Baronstein Blog

What a day!

2011-08-25T16:32:00.006-04:00

We had a lot of firsts today!

#1 and maybe our favorite, Kaiya slept from 7pm-545am WITHOUT A PEEP! First time ever! Who knows if it will happen again but we will take what we can get! This is after many weeks of soothing and assistance from Sleep Whisperer Steinberg. Nice work Daddy!

#2 Mom decided to give up on nap enforcement and let Kaiya call the shots. Maybe we will regret it later but everyone is a lot happier and Kaiya seems to maybe be the one baby who doesn't need a lot of day sleep? Once that agreement was made, S and K went to visit a nearby day care. The day care was fine (S isn't sure what to think) but the best part was Kaiya sat on the floor and played by herself for 45 minutes while mom got the official tour. What a big girl! Some of the babies came over to say hi and she acknowledged them nicely but continued to smack her new toy solo until it was time to go. We got home just before a downpour and Kaiya decided she was finally ready for a nap and slept on her side for 1.5 hrs and woke up ready to get back to it.

#3 S ordered a highchair that attaches to the table--it was time for Kaiya to let mom and dad eat lunch without being held! S and K went off to Brooklyn Commune and...Kaiya LOVED the chair. We played at the table for...no joke, almost an hour and a half.

#4. While we were at it, why not try eating lunch together? Kaiya has been reluctant to eat for weeks now but who knows why, maybe since we were at the table, or maybe it was because mom shoved the first spoonful in and Kaiya made the connection to open her mouth...but Kaiya ate almost a whole container of sweet potatoes and half of apples! And grabbed for more!

#5. Clearly Kaiya was being super cute at the table. And mom wasn't the only one who thought so. Seems a small time movie producer was sitting at the next table and couldn't help but notice as well. Turns out, she is casting for an adorable rosy chubby blond blue eyed baby...and she thought Kaiya was the perfect fit! She came and talked to Kaiya for about 20 minutes and Kaiya stared and smiled the whole time, what an audition! Who knows if we are really interested, but Kaiya may be on the big screen! We finished up the afternoon with a little swinging. We were the only ones at the playground after the rain storm but Kaiya didn't mind...

And back home to play/rest!

Whew. What a day!

KAIYA JOSIE FIRST TWO WEEKS

2011-03-08T21:20:00.002-05:00

Here's the girl giving us so much joy!

Kaiya's First Month!

2011-03-08T12:48:00.002-05:00

Kaiya arrived Feb 10th and has been keeping us quite busy ever since! Some highlights below:

Kaiya is born!

Day 1 in the hospital:

Newborns sleep a lot:

And make funny faces:

And love their grand (and great grand!) parents:

And love going on walks:

Kaiya has started making eye contact, rolling over, and playing by herself on the mat. We can't wait to see what happens in month two! (All pics from my phone, sorry to leave out sone great ones on my camera...!)

Jer's tennis camp vacation in Palm Springs, California, December 2010

2011-01-04T15:42:00.004-05:00

Great 4 day vaca in "the desert".

Tennis kicked my butt.

Blue, cloudless skies, my own private 2 BR, 2 BA villa with shared private pool and hot tub.

I'd do it again.

Here for more pics.

Chanukah and elephants

2010-12-02T22:02:00.001-05:00

Can you guess which is which? ;)

Tejas!

2010-11-12T10:03:00.002-05:00

Ok--so San Antonio was better than I thought. Although I admit I saw three blocks of it. Sunny blue skies and honestly one of the best "business" type hotels I've ever stayed at! People were ridiculously nice, the room was great (best bed!) and the pool was amazing for a city hotel. Room service=gross but what's new. And once you leave the three square blocks around the conference center, everything quickly deteriorates. Almost reminded me of Albany...!?

I got lost on the "famous" Riverwalk which was actually a really nice try at charm and beauty! Kind of like a Texan Venice! It's a broad canal that runs for a couple miles and is lined with shops, hotels and restaurants. It's kind of under the main streets, like the one going from Cherry Creek to REI so it's quiet and almost country looking.

Nicely landscaped and lots of cute baby ducks. :) Tons of Tex-Mex and ice cream. I looked up the "best" Mexican on Riverwalk (yelpers agreed that nothing is good on Riverwalk since locals consider it Disneyworld. I told Danny it's like Little Italy on water for miles-- or Epcot Center Texas.) But I went to the one reviewers said is the only semi-authentic restuarant on the river. Fish tacos for me:

And no. It wasn't that good. But I topped it off with Ben and Jerry's so all ended well.

Back to the hotel for a nap in the sun and a swim!

Tht night I returned with a colleague for a "drink" (pomegranate juice and club soda) and couldn't believe how packed everything was! Margaritas and mariachis everywhere. I was glad to run back to the room and was asleep by 9:30.

I almost forgot--all this after a successful panel with the CDC on the glory of Health Bucks!

Winter approaching...

2010-11-10T20:02:00.001-05:00

The view from my office window tonight...

And I'm off to Texas for my last sun of the season!

ClearWater Initiative & Army Ten-Miler Race

2010-10-22T12:34:00.004-04:00

I have mentioned to some of you that my friend, David Abraham, recently volunteered to help lead the ClearWater Initiative, an organization his friend founded.

Friends and volunteers are raising money for it by running in the Army Ten-Miler Race this weekend.

I've attended and supported them at other events they've had, and they needed volunteers to help out with the race.

I somehow got stuck with making signs for people to wave in support at the race.

Kinkos and a paint store did the trick.

I made 10 of these, double-sided with each info.

6 month pics!

2010-10-20T19:16:00.001-04:00

Sunday, October 17, 2010, My Birthday

2010-10-18T14:25:00.004-04:00

My original plan was to go swimming and then to the National Gallery of Art for lunch and art, but then I found myself volunteering to help a friend move apartments. So I started the morning with that. Then, when I made my way back to her old place in Georgetown to retrieve my bike and keys I had left there, I found her apartment locked, so I had to wait around in Georgetown until she could make her way back there to meet me and let me in.

With time to kill, I first went to get gelato. Chocolate hazelnut and pistachio ginger.

Then, I walked through the streets and found myself at Dumbarton Oaks Garden, which I had always wanted to visit. It costs $8 to get in.

Walking back to her apartment, I passed by many nice houses in Georgetown.

Gourds, galore.

Jeremiah's Birthday 2010

2010-10-15T22:32:00.004-04:00

Our yearly pilgrimage to celebrate Jeremiah's birthday was a great success. We combined Autumn outdoor fun, good restaurants, home cooking, cultural participation and spa playing. Sabrina's current gestational state added to the excitement.

Chicken Dinner and birthday cake
Storm King Outdoor sculpture
Apple picking
Horse farm (?)
"The Pitman Painters"
Cafe Boulud
Spa Kastle

Autumn comes to Colorado

2010-09-26T23:32:00.007-04:00

The change of seasons is dramatic in Colorado especially with the onset of Fall. New adult ed classes, the DCPA starts up, a new symphony season begins, the Broncos are on the field, the baseball season is winding down, reduced prices ski passes are on sale and fall wardrobes are changing with new styles and fabrics. But most dramatic are the incredible Aspen trees which glisten in brilliant yellow and make us smile in amazement. This week I slowly drove Squaw Pass early in the morning to avert the traffic and then regularly stopping in jaw-dropping wonderment. Check this out:

Tornados and Tummies

2010-09-17T07:58:00.002-04:00

Last night there was what we think was a tornado in NYC! Park Slope was hit pretty badly and we happened to be driving through the wrekage, totally unknowingly!

Notice Danny correctly has BOTH hands on the wheel! :)

We also had just come from our first appt with the midwife practice and were feeling very upbeat since we were told I am exactly the right size and all is looking good! 5 months!

Now can I get a seat on the train please?

We came home to find an anxious Oscar who, after a big dinner, passed out on the couch in relief that the tornado hadn't swept him away. :)

(Notice the Econ textbook--Danny's the TA!) Oscar has no respect!

Biking the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

2010-07-26T23:20:00.003-04:00

I joined 150 other bicyclists for 6 days of cycling and camping. We did a loop around the eastern upper peninsula of Michigan doing 60 miles per day over flat terrain. We drove north from Ann Arbor across the Mackinac Bridge which separates Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and deposits us into the Upper Peninsula.

We ferried to Mackinaw Island and biked the perimeter and then did a loop visiting small towns and camping on the high school fields. Biked also along Lake Superior and cruised the flat terrain, the vanishing small towns and got into the lore of Great Lakes freighter shipping visiting museums, docked freighters, and famous shipwreck sites.

Camping doable and economical which leads to lots of commeraderie and cooperation among participants. Well organized and a great fun and new experience for me.

Jer in Aspen, July 2-5, 2010

2010-07-06T16:46:00.124-04:00

Last weekend I went to Aspen to attend the Aspen Institute's annual Socrates Society Summer Seminar for young leaders.

It was fun and draining, stimulating and intimidating, inspiring and challenging...and always absolutely and unendingly - at times painfully - beautiful.

Here are my photos from the weekend.

The Aspen Institute was founded in 1950 by Chicago businessman Walter Paepcke (1896-1960) to help leaders "gain access to his or her own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and more self-fulfilling."

On the Maroon Bells creek hike

The Institute, which has a variety of leadership programs and fellowships, is, of course, supported immensely by the Crown family of Chicago and its descendants, some of whom cousin Jen Gordon knows...

Here's a brief history and a timeline of the Aspen Institute.

And some of its other happenings...

I always had heard of the Aspen Institute, and then found out about its Socrates program for young leaders last summer through its Director, Melissa, who is Shai's - my friend from college (Hebrew U.) - wife.

The Socrates Society, geared towards 28-45 year olds, was founded by Gary and Laura Lauder of the Lauder family (Gary is the grandson of Estée Lauder).

There were about 150 attendees from around the country and the world.

The meadow at the Aspen Institute

Both Laura and Gary, quite witty, were there - I met them. They have played a central role envisioning the seminars over the years and were central to the weekend, introducing and MC-ing the events, eating meals with us, even hosting 10-12 attendees at their home in Aspen. They were very energetic and enthusiastic and proud of the event and the program.

The weekend schedule was three days of 8 am - 12 noon group discussion (20 in a class, Socratic method) on the chosen topic based on readings they sent us in advance. The topic I chose among the other topics offered - China and America, Islam and Politics, U.S. "soft power", Technology and Democracy - was called "The Great Conversation in a Global Society," and was led by Leigh Hafrey.

Here was the description:

"Three modules comprise this seminar: Human Nature, the Burden of Power and Leadership Strategies. In the tradition of the Aspen Institute's Great Conversation, we will move from views of humanity held by the Ancient Greeks to modern work in genetics: from the Rwandan Genocide to Virginia Woolf on women and war; from the Italian Renaissance to the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. The readings and discussion aim to elicit participant views on 1) what it means to be human; 2) how human nature and historical circumstance shape our behavior in a global society; and 3) the forms leadership may take."

Leigh was a great facilitator and listener. My seminar was actually a shortened version of the original "Aspen Seminar" geared for "top leaders from all walks of life who are looking for a leadership development program that focuses on questions rather than on answers" on leadership, values, and the good society.

On the Maroon Bells creek hike

At the reception before the Benefit Dinner on a sunny Saturday evening on a beautiful veranda overlooking the green hills facing Aspen, I met two of the other facilitators, Ayaan Hirsi Ali (and here and here) and, together with Niall Ferguson, who, in describing his topic - "China and America: The Case for Partnership and Competition" - at the previous night's opening dinner during which each of the facilitators gathered on stage - after being introduced by the Aspen Institute's President, Walter Isaacson and Elliot Gerson - noted that, "Since I'm an egomaniac, many of the readings for our session are by me." Among the six facilitators included Jeffrey Rosen, whose op-ed was published in that Sunday's New York Times.

Also at the reception standing near me and at the Benefit Dinner was Thomas Friedman, who was the 2009 event's featured speaker. I didn't introduce myself...

I didn't stay for it, but immediately after my seminar was the annual Aspen Ideas Festival, which is co-sponsored and being covered here by The Atlantic magazine. Tons of leaders and news people are attending it...hey it's Aspen! It's getting a lot of press (and here) in the news...

Besides the actual seminar, which featured lots of schmoozing and eating three meals a day + breaks together, I went for hikes at Maroon Bells and Hunter Creek Trail.

Maroon Bells

I hope I can attend Aspen Institute events in the future and return to Aspen again as well.

It was so beautiful there.

Neiel Visits NYC June 2010

2010-07-03T19:15:00.005-04:00

I had a wonderful visit to NYC. It was hot but New York filled my plate.

Dinner with Sabrina at Indonesian Ali Baba

Swan Lake Ballet at the Met.

Mus of Natural History: Race to South Pole Scott vs. Amundsen; Silk Road

Biked Ocean P'kway to Coney Island - Nathans

Dinner with Dan and Sabrina - Aldi La

Dinner with Naomi and Stefan - Ali Baba - Turkish

Metropolitan Museum of Art - Picasso, Women's Fashion

I finally get to see Marcus Aurelius in sculpture

Yankees lose to Seattle.

Biked deep into Bronx on Moshalo Bike Path - Pizza

Jer's June Weekend in New York

2010-06-16T16:51:00.000-04:00

Burgers n' beer at the Double Windsor in Windsor Terrace, the place we didn't go to last time.

Vietnamese lunch at Pho Pasteur, at 85 Baxter Street in Chinatown:

Soho - CB2, Bo Concepts, and coffee/lemonade/chocolate chip cookie at Olives, on Prince Street.

Hats for sale on Prince Street:

West Elm in Chelsea, "Baxter Sectional":

2 "Baxters"...!

Met Dan for Italian dinner at Malatesta in West Village.

Sunday afternoon yoga at Jaya Yoga in Park Slope.

Dinner at The Good Fork in Red Hook.

Yampa River Canoeing

2010-06-14T23:59:00.003-04:00

In mid June I went canoeing with an organized group on the Yampa River just west of Steamboat Springs. I took my bicycle for an outing the day before and toured the Yampa River Bike Trail in Steamboat. The next day our paddling adventure started. The sun shined half the time and that was glorious and easy going on the fast moving current. Intermittent rain and HAIL added risk and adventure. Two nights of camping, excellent food, "birding" with naturalist and being with fun and happy people.

Santa Fe in May

2010-06-05T17:21:00.003-04:00

We had wonderful weather and beautiful sites during a long weekend in Santa Fe. We drove in (in our rental Prius!) on the Turquoise Trail, went gallery and museum shopping, ate our breakfasts on our casa rental outdoor patio in our pjs, drove a while on the gorgeous High Road, and enjoyed the City Different.

Crafty

2010-06-05T17:01:00.002-04:00

Amy, Suzy Choo and I ventured to Williamsburg for brunch today and ran into the Renegade craft fair--250 craft vendors selling their goods in McCarren Park! Very dangerous but very fun. We made some purchases (me: t-shirt and purse) and did some crafting!

Make your own stencil sponge paint tote bag!

On my way home, the drawbridge on Hamilton over the Gowanus was up for the first time I've ever seen it. Kind of amazing.

Now home under the fan with Oscar napping at my feet.

Hudson Valley Overnighter

2010-05-16T20:18:00.020-04:00

I took Friday off so we could skip the traffic and start our anniversary early (2 years!). We drove straight to our hotel, Buttermilk Falls Inn, about 2 hours north of the City in Milton, NY.

We started with free afternoon tea (cookies, cheese, fruit) and then went straight to the "spa" for mineral pool, sauna, steam room, and amazing massages. Relaxing by the pool looking out at the Hudson was a highlight.

Then off to the Culinary Institute for a fun but not that amazing Italian dinner. Saturday was sunny and beautiful. We started off with homemade french toast and scrambled eggs and NY Times on the patio. Then we took a tour around the property including a walk down to the Hudson and a visit with the llamas and peacocks.

Then we drove to the new walking bridge over the Hudson with lovely views in both directions.

Next stop...Storm King! But wait...batting cages!?! We had to stop. :)

Storm King was spectacular. We highly recommend. Miles of rolling green hills specked with huge sculptures by some of the most well known artists of the 60s-90s.

Maya Lin!

Then back to the City for dinner and a good night sleep. How can I end without a photo of Oscar? This one isn't from this weekend, but I had to put it in. Where's Waldo?

Biking the Texas Hill Country

2010-05-03T21:41:00.003-04:00

I had never traveled in Texas but I have traveled with Timberline Bicycling Co. and enjoyed their relaxed style. This was 6 days and 280- miles through challenging rolling hill and viewing the well know "bluebonnet" wildflowers found only in this area just northwest of San Antonio. A wonderful week with new acquaitences, new vistas, good food, good accommodations, sore quads and joyous accomplishment.

Adventure to New Paltz!

2010-05-03T15:51:00.002-04:00

Looking for a little R&R and nature, Amy, Deb and I headed to New Paltz for an overnighter. We originally planned on Saratoga, but I was afraid of too much traffic on the way home. We wanted something closer to home, preferably a pool or hot tub, close to state parks/hiking, and some nice scenery. We hit the jackpot with New Paltz!

We drove straight there in under two hours, barely any traffic, sun roof open!

After a not so memorable lunch in New Paltz (quite the college town-- pizza pizza pizza!) we headed to our hotel.

Mountain Meadows B&B (thank you trip advisor!) was down a quiet country road just on the other side of New Paltz main street. It was a cute house with a huge backyard facing the "gunks" complete with pool, hot tub, hammocks, and adirondack chairs.

Fresh chocolate chip cookies greeted us and we got some helpful travel advice from the owner to head straight to Minnewaska State park for a hike before it got dark. We drove about 15 minutes to the park entrance and did the three mile loop around the lake. Beautiful! (and 90 degrees!)

We ended at the waterfalls and cooled off with our toes in the water.

Back to the hotel to change and read a bit and then off to dinner in town. Another un-memorable meal (but ice cream after of course!) and back to the hotel for the HOT TUB! Best part!

The next day we had a delicious homemade breakfast, lounged around in the hammocks, and then set off to visit a nearby vineyard. We liked the award winning white so much we each got a bottle, then back to the car for a visit to the farm store for plants and produce. It was so hot the cows were all huddled under the one tree...!

Then our first bad decision. Outlet shopping. We couldn't resist hitting up Woodbridge commons and boy did we regret it. Hot, humid, packed with people... Threatened to destroy our vacation calm. So we left quickly and headed home!

Back home 2 hrs later with just a little traffic on the bridge and FDR. And Oscar was watching for me in the kitchen (the whole time? :))

EARLY SPRING LOCAL and ORGANIC

2010-04-28T17:38:00.003-04:00

Everything in this photo is fresh --just picked; locally grown --at 620 Cherry St.; and organic -- certified by moi.

April at the Botanic Gardens

2010-04-10T22:09:00.006-04:00

Took Chin Su (Suzi the Hyundai) and Amy to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens today for some fun in the sun. Bought some violas, peonies and strawberry plants for the front patio and took some nice pics of the spring blossoms!

Calorie Labeling Goes National!

2010-03-25T11:52:00.002-04:00

Tucked away in the health care reform legislation is a new law requiring all food chains with more than 20 locations nationwide and all vending machines, salad bars, buffets, etc, to prominently post calories--following our lead. :) Cathy talks it up on NPR.

Spring has sprung!

2010-03-15T09:07:00.001-04:00

Holi and Purim?

2010-03-01T10:18:00.005-05:00

Purim in Israel

Basket of sweets sold in India for Holi

I am just learning about the Hindu holiday of Holi. There seem to be many overlaps with Purim. Examples:

Holi is today, as is Shushan Purim.

Hindus exchange sweets and dried fruits, often in little baskets-see above. We exchange shalach manot, often with sweet and dried fruits.

Holi is a colorful festival, often with costumes, street celebrations, and people splashing each other with color. Purim involves costumes and behaviors usually seen as wild.

"Holi fstival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad.'

On this day, people wish each other 'Happy Holi.'"

"A night before the full moon {Purim begins on the eve of the full moon}, crowds gather together."

The Y has changed our lives

2010-02-27T23:46:00.001-05:00

Basketball anytime...(and indoor soccer!)

Brand new machines...

And weights...

No showers, pool, and only 1 water fountain. But nice people, great hours, fun classes, and we got free warm up jerseys!

Hamentashen!

2010-02-26T21:51:00.001-05:00

They started out looking cute:

But then I baked them:

?!?!? How come my hanentashen never come out right? But... They taste good! (not the Hershey kiss one, that was a mistake. :))

VISITING WASHINGTON AND NYC FEB 2010

2010-02-23T23:40:00.003-05:00

* SNOW IN DC PILED 10 FEET HIGH

* SNOW CARVED SOFA

* RENOIR'S "LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY" AT THE PHILLIPS

* CHINESE SCULPTURE AT THE METROPOLITAN

* JAPANESE CERAMICS AT THE METROPOLITAN

My AJC Indian-American event today

2010-02-20T18:55:00.016-05:00

This is an event we did today. 15 or so of us, young Jewish- and Indian-Americans spending the day together, first visiting a synagogue - Adas Israel - and then a Hindu temple - Sri Siva Vishnu Temple - learning about each others' cultures.

Here was the agenda:

There is no snow in the forecast for the weekend and we are very much looking forward to spending the day together! We still have a few spots left, so if you have a friend who would like to join, please let us know asap!

We are delighted you will be joining us this Sunday for a very special day together. As many of you know, this day was conceived of by a group of young professionals in both the Hindu and Jewish communities here in Washington.

We hope that this will be just one of several programs throughout the year when we can gather to learn about and explore each other’s faiths and traditions.

Attached, please find four documents and two other links:

1. A backgrounder on Hinduism from the book, How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook, edited by Stuart M. Matlins and Arthur J. Magida.

2. A backgrounder on Judaism (same citation as above)

3. A Question/Answer brochure from the Hindu American Foundation (www.haf.org)

4. What’s Jewish? By Rabbi David Elcott, formerly of the American Jewish Committee (www.ajc.org)

5. Website on Indian Jewry: www.jewsofindia.org

6. New York Times article, “In Jews, Indian-Americans See a Role Model in Activism”: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/us/02hindu.html

We hope these materials will be useful to skim in advance of our day together. Please do jot down questions so that we can explore them together.

Details for this Sunday:

n Please arrive and register between 11:30-12:00 p.m. at Adas Israel Congregation, 2850 Quebec Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008. Please enter through the SIDE doors on Quebec Street (there is a parking lot just beyond the Quebec Street entrance on the right). You can Metro to the synagogue and get off at the Cleveland Park station on the red line (walk north after that and make a right on porter and bear left on Quebec). We have rented a bus for the day so that we can spend the full time together and use the traveling time as an opportunity to get to know each other. You will be able to leave your car in the Adas Israel lot until the end of the day when the bus returns. Please plan to take the bus with us.

* Please note: All men, and women who wish, will be asked to wear a head covering (provided) upon entering the synagogue as a sign of respect.*

n 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Arrive, Register and get breakfast, including traditional Jewish brunch foods (vegetarian and kosher)

n 12:00-12:45 p.m. Program begins with introductions and brief table discussions

n 12:45 p.m. Rabbi Gil Steinlauf of Adas Israel Congregation. Rabbi Steinlauf will begin with presentation about the fundamentals of Judaism and will

give the group a tour of the synagogue, etc.

Solomon Saul will speak briefly about Indian Jewry and Indian-Israel relations.

2:15 p.m. Travel as group to Sri Siva Vishnu Temple, Lanham, MD

* Please note: We will be asked to remove our shoes upon entering the Temple. *

3:00 p.m. Dr. D.C. Rao, a Hindu-American leader, will meet with us and discuss a bit about the fundamentals of Hinduism. The group will also have a tour of the Temple and its many shrines, as well as observe or participate in a puja(offering).

4:15 p.m. Traditional Indian meal (vegetarian)

Brief informal presentations on Hindu and Jewish weddings by newlyweds!

Informal discussions at tables

Conclusion/ Wrap up

n 5:00 p.m.: Depart Temple for Synagogue (arrive 5:30 p.m.)

We look forward to sharing the day with you.

Best wishes,

Jeremiah Baronberg

Nadine Greenfield-Binstock

Sumanth Chepuri

Jonathan Katz

Anurag Varma

Bunnies frolic in sun and snow

2010-02-12T12:48:00.003-05:00

Danny's Braised Chicken + Sabrina's Pumpkin Bread

2010-02-07T18:51:00.000-05:00

Alice Waters' cookbook, p 131. Amazingly delicious. Amazing chef!

Pumpkin Bread. Recipe by request.

DC Snowpocalypse 2010

2010-02-07T14:12:00.008-05:00

A big one in DC this weekend, starting on Friday morning and lasting until Saturday afternoon...

People digging out on Sunday morning. Nice and sunny out. Blue skies.

Click here to see more photos from my street...

Looking at my apartment. I think the trees in the front may have some broken branches. The snow was wet and heavy.

Neiel's Pasta Bolognese

2010-01-30T20:53:00.006-05:00

2 tbsp olive oil

chopped peppers

chopped onion

chopped scallions

garlic cloves

chopped carrot

Saute

add beef

salt,pepper

oregano parsley

can of crushed tomatoes

water to keep saucy

sprinkle of red wine sherry

pasta

ENJOY!

"AS GOOD AS IT GETS"

Winter!

2010-01-28T08:59:00.001-05:00

Snow...

Fire...

Oskie...

One down...

2010-01-21T08:12:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Danny for passing his first qualifying exam!!!!

Mexico Trip Report

2010-01-16T18:47:00.007-05:00

Photos are up on my Picasa album, but just to add a bit more information, I've copied my hotel reviews on tripadvisor below. Everyone has asked me, so, would you go back? The answer is...yes, someday and depending. Ok, a bit cryptic, but it does really depend. I love traveling in Mexico, and this trip was no exception. I loved the architecture, the culture, and of course the food was outstanding. The trip was extremely affordable and beautiful and very easy. Similar hotels/restaurants in the US (beachfront views, freshly caught fish) would easily be double if not triple the price. The beaches were clean, with soft white sand and clear calm water. There wasn't much to do (at least without a car), but that was the point for us. Next time, I might rent a car so we could explore a bit more and I would choose hotels that are a bit more central. Highlights for me were fresh fish a la martin (sauteed garlic, onions, and jalapeno), whale watching, and reading on the beach. I'll let Danny add his 2 cents in a comment.

Trip Advisor Reviews:
Villa Olivia--Puerto Vallarta:

This was our first time traveling to PV. Our priorities for a hotel were ocean views, proximity to the beach/restaurants, and value. In terms of ocean views, Villa Olivia can't be beat. Close to the top of a hill, the views are spectacular. Our room had a balcony with a direct view, complete with hammock and patio chairs. Waking up every morning to that view was priceless. Coffee/tea was offered every morning. We were not aware that breakfast was an option. We did use the mini-fridge for drinks which was very useful. The hotel is under a bit of construction, so the pool wasn't really ready for use which was a bit disappointing. However, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful in terms of recommendations and advice. The room was recently updated and was very pleasant and comfortable.

In terms of location. The hotel is a few blocks up a steep street to the center of the Zona Romantica, which is quite a touristy area teeming with bars , restaurants (from my perspective, mainly overpriced, touristy, and not very authentic), and throngs of tourists. At night, we could hear the disco music from Blue Chairs well into the night. (Although the sound of the surf did cover it slightly). Personally, I preferred the malecon (beautiful sculptures, street vendors, great people watching, very lively) and the Zona Centro to the Zona Romantica and sometimes wished we were staying closer. (About a 15 minute walk) However, I don't believe there is beach access over there, and it might have been just as noisy.

From the Villa, the beach is down a long set of steep stairs. There are palapas and chairs that belong to the various hotels on the beach, but it seems ok if you want to sit at them and order drinks. We always appreciated coming home to the Villa, set apart from the clubs/etc, even though it was quite a walk.

Villa Corona del Mar--Rincon de los Guayabitos:

This was our first time traveling to Guayabitos and honestly I had a hard time finding information on accomodations. We were looking for a place with easy access to the beach and the town center, ocean views, a pool, and that wasn't teaming with kids/people (i.e. quiet). I chose Villa Corona based soley on TripAdvisor comments since I couldn't find anything else online. Honestly, Villa Corona was not really what I expected, and although we enjoyed our stay, I'm not sure we would return.

Reservations: I reserved our room via email with Sean and sent a 50% deposit via wire transfer. I was never contacted that the money was received, despite several emails and calls on my part. I finally called them the day before we were to arrive (I was worried they didn't exist!) and Sean answered and said our room was reserved. No mention of my emails/calls/etc. It was quite odd. But we were relieved. The Villa was quite hard to find (our cab driver from PV asked some tour operators in town and they had never heard of it) but we finally found it and were greated by the housekeeping staff who didn't seem to know we were arriving and weren't sure what room we were in. It all felt a little strange.

The Villa: Villa Corona del Mar is a huge beautiful villa literally across the road from the beach. Our room had a spectacular view of the ocean with a lovely balcony. As the Villa is situated on one of the far ends of the beach in a residential area, it was extremely quiet, and we enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of the surf and the birds. This was a highlight as the main beach area of Guayabitos is quite crowded and lively. The Villa has a nice pool with lounge chairs (rarely anyone using it), and a great tennis court which we enjoyed playing on (they do not provide racquets or balls so come prepared). Every morning they offered a buffet cold breakfast and a cooked meal (we had chilaquiles, huevos con papas, and omelettes). We were the only ones in the restaurant area every morning. You get a key to the front door for entry and exit. Honestly, the Villa felt a bit more like a conference center for large groups and seemed to cater to its guests as such.

Location: The Villa seems to be in a residential district in between Guayabitos and Penita. The walk to town on the road is at least 15 minutes (through mainly residential areas, no lights or activity)--via the beach it is a little less, but still a bit of a trek. This is a pro (quiet, secluded) and a con (coming home from dinner can be pitch black). A flashlight would have been nice! There is nothing nearby in terms of shopping (convenience store), eating (restaurant), etc. I was a bit surprised but it seems many tourists stay for extended periods and rent a car to drive to the different beach towns.

Overall I just think the Villa isn't as well suited to short term visitors, especially first timers and people without a car. We were quite disoriented and didn't feel like the staff went out of their way to assist. The little things (tennis balls, a flashlight, a map to the town, shampoo, beach towels, computer/internet for use) would have gone a long way toward making us feel more welcome. Although it's a great price for such a spectacular view, I expected a bit more for the price we paid.

Mom's Visit to DC, January 2010

2010-01-09T17:10:00.017-05:00

After Museum meetings, Mom and Jer explored for good eating. A great dinner at Potenza revealed that the restaurant also had a bakery cafe open from 8:00 am-8:00 pm. So the next day we went back for Morning Coffee and found them making fresh, home-made pasta.

Cutting the pasta into tagliatelle

Spinach fettucine

Homemade gelato, highly decorated

Potenza makes their own pasta, bread, grissini, coffee, and etc. We had a long chat with the sous chef who is from Puglia, Italy and before D.C. worked in Paris. sweet guy with believable credentials. He told us about the multiple "components" of the dishes we had eaten the previous evening at the restaurant. For our Morning Coffee, we shared an omelette sandwich on delicious bread and took away a bag of Italian cookies-pastaccine which were divine and the best ever ciabbata roll!

Flower arrangement at the Willard Hotel

Ceiling panel at the Willard Hotel. The elaborate ceiling has insignia from all the States.

Bench in the Enid Haupt Smithsonian Gardens

Another bench in the same gardens--note the leaves motif.

Puzzle-ing

2009-12-31T12:16:00.000-05:00

Addicted!

Mel's Diner:

St Basil's Cathedral, Moscow

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEIEL DEC 28TH 2009

2009-12-30T02:02:00.004-05:00

A Wonderful day with Jeremiah and Sabrina!

1. Breakfast as Zorbas

2. Rent snowshoes at Christy's

3. Snowshoe City Park Golf Course

4. Lunch at Swing Thai

5. Make-over at Garment District

6. Avatar Imax in 3D

7. Dinner and Sabrina's layered frosted Sara Lee pound cake

It doesn't get much better!

Best waffles ever!

2009-12-27T13:00:00.004-05:00

-Mix 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 Tb. baking powder, 1 1/2 Tb. sugar.
-Add 1 cup milk, 2 Tb. melted butter, 1 beaten egg.

Variations:
-Substitute 1/2 cup canned pumpkin for 1/4 cup flour. Add 1 Tb. more sugar.
-Substitute rye flour for some of the white flour.
-Add cut up fruit or fresh strawberries or other berries.

Bolognese a la Jer

2009-12-26T22:14:00.004-05:00

Curiosity does what to a cat?

2009-12-23T12:40:00.000-05:00

Not much, but it does cover our floors with freshly tossed dirt! What IS in there anyway?

Happy Chanukah!!!

2009-12-19T15:04:00.005-05:00

Looking forward to celebrating together in Denver. In the meantime...

Lazy Saturday

2009-12-19T11:03:00.002-05:00

Me and Oscar grading final exams.

He obviously wasn't very impressed.

Thankfully I am-average is about 92% so far!

Literary Ladies' Tea

2009-12-15T21:30:00.004-05:00

Four of the ladies (including the teacher) from 19th Century British Authors' class came to tea at 620 Cherry. We had a sun-filled dining room, good conversation, true English scones with jam, Victoria Sponge cake (chocolate version with red currant jam filling), egg salad finger sandwiches, gluten-free pear muffinettes, Grand Marnier white chocolate dipped strawberries (brought by Anita), and cuppas and cuppas of Typhoo tea.

Cooking with Roberto Donna

2009-12-14T17:33:00.023-05:00

"Chef."

As in "Chef is large."

Our individual cooking stations in his kitchen.

The theme of the class was pasta sauces. Here, bolognese. Note my finely chopped veggies.

Check out his not very fancy range!

Making fresh pasta. It got much longer! Around the entire kitchen island.

Eating the goods.

The first course: pesto, puttanesca, and arrabiata. I forget the name of that tube shaped pasta.

Chef's tip: Make pesto but don't add the cheese. Put in plastic container. Let sit in fridge for 1 hour. Remove, top with olive oil. Place back in fridge. Will keep forever. Remove and scoop out desired amount to use, add cheese.

Thank you Sabrina for finding and to all for giving!

Click here to see all photos from the day.

Chanukah Dinner!

2009-12-13T22:06:00.004-05:00

We had a big time Chanukah dinner tonight. Brisket and latkes. And then a ping pong game (thanks for the present mom!). I used a combination of recipes, including mom's, and mainly from this site (since it has brisket and latkes all in the same place).

Ingredients

* 4 large garlic cloves, smashed
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
* 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles striped from the stem and chopped
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 (4 pound) beef brisket, first-cut (I have no idea how big mine was)
* Coarsely ground black pepper
* 4 large carrots, cut in 3-inch chunks
* 1 large yellow onion
* 2 cups dry red wine
* Half a can of tomato sauce, 1 TB tomato paste (all I had!)
* Herbs (parley, bay leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.

Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame and coat with the remaining olive oil. Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing. Add the wine and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.

Turned out really good. I had to add some water along the way so it wouldn't be too heavy.

Then latkes!
Crispy Potato Pancakes (Latkes):

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled
1 medium onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 chopped scallion
Vegetable oil, for frying

Using a box grater or food processor, coarsely grate the potatoes and onions. Put the grated potatoes and onions together in a paper towel and twist it to squeeze out the excess liquid. Put the dry potatoes and onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the egg white and scallion to bind the mixture together.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with 1/4-inch of oil. For each pancake, take about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture and drop into the hot oil; gently flatten with a spatula so they fry up thin and crispy. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove to paper towels to drain; season with salt while the potato pancakes are still hot. Continue frying, adding more oil as needed, until all of the mixture is used up. Serve immediately with apple sauce, if desired.

The whole meal:

The candles:

The after dinner exercise:

Belated Birthday Blogging

2009-12-10T10:17:00.006-05:00

I meant to post and thank Jer for coming and Danny for planning a lovely birthday celebration last Fri. We started the night at Melody Lanes for an hour of bowling. I was on fire and bowled a 134!! Danny got second place and Jer won the award for the most stylish bowl.

Next stop was Tacos Matamoros a couple blocks away. The ten of us ordered tacos et al with abandon and the final check was only $100!! It was amazing. We topped it off (no one was still hungry but me!) with Rinky Dinks from Betty Bakery. Then we walked the 25 blocks home to make room for the rest of the Rinky Dinks. :)

And here is a fuzzy photo of Amy, Melissa and me in our Spa Castle uniform. :)

A coat!

2009-12-08T22:12:00.002-05:00

Danny is a super star. He found me a coat. And not just any coat. The perfect coat. He shopped near near and far, treked to Bloomies THREE times. Yes three. But it was not in vain. Today he called me at work and said he had found it. We met at Bloomies amidst a sea of down coats and a 40% off sale. Sale!! He showed me the coat and it was clear, this was the one. We tried on a few more just in case, but there was no comparison. I was pretty amazed--Dan searched the city and found the perfect one. Stylish, warm, on sale. Perfect.

And then we ate dinner at Follow Me Caffe, one of mom's favorites and now one of ours too. :)

Yoga Nidra Weekend

2009-12-06T19:35:00.003-05:00

Home from a wonderful weekend accessing Yoga Nidra with a true yogi Master - Amrit Desai at Naropa. Yoga Nidra is a place of deep meditation beyond consciousness accessible when the proper conditons are met. Proper intentionality, breath, posture and openness can allow one to go beyond the restrictions of the ego mind which essentially structures all of our thinking. Out of one's mind can be a good thing. And it was good.

UWS Hoop Dreams

2009-12-06T09:43:00.004-05:00

Check out this NY Times article and video here (scroll down), about a Hunter H.S. Jewish point guard who transfers to Poly Prep in Brooklyn.

America's Crypto-Jews

2009-12-05T19:09:00.003-05:00

A new article on this interesting subject, this one in Harper's. I oversaw a guy reading it on the Metro...

Sabrina's Birthday at the SpaCastle

2009-12-05T18:17:00.005-05:00

We spent an amazing day at the Spa Castle in Queens! It was a bad weather day, so this was the perfect activity. And being outdoors in a warm pool with the cold rain coming down was fun!

This NY Times article and slideshow do a pretty good job of showing what it was like.

Unique aspects included:

- special shorts/t-shirts uniforms

- a variety of different style saunas complete featuring different aroma and high quality materials (in many of the saunas, you lay on the floor on cushy mats and lay your head on a wooden - curved - block!)

- the "Iceland room" for cooling off after a sauna with real snow for walls

- a quiet sleeping area with heated floors

- 2 outdoor rooftop shallow pools with dozens of different special seating areas with different style jets, a hot tub made of 300 year old pine wood for special aroma, and a waterfall area

- single-sex bathing areas with different temperature pools and individual "scrubbing" stations with mirror, hand-held shower, wooden buckets, soap, shaving equipment. I had to watch the Koreans to see how to do it right...

- And, of course, Korean food...but also ice cream, yogurt, smoothies, hot dogs, beer, etc.

Pop, you're next!

Puzzled!

2009-12-04T13:43:00.001-05:00

We are stuck and oh so close.

Meditation Retreat

2009-12-04T08:49:00.004-05:00

I leave this afternoon for meditation retreat at Shambhala Mountain Center. This, to work on a practice which has been important to me over many years. I will return Sunday midday and report to you of this experience.

He's so qualified!

2009-12-03T22:19:00.002-05:00

Danny has completed his first set of qualifying exams and is enjoying a spinach, Parmesan, and truffle oil pizza and a delicious German lager at Tobys Public House in South Slope (sorry, fuzzy shot!).

Plus Ca Change

2009-12-03T09:40:00.004-05:00

Too long ago even for me, but there used to be streetcars in Denver, Brooklyn, and cities across the country. The government, wanting to be modern or something, eliminated them all. Today Denver is proposing an innovation--a streetcar! The first one would go on Colfax Ave. They are advocated because they "provide higher economic benefits" than buses and are cheaper to construct than light-rail.

Guess how much this innovation of putting a streetcar back along city streets would cost? $10-$50 million (quite a stretch there) per mile.

Source: Denver Post, 12-3-09, Modern Streetcar on Colfax?

Test run : Neiel's doings

2009-12-02T16:07:00.003-05:00

OK , I think I am blogged in! My last 24 hours: Office meeting as we prepare to enter the new age of electronic medical records. Feels good to be part of this new technology and still engaged as medical practice transforms itself.

Nugget game with Howard seeing Denver demolish an inferior Golden State team. Chauncy was the spark that got the team going after a sluggish start.

Torah for Tycoons today as we discussed water distribution rights. Who owns it and what are the obligations for distribution as state and privately owned water - particularly the Colorado River runs downstream to California and then with very little left for mexico.

Still working on the puzzle - almost there.

Drum class tonight - African rhythms.

Blogging out.

Neiel

It's a Puzzle

2009-12-02T00:06:00.004-05:00

It's puzzling how to do your birthday puzzle. I am near the end, with only about 10 pieces left. But they don't seem to fit in. Could the cutters in China have made a mistake?

Personal Shopper

2009-11-29T14:07:00.001-05:00

Nice outfit mom!

DKNY, charter club,...

Mom's Coffee Can Bread

2009-11-28T13:44:00.004-05:00

Saturday morning breakfast! Recipe for mom's delicious coffee can bread below.

Mix 1.5 cups flour with one package yeast.

Stir .5 cup water, .5 cup milk .5 cup vegetable oil, and .25 cup sugar in a pan. Heat until warm. Add to flour/year mixture and beat until smooth.

Stir in 2 eggs. Add 2.5 cups flour and beat until elastic (mom uses .5 whole wheat right mom?).

Spoon into 2 well greased coffee cans. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove lids and bake for 35 minutes.

Eat while warm! How do you like yours?

Birthday at Andres!

2009-11-26T22:40:00.001-05:00

Delish!

Next step: Banning Ketchup?

2009-11-23T10:48:00.004-05:00

This is hysterical. You should read it.

Last Day of the Brooklyn (outdoor) Flea!

2009-11-22T21:41:00.010-05:00

Today I biked to Dumbo to bid farewell to the Brooklyn Flea. Today was the last day for the outdoor season before moving indoors. "The flea" (as its called) has transformed over the years from a real old school flea to a Brooklyn designer showcase. Most the vendors now are Brooklyn based indie designers profiting off their local labels. High class food is also now a selling point including $14 lobster rolls and the pupusa stand from the Red Hook ball fields.

Last month, Martha Stewart visited the Brooklyn Flea (kind of annoying!) and I literally heard someone in line for pupusas (El Salvadorian empanadas) say she now knows what pupusas are because of Martha. Unreal. I did eat one (cheese and jalapeno!) and it was delicious. Watch this video! (Rachel, owner of Maptote, is one of Melissa's best friends. I have a Brooklyn bag and gave Jer a DC one for this birthday last year...)