the daily muse

thinking about...

2013-05-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

17 perfectly sized sun hats
a classic rain coat that hardly looks as such
muesli is essentially uncooked granola and i'm just now figuring this out
went through my closet and weeded out items i haven't worn in a year
i daresay it has given me a completely new perspective
strawberry picking season starts in june
enjoy the looooong weekend!
another cup of coffee...

urth caffe in LA.

2013-05-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

it's looking like a restaurant review site here lately, though that is certainly not my intention. my hope is only that you can use the blog as a reference when planning a trip, just as i do with many of my favorite blogs. anywho, i weeded through more LA photos this weekend and completely forgot about our infatuation with urth caffe. smoooooooothies.

urth caffe has several locations in LA and i kept to a-smoothie-a-day regimen at the west hollywood and santa monica address. the crowded lunch scene is full of effortlessly hip californians munching on salads and sipping boba tea al fresco.

the urth dudes kindly divulged their not-to-secret smoothie recipe-- fresh fruit, simple syrup, and ice. that's all! whipped up in a vitamix, no less.

ps: breakfast and dinner in santa monica.

burrito bowl.

2013-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

in an attempt to re-create my chipotle fix at home, i've managed to perfect my very own burrito bowl. just as you would obnoxiously lean over the glass partition and ask your local chipotlean to double the corn salsa, this recipe is completely customizable. and corn salsa! if i only i could replicate the corn salsa.

clearly the measurements needn't be exact as this is a dump it in a bowl sort of recipe. but let's start with the basics.

burrito bowl
1 lb (white or brown) cooked rice
1 can black beans, rinsed
1/2 bag frozen sweet corn, thawed
zest of 1 lime

for the vinaigrette
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (3-4 limes)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (less if you want it extra limey)
1 tsp cumin
pinch of ground cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

topping ideas
sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)
tomatoes
cheese
avocado
guacamole
salsa
sliced bell peppers

1. in a large bowl, mix together rice, beans, corn, and lime zest.
2. in a separate bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and pour on top of rice mixture. mix well and finish with a dash of salt and splash of lime juice if you wish.

serve warm or at room temp with sweet potato chips.

the butcher's daughter.

2013-05-20T07:49:00.000-04:00

the butcher's daughter is a vegetarian cafe and juice bar in nolita serving up the most amazing smoothies and creative juice combinations. it's one of those places that's ALWAYS filled with ridiculously good looking people. u know those places, right? people you assume must be models or actors, but no, they just look that good for absolutely no reason at all. also, clever name.

the mostly vegan menu includes avocado toast bites, lentil soup, and kale chips. though i have to say their strong point is the drink menu. have you tried cashew milk? because you must try a cup of coffee with cashew milk.

no one likes the health nut in the group so i try to rein it in during social situations. but hey, i like a good juice shot and cashew milk gets me excited. what are ya gonna do?

photos by daniel krieger.

summer in photos.

2013-05-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

i've had a hard time forming words into actual sentences this week and an overwhelming sense of anxiety is filling my lungs. this summer may hold a lot of change in our household, and at the same time, this summer may hold absolutely nothing besides fresh berries at the farmer's market turned into multiple cobblers. i'm trying to wrap my head around one or the other and it's the uncertainty that feeds the anxiety.

i fill the blog with superfluous material things that enter my brain and for whatever reason i deem these things necessary to share with a handful of people. but behind all that, there are huge questions consuming my brain as of late. to be correct, there is always something more consuming on my brain than foldable luggage, but the visual distraction is freeing. the importance lies in not placing emphasis on the having and the wanting of the things, which then circles back around to comparing ourselves to others. it goes without saying, i make an effort to curate the prettiest of things to put on the blog, but behind the scenes my brain may actually explode and start to ooze out my eye sockets. hey, now you know.

no matter what happens, summer will go as it should.... juicy peaches, freckled shoulders, and translucent light. there's comfort in that.

gorgeous photos by jennifer causey.

foldable carry-on luggage.

2013-05-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

ed and i have been debating the purchase of a platform(ish) bed for a while now and my only gripe is the loss of under-bed storage. i love the thought of sleeping closer to the ground, though honestly it's an inevitable change as sam wiggins has actually hurt himself jumping on and off the bed. CLEARLY there are other ways to fix this problem besides buying a new bed, but my arm needn't be twisted too much in the first place.

anywho, this isn't a post about platform beds. rather, this sturdy nylon carry-on folds down to a shove-it-in-your-closet-friendly 3" thick. perfecto!

now where to put ed's guitar that currently resides under the bed.... ?

from flight 001 via new york magazine.

anti-theft lunch bags.

2013-05-14T07:52:00.000-04:00

sandwich bags for the prankster. i'd toss it without blinking if i found this in the break-room fridge.

via design milk.

bubby's.

2013-05-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

a few gloomy weekends ago we took ourselves down to tribeca for brunch at bubby's. i most highly recommend the home fries and broiled grapefruit with brown sugar. and grits! grits are weird but if you've never tried cheese grits, by all means. the wild maine blueberry pancakes could easily be shared with at least three people.

the creme brulee of morning citrus.

the ambiance at bubby's reminds me of a citified cracker barrel in the finest sort of way. tell me you've stopped at cracker barrel on a road trip?!

after brunch we strolled to adeline adeline a few blocks away to peruse the bikey goods. not too shabby tribeca.

thinking about...

2013-05-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

got my yearly mole check this week at the dermatologist
YOU should do the same
soaked up every word of adam platt's interview with michael pollan
stunning photos of the high line
vintage sneakers for the weekend
bring on the jersey peaches!
the first step towards transparency in health care costs
sounds boring, read it anyway
bike bag that doubles as a tote
granola and coffee...

entryway idea.

2013-05-08T07:51:00.000-04:00

i guess i still have entryways on the mind as our every day shoes pile up in the hallway and coats get thrown over a chair. depending on the season, i wear the same coat everyday and i'm constantly to-ing and fro-ing in and out of the apartment. i swear i daydream about throwing my coat, scarf, and bag on some sort of entryway system.

though i have to think that a wall-mounted system is best for a small space as it keeps the floor uncluttered, blu dot's steel and walnut coat rack is pretty sleek.

what's your front door catch-all solution?

blue plate oysterette in santa monica.

2013-05-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

our hotel was in walking distance to blue plate oysterette and i could have easily eaten there every night. i have no doubt that their sister restaurants, simply named blue plate and blue plate taco (blue plate much?) are equally as delicious. scoring an al fresco table feels like winning the lottery on a perfect 70 degree day, though that's mostly every day in california, no? you guys on the west coast got the weather in the bag.

two orders of the most amazing grilled fish tacos and a side of coconut rice. we came back two days later and ordered it again.

surely i can somehow replicate this coconut rice at home. thanks for the blue plate tip, abbey!

ps: breakfast in santa monica.

vegan before 6pm.

2013-05-06T07:47:00.000-04:00

mark bittman's new book vb6 (vegan before 6pm) came out on april 30 and i've been reading bits and pieces on the subway. i recently re-watched forks over knives on a flight back to nyc and i daresay it remains one of the most life-changing documentaries i've seen. the thought of a vegan diet literally reversing disease is not surprising to me, but cold hard evidence of it actually doing so is reassurance that our health care system may not actually being going to hell in a hand basket. or maybe that's the other way around? rather, the more important question remains... why are so many doctors prescribing lipitor instead of a whole-foods plant based diet?

vegetarianism has always been an easy choice and i've never felt the push to go vegan. honestly, i still don't feel a push to go vegan though there are days when i look back and realize two of my meals were completely animal-free in every way. bittman's new book suggests eating a vegan diet on a daily basis up until 6pm, when you are then allowed a free meal of whatever you choose. chances are you will start to make wiser choices after 6pm, but steak for dinner is just fine too. his have your cake and eat it too experiment was enough to quickly reverse his high cholesterol without the use of drugs amongst other perks including weight loss, etc. granted, a lot of diets could do the same but his focus was on choosing a healthier lifestyle all together.

one of my most dreaded assignments as a nutrition intern was teaching a class to patients and their family members who had just been through open heart surgery. i was given the material to cover as well as those plastic food replicas that are supposed to help you with portion size or whatever. according to the "material" i was recommending a lot of grilled chicken, fish, and i can't believe it's not butter! spray slathered on your vegetables. granted this was six years ago and the whole-foods movement hadn't necessarily caught on, but i had a hard time advising anyone to use fake butter spray, or even meat for that matter. to make a long story very short, i was ~~asked~~ told to specifically stick with the material. also, fake butter spray is the devil.

have we finally come far enough to be prescribed a plant based diet as opposed to medication?

photo by evan sung.

huckleberry cafe in santa monica.

2013-05-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

huckleberry's farm to table creative menu and laid back vibe left us wishing for our very own location on the upper west side. i can think of several places in the city that compare, though none of them really hit the nail on the head. also, baked goods. the baked goods! confession... we ate here every morning.

so i'm standing in line for coffee and ed gives me this darting glance and mouths "be cool" from our table. standing in front of me was jennifer garner and her three beautiful children. what is it about star spotting that makes you want to text everybody and their mom and tell them so!?

ed always goes for the egg dish what-have-ya and i fill up on muffins and fruit. makes for the best sharing i suppose.

here's hoping for a huckleberry east coast expansion! seriously.

ps: thanks for the huckleberry tip, joanna and briana.

sam wiggins turns 5.

2013-05-01T07:33:00.000-04:00

this guy turns five years old today and we'll be celebrating with apples and peanut butter in his food bowl and extra sniffs in central park.

sam had his yearly vet check-up this weekend (which never cease to make me nervous) and was declared a clean bill of health with the hairiest ears in new york city. bravo! every night i gently scoot him over from the middle of my pillow and every night he not-so-gently nudges his way right back. i wouldn't have it any other way.

ps: sam wiggins turns four.

rain room.

2013-04-30T07:15:00.000-04:00

the rain room opens at the moma on may 12 and while i'm sure the crowds will be intense, i gotta say this installation might be worth the wait.

artificial rain falls from nozzles in a high-ceiling room and as you move throughout the space a "dry spot" surrounds a five-foot circle above your head. how often do you get a chance to walk between the rain drops with your date?

anyone see it in london?

photo by leon neal.

less is more.

2013-04-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

for the longest time i have worn these t-shirt bras without really thinking if they remotely fit my shape or size. i don't know a lot about bra rules, but i have to think that underwire is kind of pointless when your chest is on the smallish side. if underwire is meant to play a very supportive role, should i really be wearing it if there's nothing much to support?

i ordered a couple triangle bralettes (thanks for the tip emily!) and immediately tossed my underwires out the window. the lace is fantastically not-at-all itchy and i don't mind one bit if it pokes out of my button-up.

who am i kidding? bras are merely an extra layer of warmth in the winter and sometimes non-existent in the summer. these are perfection for those of us less endowed.

cheers, my small-chested friends!

spring in nyc.

2013-04-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

the trees are popping left and right and despite a few cold days here and there, things are looking up. every winter i swear to ed i want to move and then come spring i say things like "this is the best place on earth!" so it goes. enjoy your spring(ish) weekend.

iced coffee at home.

2013-04-25T09:21:00.000-04:00

i've posted my favorite iced coffee recipe before, but at $4 a cup at the neighborhood cafe, i figure it doesn't hurt to touch on the subject once more. i had always assumed that iced coffee was simply cooled brewed coffee over ice. that being said, i could never figure out why it tasted so much better when i paid $4 at the coffee shop.

here's the trick to cold brew iced coffee:
1. don't make iced coffee in your coffee maker. heat changes the chemistry of the coffee and can give it a bitter flavor when served cold.
2. put medium grind coffee beans in your french press and fill with water. it doesn't matter if the water is cold or room temp, it just shouldn't be hot. give it a stir.
3. cover the press but don't plunge it yet (!) and leave on the counter overnight.
4. in the morning, plunge your press to strain and pour over ice.
5. homemade sugar syrup makes all the difference.

if you don't have a french press, or want to make a bigger batch to keep on hand, stick with this recipe and double the amount.

enjoy!

photo by marcus nilsson.

santa monica beach.

2013-04-24T07:50:00.000-04:00

for whatever reason we didn't upgrade the zipcar with a gps so i played navigator on the iphone. you best believe all directions were spoken in the californians voice and most of the time they ended in a mulholland or two. i took these photos nearly the moment we stepped off the plane and i swear you can see the sigh of fresh air on our cranky new york faces. i sort of fell in love with santa monica.

the venice boardwalk was a short bike ride away and filled with quite the crowd of interesting people. for example... a woman eating breakfast in her glass house. seriously, completely glass home.

it's time for shorts, linen button ups, and after dinner walks to tasti-d-lite.

cookie cakes.

2013-04-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

mrs. field's cookie cakes were the ultimate in grade school seeing as how we had to drive an hour to the nearest mall to pick it up. i could have celebrated every occasion with a heart shaped cookie topped with an intense amount of sugary sweet (chemical laden?) icing. looking back, those cakes were pretty tasteless, besides the taste of sugar, but of course that's not the reason we seek out food from our childhood in the first place.

i found out that empire cake in chelsea will gladly whip up a cookie cake for your special occasion. but aren't these things always better when you do it yourself?

chocolate chip cookie cake
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups, plus 4 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. beat butter and both sugars together with a mixer. add eggs and vanilla.
2. mix flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a bowl. add dry ingredients to batter and mix until well blended.
3. stir in chocolate chips. spread dough onto a well greased pizza pan and bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

decorate with a ridiculous amount of sugary icing and lots of sprinkles.

ps: the ultimate in homemade cookie cakes.

photo and original recipe from dine and dish.

over the williamsburg bridge.

2013-04-22T07:41:00.000-04:00

i know, i know, the brooklyn bridge is a bit more iconic, but ol' williamsburg bridge has some character. after lunch at smorgasburg last weekend, we decided to keep meandering around brooklyn until finally heading back to manhattan over the WB. did you know you can remember the order of the downtown bridges by the acronym BMW? Brooklyn bridge, Manhattan bridge, Williamsburg bridge. hey, now you know.

i later realized that the bridge has a separate entrance for pedestrians entering from brooklyn, of which we were completely clueless as it's a different entrance a few blocks away. i know how frustrating that is to bikers because i curse under my breath when pedestrians do the same to me. live it, learn it.

i was half hoping to find a biker in the background of these photos flipping me off.

graffiti sort of just summarizes brooklyn. or maybe williamsburg at least.

the end of the bridge dumps you somewhere on the lower east side of manhattan and within walking distance to soho. we decided on sandwiches for dinner from il cantuccio (the BEST focaccia) which extended our hike further west into the village. an order of prosciutto and caprese paninis for the road and a well-deserved cab ride home.

thinking about...

2013-04-19T06:04:00.000-04:00

this guy has been feisty ever since he got a spring hairdo
does this really make the smoothest of smoothies?
quite the moola for a blender
i've been wearing the heck out of this lightweight sweatshirt
have you heard of blue apron?
it simplifies grocery shopping so you can actually get cooking
will have to look for streusel bars next time at smorgasburg
these muffins look perfect to have on hand
toast and jam...

funny animals talking.

2013-04-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

my dear friend elizabeth and i share the same sense of humor and every once in a while she sends me texts that say WATCH THIS VIDEO. it's always always worth my while.

helen! helen! i think he's saying helen?

point dume in malibu.

2013-04-17T07:32:00.000-04:00

i may never get to the bottom of these california photos, though i'm sort of re-living our brief get away all over again. point dume was filled with rocky beach views, charming houses on stilts, AND tar balls. besides jack johnson's hit song, i had no clue what tar balls were and my feet were covered in a black gloppy mess once we got back to the car. is this a common thing on california beaches? do kids just play in the sand no matter? i read the trick was to cover the tar balls in aquaphor (or vaseline) and rub with soap and water, which did manage to at least keep my feet from sticking to my shoes.

according to the rock climbers, the only thing on the other side of the rock was seagull poop and trash. BUT it used to be a nude beach.

no doubt the climbers had an amazing view.

childhood in new york.

2013-04-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

new york magazine ran an article last week filled with tales from what it was like to grow up as a child in new york city. some childhood stories were from the 80's while others dated as far back as the depression. in short, the city was a pretty rough place to grow up (no surprise), but at the same time filled with normal bits of childhood we can all relate to. i keep going back to the photos...

cooling off in the hudson in 1948. doesn't this sort of blow your mind?

studying in harlem in 1933.

madison square boys club reading 3D comics in 1953.

searching for change through a street grate during the depression in 1930.

read the full article here.

ps: eloise moved to brooklyn and new york then and now.

top photo by bruce davidson, cooling off in the hudson by ruth orkin, studying in harlem from the getty images archives, madison square boys from the bettmann corbis archives, street grate photo from the getty images archives.

thinking of those in boston today and others who have been affected. i hope that you guys are well.