Basil Restaurant-Mwaaa!

Oh, Basil.  Sweet Basil.  I love you! 

I woke up 5:00 in the morning with deep cravings for your delectable basil fries and that creamy truffle infused dip that came with them.   I woke up wanting another bite of your flavorful pizza with that delicious crispy crust…

Inspiration From Jennifer Lagdameo: Mom, Wife, Designer, And Not So Secret Shoe Lover!

     As a stay at home mom with kids, there is nothing more refreshing and inspiring than meeting a fellow mother that managed to both raise her family and pursue her own dreams and aspirations.  Whether the  ambition is to be a designer, a lawyer, an airplane pilot, or a doctor, these moms are brave souls that know how to believe in themselves and turn their dreams into a reality.

That is why I couldn't wait to meet up with Jennifer Lagdameo, a mother of two, and the designer of Ananas handbags.  In 2004 She launched her first fashionable collection of pieces that were naturally made right here in NYC, and were popular with celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Cameron Diaz, and Jennifer Garner.

To Do: Grocery Shopping Online

Kosher Grocery shopping in Brooklyn is no picnic.  If you must bring your kids along, deal with crazy parking issues, or have absolutely no more energy at the end of a long busy day, then let me introduce you to a new quality of life that is-online grocery shopping !

The Sheitel Hunt: A Personal Review

Last month I went on a wig/sheitel buying hunt. 

I was determined to find what I was looking for and not to settle or be pressured into buying a wig that I did not simply love.  The plan was to find a wig that would be a good candidate for the classic bob haircut.  The wig had to fit into some basic criteria including 1) feel good on my head 2) European hair 3) Dark brown color.

After buying the prized wig, I planned on taking it to be cut by Eva Scrivo at her salon on Bond Street in the city.

Following are the details of my Crown Heights wig searching adventure. 

And The Winner Is...

Wig by Freeda!

Cut by Eva Scrivo!

Makeup by Vinnetta Scrivo!

Details of my search for a dark brown short bob wig to follow in a future posting!

Stay tuned…..

Healthy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Here’s my healthy version of this delicious moist zucchini bread. It’s always popular with the kids, even my most picky eater approves. We just make sure not to tell him that there’s lots of freshly grated zucchini baked inside. And of course we include enough chocolate chips in the batter so that we can successfully entice the kids to open wide and take that first bite!
Don’t forget to double the recipe so you can make it last for longer than a day!

Fleeting Shadows

Oh G-d, what a strange cruel trick dost thou play on me. A trick of nature many have taken for granted. Yet I cannot let it pass without some form of grievance.
    How is it that I am turning 30?
I have only just begun to see that I am no longer a child and can begin to think of myself as a woman. I have only now begun to feel comfortable in my own skin. I have only just begun to see the world in a better light, and to see people for who they simply are.
   How can it be that when I am still just beginning to learn, another page in my life has turned on me, and left me all befuddled?
   How is it that you have turned on me so quickly, like a blinking of an eye, before I have begun to stand up from the whirlwind challenges of my youth. As Solomon has said-like the fleeting shadow of a bee. You cannot grasp it, cannot stop it, cannot control it. You can barely even see it. How can so many years of our lives be summed up in such a way?
   Life. Life is a sum of who we are and who we’ve made ourselves to be. What we’ve done, what we’ve seen. Life should be lived. I do believe in this. But I have barely had time to brush my teeth and get out the door, when I am pushed back down and told I have turned another year older.
    I do not accept it. Do you hear? I am on strike from the birthday gods. I am starting to make my own birthday. When I feel I am ready to be old, then I will have another one. It will be one very long year.
You see, I do not feel I fit the criteria for being 30.
   Yes, I have all the appropriate signs of age. My little laugh lines are creeping up on me, my bones are becoming weary, and my eyesight hasn’t gotten any better. My children are getting bigger too, as the world around us turns and dates us in the process. So yes, if you look at it that way, I have turned 30, and I qualify.
   But deep down, my soul is saying I still think young. I still question things, question people, and religion. I am curious about the world. Have a desire to see all the wonders of exotic places that my friends have seen. That they may have seen with less open eyes. And possibly jaded hearts. With a lack of wonder that I am sure to feel and experience. If only I am given a chance to see it all.
   And furthermore, the possibilities in the creative realm have only just begun to open up to me. To beckon to me. And I am listening to their call.
I will not take this life for granted. I will remember this feeling. This feeling of being cheated of time. And I will use it to my advantage. No more cheating on me. You see.
I am onto you.

Under the Yellow Umbrella

Under the yellow umbrella
Our faces have a golden glow
The sky is the perfect blue,
The clouds have blown away
We all sit down and share
We drink to our health
Pass the bowl around
Make sure our friend has had his fill
Make sure our friend has a chair
Under the yellow umbrella
What your last name is, no one cares
Who you are, matters most
Under the yellow umbrella
We are shaded from the world
From the harmful rays of the sun
We are cool and relaxed
We see each other eye to eye
We are all sitting in a circle
Getting to know our neighbors
Getting to see who they are
Getting to see who we are
Under the yellow umbrella
We feel safe
We feel secure
We can see out
They can see in
But we have a yellow shade
It seems to say that everything is okay
That we can just be
Not to worry
To enjoy and let it go
Take in life
In the golden glow

The Crocodile Went to the Dentist

I made the trip to the dentist the other week, and for those of you who are familiar with Shel Silverstein’s poem, I didn’t exactly eat her, but I did get pretty darn close!

It started off innocently enough as I slid into the big vinyl chair, and got ready for my tooth cleaning and whitening consultation. I quickly noticed that the dentist seemed to be lacking an assistant as she came into the room and introduced herself.

I hadn’t gotten my teeth cleaned; I am ashamed to say, in a really long time. I know. People like me should be punished, or at least come up with a bunch of cavities or something right? Well, besides for some embarrassing discoloring that I needed to treat, my teeth were really not in such bad shape… and the dentist let me know that she was ready to begin the cleaning process.

She attaches the bib to my shirt and gets her utensils lined up on the tray in front of her. She takes out her anesthetic spray that I assume is meant for my teeth. Although, I never knew my previous dentists to numb my gums before cleaning them. “Hmmm. Something new” I assume.

Disappearing Blueberry Muffins

These muffins go really fast in my house, so I always double the recipe. Sometimes triple. I am always focused on making food that not just tastes good, but is also good for you. Therefore I use a healthier oil, and some applesauce for added moisture. Whole wheat or spelt flour is always used so that I can cut back on the white flour.

For the taste, the vanilla extract really makes the flavor pop, and I always use the real vanilla. No fake stuff for me! Fresh blueberries are also better than frozen, but only when they are really fresh and available...

Also, don’t forget to use muffin liners, because you do not want to spend half your day cleaning up the crusty mess on the bottom of the tin!. An even more efficient, super easy way to clean up is to line a large cookie sheet with a sheet of foil and place sturdy liners (double them up) on top. When you are done baking, you simply pick up the muffins and toss out the foil, and Voila! A super clean baking pan!

Eight Cool Beauty Tips From Eva

Eight Cool Beauty Tips To Try Now!!

These tips are hot off the press from Eva’s new book “Eva Scrivo on Beauty”.
Come and get em while they’re still fresh!

1)To create a smooth surface for your lipstick use a natural lip balm after exfoliating your lips with a soft bristle toothbrush. I personally love Alba Un-petroleum lip balm in tangerine. It is natural, smells sooo delicious (not overpowering) and has an SPF of18. http://albabotanica.com/

Spring Fling

What is it about shoes dangling high above my head, flung casually over power lines that makes me wonder and wonder…
Firstly, how did they get there, and how come I can never catch these guys in the act? How many tries does it take to make a perfect landing, and is it technically legal to dispose of your personal affects in this manner?
Also, what exactly happened to the guy who was wearing those shoes? Was he some unfortunate victim of the mafia or of some vicious street gang, who before meeting his untimely death had his shoes removed , shoelaces methodically tied together and then flung up there as a cryptic way of warning others “don’t mess, or this is what will happen to you.”

Super Sweet Potato Bars

This sweet potato recipe was inspired and influenced by two things ; my super picky two year old eater, and a recipe from the book “No Whine With Dinner”.
In an effort to please my child’s finicky taste buds, I have been working on perfecting this recipe. These bars include veggies, protein and carbs. So far it has been a hit in my house. We ate more than half the pan by the second day. Now I have to start rationing it!
The recipe found in the cook book “No Whine With Dinner” Gave me the idea of adding more flour and ground nuts for more texture and less mush. The original on page 163 is called Chocolaty Pumpkin Bars.

A Happy Subject

There is nothing quite like the feeling of sunlight beaming down on you and lifting your spirits after a long and endless dreary winter. It was today that I smiled in the sunshine for the first time in months. I don't care if I looked like a fool. I have been practicing my city-"don't mess with me"-scowl for way too long. It's on days like today that I feel it is time to get back to my roots. Back to my childhood. When a beautiful day like this would be greeted with unabashed joy. It's interesting that my fondest memories always involve time spent outdoors.
My most favorite memory is of the times that my family spent at Rehoboth beach. Each year I would look forward to our trip with such anticipation. It was the highlight of the summer and truly the highlight of the year for me as well. Even till today, I begin looking forward to the summer months as soon as spring comes around and it begins to tease me with its warming light. I hope that I will be able to carry on this summertime tradition for our own children and give them memories of their own that they will cherish for a lifetime. I have included here for your enjoyment a piece that I wrote months ago. I was hoping to capture in words the moment, the memory, and the joy that I felt and still feel when being outside on a beautiful beach.

The Beach

What is it about the beach that always induces happiness in me? In no other place can I feel such a complete state of utter bliss. My heart sings. My lungs breath in. My head spins with giddiness. The waves crash around me, and I feel sand; grainy and warm embracing my feet. Sifting over and between my toes. My arms outstretched wide to receive the warm sun and spray of salty sea. My ears serenaded with sounds of lapping waves. Splashing. Foaming. Sizzling. As the cry of the gull, piquant and pure, pierces the swirling atmosphere. I can feel it now if I close my eyes tight enough. Let my body, my mind, relive every serene moment I’ve ever had on these precious Eastern shores.
Moments spent on the beaches from childhood, always come back to sweeten my oldest memories. Family, friends, siblings, and pets. All are welcome. All are at home. Happy, laughing, eating, and playing. Running to catch the waves. To catch sight of the sea creatures. Catch them in our hands. In our buckets. Run off to our parents with tales of discovery and adventure. To dig the deepest sand pits and mold the tallest sand castles. To build fords for water and watch with trepidation and excitement as waves threaten to wipe out our creations.
How the sun can warm our backs and melt away our daily tensions. How it makes us forget everything else. How the wind and the air, the waves and the sea, the sand and the seashells fill us with wonder, and love for nature, love for life. How it gives us something to look forward to each year as we count down last minutes of our drudgery filled classes and boring endless jobs. It was and it still is our ultimate reward for everything tough and dreary we have ever gone through.
This year, yet again, I look forward to seeing the sea. To being there. I never tire of the ageless delight. To be there right now. In all of the splendor of the vast and endless ocean. How such a tiny, insignificant being such as myself can become the perfect match to such a seemingly infinite creation as the ocean. I feel blessed to have become a part of these beaches. Yes, I am a part. For I know very well that I may leave the sandy shores but you will never be able to take them out of me. The experience is strongly embedded in every memory fiber of my mind and body. I can relive it for my own enjoyment whenever I wish. In fact, I am reliving it right this moment. And I hope you, my dear reader, have relived this moment with me as well.