Weekend Review

This weekend was super chill, which was exactly what the doctor ordered. I've gotten in the habit of taking a long walk on Friday afternoons, beginning at my office in downtown Manhattan and ending whenever the blisters start to develop.

Friday:

On this walk, I waded through the cobblestone streets of Soho, headed east to Nolita, then ended up in Union Square where a nice young man was offering free hugs. I declined, but really appreciated the offer. After that, I walked east and met Vin (my boyfriend) at my favorite Afghani restaurant in the city, Bamiyan. If you've never eaten Afghani food, I highly encourage you to try it. It's simple, hearty and flavorful.

Saturday: 

 Fixed my favorite simple breakfast. Avocado on toasted baguette with sea salt and pepper. 

After a quick trip to Home Depot, I embarked on my wicker chair rejuvenation project. I scored this chair for $30 at Salvation Army a few months ago and have been meaning to paint it for the longest. I'll show you the finished result later. Keep your shorts on.

Because I have enough blueberries to last me until the dawn of the next millennium, I threw a few into the blender with some milk and ice cream and made blueberry milkshakes. They tasted like summer.

Inspired by Friday night's dinner, I tried my hand at duplicating a popular Afghani dish at home. Bouranee Kadu is butternut squash simmered with lots of spices, topped with a yogurt-mint sauce and paired with what I thought was Afghan bread, but was actually Indian naan. Whateva--it was delicious! 

Sunday: 

Sunday, we drove to visit my boyfriend's sister and her family in Long Island. It's only an hour away, but  it feels like a different world out there. Real houses with lawns and pools and shopping malls and stuff. It's kind of quiet and it smells nice too. 

They have a huge yard, and were flaunting some of the biggest, most beautiful flowers I've ever seen. 

We ordered Chinese food for dinner, which was perfect for a rainy, slightly overcast afternoon, then Vin's 5-year-old niece Reese helped me embellish a lemon-berry tart for dessert. Isn't she doing a fabulous job?

 It wasn't my intention to create such a patriotic-looking dessert, but what the hey...God Bless America!

What were you up to this weekend?