I ❤ New York

I was in my old hometown of New York City a couple of weeks ago for Passover. It's spring there right now, my favorite season - and I remembered why I love the East Coast. Here, a few random reasons why I heart New York.

Crocuses in Central Park, the first sign of spring.

In just a few months, you'll be picnicking in the sun on Sheep's Meadow lawn, hoping those frisbee guys move further away from you.

The skyline. Still one of the best. (Chicago's a close second for me).

The animals (minus the rats and flying rats, aka pigeons)

Can you believe this was on Roosevelt Island? Looks kinda familiar...

Oh yeah, Van Gogh's wheat paintings, in particular, Wheatfield with Sheaves.

Guess ol' Vince liked the view from Long Island City.

I've always wanted to check out this spooky old abandoned smallpox hospital. It appeared in the 2002 movie Spider-man when the Green Goblin and the eponymous hero have a showdown, and every time I drove past on FDR drive, I'd look across the river and try to see ghosts.

Spooktacular from afar, and beautiful up close.

The gorgeous view from the Roosevelt Island Tram. I never bothered to go there when I was living in New York, but coming to visit makes you do weird things.

Another one of my favorite things about New York City: Bodega cats.

"Whooooaaah, man. I'm soooo high right now."

We spent some time at an old bar I used to love but had forgotten about, St. Dymphnas. Great burgers and beer. In the daytime, it's practically all Brit, with open windows, rustic wood, and hydrangeas in the window.

Speaking of burgers, my favorite thing about New York: The food.

Here's a cheese plate from the Seder dinner. Yes, that's six types of cheese. All for one person. The third course. With more to follow.

I love classic New York apartments. (Not so much my overpriced fifth-floor walk-up with vermin, though).

Walking on air in my old hood, the Lower East Side.

See ya next time, New York! Back to sunny and 70.

Paris Perfect

Happy new year! I have no excuse for not writing for a whole freakin' month except to say that I've been gathering inspiration all around the world: New Orleans, New York City, and Paris. Tra la la!

Now that I'm back and settled in 2015, I've had some time to go over some of the lovely moments I've had through December. 

The hubs and I finally made good on an age-old promise to go to Paris together for a romantic getaway. I was beyond excited to go - not only for the fashion, the shopping, the pastries - ooh la la! - but also because Paris epitomizes so much of the vibe I strive for in my home and my life. It's romantic, it's cultured, it's simple, it's elegant, it's historic, yet cutting edge. Zey talk like ziss. You wear red lipstick, and you eat croissants and drink wine without gaining a pound and somehow walk all over the cobblestone streets in sky-high Louboutins. You buy baguettes and ride on bicycles and le Metro, and you buy fresh flowers and roast chicken and cheese at markets and you smoke cigarettes outside cafes while discussing philosophy with your friends into the wee hours of the night. If only I could somehow manage to bring this life to my home in Los Angeles - if I could be effortlessly fabulous, if I could find joy in fresh flowers and roast chicken and high heels, if I could indulge in cheese and wine and bread without worrying, if I could keep my home airy and shabby chic and uncluttered yet filled with objects that have history, romance, meaning to them.

Homemade Granola

Ahoy! I'm in Atlanta working on a TV show right now - and more about that soon - but now that I'm living in a hotel away from my home in Los Angeles, I've been thinking more than ever about the perks of having a kitchen at your disposal.

Store-bought granola is so damn expensive and never all that tasty, so I've recently started making my own granola and giving it out as gifts. It's super easy and can totally be customized to whatever you happen to have in your cupboards. I based my granola loosely on a mashup of this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and this recipe from author Heidi Schulz. 

For those who've been thinking about making their own granola - do it! I'm not much of a baker or a cook, and I can't be bothered with time-consuming or difficult recipes, but this one was easy as pie and well worth it. All I knew was that I wanted yummy granola, and to use the large amounts of coconut flakes, coconut oil, and pumpkin seeds I had in the cupboard.

First, I threw all the ingredients (rolled oats, coconut flakes, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried blueberries, dried apples, cinnamon, and salt) in a big bowl and mixed them up:

Then, in another bowl I beat egg whites (this is key to making it clumpy!) and mixed in grade B maple syrup, vanilla, and coconut oil before distributing it thoroughly in the dry mixture.

Then I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and pressed it into a big ol' donut shape, to ensure each section got toasty...

...and threw that in the oven for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees, 'til the edges started to get a little golden and crunchalicious.

The problem with homemade granola is that it doesn't cluster as well as store-bought granola, but check out these babies! The egg white trick really does seem to work!

Kept some for myself...

...and distributed the rest in repurposed jars. This is an old Bonne Maman preserves jar.

My first feeble attempt at packaging a granola gift...a big ol' nope!

My first batch went out to my twinsie actress/blogger friend, Lynn, of The Actor's Diet.

Then, I decided to man woman up and just buy some Ball mason jars at the new Orchard Hardware down the street...

...which made the whole gift packaging thing a lot cuter.

And off they went! I love giving unexpected homemade gifts to friends, especially something they can eat for breakfast.

Homemade Clustery Granola 
(A Mashup of Smitten Kitchen's Big Cluster Maple Granola & Heidi Schulz's Clumpy Granola)

1 cups rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup almond slivers & whole almonds
1/3 cup grade B maple syrup (or honey)
2 egg whites, beaten
1/4 cup dried blueberries (or whatever you have on hand)
handful of dried apples (or whatever you have on hand)

Preheat oven to 300°. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites til frothy, then add in oil, egg whites, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl and mix thoroughly, ensuring everything is well coated.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and split mixture evenly between the 2. Spread evenly and press down firmly into a thin donut-shaped single layer with a spatula (this prevents an uncooked middle).

Bake in the oven for roughly 45-55 minutes. When it is golden brown on the edges and dry to the touch, remove and allow to cool. Gently break up granola into whatever size clusters delight you.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks, if it lasts that long. Serve alone or over yogurt with fruit. For me, one batch only lasted me about five days because I just wanted to eat granola, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Wedding Day!

Friends, countrymen, I have been very remiss at updating this blog because as the big wedding day approached, I was unable to keep up with writing as I was busy glue gunning, painting, and creating all sorts of bloggable situations. No worries, my friends, I did document it all. But I haven't yet had a chance to write entries about it.

In the meantime, I got MAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRIED!

Here's a sneak peek at some of the unofficial wedding day pics that show some of the end results of a lot of my DIY work (with the help of my mom and bridesmaids) from these last few months. Updates on how and what soon, I promise.

We opted for long, supper-style tables rather than the traditional round wedding tables. This was better for the communal, casual vibe we were going for. I wanted people eating at our wedding to feel like they were at a rustic California feast of friends and family, like if the first Thanksgiving was on the West Coast. Our food was served family style, so plates were passed and everyone got to taste a bit of everything.

These pics were courtesy my friend Margot, who straightened her very curly hair for the wedding, so I almost didn't recognize her when I saw her. This was the view from our ceremony, which was held in an old, repurposed greenhouse, with vintage windows hanging from the wooden beams.

I can't take credit for our bouquets, as they were created by the very talented Jolene De Hoog Harris from The Dutch Flower. But I did talk extensively with her about what I wanted: something unique and gardeny, modern and more along the wildflower vibe than something upscale (no hydrangeas, lilies, or orchids). I wanted succulents, ranunculus, and billy buttons, and the rest was up to her. She added in seeded eucalyptus, garden roses, blue eryngium, red hypericum berries, tulips, and a host of other beautiful flowers and plants that made our flowers awesome.

And there are my blue shoes, ordered from Gilt from weeks ago! I had a moment of doubt a few days before the wedding...were they too casual? Too blue? I hurried to Nordstrom's and bought a pair of gold Michael Kors shoes that were very disco. But in the end, comfort won out, and I'm so very glad I wore the blue shoes for that pop of color!

For much more detail and great photos, check out my friend Lynn's wonderful food blog, The Actor's Diet. She did a food-focused, 3-part entry on our wedding: Part I, Part II, and Part III. Since the night was mostly a blur for me, I love the attention she paid to detail and the moments that I didn't get to enjoy since I was busy rushing around and toasting...it helps me re-live the day as if I were a guest at my own wedding.