Running, Lazy Week, and Other Thoughts

It's finally summer here and I have the WHOLE week off. Obviously this means I've been holed up at home, watching Arrested Development outside every chance I get. It also means I've been neglecting this blog, whoops. I suppose not too many people read it, and those that do probably already know what I'm up to! Below is a re-cap, in case you're curious (and in photo order)...

PS. I've been having trouble uploading and editing photos lately, there's a cache of great ones from the last 2 months stuck on my camera. I can't figure out what the issue is, but for now you're stuck with these iPhone shots.

1. It has rained a whole lot in May. Also, they're building a high rise in front of the view of Manhattan on the helix to the Lincoln Tunnel. It's going to really cramp my traffic style. However, it was fun to snap some photos while stuck in said morning traffic.

2. Zack and I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon 2 weeks ago! It was a great race AND I beat my last half marathon time.

3. The Brooklyn Half ends on the boardwalk in Coney Island. It's pretty epic.

4. It rains a lot these days (did I mention that?). And I thought this overgrown and old fashioned gas station was cute.

5. This is part of my series Life in Traffic. I spend so many hours stuck in it every day, I should probably turn it into a series right? Something tells me I'm the only one that finds this thought interesting.

6. Lunch pre-Great Gatsby with my mom! At our favorite upstate restaurant, Terrapin.

7. and 8. are from my Boring Landscape series. I told you it rained a lot  in May, right? . . . (if you're curious, these are  from the NYS Thruway somewhere between Kingston and New Paltz)

9. We made a table! When I say "we made" one can always assume I meant "he made, I watched/made lunch." However, I did sand this fine table. And critique the progress.

10. Sunday brunch. Beverages included: iced espresso, lime-mint water, chai with steamed milk.

11. DIY "upcycled" window box (with more herbs to come...when they sprout). Zack built it, I picked out the found wood, and designed it. It's a hard life I lead . . .

12. Life's a bowl of cherries. With some iced coffee. On our FABULOUS new coffee table.

I'm hoping to fix my little photo/camera problem soon and get some better quality photos back on here. For now though, I'm going to make some lunch and go read in the park while it's sunny and gorgeous. . . Like I said, life is hard.

Throwback Thursday

"The only reason for time

is so that

everything

doesn't happen at

once."

-Albert Einstein 

Me, playing with animals for over 25 years. 

City Scapes and Sunday Sunshine

Today includes:

Homemade lattes on the couch

Cool breeze through the kitchen window

Cozy bathrobe

Clean dishes

Dreaming of a mint and basil filled window box

Instagram and PicTapGo photos

Procrastinating the following: running, cleaning, bill-paying

Brocolli cheddar omelettes 

Looking forward to: dinner and homemade mojitos with our friends

Pinterest kitchens, Pinterest recipes, Pinterest drooling.....

Honeysuckle candles

Sunshine. Lots of sunshine.

Cityscapes from April and May.

Lately

Loving: The warmer spring weather and all the flowers outside

Wearing: running shorts and a very old gray t-shirt.

Eating: Greek yogurt with bananas, cinnamon and honey.

Drinking: French press coffee. (While looking at the new espresso maker - we mastered steamed milk!)

Wishing: That I could go back to bed for another hour or two

Thinking: About how delightful this weeklong birthday is. I get to have two fabulous weekends of birthday celebration AND a work party too...

Excited: To be turning 25 on Saturday. And also for my new red shoes.

Listening: Fun is on repeat in my head right now. I know, how original of me.

Enjoying: Playing with the new puppy at work. He's a 3 legged bundle of cute and cuddly pit bull.




From Left to Right: Magnolias on Mile 5, Happy Puppies at work, Zack and I after our 10 mile race, More Magnolias, Friday night, Crab Apple Blossom, Crab Apple Tree (mile .3), Daffodil, Mile 7 

Irish Soda Bread Scones

For some reason I had a craving for Irish Soda Bread today . . . I can't imagine why! I decided to alter the recipe a bit - because I am incapable of cooking or baking anything according to recipe. The results were a little more flaky and fluffy than traditional soda bread, and since I baked them in scone shape - maybe I should just give up on calling them soda bread at all. Anyhow, they were impressively delightful.

Here's my altered recipe - these were super easy, 20 minutes to prep and about 20 in the oven.

Irish Soda Bread Scones

Preheat oven to 400 

In a large bowl stir together:

1 1/2 cups flour (I used a combo of whole wheat pastry and white)

1/4 cup date sugar (or slightly less white sugar)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Cut in: 

3/4 stick COLD butter

Mix the butter chunks into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the consistency is like grainy sand

Add: 

1/3 cup currants or raisins

Zest from one orange

Stir in:

1/2 cup buttermilk 

(for this step I added 1 tsp vinegar to 1/2 cup whole milk and let sit for 10 minutes because I didn't have any buttermilk on hand)

1 tsp vanilla

**Do not overmix! Once the flour mixture is fully incorporated, turn the dough onto a floured surface. Roll the dough over once or twice and form into a long rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into squares and cut squares on the diagonal.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes - until golden.

Serve plain or with butter and marmalade!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Sunday Funday

What a beautiful weekend! 50+ degrees and sunny. This means actually enjoying my training runs outdoors!

I took a little detour at the end of my run today to take a few photos of the abandoned tracks by our house . . .

Sunday Morning Lists and Photos

This week was cut slightly short by the "gigantic nor'easter" that hit the  . . . wait for it . . . north east. I   put gigantic in quotation because, had it not been for the snowless season we had last year, a snow storm that dropped 10" inches wouldn't have caused such alarm and panic. There was admittedly, a lot more snow in New England and on Long Island than we had here, but none the less snow in winter should be anticipated.

I can't complain though, the storm meant a nice cozy weekend at home (that started early Friday afternoon!) with movies, hot chocolate, and snowy walks in my Sorels (which haven't had much wear since 2011).

Currently:

Watching: Skyfall, we started watching it last night and fell asleep.

Reading: Cook's Illustrated. The most recent 2 issues. Want to make everything!

Procrastinating: Going to the gym. My gym clothes are on!

Wishing: To make it to the beach in March.

Loving: This clean apartment! For the moment.

Waiting: For my iPhone to update so I don't have an excuse to not go to the gym.

Enjoying: Instagram and Afterglow apps. So much fun playing with photos! (See below)

Listening: This American Life, Pandora piano playlists, and Beyonce.

Central Park. Gelato from Eataly. New favorite wine.

View of the Village. Tea and Honey. Blueberry Peach Buttermilk Coffee Cake (no sugar, so good).

Evening Commute. Puppy Paws. Snowstorm Aftermath.

Building. Chinatown. Central Park.