Pizza Party

Late afternoon on Friday, I found myself near John's--one of my favorite pizzerias.

We haven't had this thin-crust yumminess in quite a while, so it didn't take me long to figure out what I wanted to bring home for dinner:

"Large, whole wheat Margherita, double sausage, please."

Since the wait would be 20 minutes or so, I took my knitting and an iced tea to the restaurant's backyard. And, a couple of rows later, there was a pizza ready to take home!




Took the pie home in a cab and the cabbie told me I could either pay the fare or give him the pizza. I love my NYC cabbies, but not that much that I would hand over a John's pizza!

4th Report

J is for the July 4th celebration in NYC!

On the 4th of July, we ate some cookies


looked at NYC through a porthole


saw Tiki Barber and Rob Thomas up close



admired the red, white and blue Empire State Building. (Photo thanks to the hubster.)


And, OH YES, we saw fireworks! (More terrific photos from the hubster.)




Next year, I want to wear these shoes!

Happy 4th of July!

It looks to be a beautiful, sunny day here. A good day for knitting al fresco.

But tonight I'll be putting the knitting needles aside---because we'll be going here.


Have a Happy 4th, everybody!

The State of the Shawl

July 1.

Including today, I have 16 days to finish the Summer Lake Shawl if I plan to wear it to the summer lake.

The length is currently 45 inches. My ideal length is at least 68 inches.* That's a difference of 23 inches.

I've been averaging an inch and a half a day. So in 16 days I could knit 24 inches. So it looks like there will be a shawl!



Last night I wrapped the shawl around my shoulders to get a sense of how it feels and drapes. It's incredible! The drape is light and slinky and feels just so very good.

I wish I could knit 24 inches in one day because I can't wait to wear it!

*An unknown factor for me is the blocking. Will the Sea Silk grow an extra 20%? I like the holes the size they are--I don't need them to open up more. So I'm thinking that this fiber shouldn't be aggressively pulled and tugged. A gentle blocking is all it needs. If anybody has pointers on blocking Sea Silk, please feel free to share.

Strawberry Salad Recipe

The strawberry salad I made was delish! I (sort of) followed this recipe from a website.

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups baby arugula or torn arugula leaves
2 cups sliced strawberries (about 10 ounces)
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved and crumbled into small pieces (1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar (see Ingredient note)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a salad bowl; let cool for 5 minutes.
2. Add arugula, strawberries, Parmesan, pepper and salt. Sprinkle vinegar and oil over the salad; toss gently and serve at once.

My modifications:
I used both arugula and spinach.
I don't like salads drenched in dressing, so I sprinkled about a teaspoon of the balsamic and oil mix into the salad.

Strawberry Festival

Hubster and I had a strawberry festival for dinner last night!

Steak with strawberry salad.



And for dessert? Strawberries, served from my Grandmother's strawberry bowl, of course!



This time of year, I eat strawberries for breakfast, lunch and dinner! And, thanks to the Strawberry Trick, I prepare them quickly and without any waste.

Pocket Park Knitting

It's been raining 40 days and 40 nights here. And just when I thought I should be building an ark, we had sunny day!

A good day to run around and complete chores. For a few minutes, however, I was able to set aside my to-do list and put down the shopping bags.

Tucked behind a movie theater and some shops, I saw a waterfall!



NYC has these pocket parks throughout the city. In the middle of block, suddenly there's greenery and seating. A place to rest and block out the city noises.

Or a place to quietly sit and knit.