The Highline

Four years ago...

300 pound gorilla

So I am supposed to be working at getting a job, which I am. But to keep sane, I have been reading, knitting and cooking. I am really kind of excited about the reading, cause I hadn't finished a book in about 2 years (the entire time I was at NYU). So I finished this book- really good read! And I have finished "Water for Elephants" and "A Dirty Job". So proud of myself!
Four socks from one ball!!! I am gonna send a pair to my niece and then we will be like twins...or like BFFs.
This is where I have been tending to go overboard. I had some friends over last night and I made this lovely raspberry buttermilk cake. Then for dinner we had extra-spicy chana masala and aloo palak with coconut rice. The cake was...really good, simple, beautiful. Here is C. and S. eating their FIRST piece.

Giving away yarn

I am trying to clean up my yarn stash and gave some leftovers away. They were bits of yarn that were close to my heart, cause they were the leftovers from these two blankets that I made as thank you gifts for my parents and my in-laws for our wedding.

OMG! Banh Mi!!!

So, we have been obsessing about these amazing sandwiches- Banh Mi.  They are Vietnamese and sort of retain the interesting traces of Vietnam's history.  Lovely French baguette, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber and cilantro, and a chili mayo.  A classic bahn mi also involves a complex blend of pork products.  But we have been going veggie and it was beyond my culinary skills, so this is a portabella cap.  Below is my breakfast from a few days ago...I know, weirdo.

Smitten

This Pear and Bittersweet Chocolate cake is from the Smitten Kitchen blog (www.smittenkitchen.com), to which I am addicted. The recipe originates from a Park Slope, Brooklyn restaurant, Al Di La.
The manager of our apartment put in new dirt and new plants in the tree pit! We have had a ton of rain, so all the plants look really good.

Tomatoe Sauce

Often, when I see something in the store, I wonder if I could make it. Can I make it, make it better, make it cheaper? So here is my homemade tomato sauce. I started with chopped onion, celery, carrot, and garlic sauteed in olive oil. I added a splash of red wine and then a large can of Italian tomatoes. The result after simmering for 30 min and pureeing with a hand blender...is 4 cups (32oz.) of yummy sauce for about 4$.
Another crazy recipe: Homemade Ginger Soda: Peel and chop about 2 inches of ginger root and add to about 1.5 cups of water, simmer for 20 min. Add 1 c. sugar to 1. c. water and heat until sugar dissolves. Mix ginger syrup, sugar syrup and seltzer to taste.

Garden Time

This is my garden this year.  The flowers already look really nice, but what are they?  Dad email me and tell me. We are getting new dirt for the tree pit- which is exciting...should make the plants do much better.
In the center there are impatients.  I really like these tiny flowers.  So unassuming, so pretty.
I made a pear, gorgonzola flatbread pizza tonight...yummmmmm.