It Was That Good

The other day I was walking by Madison Square Park and I had heard crazy things about Shake Shack---best burgers (not applicable) and best shakes (hell yes!) and lo and behold, there was no line. The weather was on my side. I was able to grab a chocolate shake in no time flat and head back uptown to Drisha (sans mittens) and enjoy my shake on the lovely N train. Was I making everyone jealous or was I nuts to be standing up, holding onto the poll, one hand with my shake and the other a Paul Auster novel?

~

Mums the word, say the flowers in my hair this week.

~

Susan at Drisha says Torah for the sake of Torah. And I think that's the best metaphor---anything only for the sake of itself. These are tough times. We need more moments just to live in them fully, but oh how hard it can be.

~

 Or not. 

~

An impractical milkshake on an inappropriate day makes me feel like I've somehow gotten away with something so delicious. 

Squash

I wonder where the name came from and if the vegetable is related to the verb. For dinner tonight, we roasted them with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper and added some goat cheese. Maybe this is a topic Ramona will explore...

and hopefully one Jillian and I will take on when we start our country girl/city girl food blogging next year. Lots of new and old projects in the works---

most excitingly is a trip to Oklahoma to read at the university of...I have been singing OKLAHOMA all weekend. Details will follow soon...

Lately, I've been just trying to keep a balance (hence tonight's mundane activities): yoga, drisha, bartending, writing, and family and friends. A lovely handful. This picture captures a few.

Week in Review: Red Rooms to Outside Rooms

I still can't find all the right words to talk about the reading at the KGB. It was still and strong. I've heard all of my readers read, but there was something more focused about this reading that has made it my favorite one thus far. Maybe it was the crowd, the small red room, the candlelight, or maybe that I could have a bourbon (which I've learned should not be added to chocolate chip oatmeal cookies if you don't want them to drunkenly spill into each other when baking---sorry, no pretty food pictures this time...)

Beth has started the good work of building the website---not quite finished yet, but feel free to take a sneak peak and let me know your thoughts. This is a project that is evolving---between the readings/yoga practices/and the 5K, I've raised about 1000 for rape crisis centers in New York, D.C. and Ohio. It's a small amount, really, but it's an investment in doing the work, of giving back to this planet of ours, especially now, how much healing is needed. Both the micro and the macro.

And tonight, after sitting all bundled up in a sukkah with my fellow Drisha artists, I realize how much I am surrounded by astounding women. Both the ones around the table, and the ones in spirit we invited in. My own personal ones that I am lucky for especially now---Amanda, Katherine, Sandra, Dages, Debra, and Elana. Thank you ladies for inspiring and nurturing the work we all do.

a summary of monday night

We rocked the KGB!

That's all you need to know!

More Apple Bread

This is the recipe I used, though this time I added candied ginger and cranberries and instead of oil, I tried Stoneyfield Farm's french vanilla yogurt after noticing they also have an apple bread recipe on the container.  I hope it's as good as I want it to be...esp. since this is the healthy version :)

Break Fast Salad

Red Leaf lettuce

hand picked apples

cranberries

bleu cheese

toasted walnuts

pumpkin chips

dressing:

walnut oil

apple cider vinegar

honey

salt

pepper

Apple Picking

The trip up to Stone Ridge Orchard was wonderful (more pics to follow). There's something about doing something yourself...even though I didn't grow the apples, I did pick them and last night I learned a new trick---add cinnamon when you bake apples, brie, and bread. This is a picture of this morning's work with the apples.

caught up upstate

I've been a little lax with the blog posting lately---blame it on being busier than normal or anything else you can imagine. I don't know if I actually am busier---though I have been traveling a little more than usual---Kent and Saratoga Springs (the new place I want to live). My friend Beth lives in a gorgeous old house and every week she goes to the mineral baths and fills up her water bottles from the spring. And she makes homemade everything. For dinner we picked arugula from her garden for the pasta! I've been noticing my cravings this autumn to going back to the land and the basics. This week I've made homemade pumpkin chocolate chip bread and butternut squash soup. Perhaps Jillian and Beth have made me more of a country Brooklyn gal than I realized, or perhaps the hearth mother Ramona spirit kicks in more intensely in autumn. This Saturday is apple picking :)

And I'm back to running. What can I say, give a girl a necklace and see what she'll do. Here's pictures from the race---the medal and the cupcake on Sunday afterwards from Spa City Cupcakes downtown Saratoga!