Project Life 2012 | Week Forty-Four

I'm playing catch-up (again) on Project Life.  Funny thing is, sometimes life can get in the way of actually documenting each week.  But I am trying really hard to keep this going through the end of this year and to complete each week, even those past weeks that still need photos and words.  I absolutely love the results of the project.

Week forty-four was the week Hurrican Sandy hit our region.  I decided to dedicate an entire page to the storm, incorporating my photos of the Upper East Side and some from Mike's co-worker of half of Manhattan without power.

On the following two pages, I documented the strange week that followed, with no subway service, the cancellation of the NYC Marathon, our Halloween, and an anniversary party at our gym.

Thanksgiving Dinner & Dessert Ideas

Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday of the entire year - is this Thursday!  I will not actually be cooking, as Mike and I will be visiting family in South Carolina.  But I figure there might be a few people out there looking for last-minute ideas of delicious things to make and share this Thanksgiving.  Below are some ideas from past posts that just might be exactly what you need! To those who are cooking, good luck and remember to have fun!  And, if all else fails, just be sure to have plenty of wine on-hand.  To those, like me, who are just consuming, remember to thank those who have worked hard to ensure you have a scrumptions meal and lend a hand with the dirty dishes!

If you are having family or friends over for dinner, adding the warm smell of Mulled Apple Cider to your home can be incredibly welcoming.  You can even mull the apple cider the day before and rewarm before guests arrive.  The spices become even more flavorful when they have the chance to sit overnight. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Crema is a great appetizer for your family and friends.  Make the soup and crema on Tuesday or Wednesday and then just rewarm when you are ready to serve on Thanksgiving.  Like the apple cider, the flavors will just get better!

A big basket of Nana's Oatmeal Rolls are always on my family's Thanksgiving table.  This is another recipe that you can make on Tuesday or Wednesday and then rewarm prior to serving.  They also make perfect little vesels for consuming Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ahh, Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie.  This is my twist on the Southern classic, where the chocolate actually helps make this pie a bit less sweet and a lot more delicious and balanced. Be sure to make the pie crust a few days ahead - you want to give the butter plenty of time to get really cold again, yielding a perfectly flaky crust.

Whether you serve this Bourbon Ice Cream on its own or with a slice of Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie, your tastebuds will be rejocing with some of the best Southern flavors.

Hot Bread Kitchen's Night Market

Last Thursday night, I headed uptown to Harlem for the annual fundraiser at Hot Bread Kitchen.  Not even an incredibly pesky, lingering cold could keep me from enjoying the evening.  My boss introduced me to this amazing organization almost two years ago and I have so loved learning more about their programs, success stories, and impacts in the community.  Hot Bread Kitchen is a bakery (and so much more) that employs immigrant women who might traditionally have difficulty finding work in a new country, or might be chastised for even dreaming of doing so.  These women share and produce the breads of their homelands and childhoods and, in turn, receive culinary training, English classes, and job-placement assistance.

The evening was filled with many supporters, lots of delicious dishes, and a bubbly glass of hard cider.  Perhaps my favorite moment was watching the hands-on demonstration of making m'smen, though not more than eating a piece right off the griddle.  Afterwards there were more treats – cookies from Dorie Greenspan and a tour of the tiny kitchen that now produces all things sweet for her newly launched company, Beurre & Sel.

If you would like to learn more about this organization, FOOD & WINE wrote a great piece, complete with a few recipes, on Hot Bread kitchen a few years ago.  Or you can head straight to the official website.  And if you are in New York City, you are lucky enough to have their breads offered at many retailers and green markets!

Our Halloween

Our Halloween was very quiet.  In a city still trying to get back on her feet after Hurricane Sandy, it hardly felt like a day for celebration.  It was hard to wrap my head around handing out candy when almost the entirety of downtown Manhattan continues to be without power, water, food.

Mike walked home from the office last night, as subways were at a standstill and packed buses were stuck in heavy traffic.  After dinner, I baked a fresh batch of Halloween Monster Cookies and we watched our favorite Halloween specials before calling it a night.  Simple and sweet.

Hurricane Sandy

At about noon yesterday, Mike and I were going a bit stir crazy having been hunkering in our tiny (yet resilient!) apartment for close to 48 hours.  We put on our rain jackets and boots, then ventured outdoors to assess the damage in our neighborhood.  We were not alone: throngs of people were walking the sidewalks, squinting at just a hint of sunshine peeking through the rain clouds.  

The Upper East Side of Manhattan fared incredibly well - somehow the raging winds spared almost every tree and our block did not experience any flooding.  We slowly walked east, towards the FDR and East River, which we knew was underwater the day before.  It was eerie to see this thoroughfare completely empty, except for the occasional police vehicle that appeared to discourage people from hopping into the middle of the street to take photos.

We know how lucky we are to have power and no damage.  Most people we know in other neighborhoods have no power.  Our subways and trains remain at a standstill.  Residents of Hoboken are trying to evacuate, as their food and water supplies are dwindling.  But I woke this morning to the loud sound of sirens and honking cars, a sure sign that our city is beginning the long road to recovery.