Non-Food Post: My Engagement Story!

04. October 2011 · 48 comments · Categories: life · Tags: ,

Please forgive me for possibly not posting as regularly as usual in these next few weeks. As soon as I get the basics worked out for my wedding, I will definitely be right back on schedule.

In the meantime, since some of you asked, I figured I’d share a bit more about the proposal since it’s easier than cooking dinner, taking photos, editing photos, coming up with something to write, etc :)

Nate and I had planned to take a hike in upstate NY at this park called Poet’s Walk.  I can’t remember how we first heard about it, but after seeing the photos, we knew we had to go.

I was really the one who was planning the whole thing. A month or so ago, we were supposed to go but then Hurricane Irene prevented us, so it got postponed.

We decided to push the hike to last Saturday. Then last Friday, Nate IMed me at work and told me that he had to go into work on Saturday for about an hour and we’d have to move the trip to Sunday. I wasn’t too upset since it didn’t really matter which day we were going to go…this park is only about 1 hr 45 min away.

So Nate went into work (or so I thought!) on Saturday and I spent the day doing little things around the apartment. Sunday morning we got up early for brunch with my friends before grabbing my car and heading upstate.

The drive along the way was beautiful and Nate even said he wouldn’t mind living up there, eventually. It’s close enough to the city but still has lots of trees.

We arrived at the park at around 11:30ish I think and Nate and I got out of the car. Within 1 minute, I was already bitten by 2 mosquitoes. You have to know that mosquitoes LOVE me and I’m extremely sensitive to their bites so I try to avoid being outdoors anytime after dusk in the summer. I guess all the rain we’ve been having left a lot of standing water around, so there were tons of bugs.

I was already worried about getting bitten, and then some woman with her dog came running out the entrance and warned us that there were swarms of mosquitoes. At this point I was seriously worried. We drove all the way up there so I didn’t want to just get back in the car and drive home, but I was scared of what could happen if i got a lot of bites (just to give you an idea, last year after sitting outside at dinner and getting about 6 bites on my feet within a few minutes , they swelled and itched so badly I had to go to the E.R. ).

So I told Nate that we would speed through this trail while I furiously swung my arms in the hopes that mosquitoes wouldn’t land on me. Yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

We got started down the trail and I was several yards ahead of Nate. The trail wove around and into the forest and we passed this beautiful wooden bridge…but I wouldn’t stop to admire it lest I get bit!

I approached a stone bridge a few minutes further and saw Nate trailing behind. As I began to speed over it, I heard Nate call out, “Wait, wait.” So in a huff I replied, “Well if you want to take pics you better hurry up cuz I don’t wanna get bit!” It was at this point that Nate caught up to me while I was standing in the middle of the bridge and he promptly got down on one knee.

I honestly thought Nate was joking. I thought he might propose but I didn’t think it would be for several months, and I definitely didn’t think it would be on this trip since it was rescheduled so many times. I also know that Nate likes to purposefully push my buttons, so I thought he was just stalling so I would be forced to slow down and enjoy the walk rather than rushing through it.

I asked Nate, “Are you serious??”

And then he pulled a box out of his pocket.

I have no idea what went through my head at that moment. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he was proposing. It was just so unexpected…and I honestly didn’t believe he had planned all this behind my back! I’m a hard one to trick since I ask so many questions:)

But then he opened the box and I saw the most beautiful ring ever, and I knew it was for real. I got teary-eyed (I so didn’t expect that!) and I just kept saying “oh my god, oh my god…” Nate asked me if I would marry him and after finally snapping out of it I said yes.

The ring didn’t exactly fit on my finger so I wore it on my pinky for the rest of the hike. Every 5 feet we walked I kept saying to Nate “I can’t believe we’re engaged!” It was so surreal. Even now it hasn’t really sunk in. But as of Sunday, the ring has been resized and I’m actually wearing it so it’s starting to feel more real.

I just keep looking down at my hand, seeing the ring, and smiling. I can’t believe I’m engaged!!!

I love you, Nate :)

(Unfortunately, we forgot to take a pic of the actual proposal spot! But we’re going to go back when the weather gets cooler and take a pic)

Afterword:

There are a couple of funny parts to this story. First of all, Nate told me later that he didn’t actually have to go into work on Saturday. The ring was supposed to be ready Friday, but they ended up not being able to finish til Saturday, so Nate actually went to pick up the ring!

The other funny thing is that on Saturday night I was reading a New York magazine and came across an ad for Little King jewelers. Because it said they specialized in antique style rings (exactly what I wanted), I said to Nate, “hey Nate, this store here says they specialize in antique style rings…make sure you write that down.” Little did I know that Nate had already picked out a ring from that very place and it was sitting in his desk drawer at that moment! He picked out a gorgeous ring that was more perfect than I could have even picked out for myself :)

Rainbow Velvet Cake for a Special Birthday!

22. August 2011 · 48 comments · Categories: Baking, Cake, cooking, Dessert, food, recipes · Tags: , ,

Ever since Nate’s last birthday, I’ve been plotting and planning a cake to top what I made him last year. He told me that his fave cake flavors are Red Velvet or Carrot Cake.

But I knew a Red Velvet Cake alone wouldn’t be special enough for his 30th birthday. So I thought bigger.

Nate told me that when he was younger, he loved rainbow sherbert and tye-dye, and basically all things colorful. So I knew when I was scoping the web and saw pictures of Rainbow Cakes, I’d have to do something similar.

However, I don’t have 6 separate pans for different colors, so I thought about putting all the colors in one pan, for more of a tye-dye effect, and only used 2 pans for 2 layers. I had seen that others had already tried this so I knew it would work out.

The only thing that worried me is that all of these were done with white cake, so the colors were very vibrant. I’d be using red velvet batter, though, which is already tinted slightly brown from the cocoa.

In the end, it certainly wasn’t as bright as it would have been with white cake, but it was pretty darn awesome.

But the best part was seeing everyone’s face when I cut the first slice. Nobody had a clue of what was inside that innocent looking white-frosted cake :)

Happy 30th Birthday, Nate! I can’t wait to celebrate many more with you…


Rainbow Velvet Cake with Raspberries and Blueberries
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Print this recipe!

Make one 9-in layer cake

Ingredients:

Cake
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet food gels

Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries
3 1/2-pint baskets fresh blueberries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.

Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl.

Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter evenly into 6 small bowls. Add food gel to each of 6 bowls, about 1/4 tsp each or until desired color is achieved.

Drop the colours, one by one, into the middle of the pan, in neat concentric blobs.

When you’re three colours in, start doing the reverse with the other pan. Since I’m going in rainbow order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, I got from red to yellow in the first pan, then purple, blue, green in the second. This is so that your two pans are equal if your measurements aren’t exact (and they’re not likely to be).

For a good visual of how to do this, view here.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-30 min minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake.

Arrange 1 basket raspberries and 1/2 basket blueberries atop frosting, pressing lightly to adhere.

Top with second cake layer, flat side down.

Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Cut into cake and watch the amazement on everyone’s faces!

Lights, Camera, Action!

14. April 2011 · 4 comments · Categories: Brunch, cooking, Dinner, food, recipes, Savory, Side dishes, vegetarian · Tags: , , ,

This past weekend I helped Nate out. Technically, I guess I was employed by him (he didn’t pay me for my services, but I’m just nice like that). You see, Nate went to NYU film school and has aspirations of being a writer/producer in film or tv. His jobs haven’t really given him the opportunity to do any writing, so to keep his creative juices flowing and build up a “reel” (as they call it in the entertainment world) he has been writing some short films just for fun. This weekend he has actually gathered some friends in the same industry into a crew to shoot this short- it included a camera guy, assistant camera guy, sound guy, Nate and me.

Nate was both the director and the actor…such a talented boyfriend I have! I told Nate he should do acting more often because he’s so funny…he makes the best faces and is so good at keep a straight face and not cracking up when he says something funny. I’m hopeless at that. He just has to give me one look and I burst into laughter.

I’m so excited because I got to be the person who slams the thing together (which Nate has told me is called a slate) and yells “take 3!”

But in addition, I was given the more important task of catering lunch for his crew. Since I was working on the set both of those days and had to make it ahead of time, it couldn’t be anything too fancy, but at the same time I didn’t want it to be ordinary.

I pulled out a few of my fave recipes for portability and came up with a menu for the two days of lunch I needed to provide. Day 1’s menu included our family favorite recipe for Chilled Chinese Noodles, a yummy Hoisin Chicken, and some fresh fruit salad with mint and lime. For dessert I made the secret recipe that I can’t give out yet because I’m entering it in the Pillsbury Bakeoff next week. This was my fifth batch and after much tweaking I think I finally have a winner…well let’s hope! Day 2 will recycle the chicken into one of my all-time favorites- Curried Chicken Salad, which i usually make low fat, along with hoagie rolls, leftover fruit and dessert. No crazy complex recipes, but definitely enough to satisfy some hungry men.

After watching these guys shoot for two days, I have a much greater appreciation for all that goes into film making. I could never be in that business though, because honestly, I lack the patience. Having to shoot the same scene 4 times is tedious. But I’m totally pysched to see the finished product :)

Below is the recipe for the Chilled Chinese Noodles that is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. They’re all delicious though, or I wouldn’t put them on the blog. The rest of the recipes will be posted over the next week, so…

“Cut!”


Chilled Chinese Noodles
I have no idea where this recipe came from, but my mom’s been making it forever!

Print this recipe!

serves 8-10 hungry people, as a side dish

1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
1/3-1/2 cup peanut oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 scallions, whites & green separated, chopped fine
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups mung bean sprouts (you can leave them out if you can’t find them, or add something similar)

Drizzle noodles with 2 Tbsp peanut oil, toss well.

In skillet, heat 6 Tbsp. peanut oil. Add garlic & whites of scallions. Stir on high 1 min. Remove from heat.

Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, pepper. Pour over noodles. Stir in sprouts and greens of s callions.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hrs.