Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July!  I love the gigantic flag that hangs from the George Washington Bridge.

Cinco de Derby

Two of my very favorite days of the year are Cinco de Mayo and Derby Day and when they fall on the same day, it doesn't get much better!  Nothing compares to actually going to the Derby and standing on the track....

but this was still a ton of fun!

We started early and ran into these funny guys that were doing a pub crawl...

Ready to run for the roses!

Mint Juleps!

Cheers with a creeper in the back.  ;)

The more the merrier!

My cutie...

Then the margaritas started to flow...

Birthday girls (+1)...

Last year, my husband and I bet every single race and didn't win a single one. Even when we bet every horse in the last race, the winner was a favorite so we still lost!  All of the OTB's in NYC shut down, so this year my husband and I were degenerates and opened online betting accounts.  Not quite as fun as holding a real ticket in your hand, but it let us still enjoy the excitement.  He at least won a couple this year.

I love giraffes

WARNING:  Most of you will be very bored with this post.  There is a new baby giraffe at the Bronx Zoo.  As soon as I saw this, I knew I had to go for a visit!  A beautiful weekend a couple of weekends ago, we made the long and difficult trek to the Bronx so I could take one million pictures of the giraffes.

6 giraffes all walking in a row.  There is a little brand new baby giraffe and two year old baby giraffe.

How can you resist that face??

Look closely and you'll see a long black tongue sticking out!

The new baby...

The spot we got engaged.  :)

Pretty peacock

Easter

Easter Eve we had date night downtown.  We tried a new restaurant that I found in the same article that lead my husband to Catskill Distillery for Peace vodka a week ago.  It was called King which I thought was appropriate for the night before Easter.  The Sicilian Choke cocktail which was featured in the article actually ended up being my least favorite thing there.  We started with ramps and remesco, tots with bernaise, and fluke crudo.  Although it's not an Italian restaurant, we both ordered pasta for our entree.  I had beef ravioli with black truffle sauce and he had spaghetti with duck ragu.  Everything was wonderful!  The pasta was so fresh and some of the best I've ever had.  I would definitely return!

The next morning we got up early and went to mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral.  I feel lucky to have this as our local neighborhood church:

 Easter lilies...

And then we walked up Park Avenue on our way home so I could look at all of the tulips.  

We picked up breakfast and then took a nap.  The only thing we were missing was family!

St. Patty’s

Two weeks prior to St. Patrick’s day is Hoboken St. Patty’s day.  Even though the official parade was canceled this year, we still celebrated at the annual house party of my husband’s friend.  It’s my husband’s second favorite day of the year after Derby day.  He was awake before 7 am on a Saturday, so you know he was excited.  I finally got up and ready and we arrived by 11:30.  On the elevator up to his friend's apartment (after the host not answering the buzzer or phone calls) my husband said, oh, I think it starts at noon.  What?!  I was so embarrassed, but we still went in and cracked open a cold beverage before noon.  The night before, my best friend (aka TWN) and I spent way too long baking Irish car bomb cupcakes.  Had she not helped, I’m not sure if I ever would have gone to bed!  Everything was made from scratch.  The cupcakes had Guiness in them.  I scooped out the center and filled them with Jameson chocolate ganache, and then my TWN topped them with a Bailey’s frosting.  They got very high marks from a couple of the guests at the party, but the cake was a little off – it stuck to the paper when you tried to peel it off.  I’m still proud though.

Chopping lot o' chocolate

Making it into ganache

Coring the cupcakes

Beating lots o' butter into icing.

Ta da!

Real Irish car bombs

Real St. Patrick’s day was a mess of intoxicated, loud, crazily dressed people in the city.  I think it should be called Spring Halloween.  How different times are compared to 5 years ago when my girlfriends and I walked into an Irish pub, and at closing time I walked out with who I would later figure out to be my husband.  May not be a romantic story but I’d say we’re both so lucky to have found each other that night!  We went to bed much earlier than 5 years prior because the next morning we were off to Jupiter, Florida….

Visitors

How have two months already passed without one single blog post?  I'll try to do a little catching up...

One of my best friends from growing up came to NYC with her husband.  We had a great time catching up.  We went to a nice dinner, cooked a nice dinner, and enjoyed several adult beverages together.  Here are a couple of pics from when we went on a walk to Central Park.  We stopped off at FAO Schwarz on our way.

I quit playing with Barbie many years ago, but I would still love to have this today.  The fact that there are only ten worldwide and the price tag is $25,000.00 may put a damper on that.

 Of course we checked out the "Big" piano.

I'm pretty sure this Cabbage Patch doll is somewhere in my parent's attic.

The end of a really great weekend together!