New family member, new content and a new giveaway!

Hello friends!

It's been a long time since we last spoke. You see, we've been a little preoccupied around here with our newest and most adorable family member.

 

The jr. officer joined our family on March 25th and life has seriously been turned upside down by the new master of the house. I have so much to share about all the new changes in our lives. Now that the master allows me a few minutes of downtime during his naps, I'm really excited to start writing again.I'll be back at it with my first hand accounts from deep in the trenches of new parenthood starting next week with the dramatic story of the jr. Officer's birthday.

Time has seriously flown since his birth, and I feel like we're going to be packing him off for college in the blink of an eye (sniff, sniff, my baby). So to celebrate surviving eight months of parenthood, nycitified is participating in a giveaway!


Just in time for the holidays, you can enter to win a Student Starter Pack from Residence Hall Linens. This package is perfect for the little baby in your life whose feet now dangle off the end of that extra long bed in his/her dorm room.

Really, seriously, where does the time go? Someone please tell me!

*Prize package is a $188 value and includes the following:

• 2 extra-long fitted sheets
• 2 extra-long flat sheets
• 2 standard pillow cases
• 1 extra-fluffy pillow
• 1 extra-long reversible comforter
• 1 extra-long quilted mattress pad
• 2 all-cotton bath towels
• 2 matching cotton hand towels
• 2 matching cotton wash cloths
• 1 extra-long thermal cotton blanket
• 1 bedside buddy

*Winner’s choice on color combination.

(Enter on the Rafflecopter below the rules.)
RULES:

*This giveaway is open to US entries only.

*Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of December 16th and will be emailed.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

*This multi blogger giveaway was sponsored by Residence Hall Linens, but all opinions are strictly my own.

 

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Would You Know What to do During a Shooting Incident?

This past week has been especially heartbreaking for Americans as we all try to make sense of the shootings in both an Oregon mall and Sandy Hook Elementary School. My heart absolutely goes out to these victims and their families. As we prepare our home for little Baby H, I can't even begin to imagine the heartbreak that those parents are experiencing.

Without a doubt, the scariest aspect of these events is the randomness factor. It is frightening to think that you or your loved ones could be trapped in a such a dangerous situation while going about your daily business.

So far, there has been lots of talk in the media about gun control, but absolutely zero attention on public safety. So with a little research, I put together a few safety tips that I sincerely hope you NEVER, EVER, EVER have to use.........

The Five Worst Christmas Gifts for My Future Kid

We're starting to get ready for Christmas around here, which means that Mr. Officer and I have had quite a few conversations about how much fun it's going to be when little baby H is around next year. In turn, that has prompted many discussions about Christmas toys.

Now if the stories from Mr. Officer's childhood are to be believed, we are gearing up for a very imaginative little pint-sized prankster. From all sonogram accounts, baby H is very active, which is also in keeping with Mr. Officer's childhood personality.

As our kid grows, the name of the game is going to be getting the energy out, without giving him any ideas for future mischief. With that in mind, I bring you my picks for the worst possible Christmas gifts to give our future little one.

1. Trampoline

We've all seen America's Funniest Home Videos, come on people, why are backyard trampolines even still on the market?! Mr. Officer and I decided that this was on the no list way before we even talked about marriage or kids.

I realize that many trampolines come with safety nets these days, but I feel pretty confident that baby H and his future friends will still find some way to foil my best safety measures. Plus I really don't want to encourage any sort of jumping activity, since a bed is just basically a giant, indoor trampoline. No thanks...pass!

2. Mischievous Elf on the Shelf 

Okay, I actually love the Elf on the Shelf, and I think he's adorable. In fact, I can't wait to do this with our kid. However, Mr. Officer and I are going to have to be very careful about the elf scenarios. I'm fine with the elf taking Barbie out to the movies, or making mini donuts out of Cheerios, but I'm going to have to draw the line at the elf tp'ing the living room. Kids love to reenact things, so I don't need baby H fishing for, and then potentially eating, goldfish crackers from our toilet. Yuck.....

3. What's in Ned's Head?  

This is another in the series of possible reenactments gone horribly awry. I'm sure we'll do a fair amount of fishing cereal and other random kid accoutrement from baby H's various orifices, so I don't need Ned to give him any ideas. Enough said about that one....

4. Don't Wake Daddy

 Mr. Officer works nights, so I'm expecting that "Don't wake Daddy" will already be a popular phrase in our house. Did I mention that Mr. Officer is not a morning person, and does not like to be woken up? It would not work out well if this toy jumped off the game board and into real life.....I'm sure there would be tears on all sides. Therefore, it's for baby H's own emotional protection that this "game" is banned from our household.

5. Stuffies

This toy perplexes me every time I see the commercial on TV. I understand the attraction for little kids, but I'm just picturing opening up stuffies' mouth to discover that our kid has been feeding his brussel sprouts to his stuffy for the past week.....or that he put some chocolate milk in there for safe keeping...or that he forgot about the flashlight he put in there before clocking an innocent neighborhood kid over the head during a sleepover pillow fight. A stuffed animal with hidden compartments, that's a skip....

So, have I missed anything? What seemingly innocent toys are banned in your household?

{Book Review} Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson

So I've decided that I need to share my book reviews with the world, because frankly, I think Mr. Officer is sick of hearing me yammer on about whatever random book I happen to be reading. As a disclaimer, it should be noted that my method for picking books is kind of hit or miss. Basically I just use Live-library.com, and search for available books with three or more stars.  Speaking of which, sidebar,  OMG borrowing ebooks from the library has been completely life (and pocketbook) changing.

Okay, I'm back from my sidebar now, and really excited to bring you my very first book review blog post - Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson. I had high expectations for this one, because it had five stars on live-library. I've also seen Marcus Samuelsson on the Food Network a few times, and I was intrigued by his life story.

The Great Diaper Debate!

There is a disturbance in the force, dear readers, and that disturbance revolves around baby poop. Or more specifically, baby poop containment devices. The issue of cloth vs. disposable diapers has quickly turned into the most contentious decision of our baby prep. For the first time, Mr. Officer and I actually found ourselves on opposite sides of a parenting decision.

Through lots of research and conversations with experienced parents, we discovered that people have some STRONG opinions on this particular topic. Parents of cloth diapered babies are excited to tell you that modern cloth diapers are the greatest things since sliced bread. Parents that use disposables, are quick to tell you that diapering can be extremely overwhelming, and stress that convenience is king where diapers are concerned. Realistically, the truth is probably somewhere in between.

Now before you go making a final decision, let me tell you that modern cloth diapers are not your mama's diapers. They're closer to disposables in overall design (i.e. no more diaper pins), but there still are lots of pros and cons on both sides. However, after lots of in-depth consideration (including some arm twisting and pleading from my end), we have decided that cloth diapers are worth a shot. Hooray!

If you're considering cloth diapers for your new addition, there's a lot to learn. Below, I've summarized some of the arguments that I've used to browbeat Mr. Officer into cloth diaper submission; organized from least important for our lifestyle (#10) to most important for our lifestyle (#1):

Top Five Ways to Annoy a Pregnant Woman

Since I've spilled the beans on our baby news, I've been on the receiving end of more than a little bit of parenting advice. Some of it has been great and supportive, but a surprising amount falls into a much more unhelpful category.

So, as a public service for my fellow sisters-in-arms, I've put together a brief reference of comments that are usually not well received by ladies that are in the family way:

1. That's great that you enjoy your spouse's company, but he/she is going to change dramatically, so enjoy his/her company before you're overwhelmed by the urge to stab him/her in the eye with the nearest available toddler spork.

2. Labor is incredibly painful, you may think you know what you're in for, but really you have nooooo idea how much it's going to hurt. Here, you have to watch this youtube video of a woman in labor screaming bloody murder, I've already queued it up on my iPhone for you!

3. Are you sure you want to register for that particular baby item? It's not what we chose for our child, so allow me to present you with a brief dissertation on all the ways in which the one we chose is better.

4. Kids are really expensive, have you thought about that? Are you sure you will be able to manage the financial responsiblity of a new child?

5. Have you heard about the study that came out recently stating that it might be okay to drink a glass of wine while pregnant? You can totally have wine now! Here, I'll pour you a glass of merlot and bring you a plate of coldcuts.

The truth is that most pregnant women spend a ridiculous amount of time obsessively researching every little detail of pregnancy and childbirth. We're painfully aware of the cost involved, and totally freaked out about all the unknowable changes that are coming our way.

We're all really nervous about making the right choices for our families, so we just want a little reassurance that we're not screwing it up royally.  Sure, we're happy to learn from your experience, but we know that what worked for you might not always be the best choice for our families. In short, please don't make a federal case out of it if we decide not to take your advice!

And p.s. please check your scare tactics at the door. We really don't want to hear about your friend's cousin's neighbor who was in labor for an entire week, and ended up wearing adult diapers for the rest of her life. Likewise, your story about the friend that got a divorce as a result of the stress of raising children, is so not helpful.

Thank you for listening to this pregnant lady PSA, you may now carry on with your regularly scheduled activities.

Exciting News!

It's kind of an understatement to say that it's been a big year for NYCitified.

First we did this:

Then we did this:

And now we're preparing ourselves for this:

Aww, look at that little waving hand! Hello baby!

Yup, it's been a big year here at NYCitified. We're simultaneously super excited and crapping our pants in preparation of baby's arrival at the end of March. Hold onto your hats, it's going to be a wild couple of months.

So, in honor of all these exciting changes, I decided it was time to update the blog design. Please excuse my super amateur design skills. I won't even tell you how long it took me to figure it all out, but I'm feeling pretty smug about the whole thing tonight!

How to Uninstall a Temporary Wall

Ugh, I've been struggling to write this post for ages. Soo much to say on the topic, soooo much life getting in the way. The wedding is only 3 weeks away, and I've been blogging over on the Broke-Ass Bride. Oh yeah, and we're all moved into our new house. But now I'm back, baby....and ready to talk about a big, pressurized, thorn in my side!

If you've ever lived in a NYC apartment, you're probably familiar with the concept of a temporary wall (also know as a pressurized wall). To the uninitiated, a temporary wall is essentially a wall constructed without screwing into the floor, existing walls, or ceiling. The whole idea is to make a ridiculously expensive NYC rental apartment more affordable by adding an extra room without doing any damage to the apartment (or your security deposit). I've done it in three apartments, including my most recent place.

Love, thy name is Polyvore!

Isn't it just great being a girl? We get glitter pedicures while simultaneously reading Hollywood gossip and drinking free cosmos (fyi - Dashing Diva in Brooklyn offers free cosmos on Thursday and Friday nights).   Meanwhile the guys just get some stinky cigars and a hot shave...LAME.

OMG jumpy claps and now I've found Polyvore! I am not cool enough to actually be endorsed by Polyvore, I'm just over excited and wanted to share. It's like the most amazeballs, fantasy, shopping trip ever with all the fun of old timey paperdolls. Side note: I loved paperdolls so much as a kid that I made Civil War Era paperdolls for a 7th grade history project. Yup, it was kind of an awkward nerd-diva phase, but I worked it.

Anywho, I'm crazy proud of my new creations, so without further ado I present you my fantasy closet. Click on the pictures below to see a larger image with price/brand details. Eeee, so excited.
 

Meeting vendors with Mom via Polyvore



Totally would hit the yoga studio if I had this cute ensemble via Polyvore



Glammed out bridal shower outfit va Polyvore





Shopping with the bridesmaids outfit via Polyvore



PS - Is it too late to change my bridal registry to include some cute outfits? I mean a bride has to look adorable throughout the entire process, right?



Merry New Year!



photo via Living in Cinema

Happy New Year everyone! I know I've been away for a while, but I promise that I have some very good reasons.

First of all, I'm happy to report that I finished my Professional Writing Certificate at Hunter College in December. Yay! I hope this means that I'll be kicking the writing level up a notch here, but more likely it just means that my mom will continue to call me with grammar corrections. (Hi Mom! Love ya anyway).

Second bit of news - NYCitified will soon become Long Islandified. That's right, after almost ten years in NYC, this city girl is about to become a suburbanite. We're super excited to have a whole house to prance around in, and I promise to post lots of details about our adventures in homeownership.

As a final bit of news, we're still chugging along with our wedding plans and I'll have some very exciting wedding related blogging news to share soon. Stay tuned for all the details, because 2012 is going to be a fantastic year!

Bacon, Mushroom and Pea Risotto

Recently I discovered a new favorite ingredient….are you ready? I’ll give you a clue:

Photo via IMDB

Yup in addition to free healthcare and mounted police, Canada also has the most delicious bacon….really, what’s not to love about our neighbors to the north?

How to Save For Retirement by Eating a Healthier Dinner



Source: Crown Fried Chicken



It’s a story we’ve heard over and over– Americans are obese because many can’t afford to eat a healthy diet.  Really?! Is that even possible? I’m no genius, but the math in that equation never seemed right. 

To me, it seems more likely that most people are just too L-A-Z-Y to bother with meal planning and cooking. So, I was excited when I came across this article in the NY Times that supported my assumption.



A Decade of Perspective - Part III

Given my initial reaction, you can imagine my surprise when I was reduced to a blubbering, weeping mess while watching the History Channel last year on the nine year anniversary of 9/11. What triggered the emotion that I didn’t have all those years ago? For me, it was watching the footage of dust covered people running past the landmarks I recognized from my everyday routine. There’s the shoe repair store and the eyeglass place, and here are the people taking refuge in a lobby that I walk by every day. Then there are the emergency responders talking about survivors and casualties in the foyer of 7WTC. Obviously the building is all new now, but I immediately recognized the way that the light filters in past the other buildings and the unchanged position of the security desk.

Suddenly NYC’s WTC was no longer a far-off or remote place. There I am sweeping past the security desk and taking the elevator to my 8 AM meeting.  Here are my friends running dazed and dust covered through the streets of NY. There’s the man I love going into the lobby to rescue survivors.

A Decade of Perspective - Part II

Now, ten years later my life is completely intertwined with the city of NY. I know the subway system by heart; I can interpret the unintelligible route change announcements. I’ve made friends, lost friends, had 6 apartments and 5 jobs. I've learned that I’m supposed to say something if I see something.  I’ve seen police officers with semi-automatic weapons and I know my NYPD fiancé has a biohazard suit in the trunk of the car.

During my NYC career, I've also worked at the rebuilt World Trade Center 7. Working at 7 WTC wasn't quite as awe-inspiring as you might think.  In fact, most days were pretty unremarkable and I was more likely to be annoyed by the tourists that blocked the sidewalk to take pictures than awed by the rebuilding efforts. Each time I start a new job though, I know I'll probably be issued a bright red fannypack filled with emergency PowerBars, water, burn cream and a gas mask in case of an attack. It’s not something I ever think about; to me it’s just a normal part of life.

A Decade of Perspective - Part I

In a very special memorial version of NYCitified, I’m posting a three part series with my thoughts and reflections on the last ten years. The events of 9/11 have deeply impacted my generation and had a huge impact on the development of our adult lives.  This is the story of how my life has been influenced.



Photo via All Posters



September 11, 2001 – it was a crisp, fall morning in Pittsburgh and I was on my way to class during my senior year of college. I was wearing a white sweater and I’m sure I was thinking about the heavy subject of whether or not I had time to stop and get a granola bar. Suddenly multiple cellphones were ringing simultaneously and it was as if everyone on the street got the memo to stop walking at exactly the same moment. Flight 93 had just gone down in Shanksville, PA but the news media had it slightly wrong, and reported that a plane had just crashed in Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh parents were in a panic and the day that had started out so peacefully, had just taken an abrupt turn for the surreal. The US was under terrorist attack and the North Tower of the World Trade Center was about to collapse.

Easy Strawberry Avocado Salad

I’ve been a bad blogger. Bad, bad KT for neglecting the readers (all 2 of you) and leaving the blog to rot like an old banana. Don’t worry though; I’m currently doing penance in time out…..

I wish I had some good excuse for completely ignoring my blog, but the truth is that it’s just been way too humid for me to even think about getting creative in the kitchen. My kitchen adventures lately have been strictly in and out affairs with tried and true recipes.  Nothing really exciting to report, but with autumn right around the corner I’m back on the wagon!

The upside of all this neglect is that it’s allowed me to get some serious wedding planning done. Ladies and gentlemen we have a dress! I’m so excited, but Mr. Officer is a little bummed that I won’t let him see a picture. Apparently no one told him that seeing the bride before the wedding is bad luck. However, I’m willing to make a one-time exception just to stop the bellyaching, so without further ado……a dress pic:

Basil – Arugula Pesto Pasta

Random story - one of the first times I had pesto was during a business lunch when I was working at American Ballet Theatre. We were meeting a high society donor for lunch at Union Square Café and I was absolutely terrified that I was going say something stupid or get a giant piece of spinach stuck in my teeth. Unknowingly I ordered the pesto, which is basically a spinach tooth just waiting to happen. Luckily I managed to get through the lunch without completely embarrassing myself, but lesson learned for all future dates and/or business lunches with intimidating high society ladies!

Weeknight Spaghetti & Meatballs

Confession time.....for most of my life I was afraid to make spaghetti & meatballs. It's true, this is the type of shame I carry with me on a daily basis.

I think maybe I've been traumatized by all the stories I've heard about Italian Grandmothers lovingly toiling over huge pots of red gravy for hours; stirring, tasting, seasoning, etc. The truth is, if I made Italian wine in my basement or grew tomatoes for my sauce in my garden in Queens, I think I might feel the same way because sometimes it's about the process and the memories. Who can compete with that level of dedication?


However, I managed to overcome my fears and made some very delicious meatballs the other day. Sometimes it's the small victories in life. Not to brag or anything, but the sauce was so delicious that I may have been taking little spoonfuls everytime I passed through the kitchen for the rest of the night.....please don't judge me (even if I used my fingers a few times).



End result: I had a delicious dinner, my man had a delicious dinner, everyone wins, I'm so proud of myself! Huh, maybe the Grandmothers won't rise up and chase after me with wooden spoons after all!

*Bonus wine pairing recommendation: I enjoyed my spaghetti & meatballs with a nice glass of Chaddsford Winery Merican. We're kind of obsessed with the Chaddsford Winery and my man never misses an opportunity to show off his vintners club frequent buyer card.....because we're giant nerds and love that kind of thing. Not to worry though, there will be lots more babbling on about wine as get closer to our wedding in a Pennsylvania winery/bed & breakfast next year!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs

1 lb ground meat

1 egg

¼ c. breadcrumbs

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 tbsp olive oil

Sauce

1 shallot, chopped

¼ c. red wine

28 oz. crushed tomatoes with basil

 15 oz.  diced tomatoes

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tsp. sugar

1.       Combine all meatball ingredients except for the olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Form the meat mixture into balls using your hands (it should make about 12 meatballs). Be careful that you don’t handle the meat too much because that will result in tough meatballs.

2.       Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven on the stovetop and brown the meatballs in the oil. Remove the meatballs to paper towel lined plate to drain.

3.       Reserve 1 tbsp of the oil and meat drippings in the dutch oven, add the shallots and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Turn off the heat, add the wine to deglaze the pan and cook off the alcohol.

4.       Add the remaining ingredients to the pan along with the meatballs and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

BBQ Ribs

I hope you all had a fun and celebratory 4th of July, I know we all had a great time here in NYC!

I was so excited to finally spend a holiday with my main man this year. Alas, the city of NY had different plans and he ended up patrolling the harbor during the fireworks (cue Price Is Right style loser sound effect).

But as a consolation prize, doesn't he look so handsome and official in the picture below?! Rawr....not even gonna lie, I did consider leaping into the harbor so that I could be rescued by this good looking guy:

However I'm happy to report that I was able to hold onto some small shred of dignity and did not end up swimming out to his boat. Instead, I settled down to watch the exact same fireworks with our friends from a sweet vantage point behind the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Oooohhh, aaaahhh, pretty and patriotic!

Yup, Macy's really knows how to put on a show. Plus we discovered that the added bonus of a fireworks display sponsored by a huge department store is that it provides a perfect setup for numerous jokes about the finale involving a special, aerial coupon code for 25% off slacks. These are the jokes folks.

Now that I'm done gloating about my handsome fiance and excellent fireworks-watching spot.....let's cook some ribs! I don't really have too much to say about this recipe except that it's good, you should make it. And yes, that's a blueberry muffin on the plate. Don't knock it until you try it!

BBQ Ribs

Barbecue Bible BBQ rub (recipe below)

Rack of ribs

BBQ sauce

1.       Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Rub ribs all over with dry rub, seal tightly in aluminum foil and place in a baking dish.

2.       Bake for 2 hours at 300 degrees.

3.       Open aluminum foil and baste with BBQ sauce, put back in the oven and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Barbecue Bible BBQ Rub

¼ c. sweet paprika

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1.       Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar, shake to mix and use as needed. Makes about ½ cup or enough for 4-6 racks of ribs. The rub can be stored away from heat and light for up to 6 months.

Chicken Tacos

Greetings blog readers! I feel like I’ve been a little behind on my blogging lately, but I’m back today with a great recipe for chicken tacos.

I love this recipe because it incorporates three of my favorite things: a crockpot, laziness and Pepper Jack cheese. Plus the tacos are relatively low-fat and taste great with a Corona. My main squeeze told me that these tacos were better than the version served at our local Mexican restaurant so I will take that as a big old compliment. Now if I can just learn how to make pizza we’ll really be in business! So, anyone have any good pizza recipes?

Chicken Tacos

16 oz container salsa

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
15 oz can black beans
1 package of 6" corn tortillas
Sliced Pepper Jack cheese
Tomatoes, chopped
Avocado, chopped

1. Place chicken, salsa and black beans in crockpot. Cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for about 5 hours (adjusting temperature as needed for frozen chicken).
2. Using a gas stovetop, char the tortillas slightly by placing each one individually on a burner for a few seconds until it's slightly blackened around the edges. Please use caution when doing this and watch your tortillas closely to make sure they don't go up in flames!
3. Make the tacos by layering the tortillas with the cheese on the bottom, followed by the chicken mixture with the tomatoes and avocado on top.