Toppings

my life as a new yorker: week 1

02.10.15

IMG_1047 I'm trying SO SO SO hard to keep with a schedule here.  One food post and one rambling post a week.  ramble on Sundays (because RELAXING) food on Wednesdays (because HUMP DAY).  I was doing SO GOOD, even though I deff had a cop out post last Sunday (because I was heavily intoxicated all weekend and living up my last days in Seattle).

And then Sunday I found myself surrounded by boxes that were taking over my life/creeping into my personal space and a crazy avalanche of people at target threatening to run me over because apparently everyone and their cousins fraternize at Target in Harlem on Sundays (I know, I know… I SHOULD have know this)… and before I knew it, it was 10:30pm and I was like OMG THE BLOG.  and told myself I could write a post and scrambled to my bed (which I found covered in clothes and random items that I had to fight my way through) to try and hammer it out… anddddd then I fell asleep.  womp womp.

So instead, I decided to bring you a post on a Tuesday about my new life in New York. IMG_1043

I. Am. So. Freaking. Happy.

I didn't think I could be this happy because it was so sad to leave my life in Seattle.  Leaving my friends and family and the only apartment I've lived in as an adult.  but apparently I can. because I definitely am.  SO SO HAPPY. 

I think it all kind of still feels surreal.  I've been saying that when I left Seattle it felt like just another business trip.  It didn't really feel like goodbye.  It felt like oh yeah I'm leaving again for work, but I'll be back in a week.  But now its a week later and I'm not going back, so it kind of feels like it was just a two week trip?  Part of me wonders if it will feel like this forever.  The other part wonders if its just because I feel so… comfortable here?  Like I belong here? [cheesy eye rolls are accepted here] 

I find myself wondering about these things and then crushing the analytical side of my brain down because UM HELLO, I'm living in a state of chaos and need to focus on getting my life together because my apartment is FILLED with boxes that need to be unpacked and organized!

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my apartment.  my apartment!  GAH.  It's SO cute.  For pretty much the past week I would just gaze at the gorgeous hardwood floors and the white walls and randomly tell my mom “I JUST LOVE IT SO MUCH.  it. is. so. cute.”  I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm insane, but I don't care.  UGH. 

I kind of wish I could have just left it empty and not had anything because it was so adorable that my heart hurt.   I'm crazy.  The movers came and brought all of my crap on Saturday so it's just a process of… making my way through it.  which by the way, Frankie has been such a big help.  I think I forgot what it was like to be a part of a team.  It's nice that we get to do things together and I'm not all by myself wallowing in the fact that I feel like it'll never get done.  Whenever I got stressed or overwhelmed he would make me take a deep breath and then say “what should we do next?  what can I do to help?” 

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He's only here on weekends until his busy season is over in March, so we're not in full fledged MOVE IN TOGETHER status yet.  But honestly I'm liking having this time to try and organize by myself.  I'm the type of person who needs to do it all or nothing.  I can't have people ask me what to do with stuff because I get too overwhelmed.  

Plus it's kind of nice that we're not in couple overload yet.  It would be weird to go from seeing each other never to every single day.

We've only had a few hours completely alone since I moved here, but I quickly remembered how much I love the mundane stuff.  The stupid, annoying, everyday stuff doesn't seem as annoying with him.  [yeah, yeah, I know… I hate me too] IMG_1041

Let's talk food quick.  

I think this is the longest amount of time I've spent in New York without getting pizza…ever?  I haven't been feeling it…. SOMEONE HAAALLPPPP ME, I DON'T KNOW WHATS HAPPENING TO ME.  Naturally, I woke up with a cold the day I flew into NY, so my tastes have been all out of whack.  I'm blaming it on that.  

But never fear: yes, I have eaten bagels from at least three different places; yes, I have eaten chinese delivery on my floor; and yes, I have used seamless already.

Yesterday I had a delicious salad for lunch from Chop't, because I'm a creature of habit and couldn't help myself.  I was in heaven.  I love their Chile-Lime dressing.  It's stupid good.  I could eat a salad with that dressing on it every day for the rest of my life I'm pretty sure.  Plus I love that they use Level-Up.

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I have a date with two of my Florence roommates tonight to go get some apparently AMAZING Italian food [it's kind of a tradition because we're super cliche].  

I haven't cooked a single thing since living here which is KILLING me.  I just want to attack my kitchen and make stuff but I'm slightly convinced that a tornado ACTUALLY DID go off in there.  Nothing has a place and for the first time ever in my life, it just doesn't seem worth the hassel when I can get free delivery straight to my apartment and keep sorting clothes.

I HAVE CABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN, UM, LIKE, FOREVER.  Sooooo instead of watching all my normal shows that I love or bingeing on netflix I've been watching Bravo, TLC, and the Game Show Network.  I'm actually 100% positive that those are the only channels I have used.

I also forgot what it was like to have people randomly talk to you on the East Coast.  I've had multiple people introduce themselves to me in the building and even bring me take out menus and give recommendations of places to go.  Also, when I was grocery shopping the other day a woman made a joke and I legitimately had to check that she was talking to me before I laughed. IMG_0988

I'm pretty decent at navigating the Subway.  And I figured out how to take the bus to the subway station by the apartment so that's a win in my book.  

I started work at my new office yesterday and I'm SO EXCITED.  I think I'll really fit into this office and I love how fast paced and exciting everything is.  I think I'll get a lot of exposure to interesting stuff.  Also, the people are SO nice.  It's weird.  But good.  but weird.

Um.  I also can't stop shopping.  I bought red hunter boots.  and ALL of the adorable things for the apartment.  This is only a problem because I already have a GINORMOUS pile of crap that I need to sell on craigslist or donate.  I really don't need to buy more stuff. IMG_1042

 So I think that's pretty much it.  being a new yorker, so far, has been everything I imagined and more.  

Andddd yes, I m still planning on doing some sort of Seattle-y guide lists for you guys while its all fresh in my brain.  They're first on my list after I finish unpacking!

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Breakfast / Dessert / Recipes

Honeyed Fruit Parfait

02.04.15

Parfait-6 HIIIIII.  This is my first post as a New York Resident!

Here's a quick update: I'm in my apartment surviving off of pretzels and dip and Arizona iced tea.  All of my furniture is somewhere in the midwest making its way to me as we speak (type/read?), so for now an air mattress that has a tendency to deflate after a few hours is the only comfortable surface.  Nothing will get here till Saturday.  It's going to be an interesting week. 

Parfait Oh.  And my mom wants me to let everyone to know that she got here safely last night… despite getting into a bus/car accident, she was a passenger on the bus and she's totally fine.  She obviously showed up at my apartment with an empty bottle of wine (that was full when she snuck it onto the bus) and a serious case of the giggles.  I expect nothing less.  

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 I won't pretend I'm not excited to get out of bed and run out to pick up bagels and coffee.  It all sounds so cute and quaint.  

Buttttt…. if my kitchen weren't completely bare, I'd probably make one of these parfaits… I'm drooling looking at the pictures.

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I tried to queue up a few recipes that I had in my arsenal for these next few weeks… these next few bare kitchen weeks.  I figured it would take me a little while to get into the groove of things here (and to unpack all of the RIDICULOUS amounts of crap I didn't know I had).  This was one of the recipes from the queue that I couldn't stop thinking about… mainly because honeyyyyy and pretty fruit and omg yahUM.  plus we all know how I feel about my greek yogurt.  

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This is a fun, quick, and easy way to serve up breakfast because it really doesn't take much work at all.  Just coating some fruit in some thinned out honey.  But boy does it make a difference.  Plus it just FEELS fancier.  Like you tried.  Like you didn't just stay in bed all morning watching netflix shows and eating an unopened granola bar you happened to find on the floor next to your bed. [it's okay. I understand you.]

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Make this for yourself… or better yet make it for you and your significant other on Valentines day.  that's coming up soon right?  Swap in strawberries (or whatever fruit you want really) and maybe add a little chocolate (or NUTELLA) drizzle and BAM.  

Or you could just eat cookies for breakfast.  That's always fun too.

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Whoever you decide to make these for doesn't matter.  What matters is that you've decided to make them.  Five minutes + You + Kitchen = so worth it.  I promise.  

You can thank me later.  Parfait-4

Print

Honeyed Blackberry Yogurt Parfait

  • Author: Ashley Renee
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 handful blackberries
  • 1/4 cup granola
  • 1 individual container greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (a squeeze)

Instructions

  1. In a small frying pan, heat the tablespoon of honey over medium heat until thinned, approximately one minute.
  2. Add lemon juice to honey and stir until combined.
  3. Coat the berries in the honey sauce.
  4. Layer yogurt, granola, and honeyed blackberries into a bowl or cup. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 353
  • Sugar: 34
  • Sodium: 114
  • Fat: 15
  • Saturated Fat: 6
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 45
  • Protein: 12
  • Cholesterol: 30

Parfait-5

 

Treat. Yo. Self.

As always, if you make it? Lemme see it! Hashtag it: #thepikeplacekitchen

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Appetizer / Recipes / Snacks

Lightened Up Bean Salad

01.28.15

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Do you ever get nostalgic about food?  

Does it ever feel like its slapping you in the face and saying HEY YOU'RE GOING TO REMEMBER ME FOREVER, MUAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.

Just me?  nevermind.

Bean Salad

I think the reason I love to cook and be in the kitchen so much is because a lot of my memories revolve around food.  The other day, I re-read my Anchorage post because I was checking out the blog stats and saw that some of you were looking at it.  As I scanned through the list of things I did and places I went, I was so grateful that I thought to notate what dishes I ate while I was there.  I would read a dish and then think to myself “OH YEAH I REMEMBER NOW.”

It's like the food conjures up the memory. Bean Salad-3

Just like how I'll ALWAYS remember making mini apple crisps in the toaster oven in Florence (because we didn't have a real oven) or eating [literally] FOUR nutella crepes in one day in Paris.  OH OH OR the donut that Frankie and I split at the top of the Eiffel tower because we were starving after climbing the stairs… omgggg.  Or the fresh orange juice we had outside of the Louve.  Or the 4 euro focaccia I bought at the cinque terre (and refused to share) that I still have dreams about because the perfect balance of oil and rosemary and salt blew my mind. Bean Salad-5

When I think about places I've been or things that I've done, most of my memories come back to food.  

That's why I really want the first thing I make in my new apartment in New York to be something epic, something I'll remember forever.  

This bean salad is in the running…. because color.  and flavor.  and… COLOR. Bean Salad-2

Are you saying something?  Sorry, I can't hear you, the pictures are screaming SUPERBOWL SNACK at me….

Ahem.  This was actually my friend Taryn's recipe that I tweaked a little bit to make it a little bit healthier and lighter.  (really I just adjusted the dressing so that there is less sugar – but you don't even notice I promise and you can proceed to call it a health food now… um hello “SALAD”).  This is the recipe that made me realize that I don't hate beans.  Who knew?! Bean Salad-4

This reminds me of summer and friends and laying on the off-white carpet at THE Second and Pine and chatting about boys and life and friends.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, as I have movers currently packing up all of my belongings to ship to New York City, this snack reminds me of the home I'm about to leave behind. Bean Salad-8

Print

Lightened Up Bean Salad

  • Author: Ashley Renee
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Total Time: 20
Scale

Ingredients

  • 15.5 oz black beans
  • 15.25 oz whole kernel sweet corn
  • 15 oz black eyed peas
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl mix together the ingredients for the bean salad.
  2. In a smaller bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and combine.
  3. Cover and chill.
  4. Serve with tortilla chips!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 10
  • Calories: 307
  • Sugar: 8
  • Sodium: 121
  • Fat: 7
  • Saturated Fat: 1
  • Unsaturated Fat: 5
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 50
  • Protein: 15
  • Cholesterol: 0

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I feel like things got real sappy real quick there.  FYI not all of my food memories are sappy.  I'll FOREVER be haunted by the inaugural batch of cookies I made with my kitchen aid mixer…. I'll never get over how awful they were.  It was an epic recipe fail for nutella cookies.  

So. Bad.

Anyyyywho… if ya make it? Lemme see it! Hashtag it: #thepikeplacekitchen

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Toppings

Sunday Sprinkles

01.25.15

IMG_0816 1. I'm pretty sure the amounts of caffeine I plan to put into my body this week is a little ridiculous/borderline dangerous.  I JUST HAVE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON.  

2. Hopefully this week I'll find some time to put together some Seattle guide/highlight posts I have in mind.  If not be on the lookout for those shortly after I move.  Also, deff let me know what you guys would want to know about Seattle so I can get it into the posts.

3. Eating my way through this and this is my first goal after successfully moving into NYC.  (also all the places mentioned in the comments.  thank god for the internet).

4. Um.  The puppies I posted about a couple months ago (weeks?  I can't remember – everything is blurring together) ARE SO BIGGGGG. but still adorable.  and I just want to forget all of the stressful things I have going on and just cuddle up with them forever.  Also, I would like to do the same with Murphy (the Doyle's new puppy).  I've had a really puppy filled weekend.  It was glorious.

5. I feel really weird about my move right now.  I'm kind of in this place where I'm unsure of how I'm even supposed to feel.  I go from being really excited to being really nostalgic.  It's kind of crazy to me that I only have three more nights in the first apartment I made into a home.  

6. Also, I have a serious problem: wine.  Dooooo we think they'll be willing to ship the 13 bottles of wine I have sitting in my house right now?  How does one deal with this situation?  because wine is kind of a big deal in my life.  soooo… 

7. Did you guys know how much crap I have?  I didn't… until I started “organizing” it for the movers to pack up on Wednesday.  I've thrown out so much useless stuff that I didn't even know I didn't need.  I REALLY want there to be NO clutter in my new apartment. if it doesn't have a purpose it doesn't stay in the apartment.  with the exception of magazines.  mainly just because I'm a hoarder and that is my biggest vice… and to annoy Taryn.  

8. I'm sort of ashamed that I'm still only on the first season of my friends marathon… is that pathetic?  I'm sure in some way it is.  I just haven't figured out in which context yet. 

9. I would show you guys a picture of the CHAOS that is the apartment I'm currently living in but that is something I KNOW I should be ashamed of so I'll refrain.

10. HAHAHAHAHAH

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