I am a list maker. Always have been, always will be. I suppose it’s the eternal student and researcher in me. I never really forget the things I want to do, but I like to have the list at hand just in case. But the really big fun comes when I get to cross something off. It is the most fun after looking through my pictures. Once that is done I know there will be at least two more activities to take its place. I feel like I am constantly learning about places I want to try whether to sightsee or even to eat at. Patricia Schultz kept her number at “1,000 Places to See Before You Die”, but I am thrilled when my number for a particular year isn’t that high. So I have decided to focus in on my own city, trying to scratch the surface of the things I want to accomplish here in NYC year to year, on top of my travels elsewhere. Last year when I began this blog I set a goal for myself at the end of my NYC series ( http://bit.ly/qnILEW ). La

Did you ever see something on T.V. and know you just had to have it? I mean that no matter how long it took, you would track it down and make that meal a reality? I have more than once. But my latest achievement has also been one of the most delicious, mouthwatering, savory, and yes divine. They are my four new favorite words: French Onion Soup Dumplings. God has worked his magic via The Stanton Social. His messenger was Claire Robinson on The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Appetizers. Take a look and see why I found her description so hard to resist. I knew as soon as I saw this air I would be coming here and trying these. I didn’t even know anything else about the restaurant, I didn’t care. It didn’t matter. I love French onion soup and putting them in neat little dumplings sounded like a genius idea to me. The best soup version I have ever had was at Artisanal Bistro ( http://bit.ly/Is5BEn ),  which is my favorite French restaurant in NYC. I couldn’t imag

I cannot seem to get this song out of my head. Even though I don’t know more than three words in the chorus, it has been replaying in my mind non-stop for the last few days. I haven’t seen the movie in over a decade but our brains work in funny ways. As I was trying to think of a name for this blog, I found myself humming this tune, and then it hit me- Under the Sea! It all made sense. I should really trust my instincts more. For me life under the sea is about my recent trip the N.Y. Aquarium in Coney Island, Brooklyn. My family swears I was there as small child perhaps on a school trip, but I have no recollection of any prior visit and for me that is odd. I know the aquarium underwent a recent remodel but still no memories of anything prior. To resolve this as a thirty old woman I felt it was necessary to cross it off my to do list now. I went with some family and friends, and yes it included some children to get the whole experience. After my vis

Like these ladies I adore a good cheesecake. I could eat one everyday if it were around. Luckily for me it isn’t. I simply can’t afford to buy two seats every time I want to fly. I am not really someone who craves sweets. But cheesecake has a richer, heavier, quality. It is typically made with cheese, cream cheese, but a cheese none-the-less, which my salt seeking self just aches for. Unfortunately not all cheesecakes are created equal. If it is too dry or too heavy it can be ruined quite easily. There is almost nothing worse than taking a big bite of something that looks like heaven and tastes like hell. I eat at Junior’s restaurant ( http://bit.ly/I9MzqN ) quite  often and am a fan of their cheesecake. Last year I went to Carnegie Deli ( http://bit.ly/o7fwam ) and their cheesecake was even better. But a friend of mine had been telling me, rather taunting me, about Eileen’s for over a year. Every time he has a specia

Last week I saw Dr. Jane Goodall give a talk called “Making a Difference.” Those three words perfectly describe her life and work.   Dr. Jane, as she is affectionately called, is a real life match for the fictional character of Tarzan. She has lived in a jungle, made friends with wild animals, learned how to interrupt chimpanzee behavior, and then taught the world how to preserve it for future generations. You know all in a lifetime. Average, right? The event took place at the university I attended as an undergraduate. It is a spiritual place for me. While I waited for the talk to begin, I sat there looking around with my mind wondering. It was so surreal sitting at my old school, where I spent some of the most important and informative years of my life, but at the same time in a brand new building that I am sure my student loans are still help paying for. It had all the comforts of being at home and at the same time the thrill of a new beginning. I loved that