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all about that dress

September 30, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

I have a confession to make – my dress was the first thing I figured out in the whole wedding planning process. Yes, even before the ring. Assuming you aren’t set on only one venue and aren’t buying off the rack, the dress will honestly set your timeline – so I like to think this was a wise move. The dress I chose ended up taking five months to be made, so definitely a factor.

I made an appointment around Christmastime last year, wanting to take advantage of my parents being in town for the holidays. My sister had such a wonderful experience at Lovely Bride that I always knew that I wanted to check them out. I honestly didn’t really think about trying other places. I’d read the staff is amazing there and the selection extensive, but dabbling into the realm of “more reasonable”. [Read more…]

pumpkin squares

September 29, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

I absolutely love pumpkin. So much so that I get super bummed when the cans start to disappear off of the shelves (pro tip: it’s usually available longer at Whole Foods). When I came across this recipe floating around our apartment, it seemed like the perfect choice for the first homemade pumpkin treat of the season.

This recipe is super easy to make, and only takes around 30-35 minutes to bake. [Read more…]

bourbon meatballs

September 28, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

There’s only a few days left to September, but there’s still time to squeeze in creating something in line with this month’s theme – bourbon. They make a great appetizer or a perfect snack for Monday night football. I made these bourbon meatballs back in May for the Kentucky Derby, and they were quite a hit. When it comes to making these, we didn’t go with anything off of our fairly extensive shelf. Definitely don’t recommend using the finest of anything to prep these. They’ll turn out just fine with less fancy stuff.

Meatball Ingredients

3/4 lb ground beef
3/4 lb ground pork
1/2 cup (1 sleeve, finely crushed) Ritz Cracker crumbs (you can use plain bread crumbs)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
lots of fresh cracked pepper
1 egg
2 Tbsp olive oil (for browning the meatballs)

Bourbon Sauce Ingredients

1 jar apricot preserves (about a cup, give or take)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp hot chili sauce (use mild chili sauce if you can’t take the heat)
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place all of the meatball ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a large mixing bowl. You want to break up the meat as you add it in. Mix everything together with your finger tips so you won’t compact the meat as you mix. Form into 1″ small balls, and set to the side.

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the quick scoop – 9/25

September 25, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

If you’re seeing this and you’re in NYC, then that means you’re surviving Pope-a-palooza (or, as I’d be inclined to think based on the ghost town AKA our office, hiding out in the comfort of your own home), and all the street closure craziness that comes with it. Don’t let it keep you from getting out and seizing the city this weekend.

Lara Ziobro - NYC Lifestyle Blogger - Food Photographer - Food Blogger - Grits in the City

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

If you’re looking for something in theme with said visiting guest, there are a number of local area pizza spots featuring Pope-inspired pizzas. Yep, you read that right. Out of the line-up, I’d suggest Paulie Gee’s. If you aren’t feeling the papal theme (their $15 “Papa Frankie” is only available through today – it’s a white pie, topped with a cross of yellow and red cherry tomatoes to represent the Vatican’s colors, as well as a ring of basil), go with their Hellboy, which features my favorite – Mike’s Hot Honey. Speaking of spicy, this weekend is also the Chile Pepper Festival out at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Tickets are still available here. On Sunday, Atlantic Antic is back! Should be perfect weather this weekend for roaming up and down Atlantic Avenue checking out all of the various vendors. [Read more…]

7 easy steps to dining like a pro

September 24, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

I have to admit, dining out is my weakness. When I moved to NYC from DC, the number of restaurants I wanted to try grew exponentially — and has just continued to spiral out of control from there. Due to the nature of the business, there are always places closing, replaced by the latest and greatest new spots. If you wait too long to visit, you run the risk of finding a different place in the same space.

Below are some things I’ve learned a long the way to help make sure I’m getting the most out of dining out as I’ve made my way around the city. Hopefully you’ll find something in this list to be helpful for you, too!

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co² (co + comedy)

September 23, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

Instead of buying me a “thing”, L decided to get me an evening out this past Saturday. The plan was pizza, cocktails, and a show — several of my favorite things. We started the evening off at Co, a fabulous Chelsea spot I haven’t been to since we went there years ago after going to a taping of the Martha Stewart Show. This weekend, over five years later, I found myself incapable of choosing anything other than what I had the first time around for a second time.

To start we ordered the Truccione Saré, Sullivan Street Bakery’s signature dark baked sourdough loaf, which was served with ricotta. All it was lacking was a bit of honey. We also went with their Passion Sparkler, which is passionfruit mixed with prosecco. [Read more…]

introducing “bridal cut”

September 22, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

The beginning part of 2015 was a blur for me, but in the best way possible. After I said “yes” (as this summarizes, more in gesture than in pausing to say the actual word), it feels like we didn’t stop until the wedding finish line. I got a lot of questions as to how we managed to plan our entire wedding in less than 6 months and, in hind sight, I understand why. If you’re not organized or are not sure what exactly it is you want, 6 months won’t be enough time. But if you have even a touch of either of those two, I believe it’s more than enough.

I wouldn’t change anything about it, though. We had the privilege of working with some pretty amazing vendors that helped make the event come together. At the time, I was only several months into a new job – definitely a less than ideal time to have your focus split. I knew going through the process that the countless notes, photos, and contacts we made throughout those months would be helpful to share here – and I’ve kept them in part so I can share them here. Because you too can plan a wedding in under 6 months. Yes you can! [Read more…]

super easy blueberry cobbler

September 21, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

All things blueberry are a bit of a focus in our household – seeing as I love to cook desserts and T loves blueberries. I’m a big fan of cobblers over pie. Yes, pies look gorgeous, and taste equally awesome. The work though they require far exceeds that of cobblers, and both are a means to produce a blueberry-centric dessert – so for me, cobblers are king.

I’m always trying to find new recipes to try, and this one caught my attention because it sounded ridiculously simple and some comments weighed in that it was so good, that they had actually used it multiple times. Always a good vote of confidence. The recipe below yields roughly 8 servings. [Read more…]

the quick scoop, 9/18 edition

September 18, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

We’re hours away from kicking off the last summer weekend of 2015 – and in NYC, it looks like the weather is fully supportive of us doing this in style. High five!

Don’t have your weekend fully planned out? Don’t worry. There’s still tons of things to make arrangements to include into the next couple of days to keep you busy. Wine Riot NYC Fall 2015 on tap for this weekend. Vendors for this year include Dos Toros, Brooklyn Oyster Party, Luke’s Lobster, Tipsy Scoop, Jam Jar, MELT, and Gotham Cookies. Tickets are available for Friday night as well as two waves on Saturday, one during the day and one evening.

Watermark Bar and Hofbrau, Radeberger and Weihenstephan are coming together to host a free Oktoberfest celebration every weekend from Friday, September 18th to Sunday, October 4th. Fare you’ll find there is rumored to include strudel, pretzels, sausages, and (of course) sauerkraut. Tickets are available here. [Read more…]

carmellini round deux at lafayette

September 17, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

Being such a huge fan of Locanda Verde, Andrew Carmellini’s latest NYC spot, Lafayette, had been on my brain for a while. T and I started doing one “fancier” date night a month back at the end of 2014 (which turned out to be setting the stage for this one special evening to follow in January), and this was my pick back in December. We started with drinks at the Crosby Street Hotel, which was as fun and classy as I had heard. We lucked into a fabulous table in the bar area, giving us the best of both worlds.

We made our way up to Lafayette. I’ve been intrigued about this spot from before it even opened its doors. The decor is refined and striking. I can’t walk by without stopping to take note. In the morning, the bakery in the front has a regular flow of patrons and at the night, you can always see a full floor of happy diners through the windows lining the restaurant.

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