I want to be a part of it....NY NY.

I'm in New York City this week for work (I know...so glamorous!) and though I've spent quite a bit of time here, I'm always struck by how many things are unique to this city. Sure, there is the culture, the architecture, the entertainment....But I'm not talking about that. No, I'm referring to those crazy little moments that could only happen in New York. The ones that make you laugh, shake your head, or cringe. No matter what, it's always memorable!

Highlights so far: 

John Gosselin taping The Insider in Times Square.

Vendors selling Obama Condoms ("Hope Flavored") on the street.

Watching a club foot pigeon duke it out against another bird for a piece of toast.

Waking up at seven AM to the sounds of a full marching band performing for Veteran's day.

Seeing Niecy Nash getting off of the elevator in our hotel lobby.

Watching a group of "grand-cougars" (they were so old their granddaughters qualify for social security) work their man magic at the hotel bar.

Hearing some choice NYC quotes- exhibit A:  "I mean, I feel like we're The Sopranos. Only, like, you know, the gay version." (overheard during dinner in Hell's Kitchen)

For more unique to the city experiences, visit Overheard in New York. You just can't make this stuff up.

Away We Went

This past weekend Dustin and I continued in our awesomely adventurous tradition of renting a movie from our cable's On Demand service. (ok, it's not really a tradition, but it happens often enough that it could be. Plus it sounds better than, "we didn't have anything better to do so we rented a movie. A-gain." ahh, married life....)

The movie selection process is a bit of a tradition as well. It goes a little something like this:
I choose several movies that sound good to me (trying hard to find at least one non-chick flick).

Dustin says it doesn't matter (because I didn't choose anything with a super-hero).

We watch whatever I want, during which I periodically try to convince Dustin it's not as bad as he thought it would be.

This week's options were:
Away We Go

The Proposal

Food Inc.

And the final selection was Away We Go.

It's an idie flick with John Krasinski (The Office's "Jim") and Maya Rudolf (SNL) and a ton of famous (and hilarious) supporting cast members. The focus is on dating couple Burt and Verona who have recently found out they're going to have a baby. They don't have many ties to the city they current reside, so they set out on a road trip to find the perfect place to start their new family.

There are plenty of crazy characters, and more than a little offensive language, but overall I thought it was a great film. I connected to the main characters and identified with their struggles to find their footing in a sometimes unstable life. The fact that the movie falls under the "independent film" category allows it to ignore the typical plot patterns, and character cliches and resist the urge to tie everything up with a pretty bow at the end. What results are personas that seem authentically flawed, and at times awkwardly real. Many of the characters are over the top, but in a frighteningly familiar way- it's easy to see bits of your co-workers, friends, and family reflected on the screen. And, I saw a bit of myself in the uncertainty, insecurity, hope and love that the main characters shared. It was an enjoyable and thought provoking journey to take....

And in keeping with tradition, I cried at the end.

Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away

This week marks a major TV milestone: Sesame Street turns 40! That's right....what is now one of the most famous (and beloved) children's show of all time, premiered way back on November 10, 1969. I was informed of this momentous occasion by Google, when one of my search attempts was greeted with this:

I abandoned whatever my original inquiry was (probably "interesting blog posts for people running out of ideas") in order to find out more about the anniversary. I found an fun article about the history of the show, including puppeteer Caroll Spinney, who has "played" Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since the show's beginning. It's amazing to me that someone would devote their entire career to embodying a giant 6 year old bird, but I'm grateful that a show like this is still on the air.

I have countless memories of Sesame Street as a kid. I would park myself on the floor at my grandparent's house to watch, or enjoy an episode while I ate my morning cereal. I knew (and loved) all the characters, sang along with the songs, and soaked up all the reading, counting, and matching exercises I could. I remember even as a young kid, feeling involved in the show. It wasn't a passive way to pass the time....I felt like I was a part of Sesame Street, and the character's world was connected to mine. It inspired confidence in who I was and what I could do....oh, and it made me laugh. A lot.

That's one thing I love about the show- that it doesn't attempt to trick kids into learning- hiding some lessons in candy cartoon coating....they celebrate learning, and encourage kids to be curious, thoughtful, and inventive (not to mention tolerant, loving, and civic-minded). Plus they manage to cram in all this learning and stay wildly entertaining to children and parents alike.


It's nearly impossible to choose a favorite part of the show, as there are so many things I loved. Some highlights:

• Super Grover (like Grover, only even more hilarious)
• The Yips ("Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip uh-huh, uh-huh")
• Two headed monster (my mom's favorite)
• Snuffleupagus (I loved his eyelashes, and his sister Alice)
• The “One of these things is not like the other” game (I still sing this song if something doesn't look right in a window at work)
• Bert and Ernie (my best friend and I dressed up like them for Halloween one year. She had to be Bert because she was taller.)
• The Count (ah, ah, ahhhh)
• Luis (I don't remember much about him, except for that when my step-dad shaved his beard we teased him mercilessly telling him he looked like Luis. In hindsight, he didn't really....)
• Guy Smiley (Does anyone remember when he went on a safari and kept scaring the animals with his loud voice? hilarious)
• Mumford the Magician ( "A-la-peanut-butter-sandwiches!")

I know I'm leaving out a million things (Cookie Monster hosting Muppetpiece theater!..ok I'll stop) What about you guys? Did you watch the show as a kid (or have children that loved it)? What are your most memorable Sesame moments? Favorite characters?

Oh- and if you're longing for more, check out the DVD special- 40 Years of Sunny Days or the special edition book Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street. Or, log on to a special section of wikipedia, known as Muppet Wiki (and no...I'm not being compensated by Sesame Workshop...I just really love the show!)

Penny for Your Thoughts

It's a beautiful day here in Pittsburgh! There are NO clouds in the sky and it's going to get as high as 70 degrees. 70! Wow!

So I go out on my deck to feel how beautiful it is and I see this:


I look a little closer and I notice this little guy:

There are no leaves and all the other pears have already fallen off and gone bad, but not this guy. He's holding on until the end. Whenever that is. I'm not sure if he'll ever fall off. So as I looked at it, I thought to myself, "If that pear could think and talk, what would it be saying to all the other pears and the leaves?" If I had to guess, I think it'd be saying:

That's if Pears could dance or mad dog you after dancing.

What do you think? What's that pear saying to the leaves and other pears that bailed about a month ago?

Indian Summer

It is November 7th, and it is 70 degrees.
It's like Summer and Fall got together to make the world's most perfect day.
Enjoy the sunshine....and the pumpkins.

Wanna be my friend?

Remember when you were a kid, and the only qualification you had for finding friends was that they were:

1. close to your age (i.e. younger than "grown ups" but older than you....no one wants to play with stupid baby kids!)
2. willing to play with you

Sure, it got a little more complicated when choosing a "BFF", but if you were looking for someone to play with, there were virtually no requirements, other than physical proximity. (This is especially true for boys, as playmates are often little more than a receiver for whatever ball is being thrown at the time).

But when it comes to making friends as an adult....it's a little bit trickier. There's no more play groups, no guaranteed bond of sharing a carpet square during story time. There are people you see day after day, but familiarity is no longer synonymous with "friend". Adults have their guards up. Screaming "TAG!" and hitting them on the back won't jumpstart a relationship. It's more complicated than that. It's a game of social intricacies now. Heaven forbid you look at another grown up and declare, "I like you. Wanna be my friend?" It's just not done.

The challenges of instigating mature friendships have become increasingly obvious to me since we moved to a new city, where we didn't knew a soul. Sure, we've been here two years, but that seems like a nano-second compared to people who were born and raised here and have roots in the area that go back generations (and trust me...there are a lot of these people in Pittsburgh). Or even compared to the transplants who may be just as new to the area as me, but seem to have established themselves more quickly or easily. I'm intimidated by these people, and envy their sense of belonging. To me they're real life's version of high school's "popular kids". They're going prepped for the tailgating party, and I'm still roaming the halls trying to find my math class.

It's not to say we don't have great friends here, because we do, but interactions with new people always renew that little insecure voice in my head: "Why would they want to hang out with little ol' me?" It's hard for me to throw out the first invite, for I fear of sting of rejection. Which is why I'm thankful when someone else is willing to take that risk, to step out and test the waters of friendship. Last Sunday at church we ran into a couple from our small group; a couple that Dustin and I have grown to like, but have been too shy to talk to about hanging out. We chatted for a few minutes before the conversation began to wind down into "Well, see you Tuesday" territory, when the girl spoke up- "Hey, would you guys ever want to go out to dinner or something?" Why yes indeed we would. Who knew it was that easy?

Tonight they're coming over to play some games. Because apparently "grown-up friendships" aren't that different after all.

My Heart Belongs to Pumpkin (and my tummy does too)

Fall is one of my favorite seasons, if for no other reason than delicious pumpkin recipes. I take every opportunity to indulge in some pumpkin goodness- I'm like a harvest themed "Bubba"- pumpkin soup, pumpkin roll, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin latte, pumpkin cookies......You name it, I love it. So, I thought I would pass a couple of my new favorites on to you. Enjoy!

First up- the most important pumpkin meal of the day: Pancakes!

Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Whipped Cream

(adapted from here) This one is super easy, and SO yummy....

Prepare pancake mix (any kind) according to directions on the box (for 4 servings)

Then add:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Cook them like you normally cook pancakes.

That's it!

Warning: Take photos of the cooking phase at your own risk.

This batch may or may not have turned out black on one side....

But this batch was good!

Maple Whipping Cream

I didn't follow through on this portion, but it seems easy enough....

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons maple syrup

ground cinnamon (optional)

In a chilled bowl, beat whipping cream and maple syrup until stiff.

Serve pancakes with a dollop of maple whipping cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.

Voila!

Next time.....

And for dessert:

Cheesecake Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes

(adapted from here) These require a little bit of extra effort, but they're well worth it.

I brought these to work, and received RAVE reviews. Now it's your turn to be the dessert hero!

12 Servings (but you might want to double it...they are that good.)

Ingredients:

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 eggs, plus 1 egg white

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Store bought frosting (cream cheese flavor)

Directions:

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°.

Then line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners.

Cream Cheese Mix

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar for 3 minutes.

Beat in 1 egg white and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Pumpkin Mix

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, granulated sugar, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture.

Layer each muffin cup with some of the pumpkin batter, then the cream cheese mixture, then more of the batter. Bake until springy to the touch, 25 minutes. Let cool.

Now, the original recipe includes instructions for Brown Sugar Frosting, but it is a lot of work, and in my opinion, not worth it (mine tasted like straight butter...in a bad way). Instead, I recommend using a store bought frosting- cream cheese flavor would probably be delicious.

If you're feeling fancy: Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag; pipe large rosettes on top of the cupcakes. If not? Just smear it on there...people will eat them too fast to notice anyway.

I didn't take photos of mine- just picture this...but in a foil lined shoebox.

Maybe one of these babies should go on my Christmas list?

Any pumpkin enthusiasts out there? Let me know if you give these a try, or feel free to link to your own confections in the comments!