Author: Sadie

Workout Songs: Part 2

Sadie5 Comments

Continuing where I left off a couple weeks ago with Old School workout tunes, the bulk of the songs on my workout playlist probably fit into the Top 40 category.  I can only listen to older songs so many times in a week, so I need the new stuff to keep it interesting.  Actually, I often find myself skipping through the songs on my shuffle hoping to find one of the last few songs I downloaded on iTunes.  There’s usually a new song that I want to listen to ten times in a row because it’s just so catchy.  Here are a few songs that have come out over the past couple years that I have been obsessed with:

Top 40 upbeat/catchy tunes:

  1. What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction
  2. Blackout by Breathe Carolina
  3. Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
  4. International Love by Chris Brown and Pitbull
  5. Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO
  6. Starships by Nikki Minaj
  7. Turn Up the Music by Chris Brown
  8. Broken Hearted by Karmin
  9. Drive By by Train
  10. Without You by David Guetta and Usher
  11. Domino by Jessie J
  12. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry
  13. Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars
  14. Blah Blah Blah by Kesha
  15. Till the World Ends Remix by Britney Spears with Kesha and Nikki Minaj
  16. Where Dem Girls At by David Guetta with Flo Rida and Nikki Minaj
  17. Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera
  18. Turn It Up by Ciara and Usher
  19. Everybody Talks by Neon Trees
  20. Good Girl by Carrie Underwood

Which ones did I miss?

Wedding Bliss

Sadie1 Comment

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend my good friend’s wedding in NYC, and I must say it was a pleasure to celebrate her marriage in such an elegant and personal way. 

I loved that you could see Anne and Josh’s personality throughout the ceremony and the reception which really made the day significant to them.  The typical events of a wedding were edited down to those that the bride and groom found meaningful, which, in turn, made more meaningful for the guests.

Anne and Josh are quinticential New Yorkers in my mind, so nothing was more fitting than celebrating their marriage at Chelsea Piers on the West Side of Manhattan.  It’s right on the Hudson River, with a beautiful view of my old stomping grounds: Hoboken and Jersey City.

The whole happy family.

Happy Couple

Fussing family

So happy

View up North

View down South (I can see my old office building)

These kids took the first dance seriously and really showed us their stuff.  All of a sudden I felt like a sports photographer trying to get a decent action shot!

No, I have no comment on the girl in the foreground wearing a completely white dress…

The cake and all of the food at this wedding was phenomenal.  So phenominal that I couldn’t be bothered to stop and take pictures.  We enjoyed a cocktail hour after the ceremony with passed hors d’oevers and buffet stations, followed by a four course dinner, and then cake!  The food was thoughtful and eclectic, and though I ate enough to start hibernating for the winter, I wasn’t uncomfortably stuffed.  I’m not sure if this can be attributed my skills as a power eater, or the appropriately sized and conveniently spaced courses.

I loved Anne’s bouquet because it was simple and beautiful.

The theme of the speeches was how much Anne and Josh belong together and were good for each other.  I couldn’t agree more, they’re such a perfect match!

Action shot skills (or lack there of).

From what I could tell the cake was chocolate with hazelnut frosting, and possibly another vanilla type of frosting on the outside.

One of the highlights of the evening for me was seeing Josh preform one of his own songs with a friend.  If I didn’t know he wrote it, I would have sworn it was right out of Stephen Sondheim’s catalogue.

Since it was a four course meal, every square inch of the tables were covered with various wine and water glasses and several silverware options.  It got to be kind of comical by the end of the night as we were trying to determine which glasses were our own and what they were filled with.  Between the open bar and the waiters attentively refilling wine, the spirits were flowing!
The wedding band was great.  Besides playing some of the standards and swing music they also forayed into some unexpected pop hits from people like Usher and Michael Jackson.  It was pretty funny.

All in all, it was a grand affair, and I wish them nothing but happiness and a fabulous honeymoon in Tuscany!

The Truth

Sadie4 Comments

Let’s be honest with ourselves.  Sprinkles is the best discovery you’ve made since you were born.

I’ll have Butter Pecan in a cone with chocolate sprinkles please (vanilla with chocolate sprinkles if it’s soft serve).  

I would say they’re the best ice cream topping, but sprinkles are so much more than just a topping for ice cream.  What else can they do? Decorate cakes, cookies, cupcakes…  They are no one trick pony.

New Jersey loves it’s Italian bakeries, and a staple of the Italian bakery is the sprinkle cookie.  These remind me of childhood and all that is right with the world. Who needs chocolate chips when there are sprinkles?

Italian Sprinkle Cookies

Adapted from Food.com

Yields about 2 dozen (more or less depending on size)

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbs and 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil or shortening
  • 1/2 Tbs almond extract
  • 1 1/2 Tbs lemon zest
  • 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
  • Sprinkles (chocolate or rainbow of the traditional oblong shape)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Use an electric mixer to blend the eggs until frothy.
  3. Combine flour, sugar, shortening, baking powder, almond extract, lemon juice and zest in separate bowl.
  4. Add eggs to the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine.
  5. Roll dough into tablespoon size balls.  Flatten the dough slightly and dip one half of the ball in the sprinkles.  Place the dough sprinkle side up on a parchment lined cookie sheet (you want the dough closer to discs rather than balls so the cookies come out somewhat flat).  Most recipes call for the sprinkles to be added after baking with a glaze or frosting, but I prefer this method.
  6. Bake cookies at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.
  7. Allow to cool and enjoy.  Be careful about handling the cookies when they’re hot because the sprinkles might melt in your hands.  Let them cool!