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I have had some culinary triumphs that I can't catch on film, cause we eat it super fast. Even tonight, a school night, I managed to make it home and throw together chicken breast with onions, green beans, a quinoa mashup, and arugula salad with fried discs of ricotta. For the Super Bowl I made pizza from scratch. I also made a really nice salad with poached pears stuffed with blue cheese, walnuts and currents; that was to go with an improvised potato soup with anduille sausage. The one thing I really want to make and can't, is bread-a really lovely crusty rustic boule...
Every thing has been really well. I am tired from getting up early, but that is really my only complaint. Even Sparks can't complain too much- I get back home three days a week to spend time with him in the middle of the day. The other time Mr. tries to work it out. Also, I am learning how to play the guitar and to re-learn how to play my old violin. That is soo fun. Alright, time to catch up on LOST.

Awesome snow

The reservoir looking south towards midtown...can you see the Empire State Building?  It's there, I promise, look closer.
We went to Riverside while the snow was falling- so, so, so beautiful.  This is my absolute favorite thing in the city.  Everything is magically white and so quiet.

School started this week and so far has not been too taxing.  I am taking pretty relaxed classes- more music making, less writing.  This coming week I start student teaching in earnest and will be up and out of the house at 7:00am- yikes.

The Cutest Dog in the Whole World

I washed all his blankets and toys today. Now I just need to wash him... But he is too sleepy and it is too salty out. It snowed again this morning- so pretty!

What did you do over break?

I knit a lot. Three pairs of legwarmers are on needles. A pair of wedding washcloths. Socks for all of Mr.'s family. A hat, scarf, and neckwarmer for North Carolinians. Now that I have started, I have to finish before school starts.
Also lots of cooking. These are shrimp tacos...yummmmmm. Also made a new recipe: Chorizo and Garbanzo Bean Stew.
This is my new favorite thing: Refrigerator cake. It is just wafer cookies and layers of whipped cream (and raspberries, duh). Leave in the fridge for awhile and it is...cake. So easy, so easy to eat. The processed nature of the cookies is offset by the organic cream and berries.
More guitar hero...See how concerned M. looks?

Back

NYC had a blizzard before we went down south. While we were there it was strangely warm- 65 degrees...and it has always been that way when we visit at the holidays. Then we came home and it was snowing again! But it didn't stick..


Look what was waiting for us!!! Woohoo! I love this game- it is such a riot. My buddy S. was ready to rock. But last night we had C. and J. over. J. had been calling Guitar Hero lame, cause he had never played it. After a few tracks he was converted.

Getting and Giving

We went to visit Mr.'s family in North Carolina for the holidays. It was really relaxing. Mr. helped his mom get his dad a new laptop with wi-fi internet- very exciting.
Aren't they so cute?
We consequentially spent a lot of time in our jammies, helping to get all the new technology set up, so we don't have very many pics. Sparks had a good time- waking us up and the crack of dawn to go out and play with his cousin Diesel (D.'s, Mr.'s sis, boxer pooch). We did some cooking and I knit a lot. I made three pairs of socks as gifts and now Mr. wants his own pair...

NYC

My aunt wrote me a note in my christmas card and said that the holidays in NYC must be really pretty.  I haven't really been out and about to see...I didn't have to do much shopping and I really don't like crowds.  I prefer to shop on a totally off day in a neighborhood that is not a destination- like say, the Upper West Side, which also happens to be where I live, so I am lazy. But, since I had a day free for the first time in weeks, I proposed that we plunge into the torrent of tourists on 5th Ave.  We went first to 59th Street to see the Plaza Hotel and the windows at Bergdorf Goodman.  BG is the fanciest department store in the city and I have never wanted to go in.  I know that I won't buy anything and I assume that the salespeople will treat me like they know that I won't buy anything.  But tonight I had courage and I figured there were a lot of tourists just gawking and I would fit right in.  It was pretty insane: $13,000 earrings, $800 shoes, dresses that were 70% off and still cost $900.  The windows were stunning...

From there we went down 5th.  Under the disguise of needing to get warm we popped into Tiffany's and Henri Bendel.  Everything was totally lit up and festooned with garlands.  We finally made it to Saks, which is right across from Rockefeller Center.  All my pics of The Tree were blurry and too dark- so just imagine the way it looks on the TV, then add the cold, the snow, and a about a million people jostling you- it is just like that.  
This is the Gothic Bridge which is near 94th and the Reservoir.
The Winterdale Arch near 82nd on the west side.  
The Reservoir running path, facing west along the north side.  Essentially, Sparks demand that I walk him all over creation when it is snowy out.  I hate to deny him, cause the snow never lasts that long.
The view from our living room window, while the snow piled up!!!