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OBSESSION: Three Reasons I Heart Amazon Prime

Despite my best efforts, I L-O-V-E instant gratification. Wanting something, anything – ranging from the next episode of a TV show to a snack – and immediately getting it makes me happy. I know patience is a virtue...but I have other virtues. So. :)

I’m also getting married this year and needs a lot of stuff from the Internet. From centerpieces to bridesmaids gifts, I plan to comb the interwebs to ensure I can get the best prices on all on the stuff I need to keep my budget from ballooning.

Enter Amazon Prime to help in all of these matters. I swear on everything Holy that Amazon has not paid me to write this. I really, really just love Amazon Prime. It’s changed - for the better - my ability to shop and get things done quickly and I’m obsessed with it. 

Since I signed up and keep telling people that I have it, I do keep getting the question on if it’s worth it. The answer is yes. Here’s why:

It pays for itself. I am not a big fan of going into stores. I live in New York City, where this is no such thing as simply running a quick errand. If I want to go to stores like Target or Bed Bath & Beyond it’s a bus or subway to get there. Shoot - even to get to the grocery store, it’s a half-mile walk. As I write this, it’s 11 degrees out. The math is simple. Anything I need at these stores (though I haven’t ordered food yet) I can get on Prime, delivered right to my home or work, and save myself the subway fare, cab fare or just the need to brave the elements. This past Christmas, this was nothing less than a god send. Not only did I not step foot inside one store, but I shipped my gifts directly to either my job, or to the recipients, saving on the normal shipping costs I incur.

It’s fast.  If it’s something I need right away, Prime delivers within 24 hours. If it’s something I can live without for a few days, then you have a number of options to choose from – the most being 48 hours. Occasionally I’ve come across the ability to earn credit for other things on Amazon if I choose a longer-term option delivery (such as 3-4 days.) One of these perks even included a free year-long membership to Amazon Cloud Drive which is normally $60 - a deal I took. For someone who takes a lot of photographs, this is fantastic. And with just one order, I earned back 2/3 of the cost of the Prime service.

It’s not just stuff. The Prime video library is another perk I didn’t really think about when I signed up – but it’s been a pleasant surprise because it is dope. Not only do you get access to some of Prime’s exclusive content like Transparent (which according to the Emmy’s is something I should be watching) but it has an awesome library of other great shows. Right now, my fiancée and I are four seasons into The Wire, which is incredible. He was also beside himself to find all eight seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm on the site, which we use as a palette cleanser between watching people murder each other in Baltimore. I will say – I don’t love that there is content on there that I still have to pay for – such as Outlander – but I do understand that these aren’t American shows and the $14.99 price tag per 8 episodes wasn’t enough to keep me from purchasing.

If there are any other hidden benefits of the Prime membership, I’d love to hear them! 

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Getting Spooky at Eastern State Penitentiary

When my fiancee and I travel, we like mixing the must-sees in a city with those sites and places that are a little more of out of the way. So when finding ourselves in Philadelphia with our end-of-the-year vacation time last week, we made the obligatory stops at the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall and some of the awesome historical monuments – but then we took ourselves over to Eastern State Penitentiary for a spooky afternoon. We’re so glad we did, too, because this place was awesome – a perfect mix between historical significance and dark spookiness. This is the photo that attracted me to the site – you can see why!

Eastern State Pen has a very interesting history as a prison that worked to reform the way prisoners were rehabbed from their life of crime in the late 1700s. You can read the history and its importance to the overall American justice system here. The net, though, is that the model upon which the prison was based stressed total and complete isolation of its prisoners so that they may reflect on their sins. Absolute and total quiet at all times. No human contact whatsoever, save the sliding of a meal through an available slat from a guard that prisoners never saw or spoke to. So no matter if you were a murderer, a thief or were in prison for something far less bad – you atoned by essentially getting solitary confinement for the entire length of your sentence. That ended only in the early 1900s when the prison changed its model – however, by that time, it was more than 100 years old and less than modern. So the net is that the building, up until it closed in 1971, was the source of enormous human suffering – which on a cold and chilly December day is not hard to empathize with.

To wit, this picture of a space – used in later years for actual solitary confinement – which could generously be described as a damp hole in the ground. One story on the audio tour we took involved a dentist treating a patient so dangerous that the guards would only let him be treated through bars in the window while the dentist remained outside of the actual confinement area.

Here are just a few of my favorite snaps from the day! But if you find yourself in the Philadelphia area, with $14 to spare, I can’t recommend this ruin enough. It comes with a free audio tour that provides you a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style experience, so you can explore as much or as little as you like.

A view from one of the upper corridors, built later in the prison’s history.

This is a recreation of the cell Al Capone stayed in during his time at Eastern State. Some say he may have received special treatment.

A view down a closed corridor at Eastern State Penitentiary.

The penitentiary bills itself as a stabilized ruin. This explains it!

This door, with a cross at the center, struck me as a curious decorative choice.

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EAT: GreenBlender Smoothies for an Easy, Healthy Boost

Living in New York City for the last (gulp) 11 years, I’ve learned a few things:

Grocery shopping is never easy. While I live only a half-mile from the cheapest and largest grocery store, if I need a lot of stuff - say seven or eight bags - that’s 15-20 pounds. That half mile quickly starts to feel like 10.

Good, clean smoothies and juices cannot be found for less than $7 a pop - in any store or to-go restaurant. They just can’t. I’ve looked. 

Online shopping is the best. Online stores - like Fresh Direct, Amazon, and Soap.com - eliminate the need for me to traverse the entire city, bouncing around to big box stores, leaving with big, bulky items that are hard to carry. Food-wise, they also let me pick up items that can’t be easily found, which is good because I like to experiment.

So what does this have to do with smoothies you say? Great question. Imagine if a box of delicious fruits, veggies, seeds and powders magically showed up at your door on a regular basis. They are already cut, bagged or otherwise divided into perfect portions, and include hard-to-find uncommon items with exotic names. When blended together, they whip into smoothies with names like Almond Snickers, Orange Skittles and Coconut Wakeup. is is the premise of GreenBlender. Knowing I’m into healthy eating, trying new weird things and cooking, the company provided me a box to try their service - and I owe them a debt of gratitude because now I am obsessed.

At just $3.90 a serving - each box contains five recipes that make 10 servings (they have several plans so you can choose what works for you) - it’s affordable. Given the addition of powders and nuts, you’d spend a lot more buying the whole bag of what you need rather than the 1/2 tsp GreenBlender gives. I love it. I mean...look at the ingredients for said Almond-flavored Snickers smoothie. How could you resist?

Read on...if for no other reason than for 20 percent off your first box using a special code!

GreenBlender sends only fresh produce and superfoods and they focus on working with organic and local farms, which I really like. The flavors are new and interesting. This morning’s breakfast was so pretty, I had to put it in the sun and admire it for a minute. It also tasted like a Pina Colada. So.

The box arrives super organized with everything labeled and arranged including fun straws! All you have to do is place in the fridge and pantry.

And the hardest part after that is just pulling out the specific ingredients for each recipe and throwing them into the blender.

I’m not a breakfast person, so this has been a HUGE, healthy boost to my morning routine because it fits my lifestyle in that it takes only a minute to create something delicious. It’s also awesome that the flavors they send are not ones I’d normally choose for myself so I’m expanding my palette at the same time! One of my fave activities.

Sold yet? Good! GreenBlender is offering Steaks and Chevrons readers 20 percent off their first box by entering the code “STEAKS” at checkout!

Let me know how you like it!

[steaksandchevrons]

VISIT: Lovely Lugano, Switzerland

When some recently-married friends called my fiancee and I in the spring saying they had some “big news,” we automatically assumed they were pregnant. But actually - no, even better (well, sort of. I <3 babies). Our friend J. had taken a new job with a Swiss-owned back and needed to move to Switzerland for his job training. My fiancee responded, with “Congrats, that’s great!” I responded just as quickly with “When can we visit??!!” (I believe I also offered congratulations but cannot be sure.)

So earlier in October, we - along with two more friends who had a similar reaction to the news - packed our bags and headed over to Lugano (and some other amazing locations) to have some Swiss adventures. The city did not disappoint. Nestled in Southern Switzerland and just above Northern Italy, the town is highly-influenced by Italian culture, but retains a lot Swiss charms. We spent four days eating, roaming, staring at the amazing landscape, sampling wine and taking in every inch. Here’s what we saw and recommend.

One absolute must is to go to the top of Lugano’s Mont Bre, There is a super scenic trolley that takes you right up, called the Funicolare - no hiking required - and once up, the views are nothing short of spectacular. Including the little cafe and restaurant that overlooks the landscape. Perfect for hanging out and enjoying an afternoon.

A walk around the lake, Lake Lugano, is also a must. Day or night, and from all angles it’s gorgeous.

I’d also highly encourage just visiting the local shops and stores to gather up what’s needed for a home-cooked meal. Everything just tastes fresher and better when it’s from the market in the local square. Especially when walking around said squares is also just lovely.

We also learned a teeny bit about local clubs - such as this one, which as far as we can tell gathers to sing German folks songs while opening champagne bottles with swords. Seriously.

Overall, Lugano is a lovely place. Because it’s not so large but is centrally located, you can immerse yourself for a few days and then use it as a gateway to either Switzerland to the north, or Italy to the south. Send pics if you get there!

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EAT THIS: Weight Watchers* Eggplant Parmesan

Not so long ago, I invented a game called Farmer’s Market Roulette, wherein I go to the farmers market and pick out a vegetable that I don’t know how to cook, and bonus if I barely even know what it is. It’s been a while since I could properly even get to the farmer’s market, so when strolling through last Saturday, I decided to ease back into the game.

I immediately focused in on the multiple-colored eggplants at one booth - purple and white specifically. I’ve only ever had purple eggplant, so I picked up both in the hopes of having a colorful, delicious dinner and maybe learning about a new variety of one of my favorite foods. I zoned in on these because a friend of mine has been cooking/eating according to the Weight Watchers plan and looking amazing because of it. I saw her earlier in the week eating an eggplant dish from the program and she shared the recipe with me. She’s also Italian and I knew would not steer me wrong with some BS way to cook an eggplant that doesn’t involve cheesy, saucy, amazingness. So when I saw them, I knew what to do.

I cheated a bit off the Weight Watchers (hence the asterisk) version in that I used my own sauce (recipe for that here) and layered on the cheese a bit more than they do because I cannot control myself around cheese very well.

As for the million-dollar question, white eggplant versus purple eggplant, I did detect some subtle differences between the two and liked both! But I found the white eggplant is a little seedier, a little more meaty, and the flavor is a little more subtle. The purple eggplant had more of that robust flavor that you associate with eggplant...but together they worked really well!

After the jump, the recipe. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

Eggplant

1 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon of oregano

¼ tablespoon of minced garlic (I use dry, minced that I keep in the pantry)

1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese

2 cups tomato sauce

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree and clean the eggplant (love seeing that farm dirt on there), and take off the stem and the bottom. You don’t have to peel the purple eggplant because the skin is edible, but the skin of the white eggplant is apparently inedible (according to the internet)…so I just went ahead and peeled both. Then slice to desired thickness.

Step 2: Combine the oregano, garlic, Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Mix well.

Step 3: Dip the slices in the egg wash and then the breadcrumb mix. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once.

Step 4: Once everything is nice and coated, begin to layer! You can do this in a baking dish…but I don’t have one because small-apartment life is unkind. I’m also obsessed with my cast iron skillet, so I just bake everything in that. So layer, eggplant, sauce, mozzarella cheese…finishing with a nice layer of cheese. This is where I went a bit crazy.

Step 5: Bake on 350 until the cheese is melty, turning toward brown.

Step 6: Remove from heat, serve and try not to eat it all. (I also failed in this regard.) Serve with a side, if desired – you see a little meatball I slid in on the side, or of course, pasta is also great, obviously.

[steaksandchevrons]

The Perfect Smoothie

I’ve become a bit of a smoothie nut over the last few weeks as I’ve worked to shed a few pounds. Though I’ve never had a problem with weight, I have found that as I’ve entered my mid-30s, pounds just don’t magically  melt away like they used to. There was a time in my life where if I gained a bit, I could simply work out a little harder, watch my overall calorie consumption and poof! problem spot gone. But now, at 34, it’s much more clear that the workout has to be harder, and the calorie consumption watched much closer, if I want to change the way my clothes fit and how I look/feel. 

Never age, is what I’m getting at. 

However, smoothies have emerged as a means of providing me a few things that I love and make that journey easier:

Full servings of fruits and vegetables that I wouldn’t be consuming otherwise

An alternative to the heavier lunch options in my immediate area of New York, which includes the constant siren song of Chipotle

A filling and healthy breakfast/lunch

Boosts to my immune system 

Bearing this in mind, I absolutely loved this list of tips I received from Greenblender to get the absolute max for your smoothie. 

Greens (2 handfuls) This is the key. I used to hate green in my smoothie, just because I was convinced it didn't’ taste good, but that’s because I wasn’t combining them with the right sweetening ingredients. Greenblender says - “When picking leafy greens, go dark. The darker leaves usually indicate more nutrition.”

Good to know. My favorites include kale and spinach, but the tips also say to try swiss chard. Will do. Baby greens also offer a milder taste and easier blending. 

Fruits (1-2 cups) Fruits are what make this medicine go down. My favorite fruits to blend include blueberries, strawberries and apples. An apple-spinach combination, in my experience, is hard to beat.

Liquids (1-2 cups) As I was learning to make smoothies, this also emerged something I underestimated. Liquids make the blend palatable. When possible, I personally avoid water - using almond milk or coconut water - even beet juice. Greenblender even recommends freshly brewed tea which I bet is good. They also recommend staying away from juices from concentrate due to the sugar. Makes sense. Cream (optional, to taste) Depending on your desired consistency, this is a take/leave option. My personal favorite is a banana or an avocado, but Greenblender also offers ideas like raw cashews or hemp seeds. 

Boosters (to taste)

I’ve personally not yet done this but it’s an interesting idea. The tips recommend things like chia seeds, flax seeds and goji berries as starter boosters. Eventually, you can graduate to more exotic options like maqui, acai or matcha powder.

What I like most about smoothies that while on the surface they wouldn’t appear filling, if I have one for lunch or breakfast, I am totally and completely full and satisfied. It does feel weird not to chew, but once the nutrition hits your body, the difference is quickly forgotten. A smoothie around 12:30 or 1 p.m. in the workday does tide me over (sometimes you do need a snack) until dinner time.

Would love to hear any combos you particularly love!

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EAT THIS: Grandma’s Homemade Tomato Sauce

I’m writing this in the hopes I’m not the worst Italian in the world. 

Learning how to cook your grandmother’s tomato sauce is basically a rite of passage for any young person of Italian descent who aspires to cook. My grandmother’s sauce was second-to-none and I miss it so much. But my dad continues to make it a lot - as does my mom - and I realized I don’t have to miss it just because I’m not visiting home at the moment...I can make it. That means, no more missing out on this cheesy, saucy goodness:

It feels like it should have dawned on me before the age of 34 to realize this, but better late than never. I think what I like best about homemade sauce is that it’s just a few ingredients. It feels healthy and good to eat. 

As a bonus, making a pot means you can stretch it over  several meals so its economic too. (This is also just an easy way of saying that you can eat tomato sauce for days if you want. Just saying. Not that I did this.)

Here’s what you’ll need:

One pack of pork neck bones 

Two cans of tomato puree

Three cloves of garlic

3-4 tablespoons of sugar

Half-cup of parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper (and optional: I used a little bit of dried mince garlic I keep around)

Step 1: The meat gives the sauce so much flavor so it’s worth it to take the time to do this right. Take the meat and generously salt and pepper them. I also used a little bit of the minced garlic to add some flavor. Place them in the oven to bake at 375 until browned. Once finished, it’s very important - do not throw out the juice! You’ll want that. 

Step 2: As your neckbones are cooking, prepare the pasta. Any pasta will do. I used rigatoni this time around.

Step 3: Slice the garlic cloves very, very thin. 

Step 4: Pour the tomato puree into a pot and place over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic, parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. I found it appropriate that my cheese was in the shape of a heart :)

Step 5: Keep the sauce over medium heat, and once the neckbones are done, drop those bad boys in along with the juice.

Step 6: Let the sauce boil for at least two hours. After one hour, give it a taste and depending on the acidity, add as much or little of the sugar as you like. 

After that, just add to literally anything requiring tomato sauce.

[steaksandchevrons]

OBSESSION: Bucketfeet

Over the course of the last few years, Facebook advertisements have actually introduced me to a few companies that I really love - Club W, Plated and ModCloth come to mind. Despite the sort of instant want (and not for any particular reason!) to reject social media advertisements, I must admit that when they are tailored to me in such a solid way, it’s hard to hate them.

Enter BucketFeet into the same club. When the shoes started popping up in my feed, I was drawn to the cute designs on the shoes but didn’t click through. Same goes for the second time. By the third time, I caved because I’m inherently weak. When entering the site, they provide a pop up asking for your email address in exchange for a discount, and I did that because discounts are the best. I was quickly drawn to a cute pair of black-and-white sneaks with mint piping before I saw the deal-breaker: armadillo shoes.

I guess this is a spoiler alert: I bought them

What I think is neat about BucketFeet is its business model. Artists design the shoes and then get a cut of the profits when the shoes sell. They arrive in the mail with information about the artist, their medium, and their philosophy. According to the site’s About Us page any artist can submit a design, which is neat if you are a talented artist trying to break through. And as a consumer, you get something unique, while also feeling like your money went to a worthwhile cause. Here I am modeling them with the help of my fiancee’s sweet Brooklyn Summer Ale tank that I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to steal all summer:

The first time I perused the BucketFeet site, I didn’t wind up making a purchase. But the site noticed this and then sent me an email with a 20 percent discount offer - allowing me to buy two pairs of shoes. So now I’m not just the proud owner of a pair of sweet armadillo shoes  (which link here if I’ve successfully sold you on them), but the original black-and-white shoes (link here), too - which I’ve worn a bunch of times and have yet not to get a compliment on:

The shoes are like Toms in that you shouldn’t buy them expecting to them to last forever, but they are comfy, fit great and arrived really quickly. Let me know if you check them out and what you think!

[steaksandchevrons]

CRAFT: The Best Way to Print Your Photos

The below was adapted from a recent article I wrote for PureWow, which if you’re not familiar is an awesome daily newsletter and website that has lot of great tips on everything from fashion to food to beauty to crafts. I love them, and when the opportunity recently arose through a friend to contribute, I couldn’t resist! I’ll repurpose my articles here - along with additional tips that have to be edited for space on their site.

Visiting my sister in Florida a bit ago, I was impressed by how all the photographs she has hanging throughout her house. I asked her where she found some particularly great photographs of the local beach, and she mentioned that they were her very own snaps. I immediately realized how many great photographs I had on my own phone camera, which were being wasted, and I knew I had to find a way to get them off the camera and into real life.

My sister’s favorite printing service is Social Print Studio - which is awesome, and which I recently wrote about, as well - but as I surfed the interwebs, I found so many more amazing and non-traditional ways to print photographs that I had to share.

The full post is here, but below are the top four from the article, as well as one morethat didn’t make it into the final piece!

1. Best for Printing on Canvas - Canvas Pop

I especially fell in love with the company’s Triptych option which is such a pretty and stylish way to spice up a blank wall.

Image courtesy of CanvasPop

2. Print on Tin: PostalPix

It would never have dawned on me to print on tin, but I think the unexpectedness of the medium makes this such a neat idea for a gift or a living room wall, with a bunch of mixed medium prints.

Image courtesy of Postal Pix

3. Print on Tile: ImageSnap

Now this, this I’m obsessed with. I just want a kitchen backsplash that’s filled here with awesome photos of food, or my family or -- the possibilities are endless and I just love this so much.

Image courtesy of ImageSnap

4. Print on Postcards: Postagram

I love this as a cute way to drop a line.  Imagine if you took a great vacation with friends and then someone sent everyone an awesome postcard with a photo on it afterward. Or sent grandma or grandpa (or parents) a quick hello.

Image courtesy of Postagram

5. Printing on a Phone Case: Casetify

It feels a little meta, but basically - why not? I hate paying money for boring phone cases, so why not spice one up with one of your own images?

Image courtesy so Casetify

Any other neat photo printing tips or tricks? Please share!

[steaksandchevrons]

VISIT: Bear Mountain, New York

I almost didn’t want to write this post because I want this place to remain a secret. Most people that I’ve talked to about Bear Mountain mentioned they had been there on a field trip as a kid, or just in childhood in general, but no adults in the Tri-State area had seemed to visit lately. And they should - because by traveling just 30 miles outside NYC, you can actually feel like you’ve escaped the hustle and bustle of the streets and truly enter the wilderness. 

What’s even better is that if you want to make a whole weekend of being out in the woods, but want a sort of glamorous and fun way to do it, you can book a stay at the Bear Mountain Inn. It’s fun and amazing and a Coach bus will take you there for $26 round trip, literally dropping you off right at the front of the Inn and in front of the mountain. Done and done.

The entire property was recently renovated, so even though the lodge is 100 years old (truly - it opened in 1915), it feels ultra modern once you come inside. My boyfriend and I stayed in an enormous room at the Inn itself, and the friends we spent the weekend with stayed a 10-minute walk away at the Overlook Lodge, because it allows pets. 

Once settled, we spent three gorgeous days unwinding in the shadow of Bear Mountain...including one afternoon hiking up it to enjoy 360-degree views of the surrounding area, which included the NYC skyline in the distance. As summer turns into fall this is probably the most beautiful place you could be to escape.

In addition to the setting, the food at the Inn is delicious and the surrounding towns are adorable if you want to leave the property. This includes both Peekskill and West Point so there is plenty of activity types of all kinds!

After the jump, my recommendations on what to do at the mountain and in the surrounding areas!

Obviously, the best thing to do at Bear Mountain is take advantage of the spectacular, actual mountain behind you and hike it! It took us just about two hours to hike to the top, which was well worth the sore muscles the next day for views like this:

Once you’re at the tippy-top, you can even - aided or unaided - see the NYC skyline in the distance. C took advantage of that, while I did that thing where I saw a face in an inanimate object. This seemed too perfect not to share:

We also obviously had to roam the property, which was just the right mix of woodsy, whimsy and charm. 

To wit, the recently restored old-fashioned merry-go-round about 150 yards from the Inn:

A gift shop with hats like this:

And...

And rooms that were just right!

We also ventured into town a bit  to check out some of the local food. Our friends had their dog with them so we wound up going to the pooch-friendly eatery of Birdsall House in the neighboring town of Peekskill, where the food was delicious and the beers came in flights. Done and done.

And because the weather was warm and the opportunity presented itself, we also took one afternoon to try and finally teach me how to golf at West Point. It went fairly well, but mostly because the course had views like this. I mean. whaaaat???!!

So what’s the dramatic conclusion in case it’s not obvious? Visit Bear Mountain! For the time, the cost and the adventure, I haven’t found anything that compares so close to NYC.

[steaksandchevrons]

DRINK THIS: Hendrick’s Gin Flora-Dora

Though I don’t remember it, I must have had a terrible experience drinking gin at some point in my life because I’ve avoided it like the plague for as long as I can remember. 

Which is why when a friend of mine asked if I would take part in her gin focus group a week or two ago (for her job, not personal! Though it would be awesome if I had friends who held gin focus groups for personal reasons...) I declined. Until she told me they wanted non-gin drinkers in the room to help round out the panel. And also that there would be free food. I’ve never been very good at turning down free food, so I said yes.

When we got there, the entire room was helping themselves to a cocktail, picking from 8 or 9 different gins available. I’ve also never been very good at not drinking when everyone else around me is, so despite my dislike for gin, I started to help myself by pouring a very light drink. I was assured by the other, more knowing, drinkers in the room that Hendrick’s was a standard and so I decided to try and struggle through one drink and not be the lone person out.

I poured just a tiny bit of gin in the glass, added in tonic and squeezed in the juice from two limes wedges. I took one sip. And then another. And then another. It tasted cool, citrus-y and refreshing. And in that moment, I realized, holy shit, I actually like gin?? 

I was able to leave the focus group with a bottle and quickly got to work. Using a very handy tool on the Hendrick’s website, (aptly named the Treasury of Tipples) I came upon this recipe and have been making them ever since: The Hendrick’s Flora Dora. It’s so easy and it’s perfect for summer. 

Here’s what you’ll need.

You’ll need:

Ice

Hendrick’s gin

Ginger Beer

Rasberry Syrup (I’ve used both Royal Rose’s Raspberry Syrup and Rose’s Grenadine Syrup to equal effect! Pictured is the Royal Rose version.)

Lime Juice (I’ve used both packaged lime juice, real limes and Rose’s Lime Juice, all equally delicious.)

And you build the drink from the bottom up:

Step 1: Add ice and pour two parts gin over (or, for a slightly weaker version, I’ve been using 1.5 shots per drink)

Step 2: Add in one part fresh lime juice (base on how much gin you use)

Step 3: Add in 1/2 Part Raspberry Syrup (again, based on the amount of gi you use)

Step 4: Top with Ginger Beer and give it a vigorous stir. You can see the Hendrick’s folks topped with a lime wedge and a fresh raspberry...I’m not as fancy at home, but you should be!

Any other recipes, I’m all ears! I love gin now! Apparently!

[steaksandchevrons]

CRAFT THIS: Social Print Studio

If you’re like me, if I’m really deep cleaning a room or a closet, and I stumble upon a box of photographs, I stop everything I’m doing, plop down on the floor and flip through. I’ve derailed many a cleaning session going down memory lane.

However, it seems boxes of old photographs are now giving way to devices full of pictures. Which could be fine, except when those devices die so, too, do the pictures on them. I know I’m not alone in having great memories lost due to a phone or a computer kicking the can.

Luckily, I have a sister that is obsessed with printing out her photographs - and after my last trip to her house, seeing all the beautiful ways she’s displayed pictures of friends, families and landscapes, I realized I’ve let a lot of fun photographs go to the digital graveyard. Well, no more!

I had this picture of me and the mister, which I really love:

We took it at the wedding of a friend, at the cocktail hour, in the Yale Club’s library. It was just after the episode of House of Cards where Claire and Frank sit for his presidential portrait. We walked past a wingback chair, he was drinking an Old Fashioned....and inspiration just struck. It’s too good of a photograph to just sit on a phone and possibly never get printed.

Enter my sister’s go-to-resource (and now mine) - Social Print Studio. The site has a number of ways to turn prints into something more lasting, and within 5 minutes and $30, I had a framed and matted print of the photograph on its way to me. I ordered on a Thursday, and it arrived by the following Wednesday in this cute little package:

And when I opened not only was there my perfectly framed and matted photo, but a cute note and a couple stickers too:

And frames aren’t the only thing you can print - the service prints magnets, posters, photostrips, books...you name it. Get those photographs into the real world where they belong!

[steaksandchevrons]

EAT THIS: Turkey and Spinach Lunch Wraps

A look at my debit card statement when I allow it to get out of control usually reads a lot like this:

Seamless 

Guy and Gallard

Bodega 

Random ATM withdrawl

Rinse and repeat

Needless to say, that’s a lot of dollars and calories spent and wasted...neither of which is good. The reason I’m spending so much money in these stores mostly has to do with buying quick sandwiches or food for lunch (and in the case of Seamless, dinner). And while I believe in treat yo’ self, every once in a while I make the mistake of totaling how much money I’ve spent treating myself...it’s not good.

However, I’m inherently lazy and I want food fast and delicious, particularly during the day. So I’ve been doubling down on discipline, and coming up with some recipes that are healthy, delicious and most of all, cheap. One of my favorites is simple - a traditional wrap that actually fills me up all afternoon and yummy enough that I actually look forward to eating it.

After the jump, the recipe!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Turkey lunch meat

Wrap of choice (I have fallen in love with Aladdin Gluten-Free wraps because I’ve finally found a wrap that is springy and flavorful. I don’t have a gluten allergy but figure it’s a nice side bonus)

Spinach leaves

Hummus and/or goat cheese (hint: this is what makes the wrap so good)

To make it, I simply layer the turkey meat and spinach leaves on one side of the wrap, and then spread the hummus or goat cheese on the other half. (My boyfriend goes the route of putting everything in the middle. It’s your wrap! Do what feels good.)

Then I roll it tight like a burrito...just because. All told, the wrap is only about 300 calories (unless you go out of control with the goat cheese) and it really does fill you up for the rest of the afternoon!

Any twists you’d recommend?

[steaksandchevrons]

OBSESSION: Reformer Pilates

As I’ve gotten older, exercise has become more important than ever as a way to keep myself not just physically fit, but mentally fit. I recently rejoined the gym after 2-3 years away and forgot what it’s like to just go hard in a class or on a machine and emerge feeling like my brain took a shower. 

However, we all have those days where you need a little break from the routine. Where you just aren’t up for the elliptical, or a treadmill or a class. It’s for that reason that I’m so thankful for finding Reformer Pilates.

Image courtesy of Pilates Reforming New York

Pilates actually has a more interesting history that I gave it credit for (Wiki has a good overview here) and what I like about it is two-fold: 

It’s all about small movements that really make you pay attention to isolated and underused muscles in your core

It’s as much about strengthening as it is stretching, so leaving a Pilates class is the equivalent to feeling like Gumby

It’s also amazing the sheer number of movements that are possible on the machine and I know I haven’t even scratched the surface yet!

A happy image of a standing pose I’ve done and enjoyed; not pictured - me

I like mixing up Pilates into a routine that involves some of that intense cardio - for me it’s running, machine workouts and SoulCycle - because it’s a really nice antidote and an amazing deep stretch in your arms, back and legs. I have a friend that goes 3-4 times per week (the same friend, not so coincidentally who suggested I start taking classes) but I find one class every two to three weeks is perfect for me.

I chose a studio - Pilates Reforming New York -  that teaches you how to use the machine for your first class and then keeps you at a Level 1 for 15 classes until you “graduate” into mixed level classes. I have enjoyed that model because it removes all the pressure of being thrown in with more advanced students and really allows you to learn the machine so you can be sure you’re doing everything right. Plus, the teachers are very nice and take the time to really make sure 

Please let me know if you take a class (and where) and if you’re into it! 

[steaksandchevrons]

VISIT: Savannah, Georgia

While I went to school in Gainesville, Florida and Savannah, Georgia was always just a road trip away, for whatever reason, I never made the trek north. I’d heard a lot from friends about the fun that could be had during St. Patrick’s Day and other fun times of year, but I always chose to go south for those types of events.

And not that I’m glad I waited necessarily, but I’m so glad I got to see Savannah with the eyes of a mature adult because it. is. so. lovely. I’m not sure I would have wanted to associate a town so gorgeous with activities like hardcore drinking, hangovers and questionable make outs. I made those types of memories in places like Key West haha. Just being honest.

But I digress. I recently visited Savannah and had an amazing time taking in the sites, and basically eating all the food. Below is a list of the recommendations made to me, as well as a few of my own discoveries, which I wanted to pass on!

STAY

The Marshall House. Rumor has it that the hotel is haunted (rumor being my cousins who stayed there, and the Internet), but unfortunately, we didn’t experience anything. And not for lack of trying. There may have been an unnecessary stairwell exploration that resulted in being locked out from the hotel for a short moment.

Potential visits from the beyond aside, there is nothing about this hotel that’s not to love. The central location made getting everywhere an easy 10-minute walk. The staff is full of Southern hospitality - including mailing a jacket I left behind in the room via FedEx - and the decor is so out of this world gorgeous, you basically just want to move right in. Here’s a pretty/creepy night shot.

DO

The Blue Orb ghost tour. We took the 10 o’clock hour tour, which in addition to a kick-ass tour guide, came with some drunken fellow attendees...but through his mastery and no interruptions attitude, coupled with their inability to keep up, all evened out eventually. We took a very comprehensive tour that included some great multi-media assets (like videos, photos and audio) that our guide shared. We booked the tour online and its central start/end locations made it very easy to get to from the hotel. I think I may have an orb or two in the bottom right hand corner of the last photo here - from the cemetery. Thoughts? I’M DYING FOR AN ORB, I WANT TO HAVE A GHOST PHOTO SO BAD. PLEASE AGREE WITH ME.

TOUR

To see the rest of the city - not ghosts, ugh - we hopped on the Old Town Trolley Tour. It’s an all day hop on/hop off and they’ll even come scoop you up to bring to you a particular stop if you need a lift. We had a retired Army Corps of Engineers employee as our tour guide and her enthusiasm for her second career and job were amazing. The driver of the transport van to bring you to those stops was basically the nicest human ever. Highly recommend.

EAT

At The Old Pink House (make a reservation.) I had trouble picking anything off the menu because I wanted it all so I settled for the age-old move of ordering myself a few apps (oysters and a small lobster tail) and then eating off others around me (chicken pot pie, mac and cheese, collard greens.) Classy. Win.

The best part about the meal though may have been the drinks they served, namely The Pink Lady - a vodka and pink lemonade concoction that I can only describe as both delicious and dope. I had two and then had to check myself. (The best part about Savannah, though, is the to-go cup! The third came with me on the road.)

The restaurant also brought out a special dessert plate and singer for my mom’s birthday (the reason for the trip) AND lets you roam the restaurant after your meal to see the architecture.

Here’s the cellar bar, which actually used to be the vault when the restaurant was a bank.

As is now obvious, I had a good time in Savannah. It’s a lovely place, full of lovely people. I can think of no better way to illustrate this than this photo I took in the pouring rain, which still manages to be pretty even though it rendered us temporarily stuck. (At a pizza place. So we were fine.)

I’m likely headed back in September, so please send additional recommendations!

[steaksandchevrons]

CRAFT: Adult Coloring

So...remember a few months ago all the hubbub about adult coloring as a fad sweeping the nation?

I have a somewhat embarrassing - but clearly not that embarrassing, as here I am talking about it - confession. 

I...got into it.

My first finished pattern

I recently told my BFF’s on a text chain about my new hobby and received the dubious responses of: “Only you, Lia” or “Oh friend” leading me to believe that this was just as nerdy as I suspected. But you know what? I’m okay with that. Here’s why.

In my 9a-5p job (or more accurately 7a-7p, 7a-9p, or 7a-11p depending on the day) I stare at a screen all day. I move at the speed of light, answering emails, responding to instant messages, attending meetings, and talking on the phone. I definitely like my work, but from the moment I wake up, to the moment I finally decide to stop for the night, it’s a constant flow of ideas and responses all taking place in front of a glowing screen. And you’d think that would be enough. But I’ve been told more than once that when I come home, my face still  stays buried in a screen - whether it’s continuing to respond to notes, scrolling through Instagram or Facebook, or playing mindless  games. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t bother me and yet, I always had an excuse:

I’m getting stuff done

I just have to respond to this real quick

I just need to turn my brain off for a while

This is how I keep up with news and people

And so on and so on and so on

And then Saturday and Sunday roll around and I can’t seem to stop sleeping and I complain about being tired all of the time. So, finally I stopped to ask myself why that could be and while I’m still not 100 percent sure the answer is my addiction to “multi-tasking,” I have to think the answer lies somewhere in the fact that my brain isn’t ever truly at rest. I’m always reading, scrolling, or otherwise typing  - and if I’m doing the math right, I’m doing that anywhere from 8-15 hours a day. And that kind of scared me.

So when I read the articles about adult coloring books and some of the stress relief properties others were receiving from them, I figured why not and ordered one from Amazon, along with some fancy fun markers. My thought at the time was simple - it’s something that doesn’t involve staring at a glowing anything. Also, when I was babysitter, I practically forced all the kids under 8 to color because I liked it so much, regardless of whether they wanted to or not. (Alright, I also did this with Mario Kart.) Here’s the book I purchased:

When I sat down at the coffee table that first night, my boyfriend watching sports and me coloring alongside, I realized almost right away that while my brain was occupied, it wasn’t with information and stimulation, but with the simple task of just trying to stay in the lines. And when he wanted my attention or there was something interesting happening on the TV, I wasn’t worried about losing my place or hitting pause or needing to take a minute to ensure I didn’t lose progress - I simply looked up. And we talked and then I went back to the book.

Over the course of the last few weeks, it’s been interesting to leave my phone on the other side of the apartment, sit down at the table, and just focus in on the details of something on actual, physical paper. It’s still a bit of a battle to keep the phone out of my hand; I’m definitely not untethered just yet. However,  I’m trying. On the rare occasions when there was a real need to get in touch, someone texted or otherwise reached out and that’s been interesting. Nothing is urgent and if it is, there’s a way to let me know that. Otherwise, the emails get sent just as easily in the morning. The little game I play to kill time isn’t nearly as relaxing as I once thought it was. The news and photos I scroll through on are all still there the next day. 

An added benefit is that the final pieces are actually fairly pretty - something you could frame or give away or get a little crafty with.

Second piece in progress...

Second finished piece

So what’s the takeaway, particularly for those who have similar problems but don’t think this is their bag? I think it’s simple. Find something on paper that calms you down. Read. Do a crossword puzzle. Draw. Paint. It’s not old fashioned (cause it feels pretty retro to do) but it is old-fashioned fun.

[steaksandchevrons]

SEE THIS: Larry David’s Fish in the Dark

It’s a hot, hot ticket and rightfully so - Larry David’s Fish in the Dark. 

I’m a fangirl of any comedian I really love, and so it was worth the price of admission for me just to see Larry David in the flesh. My boyfriend loves Larry David so much there’s actually a drawing of him in our kitchen - so overall, this was a no-brainer of attendance. Here it is:

There was a great segment on Larry David on CBS Sunday Morning where his colleagues described the fact that David is much more of an actor than his comedy - which is essentially David playing the self he wishes he could be in real life - would let on. And after watching Fish in the Dark I tend to agree. 

On stage, David gives it his all. His comedy is physical and powerful. Every joke lands. And with an amazing supporting cast - including Rosie Perez and Rita Wilson - the entire play is as funny as it is charming. And it’s 100 percent of both. 

While tickets through the theater are sold out, you can find tickets as low as $48 currently on StubHub. David is only in the play until June 7, when Jason Alexander (who, amazing, may have to go back) takes over the role until the show closes in mid-July.