January 4, 2014

Forget Honey Badger, this is an animal that gives not even half a shit. Nembu’s decided he is too old to move for the vacuum — and you can just clean around him.

Have I mentioned lately, I love this dog? Nembu doesn’t even play – he does what he wants.

20140104-224335.jpg

January 3, 2014

Winter snow meets Summer cookery.

20140104-123810.jpg

2014 Starts With A Whimper

This is not a great start to 2014. No recipe this week, guys – I was in recovery mode all last week.

My week was spent getting over the cold family brought me for Christmas and recovering from the massive quantity of decadent food I ingested during the week prior. I loved having the chance to share my favorite things in my city with two separate waves of family groups, but damn did it do a number on my digestive system.

Monday’s green smoothie made me so happy I had to do a little dance.

So, this week was spent eating rather simply where possible. We still did a New Year’s Eve dumpling feast (ish. Forgot to buy wonton wrappers and ricotta, so instead of my three favorite dumplings, we had two versions of meatball), but had simpler fare the other nights. Pork chops with broiled broccoli is tasty, but not exactly recipe posting worthy.

Next week I’ll be trying out recipes from the Nom Nom Paleo book, and hope to create a veggie-loaded chili exciting enough to share.

I hope you all had a great first week of 2014 – and I’ll be back next weekend with a recipe to share. Hopefully.

January 2, 2014

Finished some new birthday cards.

20140102-175502.jpg

20140102-175512.jpg

January 1, 2014

15th Street/Prospect Park – out to see American Hustle

20140101-190640.jpg

December 31, 2013

(wrapperless) Dumplings, Twilight Zone marathon & board games = the best kind of New Year celebration.

20131231-183459.jpg

2013 In Review – 13 Favorite Pictures

2013 was a great year. The hubbs and I got to explore our new city further and feel even more at home wrapped in its bustling energy, we finally made it across the pond to visit Scotland and Amsterdam, a new nephew came along, we were fortunate enough to be able to visit (and be visited by) family and friends, we got to celebrate my sister’s wedding, two dear friends got married, and (after surgeries) both our furry boys are feeling much better.

Here are my 20 favorite shots shared on social media this year. Enjoy! Wishing you a happy and healthy 2014. Thanks for reading!

Especially if you’re thinking of lollygagging
Hilarious not only because of the subject manner, but the location – deep in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn aka hipster ground zero.
Downtown Brooklyn – (fruitless) apartment shopping
Brooklyn Bridge stop
From the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, NY
Brooklyn Bridge
Highland Cow, Scotland
Scottish countryside – near Fintry
Night ferry to Amsterdam
Spring at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Times Square
Midtown
Yuji Ramen
From the newly renovated & open Smith Avenue/Ninth Street stop off the F train in Brooklyn
Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel
Street art on the Lower East Side (Manhattan)
Manhattan from the Roosevelt Island tram
One of my very favorite street art pieces – Lower East Side, Manhattan
Near NYU
A regal coffee machine in Brooklyn – spotted on a ‘restorative’ break while out & about visiting Holiday shops one weekend

For more Gastography on Instagram, follow me here. Believe it or not, the 3 year (!) and counting 365 photo project I post here isn’t always enough of an outlet for all the pictures I snap with my phone … I don’t post a whole lot on Instagram, but when I do, I try and make sure my shots are good ones.

December 30, 2013

After 8 days of company + a holiday, this morning’s smoothie & some kombucha is a welcome sight.

20131230-173605.jpg

December 29, 2013

Chelsea Market

20131230-173226.jpg

Beer Cheese – aka ‘Man Dip’

So… this recipe isn’t healthy, and it sure isn’t paleo. But it *is* tasty, and it *did* make a great ‘manly’ dip for my hubby’s UFC PPV viewing party. I’m glad I was out to dinner with my best friend who just happened to be in town – I have a feeling I would have had an aching stomach from eating too much dairy had I been there.

_DS34916w

Beer Cheese – aka ‘Man Dip’

1/4 pound extra sharp white cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese (the full fat stuff)
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
4 ounces beer (I used Sixpoint Diesel brown ale, but your favorite beer will do just fine)

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Stir fairly continuously until the cheeses are melted; once the cheeses are melted and look like a gross gloopy mess, whisk to break up the lumps until you get a nice glossy mixture. If your cheese isn’t liquid enough, add a few more splashes of beer and whisk to combine.

Serves a bunch – makes a small bowl full