Hurricane Sandy in NYC

Work was canceled for today.  Subways are not running, and  I'm home safe and cozy, anticipating Hurricane Sandy. 

President Obama just made an announcement about Hurricane Sandy being a serious storm that could have a lasting impact. 

Last night, I got nervous about losing power and having our eggs and milk go bad; so I popped a loaf of pumpkin bread in the oven.

Pumpkin bread seems like a good hurricane food.

Current view from our apartment window - you can see some emergency personnel in neon vests hanging out on the corner.

Yesterday as part of stocking up, we got some water at Duane Reade.  We also drank some cheap red wine in front of horror movies (Shutter and The Descent Part 2).  It was a spooky and fun pre-Halloween and Hurricane evening. 

Survival staple: White Cheddar Cheez-Its

We stocked up on wine and candles for when it gets rough.

I think that I must be panicking about bad weather and going into survival mode, because I just bought these Sorel "Sorelli Tall" Boots on Gilt in preparation for blizzards this winter.

Gooey Butter Cake

The last time that I baked a Paula Deen's gooey butter cake, it ended in weight gain and depression.  This time I baked one for my office; so the obesity will be spread out amongst me and my colleagues.  

I baked it in a disposable aluminium pan to cut down on hassle. 

Powdered sugar dressed it up.

Covered and ready to go

In other news, I think I have acid reflux and unfortunately I think it has something to do with drinking too much... So I've replaced

This (La Fiera wine - had pretty much an entire bottle of this on Saturday and it was delish)

with

This (Prilosec OTC - $1Million at Duane Reade)

I've also been drinking some local apple cider (doubt this is good for G.E.R.D) and lighting fall-scented Yankee Candles to get into the spirit of Autumn.

Red Jacket Orchards Apple Cider

Yankee Candle in Apple Cider scent (it came in a two pack with our usual Harvest  candle at Bed Bath and Beyond)

Hope everyone is enjoying their autumn!  

60% Off Ann Taylor Loft

Columbus Day Weekend Sale Spoils

There was a huge sale online yesterday on Ann Taylor Loft and here is what I ended up purchasing and am now waiting for:

Donegal Tweed Skirt

Flutter Panel Front Short Sleeve Top

Lace Pleated Cabernet Skirt

Marisa Cuffed Ankle Twill Pants

Animal Jacquard Skirt

Fishtail by David Burke

Fishtail for Wedding Anniversary

This past weekend was our one year wedding anniversary.  In honor of the paper theme, I got us a Groupon to Fishtail by David Burke and my husband got me a gift card to J.Crew.  

Highlights of the meal:

Stolen Photo of a Similar Starter Sushi Platter

Stolen Photo of Similar Lobster Dumplings

Our photo of Lobster Shanghai and Fries with Jalepeno

The ambience and decor were really nice and the food was good.  Here are some of the J.Crew goodies that I got with my present:

J.Crew Factory Foly Dress

J.Crew Factory Classic Suede Flats

J.Crew Factory Crystal Link Necklace

Woolrich Rough Rider Throw

Rough Rider Throw

We needed a throw for our couch, and I decided I wanted something masculine and sturdy.  The Woolrich Rough Rider Throw is a perfect blend of functionality and aesthetic with warm red tones and a texture similar to a saddle blanket.  Our cats have fallen in love with it.

The Grays sleeping on their dad's legs

Simple Red and Black Geometric Pattern

Galette des Rois

When I arrived in France as a foreign exchange student around six years ago, it was January.  I soon discovered that the best thing about France in January, besides the "soldes" or sales, is the "Galette des Rois" or Cake of the Kings.  As a high school student at a Catholic school, I took French and for "Mardi Gras" or Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, we celebrated with King Cake at our cafeteria.  It was sans flavor, covered in crazy colorful sugar, and had a rubber baby Jesus in it.  

My mom always used to make pancakes for Shrove Tuesday.  She would hide a penny, button, religious medal, and ring in the pancakes.  Whoever got the penny would be rich, the button would be poor (or maybe it was a bachelor or tailor), the religious medal would be a priest or nun, and the ring would be married first.  I think this might be an Irish Catholic thing, because I don't know that many people who did that for Mardi Gras.

In France for Mardi Gras, I discovered that kids run around throwing eggs and flour at each other. You make crepes that night for dinner, which is why teenagers throw the ingredients at one another.  It was pretty hilarious to see actually.  Anyway, Galette des Rois is a flaky pastry filled with some sort of almond paste that you can only get in January in France as it is part of the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.  There is a porcelain "fève" or charm in it, usually a part of the creche like Mary, Joseph, a wise man, or the man of the hour himself, and the person whose piece of cake has the fève is king for the day and gets to wear a paper gold crown.  

Galette des Rois

Galettes des Rois with crowns and fèves

Galette des Rois from Financier in NYC

We brought it to a dinner party last January

Framing

We have a bunch of posters that I want to have framed, but that I am too lazy and poor to deal with all at once.  I have to schlep at least one of them to Michael's on the Upper West Side to get framed; so that way I'll be able to ascertain the quality and cost of the work there.

Kunstschau Wien 1908 - The Neue Galerie

Fledermaus by Fritz Lang - The Neue Galerie

New Yorker Cover - Guggenheim Museum