Handling the Heat

If you haven't heard, New York has been dying from a heat wave for the past couple days.  From Thursday-Sunday there was unbearable, record-breaking heat that caused normal life to come to a near standstill.   I managed to do pretty well during those days, however, escaping the bubble of air-conditioning to live a bit ;)

There were plenty of iced coffees used to chill off!

I managed to get a wee bit of baking in before the heat really set in.  I made chocolate chip cookies that ended up a bit flat, but they were eaten straight from the oven which made the DELICIOUS!

I had my first experience with oats in a jar; they were beyond delicious.

I used the worlds best nut butter ever, PB & co Cinnamon Raisin Swirl.  Words cannot describe my abundant love for this stuff!  I recently got White Chocolate Wonderful, which tastes like the inside the middle of a peanut butter cup to me.  Good, but I prefer this one.

Sunday evening was considerably less hot and I jumped at the chance to bake a bit, meet chocolate mint cookies.  These were absolutely incredible!  They have an extraordinarily rich chocolatey taste with a unique fudge-like texture.  I highly recommend you making them as soon as possible, the minty flavor is absolutely perfect for summer.

Since the hot weather has more/less left these shores for a bit, my mother and I headed out on some errands/fun stuff on Monday.

I've been wanting to try Argo Tea for quite a while (say early April) and finally managed to today!  Yes, much celebration ensued.

Okay, so maybe you cannot actually read the menu from this photo, but the point was to show you all the really cool screen.  Of course, none of the awesome-ness comes across in this photo.  Basically, there was a t.v. screen that displayed all the drinks and changed so you could see the different variations.

After much deliberation I chose...

An Iced Coconut Chai Latte!  It was beyond beyond.  The coconut flavor was nice and subtle, yet pronounced.  That being said, it most definitely did NOT overwhelm the spice-y chai taste that I love oh-so-much.  Perfect way to enjoy a chai latte during the summer :)

The rest of the day was spent running around and doing fun errands.  This involved going to Fishes Eddy and totally not getting the dishes we planned to get, a trip to Lulu Lemon that ended up in shorts and a racerback tank top (so so so excited to go running in these!) and a lovely little jaunt through Whole Foods purely to get Guittard chocolate chips. What can I say, I need the good stuff for baking!  Not to mention (another) trip to the container store and lunch at Pret (avocado and pine nut wrap, go get this now.  you will NOT be sorry!).

While at the container store I looked a bit at all the crazy things they had to pack lunches in.  This year I'm totally committed to bringing lunch with me to uni.  Of course, now that I'm living properly close and will have even less classes than last year, this could end up being a moot point.  Still, salad bowl anyone?  It even has a little top container for your dressing!  Quite brilliant, if I do say so myself.  I didn't get it, but I am definitely thinking about it.  Need to pack myself nutritious lunches ;)

What have you been up to recently?  What is your favorite summer beverage?

Terrific Tuesdays

Hiya!

It's HOT here.  Too hot to turn on the oven (which means I can't satisfy this HUGE craving I've been having recently to bake cookies...it's starting to get seriously annoying).  Too hot to go running (even in the morning).  And definitely too hot to spend a lot of time outside.  Bummer, right?

Well, Tuesday's itinerary seemed to satisfy the need for coolness and my desire to actually DO something, instead of just bumming around all day (hello Monday!).  So what did I do?

The morning started off with a VERY early wake up time in order to get to the MET early enough to not have to queue up for a lifetime in order to see the very talked about and hyped show: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty.

It was super crowded, impacting one's ability to actually see the clothing.  I had very mixed feelings about the show, I'll share them in a later post.

After that it was time for a coffee in one of the MET's many cafes.  I got a cappuccino and was expecting some dirty water, though it wasn't actually half bad.  Of course I've had better cappuccini, but I've also had worse.  That being said, I was originally going to get water until I saw their fancy espresso machine.  A fancy machine surely means good coffee, no?

My mother and I had no other plans for the morning, except to head over to Candle Cafe for lunch.  Since we still had some time left before either of us got hungry, we walked through the museum a bit and talked about our feelings about the McQueen show.

Once we worked up an appetite, we hoofed it over to Candle Cafe, though not before stopping at Sur La Table to get some silicone baking cups.  I've been wanting these things since FOREVER and am so glad to finally get them!  I also got a small little heart pan that I have big plans for upon the return to uni and cooking for one.

Candle Cafe was, in a word, awesome.  I've been wanting to go there for quite a while and am so glad I finally made it up there!  It took me forever to decide what to order, partly because by that time I was properly starving and partly because everything looked good!  After some serious deliberation, I decided on the Ginger Miso Stirfry.  I was a little apprehensive about ordering this, not because I didn't think it would be good, but because it seemed a bit normal.  Since I was at a vegan restaurant, surely I should order something totally vegan, like the tuscan lasagna or a seitan sandwich?  Once I took my first bite, however, I was thrilled I with my choice.  The chunks of tofu tasted brilliant, the vegetables were fresh and the rice was spectacular.  I have to say that the ginger miso sauce really brought the whole dish together and was unlike other sauces I have had with similar meals.  A total winner.

My mom got a Green Goddess and the Cajun Seitan Sandwich.  We ended up splitting the juice, which had a lovely fresh, yet spicy flavor.  I might not get it again, but was glad to have tried it.  The cajun seitan sandwich (yes, I definitely had some ;) ) was awesome.  My mom said she felt like it was a little heavy, with the fried seitan and the bread, but I just loved it.  The avocado slices on the sandwich perfectly complemented the spiciness of the seitan and bitterness of the sauteed greens.  She also said the coleslaw was spectacular, I didn't try any as I don't particularly like coleslaw.

Then it was time for one of my favorite New York stores, Bloomingdales!  I went their knowing that I wanted to get some Kiehl's products, their grooming cream and a conditioner to be exact, but also ended up getting some lipgloss.  We walked around a bit, but their contemporary clothing floor was mostly under construction...oh well, still got in a good walk through shoes!

That was basically my Tuesday in a nutshell.  I'm hoping to get some more recipes up soon, though you may have to wait until it cools down a bit!  In the meantime, I'll be eating fro-yo like it's my job (you mean it isn't?) ;)

What's been going on with you lately?  Is it hot where you are?


Un Bacione,

Emilia

Must Shop NYC

I love shopping.  Frankly, I think everyone does, at least a little bit.  Who doesn't want to try on a new look, experiment with a new food, or start a new book?  Although everyone says New York is an amazing city for shopping, it takes some strategy.  There are many days when I wish I could just drive on over to a mall and have all the stores right there.  New York isn't like that, every store you want to visit seems inconveniently placed and not at all close to each other.  Of course, I still love it.  Here are my personal favorites for New York shopping.

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Bloomingdales- Sure, Bergdorfs has the windows, but I'm a Bloomingdales girl.  Although they have plenty of fancy brands, they still stocking some affordable clothing.  Overall, the atmosphere is very welcoming, I don't feel silly going in there because I cannot afford to buy high fashion names.  The shoe galleries are excellent (second only to Selfridges in London) and they have some really lovely accessories.  There are two locations, one uptown and one in Soho.  They are both nice, but I'd recommend going to the uptown location first as they have a larger stock.

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The Strand- Just plain impressive.  Crammed bookshelves, stacks and stacks of books, good prices.  Definitely a New York institution.

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Kinokuniya- Japanese bookstore.  No, I don't speak japanese and have no intention of ever learning to, but the stationary selection here is fantastic.  They have so many cool pens, pencils, highlighters, folders, notebooks, I think I've gotten the majority of my back to school selection here for the past couple years.  Seriously awesome stuff.  Even if you aren't into japanese things, I'll bet you will be able to find something you like.

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Pearl River Market- Another asian selection, but they have so much more than just "asian stuff".  This place is seriously awesome for their selection of cheap dishes and cheap things you never knew you needed, but just have to have.  I've gotten everything from sushi rolling mats to cosmetic bags with french sayings here.  They seriously have everything you could ever think to want.

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Limelight Marketplace- Not a single store, rather a collection of small stalls from bigger brands.  Shopping here is fun just for the awesome location, it's in a converted church and is absolutely gorgeous.  They also have an interesting selection too with everything from Havianas and Hunter to Le Sportsac and French Connection.

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N.Y. Cake- If you like to bake, this place is seriously the bomb.  They have absolutely everything you could possibly want in your baking adventures and some things you won't even know how a person could use it.  Want a cake in the shape of hello kitty?  Go there to get the pan!  I've bought so many cookie cutters, pans and boxes of fondant here.  This place is impressive.

Rugby- Ralph Lauren's younger line.  My favorite things from here are definitely the rugby shirts, but this is an awesome place for sales.  I got an entire bathing suit from here for $40 with sales, complete win.  They sell preppy pieces with a twist.

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Madewell- J.Crew's younger line that has a more urban/undone aesthetic.  They have really great pieces that are simple, yet unexpected.  Check this place out for great jeans and other american casual pieces.

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Of course, there are plenty of other amazing places to shop in NYC, this list just scratches the tip of my best of iceberg!  Have fun, explore and you are sure to find a place that sells something you love.  Just, don't expect to find everything you want or find it easily!

Un Bacione,

Emilia