pier observations

Two boys kiss
Muscleheads sun
Dogs get relief

Girl sips lemonade
Strollers align
Moms picnic on the lawn

A pick-up spot
A tanning salon
A dog run
A lunchtime refuge
A gym

A place for watching
A place to rest your eyes
A place for grass to grow

Sparrows perched under the bench
They see that I see them,
They flee

Hello sea gull
Hello water fowl

JC to the west
HH to the east
WTC was south
Chopper overhead

Tip of the ESB over my shoulder

A plane descends for Newark
Sky meets land

Bicycles, rollerblades, scooters
Sailboats, ferries, yachts
Man-made land meets river meets sea

Men in skirts or no shirts
Tank tops, flip flops, boots, coats
Winter meets summer

Labs, poms, mutts, a Chinese crested
Tourists, locals, straight, and gay

All colors and stripes meet here
At Christopher Street Pier


(Not my shot... image via NewYorkDailyPhoto)

afternoon thrift shop find

On my way back from lunch at the Christopher Street pier, I decided to pop up into St Luke's Thrift Shop on Hudson St (South of Christopher) when I saw the sign out front announcing "dresses on sale, 50% off."

I walked through the door and the first thing I saw was this adorable early 60s style red dress with white polka dots. I took a look at the back and that's what got me.



"Try it on," said the lady working there. "It's so cute, and look, it's new." The tags were still on it. Such is the way of ladies of means - buying dresses, never wearing them, then donating them to a thrift shop. I can't say I'm not completely innocent of this. At least one pair of shoes in my closet have met the sidewalk only once or twice.

I tried it on and it fit perfectly. The tag said $40, but I got it for $20. Thrifty is nifty.

big sale on edun duds @ greenloop

Now at Greenloop, get 50 to 75% off ethically and ecologically minded clothing line Edun - the brainchild of Ali Hewson and Bono (with some help from New York clothing designer Rogan Gregory).

Por ejemplo:

Men's Eclipse jeans were $175, you can get 'em for $79.99 (save $95.01, hey every penny counts!)


Ladies' Calliope dress was $325, now $169.99 (that's $155.01 off, yeow!)



Get 'em @ Greenloop while the gettin' is good.

making earrings with bonbon oiseau

I've always had the desire to work with my hands, though I hadn't really given myself the opportunity until recently. Partly inspired by the resurgence of DIY, and partly by the budding craft movement, I've begun to pick up a range of new skills.

Over the last year, I reintroduced myself to the sewing machine, taught myself crochet, learned block printing, got into baking & soupmaking, and got acquainted with street tree bed gardening.

Tonight, I added a new skill - jewelry making. Through make workshop (run by sewing guru Diana Rupp), I learned the art of earring assemblage from Deb Stein of Bonbon Oiseau. Deb is super down to earth and seriously encouraging of her students. She'll be teaching another class in memento assemblage with bracelets and necklaces next month (details).


(Focusing on tiny beads and delicate chains. Deb Stein at right.)

Deb makes it a point to use ethically sourced materials -- like antique beads -- in her jewelry line, which is made at her studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Her beautiful baubles are available in the US, Europe, and Japan (she's especially popular there). Deb will also be at the Brooklyn Flea for its Spring re-opening this weekend. She's also designing jewelry for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossom Festival.

I walked away from class with two pairs of dangly earrings and a new skill to add to my DIY bag of tricks.

celebrate earth day with peaceful valley

Attention conscious consumers: Shop at Peaceful Valley between now and April 25th and you'll be doing something good for your health (and the planet). For Earth Day, this eco-friendly e-tailer will plant 10 trees in your honor when you purchase from their shop.

Some of the great stuff they sell: organic cotton clothing, tree-free greeting cards, earth-friendly jewelry, natural beauty products, organic treats, and so much more!

Shop Peaceful Valley Earth Friendly Clothing & Gifts - for the trees, for the planet, for peace.

habana outpost grand re-opening

The weather is warming, and so is the globe. So get on over to hot, hot Fort Greene favorite eco-eatery, Habana Outpost to celebrate Earth Day this weekend. Full deets (via Brooklyn Based) below.

Habana Outpost will re-open this weekend, kicking things off with an Earth Day bang. It’s a fitting start to the corn-grilling season for a place that has claimed the title of being Brooklyn’s first eco-eatery. Whether you show for the solar panels and green design or for the Cubans and frozen mojitos, be sure to bring the little ones — the Earth Day Expo includes arts and crafts, face paining and DJs. Noon-6pm, Sat. & Sun., 757 Fulton Street, Fort Greene.

land, people, food... happy days

Not exactly. This isn't your abuela's garden. The Garden follows a South Central LA community fighting to keep their 14-acre garden. The trailer alone was enough to get me riled up about the "powers that be." This one's going on my Netflix queue, stat.



Read more at Black Valley Films official film site.

diy yogurt

I've been wanting to make my own yogurt for a while now. I just read a great tutorial in the NY Times on how to do it. The thing is, I've come to prefer goat's milk yogurt to cow's milk. It's supposed to be easier to digest. I might not have an easy time tracking down goat's milk to make it a regular practice.

(Goat image via Redwood Hill Farm)

Maybe I'll experiment with other types of milk, though I'm not sure if it'll work... hemp milk yogurt anyone?

To make yogurt, first choose your starter yogurt. If no one offers you an heirloom, I recommend one of the ubiquitous global brands, sweeteners and stabilizers included. They tend to have very active bacterial cultures, including EPS producers, and the additives end up diluted to insignificant levels. Delicious specialty yogurts make less predictable starters.

Then choose your milk. I prefer the flavor and consistency of yogurt made from whole milk. Many types of reduced-fat milk replace the fat with milk solids, including acid-producing lactose, and make a harsher tasting yogurt. Soy milk sets into a custardy curd that becomes very thin when stirred.

Heat the fresh milk at 180 to 190 degrees, or to the point that it’s steaming and beginning to form bubbles. The heat alters the milk’s whey proteins and helps create a finer, denser consistency.

Let the milk cool to around 115 to 120 degrees, somewhere between very warm and hot. For each quart of milk, stir in two tablespoons of yogurt, either store-bought or from your last batch, thinning it first with a little of the milk.

Then put the milk in a warm jar or container or an insulated bottle, cover it, and keep the milk still and warm until it sets, usually in about four hours. I simply swaddle my quart jar in several kitchen towels. You can also put the container in an oven with the light bulb on.

Once the yogurt sets, refrigerate it to firm its structure and slow the continuing acid production. To make a thick Greek-style yogurt, spoon it into a fine-mesh strainer or colander lined with cheesecloth, and let the whey and its lactic acid drain into a bowl for several hours. (Don’t discard the whey, whose yellow-green tint comes from riboflavin. It makes a refreshing cool drink, touched up with a little sugar or salt.)

Read the rest

reflecting on l.o.v.e.

A reader requested that I post a summary of how I felt on last week's raw, vegan adventure. Not a bad idea. Here are the highlights of the physical, mental, and emotional roller coaster that is l.o.v.e. (live.organic.vegan.experience).

For the full experience, start reading here and work your way to today.

l.o.v.e. - the recap

On Monday, I took on l.o.v.e. with few expectations. I knew a little bit about what I was getting into. I knew it would be raw. I knew what there wouldn't be -- animal products -- and that was fine with me. I knew there would be juice. I'm generally not a juice drinker. I like to sink my teeth into what I consume. I tend to feel hungry often. Whether this is a real physical hunger or a pattern ingrained in my brain, I would figure out as the week progressed.

During the week I felt hungry alright. Especially in the morning. I drank my juices and I felt hungry. I tried to breathe deeply and focus on work, but that was a challenge. I realized how much I think about food, what an integral part of my day it is. Every meal is a question. Fortunately for me, it's not 'will I eat,' but 'what will I eat.' I thought of this often. How fortunate I am to have this basic need covered. There is never a doubt in my mind that I will be able to acquire something to eat, let alone something healthful and nourishing.

During the raw detox, I didn't need to think about what to eat. All of my meals were prepared for me, I just had to pick them up every morning.

What I needed was self-control.

Before I'd pick up my meals, I would read an email with the menu and instructions for the day. Next to each meal was an approximate time for consuming it.

For the first 3 days, this is how it went. First, the energy elixir at around 8 or 9am. Then, a little bit of self-control. Drink some water. Next, fruit juice at around 10 or 11am. Then a little more self-control. Don't look at the clock, stop thinking about food. Stop salivating when the person next to you is eating an egg and cheese sandwich. Drink more water. At around 12 or 1pm, it was time for veggie juice. Sip it slowly. Make it last. Enjoy the savory flavor. Think about how good this is for you.

At 2pm, time to rejoice. It's time to really eat. This might have been my favorite part. Every day was a new inventive lunch. Spicy burrito, chipotle nappa wrap, sunflower falafel. It was divine. I resisted the urge to just shove it all in. I took my time. I savored each bite. And the funny thing is, it wasn't so hard to do. Eating slowly made the enjoyment last longer, and it fulfilled me even more than if I would have scarfed it all down at once.

Another meal came at around 4pm. Usually something light, a salad of beets or edamame. I had something planned after work every day that week, so I wouldn't be able to eat meals 6 and 7 until at least 8pm. I found I wasn't really hungry in the evenings. I felt really calm. I'd still think about eating my last two courses, both dessert in my mind. But I think I could have done without them, or at least not finished them.

I grew up with the rule of 'no dessert until you finish your dinner.' I don't think it's a bad rule, but it definitely trained me to think that I should always finish everything on my plate, regardless of how full I feel. I try to be mindful of whether I'm eating out of habit or desire, or eating because I'm still hungry. It's amazing how little it takes to truly satisfy physical hunger. The hard part is telling my self that I don't need to keep eating.

And then something clicked

On day 4, something magical happened. My whole body buzzed with energy. I felt euphoric. I didn't need to watch the clock. When it was time to eat, my body knew it. I'd float out of my chair and calmly go to the fridge. Sit down and enjoy. I'll admit that I was getting a little bored with the juices, even though I knew they had something to do with the amazing feeling coursing through me. That night I went to yoga, uncertain of whether I could make it through class. I more than made it through. I could see myself shining in the mirror. A friend and teacher who was in the same class later told me that my aura was aglow. I believe it.

If day 4 was the pinnacle, day 5 was the descent. If you've been following these posts you'll know, that was at the end of day 4, the monthly visitor came to ravage my insides. I thought I had it covered with a hot water bottle and ginger tea, but when I awoke on Friday at 4:45am, I had to give in and pop a couple of pain killers. I felt a twinge of failure, having to poison my newly detoxified insides. But there wasn't really anything I could do. I knew the pain would be even more distracting than any amount of hunger I felt all week would be.

On my last day of the fast, I felt ready to move on. I also felt a bit conflicted. What should I eat tomorrow? There were some basic instructions about coming down from the detox, like eating fruit and salads (which I partly followed). But after having gone through this, I didn't want to screw it up and return to old eating habits. Not that I was an unhealthy eater before. A friend once told me that of everyone she knew, if she had to lick anyone's sweat, it would be mine. (I'm not sure what would warrant that kind of action, but hey, I took it as a compliment.)

Before the fast, I already thought a lot about what I put into my body. I cut back on meat and dairy, I tried not to eat highly processed foods (though one of my vices is Mallowmars, thankfully, they're a seasonal food). I ate veggies, fruits, and nuts regularly.

Now, I have an even greater perspective.

I have a better sense of when I'm really hungry, or just falling into a pattern of eating. And I've been exposed to another way of enjoying food (isn't that what it's all about?). I feel fortunate to have been able to experience this pure way of eating, and the pure feeling of bliss it can bring.

flatbush farmshare

For any of you interested in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), there's a new CSA in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. It's called Flatbush Farmshare.

I just got word from them that they're still taking members for this season. These things tend to fill up pretty quickly -- when we tried to join our neighborhood CSA it was all full up.

So jump on it while you still can!

Learn more about Community Supported Agriculture.


Not in Flatbush?

Check out Just Food for a CSA in your area of NYC.


Not in NYC?

Go to Local Harvest to find a CSA or farmers market near you.

making stock

It's chilly out (41 degrees as of 11:53 am) and my sweetheart's not feeling well, so I'm brewing up a pot of pure healing love. It's really a simple recipe, I learned it from Leda of Leda's Urban Homestead.

It takes a little bit of foresight, or really just having a habit of hoarding. I save up all of my veggie scraps, veggies on the verge (of going bad), and chicken bones and throw them in the freezer. Once there's enough goodness to fill my 12-quart stock pot, in they all go. Bones on the bottom, veggies on top, fill it up with water. The flavor of the stock might vary depending on what I've been stockpiling. This one will be a rich stock filled with whole pieces of spinach, kale, cabbage, scallions, half onions, onion and carrot butts, broccoli stalks, fennel fronds, and the requisite bay leaves and peppercorns. Leda suggests a splash of vinegar to release calcium from the bones. I want it to be as nutrient rich as possible, so I heed this good advice.

After a full day of simmering -- boiling would make it cloudy -- I'll strain out the bulk and then run it through a food mill. This results in two kinds of stock, one clear and one full of pulverized vegetable matter. The former is great for any recipe that calls for broth or stock. The latter makes a great soup all on its own, even better with some chopped carrots and onions and maybe some rice thrown in for good measure.

The aroma is filling our apartment. It's quite comforting. It smells like home.

times coverage of yesterday's seed bombing

Britt Bolnick, her daughter Bella Pagtov Karbownika, 3, and Liz Neves
were among those planting wildflower seeds on Saturday.
Andrea Mohin/The New York Times.

The event made it into the Times, and so did I, though it could be anyone under that black hood above. And I'm the "sustainable living consultant from Prospect Heights" that goes unnamed in the article.

Among the volunteers were a sustainable-living consultant from nearby Prospect Heights, two Italian architects, an industrial designer who rode his bike from Bushwick, and the president of a block association on Greene Avenue.

They carried black canvas bags containing the seeds of 18 types of wildflowers, including sunflowers and cornflowers, black-eyed Susans, lanceleaf coreopsis, sweet williams and none-so-prettys. They also had a handful of what looked like malted milk balls — the volunteers called them “seed bombs” and said they dissolve in the rain, releasing seeds.

Read the rest

Find out what other volunteers had to say at 21st Century Plowshare.

soggy bed-stuy meadow

I had high hopes for this day. The rain was meant to taper off early in the afternoon. I met a friend and her 3-year-old daughter (Bella) at the rendezvous point. We arrived at our destination as the press did. We got our assignment with our zone highlighted on the map. And most importantly, we got our package. A bag full of seed-n-sand and seed bombs.

Maneuvering an umbrella, the bag of seeds, and my camera was pretty much out of the question in the cold April rain. Thus, I have very few pictures for evidence. But I have a feeling tomorrow's news will bring a few that I can "borrow."

We headed out, spreading seeds in sidewalk cracks, untended tree beds, and abandoned yards or lots. A couple of blocks away from the rendezvous I consulted the map. We were heading in the wrong direction. Retracing our steps toward our designated zone, we ran into a reporter from the New York Times. Since at this point, around 11:25 am, we were the only people around on the mission, the press stayed on us. Little Bella and her mom were interviewed by News 12 Brooklyn, and I by the Times.

We were all soaking wet at this point, our hands raw from the seed mix and the inside of the rough canvas bag. The little one was getting restless. We made it a half a block into our intended zone and Bella reached the breaking point. I can't say I was too upset, the cold rain had tired me out, too. This, after only 1 hour of seeding the streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn.

(Pictured above, Deborah Fisher of 21st Century Plowshare, event organizer)

Needless to say, I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't luck out with the weather, and that I gave up so early. But April showers bring May flowers. I hope today's shower brings the wildflowers we sowed today.

I also hope that other volunteers had more stamina than we did. There were about 200 confirmed for the event, assigned to 4 different zones in the neighborhood of Bed-Stuy. I'd like to return in a month or two to see what today's effort brings.


View Planting Zones in a larger map

I am optimistic.

With my bag of seeds, I'm going to try again -- this time in my neighborhood -- to cover some abandoned spots and construction lots. Every place could use a little more green.

Who wants to join me?


Related post

beautify bed-stuy, tomorrow!