OCCUPY WALL STREET

So a couple of days ago (two weeks to be exact) I had a long day and was craving a cup cake from Billy's Bakery, which you must visit if you are ever in the city.  I swear the air has to have like a GAzillion calories by itself (I have NEVER smelled anything so creamy, sweet, and rich-so you can only imagine what the cup cakes taste like).

Anyways, as I mentioned it was the end of the day, and so was off in my own little world moseying up from Center Street when I saw...A CROWD coming at me screaming "DOWN WITH WALL STREET" and (one of their more clever chants, at least in my opinion) "THEY GOT BAILED OUT, WE GOT SOLD OUT!"  I did not know whether to be more terrified for my life or fascinated by all the action.  Of course my stupendous survival skills kicked in, and I decided to join the march to see what all the commotion was about and where they were going.

I was not able to make it very far due to the density of the crowd.  Thanks to these neo-hippie wannabe rebels, I was forced to find an alternative way home since I physically could not make my way down the sidewalk to my regular subway stop.  Welcome to New York City...and to think, all I wanted was a cup cake.

Police standing by, ready for trouble

The crowd

 

Greek Pizza

This recipe was a direct result of one of my Mama's "goody bags" that she sent to me earlier in the summer when I first moved out to the city.  You can by the crust at almost any grocery store or local deli (my mom sent the package from Ohio, and am assuming she got it from Sauder's-where she usually does her grocery shopping-and I've seen it in various locations across the city).  Also, I added a slight improvisation by adding mushrooms into the bunch (a very yummy ingredient if I do say so myself).  As far as lifeskills are concerned...as much as I love to cook and experiment, I've realized that it never hurts to have a couple of microwaveable dinners in the freezer for those unanticipated days where you either have to stay late after work or get caught up due to train delays (meals from Amy's Kitchen tend to be my favorite since there a more "health-conscious" choice contrasted with easy mac-which is still quite delicious).  

INGREDIENTS

-Rustic Crust Pizza Crust

-3-4 oz. of favorite pizza sauce or basil pesto (Rustic Crust also makes terrific pizza sauce to accompany their crusts

-3 sliced plum tomatoes (since I couldn't find a plum tomato for the life of me at Whole Foods, I just used a regular tomato)

-1 small bunch of broccoli florets (again Whole Foods only sold these ENORMOUS bunches of whole broccoli, so I just cut of the massive trunk piece and then sprinkled the tops over the pizza)

-2 oz. of black olives (preferably Kalamata-also to save yourself some time and energy, make sure to buy pitted olives)

-1 oz. feta cheese

-1 small bunch fresh spinach

-olive oil 

-Fresh garlic, minced

-3-4 oz. grated mozzarella 

DIRECTIONS

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit

-Spread pizza sauce or basil pesto on crust

-Sprinkle a light layer of cheese

-Place tomato slices, broccoli florets, olives, and spinach

-Crumble feta cheese over top

-Add minced garlic (optional-I forgot to buy it this time, and it still tasted delicious)

-Top with mozzarella, brush with olive oil, and bake for eight to 12 minutes

-Reduce oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit and bake directly on oven rack for best results (considering how large the number of toppings pile up, I would strongly advise against this since I'd rather place it on a baking sheet and have less optimal results but also less of a mess to make).

BONUS

It's possibly even more delicious heated up for leftovers!

Scenes from around town...

A scary Halloween-esque building

Fall finally arriving in the city through pumpkins and hay barrels

Columbus Circle

Columbus Circle

Horses by Central Park

They're not all bad apples in the big apple...
This revelation all began (once upon a time) this morning when, on my way to work, my lipstick somehow jumped out of my bag (I didn't hear it fall, or the woman behind me calling after me for that matter because I was too caught up listening to the NYTimes daily front page newscast and getting caught up on all of my news).  Suddenly, out of no where, this guy walking towards me grabbed my arm.  I seriously considered pulling out some non-existent kung-fu karate moves on him, but only for a nano second after I realized that it was 8:50 in the morning, and he was wearing, what could easily have been, a Brooks Brothers suit.  So in the end he was getting my attention so that I could pick up my lipstick.  Guess not all the stereotypes about New Yorkers are accurate...

Take me out to the ball game...
On WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24TH Matt and I went to see the Yankees take on Oakland Athletics.  It was an absolutely breathtaking view.  The nice part about working for the City is that I got special discounts to Broadway performances and athletic games.  The only catch is that the seating is not the best.  However, Matt and I still managed to enjoy ourselves, grabbing dinner at a local deli outside the stadium (a note of caution to the visiting Yankee enthusiast, everything is WAY more expensive inside the stadium.  Why, you may ask.  The answer: simply because they can.  Thus, if you really desire a Yankees ball cap to wear during the game, like myself, there are plenty of shops right next to the stadium that are much more affordable).  Not going to lie, I was a little nervous going to Yankee Stadium after the earthquake.  For anyone who was following the news, the concrete testers responsible for the construction of Yankee Stadium, along with other buildings around the city and the Lincoln Tunnel, were indited by the District Attorney for not properly conducting the testing, and pocketing the subsequent profits for their negligence.  Good news is that all the buildings should allegedly be good for the next ten.  All I can say is that I went, I saw, and I had a great time.

 

Finding Recipes is Not as Hard as You Would Think

This week is filing week, so in other words this is the one time a month where I have to stay late to work.  Consequently, this weekend I knew I would not have the energy to cook during the week so looked for recipes that would yield plenty of leftovers to satisfy my late night cravings.

Recipes are surprisingly easy to come by.  I found this one on the lid of a hummus container.
MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN WRAP
Ingredients
-1/2 boneless chicken breast
-1/2 cup Italian dressing
-1 wrap
-3 tablespoons of hummus
-2 romaine lettuce leaves
-2 large tomato slices
Directions
-Marinate chicken in Italian dressing, and cook chicken thoroughly
-Cut chicken into thin slices
-Spread hummus all over wrap
-Layer on remaining ingredients
-Roll the wrap (I still haven't figured out the proper technique to mastering this step)
Bonus
-Hot sauce adds a nice kick to the wrap
-Ranch dressing is also another good addition that gives it more of a caesar wrap taste
-Sprinkle some of your favorite shredded cheese on if you feel like it, the world is your oyster...err or wrap!

It Takes All Kinds to Make the World Go 'Round

Ever since my first day of work on June 27th it is customary for the paralegals to take our lunch outside and eat on the court steps (about a block away from our office).  This serves two purposes: the first one being that we get to go outside, and the second being that we get to entertain ourselves for an hour by people watching.  The court house has a tendency to attract some of the most peculiar people.  For instance there is this tiny Asian woman known affectionately to all as the "Trash Bag Lady".  I thought she was a mystical being until one day, while on my way to grab Thai takeout from a restaurant around the corner, she suddenly popped out from under a mountain of trash bags that were sitting on the corner waiting for the city cleaners to pick them up and deliver them to the dump yard, or wherever it is the city trash is disposed.  From her toothless ear-to-ear grin, and the way she was clutching the discarded aluminum cans you would have thought she had retrieved the Crown Jewels.  She must have noticed my starring because she started yelling at me incoherently in what I assumed to be Chinese, given our proximity to China Town.  There is also a creepy vendor who, I am told stakes out his corner location in order to eye women walking by, I have yet to witness this behavior for myself.  What fascinates me even more are the people known as hipsters. 

Now for anyone who knows me is aware that I am completely pop culture ignorant (my father taught me how to t-9 text and my mother had to explain what the slang term "off the chain" meant).  Needless to say it is no surprise that I needed one of the paralegals explain to me that a hipster is a modern day hippie.  They refuse to drink Starbucks and wear name brand designers, and apparently do nothing all day.  This past Wednesday was my first hipster spotting.  I noticed this girl over six feet tall wearing pumps with socks, and a muted beige pleated dress.  What was even more intriguing about her dress was that it was a reverse A-line in the sense that it actually got shorter in the back.  Consequently, as she repeatedly bent forward in her uncertainty of whether or not it was worth putting her feet through the pain of wearing high heels, she kept flashing the world her neon green underwear.  This incident raised a heated debate about whether or not she had intentionally worn that pair of underwear as part of her ensemble.  I am personally of the opinion that she did considering that she could not but be conscious that the bright neon green was a drastic contrast to her skin-toned dress.  Moral of the story: I could never be hipster, I'm too self conscious...and do not have neon green underwear.