[Someone Elses] Words of Wisdom

A friend forwarded me this 2010 Handbook right before the New Year and I thought that it had some pretty interesting things to get me thinking about what twentyten will have in store...I threw in whatever popped into my head when I read them.

Health:
1.       Drink plenty of water. 
2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants...
4.       Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.

5.       Pray more often.
6.       Play more games.
7.       Read more books than you did in 2009.
8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. 
9.       Sleep for 7 hours.
10.    Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11.    Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12    Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13.    Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14.    Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15.    Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16.    Dream more while you are awake.
17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18.    Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20.    Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23.    Smile and laugh more.
24..    You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.....

Society:
25.    Call your family often.
26.    Each day give something good to others.
27.    Forgive everyone for everything.
28.    Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of  6.
29..    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.
31.    Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32.    Do the right thing!
33.    Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up..
37.    The best is yet to come.
38.    When you awake alive in the morning, be thankful for it.

39.    Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40.     Appreciate all that is in your life, and tell everyone that you should, that you love them.

[My] Words of Wisdom addition:

Health:

I'm going to try and stick with a healthy appetite of veggies and fruits and oatmeal and whole grains. I think that the amount I have learned about diet and nutrition this year surpasses anything that I have known the past 10! I'm going to keep reading and learning about what I am putting into my body and get to know my body better so that I can better serve it!  Oh, and I definitely want to play more games :)

Personality:

My favorite point was to make peace with the past so it won't spoil the present. Alot of things have happened in 2009 that I may not be happiest with, but I definitely learn from my mistakes and 2010 is a clean slate!  And I like to day dream so that's gonna continue - everyone has to have their own fantasy world to live in!

Society:

Forgive forgive forgive. Life is too short to hold grudges. However, don't keep people around who don't benefit you in a positive way. It's okay to be a little selfish ;) And call your family!! At least they'll always forgive you too..

Life: the best is definitely yet to come ;)

Happy 2010 everyone! Cheers!

Tartine, New York style

Happy 2010!! I'm waiting to get my hands on some New Years Eve photos, since my camera battery didn't make it :( so once those make it to my computer, there will be a full recap of NYE in NYC. Of course, at the start of the new year, everyone makes their new years resolutions, or revelations, as we have started referring to them. One of my "revelations", along with the whole big picture theme of this blog, is to start seeing New York for all that it has to offer, while I am still young and able to enjoy it! The roomie and I talked about making a list of restaurants that we want to try out and make an active effort to go out and try these places. New York is the stomping ground for fabulous food and someone's gotta taste test it all, right!? 

I have been a follower of Jenna's blog for some time and recently have been reading about her new found addiction to Tartine. I've never been there myself, but it just so happens that there is one in NY as well - go figures! Figuring I would start out the new year right, me and my two cousins headed out to Tartine in the West Village for brunch this morning. It's a 15.95 prix fix, with a complimentary coffee/tea and oj. Not to shabby if I do say so myself [for new york that is ;)]. In past experiences of brunch with girlfriends, I would always order an omelette or eggs benedict and finish off the meal saying, probably verbatim, "Wow that was good, but I wish I had gotten something sweet." Now, I have shot myself in the foot one too many times, and my friends won't let me order eggs for bfast. Good thing, because I opted for the Apple Pancake from the Tartine menu, thinking about these paste brunch experiences, and it was sooooo good. The menu literally said "Apple Pancake", no extras, not even plural pancakes. I asked the waiter if it came with anything else and he said no, just an apple pancake. When it came out, I understood why. Ladies and gentleman, this is no ordinary pancake (hence the photo up top). I think it is more of a Dutch apple pancake/turnoveresque concoction. Needless to say, it was [I repeat], sooooo good. 

Are there any other fabulous brunches/meals that you have had recently?? I'm up for suggestions and will be adding to the fridge list consistently ;)

In keeping with NYE revelations, the roomie and I are headed out to dinner at The Bowery Hotel with a girlfriend of ours from college. Not sure if its kosher to snap photos in there, but I'll try to be discreet. Tata for now..

As Promised...Sweet Tooth Recipes

Chocolate Covered Popcorn w. Sea Salt

3 tbs veggie oil

1/2 cup of unpopped popcorn kernals

2 - 3 tbs of butter (or to taste)

12 oz dark chocolate

1 tbs kosher salt

Heat the veggie oil in a medium sized sauce pan. Once hot throw in the popcorn kernels and cover with lid. Once the kernels start popping make sure the hold the lid down and continuously lift the pot up and shake.

You want to be sure that all the kernals are touching the bottom of the pot so that none of them burn. Same as you would in a microwave, once the kernals stop popping (i.e. about 15 seconds of no-poppage) take off the heat. In a separate pan, or in a double broiler, melt the chocolate and butter together. Pour over the popcorn until evenly covered. Place the popcorn on a tray and sprinkle with sea salt. Let it cool (or throw in fridge). Finito!

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Sugar Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter,
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 ounces dark chocolate chips
6 crumbled candy canes
1/4 cup white chocolate

1. Line a cookie tray with wax paper and preheat oven to 325°F (convection).

2. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. 

3. Beat butter in medium bow until smooth and then gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Next, beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. 

4. Gradually add the flour and salt mixture, just until blended.

5. Drop dough by spoonfuls into the cookie tray and space them as evenly as possible. Use water to wet the tips of your fingers and press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

6. Bake the sugar cookie base until light golden brown - this took about 18 minutes, but will vary based on your oven.

7. Once finished, take the tray out and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Once you see that the chocolate is starting to melt, spread it into an even layer using a spatula. Then, sprinkle the chopped candy canes over the top.

8. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, or over boiling water until smooth. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

9. Once the cookie is cooled, you can easily take it off the wax paper and break it up into as big or small pieces as you want! 

Christmas In Connecticut

So Santa made a nice little pit stop in Connecticut last week! It was so nice to be home and to see my dogs, and my family, and the tree (not in that order..). I have been appreciating the country life and my house in Connecticut so much more now that I live in the most hectic city in the US. It's amazing what a little fresh farmland air can do for the psyche ;)

And Santa left me a large package of Angela's Oh She Glows! bars. Seriously they are soo good! 

I also had my first interaction with a real pomegranate. It was a lot easier to tackle than I had been expecting, and they were gorgeous to boot! Of course the seeds ended up making a beautiful addition to my oatmeal that (and most) morning/s of my holiday break. There were plenty of other food concoctions that came about..but those were more for satisfying my sweet tooth - and I'll post the recipes later ;)

Now if only I could get my family to eat oatmeal and organic skim milk for bfast with me...instead of whole milk and dunkin' donuts....I think it's a lost cause ;)

The Photo Elf!!

Although I have been away from the ol' blogosphere for about a week (sorry!) it did not go undocumented. Here are a few Christmas photos for your viewing pleasure:

Snowshoes

It's officially winter out :) The blizzard that roared through the North East this weekend certainly did not put a damper on my spirits. Although I was, at first, dreading the thought of trampling around New York in slush and flurries, the white flakes brought nothing but smiles to my face this weekend. I was able to get out on Saturday, pre-snow, and return to the last farmers market in Union Square. I really love this and all of the fresh produce, organic products, and local farm support that this market embodies. Not only was I able to pick up some Pink Lady apples and a Carrot Raisin Vegan cookie that I had been eyeing from last week's market trip, I also finished up my Christmas Shopping. In the rare event that my mom/dad/brother actually read this blog, I'm not going to divulge where/what I bought. Gotta keep 'em guessing! Let's just say that this weekend is not a cheap one ;) Not to mention I have to tip my door men (all four of them) plus the super, handyman, and relief doorman (?). I don't even know who some of these people are to be honest...and I'm not sure it's such a relief to me to shell out all this [nonexistant] cash. But it's Christmas and everyone deserves a little love! 

Do you have to tip your doormen? What is the protocol on this? Roomie and I weren't quite sure...

Saturday night, during the snow storm, I headed to the upper east side to have a little get-together with some old high school friends who were visiting for the weekend. To make a long story short, I was a little disheartened by the weather and the fact that my boots had ZERO traction (there was some intense sliding/falling going on), but by the end of the night I can honestly say that it was one of the best I've had in a while.  How many people can say they have made a snow angel in the middle of First Avenue. Or had a snowball fight in between passing cabs on 76th street. It was such a silly fun night of piggy back rides, pathetic snowball making, slipping and sliding. All in all ... :) 

A little photo-op when I managed to walk around today:

I hope everyone had the change to get out and have a little fun in the snow this weekend. I think the snow brings out the kid in a lot of people, and that is never a bad thing. Maybe it'll even make us New Yorkers a little less unhappy... ;)

Scrooge??

When I went to the gym this morning, the big TV's right above the treadmills blasted me a BIG disappointment! All I could see was the words underneath the newscaster saying "New Yorkers are the Most Unhappy People in Entire US". Whaaaat?! I mean, sure, we definitely definitely complain, and are hostile, and a little curt at times - in fact I even started this blog in an effort to be happier in New York. But in the whole country? pssssh I don't think I necessarily believe that.. here is the link to the video so you can see for yourself (I tried to upload it but haven't quite figured it out yet): http://news.yahoo.com/video/health-15749655/cdc-survey-new-yorkers-unhappiest-in-u-s-17194563

I was immediately determined to bring about some CHEER to the people of New York! So I opted for this holiday sweater to wear to work. 

See the reindeer! Not so sure this is business casual..but ehh I love it! 

On my way to work I thought about all the things I love that you could only get in New York...

First: The fact that I can walk to work at all! It's about twenty blocks (aka 1 mile) but I just listen to my ipod and shuffle down the streets...it's a nice way to clear my head in the morning and not be staring at a computer/tv screen :)

Second: HUGE, Sparkling, inspirational signs

  

on the side of Macy's nonetheless.

Third: The landmark Coffee&Bagel men who serve us "cranky/unhappy" new yorkers our daily dose of caffeine every morning for $.75!!

Fourth: Bryant Park :) I love this park in the Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer. Right now the fountain was still a-running (i looooove fountains) and this one had some icicles forming (ya it's about 20 degrees here!)
            

and ice skating!!!!

  

                      

Note to self: need to go ice skating at least ONCE this winter!!

Fifth: Daily Deals on anything and everything. Today, if you made a snowflake, you got a free coffee at Gregory's. No question, we sat and cut out snowflakes for those babies...

This was mine.

With a little help with a co-worker since apparently my snowflake making skills were below par (hmmph). I dont think the people at Gregory's minded however, and I got my free coffee (woohoo!!) and was able to add to the gorgeous art display

      

All in all a grrreat day - no scrooges here!