weep no more, my lady

Corn, Evans Orchard and Cider Mill, Georgetown, KY. 9/11/09.


...oh, weep no more today...


{Via my friend Samya... Can you see the horse by the fence?}


...we will sing one song for my old kentucky home...


{Via my friend Kate}


...for my old kentucky home far away...
{Lyrics by Stephen Foster.}

sugar rush

My parents called a moratorium on my baking efforts last week, after I made biscotti, chocolate cupcakes, and a carrot cake within the span of 24 hours. {Focusing my energy on an activity that has an end result somewhat assuages the frustrations of job hunting.} So what's a girl in need of a sugar fix to do but visit as many cupcakeries and bakeries in a day as possible?

{Black forest & strawberry cupcakes from Brown's Bakery and chai tea cupcake from Babycakes; My favorite cupcake of the day {Chai Tea Cupcake}; Strawberry tart from Le Matin; Chocolate flourless squares, vanilla cupcakes, and a petit four from Tinker's Cake Shop; Guava and cream cheese pastry from Old San Juan; Baked goodies from Mondelli's Bake Shop}

Best sugar coma ever.

q&a, part two

My lifelong love for books began, I think, with Frances Hodgson Burnett's magical and utterly charming novel A Little Princess.

I had received the book as a birthday present-- and let me tell you, I was not happy about receiving a book! for a present! {ugh} ...until I started reading, and then I was captivated. I wanted to be Sara, not only for her riches, but also for her goodness and strength and spirit and imagination. The moral of the story -- that being a princess is not about privilege and fortune, but rather about how one chooses to respond to difficult situations and life's unexpected turns -- is inspiring, and even as adult, a point I would do well to remember.

And now a puppy with a tiara (via here).

I am grateful for having received that book for my birthday, as it instilled in me a respect and appreciation for the written word. Many children are not so lucky and do not have access to books. First Book addresses this barrier to literacy by providing new books and educational resources to children in need. This year, First Book is pledging to donate 50,000 new books to the state that receives the most votes in their "What Book Got You Hooked?" Campaign. So, head on over to First Book's website to vote, and while you're there, be sure to let them know:

"What book got you hooked?"
{I'd like to know, too, if you don't mind sharing your story.}

Vote now. Vote often. Vote Kentucky ;).

{Okay, you don't really have to vote for Kentucky. But you do have to vote before midnight ET on September 30, 2009.}

an apple a day

A few things I learned yesterday:

1. If you have seasonal allergies, then it's probably not a good idea to go apple picking on a farm in early September without taking your allergy medicine.
   
   1a. At the very least, take lots of Kleenex, so you don't have to steal paper napkins from the Sweet Apple Cafe.
   
   
2. You do not know more than Google Maps.
   
   
3. Buy a whole, not half, gallon of fresh pressed apple cider, because you will finish a half gallon within two days. And it is a bad decision to not buy fresh apple cider donuts; you will regret that later.

Apples, Evans Orchard and Cider Mill, Georgetown, KY. 9/11/09.

I have been super lazy this past week -- seriously, if I were a Harry Potter character, my Animagus would be a sloth (yeah, I just referenced Harry Potter. I am that cool.) -- so it was really nice to be outside, even with my allergies in attack mode and getting lost on the way to the orchard. Plus, picking my own apples gave me a(n artificial) sense of accomplishment, and I like the idea of knowing where my food came from...

Shirt: Forever 21. Scarf: Bakers. Flower bobby pin: H&M.

ETA: My dad has kindly pointed out that we have pear trees in our backyard that I could've picked for free. He's such a Debbie Downer.

(500) days of summer

The weather this weekend was lovely - sunny and warm enough for a t-shirt, with a cool breeze and a hint of fall in the air. (This is what winter in Bangladesh feels like, my parents said.) Can I tell you how much I love autumn? Apple picking and warm spiced apple cider. Layering clothes. The colors of fall foliage. A new season of must see TV. The crunch of leaves underfoot. Little kids (not pets, Megan :)) in costumes. The smell of baked goods, cinnamon, damp leaves, toasted marshmallows.

As the last days of summer wind down (fingers crossed that the temperature doesn't hit 90 any time soon), I thought I'd have one last go at summer and enjoy the blessings it has to offer:

Lexington Legends v. Hickory Crawdads, Applebee's Park, Lexington, KY. 8/28/09.

Yes, that is Big Boy holding my ticket to the Lexington Legends game. The great thing about single-A baseball is that you get teams with names like Hickory CRAWDADS. Amazing. Also great: you can see a game for about $5 and sit practically on the field and the players are so accessible.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. 8/29/09.

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen on Saturday, which is a little bit ironic since it is also the month of Ramadan. I love a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day, so when I found this recipe for pink lemonade cupcakes, I knew I had to make them. I used the cream cheese frosting that was leftover from a carrot cake I had made (you didn't know I made a carrot cake, did you?) instead of the lemonade buttercream the recipe calls for, but they were still very good. Mine didn't turn out as fluffy as I like cupcakes to be, but they were moist and I liked the slight tartness of the lemonade.

Gazpacho. 8/29/09.

To me, it's not summer unless I've had a good bowl of gazpacho. My mom and I used to go to this lovely little local tearoom at the beginning of every summer, but it was sadly sold to an overpriced bland Mediterranean restaurant a few years back. Early this summer (summer meaning after classes had ended), when I still lived in New York City, I had had some gazpacho with my friend Brando. But it was still too cold to really enjoy the soup, which was too vinegar-y besides. Mine was better. :) I'm not tootin' my own horn; I'm tootin' Ina's (this recipe came from her The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook). I used tomatoes and bell peppers fresh from the garden and added a bit of jalapeno for a kick. It was simply divine. Loved!

Ah, summer, I shall miss you, but I am so ready for fall!

a look back, part one

So I've not been all that productive since I've been home, much to my parents' chagrin. I caught up on SVU and Criminal Minds... and (full disclosure) Hannah Montana. Made a meal for the parents (without the prosciutto, which made the chicken somewhat bland). Painted my nails pale pink. Went to Dairy Queen (twice). And finally got my pictures developed from my Kodak Fun Saver.

These are some of the last pictures I took in New York:

Water Taxi: View from SI Ferry, NYC. 5/13/09.

Jupiter Saturn & The Sun, Rose Center, NYC. 5/22/09.

Commencement Banner, Columbia University, NYC. 5/20/09.

Enjoy The View, Upper West Side, NYC. 5/18/09.

MetroCard Bike, Hell's Kitchen, NYC. 5/12/09.

all the sweetest winds...

"...they blow across the South"

-- Ryan Adams, Oh My Sweet Carolina

East-West Connector, Frankfort, KY. Date Unknown.

sometimes...

...you just have to make a decision.

There were some extenuating circumstances that influenced my decision, and I may have been somewhat upset when I made it -- but I've made it.

I'm flying home on a one-way ticket this Thursday, God willing.

cookie monster

While I'm still processing my reactions to the film Rachel, I want to share one thing that made me happy yesterday:

picture via Time Out New York

Levain Bakery's Chocolate Chip Walnut cookies are six ounces of ooey gooey melt-in-your-mouth yummy goodness -- you will definitely need a glass of milk with these cookies! Here I am at the Amsterdam Ave location, courtesy of the Levain Cam:

Levain Bakery, Upper West Side, NYC. 5/1/09.

On a side note (and this should definitely not be a side note):

Happy Derby Day!

Also, I want this hat.