nyc: central park

the weather was absolutely beautiful over the weekend.  it was fall weather at its finest!  since the weather was so gorgeous, we decided to head into nyc and spend a day enjoying central park.

if you're in nyc, central park is a must see.  it is a tranquil and serene piece of beauty smack dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the crazy city.  central park is absolutely huge.  it's 51 blocks long (from 59th street to 110th street) and 3 blocks wide (from 5th avenue to 8th avenue).

since the park is so big, it's impossible to see the entire park in just one day.  we managed to walk a good majority of the park, and boy did our feet feel it by the end of the day.  (at least we got some good exercise to work off all of that delicious nyc food!)  tired and dirty feet are always a sure sign of a day well spent in the city!

 ^a little painting hiding in a tree^

 ^riding the central park carousel^

 ^the mall^

^sheep meadow^

 ^the bandshell^

 ^bethesda fountain and terrace^

^loeb boathouse^

^the lake (can you believe how green it is?!)^

 ^bow bridge^

 ^the alice in wonderland statue^

^conservatory water: the model boat pond^

. . .

as kathleen kelly said in you've got mail, 

"don't you just love new york in the fall?"

love, laurie

snapshots of life lately, according to my iphone pictures

. . . and ryan's iphone too.

{iphone pictures via the instagram app}

homemade cheez-it crackers

when we were in college, ryan had a roommate who was obsessed with cheez-it crackers.  they were his go-to snack at just about any hour of the day.

no doubt, cheez-its are a classic, but they are loaded with a long list of mystery ingredients and i find them to be incredibly salty.  so, the other day i decided to make my own homemade version of cheez-its.

these crackers were super simple to whip up (only 4 ingredients!) and they were absolutely delicious.  they were packed with an incredible cheddar cheese flavor (and no artificial ingredients, which is always a bonus).  in addition to being super cheesy, the homemade cheez-it crackers were crisp on the outside with a buttery finish.

i highly recommend making your own cheez-its, but watch out, they are seriously addictive.  consider yourself warned!

. . .

homemade cheez-it crackers
prep time: 5 minutes
chill time: 1 hour
baking time: 15 minutes
yields: a whole bunch of little crackers
adapted from better homes and gardens

ingredients:
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ice water

directions:
in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the cheese, butter, and flour on low.  the dough will be pebbly.  while the mixer is running, slowly add the water.  mix until the dough forms into a ball.  pat the dough into a disk, wrap the dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

after the dough has chilled for 1 hour, remove the dough from the refrigerator.  preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece of the dough into a very thin rectangle.  cut the dough into small squares using a pizza cutter.  transfer the small dough pieces to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  bake for 15 minutes, until the crackers are puffed and golden brown.  watch the crackers carefully so that they do not burn or turn too brown.  remove the crackers from the oven and allow them to cool completely before serving.  store in an air-tight container.

enjoy!

love, laurie  

a weekend getaway to jim thorpe: part three

after we rode the train in jim thorpe on saturday, we grabbed a bite to eat for lunch at molly maguires in the hotel switzerland.  since the weather was so nice, we sat outside on the patio.  ryan had a reuben and i had a prime rib sandwich.  it was so good!

after lunch, we walked up to the asa packer mansion and the harry packer mansion.  both mansions sit on top of the hill over looking the town of jim thrope.  it's rumored that both mansions are haunted, and there are even murder mystery tours that go on at the mansions during the halloween season.  it's also rumored that the harry packer mansion was the inspiration for the haunted mansion attraction at disney world.  if you have ever been to disney, you can definitely see the similarities.

love, laurie

a weekend getaway to jim thorpe: part two

we really enjoyed our weekend getaway to jim thorpe.  on saturday morning, after we woke up and ate breakfast at the b&b where we were staying, we decided to take a train ride on the lehigh gorge scenic railway.

we rode 16 miles in an open-air car along the lehigh river.  the conductor was even dressed like an old fashioned conductor.  it was almost like stepping into another era.  we had so much fun on our train ride!

love, laurie