Spiderman (Entertainment Thursday)

I know it's supposed to be "TV Thursday" but maybe I'll change it to "Entertainment Thursday."

A few weeks ago I saw Spiderman: Turn off the Dark (the Broadway musical).  I have to say, after all the troubles, bad press and worse reviews that this show had I had pretty low expectations.  Not to say I didn't say I didn't want to enjoy myself, because when you pay so much these days for Broadway tix you have to hope you'll at the very least be entertained for 2+ hours.

Well, I was very pleasantly surprised.  I thought it was a great show! It was highly entertaining.  The set design and costumes were really creative, and really made you feel like you were inside a comic book.  Also outstanding were the stunts. Acrobatic Spidermans and Green Goblin were flying right over your head and added a wow factor to the performance. The review said that the story was lacking and music was OK.  The story was kept basic, but that's typical of a musical - it basically follows the traditional Spiderman story, which is all that was needed.  As for the music, I thought some songs were better than others, and while I didn't come out loving one in particular, there weren't any I disliked.

Bottom line, if you are interested in seeing Spiderman: Turn off the Dark and you're looking for a great performance Shariously go see it!

Summer Quinoa Salad (Recipe Monday)

Here is an all original Quinoa recipe.  I love quinoa because it's a light dish that packs a lot of protein and can be made in so many different ways.  This recipe is super easy and yummy.

Ingredients:
1c. Quinoa
2c. Water
1/2 Cucumber, peeled, chopped
2 Plum Tomatoes, chopped
1 Avocado, chopped
1/3 c. Dried Cranberries
1 Lime
1 tsp. Olive Oil
pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Rinse quinoa (if needed) some kinds come pre-washed.                        
2. Bring water and quinoa to boil, reduce to simmer and cover for 10-15 min until water is absorbed.
3. Mix cooked quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado and dried cranberries with juice of 1 lime, olive oil and salt.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until cold and serve!

Summer Quinoa Salad

Shariously an all around great dish!

Favorite NYC Spring/Summer Activities Part 2 (NY Fridays)

I'm sorry for this post being a little late. Things have been crazy lately!  My weekends have been jammed packed, with all sorts of fun stuff (which you have heard about or will be hearing about on this blog) so I haven't had much time to write.  Because of my delay, and the fact it's the unofficial start to summer I've renamed the series to Spring/Summer Activities.  So here goes Part 2:

3. Governors Island - Governors Island one of the most unique places in New York City; a great place for locals and tourists.  Access to the 192-acre island is via a quick ferry ride off the tip of Manhattan.  When the Dutch purchased the island from Native Americans it was mostly used as a military ground with forts, prisons and a base.  From 1966  to 1995 the island was used as Coast Guard Base and was then sold mostly to New York City in 2003 and the rest to National Park Service.  Since then the island has been open on weekends in the summer and its popularity has grown exponentially.

View of Lower Manhattan from Governors Island

The growth in popularity has spurred tons of events on the island; concerts, food truck competitions, jazz festivals, polo matches, art exhibitions and children's activities just to name a few.  There are also bikes you can rent.  Although the whole island is walk-able (a long walk), if you rent a bike, there are tons of car-free roads and paths where you can really explore everything there is.

I can go on all day about all it has to offer.  I really love Governors island, and if you haven't been you Shariously should.


4. Chelsea Market - Chelsea Market is a factory converted into a gourmet food marketplace.  There are all sorts of delicious outlets to get wine, cheese, baked goods, crepes, organic foods, imported foods, fresh seafoods and more.  It's always a great place to stop by and get a snack or some lunch.  It's also right under the High Line so you can get some food to go and eat outside!  (See Part 1 of this post here).

North Fork Wine Tasting (Weekend Activities)

Yesterday, for a friend's birthday she rented a van to visit some vineyards on the North Fork of Long Island.  It was a great idea and a great day!

The first stop was Bedell.  It's a beautiful winery.  There is building that has tons of space for events that sits facing the vineyards.  Then there's a yard where they move out tables and chairs as groups come to sit out in the sun with the beautiful backdrop - check out the picture.  Most of the wineries don't sell food, so they let you bring snacks.  Everyone in the group had some cheese, crackers, or birthday cupcakes to add to the festivities.  At Bedell we ordered a flight of wines and got to taste 6 wines, (3 white, 1 rose and 2 reds).  I liked the whites best, but it could have just been the mood I was in.  The whites were very crisp and refreshing, perfect for a 75 degree day.

Bedell Winery, North Fork, Long Island

Our second stop was Peconic Bay Winery.  Also very nice place, but had more of a quaint feel to it.  The atmosphere was also a little different because they had live music.  Other than the music, I'm not sure why this place would be more popular than Bedell, but it was packed!  Overall I liked the wines better at Bedell but the ones here were pretty good as well.

A day spent wine tasting on the North Fork is a Shariously great idea for any special occasion.

Favorite NYC Spring Activities Part 1 (NY Fridays)

For the next few Fridays, I'll try to write about some of my favorite Springtime  activities in NYC.  In reality, many of these activities can be enjoyed anytime of year, but those first days of warm weather like we had a few weeks back makes everyone want to get outside!

1. The High Line - the High Line is one of the coolest places in the city!  In case you haven't heard, the High Line is an abandoned elevated freight train line which has been converted into an elevated Park.  It runs from Ganesvoort Street in the meatpacking district up to 34th Street between 10th and 11th Avenue.  The first phase of the High Line opened in the summer of 2009 and became an instant hit.  Last Summer the second Phase opened.  This particularly excited me because now one end is only a block from my office.  It's a great place to take a short walk or eat lunch during the day.  When visitors to the city ask me where to go this is always the firs thing I tell them.

View of the High Line below the Standard Hotel

2. Softball in Central Park - Since I started working in the city, I have been on our corporate softball team.  The first two seasons we were in this random league up in Harlem that drew more crowds of friends who had time to practice than the corporate atmosphere.  In the history of our company team, I don't think we had ever won a game in that league.  Some one finally took action and got us into a league in Central Park!  Now, as a team of engineers, we're not that great in recent seasons we've hovered around .500.  But it doesn't matter much because we have a great time.  The fields are in great condition, it's a convenient location and has a great view.

One of the funniest things about playing in central park is the people watching, and by people watching, I mean the tourists who watch us.  I'm serious - every game, without fail, foreign tourists will wander  into the stands and treat us like the Yankees.  They cheer and take pictures.  There must be tons of pictures of me in foreigner's Facebook photos up at bat.  If they only knew that what they were watching was a bunch of engineers playing corporate softball.   But it does feel good, and I kind of like being a tourist attraction.

From this picture you can see the 5 ball fields all back to back!

When you're done reading this, Shariously go outside and enjoy!

Poem for Bridal Shower

This past Sunday was the Bridal Shower of a friend of mine for whom I am a Bridesmaid.  As something nice from the Bridal party we decided to put together a poem.  Each of us wrote a phrase to read and since I was quite proud of my work writing the intro, conclusion and my portion of the poem, I have decided to share it:

Intro:

Thank you all for coming to the Milleridge Inn, to Dine

And to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Rob to Caroline

Me:

At three years old, Caroline and I first met,

In Grace Avenue Park, on the swing set.

Then there was Baker, Birthdays and many Playdates

I’m so glad we have become, such great mates.

The past 10 years, we’ve had our fun

Making fondue, going camping and the beach in the sun

You are a great friend, I wish you and Rob the Best

As we shower you with love and help you to build your nest.

Conclusion:

So everyone please, raise a glass of Wine

As we give a big “Cheers” to a gal who is mighty fine

We love you Caroline!

Unfortunately, due to my grandmother's passing, I was not able to attend the shower, but I did record myself and had a friend play my part.  Up next I will share some of the words I spoke at my grandma's funeral.

For any special event a poem is a Shariously great way to make a sweet toast!