Thanksgiving in New York City. 2013 Edition.

Thanksgiving flew by and officially launched the Christmas season for us. We gobbled til we wobbled… and then gobbled some more.

This year we are extremely thankful for the close friendships we have made in this magical city. A city that can easily become very lonely and large. We are thankful for our health, for a happy marriage and for careers that utilize our talents and passions. We are thankful for the opportunities we've had to travel this year and to experience our world through a variety of tastes and sights. And we are thankful for the strength and comfort we find in prayer when life takes unexpected twists and turns, as often seems the case.

Thanksgiving flashback…

Volunteering at The Bowery Mission

Thanksgiving-Eve Drinks with friends at Vero Wine Bar

Upper West Side Balloon Line-Up on Thanksgiving-Eve

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

One my favorite recipes from my mom… cherry jello-nut salad!

Thanksgiving Day fun with our NYC family!
So thankful for them and Friendsgiving!

Post- Thankgiving Thai Friendsgiving

Love dinner parties and this group!

Black Friday online shopping… :) 

Our 50 State Travels: Best Views

We travel to see, explore, smell, experience and taste. When Richard and I think back through our 50 State travels, an image appears in our head with each destination. Our brains have a funny way of documenting our lives - and it always amazes me what sticks out in our memories and what does not. The views certainly left a lasting impression for us. 

Top 10 Best Views

1. Glacier Bay - Alaska

2. Waterfalls in Kauai - Hawaii 

3. North Shore Oahu - Hawaii

4. Niagara Falls - New York

5. New York City Skyline - New York 

6. Golden Gate Bridge - California 

7. Mansions in Newport - Rhode Island

8. Cowboys Stadium - Dallas (You know Richard had something to do with this one..) 

9. Snow Covered Rocky Mountains in Estes Park - Colorado 

10. Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool - Washington, D.C.

Other views we loved…

Biking down a mountain in Maui (Hawaii)

Volcano erupting at night (Hawaii)

Grand Canyon (Arizona)

Broadway / Times Square (New York)

Brooklyn Bridge as seen from DUMBO (New York)

Central Park – Jackie Onassis Reservoir, Great Lawn, Boathouse (New York)

Ceiling at Grand Central (New York)

Rooftop of the Met (New York)

Chrysler Building (New York)

Bryant Park (New York)

Sea Lions on the docks of San Fran (California)

Lombard St San Fran (California)

Venice Beach (California)

PCH (California)

Top of the Standard Hotel LA (California)

Vegas Skyline at night from the roller coaster in New York, New York (Nevada)

Seattle Skyline – Space Needle (Washington)

Puget Sound (Washington)

Chicago Skyline - Willis [formerly Sears] Tower (Illinois)

Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier (Illinois)

Beaches of Lake Michigan (Indiana)

Yellowstone - Old Faithful (Wyoming)

Boston Common (Massachusetts)

Newport Cliff Walk (Rhode Island)

Kancamangus Pass (Vermont/New Hampshire)

Lighthouses (Maine)

Portland Harbor (Maine)

Fells Point – cobblestone streets and store fronts (Maryland)

Mount Rushmore (South Dakota)

Epcot at Disney World (Florida)

Dallas Skyline (Texas)

Texas State Fair  - Ferris Wheel, Big Tex (Texas)

Entering Colorado from Wyoming border (Colorado)

Ohio Farms (Ohio) and Pro Football Hall of Fame (Ohio)

No Shave November.

This has become a theme in our household. The dreaded anticipated No. Shave. November.

Thanks to Richard's job (and their crazy competitions)… he has carried on this tradition for a few years now. Last year, he became Abraham Lincoln. Yeah, that happened.

This year though, we wanted to understand a little more behind the whole phenomenon. So we took to extensive research… also known as "the google".

Here's what we found:

No Shave November – Not just mustaches and not even just beards; women can even elect to not shave their legs! Oh my!

The idea is to forgo shaving (and therefore not purchase your typical allotment of shaving supplies for the month of November), and donate the money you save to cancer research.  It's celebrating the ability to grow hair (something some cancer patients aren't able to do) while also saving money to donate to research.

All "bearded-up" the night before the Macy's Day Parade -
seeing the balloons on the Upper West Side

We were also curious about this:

Movember – grow a mustache to "change the face of men's health awareness"

People can grow a mustache and also donate to research for various men's health research causes (like prostate cancer research)

Pretty cool concept, right? Since Richard's beard was in line with No Shave November, we donated to the American Cancer Society. Check out their portal, it's pretty neat. 

Just wait though. Richard's job doesn't hold their annual competition until February. So I'm sure he still has plans…even though I talked him into shaving at the end of November. I just know that it will return. In the meantime, here is what I had to put up with. :)

He thought he'd have some fun shaving…
he then had to keep a straight face every time he interacted with anyone that day!

Sweet potatoes or yams?

Sweet potatoes or yams? Is there a difference? 

That's what everyone kept asking while we were busy attacking those little suckers with potato peelers. 

An hour later we had buckets, upon buckets. 9,000 meals were to be served that week. 

Last year, we had a great experience volunteering at The Bowery Mission during Thanksgiving week. We quickly signed up again when the email came through. That night, it was in the 20's. Absolutely freezing. Not surprising, neither of us felt like going anymore… we just wanted to bundle on the couch and watch a movie.

But we went. 

I was a little annoyed once we arrived and there were a million volunteers. Too many volunteers. I understand this struggle all too well from my nonprofit days. To turn down a volunteer can feel like pushing someone off a mountain, a mountain that so desperately needs people climbing up it, quickly and well prepared. I was even more annoyed when I realized that 3/4 of the volunteer group was there from a prestigious New York school. I thought to myself, "oh great, rich kids…what fun…". 

What is wrong with me?  

The volunteer group was nice and filled with people wanting to help. Even if their perspective on the world was different than mine, they were there. And for all I know, the person next to me was judging me for something. And I was just there too, trying to help. 

As men and women flowed in from the streets looking for a warm place and hot meal, we marched out one by one providing that momentary comfort. A simple meal with a smile and acknowledgment. Something we receive three times a day, if not more. 

I saw a man steal a food tray and dump leftovers in his bag, quickly and unashamed. Another man was so drunk that he could barely sit up at the table. I watched as a food delivery guy came in, ate his meal in silence and then slipped out the door. That could have been the same guy that delivered our food to our apartment last week. I received a special request from a guy for a plate with no meat. You see, being a vegetarian, he was concerned that meat might go to waste. He didn't want someone else to go without. 

I understand that homelessness is a vicious cycle - a cycle typically filled and fueled by abuse, addiction and poverty. I understand that many times, an individual becomes homeless by the choices they make in life, repeated choices. I get that because it hits very close to home for me. It frustrating, sad, maddening. 

But what I will always go back to is this… 

Leviticus 25:35-36

“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.

Isaiah 58:7

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”

Luke 14:13-14

“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Oh yeah, sweet potatoes and yams really are different. But I still can't tell you the difference. However, I can tell you that I am glad we went. Once again, our hearts and minds were changed, imprinted. Our hearts were filled with gratitude for the lives we live. We were reminded that it only takes one day, one moment in time, for the life we cherish to forever change. 

Cooking thru Bread and Wine - steak au poivre with cognac pan sauce

Honestly, I was a little intimidated to try this recipe. The name sounds so fancy.

It was really, really easy. And the sauce - yum.

I made this for Richard on a bone chilling Saturday night, while he was sick. I paired it with a sweet potato (served like a baked potato). It was hearty and put us to sleep.

Cheers!

Steak Au Poivre with Cognac Pan Sauce 

Shauna Niequist, Bread and Wine

6 steaks (5-6 ounces each) – filet, NY strip or rib eye

Sea Salt

¼ cup whole black peppercorns

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Sauce:

2 shallots sliced

1/2 cup cognac or brandy

2 tbsp Dijon

1 cup chicken stock or broth

1 cup half and half

Let steaks sit at room temperature on a towel for about 30 minutes to draw out moisture.

Crack peppercorns using a cast-iron skillet. Salt both sides of the steaks and then press in cracked peppercorns generously on both sides.

Heat the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and one tablespoon of butter. When the butter is melted, add the steaks and cook on first side until there’s a dark sear, 3-5 minuets. Flip the steaks, add remaining butter, and cook to desired doneness – 2 minutes for rare.

Remove from pan. Cover.

Lower heat to medium, then add sliced shallots and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes.

Deglaze by adding cognac or bandy and scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Whisk in Dijon, chicken stock, and cream.

Turn to high heat and boil until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Serve steaks drizzled with sauce.

Serves 6.