snack of the week: cookies!

did you know there is a cookie bar at whole foods on houston street? a COOKIE BAR! what are they trying to do to me? i was there to get spelt flour and a few other things, including a salad, when i spotted it. i couldn’t resist the vegan gingersnap sandwich cookies with vegan frosting (top photo). they got a little banged up on the way home, but they were tasty… and if they weren’t labeled as vegan i’d never have known. (i’m not a vegan, but i like to taste-test vegan baked goods sometimes to see if they taste as good as the real thing…. these did!)

in other cookie news… Gourmet Guild opened recently in my neighborhood, and mk and i stopped in last weekend to see what’s going on in there. it’s great – kind of like a mini-market of brooklyn-based (or at least new york based) food artisans. several companies i recognized from the outdoor summer markets, like La Newyorkina and Kings County Jerky, but there were some new-to-me faces, too. couldn’t pass up a package of chocolate chili cashew biscotti (bottom two photos) from Whimsy & Spice. they are seriously divine, and they tasted sooo good dunked in my afternoon macchiato.

on the Whimsy & Spice website, i loved reading about this brooklyn-based company run by husband/wife team Mark & Jenna. he does the baking, and she does (among lots of other things) the packaging and product photography, AND manages the blog sweetfineday. i’m adding it to my list of daily must-reads.

(photos by laura kisney)

vogue living…

a couple weeks ago, i was admiring the “farah” shoes from tabitha simmons online…. (you have to watch the video on her website!) and then on friday, vogue arrived in the mail and now i get to see inside her house. leave it to vogue. they have the best house & home features, and i especially love it when the featured space is here in NYC.

first the shoes:

now the house:

(photograps by Françios Halard for Vogue, story by Lynn Yaeger)

happy year of the dragon!

and gong hey fat choy! (happy new year)

i thought i’d take a trip down memory lane and look at some pictures from when i was in shanghai and hong kong two years ago. i had a great time at the bird market, the night market, the museum of city planning, an acrobatic show, and looking in all the shops. i drank coffee mixed with green tea (weird tasting to me but very popular), had amazing dim sum, and tried to eat a head-and-shell-ON shrimp with just chopsticks. that was hard.

i remember there was a lot of “big news” from around the world while i was in china… the earthquake in haiti… conan was removed as host of the tonight show… the chinese government was not pleased with a proposed arms deal between the US and Taiwan… and google’s decision to ease up on self-censorship in mainland china was making waves.  (i was traveling alone, and newspapers were my dining companions on this trip.)

here are some little links from around the web to get you in the chinese new year mood…

-vogue’s slideshow of dragon-inspired gifts

-recipe for Chap Chai, a yummy-sounding Chinese New Year dish from Chopstick Diner

-go on a food-centric walking tour of NYC’s chinatown

-take a walk down grand street and keep an eye out for vendors selling durian, that kind of stinky ugly fruit. i have enough fun watching them scoop it out of the rind…

(top two and bottom two photos were taken in hong kong, middle photos were taken in shanghai)

 

 

escape to: ellicottville, new york

tucked away in the hills of western new york is a little gem of a ski town that i simply adore called ellicottville, home to holiday valley and holimont ski resorts. in addition to skiing, snowboarding, or thrill-seeking on their new mountain coaster, you can also après-ski in style at the yodeler lodge, the tamarack club, or in town at dina’s. the walkable downtown boasts all sorts of fun shops to poke around in, and there is a nearby sculpture garden and alpaca farm to investigate in case you’re not a skier.

(photo via flickr)

summers in EVL are also pretty great. over at the mountain, you can golf, zip line, or test your tree climbing skills. (take a look here.) the roads leading in and out of town are perfect for long (and hilly!) bike rides. my personal favorite summer event is the fourth of july pet parade. pet owners lead their animals through main street – often in costume. i have seen dogs, a guinea pig in a cage perched on a wheelbarrow, a trio of baby goats, alpacas, horses, and something called a Zee-Donk (hybrid zebra and donkey!) march down main street. the animals all gather near the gazebo at the end so people can pet them. it’s totally fantastic, as are the fireworks and evening concert at the base of the mountain performed by the buffalo philharmonic.

these places are also on my “must-do” list:

- a massage at falling waters spa

-a trip to the salamanca antiques mall

-going to Dom’s Butcher Block in town if we’re cooking something meaty. amazing.

-a walk up Greer Hill Drive to see some pretty houses

(bottom photos by laura kinsey)

project: bedroom

the bedroom still needs a lot of work. we moved 10 months ago, but it kind of looks like we just unpacked.

find a duvet cover

get a dresser(s)

i should really hang the mirror that’s leaning against the wall

do i want a rug (?)

artwork… may have found something! i love these abstract landscape paintings from artist Chelsea James. aren’t they beautiful?

(from top: still, 60×60; season, 60×72; paragon, 48×48. all paintings are oil on canvas.) see more here.

 

 

in love with a burger…

this week i’m attempting to have mostly juice meals. it’s pretty boring, and since i’m delerious for solid food, let’s take a look back to last week. i was in los angeles and palm springs, and super excited to try Umami Burger. we don’t have them here in NYC. not yet, anyway!

it was so cukoo bananas good that i went two days in a row.

first up…i went to the new location in Hermosa Beach. i had my fancy camera and was ready to take my little baby burger’s photo as soon as it was delivered. but it looked so amazing i think my brain melted – i forgot all about the photo!  i opted for the Cali Burger, with slow-roasted tomato, butter lettuce, cheese, and that big pillowy, brioche-y kind of bun branded with a U on the top. so no picture, but it’s okay! there’s a whole slew of them on the Umami Burger flickr page.

the next day was my flight, but i had time to walk to the Umami Burger in Santa Monica and have another before take-off. i boogyed over there like my life depended on it, sat alone at a table outside, and ordered immediately. the Greenbird this time, a turkey burger with their “green cheese”, sprouts, and avocado. and fries. a little more clear-headed this time, i managed a few photos. their lemonade is also pretty incredible, by the way.

i’m in love. but i was full…and guess what the in flight meal was? yes. a cheeseburger. i decided to pass.

 (photos by laura kinsey)

happy & healthy new year!

high hopes for starting the new year right…. here’s to skinny thighs and a functioning liver!

i’m going to start looking for my willpower now.

1. rebounder trampoline; 2. ”for good” necklace; 3. work out top; 4. jump rope; 5. KALE! 6. 3 lb. hand weights; 7. natural rubber yoga mat; 8. cropped work out cover-up thingie; 9. fun sneakers; 10. yummy juice cleanse