Coolest recycling bin EVER!

So I am a domestic weirdo. I LOVE to find the perfectest bestest things for my home that make things efficient and streamlined and attractive. LOVE it. It's one of my hobbies.

In that vein, I recently purchased the fourth (?) solution to our recycling issuse in our apartment that we've lived in for two years. I've tried plastic garbage bins, two sets of recycling containers and small metal garbage cans... none of them really worked. We have limited space where our trash is and if it gets too wide we can't get down the stairs out the side door to drop it off and we can't open the cupboards to get at the cat food on the other side.

Blah, blah, blah... I FOUND IT. Not only did I find the PERFECT recycling bin but also the PERFECT trash can. And when you're me, this is a big deal. I find myself going to the kitchen with one piece of paper happily recycling now just so I can see our set up.

Anyway - they weren't cheap, but perfection never is. We got the Fingerprint-Proof Butterfly Recycler by SimpleHuman. And for our trash can we have the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Rectangular 40-Liter Touch Can.





I will say that you can get a nice trash can for a little cheaper - SimpleHuman makes a step can with a black lid for $99. But it's only 9 gallons and this one is 12 and takes up very little room. I also like the Touch Can because you can leave it open when cooking and just throw things in there for 10 minutes and close it when you're done.

Regardless, the recycling can is GREAT. It holds a lot of recycling (in the photo they use for trash and recycyling and we use the two containers to divide paper products and glass/plastic/metals) and is easy to take out the containers and dump them into the recycling bins outside. It's sleek, sexy and takes up almost no room. For urban living, I highly recommend it.

My last great trash can I had for 8 years and I hope to have this one just as long.

Sometimes ya gotta make a cake.

When it's a time of cravings and mood swings and tears at commercials... ya gotta make a cake.

My current favorite favorite cake is yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. So i set out last night to make just that. I have a recipe from a cupcake cookbook that ROCKS but i was scared to use it for a cake because i'm not so good at math and haven't tried it before. But I want to make this cake for my Dad's upcoming birthday so I thought I'd try it out.

It had NOTHING to do with the fact that I want to eat an entire bowl of melted chocolate with a spoon and a glass of milk... nothing at all.

But I fucked up, ladies and gentlemen. I used a NEWWWWWW recipe that I'd never tried before from the Joy of Cooking for both the cake AND the frosting.

Don't change. When something is already perfect, don't fucking change it right when you are relying on the good ol' cake you knew and loved.

It's FINE. But it ain't the yellow cake I was craving and this "Chocolate Satin Frosting" is NO buttercream. The fact that the recipe calls for butter and cream is a mere coincidence.

This is what I ate for dinner. And breakfast. And a little snack just now. In fact this is ALL I've eaten since 5pm yesterday. I'm over it.



Use these recipes next time REDHEAD. Jeez.

1 1/4 unbleached all-purpose flour.
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg and yolk and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. Mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter is smooth. The batter is ready to bake, or for additions such as nuts, or other flavorings.

And this frosting, noodlebrain.

Makes frosting for 18 cupcakes.

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 T unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler). Stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the butter, and using an electric mixer on low speed, beat until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes. At first the mixture will look crumbly, but then it will form a smooth mass. Beat in the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla and cream, mixing to incorporate. On medium speed, beat the frosting for at least 3 minutes, until it looks smooth and creamy and the color lightens.

Both are from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans. I highly recommend this cookbook. Not all the recipes are great, but the ones that are (yellow cupcakes and chocolate buttercream etc.) are fantastic.

Oh, look - it's martini o'clock!

Which would be fine except that it's 8:45 am EST. And I have been up for an hour making tea and oatmeal and trying to get decent photos of my baby quilt (Bad Gal Quilts) uploaded from my iPhone [product placement] for my blog.

And I'm sitting here and thinking, "Is it time to go have drinks with my friends yet?"

A good friend of mine who shall remain anonymous (Jessica) upon returning to CA from Bermuda after the wedding was so upset at being back in her everyday life and not on a tropical island with her good friends texted a mutual friend at 10 am PT to see if they could go get drinks. She was up at 8am and waited a WHOLE TWO HOURS until it was socially acceptable (by whom I'm not quite sure) to mention getting drinks.

And that's how I feel today. Part of it is because I've been a recluse since I returned from Bermuda and have been working on getting our lives straightened up and cleaned out and looking pretty again. And I've been working like crazy on this baby quilt. (Two days.) Which I'm about to start on again.

But the other part is that my friends are the funniest people on the face of the planet and when I'm around them I care less about all the starving, homeless cats, the warming of the globe, the futile efforts of humanitarianism, the national economy and what an irresponsible waste of human being I am (depends on the day - for complaints see The Superego Dept.). And when I haven't seen them in oh, two to three days I start to get fussy.

My nameless friend (Jessica Huppi) is also coming to visit for a few days in early Sept. which is making me want to run in circles now in anticipation.

ALSO, another good friend of mine (Mrs. Tavano) is coming to pick up two kittens that were homeless and now will be fostered in Maine until they are found good and loving homes. She is driving ALL the way from Portland, ME to Brooklyn, NY on Sunday to pick up these kittens, one of which is in our guest room having breakfast at this very moment, and bring them back to the foster home. How's THAT for altruistic? Oh, and she too wants to see friends and have drinks.

So bring on the dirties - both people and drinks, because I'm ready.

I love Bermuda. And I want to go back and drink a Dark 'n Stormy stat.

But I will settle for Dark 'n Stormy's in Brooklyn with my husband.

(A word that still sounds strange to me. But not as strange as "wife". "Who's a wife? Me? Nooo shit.")

I had so much fun in Bermuda I didn't want to come home at ALL. Except to see my cats. But once I saw them I thought, "Yeah, could still be in Bermuda".

We had such good friends join us and had such great weather. There was a DELUGE the morning of the wedding.

Exhibit A


But by some miracle, the weather was perfect by evening when the wedding started. Cooler, less humid, and sunny with a slight breeze.

Exhibit B


So then we got married.
Exhibit C


And now we're back in Brooklyn enjoying the rare coolness of this August weather. I think my friend and I might have found another stray kitten at least a foster home which is awesome. I am starting my second baby quilt. Just finished washing the fabrics and will embark on cutting and finishing the last block if I ever get unpacked. Oh, lord what a bunch of crap I brought on this trip.

Someday I will learn not to over pack. I am getting better as I get older, getting more organized and such, but I still pack for EVERY occasion at least five times.

Usually when I come back to NYC after being away I'm filled with relief and let my breath come a little easier than it did before. Returning from Bermuda I did not feel this sense of calm. I felt ... sad.

Bermuda is this combination of quaint, gorgeous, old fashioned, and tropical. The roads are narrow and windy and transportation is a bitch. Hibiscus grow everywhere in many shades and the ocean views are incredible. Our cabana was literally OVER the tropical waters and the first thing I would see when I opened my eyes was the aquamarine sea through the doors leading to our balcony.

I sat in the evenings on our "terrace" reading in a plastic lawn chair, listening to the Caribbean waters and watching the horizon. Snorkelers would pass by, a boat would zoom out in the distance and occasionally I would see fish swim. There was always a breeze as Bermuda is the only land for 300 miles in any direction. North Carolina is the nearest land mass besides the cluster of islands that constitute Bermuda.

If you visit - I highly recommend a restaurant called Fresco's. It's located in Hamilton and is new. I went there with some friends and it was excellent. None of the food in Bermuda is cheap. None. If you want cheap, too bad, you can't get it. But you can go to the grocery store and live on PB&J to cut costs. If you're willing to go out to eat, stick with places that have fresh catches of the day. That is always the best meal on the island.

Fresco's is Mediterranean, dimly lit, and the wine selection, while expensive, is very good. I had the goat cheese tart with tomatoes and arugula which was quite good. My friend, Hillary, had the catch of the day cooked in a broth and served over rice with vegeables. Sounds plain - it wasn't. It was superb.

I've eaten at Blu twice in the past year and a half and while the food is quite good it's very pricey and the atmosphere is that of a family restaurant (i.e., loud sometimes and not as high brow as I like when I pay $150 for dinner).

We had friends over to our cabana and had cocktails while watching the sunset and making our own Dark 'n Stormy's. If possible, that is the way to go.

Don't expect to get around easily in Bermuda. The taxis are in high demand and the buses, while consistent, take a long time. The ferry is a good way to get around to popular destinations.

We also visited Mrs. T's Victorian Tea Room which was very quaint, if a little light on the scones and tea sandwiches. We double ordered tea sandwiches and were stuffed by the time we left and got a ride from one of the hotel staff who was kind enough to drop us at our resort.

Bermuda is famous for its rum - Gosling's rum - and its Barritt's ginger beer (my personal favorite and I've tried many) and hence its signature drink is the Dark 'n Stormy. If you haven't tried one then you must. I am not a rum drinker normally, but nothing says tropics to me like a nice, cold Dark 'n Stormy.

You can buy and bring home Bermuda Rum Cakes as we did. The naval dockyard, where the rum cake factory is, is a fun place to poke around and get mementos. It shares a building with the Bermuda glassworks where you can see the artisans at work.

If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive vacation close to the East Coat of the U.S., I highly recommend 9 Beaches. For just under $300/night you can get a cabana on a hilltop looking out over the ocean. All the cabanas are made out of heavy sailcloth so the winds keep you cool and during one of their many downpours you are dry and safe.

The food is decent, not great, but again that is true for most of the island. Their fresh fish is quite good and their pastry chef is excellent. Our wedding cake was a rum cake with chocolate layers, vanilla buttercream and strawberries on top. It was gobbled up.

9 Beaches is true to its name and has... you guessed it, 9 beaches on its premises. The main beach has a few umbrellas but is often more crowded. The smaller coves and beaches are more intimate and quiet, but do not have umbrellas and when you're fair-skinned that may not be an option in high summer.

The staff is friendly and helpful and the grounds has everything you could want out of a relaxed resort on a tropical island. It is not one of the fancier places to stay - i.e., you don't need a jacket and Bermuda shorts to dine if you're a guy, but that suited me and my husband. You can rent snorkel gear and sea kayaks at the 'surf shack'. The snorkeling is pretty good and there are a lot of colorful fish at the nearby coves and inlets at the many beaches. There is an island within swimming distance to the cabanas that has a lot of fish too, although the water can sometimes be a bit choppy on the windward side.

There is a shipwreck (Bermuda has a ton of them which was great for snorkeling and scuba diving) near the resort as well, but I would advise renting a small boat or kayak to get out there. There is a lot of boat traffic between the wreck and the beaches and the current out there is strong.

Enough about Bermuda and how I wish I was still there! I suppose it's a good thing that at least four of my friends has contacted me saying how depressed they are after returning from our wedding celebration. That, I believe, is the sign of a good party.

Watching Shark Week before going to a tropical island... hmmm

Yes, that's what I'm doing. I love Shark Week.

Normally, my family is in NC this week and we watch Shark Week and then go into the ocean where there are actually a fair amount of sharks. Bermuda doesn't have a reputation for a lot of shark activity, as far as I know, although there are barracuda and other game fish that I've seen while snorkeling.

If you're a fan of sharks or love to scare yourself you should check out my friend, Sharky's, blog The Chum Slick.

So I'm on my fifth shark attack recount and reenactment and I'm thinking this may not be the best idea.

I also bought a video about the Bermuda Triangle but I think I'll keep that for when I get back.

Okay - "Top Five, Eaten Alive" is on now. And I'm not sure I can handle this.

Happy Hunting!

Getting ready for marriage

So. I am swamped with things to do, but wanted to take a moment to document the time right before I get hitched! We leave next week for Bermuda to have our wedding and honeymoon.

I'm so excited and am so ready to be done with all the details that have lead up to this event. I love a party and am a good planner, but I have never put this much energy into one event in my entire life. It's kind of amazing the amount of planning and the thousands of little to big decisions you have to make as you go along the way.

What kind of invitations will you have? Will you get them printed or do them yourself? What color? Shiny or matte? Funny or serious? What kind of food? Open bar (duh)? What jewelry will you wear? Shoes? Nail polish? Hairstyles? Purse?
The list goes on.

Because our wedding is a destination wedding a lot of planning was done way in advance - about nine months in advance. But the last minute stuff is still here and we are plowing our way through it as bravely and efficiently as we can. Luckily, Jon is very patient with me and we manage to groan about the ridiculous amount of crap to do together. Something that makes all the difference when it's 6pm and you haven't showered because you've been coordinating with the wedding coordinator and fixing the budget and making decisions about flowers and chocolates and cake and chairs.

I don't mean to imply that it's not fun at all, but it is sooooo long-term that it is also very draining. Now I'm really getting into the fun stuff.

Sample schedule:
-Finances
-Call bank
-D/o laundry
-UPS Store, post office
-See friend
-Start to pack
-Cook dinner
-Go over budget/list with Jon
Sat
-Personal trainer
-Pack
-Get cat food, litter
-Go to friend's bday party
Sun
-Pack (and yes, it will take this long)
-p/u laundry, dry cleaning
-drop off programs and cameras to friends
-confirm flight itinerary
-start cleaning apt
-confirm catsitter
-print extra programs
Mon
-p/u dress in Jersey
-get clip and comb for hair
-personal trainer
-go to pharmacy and stock up on toilletry items

it goes on...

I am SO excited to get to Bermuda and relax with Jon. I am so happy that I get to marry him on a beautiful beach (with good weather, I hope, I hope). I am watching the weather websites every day and at the same time trying to tell myself it's out of my hands now. And no matter what, we will have fun.

So now I have to run out to the post office, the UPS Store, say hi to a good friend of mine who just had a baby and come home and wash the fabrics that I want to start quilting my NEXT baby quilt with. I'm lying to myself thinking that I have time to start this before I leave. But it keeps me sane.

It took four hours to go through finances and paper this afternoon. I'm now done and am going to shower! Yay! And change and leave.

I have a two-page to-do list on my kitchen counter that I am slowly crossing off as I go along.

The good news is today is Jon's last day at work so he will be at home to help starting tomorrow! We are celebrating by staying in tonight and relaxing. I.e., going over the guest list and budget one last time to make sure everything's in order. Awesome.

Can't wait until this is all in motion! There are so many people traveling to come celebrate with us, it's incredible. I think I will probably be in tears most of the weekend.

Off to drop off laundry. Ah, the glamorous life I lead.

This is the photo of Bermuda that I have as my desktop that keeps me movin and excited for next week:

Province Canteen & Sweet Lily Spa - What a day!

My good friend, Keri, got me a gift certificate to a spa downtown for my ladies' night a while ago and I used it today.

If you live in NYC and ever go to get your nails done or get waxed - I beg you to try the Sweet Lily Spa on West Broadway and North Moore Street. It is SUCH a relaxing place - there are overstuffed armchairs you sit in while you get your pedicure (what a luxurious experience that was! hot water in a retro bin with sliced cucumbers in it for your tired feet...) run, do not walk there.







I believe that says it all. I was a stressed out ball of nerves and irritation before we had lunch (that's to follow) and had my spa appointment - and when I walked out I felt like Buddha himself. Except not male, and a little thinner.

And lunch was at this incredible small, minimalist Chinese Canteen on Church Street at Walker Street. AMAZING. Pork Shoulder Sandwich and Beet Salad are incredible! I bought more Pork Shoulder Sandwiches to bring home and had to eat one immediately! So good and really cheap - and you can order pieces as you go so you can eat as little or as much as you like of what you like... what a novel idea! I highly recommend it.



AND they have Gus soda! Open Mo-Sat 11-9PM. Awesome.