the daily muse

follow up on the bakery thing...

2012-01-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

remember this post? a lot has changed since september.

sometimes when you open yourself up to new opportunities, other opportunities arise and slap you in the face. i stick to the theory that everything happens for a reason.

to start the bakery, a lot would be given up and a lot would be gained. i'm not ready to sacrifice the things that would be given up just yet.

sometimes i feel like i'm onto something with this photography thing. other days i feel like it's a pipe dream. but a little project is in the works that i'm excited to share with you soon.

i have very little patience, but these things take time. more time than i expected. not to mention, things change. this bakery thing may go down and it may not. either way, i'm ok with that.

also, how many times did i use the word THING in this post? a lot.

peace out until monday, guys.

bedtime- a video!

2012-01-25T07:57:00.005-05:00

staying warm. looking good.

2012-01-24T08:00:00.004-05:00

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11

snow.

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

central park on saturday.

ps: pigs in the snow.

lens flower pots.

2012-01-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

coffee mugs and a piggy bank too.

ps: i did a Q/A on kate's blog this week. check it.

cooking with cast iron.

2012-01-19T07:36:00.001-05:00

i feel like cooking with cast iron skillets is a bit of a trend. it's also possible that everyone has been using cast iron without me. from a nutrition and a cooking standpoint, it has several advantages.

1. cast iron is a chemical free alternative to nonstick cookware. regular nonstick pans are coated with a chemical repellent that contains PFCs (perfluorocarbons). as with everything else you touch these days, PFCs are linked to cancer and can leach into your food during the cooking process.

2. you can use less oil. did you know you are supposed to season your cast iron? proper seasoning of your skillet is what makes it nonstick.

here's how: cover the bottom of the pan with a thick layer of kosher salt and cooking oil. heat the oil until it starts to smoke. pour the hot oil and salt out. let it cool! then rub the pan with paper towels until smooth. sounds like a lot of work, but seasoning is only necessary the first few times you use the pan.

3. cast iron fortifies your food with iron. weird, huh? instead of leaching PFCs, cast iron actually filtrates iron into your food.

4. lifting a cast iron pan repeatedly will give you julie bowen arms.

ps: how to clean it and where to find them.

photo via smitten kitchen.

it's the little things.

2012-01-17T08:34:00.000-05:00

i have found a liking for the dude accessories at jack spade.

empire cake.

2012-01-16T08:10:00.001-05:00

i love the foodnetwork. its my thing. it relaxes me.

over new years i got sucked into this marathon "best bakeries in the usa" type show. a lot of places in nyc were mentioned, all of which we have tried.

but i had never heard of empire cake in chelsea. they are known for revamping desserts you loved as a kid and turning them into adult treats. think high class twinkies, ho hos (or yodels), and snowballs. you know, the little debbie varieties your mom stuffed in your lisa frank lunchbox.

the verdict? unique, delicious, addicting.

cupcakes are so lame.

a few more photos on facebook.

for the pasta lover.

2012-01-13T12:05:00.000-05:00

measures for one, two, or five portions.

a rainy day trip to philly.

2012-01-12T08:32:00.001-05:00

strolling around downtown philly (a few weekends ago) followed by jersey turnpike traffic all the way back to manhattan.

a few more photos on facebook.

house tour.... my sister-in-law.

2012-01-10T07:52:00.000-05:00

i promised my sister-in-law i would "apartment therapy" her shabby chic home and i finally got around to snapping some pics. leah lives in newport news, virginia with her husband and 2 daughters.

"jason and i have tried to fill our home with things that have meaning to us. the wooden tea leaf sign came from a shop where i worked in college and the fire hose sign came from a cabin in kentucky my father salvaged before being torn down. our newest addition is the repurposed dresser in the entryway. our mix of old and new pieces give our home an updated and relaxed atmosphere."

free advice from my dermatologist.

2012-01-09T07:32:00.002-05:00

i'm not naive enough to think that you actually care about my beauty routine. but i do want to start a discussion because i think we can all learn from each other.

want some free advice from my highfalutin nyc dermatologist? seriously, she must be highfalutin because i can only get appts months in advance.

retinol. take a bath in retinol, wipe your butt with retinol, and incorporate retinol into your sex life.

here goes:
1. already talked about the clarisonic. check that here.
2. alba cleansing gel. turns into a foam. super gentle. squirt it on the clarisonic.
3. apple cider vinegar (with the motha) as a toner. more on that here.
4. here comes the retinol. doesn't matter if you have wrinkles yet or not, just use it. mostly before bedtime.
5. burt's bees doesn't really need explaining.
6. i'm a kiehl's whore. this moisturizer (with spf!) is thick and creamy for winter.
7. if the retinol is drying you out, moisturize with this at night. switch it up.
8. gob this under your eye balls at night until you look like a football player.
9. hands all dry and skanky? use this.

parmesan rind cooking tip.

2012-01-06T07:12:00.001-05:00

did you know you could throw parmesan rinds into soups and sauces for a little flavor oomph? add it to anything you would normally sprinkle with parmesan anyway. just don't forget to dish out the melted rind blob before you serve it up.

wrap the rinds in foil and toss them in the freezer until need be.

photo and recipe here. i substituted cannellini beans for cranberry beans, because what the what are cranberry beans?

also, can we agree that watching giada de laurentiis cook is equivalent to soft porn? she needs to keep the girls in her shirt.

art humor.

2012-01-04T08:53:00.000-05:00

for the bedroom, guest room, and kitchen. or wherever else, you know...

how to capture blurry background photos.

2012-01-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

get a new DSLR for christmas? no clue how to use it? i'm gonna keep it simple.

blurry background photos (as i call them) are most often used for portraits or any occasion you want the foreground to stand out from the rest of the photo. it's controlled by a fancy term called aperture.

1. put your camera in AV mode, or aperture priority mode.
2. aperture numbers vary according to your lens.
3. for example, a 50mm f/1.4 lens will have the lowest aperture of 1.4. when you see f/random number on a lens, that random number is the lowest aperture your lens can go.
4. the lower the aperture number on your camera, the blurrier the background.
5. start with the lowest aperture number your lens will allow. work up from there.
6. experiment. see what you like. for whatever reason, i hang out in the 2.8-3.5 range.

a low aperture number is also helpful when shooting in low light.

of course, just flipping your camera to AV mode doesn't deem you perfect pics every time. for maximum control of your photos, you'll need to shoot in manual. but i promised to keep it simple.

i dropped the ball on keeping up with photography tutorials. forgive me.

ps: how to capture motion blur pics.

sam wiggin's 2011 recap.

2011-12-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

got my hair did.
rolled in the leaves.
played with my boy iggy.
took trips with mom and dad.
mostly snuggled with dad.
hung out with mom in central park.
survived a hurricane.
rode in a lot of cars.
went to the beach, twice!
turned 3 years old.
modeled for a doggy magazine.
which later showed up on amazon.

i told mom she should make a list to recap her 2011, maybe make some goals, resolutions. but she's a lazy bum so i did it instead.

central park in december.

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

the year in new york pictures.

2011-12-27T06:57:00.000-05:00

balloon delivery man waiting for the subway.

manhattan from above.

more photos here via the new york times.

wrapping gifts.

2011-12-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

ed and i are laying low and staying in the city for christmas.

happy holidays to you and yours.

around the house.

2011-12-21T08:40:00.000-05:00

pigeon watching, nail-biting football game, nap time during the football game (this weekend).

in the hood.

2011-12-20T08:13:00.000-05:00

brunch plus a cold walk in the park (this past weekend).

i hate it when bloggers portray their lives as only filled with cute clothes, brunch with friends, and long walks in the park.

therefore, after brunch and a long walk we folded our weight in laundry, stood in line at UPS, and worked for the rest of the afternoon.

i was going for less words this week. it didn't happen today.

townhouses in the west village.

2011-12-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

all dressed up for the holidays.

i'm thinking less words and more pics for this week. hope that's cool with you guys.

ipad portfolio.

2011-12-17T14:14:00.003-05:00

check it.

it's the gift that keeps on giving....

2011-12-16T08:06:00.001-05:00

if you know the movie reference i'll give you a virtual high five.

seriously, a box of fruit sent to you every month for a year. who doesn't want that?

also, what's with harry and david's retro 80's pics of their fruit? i'm looking at you, pineapple.

thinking about...

2011-12-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

foggy grey day in nyc
i can't stop looking at kitchu's beautiful pics
love these modern furniture calendars
if you're visiting nyc, i highly recommend hopstop to help you get around
though once you get off the subway, the directions are completely useless
sam wiggins' christmas gift!
shhhh don't tell
an interesting map of nyc based on economic status (thanks, ashley)
ed left the house last night in a tux
A TUX!?
while i ate a bowl of cereal in my pj's
what the hell is a HDMI splitter?
and who cares?
and why has whole foods sold out of my peanut butter for a month now?
real problems, i tell ya'
oatmeal with soy milk....