Backyard Bliss

I spent some time in my mom's backyard today taking pictures of all the flowers...so many different colors!

Dinner at Lizzie and Josh's House

I made it to Texas today and spent my first evening at Lizzie and Josh's house. We had a delicious dinner...

...and then spent the rest of the evening playing "The Beatles" version of Rock Band on the Wii. We may look pretty dorky in this picture trying to be like cool rock stars, but we sure had fun!

Apple Picking and Art

John and I were invited to spend the day apple picking at the home of two art collectors in upstate New York today. We had the most amazing time!


















We picked apples...














































...and made apple cider! It was delicious!




















Afterwards, we walked the grounds to see the couple's outdoor sculpture collection and soak up the wonderful country air.

This is actually a sculpture in the collection!

At the end of the day we were able to tour the couple's "art barn" on their estate which housed my favorite piece in the entire collection...the jelly doughnut painting!

Dinner Date with John

John took me to Raoul's for dinner tonight, a French restaurant across the street from our apartment. In all the seven years that I have been coming to New York, I've probably walked by this restaurant a million times, but never tried it until tonight. It was delicious! I had the steak au poive with pomme frites and it was fantastic.

This restaurant was also used for a scene in the "Sex in the City" movie. It was used for the Valentine's Day night where Miranda and Carrie meet for dinner and then have a fight. John was actually an extra in this scene (a single guy sitting at the bar alone), but they cut the shots he was in. But he was in the room for that entire scene!

I wish I could take credit for these pictures, but I found them on Google. I like the picture above because it's the scene I see everyday when I walk out of the aparment.


I also found this picture from Raoul's website which is the exact view of the restaurant we had from our booth.

Flowers from John

Look what John brought home for me last night...

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

This recipe was featured in the January/February issue of Cook's Illustrated earlier this year. I've been saving it for a cold autumnal day just like today and it turned out fabulous! The fresh sage leaves lightly fried with the bacon was probably the best part, but it was all delicous.
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
1/2 lb penne pasta
4 slices bacon, chopped into small pieces
8 large fresh sage leaves, plus 1 tbsp freshly minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 tbps unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Cook penne pasta. Drain, coat with olive oil to keep from sticking, cover, and set aside.

Cook bacon in large soup pot over medium heat until crisp and brown. Add whole sage leaves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove bacon and sage with slotted spoon.

Return soup pot to heat and add olive oil to bacon drippings. Add squash and cook without stirring, until beginning to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add butter, allowing to melt about 30 seconds. Add scallions, nutmeg, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp pepper, and minced sage; cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer, continue to cook until squash is tender, 1 to 3 minutes longer.

Add pasta to squash mixture; stir in 2 tbsp Parmesan chees, lemon juice, reserved bacon and sage mixture, and almonds.

Melon Grape and Lime Salad

This is my own creation and it happens to be delicious! In my opinion, lime zest, lime juice, and honey can turn any fruit combination into fruit salad heaven!
Melon Grape and Lime Salad
3 cups canteloupe, cubed
2 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
1 cup green grapes, halved
zest and juice from 1 lime
1 tbsp honey

Combine all ingredients. Chill for a few hours before serving.