Day 4 was in some ways my favorite overall. I was able to enjoy some "Sex and the City" moments which was, of course, part of the reason I wanted this trip in the first place. Oh, like most people I wanted to visit New York eventually but it was that show that really got my juices flowing!
We started the day with a train ride to New Jersey where we met Kali's family (you remember her cousin J from the wedding pictures) at one of the many NJ diners, Miss America. The food was delicious, company wonderful, a perfect Sunday morning.
We then headed to Greenwich Village where I enjoyed the aforementioned SATC sights..
Yes, I did ignore the "No Trespassing" sign in front of Carrie's brownstone, but can you blame me?
I've already raved about the Magnolia cupcakes; it was difficult to make a decision with all of the goodies perfectly presented in the adorable little bakery! I carried my box of cupcakes all over the village, guarding it carefully until the perfect moment when I could fully appreciate them.
We stopped to have a beer at the delightful Blind Tiger...
where we could peek across the street and wait for the crowd to die down at John's Pizza...
We did a bit more window shopping and then headed back to the hotel to rest a bit before dinner. Kali and Kevin chose to stay in and watch the Olympics on tv; Beren and I decided that we couldn't leave New York without a deli meal.
I wish I'd taken a pic of the pastrami sandwich we shared at Carnegie Deli, it was monstrous! We took a nice long walk after dinner in hopes that we'd walk off the damage..groan...worth every calorie, though, I promise!
Another early night since we knew we'd want to awaken early and make the most of our last day in the Big Apple!
Day 3 in NYC was all about art..in various formats! We got an early morning start at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, spent hours there but only covered a couple of areas. It would take days to see everything! Two of my favorite pieces appear below.
I am intrigued all things related to the Magdalen, have never seen any rendition quite as dark as this one..
Do you recognize this gal from your local coffee shop?
From there we took a nice walk through Central Park, stopped at the Boathouse Restaurant for a beverage...
While Beren's main purpose of the trip was to ride the famous Wonder Wheel, mine was to enjoy a performance of an adorable new-to-me band, Witches in Bikinis!
One more hot dog before we left the park...groan...
and a nightcap at the Dublin House on the way back to the hotel..
before calling it a night. Sweet dreams, dear New York City, see you in the morning!
You know I couldn't leave New York without my own Magnolia Cupcake/Sex and the City Moment! Ever since tasting those little sweeties (more on that later) I've been dying to make my own, and today's the day!
Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe from: More From Magnolia by Allysa Torey, Photographs Zeva Oelbaum Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com
Everyone is always asking us which is the most popular cupcake at the bakery. Most people are surprised that it is what we call the vanilla vanilla - the vanilla cupcake with the vanilla icing (and the most popular color for the icing is pink).
Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)
CUPCAKES:
* 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour * 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour * 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened * 2 cups sugar * 4 large eggs, at room temperature * 1 cup milk * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract * ICING: * Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows) or Chocolate Buttercream
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.
Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.
Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners’ sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.
Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened * 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar * 1/2 cup milk * 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
*Note: If you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter 8 to 10 cups confectioners’ sugar 3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
P.S. In case you're like me and not proficient at cupcake frosting, here's a quick video from Magnolia to help you out:
Friday was by far our busiest walking day, we tore through the subways & streets of the City!
The morning started off with a subway ride to the South Street Seaport where we took the 1/2 hour Waterfalls Tour. Beautiful sights & scenery! The longer tour would've taken us closer to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, etc, will definitely do that one next time but this was FREE and fit perfectly into our schedule.
Beren really enjoyed the Seaport Museum, got to explore the Peking, an old cargo ship and peruse the art gallery.
From there we visited the historical Fraunce's Tavern where George Washington gave his farewell address to the officers of the Revolutionary War.
This segued into exploration of the downtown area, Chinatown and Little Italy. I was disappointed in Chinatown, seemed really commercial and dirty to me, but I looooved Little Italy!
This incredible little market, Alleva, made me want to run home and cook something, anything, Italian! The sights and smells were to die for.
Lunch was at the famous Lombardi's where the pizza easily lived up to it's awesome reputation!
One last bit of shopping before heading back to the hotel to change for dinner, couldn't leave NY without stopping at one of my favorite mail-order stores, Pearl River Market. I had a great time there, could've spent hours more if my wallet and my sore feet would've allowed!
We were too tired to walk one more step so we paid for a short cab ride to the fabulous Pete's Tavern for dinner. I'd heard a lot about the famous writer, O. Henry, having written my favorite Christmas carol in this bar, so I was thrilled when we were seated in his very booth!
Beren and I dragged ourselves to one last spot before calling it a night, the new and much-talked-about rooftop bar at the top of our hotel. While much too expensive, even by NYC standards, the view was lovely and almost worth the $26.00 we paid for one beer and a glass of wine. *gulp*
At that point we called it a night, tucked our sore feet and backs into bed and dreamed of what the next day would hold.
We're baaack!! Our flight was delayed by three hours..groan..so we didn't get home until after midnight, am now having some coffee and uploading the vacation pics. (I took over 200!).
We had such a fabulous time, I'm going to bore you all with the details for several days. *grin*
We left for the Big Apple on Thursday August 7th, had a short layover in Charlotte, NC where we kicked off our trip with a delicious Bloody Mary at the Phillips Famous Seafood Restaurant in the airport.
We got into Newark 20 minutes early, called our car service (cost us $65.00 for a ride from the airport to Manhattan, ouch!) and zipped off to the hotel.
Checking in at the Roosevelt was an experience all to itself, what a gorgeous hotel! Full of atmosphere and history, I was completely impressed. We were surprised to hear that they were upgrading us from a "Cozy Queen" to a room with a King sized bed, how nice!
We unpacked quickly and set out to explore Midtown. First stop, Eamons where we enjoyed a tasty Brooklyn Ale, a perfect welcome to the City!
We walked down the street just a bit, checked out the breathtakingly beautiful New York Public Library. I can't imagine seeing this type of beauty every single day, do New Yorkers ever get tired of it?
Times Square was our next stop, what an overwhelming display of lights & action! We headed for The Hard Rock Cafe, one of Beren's favorite places, where I had my first NY cosmo!
It was just about dinnertime so back to the Roosevelt where we changed our clothes and hopped on the subway toward Chelsea Market.
We wandered around the market, saw the grocery where we are told Rachel Ray shops for her show, had a fabulous dinner at the Green Table while listening to a string quartet! Dessert was a take-out brownie from the Fat Witch, heavenly despite it's wicked name.
Just a quick note from my room here in New York, Beren's still snoring and I can't sleep another wink! So here I sit nibbling Italian cookies and wishing I had a nice cup of Espresso to wash them down with. (Yes, we visited Little Italy yesterday...swoon...)
We are having a wonderful time, can't wait to share pics and details with all of my blog friends! For now I'll just peruse your blogs and wait for the sun to come up so I can go explore the City some more!
Sorry I've been so quiet; I've had a particularly rough "moon time" this month (we're all girls here so I can speak freely, right?) and have been taking some time to rest and go inward just a bit. I'm feeling better now, though, perhaps even a bit wiser for having spent some time with myself and la luna.
Now, another happier reason I've been away - I've been preparing and planning and packing for a trip - to New York City!! whoo-hoo! Beren and I have had it planned for months now, it's actually my birthday gift from him. Isn't that fabulous? It's my first time to the City and I am just beside myself, I'm so excited!
An added bonus is that we are bringing Kali and Kevin, my college graduation gift to her. They have both been to NYC twice already so they will serve as reliable tour guides as well as wonderful traveling companions.
So, dear friends, the next 36 hours will be busy with last minute travel plans and then Thursday morning we'll be on a plane headed for the Big Apple! I'll have my laptop with me and will check in if time allows but if not you know I'll be giving a full update upon my return next Monday.
