One New Thing: Jin Ramen

For Funday Monday Kristin and I traveled down a stop to Jin Ramen, the new ramen noodle joint. I've never noticed it before since I'm usually very (very) focused on the chocolatería next door. So the plan was ramen then chocolate. Not one, but two new things. This was going to be a day to remember!

We pushed our way through the wind, tears streaming down our face - caused partly because of the stinging wind and partly because we were just so sad about the stinging wind. But it was worth it. Not only was Jin Ramen very cute inside, but the noodles were also delicious. Cat talks about her love for ramen til she's blue in the face, so I was very curious what it would be like, having only eaten the 'cup o' noodles' version. We both got the Tonkotsu Ramen, the richest, creamiest ramen available. I was scared, imagining fettuccine like ramen - yuck? (Now that I think of it, can you go wrong with fettuccine style anything??) But this was still what you'd imagine ramen to be. Very tasty. I battled the bowl with chopsticks and I won! I thought it was going to be a miserable failure, but my skills were amazing!

Walking past the chocolate store we looked in the window and were sorely disappointed. The display case was depleted to the point where you should ask 'Why bother being open?'. Not only were the offerings meager, but they didn't seem to be chocolatey! What the what??? So only one new thing - Damn you chocolate store!

- Megan Leigh

Look at that squinty Recupero eye I have! Darn squinty eyes.

But yes, I agree with Meg, the Ramen restaurant was very good. I would like to go back and try each of the four types of broth. Also, I thought the waiters and staff were super nice, which is always a plus. The pork in the Ramen was one of the best parts. I have never had pork like that. It was rich and smoky, hard to describe. Megan chickened out and wouldn't eat it though.

-Kristin

One New Thing: Mofongo

Kristin got a Groupon a while back for Alberto's Mofongo House, which has since changed it's name (probably due to all the bad reviews I just read on Yelp).  She asked me if I wanted to go. "Sure!" I said, excited to try a new thing. The next night I heard her inviting Ben to go. "Ok," he said. It went on and on like this for months, her asking one of us and then the other. Pitting us against each other. Well it seems I won out in the end, probably because Ben got tired of her antics. I, however, will never turn down a chance at free food.

Inspecting the Tiki Mofongo God

So today we went on a great adventure all the way up to Inwood! I've never been north of Columbia's north campus when visiting with Kristin. In fact, I thought that was as far north as you could go in Manhattan. Inwood seemed like a nice area. Cute little restaurants and a park (I think that's where The Cloisters are, which will make it into the blog one day).

Getting into the restaurant was also an adventure. We tried the door, but it was locked. So we went to another door, one under a sign with a different name, that led into a buffet area. The waitress heard we had a Groupon and escorted us a back way into a fancy dining area. We were the only people there -- the whole time, which was about two hours of prime lunch time. What does it mean when a restaurant in one of the most populous cities in the world has no people?

First the waitress brought us out little sampler piña coladas. Delicioso! Then we ordered our appetizer of crab cakes. This was a seafood restaurant so things I could/would eat were limited. Thank goodness they had crab cakes.  Crab cakes are a-o-k. But they didn't have them. So we ordered another thing. They didn't have that. Finally Kristin ordered lobster empanadas and they were in stock. I didn't partake.

Mofongo and Pork

Then our main entrees arrived: Tilapia and fried pork mofongo. The tilapia was pretty good. Worth the price without the Groupon good? Probably not. The mofongo was pretty tasteless. What is mofongo you may ask? Smashed up plantains. The pork was mostly fat and fried too much.

I don't think we'll be returning for another round of dining, but we'll definitely have to go back and check out some other Inwood restaurants. And I must add the food presentation was quite exciting. So that's something!

- Megan Leigh

Tilapia

Do some people like deep fried pork? Do you think that the pork was supposed to be big chunks of fat? I'm trying to figure it out. Did we get the worst pork ever, or does somebody actually want to eat that kind of stuff?

Anyway, I agree with Megan. I think they really messed up the mofongo, because instead of mashing the meat and everything up in it (which is the whole point of mofongo), the meat came on the side. I guess it turned out to be a good thing, since it was all yucky fat, but it still made for disappointing mofongo. Also, the sauce was on the side and it was kind of thin, so that also made for bland mofongo! Two thumbs down on the mofongo.

-Kristin

One New Thing: Junior's

Saturday Cat and I went to an old diner-looking restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn called Junior's. We walk past it almost every weekend, but never go in. I'm always amazed at the amount of seating they have. This weekend we finally ventured in... and there was even more seating than I could have dreamed of!

I ordered the meat loaf with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Cat got a reuben. The meat loaf wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't terrible either. More along the lines of so-so. The corn, on the other hand, got two thumbs up. And dipping a potato chip into mashed potatoes was sadly exciting. I think Cat felt the same way towards her reuben as I felt towards my meat loaf.

Although evidently famous for their cheesecake, we could not stuff any more into our full bellies. As it was we would suffer from indigestion for hours to come. One especially gnarly burp Cat blew in my direction. It was awful, so I don't believe I'll be returning to Junior's... at least with that unruly eating partner. Cat will read this and say "Megan, why would you write that!?" All I have to say is don't blow burps in my face if you don't want the whole world to know. It's only fair.

- Megan Leigh 

One New Thing: Ithaca

We just got back from a mini-road trip to Ithaca. Only four hours from New York, but it felt like another world! It was full of waterfalls and gorges and greenery... and I think it was spring break for the college kids, so it also felt nice and calm and empty. Plus, compared to NYC, all of the people seem astonishingly nice. It was a little like being released from prison. I kept looking for secret killers along the peaceful trails.

Ithaca is the home of world-famous Cornell University, shown here. See the little sign on the empty strip mall that says Cornell? That's how you know! This was actually the first thing we saw as we pulled into town.

We were only there for a couple days, but they were packed with adventure. We got to eat at the Moosewood restaurant... which was really and truly great. Elliot said he thinks it is the best restaurant in the world. Why? They have this special thing on the kid's menu, peanut butter mixed with maple syrup and nuts and tahini, with fruit to dip in it. And ice cream for dessert... kid heaven. The adult food made us just as happy.

We got to see two really impressive waterfalls... Buttermilk Falls and Taughannock Falls (taller than Niagara Falls!). There was lots of hiking. Ben got to visit the Cornell Ornithology Lab (it's this beautiful site surrounded by wetland paths great for bird-gazing) and geek out with other birdos. Over the course of the trip, we saw wild snakes, alligator snapping turtles, a box turtle, a beaver, and lots of birds. At Cayuga Nature Center, we got to climb around in a six-story treehouse.

So to sum it all up: Ithaca, two thumbs up!

-Kristin

One New Thing: Sweetie Pie's

Back when I was working at the Garden one of my co-workers told me there was a great soul food restaurant nearby called Sweetie Pie's. Our plan was to hop over for lunch one day, but it never happened. It sounded so busy we were afraid we'd never make it back in our allotted 30 min break. Now, six years later, I've got no time restrictions on my dining experiences so I've finally been able to mark it off my to-do list.

For some reason I thought Sweetie Pie's was going to be tiny. Maybe because I'm not used to living in a city where everything is tiny. So I was amazed to walk into this restaurant with such a vast seating area with full size tables. Incredible!

Then we headed over to the cafeteria line. The special was gizzards or something gross, so I went with a vegetable plate: mashed potatoes, macaroni, green beans, and a square of cornbread. There was a new lady working the veggie section. A veteran worker came over and gave her a hard time. She slapped her hands, changed all of her spoons around, and yelled at her to hurry up. It was an awful thing to have to witness. I'm thinking of starting a change.org petition to correct the workplace mistreatment of this lady. And she was old, which made it that much worse! Then I got yelled at by another lady to lay my soda bottle down flat on the tray. I thought it was a really weird request, but in the end I decided it was a pretty good idea.

I headed back to the gigantic seating area where I had my pick of tables and chairs. We got a prime window seat and began to eat, eat, eat. The macaroni was good (although probably on par with our recipe from Andrew). I like my dad's mashed potatoes better and the green beans were nothing special. After all the hype I thought it was going to be so amazing! But I guess you're bound to be disappointed when you build things up too much and for too long. So the result? I'm still on the hunt for the perfect soul food restaurant, although Sweetie Pie's was a nice, somewhat terrifying experience.

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Pedicure

I've never thought about getting a pedicure. I just don't think about my feet unless I happen to get a splinter or a piece of glass lodged in one. If I don't see a body part on a frequent basis I usually neglect it. That's why I tend to have hairy armpits and three inch long toe talons. I like to pretend I do this on purpose to keep the boys at bay, but really it's just negligence in the first degree and there aren't really any boys to keep away (shh!).

But this week I was out visiting my Aunt for part of my farewell St. Louis tour and she wanted to get a pedicure and offered to pay for mine. At first I wanted to say no. It wasn't that I wanted to keep my disgusting feet disgusting, but I thought it would be super uncomfortable for someone to touch my feet. After a bit more thought I decided to give it a try -- More material for the blog!

It wasn't so bad! I think my calloused heels are smoother and if this nail polish lasts for a longer time than my usual that'll be pretty rad!

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Sewing

I can't remember ever having used a sewing machine before. Never had Home EC, always avoided the sewing machine when mom had it out... somehow I just never learned how to sew. It was way too late that I realized that sewing would probably be a really useful skill. And it took even longer for me to think that sewing actually sounded like a lot of fun. But that's the place I found myself in for the last few years! Ben's mom generously bought us a great sewing machine. Which Ben promptly put to use. But I just didn't know where to start.

Then, like so many wondrous things, the answer came to me in my daily Groupon email. A sewing class that promised me the sewing basics in two hours. And I would leave with my very own makeup bag. A bag that I made! All I had to do was show up.

I scooped up two classes for me and Meg. Then Kim bought one too. The fun was about to start! We all registered for a class, and the excitement built. But then, on the morning of the class, disaster struck. Elliot was puking. The plague had passed from little to big sibling. Megan graciously offered to stay home with typhoid Eli so I could go to the class. But the gods were not done with us yet. Over in New Jersey, Kim was scheduled to accept a big delivery. And the delivery people came late. And then she missed her train. And then, when she finally got a train, it was held at the station.

Somehow Kim and I made it to class though. And we sewed our bags, and it was a lot of fun! The class was held at the Sewing Studio, and it was nice and small--just five of us. The teacher was very nice and patient. And best of all, we got to work on the very same kind of sewing machine I have at home. So that was very useful. And I think I picked up most of the basic stuff I need to know to start experimenting--how to thread a bobbin, how to start a simple seam, that kind of thing.

Here's a picture of my bag. I picked a nice bicycle fabric, so I gave it to Ben to keep doctor things in. You can't see in the picture, but I pricked my finger and got blood on the bag. Booo. But he says he likes it anyway. And I think the blood really shows that I put my all into this project.

-Kristin

One New Thing: Central Park Zoo

Yesterday I babysat a couple of kids: a girl in Elliot's class (who was out due to a lice infestation all up in her hair) and her little brother (Poppy's age). Their mother had me take them to the Central Park Zoo because it was such a beautiful day out. I found myself in a tank top feeling fine surrounded by people in winter coats. That doesn't seem like me!

I figured it would be comparable to the St. Louis Zoo since they're both in big parks. So I was horrified (even though I knew it was coming!) that it cost money. Boy are we St. Louisans spoiled. In a good way, of course. Not only did it cost money, but it was tiny! I know, I know, the big zoo is in the Bronx, but I was still disappointed. I was told there was a petting zoo where you could feed the goats. You could only feed them food through a fence and they're all adults. I wanted to be climbed on by baby goats and to nurse them with little bottles of milk. The saviors of the day were the Sea Lions and their wonderful burps.

I feel bad comparing this little rinky dink affair to St. Louis so I'll have to check out the Bronx zoo next... and then bash it.

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Pequeña

Cat and her tacos

Oh boy, we've been dropping the ball on this blog! Kristin's been sick and I've been lazy. That's why this post is going to travel back in time to last Sunday...

Last night I went out to Fort Greene to hang out with my good pal Cat. I told her that I didn't have money for dinner, but I would go and sit with her if she needed to get food. She chose Pequeña and told me I could get a little side. I thought maybe I could spend just a little of my non-existent money on just a little food. But then the waitress handed me the menu and there were chicken enchiladas - one of those foods I just can't say no to. So a meal was ordered and a one new thing blog was born.

But first we ordered a carafe of frozen strawberry margaritas. I haven't had one in so long it was surprising how salty they were. I'm used to my sweet alcoholic beverages so it was a nice change.

Then the food came. Normally I like my Mexican food with a decent amount of spice - this wasn't that kind of food. It was more along the lines of what I consider Tex-Mex (This description may be wrong. I just refer to anything bland as Tex-Mex). But I enjoyed it none the less! The rice was a useless waste of plate, but I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken enchiladas. There was enough that I was able to save one for breakfast. I went to bed like on Christmas Eve, thinking the sooner I go to sleep the sooner I can wake up and open presents! However, in this case opening presents was really eating enchiladas!

If you're wondering where this margarita filled night led us... To Target. To buy Jenga. Which we played the rest of the night while watching Saturday Night Live. Just two single girls in the Big Apple livin' it up!

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Krik Krak

I've been wanting to experience some Haitian culture for a while now since one of my heroes, Dr. Paul Farmer, is all about Haiti. (Please don't take this to mean that I want to taste some chimp since one of my heroes, Dr. Jane Goodall, is all about chimps.) So for our weekly Funday Kristin and I finally made our way over to Krik Krak, the Haitian restaurant that Poppy, with her wails of protest, kept us from dining at before.

We started off by ordering Cola Lackay to drink. When we asked what it was the waitress told us it was "soda, but very sweet". I could tell by the look on her face that we were in for something terrible, but we wanted to be adventurous so we plunged ahead. It was the color of Jolt and it tasted like Bubbleyum Bubblegum, which is swell for bubblegum, but not for a drink. We had a few sips and then retreated to our waters. Lesson of the day: Be Cowardly and Ye Shall Reap Rewards Aplenty. Like the reward of not making cat butt mouth in public.

For an appetizer we ordered Akra de Malanga. I really have no idea what this was, but it wasn't great. I should note now that I had a cold (yes, another cold) and couldn't taste a whole lot. What I tasted when I dipped the dumpling in the sauce was burning. When I didn't dip the dumpling in the sauce I tasted nothing.

Then to the main entrees. Kristin ordered Poulet Maison. I ordered Filet de Poisson, which was tilapia in a buttery, garlic sauce. Although you can't go wrong with butter and garlic, it wasn't anything super special like I was hoping for.

All in all it was not exactly a disappointing dining experience, but my expectations were so high that it was destined to fail. I thought Haitian food would be a culinary adventure, but it was just the same ol' same ol'.

- Megan Leigh

I concur with Megan. I thought the food was reasonably tasty, but it wasn't the culinary explosion I had hoped for. You've got to understand that our visit to this place has been months in the making! Our expectations were probably way too high. I think most of the stuff we could have made ourselves--and if we had, I would have been pleased about how they turned out. But when you go to a restaurant, you want something you couldn't recreate at home! At least I do. Also, it was pretty darn expensive for what it was. Still, it was fun to finally get to go!

-Kristin

One New Thing: New York Transit Museum

Cat decided she wanted to go to the Transit Museum. I said "Let's do this thing. But first we must fill our bellies." We walked towards the tall buildings into downtown Brooklyn. (I'd only been there once when I had to get off at an unpredicted stop before I had my iPhone. I was so lost and confused, but I  eventually made my way to my destination despite the tears clouding my vision.) We walked to a building with a sign that said "Dental" above it. We opened the doors and entered a Shake Shack. A large, marvelous Shake Shack with available seating! Cat received her order quickly, while I had to wait... and wait... and wait. She smacked her lips and said "This is the most delicious food I've ever had. Too bad you can't enjoy it with me." Then she rubbed her belly with her hand in a circular motion and said, "Mmmmm." Or she said, "Sorry, but I'm not going to wait for you." Either way, she exposed herself as a bad friend that day. All was forgiven when my order was finally up. It was delicious. Imaginary Cat was right.

Then on to the transit museum. Cat tried to enter through a locked gate. She was angry because she had been eyeing this entrance for years, just waiting for the day she'd get to go in. We had to walk to the end of the block and down stairs as if entering a subway. Fun, but not as fun as entering through a mysterious barred gate.
Buying tickets Cat said, "This is kind of embarrassing."
Having been embarrassed so many times in my life, I've become a bit inured to it, so had to ask, "But why?"
"Because this is a place you take your kids."
"Hogwash," I said. But I realized she was right when I angrily waited for these dumb kids to get off the vintage bus so I could take a picture driving it too. They never got off the bus. I never got my picture. I feel no shame for the hate in my heart when recalling this memory.

I read a lot about electricity. I still don't understand how they built tunnels underwater. 'Human Geyser' has been added to my 'Things To Do Before I Die' list. But the real fun came when we got to take vintage subway car pictures aplenty. The old subway signs were also fun. There were tons of signs on how to avoid fires. I assume with all those smokers back then things were set ablaze all of the time. I believe Smokey the Bear jokingly referred to cigarettes as "Job Security". My favorite was Etti-Cat. I think of him as a bit of a superhero and if you can hear me out there Etti-Cat, please come back. We need you now more than ever.

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Phantom of the Opera

Tonight I went to see my first Broadway show with Cat. We saw the Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre. When it first started I was ready to be disappointed. The stage was tiny and the set was really simple. Then magic happened. A chandelier rose from the stage to the ceiling. The stage opened up. Curtains and backdrops were revealed. Actors in fun costumes filled the stage. A little elephant rolled out (not real of course). What a relief!

I saw this at The Fox when I was little. I remember the best scene being when the Phantom rows out in the boat through the mist. This version (I think) was even better. There was mist and glowing lights and the boat swam smoothly through the fog. How did they do that?? My only theory was that there was a giant magnet under the stage pulling it around.

There were even pyrotechnics! At one point big flames shot up and I could feel the warmth on my face all the way up in the balcony.

One big let down was when the chandelier fell. It wasn't very dramatic (the chandelier going up was more so!) and there was no glass shattering sound effect. Also, the music was not what I was expecting - I thought it would all be like the awesome Phantom of the Opera theme song - kinda 80's and just awesome. (I know I said it twice, but that's what it is. Awesome.) But that song only lasted a minute! The rest of the songs, not so catchy. Something should be done about that.

I thought I knew the story, but I must have been getting The Phantom and the TV version of Beauty and the Beast confused. I thought Christine went to visit the Phantom often and they fell in love. But this Phantom was just a baddy! A murderer! 

note: thick burger and too brown fries

After the show, since we were conveniently in the neighborhood, we stopped into the brand new Steak n' Shake. Ohhh, what a let down. I specifically ordered an 'orignal steakburger' rather than a 'steakburger' so there would be absolutely no confusion. But I got the goddamn 'signature' burger with cheese. Horrible. (But would it really be a Steak n' Shake experience if your order wasn't messed up?) The fries were way too salty. Even the burger was super salty. It was no taste of home. They are still very new, so I'm hoping if I go back they have things straightened out. To make matters worse, the girls had to wear these weird, sad outfits. They were in short black skirts that were incredibly unflattering (and these were skinny girls!). They were too tight and made from a horribly cheap material. And on top of that, they also had to wear knee-high pleather boots. I have no idea whose call that was, but I'm pretty sure it had to be a man's idea. A man who spends too much time with prostitutes.

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Joined a Gym!

So far, my exercise routine since this summer has been running plus yoga. I try to do one or the other every day. But with the cold weather, my running has really taken a hit. A lot of times it's either below thirty, and I can't stomach running along the windy Hudson, or it's above thirty and raining, which also isn't very appealing. This is no good!

So today, another rainy, cold day, I decided to bite the bullet and join the gym by our house. It's actually probably the cheapest gym in Manhattan, and it seems undiscovered. Compared to the gyms where I work, or pretty much any gym I've ever seen here, it's empty... no fighting over elliptical machines or treadmills. You can even stay on a machine for longer than thirty minutes! It's heaven! Megan had joined the gym already, so I tagged along with her this afternoon and signed up myself.

I was lucky she was there to show me the ropes. Because I've never really used a treadmill before. Once, when I went to pick out my running shoes, they made me get on a treadmill. But it was a little bit terrifying, and I had to hold onto the sides of the machine so I wouldn't fall off. If you've seen Encino man, and you remember the first parts of the movie where Link enters the modern age... you get the idea. But I caught on pretty fast after she showed me what to do, and I jogged along fine.

One thing that was a little depressing is the fact that Megan WALKS at 3 miles per hour, and I can jog along at a nice pace at the same speed. This was so humiliating, I had to keep upping my speed to show her who was boss. So probably I ended up running too fast! But I didn't fly off the machine, and I made it until the end of my workout. One other thing that is hard about the treadmill is that it is SO boring. I was listening to music, but it wasn't enough. I think because your time is flashing before you in big, huge numbers, it's hard to get your mind off how many minutes you have left to go. Usually when I run outside, my mind wanders and I stop paying attention to the time. I just couldn't do that today. I think next time I use the treadmill, I'll hang a towel over the time panel. And maybe I'll get some new music or try podcasts to keep me more interested, since there is no scenery to help keep things fun.

You may wondering who is in this picture. It's me. Running and yoga has really been a great combination, and my happiness made my hair turn ten shades lighter. Success!

-Kristin

I was really worried about Kristin on the treadmill. She told me she almost fell the only time she's ever tried to use one so I figured she'd abide by mom's motto "slow and steady wins the race'. But then I see her in my peripheral vision continually upping her speed. I had to think of an emergency plan in case she did fall. I had brought along a towel, so that could help keep the blood from gushing from her nose and showering all of us treadmill runners!

There was a girl next to her running even slower. It made me think, hmm... maybe I should give running another go, but on my own terms this time.

It's so nice to have a gym partner. Maybe this will make me get up and go more often!

- Megan Leigh

Must See: Downton Abbey

New to me, anyway! I read somewhere about how PBS had this new show called Downton Abbey that was supposed to be really good... and when I mentioned it to Megan, it turned out she had not only heard of it, she had watched the whole first season. Luckily, all the episodes from Season 1 were on Netflix, so we watched them in one marathon week. Even Ben was a fan! Then last night we got to see the first episode of Season 2. Which was also very good... but we had to watch online, and the people moved really jerkily, and that was distracting.

Is everybody else watching? I am so jealous of their clothes.

-Kristin

One New Thing: East 79th Street Library

On Mondays and Wednesdays I take Elliot to therapy after school. On warm days I take him to a nearby playground, but now that it's freezing there's no way. My butt would probably get frozen to the bench, which would be a little on the embarrassing side. I had been taking him to Nancy's straight after school so we would be somewhere warm(ish), but she likes to comment that we got there 'very early', which I assume means, "Please stay away". So then I was stopping for pizza beforehand, but I no longer have money for such delicacies as slices of grease laden pies. So I racked my brain and realized libraries are free and welcoming to all.

There was one on the way at 96th street, but for whatever reason this is closed on Mondays. So yesterday I decided to take him down to one on East 79th street. The bus ride took longer than I had imagined it would, but I got to see a neighborhood I've never been to. I passed the Guggenheim, which was a very fun building, and I finally saw the Met. Our walk down 79th street also took much longer than I expected, but there were tons of pretty buildings lining the way. About halfway through the walk Elliot finally asks, "Are you sure this is the way to Nancy's..." I didn't tell him where we were going because I thought it would be fun to see a kid confused. When I told him where we were going and that it had taken longer than expected, he said something along the lines of "We traveled all this way for a library? Why, Megan, why?"

Finally we made it to the library and had about 10 minutes to read. We're starting the Wizard of Oz series. I found a set of nice editions through Books of Wonder and bought him the first one for Christmas. When we finish this one, I'll get the next. It was really hard to find a matching set out there! Most publishers haven't gone beyond the first installment, and those that have have failed to think about the importance of illustrations.

So then back onto the bus, which was also a new thing. First, it was a new line. Second, it was one of the long buses with the accordion middle that I've never been on. I didn't realize this at first, because when it arrived I was already standing at the front door. I got on and thought, that bus driver is sure seated high up. And then as I walked to the back of the bus I thought, this sure is a long walk. The stop buttons were inconveniently located along where the ceiling met the walls -- high up. Luckily someone else pressed the button at our stop, otherwise I don't think I would have been able to reach!

And that was our whirlwind adventure for the day!

- Megan Leigh

Christmas Eve One New Thing: Gingerbread House

We have never made a gingerbread house before. Elliot and I saw a kit at Michael's and decided this would be the year. It came with the gingerbread pieces, the icing, and the candy... you basically just assemble the house with the icing and decorate. Ben and Elliot were the ones who actually ended up making the little house. It looked fun! And now we have another Christmas-y decoration.

-Kristin

One New Thing: Olea

This morning we (Me, Molly, Cat and others) brunched at a incredibly cute restaurant called Olea in Fort Greene. As we walked to the restaurant Cat raved about their polenta. I had never had polenta, and really didn't even know what it would be so I had to order it. Polenta, scrambled eggs, home fries (of course I would have preferred hashbrowns but chefs around the world hate the hashbrown), salad and toast. I was so excited that I was being adventurous.

Then the meal came. And what was this exotic polenta? Grits, that's what. Grits with a fancy name. Others tried to tell me that they were different, that they were creamier. But they were grits. But good grits! Usually when I order them I'm disappointed, these however were mighty fine polenta grits.

To make the meal even better they ended it how every meal should be ended, with a little square of dark chocolate. Pink wrapping for the girls, blue wrapping for the boys. Even if the meal had been terrible, I would return because of the chocolate.

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: The London Candy Company

Today, Elliot and I took a different route on our afterschool errands, and we ended up wandering down a stretch of Lexington we don't usually go down. We were in search of a snack, and we happened across the London Candy Company. I hesitated, and said I didn't think candy was a good snack. But Elliot boldly entered.

This  shop has every kind of British candy you can think of. Ever read a British memoir and wondered about all of those weird candies that the authors swoon over in the childhood part of the book? Come here, and you can give each of them a try! They also have a variety of pastries (including pain au chocolat!) and a little coffee bar. Very cute. And the guys who worked there were really friendly. That always stands out in New York.

Here is some of the candy we bought. I think Elliot and I will continue to go back until we've tried everything that looks interesting.

Fun Elliot fact: his favorite kind of chocolate is white. Would you have ever thought? 

-Kristin

One New Thing: Dough Ornaments, Day One

Today Elliot and I worked on dough ornaments while Poppy took her nap. The recipe is easy:

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

That's what it said, anyway, but I had to add a lot more water for it to get dough-ish. Then we baked them in the oven at 300 for a long time. Here is a preview of what they will look like! I thought they were fun to make, but I think Elliot got bored. At first, he was really excited, but he kept making huge sculptures, and I pointed out they would be hard to hang as ornaments. He pointed out that I am very critical. Then his attention started to be drawn by the show on the television. Ah well! I got two ornaments out of him.

We are still trying to decide: paint or no paint? We have to finish them tomorrow. Can you tell what the one in the upper left corner is?

-Kristin

One New Thing: Zen Palate

Today Kristin and I finally got to go to this Haitian restaurant we've had our eye on for a long time. We get there and sit down and Poppy immediately starts being a terror, so we have to leave. It was such a tiny little place it seemed too disruptive. So we went on our way and ended up at a vegetarian place called Zen Palate.

I got Shepard's Pie Croquettes. They were very delicious! Fried mashed potatoes? Yes please! There may have even been little cut up mushrooms inside. I kept telling myself it was some sort of tiny tofu pieces and was okay.

Poppy was much happier at this restaurant, perhaps because she got her own high chair. Perhaps because the atmosphere was more inviting. I learned that she can slurp up noodles really well. A really disgusting process, but it gets the job done. It reminded us of the monster from Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children that has tentacles coming out of its mouth. Or maybe Squid Face from Pirates of the Caribbean. Either way - Grosso! The hostess lady didn't think so. She took pictures and video. I asked Kristin if it was weird that a stranger has pictures of Poppy on her phone. She wasn't too worried about it.

- Megan Leigh

I had gotten carryout from this place before a few times, and I thought it was OK. But when I ate here in person, I thought the food was much better. This happens all the time! Is the food really better when you eat at the restaurant? Or is it just about presentation and ambience? We should test this out sometime. Anyway, Megan didn't say this was a vegan restaurant. But it is. And it is still yummy!

Look at Poppy. So tiny! You would never know the chaos she can cause! 

-Kristin

I didn't say it was vegan, because the website says VEGETARIAN. I don't want this blog to contain lies.

- Megan Leigh