My Life In Pictures

In this day in age we love to take pictures, but, for the most part, they stay on some sort of website never to be enjoyed by yourself or friends, unless they're stalking you on facebook (which I'm not on). I'm happy that I have made these books of the years photos since 2008. I put all the photos I have taken that year (I upload them every few months) and dump them into a picture storing site (I use snapfish.com, but, you can use any of them) and then make a book of your years events! We have some for trips we've taken, but, for the most part its a month by month photo journal of things we've done. I put them on a coffee table when we have guests over and its fun for them to find themselves in our books from time to time. My grandmother loves them since "looking at the computer hurts her eyes". Also, I want to be able to show our future children that Mom and Dad were WAAAAAAY cooler than them when they are complaining and whining in their teenage years. :)

Do you make picture books?

Yep, that's me and friends doing aerobics with Richard Simmons

Of course Mack likes to bite look at the books too.

Carrie's Diner - Dinner Menu This Week

I started planning out dinner for the week a few weeks ago and found that it really helps with organizing and staying committed to healthy eating. I send the weekly dinner menu out to my husband and sister - she likes to pick the days to come over and have dinner and we then know every night what we are eating. Because we're New Yorkers, you can't just go to the grocery store and buy all the necessary ingredients and bring them home, there is simply no room to store it all in our tiny apartments. So, after work, I walk by the grocery store next to my subway stop, pick up the ingredients for that nights dinner (Ill pick up all the protein on the same day, however), and then buy and cook for that night. Notice how I have quinoa two nights  -- that means I'll make double so I can have it for the next nights round.

Check out this weeks menu:

Monday - Stuffed Mediterranean Baked Chicken with tzatziki rice
Tuesday - Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with baked lemon chicken (this is nice with pork chops too)

Wednesday - shells pasta with broccoli rab and Italian sausage - we'll put in picnic basket and go to the park to watch the outdoor movie.

Thursday - BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

 This helps with our weekly meals and it keeps us on track with eating healthy and not ordering seamless every night!

Weekend Wrap Up

What did you do this weekend? Me? Went out until 3:45am in the city (couldn't tell you a single bar we went to) on Friday night which then made it an easy decision to stay inside the rest of the weekend and watch Jenji Kohan's new Netflix show, Orange Is The New Black. All of it. Every episode this weekend. Suffice to say, It's really good and the cast is perfect.

I hightly recommend.

Friday Tunes

Kishi Bashi - Bright Whites 

 

 Happy Friday, Friends! 

Kirbo, they are playing tomorrow in Prospect Park -- wanna go? 

+ Pool = Cool!

Have you heard of Kickstarter? I look at it from time to time because it is a really cool idea, however, I never see anything Id like to actually contribute my hard earned money for. That was until I saw the +Pool about a year prior and was instantly obsessed with it and signed up for email updates, when and if they ever had any. When I then read they went to Kickstarter to collect funds to make the +Pool happen, I jumped at what I could do to help! Well, it looks like they reached their goal and the +Pool is actually happening in the East River in NYC/Brooklyn! How cool does this look?

 

Well, I contributed and if this epic pool does get made, I will have my name on a tile for as long as its there. I think that's pretty cool. So, if you ever go, try to find my name! OK, that doesn't sound too fun, but, I am super excited for this because of two things... 1. I LOVE POOLS and 2. I can brag that my tiny contribution helped. 

Blurb from Thrillist.com: 

 That fact that it's able to push as far as the fifth spot despite not exactly being real yet should let you know just how awesome this thing COULD be. It's a floating pool in the East River that cleans all the dead dolphins and mobsters out by way of a science-y filtration system, and lets you frolic unencumbered by pollution in a way that hasn't been possible in like 100yrs.

Fire Lemon Kick

This lemonade recipe is so so so yummy. I got the idea from Southern Living magazine then put my own spin on it with alcohol. Enjoy!!

Ingredients: 
16 Lemons
Sugar
Water
Rosemary
Vodka 

Directions: 

1. Slice Lemons in half.

 2. Dip halves of lemons into sugar on a plate face down.

3. Place lemons (face down) on grill on med high heat for 8-10 min. Make sure you are able to see grill marks and they are very soft.

 4. While waiting for the lemons to get their perfect grill marks, mix equal parts sugar and water to make a simple syrup. Once sugar granules have disappeared place a sprig of rosemary in and let cool. 

5. Once BOTH the simple syrup AND lemons have cooled, place a mesh strainer over your pitcher and squeeze all the lemony goodness out of your lemons.

6. Mix in your simple syrup and 2 cups of vodka (you can add more... lots more if you want) add ice cubes and stir.

7. DRINK UP and ENJOY! I loved how you could taste the grilled sugary lemons, it added such a summery taste!

Relaxation Week with (almost) No Phones

This weekend I totally just relaxed down south, wore over-sized sunglasses and annoyed my husband and dog. It was pretty perfect. I didn't even have my phone on me 90% of the time -- love that! I also totally beat Scottie in our usual wiffle ball game against each other. When he does connect though, it flys over the roof and I get mad because like, I'm a major league pitcher and total try to strike him out! :)

ooooh, I made the BEST vodka infused lemonade EVER this past weekend. I'll share recipe tomorrow.

Saturday in Coney Island

Since it is nearing the 4th of July there is only ONE thing I look forward to besides celebrating our country's independence -- NATHAN'S HOTDOG EATING CONTEST! So, we took our Saturday and got on the subway out to Coney Island. Those dogs are GOOD! I won't tell you how many we ate.

take the F back to Brooklyn -- its almost all above ground and awesome.