Memorial Day Weekend in NYC

I had to work in NJ the week before and after Memorial day weekend, so MH flew out over the long holiday so we could celebrate our anniversary in New York. Since we visited most of the larger museums on our last visit, we went to the Whitney and I can honestly say that I don´t think it was one of my favorite museums. For the most part, the exhibits just weren´t my cup of tea.

Whitney Museum

For a total splurge, MH treated me to dinner at Le Bernadin. I had hoped that we might catch a glimpse of Chef Ripert but unfortunately he wasn´t in the restaurant that evening. Our dinner was devine though and I would gladly go back in a heart beat.

Le Bernadin Mixed Seafood Dish

In contrast to our fine dining meal at Le Bernadin, we also went to Momofuku for a fried chicken lunch which was also fun and exciting since we were able to catch up with some friends at the same time.

Momofuku Noodle Bar Fried Chicken Lunch

Last but not least, we visited the World Trade Center Memorial. Unfortunately, the museum isn´t open yet so we were only able to walk around the waterfalls of the two buildings.

World Trade Center Memorial

I can´t believe MH and I have been married for over a year! Where does the time go?

Re-Planting Our Summer Garden

I can't believe that Spring came and went and now Summer is knocking at our door. MH and I re-planted our Summer garden over the weekend and I'm so excited to harvest our crops. 

Strawberry Pot

Lettuce Medley in our Vegetable Box

To the right of the lettuce medley we planted red and yellow bell pepper plants, crooked neck yellow squash, and a variety of pole beans. To the left of the lettuce medley we planted cantaloupe and watermelon. 

Approximately 5 years ago, MH planted a bare root triple variety cherry tree and this is the first year that it has showed promise of bearing fruit. We both can't remember what variety this could be, but are keeping our fingers crossed that we get some cherries!

Making Progress...

MH and I are getting better at making home made pizza. We are far from being pros but can manage to make semi-round pizzas now. Making pizza dough round is much more difficult than we anticipated!

I've been on a margherita pizza kick lately and fresh pizza just out of the oven can't be beat.

Out And About In Switzerland

On our way in to Neuchatel, my colleague and I stopped in Bern for dinner and were able to stroll through the city while there was day light. In the between the rain, the weather was fantastic and we were able to take some photos of the city.

Bern

Over the weekend, we decided to visit the Berner Oberland and found the cutest little hotel in Lauterbrunnen. This was the view from the balcony of my room.

Lauterbrunnen

Further down the road you can find the Trummelbach Waterfalls. For a small fee, you can ride a tunnel lift and visit 10 view points inside the mountain where glacial water from the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau drains.

Trummelbach Waterfalls

All of the Trummelbach Waterfall viewpoints are breath taking. 20,000 litres of water flow through the mountain per second. It is hard to believe that the ground at the bottom of the mountain hasn't completely washed away. 

Castle in Thun

Around the lake of Thun there are a variety of castles. According to my colleague's travel book, it is best to see them while taking a cruise of the lake, but since we didn't have time we drove around the lake on our own and hunted them out ourselves.

Jungfraujoch - The Tope of Europe

Jungfraujoch, the top of Europe, is located between the Monch and the Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps at an elevation of 3,454 meters and is the highest railway station in Europe. The railway station is connected to the vistor center so you can immediately start your adventure when you arrive. Inside the visitors center there are several different areas to visit.

Swiss Alps Snow Globe Scene @ The Alpine Sensation

Ice Hallway @ The Ice Palace

However, the best part is when you can go outside to really take the scenery in. Once you get over the cold, the sights are breathtaking. While you stand there, the clouds move across the floor and your views of the mountains change every second.

It is really hard to comprehend how high you are and how much snow surrounds you but it is amazing nonetheless.

Hand Twisted Fusilli

Making pasta from scratch is a lot of work, but the end result is so rewarding. I found a Martha Stewart recipe for fusilli with bacon, onions, and mushrooms that sounded good, so MH and I decided to make some fusilli. 

Unfortunately, making it wasn't as easy as making bucatini. We must have been doing something wrong, because the pasta didn't twist as it was extruded so MH and I ended up having to hand twist each pasta! Do you have this problem?

The finished dish didn't disappoint and I'll be adding this recipe to our recipe box. If you are interested, you can check it out HERE.

Mini Waffle Furniture!

How cute are these?!? Check out more information HERE.

Picture from Sapore Dei Mobili (Furniture Tasting)

Pinata Cookies!

SheKnows.com posted a tutorial on how to make pinata cookies, and I think they are so cute!

Pinata Cookies from SheKnows.com

They seem like a lot of work, but aren't they cool?!? You can check out the tutorial HERE but basically, you layer three sugar cookies together with the middle cookie hollowed out to hold the candy. Maybe I can transfer this idea to make some fun Christmas cookies.

Easter Treats!

I hope everyone had a good weekend! MH and I had a great time celebrating the Easter holiday with family and friends and had fun making treats to share...

Lemon Green Beans

 Rainbow Jello

 Italian Herb Boules

 Citrus Salad with Mint

 Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

To no surprise, the rainbow jello was the biggest hit. It took forever to make though so I don't think we will be making it again anytime soon. Each layer has to be made and set individually and we found that all shortcuts end in disaster. 

Sights In The Southwest: Day 10

Our last stops on our trip were Pueblo de Cochiti and Kaska-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. 

At Pueblo de Cochiti, photography, video, and sketching was not permitted, but to be quite honest there wasn't really anything to take a picture of and share. 

Kaska-Kutwe Tent Rocks National Monument was pretty interesting though. The tent like rocks can be seen throughout the area and were surprisingly tall. 

I didn't realize we would be hiking on our last day, so I was a little ill prepared in my jeans and flip-flops. Luckily the trail was only a little over a mile so I was able to manage without too much trouble.

After driving  2700+ miles in the car, it was time for us to head home. The Southwest has such a wide variety of things to do, we recommend a trip if anything in our adventure caught your attention. We would go again to see The Wave alone.