Dim Sum is Some Fun

I have had many a culinary experience whilst living in New York City, save for a very essential one...Dim Sum in Chinatown.

I woke up this morning not wanting to leave the warmth and coziness of my bed. I knew it was going to be a cold and rainy day, and with this knowledge, it makes it very difficult to leave the comfort of slumber. Alas, Patrick made me an offer I couldn't refuse. If I got into the shower, he would make coffee, otherwise it would have been the other way around. I relented and trudged my sleepy self into the bathroom and got ready to meet up with our friends, Tanya and Jeremy, for our dim sum date.

Not knowing what to expect, I went along merrily (the shower and coffee woke me up and the excitement overtook any ideas of sleep) wondering what I was about to encounter. Patrick and I found our friends in the Grand Street subway station, and coming from two different areas of the city, this was quite an amazing feat that we unknowingly accomplished.

Traveling through the streets of Chinatown is like being in another world, and I love it. Store fronts are decorated with roasting ducks and animal parts that are too strange to figure out. Fruit and vegetables of unknown origins peppered with the familiar apples, tomatoes, and oranges line grocery doorways. All signs are labeled in Chinese, and some are kind enough to have English translations so you know what you are getting yourself into. And let's not forget all the jewelry, handbags, watches, and sunglasses that are offered every 10 steps you take. "Nice lady, you want handbag?" Good thing I have mastered the art of ignoring people who are trying to sell their wares.

Upon entering our restaurant of choice called Jing Fong, I was in awe of the dim sum experience immediately. As soon as you step into the foyer, you hop onto the forever long escalator ride into a Chinese wonderland of glitz and glamor. Gaudy and sparkly chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and there are hundreds of tables covered in fresh white linens, and of course there is red and gold in all of the decor.

The four of us were seated, and Patrick and I sat back as Tanya and Jeremy began requesting our food from the steam baskets that contained all sorts of dumplings, spring rolls, pork products, items wrapped in leaves, seafood stuffed rice wrappers...you name it, they had it. To keep track of all that we ordered, we were given a piece of paper (our bill) and they stamped it for each item we took off of the cart. And I must not forget the tea! Everyone is given Chinese tea, and they refill it as many times as needed. Here is a fun fact for you. Dim sum in Cantonese means "drink tea."

It was a wonderful way to begin a Saturday morning.

I am eating rice and pork wrapped up in leaves. So good!

Patrick was given a fork after struggling with his chopsticks

Jeremy and Tanya enjoying their dim sum! Good times with good friends.

I call this one the open faced crab dumpling. It was super delish.

One of the waitresses with her cart o' steam baskets.

Thanks to Tanya and Jeremy for asking us to do this with them. We had a blast with ya'll!

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It's Almost April!

Spring is in full swing here in the Big Apple, and I love it. We may be experiencing cooler temperatures for the moment, but everything around me suggests that the warmth has returned for good. Spring is one of my most favorite times of the year! I love to watch the flowers slowly peak out from the once frozen ground, bringing brilliant colors of violet and yellow, or notice the rosy pink of the blooming buds on cherry trees burst forth in fluffy flowers that adorn the branches as I walk along Riverside Park. I took such a walk just yesterday, and here is what I saw!

Have a happy spring-filled Friday afternoon and a great weekend!

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The Many Faces of Noelle

Last week I was able to spend almost a week with my sister, brother-in-law, and their new little dear one. She is growing so much every day, and I am glad I could capture some of her facial expressions.

hehe...Tori and I couldn't help but laugh at this little funny face.

She is so cute, isn't she? Okay, I am slightly biased, but still...look at that face!

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Travels..as of late.

For those of you who know Patrick and I, you by now realize that we love to travel. We are constantly on the go, and although it can be quite exhausting at times, I enjoy visiting places new and old.

This past weekend we went to Arizona to meet up with Patrick's mom and sister, Emily, for some spring time excitement. On Saturday, which was St. Patrick's Day as well as Patrick's birthday (yes, that is why he is named Patrick), we hit up the Rockin Rodeo, dressed in cowboy boots and all, and supported the Hospice program that is a part of Tucson Medical Center. Every year they throw this event and raise money via silent auction and gaming tables where all the proceeds go to this charity. It sure was fun, boot scootin, black jackin, and eating lots of delicious cowboy type fare.

Me and Emily

Me and Patrick lookin' good.

Mom and Emily two stepping'

Patrick swinging his partner, Emily, round the floor.

Back at the Homestead, we surprised Patrick with a cake! Happy 27th Birthday!

After we celebrated Patrick's b-day, we hit the sack and slumbered like there was no tomorrow. Enough with the cowboy lingo...The next day we drove to Phoenix to go to a spring training game to watch the Angels play the Dodgers. Patrick is having a difficult time letting go of Mr. Pujols, although he won't outright admit to it, so we had to see him play for his new team. Just to let you know, Patrick is still an avid Cardinals fan, but saying goodbye is difficult to do.

We thought the game was going to be rained out, and yet the sun decided to shine through 5 whole innings...just for us :)

So excited to watch the game!!!

Trying to stay warm...rain and hail were coming our way!

Albert Pujols...there he is. Patrick took many pictures of him that day. We were quite close to him (our seats were along the first base line...for a reason).

This week I am heading down to Jersey to spend time with my sister, brother-in-law, Noelle, and lots of other family members! My twin cousins are in a school musical, Lil' Abner, and I cannot wait to see them shine on the stage. It is going to be a great week!

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Becoming an Aunt Again!

If you have been keeping up with my blog in the past couple of months, you well know that my sister was going to have a little girl, Noelle. I am happy to report that she arrived 10 days ago, and I am completely in love with her! She is so precious, and I cannot wait to see her again.

Being an aunt has brought me a lot of joy over the past couple of years as I have gotten to see my brother's little guy grow and change. He is so smart and so funny, and now with a niece, I am excited to see her grow up as well.

The day Noelle was born, my mom and I were supposed to be there with my sister throughout her labor to be a supportive and encouraging system for her. We never made it. Her labor and delivery happened so quickly that as my mom and I were driving on I-95 in Philly I got a text form my brother-in-law, Dylan, that said "6 lbs 2 oz." No one expected Noelle to come out so quickly, and although my mom and I were disappointed at arriving late, we quickly got over it when we walked into the room to meet the little peanut.

Noelle Eva, born at 9:04 a.m. on 2/27/2012.


I cried when I held her for the first time. I felt so much love and happiness, but most of all I felt pride in my sister. She had a really rough pregnancy but rarely complained throughout everything. She had shown me true strength, and as I held Noelle, I couldn't help but feel awed and inspired. Life is a gift from God and is a precious treasure. Thus, I broke down into a puddle of tears.

Once I gathered my emotions and sucked it up, I took pictures over the next couple of days.

Dylan and daughter.

Tori, Noelle, and Me.

Making fishy faces with my sweet nephew...this was my attempt at entertaining him while his parents met Noelle.

I am looking forward to those days when I will get to bake, knit, craft, play sports, go to Disney, read stories, act out plays, and all the other fun things that aunts are supposed to do with their nieces and nephews. Being an aunt is a true blessing for me.

Have a happy Wednesday!

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The Neglect is Settling In...

Well, I really tried to keep up with my blog, but the past couple of weeks have proved trying for me to accomplish the task of writing. You, see, my sister just had a baby last Monday, and in the midst of visiting her, we had visitors of our own and other events, and I just became too weary to keep up with my blogging duties.

But alas, I am back and I will share a few things with you all since my last post. First of all, Patrick and I have spent some spare time going to a few amazing restaurants around town. Two of them had a similar thread in common...they were both begun by Lidia and Joe Bastianich along with Mario Batali. That's right friends, we went to Del Posto for our Valentine's dinner with a follow up of the Pizzeria at their famous Italian market, Eataly, just 2 weeks later!

If you decide to hit up these amazing Italian hotspots in NYC, which I highly recommend, make sure you have the 100 layer lasagna from Del Posto and the pepperoni pizza from Eataly. These were our favorites, and I kid you not...they are pretty much the best foods I have ever consumed.

I am lacking some photos from Del Posto, but here are a few from Eataly.

Me and my pizza

Patrick's pepperoni pizza and beer served in a wine glass.

The pizza ovens.

So, after eating all this scrumptious Italian food around the town, I decided to make some of my own at home! I watched a clip of Fabio Viviani from Top Chef make his gnocchi one day, and I thought to myself that it look fairly easy to make. And so, I tested out the recipe in my teeny tiny NYC kitchen and found that it was a fun, although time consuming, dinner to make. Good thing I had all day to make it!

Here are some pics from my homemade Italian culinary adventure!

Gnocchi in a garlic, tomato olive oil sauce and topped with freshly grated parmesan.

Patrick enjoying his gnocchi.


Well, I hope to get back on track with my blog (again) now that some things are settled at the moment. I have a few adventures awaiting the near future, so stay tuned for those in the coming weeks!

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