Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with new friends in our neighborhood. It's one of the many things I'm thankful for - we have made great friends in the city this year. We're also very thankful for our new addition Siena and how much joy she brings to our lives. We are thankful for our families, even though they are far away (Florida, Colorado, and Dominican Republic). We are thankful for our jobs, our health, and our apartment. We are so lucky to have so much to be thankful for!

I am extra thankful for Nate :)

Thanksgiving Recipe: Mom's Homemade Pumpkin Bread

I feel like cooking today... and eating. Can you tell? It's never officially fall (in my mind) until I make my mom's homemade pumpkin bread. Holy deliciousness. I make it every year, it's the best thing ever (don't even talk to me about banana nut bread, it's so confusing, I can't even talk about it). So every year I make this pumpkin bread and my mom has made it for us since we were little - it's super easy, all you need are basic baking ingredients, spices, a can of pumpkin, and 3 bread loaf pans. And you need to not be afraid of baking, which I mostly am... I might have had a few recipes go wrong, and there is an infamous story about doubling a doubled recipe and making something like 84 chocolate chip cookies on accident and having to use a storage bin to stir in the mixture.... it was traumatic. Let's skip over that. On that note though, I will say for the record that MELTED BUTTER is not an ingredient. BUTTER is an ingredient. Melting is a direction. I know you all agree with me. Because in the stress of the moment you might add a stick of butter to your cookie mixture and it won't mix together and you'll be HIGHLY confused... and spend the next 15 minutes picking pieces of oatmeal off your butter before you melt it.

AHEM.

Back to the recipe...

 Ingredients:

• 3 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten in a bowl
• 1 can of pumpkin
• 3 1/2 cups of self-rising flour
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1 cup Crisco (vegetable) oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Mix sugar, oil and eggs in a mixer until combined.
• Add pumpkin, mix together.
• Slowly add dry ingredients until combined. 
• Finally, slowly add water (the mixing bowl will be really full so mix the water in gradually or it'll splatter all over you. not that I know from experience).
• Butter the loaf pans.
• Pour mixture evenly into the 3 loaf pans
• Bake for 45-50 minutes at 325 degrees until bread is golden brown and you press your finger into it and it springs back.

I'm making some right now... and potentially eating some after that...

Enjoy!!!

Thanksgiving Recipe: Jenni's Cranberry Brie Bites!

Can we talk about one of my favorite holiday food traditions?

A few years ago, my sister Jenni created this recipe after trying something similar her friends made. It is PERFECT for when you are entertaining and you love the idea of baked brie with cranberry on top, but it's a bit messy for finger food. These are bite-sized, melt-in-your mouth, delicious brie bites. I'm obsessed. We're making these for breakfast Thanksgiving morning I'm so excited. I will easily eat half the batch. Watch me.

Ingredients:

• Crescent roll dough
• Brie cheese
• Cranberry jelly or cranberry sauce (whichever)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Open crescent rolls. The dough will be in rectangles, separated by a dotted line. You want to keep the rectangles and mush the lines together (see pictures below). You will be left with 4 rectangles. Divide each rectangle into 6 small squares (2 by 3, cut using pizza cutter if you have one, a sharp knife if you don't). One crescent roll should yield 24 brie bites. You can double the recipe if you're having a lot of people over (we usually do).
• Fill your mini muffin pan with the small squares, one square per muffin hole.
• Take out the brie. Cut into small pieces, I aim for about double the size of a traditional cheese cube. Fill the crescent squares with one piece of brie.
• Take out the cranberry jelly. Add a spoonfull next to the brie in each crescent square.
• Bake to directions on crescent roll tin - generally 12-14 minutes
• Take out of oven, try to avoid eating all at once. ENJOY!

So yummy.

Nate's Parents Visit the Big Apple!

Last week we were fortunate to welcome Nate's parents to the city despite being days after the devastating Hurricane Sandy. All in all we were able to have a fun time even with subway delays, closures, and some areas we wanted to visit being unable to do so.

Their first day in the city we went to the Broadway show "Nice Work If You Can Get It" starring Matthew Broderick. It was a great show we really enjoyed it! After that we went next door to the Marriott Marquis for a happy hour drink at the top floor rotating restaurant The View. The restaurant turns slowly going 360 degrees in an hour while you are treated to panoramic views of the city.

The next day the weather was beautiful so we walked Central Park, taking them by some of our favorite spots in the city including Bethesda Fountain and Belvedere Castle.

We also went to an amazing dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Dovetail! It's my favorite restaurant on the Upper West Side.

Finally we had to take in the amazing food at Eataly. I had the classic margarita pizza which is still my all-time favorite. Simple done well, is the best.

We had an amazing visit with Eadie and Allan - we were sad to see them leave early, but they beat the winter storm Athena that arrives on the heels of Hurricane Sandy.

Siena Settling In

Our sweet puppy Siena has been with us exactly two weeks! We got her at 8 weeks and now she's 10 weeks (and into everything!). She loves to snuggle and is sleeping well through the night, but has bursts of energy where she runs like her tail is on fire through our apartment. Her favorite toy is a yellow dachshund dog we affectionately dubbed "Ricky" - basically he's her boyfriend. He goes everywhere with her. She is learning what she's allowed to chew (Ricky, her hot dog, a bunch of toys Nate's parents brought her, Nylabones, etc.) and what not to chew (her wee pads, the carpet, the bedskirt, our fingers, my sweatshirt, the list is endless really).

She weighed in at just 3.5 pounds but she's growing fast! Our vet says she shouldn't get bigger than 9-12 pounds which is still pretty small. Friends joke with us that some cats will be able to beat her up. She's a sweet girl, super loving, and once she gets trained she will be a very well behaved girl! Here are some of my favorite pictures of her from the last couple weeks! We just love her and already she's part of our family.

Recipe: Tofu Rice Bowls!

Mmmmmmmmm

Nate discovered this delicious recipe and it has become one of our staples. To me it sounded questionable at first - it's tofu soaked in soy, and served with cashews, lemongrass, cilantro, ginger, onions and brown rice. The flavors are delicious. The soy and citrus with the rice make it very flavorful and very filling.

It's super yummy.

Check out the recipe here: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-brown-rice-bowl-with-tofu-and-lemongrass-166713

I seriously wish someone would make this for me for lunch right this second.

The Best of Brunch

Can we talk about brunch?

So… let’s get things straight. I am NOT a brunch expert. While I do (obsess) LOVE brunch in New York City, I haven’t made it my job to try each and every spot. There’s my official disclaimer – that said – I love me some brunch and it’s one of my favorite things to do in the city with friends, family, and of course my sweetheart. And it’s at Nate’s suggestion that I hereby give my brunch superlatives (rather than try to “grade” each brunch spot like a critic, which I’m not). So without further ado I give you Dana’s “best of brunch in NY 2012” list!

Best Value & Best All Around: Isabella’s Sunday Brunch

In terms of quality, cost and atmosphere you simply cannot beat Isabella’s Sunday brunch. Included with all reasonably priced entres ($15-17) are a coffee and a mixed drink (bloody, mimosa, or bellini). I’ve never had less than an amazing brunch item – although my personal favorites are the smoked salmon eggs benedict and the huevos rancheros. The sides are excellent too, including the applewood bacon and sausage. Sitting outside a block from the Museum of Natural History doesn’t suck either ;) For price, quality, and atmosphere, you can't do better than Isabella's.

Most Likely to Experience Spotty Service: Arte Café

For the record – I like Arte Café. That said I’ve had extremely spotty service each of the 5+ times I’ve been there. Once Nate and I waited nearly 20 minutes for a waiter (despite being seated). Another time wait staff hovered to take my plate away (the rest of the table had finished but I wasn’t feeling well and was eating slower… it made me feel like a vulture!). And then sometimes it’s been fine – and the food is good and it’s right around the corner from our apartment. Points for proximity, food quality (especially the roasted potatoes... yummo), but deductions for service. 

Best Atmosphere: Yotel

Honorable mention: Isabella’s

Yotel is a fun brunch and while it gets no points for value (I love a boozy brunch but $40 per person for unlimited food and drink for 2 hours is still steep in my opinion) – the ambiance of being in midtown Manhattan with incredible views of nearby skyscrapers definitely is one to note.  That said, if you’re looking to enjoy a relaxing outdoor brunch, a table at Isabella’s on Columbus, cattycorner to the Natural History Museum is nothing to complain about.

 Best Food: Sarabeth’s West

It’s pricey, but if you’re looking for the best brunch the Upper West Side (or any of Sarabeth’s other locations, midtown east and downtown for starters) has to offer, look no further than Sarabeth’s West. The chef at Sarabeth’s has won the James Beard Award for pastries, and it’s easy to see why. If you go to Sarabeth’s be sure to select one of the brunch items that features baked goods, we recommend the lemon and ricotta pancakes (wow) and the eggs benedict served on a homemade buttermilk biscuit (wow some more). They also make the best mimosa in the city, in the do-it yourself way. You're served with a small bottle of champagne and a small pitcher of juice and you can mix to your liking - and I like it!

Best Boozy Brunch: Calle Ocho

Honorable mention: Sunburnt Cow

Can you beat a brunch where meals run $14-18 and unlimited sangria is served throughout the meal? I didn’t think so. If a boozy brunch is what you’re looking for, Calle Ocho has you covered. The food itself is great – I had smoked salmon egg crepes that were super yummy – plus there are 8 flavors of sangria (4 white, 4 red). My personal favorite was “samba.” Honorable mention goes to Sunburnt cow, the food isn’t as amazing but it made for a pretty spectacular St. Patty’s day this year! I love their outside patio area too.

Most Likely to Spot a Celebrity: Edi and the Wolf

Haha – I couldn’t resist this superlative. I went to Edi and the Wolf with some girlfriends and it was the day of Eurocup – and who should walk in but Alec Baldwin and his new wife (who he had married literally the day before on Saturday). We were star struck for sure… so maybe it’s not actually “most likely” but it was worth telling the story! In terms of food, Edi is a solid bet and features Austrian cuisine. It has some fantastic bellinis. Be sure to get one if you go!

Best Burger: Spotted Pig

Everyone talks about the best burgers in NYC and mentions burger shops… I was pleasantly surprised one brunch when craving a burger at Spotted Pig at the AMAZING quality and flavor in the burger there. Spotted Pig is located in the West Village and while you may have to wait a while for a table, it's definitely worth it. Other items if burgers are not your thing (or you are vegetarian) are omelets and the burratta appetizer.

Best Organic Brunch: Good Enough to Eat

There’s a line out the door at Good Enough to Eat, and for good reason – it’s known for high quality and tasty organic brunch food. While it’s not my absolute favorite in the neighborhood (my eggs were pretty basic, although quite tasty) I will say the biscuits with strawberry butter are amazing and I had no complaints about any of the food or prices. It’s a great spot and if you can beat the line, totally worth it!

Best Lunchy Brunch: Café Ronda

You know when you go to brunch and you think, I really am not feeling like eating breakfast food? Café Ronda is a great spot for a lunchy brunch – they have flatbread paninis (my favorite is mushroom and arugula) that are delicious, plus outdoor seating, and the house red sangria is awesome. It makes for a great lunchy brunch if you feel like brunching but are not craving eggs and such.

Summing Up the October Health Challenge

So... it's November?!

I know. Tell me about it. It will be 2013 in two months. I can't even... let's not talk about it. I can't believe it for a second. I actually can't wait to sum up 2012... it's the historian in me. GAH I can't think about it yet. Out of control.

So anyway, back to the October Health Challenge! I'm most certainly holding myself accountable, so let's run through the challenges and see how I did!

1. Stick to Weight Watchers. Done and done. I tracked every single day, rarely going over my suggested daily points, occasionally dipping into activity points, and not once dipping into the weekly flex points. Can I say winning? Is that too 2011? I feel like saying it, so there.

2. No alcohol. Did it. 31 days without a happy hour, glass of wine with dinner, or anything. I am super proud of myself for adhering to this because it absolutely made a difference in jump starting the healthy challenge. I'm looking forward to treating myself to a glass of wine this weekend!

3. No carbonated beverages. I think I mostly passed. One day I had seltzer water at a happy hour just to have something fun to sip on. It has carbonation, but no syrup. So technically I broke this rule once, but the goal was to avoid Diet sodas and energy drinks so from the true intention of this challenge, I succeeded.

4. Dinners at home. Cheated twice. Both times were sushi delivery. I feel like this is acceptable. At least it's healthy - we never get the fried rolls, always the ones with raw fish and veggies rolled in a little bit of rice.

5. Working out. Did well every week except this recent week due to Hurricane Sandy (bad weather, new puppy, gym closed).

So... how am I feeling about it? I'm super proud of myself. Without going into all the details... I will say it was a double-digit weight loss month. And I believe people are beautiful no matter what their size, but I knew I'd lost my healthy habits and I needed a strict month to jump start the motivation. I'm looking forward to enjoying some things, like eating out, in moderation in the next month. I'm looking forward to continuing to work out, get back into running, etc. It doesn't stop here.

The bottom line? You can do anything you set your mind to.