thanksgiving 2014

we had such a great thanksgiving yesterday.  we spent the day cooking, eating, and relaxing with our family.  even leko got a special thanksgiving treat.  hope your thanksgiving was lovely!

love, laurie

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previous thanksgivings: 2011, 2012, 2013

happy thanksgiving!

happy thanksgiving!  we have so many things to be thankful for and it is so nice to have a day set aside each year to reflect on what we are grateful for in our lives.

we are hosting thanksgiving at our house today and we are looking forward to cooking with my mom, spending time with our family, and of course eating!

have a wonderful thanksgiving!

love, laurie

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nyc: max brenner restaurant

while we were in nyc on sunday, we had lunch at max brenner in union square.  it has been on our list of restaurants to try for a while now, so we were excited to be able to check it out.

as soon as you walk into the restaurant, you feel like you are in the middle of willy wonka's chocolate factory.  there is chocolate everywhere you turn, and the entire restaurant smells amazing.

 ^i fell in love with their two orange espresso machines and the awesome lights hanging above the chocolate bar.^

 ^if you don't want to wait for a table, there is a to-go line.  one of the things they sell is chocolate in a syringe!^

 ^there were so many options on the menu and everything sounded so good.  it was hard to pick.  for lunch ryan ordered the cheesestake sandwich which was served on a homemade rosemary waffle.  it had caramelized onions and a five-cheese sauce on it, and it came with onion rings and waffle fries too.  the waffle fries were dusted with cocoa powder and chili powder!^

 ^i ordered the quinoa, chickpea, avocado, cherry tomato, and arugula salad which was served on top of a homemade corn waffle and tossed with a honey dijon vinaigrette.  it was such an delicious combination.  i can't wait to make it at home!^

 ^of course we couldn't leave without having some chocolate.  the chocolate dessert menu is 24 pages long!  this place takes their chocolate seriously.  for dessert, we ordered dark italian sipping chocolate.  the hot chocolate was served in a "hug mug" which is the cutest thing ever.  it is shaped so that you hug your hands around the mug to keep your hands warm.  we loved it so much that we bought two mugs to take home with us.  i can't wait to make hot chocolate and curl up on the couch to drink it in our new mugs.^

^now, there's a motto i can get behind!^

love, laurie

. . . 

other pictures from our day in nyc on sunday here and here

sunday in the city

we really enjoyed seeing the radio city christmas spectacular when we were in nyc on sunday.  before the show, we walked around the city and soaked up the surprisingly warm weather.  it was such a nice break from the crazy cold temperatures that we have had lately.  even though it's only november, most of the city was already decorated for christmas.

lights were wrapped around trees and the christmas decorations were on display outside of radio city music hall.  we love seeing the giant christmas ball ornaments and the giant strand of christmas lights along 6th avenue every year.

we visited grand central station to see the annual holiday train show at the ny transit museum gallery annex and store.  we saw the train display for the first time last christmas, and we loved it so much that we wanted to see it again this year.  the trains travel over 34 feet of train tracks on two levels.  it's so elaborate and the detail is incredible.

we also stopped by macy's on 34th street to see their famous christmas window displays.  while we were there, we saw the local stage hands union setting up for the macy's thanksgiving day parade too.  it was such a nice sunday walking around our favorite city.

 ^the giant strand of christmas lights are huge.  they're much taller than ryan!^

 ^seeing all of the trains makes you feel like a little kid again^

^it's always a treat to see the macy's window displays along 34th street and broadway^

. . .

love, laurie

nyc: the radio city christmas spectacular

yesterday, we took a trip to our favorite city to see the radio city christmas spectacular.  it's been nine years since the last time we saw the show, so we were excited to be able to see it again.

new things are added to the show each year, but certain numbers like the parade of the wooden soldiers and the living nativity have remained the same since the rockettes began performing the christmas spectacular in 1933.

the rockettes were amazing, as always.  it is jaw dropping to see 30 rockettes dancing in perfect unison.  i don't know how they do it!  seeing the show definitely put us in the christmas spirit.  i can hardly believe that christmas eve is just one month from today!

^radio city music hall does such an amazing job decorating their lobby for christmas.  the tree, which hangs from the ceiling, is a giant chandelier of swarovski crystal ornaments.  as the tree slowly rotates, the crystals reflect light all over the lobby.  it is beyond beautiful!  here is a cool video showing how this year's swarovski tree was assembled in the lobby.^

^before the show, we enjoyed seeing some rockettes' memorabilia displayed around the building.^

^radio city music hall's theatre is unbelievable.  it's so huge and beautiful!  we got awesome mezzanine seats for a great price thanks to groupon.^

^it is so pretty to see radio city music hall lit up at night and decorated for christmas!^

love, laurie

baby, it's cold outside!

it's only november but the temperatures lately have made it feel like it's january.  it was 15 degrees yesterday!  gross.  we aren't the only ones minding this exceptionally cold weather.  leko has been doing his best to try to stay warm.  i sat down on the couch for a few minutes the other day, and he jumped right up on my lap, curled up in a tight little ball, and took a nap.  who needs a heating pad when you have a warm kitten on your lap!  :-)

thank goodness it's friday.  this week has been especially crazy, and our weekend schedule is pretty packed too.  i'm really looking forward to thanksgiving next week.  maybe we will be able to relax a bit!

have a great weekend!

love, laurie

a modern guide to thanksgiving etiquette

i can hardly believe that thanksgiving is just one week from today!  we're excited to be hosting thanksgiving at our house this year.  we always look forward to traditional thanksgiving foods and spending quality time with our families.  i recently came across this modern guide to thanksgiving etiquette from bon appetit.  there are some pretty good tips in there for both hosts and guests, and there are a few things that gave me a good chuckle too (like the sample seating guide and the conversation chart).  we're just one week out.  let the menu planning and prepping begin!

love, laurie

our furry little office assistant

ryan sat down in bed last night and sprawled a million papers out around him in an effort to sort through them.  he should have known better.  it was like a personal invitation for leko to come "help" out.  what is it about kitties?  they seem to know exactly which pile of papers you are working on and then proceed to sit squarely on top of that exact pile.

he sure makes a good office assistant!

love, laurie

oatmeal yogurt chocolate chip pancakes

pancakes are always a good idea.  you simply can't go wrong with pancakes in our house.

these pancakes are loaded with oats, yogurt, and chocolate chips.  the oatmeal gives these pancakes a nice texture, while the greek yogurt makes them nice and fluffy.  and the chocolate chips?  well, they make them just a little bit naughty.

oatmeal yogurt chocolate chip pancakes
prep time: 5 minutes
cooking time: 5 minutes
yields: 2 servings
adapted from damn delicious

ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

directions:
combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.  in a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, and egg.  add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  stir in the melted butter.  fold in the chocolate chips.  heat a lightly buttered griddle or frying pan on medium heat.  pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle for medium pancakes.  cook for 3 minutes, until small bubbles begin to form.  flip the pancakes when they start to bubble, then cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are golden brown and cooked throughout.  once cooked, transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200 degree F oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining pancake batter.  serve warm with warm maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

a rainy, dreary, cold monday

this was the view outside my window this morning.  it's a rainy, dreary, cold monday.  what a gross way to start off the week.  as i was listening to the weather forecast this morning, the weatherman said that this week it is supposed to get as cold as it would in mid-january.  the high temperature tomorrow for our area is 25 degrees!  yuck.  i'm not ready for all of this rain that we are getting today to start freezing.  no way.  where is my nice fall weather?  it's only november!  despite the weather, i'm trying to stay positive and dream about tropical temperatures!

have a happy, dry, and warm monday!

love, laurie