Maille Mustard is Spice & Everything Nice

I've always loved mustard. When I say mustard, I'm not talking about that run-of-the-mill yellow sunshine version. I mean mustard. 

Spicy, brown, seeded - delicious. Even when I was little, I couldn't get enough of it. Mustard sandwiches were a favorite of mine. That spicy, dark yellow concoction spread between tiny pieces of baby rye bread was just perfection.

Why? I'm not really sure. Was it the spice? Perhaps. The vinegar? Could be - I'm a lover of vinegar too. Something about this perfect combination of flavors had me hooked early on and I just didn't know exactly why.

As I got older I discovered so many different brands and varieties. I couldn't believe the mustard world that was opening up but nothing compared to the heavenly goldmine I found when I was in Paris a few years ago.

Perfect bread for mustard Sammies

It was an accident really. We were strolling along the Place de la Madeleine and there it was. Store number 6. Mustard Heaven. Or more commonly known as Maille.

I didn't realize that Paris could get even more perfect. They had their own mustard store. An entire store. Le Maison Maille, it's official name, has been producing for more than 267 years.

Started by Antoine Maille in 1747, he began selling vinegar and mustard and later attracted the attention of King Louis XV. He became the official supplier of the King and other monarchs of Europe. If it's good enough for Kings then it's good enough for me.

We walked in to walls and walls of bottled beauties beckoning to us. I didn't know where to begin. What's more perfect than mustard? French mustard. I headed to the counter. I saw beautiful porcelain jars. Specialty jars for the limited edition mustards.

Then I saw it. The tastings. Mustard tastings. Perfection. There were so many to taste that we really could have been there all day. And night.

I remained calm and chose just a few. Each one was better than the next. We made our selections and moved along. We bid farewell to our boutique and knew we'd have to come back someday.

Then, one day, Paris came to me. With mustard. As I walked down the street, I saw a new store getting ready to open and there it was. A sign. Not just any sign, but the sign. "Maille - Opening Soon". What??  Just two blocks from my office? I knew it was fate.

Won these at the giveaway

Mustard tastings and sampling mustard are just a few of the perks of being close to the store. There's Black Truffle and Chablis, Sauternes, Dijon with White Wine and they all come with the ceramic stoneware jar. Those are just the flavors at the pump.

Besides the dozens of other mustard flavors to choose from, they also offer many other goods as well. Balsamic vinegar, fruit vinegar, white wine vinegar, olive oils, cornichons and my favorite - the mustard spoon. Ideal for reaching that last little bit at the bottom of the jar so no mustard goes to waste. And no mustard should go to waste.


To learn more about Maille, you can visit their website:
http://www.maille.com/en_US/mustards/mustard-on-tap/

Maille Paris:
https://www.maille.com/en_US/boutiques?sid=paris

Maille NYC:
https://www.maille.com/en_US/boutiques?sid=new_york

Alice & Me in Scone Wonderland

I'm a scone fiend. I'm not ashamed to admit that. Carbs and me, we're best friends. I'm not one to jump on the low-carb bandwagon. Hell no. Never. I need that crusty, flaky, chewy goodness.

Baguettes, bagels, croissants and last but certainly not least, scones - I want them all. In vegan form. Yes, it's still possible to enjoy all of this heavenly breadness in vegan form. If it can be made, I will find it.

And find it I did. This time I hit the scone jackpot. It was just an accidental find. I was out walking one day when I passed the cute storefront with the purple awning with a sign that beckoned for the curious to come inside.

I'm curious. They must have been talking to me.

This was Alice's Tea Cup, Chapter I. Located on the upper west side, it is described on their website as New York's most whimsical tea house.

I walked in and saw a wonderland. Cakes and cookies lined the counter. The wall was filled with giant tea tins. But the highlight was right there under the glass. Scones. And more scones. And then there it was....the vegan scone.

I was sold. I didn't even care what flavor it was, I bought it. Sometimes I get a little too excited. I don't even remember what it was other than delicious because it brought me back. Again. And again. And again.

I started to go every day. I got the scone card. A scone card! Buy 12, get one free. I bought one for me and one for Mike. Then my mom caught wind of my habit. She wanted in.

Every day I looked forward to my trip to "the Cup". Sometimes I'd even get tea. Rose Sencha.

I would walk down the street with my pink bag and people would stop me, recognizing my bag. I once even tried to sneak a few scones home but my mom saw the pink bag and called me out on it, asking if I remembered to get her one.

I also knew the people that worked at Alice's Teacup. There was Alice (really), who is sweet and Jasmine, an actress and incredibly awesome. They knew me too.

Which led me to realize that my everyday scone habit was getting out of control. I knew I had to take it down a notch. I knew I had to scale it back to just a few days.

But which days? There were good scones and bad scones. How would I know? What if I missed the double-chocolate cinnamon day? The lemon poppy seed day? The chocolate banana day? I wasn't sure I wanted to take that chance.

Lemon Poppy Seed for sharing

Until the weather changed. New York City in January. Cold. Very cold. What if I walked the 7 blocks for my scones and it was a pear walnut scone day? Did I really want to walk in the cold for a "bad" scone day?

The cold helped break my habit and the phone helped me decide which days I would make the trek. I call daily, get the vegan scone of the day.

Yes, I'm obsessed. When you find a good thing it's hard to let go.

Just a few bites now, some later

To visit any of the Alice's Teacup locations, go to their website: http://alicesteacup.com/

The Hole

Ah, the Hole. It really just came out of nowhere. Well, TripAdvisor actually. It sort of just popped up on the screen when I was looking at places to visit. Almost like a sign. --->Go Here<

It all started when Mike and I tossed out the idea of going to Turks & Caicos. We weren't sure we'd be able to go but then we won travel tickets as the top fundraisers for the charity we work with and planning soon begun.

On TripAdvisor, the Hole was described like this, "get ready to go to the "Hole" located in Long Bay in Providenciales. This naturally formed massive limestone 40 foot hole is on the list of things to see. People can be lowered down a rope where 80 feet down there is a swimming hole. For adventurous souls only!".

I was intrigued. When I thought of vacations, dream spots, beaches and what to do while there, visiting something called The Hole wasn't something that was at the top of my list. But I like adventure. I was in.

Although I'm not a big fan of tours. I've always felt that I can do a better job of seeing an area on my own. I generally have two schools of thought on my travel - wing it (I'm a big fan of this and can honestly say it's been a great ride every time) and research. As I've gotten older, I've turned more to research. Not because it's necessarily the better way but because I don't want to miss anything.

The warning sign

So TripAdvisor has come in very handy and has given us some great options. We don't always have to use them but we've gotten some great tips and suggestions. We got to Turks, and our very amazing TripAdvisor-suggested hotel, and were set to explore.

We looked at the tour books in our room and they also suggested a tour. For $$$. Whatever. We're our own tour guides. We mapped out a route, grabbed our bags, packed water and snacks and hit the road. Not a bad hike but not too close either. We walked about 2 miles to get there. We were excited. The sites and the books had talked this place up. I couldn't wait to see this swimming hole.

A glimpse into the Hole

We passed dogs roaming free, mosquitoes, dirt roads, more dirt roads, beautiful views and a very interesting warning sign. And then....there it was...The Hole.

Just in case you weren't sure you were in the right spot, the large rock with a hole in it that stated "The Hole" was a good indication that yes, this is it.

There wasn't a soul around. Not a sound either. I'm not exaggerating. We started to wonder if this was a joke. Could all of the guide books AND TripAdvisor have been wrong? Could this really be one of the hot spots to see?

We were here and we weren't going to leave without seeing what it was all about. We walked down the gravel path, through some shrubs and there it was. Or wasn't. Sure, there was a hole. Could you climb down? Probably. Would you want to? No. Swim in it? Absolutely not.

A View from Above

I went close enough to the edge to peer down into this wondrous abyss. From what I read, I pictured rappelling down the sides into a pool of crystal blue waters. Nope and nope. Before stepping up to the edge, it looked like an interesting cliff with mysteries inside. I wanted to go.

My head popped over the edge and I saw.....brown water. Brown water? Not in the Hole. And garbage? There's garbage down in the Hole? Say it isn't so!  Is nothing sacred? Ah, poor Hole.

There you have it. The saga of getting to the Hole. Was it worth it? Of course it was. If we didn't go, we'd still wonder what it was all about. Like always, it was an adventure - we had fun getting there and we were able to explore more of the island.

And that sign. We wouldn't have seen that fabulous warning sign. Most of all, we were happy that we saved money (more for shopping!) and did it on our own.

Much needed pool time after a long hike to The Hole

Relaxing after a long hike to The Hole

Just Monkeying Around

The Blue Course

There's nothing I love more than a good obstacle course. Well, actually, that might not be true but that would be another post. However, I DO love obstacle courses. And heights. And zip-lining. Okay, so there are a lot of things I love. My point here is that I love adventure. I'm always on the hunt for new and exciting things for us to do.

I'm so addicted to these courses that I even submit myself to torture of some sort so that I can play on them. What torture might you ask? The torture of Running. I'm sure many of you have seen the various 5k's and 5 mile runs, complete with obstacle courses, promising a day of fun.

Somehow, I always block out the running part and zoom in on the course part. They get me every time. I sign up, so excited for climbing, jumping, balancing - then the reality sinks in. I must run. A lot.

I still do it. I can't help it.

I was finally able to find a place where I can kiss that running goodbye. Until the next race that is. The Adventure Park at Long Island. Release your inner Monkey! I first discovered this place last year thanks to a friend. I was hooked. Obstacle courses in the trees? I mean, really, it couldn't get much better. Twelve different courses, ranging from easy to very hard, beckoned to me. I was in my happy place.

When you arrive at the Park, you have to go through a brief training each time, great for first timers, a nice refresher for those of us that haven't been in a while. I was raring to go. Just seeing the zip-line in action had me hopping up and down. We completed our mini training course and ran to the starting line.

Blue Course

There are 3 Yellow courses (beginner), 3 Green courses (almost beginner), 3 Blue (getting better), 1 Black (hard) and 1 Double Black (very hard). Each trail has an "escape route" halfway through the course, a.k.a, the quitters route. It's a zip-line where you can exit from the course if you don't think you can continue or if you don't feel like being on that course anymore.

Our goal from the first moment we had arrived was to conquer the Double Black course. Baby steps. We had to work our way up.

We breezed through the easy Green. Same for Blue. Sure, there were a few hang ups (no pun intended), but we flew through that course and before we knew it were standing before the Black. Without a second thought, we were up that ladder. No going back.

We were alone. No worries about rushing or waiting. Perfection. We made our way through the fun, high zip-lines and tricky obstacles. For the first time we encountered a hard spot....THE TRIANGLES. It was touch and go for a bit. I knew we'd make it but not without some bruises. All a part of the game.

Double Black

Black was great but it was challenging and we needed a break before we got to the ultimate goal: Double Black. We were ready. I was ready. Maybe. Yes, yes, we were ready. We headed up. And up. We were tired and made a deal that if we couldn't do it we would take the escape route. I knew I would never quit once I got up there. I was in for good.

Those triangles I mentioned earlier? Yup, we found worse. I called them The Discs. I knew I could do it. Had to do it. I would find a way, my way, anyway. I won't lie - it was hard, very hard, but we got through it. Tired and hot, we came to the escape route. We looked ahead and saw the most amazing zip-line. Escape route, zip-line. There was no question of what to do. We forged on.

Double Black Course

As we kept going, we actually saw people on the course with us. We weren't alone! Surprised that there were others who braved Double Black, we paused to watch how they would conquer The Discs. Some did, some cheated. They zip-lined across and avoided the challenge. Disappointed, we turned and climbed on.

Double Black is a shorter course than the others because of its difficulty. We only had a few more obstacles to get through and we made it. We felt so accomplished when we jumped off of that final element and slowly made our way to the ground. Would we do it again? Probably not. Our goal, my goal, was to do it and I did. We did. Now I can come back and do all of the fun courses and relax when I climb. And I will be back.

We came, we saw, we conquered. 

If you'd like to visit the park, check out their website:

http://longislandadventurepark.org/

Just Another Day

Ah, Father's day. A time when we can all spend that one day basking in the awesomeness of Dads everywhere. A time when we look all around us at commercials and ads touting what we should do for that special guy. Gifts for that great Pop in your life. Dinners for the big man.

Except what if you don't have a dad anymore? Your first thought is, damn, this sucks. Really sucks. You start to ignore it all. Then you think you should plan a day of craptastic un-dad like events. If everyone is celebrating their dad and you can't participate, maybe un-Father's day is the way to go.

Then you realize, why un-celebrate who your dad is just because he's not physically here anymore when you can celebrate the total awesomeness of who he was. And really, everyone knows that my dad was fab-u-lous.

Everyone thinks they have the best father. Well, mostly everyone. Except I really did have the best one. No, seriously. He was so awesome they named a street after him. True story. 

Okay, so maybe he wasn't always awesome all the time. Sure, he could be a pain in the ass. Hey, aren't most parents like that? I'll admit, there were times that he drove me crazy. A lot. Like when he stole my bread. My special dairy free, $3.99-a-loaf, I walked 10 blocks from work to get that, kind of bread. I always yelled at him to leave it alone. He never did. So I started to buy two loaves. 

Then there was the worst offense - he stole my champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Nobody steals my champagne. Nobody. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was not happy at that moment.

Champagne steal at Eiffel Tower

BUT through theft of my food and drink, he was entertaining. And we did share a love of a good cocktail (hence my stolen bubbly). After all, in the words of my dad, "it's always 5 o'clock somewhere".

What I loved most about my father was that he wasn't a rule follower. By this, I mean that he had his own set of rules, he did his own thing. If he wanted to do something, he did it. (See paragraph above). If he didn't feel like doing something, he didn't. Sounds like someone else I know....

He also loved hanging out with my friends and he loved their nicknames too. If they didn't already have nicknames then he made them up. There was the friend he dubbed "The Bod". There was "Funk" and ah yes, there was the Doofy Award recipient (she knows who she is). We even had a fan club newsletter dedicated just to him, aptly named "The Robert C. Lohnes Fan Club". I know, catchy.

My dad always told me stories of growing up in Astoria. Always mischievous of course. A favorite one of mine was the Coyote Club. He was so amused by his old Coyote Club stories that he would call me up and leave howling messages on my voice mail. No hellos, just howling. 

There were so many adventures and not just with me, but with my friends as well. That is what I loved best. He came out to play with all of us.

I remember us strawberry picking with Sarah and Nicole, followed by wine tasting on Long Island, NY. Hot Air Ballooning over the Temecula Valley. Blackberry picking in Ramona, CA. Road trips across the United States and up the California coast. Wine Tasting in Sonoma County. A Can Can Show in Paris. A road trip to Nova Scotia with Mike. Kayaking, whitewater rafting, Broadway shows, Fraunces Tavern - we had so many adventures. 

So many adventures but not nearly enough. It's never enough though, is it? But we can look back on all the amazing times we did have, all the fun things we shared together, and raise our glasses in celebration to my dad, to your dad, to all of our amazing dads - because no matter what the time - never forget that it's always 5 o'clock somewhere.

Dad holding my beloved Lambie

Working hard - my rare topless moment

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