Let’s do this! NY edition- Part 1

From Smorgasburg

Chris and I started out strong with our mission to explore the city that you can read about here. Over the weekend we met up with some friends of ours and trekked to Williamsburg.

First on our list was Smorgasburg. Located right on the east river it has some amazing vendors from all over NYC with foods ranging from Ethiopian, Thai, sandwiches, wings, locally made ice cream, amazing hipster sodas, and so so much more. I HIGHLY recommend it. Like any place there are good things and bad things about Smorgasburg, but I can honestly say in this case the good FAR outweighed the bad. In my opinion (especially if you enjoy cooking, baking, food, etc) it is a NYC must.

Good: something for EVERYONE, amazing food no matter what you get, always places to sit (limited picnic tables, but plenty of shady seating on the grass), the view (of the east river and Manhattan) is FANTASTIC, the lines move quickly, great for friends visiting the city who want to experience some quintessential NYC dining (i.e. Ramen Burger, Asia Dog, Dough doughnuts, etc. are all there in one place), great for larger parties when you don’t want to have to make reservations, THEY SERVE ALCOHOL (you have to sit in a specific area and they do card so don’t forget your ID).

Bad: can be expensive (although you can definitely do it inexpensively), it’s all out doors so pick your weekend wisely (if it’s raining don’t go, if its extremely hot don’t go).

After Smorgasburg we headed over to the Brooklyn Brewery which is just a few blocks away. I want to preface my review with saying we had a really good time, but I am reviewing these places with the question “are these necessary to see if you are in/visiting NYC?” in mind. Here’s the deal with Brooklyn Brewery. If you live here, it’s a fun Saturday activity. If you are visiting from out of town it may be a pretty big time suck for something that you can do other places (unless you are a huge Brooklyn Brewery beer fan then you should totally go). You start off in line. It wasn’t particularly bad when we went we showed up around 1:30. We got into the brewery and were handed tour tickets for the 3:30 tour which was surprising, but they have the bar area so we just decided to get drinks and wait. You get beer tokens (1 for $5 or 5 for $20) we went with the 5 for $20. Each beer (except 1 which is almost 9% ABV) is 1 token. You can also use 3 tokens to get a souvenir glass with 1 pour in it (Chris and I did that and it worked well… he got 2 beers and I got 1 and we got a souvenir glass). Seating is definitely limited we didn’t get a seat until about 30 mins before our tour although we did have standing tables before that. The tour was fun our tour guide was hilarious he made lots of jokes and told lots of stories. He really seemed to love his job which always helps. The website says you can go ahead of time and get tickets for a tour 1 hour ahead then you could go do something else (just make sure you get a stamp before you leave so you don’t have to wait in line when you come back), but honestly I would just stay and have a drink. Also wear close toed shoes. They didn’t seem to be checking, but it would suck to be turned away for something that silly although you are still allowed in the bar area you just wouldn’t be allowed on the tour. All of that being said, in my opinion if you live in NYC it is worth a visit, if you are visiting and love beer and in particular Brooklyn Brewery beer then it is worth a visit, but if you are just visiting I think skip it and do something that won’t take up so much of your day.

Good: Good beer, nice staff, really fun and informative tour, nice space, reasonably priced, lines move relatively quickly.

Bad: Line for entry to Brewery, long line for beer, little to no seating, loud in the bar area, the whole thing takes about 3+ hours.

New York, I love you

Have you ever had this conversation:

Person 1: So, where are you from?
Person 2: I live in (insert city name here).
Person 1: Cool! Have you ever done (insert city specific activity that no one who actually lives there has done)?
Person 2: Ya know, I actually have never done that.

I think too often we take the places that we live for granted. Over the past few months I notice Chris and I getting into conversations with out of staters or even New Yorkers about the negatives of being a New Yorker in this sort of joking-but-lauging-through-the-pain way.

"Oh the smell of New York in summer...ha ha..." meanwhile their eyes are welling with tears at the pungent odor of hot garbage.

"I held the door for someone today and ended up having to hold it for 10 other people because no one noticed that a person was holding the door for them. Isn't that funny?" meanwhile they are questioning their visibility in this vast city.

I'm now on a mission to change that. On the way home from a weekend away we decided to come up with a "New York we love you, but your bringing us down" list of things we want to do to help us realize how incredible the place we live actually is. We started listing all of the things New York is famous for and more often than not we hadn't tried them, so we wrote them down. Now, we have a jar full of little slips of paper with some things New York is famed for, some things we have always wanted to do but never got around to, or things that people recommend. I'm looking forward to falling back in love with this city. The point of the list is to not only spark that love, but also so that when asked if I have had a ramen noodle burger bun (really...just the bun...I don't eat burgers haha) or if I have been to the Statue of Liberty, the Planetarium etc. I can say YES I have done all of that and more! I suggest where ever you are you think of at least a few things you want to do...a short list or a long one to make you appreciate the place that you live.

I made mine on little slips of paper. To make them look cute I put down two pieces of washi tape so that you can't see through to the other side when you are picking at random. Then pick a person, pick a time and pick an activity!

They go together like (vegan) cupcakes and frosting

When a couple friend of ours got engaged I was excited. I was even more excited when they asked me to do their wedding cupcakes! I've seen many couples that opt for a cupcake tower instead of a traditional wedding cake. I love the idea and it can be super cute. Since the wedding is fast approaching we settled on a tasting time so I can try out a few recipes on them and see what they prefer. Given the sheer amount of decisions a couple has to make surrounding a wedding I figured I would keep it relatively simple with 4 choices: red velvet, double chocolate, snicker doodle, and salted caramel.

Oh yeah, and did I mention they are all entirely vegan? I won't lie, baking vegan is a little more complicated than baking with dairy, but there are a lot of vegan substitutes (including sticks of vegan butter) that make things a whole lot easier.

When I did a tasting they decided they couldn’t decide which one they liked best and went with 12 of each which made things a lot easier for me. At the wedding over the weekend they seemed to be a big hit, although really all that matters is that the bride and groom enjoyed them (which they did).



**All recipes can be found below the pictures**

Recipes:
Red velvet:
Original recipe: http://40aprons.com/vegan-red-velvet-cupcakes/
Cupcakes (makes 12):
What you need:
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp red food coloring
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 and put cupcake liners in muffin tin.
Combine 1 cup soy milk and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar and beat until completely combined.
Set aside for 5 mins to let it curdle.
In a medium bowl mix together 1 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.
When the soy milk has curdled (about 5 mins), pour in 1/3 cup canola oil, 2 tbsp red food coloring, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp almond extract to the soy milk.
Add dry ingredients and mix until there are no longer lumps.
Pour into cupcake liners filling about 3/4 of the way up the liner.
Bake for 18-20 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Once cooled frost them with vegan cream cheese frosting (see instructions below).

Icing (will generate more than you need):
What you need:
1 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance vegan butter bars)
2 packages vegan cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
4-6 cups powdered sugar

What you do:
Let the 1 cup butter come to room temperature.
When butter has gotten to room temperature use a mixer or fork to completely combine 1 cup vegan butter and 2 packages vegan cream cheese.
Add 1 tsp vanilla and mix completely.
Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you reach desired texture (thick, but not clumpy and still malleable).
Put icing into a large zip lock bag.
Drop it a few times on the counter to try and release any air bubbles.
Cut 1 corner of the zip lock bag to make an icing tip.
Ice cooled cupcakes by starting at the top of the cupcake working from the outside in counter-clockwise in a swirl.

Double Chocolate:
Original recipe: http://www.thetomkatstudio.com/darkchocolatecupcakes/
Cupcakes (makes 12…I halved the recipe):
What you need:
1 cups plain/all-purpose flour
1/4 cup and 2 tbsp natural cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
3/4 cup 2 tbsp unsweetened soy milk
1 tsp red wine vinegar
3/4 cups 1 tbsp caster/superfine sugar
1/2 cups 2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract

What you do:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup and 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt and mix completely with a fork breaking up any lumps.
In a mixer bowl or large bowl combine 3/4 cup and 2 tbsp soy milk, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 3/4 cup and 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp sunflower oil, and 1 tbsp vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.
Add dry ingredients and use electric mixer or fork to completely combine.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way to the top with the batter.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool.
Frost with chocolate frosting (see below).

Frosting:
What you need:
1 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance vegan butter sticks)
3-5 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 oz semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup almond milk
Pinch of salt

What you do:
Let 1 cup vegan butter warm to room temperature or slightly below room temperature.
Combine butter and 2 cups of the powdered sugar and beat until there are little to no lumps.
Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Melt 5 oz of semisweet chocolate and let cool for about 30 seconds-1 minute
Mix the chocolate into the frosting.
Beat until completely smooth.
Add 1/4 cup almond milk and pinch of salt.
Beat again until completely smooth.
Add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until desired texture is reached (again the frosting should be able to hold on its own, but still easy to work with).
Put icing into a large zip lock bag.
Drop it a few times on the counter to try and release any air bubbles.
Cut 1 corner of the zip lock bag to make an icing tip.
Ice cooled cupcakes by starting at the top of the cupcake working from the outside in counter-clockwise in a swirl.

Snickerdoodle:
Original recipe: http://frostedbakerybylena.com/2011/11/30/vegan-snickerdoodle/
Cupcakes (makes 12):
What you need:
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup and 2 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar

What you do:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Mix 1 cup soy milk and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar together and set aside for 2-3 mins.
In a large bowl combine 1 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp corn starch, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3/4 cup sugar.
Mix completely breaking up any lumps.
Add 1/3 cup vegetable oil to the curdled soy milk and mix.
Add dry ingredients and mix until there are no lumps.
In a small bowl combine 2 tsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp cinnamon and 2 tbsp brown sugar.
Pour batter into cupcake liners. Fill to about 3/4 of the way up the liner.
Spoon a little of the cinnamon brown sugar mixture on top of each cupcake and swirl with a toothpick.
Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Frost with “butter”cream frosting (see below).

Frosting:
What you need:
1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar

What you do:
Let butter come to room temperature.
Beat in vanilla and 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until frosting is creamy, holds on its own, and isn’t lumpy.
Put icing into a large zip lock bag.
Drop it a few times on the counter to try and release any air bubbles.
Cut 1 corner of the zip lock bag to make an icing tip.
Ice cooled cupcakes by starting at the top of the cupcake working from the outside in counter-clockwise in a swirl.

Salted caramel:
Original recipe: http://www.treehugger.com/easy-vegetarian-recipes/salted-caramel-cupcakes-vegan.html
Cupcakes (makes 12):
What you need:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl combine 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt.
In a large bowl whisk together 3/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract.
Add dry ingredients and mix completely.
Pour batter into cupcake liners filling about 3/4 of the way to the top of the liner.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool.
Frost them using salted caramel frosting (see below).

Frosting:
What you need:
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup almond milk
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

What you do:
In a medium saucepan, melt 1/4 cup vegan butter over medium low heat.
Add 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, almond milk, and salt.
Whisk until combined.
Allow mixture to come to a simmer.
When simmering, reduce to a low heat and let mixture summer for 3 minutes (DO NOT OVERCOOK).
When 3 minutes are up, remove from heat and add vanilla.
Pour caramel into a mixing bowl and let cool for several minutes.
Using a mixer or a fork, slowly add 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar to the caramel and mix completely.
Put icing into a large zip lock bag.
Drop it a few times on the counter to try and release any air bubbles.
Cut 1 corner of the zip lock bag to make an icing tip.
Ice cooled cupcakes by starting at the top of the cupcake working from the outside in counter-clockwise in a swirl.
Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top for garnish.

Presto Pesto!

Pesto is amazing. You can use it for so many different things. Since we have started growing basil it is all I've wanted to make. It turns out it's actually pretty easy to make. The key ingredient is basil and it should be fresh either from your own garden or from a farmers market or something.

*This recipe is for about a half a cup of pesto which is about enough for 2-4 servings of pasta depending on how large the serving is. If you want more double or triple the recipe)*

What you need:
1 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup pine nuts
1 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
*1/4 cup Parmesan cheese optional

What you do:
Mix all of the ingredients together (except salt and pepper) in a blender or food processor.
If you don't have either of those things mince all of the ingredients then add olive oil. It won't be as creamy.
 Put on pasta or garlic bread or baguette or sandwiches or whatever you'd like! Enjoy!

Music obsessions #7

Alright, here for another music update. Chris and I are about to head to a wedding on Friday and because my AUX cable is broken in my car (and has been for several years) we either listen to NPR or CDs. Since the wedding is in the Poconos the radio service might not be great, so I'm on a mission for new music and a new CD (we have been listening to the same 1 hour CD for MONTHS), so here is what I've got:

1) George Ezra
Super fun. It's the kind of music that you would listen to while driving with the windows down. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about, but it's not crazy dance music, but it really makes you wanna sway.

Band website

George Ezra is a songwriter from England (you can hear a hint of the accent in his singing). He's had a couple of EPs, but his first full length album was released this month and includes the song Budapest which is predictably my favorite song from the album.

2) Spoon
Alright, who else didn't know Spoon had a new album? I was checking out iTunes top 100 and saw a Spoon song and found their new album. Lots of fun. Typical Spoon album. Mostly upbeat songs which I enjoy.

Band website

Spoon is a 5 person band from Austin, Texas. They fit well into the Rock genre. They have been around since the mid-nineties. Their songs have been used in a ton of T.V. shows and movies. Their new album is called They Want My Soul and honestly I like all of the songs. I'm not sure I can really make a list. Definitely check out the song Do You.

3) Alt-J
All you really need to know is that they are British and indie rock. Need more convincing? They are chill with the right amount of beat to make you wanna dance, but they aren't crazy.

Band website

The band has one album, almost 2. The second album is coming out in late Sept. They do have a single out from their upcoming album called Left Hand Free which is awesome. Be sure to check that one out. Highlights from their first album include: Breezeblocks and Something Good.

4) The Bleachers
Pretty strongly cemented in the alternative genre. This band might not be for everyone, but give them a try even if you just listen to the samples on iTunes. iTunes and I classify them in the alternative category, but I feel it's important to note Wikipedia puts them in indie pop. If you still need convincing they have a song featuring Yoko Ono, so that's gotta at least be worth a try.

Band website

Interesting little factoid the lead guitarist from Fun Jack Antonoff started this band and it is his current project. Which is probably why they only have one album. Highlights include: Wild Heart, I Wanna Get Better, Rollercoaster, Wake Me.

5) O.A.R.
Alright, don't give me shit for revisiting O.A.R. Honestly a lot of bands we used to listen to as teenagers are doing great things now. O.A.R. released a new CD called The Rockville LP. It's actually pretty good. The sound is a lot of the same just better than they used to be.

Band website

These 5 boys have a special place in my heart because they are from Rockville, MD where my best friend grew up and where I went to school from kindergarten through eighth grade. Highlights from their new album are: Peace, Two Hands Up, The Element.

6) Ingrid Michaelson
As I'm writing all of these I probably should have mentioned most of these bands/people are not new discoveries they just have big things happening for them right now. Ingrid Michaelson has a new album. I knew of her single Girls Chase Boys, but had no idea the album had already dropped.  It's called Lights Out. Super cute and feminine. I just love her voice.

Band website

In case you didn't know of this lovely indie pop singer, Ingrid Michaelson is based in NY and has 6 albums. Her latest, Lights out is amazing. Highlights are: Girls Chase Boys, Warpath, One Night Town, Over You.

7) Ed Sheeran
Another English singer/songwriter. He just released his second album. He has pretty slow music as he doesn't usually play with a band it is just him and his acoustic guitar. I will say, he has a song name Nina on his album, so I may be biased toward him.

Band website

I didn't listen to his first album, but after hearing his second it seems like he has his sound down. Highlights of the album X are: Don't, Nina (obviously haha), Runaway.

8) Echosmith:
I hadn't heard of them before and they seemed a little too electronica for my taste at first, but I gave them more of a listen and I think it actually works for them.

Band website

This 4 person band are ALL SIBLINGS (I can't imagine the fights they must have). They are an indie rock band from L.A. They released their first album, Talking Dreams last year and I assume they are going to release a new one. The highlights from that album are: Come Together, Cool Kids, March Into The Sun, Ran Off In The Night.

That's all folks!

Day at the Museum

A while back I wrote a post about different styles of painting.  I thought I would follow up with a few more ideas. I spent all day yesterday painting which doesn't happen often, but the creativity was really flowing yesterday and these were the results!

Number 1: Painting with doilies 

I recently got some doilies for various art projects, so I thought it would be fun to paint with them.  They have such a pretty pattern. I started with a large blank canvas. I picked about 6 different colors I wanted to use for the background. I smeared them all over with a brush. I set it aside and let it dry. When it was dry I placed a doily down and painted with black paint then removed the doily to see the pattern underneath.

 Number 2: Credit card painting

Very similar to a technique I used in my last painting post, you start with a blank canvas and put little dots of paint all over. Since I was mimicking sky, I used mostly blue paint. Once all of your globs of paint are down, use the flat edge of a credit card or something else to smear the paint around. Since I was going for a really textured look I took a paint brush and dotted it against the paint to form little peaks in the paint. I was going off of a picture in my phone of a rainbow boat kite from the beach.

 Number 3: Nature painting

The key to painting nature scenes its getting the right amount of texture in your paint. My recommendation at least for a sunset is to start dark for the ground mixing brown and black. Use long brush strokes to make overlapping lines mixing colors of the previous lines with the next darker color so that everything blends nicely for example, the sun is yellow, the next line is yellow and orange mixed, then a little more orange mixed in and so on until the color is actually orange, then mix in a little red, then a little more, etc. To get the textured lines dab the brush against the paint it creates little peaks. Let it dry before you paint your nature scene.

All around the blueberry bush

There are times you are invited to a brunch or you wanna make something nice to bring, but you don’t wanna wake up super early or do anything too complicated.  This blueberry coffee cake is a great option if you wanna do something special, but also want something easy.

What you need:
2 1/2 cups bisquick
1 cup cup sugar
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup flour
4 tbsp butter (plus more for greasing)

What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease pan (original recipe calls for 9x13, but I used 9x11)
In a large bowl mix 2 1/2 cups bisquick with 1/2 cup sugar.
Add 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 3 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Mix until combined.
Mix in 1 cup blueberries by hand.
Pour into greased pan.
Drop the pan from about 2-3 inches above the table to get the air bubbles out.
In medium bowl mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour and 4 tbsp butter (cut into cubes).
Mix together until the mixture is nice and crumbly…it should not be smooth.
Crumble on top of the blueberry batter in the pan until it covers the surface.
Bake for about 35 mins or until toothpick comes out clean…if you used a smaller pan your bake time will be longer.
Serve hot with coffee!