Snow Storm Jonas in Central Park

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”― John Steinbeck

If there is one thing I've learned about Northeast winters, it's never to assume anything. You may think that was the last snowstorm of the season, but it usually means there is another just around the corner. I learned this last year when there were a couple of huge snowfalls in March, a month I had previously considered as a spring month.

I finally went through and edited some photos taken on our excursion through Snow Storm Jonas a couple of weeks ago. While I had stocked up on food, put on my warmest flannel pajamas, and mentally picked out a variety of TV shows (okay, mostly Downton Abbey) and movies to watch while the storm happened, my adventurous husband suggested we go out during the peak of the storm to really experience it first hand. And I am so glad we did! We piled on the layers, laced up our snow boots, and took a (surprisingly full) C train down to 72nd street.

The wind blew harshly in a thousand different directions, and snowflakes covered our eye lids and our cheeks turned cherry red. At one point we discussed for what felt like 10 minutes which direction Bethesda Fountain was, it was so cloudy with snow we couldn't even see! Thankfully we didn't get lost, or die. The park was surprisingly crowded with people too. There were kids sledding, dogs out walking, and even people (no joke in shorts and t-shirts) running. Like, what, you couldn't take one day off, or at least run indoors on a treadmill or something?

We ended the excursion with hot chocolates and a New York bagel and it was a good wintery day.

How to Host a Galentine's Brunch

Football season is officially over and our version of a super bowl party was to lie on the couch in pajamas while Kyle took a chemistry quiz online and I searched Pinterest for cake recipes using buttermilk, all while having Shake Shack in our bellies. My favorite commercial was the weiner dogs dressed as hot dogs running in a field toward ketchup bottles. Did anyone else see that one? I was so happy an Aggie won MVP of the game. Gig 'em!

So while our Super Bowl "party" of two maybe wasn't so exciting, I did have a small pre-Valentines party on Saturday in the form of a Galentines brunch, a la Leslie Knope. While I do think Valentines is a little silly and highly commercialized, I can't pass up an opportunity of an entire day to celebrate love! And not just with your significant other, but also with your friends and family. I do think we should show love everyday though, and not just one day a year!

Whatever you end up doing, make sure you spend it with people you love and don't make a big deal if you don't have extravagant plans. Here is the recipe for a low key and fun galentines brunch:

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• Chicken and Waffles!
  • for the chicken, you can use frozen or homemade, I opted for frozen popcorn chicken to make my life easier
  • Whole Wheat Waffles
  • Maple syrup and honey for topping
• Fresh fruit
• Donut holes
• Cheap bubbly + OJ
• Eggs in some shape or form (we had veggie frittatas)
• Coffee
• Taylor Swift YouTube playlist streaming through Chromecast on your TV
• Fresh flowers
• A swanky Facebook invite
• No men! (Although Kyle did join the last hour, but he didn't mind our TSwift playlist)

Surprise Eggs in a Biscuit

This has been the most mildest of winters in all three of my Northeast winters since moving here. *Knock on wood* but I can't help think it may stay pretty mild the rest of the season. The snow has mostly melted away from the big blizzard a couple of weeks ago, (at least in Manhattan anyway, I hear Queens has been neglected from the snow shoveling trucks. Poor Queens!). Usually at this point it's snowed 3-4 times. It's been mostly sunny, with some cold wilds, but I've been able to continue my long lunch break strolls, which keeps me happy.

This past week has been extremely eventful and full of highs and I can't help but think it's because it's the beginning of a new month, and February is usually nicer to me than January. January, with its "diets", lull after the holidays, cold snowfall, and crowded gyms. Go away and don't come back. Since so much has happened this week, I thought I'd list it out in bullet points, like I do:

• a Juice Press opened literally right underneath my work building recently, which is fantastic, but everything is $10. I may go broke now for sure.
• while at the gym, I literally was working out next to Candace Cameron Bure and a Victoria's Secret model (Dana Taylor or something?). I know this for a fact because I stopped working out (because it was embarrassing next to these two beauties) and went up to the front desk and asked them. They confirmed my suspicions and said they come everyday!
• I also saw the couple from HGTV's Flip or Flop in our lobby at work. I stared at the back of the wife's head on the elevator up until we made awkward eye contact. It's been a week of celeb sightings! : D
• Remember that time I made an ugly sweater complete with tinsel and hot glued ornaments for the company holiday party? I won, but in the category of best non-ugly sweater!! (??)
• on Sunday I practiced making bagels from scratch in preparation for one day possibly not having access to New York bagels. they turned out really good! recipe tk soon...?
• and finally, thank you guys so much for voting for me and for this. You can read the full feature and interview here!

I saw these surprise biscuits on Pinterest awhile ago and had been itching to make them. You can make your hard boiled eggs to your preference but I prefer mine slightly runny. There is an eggcellent guide on how to cook perfect hard and soft boiled eggs on The Kitchen here. Because these biscuits contain an entire egg, they are extremely filling (especially when paired with bacon, coffee and orange juice...). I suggest splitting them in half, because half might be plenty for your appetite. And if it's not, well then you have a whole entire other half to eat!

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Surprise Eggs in a Biscuit (makes 4-5 large biscuits)

inspired by Vodka and Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tbl. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground basil
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 sticks cold butter (3/4 cup), plus 1 tbl. for smearing on top
• 4-5 hard boiled eggs, peeled

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare a large baking sheet and spray with non stick spray or line with parchment paper.

Cut cold butter into small cubes and set in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, basil. Add cold butter to the mixture and cut butter with two knives into the dry mixture (or use a pastry cutter if you have one!). When mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, add in shredded cheese until combined. Make a well in the center of the biscuit mixture and pour the milk in the center. Pull together with a fork until combined, but don't over-mix.

Grabbing a small handful of dough, flatten to make a circle directly on the baking sheet. Place a hard boiled egg on top. Grab another small handful of dough, and cup around the top of the egg and around. Seal the two pieces of biscuit dough together with fingers. It should look like a small mound of dough.

Repeat until you either run out of dough or run out of eggs! I had a little bit of dough left over so I just made small drop biscuits without the eggs.

Bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Brush with a little more butter once removed from the oven, to make more golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, then slice in half to reveal the surprise egg!

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