It's Chistmas Time in the City

I've been a bad blogger for many reasons....however, I'll narrow it down to adjusting to being back at home and loving on my husband, puppy and kitchen.  But I'm back.  I also got a new camera....which technically is my Christmas gift from my parents to Andy and I, but we are using it now and my mom is going to wrap it up for Christmas.  But I couldn't go any longer without a legitimate camera especially since the med school Christmas party is looming!!!
  I took the bus from NYC to Washington, DC and fortunately Andy was able to pick me up in DC.  We spent a couple days in the city with Courtney and Michelle.
  The diner we found around Arlington....I was totally craving breakfast foods.

Amazing coffee in cute little mugs.

Andy's french toast was embedded with flavor....almost like the bread itself had vanilla in it.  Probably the best french toast I've ever eaten.

  My veggie omelet the size of my head....it was very thin and that's how I justified eating almost the entire thing.  This omelet had tomatoes, onions, green pepper, and mushrooms.  It was very good.

  We also made a very specific trip to see Harry Potter!!!!  Anyone who knows me knows that I am completely obsessed.  BEST BOOKS EVER!  We went to the IMAX, waited in line, got inside the theater and found that people were total a$$holes and were saving seats like crazy.  I hadn't seen my husband in over a month and we weren't going to be able to sit together in the movie.  To make a long story short, all 4 of us switched tickets for the next showing in the regular theater and had good seats.  If you haven't seen this movie, go now.  It's probably the best so far and follows the book to a "T".  And since I didn't have time to read the book again before watching the movie, I'm reading it now.

  Our theory is still true....us lady doctors get better with age.

  For dinner we went to Legal Seafood....and Michelle got her raw oyster cherry popped.  We strategically peer pressured her into eating them and she actually liked them.  Not to mention that they served this delicious vinaigrette with their oysters, not just the typical lemon wedge and hot sauce.

     Lovely shot of oyster goodness.  Considering I hated seafood for most of my life, and that I'm not eating meat anymore, I actually love me some good raw oysters.

  My sweet baby when I got home.....that's the toy I brought him from NYC.  It's a little squeaky penguin and he loved it.  I found him licking the penguin instead of chewing it.  

  We had to go to the Union on Friday night for quarters because it had been so long since several of us had seen each other.  It's good to be back with friends during this busy interview season.

  The girls had winter lager and the boys had a white russian and a rum and coke.

  On Saturday we showed up for the pediatric tailgate and enjoyed some mimosas and breakfast food.  However, it was so cold that all I wanted was some Irish coffee to warm me up.

Saturday night was family dinner at Courtney's house.  We had regular chili and vegetarian pumpkin black bean chili.  I provided the toppings:  Greek yogurt, shredded cheddar, and green onions.  We also had cornbread, Fritos, graham crackers with pumpkin dip, and brownies with peppermint ice cream for dessert.  Jennifer also brought her sweet little baby, Audra, and we all got a chance to hold her.

  Those bowls of chili were actually what I ate for dinner tonight, but you get the gist.  I also will be having those for lunch tomorrow too.  The avocado was a delicious option.

  This is my medical tree in the front room....Each year I add different medical ornaments that I find, and my mom always buys me the medical ornament from Hallmark each year.

Today was the day that my extended family celebrated Thanksgiving.  It's tradition for us to celebrate on Sundays instead of the actual Thanksgiving day.  It was nice seeing my grandmother and my cute little cousins since it's been a long time.

  This was the bomb-diggity cake that I made.  Caramelized apple spice cake....it was a Martha Stewart fall cake recipe.  So good!!  I thought the powdered sugar and cranberries added a nice fall touch.

  These are my two sweet youngest cousins....Landon and Branson.  They are just as sweet and adorable as they look but maybe a little more mischievous. 

See you again soon!

It's Time for Christmas Music

  So this weekend I was off from work, so I made a trek to the dirty Jerz for some fun.  It was one of my sorority sister's birthdays this weekend and she lives in NJ and invited me to come hiking and drinking with her and her friends.  Even though this was my last weekend in the city, it sounded fun to me.  Count me in.
  After hiking on the Appalachian trail, we stopped for dinner at a Jersey diner.  I've barely experienced any type of diner, let alone a Jersey diner.  Let's just say that I was impressed.  The picture below however, stole the show. 

Swedish Almond Horn dipped in chocolate

  There are no words for this little gem of a cookie.  But I will try my damndest to describe it.  This is a mushy amaretto cookie center, rolled in sliced almonds, and dipped in chocolate on the ends.  OMG!!!!!  I was sad that I only bought one, but my waistline thanked me.  I found a recipe for them online.....and Jeana, if you're reading, I'm making them for Christmas.


Also, Janice's dog Daisy provided me with some entertainment.  I had half of a blueberry muffin wrapped in plastic wrap in my purse and Daisy unwrapped it and ate it on Sunday morning to provide herself with second breakfast.  She's a smart little bugger.

  I was so excited to cook at Janice's since I've barely been able to since I've been here in NYC.  We made a simple artichoke and shrimp pasta with red sauce....and drank tons of wine to go with it.

  As I was meandering around town today, I ran into an adorable European-style coffee shop and since I had all the time in the world I stopped.  I can't really describe how I felt in the store, but this feeling of happiness came over me as I watched the shoppers scurrying by the front window with their purchases.  I think it might've been the fact that I was listening to Christmas music on my phone.  But something about Christmas music and sipping that cafe au lait in that quaint coffee shop made me just relax and enjoy the evening.  I sipped coffee, people watched, and read Anne of Green Gables on my eReader.  Such a lovely day.

   Looking at this picture now, I think of the candy shop in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
  However, the excitement isn't over.  As I passed Barnes & Noble today, I noticed a picture of Rachael Ray and stopped.  She was doing a book signing for her new book tonight!!!!  I met her in person!!!

She is so genuine and down-to-earth that it's unreal.  Total sweetheart.

  For dinner on the way home I stopped at the happiest place on earth.  No, not DisneyWorld, even better.....Whole Foods.
 I'll leave you with a gross picture of my dinner.

Channa masala, beet salad, sesame salad, roasted sweet potatoes, vegan pesto tortellini, and edamame salad.

Trip to the MoMA

  My week has been pretty uneventful, but I've had a couple of midnight shifts, meaning I've been mentally and physically MIA.  I actually went running yesterday after my shift around 10AM, but my damn SI joint is flaring up again so my run turned into a brisk power walk.  Tomorrow I'm going into Jersey to hike and hang out with a friend from college so that should be a lot of fun.

The other day, I ate a really small breakfast so I could drink some major calories.

Salted caramel hot chocolate!!!  Hot chocolate with mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup, topped with sweetened whipped cream, a caramel drizzle and sprinkled with sea salt and Hawaiian turbinado sugar topping.

 Amazing shoes at Urban Outfitters....I want them.

Dinner was from a dumpling house down the street....and was incredibly cheap and good.

  That salad was only $3...very cheap by NYC standards...I added sprouts and avocado.  Those are veggie dumplings.

Boring pasta with marinara that I made while incredibly sleepy. 

Original Andy Warhol

An Awesome light fixture that I would like to own.  I call it "Disheveled Alice" (for Alice in Wonderland)

The description states that the company only makes about 4 per year, because it takes days for the designers to craft it.  The have to meticulously break the plates with hammers so that breaks turn out nice.  They will even break a plate on the floor, see how the pieces shatter, and use that as inspiration for where to put everything else.  In case you can't tell this includes pieces of broken plates, cups, mugs, bowls, and utensils.

An awesome car.

  After leaving the MoMa (by the way, today was Target free Fridays) I was in desperate need of food.  I only ate an apple for lunch because I was so busy in the ER.  I found a really cute, small Thai place that came highly rated on Yelp.

Topaz Thai.  One of my favorite things about NYC is all the restaurants and shops that are down below.  I love walking into these small places down a flight of stairs and into the "basement."  I just think it makes for the perfect little cozy setting...if only my hubby was here to enjoy it with me.

Beautiful fountain in the entryway.  This pic was taken from my table, which is actually on this little platform high up.

Drinking Thai iced tea takes some getting used to, but now I'm addicted.  It's this strange mix of spicy, sweet and just plain interesting.  After looking around online, the general recipe is simple:  very strong brewed black tea, condensed milk, and sugar.  What gives it that extra oomph is that black Thai tea has cardamom, tamarind, and other spices.

This is my straw.  It was shaped like a rose.  Cute little touch.

To my surprise they brought out this bowl of "chips".  I have no clue what they were, but they just tasted like crispy puffs of air.  That sauce was the bomb dot com.  Peanutty, sweet, and thick.

Silver Green:  stir-fried glass noodles, eggs, and mixed vegetables.  I don't know what the sauce on this was but it came highly recommended by the waiter.  It was sooooooooo good.  Light, slightly salty, and just an interesting layering of flavor that you always find in Thai food.  I also had them throw on some fried tofu for good measure....brilliant.  If I ever go back I would definitely try the vegetarian drunken noodles, because they are apparently well-known for them.  By the way, I was more than happy with the veggies that came with my dish: zucchini, baby corn, onions, mushrooms, napa cabbage, scallions, green beans, and carrots.

  Right now I'm sipping some hot chocolate and relaxing in my PJ's....good night and enjoy your weekend.  I'll be hitting up the hills of NJ in the morning!

And they're off....

  So, Friday officially marked the beginning of the interview trail for me.  I had one interview on Friday, and then my NYU interview today.  It was great being offered an interview while I'm here so that way I didn't have to worry about traveling back up here later on.  I've got quite a few interviews planned through the end of January, so while this will be a busy and expensive time, it's going to be awesome to be traveling to so many new places.

  Being in NYC has made me realize how many people here are "dog people."  There are so many cute dogs in sweaters everywhere!!  Makes me miss Bunsen.  On my 4-miler yesterday, I stopped to take a picture of a 2 cute little fur babies.

  Saturday night after my shift (4-10PM) I decided not to be a lazy bum and actually go out in the city with friends.  I met up with a med school friends and a couple of his friends for some drinks. We stopped first at Milady's in SoHo.  It's basically your typical fun sports bar...kind of reminded me of the Union at home.  Beers were very well-priced, even for NYC standards.  I have no clue where the next bar was, but somewhere in the East Village.  One of the friends said he was buying the round, but that we had to try Delirium tremens, a Belgian ale with like 9% alcohol.  I was up for the challenge.  However.....bleh!  I do not care for tart and tangy Belgian ales.  I like my Greek yogurt tangy and crisp, and my beers dark and heavy.  Not for me....but I drank it 'cuz it was free 99.

   My lunch on Sunday was so boring that I didn't even want to share it but here it goes.  Veggie burger with avocado and sprouts with tomatoes, carrots, and hummus on the side.  And that' s a big glass of water with lime.  I'm trying to eat most of my groceries before I leave, so all of my eats will be boring.

  This evening after my interview I got the bright idea to venture out and get cupcakes.  However, after reading some reviews I wanted nothing to do with those typical big name cupcake places.  You know exactly who I'm talking about!  So I headed down 1.5 miles to the LES on Rivington to grab a cupcake from Sugar Sweet Sunshine.  I got both the spicy pumpkin and the pistachio.  And I ate them both.