this little piglet

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

2012-02-09T13:14:00.001-05:00

When Daniel and I first started dating, Valentine's Day seemed to really mean something. In fact, he moved back to Brazil on February 15, six months after we started dating, so you better believe we went all out that year. I remember being blindfolded and driven to a special dinner that included multiple courses, heart-shaped everything and a violinist. Over the years, we've cared less about it, opting for low-key celebrations at home in place of pricey prix-fixe meals. But after working on this Valentine's Day gift guide for iVillage, I'm thinking it might be fun to make a bigger deal about it this year. I could care less about red roses, but surprise me with pink and white cookies, henna-inspired mini cakes, banana cake in a jar and pretty much anything else on the list and I'd be one happy lady.

Brooklyn Food Favorites 2011

2011-12-31T15:24:00.005-05:00

Rucola

I was hoping to do a detailed Brooklyn Food Favorites post today, like the one I did last year. But then the holidays kind of took over and the last thing I wanted to do was gather images and come up with catchy text. Luckily, I already wrote about some of them so it's easy to reminisce about the good food I had at Brooklyn Commune, Dough, andAmple Hills. And while I'm at it, here are a few more places I really loved this year.

Rucola
This Northern Italian restaurant is on one of my favorite blocks in Boerum Hill. Open all day, it's good for a date, dinner with friends, or at 8am when top-notch breakfast sandwiches and bomboloni from Falai Bakery beckon.

Bien Cuit
It was very hard leaving my old block in Cobble Hill and all my favorite places along with it. Had Bien Cuit, a new bakery that makes some of Brooklyn's best bread been there back then, it would have been impossible to move.

Colonie
The Brooklyn Heights dining scene has needed some help for awhile and luckily, Colonie came to the rescue. I celebrated my birthday there this year and loved the rustic decor (and lush green wall!).

Kos Kaffe
This Park Slope cafe recently had a much-needed makeover. Spacious, full of natural light and decorated with soothing colors, it still roasts its coffee in-house and has cupcakes from Baked.

Roman's
A fun spot for dinner with friends, this place from the owners of Marlow & Sons is loud and fun. Start with the straciatella, a soft, stretchy mound of mozzarella and you'll fall in love fast.

Lot 61
Local wine and beer are a big draw at this Cobble Hill bar, but the snacks and small plates are what really impressed me. Their toasts are much heartier than they sound and I would happily eat the honey ricotta one with buckwheat honey and pistachio dust every day.

Kiwiana
Top Chef fans might remember Mark Simmons, the cute New Zealand chef from season 4. His reality TV days behind him, he's now chef and owner at this awesome addition to the Park Slope dining scene that showcases his country's signature ingredients.

Talde
This place hasn't even opened yet, but I'm betting it's going to be one of my favorites in 2012. The team from Thistle Hill Tavern are behind it and the food comes from Dale Talde, also of Top Chef fame. Its navy blue exterior and bright orange awnings add some sophistication to Park Slope's 7th Ave and I'm hopeful the food is going to make a big statement too.

Here's to more amazing meals in 2012. Happy New Year!

Holiday Fun in Bryant Park

2011-12-23T10:03:00.014-05:00

After reading this post on Little Brown Pen, I couldn't wait to take Nico and Leo to Bryant Park. Just as Nichole explained, it was a less hectic alternative to Rock Center and the perfect place for holiday fun with four little ones. We went with our friends Whitney, Liam and June and had a jam-packed day. We looked at trains in Grand Central, posed in front of the library lions, spotted Santa and his reindeer in the Lord & Taylor holiday windows, rode the carousel, read some books in a cute outdoor library, sipped 'Wichcraft's extra special hot chocolate, threw pennies in a fountain, watched ice skaters at Citi Pond (open until February 26) and had a dance party before heading back to Brooklyn. NYC kids really have the life, huh?

Whitney and I definitely deserved some down time after an outing like that and I happened to have a freezer full of frozen appetizers thanks to an iVillage assignment. We sipped some wine and did a taste test while the kiddos played. It looked like a tornado and then a hurricane had hit my apartment when it was time to call it a day, but they sure had fun.

If you're planning a holiday party and want to go the easy route, try my ten favorite frozen appetizers. And to see NYC while it's still sparkly and festive, check out Bryant Park soon.

Pillow Talk

2011-12-21T13:36:00.006-05:00

Since we moved into our new apartment, I've become a big fan of Etsy. Many nights you can find me staying up way too late and scrolling through vintage side tables, cool dining chairs and all sorts of other stuff. My first purchase was this chalkboard for our kitchen. I asked the shop owner to paint it cherry red and it looks very cool next to our navy blue cabinets (more on those some day!). Next, I was on the hunt for fun pillows to brighten up the dark brown couch in our living room. Woody Liana quickly became one of my favorite shops. She makes some of the prettiest pillows I've ever seen with designer fabrics. She sent me a bunch of samples for free, but sadly, none of them worked. A lot of her listings have been removed for a holiday sale she's having in her local shop, but if you're in the market for pillows, check her past sales to see her work.

I soon found Arianna Belle, a smaller shop with a great selection. Arianna also has a design blog where she shares photos of beautiful spaces. I could spend all day looking through her color inspiration section. She clearly has a smart eye for design and thanks to her I now have the perfect pillows for my couch. I went with two fabrics. The floral one is Quadrille's Potalla fabric and it has aqua, navy blue, and gray. The other is Celerie Kemble for Schumacher and I love how the deep peacock green works with the navy blue pattern.

If you haven't checked out Etsy before, I highly recommend it. You'll be amazed by all the talented people and unique handmade products. And since all of the shops are run by small business owners, the customer service is amazing and many are willing to work with you to customize their products. When purchases arrive, they often feel like special gifts. Arianna wrapped my pillow cases in chocolate brown tissue paper, tied them with a silky ribbon and included a hand-written personal note on pretty stationary.

If you're already an Esty fan, which shops are your favorite?

Happy Everything

2011-12-20T14:04:00.002-05:00

Most mornings, I hear the sound of little feet running down our hallway at 6:40am. My bedroom door flies open and Nico rushes in. Lately, he always says—or rather, shouts—the same thing. "I'm ready to start my dayyyyyyyy!" I try to pretend I'm alseep, always hoping he'll take the hint and wait patiently till I'm ready to start my day, but that has yet to happen. I sometimes beg for five more minutes, his go-to request whenever it's time to transition from one thing to the next. He'll give me about five seconds tops and if I'm not showing any signs of waking, he'll pry my eyes open while repeating a let's-start-the-day chant. All this ruckus usually wakes Leo. I go and get him and bring him into bed, hoping that somehow, they'll want to sleep in for a change. Instead, they prefer to bring on the hug and kisses, often fighting over who gets to lie on top of me, forbidding access to anyone else. This morning, they joined forces and decided to try some body slams, you know, WWF style. Leo really didn't master it, but he sure thought it was funny when Nico would jump and then land on me. It's certainly not the most peaceful way to wake up, but I'll take it. Seeing how happy they are gives me goosebumps.

I don't send holiday cards, but if I did, I would use photos like the ones above. We took them the night we decorated our Christmas tree. Daniel, his Dad and I kept trying to get a good shot of Nico and Leo posed in front of it. We bribed them with the iPad, books, goofy faces, and some singing. I'd even pulled out the matching pajamas. We finally managed to get a few good shots, but these are my favorites. They just wanted us to roll around on the floor together, laughing till their little bellies hurt, because that's much more fun, isn't it? And years from now, when I'm trying to remember what the holidays were like when they were 1 and 3, these are the memories that will mean the most.

To all my friends, family and any other This Little Piglet fans out there, consider this my version of a holiday card. Happy Everything!

Sunshine Stripes

2011-12-19T15:09:00.007-05:00

Not only did Daniel spend 10 hours painting stripes in Nico and Leo's room a few weeks ago while the boys and I were in California, but he also documented the whole process. We'd been deliberating for so long about what to do with the room and thick horizontal stripes in two shades of yellow (Benjamin Moore haystack and dalila) seemed like a good way to add some much needed light. It really did the trick and was much cheaper than wallpaper. We were inspired by the thick, two-toned stripes I shared in this post (check out the third photo), so Daniel did some research online before getting started. If you want to give it a try, here are some tools, his tips and step-by-step photos. He tells me this video helped him a lot as well: http://www.ehow.com/video_8103877_paint-horizontal-stripes-wall.html.

TOOLS
Chalk line reel

Level

Good masking Tape (he used Scotch Blue with Edge Lock)

Pencil

Hammer

Spackling knife or spatula

A few medium sized nails

Good wide paint brush

Flat head screw driver to open paint can

Small 6'' paint rollers

Paint container to use with roller

Ladder

Laying the tape is the hardest, but it will look professional and painting will be easier it you do it well. Measure the height of the area of your wall you actually want to paint. This height could be from floor to ceiling. In my case it was from floor molding to ceiling molding for two walls. Whatever it is, this number will be your numerator. To make your life easier, you should try to chose a denominator (the number which will divide the numerator) that gives you an integer number. The denominator will represent the number of stripes on your wall. Example: if your wall is 110 inches tall, your denominator could be 10, 11, 5. That way, the width of your stripes would be 11, 10 and 22 inches respectively. But if you were to choose to paint 7 stripes divided evenly on your 110 inch wall, then you would have to mark stripes with 15.71 inches...which would be a pain in the butt.

I actually changed to centimeters to find an even division. We wanted 12 stripes (4 sets of 3 stripes in dark yellow, light yellow and white.). If you can't make the division into a perfect integer (which is likely), I would make the uppermost stripe the one that is not exactly the same as the rest. For example: if your wall is 108 inches, you could have 10 stripes at 10 inches and the last stripe at 8 inches.

Once you figure that out it's time to mark. Use a pencil to mark a short piece of the line on each edge of the wall. Using the hammer, fix a nail to one side. If you have a helper, you do not have to nail anything, which will save you time fixing the wall (as I had to do). Attach the chalk line to one side of the wall, pull the string tightly to the other side, match the pencil lines, make sure you have good tension on the line, pull GENTLY and let it go. It will snap against the wall and make a perfect line. If you do not do it gently, your line will be too strong and hard to clean (that happened to me a few times).

After you mark all lines, get your masking tape and stick it to the wall in such a way that you see the chalk line (do not cover the line). This will give you better control and you'll also be able to use a damp cloth and clean off the chalk from your wall BEFORE you paint. Use a spatula of spackling knife to smooth tape edges.

After that, you paint:

*Always paint the lighter color first.

*Use the brush in a motion that puts paint from tape to wall (not from wall to tape). After you cover the entire edge of the tapes (top and bottom tapes) you can use the roller to paint all over and make it smooth.

*VERY important: you have to remove the painted tapes after you've painted each stripe. This will ensure you are not removing tape after paint has dried, because if it has, you may get rough and ugly edges on your stripes.

Hope that all made sense to you. Even with Daniel's detailed instructions, I'm still confused. Now that he's done this once, he thinks it'd be much easier the second time around. Too bad he probably has no desire to ever do this again! Good luck if you give it a try.

Sweets from a Local Cheese Shop

2011-12-15T11:59:00.004-05:00

Leave it to me to check out a new cheese shop and stock up on sweets. I'm sure Valley Shepherd Creamery's cheese is amazing and I love that it's all made just an hour away in Long Valley, NJ, but in my defense their high-end treats are way too distracting. I was finally able to try some cookies from Whimsy & Spice (chocolate orange cardamom, so good with a cup of tea) and discover virgin chocolate from Raaka, a company that doesn't roast their cocoa beans. Let me be clear that this chocolate is not cheap by any means, but I'm a sucker pretty packaging, and more importantly, good ingredients—their Black Coffee bar has espresso from Cafe Grumpy. If a glass of wine in a restaurant costs $10, 5 to 8 bucks for some really good chocolate isn't so crazy, right?

I also picked up a cheese slicer for Daniel's stocking since ours broke ages ago, a pretzel croissant that's a lot like the amazing ones at City Bakery but just 85 cents and much smaller, and some hot chocolate on a stick for Nico. Leo loves cheese and has a soft spot for the good stuff. Soon after we walked in, the guy behind the counter must have heard his cries for "more cheeeee" because he surprised him with a nice slice to snack on. By the time I was done obsessing with the sweets, we had to go, but I'll be back again soon to try the cheese, some fresh pasta, and maybe a sandwich or two.

Valley Shepherd Creamery
211 Seventh Ave (between 3rd and 4th Streets)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Light My Fire

2011-12-14T13:37:00.004-05:00

I don't celebrate Hanukkah, but if I did, I'd have a hard time choosing a menorah. There are so many cool ones out there, including these two from Jonathan Adler that I love. If you're in need of some inspiration before Hanukkah kicks off on December 20, check out more of my favorites on iVillage.

French Host Brothers and Latte Bowls

2011-12-13T14:31:00.000-05:00

I had a huge crush on my French host brother when I studied abroad in Paris. He was handsome and goofy, had the most adorable accent in English and would always drink his morning coffee from a big bowl. He must have really considered me a sister since he never made a move. He did, however, make out with my best friend when she was visiting from Barcelona.

I've been buying these latte bowls from Anthropologie for as long as I can remember, probably right around the time I came home from France. Daniel's Dad recently gave me a shirt from there that didn't fit, so I decided it was time to add to my collection. Their new colors are my favorite yet and I love how the deep plum, royal blue, chocolate brown and aqua ones look together. I wasn't as crazy about the others, but wanted to get six. And, since they're only $5 each, I think they make a really good holiday gift. You can buy them individually in the store; online they come in sets of four and six. And while I'm on the topic of holiday gifts, I'm dying to try Leone's Gianduioso, a chocolate-hazelnut spread that comes in a gold toothpaste tube and apparently puts Nutella to shame. According to New York Magazine, I can find it at Eataly, which means I'll probably stuff my own stocking with some this year.

Seeing Stripes

2011-11-16T11:13:00.002-05:00

We've made lots of progress on our apartment and are really happy with how it's coming together, but Nico and Leo's room still needs some sprucing up. We scratched the wallpaper idea and the washi tape stripes didn't work out. They were too skinny for the space. Now we're planning on painting some stripes next week, but have a new dilemma. Do we go with horizontal or vertical ones? I can't make up my mind.

Look at these thick, horizontal ones. I love everything about them.

But then I saw these vertical ones in this dreamy bedroom and it made me change my mind.

Then I remembered these ones which come from one of the coolest bedrooms I've seen in awhile. The thick two-toned stripes are awesome and the same goes for the stars on the ceiling, dark blue rug, and simple Ikea bed.

When it comes to vertical ones, I tend to prefer them like this: some skinny, some thick.

These horizontal ones are big and bold, but the pops of orange soften the look and make it more fun.

This little guy in his fancy bed makes me smile. The skinny stripes look really good, but if I stare too long, I get dizzy.

Isn't this room so sweet? Stripes are so playful, but they work even as kids grow up.

Seems like I'm leaning toward horizontal, huh? I've read that they can make a room feel more spacious while vertical ones can make the ceiling seem higher. As of now, we're thinking about yellow ones, and hopefully, we'll figure out soon if they should go up and down, or across. What would you choose?

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Foodie Gift Guide

2011-11-15T15:26:00.002-05:00

The holidays are right around the corner, and in my opinion, edible gifts are the way to go. If you need some ideas, check out this gift guide I wrote for iVillage. It includes 20 edible gifts and hip-hop hooray ho, they're all $20 and under. I'd happily accept every single thing on there. Just saying.

P.S. If you want to attempt a cookie swap this year, here are some of my tips on how to have a successful one.

10-Year Anniversary Trip

2011-11-14T16:46:00.001-05:00

To celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary in October, Daniel and I spent a weekend away in Greenport, Long Island. My mom held down the fort in Brooklyn and treated us to 48 hours all to ourselves, which is pretty much the best gift you can give any parent. We even lucked out weather-wise since it was unseasonably warm all weekend.

If you haven't been to the North Fork before, plan a trip soon. With lots of wineries, antique shops, beaches, and excellent restaurants, it's the perfect quick getaway. On our last visit, I was pregnant with Nico and missed out on all the good wine. This time around, we devoted an entire day to wine tasting. We let Vintage Tours do all the work since we didn't want to waste time figuring out where to go and how to get there. There were four other couples on the tour and everyone was a lot of fun, plus it was so nice to be chauffered from place to place. We went to Peconic Bay, Osprey's, Shinn Estate and The Old Field (our favorite) and had delicious sandwiches from The Piping Plover in Southold. After our tour, we ended our day at Mattebella, a vineyard run by a friend of a friend where we had a final flight while watching the sun set over the vines. It was the perfect ending to an incredible day. I'm already thinking about our next visit and can't wait to check out Croteaux, a winery that only makes Rosé (my favorite).

We stayed at The Morning Glory, a cozy bed and breakfast with gigantic, cloud-like beds, the softest towels and amazing multi-course breakfasts and homemade sweets. For dinner, we went to Luce & Hawkins in the Jedediah Hawkins Inn (which looks like another nice place to stay), and a month later, I'm still thinking about their ducks wings with a cucumber feta raita and chile garlic sauce. They rocked. If I lived on the North Fork, you better believe I'd be there on Monday nights for $1 duck wings. The restaurant also has a speakeasy in the basement with live music and I hear the chef likes to jam down there after hours. Our other dinner was at The North Fork Oyster Company, a new spot that seems to be working out some kinks, but was still pretty good. On the way home, we took the ferry to Shelter Island and discovered lots of cool furniture at Marika's and stopped for lobster rolls in Sag Harbor before heading back to Brooklyn.

Yesterday, (after a trip to the Central Park Zoo where we saw a sleeping snow leopard, polar bear, and The Polar Express in 4-D which was so cool), Nico asked when Daniel and I are going on another vacation so my Mom can stay with him and Leo again. We don't have anything planned, but it was a good reminder that trips like these are a win-win for us and them.

Jane's Carousel

2011-11-02T17:28:00.001-05:00

The first time we went to Jane's Carousel—a ride built in 1922 that was recently restored and now resides in Brooklyn Bridge Park—I forgot to check if it was open. Of course, we went on a Tuesday, the only day it's closed. Nico and Leo were bummed, but still had a blast running around the pier and being so close to the water. They even threw in a few pile-ons. Brotherly love is the best.

When we went back last week, we skipped the subway and walked all the way from from Park Slope to DUMBO. We made our way down Union Street, through Gowanus, stopping to admire a sidewalk speckled with cool tiles near what Nico likes to call The Stinky Bridge. We strolled on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens and I thought about places like Halcyon and Sur that have since closed and all the new places that opened up. We made our way to Clinton Street into Brooklyn Heights and I pointed out the first block in Brooklyn Daniel and I lived on and when we reached the Promenade, it took my breath away, just like it always has. Sadly, the gaping hole where the Twin Towers once stood didn't feel quite as strange anymore. A long walk with two little kids might not make much sense to some. But looking back on our day, it was one of the best parts. Showing such familiar streets to my little boys and telling them about my life before they were here, was both surreal and amazing.

As expected, the carousel was a big hit. It's beautiful and spinning around on a fancy ride with the Brooklyn Bridge, East River and Manhattan skyline in the background was pretty cool. I'm sure it's even prettier at night. We rode around a few times, trying out different horses and the frilly chariots. Seems like Friday mornings are a good time to go since we practically had the whole carousel to ourselves. Bonus: Kids 3 and under ride for free.

On the way home, we played at Harry Chapin Playground, a cute spot that's at the top of a hill Daniel and I used to run up during our jogging days. It was just as torturous pushing a double stroller with two kids in it. After a quick stop for some pizza, Nico and Leo eventually fell asleep and I was treated to another long walk along some of my favorite streets.

C. Wonder

2011-10-21T13:57:00.002-05:00

I'm very curious about this new store, C. Wonder, that opens in SoHo tomorrow. Tory Burch's ex-husband is behind what's being called the ultimate new shopping experience for women. I spotted an ad for it in The New York Times a few weeks ago and loved all the cool products and reasonable prices. Apparently, the store's spin is affordable luxury and the 5,100 square foot space is full of colorful clothes, jewelry, shoes, housewares and more. I prefer to do most of my shopping online, but this sounds like a place I have to see in person. For now, here's a sneak peek from Martha Stewart's site.

French Onion Soup

2011-10-20T20:56:00.004-05:00

It's finally starting to feel like Fall and I've been cooking whenever I can. There's something about this weather that makes me want to spend the better part of my Sunday making soup, as I did this past weekend. I'd been craving French onion soup and this one just became my new favorite.

Nico seemed intrigued by the name—ever since our trip to Brazil, he's very curious about other countries—so the French part really pulled him in. Either that, or he was trying really hard to skip his nap. Since he promised he would have some, I let him stay up and help me stir the onions and pour in the stock. He loved the process so much that he decided then and there he was going to be a chef for Halloween. Three-year-old's can be so fickle. I put a smaller portion in a ramekin for him, complete with pieces of baguette and melted gruyere, but the little rascal didn't even take a bite. Can't say I really cared though. I was more than happy to have his bowl all to myself.

Little Explorers

2011-10-19T09:37:00.000-05:00

In Brooklyn, Nico, Leo and I fill our days with as much fun as we can, but it's hard not to fall into certain patterns when you're close to home. But take two toddlers across a bridge and plop them in Manhattan—The Big City as my cousin Henry used to call it when he was little—and you'll be amazed at how much can happen.

On Saturday, we went to see a play I was reviewing for Mommy Poppins. We rode subways, sat next to a famous family (more on that in my review of the show), bumped into Minnie Mouse, Mickey, Cookie Monster and other famous characters on a corner in Times Square, used a bathroom in a hotel, had custard at Shake Shack, played in an empty fountain, met two dogs named Maya and Walt, threw pennies in a real fountain, lost a shoe in that fountain, were very grateful when a man and his son found a huge stick and fished the floating shoe out of the fountain, walked through Union Square and sampled Martin's Pretzels at the farmers market, watched some dudes with serious moves have a dance party underground and then made our way back to Brooklyn.

New York, you might make me crazy sometimes, but I feel so lucky to call you home.

Pumpkin Picking

2011-10-13T22:24:00.000-05:00

On Monday, we took Nico and Leo pumpkin picking at Colonial Springs Farm in Long Island. Just under an hour from Brooklyn by car, it's a great place for families with small children. We found parking right away, paid $1 per person at the entrance and grabbed a free Radio Flyer wagon which made it much easier to lug two little boys and a few pumpkins through the patch. There was even a Little Farmer's Playland with a small maze, a zip line, some swings, a train pulled by a tractor, pony and hay rides, and a small store with local apples, pies, honey and cider. The sun was blazing the whole time we were there and it felt more like summer than fall, but it looks like cooler weather will return this weekend.

10 Years (Part two)

2011-10-11T21:51:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago last week, Daniel and I got married. I already wrote about our first wedding at City Hall, but this is the one that really made things feel official. I wanted to dig up some photos to post here, but soon remembered that back then, in good ol' 2001, I was still dropping my film off at the pharmacy and waiting patiently for it to get developed. Luckily, I found the ones above in an article our friend Allison wrote for The Knot.

We got married three weeks after September 11th. A celebration like the one we had that night helped, at least a little, to heal all of our aching hearts. I don't think either of us will ever forget how lucky we felt that day. Not only to have found each other, but to be surrounded by so much love and encouragement. Right when it looked like rain would ruin our outdoor ceremony, the sun came out so we could stand at the edge of a marsh and say our vows. I shivered a lot and refused to wear Daniel's jacket, but it was worth it. The photos still take my breath away. Even with a modest budget, we managed to pull off a beautiful wedding with so may special touches thanks to our unbelievably helpful families and friends.

For our five year anniversary, we went back to the Catskills for a long weekend. And this year, to commemorate a whole decade as husband and wife, we spent two wonderful days on the North Fork of Long Island. As soon as I have a chance to go through our photos and jot down some notes, I'll put up a post about that. Until then, here's the post I wrote about our first trip the North Fork, just a few months before Nico was born.

Bike-sharing in Paris

2011-09-28T13:39:00.003-05:00

Did you know that Paris has a bike-sharing system—the biggest in the world—with over 20,000 bikes at 1,800 bike stations? I had no idea since they certainly didn't have this when I lived there there 13 years ago. Jordan Ferney, an American blogger who's spending a year in Paris with her husband and two little boys wrote about it today and included tons of good tips. Vélib' sounds like the coolest public transportation system ever and I wish we had something like it here in New York. If I were planning a trip to Paris right now, I'd be so excited to ride bikes all around that beautiful city. Too bad I have no plans to visit anytime soon, but maybe you do?

Photos by Paul Ferney via Oh Happy Day

Striped Walls

2011-09-26T21:02:00.003-05:00

Our camera broke while we were in Brazil and we haven't gotten around to getting it fixed which is one reason I haven't been blogging much lately. The other reason is that any free minute I have, I end up searching for inspiring images on Pinterest or clicking through a digital design magazine. There's so much I want to do with our new place and I could spend hours online looking for ideas.

A few weeks ago, I was talking about wallpaper for Nico and Leo's room. We ordered all sorts of samples, from jellyfish patterns to vinyl red circles from Marimekko. I even asked for all of your opinions, but then we scratched the whole wallpaper plan last week. It seemed too pricey and a lot of work. My new plan is to paint some bright stripes on their super white walls.

I ripped this photo out of Domino Magazine a few years ago. The bedroom belongs to Jenna Lyons's son. Jenna is the creative director of J. Crew and her beautiful Brooklyn brownstone has been featured in many publications.

Her kitchen inspired me to go with dark blue cabinets in mine. (More on that another day.) Painting stripes on the ceiling sounds like a lot of work, but I love the way it looks.

My old bedroom was the prettiest shade of blue and while it would have worked well in a bedroom for two little boys, I wanted to go with something more unique for Nico and Leo. Still, these thick blue stripes keep making me rethink that decision.

But of all the striped walls I've seen lately, these are my favorite. Probably because they were made with Japanese washi tape and cost just $30. As the designer behind them explains, they're the way to go if you don't have the patience to paint and the budget for wallpaper. Bingo! I think I might finally have a winner. Cute Tape has a good selection of washi tape, so now I just need to pick a color and get going. I'll report back with the results as soon as our camera is fixed!

Images 1: Habitually Chic, 2: Julia Lynn and Squire Fox via Design Sponge, 3: Libbie Grove Design

Stone Barns Harvest Fest

2011-09-23T13:18:00.001-05:00

Nico's been begging to go apple and pumpkin picking now that it's starting to feel like Fall here in New York. Last year, we took a day trip to an orchard about an hour or two from Brooklyn. Sadly, I don't even remember the name due to some major sleep deprivation back then, but what I do remember is that as fun as it was to pick apples with Nico and take funny pictures of Leo perched in trees, most of the food we ate that day, aside from the apples, was disappointing. There were cinnamon sugar donuts that were stale and didn't seem homemade and don't even get me started on the lame snack bar at the pumpkin patch we went to after.

So, imagine my excitement when I heard about the Stone Barns Harvest Fest on Hither and Thither yesterday. Daniel, my Mom and I celebrated my 30th birthday at Blue Hill at Stone Barns back when I was pregnant with Nico. A farm-to-table restaurant, their food is right up my alley. On another visit, Daniel and I had some wine and appetizers before a friend's wedding reception.

I happened to get electrocuted that evening as well. True story, I swear. I was so enamored by the farm's adorably plump pigs that I didn't even notice the warning signs about their electric fences. The last time I went, Nico was about 18 months old and in the middle of a major acorn obsession. He could have cared less about the animals, or the farm-fresh lunchtime fare.

It was all about the acorns on that trip, but at least I was able to snap one of my favorite pictures ever of him that day.

Now that he's a bit older, I know he'll be into the hay rides, live music, farm activities (egg collecting! pig feeding!) and Leo, our mini foodie in the making, will be all about the unbelievable food at the Farmers Market, a lot of which is from places in Brooklyn, but nothing is better than getting out of the city and onto a farm. The Harvest Fest is Saturday, October 1 from 10am-3pm and you can buy tickets here. Stone Barns is truly stunning, especially during this time of year.

DeLonghi's Il Gelataio

2011-09-13T15:33:00.002-05:00

The sound of my father-in-law's gelato maker whirring on his kitchen counter is something I'll always remember from our recent trip to Brazil. During the two weeks we spent at his house in Bahia, he made gelato almost every day. Two times a day, on occasion. This, and the beach, and the little monkeys that occasionally arrived in the afternoon to see what sort of food they could snatch might explain why Nico said to me out of the blue the other day, "Mama, I really enjoyed our trip to Brazil."

Nico would happily welcome a bowl of ice cream at any time of day, and in Bahia, he was able to eat plenty of it, at the oddest hours, and help his Vovô make batch after batch. Coconut was my favorite, and although we couldn't convince Andreas to throw some pieces of dark chocolate into his machine, we always chopped some up that we brought from Brooklyn and encouraged people to sprinkle it on top.

The machine—DeLonghi's Il Gelataio—made it way too easy to have incredible gelato. There was no slaving over a stove and cooking eggs and all the other complicated steps that come with making ice cream. The machine takes up a lot of counter space and is over $200, and with so many great ice cream shops nearby, I really can't justify buying one. But maybe you can? I never did get a good shot of the gelato, or more accurately, I never really bothered because I'd much rather be eating ice cream than taking pictures of it. Bad blogger.

Is it sunset yet?

2011-09-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

I'd take wine over liquor any day and have never been big on cocktails. Except in Brazil where it's hard to pass up a caipirinha, the country's national cocktail, a drink that goes really well with vacation and sunny weather. On this past trip, my father-in-law would suggest "a sundowner" around 5pm most days. He'd take orders—cachaça or vodka, lime or passion fruit or pitanga—and then head to the kitchen where he'd plop fresh fruit into tall glasses and get started. Some sugar would go in next and then he'd muddle it with the fruit using a wooden pestle. So serious about his caipirinhas, he owns a machine called The Ice Crusher which he uses to crack cubes to perfection. He'd add a handful of crushed ice to each glass and then top them off with a hearty glug of cachaça or vodka. As you can see, Nico enjoyed the whole process a lot. For our first sundowner, he and Leo both kept sticking their hands into our glasses, trying to fish out pieces of ice and fruit. Since their Vovó makes strong caipirinhas, we decided to give them their very own virgin ones the rest of the trip. By adding water instead of alcohol, they were able to really join in on the happy hour fun, too. In fact, it was Nico who got happy hour going most nights after that, always asking "is it time for sunset yet?"

Some friends are coming to stay with us this weekend and if the weather stays warm, I think we'll have to plan a Brooklyn sundowner using some summer fruits like strawberries or plums. This blackberry caipirinha recipe also sounds good. If you feel like giving caipirinhas a try, but can't find cachaça, vodka works well. It makes the drink a bit more mild and you'll be able to really taste the fruit, too.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls

2011-08-23T22:31:00.008-05:00

Most mothers probably wouldn't take their 3-year old to the dentist, hear his twenty teeth are in great shape and then head to Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls, a sun-drenched shack in the West Village, to celebrate a successful first cleaning with a super sweet mound of electric blue shaved ice. Of course I had to turn off the part of my brain that would normally obsess over artificial flavorings and unnatural this and completely unnatural that. Our trip to Brazil, where I was asked if I wanted to add chocolate to bedtime cups of milks, or some spoons of sugar at the very least, probably helped with that. If most mothers there are sweetening their children's milk every night, then I can handle watching my son squeal with sheer joy as he eats a special occasion blueberry sno-ball. (Leo fell asleep on the way there, so he still has no idea what a sno-ball is. I plan to keep it that way for a few more years at least.)

Imperial Woodpecker Sno-Balls
145 7th Ave S.
West Village, Manhattan

*If you or your kids want to take advantage of these perfect—though waaaay too sweet—summertime treats, you should know that the shop is closing for the season on August 31st. The owner told me she plans to open in another location this winter to serve beignets, jambalaya and other Southern stuff.

Let's Make a Decision

2011-08-17T18:20:00.002-05:00

We got back from Brazil on Saturday morning and now have hundreds of things we want to accomplish in our new apartment. Even though I know it takes a long time to make a house a home, I wish I could snap my fingers and our place would come together, just like that. I blame this on being a Virgo. Long stretches of disorganization stress me out. Being a Virgo also means I tend to overthink decisions. I should have been unpacking boxes and going through piles of mail last night. Instead, I spent an hour obsessing over which hamper to get. That's right, sixty precious minutes wasted on receptacles for dirty laundry. Imagine how long it's going to take me to make bigger, more important decisions, like which dining room table to get. After I finally chose one, I realized that I need to be more efficient with my decision making, and that's where you, my friends and family and anonymous readers come in. I was thinking I could put up a post whenever I'm having a hard time making a home-improvement decision and you could help steer me in the right direction. What do you say?

Tonight, I'm trying to make a decision about Nico and Leo's room. Their room doesn't get much light, so we painted it Benjamin Moore's super white and now want to cover one wall with fun wallpaper. I've finally narrowed it down to the three above and am ready to pick one.

I'm leaning toward the first one, from Cavern. I think the turquoise will work well with the white in their room and love that it includes drawings by children from Casa de Milagros, a Peruvian orphanage. All proceeds go to the orphanage as well. As of last night, Nico was all about the second one, because he's in the middle of a jellyfish obsession. The third one is from Dwell Studio and has such great shades of blue, but I worry about it feeling too babyish too soon.

Now, I can't promise I'll listen to you, but which one do you think would work best in a bedroom for two little Brooklyn boys?

Unplugged

2011-08-04T07:53:00.000-05:00

We left Rio on Sunday and after some time in a plane, car and finally, a boat, we arrived at Daniel's Dad's vacation home in Bahia. I didn't realize how badly we all needed this break from city life. Here, the hours just seem to float by and the biggest decisions of the day always involve food. The air is filled with the sounds of chirping birds, whose high-pitched conversations are so soothing when you're more accustomed to fire engines, noisy buses and honking horns. Even though the house has Wifi, it feels silly to spend much time on the internet here. There's a big, beautiful bay to swim in, cozy hammocks for swinging and snoozing, and so many plants, flowers, bugs, birds and even monkeys that at times it feels as if we've moved into a mini zoo. It's hard to disconnect these days, but in a place like this, I couldn't be happier to disappear for a little while.

Snapshots

2011-07-27T15:23:00.003-05:00

The boys are napping, Daniel's at work, and his grandmother and uncle are out. I think this might be the first time in almost a month that I've been by myself. For once, I don't feel pulled in a million different directions by my demanding little boys or overwhelmed by all the to-do's that come along with moving six days before taking an international trip. You'd think I'd sit back and relish these precious moments by reading a book, sleeping or just sitting still, but instead, I feel like writing.

My mind has been spinning so much this trip with thoughts about Brazil, the US, being a Mom, friends, and family. Being in another country always seems to do this to me. Traveling makes me look at life through a different lens. I wish I had more time to write articulately about all the different thoughts that have come up, just like I wish I could somehow make my brain remember every moment I spend with Nico and Leo, both here, and when we're at home. The things we do, the funny, surprising and even profound things Nico says.

For now, here are some photos from our last few days that I snapped with my phone while we were out and about.

With kiosks selling agua de coco all along the beach in Rio, I'd think most parents here would leave their sippy cups at home and hand their child a coconut when they get thirsty. Apparently it's not the norm, since the day we walked home from Ipanema while Nico happily sipped one, so many people stopped and stared as if this was the cutest thing they'd ever seen.

Leo's our little charmer who has been blowing lots of kisses on this trip. He's also started throwing hissy fits, usually when I take my iPhone away from him.

This is what happened the other day on the beach, but then, this Brazilian beauty came to the rescue. Thankfully, she looked past his geeky get-up and handed him a shovel. Had I tried to do that, he would have chucked it, I'm sure, but she really wooed him.

Even though I've been sticking to one pieces lately, I'm still a big fan of Brazilian bikinis. Back in the day, I used to stock up on them. I even brought some home for my friends, praising their triangular bottoms that accentuate bums of all shapes and sizes. American ones tend to hug behinds in all the wrong places. But one thing I don't understand is that women here give themselves wedgies on the beach. For reals. I see it all the time and now understand that it's to show more skin, but still, I just. don't. get. it. The bikinis are sexy enough and this wedgie trick just seems to ruin the whole look. Leo seems to agree. Surprise, surprise: Daniel doesn't.

I've been lucky enough to always have Daniel, a native of Rio, show me around his city. I imagine there are so many things I might not have figured out on my own. Take lanchonetes, small food stands that spill onto the streets all over Rio. Many have these cheesy signs that illustrate menu items that probably turn lots of tourists off. I've been going to them since my first time in Rio and now know the best things to order, such as sandwiches with cheese, banana and cinnamon, or freshly squeezed juices that use exotic fruits like acerola and pitanga.

Nico loves his agua de coco, but he's really into all the fresh juices. Double sipping, too.

When you live in a city that has a big, beautiful beach, I imagine there isn't much need for playgrounds since the two we've found were both deserted. It made me think of our lives in Brooklyn and how much time we spend at different playgrounds and how they're all so elaborate compared to the simple, old-fashioned ones in Rio. I can't think of the last time I was on a seesaw, but we've been playing on them a lot here.

Today we stumbled upon Colher de Pau, a Brazilian bakery in Leblon that's been around for 37 years and sells classic Brazilian cakes. It wasn't even 10am, but Nico convinced us to get him a brigadeiro, a Brazilian treat made with condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder. While he ate it, Daniel complained that Nico's not eating well on this trip, to wish Nico replied: Papai, I only like to eat pasta, fruit and doces (the Portuguese word for sweets).

Being four blocks from the beach has been pretty awesome, but I could use some lessons in how to properly clean off two kids before bringing them back to their 84-year old great-grandmother's apartment. Luckily, she's a laid-back lady and has yet to flinch at any of the messes we've made. I practically burned down her kitchen the other morning making some toast. Huge flames were coming out of her toaster, so I panicked, screamed for Daniel and he put out what could have turned into a huge fire. When Dagmar woke up, her whole kitchen still smelled like smoke and she simply laughed and said she'd been meaning to throw out that crazy toaster. My grandmother would have fuh-reeeaked. Anyway, instead of hitting the beach this morning, Nico, Leo and I got some agua de cocos and planted ourselves at a kiosk with a new play doh set. When we went home for lunch, we didn't bring a grain of sand with us. The plan is to go back this afternoon to play in the sand and water. That way, I won't have to give them a bath twice today.

OK, naptime's over. Tchau, for now!

Pão de Açúcar and Urca

2011-07-25T22:06:00.001-05:00

After two days of rain, we're back to blue skies here in Rio. It's winter in Brazil and today's weather reminded me of September in New York. Warm and sunny but with a nice breeze that sometimes called for long sleeves. Basically, the exact opposite of the oppressive heat back home.

Despite the few days of dreary weather, we've been keeping busy. Last night we had a delicious dinner at our friend Gisela's apartment. She and Daniel grew up together and it was adorable to see Nico and Leo play with her son Leon. I can already imagine myself telling Leon years from now how he sang me Beatles songs while staring at his reflection in the television a few weeks before his 5th birthday. Nico and Leo went to bed late and we crossed our fingers that this would somehow cause them to sleep in, but no such luck. By 6:15am, they were wide awake and ready to start the day.

We decided to be true tourists and visit Pão de Açúcar, knowing Nico would love the cable cars you need to take to get there.

He did, but it was a bit of an adventure at times with all of our gear and more than once, Daniel and I felt like the Grizwalds. Life is exhausting enough with two kids when you're in your own home, on your own schedule, but plop an entire family in another country and there will be some bumps along the way. And when your kids are 3 and under, I'm talking about both figurative and literal bumps. Nico bumped his forehead within seconds of getting out of the car at Pão de Açúcar and a few days ago, he crashed into a table head first while dancing in a restaurant.

Luckily, the lines at Pão de Açúcar weren't too bad and soon enough, we were sailing through the air, hopping from mountain to mountain and gazing at the stunning views of Rio.

After Pão de Açúcar, we planned to stroll through Urca, a beautiful neighborhood with pretty houses along the water. We were sure both boys would fall asleep in the stroller and I wanted to eat at Garota da Urca, the restaurant where I learned to love steak on my first trip to Rio. Nico fell asleep right away, but Leo, our little rascal with an enormous appetite, made sure to stay awake.

We parked the stroller next to our table and while Nico slept, we stuffed ourselves with steak, collard greens with bacon, farofa, rice and beans. Most of the high chairs in Brazil don't have seatbelts which kind of defeat the purpose when you have a squirmy 13-month old, so Leo was on each of our laps most of the lunch, taking bites of anything and everything that came his way. A woman even stopped by our table to say how impressed she was to see a child eating collard greens. When it comes to food, Nico's the opposite of Leo. When he woke up, he dove into a plate of plain pasta topped with a mountain of cheese and wouldn't go near anything else on the table.

Afterward, while Leo slept, we looked at the boats in the harbor, ran around in any open space we could find, saw a Volkswagen commerical being filmed, and discovered a playground that had a view of the water. Even the statue of Christ on Corcovado Mountain was looming in the distance. On the way home, Nico said: "I have a question about Christ...Does he eat people?" I think he's a little weirded out that we keep seeing the statue wherever we go.

Daniel has to work for the next three days, so starting tomorrow, I'm on my own with the boys. I don't have anything specific planned yet, but the weather's supposed to be good, so for now, it looks like the beach is my best bet.

Rio's Botanical Garden

2011-07-22T19:05:00.005-05:00

I'd forgotten just how beautiful Rio's Jardim Botânico is with its majestic paths, waterfalls, tropical flowers, tall, skinny trees and plump, enormous ones, plus a nice view of Corcovado Mountain and Christ the Redeemer. The last time I'd been was in 2000 when I spent six months in Rio. My friend Mona came to visit during that time and on a trip to the gardens, she and I posed for a photo next to a sculpture inspired by Matisse's painting, La Danse. It's a photo that always brings back fond memories and reminds me of those first few months I spent in Brazil. Mona came for a week and ended up spending a month with me and Daniel. The stories about all the fun we had have been told countless times and never seem to get old.

I'm almost positive that the sculpture wasn't surrounded by ropes and right next to a security guard 11 years ago like it is now. I really wanted to take a similar photo with Nico, but was too chicken to blatantly break the rules with him. So, the goofy picture above is all we could get. It still makes me smile. He'd fallen asleep right around the time we arrived and was so excited to wake up in a such a beautiful place with so much to explore. I'm sure we'll go back again this trip and on all future ones. It'd be fun to take a photo with these dancing ladies each time and turn it into a family tradition. (You can't see in the photos, but I was devoured by mosquitoes in the gardens and now have 12 of the itchiest bites ever covering my legs. Fantastic! I already stand out on the beach with my one piece bathing suit and sunblock-streaked face and now this. Sigh.)

Brazil is different than Brooklyn

2011-07-21T09:06:00.003-05:00

That's what Nico said to me yesterday while we were walking to the beach here in Rio. It's so cool to see a city that I've been visiting for the past 11 years through my child's eyes. The last time we were here, Nico was only 8 months old and as exciting as it was to bring him to Brazil for the first time, this trip feels so much more poignant. He loves adventures and on our way to the airport on Tuesday night, he couldn't contain his excitement.

Our flight had been delayed until 11:30pm and even though we left right around his bedtime, he didn't seem the slightest bit tired. He knew this was a very special occasion, or "vacasion" as he likes to call it, a cross between a vacation and an occasion. Daniel only speaks to him in Portuguese and when Nico first started talking, he would always respond in Portuguese. Once his English surpassed his Portuguese, he stopped. As we were driving to the airport, he told me he was going to speak Portuguese in Brazil and he started practicing on his own: "Backpack...mochila! Sugar...açúcar! Dog..cachorro!" It was truly the sweetest thing and of course melted Daniel's heart. Anytime he hears his son speak his native language, it strikes a chord.

We've been settling in and figuring out the best ways to navigate Rio with two kids. We introduced Nico and Leo to agua de coco on our first night here and they both loved it. After he'd finished, Nico exlaimed "I can't believe we just drank water from a coconut!" Traveling with children can be tiring, but to watch them discover an entirely new place is so worth it.

Daniel's grandmother lives just a few blocks from the beach and we've started most of our mornings there after breakfast at Rio Lisboa, one of our favorite padarias. I'd heard about Baixo Bebê, a beachside playground, before I became a parent, and it's funny to finally spend some time there. Right next to Baixo Bebê is Baixo Vovô, a place where grandpas come to play volleyball together in their speedos. Only in Rio. I love it.

All Packed Up

2011-07-17T13:09:00.001-05:00

I didn't plan to disappear for a few weeks, but moving out of your apartment just days before you're about to take an international trip? I wouldn't recommend it. Long story short, we survived and as anxious as we are to get settled in our new place, we all can't wait to step away from the boxes and really relax.

We leave for Brazil tomorrow and I'm hoping to write a bit while I'm there. I'm not making any official promises, and maybe it'll just be a few quick posts with photos of my favorite things in Rio, such as the sunset on Ipanema that's so beautiful, people can't help but clap. And then there's Bahia, where we'll stay in our bathing suits all day and drink from coconuts. Speaking of bathing suits, I've packed a bunch of swim trunks and those SPF surfer shirts for Nico and Leo, but something tells me they'll be in speedos for most of this trip. When in Rome, right?

When we're back, I'll tell you how I found the perfect color for my kitchen cabinets and some of the other ideas I have for our new place.

Tchau, for now!

Flavor Paper

2011-06-30T12:01:00.003-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Karlyn, you need to start blogging! But until you begin, I'm happy to share the cool stuff you send my way.

Since I'll soon be settling into a new apartment, Karlyn told me about Flavor Paper, a small handscreened wallpaper company that started on the Oregon coast, moved to New Orleans and now has four-story showroom/factory in Cobble Hill. Home to the company's design and screenprinting operations, it's apparently a really cool space where customers can see the process up close and check out the designs. I've never used wallpaper before but have been thinking about giving it a try and already found a bunch from Flavor Paper that I really like. They even have some scratch and sniff ones that little kids would love.

Flavor Paper

216 Pacific Street

Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Wrap it Up

2011-06-29T21:00:00.014-05:00

Last week, we had a special dinner at Del Posto with some friends who were visiting from Brazil. We started at The Lot on Tap, Tom Colicchio's new outdoor bar that's at the bottom of the new part of the High Line, right next to Rainbow City, a fun art installation that's open until July 5.

I think I'll always feel funny taking photos of my food when I'm out to eat, especially in fancy restaurants. At El Bulli, I made an exception since that was truly the meal of a lifetime, but at Del Posto, a place that's slightly stuffy (I could do without the piano player, for example), it just didn't feel right to snap pictures. So, a shot of Rainbow City, taken from the High Line with my (new!) iPhone, en route to dinner is all I've got.

I went to Del Posto when it first opened a few years ago for a work dinner and wasn't wowed. Now I completely understand why it was recently awarded 4 stars from The New York Times, the first Italian restaurant to get such a high honor in 36 years. It had been awhile since we'd seen our friends and they're expecting their first child in September, so we decided to go all out and order the 7-course tasting menu. It was incredible and each course was impressive and creative, but the sheep's milk ricotta nudi di ouvo, two wobbly balls of pasta filled with egg yolks, really stood out, both for flavor and presentation (they were served on top of shaved raw asparagus and looked like eggs in a nest), and the basil gelato that came with dessert was unbelievable. We had three types of fritters, including one with bacalao that rivaled the ones I've had in Brazil, lard butter and homemade foccacia, 100 layer lasagna, spiced ostrich, crudo with burrata and homegrown herbs, and so much more. Each course was finished off with a different type of olive oil and since I can't remember all the details, here's the full menu.

As you can imagine, about halfway through our meal, I was full. This led me to tell our friends about the time Daniel and I went to Per Se with my Mom and Daniel's Dad and had a heated discussion over doggy bags. Daniel's Dad is from Brazil and he and his wife live in Portugal, two countries where doggy bags are frowned upon, if not unheard of. Long story short, they were appalled when we asked to wrap up some of our food.

I know, I know, it's a cultural thing, but cultural divides aside, I just don't get it. Aren't there people starving in this world? Why is it better to throw expensive, high-quality food away than to take it home and turn it into awesome sandwiches which, I might add, is what we did with our Per Se leftovers the next day. Wouldn't a chef prefer to see his food come back into the kitchen and get wrapped up, a sign that their patrons loved it, but just couldn't take another bite because normal human beings are not built to eat multiple courses in one sitting? Or, would they rather see the food they worked so hard on get thrown in the garbage?

So, there I was at Del Posto with a plate of veal braciole in front of me and I could only take a bite or two. When our waiter came to check on us, he noticed that I hadn't finished my food. I explained that I was completely stuffed, and I'll admit I said it kind of dramatically since I was hoping he could take a hint. The fabulous Federico immediately whisked my food away and promptly returned to let me know it was safe and sound in coat check. (Oh, and you better believe I had no problem polishing off our next course—roasted nectarine with a grilled lemon cake and that intense, but refreshing basil gelato. There was no way I could wrap that up.)

When it came time to claim my leftovers, the guy in coat check looked at my ticket and asked, kind of gruffly, "Is this food?" At first I was embarrassed until I saw him reach into A MINI REFRIGERATOR to retrieve my doggy bag. And there it was. Proof that I'm not the only person in New York City who asks for them.

It was such a nice sight to see.

I'm curious to hear what others think about doggy bags. Would you take home food from a fancy restaurant?

Del Posto
85 10th Avenue (16th Street)
212-497-8090

Blue Kitchen Cabinets

2011-06-28T14:03:00.008-05:00

We're leaving for Brazil in a few weeks and will be settling into our new apartment when we get back in August. Right now I should be checking things off our long to-do list, but instead, I'm thinking about kitchen cabinets and how I really want to paint our new ones blue.

I've always been drawn to light kitchens with pops of color and will miss our current one's white cabinets, greyish counters and blue penny tiles. Our new kitchen has butcher block, matching cabinets and white subway tiles. We're keeping the counters, but want to brighten up the cabinets and add some contrast. I just can't decide if we should go with a deep, dark navy or play it safe with a cooler shade of blue. For now, I keep pinning kitchens with blue cabinets until I decide which way to go.

Images: Melanie Acevedo via Habitually Chic, House Beautiful via Simple Nest, Stewart Shining for Domino via The Kitchn, Domino Magazine via Kitchenisms, Terra Cotta Properties via Knight Moves, Ashley Whitaker Design

Vicarious Vacation

2011-06-27T15:35:00.004-05:00

Every year, my Mom takes a big vacation abroad. Before we had kids, my brother and I used to join her, either on our own, or together. Our trips to Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and many other places, are some of my fondest memories. She spends months preparing for her trips and always finds the coolest places to eat, stay, and visit. She refers to multiple books, websites, newspaper and magazine articles and compiles all her information in a binder. It becomes her bible while she's away. I'll never forget when we went to Spain and she left her binder on the plane. We realized while we were in baggage claim and had to race back to our plane to retrieve it.

Sometimes one or both of her sisters have joined her, but lately, my Mom's been taking these trips on her own. On Saturday, she left for Europe and will be spending the next two weeks in Russia, Sweden, Denmark and Holland. When Nico heard she was going to Copenhagen (because he called her hotel there by accident while playing with her iPhone), he became fascinated with the word. Now he keeps asking if we can take the subway there. Some day, we'll all take a big international trip together.

For now, my Mom is keeping us in the loop on her latest trip with daily updates. She sends us photos of special meals with captions or short stories. Most people would shy away from traveling solo. She completely embraces it and secretly, I think it's her favorite way to go. I've always told her she should start a travel company, or at least a blog, because as anyone who has traveled with her can confirm, she plans the best trips.

So far we've gotten a few emails from her. The one today included the photo above and had the following caption: Traditional Russian salad, potatoes, carrots, beets, herring, pear and egg white on top, with a glass of Russian Chardonnay, preceded by a shot of cranberry flavored Russian vodka. In another she told us that she saw Swan Lake in St. Petersburg and how it made her cry. After, she walked back to her hotel broad daylight since the city is in the middle of its White Nights, before stopping in at what she called the most happening bar to have a white Russian and some caviar.

No photos of the St. Petersburg yet, but she promised they're coming.

South Brooklyn Pizza

2011-06-24T19:24:00.004-05:00

When it comes to food in Brooklyn, I try my best to stay in the loop. Rarely do I just stumble upon a place, especially one that's been around for a few months and has a few locations. But that's exactly what happened last night.

Daniel and I were about to go to Moim, a Korean place we really like, when we noticed a bright red storefront on a nearby side street. Inside we discovered South Brooklyn Pizza, a tiny place with a lot of charm and unbelievably good pies and slices. It's pricey—$4 a slice and $25 a pie—but after trying a slice of margherita, a four-cheese artichoke pie, and two cucumber and tomato salads with an amazing pesto-spiked dressing that I wanted to sip straight from the bowl, it's clear they use high quality ingredients. The pizza's crust was crispy with just a few charred spots, and rather than being paper thin or ultra thick, it was somewhere in between.

We sat outside at a marble table with red chairs and had fun showering the owner, a jolly Italian man, with lots of compliments on his perfect pizzeria. Next to us, a big family shared a bunch of pies and through the window, I played peekaboo with an adorable baby girl. It made me think of Nico and Leo. They would happily eat pizza every day if we let them. With such a special place in our neighborhood, it's going to be hard not to.

South Brooklyn Pizza
447 1st Street (between 6th and 7th Aves)
718-832-1022

Pretty in Pink

2011-06-23T08:42:00.004-05:00

In the summer, all I want to drink is Rosé. It works well with most warm-weather foods and is refreshing. Last summer, I fell in love with Jelu Malbec Rose from Argentina. It had a really bright, cherry flavor and unlike most Rosés I've tried, it was deep and dark in color. My local wine store isn't carrying it anymore, so last night I decided to search for a new favorite. I went with a 2010 Wolffer Estate Rosé, 2010 Cabochard Cote Roannaise, 2009 Rubiconda Canavese Rosato, and 2010 Jean-Maurice Paffault Chinon.

When I'm choosing wine, I'm usually guided by the descriptions on the bottle or the ones that the wine shop provides, and occasionally I get swayed by cool labels. After trying to describe the type of Rosé I like last night and only being able to come up with crisp and a little bit sweet, it's time to finally take a class and learn a thing or two. I've bought wine at The Brooklyn Wine Exchange before and they offer all sorts of classes, so it seems like a good place to start.

Couleur Café

2011-06-21T16:46:00.004-05:00

Some of my favorite places are on Seventh Avenue in the South Slope. There's Cafe Grumpy, Beer Table, Thistle Hill Tavern (whose owners are opening another restaurant just a few blocks down with Dale from Top Chef!), and now I have a new one to add to the list: Couleur Café. It's a French cafe that just opened and now has me craving a sweet brioche topped with crunchy sugar crystals and an almond croissant every day. Oh, and their fresh lemonade is on the tart side, just the way I like it.

On Saturday, Nico helped me do a few loads of laundry. While our clothes were washing, he tried out his new scooter. After we transferred everything to the dryer, we went to Couleur Café for a treat. Being there with him reminded me of the diner trips I used to take with my grandfather every week when I was little. We'd squeeze into a booth, put some quarters in our jukebox and after drinking my own cup of coffee and eating a donut twist, I'd practice my dance moves on the leather seats. I loved that diner and our special outings so much and am sure they encouraged my love of restaurants and food. Nico still has a long way to go when it comes to restaurant etiquette. When I told him to calm down on Saturday and explained that we were in a restaurant, he responded, "But Mama, this is a cafe, not a restaurant!" Still, it's so fun to be starting some rituals of our own.

He devoured a chocolate croissant in about one minute. He ate in silence and didn't take his eyes off it for a second. After, we built train tracks out of sugar packets. Before I knew it, he was laughing wildly and ready to run around outside again.

Couleur Café
435 Seventh Ave, between 14th and 15th Streets
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Five Years

2011-06-20T21:02:00.007-05:00

The other day, I remembered that I moved to Brooklyn on June 1, 2001. I can't believe I've been here a decade. Ten whole years in an amazing place where I never expected to end up. And then today, I realized that I published my very first blog post on June 16, 2006, half a decade ago. Life has changed a lot since then and I love looking back and reminiscing.

To commemorate five years of blogging, here are some of my favorite posts from the last five years.

Dinner at El Bulli
Gramercy Tavern's Gingerbread Cake and a Goodbye
The Best Meal I had in Brazil
A Thank You Lunch at the Spotted Pig
Brooklyn or the Burbs
This Week, I'm Elephant
Butcher's Ragù with Fusili

It's always nice when friends and family tell me they've enjoyed something I've written. This year, I even got a special and surprising shout-out, a reminder that other people are also reading. So, just like I did back in 2007, I'm hoping you'll leave a comment either here or on This Little Piglet's Facebook page in honor of this special occasion. Feel free to just say hello or to tell me how you found my blog and your favorite post.

As always, thanks for reading and here's to five more years of good food and This Little Piglet.

P.S. The image above is from a post I wrote on my 29th birthday, another favorite.

Cupcakes and Weddings

2011-06-17T15:45:00.007-05:00

Last weekend, my friend Mona got married. She and I grew up together and were inseparable for many years. At her rehearsal dinner, we feasted on Lebanese food at Al Bustan and listened to lots of funny and touching speeches. Secretly, I hoped I'd get away without making one. I had plenty to say, but have never been a fan of public speaking. As the microphone kept getting passed around the room, I wanted to crawl under our table and hide. Soon enough, I found myself trying to explain to 125 people just how much Mona means to me.

At the wedding on Saturday at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, a beautiful spot where I once sat next to Glen Close and made Matthew Modine think he knew me (more on that another day), I was so happy to see our friends, a big group that goes back over 20 years. I didn't want the night to end. This might explain why I let some of them persuade me and Daniel to attend the after party at the SoHo Grand.

We knew we'd pay the price the next day, and indeed we did. Leo woke up less than two hours after we got home and Nico soon after. My Mom had slept over and kept them entertained while we "slept in", but our little boys sound a lot like wild baboons first thing in the morning. Needless to say, we were dragging the entire day.

Daniel likes to tease me about how I eat too many sweets. On a day when we were dreaming about bedtime by 3pm, a few cupcakes from the new Butter Lane in Park Slope helped us both wake up.

Butter Lane
240 7th Ave (between 4th and 5th Streets)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Smith Canteen

2011-06-16T08:35:00.002-05:00

The owners of Seersucker, a really good southern restaurant on Smith Street, just turned a century-old pharmacy on the same block into a cafe. I checked it out on Monday and fell in love on the spot. Outside, pretty plants line the sidewalk and rest on marble-topped tables, while inside, they kept the original tile floor, tin ceiling and wood shelves, and added pale blue cabinets and more marble. The space is really bright and sunny and gave me good ideas for my own kitchen.

I went in the afternoon when most of their pastries, such as homemade strawberry pop tarts and strawberry rhubarb muffins, were long gone, but the chocolate chip cookie I tried was excellent, with big chunks of dark chocolate and a touch of sea salt. They started rolling out their lunch menu this week and I'm curious about the duck confit banh mi. Coffee and espresso is from Counter Culture and they also have sweet tea and hand-squeezed lemonade.

There are only a few small tables, but Carroll Park is right across the street. If you tend to travel with a bunch of kids like I usually do, get your treats to go and enjoy them over there. The F train stops on the same block and it's absolutely worth the trip from other parts of Brooklyn. Since Smith Canteen opens bright and early every day every day, I'm planning to go again soon for breakfast.

Smith Canteen
343 Smith Street (at Carroll)
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
7am to 7pm, daily

Brooklyn Boys

2011-06-15T19:50:00.002-05:00

Last week, we braved the blazing temps and spent a fun-filled day in the city with Karlyn and Fox. Unfortunately, the photo above is the only one we managed to take, but it's probably better that way. If you try to capture every moment with your kids, you often end up missing the moment altogether.

Nico loves books from the Urban Babies series, so to help us remember our fun day in the city, I thought I'd write one of my own. I'd call it Brooklyn Boys Romp Around Manhattan.

Brooklyn boys ride the subway. They prefer window seats, like to press their noses against the glass, and sometimes befriend people who look a little creepy.
Brooklyn boys take trial classes at Gymboree and pick up sweets at Tribeca Treats after.
Brooklyn boys eat watermelon at Whole Foods and pretend to cook carrots in a play space.
Brooklyn boys splash in sprinklers and cover themselves with sand at a playground along the Hudson River.
Brooklyn boys cool off in the dairy aisle of a West Village supermarket during a hot and sticky walk to Chelsea.
Brooklyn boys run happily along The High Line, up and over benches, through the new lawn, sometimes bumping into people or skinning knees, and admiring all the pretty wild flowers along the way.
Brooklyn boys eat shave ice with sour cherry and rhubarb syrup and are only willing to share once it's turned to water.
Brooklyn boys find room for mini passion fruit ice pops and licks of bigger ones with rhubarb and chamomile.
Brooklyn boys play with huge striped balloons and burn off energy in bouncy castles.
Brooklyn boys get brain freeze from citrus slushies that are a bit too sweet.
Brooklyn boys ride home in taxis when their parents are too tired to take them on the subway again.

Looking forward to more fun in Manhattan and Brooklyn this summer!

Brooklyn Commune

2011-06-14T08:22:00.003-05:00

Vanderbilt Playground in Windsor Terrace is one of my favorite places in Prospect Park to take Nico and Leo to play. It was renovated last year and has lots of different structures that appeal to big and little kids. Occasionally, we stop at the pizza place across the street for slices, and for a while, I thought it was the only food option nearby. Then I read about Brooklyn Commune, a new cafe on Greenwood Ave. We tried it out last week and just a few blocks from the playground and right next to the Fort Hamilton subway stop, it's a wonderful, and much needed addition to the neighborhood.

Opened by a couple with culinary backgrounds, the cafe uses CSA-sourced produce and sells a small selection of local products. We went for an early breakfast on one of those days when it was sweltering by 9am and cooled off with some grapefruit juice mixed with mint before sharing a bowl of homemade granola, an egg sandwich with mushrooms and spinach on multigrain, and a blueberry yogurt muffin with an incredibly light crumb.

We picked up a jar of rhubarb rose petal preserves and have been enjoying it all week on buttered toast and I'm hoping to go back again for lunch to try one of their salads. They also sell prepared foods that would be perfect on nights when it's too hot to cook, and since Brooklyn Commune is BYO, it was nice to discover The Juice Box, a cool wine shop one door down.

Brooklyn Commune
601 Greenwood Ave
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
718-686-1044

Strawberry and Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes

2011-06-13T09:19:00.002-05:00

Ice cream cupcakes aren't exactly ideal in 98 degree weather, but how was I supposed to know it would be that hot on Leo's first birthday? We ordered a dozen from Blue Marble using the Doodledeal I bought back in February and went with strawberry ice cream with crushed Newman's O's and chocolate icing. Leo and Nico both loved them. I thought they were way too rich and the buttery icing kind of clashed with the ice cream. I'd prefer a simple scoop of Blue Marble's stawberry ice cream any day, but first birthdays call for something extra special and these did the trick.

The Rapture, Roberta's Style

2011-06-08T07:31:00.002-05:00

At Madison Square Eats last week, I finally tried a pizza from Roberta's. The guys behind the Bushwick pizzeria brought a mobile wood-fire oven to the pop-up food court and were making a few of their specialty pies on the spot. I went with The Rapture: mozzarella, kale, spring garlic, lemon and pecorino, the lightest of the bunch. I loved the crispy kale (something I've been adding raw to smoothies and salads a lot lately), but thought there were a few too many charred spots on the chewy crust. The Bee Sting—mozzarella, tomato, spicy soppressata and honey—was another contender and I hear the sweet and salty combination is awesome. Since the actual pizzeria is much closer to me than Manhattan's Worth Square, I need to finally plan a trip there this summer.

TLP Loves: Little Brown Pen

2011-06-06T19:04:00.009-05:00

When I first started reading blogs, I focused on food. I still read The Wednesday Chef and Orangette regularly, but last year, I discovered some new ones that focus on fashion, home design, parenthood and travel.

Little Brown Pen is full of pretty Paris photos—but not the city's usual sights and scenes—and has quickly become one of my favorites. As Nichole Robertson, the woman behind the blog (and camera) explains it, she tells stories of color in the city of light. In many of her posts, she strings together photos of seemingly unrelated things—think subway seats, cafe chairs, flower boxes—that share similar shades, like perfect purples, sage greens and weathered blues. Because of her, I find myself looking for similar color stories in Brooklyn and other places I visit. I love Nichole's creative view of Paris. I spent close to a year there when I was 20. Seeing the city with fresh eyes is such a treat and a reminder that inspiration is everywhere.

Nichole and her family moved to Paris in 2009 and her photos are a visual record of the things they'd discover during long walks. Though they now live in New Jersey, she and her husband go back every 6-8 weeks since they run an online store and Etsy shop where they sell a selection of her shots. It's affordable art at its finest. I have my eye on more than a few photos, but am forcing myself to not place an order until we're settled in our new apartment.

The funny thing is that I happened to work with Nichole at my first web job. She and I lost touch after the company laid off our entire editorial staff and it was so cool to find her via her blog a decade later. During our About.com days, we would sometimes meet at Amy's Bread before work for big bowls of cafe au lait and buttered baguettes with Bon Maman jam. Finding her by chance because she now spends a lot of time photographing a French city seemed fitting.

Nichole's blog also has an occasional recipe (I can't wait to try this sangria) and a new post about cheese every week, but if you have time, check out her entire color series. It'll be hard to stop scrolling, and yes, you'll wish you could whisk yourself away to Paris tout de suite.

Black + White's from Lulu Cake Boutique

2011-06-03T08:36:00.001-05:00

Leo and a bunch of his buddies are turning 1 this month. To celebrate, a friend is hosting a party in her backyard this morning. I volunteered to bring sweet treats and picked up mini black and white cookies from Lulu Cake Boutique yesterday. I read about Lulu on A Sweet Spoonful and was surprised I didn't know about it since I worked in Chelsea for four years. Turns out it's yet another place that opened after I left the neighborhood. I couldn't believe all the other new buildings, restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques Daniel and I found while walking through there and the Meatpacking District yesterday. The High Line is still my favorite addition of all and it'll be expanding again this summer to include food trucks and an outdoor bar. NYC just keeps getting better and better.

Lulu specializes in classic American treats and has homemade twinkies, yodels, cookies and cakes. I love the swirly L on their labels and since Lulu happens to be one of the nicknames I've found myself using for Leo from time to time (usually when I'm speaking in a silly voice to distract him during a diaper change), it feels like a fitting treat for his first birthday.

I tried to wait till today to try one, but by about 11pm last night, I couldn't resist. It was one of the best black and white cookies I've ever tasted, but slightly too sweet since the icing covers the entire cookie and not just the top. I'm sure Leo, Nico and all their pals are going to love them. I can't wait to have another.

Have a great weekend!

Lulu Cake Boutique
112 Eighth Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets)
Chelsea, Manhattan

The Best Surprise Party Ever

2011-06-02T11:34:00.006-05:00

Daniel turns 36 today. We celebrated last night with some pie from Four & Twenty Blackbirds (rhubarb crumble, lemon chess, and salted caramel apple), this morning Nico and I made The Greatest Waffle Ever Recipe from Serious Eats (which was great indeed), and tonight we're having an early dinner at Madison Square Eats.

Daniel's not one to expect expensive gifts or a big celebration. Give him some food, family time, an afternoon nap, and he's happy. But for his 30th birthday—what now feels like ages ago—I rented a house in Cape Cod for him and our closest friends. I convinced him we were going for a family reunion, and even though we drove up with two friends who claimed to be going on a trip to Boston together, he, not one to ask a million questions (like, ahem, someone else), went along with the plan. I even recall some very excited emails about fishing poles, grilling gear, bike racks, and a motorcycle license because I also convinced him he was getting a Vespa. Ha! Gullible guy.

When we pulled into the driveway at the house in Cape Cod, all of our friends jumped out, party hats on, cheesy 30th birthday decorations taped up. Daniel looked bewildered at first, and then, elated. For the first few seconds, I think he seriously thought our friends had crashed our family reunion (and was secretly psyched). I love surprising people.

As expected, the weekend revolved around good food. We had a lobster bake, grilled steaks (which Daniel made himself), pancake breakfasts and lots of wine. There were also beach trips, riveting card games, rounds of charade, Scrabble and Cranium, late-night dance parties with choreographed routines, bike rides and kayaking, balloon-stuffed bras, and even a man-shaped, speedo-wearing birthday cake in honor of the birthday boy's Brazilian roots.

Our friends have always felt like family, and now that many of us are parents, we can't spend weekends away together, let alone see each other on a regular basis. I'd love to pull off a similar surprise some day and round up the same group and new friends, too. Since someone's 40th birthday is now less than 5 years away (sad, but true!), my wheels are turning again.

Outdoor Eats

2011-06-01T08:50:00.005-05:00

When I worked at Food Network, warm days often led to long lunches at La Bottega, an Italian restaurant with one of the best outdoor areas in NYC. The spacious patio's white and blue umbrellas, paper lanterns dangling in between trees, and a view of the hip Maritime Hotel soaring into the sky made it such a fun place to escape the daily grind.

Unfortunately, I haven't been there in a while, but I still included it in a list of my favorite places for outdoor dining on Mommy Poppins.

What are your favorite places for outdoor eats?

Image via The Maritime Hotel

Long Weekend

2011-05-31T11:56:00.020-05:00

When you live in New York, sometimes it's better to stay home on a holiday weekend than go away. While others flee, you can spend three glorious days going on adventures and falling in love with your crazy city all over again. Take it from me, since that's exactly what we did this weekend. It is the way to go.

We started our weekend at home made bklyn, a sweet spot in Red Hook with comfy white couches and a serene garden. We sipped fresh lemonade, cubes of watermelon bobbing in each of our cups, and shared a big bowl of local yogurt with Early Bird granola and sliced pears. The sticky buns, almond croissants and other breakfast foods were tempting, but we had our hearts set on lobster rolls from the Lobster Pound, a place that brings fresh Maine lobster to Brooklyn. The rolls were as classic as they come, served on toasted hot dog buns with either a hint of mayo and some spices or tossed with butter, Connecticut-style. We tried both and agreed they were a million times better than the mediocre ones we ate at the Ditch Plains Drop-In at Brooklyn Bridge Park last weekend. After, we hung out in a community garden, met a woman who grows hops for homemade beer and a guitar maker who told us about Valentino Pier where Nico and Daniel played by the water and Leo napped in the shade. On the walk back to our car, we spotted a cool bar on a cobblestone street that we want to check out some day.

That night, Daniel and I had a date at Rucola, a new Italian restaurant in Boerum Hill where we split gnocchi, soft shell crabs, brook trout, an arugula salad with radishes, ricotta pudding with greenmarket strawberries buried at the bottom, and a second dessert—a warm rhubarb cake with a buttery toffee sauce—at Seersucker, another restaurant that was a 15-minute walk away.

There was a family trip to a bike shop followed by jelly donuts, a fresh fruit tart and a bear-shaped financier at Colson and an afternoon visit to Rockaway Beach, where Nico dug in the sand and Leo discovered the ocean. Green smoothies with kale, granny smith apples and lemon from Veggie Island were sipped and stories about armadillos and a big, bad wolf were told while we waited on a long line for tacos (two with fish, one with chorizo), a bean, cheese and plantain quesadilla, and a spicy jicama, mango and cucumber salad at Rockaway Taco.

An air conditioner was installed, winter clothes were happily put away and summer ones were yanked out, loads and loads of laundry were done, tons of sunblock was applied, photos were taken, cameras and wallets were sometimes forgotten at home, Leo's bike seat was installed and yesterday, we rode to Pier 6, one boy on the back of each bike, helmets on, wind tickling our legs and the blazing afternoon sun stinging our eyes. We climbed, splashed, swung, dug and ran around, welcoming summer with open arms and happy for the place we call home.

Madison Square Eats

2011-05-27T08:21:00.001-05:00

I had an appointment in the city yesterday, so after walking through Madison Square Park, mesmerized by a giant 44-foot sculpture of a girl's head, I decided to finally check out Madison Square Eats, the pop-up food court that opened earlier this month. There were so many places I wanted to try, but since most had long lines and I didn't have much time, I went with a vegetarian Lebanese wrap and green lemonade, made with cucumber, lime and lemon juice from Ilili.

Madison Square Eats is open every day from 11am-9pm and ends on Friday, June 3. That leaves me just one week to go back and try Roberta's, the Bushwick pizzeria that everyone raves about, Sigmund pretzelshop, Asiadog, ice cream from Goat Town, plus a wine and chocolate tasting from Nunu Chocolates, a place I already love. Daniel's birthday is next week and an early dinner at Madison Square Eats could be a fun way to celebrate. I bet it's even nicer at night all lit up with the Flatiron Building looming in the distance.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! We're thinking about heading to Rockaway Beach at some point. I want to finally try Rockaway Taco and some of the other cool concession stands that are opening there tomorrow.

My Blue Bedroom

2011-05-26T11:39:00.007-05:00

We’re moving in a few months and as excited as I am to have more space (and a washer dryer!) I’m going to miss our itty bitty, 600 square foot apartment so much. I’ve already told you about our kitchen, Nico’s room which he now shares with Leo, and here are some shots of our bedroom and a little something that helped spruce it up.

When it comes to color, I'm most drawn to blues and greens. For our bedroom, I chose Benjamin Moore's Sweet Bluette, a soft, soothing blue. It looks best during the day when natural light streams, but I also like how it's more mellow and subdued at night. It's the kind of color that has calming powers and tries to convince you to stay in bed just a little longer, even when your kids come barreling in to wake you up. (On that note, Daniel and I watched Date Night last weekend and although we fast forwarded through a lot of scenes, I loved the opening one so much. That's how most of our mornings start.)

We keep most of our clothes in two dressers that I've had since I was 7. Which means that for over 25 years, I've been opening and closing their drawers. They always make me think of my mom and how she used to nag me whenever I'd fill them with too much stuff. Old habits die hard, I guess. They're all still filled to the brim. They were originally a shiny blonde wood, but about five years ago I gave them a make-over. I applied a few coats of blue paint, followed by a coat of white and then sanded some spots for a shabby chic look. Something tells me these dressers will be in our family forever. When we move, I'm passing them on to Nico and Leo. I'm sure it won't be long before I'm scolding them for over stuffing!

Leo slept in a little corner of our bedroom for his first 8 months and since we didn't have much space for his stuff, I relied on this Ikea unit. I bought a bunch of blue and brown West Elm baskets and filled them with onesies, blankets and burb cloths. Now I want to buy a few of these for our new place and use them in different rooms for winter gear, shoes and art supplies.

We have a sapphire blue light fixture we bought during a trip to Morocco. It cost less than $10, but it’s something I treasure. It reminds me of our twenties, those carefree days when it was just the two of us.

There's only enough space for one nightstand and I found this one at a thrift shop in Cobble Hill. With its thin legs and pretty glass knob, it has a feminine feel. I considered painting it white to match the dressers, but decided to keep it blue, liking how it both blends in and contrasts with our walls. The lamp is from Crate and Barrel and sadly, it's been discontinued. I'm bummed I didn't buy two. Daniel built our bookshelves and it was his idea to use pretty antique brackets.

We have one window and a pretty dismal view. I used to have long linen curtains, but they accidentally ended up in the garbage when they were en route to the dry cleaner. We were living with a bare curtain rod and a cheap venetian blind from Home Depot that’s a little lopsided for the past two years, but a few weeks ago, our window got a little love. Curtainworks sent me a sample of their new Caress Voile Sheer. Made from 100% recycled items, it’s a fitting replacement for someone who threw away her last pair. On average, one panel of the Caress Voile saves seven 16 oz plastic bottles from a landfill.

The curtains are semi sheer and they provide some privacy while letting in a lot of light. Our linen ones were kind of limp and lifeless, while these have an ethereal quality. They even sway a little when fresh air sneaks in. I'm not the type to splurge on fancy window treatments. I prefer to save up for an important piece of furniture that'll last for years, so I think affordable curtains like these (they are sold separately and cost $9.99-19.99) make a lot of sense. Roman shades or something similar are more my thing, but for a light and airy bedroom, these really work.

Our bedroom looks out on our kitchen and when the door is open, this is what we see. I saw Breathless in a film class during my semester abroad in Paris and my friend Kristen (who was also in the class and used to eat a few bags of Haribo candies before falling asleep) gave me this poster from the movie. I hung it up in my house senior year, the house where Daniel and I first hung out, using that wall tack that looks like a wad of gum. Framing it after graduation made it feel a bit more grown-up even though it has a little tear in the corner. It'll always remind of me Kristen, my college days, falling in love, and my love for Paris and New York.

For our new bedroom, I'm inclined to go with blue again, but am now leaning toward a really bright white with fun accent colors like bright yellow for a change of pace. What color are your bedrooms and what do you love about them?

{I was not compensated for this post. I did receive the curtains for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own.}

An Afternoon at Ample Hills

2011-05-25T20:55:00.008-05:00

Today was beautiful in Brooklyn. With a blinding blue sky and not a cloud in sight, it was the kind of weather that begs you to have a picnic in the park followed by a trip for ice cream. And since Ample Hills Creamery—the new Prospect Heights ice cream parlor—officially opened this afternoon, that's just what we did.

At an Ample Hills fundraiser a month or so ago, I wasn't eating sweets because of Lent and had to just watch as Nico slowly ate a few scoops. I made sure to sample a bunch of flavors today, loving how they're all made from scratch in the shop (with lots of local ingredients!) and are packed with fun mix-ins like chocolate covered pretzels, brownies, and cookies. I finally settled on Peppermint Pattie—peppermint ice cream with homemade peppermint patties and a dark chocolate fudge swirl—a nice spin on classic mint chocolate chip. I wanted something refreshing and it really hit the spot.

Ample Hills is ultra kid-friendly and has plenty of space to park strollers, a changing table in the bathroom, and even a small ice-cream themed play area that Nico loved. In fact, he and Fox had so much fun playing with pretend ice cream that they didn't try any of the real stuff for a while. Eventually, Nico made his way over to the counter and requested a scoop of dark chocolate. He really wanted it on a cone but they were all out of them at the time. They started making fresh ones as we were getting ready to leave and I contemplated having another scoop just so I could try one, but talked myself out of it knowing we'll be back again soon. Maybe even this week since it looks like the good weather is here to stay, for a little while at least.

(A big thanks to Karlyn for taking all these photos with her phone, and for always being up for long walks for food with me!)

Ample Hills Creamery
632 Vanderbilt Avenue
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Manic Monday

2011-05-24T20:29:00.011-05:00

Yesterday, I took Nico and Leo to a Cookies for Cancer event at Moomah, a cool cafe in Tribeca (that happens to be owned and operated by Jon Stewart's wife, Tracey, who seems so down-to-earth). I'd written about the event for Mommy Poppins and wanted to show my support even though it started at 2pm, a tricky time for a baby and toddler.

I left home right around naptime, hoping both boys would sleep in the car and that I'd find street parking in the city. Of course, I had to fork over $31 for a garage, Nico never fell asleep, and Leo woke up the minute I tried to transfer him to a stroller. The event was crowded and even though there was an art project and a small play area, I felt like I'd made the wrong decision by schlepping them both there. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson about overzealous outings after the Gwyneth Paltrow book signing, right?

The funny thing is that they both had a great time. I was the one who felt frazzled, perhaps because I was trying to feed Leo in the Ergo while chasing Nico all around, a trail of crumbs marking my tracks. I also felt like all of the Moms around me seemed more put together and relaxed, perhaps because they chose to come on their own or with only one child. That's life as a parent, I guess. It's easy to feel like you're trying to do too much or not doing enough and even when you have the best intentions, guilt and doubt find a way in. The important part is that we helped raise money for a very good cause.

Oh and did I mention that I'd forgotten cash and couldn't even buy a cookie, the only food available for sale at the event? Tracey was selling some outside when we left and I sheepishly asked if Nico could have one, explaining that I only had some change before emptying about 84 cents straight from my wallet into her mason jar, adding that we'd come all the way from Brooklyn hoping that would somehow make me look less lame. She was sweet and gave us two.

Afterward, we went to Daniel's office since he was taking the boys home so I could meet friends for dinner (yet another reason for my guilt: "Here honey, you take our two tired little boys and deal with bedtime all by yourself while I enjoy a few free hours in the city!") Luckily, they were both on their best behavior for him.

My dinner wasn't until 7pm and I had an hour to kill, so I went by Sweet Lily. With big, cozy chairs, white buckets filled with fresh fruit, mint and water for ultra relaxing pedicures, plus a heavenly homemade sugar exfoliant and other natural products and polishes, it's been my all-time favorite nail salon for years. It's also the cleanest one I've ever been to with individually wrapped utensils that are disinfected using hospital grade procedures. I used go to Sweet Lily a lot when I was working in the city, but these days I rarely get my nails done and when I do, I just go somewhere close to home. Sadly, they didn't have any openings, but I found out that the owner hopes to open a location in Brooklyn some day and that she now offers complimentary glasses of wine in the evening. Which means I need to get back to Tribeca soon and finally use a gift certificate I got for Christmas. Columbine is a good lunch spot across the street from Sweet Lily whose lemon cake I love, but I noticed a new place, Grandaisy Bakery that I want to try next time, too.

After window shopping in SoHo, I met Karlyn and Alexandra at Osteria Morini, a lively (or should I say loud?) trattoria on Lafayette where we caught up over pasta (the one with braised mushrooms was the best), veal cutlet and a really vinegary salad flecked with mint before ending our night with dessert, digestifs and good ol' girl talk at Caffe Falai.

Talking to them helped me realize that I'll probably never learn my lesson about trying to do too much. What I need to work on is accepting myself for who I am: someone who likes to keep busy and try new things, even if I sometimes exhaust myself and those around me in the process.

Ample Hills Creamery Opens This Week!

2011-05-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

Remember that fundraiser for Ample Hills Creamery I mentioned a few weeks ago? Well, Nico and I went and he had fun sampling a few flavors while reminding me that I couldn't have ANY because I had given up sweets for Lent. I've been waiting to try the ice cream myself ever since and will finally have my chance when the Prospect Heights parlor opens this Wednesday. For more information about Ample Hills—the only ice cream parlor in New York City that makes all of their ice cream from scratch, on site—read the post I wrote for Mommy Poppins last week.

Ample Hills Creamery
632 Vanderbilt Ave between Prospect and Park Places
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Smorgasburg: A Brooklyn Food Flea Market

2011-05-20T09:13:00.005-05:00

Daniel and I tried to snag a table at Marlow & Sons a few months ago when we were in Williamsburg for our Mast Brothers Chocolate tour, but didn't have any luck. We ended up at Fatty 'Cue instead, but for months, I've been meaning to try again, and I want to pick up some stuff at Marlow & Daughters as well.

Now I have another reason to go back. Smorgasburg, a food flea market opens this weekend! The New York Times recently shared a list of all the vendors and I continue to be both amazed and overwhelmed by how much incredible food is made in Brooklyn. But the fact that so much of it can now be found in one place is very exciting. I'm not sure I'll make it there this weekend, but it looks like I'll be spending more time in Williamsburg very soon.

Smorgasburg
Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
27 North Street, between Kent Avenue and the East River (near East River State Park)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Blythe's Blueberry Muffins

2011-05-19T08:09:00.001-05:00

Nico begs me to make blueberry muffins a lot. The obsession began after my Mom gave him the book Henry In Love, a sweet story about a cat named Henry and his crush, Chloe. At the end of the book, Henry swaps snacks with Chloe, handing over a blueberry muffin his Mom baked in exchange for a carrot. I refer to Henry a lot when trying to teach Nico to share. It doesn't usually work, especially with food, but I'll keep trying.

This recipe comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook and it's the only one I've tried so far. It's her Mom's recipe and probably a bit unhealthy for Gwyneth's standards since it includes a stick of butter and close to a cup of sugar. Gwyneth offers a healthier version of them which I also want to try, but I need to find some spelt flour first.

Until then, it looks like these will be a staple in our house. They're quick and easy to make and I usually have all the necessary ingredients on hand, plus some ground flaxseeds which I like to add for a nutritional boost. And as much as I love my standing mixer, it's refreshing to rely on a simple wooden spoon and good old-fashioned stirring every now and then.

Blythe's Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 organic large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers.

Whisk the butter, eggs, and milk together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, the 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in the blueberries. Divide among the muffins cups and sprinkle the muffins with the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Bake until a toothpick tests clean and the muffins are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Best to eat these warm.

Little Piglet Links

2011-05-17T12:39:00.002-05:00

A Blogger outage followed by a bachelorette party last week slowed me down a bit and the dreary weather we have in New York right now isn't helping matters. The photos above are from a lovely Sunday we spent at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens a few weeks ago. I can't wait for more warm spring days like that one. And I really hope all this end of the world talk is bogus, because I have a very important wedding to attend in June. Considering how much fun I had toasting the bride-to-be with 17 hilarious ladies on Saturday night, I know we're all in for a very good time.

I hope to be up and running again with some new posts soon, but for now, here are a few links I've been meaning to share.

Jordan Ferney is a blogger who is spending the year in France with her family of four. All of her posts are making me so nostalgic for the city I lived in for almost a year and I wish I could whisk my family away to these tulip fields right now.

Her sister Gabrielle also moved her family to France this year, and the house they're renting in Normany looks incredible. This photo of her cruising through the airport with her 6 (!) kids makes taking two little boys to Brazil seem like a piece of cake.

I'm already having trouble keeping up with all online design mags out there and now I have a new one to add to the list.

I think I mentioned that I kind of like Glee. I lied. I love it. And just like my Dancing with the Stars obsession (which I'm happy to report is over), I'm thinking about buying tickets to this. Does that make me a Gleek and a Glerd?

On the rare occasion that we order in, we always want Thai. We mixed things up a few weeks ago and tried this new risotto place in Windsor Terrace. The two we tried (sweet gorgonzola, apple and arugula; and broccoli rabe, garlic and sweet sausage) hit the spot and if I didn't have a big pot of soup in my frige, I'd be trying them again tonight.

During Lent, I saved a bunch of dessert recipes I want to make. This pound cake, these chocolate cupcakes and these carrot ones are at the top of the list (and I found them all on The Wednesday Chef).

I've been making this granola for the past few years, but now I want to try every single one of these.

Based on today's weather report, it won't be warm and sunny till Sunday. Good timing, considering the inaugural NYC Food Truck Rally will be taking place at Grand Army Plaza that day.

Last week, I was craving cupcakes. Today, I really want donuts and I wish the Brindle Room was just a little bit closer because their cakey donuts sound amazing.

See you soon!

PicklePetunia Made: A Sweet Surprise

2011-05-14T07:08:00.013-05:00

Last Friday, I was craving a cupcake. Not just any cupcake, but one from Butter Lane, the bakery that should be opening in Park Slope any day now. I settled for a sugar cookie and while I was eating it, my buzzer rang. I wasn't expecting anyone and when I looked out the window I didn't see any Fedex or UPS trucks. When I asked who it was on the intercom, someone said "A box from Simone." Unsure what that meant, I hesitated before buzzing the person in, wondering what my friend had sent me.

Simone, my lovely, serene friend with the coolest New Zealand accent and two of the cutest little kids, must have sensed I was needing some sweets. She sent me a surprise from PicklePetunia Made, a Brooklyn bakery started by her friend Annie Gallo. Annie has a full-time job, two young children and runs PicklePetunia on the side, handling every aspect of the business—from baking to delieveries—herself. She uses the best local and organic ingredients and makes brownies, muffins, granola, bread and gluten-free goodies, too.

Most girls get giddy over a dozen roses or a surprise shipment from their favorite clothing store, but hand me a beautiful box with a sunny "Baked with Love" label brimming with mini cookies and I'll go weak in the knees. I'm serious. I was like a three-year old who had just been given the world's coolest fire truck.

I sampled Petunia'O's, Annie's take on Oreos which were brawnier than the classic cookie but still as comforting and sweet; shortbread with orange and Earl Grey which were perfect with a cup of tea; soft and wobbly rose lime marshmallows which were the prettiest shade of pink; alfajores-pies, cakey cookie sandwiches with dulce de leche, a fun and less saccharine twist on whoopie pies; and salted peanut butter and chocolate cookies whose deep flavor and crunchy texture made them my favorite.

I'm always so inspired by Brooklyn entrepreneurs like Annie and wish I was brave enough to start something of my own. Maybe some day I will, but for now I'm happy to spread the word about amazing small businesses such as this.

Annie's treats are available through Etsy and on her website and she's offering my readers a 10% discount: use the code LPIGLET when you place your order. If you're shipping within New York City, use the code NYCDELIVERY for free delivery, but note that this can only be used on Etsy.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to visit Annie's site for the 78th time to decide what I want to try next.

*Unfortunately, the original version of this post was deleted during Blogger's blackout on Thursday, so I just put it up again. I know many people had shared it on Facebook and I'm sorry that your friends were most likely led to a broken page, but it's all fixed now.

Summer Scoops and Places to Play

2011-05-10T13:46:00.000-05:00

It's official. Nico's addicted to sweets. I guess I shouldn't be surprised—I am too. On Mother's Day, he said to me and my Mom: "I have a great idea! We can get an ice cream or donut today. Which do you prefer?" He paused, then said: "Actually, I prefer ice cream because it's such a sunny day!" (Actually is one of his favorite words. Usually is another.)

With the weather being so nice lately, he's been asking for ice cream a lot. And he's learned that blaming his cravings on the sun usually works. I'm picky about sweets, so he knows I won't settle for a scoop of Mister Softee. He kind of stares longingly at those trucks sometimes, but doesn't even ask me to stop. He knows that I prefer special ice cream parlors.

I shared some of my favorites on Mommy Poppins today, plus fun places to play nearby.

Every Little Bit Counts

2011-05-09T07:49:00.001-05:00

If you live in New York City, you might have heard about Nathan and Elisa Bond, a Brooklyn couple diagnosed with aggressive forms of cancer within nine days of each other. Parents of an 18-month old, they're both battling for their lives. Friends and family have rallied behind the Bonds to help raise money for their staggering medical bills and I wrote about an upcoming benefit on Mommy Poppins yesterday.

I also included information about Cookies for Kids' Cancer, a non-profit organization started by the Witts, a New York City family whose 2 1/2 year old son Liam was diagnosed with cancer four years ago. Sadly, he passed away in January, but in honor of what would have been his 7th birthday this month, there are a few events going on in New York City in the next few weeks to raise money for pediatric cancer.

Unfortunately, cancer is all around us these days. Everyone knows someone who has been affected. Sending money to big charities certainly helps, but putting faces to names makes my contributions feel more meaningful.

Image credit: Betsy Marie Photography

A favorite block in Brooklyn (and free ice cream, comics and massages!)

2011-05-06T14:19:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite blocks in Brooklyn is Bergen Street between 5th Ave and Flatbush. With places like Bark, home of the borough's best hot dogs, and Bump, my go-to spot for maternity and nursing wear, and Sun in Bloom, a cafe with vegan, raw and macrobiotic food and drinks where I once paid $8 for a freshly squeezed juice and balked at the price before realizing I've handed over double that amount for a glass of wine, it's a lively side street full of colorful storefronts and signs. There's also a Lululemon, a comic book store (that you might have seen on an episode of HBO's Bored to Death), a Babeland, and although it's not on Bergen Street, Bklyn Larder is conveniently located around the corner. Many of the business owners on the block plan events from time to time and there are a few things going on this weekend.

Bump is giving out free scoops of ice cream from Blue Marble on Saturday from 2-4pm and accepting (and matching) donations for Providence House, a non-profit that helps transform the lives of homeless, abused, and formerly incarcerated women and their children. They'll also be donating a portion of the weekend's sales to the organization and are offering 20% off all regular priced items. Bergen Street Comics will be giving away free comics (supplies are limited, so go early and bring your kids!) and Lululemon will be giving free chair massages from 2-4pm on Saturday and Sunday. If you live in NYC, come check out a cool part of Brooklyn.

Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are and Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there!

Image credit: SaSaDi Odunsi, co-owner of Bump

Comic Relief for Tired Parents

2011-05-06T07:29:00.001-05:00

With Mother's Day on Sunday and Father's Day in June, here's a little something that would make most sleep-deprived parents—old, new, or expectant—crack up. Just remember, it's a bedtime book for exhausted adults, not the little kids who exhaust them.

{via A Cup of Jo, via New York Magazine}

By Brooklyn

2011-05-04T21:13:00.001-05:00

Back when I thought we might move to New Jersey, I came up with an idea for a small business. The towns we were considering were full of Brooklyn transplants and and I assumed that they missed all their favorite Brooklyn foods as much as I knew I would. I thought it'd be smart to open a shop that carried things from Brooklyn like Mast Brothers chocolate, Sixpoint beer, Salvatore Bklyn ricotta, treats from One Girl Cookies, you get the idea.

Looks like Gaia DiLoreto, the owner of By Brooklyn, a new store that opened last week, had a similar idea. The only difference is that she decided to open up shop right here in Brooklyn and offer the best local products all in one place. By Brooklyn carries food, housewares, jewelry and more. Everything is made in Brooklyn, of course.

Oh, and I still think a store like this would do well in a New Jersey suburb that's full of former Brooklynites. Since I don't plan to leave the city anytime soon, feel free to steal the idea from me.

Image: PB & J bar from Liddabit Sweets

By Brooklyn
261 Smith Street
Carroll Gardens Brooklyn

It's About Time

2011-05-03T20:25:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what took them so long, but The New York Times finally reviewed the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. I wrote about the place in November, a few months after I celebrated my birthday there, and was not surprised that Sam Sifton gave it three stars. With an intimate 18-seat space and an incredible 20-course tasting menu, it was one of the best dinners I've had in Brooklyn. I went with a big group and would love to go back one day when I can really focus on the food. I still owe my Mom a special dinner to celebrate her 60th birthday, so maybe it's time to attempt another reservation.

The Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
200 Schermerhorn Street
718-243-0050

Saturday in the City

2011-05-02T14:27:00.011-05:00

At my friend's engagement party this winter, I sat at a table with a bunch of friends, people I grew up with in Westchester, and we all declared how sick we were of New York. Tired of the cold and concrete, we started plotting a group move to California. We fantasized about houses on the same block, trips to the beach, more space and sunny days. When our friend Ginger overheard us, she said something along the lines of, "Yeah, you all hate NY now. But just wait till spring comes. As soon as it warms up, you'll love it here again." How right she was. When it's 70 degrees, without a cloud in the sky, and flowers seem to be sprouting from every street corner and you can finally escape your cramped space and feel the energy that makes NYC so special, there isn't any other place I'd rather be.

This weekend's weather made me think of Ginger and her comment that night. We spent Saturday in the city with my cousin Brooke and her son Blake, starting off in Central Park with a walk along The Reservoir, a spot I used to run around when I lived on the Upper East Side ten years ago. From there, we made our way to a playground that Blake and Nico loved, but with ladders leading to secret tunnels and concrete walls and chains making it impossible to chase after two little boys, Brooke quickly changed its name from the Ancient Playground to the Awful Playground and we got out of there as fast as we could.

With the promise of a sweet treat, we lured Blake and Nico back into their strollers. I wanted to go by Glaser's Bake Shop, a place I discovered a few years ago. Open since 1902, it smells like heaven the minute you walk in, has an old-fashioned, homey feel and all of the rustic desserts—doughnuts, buns, cookies, pies, you name it—look amazing. On Saturday, I settled on a small black and white cookie, a dessert that always reminds me of New York. The black and whites at Glaser's are a nice alternative to the saucer sized ones sold around the city and I couldn't think of a better way to spend 70 cents.

My Mom lives nearby, so she met us at the bakery and we all walked to Carl Schurz Park, a lovely spot where the Harlem River, East River and Long Island Sound meet. Nico brought along his beloved stuffed bear and was sure to show him the pretty view before we watched little dogs lolling around at the dog run.

We ended our day at the park's playground. Leo's at the age where sitting on my lap while his brother plays just won't cut it. He wants a piece of the action. And on Saturday, he got just that when I let him go inside the sandbox. People without kids are probably wondering what the big deal is while those with just one might be shocked. I don't remember letting Nico go near the sandbox until he was at least 1 and maybe even older, worried about germs and whatever else is lurking in there. But just like everyone told me, once you have two little ones, you loosen up a bit. (Who am I kidding? You loosen up A LOT.) In this case, I'm so happy I did. Leo loved the sand. He loved it so much that he let out squeals of joy while letting it run through his fingers and swishing it around with his bare feet. In fact, he loved it so much that he tried to eat some by the handful, more than once. And that's where this new and improved and laid-back Mom tried to draw the line.

(My apologies for all the fuzzy images. I forgot my camera and had to rely on my blackberry all day. Looks like someone needs an iPhone...)

Glaser's Bake Shop
1670 First Avenue (at 87th Street)
Upper East Side, Manhattan
212-289-2562

A Spring in Our Step

2011-04-28T07:57:00.012-05:00

It's amazing what a little sunshine can do. After months of bundling up, searching for missing mittens, battling about winter hats, and braving the cold, the boys and I can finally leave home with short sleeves and sunblock on, light jackets tucked into our bag just in case, toes peeping out of sandals and Crocs without socks. Walking around our neighborhood is such a treat right now. Flowers are blooming everywhere and just like last year, Nico longs to pick them all. I spend a lot of time explaining why certain rules apply to other people's gardens, but as much as he likes magnolias, daffodils and tulips, he's fond of dandelions too. His pockets are usually full of them by the time we get home.

On Tuesday, a long walk led to a search for ice cream. We ended up at Red Horse Cafe, a popular Park Slope spot that recently started serving scoops from SoCo Creamery, a company in the Berkshires that makes small batches of cool flavors like chai spice, mission fig and lavender honey. We'd picked up some watermelon along the way, and I was hoping that would keep Leo happy since he hasn't had much sugar yet. When I went to reach for the container, I forgot that the top was already off and it went flying and slimed him, bringing to mind the show You Can't Do That On Television that I loved as a kid.

Splashed with a lot of watermelon juice and fat pieces of fruit, he didn't cry, but looked at me wide-eyed and bewildered while his big brother filled in the blanks: "Why did you DO that to him?!?" The whole incident helped me realize how unthoughtful we were about to be. "Here little guy, let me rub it in your face, literally, the fact that we get to lick luscious scoops of ice cream while you munch on some deeelicious watermelon!" I guess it ended up working in his favor because I couldn't possibly withhold ice cream from him after that. He had a few bites.

Afterward, Nico used a sippy cup to give his little brother a light shower. Watching him make Leo laugh—those wonderful belly laughs that are seriously the best sound in the world, especially when coming from a baby with a sweet, sticky face and a watermelon seed or two stuck to his cheek—made my day even better.

Red Horse Cafe
497 Sixth Ave, at 12th Street
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-499-4973

Butter Lane is Coming to Park Slope

2011-04-27T08:04:00.001-05:00

I wasn't surprised when King of Cupcakes on 7th Ave closed. Sounds like they had a falling out with their investors, but their cupcakes were disappointing and easy to pass up. What I didn't expect was Butter Lane, the East Village cupcake shop, to take its place. Their cupcakes are dangerously good. I'm delighted (and a little scared) they'll now be in walking distance and not a subway ride away. I went by yesterday to see if they had opened yet, but no luck. After doing a little research, I found out they'll be up and running in May. They're referring to this location as a pop up shop to gauge neighborhood interest, but I'm sure Butter Lane will have no problems in Park Slope.

Butter Lane
240 7th Ave, between 4th and 5th Streets
Park Slope, Brooklyn

A Very Special Birthday Cake

2011-04-26T10:10:00.010-05:00

There couldn't have been a better way to celebrate Nico's 3rd birthday, and the end of 40 long days without dessert, than with this four-layer vanilla cake with chocolate icing and fondant shout-outs to favorite trucks and a very special subway. Made to order by Nine Cakes, that adorable sweets studio I found while walking on Columbia Street recently, it was delivered in person by Betsy, the woman who opened the shop almost three years ago. She makes some of the prettiest cakes I've ever seen. I now know that her creations taste as good as they look and aren't too sweet which is perfect when you're getting reacquainted with sugar and could easily overdo it.

Normally, I like to bake celebratory sweets myself, but after writing this post for Mommy Poppins about places that have cake decorating classes and supplies, I realized I still have a lot to learn and decided to leave it to the experts this year. Now that I've gone this route, I'm going to be tempted to order custom cakes every year. But I need to remember to not go overboard next time in terms of size. Even though we crammed a bunch of Nico's buddies, their siblings and parents into our apartment this weekend to help us eat it, we still have a lot left. I guess there are worse things that could be sitting in my freezer, right?

Nine Cakes
155 Columbia Street
347-907-9632

Subways and Van Horn Sandwich Shop

2011-04-25T07:08:00.002-05:00

Photo by Daniel Krieger

After a trip to the Transit Museum this weekend, we checked out Van Horn Sandwich Shop, a new Southern spot in Cobble Hill. The staff couldn't have been more welcoming and our server Erin made us feel right at home. Nico kept the questions and requests coming (Does the lemonade have agave? Do you have a microwave? I want one of those rolls!) and claimed an order of macaroni and cheese all for himself until he decided the pasta shells it was made with were too thick. Daniel, Leo and I were happy to pick up where he left off, loving its buttery bread crumb topping, and we also split a cornmeal-breaded fried catfish sandwich and a salad with fried chicken, pickles, slaw and buttermilk ranch dressing while drawing pictures of our favorite subways. Van Horn has cool navy blue walls, a butcher block bar and if you go right now, you'll have the perfect view of all the blossoming trees on Baltic Street. I hope we can go back again soon.

Van Horn Sandwich Shop
231 Court Street
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
718-596-9707

Ice Cream: A Global History

2011-04-20T09:04:00.006-05:00

Cookbooks continue to be my reading material of choice these days, and I now have a new one to add to the list. Written by my friend Laura Weiss, Ice Cream: A Global History explores the enduring appeal of a frozen treat that's adored all around the world. A fun-filled guide, it's full of sweet facts (did you know ice cream in Turkey is so thick you need a knife to cut it?), striking photos, and 26 vintage and modern recipes, including one for sweet corn ice cream from pastry chef Claudia Fleming. Laura's book is one of three that was released this month as a part of Reaktion's Edible Series (the other two focus on potatoes and dates) and The Wall Street Journal said they're all an unpretentious and welcome relief in this age of culinary excess.

Dreamy Dining Rooms

2011-04-19T10:55:00.003-05:00

I can hardly believe it, but the apartment we think we're moving to has a real dining room. I've been staring at paint chips for days and still can't find the right color. One minute I'm leaning toward a sunny yellow and the next, I'm wishing the room had better light and could handle a deep purplish shade. Light blue and beige have been considered and today I'm realizing that white dining rooms with pops of color draw me in the most. If you have a dining room, what color did you paint it and why? I've been saving inspiring images and hope they'll help me make a decision. Above are a few of my favorites.

Photo Credits: #1 - Simon Bevan via Remodelista, #2 & #3 - Patrick Cline via Lonny, #4 - Tiny Water Photography via Rue, #5 - Alexandra Angle Interior Design via Thoughtful Day, #6 - Domino Magazine via Simply Hue

Ricotta Gnocchi with Contessa Sauce

2011-04-17T22:44:00.006-05:00

Leave it to Lidia Bastianich to know just what to do with 1.5 pounds of fresh ricotta. Thanks to her, Daniel and I made Ricotta Gnocchi with Contessa Sauce on Saturday. It was at times a trying process, most likely because we had a 3-year old sous chef who's notorious for abandoning his duties to fill up containers with water or load kitchen appliances with Legos and a 10-month old who gets very feisty when he's hungry. We took turns rolling out the soft and sticky dough and cooking it was a family affair. Daniel plopped the gnocchi into the water and then I helped Nico fish them out with a skimmer while wearing Leo in the Ergo. It certainly wasn't the safest scenario and I'm sure we won't be landing a family cooking show anytime soon, but we all survived and our final product was ridiculously good.

With all that ricotta, a stick of butter, a cup of cream, a cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts and prosciutto, this is a decadent dish that'd be good for a big group to avoid the inevitable desire to eat multiple servings. Soft and fluffy, with a silky, soothing sauce, it makes kids and adults equally happy. In fact, it wasn't long before we were calling our gnocchi "little white pillows" and dreaming about how nice it'd be to use a bunch for a long nap.

A Recipe for Ricotta

2011-04-16T11:59:00.004-05:00

If you had 1.5 pounds of whole milk, hand dipped, kettle heated ricotta, what would you do with it? The one above won 1st place at the 2008 Wisconsin World Cheese Championships. Now, that could be a fancy name for a small contest, but even if it is, I think Narrangansett Creamery's ricotta calls for a very special recipe. I just haven't found it yet.

A Conversation with Gwyneth Paltrow

2011-04-15T21:58:00.010-05:00

I met Gwyneth Paltrow today. Our conversation went something like this.

Me: Hi, how are you?
Gwyneth: I'm good!
Me: (To Leo who I was wearing in the Ergo) You're going to eat my blackberry while we're meeting Gwyneth? (Nervous giggle)
Gwyneth: Awww, how old?
Me: 10 months.

The End.

Or something like that.

So, was it worth the subway ride from Brooklyn with two kids, a stroller, portable potty, lunches, and snacks to my Mom's office in the Empire State Building where I left Nico and then raced about 30 blocks to Gwyneth's cookbook signing with Leo to meet Karlyn and wait in line for an hour and a half before retracing my steps and going home? No, not really.

I was excited to see Gwyneth up close and as expected, she was stunning. She had a certain glow and seemed sweet. But I couldn't think of anything to say or ask her that would seem authentic. I couldn't tell her I really loved her husband's music, or that her Mom was great on the show Huff and how I wish it hadn't gotten cancelled, or that despite what some people think, I actually like the name Apple. Asking something about the cookbook would have made the most sense, but the moment was over before I thought of that. To be honest, I was way more excited about seeing Mo Willems at Barnes & Noble last week. When he walked into the room, I felt giddy. Hearing how he reads the books he's written, books that hold a special place in my heart because I've read them countless times to Nico and Leo, was such a treat. With Gwyneth, I was more in awe, but my connection to her ended there.

Some sites have been poking fun at Gwyneth's cookbook. Eater has a list of the best lines and NY Magazine takes it one step further with this dramatic reading. Nico and I flipped through it on the subway ride home and found a lot of recipes that look really good, including a batch of brownies—Lent can't end soon enough—that uses spelt flour and agave. I'm sure Gwyneth had a strong team to help her perfect these recipes and I'm excited to put some to the test.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Figs, and Mint

2011-04-14T18:18:00.005-05:00

Debbie Koenig, the Brooklyn mom behind Words to Eat By, has a cookbook coming out in January 2012 called Parents Need to Eat Too. She needed parents with babies to test some recipes and since I haven't been cooking much and needed motivation to get back in the kitchen, I signed up.

I decided to test the first one on Tuesday night. But after the boys were both in bed, all I wanted to do was collapse on the couch and watch a few episodes of Glee. (I recently started watching and am hooked. It's totally cheesy at times. Come to think of it, the singing and dancing can make me simultaneously smile and cringe. Oh, and I have crushes on Finn and Puck and Mr. Schuster.)

I reminded myself about the cauliflower that had been in our fridge for a while. And about the pack of pine nuts I splurged on at Union Market and needed to use up before I was able to get to the food coop and see how much less they would have cost there. I came really close to popping a frozen pizza in the oven and putting off the recipe testing for another night. Daniel encouraged me to just do it, saying the process might be therapeutic. It's not as if I'd be less tired another day. Debbie's cookbook is devoted to sleep-deprived parents after all. Clearly, I was the ideal guinea pig.

Once I started chopping, roasting and sauteing, I actually had a lot of fun writing notes on the recipe about things I'd tweak. When I finished about an hour later, I did watch Glee, while digging into a dish I loved, its combination of sweet and savory flavors and a hint of heat so surprising. It even saved me the next day when Leo, my 10-month old tank, was ready for lunch before 12pm. I took out the portion I'd reserved for him—Debbie says to put some aside before adding red pepper flakes—cut it into small pieces and watched as he used his chubby hands to feed himself a big serving.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Figs, and Mint
From Debbie Koenig
Serves 4

1 medium head cauliflower, cored and separated into small florets
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 large cloves garlic, minced
10 small dried figs, diced (I like Mission figs, but any will do)
A good handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
One box (12 to 14.5 ounces) whole grain pasta of your choice

Stage 1 (45 minutes, much of it oven time):
1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line or grease a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

2. Cut the cauliflower and toss in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, and roast for 20 minutes.

3. While it’s roasting, dice the figs and put in a small bowl. Add ½ cup boiling water, cover, and set aside.

4. Mince the garlic and refrigerate in a small covered bowl. Chop the herbs. Put the mint in a small bowl and refrigerate, covered. Set the rosemary aside; you’ll be using it in a few minutes.

5. After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped rosemary. Toss the cauliflower with the herb and return it to the oven. Roast an additional 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and cover loosely; no need to refrigerate.

Stage 2 (10 minutes; if doing in two sessions combine with Stage 3):
1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until golden brown. Watch closely; they go from brown to burned in a heartbeat. Remove from pan and set aside; no need to refrigerate.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. When it shimmers, add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, just until the aroma fills the kitchen, about 30 seconds. Add the anchovy paste and break it up with the back of a spoon. It will dissolve into the garlic and oil. If you’re not serving the finished dish to a youngun, stir in the red pepper flakes; if you are, reserve them to add at the end, after you’ve taken out the child’s portion.

3. Pluck the figs from the bowl (save the soaking water), add them to the skillet, and cook until the pan is dry. Add a tablespoon or two of the reserved fig water, and cook again until the pan is dry.

4. Add to the cauliflower mixture and set aside; no need to refrigerate. Hold on to the remaining fig water, separately.

Stage 3 (25 minutes):
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. Once the pasta goes into the water, put the cauliflower and figs in a skillet large enough to eventually hold the pasta, too. Add most of the mint (reserve about 1 tablespoon) and cook over low-medium heat. Add a splash of the reserved fig water if it looks dry. Turn off the heat if the pasta’s not ready yet—this shouldn’t look super-saucy, but you don’t want it to be dry, either.

3. Before draining the pasta, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water. When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain (it’s ok if it’s still fairly wet) and toss it into the skillet over low heat.

4. Stir everything together, adding more of the fig water and/or pasta cooking water until a light sauce forms. If you’ve held off on the red pepper flakes, remove baby’s portion and stir them in now.

5. Serve with the toasted pine nuts and reserved mint sprinkled over each bowl.

MAKE BABY FOOD:
Leave out the red pepper flakes until you remove baby’s portion. If you’re on purees, you’ve got choices: Reserve some of the cauliflower and puree it separately with some of the plumped-up figs and a splash of the fig water, or puree the entire dish. For finger foods, the entire dish can be safely served to a baby—just chop the pine nuts to avoid a choking hazard.

A play date and sweet potatoes

2011-04-13T12:23:00.002-05:00

I recently took Nico to see a show I was covering for Mommy Poppins. When I told him it was called Potato Needs a Bath, he said: "I'm going to jump out of my chair and eat that sweet potato!" Then he let out a devilish laugh. I guess his statement shouldn't have surprised me. Nico could live on sweet potatoes if he had to. I try to roast a bunch every week to have on hand for snacks or a side dish. I cut a bunch into cubes, scatter them on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, some salt and pepper and then roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until tender, stirring once before they're ready. To give them a golden, crunchy coating, I keep the skins on.

When it came time to see the play, Nico left the main character alone. He actually sat still throughout the entire show, in awe of Scottish puppeteer Shona Reppe and her colorful cast of fruits and vegetables. Even I got a real kick out of the clever set and script and of course loved how fruits and vegetables played starring roles. Read my full review on Mommy Poppins and find out about other NYC theaters that produce plays specifically for preschoolers.

Photo credit: Douglas McBride

Ample Hills Creamery Sneak Peek Concert

2011-04-11T21:22:00.004-05:00

I took this photo of Nico a few days after his 1st brithday. He had just tasted ice cream for the first time (a scoop of strawberry from Blue Marble), and as you can see, it was love at first bite. It was a moment I'll remember forever. I'm a little embarrassed to admit he was wearing a washable bib, something I somehow remembered to bring along on outings back then. Wow, those days are so over. Bibs are overrated anyway.

On Wednesday night, I'm taking my little ice cream lover to a fundraiser for Ample Hills Creamery, a new ice cream shop that's coming to Prospect Heights. I'm covering it for a freelance assignment, and even though I'll still be observing Lent, it looks like I might need to break some rules in the name of research.

If you haven't heard about Ample Hills, it sounds pretty cool. They'll be pasteurizing their own mixes which the Village Voice said is the ice cream equivalent to the bean to bar approach at Mast Brothers. Some of their 24 flavors will include stout 'n' pretzels, salted crack caramel and maple bacon and their shop will have space for birthday parties. The birthday boy or girl will get to design their own flavor and guests will take turns riding a stationary bike that powers a hand-crank ice cream maker. Ice creams cakes will be available as well.

If you live in Brooklyn, like to support local businesses and enjoy eating ice cream, you should come to their sneak peek concert too.

Ample Hills Creamery
623 Vanderbilt (at St. Mark's)
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Making up for lost time

2011-04-08T08:11:00.003-05:00

For most of my life, I've given oatmeal the cold shoulder. Called it names like gummy, mushy, and even gross. I tried some once or twice as a kid, back when I thought Fruit Rollups were the best food on the planet and couldn't stand it. I preferred oatmeal cookies, preferably with chocolate chips, or golden brown granola, with crunchy, toasted oats.

But about a month ago, I decided to give oatmeal another chance. I needed new things to feed Nico since he was requesting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches around the clock. My friend Whitney suggested oatmeal, telling me how much she and her son Liam love it. Nico, my name-changing child, often insists we call him Liam. When he does, he refers to me as Whitney, Leo becomes Liam's baby sister June, and Daniel is Justin, Liam's dad. So, when I served a bowl of warm oatmeal dotted with dates and apples one morning and went on and on about how it was Liam's breakfast of choice, Nico dug right in and dramatically praised each bite. When I tried some, I finally saw what all the fuss is about.

I referred to this recipe from the kitchn. I liked the idea of sizzling some apples and letting them release their juices. Now I seem to have some every day and think it's a good breakfast, lunch, or snack, especially when you've sworn off sweets for 40 days and need something to fill the void. Thick rolled oats probably caused my sudden change of heart and using milk in place of water. I like mine a little soupy and since I can't add sugar to anything for a few more weeks, I've been playing around with all sorts of mix-ins (prunes! blueberries! pears! bananas!). They act as natural sweeteners, but I know I'll be ready to break out the maple syrup and brown sugar soon.

Gwyneth Paltrow Book Signing

2011-04-07T10:10:00.002-05:00

I keep telling Karlyn she needs to start a blog. She's the kind of girl who always knows what's going on everywhere. Without her, I would have had no idea that PS 107 had a waiting list for kindergarten or that the problem seems to be solved, that Cars 2 hits theaters in June or that Giuseppina finally opened. Yesterday, she told me that Gwyneth Paltrow will be at Williams-Sonoma next week signing copies of her cookbook. Yes, that's right, Gwynie P is a lifestyle guru, singing sensation and a chef. When it comes to Mrs. Chris Martin and food, I always think of her macrobiotic diet that makes me feel guilty about my adoration for doughnuts, cupcakes and ice cream. But, I have a thing for certain celebrities and well, I'll admit I wouldn't mind seeing Gwyneth up close.

Gwyneth Paltrow Book Signing
Friday, April 15, 2011 at 1:00pm
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY
(212) 823-9750

*Space is limited to 400 ticketed customers and you need to call or visit a Williams-Sonoma location to get one and purchase your book. Gwyneth will only be signing books that have been bought at Williams-Sonoma and they go on sale on April 13, but you can pre-order one to secure a ticket.

Image via Williams-Sonoma

Blooms, Burgers and Bark

2011-04-06T21:31:00.003-05:00

Today's sunny weather was perfect for a long walk to Bark, my favorite place for hot dogs. Walking along Prospect Park West with Karlyn and Fox, we were all happy to see so many flowers and trees starting to bloom, little pops of color leading the way and reminding us that winter really is over. At Bark, I planned on getting a hot dog, but when Karlyn told me she really likes their cheeseburgers, I decided to try one. A mix of short rib, chuck and pork jowl, it was cooked and seasoned perfectly, topped with pickles, sharp cheddar, shredded lettuce and a special sauce and wedged between a soft and squishy potato roll, the best bread for a burger if you ask me. If I'd had my camera, I would have taken a picture, but I was too busy feeding Leo fries and replenishing Nico's ketchup anyway. Karlyn took all of these with her iPhone.

Nico and Fox sat at their own table and didn't eat much, but rather than run around and hide under people's tables, they sat still for a while, chit chatting about condiments. I'm all about Bark's hot dogs, but now that I know how good their burgers are, I'll be torn next time I'm back. You can find a more detailed review and photos of their burger here. I'm still craving one of their hot dogs, but Karlyn told me about this family bike ride on Sunday to support the Prospect Park West bike lane. Bark will be giving away free dogs at the finish line. Sounds like it's time to dust it off our bikes and take the boys for a ride.

Bark
474 Bergen Street
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Dark beer, a bull and Britney

2011-04-03T22:00:00.006-05:00

Admit it. This bottle of beer is very cute. It's from Pretty Things, a gypsy brewery in Massachusetts that I heard about through Nunu Chocolates, but once I saw a bottle up close, I had to buy some. The pretty picture influenced me a little. OK, a lot. What can I say? I'm drawn to beer companies that brew small batches and slap on sweet labels.

A strong 9% beer, Baby Tree is brewed with dried California plums and has a delicious dark-fruit flavor. I brought some to my friend Ali's bachelorette on Friday night, knowing she would appreciate it since she and her husband-to-be love beer and recently started brewing their own. It paired perfectly with a plate of ribs and beans from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and was just the thing to kick off a fun night with friends I've known for over 20 years. With Ali's three sisters leading the way, we bar hopped from the Upper East Side to the East Village, made Ali ride a mechanical bull, had an impromptu dance session to Britney Spears that involved both the running man and the Roger rabbit, and I laughed so hard I cried. I love when that happens. It's funny how nights like these, which once seemed so normal, almost routine, are now only justifiable for very special occasions.

Food Fight

2011-04-01T08:30:00.004-05:00

Nico and Leo are starting to interact more and play together. They share a room now and Nico will wake up and say things like: "You're such a cute little baby, Copo!" while Leo babbles back. Copo is Leo's new nickname this month. A few weeks ago it was Keeksay. Nico rarely calls him Leo, and when he does, it sounds more like Yeo. They bring out the mischievous side in each other and they both delight in pulling every single book off their shelves, ripping out pages and trying to eat them, and distracting one another when it's time to sleep. As expected, they have scuffles over toys every day. When Leo manages to get a hold of something that doesn't officially belong to him, Nico swoops in to snatch it. He'll then find some random toy that he could care less about and try to pass it off to Leo as the coolest thing in the world.

A few days ago, they had their first fight over food. We were in Union Market, a place I usually avoid when I'm with both of them because the aisles are narrow and hard to navigate with a stroller. We stopped in to pick up a few things and I promised Nico some cut watermelon, a good on the go snack that helps distract him from ice cream and chocolate croissants. Leo was quiet in the stroller, not saying a word. But once we got on the long line that was already about ten people deep and quickly growing, he spotted the watermelon. He started squawking like a bird, this unusual sound that kept getting louder and louder as I scrambled to take him out of the stroller and soothe him. He might have been flailing his arms, too. Nico picked up on his excitement about the watermelon and immediately began shouting "It's mine. All mine! I'm going to eat all of that watermelon! He can't have ANY!" while Leo's squawking grew louder and louder. Feeling like that Mom, I could see myself in both of them. In Nico's unwillingness to share his food, something I still struggle with even though I'm an adult and should know better. And Leo's impatience because he suddenly needed to eat something right away. Wanting to flee, I was relieved when a woman behind us came to my rescue. She opened up the watermelon while I held Leo with one arm and tried to keep Nico from running away with the other. Once they both had some, the squawking and shouting subsided until they each finished a piece and were ready for another.

10 years

2011-03-29T21:54:00.008-05:00

Ten years ago today, Daniel and I got married. It was sort of a secret wedding since we had a bigger celebration seven months later and didn't tell many people about this one at first. I remember getting dressed that morning and how my roommate Marie urged me to wear something white. She even pulled out a curling iron and did my hair which was blonde back then. We took a taxi to my Mom's office and when we arrived, my brother was waiting outside. He'd flown in from California to surprise us and was holding a bouquet of flowers for me.

A few friends served as our witnesses and one even picked up a wedding band from a street vendor for Daniel. I remember us laughing a lot in the waiting room before it was our turn to go in. Afterward, they all had to go back to work, but my Mom took us to The River Cafe for lunch, an interesting choice since we moved to Brooklyn three months later and have lived here ever since.

We refer to our City Hall ceremony as wedding #1 and I'll admit I really like celebrating twice per year. This anniversary tends to be low-key and for our October one, we like to make a bigger deal. Since we're marking a big milestone this year, we want to do something special. We're dreaming about a trip to Italy, a place we both love, but have never visited together. But that's not going to happen for a while, and when it does, we'll have two little ones in tow. I really loved that bicycle wedding I mentioned last week, so last night, Daniel and I spent some time thinking about ten of our favorite places in Brooklyn—one for each year we've been married. We thought it'd be fun to visit all of them on one day, maybe for a special 10-year anniversary scavenger hunt with friends. On bikes, preferably. Here's what we came up with.

1. Superfine: A really fun restaurant in DUMBO where we've celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, played pool with our friends, and eaten the best breakfast burritos.

2. Vinegar Hill House: We've had some amazing dinners here—upstairs, downstairs, and in their small outdoor garden. I could eat a slice of their Guinness chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting every day.

3. Saul: One of our favorite restaurants on Smith Street that's perfect for a special occasion.

4. Bar Tabac: Before we had kids, we ended up at Bar Tabac for late-night foosball a lot. It'd be fun to go back and get a game going.

5. Robin des Bois: We love the secret garden, French food and quirky decor.

6. Franny's: An ideal place for a long, leisurely lunch with lots of wine, pizza, and some of the best salads I've ever eaten.

7. Trois Pommes: We discovered their jelly doughnuts while taking long walks when I was pregnant with Nico and have been fans ever since.

8. Brook Vin: We've had a few dates here since becoming parents. We like to sit at the bar and split a bunch of tartines and some glasses of wine.

9. The River Cafe: The atmosphere might be a little too stuffy, but nothing beats the view. It'll always remind me of wedding #1.

10. Bklyn Larder: If we lived closer, we'd eat their sandwiches more than we already do. The toasted almond gelato, too. And if Bklyn Larder existed back in 2001, and we'd had a big budget for wedding #2, it would have been fun to surprise our guests with baskets full of their amazing foods.

A Sandwich in the Sun

2011-03-25T09:25:00.005-05:00

I was in Cobble Hill a few times last week. I already told you how I tortured myself at Van Leeuwen since I couldn't try any of their artisanal ice cream or baked goods. Another day I had a bunch of errands to run and needed something quick to eat. I wanted to try Van Horn Sandwich Shop, a new spot on Court Street that serves Southern style sandwiches. Their menu looked great, but it was such a warm, sunny day and I really wanted to sit outside. I ended up at Cafe Pedlar, one of my favorite places in Cobble Hill that I've mentioned before. It's another great place from the guys behind Frankies Spuntino and Prime Meats and most Cafe Pedlar's food comes from The Bake Shop at Frankies Spuntino. I bought one of their pretzel sandwiches, a simple lunch that I've fallen back on many times. A plump pretzel brushed with a hearty swipe of sweet butter and topped with ham and cheese, it was the perfect thing to eat while sitting outside and sipping a freshly squeezed orange juice from Nectar.

Little Piglet Links

2011-03-22T11:05:00.008-05:00

It's been a busy few weeks. I haven't cooked much aside from some butternut squash soup and a simple bolognese sauce. At night, Daniel and I throw together big salads for ourselves or make really basic meals. We've been drinking a lot of smoothies. Our apartment search is taking up the little free time we have and I'm ready for it to be over. I want to know where we'll be living in a few months, especially now that someone else will own our apartment very soon. So, I don't have many stories to share right now. What I do have are some links. Recipes I keep meaning to make, a restaurant I want to try, and other random things. Hope everyone is enjoying the first few days of spring. It's amazing how uplifting some sunny weather can be. Oh, and how about that full moon on Saturday night? I was at my Mom's apartment for a girls-only get together with her, my aunts, two cousins and some friends who feel like family. She served her award-winning lasagna. There were eight of us. A group of wise women who have all had their fair share of struggles. They remind me to not sweat the small stuff.

Some links:

Remember how I said I didn't want to throw Nico a birthday party this year? Well, after discovering this adorable cake studio on Columbia Street this weekend, I'm starting to reconsider. After showing him some of the cook cakes on their website, he requested a vanilla one with chocolate frosting with a G train, digger, fire truck and snow plow on top.

Speaking of Nico, he's been rejecting most vegetables lately. But when I made him this kale, spinach and pear smoothie that was the same color of his beloved G train, he gulped the whole thing down and begged for more. Leo loved it, too.

When I have more time to cook again some day, I want to make these homemade bagels and fresh cream butter.

If Daniel and I could plan our wedding day all over again, I'd love to do something like this. Riding bikes with some of our closest friends all over NYC would be so much fun.

I love how Aron and Ashley, the couple behind the blog Hither and Thither, take a photo each year while holding up how many fingers they've been married, a tradition they adopted from Aron's parents.

I've only been to Seattle once and wish Delancey, the pizza place opened by one of the best food bloggers and her husband, had been around back then. Molly recently wrote about their newest venture, The Pantry at Delancey, and now I'm dreaming about taking a quick trip to check both places out.

A Pretty Ice Cream Parlor

2011-03-18T08:40:00.001-05:00

In my opinion, yesterday's weather called for celebratory scoops of ice cream. Too bad I'm in the middle of Lent. Still, I couldn't keep myself from checking out Van Leeuwen's new shop in Boerum Hill. I managed to just walk by the other day without going in. But the place practically beckoned to me yesterday with its floor to ceiling windows. I tried to just take a peek, but it wasn't long until I was inside gazing longingly at their case of baked goods and pretty ice cream menu. To distract myself from how badly I wanted to try something, I focused on all the other things I liked about the shop. How those windows let in so much light, for one. And the white brick walls, dainty light fixtures, marble countertops, cheery yellow stools, and cool botanical wall paper that features the same plants from their menu. I was planning to go back in a few weeks when Lent is over. Turns out I left my camera case there which means I'll be back again this weekend for a little more torture.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
81 Bergen Street (at Smith)
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
347-763-2979

A Daytime Date

2011-03-16T13:36:00.002-05:00

We've been busy selling our apartment and looking for a new one, but Daniel and I managed to sneak in a daytime date on Saturday. My Mom got us tickets for an off-Broadway play as an early present for our upcoming anniversary. Beforehand, we had lunch at Sfoglia, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side that I've wanted to try for a while. It was so nice to relax, share two appetizers, a few pastas (ravioli with Italian kale, ricotta, brown butter and walnuts was our favorite), have a little wine and some time to ourselves. We both liked Sfoglia a lot, but I found myself even more drawn to the restaurant's rustic decor and little splashes of sophistication. I loved the chandeliers, the mismatched tables, and the bar's green and pink swirly marble and squares of antique tin ceilings. Oh, and for parents with rambunctious little ones, I think daytime dates are the way to go. You don't have to worry about getting home too late and you won't be tired the next morning.

Sfoglia
195 East 92nd Street (corner of Lexington)
Upper East Side, Manhattan
212-831-1402

Earthquake Go Away

2011-03-15T18:21:00.004-05:00

Nico's been asking about earthquakes a lot since Friday. He wants to know where else they happen and if "the salami" is going to come and wash our apartment away. He even came up with what he calls the earthquake song. It's sung to the same tune as Rain Rain Go Away and he's told me that we have to go to Japan and Chile and Haiti and everywhere else they happen so we can protect people. I wish it were that easy. I keep trying to explain everything to him as best I can without making it sound too scary. I have a hard time looking at the images of all the destruction. I keep thinking of all the parents in Japan who are trying to tell their children everything will be OK even though they've lost everything. And the children there who know that something terrible has happened and how frightened they must be.

I haven't been wanting to write because I couldn't find the words for something as horrifying as this. And writing about food or a restaurant I visited this weekend seemed too silly. So, I've chosen to read what others are writing. Luisa, one of my favorite food bloggers, wrote a post that manages to be both poetic and poignant. I also really liked Ruth Reichl's post which I found via Orangette.

Terrible things happen on a daily basis and everyone chooses different ways to cope with that harsh reality. Talking about food and the joy it brings is one of mine. I want to try and help people in Japan however I can and remember to complain less. The trivial things I let bother me are silly in comparison to what so many people around the world must deal with.

Giuseppina's is Open, Finally

2011-03-10T13:49:00.001-05:00

When it comes to Brooklyn pizza places, I'd choose Franny's or Lucali if I had to play favorites. Di Fara is good too, but I'm tired of the long lines and paying close to $30 for pies that are usually burnt. Some friends of mine swear by Roberta's and Saraginha, but before I head to Bed Stuy to try those, I'll be checking out Giuseppina's in Greenwood Heights. It's taken a while, but after countless delays, the pizzeria from Chris Iocano, the brother to Lucali's owner Mark Iocano, is finally open. Giuseppina's sounds sweet and simple with just pies, calzones, wine and beer. There isn't a website and I can't even find a phone number, but based on this review, it sounds like it was worth the wait. We have a lot to do this weekend, but I'm planning to sneak in some pizza.

Giuseppina's
691 6th Ave
Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn

Robicelli's Romeo y Juliette Cupcakes

2011-03-08T23:04:00.000-05:00

So, Lent starts tomorrow which means I'll be giving up sweets very soon. I stopped by Crespella this afternoon in search of my last dessert and couldn't have been happier to find these cupcakes from Robicelli's. They reminded me of a simple and delicious dessert that I eat a lot in Brazil—guava paste and queijo minas, a cheese that sort of squeaks while you eat it. I've seen other riffs before, including a guava souffle with cream cheese ice cream, but this might be my new favorite. Unlike other cupcakes that aren't as complex and make me think it's fine to eat a few, these were rich and filling and and I only needed one. I made sure to eat mine very slowly and loved the bright guava flavor.

I've been hearing about Robicelli's for a while and now I know why they get such rave reviews. Made by a Brooklyn couple that clearly likes to have fun in the kitchen, they are ridiculously good. Take a look at their past flavors to see more cool combinations. They couldn't be more creative. Of course I want to try many more and now I know where to find them. Too bad I have to wait forty days before I can have another.

Getting Crafty

2011-03-07T19:30:00.000-05:00

The other day while visiting my friend Courtney in Connecticut, she commented that no one has enough energy for a 3-year old. Except another 3-year old of course. Nico and her son Fletcher were like wild animals, barrelling around her house together. They didn't stop talking or moving for a second. Courtney's a teacher so I shouldn't have been surprised when she pulled out a hot glue gun and convinced them to sit down and make pillows.

Nico and Fletcher liked designing their pillows, but when it came time to actually put them together, they were ready to do something else. Courtney couldn't have been having more fun. At one point, I think Fletcher felt bad that he'd abandoned her project and he stopped playing to help her finish Nico's. Once both were ready, he and Nico used them for pillow fights and pretend naps in Courtney's cozy bed. Nico named his pillow Sunny and professed his love for her on the ride home that day.

Inspired by Courtney, I decided to get a little crafty myself this morning. Nico and Leo both woke up before 6am, so it seemed like a good day to pull out some mini marshmallows and tooth picks. I had high hopes for this project after seeing Liz's cool photos on her site, but Nico was much more interested in eating the marshmallows than building with them. After I lost count of how many he'd eaten, he started sneaking some. Before I knew it, he was trying to eat the one thing I was able to build. Oh well, it was worth a shot. At least we have a half bag of marshmallows that we need to use up before Lent starts on Wednesday. Time to make some rice krispie treats, maybe?

Brooklyn or the Burbs

2011-03-06T22:19:00.008-05:00

I grew up in a suburb 30 minutes from Manhattan and came into the city a lot while growing up. My Mom took me to see Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, and for birthdays, we'd celebrate at special places. As I kid, I got a real kick out of the Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood, and didn't realize that the Gotham Bar and Grill and Windows on the World were actually much cooler. When I was in middle school, I started coming in on my own with friends. We'd ride the 6 to St. Mark's and buy peace sign earrings and when we were on break from college, we started going to bars on the Upper East Side. I loved living so close to Manhattan and having the best of both worlds. I even remember telling one friend that I never wanted to live in the city. It was dirty, loud and I already lived close enough. Eventually, I made my way. I spent less than a year in Manhattan before Daniel brought up Brooklyn, a place I never thought I'd consider. After circling just one block, I was sold. That was almost 10 years ago.

Our apartment is only 600 square feet. We need more space and I've been dreaming about having a house, preferably on the west coast. California isn't in the cards, at least not now, and after looking for a new place for the last two months and feeling discouraged by what's out there, we've started considering the suburbs. For a few days last week, I thought I was ready to go back. House hunting had something to do with it, I'm sure. When you're used to looking at small urban spaces, a real house feels so big. Too big. Especially when they have entire rooms devoted to laundry. Basements full of toys where kids can run and play while adults have real conversations upstairs. A backyard with a swing set. No neighbors above or below. Quiet streets free of noisy city buses and annoying car alarms. But I know better than to be swayed by a seemingly idyllic place. Nowhere is perfect and there are trade-offs wherever you go. My friend Bernadette also made sure to remind me of the movie Revolutionary Road. Whether or not we should leave Brooklyn, a place that really feels like home, is a huge decision. And if I need to look to food to help me decide what to do, so be it. You've gotta go with your gut.

Bklyn Larder is one of so many places I'd really miss. A gourmet deli, it's where I go for sandwiches, or top notch prepared foods and all of their desserts taste as good as they look. Their walls are also lined with chocolate, candy, granola, jams, honey and all sorts of other tempting things. Our friends Marg and Dante came over for dinner last week and they brought some treats from there with them. Chocolate cookies that were rich and crumbly and topped with flecks of Maldon sea salt, and two kinds of gelato. The almond one is airy and addicting and it's laced with a crackly layer that tastes like crushed amaretto cookies. It reminds me of the toasted almonds I used to get from the Good Humor truck growing up, but it's a million times better. I joked with Marg and Dante that they were using Bklyn Larder to convince us to stay in Brooklyn. Well, in a way, it worked. I went back to Bklyn Larder twice this week and while thinking about this one house I really loved in the burbs, I kept wondering where I'd go to find fresh bread, or chocolate chip cookies, or to stock up on dark chocolate. In Brooklyn, my apartment might feel like it's closing in on me, but knowing I can walk a few blocks and get crepes or ride the subway a few stops for homemade doughnuts, somehow makes up for the lack of space. I'm not saying good food is impossible to find in the suburbs. I just know that it doesn't come close to what I have here in Brooklyn.

Last week, we changed our minds about where to move almost every day. Daniel would be for the burbs, and I'd say no. Then I'd jump on board and he'd run the other way. Today was rainy and dreary and we spent most of it going to open houses in Brooklyn. We even saw two apartments we really liked. After, we went to Bklyn Larder and split two sandwiches—grilled cheese on ciabatta with pickles and roasted turkey, pickled shallots and comte. As usual, they were amazing. Expensive, but worth every bite. I think it's safe to say we're staying.

Bklyn Larder
228 Flatbush Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-783-1250

Forty days without dessert

2011-03-02T23:16:00.000-05:00

For as long as I can remember, I've given up sweets for Lent. Well, except when I was pregnant. With Nico, I gave up celebrities and with Leo, I gave up Lent. I've been on a bit of sugar binge lately and have actually been looking forward to a break. But when I looked at my calendar yesterday and it said that Ash Wednesday was this week, I panicked. I didn't feel prepared. Good thing I ran the date by Daniel and he assured me that it doesn't start until next week.

Now I have time to dig into those six chocolate bars I bought a few weeks ago, make these thin mints and have a slice of my favorite pie. Some say you can take a break from Lent on Sundays. I've never gone this route—and I'm not even religious—but, maybe this year I should. Forty days without dessert, even when you've been going overboard all year, is kind of crazy.