Cronuts

Call me crazy but I had to do it. I succumbed to the NYC cronut craze. What are cronuts you ask? They are half donut, half croissant and they took Manhattan by storm this spring. They are prepared by world renowned pastry chef Dominique Ansel (formally of Daniel) in his little bakery in SoHo. The line starts at 5am, the bakery opens at 8am and all the cronuts are sold out by 10am. Today I am told was a slow day. There were only about 180 people waiting in line (the first hour in the dark).

It turned out to be a great experience. I expected the people waiting to be cranky and tired but instead they were friendly and excited for the new decadence. The three hours flew by while I chatted with fellow New Yorkers and feasted on warm samples brought out the bakery staff.

The first guy on line. I heard he got there at 4:30am!

Waiting...

These guys were awesome with a great business plan!

We finally made it inside at 8:10am.

We obviously wound up buying a lot more than just cronuts!

The cronut was very light but at the same time crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside. The cream inside was also very light and not overwhelming or too sweet. In a word, perfect.

But wait! If you decide to go to the bakery you must also try the bakery's signature pastry, the DKA. It's a caramelized croissant and it's oh so heavenly. You can get them any time of day (until they run out) and you don't have to wait on line at 5am to get one! The DKA has been voted "The Best Dessert" on too many lists to mention and I am probably going back tomorrow for another one (and another...).

Here is a link to my new favorite bakery in NYC

http://dominiqueansel.com/

Happy Birthday Alice!

Baby Alice isn't a baby anymore. She is two and it's time to party!

My sister stayed up all night making this lady bug birthday cake for Alice.

Alice's friends came to celebrate

Alice blew out the candles

A birthday kiss from Ginger The Dog

and a kiss for Mommy :)

Happy birthday dear Alice. You make my heart sing.

 I love you so.

Nantucket

Nantucket is probably my favorite place on Earth. It's a small island 30 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. You travel to Nantucket by ferry and when you pull into the harbor, your shoulders instantly relax and for me my stomach starts to grumble for the best ice cream only at the Juice Bar. My friend and I snuck away for a quick two days on Nantucket earlier this summer and although the weather wasn't ideal, the island and its beauty was.

Breakfast at the Inn

The corner

Big Boats!

The local pharmacy still sells ice cream sundaes!

The beach

Look closely there is a seal in the water!

One of the best things I've ever eaten but I don't know what it is. Just caramel gooey yumminess!

End of the day

Golden sunset

Hazy, Hot And Humid

I drove by Compo early one evening during the VERY humid heat wave expecting it to be empty do to the gray and exceptionally clammy weather.  Not so. There were BBQ's, volleyball games, boats going out, you name it. Westporters (unlike me) get out of their cars in not so perfect weather!

The Chuppah

The chuppah is a canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or a sheet sometimes stretched or supported over four poles. The chuppah symbolizes the home that the new couple will build together. I have always loved the chuppah. I find them to be very romantic. Here is a beautiful floral chuppah from a wedding recently.