Adventuring in New York City

A facebook friend posted something about eating chicken wings in Koreatown last night. I didn't know such a thing existed! I got online, I found a place, and shoved our small family out the door early in the afternoon to find said wings. (They were amazing, by the way).

A very long walk in Riverside Park on Thursday, picnic on The High Line yesterday, K-Town today...

I was hungry for more adventure, suddenly regretting my immobility towards the end of the pregnancy, and our propensity to stay close to home, or not leave the apartment at all. "Want to keep exploring?" I pensively asked my husband (my handsome creature-of-habit), knowing he was most interested in returning home and playing Dragon Age, and is sometimes resistant to unplanned activities. He looked at me, unsure. "We could walk to Milk & Cookies," I ventured further, hoping to entice him. That did the trick. We started to walk.

We ventured south, happening upon Madison Square Park. We found a bench and I nursed Felicity. (It's amazing how comfortable I am nursing Felicity in public now, and I give all credit to my weekly moms group that meets in the park). We continued on Fifth Avenue and encountered a street fair that stretched blocks and blocks. Grilled corn on the cob with butter, salt, and chile powder? Why yes, I believe I will! Once we reached the West Village, we happened on a crafts fair with some really lovely paintings and jewelry, and a live Jazz band.

We finally made it to our destination. If you live in New York City, or are traveling through, please do stop in at Milk & Cookies. I am fussy about my baked goods, and they (by a far stretch) have the absolute best cookies I've ever had. Seriously. They are thick, crispy on the outside but so chewy on the inside. The flavor combinations are fantastic as well. Through several visits (I never get more than one at a time, although I am always tempted), I've tried Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut, S'mores (thanks to Ian sharing a bite today), Caramel and Chocolate, and Bacon Smack. What is Bacon Smack, you might ask. You should - it's wonderful. This lovely cookie has bacon, as you might expect, as well as cranberries, toffee, and dark chocolate chunks.

As we were eating our cookies, I saw they had a cookbook (aptly named, Milk & Cookies). "Ian, they have a cookbook, I really want that cookbook." He glanced up from his s'mores cookie, mid-dunk. "Rachel, we need a new cookbook like we need a hole in the head." I sighed. "Really, more than a hole in the head? I think a cookbook is slightly more useful than that." He chewed thoughtfully, but did not respond.

Usually when I want things but walk away from them (as we should with all possible impulse purchases, even if it's on clearance), I promptly forget about whatever it is that I saw. This is an incredible money-saving technique that has kept me in budget many-a-time, saving hundreds of dollars. Maybe more. But sometimes a cookbook will sing to you. It was the same way when I saw Deborah Madison's Seasonal Fruit Desserts.

I waited until we'd been home for a few hours. I uploaded some pictures on facebook, nursed the baby, read for awhile, put the baby to bed... and then I tentatively went on Amazon, just to see how unaffordable Milk & Cookies was: $13.13, egad! Not $40, as I'd anticipated.

"Hey Ian..." I said slowly from the couch, looking at him from across the room.

He looked up. "Yeah, babe?"

"Remember that one time that you said we needed a cookbook like we need a hole in the head?" His brow furrowed slightly, he turned back to his game. I whisperd, "This cookbook is only thirteen dollars. More loudly, "And I really want it."

"You really want it?"

"Yes. I really want it." He nodded. I enthusiastically clicked on Amazon's "Buy Now with 1-Click!" button (also known as the Demon button).

I'll let you know how the cookbook is, I promise.

This is how decisions are made in the house. It's why I have twenty cookbooks and why Ian has has  as many video games. But it's also why we don't have three hundred cookbooks, and why Ian only plays video games for a few hours a week.

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