now stuck on Starz, which so far hasn't been too bad.) And hopefully tomorrow will be another nice break (praying that the electricity stays on all day!)
It was so nice to sleep in this morning and have a day where I had to stay home and mostly just relax! I like to wake up slow in the mornings. And make myself something delicious for breakfast of course :) In my quest for more mug recipes I found this recipe for French Toast in a Mug and thought it would be a perfect Hurricane Day breakfast (ok, brunch if we're talking time of day).
I made it for the first time a couple days ago and was impressed! Last time (when these pics were taken), I was fancy and used bread from a mini baguette I had gotten at the grocery but today I used regular bread slices and it was just as delicious!
Mug French Toast
1/2 Tablespoon butter
2 slices bread
1 egg
3 Tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Few drops vanilla
Melt the butter in a large mug and tilt the mug so that the butter coats the sides. Rip or cut the bread into cubes and drop them into the mug, filling it up. In a bowl, beat the egg, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread, coating all of the topmost pieces.
Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until the egg is set (most of the egginess will settle in the bottom so pull the bread away from the sides to check that the eggs are no longer liquid-y in the bottom of the mug.) Top with syrup and enjoy!
I'd be interested in adding syrup to the egg mixture to get a maple flavor "baked" into the toast... Also in mixing peanut butter with the syrup as I love peanut butter on my French toast!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
A Post with Lots of Pictures of Yummy Food
Sorry all! I know I've been really bad about posting lately. I worked 57 hours last week and had a lot of late nights which resulted in my time at home going towards cleaning or doing laundry or trying to plan out how I'm getting places for the holidays, rather than to writing blog posts. I even missed Mug Monday :/ I didn't get home from the office until around 11 and I'm pretty sure all I could do at that point was eat a Salted Caramel Cupcake I'd brought home from Hill Country over the weekend and called it good hehe.
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| Mmmm rich, gooey caramel |
I had a good weekend, mostly just worked at Hill Country but I did go out for brunch on Friday with a friend from Resource. We went to a French Cafe that's pretty new and had some yummy frittatas.
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| Tea, bread, and frittata |
It was really fun to catch up with her and see how things are going at Resource, as well as get a copy of the Fall issue which actually has my name in it! She lives in Williamsburg so I met her there and had my first Williamsburg experience. Except it was raining so it wasn't the full experience of that hipster mecca. Don't worry though, I'll be back to visit her again and have a better report :)
Other highlights from the weekend... I knocked out a few Pinterest projects including cleaning the tray in my toaster oven and trying out what I'm dubbing the most painful mask in the world. It seemed like such a great idea and I was told later in the day that I looked "gorgeous! Did you do something different? To your face or hair or something?" So I guess it was worth something. But wow, I was nearly in tears peeling that thing off. If I use it again I would not put it on my entire face. Be warned!!
Oh! After brunch I stopped by this Italian Bakery that's really near my subway stop home and totally delicious! A treat for the Bronx, I must say. My dad got us pastries from there for breakfast one morning when my parents were moving me out here and he was exploring the area. I've been meaning to go back but waiting on money and finally felt like I could spurge a little. This is what I got there:
It was delicious and a nice sweet treat since my brunch had been so savory.
In case you can't tell, I really like taking pictures of my food :)
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Pizza, Players, and an Open Window
Whew, what a day! A good day :)
I worked at WeSell today, plotting out the locations of venues for a huge Halloween pub crawl. This proved to be a day long task as it involved a lot of double checking and additional steps. But it was actually pretty fun! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm actually doing what I love and am interested in, as a job!
It's crunch time for this event which meant that everything I was working on had to be done today. My boss, David, had stayed in the office yesterday until 5am this morning and it was looking like tonight was going to be another late night, but for more than just him! Technically I'm supposed to be done at 8 but I don't usually leave until around 8:30. Tonight I left at 11:30. But I was told I'll get paid a little something for staying so long. Plus, we got pizza!
The others left around 10 and at 10:30 disaster struck! David and I were both working on the maps to get them done faster when--suddenly and for no apparent reason, the folder we were saving all our files into just disappeared! Into thin air. This was super scary as it meant we would have to redo EVERYTHING I had been working on that day. Luckily he figured it out and we both rejoiced and got back to work. It was a fun time to get to know some of the other people in the office better. And fun because I enjoy the work :)
I had some entertainment on the subway when a man in his 40's got on the train with a younger friend. The older man was reminiscing about his younger years, "those were the days," and recounting how he was quite a player-- talking of how he would scout out an area and get a feel for it then go to a thrift store and buy cloths that fit the attitude there just so he could pick up the ladies from that area. (He came on the train describing how ladies are actually more judgmental than guys because they size up a man and judge every detail of a man upon first encounter, so naturally he had to dress a certain part to be accepted by ladies.) He was interesting to listen to and I shared a few looks and laughs with a girl across the aisle from me who was also listening to him.
One thing I did learn from him is that the subways would be the worst place possible to be during a flood. He said there was no way to get out of them in an emergency like that and they'd fill right up with water... Which doesn't put very pretty pictures in your head.
I came home to find a new addition to my apartment thanks to the construction outside (some refurbishing of the ole brownstone). I found a rather inconveniently placed extension cord strung from my living room window to an outlet by my door. I was awoken by the sounds of power tools and loud male voices right outside my window the following day. Today there is a layer of dust of some sort on everything laying out on my kitchen counters (which is pretty much all my dishes, spices, some food boxes...). I guess the dust/dirt came in through my window which is still slightly open, only because I can't reach the top of it :/
Anyways, that got very off topic but it was a good day overall :) But now I'm going to attempt to clean up some of this dust... Or go to bed. We'll see how I feel when I stand up.
I worked at WeSell today, plotting out the locations of venues for a huge Halloween pub crawl. This proved to be a day long task as it involved a lot of double checking and additional steps. But it was actually pretty fun! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm actually doing what I love and am interested in, as a job!
It's crunch time for this event which meant that everything I was working on had to be done today. My boss, David, had stayed in the office yesterday until 5am this morning and it was looking like tonight was going to be another late night, but for more than just him! Technically I'm supposed to be done at 8 but I don't usually leave until around 8:30. Tonight I left at 11:30. But I was told I'll get paid a little something for staying so long. Plus, we got pizza!
The others left around 10 and at 10:30 disaster struck! David and I were both working on the maps to get them done faster when--suddenly and for no apparent reason, the folder we were saving all our files into just disappeared! Into thin air. This was super scary as it meant we would have to redo EVERYTHING I had been working on that day. Luckily he figured it out and we both rejoiced and got back to work. It was a fun time to get to know some of the other people in the office better. And fun because I enjoy the work :)
I had some entertainment on the subway when a man in his 40's got on the train with a younger friend. The older man was reminiscing about his younger years, "those were the days," and recounting how he was quite a player-- talking of how he would scout out an area and get a feel for it then go to a thrift store and buy cloths that fit the attitude there just so he could pick up the ladies from that area. (He came on the train describing how ladies are actually more judgmental than guys because they size up a man and judge every detail of a man upon first encounter, so naturally he had to dress a certain part to be accepted by ladies.) He was interesting to listen to and I shared a few looks and laughs with a girl across the aisle from me who was also listening to him.
One thing I did learn from him is that the subways would be the worst place possible to be during a flood. He said there was no way to get out of them in an emergency like that and they'd fill right up with water... Which doesn't put very pretty pictures in your head.
I came home to find a new addition to my apartment thanks to the construction outside (some refurbishing of the ole brownstone). I found a rather inconveniently placed extension cord strung from my living room window to an outlet by my door. I was awoken by the sounds of power tools and loud male voices right outside my window the following day. Today there is a layer of dust of some sort on everything laying out on my kitchen counters (which is pretty much all my dishes, spices, some food boxes...). I guess the dust/dirt came in through my window which is still slightly open, only because I can't reach the top of it :/
Anyways, that got very off topic but it was a good day overall :) But now I'm going to attempt to clean up some of this dust... Or go to bed. We'll see how I feel when I stand up.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Egg On My Face--Literally!
Remember those super delicious mug chocolate chip cookies that I shared the recipe for in one of my first posts? Yeah, I love those things. And by that I mean that I have one at the very least once a week. There's a problem with them though, they use one egg yolk. Leaving at least one abandoned egg white a week!
I hate to waste and living frugally on my own has reinforced that. But what do you do with one egg white? I usually just put it in a little container and mix it in with scrambled eggs in the morning. I know that there are recipes out there that use just egg whites but are they the type of recipes I would make here for myself? If you know of some please share! Or suggest ideas and I'll look into it.
In the meantime, I was browsing through my Beauty Tips board on Pinterest and found this DIY Peel-Off Mask recipe, using just one egg white!! How perfect! So tonight I made a chocolate chip cookie in the microwave (while making Rice-A-Roni and hard boiling eggs on my hot plate, which is apparently an overload on the power strip all those things are plugged into, as it kept flipping off... maybe because the power strip is then plugged into an extension cord which is finally plugged into the outlet) and gave the mask a try!
You just take an egg white, whip it a little and spread it on your face with a brush. Then press a tissue onto the wet egg and spread more yolk onto that! I didn't use all of the egg either, so I could use it again later in the week.
I think the mask worked well, my face looks and feels soft and smooth. Plus it was so simple! Just an egg white, a tissue, and a brush (the original site says to use a face pack brush but... I don't have one of those so I just used a regular little paint brush because I have plenty of those). The mask could have doubled as a Halloween costume too! Haha and it's fun to be able to peel it off at the end.
I hate to waste and living frugally on my own has reinforced that. But what do you do with one egg white? I usually just put it in a little container and mix it in with scrambled eggs in the morning. I know that there are recipes out there that use just egg whites but are they the type of recipes I would make here for myself? If you know of some please share! Or suggest ideas and I'll look into it.
In the meantime, I was browsing through my Beauty Tips board on Pinterest and found this DIY Peel-Off Mask recipe, using just one egg white!! How perfect! So tonight I made a chocolate chip cookie in the microwave (while making Rice-A-Roni and hard boiling eggs on my hot plate, which is apparently an overload on the power strip all those things are plugged into, as it kept flipping off... maybe because the power strip is then plugged into an extension cord which is finally plugged into the outlet) and gave the mask a try!
You just take an egg white, whip it a little and spread it on your face with a brush. Then press a tissue onto the wet egg and spread more yolk onto that! I didn't use all of the egg either, so I could use it again later in the week.
I think the mask worked well, my face looks and feels soft and smooth. Plus it was so simple! Just an egg white, a tissue, and a brush (the original site says to use a face pack brush but... I don't have one of those so I just used a regular little paint brush because I have plenty of those). The mask could have doubled as a Halloween costume too! Haha and it's fun to be able to peel it off at the end.
It took about half an hour for mine to harden completely. It didn't do as much for removing black heads as I'd hoped but if you're looking for a simple mask to tighten, brighten, and soften skin I would definitely recommend this one :)
Monday, October 15, 2012
A Little Breakfast Something
Hello again!
It's been a busy weekend (aren't they always?!)-- working and hanging out with friends and cleaning up my apartment in the tiny bits of time I'm actually in it!
I'm trying to take some of the uncertainty out of my mornings by planning my outfits at the beginning of the week, packing my lunches the night before (and making foods that I can take as leftovers a few days in row), and having nutritious and delicious breakfast foods on hand. So far I'm not doing very well in those areas haha. I did make mini baked oatmeals last night so I'm set for some delicious breakfast this week :)
I get home from my internship somewhere between 9:30 and 10 pm and by that point I'm usually ready to settle in and waste time on the internet. Or, if I do have motivation, (like tonight) I get on Pinterest to look up something that I'm going to make/do then half an hour later realize that was a mistake.
I do still have some motivation though so I'm here to post a Mug Monday recipe then I'll be planning some lunchtime meals because, as my boss pointed out to me today, EasyMac is not very good for you. (I think he was a little disappointed that I had EasyMac for lunch after he saw me eating homemade baked oatmeal for breakfast!)
Speaking of breakfast, this was the very first mug recipe that I made. I found it on Pinterest and was intrigued. Then I tried it and was hooked! The original recipe is from the blog Chocolate Covered Katie, where I have also found some great recipes for oatmeal-- but that's a story for another post.
This coffee cake recipe is delicious! And super easy and fast, what could be better?! It takes about 5 minutes total but can also be prepared ahead of time and be nuked in the morning, or whenever you're ready for it! (I found this recipe while still living at home and after I tried it I mixed up 3 for my family one night. I left the mugs on the counter for them to pop in the microwave in the morning before school and work, that way I was treating them to breakfast and I didn't have to wake up at 6am)
It's been a busy weekend (aren't they always?!)-- working and hanging out with friends and cleaning up my apartment in the tiny bits of time I'm actually in it!
I'm trying to take some of the uncertainty out of my mornings by planning my outfits at the beginning of the week, packing my lunches the night before (and making foods that I can take as leftovers a few days in row), and having nutritious and delicious breakfast foods on hand. So far I'm not doing very well in those areas haha. I did make mini baked oatmeals last night so I'm set for some delicious breakfast this week :)
I get home from my internship somewhere between 9:30 and 10 pm and by that point I'm usually ready to settle in and waste time on the internet. Or, if I do have motivation, (like tonight) I get on Pinterest to look up something that I'm going to make/do then half an hour later realize that was a mistake.
I do still have some motivation though so I'm here to post a Mug Monday recipe then I'll be planning some lunchtime meals because, as my boss pointed out to me today, EasyMac is not very good for you. (I think he was a little disappointed that I had EasyMac for lunch after he saw me eating homemade baked oatmeal for breakfast!)
Speaking of breakfast, this was the very first mug recipe that I made. I found it on Pinterest and was intrigued. Then I tried it and was hooked! The original recipe is from the blog Chocolate Covered Katie, where I have also found some great recipes for oatmeal-- but that's a story for another post.
This coffee cake recipe is delicious! And super easy and fast, what could be better?! It takes about 5 minutes total but can also be prepared ahead of time and be nuked in the morning, or whenever you're ready for it! (I found this recipe while still living at home and after I tried it I mixed up 3 for my family one night. I left the mugs on the counter for them to pop in the microwave in the morning before school and work, that way I was treating them to breakfast and I didn't have to wake up at 6am)
Coffee Cake in a Mug
3 Tablespoons flour Topping:
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 shakes salt 1 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon sugar 2 pecan halves, chopped (optional)
1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons water *I keep a ziploc bag with a
2 teaspoons oil cinnamon/brown sugar mixture
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract so I have it ready whenever
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet ingredients. Scoop 1/2 the batter into a greased, regular sized mug. Sprinkle half of the topping onto the batter. Add the remaining batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon and sugar. Microwave for 1 minute or so and enjoy! With coffee or tea or milk :)
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| Part of a healthy, balanced breakfast ;) |
Friday, October 12, 2012
The Heat is On!
It's been getting pretty chilly here in NYC. I fell like I was just wearing shorts 2 weeks ago (oh wait, I was) and now it's already jacket weather! It got cold quick, and I'm not a fan of cold weather. This sudden change in weather makes me wish I was back in Kansas where the winters were extremely mild and unseasonably warm, the two that I experienced were at least.
My apartment doesn't hold heat very well and has been almost as chilly as it is outside! That might be a slight exaggeration, I do think it's been warmer than 50* in here... Nonetheless, I'm naturally cold pretty much all the time and having only a little space heater and only a few warm clothes (I was only supposed to be here for the summer after all) meant that I was drinking a lot of hot chocolate and tea and bundling into the few pairs of sweats I had with me.
Towards the middle of the week things improved with a wonderful care package from my parents, full of sweaters, dress pants, and shoes that I had left at home but now needed for my internship, and the chilly weather, plus a lot of food! Yay for my wonderful parents :)
Then, this morning, the heat was on!! There are two heaters in my apartment, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. Apparently the heat for the whole house goes through these before getting to the rest of the house so I'm not in control of my own heating. My days are shivering in my own apartment are over! (Ok, it wasn't really that bad) In fact, from what I hear it'll be so toasty that I'll probably be wearing shorts around my apartment in the dead of winter--which is fine with me!
Because the heat was on (well, I'm guessing that's why) we had an unexpected visitor (I wasn't expecting him at least): the gas and electric guy. I was still in my pajamas and about to do some yoga when he and Danny, who lives upstairs, came to my door to explain that he needed to come in and check the meters which are conveniently located in my apartment. That was a lil awkward... Mostly because he couldn't find the electrical one and neither Danny or I knew where it was and the guy was in a hurry and impatient with us as he had a big route to do today.
Oh well, we'll look forward to another visit from him next month and for now I'll enjoy basking in the heat :)
My apartment doesn't hold heat very well and has been almost as chilly as it is outside! That might be a slight exaggeration, I do think it's been warmer than 50* in here... Nonetheless, I'm naturally cold pretty much all the time and having only a little space heater and only a few warm clothes (I was only supposed to be here for the summer after all) meant that I was drinking a lot of hot chocolate and tea and bundling into the few pairs of sweats I had with me.
Towards the middle of the week things improved with a wonderful care package from my parents, full of sweaters, dress pants, and shoes that I had left at home but now needed for my internship, and the chilly weather, plus a lot of food! Yay for my wonderful parents :)
Then, this morning, the heat was on!! There are two heaters in my apartment, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. Apparently the heat for the whole house goes through these before getting to the rest of the house so I'm not in control of my own heating. My days are shivering in my own apartment are over! (Ok, it wasn't really that bad) In fact, from what I hear it'll be so toasty that I'll probably be wearing shorts around my apartment in the dead of winter--which is fine with me!
Because the heat was on (well, I'm guessing that's why) we had an unexpected visitor (I wasn't expecting him at least): the gas and electric guy. I was still in my pajamas and about to do some yoga when he and Danny, who lives upstairs, came to my door to explain that he needed to come in and check the meters which are conveniently located in my apartment. That was a lil awkward... Mostly because he couldn't find the electrical one and neither Danny or I knew where it was and the guy was in a hurry and impatient with us as he had a big route to do today.
Oh well, we'll look forward to another visit from him next month and for now I'll enjoy basking in the heat :)
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Wildest Moments
Here it is again, another song that is constantly running through my head. Another Resource intern introduced me to it a month or so ago and I've come back around to it, basically listening to it on repeat.
Wildest Moments by Jessie Ware
Monday, October 8, 2012
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
It's Mug Monday!!
I've been making recipes in mugs like crazy- partially to find new ones but mostly because they're just so easy! Breakfast, lunch, dessert... Mostly dessert :) I'm getting quite a collection though and it's difficult to only post them once a week! Maybe I'll have to start sharing them more often... but would that take away from Mug Mondays?!
Anyways, I had a request for this recipe after I'd told my mom about it and she mentioned it to a family friend. I found it (where else?) on Pinterest and it's originally from The Family Kitchen.
I've only added caramels but this makes an awesome, basic chocolate cake that would be equally delcious with chocolate chips, crushed up Andes mints, or a variety of additives. Feel free to be creative :)
I've been making recipes in mugs like crazy- partially to find new ones but mostly because they're just so easy! Breakfast, lunch, dessert... Mostly dessert :) I'm getting quite a collection though and it's difficult to only post them once a week! Maybe I'll have to start sharing them more often... but would that take away from Mug Mondays?!
Anyways, I had a request for this recipe after I'd told my mom about it and she mentioned it to a family friend. I found it (where else?) on Pinterest and it's originally from The Family Kitchen.
I've only added caramels but this makes an awesome, basic chocolate cake that would be equally delcious with chocolate chips, crushed up Andes mints, or a variety of additives. Feel free to be creative :)
Salted Caramel Chocolate Mug Cake
4 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg--beaten
3 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon oil
3-4 caramels
In a large mug, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. *Optional: The original recipe calls for salted caramels but I didn't know such a thing existed. I usually just unwrap the caramels and sprinkle them with some salt to give it the salty-sweet combo.*
Drop the caramels into the batter. (I usually spread them throughout, rather than dropping them all in the middle, because they tend to sink to the bottom.) You could also sprinkle some salt on top of the cake to add to the salty-sweet.
Microwave the cake for about 1 minute and 30 seconds or until it is done. If I had caramel ice cream topping I would probably add that and sea salt on the top after it had cooked.
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| It might look like regular chocolate cake, but it has a secret! |
Enjoy!!
Happy Days at Hill Country
One really cool thing about working at Hill Country is that celebrities are frequent visitors!
Living in New York, I could, and probably do, walk by celebrities on the sidewalk every day and have no idea-- there's just so many people and honestly, they usually look just like anyone else. I can pick models out of the crowd but television stars, musicians, and actors are a little trickier.
Which is why working in a nicer restaurant is great! Celebrities often eat there (Idina Menzel, Neil Diamond, Jesse Jackson, John Legend are just a few I've heard about in the last couple weeks) and someone is bound to recognize them and spread the word that so-and-so is sitting at table 43.
I'd been working at HC about 3 weeks before my first celeb sighting. It was Jaclyn Smith, one of the original Charlie's Angels. I was at the cash register and had no idea who she was or that she was even famous as I searched for a Small tank top she was buying for her daughter. Luckily, she was more in the other cashier's era and he urgently whispered "Do you know who that is?!"
I've been waiting for another celebrity to come in and, hopefully, to actually know who they were and recognize them. This weekend I got my wish!
I worked a double Saturday and while I was on my break and eating downstairs, a server came over to tell Ebony and I that The Fonz was there! Honestly, I've never seen Happy Days, but I do know who The Fonz is and have seen some of Harry Winkler's movies. I happened to end my break and get back to work right as he was leaving which led to me being the one to check him out at the cash register! I was pretty stoked to actually talk to him a little.
He was super nice and shorter in person than I would have thought (although I hear they always are!)-- I had a good 4 inches on him in my cowgirl boots! Here Comes the Boom is his latest movie coming out soon and he was recommending that to everyone. He also said he loved the place and will be back so maybe I'll get to see him again!
It definitely added some excitement to the evening and is a fun fact to tell people!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Day 2 and Cafe R
Today was my second day at my new internship and it went really well! Maybe even better than yesterday because I was past the first day and already knew what I was supposed to be doing.
It's amazing the differences between the two places already. Everything from the atmosphere, to the work, to the style and setup, the office itself, the size of the operation, the hours and people... I'm thankful for my time at Resource, I had a good experience there and definitely learned a lot, but I'm happy to be in a new environment.
Now, because I love food and am completely in love with the food opportunities open to me in New York, I have to talk about my lunch today. At Resource I packed my lunch pretty much every day to save money, and I'll probably do that a lot at WeSell as well. But this morning time got away from me and there was no time to pack. So, come lunch time (which was actually more like early suppertime), I explored a little and found that there's this awesome deli/cafe, Cafe R, right across the street from my building!
I was always impressed by Bridge Fresh, the deli we frequented in DUMBO, but this, this was ridiculous. Literally any food you could imagine or want was at this place. The sign for a sushi special attracted me and at first all I saw was sushi and Chinese food, which you could order at counters and have made right in front of you. Then I noticed how big the place was and how many more counters and signs there were. Then I noticed the buffet of food ($6.65 per pound) in the middle. Then I saw the little grocery area. Then the packaged foods under the counters (like Easy Mac and Chef Boyardee). Then I realized there was a whole other side lined with counters. And these counters where you could order food were in addition to the coolers and cases in the middle where you could grab ready-made sandwiches and sushi and fruit salads and cookies and wraps and... well you get the idea.
Basically this place was overwhelming, but in a very good way. After glancing at the menus for sushi, Chinese, soup, Teriyaki, and Korean I decided on some orange chicken with lo mein. It was prepared right in front of me and delicious! Plus I could only eat about half and had leftovers-yay!
It's amazing the differences between the two places already. Everything from the atmosphere, to the work, to the style and setup, the office itself, the size of the operation, the hours and people... I'm thankful for my time at Resource, I had a good experience there and definitely learned a lot, but I'm happy to be in a new environment.
Now, because I love food and am completely in love with the food opportunities open to me in New York, I have to talk about my lunch today. At Resource I packed my lunch pretty much every day to save money, and I'll probably do that a lot at WeSell as well. But this morning time got away from me and there was no time to pack. So, come lunch time (which was actually more like early suppertime), I explored a little and found that there's this awesome deli/cafe, Cafe R, right across the street from my building!
I was always impressed by Bridge Fresh, the deli we frequented in DUMBO, but this, this was ridiculous. Literally any food you could imagine or want was at this place. The sign for a sushi special attracted me and at first all I saw was sushi and Chinese food, which you could order at counters and have made right in front of you. Then I noticed how big the place was and how many more counters and signs there were. Then I noticed the buffet of food ($6.65 per pound) in the middle. Then I saw the little grocery area. Then the packaged foods under the counters (like Easy Mac and Chef Boyardee). Then I realized there was a whole other side lined with counters. And these counters where you could order food were in addition to the coolers and cases in the middle where you could grab ready-made sandwiches and sushi and fruit salads and cookies and wraps and... well you get the idea.
Basically this place was overwhelming, but in a very good way. After glancing at the menus for sushi, Chinese, soup, Teriyaki, and Korean I decided on some orange chicken with lo mein. It was prepared right in front of me and delicious! Plus I could only eat about half and had leftovers-yay!
They had seating at both ends of the place, so I stayed there to eat and gawked at all the food options. Pizza, a bakery, "American grill", Mediterranean, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches (both having pitas, paninis, and wraps), Mexican, Philly Steak, breakfast bar, pasta bar, beverage bar, salad bar, smoothie bar... I, of course, looked them up online later and, although they don't have a website (guess they need a good web designer's help ;), I did find their Facebook page which even shows their specials for every week!
Maybe no one else finds this interesting and I'm sorry if that's the case but I am a lover of food--places like this amaze me and are just another fantastic thing about New York :)
If I don't post for a few days it's because I'm crazy busy working at HC. Pulling a double tomorrow and Saturday plus working normally Friday and Sunday. Gotta make the money to buy these new clothes I want so bad! Haha, or at least to buy lunch for myself every once and awhile ;)
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Internship #2
So remember that exciting thing I promised to "talk more about later" last weekend? I'm finally going to talk about it.
Two Fridays ago, I had an interview for an internship at WeSell.com, a large advertising and event hosting site located in Manhattan. I felt like the interview had gone really well, but didn't really want to share too much until I had heard something back from them, preferably something positive.
I had been told I would hear from them after about a week and when I didn't hear from them right on Friday (or Saturday... or Sunday) I got a little disheartened. I mean, I felt very good after that interview! But that's life I guess... Who actually gets the first thing they interview for?
Friends advised me to follow up so I planned to call them back today. Well, last night, right in the middle of writing my Mug Monday post, I got a phone call and what do you know, it was David over at WeSell inviting me back and wondering if I could start today! I was ecstatic! I literally jumped up and down and screamed a little, which isn't something I do, like ever.
After fretting over the definition of "Business Casual" I figured out an outfit (I've been longing for new clothes and eager to do some shopping in NYC and now I actually have an excuse to get some new, professional clothes!) and headed off for my first day today! It was awesome. I actually have my own desk, complete with dual monitors! Everyone seems pretty friendly and it's such a professional setting, while being young and fun. Best of all, just the little taste of graphic design work I got to do today made me excited and remember how much I love graphic design. Oh, and did I mention it's a paid internship? A rarity, I assure you.
I'm ready for a new venture and so excited to be doing graphic design work! This is such an answer to prayer and I just wonder what else is in store for me...
Two Fridays ago, I had an interview for an internship at WeSell.com, a large advertising and event hosting site located in Manhattan. I felt like the interview had gone really well, but didn't really want to share too much until I had heard something back from them, preferably something positive.
I had been told I would hear from them after about a week and when I didn't hear from them right on Friday (or Saturday... or Sunday) I got a little disheartened. I mean, I felt very good after that interview! But that's life I guess... Who actually gets the first thing they interview for?
Friends advised me to follow up so I planned to call them back today. Well, last night, right in the middle of writing my Mug Monday post, I got a phone call and what do you know, it was David over at WeSell inviting me back and wondering if I could start today! I was ecstatic! I literally jumped up and down and screamed a little, which isn't something I do, like ever.
After fretting over the definition of "Business Casual" I figured out an outfit (I've been longing for new clothes and eager to do some shopping in NYC and now I actually have an excuse to get some new, professional clothes!) and headed off for my first day today! It was awesome. I actually have my own desk, complete with dual monitors! Everyone seems pretty friendly and it's such a professional setting, while being young and fun. Best of all, just the little taste of graphic design work I got to do today made me excited and remember how much I love graphic design. Oh, and did I mention it's a paid internship? A rarity, I assure you.
I'm ready for a new venture and so excited to be doing graphic design work! This is such an answer to prayer and I just wonder what else is in store for me...
Monday, October 1, 2012
Weekend Visits and Apple Upside Down Cake
Hey All!
It seems like forever since I've posted. Hope everyone had a great weekend!
I've had a lot of excitement the last few days! Over the weekend, a couple of my friends going to school in Virginia drove up for a visit. They brought a guy friend who had two friends from Germany who were on holiday in NYC. It was a fun weekend of seeing old friends as well as making new ones!
We packed a ton of stuff into Saturday: Central Park, Times Square, lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, Grand Central Station, snacks from Crumbs bakery, Staten Island Ferry, Little Italy, supper at Puglia's, the Brooklyn Bridge... And that's not even including all the extra things we saw/did on the way to those places--street performers, street fairs, we even stumbled across the Pagan Pride Day gathering in Battery Park!
It was a busy, wonderful day followed by a relaxing Sunday brunch at Argo Tea on 58th Street, before they headed back to college.
I'll talk more about the other exciting stuff tomorrow! Because tonight, it's Mug Monday.
Inspired by the fall weather and the fact that I was going to have guests, I bought a bag of locally grown, gala apples and yum! My inspiration has carried through to finding tasty fall recipes using these apples.
Today I'd like to share a recipe I found for Coffee Cup Upside Down Cake. This recipe originally came from The Wichita Eagle (which made me like it all the more as I went to college 45 minutes from Wichita) and appeared in an article featuring four mug recipes, all of which look pretty delicious.
When I think of Upside Down Cake, I always think of pineapple but I thought that using apple would be a nice tribute to fall and that, likewise, the caramel-y topping would pay a nice tribute to the apples :) I was not disappointed.
It seems like forever since I've posted. Hope everyone had a great weekend!
I've had a lot of excitement the last few days! Over the weekend, a couple of my friends going to school in Virginia drove up for a visit. They brought a guy friend who had two friends from Germany who were on holiday in NYC. It was a fun weekend of seeing old friends as well as making new ones!
We packed a ton of stuff into Saturday: Central Park, Times Square, lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, Grand Central Station, snacks from Crumbs bakery, Staten Island Ferry, Little Italy, supper at Puglia's, the Brooklyn Bridge... And that's not even including all the extra things we saw/did on the way to those places--street performers, street fairs, we even stumbled across the Pagan Pride Day gathering in Battery Park!
 |
| Getting a great view of the Manhattan nighttime skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge |
I'll talk more about the other exciting stuff tomorrow! Because tonight, it's Mug Monday.
Inspired by the fall weather and the fact that I was going to have guests, I bought a bag of locally grown, gala apples and yum! My inspiration has carried through to finding tasty fall recipes using these apples.
Today I'd like to share a recipe I found for Coffee Cup Upside Down Cake. This recipe originally came from The Wichita Eagle (which made me like it all the more as I went to college 45 minutes from Wichita) and appeared in an article featuring four mug recipes, all of which look pretty delicious.
When I think of Upside Down Cake, I always think of pineapple but I thought that using apple would be a nice tribute to fall and that, likewise, the caramel-y topping would pay a nice tribute to the apples :) I was not disappointed.
Apple Upside Down Mug Cake
2 Tablespoons butter, divided
3 Tablespoons brown sugar, divided
1/2 apple, thinly sliced
1/2 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
Few drops vanilla
1/4 cup flour + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder + 2 shakes salt
(or 1/4 cup self-rising flour)
2 pinches cinnamon
Lay apple slices, 1 tablespoon of the butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar in the bottom of a coffee mug. Microwave for 1 minute. Using a fork, mix remaining butter with sugar until creamy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Add flour and cinnamon and stir until smooth.
Swirl the coffee mug to coat all the apples with the sugary butter mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour batter into cup and microwave for 1 minute or until the cake is done.
If you want to actually see the apples and prettiness of this cake, take a small plate and place it upside down on the top of the mug. Holding the plate to the mug, flip them over so that the cake falls onto the plate, apples up.
Yum! Happy Fall, happy Monday, happy baking, happy eating :)
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