Goodbye 2011

I don't know how it got to be December 30th, I really don't.
This year has been, by far, the quickest year of my life.
An absolute whirlwind of trips, surprises, passings, arrivals,
 a proposal, planning-the list goes on.  All in all, it has been
a really great year. The only dark cloud was the loss of mon
petit ami, Serg.  He continues to be missed, and is still loved
as much as when he was here.

2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year, the wedding is only about
10 months away and we are jumping into the rest of our planning
in January.  As usual I have prepared a list of things that I want to
do/change/work on in the New Year.

*Get rid of the junk
(cleaning out our studio space and just purging the unnecessary)

*Learn to can
(Carmen's Mom bought me a canning book and I will learn this year)

 *Cut down on Facebook and wasting time online
(I need to be productive, and facebook is the most anti-productive creature ever)

*Tone up for the wedding
(I don't want to lose any pounds but I do want to feel healthy and un-puffed for when
I walk down the aisle)

*Always have homemade chicken stock in the fridge
(this is filed in my "why buy it when I can make it" pile)

*Eat more legumes
(health benefits)

*Have more patience and be more mellow
(will this really work? I don't know but, it's worth a shot)

*Get back into going to the greenmarket
(Now that our Sunnyside one is gone til June I'll have to get back to Union Sq.)

*Get back to dance class
(I miss ballet. I just wish that we could wear fancy costumes in class- that would be ideal)



I hope that everyone that reads this has a
very happy and safe new year!! xo

A Year in Photos

What can I say? 2011 Has been a whirlwind year for me.
And with the exception of losing Serg, it has been a really
great year.  Here are some of my favorite photos:















The morning after that ridiculous snowstorm

Playa del Carmen




















My favorite photo of Sergie and I

I had asked him to show me his teeth. This picture cracks me up.

At Carly and Rick's Wedding

Central Park on Memorial Day

Strawberries and Rhubarb. Summer Staples

Joelie and Uncle Carmen

My first trip to Carly's Cabin

Summer Pastries

City View from the Williamsburg Flea

Jellyfish from the Newport Aquarium

28th Birthday!

Love this photo of my parents

Perfect Summer Day, Rockaway Beach

Lounging on the boardwalk @ Rockaway

Backyard games and snacks

Kitty Friends

Vegas with the ladies

Sea Lion show, pre engagement

Celebratory poses, post engagement!

Pumpkin Carving Party

Beautiful Sunset in the West Village

Pittsburgh

Creepster Christmas

Cousins and Mom Mom

Will reading Santa Mouse to Joelie




I'll be posting my resolutions tomorrow.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This past holiday season has been fantastic.
I didn't go overboard on the holiday markets,
which gave me plenty of time to actually enjoy
the time leading up to Christmas.

The fiance and I roamed the holiday markets, watched Christmas-y movies,
went to see the Muppet Christmas Carol on the big screen, had a very
fun Christmas gathering, and our fair share of hot cider and hot chocolate.
It was so nice, so relaxing.  This was the first time in years that I didn't go
home completely stressed out and sick.

Christmas with the fam was fun as always. At this point you kind of know
what to expect from the evening.  It's the same food, same crowd, but it never
disappoints.  It's taken on a whole new spin because of my nephew being
of "Santa" age-which is so much fun!  Well, the waking up at 7am on Christmas
morning was not so enjoyable.  But watching J Bear open presents was worth it.

Now we're headed towards 2012 which, I believe, will be a very exciting year
for everyone.  Oh, but more about the New Year later this week.
For now I'll post some photos from Christmas

Cookies

Making Christmas cookies has turned into a favorite
tradition of mine, especially now that I have a kitchen-aid mixer.
It was a little more stressful when I just had my old school hand
mixer.  I'm slowly amassing a collection of my staple recipes,
but it's always fun to add new ones to the mix.

Here are my top 5 new cookie picks for the season.

1.)Peppermint Meringues
(I debate these every year, but this time I'm making them)

2.)Chrusciki
(I used to eat these when I was little, it'll be nice to see how these compare!)

2.)Butterscotch Blondie Bars with Peanut-Pretzel Caramel
(da-what..)

3.)Raspberry Refrigerator Pinwheel Cookies
(raspberry anything is always good)

4.)Fleur de Sel Caramels
(OK so these are not technically a cookie,but who doesn't love caramels??) 

5.)Lavender Truffles
(decadent truffles with a little taste of springtime)

Happy Baking!

Christmastime is Here...

Thanksgiving has come and gone and now we are fully into
holiday mode here in Sunnyside.  Our tree is up,
decorations are out, and the Christmas music has been
playing constantly. 



















I know I'm way behind on blogging, but I'll try to catch up for my favorite
season.  I'll start with a few Holiday Obsessions.

*The Union Square Holiday Market
(even if you don't buy anything, just walking around will get you into the holiday spirit)
(and be sure to sample the truffles)

*Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Whipped Cream
(2-3 drops of peppermint flavor+heavy cream+kitchen aid mixer=peppermint whipped cream)

*Gift guides from blogland
(designsponge, cupofjo, coolhunting, Etsy)

*Salt Roasted Chicken
(I made this for our decorating feast and it was super easy and delicious)

*The Return of Sequins
(Finally, I can buy them anywhere!)