Que Pasa NYC?

I have never ceased being enamored with Chelsea Market, but that love was invigorated during my most recent visit. After several months of construction to create a new food gallery and revamp The Lobster place, all the new additions are in place.

Visit Num Pang for wonderful Vietnamese sandwiches. If you've already visited the Union Square or Flat Iron district outposts, don't pass this new location by as there are a couple of sandwiches here that are not available elsewhere.

I'll go into more detail below about changes to The Lobster Place, but Cull and Pistol the new Oyster Bar attached to the seafood lover's paradise is worth a call out of it's own.






The new gallery houses two vendors that were previously in the market but now have better digs. The Nutbox now has the visibility it merits since it's a great place to get bulk nuts, candy, legumes and more. Spices and Tease, which was previously just a table in the middle of a market now seems a much more legitimate place to purchase a wide array of (what else) spices and teas. Now for some more new comers. DJ Questlove, of well the well know hip-hop group The Roots, has decided to grace Chelsea with his fried chicken at HybirdNYC. I had a chance to try the chicken and one of the cupcake varieties it at an event some months ago and really liked both. On this visit, I sampled a watermelon jalapeño slush that will definitely have me heading back. The fourth food stop in the new gallery is Los Tacos No. 1. They were not open yet but it looks like they'll be up and running soon enough



The renovated Lobster Place will require multiple visits with an empty stomach for me try all of the new offerings. The Shack In The Back is the stop for sandwiches like shrimp po' boys and chowders or soups that you can scoop out of bread bowls.  All the way in the back is an area dedicated to the steamed lobsters that have always had tourists flocking to eat here.  The center of the shop now houses two counters: a sushi bar and a raw bar (as if adding an oyster bar next door wasn't enough!).  Lastly, in case you opt for any of the pre-made sushi, noodles or other food options, there is now more seating in the store-front area near the registers. If you prefer to cook or eat your fish and seafood at home, The Lobster place still carries some gorgeous looking options.




The space vacated by The Nutshop is now filled by the Doughnutery, previously slinging its delicious doughnuts from a smaller kiosk, and Beyond Sushi, a vegan sushi restaurant.


Lastly, the Chelsea Market continues to house exhibits for visitors to enjoy as they walk off all of that food they're eating. The current images hanging in the market are all photographs of funny food art by Bill and Claire Wurtzel, authors of Welcome Books' Funny Food: 365 Fun, Healthy, Silly, Creative Breakfasts (Time Out NY). The photographs will be on display through May 31st.



I received no compensation for this post. The opinions expressed herein are my own.

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I've known of the Queens County Farm Museum but paid my first visit this past Mother's Day.  The land has been farmland for over 300 years, making it the longest running farm in the state of New York. Walking onto the property is an immediate escape. We had such a nice time walking around, enjoying the natural surroundings, and seeing the animals: pigs, cows, turkeys, chickens, goats and more.

After some animal time, we stopped by the farm shop where I had to keep myself from buying everything in site! We did however, pick up some seeds to add to our garden, honey made by the farm's bees, some wine made from a blend of local grapes including those grown on the farm, and a couple of Mothers' Day gifts.






The farm shop is also a great spot to pick up farm fresh eggs (get there early to secure some!), gardening books, local treats (pickles and jams), flowers, plants, herbs (for your own garden) and some hay to feed the farm goats. This was truly an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and the bonus is that there is no admission price. I'm looking forward to heading back to the farm and hope you'll consider stopping by too!

Hours:

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We're two days away from a much needed vacation to Italy. I won't go into details but it's been a trying month on so many fronts. While it may not be the ideal timing for a trip, this escape will hopefully allow us to heal a bit and find strength to face our emotional battles.

This trip has been in the works for many months. My best friend extended an invitation for us to meet her in Europe for a trip motivated by her 40th birthday. We will gallivant together in the Piazzas of Rome for a few days, but before we get there E and I will have a half day adventure in Istanbul and explore the shores of Sicily for several days.

There are several resources we've used to prepare for the trip and I thought I'd share them so that you can use them for your journeys.






Pinterest - Such a great way to save articles and images for places I want to visit. I have created two boards, one for Sicily and one for Istanbul - and they have been a positive reminder of the breathtaking sights that await us.

http://www.urbanaid.com

Urban Aid Pack It Up List - I got this pad last year at the Lucky FABB conference and think it's fabulous. It's such a great checklist for everything you might need on your trip. Order your very own here: http://www.urbanaid.com/packitup.htm.



USPS.GOV - Whatever complaints you might have about the U.S. Postal System, you can't deny how easy it is to go on their website and  request a hold on your mail. I receive a lot of packages and magazines - too much for my little mailbox to contain while I'm away, so I appreciate being able to set up a vacation hold and choose whether I want it all delivered or pick it up when I return. https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/

Stephanie Johnson Travel Accessories - Love her designs! I received one of her makeup pouches last year at Lucky FABB and found her again at Lucky Shops in NYC last December where I was able to snag a great deal on a travel make-up case and passport holder. Her designs totally fit the "Travel In Style" bill.

Stephanie Johnson @CottageChicCLT {Spring2013} http://www.chicgoodness.com/

I did not receive any compensation or products for the purpose of this post. All opinions are mine and shared because I think my readers might find value in the review.

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I'm grateful to be surrounded by friends who encourage me to be greener through their own practices. A couple of years ago I started separating items that can be used for compost from the rest of my trash. I compost primarily because it means I'm creating less trash (less visits to the garbage chute, less use of garbage bags). Once you start composting you realize how much of what you used to think was waste is actually usable for gardening (yours or someone else's). This year we've been aiming to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into our cooking and composting is a great way to monitor if we're on track. The healthier we're eating, the more compostables we are collecting.

I had a few reservations before starting: Will storing the scraps make my kitchen smelly? What will I do with the food scraps I collect (I live in a New York City apartment- thus no yard)?

First off, there's been no odor issue. I took a tip from a lovely friend to store the scraps in the freezer rather than use a counter top bin. In addition to preventing smells, freezing speeds up the decomposition process once the scraps get added to a compost bin.

But now freezer space is prime kitchen real estate, so I needed to have a plan for what to do with my scraps. This is where my local farmers market came into play. Four days a week I can swing by and drop off my compost as so many others do with the Lower East Side Ecology Center, which collects at New York's Union Square Green Market.

A look at our compost and the bin.

That's what I used to do. My significant other, who can garden because he lives in suburban Queens, realized what a shame it was that he wasn't reaping the benefits of our composting.  So we took a trip to the Queens Botanical Garden and purchased our very own compost bin. So now there's more transport involved (getting frozen food scraps from Manhattan to Queens regularly) but we'll be enriching our garden with great nutrients this year, and for many more to come!

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National Sleep Awareness Week is winding down but the value of sleep remains precious. I've been trying to get more sleep every night as part of my 2013 healthier living goal, especially since it's touted as an important element for weight loss. So, when the folks at Downy reached out to me about attending their National Sleep Week event at new York's Penn Station, it made total sense for me to check it out. 

Downy teamed up with HGTV interior designer Taniya Nayak to draw attention to some simple ways we can create better sleep environments in our homes.  Taniya signed on to this protect because she values finding ways to improve the quality of sleep in her own life. We talked about how so many of us sacrifice sleep in the name of productivity, but the reality is that, generally speaking, we are far more productive and efficient if we are well rested. 

When I asked Taniya about what the connection between interior design and Downy was, she said that design is about engaging the senses and the more senses we activate the better. That's where Downy Infusions Lavender Serenity liquid fabric softener comes into play.

Tanya attests to using the product herself and enjoying the relaxation induced by the smell of lavender. The best feature I learned about was the fact that when using the Downy Unstoppables Lush in-wash scent booster, the fresh smell is said to last up to 12 weeks. I was excited about the thought that I could have fresh smelling sheets even if they didn't just come out of the dryer.


What are some other things we can do to spruce up our bedroom designs? If you've watched any of Taniya's shows you know that she's a firm believer in design not having to break the bank. Take a look around your house and look for items that you can reclaim and repurpose in the bedroom. Is there a tray that's hidden in a corner somewhere but can be made into a simple night stand or a basket that can be placed beside and used to hold your nighttime reading materials or extra blankets? Putting some effort into making your bedroom a place conducive to sleep is worth it.


I did not receive any compensation for this post. The opinions contained herein are my own.

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 The greatest benefit I've reaped from blogging has been the opportunity to meet some wonderful people from all over the country.Up until a few months ago, I owed most of my interaction with other bloggers to attending conferences. While conference are great, they only last a few short days so it's up to you to keep those connections alive.


That's where my friends Ruby of Growing Up Blackxican and Xenia of Raised By Culture come into the picture. They started a small Facebook group called #BlogLuv. In the basic sense it's a support group. A group of friends willing to read and discuss each others' writing, share blogging resources, and serve up some motivation and inspiration.

For Valentine's Day they organized a gift exchange amongst the group members. I was paired with Lisa Quinones-Fontanez of Autism Wonderland, a blog that chronicles her family's life with autism. My gifts from Lisa arrived just in time for the February 14th festivities and was a sweet addition to my week!



Lisa sent a wonderful sweet treat, Fresh Cosmetics' Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment with SPF. A treat that won't be rough on the hips and instead will nourish my lips. As an added bonus, I also received a Godiva Dark Chocolate and Raspberry bar. Lisa clearly understands that a little dark chocolate can be healthy :) The only bad thing about this bar is that I'll have to share it with my honey, who called dibs on it as soon as I opened the package.

Thanks for being my Valentine Lisa!!

Wishing everyone a happy V-Day and reminding you that love is all around in many forms so bask in it.

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