The HopeFULL Muse

April is Autism Awareness Month, and The HopeFULL Company is thrilled to be partnering with Autism Radio/Hope Saves The Day to help raise awareness! To show our support we are donating 20% of our proceeds to this wonderful organization during the month of April. So if you have yet to try our products now is the time!

Why is The HopeFULL Company an advocate of Autism Awareness? What your child eats has a major impact on his brain and body function, and children with autism spectrum disorders are often described as very picky or selective eaters. Diet and nutrition can impact a child with Autism in many ways as they can be sensitive to the taste, touch, and smell of food. Because of this sensitivity, a child with autism might not like the texture of some foods and may reject them and even limit his intake to only a few foods. When facing these challenges, it may seem impossible at times to provide good nutrition for your child.

That's where we come in! Our whole food pops can be a great solution to these challenges. Our frozen pops have little to no food aroma, the wholesome ingredients are fully blended offering a smooth, consistent texture and they pack a big punch nutritionally. Helping children and adults who are having a hard time eating is our PASSION. That's why we are so committed to supporting families who are dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism Radio is committed to making a difference in the Autism Community. Their Mission is to improve the lives of the individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their friends and families, who struggle to understand, treat, care for, and help find a cure for their loved one. The HopeFULL Company is proud to join Autism Radio in their mission!

If you have a picky eater or child with sensory issues you'll want to bookmark the following blogs. Click on the links below for more info/resources/recipes about finicky eating, kids with sensory issues and allergies:

Healthy Baby Beans 

The Feeding Doctor

Real Mom Nutrition

The Full Plate Blog

Food With Kid Appeal

The Lunch Tray

It's Not About Nutrition

Jeanette's Healthy Living

Healthy Working Mom

Blog For Family Dinner

Here is one of our very favorite HopeFULL Recipes, one which is typically embraced by kids and adults as well as by finicky eaters and those with sensory issues - and yes, this recipe has black beans in it which have many health benefits. (This recipe ends up tasting like banana bread batter - suuuper yummy!) Enjoy!

Cocobanana Bean

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 ripe banana, about 1 medium

1/4 cup vanilla whole milk yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt)

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides often. Pour into HopeFULL tray, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze.

*Blend well to fully puree the beans!

Easter was always a big deal growing up for me and Steph. Our Mom would deck us out in frilly dresses, pink bonnets and white gloves (which would eventually become covered in chocolate and grass stains). It was a tradition to have brunch at North Oak’s Country Club with the whole extended O’Malley family. I remember the country club smelling of fresh cut flowers and bacon and sounding of live jazz and clinking stemware on Easter morning. The holiday felt so fancy and special, like a monogramed hanky. 

Easter is a little more casual around my home. (Ok, I’ll be honest...it’s A LOT more casual.) There are no white gloves or jazz. (More like jeans and Mason Jennings.) But, I do hope our casual little routine will still create happy memories for my children. 

I am doing my best to avoid artificial dyes when it comes to feeding my family, so we’re going natural this year when coloring our eggs. My kids and I used beet juice to color our Christmas cookies this past holiday and had fun experimenting, so we’re looking forward to trying the following natural dyes out this week. Chances are you have these natural dyes in your pantry, so why not give it a try!

(I also like to avoid all the candy and tend to stock baskets with fruit and other creative trinkets - for some healthier ideas as well as some great non-food ideas by Integrative Nutrition click HERE.)

Now back to the eggs...

Pink/red: fresh beets, pickled beet juice, cranberries, frozen raspberries, red wine, red onion skins

Tan: yellow onion skins, green tea

Deep yellow: ground turmeric, curry powder, ground cumin

Orange: paprika, chili powder

Purple: hibiscus tea, cranberry juice

Blue: canned blueberries, red cabbage leaves, red grape juice

Grey: blackberries,

Brown: coffee, black tea

NATURAL FOOD DYE RECIPE

Makes 4 to 6 cups.

Note: For a deeper hue, add more of the coloring agent and keep the eggs in the dye longer, even overnight in the refrigerator.

• 2 to 3 tbsp. spice or 4 c. or more chopped fruit or vegetable

• 4 to 6 c. water

• 2 tbsp. white vinegar (per 4 to 6 c. water)

Directions

Combine spice or food with water and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Eggs can be colored (and cooked) in the dye while it is being prepared (make sure the water covers them entirely), or soak hard-cooked eggs in the dye after it is made.

Happy Easter!

Source: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/146141325.html

I love that we have crazy national holidays like Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! What a fabulous thing to celebrate. I’m a big fan of the sandwich myself - I seriously cried the day they closed down PB Loco in our Mall of America. (Being 8 months pregnant at the time didn’t help.) I still have a PB&J sandwich at least once a week - it’s one of my favorites...always has been, always will be. (A 2002 Prepared Foods survey showed the average American will have eaten 1,500 of these sandwiches before graduating from high school!)

Sure I mix it up at times (I love adding banana “coins”, honey, butter spread, Nutella or use sunbutter or almond butter (my favorite is sunbutter - YUM!). What ever tickles your fancy, go for it. Indulge, and don’t feel guilty for it being a “go-to” for your kiddos - if you make healthy choices when it comes to your ingredients then you’ve got a healthy meal ready in seconds. (Just remember any tree-nut rules your child’s school has in place when packing lunches!) 

In honor of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day we are serving up our version of this American staple - the Peanut Butter and Jelly HopeFULL! Who says you can’t have PB&J in a frozen treat? It’s the yummy without the sticky! And just for fun we’ve added one of our favorite Shel Silverstein Poems for you to read to your kids over dinner this evening. 

Now go nuts!

~ Jessie

Peanut Butter and Jelly

1/2 cup fresh strawberries 

1 1/4 cups vanilla soy milk (or milk of your choice)

2 T natural creamy peanut butter (or butter of your choice)

2 T honey

1/4 cup infant oatmeal cereal

1/2 cup whole wheat graham cracker crumbs

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFULL tray, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze.

Peanut Butter Sandwich

by Shel Silverstein

I'll tell you a story of silly young king

Who played with the world at the end of a string
But he only loved one single thing and that was just a peanut butter sandwich
Now his scepter wand his royal gowns his regal throne and golden crowns
Were brown and sticky from the mounds
And drippings from each peanut butter sandwich
His subjects all were silly fools for he had passed a royal rule
That all that they could learn in school was how to make a peanut butter sandwich
He would not eat his sovereign steak he scorned his soup and his kingly cake
And told his courtly cook to bake
An extra-sticky peanut butter sandwich
And then one day he took a bite and started chewing with delight
But found his mouth was stuck quite tight
From that last bite of peanut butter sandwich
His brother pulled his sister pried the wizard pushed his mother cried
Oh my boy's committed suicide from eating his last peanut butter sandwich 
The dentist came and the royal doc the royal plumber banged and knocked
But still those jaws stayed tightly locked oh darn that sticky peanut butter sandwich
The carpenter he tried with pliers the telephone man tried with wires
The firemen they tried with fire but couldn't melt that peanut butter sandwich
With ropes and pulleys drills and coil with steam and lubricating oil
For twenty years of tears and toil they fought that awful peanut butter sandwich
Then all his royal subjects came they hooked his jaws with grapplin' chains
And pulled both ways with might and main
Against against that peanut butter sandwich
Each man and woman girl and boy put down their ploughs and pots and toys
And pulled until kerack, oh joy! they broke right through the peanut butter sandwich
A puff of dust. a screech. a squeak. the king's jaws opened with a creak
And then in voice so faint and weak the first words that they heard him speak
Were...”how about a peanut butter sandwich?”

In honor of Dr. Seuss’ Birthday last week we hosted a friendly Facebook contest asking our friends to help give a “Dr. Seuss name” to a new pop our kids created! Some of the ingredients were bananas, strawberries and organic chocolate syrup. We had an overwhelming response and thank you so much for your creative ideas! Here are some of the fantastically silly names you came up with...

One Fruit, Two Fruit, Red Fruit Blue Fruit

Split Stick Pops

Yuzz-a-ma-tuzz Pops

Hop On Pops

SBOC Pops

Yumsicle Pops

Lady Godivas

Cutie Fruity Healthy (or HealthFULL) Pops

Ariera Fragaria or Ariera Fragaria Cacao

Whimsy Whirly Fruitsicles

SEUSSicle

Theo LeSiegsical

McMonkey Berry BaBoom

Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz

Zizzer Zazzer!

PopSeussicle Chocfruitsicle

Chocolately Fruity Thing-a-ma-POPs

Circus McGurkus Sussicle Pops

Chocolately Sweet Seussicles

Truffula Fruffula Fruit Seussicles

Truffula Fruit Pops

And the winner goes to....

McMonkey Berry BaBoom! Congrats to Brenda Hanson! Although we loved ALL the entries, we thought this name stood out as particularly unique and creative while encompassing the ingredients of the pop. We’ll be in touch to get your address! :) 

We have also decided to give a consolation prize to Musicmaker’s Kits, Inc for their super funny commentary. In case you missed it, here’s what our friends at Musicmaker's Kits, Inc. had to say: “Whatever you name them I'm fairly certain that I would eat them in a house. And I would eat them with a mouse. I would eat them here or there. I would eat them anywhere.”

Although they didn’t offer a name per-se, their witty comment induced big belly laughs over here in HopeFULL Land, and that deserves a prize in our book, too! :) Our two winners get their choice of a HopeFULL Recipe Book or BellyFULL Recipe Book. :)

So here’s the recipe we created to celebrate the birthday of the brilliant man we call Dr. Seuss - Enjoy! 

McMonkey Berry BaBoom

2 medium bananas

1/2 c banilla yogurt

1/3 c vanilla coconut milk

1/3 c diced strawberries

1/2 c strawberry yogurt

organic chocolate syrup

Blend first three ingredients until smooth and pour into large measuring cup. Wash blender, then blend second two ingredients until smooth. Spray HopeFULL mold with a little natural canola oil. Add a dollop of banana mixture into the bottom of each mold  then drop a small amount of chocolate* on top. Layer banana mixture and strawberry mixture alternatively on top until you fill each mold. Add spoons and freeze for 3+ hours. 

* We discovered while making these pops that chocolate syrup doesn’t freeze well! I would recommend either using very little chocolate syrup so that the pops don’t break apart while pulling them out of the mold OR mixing the chocolate into some of the banana mixture so that you’ll have three mixtures to layer (verses two mixtures and a dollop of syrup). Either way, they’re delicious! Enjoy your McMonkey Berry BaBooms!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found myself saying “Alright, enough potty talk at the dinner table.” to my 7 year old son (who’s currently fascinated with bodily functions) and his 5 year old sister (who laughs hysterically at just about anything, anyway). 

However, I’m going to break my own rule and set aside my table manners for the moment to talk about the two things I don’t like to talk about at the same time... 

Food and Poop.

More specifically, food and lack of poop.

Constipation occurs often in children, affecting up to 10% at any given time. By definition, it is the infrequent passage of stools (bowel movements) or the passage of hard stools. Any definition of constipation depends upon comparison with how often the child normally passes stools and with the usual consistency of his or her stools.

Many children are infrequent poopers by nature - passing stools as far apart as every few days. Regardless, you should treat hard stools that are difficult to pass and those that happen only every three days as constipation. Any parent who’s child has suffered from constipation knows it’s pretty a heartbreaking thing to deal with. Children with constipation can suffer severe stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, bedwetting, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract infections...poor little things. 

The most common cause for constipation in a child older than 18 months is their willful avoidance of the toilet (for various reasons). For example, toddlers are often so involved in their play that they lack time or patience for toilet breaks. At school they may be concerned with lack of privacy.

Changes in diet is another cause for constipation. Children who eat well-balanced meals typically are not constipated while children who eat a lot of sugar are prone to constipation. 

Intense changes such as; illnesses that cause fever, becoming bedridden, eating less, or dehydration may decrease the frequency of stools or may harden stools.

Another common contributer to constipation in children are over-the-counter cold medications and antacids. Antidepressants, anticonvulsants, chemotherapy medications, or narcotic pain medications (such as codeine) can also constipate.

So what do you do when you’ve got a kiddo with a poop problemo? 

Here is a couple of home remedies we came up with followed by a new HopeFULL Recipe created in an effort to keep/get things flowin’ as they should...(Remember to always trust your parental instincts and call a health professional with any questions or concerns!)

- Drink plenty of water!

- Try 2 to 4 oz. of natural apple or pear juice diluted with 2 to 4 oz of water

- Add two tablespoons of baking soda to a warm bath. Let your child soak for 15 minutes while you read them their favorite book

Happy Tummy Chocolate Pop

1 Large banana

1c milk (almond, soy, cow...use your favorite!)

1/2 c soft prunes (diced)

1/3 c black beans (rinsed) 

1 Tbs honey

1 tsp cocoa powder*

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFull tray or ice-pop mold, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze. 

*When I blended the ingredients together I got a dark brown mixture and I immediately thought to myself “My kids will never eat this!” (It looked like...yep, you guessed it!) Then my 5 year old walked into the kitchen and said “Chocolate HopeFULLs??!! YUM, Mom!” With a light bulb above my head (thank you Gabby) I added the cocoa powder at the end (just so that I wouldn’t be a liar). :)

Sources: emedicinehealth 

I love to paint. Mostly with acrylics on canvas, but last year I began joyfully experimenting with indian ink and watercolors. I’ve expressed myself with paints since i was a child. There is something magical about bringing to life a vision or emotion to share visually with the world. 

However, it’s been nine months since I’ve picked up a paint brush.

Recently I began to ponder why has it been so long since I’ve painted, and stranger yet - how come don’t I miss it? What I came up with is quite simple; I’ve still been creative during this time, but just in other ways. For example: I used duct tape to replace velcro on my son’s winter boots the other day (they’ll last the whole season so help me God), improvising dramatic play for what seems like days on end takes truck loads of creativity, and surely answering the question “What’s for dinner, Mom?” in a way that a) includes ingredients we actually have, b) can be prepared in 5 minutes and eaten by a child in full hockey gear and c) represents more colors than just...orange...is worth some sort of creative kudos. Right? (sigh)

Well I was feeling the creative mojo the other day so I made good use of it. Kids were fidgety and needed a project, so we whipped up a new HopeFULL recipe which took just minutes. We used fresh ingredients we had around the house and they turned out delicious (and not orange - yay!). Once they were frozen my kids actually had THIRDS. I was going to name them “Yes You Can Have Thirds Pops” but in the end decided to go with something else... 

I call them Picasso Pops. ;)

I hope you enjoy them too! 

Picasso Pops

1/2 cup packed fresh spinach

1/2 cup canned natural butternut squash

1/2 cup yogurt - we used organic BaNilla

1/2 cup juice - we used pineapple coconut juice

1 med banana

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFull tray or ice-pop mold, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze. 

(below is the typical amount we have left over from a recipe - perfect for a small smoothie tasting!)

The other morning as I looked in my refrigerator, ready to scrounge up something for breakfast, I heard my body ask for something pretty specific. It was saying “chocolate...give me chocolate!” over and over. When I listened closer I also heard protein, healthy fat and iron (you might guess which week of the month it was!). 

So here is what I came up with. I drank a cup of it as a smoothie and froze the rest to eat as HopeFULLs later.

Mangolicious

1 cup Vanilla Rice Dream

1 package Tera’s Whey dark chocolate protein powder

1 package of Trader Joe’s frozen mango puree

3 small cooked beets (I used Trader Joe’s cooked beets found near the bagged salads)

2 Tbsp Avocado Oil

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until consistently smooth scraping down the sides as necessary. Pour into HopeFULL mold, add spoon-sticks and freeze for 3 hours.

It hit the spot! My little guy was home from preschool with a cold and had little appetite. I make a simpler version for him. Like me, he drank a cup as a smoothie and I froze the rest as HopeFULLs.

Simply Mangolicious

1 cup Vanilla Rice Dream

2 packages of Trader Joe’s frozen mango puree

2 Tbsp Avocado Oil

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until consistently smooth scraping down the sides as necessary. Pour into HopeFULL mold, add spoon-sticks and freeze for 3 hours.

That afternoon, we both enjoyed HopeFULLs for a snack...both were delicious (he liked the one with beets the best)!

Everyone seems to be talking about kale these days. So what gives? What's makes this leafy green veggie so impressive and why should you add it to your (and your children's) diets? 

Read on! 

1. Diet and Digestion 

One cup of kale has only 36 calories and zero grams of fat, which makes it a great diet aid. Furthermore, one cup contains nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which promotes regular digestion, prevents constipation, lowers blood sugar and curbs overeating. Kale also contains the glucosinolate isothiocyanate (ITC) that fights the formation of H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori), a bacterial growth in the stomach lining that can lead to gastric cancer.

2. Packed with Antioxidants
Kale is a superstar in the arena of carotenoids and flavonoids, two powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals that cause oxidative stress. The key flavonoids kaempferol and quercitin (not to dismiss the 45 other distinctive flavonoids in kale) have also been shown to specifically fight against the formation of cancerous cells. With the addition of high doses of well-known antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A, and manganese, kale is certainly a smart choice in the battle against cellular oxidation.

3. Anti-Inflammatory
One cup of kale provides about 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids that helps regulate the body’s inflammatory process. A megadose of vitamin K further aids to fight against excessive inflammatory-related problems, such as arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and asthma.

4. Keeping Cancer at Bay
Not only do kale's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities work together to prevent and even combat cancer, a healthy diet of kale also provides glucosinolates, which have been shown to prevent colon, breast, bladder, prostate, ovarian cancers, as well as gastric cancer.

5. Cardiovascular Support
The high fiber content of kale lowers our cholesterol by binding with bile acids that the liver produces from cholesterol for digesting fat. Because many of these bile acids are coupled with fiber, the liver is charged with producing more bile acid to digest fat, and therefore requires more cholesterol to so, ultimately lowering the amount of cholesterol within our bodies.

6. Detoxification!
The isothiocyanates (ITC) from glucosinolates found in kale aid in both phases I and II of the body’s detoxification process. The high sulfur content of kale has further been shown essential for phase II of detoxification. Nice!

7. Vitamin K
Kale provides a whopping dose of vitamin K (providing 1327% of the RDA in one cup), which is necessary for the synthesis of osteocalcin, a protein that strengthens the composition of our bones. Vitamin K also prevents calcium build-up in our tissue that can lead to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Finally, vitamin K is essential for synthesizing sphingolipid, the fat needed to maintain the myelin sheath around our nerves, and therefore our nervous system as a whole.

8. Vitamin A
With over 192% of the RDA of vitamin A, one cup of kale is an effective antioxidant, boosts immunity, maintains healthy bones and teeth, prevents urinary stones, and is essential to our reproductive organs.

9. Vitamin C
Vitamin C, which one cup of kale heartily provides (over 88% of our RDA), is not only a powerful antioxidant, but also lowers blood pressure, ensures a healthy immune system, and fights against age-related ocular diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

10. It works well in frozen food pops! 

We know how amazing Kale is, so we give it a starring roll in a few of our HopeFULL and BellyFULL recipes! Below you’ll find one of our all-time favorites, the Greenie Pineapple HopeFULL. Feel free to experiment by adding kale to our other recipes as well!

Cheers for Kale!

Greenie Pineapple Pop

1/2 cup milk (use your favorite milk; cows, rice, soy, coconut, whatever!)

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt)

1/4 cup, packed roughly chopped kale leaves (add more if you wish!)

1/2 cup pineapple chunks fresh or canned

1/4 cup banana

3 fresh mint leaves 

1/2 cup infant rice cereal

1T avocado oil

Add milk and next 5 ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add rice cereal and avocado oil and puree until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFULL tray (or ice pop mold), add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze for 3 hours.

Source: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/9-health-benefits-of-kale.html

Did you know that if you’re not eating HopeFULLs or BellyFULLs your brain could be shrinking!?

Ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. However, a recent study of elderly people did find that those whose diets were high in certain essential nutrients (those which are commonly found in our frozen whole food pop recipes) were less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease and were more likely to score better on tests of mental performance. The researchers published a paper on how they came to these findings in the 28 December online issue of Neurology.

The paper's first author is Dr. Gene Bowman from the Departments of Neurology and Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. He and his colleagues describe three sets of findings:

1. Elderly people with diets high in several vitamins or omega 3 fatty acids were less likely to have the brain shrinkage that usually accompanies Alzheimer's disease than people whose diets were low in those nutrients.

2. Those whose diets were high in omega 3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E and the B vitamins were also more likely to score better on tests of mental ability than those whose diets were low in those nutrients.

3. Those whose diets were high in trans fats were more likely to have brain shrinkage and perform less well on thinking and memory tests than those whose diets were low in trans fats.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for human health but the body can't make them. These are primarily found in fish, also an essential source of vitamin D; some plants and nut oils are also good sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which are also called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

B vitamins and antioxidants C and E are primarily found in fruits and vegetables. Both HopeFULL and BellyFULL recipes are PACKED with these essential vitamins, antioxidants and omega 3’s!

“I'm a firm believer these nutrients have strong potential to protect your brain and make it work better," Dr. Maret Traber says, adding that for anyone "considering a New Year's resolution to improve their diet, this would certainly give them another reason to eat more fruits and vegetables". (Meaning; eat more HopeFULLs and BellyFULLs!) ;-)

Bon Appetit!

Source:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239762.php

Carrot Creamsicle BellyFULL Recipe

¾ cup carrot puree

1½ cup mandarin orange slices, drained

¼ cup vanilla ice cream

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour into HopeFULL tray, add wooden spoon-sticks and freeze for three hours.

It’s been crazy around The HopeFULL Company. Crazy good, that is. 

With our pending appearance on The Nate Berkus Show (airing Thursday, December 8th) we are working like mad to restructure, restock and launch a new product all before the Big Day. It’s like putting the cart before the horse (or should I say the sleigh before the reindeer?) so we are holding on tight to faith that the show will help spread the word. We’ve been working so hard to give HopeFULLs the national exposure it deserves, so we are thrilled that our national debut is now just around the corner. If only we could borrow some of Santa’s helpers to prepare!

Our trip to New York City was truly amazing! Although The HopeFULL Gift Pack did not win the Stevie Award, we were honored to be nominated among such outstanding women in business. The Stevie Awards Gala was exciting and glamourous - our table was right next to the table occupied by The Real Housewives of New York City and the Bravo cameras were everywhere! (I admit I’m a Bravo junkie and that Real Housewives are a guilty pleasure of mine.) Ramona Singer was recognized for Mogul of the year and Stephanie and I enjoyed meeting her.

Preparing for and filming The Nate Show was a cinderella story - we can’t give anything away quite yet, but details will follow soon! All we can say is that Nate Berkus is a gem and we appreciated all he and The Nate Show did for us while we were in town. 

Once we filmed The Nate Show, we spent the rest of our week in NYC exploring and falling in love with the different boroughs of Manhattan. The culinary adventures were a definite highlight, particularly our trip to Harlem to eat at Red Rooster Harlem, where Bravo’s Top Chef Marcus Samuelsson serves comfort food that celebrate both the roots of American cuisine and the culinary treasures of the neighborhood. It was one of our favorite meals of the week. 

Other highlights of the trip were; walks in Central Park, eating gelato while exploring Chelsea Market, shopping in Soho and Greenwich, buying fabric at Mood (where Project Runway contestants shop!), watching the holiday tree go up in Rockafeller Center, pursuing the kiosks in Bryant Park, visiting Ground Zero, standing in the middle of Times Square in total awe, navigating the subway, hugging The Legendary Times Square Naked Cowboy, visiting Occupy Wall Street, walking through Grand Central Station and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. 

Our trip to NYC was spectacular, and we had so many wonderful experiences. And yet there was so much left undone. Leaving NYC was felt like leaving a lover. To quote Willie Morris: “And it was to this city, whenever I went home, that I always knew I must return, for it was mistress of one's wildest hopes, protector of one's deepest privacies. It was half insane with its noise, violence, and decay, but it gave one the tender security of fulfillment.” 

Steph and I can’t wait to go back. And next time we’re coming home with a Stevie.