Hello NYC and Hello Broadway

A Spontaneous Day in New York City and a Broadway Show...

I live about an hour and half from NYC. About a week ago, I decided to do something I had been thinking about for a while. I went online, bought matinee tickets to a Broadway show, and figured I would find someone to go with me.

There was only one problem. None of my friends seemed to know much about the show—or had any particular interest in seeing it.

So I convinced my husband to join me, see the show and meet my younger son and daughter-in-law, who both work in New York city, for an early dinner before we would head home.

The weather cooperated and it turned out to be a fun day. 

Buena Vista Social Club

The show was Buena Vista Social Club. I love Latin music, so I had been wanting to see it for a long time. What I got was two and a half hours of incredibly energetic Cuban singers and exceptional musicians who played exhilarating instrumental solos. It is a story filled with love, loss, political upheaval and, ultimately, the powerful healing of music.

The musical is inspired by the true story of Cuban musicians whose careers took off in the 1950s. When the Cuban Revolution changed the country, many of these musicians found their careers and their music silenced.

Decades later, in the 1990s, some of these legendary musicians came together again to record what became the Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club musical album. Their music reached an entirely new audience, and the group eventually had the extraordinary opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

What I loved most about the musical was the performers. They seemed to pour everything they had into it—their heartbreak, happiness, frustration, love and passion. Even if you don't know much about Cuban history, the robust lively singing and talented Cuban musicians carries you along.

I, and it seemed the audience, enjoyed the show. Unfortunately, my husband who loves music...did not enjoy quite as much as I did. I'm not sure this show is for everyone. But he said he was happy to enjoy the day with me. 

Dinner in the Theater District

After the show, we walked a few blocks to meet my son and daughter-in-law for dinner at MITR Thai, a beautiful Thai restaurant on 46th Street in the Broadway district.

We had an early 5:00 reservation, which turned out to be important. When we arrived, we were told that our table was ours for an hour and a half. At first, I thought that sounded a little rude and rushed.

Then I looked around.

By 5:15, the quite large, multi-level restaurant was filling up with hundreds ( yes really about 150-200)  of people. The first seating was well underway, and apparently the restaurant does another seating at 7:00 and another at 9:00.

Welcome to NYC Broadway district.

The food was delicious, the service excellent, and everyone enjoyed their dinner well within our hour and half allotted slot. As a vegetarian, though, I found the menu a little more challenging because many of the dishes contained fish sauce that could not be removed. Being gluten-free added another layer of limitations.

Still, I managed to find some good choices, and it was fun sitting around the table with my New York son and daughter-in-law and catching up with them.

I thought the food was reasonably priced for New York City. An average entree was about $22-$28  .The wine, however, was another story.

A small glass of average white wine was $19. Once tax and tip were added into it, that little glass of wine was approaching $26. I chose to skip the wine; My NY kids didn't, but had only one small glass, and my husband doesn't really drink.

Home Again

After dinner, we walked from 46th Street down to 34th Street to catch our train. We got there just in time to board and were on our way home.

By 8:45, we were back home, tired but happy after a full day in New York City. A Broadway show, dinner with my son and daughter-in-law, and a little walking through the city in lovely weather made for a pretty perfect day.

 I think I may have to do it again in the early fall. The only question is: what Broadway show should I see next? Any suggestions?

Don't miss my previous post- how to make this cute crudités platter. Link to blog post

Create an Adorable Cauliflower Dog for Your Next Crudité Platter

Want to make a special crudités platter? My friend created this adorable cauliflower dog to sit on her crudité platter for a party, and it was an instant hit! It looks like it took a lot of work, but she assured me it’s actually quite easy to assemble.  

I loved the idea so much that I asked her to tell me how she did it. Here’s how she said you can make your own!

What You’ll Need

• 2 smaller sized heads of cauliflower or one large, preferably with a nice, rounded shape
• make into various sized cauliflower florets
• Black olives
• Toothpicks
• Baby carrots
• Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Any other colorful vegetables you like for the platter

The dog is held together with toothpicks

How to Make A Cauliflower Dog

1. Start with the body.
Clean off the green and place one of the whole cauliflowers on a large platter or tray with the stem end toward the back. The natural shape of the cauliflower makes a wonderful fluffy-looking body.

2. Make the head.
Use another large cauliflower floret,  to create the dog's head. Position it toward the front of the body and secure it with toothpicks. The irregular, bumpy surface of the cauliflower is perfect for creating the look of curly fur.

3. Add the ears.
Use two small cauliflower florets for the ears. Place one on each side of the head and secure them with toothpicks. You can angle them slightly downward for a floppy-eared look.

4. Add the muzzle.
Use a smaller cauliflower floret or a cluster of florets for the dog's snout. Attach it to the front of the head with toothpicks.

5. Give your dog a face.
This is where the personality comes in! Cut black olives in half and use them for the eyes and nose. In the photo, two whole black olives make the eyes and another olive makes the nose. A tiny piece of olive can even be used to create a little mouth.

6. Make the legs.
Use several cauliflower florets for the dog's legs and paws. Arrange them underneath the body, securing them with toothpicks where needed. Don't worry about making them perfectly symmetrical—the slightly goofy look is part of the charm!

7. Build the vegetable "grass."
Surround your cauliflower dog with colorful vegetables. Broccoli makes a great green base, while baby carrots and strips of red, orange, and yellow peppers add lots of color. Cherry tomatoes tucked around the dog add even more bright spots.

A Few Tips

Choose a cauliflower that is large, compact, and relatively round. Don't wash it until you're ready to assemble the dog, and let it dry thoroughly so the vegetables and toothpicks stay in place.

The beauty of this project is that it doesn't have to be perfect. Cauliflower florets are naturally irregular, so just play around with them until you see a face, ears, paws, and a body taking shape.

And don't forget to tell your guests that there are toothpicks holding the dog together before anyone starts digging into the vegetable platter!

Looking for summer salad recipes? 

Nancy Andres, who blogs at Colors 4 Health, is featuring easy tomato and cucumber salads on her post right now. She shares lots of healthy recipes as well as healthy living tips. She is featuring one of salad recipes along with many others. Go take a look!!

My Notes: 

1. The cauliflower can be un-assembled by removing the toothpicks and then used for  cooking them for a recipe.

2 If you look closely at the crudities platter, under the dog are small peppers that have been cut into a flower and stuffed with a cherry tomato.. Also cute.

What kind of art have you made out of vegetables? 

Alaska Cruise: 7 Days, 4 Ports & 3 Excursions

Bald eagles, salmon, totem poles, seals, otters, glaciers, deer, and gorgeous flowers—our seven-day Alaska cruise was filled with amazing scenery and wildlife. Everywhere we looked, there was something exciting and new to see.

Chickpea "Tuna" Salad ; A Plant-Based Alternative to Traditional Tuna Salad

If you enjoy traditional tuna salad but are looking for a healthier plant-based alternative, mashed chickpeas are hard to beat. Not only are they delicious, but they also offer one important advantage: you don't have to worry about mercury.