Sweetest Valentine

Stuart out did himself this Valentines Day.

It started by coming home to gorgeous Hydrangeas, an adorable card and the most insane looking Chocolate Ganache Flourless Cake! Now, all that know Stuart, knows that he does not cook. I have made it my personal endevour to teach him all of the basics like scrambled eggs, grilled cheese. etc...but he has never taken on a full meal by himself and I have to say he blew competing Valentines menus from fancy-smancy restaurants OUT of the water last night.

As I walk into the house, this Chocolate Ganache Cake had just been removed from the oven, and Stuart is in the midst of removing a casserole dish full of boiling water from the oven. He proceeds to explain that the water was crucial when cooking a chocolate ganache cake so that it helps create a moist and steamy environment, which prevents cracking in the cake.

My heart does a flip, "who is this chef in my kitchen?" ...Cracking, steam pan, spring form pan, Chocolate Ganache...what has become of my husband. I was so curious as to what the rest of the night would include, and loved this side of Stuart I was meeting for the first time.

Stuart's new interest is mixology. We are building a fully stocked bar complete with every cocktail ingredient imaginable and due to his new interest I have been deemed Chief Taste-tester!!! Tonight's special was a Pink V-day Cocktail that was slightly fruity, with a hint of bitter, and overall divine! yum

Next up, the surprise appetizer was unveiled- Oysters Rockefeller, our FAVORITE appetizer ever. I couldn't believe he got all of the ingredients and wanted to take this one on...we have always ordered it at restaurants, but never made something this complex. The adventure began!

So, I removed the oysters from the fridge to find they had not been shucked. Eeek, I dunno how to shuck an oyster. Stu steps up to take on this challenge, and after lots of great attempts and a few bent butter knives, he decides to take a run down the block back to Whole Foods to get them to shucked. hehe It all worked out in the end.

The finished product turned out to be so delicious...that it is going to be hard to order these at a restaurant anymore knowing how good they can be. I totally reccommend taking on the Oyster Rockefeller adventure if you love Oysters. I am sure Stu would be flattered to share the recipe he found.

Next course...was a build your own Margarita Pizza! It was a great lighter balance to the Oysters and it was perfect since we have lots of left overs today. :)

Lastly, it all came full circle and we devoured a slice (or two..) ;) of the Chocolate Flourless Ganache cake. GAH...heavenly.

I just love that after knowing/dating Stuart for 11 years now, I am still pleasantly surprised to discover something new about him. When he puts his mind to anything, he masters it. So proud. It was so refreshing to come home and have the best Valentines Day celebration because coincidentally I had spent my day with a lot of V-day cynics. I do not fall for some people's argument that holidays like V-day are all worked up for nothing, it's a marketing ploy, and the excuses go on... You know, if no one ever got worked up or excited about any holiday what would we all look forward to? What would force us out of our everyday routine to do a little something extra for ourselves or others? Holidays like everyday are what you make of it, and I choose to go with the big, fun, enjoyable, loving option rather than choosing to downplay the excitement that can come with these special days sprinkled throughout the year. What is your take on it all?

And...I just wanted to add that Stuart got some Valentine surprises himself. The problem is...I got way too enthusiastic about his Valentines Day present and gave it to him the night of Feb 13th. I just couldn't stand hiding it or waiting an entire night. So now...he will be sporting a few new fashionable items around NYC. He has been working super hard in the gym and has needed some downsized clothing options to show off his new form. ;)

Love you Stu. Thank you for the best Valentines Day ever.

Be Mine, Valentine

It's Valentines Day and love is in the air. On my morning walk with Nora to Central Park there was an Edible Arrangements truck unloading lots of fruit bouquets in front of an office building, a guy was walking down the street with the most amazing bouquet of roses, and even Nora found a little dog boyfriend at the park this morning...it is all so sweet and there seems to be a lightness in my heart today.

I wanted to dedicate this post to the ones I love, because they are the ones that make everyday special.

Happy Valentines Day Stuart, I Love YOU! I know that nothing in my life will ever be as great as the love we share.

Nora is my angel. I know that everyone loves their dog, and I have had dogs in the past I loved, but none like Nora. She watches over me, cheers me up, and constantly brings me down to earth by putting into perspective what this life is all about.

I LOVE my family. My family=my parents, sister, in-laws, aunts, uncles and Stu's grandparents. I cannot think of any better support team. My family is fun, quirky, unique, and most of all loving, which makes me deeply happy.

I LOVE my friends. My friends are some of the most giving and loving people I know. I want to spend a lifetime building our friendship; traveling together, sharing great meals, having amazing parties, and sharing life's moments. Ooooo I cannot wait.

Happy Valentines Day! Find your love today.

Nuyorican Poets Cafe NYC

Happy Friday!

Tonight is the night where we are going to experience the slam

BAM BAM BAM

We are headed to the East Village to explore

No not to a store, something much more

Going to feel the rhythm and the beat

Nodding our heads and tapping our feet

Grooving to the moving of the artist and his word

We can all relate as they mediate and the word strikes the right cord

BAM BAM BAM

It's called Nuyorican Cafe where the artists poetry slam

and I cannot wait to chill with my mate

on this new and adventurous Friday night date.

BAM!

We will report back on thoughts about Poetry Slam concluding our Friday night outing to Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Should be interesting and fun... cheers to trying something new.

Go outside your comfort zone and do something extra special tonight. It's the first weekend of February, ground hog saw his shadow, the weather is beautiful, and love is in the air for Valentines Day, things are looking up and lots to be grateful for.

Eating Clean

Health and Nutrition are the two topics that excite and interest me more than anything else. I believe in the power of healing and altering your body for the better through healthy eating and exercise. I get all of my health and nutrition knowledge from reading articles, magazines, books, and documentaries and I try to integrate all of it into our everyday life. My dad can be thanked for my health-minded mentality and awareness and I will be eternally grateful for this amazing gift he has given me. My entire life my dad has lead through example by dedicating himself to exercise and healthy eating everyday. He told me once, that exercise is not something you choose to do or not to do, it's something you choose when to do. Exercise should be viewed like brushing your teeth, not like an event you might get to if you have time. No one would go a week without brushing their teeth, so why do people go months without doing anything to exercise their heart. I understand this mentality might seem extreme to some, it took Stuart a while to understand how important it is and why I was so gung-ho, but if health and nutrition were taught in this way to children from birth, there would be no obesity epidemic in this country.

Although my passion for the subject of health and nutrition seems strong, it does not mean that I am perfect. I LOVE dessert, ice cream, pizza and lots of things that are deemed bad for you, but these are very special treats in my eyes and not something anyone should have every week or even every month. I think everything is about balance and I strive for that daily. I think that I could have an entire blog just about health, nutrition, and exercise but for now I will just weave in a few posts about little things I am doing to constantly improve my health and well being. And...since I have the joy of being married to my best friend, I get to rub off on him a little so we build an extremely healthy lifestyle together.

Tonight I tried a new recipe for a Veggie Lasagna with no noodles! It is made with eggplant, zucchini, fat free ricotta, egg whites, marinara (with NO salt or sugar added-you can find at a local natural foods store), and low fat Mozzarella. I was inspired by this recipe on Dr. Oz's website (Dr. Oz is my hero) but I made my own tweaks such as egg white instead of egg, no Parmesan (it has enough cheese), and added tons of herbs and spices (basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, pepper, minced garlic)- who says super healthy doesn't have super bold flavor. Two things that I ALWAYS eliminate or drastically reduce in any recipe is 1. SALT 2. SUGAR. We get enough of these two ingredients throughout the day eating normal things and they are the leading cause of diabetes and heart disease.

Here are some pictures of the process and finished product. Stuart and I had a square of it tonight and it will be perfect for our lunch and dinner tomorrow. I got 2 thumbs up from my man...so that is good! Stuart and I tend to only eat meat on the weekends and mainly get our protein and vitamins through tons of greens, veggies, whole grains (oatmeal & quinoa), fruit, lentils, beans, and eggs during the week. It really makes us feel great and I believe it is so much better for your heart and the earth. This is a great recipe that gets the weekday seal of approval!

Brooklyn Brewery and Brewing Thoughts

The best weekends are the ones with no agenda and last weekend we did exactly what we both love to do..."head out and explore the unknown without a plan."

Friday night was a super fun night spent with a lot of new friends eating Chili, enjoying good wine, sharing our week's stories and later playing games...love kicking off a weekend like that.

Saturday, Stuart and I got up and decided to hit NYC by foot. We made our way south to the High Line and walked all the way from the beginning of the path to the end. It offers an amazing perspective of the city and with weather in the 50's, which is insanely beautiful for January in NYC, we could not pass up the chance to experience it again. We have already been to the High Line a few times since moving here and we will most definitely be regulars this summer.

Next, Stuart and I made our way to Chelsea Market (another favorite NYC spot) to indulge in a Growler of Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout, Spicy Tuna Sushi from The Lobster Place Fish Market and a small cup of Scallop Chowder. Talk about tastebud euphoria. Pretty much the best way to start a day. :)

After Chelsea Market we swerved around the winding streets of Greenwich Village, Soho (with a brief stop at Magnolia Bakery for a heavenly cupcake), and then onto the East Village. We poked our heads into shops, oouuu'ed and awww'ed at the architecture and pointed out every single glorious townhouse or apartment we someday wanted to live in. This is why I love NYC.

Sunday we took a quick jaunt over to Willimasburg, Brooklyn to try out Brooklyn Brewery! Brooklyn Brews have been one constant in our household since moving to NYC. They are all so so good. Actually all the beer we have been drinking lately has been so so good. I can't believe that just a few years ago I couldn't stand the taste of beer...but Stuart changed me and now I actually prefer it over wine. And, I don't want to play around with a light beer either, I prefer the dark full bodied beers. I am definitely no expert in beers but I am up for anything and everything now as I am trying to nail down my favorites.

Brooklyn Brewery is such a cool place. Sundays through the Winter they host a SmorgasBrewery where food vendors set-up tables in the Tasting Room so you can munch while tasting all of Brooklyn's best brews. We tried a Tofu Spicy Hotdog and a Grass-fed Beef Dog topped with jalapeno mustard! My favorite beer was the West India IPA...I will definitely be getting some of that for our house. I really wish that wineries were as laid back and fun as breweries. Stuart and I went to Napa a few months ago and while it was beautiful and yummy and all that jazz that everyone tells you, we did not love it. Wineries and tastings are stuffy, expensive, and all about selling the wine and wine clubs...blah. Every winery we went to included 20% education, 40% tasting, and 40% sales...and none had the laid back vibe that I love. You go to a brewery and what you get is an exciting tour with lots of information about every step of beer creation, always an enthusiastic tour guide, and then a huge FUN tasting room where you can chill and enjoy the brewery for as long as you want WITH NO SALES PUSH! Brooklyn hit the nail on the head with the environment of their tasting room, it was full of people playing cards and hanging out and enjoying themselves while eating the most delicious food from local organic and sustainable NY food vendors. It was a perfect package of fun for a Sunday and we will definitely be bringing all of our visitors here.