Summer, Summer, Summer.... Oh Oh It's Magic !!!

This past Winter was brutal.  It was persistent and littered with a bumper crop of 
blizzards.  So it is with great pleasure that we welcome Summer with open arms!  Oh how we've missed you , Summer.  Summer's entrance ushers in so many great past times..... BBQs, the Beach, Outdoor Concerts and Movies, Cocktails with Friends.  New York City is full of wonderful FREE things to do in the Summer.  In particular, I am looking forward to MidSummer's Night Swing at Lincoln Center.  Almost every night for the next 3 weeks, you can find everything from salsa to soul to swing under the stars.  There is a dance floor that requires a ticket for entrance but people gather all along the outside of the dance floor to listen and dance the night away.  There are small bars scattered about where you can purchase your favorite adult beverage for around $6-10.  It is always a good time!  And you don't need a partner, there are many friendly strangers who love to "cut a rug". On one such
evening I learned how to "sweep the floor"-a swing move that I have added to my repertoire.

MidSummer's Night Swing at Lincoln Center 2011 

Then there are the FREE outdoor movies !!!  Two of my favorite venues are the movies at Bryant Park and River Flicks o the Hudson.  Grab a chair or blanket, your favorite movie munchies and libations and enjoy the cinema under a canopy of stars.  It's as close as to the drive-in as it gets in the BIG CITY minus the privacy of your car. *wink wink*

RIVER FLICKS ON THE HUDSON ~FREE MOVIES/ ADULTS

RIVER FLICKS~ FREE KIDS MOVIES

MOVIES AT BRYANT PARK ~FREE MOVIES/ADULTS

 

MUSIC to our ears!!!! Music in abundance, ALL over the City and in the 5 burroughs.  The greatest being Central Park Summer Stage.  Once again, you can purchase tickets but if you are anything like me, I do not need to see a performance in order to enjoy the music.  Sometimes it's just nice to listen with joy and intent with no distractions.  I discovered the amazing music of Rodrigo y Gabriela several Summers back at Summer Stage in just tis way. 

Rodrigo y Gabriela ~ TAMACUN 

Here's a sampling of some of the other Summer festivals around the BIG APPLE: 

• Central Park Summerstage Free!
  Frequent summer concerts at the Central Park Summerstage, located at Rumsey Playfield. Some concerts are benefits, but many are free!
• Metropolitan Opera in the Parks Free!
  The Metropolitan Opera perform concerts in parks in the five boroughs from July 11-28, 2011.
• Naumburg Orchestral Concerts 2011 Free!
  The oldest free outdoor concert series in the US, the Naumburg features symphonic and semi-classical music on select Mondays and Tuesdays in Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell.
• 58th Annual Washington Square Music Festival Free!
  On select Tuesdays in July you can enjoy this free outdoor concert series.
• GMA's Summer Concerts Free!
  On Friday mornings in May - August, be a part of Good Morning America's audience in Central Park and see popular acts, including Lady Gaga.
• NBC's Today Show Summer Concerts Free!
  On Friday mornings (mostly) from May - August catch some great performers at Rockefeller Center and a chance to be seen on TV!
• River To River Festival Free!
  From June 19-July 16, 2011, the NYC River to River Festival features a variety of musical performances, as well as movies, readings and more.
• Summergarden Free!
  Concerts presented in the MoMA Sculpture Garden on Sunday evenings July 10-31, 2011. Sculpture Garden opens at 7 p.m. and 60-90 minute concerts begin at 8 p.m.
• Broadway in Bryant Park Free!
  On Thursdays at 12:30 from July 7 - August 11, 2011 see performances from popular Broadway shows live in Bryant Park.
• Celebrate Brooklyn! Free!
  Celebrate Brooklyn with a wide variety of musical performances at the Prospect Park Bandshell.
• 4Knots Music Festival Free!
  Replacing the Siren Music Festival, the Village Voice will be sponsoring a new indie-rock music festival at South Street Seaport this summer on July 16, 2011.
• Mad Sq Music: Oval Lawn Series Free!
  Free concerts on select Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. from June 15 - August 3, 2011.
• Mad Sq Kids Concert Series: Free!
  Free concerts for kids on Tuesday and Thursday mornings nights at 10:30 a.m. from June 14 - August 11, 2011.
• Lincoln Center Festival
  Ballet, music, dance, and more are featured throughout the festival which runs from July 5 - August 14, 2011. Some free events.
• Mostly Mozart
  This Lincoln Center series dedicated to the works of Mozart runs from August 2-27, 2011.
• Lincoln Center Out Of Doors Free!
  Over 35 different events including world music, internationally acclaimed dance, cutting-edge performances, special events, cool jazz, and fun for kids from July 27 - August 14, 2011.
• Cityparks Concerts Free!
  In July & August, free concerts will be held at many of New York City's neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs.
• Summer in the Square Free!
  On Thursdays, from mid-June to mid-August Union Square is host to a lunchtime concerts, afternoon yoga classes and evening performances.
• River Rocks Free!
  Check out these free concerts on Pier 54 in Hudson River Park (at 14th Street) on July 14, 28, and August 11, 2011.
• Blue Note Jazz Festival This city-wide Jazz festival is being put together to celebrate Blue Note's 30th anniversary and lasts throughout the month of June.
• After Work Music Free!
  Check out this series of free Wednesday evening concerts in Bryant Park featuring New York area jazz musicians and singer-songwriters.
• Charlie Parker Jazz Festival Free!
  On Saturday August 27 and Sunday August 28, experience the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in two Manhattan parks where Parker lived and worked.
• Rythmn & Blues Festival at Metrotech Free!
  On Thursdays from noon - 2 pm see great R&B performances in Brooklyn.
• Harlem Meer Performance Festival Free!
  Jazz, blues, gospel and latin music every Sunday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. at the Harlem Meer in Central Park on Sundays June 19-September 4, 2011.
• Williamsburg Waterfront Concerts Free!
  Enjoy waterfront concerts in Williamsburg in the East River Park between North Eighth and North Ninth Streets.  

These are just a few of the outlets for audiophiles and music lovers alike. We are blessed to live in a cultural mecca, New York.  I encourage all of you living across this great country of ours to explore your city and you will be surprised at how many great things you discover.  Many communities have music in the park and movies under the stars.  Seek & you WILL Find. So pack those picnic baskets, beach blankets, lawn chairs, hats, sandals and sunscreen..... Get out there & Enjoy Summer 2011 !!!!

~Namaste'
  Kelly  =)

On the Brink of Summer.......

As I write, I am currently 37,000 miles in the air on my way South.  I cannot wait to see my family and my friends, new and old.  This was an early morning flight and I don't "DO" early-anything well.  I need to take this moment to praise JETBLUE.  I'm not sure how many of you are brand loyal.  I find the older I get the more I realize that I am very brand loyal.  If you win me over with your product, I will be a faithful consumer until the day you decide to discontinue your product and forget to tell me. (grin)  This has happened to me SO many times now, especially with cosmetics, that I just have to laugh.  It's a very ZEN thing.  You can be angry but ultimately you are forced, by the circumstances out of your control and the Universe, to just "Let go".  When a product gets discontinued there's is nothing you can do.  I would say if you LOVE a product and can afford to buy multiples, then you should do it while it is available and popular.  Trust me. You will thank me for this tip.  In fact, as I type I realize I am giving myself the same valuable advice.  
Oh APT. 5 Lip Gloss how I mourn your demise.  Maybelline Cover Stick, you perfected my flaws and when you decided to leave, you were gone.  I have also found that the "new/improved" product usually pales in comparison.  Example, Maybelline changed their liquid foundation to mineral foundation.  The new foundation is runny.  So I have to use more for the same coverage AND it costs more.  The new products usually do.  They give you less and charge you more.  I suppose that is beneficial to the corporation but as a loyal consumer, I would LOVE a "heads-up" if a product is on the fast track to certain death.  Save yourself the shock and loss and stock up on the things you love when you can.  The Universal truth "Nothing lasts" or as my mom always says (usually about something negative but it goes for the positive too)  "This to Shall Pass" always holds true.  So enjoy everything.... every minute..... because change is always on the horizon.  I plan on taking my own advice and buying several tubes of my new favorite shade of covergirl lipstick...
#215 impassion passionnee'. Done and done. 

37,000 feet in the air once again, four days later.....Florida was a delightful escape and also a joyous visit.   On Saturday, I went to “my” beach.  I say mine because I have been going to this particular spot since as far back as I can remember being allowed to go to the beach alone.  It is my sanctuary and my salvation. I tune-out the stress of Life and plug-in to the Universe.  It allows me to re-charge my “batteries”, re-boot and degauze all things negative.       
                                                
This day was an amazing day.  Very few beachcombers & sunbathers, random and far away.  When I say the water looked the Bahamas, it did.  Turquoise blue and azure green... a sandbar about 20 to 30 yrds off shore. A light breeze and no real wave action.  In chest high water you could see the bottom without a mask.  I waded out until I waist high in the water.  I was enjoying the sun and surf, huge pieces of orange lettuce leaf-looking seaweed floated by me.  It was around 4pm, dinner time in the animal kingdom so I was very aware of the sea life around me.  I was standing with my feet firmly planted in the sand because there was a little bit of a undertoe running North to South.  I glanced down between my legs and I saw a large zebra-striped Angelfish.  I found it odd that it was alone.  I have never seen one without their school.  It was angeled head down like a bonefish feeding.  I thought perhaps it was dining on plankton and other microorganisms and that my legs were funneling the food to it.  I noticed that the fish was swimming in and out and around my legs coming ever so close to hitting me with it’s fins but not even slightly grazing me.  It stayed in the shadow of my body.  I thought, “I wonder if it thinks it's hiding from a larger predator” and I started scanning the waters around me for any other large fish and God-forbid, a shark. After a few minutes I went back to communing with my new friend.  Yes, crazy as it sounds, I did talk to him-out loud.  (No, he didn’t answer.) You can laugh.
I just could not believe this was happening.  About 15 minutes had passed and this Angelfish just kept gently swimming under me.  I fanned my arms in the water above him to hold my balance and it didn’t flinch.  Fish are skiddish. Super skiddish. An this Angel was an anamoly of grace, alone and calm.  I decided to test my bond with my new found friend.  I started walking backward slowly and “Angel” followed me like a puppy dog.  No matter where I went, it just swam right along between my legs.  The I decided to run actually more like a jog in the water, still travelling backwards and it just sped up with me.  Twice it got ahead of me and I ran into it and I was startled and jumped.  But even though I had hit it, the fish stayed with me.  Finally it swam out to my left slowly, paused and then swam away.  I’m not sure how you would interpret this, but Life has been testing my family as of late and I am a STRONG believer in signs.  This trip was not so much a vacation as a much needed respite and family reunion.  I think an Angelfish is a very auspicious omen.  I think it was not by accident that it was an “Angel” fish. An Angel for sure.  I communed with an Angel for 20 minutes and in the end I KNEW everything would be OK.  IT WILL. BE. OK.

It’s almost Summer.  I know it’s been hot enough to be Summer for a month and a half now.  Florida has been hot since February.  NYC had been hotter than Florida.  Sounds crazy right? It was 100 degrees last Thursday in New Jersey and 97 in NYC.  Florida was upper 80’s to low 90’s with a constant sea breeze... really lovely. So we’re 6 days from Summer 3 days at the time of this publishing) and I’ve had one thing on my mind....Ice Cream.  I FINALLY bought an ice cream maker.  I gave up the ghost when I turned thirty.  There are certain appliances that were the quintessential wedding gifts.  The Blender. The Waffle Iron. The Ice Cream Maker.  Well, I bought a blender and waffle iron over a decade ago.  But finally I got an ice cream maker.  My Sicilian ancestors would be proud! A Cuisinart Stainless Steel colored, 2 quart, freezes in 25 mintues Beauty !!!!  I made my first homemade ice cream last Sunday.  I misread the recipe. Distracted at the very moment the milk and cream BOILED, I ran to the stove and removed the pot from the burner.  
The recipe distinctly said, "DO NOT LET the MILK BOIL!!!!"  ~ CRIPES!!!!! Then.... well apparently, I was supposed to add the heavy cream LAST after the mixture cooled down.  I missed that part too and heated the cream and the milk.  Oh well, I cooled the mixture overnight in the refrigerator and poured it into the maker and in just 25 minutes I had ice cream Nirvana.  My father, who is THEE ice cream connisseur, said that it was the BEST homemade ice cream he ever tasted.  He said it tasted like it was bought. 
My heart smiled.

Here’s my recipe:

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks

1/2 pint (250ml) milk  (* I use Whole Organic Milk)

1/2 pint (250ml) double/heavy cream 
(*I used Heavy Whipping Cream)

4 oz (100g) sugar or caster sugar
(*I used granulated sugar)

1 vanilla pod (scored down the middle)  
(* I substitute 2 tsp of PURE Vanilla extract)

Pour the milk & cream into a saucepan and bring slowly up to boiling point but DO NOT LET IT BOIL.  ONLY w pod: ((Place the vanilla pod into it and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes.))

In a bowl, beat and mix together the egg yolks and sugar until thick. Carefully remove the vanilla pod from the pan of milk and scrape out the seeds into the milk. Pour the milk into the mixture of egg yolks and sugar whilst stirring. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat gently, stirring until the custard thickens - DO NOT BRING TO THE BOIL OR IT WILL PROBABLY CURDLE.  When you can see a film form over the back of your spoon it's time to remove the saucepan from the heat. Leave to cool. (* I put in frig overnight)  Transfer the whole mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  My cuisinart takes 25 minutes to freeze.  Ice cream will be thick....transfer to a container and place in freezer until ready to serve.

***************************************

Just in time for Father's Day ....Do I have an Amazing invention for you!

                                The Bug Kwik Zap Racket. 

I was in Maine last Summer for a family reunion and my cousin had these bug zappers and boy, did they work.  So I bought a package of them for my parents in Florida.  Mosquitoes LOVE my mother. No matter how much my dad sprays and keeps the standing water from accumulating around their home, the mosquitoes thrive.  A nusance for sure, mosquitoes are also a carrier of not only malaria, dengue fever but also west nile virus and many others.  This can be very dangerous for the young, elderly and immune compromised.  I figured this would be a perfect way to personalize the mosquito eradication without harmful pesticides.  Both of my parents have been blessing me for sending them their rackets.  They are fun AND useful !!! ZAP! SIZZLE! ZAP!
It's awesome!  My brother phoned me about them and I just bought some for myself.  They come 2 to a pack, take 2 AA batteries and can be found on Amazon.com for $14.99 + shipping.  Well worth EVERY penny !!! Give'em to the kids at a BBQ and they will have fun for hours and keep the bug population down !  I get NO kick-back for turning you on to these.  I just feel they are worthy of singing their praise!


~Namaste
  Kelly =)