Recipe: Blueberry Banana Muffins

 

While visiting my parents for Thanksgiving, my mom and I made blueberry banana muffins for breakfast one morning. I found this recipe on Food.com, and it seemed easy enough, so we tried it. 

Ingredients

•        3 large ripe bananas
•        ¾ cup sugar
•      1 egg, slightly beaten
•      1/3 cup butter, melted
•      1 cup blueberries
•      1 tsp. baking soda
•      1 tsp. baking powder
•       ½ tsp. salt
•      1.5 cups flour

Directions

1. Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add sugar and egg.
3. Add butter and blueberries.
4. Combine dry ingredients and gently stir into banana mixture.
5. Pour into 12 well-greased muffin cups.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Now, this recipe isn't very well written. Nowhere does it say to preheat the oven, and it doesn't specifically say to mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl before adding them to the wet mixture. BUT as an experienced baker, I knew not to skip those two steps. Another thing to try is to add the blueberries LAST and gently fold them in so that they don't get squished through the whole mixing process. Also, I recommend setting the timer for a little less time and checking on the muffins then; we set our timer for 15 minutes, and that was PLENTY of time. Every oven is different!

These muffins are very easy to make and taste quite good. Nice for a light breakfast or mid-day snack!

My Dallas Vacation!

My fiancé's birthday is on Veterans Day, so for the holiday, we decided to go to Dallas to visit his best friend. Plus, his team, the Giants, were playing the Cowboys that weekend, so it was perfect timing!

 Here were the highlights of the trip:

President George W. Bush did the coin toss!

The Cowboys vs. Giants Football Game

Clearly, this was the best part of the trip! I was excited to go to "Jerry World" and take in all the chaos of a Dallas football game. It did not disappoint! There were SO many people there (they sell tons of standing-room-only spots, so there are always people milling around), and the energy was buzzing (with nowhere to escape because the roof was closed). We enjoyed chicken tenders (which were actually quite good), a couple drinks, and some Blue Bell ice cream (we still think Ben & Jerry's is better). The Giants have had a horrible season, so we already knew they would lose, but it was still fun to watch the action (we were pretty close to one end zone) and be surrounded by the whole experience. 

Lee Greenwood was there and sang the song, "God Bless the USA." I LOVE that song, so to hear him sing in live, in honor of Veterans Day, was amazing.

And the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders are INCREDIBLE. You've always heard about them, but seeing them perform in real life was so cool. Here's a video from a previous game:

The Nasher Sculpture Center

"Moonbird" by Joan Miró looks like a unicorn to me!

I always appreciate going to art museums and the like (I visited the Met just a few weeks ago in NYC), so I was happy to visit this sculpture garden in downtown Dallas, which was created from the arts collection of Nasher, the creator of the first indoor mall (which still exists!). As we were walking around, I was surprised (and proud of myself) to recognize many of the pieces as art from artists I've seen before, particularly ones that I saw when I visited the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: Mark di Suvero (who also has a piece at Dartmouth College), Richard Serra (who has a very similar but bigger piece at Glenstone), and Tony Cragg to name a few. After our walk around the garden, we had lunch at the Henry, which was quite good. It has the perfect rooftop for brunch, too!

Pumpkins near the Henry. In Dallas, it seems like everyone does big piles of pumpkins on their front steps!

Exercising

Ok, I realize this is a pretty weird thing to put on a list of things I did on vacation. But I love to work out, and I was pumped to take both a Pure Barre class and Orangetheory Fitness class, both in Allen, Texas. The Pure Barre was within walking distance of the friend's home, and it's located in a cute little shopping center called Watters Creek. All the stores were already decked out for the holidays; I was almost feeling the Christmas spirit myself! And the coach at OTF was awesome (it was such a small studio that you got a lot of personal attention from the coach). We also went on a couple of walks, so we got to burn lots of calories even while on vacation! (which was good, since we got dessert to-go from the Cheesecake Factory...)

Eating

Behind Mi Cocina are two horse sculptures which everyone climbs on! I had to do it, too :)

Speaking of the Cheesecake Factory, we also had some other good food while we were down there. I don't eat meat, so barbeque and steaks were out (bummer!), but we went to a couple of good restaurants. We visited Mi Cocina in the same lovely shopping center, where we had delicious queso blanco and a Mambo Taxi cocktail (like a frozen margarita with sangria in it). We enjoyed the official birthday dinner at Fork & Fire, which had wonderful ambiance, delicious cocktails, and a special broccoli mash (think mashed potatoes with broccoli pureed in)*. Yum! And while less fancy, I did get to try Whattaburger for the first time at the airport for breakfast; the honey butter chicken biscuit was pretty good (as was the limited-time white chocolate raspberry shake). 

Such a fun double-date birthday dinner at Fork & Fire!

This was such a fun trip! We would like to go back to visit this friend again, maybe to go to the Texas State Fair or to see the rodeo. Either way, I can promise you this won't be my last trip to Texas!

*Read my Yelp review here.

My Chrismukkah Wish List

Image found here

Halloween is over, which mean capitalism America has jumped right into Christmas planning (sorry, Thanksgiving). So with that in mind, to make it easy for my family and friends (because you all want to buy me pretty presents, right? haha), I thought I'd write a blog post listing all the things I'd like from Santa or Hanukkah Harry.

All things Pure Barre and Orangetheory Fitness

I have been going to both of these fitness studios for a while (and now I teach PB), so I love repping them in cute clothes when I work out. I feel like a brand ambassador! And you can never have too many pairs of sticky socks :)

Top Gun: Maverick DVD

I really didn't think I would like this movie because the original is SO good; I thought a remake/sequel would ruin it! But this newer movie did not disappoint! As soon as we left the theater, I already wanted to watch it again. One of the few sequels from Hollywood that is actually nearly as good as the first film, IMHO.

Image found here

BOOKS

As a self-proclaimed nerd, I have always loved reading (even though I feel like I read magazines more often than books these days...). I am a sucker for a good bookstore or a used book sale. I have a LONG list of "want to read" books on my Goodreads list. They are in no particular order; I want to read them all!

A leather moto jacket

A leather jacket is a must-have fashion staple, and the one I have had for the past few years is past its prime (the fake leather is starting to flake and peel. Not a good look!). I usually get my (p)leather jackets from Express, but this season I didn't see any that I liked! I found the two above from Lucky Brand and Fan Jackets (never heard of them). I like some hardwear, but not too much, and I'm torn between a taller collar or the larger lapel. I have a brown-ish leather jacket I got from Stitch Fix a while back (ooh, a gift card for that would be cool!), but I feel like a black one would match more outfits. And even though I'm normally a small in most things, I like a medium in a jacket so that it can fit over sweaters and isn't too tight.

Covered Nights Romper Dress

I'm not normally into rompers (so annoying when you have to pee!), but I love how this one still looks like a shirt dress and covers up the little shorts underneath (so kinda like a skort?). And it comes in this beautiful Dartmouth green color, which I love (obvi). 

Multi-shape Vegetable Cutter Set

I thought these looked so cute and would be a great way to dress up salads (both veggie and fruit varieties). Watermelon in the shape of strawberries? So meta. 

Allen Shaw Creamy Waterproof Lip Gloss

I saw an ad for this product on Twitter. I love Maybelline's Super Stay Matte Ink, and this product looks similar, but glossier/shinier. And they have so many pretty colors; I'm not sure which one I like best! But I love the idea of it being waterproof and lasting all day. So easy!

Tiffany & Co. Sweatshirt

I randomly saw this on Twitter, but how cute is this?! I love that it connects the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's with the classic robin egg blue Tiffany color. Plus, Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses of all time.

Taylor's Version of "1989"

1989 is by far my favorite Taylor Swift album. I haven't actually listened to this newest version, but I already know I'm going to love it. Blank Space, Wildest Dreams, This Love... I mean, come on!

Chai Maintenance T-Shirt

I think this play-on-words is so funny! And it's almost like an inside joke for members of the tribe 😉 I also think a chai necklace or Star of David necklace would be nice to have as something to wear to Shabbat dinners or holiday services.

Urban Decay Eyeliner

I love Urban Decay eyeliners! They come in such pretty colors, and I especially like the ones that sparkle. I am particularly interested in the one in the "uzi" color, which is silver. It matches everything, and the one I have is almost down to a little nub!

Image found here

Shopping Gift Cards

I know giving gift cards can feel like a cop-out, but sometimes it's not only easy, it's what people want! Then they can pick out exactly what they've been looking for. I never turn down a gift card for Marshalls/TJ Maxx, Victoria's Secret, Francesca's, Kendra Scott... If you know it's a store I go to a lot, then I'll definitely be able to use a gift card there!

Restaurant Gift Cards

I have always loved eating out, but ever since COVID, I love it even more, having missed it for so long! Some favorites are the Cheesecake Factory, InKind (i.e. José Andrés restaurants), South Block... But no Starbucks, since I don't drink caffeine anymore.

Ok, I'll stop for now, but I may update this page a couple of times in the next few weeks as things come to mind... ;)

My Weekend in NYC

Two years ago, my boyfriend (now fiancé) and I visited New York City in the fall, so we were excited to take a repeat vacation to the Big Apple this year. We stayed at the Even Hotel near Grand Central, which was a cool, hip hotel with a great location; the room featured exercise equipment (yoga mat and block, foam roller, resistance bands, and a big exercise ball), and since they gave us free drink vouchers, our first night there we had a happy hour drink at the hotel bar before playing a game of ping pong (my fiancé couldn’t get over the fact that I didn’t hold the handle of the paddle…don’t worry, it’s a Dartmouth thing!). We could easily walk or take the subway from our hotel everywhere we needed to go, so the location was perfect!

We walked around everywhere (we didn’t even take the subway until our second day in town), so we definitely got our steps in! Even in the rain we were walking around getting our much-needed exercise. It’s the best way to explore a city anyway; you never know what you’ll find!

Here were the highlights from our trip:

1.     1. Visiting friends and family

Friends and ice cream is the best combination!

We know a lot of people who live in and around New York, so we made plans ahead of time to make sure to see them. We had dinner with two of my friends who moved to New York after leaving DC this summer; her cousin recommended Bistango, an Italian restaurant in the Kimberly Hotel, and it was very good. Then we stopped by Van Leeuwen for dessert, where my fiancé and I split a mini chocolate lovers sundae. Can’t beat that!

The next day we had Italian food again (this time pizza at Motorino) for lunch with my fiancé’s family. Both his niece as well as his nephew’s girlfriend are pregnant, so we got together with them and their significant others to celebrate their future babies (and our own recent engagement, too). I had met his niece and her husband before, but I had not met his nephew or his girlfriend, so it was lovely to not only meet them but get to know them a little bit. They are all really nice, so it was a very pleasant lunch. AND we went out for ice cream again, and the peanut butter brownie honeycomb is AMAZING!

 Later that night we had dinner at Sabai Thai with a frat brother of my fiancé and his wife; these are people he’s known for DECADES, so I wanted to make a good impression. They were friendly and totally welcoming, so I had nothing to worry about. We enjoyed a long, leisurely dinner of pad thai and yummy cocktails. We almost didn’t want the night to end, but they had a long trip back to New Jersey, so we parted ways late that night, but we hope to see them again soon.

2.    2. Culturing ourselves at the Met

Image found here

W  While we are spoiled with so many free museums in D.C., NYC has lot of great museums, so we figured we’d pay the fees to visit one of them. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a HUGE museum, and they have a special Manet v. Degas exhibit, so we thought we’d certainly get our money’s worth there. That exhibit was interesting, and we learned a lot about the two artists who were contemporaries and even friends. I thought it was cool to compare their art side by side, especially when the content was similar, such as dancers, bathers, or horses. We also looked at a lot of Roman and Greek statues, pottery from ancient Persia, and many paintings from the Impressionists like Monet. We could have been there all day!

3.    3. Enjoying nature

The "Imagine" mosaic in Central Park in honor of John Lennon

While you might not think of getting out in the Great Outdoors in New York City, they do have some wonderful parks. We walked through much of Central Park despite the drizzle the day we arrived, and on the morning we left, we took the subway downtown to check out the High Line and the Little Island (which only opened about two years ago). It’s always relaxing to just walk amongst trees and plants, surrounding oneself with greenery. And we had no rain on our last day, so that was even better!

The Little Island is cool from far away as well as inside the park itself!

4. Exploring Chelsea

      After we walked along the Highline, we stopped by Chelsea Market, which my fiancé had never been to before. Many of the stores weren’t open yet that early on a Sunday, but the market itself was all decked out for Halloween, and we did find a cute shop selling lots of Japanese merchandise like Hello Kitty and Tokidoki.

Vintage vibes at the Hotel Chelsea

      After the market, we walked over to the Hotel Chelsea (colloquially called the Chelsea Hotel). I had recently read an article about the hotel in the Wall Street Journal magazine, which explained the famous history of the hotel (many celebrities and artists used to live there); it had been closed for many years for renovations and only recently re-opened. I loved how they kept the old vibes of the place; you felt like you stepped back in time. And the walls were covered with artwork from former tenants who occasionally paid their rent through their artistic works. We may have stayed for a drink at the bar if it hadn’t been mid-morning!

I feel like this list doesn’t do our trip justice. We walked around so much that sometimes we would just stumble upon random things. We found yummy places to eat (we enjoyed bagel breakfast sandwiches from Ess-a-Bagel and Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company, and read my Yelp review for Clinton Hall), came across family-friendly street markets, and escaped the rain playing house in CB2 and Design within Reach. For only having been in the city for almost exactly 48 hours, we packed a lot in!

Stevie Nicks and Billy Joel in Concert

Image found here

Stevie Nicks and Billy Joel are such rock legends, so when I saw that they were performing together in Baltimore, I knew I wanted to see that show. They are both in their mid-70's: who knows how long they will keep doing this! I thought this could be my last chance to see either of them live. We were in the nosebleed section of M&T Stadium, and it was a chilly October night, but I was prepared with a blazer, windbreaker, and faux fur coat (I even brought a towel to sit on to keep the plastic seat warm). I wasn't going to let the cold weather stop me from enjoying this concert!

I know Nicks mostly through her music with Fleetwood Mac (which I think is true for a lot of people). She sang some of those songs, but also included music of her own. Here are my two favorites:

Landslide

Edge of Seventeen (not called "White Winged Dove" like I thought!)

While Nicks only sings, Billy Joel is an excellent musician in his own right, playing the piano (of course), the guitar, and the harmonica (and maybe more!). And his band was just as talented! Crystal Taliefero, who played percussion and the saxophone, sang River Deep Mountain High, and it was great!

And his lead guitarist, Mike DelGuidice, can sing opera! He was amazing! I think this was my favorite part of the night, mainly because it was just so unexpected! The video below is from 2016, but he sang the same song and sounded just as good:

And then of course Joel has all of his huge hits. He has so many songs that he kind of did the concert in three parts: the first part, then what you thought was the encore but actually the second part, and then the encore. So it was a lot of music!

Paino Man (My favorite!)

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (my fiancé's favorite)

You May Be Right

Uptown Girl

We Didn't Start the Fire

It's Still Rock and Roll to Me

Big Shot

The list could go on and on! So much talent and for such a long time! I'm sure they never imagined when they first started out as performers that they would not only become so famous but stay so famous. LEGENDS! Such a great concert!

Recipe: Buttermilk Quick Bread

I still had some buttermilk left over (read about the buttermilk brownies I made), so I thought I'd try making a bread with the ingredient, too. I found this recipe on the Kitchn blog, and it seemed easy enough. I also liked that the recipe offered several variations; I love mixing up recipes, so this was right up my alley!

Ingredients

·        2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces)

·        1/2 cup white sugar (4 ounces)

·        1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·        1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·        1 teaspoon salt

·        1 cup buttermilk (8 ounces)

·        1 large egg

·        1/4 cup unsalted butter, olive oil, or vegetable oil (2 ounces)

Directions

1.      Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray a standard 9x5 loaf pan.

2.      Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Melt the butter, if using. Whisk it in a separate bowl with the buttermilk and the egg.

3.      Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients. Gently stir and fold the ingredients until all the flour has been incorporated and a shaggy, wet batter is formed. Be careful not to over-mix.

4.      Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and pat it into the corners. Bake for 45-50 minutes. When finished, the loaf should be domed and golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and slicing.

Basic Variations

• Sugar can be reduced to a tablespoon for more savory breads.
• Up to half the flour can be substituted with an alternative flour.
• Replace the buttermilk with a mix of yogurt and milk or milk and a squeeze of lemon.
• Use up to 1 1/2 cups fruits, nuts, olives, cheese, or other ingredients, added to the dry ingredients.
• Use 1-3 teaspoons of herbs or spices, added to the dry ingredient

Reading the variations was helpful to know how much of what I should use. I already planned on using blood orange olive oil, and ended up not having enough, so I used both the orange and lemon olive oil. I also added nutmeg and ground ginger, as well as a cup of dried cranberries. I feel like orange and cranberry are frequently featured together, so why not in this bread I was making?

This is an easy recipe to make, although I ran into a few minor issues. Usually in baking you mix the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl to the side, and you mix the wet ingredients with the mixer, and then add the dry to the wet. In this one, you add the wet to the dry. So I just poured the dry ingredient mixture into the mixer bowl, added the wet ingredients, and used the mixer for just a few seconds to mix everything together. There was a bit of dry mix left at the bottom that didn't incorporate well. But all in all, this was easy and came out nicely. I thought it was yummy, especially with the craisins! Highly recommend doctoring it up with your favorite flavors.