Weekends in New York

Morgan Ave, Brooklyn

I love discovering new things. I also love walking around new (and old) neighborhoods. This is why New York is such an interesting place. Even in the winter, which I hate, there is always something going on.

Not that I'm always out discovering it. I've been a hermit for so long thanks to this brutal weather that I know I've missed out on so much. I do not like missing out on anything. But that's over now. It's spring. It's supposed to be warm. Which means me, outside, exploring.

My latest explorations have taken me from Manhattan to Brooklyn and back again. While I say explorations, some might say obsessions. I've mentioned it before and it definitely warrants multiple mentions. The Macaron.

Grattan Street, Brooklyn

Ah, the Macaron. Such perfection. I first became smitten with this little orb of perfection on one of my trips to Paris. Of course the perfect city would have the perfect treat. I was in love. I wanted more. I always needed more.

Then I began following a vegan diet. I thought it was the end of my pillows of perfection. Until I discovered Sweet Maresa's. It was an accidental find at my first vegan pop-up shop a few months ago. I began following where they would go next.

This is how we wound up in Bushwick, Brooklyn at the Pine Box Rock Shop. Our mission was quick - get in, get the goods, get out. I was pretty good that day, unusual for me. I'm weak, I admit. But our adventures always start from one idea and morph into another.

We left the Rock Shop and walked into a tour group. Odd. We didn't think there was anything around here to tour. That's when we noticed our surroundings. It wasn't just any tour - it was an Art Tour. That's when we saw them. All over most of the buildings. Grattan Street, Morgan Avenue, Knickerbocker Ave - Wall Art. We could have driven around all day just looking at Art. But we had more to discover.

Central Park South

Our next adventure took us to Manhattan. We're always guaranteed to find something interesting in the park and what a find! Spools and spools of rope. Thanks to the Public Art Fund we found "Desire Lines" by Tatiana Trouve. On display March 3 though August 30, 2015.

Each spool is wound with rope equivalent in length to a corresponding pathway and is labeled to identify its location in the park. There are 212 spools and each pathway has a title drawn from culture. Seeing giant spools at the entrance to the park was definitely something that was going to get our attention.

Of course I found the spool that referenced Paris. What else would go with the macarons?

We had night plans so it was home for a quick change and back out for Broadway time. What goes better with the theme of macarons & Paris better? Why none other than....An American in Paris!

This was one show I couldn't miss and I wasn't disappointed. The lead danced like Gene Kelly and just thinking about being in Paris was enough to keep a smile on my face the entire time. The dancing was mostly balletic so if you enjoy dancing this is a great show, or if you just enjoy Broadway in general it's a great show.

We weren't ready to head home so we went across the street to the Maple, a place we scouted earlier in the night. Paris was still in the air and I went with it.

The French Cocktail. St~Germain. Perfect. Gin, muddled mint, lemon juice, simple syrup, topped with Proseco. I controlled myself and stopped at one. Only because I knew the last bus was coming or else who knows what would have happened.....

Before I knew it another week had gone by and it was time for new discoveries. New discoveries and old favorites. By this I mean Macaron time. In a new location. We had run out. I couldn't have that. I wasn't alone in my desires for puffs of heaven though. Mike was in on my quest.

I did some research. The next vegan pop-up shop was at Moo Shoes. Uh oh. This looked like trouble. In my quest for macarons I was being sent to a shoe store. This couldn't be good.

It wasn't. I mean, yes it was good. It was beyond good. IT WAS AMAZING. There were macarons and chocolate and those delicious Yeah Dawgs, and shoes, shoes, SHOES!

I didn't know where to go first. But then I saw it. Tiny pillows in every color. I ran. Well, walked fast. I wasn't the only one excited. There was almost a fight on that macaron line. Apparently this woman didn't get the "no cutting" memo. I would have thrown her down but the mood around me was all zen and shit. I couldn't let it get to me. I was seconds away from more bites of Heaven.

Besides, I used my line time to scout for shoes. Of course I found a pair. Cute little mauve flats with a bow. It was a successful mission. The best part was Moo Shoes is just around the corner from BabyCakes. Baked doughnuts, savory biscuits and chocolate dipped Madeleines - yes, it was a very successful day.

For more information on the places I've mentioned, please visit their websites:

www.pineboxrockshop.com
www.publicartfund.org

www.anamericaninparisbroadway.com

www.maplenyc.com

www.mooshoes.com

www.yeahdawgvegan.com

www.erinmckennasbakery.com

Central Park West

The Market & Macarons

 I love snacks. I'm not ashamed to admit it. More often than not, I think I can choose snacks over "regular" food. It used to be that I was more of a dessert person but I've gotten better. I've branched out. The possibilities are endless. Especially with the amazing choices of healthy snacks that you can find today. I try, really, I do.

I started the day out pretty good. Had my smoothie and headed out to The Seed Market, the monthly pop-up vegan market at 135 West 18th Street. I was excited to see what selection of vendors would be out today. I'd heard about a few new ones that I couldn't wait to try and there was always room for sampling.

I am weak. I want to establish that right now before I continue. I walked through the door and all hope was lost. Hope for self-control. There was the Cheese lady. Why hello! Is that mushroom pate I see? In my bag. It was incredibly delicious....and mine. All mine.

Next was Yeah Dawg! For anyone that has ever tried a vegan hot dog you may think, uh oh. But don't let that fool you. I have heard about this place from social media and from a co-worker who vends with them. Word was great. I was excited. The dog did not disappoint. I was very happy. Cooked to perfection with toppings that were just right. No ketchup Mike. I need these for BBQ season. If it ever gets here...

I turned a corner and there it was. Beams of light shining on a Chocolate Heaven. Gone Pie Vegan Bakery. I'd been following this bakery for a while, reading about the delicious chocolaty confections and wondering when I'd be able to partake.

I ran over and didn't know where to begin. So I took them all. Just kidding. I looked over all the chocolate goodness and chose a peanut butter rice crisp treat, a peanut butter brownie, junior mint balls & to balance out all of my chocolate, a few lemon cookies.

Sweet Maresa's Macarons

I was so excited after my purchase that I think I just wandered around for a few booths. I let Mike check out some healthy items (we bought those too - I had to balance out my chocolate) and I found some really nice coconut snacks. Two different kinds - jerky and crunchy.

After all of our snacking, we had some juice tasting to do. Balance out the sweet with a little healthy cleansing properties. Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

Snacks, main course, juices, teas, desserts - this pop-up really does have everything. Even......mosquito repellent! Yes, I was even excited for this because with repellent it means hiking and spring. All natural repellent that can even be applied to your pets. Sold. But as I was finished up my sale, something else caught my eye...

Wait, are those...are those really....MACARONS! I ran. I might have knocked a few people over. It didn't matter. The important thing was that there were vegan macarons and I was going to get them. In every flavor. Just for me. And not share.

What I'd look like if I ate all my goodies

Yes, I said it. Not share. I bought two in each flavor and specifically told Mike I wasn't splitting. Rose, Chocolate, Almond, Pistachio, Lemon - mine. I was beaming. Like a ray of sunshine, the macarons had lit me from within. I'll be here every month for more.

I started the day with good intentions. Really, I did. The important thing is that I made sure that I mixed it up. I had a few treats mixed in with my healthy snacks.

Besides, I didn't eat ALL of my goodies in one day. Knowing that I can get my monthly fix makes it all worthwhile. Moderation is the key - and when it comes down to it I really will share everything - except my macarons.

If you'd like to attend The Seed or to get information on any of the goodies I've talked about you can visit the following sites:



theseedexperience.com
cheezehound.com
www.yeahdawg.com
gonepie.com
palmfrites.com
ticktocknaturals.com
www.lagustasluscious.com/shop/sweet-maresas

*The Lost Post* Summer of Bob

I love adventure. I think it's pretty obvious. If I'm sitting still for too long I get bored. I need constant action.


Some may view this as a bad thing.  For those around me, it's always a positive. They have a built-it entertainment coordinator.

When I lived in San Diego I was always on the look-out for things to do. Different, new, out-of-the-ordinary. You name it, I was up for it. Not everyone was always game for my selections but I'm okay with being a solo flyer.

The important thing is that I was always keeping my eye open for things to do. I knew I had to maintain my duties once we moved. People were depending on me.

Thanks to websites like LivingSocial and Groupon, my search was made easier. Activities were delivered straight to me. All I had to do was decide which ones were adventure worthy.

 I know, tough job but I was determined. The adventures were on. They kept flooding in. I didn't know where to begin. Or where to stop. So I didn't.

 I thought I'd take it easy on our first trip. Kayaking. Two-hours of gliding through Bullhead Bay in calm South Hampton. I had two adventurers with me - Mike and my dad, a.k.a. Bob. We were ready for some serenity.

Notice I said we were ready for serenity but I don't think serenity was ready for us. Or at least it wasn't ready for Bob. As soon as we hit the shore and sat in the kayaks...SPLASH! Bob was in. Yes, we laughed. It was blamed on his height. I'll go with that.

And then it happened again. Two hours into our adventure. We pulled ashore for a little rest and upon shove off...SPLASH! There Bob was again, in the drink. I think this was the highlight of our trip. Not Bob's.

We thought we'd try something a little more fast paced after this. It was time for a different kind of adventure. Since we knew Bob had a penchant for getting wet, we knew he'd be on board for whitewater rafting. Up to the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania we went.

Since he had tamed the rapids before, he was dubbed the pro and sat at the back of the raft. He was in charge of steering. I think he was paying more attention to staying on the raft this time. There were 5 people to a raft, each of us had an oar and a job to do.

The most important job - staying dry and not falling in. Pretty hard when you have 10 other rafts chasing you down with super soakers. Our lunch break was on top of a massive rock formation overlooking the rapids.

After a morning filled with rapids conquering, it was a beautiful spot to sit, relax and regroup for the next portion of the water trail. This was an amazing adventure - more my speed than kayaking. I know Mike and Bob agreed and we couldn't wait to come back for more.

We had already done sea so next up was land. Bob took a pass on this one so it was just me and Mike. Back up to Lehigh, PA for a 25-mile bike ride with the best part at the end - wine. That was all the incentive I needed.

We got fitted for our bikes, started with a group and a guide and hit the trail. All along the way were beautiful, scenic view points. Trees, waterfalls, cliffs, train tracks - they were all there.

I love to take pictures but I also love to be first. I knew it wasn't a race but when I looked behind me and saw all those people....

We had a plan. We weren't technically racing. We were just biking a lot faster than everyone else. A lot. So we were able to take all of the pictures we wanted and get to the finish line first. Well, there wasn't really a finish line but we got to the end first.

More importantly, we got to the wine first. The wine! When we got there and saw our wine, and no one around, we realized we hit the jackpot. Now I bet Bob wished he were here.


Since we were so early, we had plenty of time to walk around the town before our bus took us home. Old historical homes, nice shops and restaurants - we were glad that we had the chance to explore as much as we did.

The bonus - before it was time to leave - extra wine!

Our Summer of Adventure was a great one. Each one had positives, some more than others, but they all gave us a lifetime of memories. Now it's almost time for fall.

I have to search for some crazy new adventures. Stay tuned....

Adventures Gone By

Summer 2012

I wasn't going to address the gap in-between posts but it's like not addressing the elephant in the room. It's there, hanging out, screaming for attention. Here it is. Almost 3 years. I have a lot of excuses. They sound pretty plausible, but really, are they? Probably not. So I'll leave them out. But I'm back.

Summer 2012

A lot has happened in 3 years. I had every intention of writing about it. There were so many adventures. Whitewater rafting, kayaking, 25-mile bike rides, the Nutcracker Ballet, Cirque du Soleil, group painting events and the biggest one of all - my return to Paris, not just once but twice - yes, twice! - for Christmas in 2012 and again in April of 2014. Most of it all has been great. Most of it. 

Through it all, like so many of my events, my father, Bob, was right there with us for most of it. Whitewater rafting? He was steering. Kayaking? In the Kayak. And in the water. Twice. Tipped that kayak right over. The ballet? Cirque du Soleil? Paris? Yes, yes and Yes. Just the first time though. I was most surprised about Paris but yes, he didn't want to miss out. Who could blame him? It's Paris!

Paris December 2012

Bob always loved hanging out with us - Mike and my friends, or as we call them, the girls. He had names for many of them and would always ask if they were coming over or if I was going to see them. There was "The Bod", "Funk", "The Doofus Award Winner" (you girls know who you are). When we had parties he loved to be there. He was just like one of the gang.

April 2014

We had plans. Breweries to try, wineries to see. Scotland. We just ran out of time. 

Bob was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) in August of 2013, a type of cancer where the bone marrow doesn't make enough healthy blood cells. We signed up with the Icla da Silva Foundation in March in the hopes of having a bone marrow drive for him. Sadly, it was too late. He passed away on March 15, 2014. 

We continue our mission of raising money in his name and our team, Bob's Mustaches, partner with the Icla da Silva Foundation, in the hopes of raising awareness and encouraging people to sign up to become donors so that one day, others in need of bone marrow will hopefully find their match. 

May 2014

*While writing this, I stumbled upon an unpublished blog about the adventures we had taken with Bob. Coming soon....the forgotten Summer of 2012.*

For information on how to donate, how to become a donor, or on the foundation,  please visit the websites below:

www.crowdrise.com/melissabauernfeind
Bone Marrow Donor: www.icla.org

Bone Marrow Donor: www.bethematch.org

Oh What a Mayo

I'm not a big celebrator of Cinco De Mayo. I also don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Well, generally I don't. The "drinking holidays" are typically not my thing but something funny happened this year.

Funny ha ha? Oh no no. Funny ironic. Yes, I say ironic because that something was called Mom and Dad. Oh the irony.

It all started with the holiday of green. I hadn't planned on going out. I was still in my pajamas relaxing when my father asked if I wanted to head out with him and my crew.

I was taken aback. I didn't really want to go out but dad looked so....mischievous. That was all I needed. I'm all for a good night of mischief. I was in. I called the girls and we were set. Until dad bailed on me.

Yes, you read correctly. He bailed. Got me ready for the night and then he bailed on me. I was stuck. Plans were made. We proceeded - without dad. Beware when making plans with dad.

So many choices...

The months rolled along and May was here. This time it was mom's turn. She approached with her Cinco De Mayo plans. Tequila tasting, music, a new restaurant.

I was intrigued. I'm not big on Tequila but I'm always up for a new adventure. I was in. Mojave here we come. No, not the desert, the restaurant in Astoria, Queens.

We walked through the doors and the adventure began. The band was already playing as we arrived so we took our seats, sat back and grabbed the menu.

It was a latin evening and spicy was the tone of the night. Attitude and drink. My eye immediately flew to "jalapeno" and I was set.

Jalapeno infused tequila with a splash of lime was my drink of choice. Keep in mind I've stated that I'm not big on tequila. This drink was so good that I wanted more. I now know why Patti Stanger of the Millionaire Matchmaker fame has instated the two-drink maximum.

The food was good, dessert was great and of course those drinks were dangerously good. I was starting to think this celebrating mini holiday thing was a great idea after all. 

Bonus - we couldn't leave without getting a dose of free - T-shirts, bottle openers, key chains and the most important of all....tasters of tequila.

After all, a night celebrating the remembrance of the 1862 Battle of  Puebla would not be complete without some tasters of tequila.

After spending a good portion of the evening at Mojave it was time to hit the town. I am not familiar with Astoria. This is where my dad grew up. He had plans.

We were back in his hood. He wanted to show us around his old stomping grounds. We're always up for adventure. And if we see some interesting finds along the way that's an added bonus. As long as the driver is always willing to stop the car, we're good to go.

Mischief Patrol

First stop - the old apartment. We were like stealth bombers on a mission. Dad drove the car up the street and parked. We all ran up for our first picture. And then the door creaked open. Hhmmm.

We didn't see a no trespassing sign. It must have meant we were welcome. After all, dad used to live here. It's almost like he's a resident. No harm in a photo. We walked in.

Ah, the old apartment, straight ahead. I was tempted to knock and ask for a tour but I thought it was best to just get our "outside the apartment door" photo and call it a night.

Not quite. We weren't finished with our tour. Back into the car and around the streets we went. And down an alley. Mom was confused. An alley? Dad was amused. So were we.

He regaled us with childhood stories as we cruised down the alleys. Until we saw it. It was what made us stop the car. Not just a rolling stop. We needed the full stop here.  Yes, there, off to the side, was the cafe.

When you've had a rough day, when you need to relax from the stress of world, unwind in the privacy of your back-alley cafe. Have a glass of wine. Have a latte. Get away from it all.

I think I would have added a little palm tree. Create some green effect. A little serene privacy. Put some crawling ivy on that wall. Surrounded my cafe with nature.

Just remember, when you think you can't escape from it all, there's always a hidden place somewhere to lose yourself. Here it happens to be in an alley in the middle of it Astoria. This certainly was a Cinco De Mayo to remember.

A little nightcap on the "patio"

Please visit my other websites at:

http://redismynaturalcolor.com/

http://thedeadmanpose.tumblr.com/

It All Started With A Cupcake

I love a good cake. It's all about the desserts for me. I'm not ashamed to admit it. People talk about going lo-cal, watching the fat, watching the calories.

Sure, whatever. You do that. I'll take the cake. I'm not talking about eating the whole thing here. I can have a few bites and be good. Which is why I'm even a bigger fan of the cake of cup. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. 

My twist on the cupcake - Chocolate with Almost Frosting

Cupcakes. I'm obsessed. Give me a mini little cake and I'm a goner every time. If I walk down the street and see a shop with those tiny little bites of heaven gracing the store window I have to stop. I need to stop. 

Which is why when I heard about a new show on the Food Network called "Cupcake Wars" I was all in. Yeah, I said it. All In.

I'm not ashamed to admit it. I was hooked. I couldn't miss an episode. Some people have mocked it. They feel it's a waste of an hour. They  don't understand the beauty of the cupcake.

Blueberry Pancakes

Each Sunday I found myself waiting to see which city the next batch of bakers (haha, see what I just did there?) would be from.

It was that fateful day when I saw it. The most delicious looking cupcake I had ever seen. And it was Vegan. I was intrigued. I had been on a dairy-free kick for a few weeks.

The judges couldn't stop raving about it. The chef's name was Chloe Coscarelli and she won the show. I was hooked. I needed to learn more.

I signed up for her newsletter and began getting her recipes. I tried out her cupcakes. They were the best I had ever eaten. I kept baking. My friends raved. They were the best they had ever eaten.

I was hooked. I tweaked the recipe and changed the frosting to make them my own. I couldn't stop. I could get into this vegan thing. Could I just eat cupcakes forever?

Cinnamon-Espresso Chocolate-Chip Cookies

I knew it was time to try some food. I'm not big on the cooking but I thought I'd give it a whirl. Chef Chloe had so many delicious Internet recipes. I tried a few and loved them.

*Sigh* They weren't enough for me to cook with everyday so I got lazy and just stuck with my dairy-free, vegan-cupcake infused diet.

Hey, a girl's gotta start somewhere. Might as well make sure the cupcake is first and foremost.

For the past year I had been happily creating my cupcakes. Playing with different frostings and doing my thing. My, I can-eat-whatever-I-want-as-long-as-it's-good-for-me thing.I don't like to follow diets.

I don't like to be told what or what not to eat. I like to follow my own rules. So this time when I saw that Chef Chloe was coming out with a vegan cookbook I thought it was time to give it another try. Except instead of being vegan, I was going to be vegan*.

That's right, vegan*. Here is my disclaimer. I am a chocoholic and I love sushi. Those are two things that I don't think I can willingly give up. Besides, chocolate and sushi are good for me. True story.

Falafel Burger

I know that there are some of you out there that have become vegans because of your love of animals. This is great. I love animals too. I adore them. But I have to admit these are not my reasons for going vegan.

I an becoming vegan* because I love the food and love the healthier lifestyle. I can't claim to do it because of animals.

I'd be a hypocrite if I said that. If I ate my vegan meal and then opened my leather Louis Vuitton purse to get out my leather Coach wallet to pay for my meal. Baby steps.

So it was with extreme excitement that I received my new cookbook in the mail. It was the first time I actually read a cookbook from cover to cover.

Mac & Cheese

I bookmarked all of the recipes that I wanted to try immediately and the next day I went to Whole Foods and bought all of the ingredients that I'd need.

I didn't recognize myself. It was an odd transformation. For the next two days I was a cooking fool. My parents were the beneficiaries of my new found skills. Cookies, burgers, pasta. I was unstoppable.

Well, until I ran out of ingredients. Then I was put on hold for few days. But that won't stop me. I'm into this cooking thing now. I'm even on a Brussels Sprouts kick. Didn't see that one. Ever.

I never thought we'd get much use out of our food processor when we registered for it years ago. If I'd have seen this coming I would have gone for the 12-quart. Who would have known.

My Cupcake twist - Chocolate with Peanut butter & Choclate Frosting

If you would like to find out more about Chef Chloe's cookbook, please visit her website at:

http://chefchloe.com

Please visit my other website at:

http://redismynaturalcolor.com/

The Sport of the Shoe

I love shoes. It's not a secret. I'm not afraid to declare my love. I'll shout it from the rooftops.

Some people might refer to my love as an unhealthy addiction. This is just negativity.

I don't like to use such mean terminology for such a beautiful, um, sport. Yes, that's right, I said sport.

Sport you ask? How can a shoe collection be a sport? Well, maybe the actual collection can't be, but the shopping part? Sport. For sure, sport.

Can't I just take them all?

I know. I just participated in a sporting event at DSW's preview opening of their Flagship store in NYC.

My shoe team consisted of me and Liz. We arrived early thinking we'd have time to eat and prepare for the race. We were wrong.

Apparently we had to line up. A line? Damn. We had some stiff competition. We were starting to get nervous.

We had to focus. Wedges and heels. That's what we were here for. Wedges and heels. Find our size, grab the box and go.

The line began to move, they took our tickets and we were in. WE WERE IN. I was ready to hit the aisles. We hit the escalator and as we neared the top and rounded the corner it was like the sun was shining down on us.

Death by Shoe

I started to run to the right when ooooh to my left cake pops and Perrier. Oh My God they have Cake Pops!

A distraction. They threw in a distraction. Focus. I needed to focus. I was here on a mission. I forged ahead. Wait. I stepped back.

I grabbed a pop and got back on track. I headed down the aisle and my eye settled on a shoe when there it was. The Champagne Tray.

It was like an obstacle course. Every time you tried to get to the shoe you had to overcome the rope bridge or the giant wall.

Aisle after aisle of shoe. We didn't know where to start. And those crowds. Each time we thought we had it conquered we were told there was another floor. And there went that Champagne Tray again.

Hello? Want to come home?

The D.J. was playing, people were laughing, we were dancing and grabbing shoes at the same time.

Yes, it is possible to dance and try on shoes at the same time. We are professionals in our sport.

Our pile was growing. We had some decisions to make. Go with the cork or go with the red patent leather? Take the wedge or peep toe?

Several times during the event we switched shoes. Each time we thought we had our final choice we'd spot a new looker from afar and sprint. We had to get our shoe before anyone else did.


Then it was time to relax. The main event was over. We had completed our activity and had won. Big time. I'm talking gold medal here. We could fully enjoy the festivities. Goody bags, t-shirts, quadruple points for luxe members. We had earned our rewards.

Now let's go find that Champagne Tray.

You will be mine.

To find out more about the new flagship store visit:

https://www.dsw.com

Please visit my other website at:

http://redismynaturalcolor.com/