Life in the City

Layla and I are starting our own business selling Juicy Suits, Ed Hardy shirts and some accessories (hats, sunglasses, jewelry). We get some of our stuff on canal street which is right next to Little Italy... such cute part of NYC! After our recent shopping trips we have made our way over there to eat lunch! We have had some amazing pastas!




Last week Jake's sister and her friend came into town so we had an excuse to go and do a few more things in the city that I had wanted to do. We went and walked around the Financial District and went to Battery Park to see the statue of liberty. I was hoping that I would find my husband on wall street but no luck... Oh well.

BROOKLYN!!!

Is it just me or does everyone else think of Spock Conley form Newsies whenever they hear Brooklyn? Well I do, we actually watched the movie about a month ago and it is so funny how in love with him and Jack I was forever ago!

Last Sunday Layla, Austin, Jake and I went to the Brooklyn Bridge and ate really good pizza! It was such a fun day! We drove across the bridge so that we didn't have to walk the whole way there and then all the way back. Once we got there we went straight t0 a little pizza place called Grimaldi's. We had heard that it was the best pizza out here and I really think it is!




























After we finished eating we went and tried to burn off all the calories and walked about a third of the way across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was so beautiful. We had so much fun!

I keep thinking that I couldn't have more fun and every weekend is just amazing! I absolutely love it out here! I am so lucky!

Twilight Books

I just finished Breaking Dawn and loved it! These are such fun books, I recommend them to everyone! I look the quiz telling me which character I would be and this is what it came up with:

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Cafe Rio brought to NY!

Last week Layla and I made Cafe Rio (aka Costa Vida) salads for the office! It was a very long process, 2 days preparation, but so worth it! It tasted so good and the guys loved it! Some of them even said they liked it better than the real thing... I think they were either trying to be nice or they just haven't had a Cafe Rio salad in a really long time... either way Layla and I were really happy with how everything turned out!
The cooks:

The salad:


Here is the recipe for those of you who want to try:

CAFE RIO SWEET PORK
2 lbs. Pork Loin (lean cut)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/3 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, mild)
1 c. brown sugar
Put the pork in a heavy duty ziplock bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.
Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.
In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.
Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 freshly squeezed lime
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

CREAMY TOMATILLO DRESSING
1 (7 oz.) can Salsa Verde (Herdez Brand)
4-5 fresh Tomatillos (chopped)
1 1/2 packets Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
1 C. Sour Cream
1/2 C. Mayo
1-2 jalapenos (usually seeded, but can leave seeds in depending on desired spiciness)
1 T. Sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 Lime
Cilantro (handful)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. Refrigerate. (Make this the day before and leave refrigerated.)

Good luck to all and just to warn you, the dressing won't really taste right unless you do refrigerate it overnight!

Girls Day Out!

Last Sunday Layla and I had a girls day, kinda funny because we have girls days everyday cause the guys are always working, it was so much fun though! It's nice to just do what we wanted because it's not always the same as what the guys want to do. The first thing that we did was go to Cafe Lola, which was amazing!!! We had breakfast and it was the best I think I've ever had... at a restaurant that is. Cafe Lola is the place on You've Got Mail where Tom Hanks realizes that Meg Ryan is shopgirl! This was definitely one of my favorite places I've eaten!

After Cafe Lola we did a little shopping which I was very proud of myself because I didn't buy anything! Then we went to see Jersey Boys! My Uncle is one of the financial backers of the play so he got us house tickets! The seats were awesome! It was about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. You would recognize the songs like, Big Girls Don't Cry, Sherry, Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You and many others! It was such a fun play to watch! Thanks Ivor

After that we just started to walk around not wanting to go home and decided to go to the Rockefeller center. This is where the Christmas tree is every year! On our way we found a swap meet and decided to try the food on the street. It was pretty good, I ate it more for the experience though :)

After all that we went and saw Mama Mia in the theatre. It was such a girlie movie. It was a really fun day and Layla and I had so much fun on our girls day in the city!