Princeton Day Trip: Witherspoon Bread Co

Today was a Princeton day for work. So like old times, I took the train down (how I've missed that 6:01 train!). But today was different, we took the route through down town near the university to stop in at the Witherspoon Bread Company. I could have just lived there all morning. It was warm and smelled so yummy.

Needless to say, I walked out with a Brioche for breakfast, an olive roll for the trip home on the shuttle, and a loaf of raisin walnut bread for the rest of the week. How I didn't realize this was on the way to work, I just don't know. All those opportunities for a warm bread product in the morning that I just let pass by!

When I reported on my little trip to my old team, I was told I also really needed to go to Olive's, the Bent Spoon and the House of Cupcakes near by as well...so you may see more on my Princeton eating tour.

Candy, Easter Style

I've held off for as long as possible. I tried to get to April. And then I went to Target and gave in.

I only allowed myself two purchases: Black Jelly Beans and Cadbury Creme Eggs.

I went with the orange ones, too. I do love the originals, there is something about that really sweet, sugary cream inside. Now, one path I could not go down was the malted milk ball egg one. Those are too addictive, I can't stop with one!

So I heard these eggs were "nice to eat". I didn't get to try one, someone had eggs for lunch, including my orange bunny laid eggs. That means I'll just have to get more, just to report back, of course.

Friend Time

Great weekend. Sad to be home already. Three college roommates, one sister, four "other men" and 5 kids. And burgers. With the fixings. And beer and wine. And a move to a new house. And one more to come.

It's hard to believe I've known A & B for, well, over 15 years. Very relaxing, hanging out in the kitchen, cooking and eating and talking. Lots of Speed Racer, J's special smoothies, and the other J's Challah French Toast. And no traffic on either side of the trip.

Thursday Nite Theater Nite

Last night was Theater Nite, West Village style.

Our friend, Dan Monaco, wrote and directed Trousers, which opened last night at the IRT on Christopher Street. Trousers is a play about two men - one wearing a 15 foot pair of trousers, and one not wearing any at all (and the bruising that ensues between them). Thank you, IRT website, for that summary. The Straddler, an interdisciplinary organization with a literary magazine, sponsored the play.

The play runs March 24th - April 8th at the IRT at 154 Christopher Street.

Instead of a pre-theater dinner, we did a quick stop for a snack. Our target was the Italian cookie place near Bleeker, but the bright lights of Sockerbit (Sweet and Swedish!) drew us in.

The "Ikea of Candy Stores" just opened this month. Bright, clean and sparse. It's so Swedish. And had lots of candy. I spent most of my time taking pictures, while M made the selections. I loved all the variations of licorice...salty licorice, loved it! As you can see from the message on the wall - it's transfat free and the colors are all natural. Very healthy.

And we followed up the play with a neighborhood Italian place. Super cozy, Italian staff, all business. Malatesta Trattoria on Washington Street, our little go to spot if we are in the neighborhood.

Momomomomofukuuuuu!

How good does this Candy Bar Pie look? We had a productive day, touring the city, being all cultural, hitting the UES and the UWS. So we worked up an appetite for lunch. And since it's Saturday, we finished off with a sweet treat. We have two very big sweet tooths in this house. Using the power of Yelp from our lunch spot, I did a search on "desserts", then "cookies" and hit on a winner. David Chang's midtown outpost of Momofuko Milk Bar on 56th between 5th & 6th. It's upstairs of Ma Pache.

The Candy Bar Pie is a piece of chocolate crust with caramel, peanut butter nougat and pretzels. It's a "slice" fit into a neat little box. We took it right next door to the Chambers Hotel lobby. Milk Bar is just adjacent, in the same building as this boutique hotel. We could really enjoy our dessert in the peace and quiet. I think the staff enjoyed watching us eat all this goodness.

As I mentioned, we were busy busy busy in the morning! So many times, I say we should do something cultural. Isn't this why Jason (Bethany's Jason) says they live in New York? The culture, the museums? So we ventured to the Met. Mom, I'm sorry, I promise to take you there, too (she has been dying to go since I moved here!) Let's just say M has the same philosophy on museum going.

See, to prove we were there:

Triathlon. Donut Plant. Triathlon. Square Donut.

I was so pumped Wednesday night! I left work, headed over to the NY Blood Center an joined a few hundred other Team in Training triathletes at the kick off for the NYC Triathlon event. Ready to jump in at that official start of training on Saturday. SO EXCITED!

Well, look what happened:

A little background, first. I did my first triathlon with TNT 5 years ago. I learned to swim, bike and run and had a successful finish. Then I did it 2 more times on my own. The last time I made my goal of 3 hours. And I was supposed to go into retirement. But then someone contacted me about doing a team at work (we'd get special shirts!). I guess I had added "triathlons" to my interests on our work bio pages and they found me.

And since I didn't get in via the lottery, this was my chance. So I'm back and raising money. Honestly, it's a great cause. We're targeting to raise over $25K for my work team and $1.6 million from the entire NY team (500 of us).

My personal page: Jill's Donation Page (click here)

I think 75% goes towards the Lymphoma & Leukemia society, and the rest is really just to provide all the resources to get everyone trained up.

When I read that the 1st training was 20 min of running, squats and running form, I started to rethink going. On 90th and 5th at 8 am, that's not even near me. I sort of decided I'd join when it was a little more training, or at least biking.

So I'm going to enjoy my donut, run on my own and jump into the swim practice on Monday.

It's funny, because I started this blog nearly 2 years ago when I was completing the 2009 triathlon. How time flies.

My June 2009 Post: http://jillieofalltrades.blogspot.com/2009/06/30-days-to-go.html

And Spring is Here!

What a great day today (even better if I didn't have to work). Gorgeous weather! After traveling 2 hours to Princeton for a class, and getting the notice that it was cancelled 2 minutes after arriving there....I felt like the day was a waste.

But on the way home we made a run to Berrywild for fro yo (it was that kind of day). I'm not into the tart thing, but this place does the tart AND the smooth. So the regular frozen yogurt, coffee, it was. Here's to Friday! It's almost better than a drink. Though I did manage to have some Chenin Blanc with dinner, that was pretty good, too.

Korilla Time

I have 3 screens at work, which means after a long morning of spreadsheets, my eyes can start to ache. Lunch time rolls around and it's nice out. I start to have a conversation with myself:

"Maybe I'll just get a salad quick. Fresh & Co. Again. And I look at my screen again and people keep pinging me over the work IB.

But sometimes I give into peer pressure and when the rest of my team says "Yes, come with us to Korilla, you need to get out"....I give in.

This is another one of the food trucks of New York (and I earned my Foursquare badge for visiting a bunch today!). Last October I wrote about sampling a bunch at the Food & Wine Festival, but the Korilla BBQ truck wasn't there.

Well, it's clearly popular because here is the line and you can glimpse the truck in the background.

The menu apparently changed because it used to be very confusing, from what I was told. I went with the Angus beef, lots of Asian veggies (kimchi, mung beans, and mushrooms). And then the very hot sauce.

It was quite tasty! Yes, I got the rice, but stayed to the right side of my dish. I know, it doesn't look that great. I think most people go for the tacos and the burrito. With these carts, you have to go with what's popular, right? I still liked my bowl, maybe next time I'll venture into taco land.

Fro Yo Trip: Forty Carrots @ Bloomingdales

A few people have mentioned Forty Carrots, that it's the best Frozen Yogurt. Tucked away in Bloomingdales, it was always a bit out of the way. But now I work right next door to Bloomingdales. No excuse not to go now, right?

Some of my coworkers wanted Forty Carrots and who am I to not tag along? I'm dying for a piece of bread about now, or something sweet (will need to wait until Saturday, but this whole thing may go out the window with the triathlon training). So what was I thinking by tagging along to watch someone else eat frozen yogurt?

Approaching the target destination...

And up through cosmetics....

7th floor....

Hidden in the back of bedding...

Here it is.

A good size portion for $4.50 (I know, it seems steep, but when you've seen the Grom prices, it looks good). This is not a topping crowd (too many calories). Finally made it here. Next time, I'll actually have to order one!

MZ Wallace and Me

I'm a fan of MZ Wallace. This is me in India with my purple MZ.

I was introduced to the brand by my friend R in 2008. She wanted to pop into the Crosby Street store after catching up over coffee. I wasn't going to argue, I'm always looking for a good bag.

I left with the Bea and haven't looked back. The bags are functional and help me look put together. It's a durable nylon with enough details to hold it's shape. I feel organized when I use that and well, that's important in my "like to be organized life". I can fit the laptop and gym clothes in it, and that's what I like. I own a Bea, a Jane, a Zoe, and 2 I don't know the names of which seem to have gone into retirement. I scope out the pop up sales and hit the 3 hour "everything is 50% off from 6-9 at the Crosby Street store" where I'll stand in line for an hour with 40 other women.

A few years ago with the Bea.

So there was a Facebook post by the company looking for fans. Yes, I'm a fan on Facebook so sent in an email. After an exchange of emails, I went to meet up with the digital marketing firm they are working with. I'm a mid-thirties, practical kind of girl. And apparently, there is a "type" for owners of these bags. People like me.

Who doesn't love to talk about themselves? It was an hour of me rattling off what celeb would own one of these, what other brands I'm loyal to (Fergus said I was a wealth of info as I rattled on about the Laundress, Smart Wool, Pradagonia, Femmegems, Satya, and Tieks. All these random brands that clearly I have an affinity for).

An interesting question they posed: Would I want to know more about MZ Wallace and the girls behind it? It made me realize I don't know much, besides there are 2 women behind it. Maybe? I clearly know the two Cornell textile- trained women behind the Laundress and follow their blog.

It's funny because were getting wine Saturday afternoon and the girl at the counter liked my Zoe. I like her, too.

Me and the Zoe in Key West.

MZ Wallace: Crosby Street, Christopher Street, Lexington and Tokyo.

Waffles & Dinges at the High Line

I have a few stops yesterday I wanted to report out on, but am thinking the walk we just took was worthy of a post. We wanted to get out of the house for a walk so headed towards the meatpacking and High Line (both always a good place for people watching). And at the entrance of the High Line we saw the Waffles and Dinges cart.

I recently tried this when C and U in the office brought some samples back after a client meeting. What's so great about a waffle? Well, the fresh backed smell....and the Spekuloos! The Speckuloos is a spread that looks like peanut butter but tastes like Belgian cinnamon gingerbread cookies (according the W&F website).

It took us a minute to figure out but the "dinges" is the topping you select for your waffle and includes a host of items like whipped cream, nutella, peanut butter, chocolate and on and on.

Deeelightful is what I would call this. It was chilly out and this warm treat totally hit the spot.

Waffles & Dinges, a moving target.

Cupcakes, Giving Them Another Try

I love the idea of baked goods, but sometimes it's a disappointment. Bars, cakes and cookies look so good behind the counter. The store is cute, there are lots of cakes on cake plates and the smell of frosting fills the air.

And then there is something missing. Case in point, our Rocky Road bar at the Little Cupcake Bakeshop. I think the specialty here is cake and cupcakes, but we went for the bar. And it had alot going on and was the "something sweet" I needed, but it wasn't great. Too much frosting at Crumbs, dry at Magnolia, fine at Cupcake Stop...

And unless someone has raved about a cupcake at this point, it's hard for me to go down that path. I'll admit, my Cake Doctor book and I have made some very good box-based cakes. I like moist cake with a crumb. And I love frosting, but I don't want too much frosting, or frosting so stiff that I can't get a good bite of cake and frosting together. Maybe my memories are influenced by who I've been with and where, but I enjoyed Georgetown cupcakes (DC for a shower) and Sprinkles (and we at them for breakfast at the Beverly Hills location), and Billy's carrot cake ones (very specific ones here, too).

Well, today I had a great cupcake. I came back from a client visit and a tray of mini cupcakes was literally in my face as I got to my desk. K on our team was the recipient and shared them. Being on the Four Hour Body, my tendency is to say "no"....but I was hungry and they looked so darn cute and tasty.

And they were. The cherry pie one was like a bite of pie in my mouth (you even got the crust taste!). For demonstration purposes, we had to bite one in half so you could see the inside. See the cherry and the "crust" on top?

And I like anything PB&J related of course (see my last post on PB&J doughnuts). It was a peanut butter cake and jelly like frosting (to the left in the picture below).

The cupcakes are care of cakelab. Thank you Grace for my afternoon treat!

And her blog: http://www.cakelabnyc.com/blog/

Mission: Doughnuts & Coffee

After eating protein, veggies and slow carbs all week I have really come to appreciate my Saturday morning coffee and pastry/sweet treat. For me, it's been the Doughnut Plant doughnuts at Joe. M goes for the Cinnamon Roll. My morning couldn't get any better, honestly, after this little trip.

Alas, last week, there were no doughnuts at Joe! Doughnut Plant just opened on 23rd Street in Chelsea, two blocks from Joe. Did the new location mean the weren't selling to other outlets? Were the doughnuts gone forever from Joe? How would this impact our morning?

So last Saturday I had a rugalech, which was good. It just wasn't the same.

But, being 4HB day off, I could justify the mid morning trip to Doughnut Plant to get one in. I wrote about our trip to the original location last spring. I have to be thorough in my blogging, of course, so this trip was critical.

So got the Peanut Butter & Jelly doughnut. Jelly inside, crunchy peanut butter on the outside. It was the best version of a PB&J I've ever had. Delicious and gone in about 2 minutes. I'm loyal to my Joe coffee, but do wander, and decided that if we needed to cheat to get our doughnuts we would.

Which wasn't necessary because Joe DID start to carry doughnuts again this week. But that didn't stop our trip back to Doughnut Plant this morning. Where I went for the Blackout. Not too sweet, some chocolate in the middle. Delicious. M found the Cinnamon Roll super fresh (which means a little soft sometimes).

The store is like the original with a doughnut theme to the decorating, this one just has more seating.

My morning is complete now.