My special guest today is Paz Edwards. I met Paz online a few years ago and was immediately captured by her photos of New York and her yummy recipes and the fact she’s plain nice! Get your comfortable shoes and warm clothes ready. We’re off to New York!
Celebrating Shelley’s Birthday in New York City
Yellow Cupcakes
It’s Shelley’s birthday this month and I’m excited to celebrate it with her and all of you. Yay!
New York is a fun city to visit at any time of the year but it’s especially fun in December. The weather may get very cold, but it’s the most magical time of the year in the city. So, let’s take in some sights, celebrate Shell’s birthday and the holidays. Grab a cupcake (or two or three — they really are good, if I do say so myself) and let’s start this celebration.
The Northern part of the city at sunrise.
The city is awake.
The best way to explore the city is by walking around. Fifth Avenue is a fun place to stroll.
Many of the stores on Fifth Avenue have set up Christmas-themed windows that entice everyone — young and old.
Even entire buildings are decorated for the holiday season, like this watch and jewelry store, Cartier. The inside is impressive, too.
In addition to a regular taxi cab, bus or subway, you can take a bike taxi.
All over the city, you’ll see holiday decorations.
Even the most famous lions in the city, Patience and Fortitude that sit in front of the New York Public Library are dressed for the holidays. That’s Patience you see in the photo.
You can people watch or ice skate at the Rockefeller Skating Rink.
These giagantic holiday stars come in different colors and are displayed in the Time Warner Center.
Anyone interested in The Nutcracker ballet at Lincoln Center?
Or the opera Hnsel and Gretel? There are so many different types of holiday shows to keep you entertained in the city.
Holiday lights on the West Side make the city seem magical.
It’s been a cold day and it’s late. We should stop and get a nice cup of Belgium Hot Chocolate from Le Pain Quotidien (there are several locations all over the city). I like the way they serve it. They give you hot milk and melted chocolate separately. You mix your own chocolate and milk.
I’m tempted to keep on going, but I’d better stop here. We can’t just spend our time all in one place. Thanks for inviting me to your party, Shell. It was fun. I hope y’all had a good time with me.
Paz
The recipe for Yellow Cupcakes is in the post below along with another recipe for Stained Glass Cookies. Don’t they look delicious?
Have you visited New York before, and if so, what is your favorite memory? If you haven’t visited before which place would you most like to see?
No related posts.
December 1st, 2008 at 5:26 am · Link
Happy Birthday, Shel:) The cupcakes and NY both looked wondrous. Hugs,
December 1st, 2008 at 5:27 am · Link
I want to see Mama Mia on Broadway.
December 1st, 2008 at 6:13 am · Link
Thanks for sharing a bit of New York with us, Paz and Shelley.
I haven’t been to NYC in years…
Next time I go, I’m headed back to Broadway. And the Central Park Zoo.
December 1st, 2008 at 6:43 am · Link
Happy Birthday, Shelley!
Great photos…I’ll make it to NY one day!!
December 1st, 2008 at 9:40 am · Link
Happiest of birthdays, Shelley! *muah*
Thanks for the tour of NYC, Paz – I’ve always longed to go there, and especially to see American Ballet Theatre. ‘Nutcracker’ for me, please!
December 1st, 2008 at 11:01 am · Link
Happy Birthday Shelley!
Thank you for the tour of New York City, Paz! I love the “wrapped” buildings. I agree that it would be fun to peek inside that pressie. hehe
I took my daughter to see the Nutcracker here in Seattle a few years back. The Pacific Northwest Ballet is just breath taking with the scene paintings done by Maurice Sendak. Needless to say, it was an enchanting event that will stay with us a life time!
Thank you for posting your recipes! I love to bake and this time of year just makes it even more fun! The cookies look so beautiful and the cupcakes look soft and delectable!
Hope your Monday is Magic!
Colleen
December 1st, 2008 at 11:57 am · Link
I don’t know about everyone else but I’m eyeing up that hot chocolate after my walk around New York. I always love a city when it’s dressed for Christmas. Paz, thank you so much for sharing it with us!
December 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm · Link
One of these days I’ll make it to NYC. Gizmo Guy has often been there and keeps promising we’ll go ‘one day’ … In the meantime I’ll head up to the kitchen and add those recipes to my file. (More to work off on my treadmill. Gee, thanks, Shelley)
December 1st, 2008 at 2:09 pm · Link
Happy Birthday, Shelley.
I fished your email out of the spam folder a few hours agon. If there’s still a spot, preferably in the second half of December, I may be able to come up with a guest post.
December 1st, 2008 at 5:16 pm · Link
Years ago, when my grandma was still alive, we went to the Botanical Gardens…I want to say Brookline but now my memory is a bit fuzzy… but the place is a great memory. From there I was inspired to get many different kinds of mint plants. I had no idea there was such a variety!
If I were to go back…someday…I’d enjoy seeing a Broadway show and to walk where the great actors and singers walked in the 30′s and 40′s. It was such a vibrant time!
And the recipes look devine! Great choice!
December 1st, 2008 at 6:04 pm · Link
Wow. this was a great post. I feel like i have been there!
Great info here!
December 1st, 2008 at 6:33 pm · Link
Michele – I didn’t realize there were lots of variety of mint. We use it all the time with new potatoes from hubby’s garden.
Thanks so much all, for the birthday wishes. It doesn’t seem long since my last birthday!
December 1st, 2008 at 8:19 pm · Link
Never been to NYC, but after this delightful post I may just do that.
I would like to see the American Museum of Natural History where Douglas Preston used to work.
December 1st, 2008 at 8:50 pm · Link
You can have SO much fun with mint, Shelley!
I have Pineapple Mint, Chocolate Mint, Apple Mint, Spearamint and I think Lemon. The Chocolate is HIGHLY aggressive though so don’t EVER plant it where other plants will grow. I..um..found out the hard way. Now I can’t kill the stuff but dang it smells so GOOD.
When I’ve tried to propagate it by planting the chocolate mint on other spots on my property…it’s great for ground cover, I would find it dug up the next day and it looks like an animal rolled in it. I’m never sure if it was a Skunk that went nuts or a cat. So , I just gave up and let it grow where it wills.
But yes…if not for my visit to NYC, I would never have known I had a bouquet of mnit choices avaliable…
Gee, did I just write a lot or what?
:)
TTYL
December 1st, 2008 at 8:58 pm · Link
Hi everyone: It was fun to read about the places you’d like to visit in NYC. All wonderful picks. ;-)
Thanks again, Shelley, for inviting me to your birthday celebration. Happy Birthday Month!
Paz XOXO
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:35 pm · Link
Happy Birthday!!!
Yes to see New York with my kids would be a dream come true.The pics makes it a Must trip.
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:17 pm · Link
Michele – the chocolate mint sounds interesting. I’ll have to check out the herb section at the Garden center next time I visit. Hubby is the gardener in our family though. I like to look and instruct.
Debra – aren’t the photos awesome? I’d love a chance to visit again. I remember seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. Amazing.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:30 am · Link
I went to NYC iafter Thanksgiving n college and still remember the turkey made entirely from silverware. I have always wanted to go at Chritmas time and see the decroations.