Cragsmoor, NY

This weekend I went up to Cragsmoor, NY, with my dad & grandpa. It's a small town on a mountain about 90 miles north of NYC, where my grandpa was born & lived until he was 18 and went off to college. My aunt Ann is looking to buy a house there now, so we went to check it out and see the village. We got to meet a bunch of people and see some pretty cool places all around the area.

This is the house my aunt wants to buy. It's got 2 bedrooms, a 1-bedroom cottage on the property and lots of land in the backyard. There's also a view of 2 separate mountain ranges. Oh, and I saw a snake out back when we were walking around - yikes!

The Ellenville Reformed Church, where my grandma and grandpa got married in 1941. The ceremony was actually in the portion of the building on the right of the church. The sign out front declares that the first service held here was in 1841.

We visited Mohonk Mountain House. It's this huge resort built in 1869 up in the mountains on Lake Mohonk. Lot's of activities (golf, hiking, swimming, horse-back riding, etc.) and beautiful views all around.

On Saturday we went to the annual Birdcage party in Cragsmoor. It's a benefit for the Cragsmoor Free Library, and everyone puts their donations in the birdcage hanging from the tree. Everyone brings a dish to set out and share, and it's held at a different home around town each year. This year it was at Tom Gale's house, next to the Stone Church.

When we got back to NY we went to visit Ellis Island. They have a great museum there to explore and learn more about the immigration process throughout the years.

On the boat over to Ellis Island.

Grandpa had the names of our relatives who came through Ellis Island put on the wall, so we spent some time finding them all.

MLK

I know I'm a couple of days behind the 40th anniversary of MLK's assassination. But I was reading a comment on Wonkette, and it really reminded me of how much we lost. The commenter (is that a word?) pointed out that:

MLK was 26 when he organized the Montgomery Bus boycott, 34 when he gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, 35 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize and 39 when he was assassinated.

He always seemed older to me, probably because he did so much and was already such a legend.

Elephants on Parade (in NYC)!

I've heard about Elephant Walk for a couple of years now, and this year a bunch of us decided we wanted to go. Even though it's at midnight. On a Tuesday. And they always run late.

Elephant Walk is that magical time of year when Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey's Circus comes into town. In order to get the elephants into town they walk them (and the horses) through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and along 34th Street to Madison Square Garden.

So, back to this year. Sara, Kate, Sean & I were going to go. But then Sara got hurt (sad) and then Sean & Kate couldn't go. So I went on my own! I decided to just take the 6 straight up and stand at 34th & Park, which provided me with a beautiful view of the Empire State Building. Got a couple of good shots of it lit up and thought it would be a great backdrop for the elephants when they came. Yeah, I didn't realize it shuts off at midnight!


The elephants were late (of course) and didn't show up until close to 1 a.m. But it gave me some time to call and chat with my sister (hi Heidi!) and listen to the group next to me who thought it would be fun to discuss, in detail, every single tidbit they had ever heard about elephants. Did you know they can rip up trees with their trunks? And they mourn their dead. And also, their teeth grow in 10 year spurts (or something - I sort of tuned out about then).

Finally. The crowd down the street is going wild, flashes are going off, the elephants are coming! And then....they're gone. It was really just about that fast. My careful staging & planning completely went out the window when I realized it was a quicky elephant train, not a slow, lumbering, sauntering train that would allow me ample time to set up a shot, click off a couple of frames and move on to the next. So no tall building backdrops, no "34th & Park" signs behind the elephants, nothing like that. Just down and dirty quick shooting.


But they were super cute and they really do walk holding the tail of the one in front of them! Yay!

I have to cheer for Princeton now!

I love, love, love this new program Princeton is looking at instituting. They want to send about 10% of their incoming freshman to do a year of service somewhere in the world-before they even get to school! It's basically a gap year, but they would help with financial aid and it would be set up through them. Genious! Why couldn't this have been in place when I went to college? Not that I would have gotten into Princeton, but still. I hope other universities follow suit. It makes so much sense, and could actually do some good-both in the foreign countries and for the kids going.

I do agree with some of the reader comments, though, that some domestic service would be nice as well. Maybe let kids choose?

Read the NY Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/education/19educ.html

Fun Little Game

Thanks to DailyCandy I just came across this fun little game online called Free Rice. It's a vocab game (for all you nerds out there - and yes, I'm including myself in that) and for every word you correctly define the advertisers donate 20 grains of rice. It's kind of addictive and an easy way to give something. Yay!

Blondes

Kate called last night and tempted me out to Bowery Ballroom for the Shout Out Louds show when her friend bailed on her. It was a lot of fun to get out and dance. Plus, the night was filled with Swedish fun. The band before them-Johnossi-was also Swedish and they were pretty good. And the Swedes came out in full force (directly from Sweden, I think)! There were huge groups of tall, blonde, die-hard fans all around us. Yay!

Check out the bands:
Shout Out Louds-http://www.myspace.com/shoutoutlouds
Johnossi-http://www.myspace.com/johnossi

Quote of the night: "I mean, what's the difference between Seattle & Sweden? More blondes."

Thanks dude in front of us in a shiny vest!

J&K Tie the Knot!

Jeff & Kathleen got married on August 4 in Portland, OR, and the "Ladies of NY" (Kate, Anna & myself) were present to celebrate the weekend!


The NYC gang having some drinks at the Embassy Suites bar...together again!


Kate, Jeff & Anna at the wedding.


Kate & Kathleen


The happy couple celebrating the night!

Leif's Visit

So my cousin Leif came up from DC to visit this weekend. We had a lot of fun, lots of food and did lots of walking...it was great!

Out from of the Met Museum we saw this guy doing a puppet show, dancing to the Pina Colada song!

Leif with one of the sculptures at the Met. We took a "museum highlights" tour and it was actually really interesting. Our guide was great and showed us some great pieces.

Another piece we saw.

Sunday we walked down to Chinatown and came across this parade of all different cultures and dances...it was odd, but really neat to watch.

More Mets Pics!

I just remembered I got pictures from Kat & Christine too (Sara didn't even take her camera out of her bag...there was just too much excitement!).

Sara, Kat & I

Sara thanking "Mr. Delgado" for taking a picture with her.

Christine & Jose Reyes.

Christine, Sara & I.

Delgado & Kat!

Meet the Mets!

That's what I did last Thursday! Sara's aunt got us 4 tickets to a charity auction thing, and we got autographs and pictures with the Mets & with Mr. Met himself (Sara was pretty excited about that).

Christine & Sara on the train to Greenwich, CT for the event...

and me & Kat on the other seats!

This is pretty much the feeling we had all evening...squee!!

This is me with Delgado - he plays first base & was awesome at joking with people and being so nice this night.

And with Jose Reyes. He's short stop & he signed my Reyes shirt.

Sara was VERY excited to meet Mr. Met, the mascot for the Mets.

On the left (in khaki) is Paul LoDuca - he's the catcher. And in the middle is Jose Reyes again.

Not a great pic, but I had to include David Wright (right) because Sara loves him...he plays third base. LoDuca is on the left again.

Delicious!

So I made this Chili Con Carne and Sara couldn't even eat it (way too hot for her). I loved it though! It's hot, but a little sour cream helps cool it down. You could also put it over brown rice or have some bread with it.

Chili Con Carne
Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (4 1/2 oz) can chopped green chilies
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 lb ground skinless chicken breast
1 (28 oz) can Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped (tip: use kitchen scissors to chop them right in the can)
1 cup prepared salsa
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chili powder (I used hot mexican style chili powder, and not quite a full 1/4 cup)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, rinsed & drained (I used a 15 oz and a 19 oz because that's what I had)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chilies and Cajun seasoning. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook, breaking up the chicken with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes with their liquid, salsa, water, chili powder, sugar & salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended and the chili thickens slightly, about 1 hour. Stir in the beans and cook until heated through.

NUTRITION

Per serving (1 1/3 cups): 247 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 42 mg chol, 1465 sodium, 31 g carbs, 11 g fiber, 23 g protein, 116 mg calc.

Disaster in the Kitchen!

It's the third real recipe I've tried, and it was a disaster while I was making it. It actually turned out ok though, doesn't look pretty, but it tastes pretty good!

Chicken Negimaki
Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 (1/4 pound) skinless boneless chicken breast halves
4 scallions, dark green part only
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons canola oil

INSTRUCTIONS

PLACE a chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or bottom of heavy saucepan. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Arrange the chicken on a work surface with long side facing you, then top each with 1 of the scallions, lengthwise. Roll the chicken around the scallions, jelly-roll style, and secure with kitchen string at 1-ince intervals.

COMBINE the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken rolls and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, at least 2 hours or overnight.

REMOVE the chicken rolls from the marinade; discard the marinade. Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken rolls and cook, turning often, until browned and cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a cutting board and remove the string. Cut each roll into 6 pieces.

NUTRITION per serving (6 pieces)
146 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 131 mg sodium, 1 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 23 g protein, 16 mg calcium


Roast Asparagus and Plum Tomatoes
Makes 4 servings
WW Points: 1 per serving

INGREDIENTS

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed an dcut into 4-inch lengths
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp white-wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

ARRANGE the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

TOSS the asparagus and tomatoes with 1 tsp of the oil in a roasting pan. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer, with the tomatoes cut-side up. Roast until the tomatoes are lightly charred and the asparagus are just tender, 12-16 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus.

MEANWHILE, combine the remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil, the vinegar, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a cup. Transfer the vegetables to a platter and drizzle with the dressing

NUTRITION (serving size 1 cup)
78 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 163 mg sodium, 11 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein, 23 mg calcium


Even though they weren't pretty, they actually turned out to taste pretty good! I will probably have to make more of the sauce (to dribble on the vegetables) because I also like it on the chicken. But still, not a bad dinner.

catch up

Well, it's been awhile. No real reason, just not much to write. I've been to a couple of Mets games (thanks Kat & Sara) and am actually watching one right now! I love it. And that's about it.

I was also supposed to see my dad for a long weekend, but he got here on a Thursday and had to fly home Friday - he got some bad news about his heart health. So we're dealing with that (meaning Janne & my sisters are taking him to the doctor, visiting him, etc. and then calling to tell me all about it). But I just talked to him and he sounds pretty good. It was still sad that we didn't get to hang out for as long as we thought we would, but he was here for a night and the next morning, so we had a great dinner and breakfast.

Other than that, nothing new! I'm heading to Oregon in August and then Heidi & Judy (and Heather, if we can talk her into it) are heading out here after that. First time Heidi's visiting! Plus, Friday is a "summer friday" for me - 4 day week! I love those.

NYC

I've been thinking a lot lately about how different new york is now from when i moved here 4 1/2 years ago. I realized it for the first time about a week ago. I was hanging out with Kate, and walking home from Washington Square Park I actually felt at home. Not just comfortable because I knew the street so well, where the different shops and restaurants were, even the vendors. But because it felt good to be walking down the street in NYC. It felt "normal."

When I first moved here I distinctly remember walking from my apartment to Broadway. That is a whopping 2 blocks from my house. It was a monumental moment in my life. I never walked in LA. I just drove everywhere, even to the store for a quick trip. So this was huge. Now I think nothing of walking 2 blocks, or 14. I've actually walked 60 some blocks before, and I thought it was a fun, nice night!

But it's more than that. I finally feel like i'm growing up, without trying to be grown-up. I realized this after a night out drinking (guess i'm not that grown up) when i got home and found that somehow all of my huge, plastic cups had disappeared, to be replaced by a matching set of 8 real glass glasses (thanks Jeff & Kathleen). How did this happen!? I loved my big cups that could be dropped, thrown, kicked or strewn about with no chance of being broken. Weird to think that cups would make me feel grown up, but they do. It's like I have real stuff now - furniture (mostly IKEA, but still nice), dishes, electronics, etc. I guess I've kind of become a grown up out here in NYC, without family nearby or college friends to guide me.

This is what happens when i actually let myself turn on the computer at 3:26 a.m. and type away. Oh well.

DC Madame

I have issues with the whole "abstinence or nothing" policy of the Bush government, so this story just makes me squeal with glee. Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias resigned on April 27 (last friday) because he's been having a little fun with Madame Jeane Palfrey and her girls. This is the guy who directs all of our foreign aid programs. The programs that say recipients have to sign on to an abstinence only program in order to get treatments for HIV/AIDS, among other diseases. But this guy gets "massages." Hm. Kind of like my old roommate was a masseuse?

Here's the story on Slate.com: http://www.slate.com/id/2165259/nav/tap2/

New Recipe - Green Chili Chicken & Rice Skillet

No more recipe of the week or month, since that obviously isn't happening! But this is a great recipe - I just made it tonight. And, once again, it's a dish all in one. I love those!

Green Chili Chicken & Rice Skillet
3 servings

1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
3/4 cup diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
3/4 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Southwestern Seasoned Chicken Breast Strips (I got a Perdue version - just something tasty)
1 cup instant brown rice, uncooked
1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mild Cheddar Cheese

COOK and stir peppers and garlic in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 3 min. Add tomatoes with their liquid, the beans and water; mix well. Bring to boil.

STIR in chicken and rice; cover. Simmer 5 min. -- I actually ended up cooking it for 7 minutes (just to get rid of a little more liquid) and I didn't need the cheese on top. It's good enough without (and that's coming from me!).

REMOVE from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 min. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Nutrition per serving (about 1 1/4 cups): Calories 330, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 50 mg, Sodium 790 mg, Carbs 38 g, Dietary Fiber 6 g, Protein 24 g.

Meat on a Stick!

Kat & I went out to Coney Island today - first time for both of us! It was a ton of fun. Our friend Jen is in a radical marching band called Rude Mechanical Orchestra, and they were out there duelling with other marching bands today!

I have to admit, Coney Island is a little bit sketchy. The entrances to the rides seem to be alleys more than entrys, and a lot of the rides were still not running (it was really cold out there). But we went on the Wonder Wheel, this ferris wheel that has cars that swing and move all over the place. And the Cyclone, a great old wooden roller coaster. I wouldn't stay after dark. Or really, anytime close to dusk even. But it was a great time anyway, and I was excited to go out. Plus, Kat got to have her first corndog (hence, the blog title).

The Wonder Wheel, complete with swinging cars

Jen playing the flute with Rude Mechanical Orchestra

Kat going toward the entrance to the Wonder Wheel...little bit sketchy if you ask me!

View from the Wonder Wheel to the boardwalk and beach

Cyclone! I love old, wooden roller coasters. I screamed the entire time (that's the fun of it all)!

Jen smiling during one of the marching band duels

Recipe of the Month - Turkey & Penne Casserole

Yeah, that whole cooking a new recipe every week didn't work out, so now I'm aiming at once a month. And, as is probably evident, I like meals that come all in one dish, so that when I'm warming them up all week long I don't have to do anything more than toss it on a plate and microwave. So here's the newest!

Turkey & Penne Casserole
8 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups whole-wheat penne
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey (lean)
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, drained then broken up (I used 5 fresh tomatoes - whatever you have)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tbsp fresh chopped)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Cook the penne according to package directions omitting the salt, if desired. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, salt & pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in the oregano.

4. Add the turkey mixture to the penne; mix well. Stir in the ricotta and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella; transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake until heated through and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Nutrition per serving (about 1 1/4 cups): Calories 306, Total Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 53 mg, Sodium 474 mg, Carbs 37 g, Dietary Fiber 4 g, Protein 27 g, Calcium 235 mg.

To be honest, I would probably cut a little of the oregano and add some parsley and maybe some other herbs. But overall, I really like this dish! With a little side salad or fruit it's perfect!

Winter in LA

I took a quick, 6-day trip to LA to meet up with my cousins Brennon & Allison. We spent time at the WB lot, especially at the Gilmore Girls set (this is the gazebo)...

and Central Perk from Friends.

Then we headed to Hollywood to see the stars and take a break at this oxygen bar at Hollywood & Highland!

We had brunch and spent the day at the beach.

One of the boats Herb's dad made for the art installation in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica Pier

And finally, we had a family bbq!