Making Plans for a Friend's Visit

I can't believe tomorrow is already Thursday! Isn't time flying fast these days? Well my friend, Rachel, arrives tomorrow. Super excited! I thought I would share our plans with you, so when some of you have friends visiting you could get ideas of what to do in this great city. As I mentioned in a previous posting, I think organizing plans for your guest's arrival is critical in that it makes it stress free, therefore giving you more time to spend with your guest!

Thursday: I am working, so I have made a list for Rachel to take along with her. At night I am hosting a game night with my friends (dorky I know, but trust me it is so much fun!). I am making appetizers and I told everyone to bring a bottle of wine (ha yes you need wine to make the competition in people come out!) We will be playing Cranium Wow which is a blast if you have never played before.

Friday: Again I am working and Rachel may tag along for a bit, but the list I am sure will keep her busy. At night we are going to Lime Jungle in Hells Kitchen. Their margaritas are organic and so tasty! I think so many restaurants make their margaritas wrong, but this place has perfected them. They even opened another restaurant with the same name 5 blocks down (that has got to say something about the food!) Afterwards we will head down towards the West/East Village for some dancing?

Saturday: If it is a nice day I would love to take Rachel down to the Brooklyn Bridge and walk across it. This is my favorite bridge, as the views are spectacular. Once you cross the bridge and stay towards your right you land in a place called Dumbo (sounds so disney). There is this amazing bakery called New Almondine. Usually I just grab something from here and sit outside by the park (may be too cold for that, we'll see). We will probably spend the rest of the day shopping in Brooklyn and Manhattan. At night we are going to see a 9PM showing at Broadway Comedy. I got a great deal on tickets by going to nytix.com. $5 cover charge plus a 2 drink minimum, which is pretty standard at most comedy clubs in the nyc.

I will post my NYC list of things to do for Rachel tomorrow! Sleep tight.

2 Ways to Make Delicata Squash!

I love the Fall for many reasons, but one is the yummy harvest of vegetables that mother nature gives to us. My mom brought me a ton of squash this past weekend from upstate NY (farmers market). So as I came home from my day, I though it was time to bust out the squash. I chose the delicata squash because technically you can eat the skin on any squash but many are rough and this one once cooked really is easy to eat with skin. The size of this squash is about the size of a large russet potato. And like all winter squash, it is a great source of beta carotene-the same compound the body converts to vitamin A, which is essential for healthy skin, good vision, and boosts the immune system.

Delicata Squash with Orange & Pistachios

MAKES: 4 servings, about 1 cup each

TIME : 35 minutes

1 pound of delicata squash (1 large)

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or olive oil

2 shallots, sliced into tiny strips

1/2 cup of orange juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped salted pistachios

1) Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice crosswise (making moon shapes)

2) Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes, or until slightly light brown.

3) Add orange juice, salt, fresh ground pepper, and delicata squash. Over med-low heat, cover for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally until the squash is tender (12-15 more minutes).

5) Serve with sprinkled pistachios

*I made mine with brown rice penne pasta (Trader Joes Brand) and it mixed very well and I sprinkled some parmesan cheese on it!! So yummy. You can add some more orange juice if is not juicy.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Maple Syrup covered Onions

MAKES: 4 servings, about 1 cup each

TIME: 45 minutes

2 pounds delicata squash (about 2 large)

1 medium red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1) Preheat over to 425F degrees.

2) Cut Squash half lengthwise (long way). Scoop out seeds. Cut lengthwise (long way) into 1/2 inch thick wedges. Each half should make about 4 pieces. Toss with sliced up onion, 1 tablespoon oil and salt in a large bowl. Spread on a baking sheet.

3) Roast for 30 minutes at 435F degrees, stirring twice through duration.

4) Mix 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, syrup and mustard into bowl. Toss the squash and onions with this mixture.

*Serve with baked chicken or chicken cutlets!

Both of these recipes are super easy and do not require obscure ingredients! Enjoy this wonderful fall vegetable! Let me know how it turns out =)

Have a happy Tuesday and enjoy the blue skies. Stay tuned for itineraries for the arrival of my guest!

A Guest Comes to Visit

I hope you all had a Happy Halloween! I am having a great friend from college come visit me this weekend! Very exciting I wanted to share with you how I prepare for a guest's stay.

Having a guest stay with you means a couple of different things. Time to get your place organized, get your errands done in advance (more time to spend with your guest) and of course being flexible to their needs.

I have made a 5 Step Checklist that I will use this week...

1) Grocery list: Ask your guest for any special items they made need (ex: what they like for breakfast) I just make sure I am stocked up on basics (OJ, oatmeal, eggs, cereal, some snacks, water bottles, wine, beer)

2) Offer transportation: If you can pick them up from the airport, do it. If like me, you live in the city, search transportation options for them.

3) Make itinerary for their stay (ask your guest what she/he would like to do) Sometimes your guest will just say spending time with you is great, but I like to be prepared with options and plans rather than wasting hours on deciding what to do next.

4) Figure out where they are going to sleep. Make sure you have extra clean sheets, pillows, towels, ect. If you do not have a guest room or pullout sofa, you may want to invest in a air mattress. I like the Aerobed collection. The best component of air mattresses is that they are easy to store!

5) If you are working and your guest will be alone for some of the trip, offer points of interest for your guest to visit (get a map and circle the areas you think she/he may enjoy!)

I will write up my itinerary and points of interest this week to share with you for NYC.

Happy Monday! Bundle up today!