Merry Christmas 2014!

May your day be merry, bright and filled with lots of love!

2014 Fan Favorites

This year has gone so fast! Between my new job, the boyfriends new job, all the travel and moving into our first house, I've hardly had any time to cook or bake this year. Now that we have all settled into our new routines, expect WITK to get back to normal in 2015. Until then, here are the five most popular recipes from 2014!

5. Hazelnut Cream Cheese Brownies - I was not surprised at all that you guys loved these brownies. They were amazing! Make these for your friends, family, coworkers, everyone. They will love you.

4. Watermelon Mallow Cookies - Since I'm obsessed with marshmallows, I made a number of different recipes this year. These watermelon cookies were a hit at the office. The flavor came from a watermelon candy oil, rather than trying to concentrate watermelon flavor from a juice. Candy oil is definitely an easy way to add intense flavor, it just doesn't taste natural at all!

3. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Bars - As a part of Perry's Ice Cream - Inside Scoopers group, I am lucky enough to receive a package of new ice cream flavors each year. Perry's is a brand that is local to my hometown, Buffalo, NY. Their all natural dark chocolate was the star of these ice cream sandwiches!

 

2. Rigatoni with Pepperoni, Mozzarella and Arugula - From my Cook the Books 2014 challenge, this dinner was quick, easy and delicious. I've made this multiple times this year!

1. Quiche with Sweet Peppers and Sausage - Also from my Cook the Books 2014 challenge, this quiche was an amazing dinner! I think I made a lot of quiches this year because all you need are some eggs and a pie crust! I recommend keeping both of those things in your fridge, just in case!

Looking back at my recipes for this year, I'm so disappointed in myself! I didn't make any candies, only cooked a few dinners and totally slacked off for many weeks at a time. I have big plans for next year and want to get myself back on trip. Bring the fun back to WITK!  Swing by on New Years day for Challenge 2015!

Wilde in the World - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

After our three and a half day visit to Siem Reap, Cambodia, the boyfriend and I hopped on a plane and fly back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We flew Air Asia. It was cheap, clean and felt very safe for our 90 minute flight. Be prepared to pay a little extra for everything on this airline. They really nickel and dime you here.

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Wilde in the World - Angkor Temples Day 2

Day two of our vacation in Cambodia started off very early. We had to wake up before the sun because we wanted to watch the sunrise! Our tuk tuk driver (the same Mr. Phuc Me!) picked us up at 5:30am and we drove to Angkor Wat. Then it started raining...

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Wilde in the World - Sieam Reap Cambodia

A few weeks ago, I had to attend a conference in Kuala Lumpur. After asking the BF to join me on each of my work trips this year, he finally was able to take time from work and come along! We decided to take a few extra vacation days before the conference and take a mini vacation. At first we were torn between the beaches of Malaysia and the temples of Cambodia.  Since this post is titled "Siem Reap, Cambodia" I think you know which one we chose.

Why did we decide to go to Cambodia rather than the beach? We have actually been to the beaches of Thailand, which are just north of the Malaysian beaches. Plus, we were headed to Florida for Thanksgiving and I had major beach plans for that trip. So off to the temples we went!

Day one of our trip was really really long. Our flight path to Cambodia was Newark, NJ to Chicago, IL to Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Siem Reap, Cambodia. It took a total of 36 hours to get from home to hotel. Luckily, we were greeted with a beautiful room and a treat!

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Wilde in the World - Lima, Peru

Before the year is over, I want to finish updating you on what I've been doing all summer/fall!  In late August, I had the chance to travel to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time! I've gotten close to the equator before (Singapore is right on the northern side), but never have I crossed the line. I ventured to Lima, Peru for a conference and spent four days in the hotel. This was the view from my hotel room...

Since it was August, Lima was just coming out of winter and transitioning into spring. Apparently the sun doesn't shine during the spring in Lima and my view looked like this all five days that I was at the conference. Luckily my hotel room was amazing (definitely stay at the Lima Westin if you want a gorgeous bathroom!) and the conference was interesting.

Even the food at the hotel was tasty. Their chef is Malaysian, so the menu was a fusion of flavors from Malalysia and Peru. Sounds strange, but it was totally delicious.

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Soup Winner & Quick travel update

I am so happy to be home after a long, long, long journey. If you have been following my instagram, then you may know that I spent that past week and a half in Southeast Asia. Specifically, the boyfriend and I visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is the reason why I haven't chosen a winner for my fun Soup Season giveaway yet!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to enter to win! I loved reading about your favorite fall eats. I really want to go to the grocery store and get to cooking some of your dishes in my new kitchen! Okay, it's time to announce the winner!

Congratulations Margie!!!  Be sure to e-mail me with your address and Swanson will send along your prize package in a jiffy. Let me know if you make something delicious!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And here are a few of my photos from Cambodia. I am currently going through three different cameras, sorting and organizing over one thousand pictures. I'll be posting a complete update to both Cambodia and Kuala Lumpur over at WITC.

Wilde Week #43

Never mind that title, let's call this post...

A Wilde Month

You may have been wondering where I have been all month. Well, most likely you haven't been that curious. Usually just my mom asks why I haven't been posting, but she knows my schedule has been crazy. Over the past month, I've been around the world and back again.

First stop along the way - Singapore. A city state right near the equator, Singapore was an amazing combination of Asian cultures, modern high rises and delicious food.

I was in Singapore for a business trip, but was lucky enough to have an extra day to explore the city. And eat! During the week I was there, I indulged in amazing Cantonese, Indian, Malaysian & Thai food. I also spent an afternoon with my team, soaking up the atmosphere and some original Singapore Slings at The Raffles Hotel. One thing I ate a few times over the week - Chicken Rice. Go to Singapore, eat some chicken rice. Totally worth the trip.

Our flight home went via Tokyo and while some of my coworkers indulged in McDonald's, two of us decided to get some noodles, katsu chicken and fried squid legs. Ah-mazing. Definitely helped with the fact that we were about to sit on a plane for 13 hours.

Stop by later in the week for a little more of my wild and crazy month!

Wilde Week #42

- I've been at my new job almost three months now! Though since I started, I don't think I've had one full week of work.  With the snow days and the holidays, I've been working three and four day weeks for months!  I think this week is finally the week that I'm at the office for five full days. That is assuming that the snowstorm that is supposed to hit this afternoon isn't too big!

- My new commute takes me through Newark Penn Station (not to be confused with New York Penn Station, even though they sound like the same station when a conductor shouts it over the train loud speakers). It's an old building, with rough, exposed iron beams and a beautiful art deco waiting room. It's no Grand Central, but it certainly makes my commute a little prettier.

- I'm afraid that I've gone way over my clothing budget for the month of February.  I blame all these amazing winter sales! My most recent purchase? I found that adorable pink Ted Baker bag at the Bloomingdale's outlet this past weekend for 50% off. The best part? I saw it at the UWS Bloomingdale's a few weeks ago, full price. You can get it on sale on Amazon, just not in the baby pink. Sorry. The best part about the tote? The lining is covered in bulldogs in bowties.

- Apparently January and February is the best time to do all those fun, christmasy, New York City things.  This past weekend, the Boyfriend and I used our GILT City coupon for skating and dinner at the Bryant Park skating rink.  The food was tasty, the skating was tricky and the price was right.  Bonus? The lines weren't that long and we were able to skate until closing. The only problem? Their rental skates have zero edge and you just kind of skim along the ice!

- I'v been trying to think about what I want to do for St Patricks day on the blog. Then I realized that I really just want to make more Lucky Charms treats and eat the entire pan. Is that wrong?

- I feel like I've been missing out on something with House of Cards.  Generally, I don't watch a TV series until it's been established. I've been abandoned by one too many TV shows - Awake, Flash Forward, Surface - and I like to know that I've got a few seasons to watch. Has anyone else been bitten by the House of Cards bug? The boyfriend is suggesting we binge watch both seasons, I'm dubious.

- Did you know that I'm awesome at bowling? And I look really good in bowling shoes?  The BF and i discovered a bowling alley near our apartment and hit the lanes last week. I haven't bowled in at least 5 years, yet I managed to score over 100 pins in each of the three games I played.  The BF? He was captain of the bowling team in high school. He has two bowling balls with his initials inscribed on them. Yeah, he tied or beat me in each and every game.

- I'm loving these longer days, with all the extra sunlight. I am not looking forward to March 9th, when we spring ahead and we're back to 5pm darkness. Can we do away with daylight savings time yet? Nobody likes it.

Wilde Week #41

1. Such a busy week at work! I've been working on quite a few different projects, including securing lab space for our research team. Those lovely flowers up there? They're from our lab real estate broker.  I think she really wants us to lease a lab space through them.

2. I might be ready to wave the white flag on winter this year.  I'm usually pretty hardy when it comes to snow, I grew up in Buffalo, NY after all. Buffalo is one of the snowiest places in the states. I once brushed over a foot of snow off of my car and drove to school.  But this winter in New Jersey has been ridiculous! Last Thursday, we got 14 inches of snow, followed by two hours of hard rain, followed by three more inches of snow.  The temperatures are supposed to rise above fifty degrees this week, which means I'll be watching the streets flood as the entire state of New Jersey is a flood zone.

3. At least my Hunter boots have been getting lots and lots of use this winter. I really want a few more colors of rain boots.  I think a bright pink pair would really cheer me up on a rainy/snowy day.

4. This weekend was another big Bloomingdale's sale and I picked up these Joan & David flats for a song. They are so shiny and pretty! I want to wear them all over the place, but sadly the sidewalks are coated in a foot of snow.  Montclair is having trouble removing all the snow, because there is no where left to put it!

5. Did I tell you that the banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery is amazing? We were in the neighborhood of one of their shops on Sunday and I got myself a treat.  Not in NYC?  I made it a few weeks ago and the recipe is so so so close to the real thing!

6. Umm, so I haven't gone grocery shopping in a few weeks. We were okay for the first two weeks, I like to keep chicken in the freezer, but now we're running out of food... We have even run out of eggs and bread, so much for omelet Wednesdays! I think tonight will be a risotto and whatever is left in the fridge night!

7. All this snow that we've been getting is a bit of a pain, but at least it makes Newark Penn Station look pretty.

8. I think I might be terribly un-American. I am almost completely apathetic about the Olympics this year. Maybe it's because it's warmer in Sochi than it is in New Jersey? Maybe I'm sick of looking at snow? All I know is this... I spent the last winter Olympics on vacation in St Kitts. I want to be there again.

Wilde Week #40

1. We've been hit by snowstorm after ice storm after blizzard this winter.  I'm not surprised, I was expecting a crazy winter.  The past two winters were super mild in the Tri-state.  I'm also not scared of all the snow.  I'm from Buffalo and these adorable storms drop only 5-7 inches of the white stuff.  I cleared over a foot of snow off of my car and driven to school when I lived in Buffalo.  My only issue with all the snow? I've only worked one full week since starting my new job!  We have had so many snow days!

2. This is the time of year that I'm so happy that I take public transportation.  It takes over 12 inches of snow to stop the railroad.  Sure, the trains might be a little late, but I'm usually home only ten or fifteen minutes later than usual.  Most drivers find themselves doubling their commute time during a snowstorm. Save your sanity tri-state friends, take public transit!

3. I'm so glad the the Biggest Loser is over once again.  It totally sucks me in each season.  Mostly because I'm so surprised when they interview these people and they have such a poor understanding of nutrition.  This season was so much better though. No more two or three hour episodes, no more voting people out (at least early on), a bit less footage of people losing their lunches.  Don't worry, I won't talk about who won. Not only because I'm sure some of your DVRed it, but also because I was so distraught by the reveals.  You know what I'm talking about if you watched it!

4. Tuesday night is also PLL night, that's Pretty Little Liars to the uninitiated, and I'm so addicted!  If you're not a teenage girl or a thirty something that thinks they're still a teenage girl, then you may not know about PLL.  You should definitely spend a snow day watching it on Netflix.  Ever since last seasons finale and the reveal(?) of who A actually is, I have been waiting to see how they screw it all up again.  I'm thinking that there are a few more plot twists coming up soon.  Who am I kidding, this whole TV show is one giant plot twist.

5. I've been working my way through my cookbooks for my 2014 challenge and came to the Magnolia Bakery cookbook this weekend.  I made their banana pudding and promptly ate SO MUCH of it!  Watch out for the recipe this Friday, it's so easy and über delicious.

6. I'm in love with these new earrings of mine!  My mom got me an Etsy giftcard for Christmas and I finally had time to peruse the website.  There are so many adorable things on Etsy and I had such a hard time deciding!  You want some cute birdie earrings?  Check out Once Upon a CHO!!!

7. I'm falling back into my employed rhythm.  Monday through Thursday, I have my slow cooker oatmeal on the train.  Friday is "Treat Yo-self" breakfast!  These days, I'm transferring trains at Newark Penn station.  They have a Dunkin' Donuts and I like to treat myself to a hot chocolate and muffin on Friday. It's been a long week, I totally deserve it!

8. I bought myself a Fitbit Flex last week and I have been totally obsessed with it since I put it on. My new job is more computer oriented than lab focused at the moment and I'm not on my feet all day.  It keeps tracks of my step count, my sleep and my food.  I love fitness and stats. It's also way less obtrusive than the Bodybugg that I used to wear.  I always got lots of questions at work when I wore my bugg at work.  Hey office workers, how do you keep moving during the workday?  How do you stay fit?

9. One last note - I love snow days!  Disclaimer - I live in an apartment and don't own a car.  I don't have to clear snow off of anything.

Wilde Week #39

It's been a while since I posted a WW update.  I've been busy!  This week I'll give you a quick update since my last Wilde Week post, almost two months ago...

1. I started my new job.  I've been there for just over a month and have really enjoyed every minute! My new company is small, there are just 15 of us, so I've been wearing many hats. I'm doing a combination of research & development and business development. I look forward to seeing where the company goes and being there to help it grow.

2. It's been seriously cold over here in the Tri-state.  Granted, we didn't get any days off due to it being -15 ºF, but I have been bundling up like crazy for my morning commute.  It's been so cold that the trains are late because the doors of the train keep getting stuck open!

3. It's also been so cold that one of the pipes in our apartment building froze and burst.  You can see the resulting aftermath from the river of water that came rushing down the hallway. Lucky for us, we live on the top floor and most of the water went down.  We only lost our doormat.

4. This time of the year I tend to avoid going to the city.  January brings cold and windy weather which just whips down the avenues.  I've been staying local and visiting New Jersey on the weekends.  Or my couch.  I like to visit with my couch when the temps don't rise above freezing.

5. I visited my family over the Christmas holiday.  I actually had a white Christmas for the first time in years!  The past few December 25ths have been rainy or warm, it's about time I got a white holiday!  The only problem? I spent Christmas Eve at my brothers house and he doesn't like to use his furnace.  I woke up in the middle of the night to find myself in a room that couldn't have been more than 55ºF.  I needed more blankets, but had no idea where to find more blankets.

6. I've been diving into my new challenge for 2014.  Going through all my cookbooks has been lots of fun and I came across a few that I had forgotten about.  My only question with this challenge is, What if I get a now cookbook this year?  Do I add it to the list?  Anyways, get ready for some recipes involving chia seeds, recipes I've translated from many foreign languages and so many cookie and cake recipes!  Apparently, I have lots of baking cookbooks.

7. I am apparently a bag food blogger.  I have no Super Bowl or Valentine's Day related recipes.  Sorry.  Kinda.  Not really.  How many red, heart shaped cookies or cakes do you really need for one day a year?  How many cheese dips does one person really need?  Okay, nevermind.  All I want for dinner is cheese dip.

Wilde Week #38

We are deep in the holiday season and I'm so ready! The BF and I just got back from visiting his parents for the Thanksgiving holiday and I'm so refreshed.  They live in Southwest Florida so we were greeted with warm temperatures and sunny skies. Of course since it's the Christmas season, our trip wasn't without holiday charm!

- We flew out Thanksgiving morning at 8:00am, which meant I had to get up at the unnatural hour of 4:15am! Luckily the plane was half full, so I was able to turn on my tiny TV and lean my seat all the way back and take a nap.

- I did not prepare our thanksgiving dinner. BF's parents house is not really that well stocked and it would be impossible to cook a traditional holiday dinner. We went to a local restaurant and enjoyed a relaxed thanksgiving buffet. I like a buffet for this kind of meal, it means a dozen different types of pie!

- Lots of you have already be contending with snow this season and it was just the same in Southwest Florida! Kind of. Every weekend after thanksgiving, snow falls on Naples, Florida to the delight of the kids and kids at heart. In reality it was over 70 ºF that evening and the snow is blown from bubble machines attached to the street lamps. It's adorable and fun, but I wouldn't suggest catching those flakes on your tongue.

- This weekend we had breakfast at one of my favorite places in Florida - The Lighthouse Cafe on Sanibel Island. Sanibel is like a little hidden jewel sitting in the Gulf of Mexico. The beaches are white sand and covered in shells.  It's where the BF and I took our first vacation together and will always be one of my favorite places to visit.

- Coming home, I'm ready to celebrate Christmas! With only two and a half weeks until I visit my own parents, I have a lot to get done around here.  The tree is up and awaiting the ornaments. Time to get out and get shopping, Christmas will be here before I know it!

Wilde Week #37

It's been a crazy week around here. In between job hunting and prepping for the upcoming holidays, I'm just exhausted. I'm so ready for a little break. How about you?

- I had my first cranberry bliss bar from Starbucks this week! There are a few things that signify the start of my holiday season and having one of these treats is right at the top of my list. Behind that is putting up the tree the weekend after thanksgiving, enjoying a peppermint hot chocolate with my mom and late christmas shopping with my dad.

- I've got one more can of pumpkin puree in my cupboard. I really need to use it before we're all sick to death of pumpkin flavored everything. I'm thinking these pumpkin cheesecakes, pumpkin pie chocolate cups or this pumpkin creme brulee!  Do you have any favorite pumpkin recipes?

- I met up with a bunch of the girls from my former company this weekend for brunch at Penelope. It was so great to catch up with everyone and see how all their new jobs are going. You want to have brunch at Penelope on the weekend? Either get there before 10am or after 2pm. We got there at 10:30 and had to wait about 45 minutes. Go and get Andrey's egg sandwich, it's amazing.

- Did I tell you that the Boyfriend and I are heading to Florida for Thanksgiving? I can't wait to get to the warmer temperatures, but since we're traveling on Thursday we won't be getting the traditional thanksgiving dinner. I couldn't do without the turkey and mashed potatoes so I whipped up the traditional meal this past Wednesday! I mostly wanted to eat pie.

- What did we have for our early Thanksgiving dinner? I kept it simple since I was preparing the entire thing on a weekday - Herb-roasted Turkey, classic mashed potatoes, my favorite stuffing and a chilled asparagus salad. Oh yeah, and pie. Always pie.

- Did you know that if you leave an entire French silk pie in my fridge that I will eat all of it in a few days? Next year I should make a smaller pie.

- I have BIG NEWS that I'll be sharing next week. I'm so excited to tell you.

Have a fantastic holiday!  Here's to a filling and delicious thanksgiving dinner and a productive and sale-filled weekend.

Wilde Week #36

This week was one of the busiest ones I've had in a while! That's why I'm posting this weekly update a little late and I neglected to upload my second food post on Thursday! Here's the low down on my happenings of the week.

1. This past weekend, the Boyfriend took Friday off and we got to spend a long weekend together... Celebrating my birthday!  YAAAAAYYYY!  He's been working such long hours recently that it was nice to have three whole days to hang out with him. What did we do?  Lots.

2. Friday we hopped in the car, loaded up on Starbucks coffee and pastries and drove Upstate!  Well, Upstate New York, not New Jersey.  There isn't really an upstate in New Jersey. We stopped in a couple of towns in the Hudson valley and did some fun shopping! There are the best local shops on the cutest main streets Upstate. I got a whole bunch of silly things. Including an ice tray in the shape of little octopi (it's labeled "Cool-amari").

3. We wound up in Cold Spring, NY around lunch time.  Starving, we wandered into this adorable little restaurant (Hudson Hil's Market & Cafe). They made me the most delicious sandwich - Apple, gruyere & fig jam. I wish I had another right this very moment.

4. After Cold Spring, NY we wandered on over to Woodbury and tried shopping at the outlet.  Did you know that it's cold out and outdoor shopping is not fun when it's cold and windy? Also do not try to look at shoes at the Neiman Marcus outlet within two hours of closing.  They will get mad at you and all in a huff when you touch the shoes.

5. Saturday was a long day of birthday shopping, but I came home with some of the most amazing Manolo Blahnik pumps ever! Then we got all dressed up and enjoyed some delicious food in downtown Montclair.

6. Sunday was not the best day for wandering around New York City, what with the blustery wind and random rain showers, but I came home with a cupcake and some new duds.

Such an amazing weekend and I'm so excited that I got to spend it all with the Boyfriend!

7. In addition to my birthday weekend, I was invited to the Bon Appetite test kitchen for a cooking class!  This Wednesday I met up with a whole bunch of great ladies (and a few guys) to learn what to do with all those Thanksgiving leftovers!  Watch for that post next week, what a great experience!

Wilde Week #35

1. I cancelled most of my subscription boxes after the layoff, all of them except Julep! I love it when that little box shows up in my mailbox. I'm a nail polish addict! This month I got Lola - a navy blue polish with a satin finish.  So pretty.

2. Am I the only one mildy obsessed with Million Dollar Shoppers?  These people are all crazy!  The shoppers, the clients, the people who work in the shops.  All completely nuts!  Who really pays $30,000 on a dress for one evening?  No wait, who pays $30,000 on clothes over the course of what, a few years?  And on another note, I want to dress like all of these crazy people.  So fabulous.

3. Along with apple picking, I also insist on carving pumpkins every fall!  I liked it when I was little though, my dad would cut open the pumpkin and take out all the gross stuff inside.  Now I have to do it myself!  Blegh!

4. I'm thinking of having Thanksgiving dinner next week.  The BF and I always head to Florida to visit his parents and travel on Thursday.  Due to our travel schedule (and the fact that the in-laws don't own any cooking supplies) we don't really get a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm excited to have the smell of butter and onions wafting through the apartment!

5. With the above in mind, I'm thinking of trying out some new side dish recipes!  Maybe these Brussels sprouts, these stuffed mushrooms or this cranberry relish.  What are your favorite sides?

6. Okay, more TV complaining.  Why does NBC hate me all of us?  Did you notice they put Parks and Recreation on hiatus?  Something about wanting to get a bigger audience for the show Sean save the world.  With Parks & Rec and Community appearing and disappearing from the line-up, I have no idea what is going on in the plot.  And since I'm unemployed, I need lots of shows on the DVR to entertain me during the day.

7. This past Saturday the BF and I decided to do something a little goofy.  We grabbed lunch, a blanket and art supplies and headed to the park! Someone (not me) is very good at painting. How do you spend your weekends when you don't want to spend any cash?

8. I'm wanting to eat everything peanut butter and chocolate these days.  I think it's because I just bought a HUGE jar of peanut butter and I see it there in the pantry, asking to be made into these brownies, or blondies or these other brownies!

Wilde Week #34

1. I'm almost ready for fall to turn into winter.  Mostly because I love my winter coat.  Though I'm not ready for the cold that comes with winter.  I just want to wear cute, cozy clothes, drink peppermint hot chocolates and sit in front of a roaring fire.  I do not want it to be so cold that the Boyfriend and I have to cut through the grocery store on our walk home from dinner out, just to warm up for a second.

2. Last week I had the car (we only have one car and by we, I mean BF owns a car and I can buy a train pass) because BF was out of town for business. I took the opportunity to stop at my favorite cheap jewelry store - Charming Charlies!  That adorable firefly(?) necklace is from there and is only $10!  I wanted to buy the entire store.  I love cheap, fashiony jewelry.

3. I have a new love - Polar Orange Vanilla Seltzer.  It tastes just like a creamsicle, but it doesn't have any sugar or artificial sweeteners.  Go buy a case, you'll love it.

4. The BF and I went out Saturday morning and decided to pick up some pumpkins for carving.  We stopped at the garden center and totally got hosed on the price of these pumpkins.  They'd better turn into the most awesome jack-o-lanterns and the seeds better taste amazing.

5. I met some of my girls in Midtown Manhattan for brunch on Sunday.  After deciding 2 hours was too long to wait at Penelope, we headed over to Sarabeth's and I had the most amazing apple cinnamon French toast.  I want to go back and get more!

6. Is anyone else obsessed with Pretty Little Liars?  I'm totally outside of the age demographic, but I don't care, I love it.  How much longer can this show go on?  Are the books still being written? The BF made fun of me while I watched it this Tuesday and now I'm counting down the days until the show starts up again in January!

7. Mums everywhere.  They are so pretty and cheerful, but I hate them.  Because they are the harbinger of winter!  I'm moving to Florida and bringing New York City with me.

Wilde Week #33

Happy Tuesday internet friends!  I find that Tuesdays are always a little better than Mondays.  The week has already started and we're a day closer to another glorious weekend.  When I was at my last job I really liked Tuesdays.  Monday morning always started with a team meeting that lasted longer than necessary.  Tuesdays meant I could come in and get right to work in the lab! I'm unemployed right now, so Monday and Tuesday don't really feel any different from each other...  Here are a few things from last week, other than my job hunt, which isn't really exciting.

1. My morning run has been so much prettier now that the leaves are changing!  Reds, oranges and yellows are such a nice change from the usual green I saw all summer.  There is only one problem though, acorns.  My running route is dotted with oak trees and it's BOMBS AWAY with the acorns right now.  I've taken to wearing a hat so I don't get hit in the face.

2. I have a huge pile of apples from our trip to the orchard last weekend.  I'm collecting apple recipes to try and use up all of my stash.  I'm thinking this apple butter and this apple sauce will do the trick!  I don't dare make an apple pie, I'll eat the whole thing myself!

3. Have you been to Red Mango yet this month?  Their pumpkin spice flavor is back!  On a warm day last week I headed over and got myself a cup.  Of course I had to drizzle it with some caramel sauce.  So good.

4. I thought I was over all the pumpkin recipes out there, but then I saw this one for pumpkin bread pudding with nutella glaze.  I'm in love.  I need to go buy more pumpkin puree!

5. This past weekend the BF and I spent Sunday in Brooklyn.  We did some antiquing at the Brooklyn Flea and gorged ourselves on grilled cheese and lime sodas.  I want to live off of this grilled cheese.  It was filled with cheddar, gruyere, blue cheese and roasted apples!  Ah-mazing.

6. I'm so sad that Friday was the last episode EVER of What not to Wear!  I took a few years off from watching it and when I start watching again, it's over!  I remember watching the first season with that really mean guy (Clinton didn't join until second season!).  Last year I even got to meet both Stacy and Clinton during New York Fashion Night Out.  They're both taller than I thought they would be.

7. I've been leaving the living room windows open all day and night.  In the evening, this cool breeze floats in and I can watch TV under a fuzzy blanket.  I love it!  What am I watching up there?  DVRed Gilmore Girls.  Forever my favorite show.

8. I've been training again for another half marathon.  I don't know which marathon I want to run, I've just been running.  There is only so much job hunting and resume editing a girl can do in one day.  When I head out for my runs I like to run around the park.  If I'm feeling good I'll just keep taking laps until I'm bored.  Yesterday I set out and wound up running 9 miles.  Feeling good today, a bit hungry...

9. This time of year I miss living in Wisconsin.  There were so many fun things to do in the fall.  Apple picking, corn mazes, the farmers market.  Sadly, fall is quickly followed by winter and I don't miss Wisconsin winters!

Wilde Week #32

1. Sunday, the Boyfriend and I were supposed to attend a pizza making class in Little Italy.  Sadly there was some sort of gas leak in the pizzeria and we had to reschedule. So instead of making pizza, we ate it at the new Italian Food Center.  While the pizza was good, it was these pancetta topped, maple syrup glazed brussel sprouts that were just amazing.  Head to Grand and Mulberry and get dinner!

2. Washington square park is always a center of weirdness in New York City, yesterday was no different...  While enjoying the last light of the day, one college girl decided it was the right time to take off her shoes and run around in the fountain.  After about three seconds she realized how cold it was and ran back to the dorm with her friends.  This wasn't the only thing happening in the park that night.  There was also an exceptional piano player giving a small concert, a dance crew busking for cash, break dancing lessons and a bunch of people playing handball with an empty water bottle.

3. Convincing the BF to do things on Sunday is getting harder and harder.  Especially now that his phone is broken.  I dragged him to the apple orchard last week and this week we went shopping in Soho.  I had to give him my phone so that he could follow along with his important football games!  Personally, I never got into football because my dad was one of those crazy, yelling, superfans in the 1990's.  Though I do love me some football food.

4. Stopped into BCBG and found this clutch.  It's so freakin' adorable!  Though I would be singing "What does the fox say?" all day long.  Foxes are so hot this fall!

5. Zebras are hot too.  Or at least I want to think they are.  Look how adorable this shirt is!  Dancing zebras all over my blouse! Such a happy outfit.

6. With all this extra time that I have, what being unemployed and all, I've been spending lots of time on WITK and my new endeavor - Wilde in the City!  Haven't stopped over to visit my NYC fashion/fun/photography blog?  Drop by and say hello!  I'm having a lot of fun with it!

7.  I'm running out of days that I can sit outside and enjoy a dish of frozen yogurt.  I'm thinking that as long as the temperature stays in the 70's, I'm going to enjoy a weekly trip to Red Mango!

Wilde Week #31

It's fall and that means so many things to me!  I got to enjoy quite a few of them this week...

1. Apple picking.  Ever since I started going apple picking with my friend at grad school, this has become one of my favorite fall events.  I have come to learn that a bunch of girl grad students are much more excited about Sunday afternoon apple picking than boyfriends are.  Boyfriends apparently want to watch football...

2. Outdoor workouts.  Lululemon just opened up down the street from my apartment.  Being an unemployed person I can't really afford to buy things there.  But did you know they always offer free workouts?  This week was an outdoor Crossfit class from the local Crossfit club.  So fun, my thighs are still burning.

3. Lunch in Central Park.  By this time of the year, the temperature has fallen enough that a picnic in Central Park is the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  The sun is warm and the breeze is cool.  It's perfect for lunch and then maybe a little nap.

4. Fall shopping.  BF and I shopped Fifth avenue this weekend and checked out the ready to wear collections at Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Bergdorf Goodman.  Did we buy anything?  No.  But it's fun to look at such pretty clothes and get ideas for my own personal style.

5. Dessert!  Summer is the time of fruit for dessert.  Fall begins the season of cheesecakes, cupcakes and pies.  Bikini season is months away and I can totally do for those extra calories.

6. Pumpkin recipes.  Do a simple foodgawker search for pumpkin and it comes up with over 7,000 hits.  I want to eat them all.  Especially this.

7. Halloween Candy!  Halloween is my favorite holiday because of the bite sized candies everywhere.  And while I can do without candy corn, I found gummy candy corn at Williams Sonoma.  Yum.

8. Crisp, morning runs.  I avoided outdoor runs during the hot and humid summer.  Since I'm still looking for work, I can enjoy an early morning (okay, mid morning) run in the cooler weather.  I also got some new running shoes.  I feel so fast.