Macy's Thanksgiving Day Balloon Inflation with Pictures

Here are some pictures from the Macy's Balloon inflation for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day Parade as posted previously! The viewing started at 3pm and ends at 10pm. The crowd was huge with lots of parents bringing their kids in strollers. Luckily, we were able to whiz past by them with our quick feet but there were still lots of people in our way. They were still inflating a new balloons including some new ones debuting this year (Keith Haring's Heart Balloon, Horton the elephant). I wish I could see Hello Kitty (first flight in 2007) but it was still only partially inflated by the time I past by. Sadly, I didn't even recognize Snoopy in his aviator outfit (first flight in 2006). He looks really cute in the signage.

Here's the main signage with Pikachu in the background.

Ronald McDonald!

Smurfs is making a debut this year! Finally, I don't know what took so long!

Another new balloon - Buzz Lightyear from ToyStory! To infinity and beyond...

Who can resist Kermit the Frog?

Here's Shrek! His eyes made it look like he was staring at everyone.

Watch the Thanksgiving Day parade on channel CBS tomorrow! Enjoy your Thanksgiving everyone! gobble gobble.

My Banana Mini-Muffins

I baked a small batch of banana mini-muffins over the weekend. It was absolutely delicious! (Even Jander ate some and he HATES bananas. The bananas made the muffins moist and I couldn't even taste it. Note to self, I can put more bananas in the next batch!)

You may ask why I baked mini-muffins instead of full-sized muffins or even a loaf of bread... Well the answer is simple, I only own a mini-muffin tray so that's what I made! Here's a picture of my (half-eaten) treats.


For the complete recipe, click here, courtesy of All Recipe. Since my muffins are so small, I only baked it for 20 minutes and I sprinkled crushed walnuts on the top! It also tasted better when I dribbled some maple syrup on the top right before baking.

Restaurant Review: Republic

Republic Restaurant
37 Union Square West NYC
212-627-7172
http://www.thinknoodles.com/

If you're in the mood for noodles or Asian-inspired dishes and you happen to be in the Union Square area, then you might want to eat at Republic. This contemporary restaurant offers noodles as its main dish (obvious in the website and signage), however there were more non-noodle options on the menu. Tables were reminiscent of park benches and arranged like a school cafeteria...wooden benches at picnic style tables with cubbies underneath the table for our coats and purses. Parties of two were seated with other strangers, so groups of 4 are optimal.

Here are some pictures of the food we ate for dinner: seafood dumplings, chicken with noodles in coconut broth and calamari. The seafood dumpling were alright, nothing special. The sauce had a nice wasabi (spicy) flavor. Jander was not too impressed with the coconut broth in his noodle soup. And we both agreed that the calamari was over-fried. But the chili dipping sauce was tasty. Overall, we would probably eat here again but there are plenty of alternatives in the area to go first.

My recipe for Chinese Sticky Rice with Pork Sausage

If you are looking to eat Chinese comfort food, here is a wonderful dish that I recently learned how to make. Growing up, my dad would always make this during the winter months. It was hearty and flavorful. Best of all, all the ingredients are mixed in the rice. I didn't need to grab any other food from the table because it was all in one dish. While most people serve this as a side-dish for a multi-course meal...I always get full from just eating a large portion of the rice!

Before I began to attempt to cook this dish, I consulted different recipes on the Internet. The best one coming from epicurious. However, I changed the cooking style and eliminated some ingredients when I made my dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Chinese sweet rice (short-grain) - May be substituted for 2 cups of sweet rice and 1 cup of Jasmine rice if you do not like it too sticky
• 1 cup Chinese dried black mushroom
• 5 links of Chinese sausages (6 to 8 oz total)
• 1/2 cup of baby dried shrimp
• 1 cup of Chinese vegetable head (may be substituted for whole chestnuts)
• 2 tablespoons of Asian sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
• 1/3 cup of Chinese rice vinegar (optional, may be substituted for medium-dry Sherry)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (optional as garnish)
• 1 teaspoon of salt (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper (optional)

Special Equipment: a rice cooker and a sharp knife

1. Start by soaking the mushrooms in water overnight. When you are ready to start cooking, soak the dried shrimp in bowl of water to clean. Set aside.
2. Put the 3 cups of rice into your rice cooker. Soak with tap water for 30 minutes. Then put 3 cups of water into the bowl and start to cook the rice. (The ratio of water to rice is about 1:1 You may put 3 1/4 cups of water but not more otherwise the rice will turn out soggy.)
3. Start to prep the ingredients for the filling: Drain the mushrooms and squeeze excess liquid. Rinse mushrooms, discard the stems and coarsely chop into tiny cubes. Remove the casing from the pork sausage and dice them into small cubes. Repeat with the Chinese vegetable; remove the hard exterior of the vegetable with a knife and then dice into small cubes. They should all be in similar size.
4. Heat up a pan with sesame oil. Add the Chinese vegetable and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add in the mushroom and continue to stir-fry. Next add the pork sausage and dried shrimp. Stir in the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and rice vinegar. Add salt and white paper for taste. Continue to heat until all ingredients are cooked through. Remove from heat.
5. By this time, the rice in your rice cooker should have finished cooking. If not, wait at least 15 minutes before continuing. The rice should be as dry as possible.
6. Transfer the filling ingredients from the pan and slowly stir into the rice cooker. Start by putting half of the filling into the rice cooker and add more while mixing it with the rice. Stir from the bottom to distribute ingredients. Cover the rice cooker and keep it in the 'warm' position for another 10 minutes before serving.
7. Garnish with the scallions before serving. Eat immediately while hot!

Notes: I leave out the salt since the pork sausage is salty enough. Some recipes require cooking the rice in chicken broth for additional flavor but I don't think that is necessary. Feel free to eyeball the filling ingredients - add more or less according to your taste. I like pork sausage so I add 5 links but 3-4 would also be fine. I've also seen some recipes which include bamboo shoots which would also work for the extra crunch. Jander suggested that I do this but this is the same person that wants me to separate out the scallions...

Captains of Industry: Magic Johnson - Part 2

Continued from yesterday's Part 1.

Magic Johnson's sense for business also stemmed from his family. When he was growing up, he was the youngest and always picked on by his brothers. Unfortunately he was also taller than his brothers so the "hand-me-down" clothes were always short on him! He also told a story about his first negotiating obstacle. Around the time he was a teenager, his mom decided that the family would change religion and become a Seventh Day Adventist. This required going to church on Saturdays. However his basketball games were always on Saturday so he would miss them. He talked to his mom about changing back to his old church which held services on Sunday. Of course his dad and brothers were in agreement because they didn't want to miss watching the games either. After a month of back and forth, his mom agreed to his terms.

I believe the main reason for his business entrepreneurship stemmed from his childhood years, growing up poor in a racially diverse town. He always wanted to help people and give them a chance to do something different with their lives. Throughout the interview, he spoke about his calling to help Urban America. After his diagnosis of HIV, he went through a depression period. His wife supported him but also helped him to snap out of his depression by kicking him out of the house (literally) and telling him not to come back home until he "became the man that she married." He always knew that business was in his blood and he also recognized that densely populated urban communities were ripe for commercial and residential development. He partnered with major brands like Starbucks (of which he's the only outside partner), 24 Hour Fitness Centers and T.G.I. Fridays to lead a major economic push in these urban communities. In his partnership with Starbucks, he talked about removing the scones from the baked goods and offering baked goods this the community would actually eat...eliminating the elevator music and playing Jazz. It wasn't the $4 cup of java that he felt that people were opposed to, but the lack of customization for the people he felt were customers in urban neighborhoods.

He also answered questions were taken from the audience. The most poignant one came from an 8 year old boy named Ian. He wanted to know if Magic preferred to be a basketball player or a businessman. The answer? A businessman because he has helped changed more people's lives. This is a man who wants no part of politics (dismissing the idea to run for mayor of Los Angeles). He also is perfectly content with his role in basketball which is part-owner of the LA Lakers. Although if asked to become the NBA Commissioner, he wouldn't say NO. But it is refreshing to listen to someone talk earnestly about his charitable work and who uses his talent to help other people in his community. Bravo!

Captains of Industry: Magic Johnson - Part 1

Last night, I attended the Captains of Industry series talk sponsored by Business Week and held at the 92nd Street Y. It was the first in the series for the season. Previous honorees included GE's Jeffrey Immelt, Sun's Scott McNealy, HP's Carly Fiorina and Amazon's Jeff Bezos. They are certainly "Captains" in their own right, but Magic Johnson???

Prior to the event, my only recognition of this man is of an athlete and HIV spokesperson. I knew little of him but can only bow in awe of his superstardom. The setting was intimate. The auditorium at the 92nd Street Y can seat several hundred people but many seats were sadly empty. Magic entered on stage after a brief introduction by Business Week's editor-in-chief Stephen Adler. Stephen told a brief story about Magic's first meeting with the LA Lakers. The management team took him out to a fancy dinner to negotiate his contract. They ordered a fish dish which Magic never even heard of...and proceeded to offer him $400,000 a year. He did not have a manager to negotiate on his behalf (I think he was only 19 at the time) but he was business-savy enough to know how to negotiate. He politely turned down the offer and also returned his fish order back to the kitchen. The LA Lakers were surprised by this young man's negotiating skills and continued to woo him with a higher salary - up to $500,000. Whoo hoo! In the late 1970's that was considered a large sum of money.

The interview went back and forth between Magic's basketball career and his business. I was impressed with the laid-back and honest answers that he provided in the hour long talk. While it is without question that he is a talented basketball player, he always had aspirations to become a business person. While growing up with 9 siblings in a small-town in Michigan, he was exposed to the hardships of life from an early age. He had to work different jobs as a young boy including one where he had to clean an office building of 7 floors. He would indulge in cleaning the top floor of the building which contained the offices of the CEO. Magic recounted how he would sit in the leather chair in the office (which was a little too small for his body) and play the role of the CEO by pressing the intercom button and calling for his secretary for coffee and newspaper. He would do this for two hours everyday. His advice to young people? "You have to imagine yourself in your dream job. Dream big."

....To be continued in tomorrow's Part 2.

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Playing Bears

A family that lives on the outskirts of West Milford , NJ decided to build a sturdy, colorful playground for their 3 and 4 year old sons.

The Beauty Sample Sale

Tonight I went to the Beauty Sample Sale hosted by Pretty City and sponsored by Shape Magazine. What is the Beauty Sample Sale, you ask? It's a a beauty bonanza bringing together the best names in beauty, all under one roof.

This was an awesome event to attend. Guests received sample complimentary beauty services courtesy of the world's prettiest brands, from hair care to skin care from cosmetics to cosmeceuticals. Oh and did I mention the free goodie bag full of sample products? We were also treated to free drinks (midori sours) and appetizers (mini cupcakes and choco truffles) at the bar.

The cost of this event is $10, but Shape Magazine offered a free registration code for its readers so I was able to attend the event at no cost. There were lots of people at this event, mostly women of course. The best table was a Spinning Wheel where guests received prizes based on the number on the wheel. Cool prizes included a white Shape vest, large size samples of night cream and shampoos, Venus razors, a Shape measuring spoon and light blue Shape knapsacks.

My only complaint of the evening was that I waited in a long and confusing registration line but it wasn't necessary to receive the free gift bag (filled with even more goodies). I would recommend going early to avoid the crowds. Here are some pictures from the event:

Restaurant Review: Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi
63 Main St
Port Washington, NY 11050
516-883-3500

To some, Yamaguchi is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chugoku region of Honshu island. To those in the know, it's a crazy good Japanese restaurant located just steps from the LIRR in Port Washington, NY.

After months of hearing about this great place from our friends Sorry-hime and You-sama, we were finally able to hook up with them to see for ourselves what was so fantastic about this place.

To start off, we had kaki age (fried oysters)
and beef tataki.

The beef tataki was served with some kind of ponzu dipping sauce, while the kaki age was served with both BBQ and tartar dipping sauce options. They were both comparable to what we've eaten at other Japanese places.

We followed this with nasu hasami age:

You're probably wondering "Well, what the heck is that?" Nasu hasami age is fried eggplant stuffed with crabmeat and fish paste, served in a special sauce with ginger. Before I say anything else, let me clearly state that I-HATE-EGGPLANT. I dislike everything about it - the color, the taste, the texture - it's pure UGH! And yet, the nasu hasami age was one of dishes I liked the most at Yamaguchi. So I'll amend my hate statement to I-HATE-EGGPLANT-EXCEPT-FOR-YAMAGUCHI'S.

For our main course, we had 2 orders of the Chef's special. The special is $40 per order and comes with 1 sushi roll - it is not listed on the menu. We also ordered some uni (sea urchin) on the side since Sorry-hime and You-sama are uni crazed!
Keep in mind that since we ordered TWO(2) specials, the amounts of sushi and sashimi are roughly doubled. I couldn't name everything in a technically correct manner, so what you see is what you get! I will, however, call attention to the ike nestled underneath the clam and the scallops that you cannot see in this picture behind the clam.
Our orders came with an unagi (eel) roll and a scallion & fatty toro (tuna) roll.

The fish was some of the freshest we've had in New York City and the menu was reasonably priced - slightly upscale, but not overly so. But the real endorsement comes from my fellow blogger. She normally refuses to eat anything raw, but she happily scarfed down everything. I think she's close to making a real breakthrough and soon I won't be ashamed to be seen in a Japanese restaurant with her!

I would definitely recommend this place and hope to return soon (*psst* Sorry-hime!).