It Might as Well Be Spring

The weather finally decided to get with the program today and show some beautiful spring weather. I celebrated by participating in my favorite of spring activities- taxes. Seriously, I did do my taxes today. But theeeennnnnn, I went to the Bronx Zoo with Fer and we ran around looking at all the animals in nice warm weather and it was the best spring day ever! Oh, and I bought these sweet daffodils for the apartment this morning, and brought the springiness inside too. What a day!

Tuesday's Gone

And I'm happy about that! After a looooong day at work, the day is done and I can look forward to my Wednesday off. Fer and I have big plans to enjoy the improved weather tomorrow (more on that...tomorrow). For now, I'm going to celebrate Tuesday night in my favorite way- dinner at Petite Abeille! Get the moules ready you magnificent Belgian chefs! And crack open one of those half-price bottles of wine if you please.

Staycation, All I Ever Wanted!

Staycation, time to....stay at home. So sorry that I haven't updated in recent days, but I was away on a staycation. Ha, lame term I know- I hated it too, until I appropriated it for our awesome NYC "getaway" this weekend. We had planned to go away to Philly for a weekend trip in lieu of an actual spring break trip (since I have to stay and work at my internship- boo, hiss!). But we had problems with the bus scheduling, so instead, we made the best of things and decided to enjoy the fantastic destination that we are lucky enough to live in! Sometimes it takes something different to make you really appreciate the place you are- which was definitely the case this weekend. So we did a lot of fun stuff, but I think the best was Saturday night when we went to see God of Carnage on Broadway. It was hilarious and the house was pretty empty so we got to move up to great seats in the first row of the balcony! Afterward we went to a cute French bistro, La Bonne Soupe, where they have an amazing fondue. We drowned ourselves in cheese and wine and toasted to our fantastic staycation!

Tooth Talk

Ack, sorry, it's been too long since I posted- blame Hunter College and the schoolwork they have seen fit to assign me in recent days. (Done in May!! Can't wait!!!) Anyways, big news of the day- I went to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning today (for the first time in two years, ahem). I went to a fancypants "dental studio" in Tribeca, because I got a great deal on this site Lifebooker (check it out for discounts on health and beauty shtuff). Anyways, let me break it down for you:

Pros of the experience:
No cavities! I'm an oral care champion! Bravo!
A massaging chair which gently soothed my back throughout the whole examination
Giant TV that showed my X-rays so I got to see them
Pretty swanky set-up in general, looked very spa-like
They took impressions of my teeth to make whitening trays- soon my pearly whites will be blinding in their pristine glory

Cons:
Dental hygienist said I'm grinding my teeth too much at night and need a night-guard (boo, expensive, and not cute!)
Dentist said I have gum recession from brushing my teeth too hard and may need a gum graft at some point (what?? does that really exist?)
No free toothbrush/toothpaste at the end- is it so provincial of me to expect such niceties?

Anyways, overall, a good experience and I left with my teeth feeling sparkling clean, which I love. Enough about my chompers now. I'm sure you're thinking the same thing.

Holy Macaron!

Merci beaucoup to Papa Butler who alerted me to Jour du Macaron which was going on here in New York City yesterday. Several cafes and bakeries were giving away free macarons in honor of the day, including one of our favorite local places, Madeleine Patisserie. We discovered this place on a search for almond croissants and have been back several times for coffees and pastries in their cute little parlor-like store. I had often stared at their cases full of lovely little macarons in a rainbow of colors and flavors, but was always lured away by the delectable croissants. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure what a macaron was. But yesterday seemed like the perfect opportunity to try one. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, they had run out of their supply of free macarons, which I thought was a little out of touch with the spirit of the day. Shouldn't there be macarons raining from the sky for the pleasure of the populace?? But after all the anticipation, I couldn't walk away without at least trying one. So after some consideration, I selected the lemon-pistachio variety from the list of 20 or more choices. Wow- thank you France, thank you macaron-makers of New York City, and thank you Dad for all conspiring to introduce me to this delicious treat. I will be back for more!

Señorita Jessica, Famous Cucaracha Dancer!

I didn't have to go in to my internship yesterday, so I decided I should spend my free day teaching a folkloric dance to elementary school students in Jersey City. It's not as random as it sounds! I went with Fer to the school he teaches at and joined his Spanish classes to teach them a very simple dance that goes along to the song La Cucaracha. I was introduced as Senorita Jessica, a world famous cucaracha dance instructor, and at least one student was quite disappointed to find out that in reality I was just Senor Fernando's girlfriend. I think they all enjoyed it despite any minor disappointments however, and I had a wonderful day dancing and singing and meeting loads of adorable kids! Check out a video of us dancing below!
Jess and Fer Bailando La Cucaracha

Blimey!

In my haste to consume the delicious corned beef goodness that I cooked up for our St Patrick's Day dinner, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product for the blog! Unforgiveable, I know. It really did look quite nice- I braised the cabbage in a little chicken broth rather than cooking it with the meat and potatoes so it wouldn't "contaminate" the rest of the food, making it inedible. (Fer is not a big fan of the cabbage component of the meal). Anyways, the braised cabbage kept a really nice green color and looked so beautiful on the plate. I was very happy to spend the holiday having dinner at home, especially after fighting my way through hordes of green-clad zombies every time I passed an Irish pub today. Seriously, do these people start drinking at 9 am? They wake up, slap on their blinking shamrock head-boppers and pour some Guinness over their breakfast cereal? Maybe I'm an old fogey, but it seems like this might not be the best way to celebrate your pride in the Emerald Isle.

My Irish Eyes are Smiling!

Every year growing up, I looked forward to St. Patrick's day when me bonny mum would whip up an Irish feast of corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and my very favorite, Irish Soda Bread. She usually made extra for me, because I could eat the whole pan of it myself. Last year I cooked the meal for the first time myself, and plan to do so again on Wednesday. So I was so happy to get a package from Mom today, with an Irish Soda Bread baking mix and the raisins to go along with it! Can't wait to celebrate with a hearty Irish supper at home this year. You should try it too! Or at least the bread, if you're unsure about the corned beef and cabbage (c'mon it's just once a year!) My mom's recipe is really easy and delicious:

2 cups baking mix
6 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup milk

Mix baking mix and sugar. Cut in the margarine. Add raisins and milk and stir until blended. Put in greased 9" cake pan or pie plate. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm!

La Vie en rose

Thanks to our friend Chef Angelo, Fer and I were again able to enjoy the fine cuisine of the Landmarc restaurant last night. He invited us to their Fete de Campagne and we had an amazing time feasting on beaucoup French food while listening to the music of Edith Piaf, and meeting some cool new people. Check out the incredible menu we got to enjoy. The mussels were the best!

"Savor the rustic flavors and classic tradition of the Fête de Campagne, a French country feast, transporting guests to rural France through a sampling of assorted house made sausages and charcuterie, goose fat fries with aioli, a variety of French cheeses, mussels in white wine, smoky bacon tarte flambée, a selection of sweet crêpes, French desserts and much more. Be ready to toast to the fête with ample amounts of wine and beer and make sure to sample the French Pearl, a special cocktail honoring this lively and festive occasion."

Indie Film Fun

Hey all! My friend from school, Olga, sent me this video that her boyfriend just finished making. I don't know much about the background of it, or the music group that's featured, but it's pretty funny and I liked watching it, so I thought you would too! Also, Elijah Wood is in it! Frodo, don't wear the ring!
Click here to watch > Exploring the Universe

Banana Phone!

Actually it was just a regular cell phone...but check this out anyways.
So the best part of yesterday was that on my lunch hour, I actually left the hospital and went outside for a walk to destress and enjoy the beautiful weather and sunshine! And it so happened that at that same time, my sister was on lunch break on a field trip to Mama's Pizza. So we got to have a nice midday chat. During the course of this conversation, she brought it to my attention, that the rating options for the posts may be slightly confusing. I admit they're pretty bad- unfortunately this is due to the limits of the site, but I am considering other possibilities. As it stands, "Best Day Ever!" is pretty self-explanatory, and "You posted this?" is to indicate, that the post was so boring/bad/depressing/lame/other negative descriptor, that is was not worth putting up. Hope that clears things up until I can get something better figured out. Happy Wednesday!

Mundane Monday

I knew it would come to this one of these days- my life just isn't exciting enough to provide fodder for fascinating updates on a daily basis. So while the following may seem pretty great to me, I don't blame you for wanting to hit the "You posted this?" button.
I came home from class and got sandwiches from my FAVORITE sandwich place across the street, Gracefully. While Fer likes to go the old reliable route and always gets the same sandwich (turkey and brie on baguette), I like to mix it up and choose a variety from their vast menu of options. Went with a fairly basic turkey wrap with tomato cucumber and watercress tonight. That's it. I like sandwiches.
Wait, I forgot the best part! We got one sandwich free because we had ten punches in our frequent sandwich buyer card. That was awesome.

Aaaaaannnd!

Oh, I forgot to mention the biggest excitement of today. It was warm and sunny and beautiful this morning when I went on my usual Saturday morning run. I've joined this group that goes running in Central Park on Wednesdays and Saturdays and it's been so great for me. It really motivates me to get out and run regularly and I've met such nice people as well. Last week one of the group leaders let me borrow her copy of "Half the Sky" which is an amazing book about womens' right issues around the world. You should all read it! And go out there and enjoy the weather again tomorrow if it's nice!

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42

Biggest excitement of yesterday- I finished Season 1 of Lost. Yes, I know I'm behind the rest of the modern world. Everyone else is currently enjoying the mysteries being revealed in Season 6. But I got a late start. Anyways, it's been a looooong week, and a night at home on the couch watching a group of strangers struggle for survival on an island was exactly what I needed. Not exactly a Friday night that lives up to the NYC nightlife standards, but I sure enjoyed it.

Manhattan's New Hot Spot

So, not much happened today, but I wanted to let everyone know that despite the tortilla fracaso, yesterday was not ALL bad. Actually, it ended up being pretty good. A friend of Fer's is opening a new restaurant here in Manhattan on Friday, and last night we got to go and try out the food in their new space. The restaurant is Hecho en Dumbo, which used to be located in Brooklyn (Dumbo actually!) and I had been there a few times before and always liked it. But they've moved to a really cool new location in the Bowery, their menu is bigger now, and the food is still awesome! They specialize in Mexican antojitos, and if you ask me they do it pretty well. So go check it out, if you think my opinion is worth anything :-)

This is the end of "Fiesta Days"

This is a tortilla española that I made for my K-1 Spanish class this afternoon since they had earned a "Fiesta day!" with good behavior. You'll notice that a large portion is still on the plate because many of them did not want to try it. I had also planned for us to make guacamole together but had to abandon that effort halfway through, as I discovered that the avocado I had brought was extremely unripe. Several of my students voiced their disappointment in today's fiesta, stating that they "thought it would be funner." I predict that we will not be having another fiesta day in the near future.

Look what came in the mail!

My mom and dad sent me this adorable new chapeau that they picked up on their recent travels. The only thing I love more than getting packages in the mail, is when cute hats come in packages in the mail. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Weekend Update

Don't get too excited- this post probably won't contain any Seth Meyeresque ready for SNL humor. It's late and I'm not functioning at full capacity, so I'm going to try to stick to just the facts and catch everybody up on all the fun of the past weekend. Fer's dad braved the weather and came to visit New York, and we tried to show him the best the Big Apple has to offer despite the slush and snow. On Saturday we went for a wintery promenade on the Highline park, which I've been wanting to visit since it opened this summer. It was lovely even in the winter, so I can't wait to go back in warm sunny weather. Lots of people were out there making snowmen and one couple was sculpting a snow "sunbathing beauty" lounging on one of the wooden chaises.
Our walk brought us to Chelsea Piers where we engaged in a serious pairs bowling competition- Fer and I vs. Hector and Patricia. First match we demonstrated our bowling prowess and won by a large match, but our opponents really stepped it up in the rematch and we pulled an exact draw! I blew our chance to pull ahead in the final frame, when I bowled a strike...followed by two gutters.
And of course such an excellent weekend had to include some feasting! On Saturday night we went to Landmarc, where our friend Angelo is a chef (he once made soup for the Pope!). He was so nice and sent out all sorts of fancy appetizers and an awesome dessert- a huge bowl of ice with a sampler of 12 small cups of their different ice creams.
Ok, this is getting long, but I have to mention brunch at Paprika in the East Village on Sunday. I had green eggs over grilled polenta with tomato salsa that was brunch nirvana. New favorite!