park it

I've been taking full advantage of living just a block and a half away from Central Park this year. I've spent at least one day nearly every weekend on the Great Lawn catching some rays, reading and people watching. Becoming an expert park-ette, I think the three items above would be ideal to have for the rest of the season and well into fall. The blanket is huge (64" x 80") and very light weight. The bag is beautiful but a bit too pricey for my likes. I tend to destroy anything light colored so I try to spend a bit less knowing that it will be gray by the time I'm done with it. Finally 50+ spf lotion. Ever since my sister got horribly burnt last summer I've been wearing extra sunscreen and making sure I reapply as soon as I'm a tad pink. The only thing that's missing is a cool drink.

steven alan beach blanket + flea bag saddle bag + kiehls uv defense

down by the bay

…and by bay I mean the Hudson. The first time I ever biked in the city was in San Francisco this past March. I always see people zipping around in Manhattan, bicyclists yelling at cabs and pedestrians alike for being in their way. It all seemed way too intense for me. However the San Francisco biking adventure made me a bit more brave and this past weekend I rented a bike from a small shop on the Upper West Side and took to the streets.

Eddie's Bicycles is conveniently located 2 blocks from my apartment. Even more convenient, Riverside Park with its vast bike highway (bike lane) is just 2 avenues over. Since I usually am on foot when I take to the park, biking was a really nice change. The breeze from the water and the ease of coasting along was really relaxing and fun. I've been spinning at the gym lately to give my ankles a rest from beating the pavement so I didn't feel completely inapt to the other bicyclists. I was amazed at how nice the bike lanes were and also how rude and mean the pedestrians acted. I get the yelling now and the ringing of the bike bells! Either way I'll be trying out biking a few more times to see if a bike is something I'd like to invest in. It would be a nice change to running or walking. Also the lure of a basket full of groceries for a picnic is a daydream worth living.

summer sangria

I woke up this morning to the sound of cars zooming through the rain. Not the morning I was expecting. Everyday I wake up and hope for sun and blue skies. Spoiled by those few weeks where temperatures rose and I was able to leave the apartment without a jacket and without that sudden chill when you first open the door. During those few weeks where it felt more like summer than spring, I ventured to the local market to stock up on supplies for sangria and guacamole. Tried and true, the guacamole recipe I knew by heart. The sangria however was something I thought of making several times but it always seemed like a ton of work. I was surprised to find out that it's nearly impossible to mess up and was much easier than expected. I made adjustments as I saw fit and without measuring much, I just taste tested until it felt like I was drifting away on a boat on the ocean. Recipe below, cheers!

brooklyn red

1 cup brandy
1 orange
1 red apple
1 green apple
1 lime
1 bottle well-chilled dry red wine (Shiraz or Cabernet)
1 cup ginger ale
1/2 cup sprite

Dice your apples. Mix brandy, wine, ginger ale and sprite together. Add in apples. Halve your orange and lime. Squeeze into mix. Allow to sit in fridge for 15-20 minutes. P.S. Wouldn't it look awesome in this modern carafe?