It was a Miracle on 34th Street. Christmas Day, the Knicks beat the Bulls at MSG.It was a White Christmas, the following day, as a snowstorm blanketed the Northeast.Football games along with 1,000+ flights were canceled.
No need to freak out.You'll travel in a day or two.
I've been cooped up all weekend and while I have a mild case of cabin fever, I just came across one of my favorite books from childhood that has distracted me for the moment. Thank you mom for holding onto the good stuff, a book that now values for $96 on Amazon. You can't put a price tag on the happiness that book just brought me. I reverted back to 1987 and was reminded of all the wonder a snowy day can bring - hot cocoa, pancakes, snow angels, make believe... It's winter, might as well be a happy one. Stay warm, stay bitten ;)
In the midst of baking ginger snaps, The Cure came on my stereo. Inspired and equipped with heart-shaped cookie cutters, I went to work. Stay bitten ;)
Not as cool as this guy's dough creations, but for a school night activity, we rolled with it and decided to make an untraditional gingerbread house, a gingerbread pueblo. We made the dough from scratch on Monday night. For the recipe, click here. Tuesday night was for baking and decorating. No rolling pin around, use a wine bottle!
Oh snap, got some extra dough? Don't spend it all in one place. Instead, make some gingersnaps. I can't take credit for the construction of the pueblo just some decorating and a whole lot of baking. Stay bitten ;)
Getting older, almost forgot. Yesterday was the blog's birthday.
Itching for a getaway in December of '07, I headed to New Zealand, wide-eyed, naive and adventurous. Mmm somewhat adventurous in comparison to the bungee jumpers and canyon swingers who I explored the South Island with. Not my cane but man that hiking pole sure did help on the Franz Josef Glacier. New Zealand was just the starting point, well, for the blog. Since then, I've made the most of my holidays and stepped outside my cubicle to take advantage of my surroundings. From the Galapagos to Istanbul to Provence to Brooklyn, I'm grateful for the journeys, big and small, the friends I traveled with, the experiences we had and the people we met along the way. As we head into the new year, it's only fitting to think of the possibilities- where the year will take us, who we'll meet and how they'll unknowingly shape our lives.
It's funny. In my first blog post ever I wrote: "This blog is an excuse for me to document my travels, share my experiences with others, and hopefully, inspire. I'd like for it to serve as a resource for your future travels. I hope that I can continue to add to it and that my friends can contribute their experiences as well. And yes, it's bound to be entertaining" I think it hasn't strayed far from that. Thanks for staying bitten ;)
My first attempt at Martha's raspberry trifle, in my opinion the perfect holiday dessert (next to Brooke's oreo bombs), did not turn out like Rachel's. While it doesn't look just like the photo in the recipe, it was colorful and somehow tasted better than it looked.
Some tips: 1. Martha, the total time is not 20 prep 20 total minutes. You should probably factor into the recipe baking the layers of pound cake. Total time is over 2 hours but well worth it. 2. I used my quiches dishes to bake the layers of cake. Once it's out of the oven, trim around the border to fit the circular cake in the trifle dish. 3. Skip out on lunch and the layer of beef.
No screaming. This is not Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things. And no, as much as I wish it could be, this is not Barney's Favorite Things.
Well you can scream if you want to but unfortunately, there's no crazy giveaway here - only a few of my favorite travel things that you can regift or add to your holiday wishlist. Just get excited, ok? 1. A compass should you ever lose your way. Pick one up at Idlewild Books. 2. An iPad. If not for words with friends, then for the moron test. 3. A snood from J. Crew. Cozy for winter getaways or the window seat. 4. A subscription to NY Magazine because even if you're outside the city, it's good to stay in the loop and be reminded just why we love New York. 5. Whether you're in a tent along the Inca Trail or fireside in a ski lodge in Vermont, it's always good to play your cards. These are a personal favorite - Tim Burton cards.
6. Put Rusted Root on and send me on my way. Give the gift of travel with a certificate from my friends at Virgin.
9. Store your trip photos and transfer them with a cute mimobot. 10. You probably can't get through airport security with it but this bag would be ideal for a picnic, a tailgate, a long subway ride, oh you get the point. Eat, drink, be merry. Stay bitten ;)
is Do-Nation. Pictured above, Alisa and Maggie in Bolivia. I am grateful for the support of my friends, family and the Gilt Groupies, who make it easy to say I love working here.Special thanks to Spencer and the sweet Australian at Van Diemens for having me guestbartend last night. A great amount was raised for the medical clinic in Bolivia. Annnnd I ate an olive for the amount of cash in Mark's pocket. It was well worth it even though I'm severely mentally allergic.
For those of you who hibernated or couldn't make it, you can click here to donate. Muchos gracias and stay bitten ;)
I'm sure you have your share of friends with benefits. But I'm one friend with one benefit.
Thanksgiving reminded me just how fortunate we are and all that we take for granted. In the spirit of the holiday season, there's no better way to spend it than to pay it forward- with friends and drinks of course.
So save the date, Wednesday, December 8th, I will be (guest)bartending for Bolivia. 6-9pm, first drink is free, upstairs at Van Diemens. pictured above: my sister treating a patient in Bolivia
So come out and enjoy a drink or two before winter hibernation. Tip like a Rockefeller because every dollar will go straight to the medical clinic, Centro Medico Humberto Parra, located in the rural section of the rainforest, just 72 miles outside of Santa Cruz. To read more about the clinic, click here.
If you can't make it, click here to donate. Just think, that one drink can pay for 7 x-rays. My family and the clinic appreciate your support and we are grateful for your generosity.
Just last week, on my walk to work, I high-fived Hank Moody as I saw him coming out of the subway outside my office. Probably not my coolest of moves but as a fan of his show, it made my day. It's the closest to Californication I came to on that cold November morning.
My friends, Jeff and Angela, also known as Pangela, are a bit closer to living the dream, even though they had a pretty nice setup here in New York. They're headed out west and I just wanted to wish them nothing but the best in their new adventure. Their loft parties, rooftop bbqs and the occassional birthday celebration at The Box will be missed.
Keep up the West Coast readership, Pangela. Stay bitten ;)
No matter how far you travel, from Bali to Boston, click your heels 3x, there's no place like home. My blog was sleeping while I caught up on sleep, sorry Wilder, I appreciate the concern. Thanks to Thanksgiving I enjoyed a staycation filled with good food, way too much tv and some quality quality time with my family.
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