Sunday, November 30, 2008

Thanksgiving in the Catskills


Winter wonderland: Hiking in the snow on Slide Mountain.

Hardware store in Phoenicia, NY.


This time two years ago...

Mexico, 2006. View of the Soothsayer Pyramid from Governor's Palace at Uxmal.

No one in sight for miles at a beach on Cozumel Island...except Seth.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

RECIPE BOX

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner I can take or leave the turkey, all the fixin's, the pumpkin pie, even the wine as long as green bean casserole's on the menu: a few cans of green beans, condensed mushroom soup, water chestnuts, and crunchy onions. Happy Turkey Day everyone. GOBBLE! GOBBLE!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

RECIPE BOX

I usually save this recipe for special occasions like Christmas, but it made the perfect treat for such a sweet night! Each batch makes four little loaf cakes (use 5-3/8" x 3-1/4" x 1-7/8"-pans). Wrap them in foil and they can be saved for about a week at room temperature. Add a bow and they make great gifts!

Orange Poppy Seed Pound Cakes
(adapted from a recipe from the original Victoria magazine)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
5 eggs
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Preheat oven 350. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl beat sugar and butter together, add eggs one at a time, then orange juice and almond extract. Fold in the poppy seeds. Divide batter into four buttered and floured pans. Bake for 55 minutes, let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then enjoy!
(Note: the original recipe calls for an additional 1/2 cup sugar, which makes it too sweet for my taste, 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead of the almond extract.)

Sunday, November 2, 2008

This time last year...

Nightmare on Flatbush Avenue.

Ghouls and zombies dining in Soho, October 31, 2007

Portrait of an October bride, NYC Halloween Parade 2007

Halloween spooktakular

Ghosts in Manhattan! Spotted at the NYC Halloween Parade, 2008.