Single Girl Cookies

The Hills Are Alive

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Single Girl Cookies

….with the sound of cuuuuupcaaaaaaaakes!!! (mmm,mm,mmmmm!) I’m sitting here at work waiting for my next student, listening to the sounds of practicing through these old, thin walls, and wishing I had brought a cupcake with me – specifically one of the cupcakes I made on Sunday. My beau, J, and I drove up to Westchester to visit some friends in their new home and celebrate with a ‘meat extravaganza’ that included ribeye, filet, short ribs, kielbasa, and sides of roasted potatoes and corn on the cob. I had volunteered to provide dessert.

If you recall, this Sunday was truly beautiful. The sun was shining, temperatures have started to creep up, giving us all hope that summer really is around the corner. I had also come across the most perfect pint of strawberries atthe grocery store – you know the pint I’m walking about. The one where all the berries are big, deep red in color, and their aroma is so strongly ‘strawberry’ that you know each bite is just as juicy as you hope it might be. Maybe it was the berries, maybe it was the sun, but I set off home to whip up one of my favorites, Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes.

You might be wondering why I’m sharing all of this with you. Well, as I thought about sharing those cupcakes with my friends, and watching them enjoy the fruits of my labors (hehe, get it?? I’m been super into bad puns and dad jokes lately. I blame J), I thought, “If only everybody could have one of these cupcakes! I could do this for everyone!” This is not dissimilar to the thoughts I had which led to my starting Single Girl Cookies.

I’ve decided it’s time for me to start sharing some recipes along the way with y’all! Yes, I still have aspirations for a baking book, and yes, i am still ‘in process’ of getting Single Girl Cookies on a local shelf near you, but until that happens, why shouldn’t everybody share in the fun and deliciousness??

Now, I’m sorry to burst your bubbles folks, no, I will not be sharing my signature Single Girl Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (otherwise known as Heitmann Cookies to many of you), nor will I ever share that to anyone not blood related to me 🙂 Sorry, Future Husband! Not even you.

This is my first time really writing out a recipe outside my own head, so forgive me if I skip a step or something doesn’t make sense. Give me a shout and I’ll fix it right up. Without further ado…..

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 3/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup half and half
1 pint of strawberries

Frosting
2 cups of confectioner’s sugar
4 tbsp butter (half stick), softened
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 tsp lemon extract

First, take out the pans and dishes you store in the oven because, let’s face it, you live in NYC and have no space, then preheat to 350 degrees F. Mix together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. Normally this is the part of the recipe that says mix together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, then mix that with the wet ingredients. I have an aversion to doing the dishes, so I just dump the flour and baking power on top the wet ingredients in that bowl and mix it together that way. Anything I can do to save myself from doing more dishes than I have to!

Chop all but 5 or 6 strawberries (you’ll use those later for a garnish) and add them to the batter.

Line your cupcake pan with papers, and fill each one about 3/4 of the way full. It makes about 15, so you can put two pans in side by side, or just do a coupla rounds. Leave them in for about 12-15 minutes, check the center for done-ness with a toothpick. Every oven is different, yours may require the cupcakes to be in longer.

While they are baking, mix together all the ingredients for the frosting. Please note, these measurements are all very approximate, haha. Taste as you go along here, you may want to add a bit more lemon juice for tartness, or some more sugar to thicken up the texture. Play around with it!

Frost your cupcakes, slice some strawberries for garnish on top, and voila! Put your feet up, let someone else do the dishes for a change, and enjoy 🙂

Come Together

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Single Girl Cookies

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me give my roommate a shoutout or two. She pretty great as a person, as a friend, and as a roommate. With the exception of one, I’ve been extremely fortunate in the roommate department in my lifetime, and in NYC, that stuff matters. Chances are, you share a smaller-than-the-average-American living space, kitchen, bathroom, and sometimes (thank GOD this is not me) even a bedroom. You can escape the world (or your roommate) by closing your bedroom door, but who really wants to live within four walls?

I’m one of the lucky ones that doesn’t have to do that. My roommate and I talk, actually miss each other when one or the other goes out of town, and she has been an extraordinary supporter and helper of the Single Girl Cookies cause. I love this girl!

We were talking the other day and as conversations do, one thing led to another, and she had the brilliant idea of doing a cookie of the month club! (credit where credit is due) The more we talked about it, the more excited I got at thinking of how awesome something like this could be. It’d be a great way to further connect everyone in the community, we could all meet up once a month at a local coffee shop like Astoria Coffee, have some coffee, try something new and take home some cookies! Wanna join the Single Girl Cookies Cookie of the Month Club? Here’s how! (and some more details :))

Every first Sunday of the month, come and meet me (and my cookies) at the pre-designated coffee spot. For $10 a month, you get a half dozen cookies on a real plate that you can add to your collection, or bring back next month for a refill. Each month I’ll bake a different kind of cookie, and you only pay if you’re participating that month. That way, if I announce I’ll be making oatmeal raisin next month and you hate that kind, come on down for the community, but pass on the cookies 🙂 Hopefully, I’ll be making something you like the next month, and you can come back and join us on the confectionery journey!

In order to have your plate ready for pick up that Sunday, I need an email request to singlegirlcookies@gmail.com by 9pm the Friday night before, and how many (half dozen/full dozen). The first Sunday of the Single Girl Cookies Cookie of the Month Club will be this February 1st at 3pm. I know what you must be thinking “That’s Superbowl Sunday!”, and indeed it is! As a grand kick off, I will be holding a Superbowl/Single Girl Cookies Special of a dozen of my signature chocolate chip cookies for $15. You can spend $15 on a crappy 6 pack and chips, or you can be the hero of your Superbowl party and bring delicious, homemade chocolate chip cookies. Be the hero, spread the kindness of cookies 🙂

That’s about it! I look forward to checking my inbox and I’m super excited to start meeting all of you face to face!

No Fear

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Single Girl Cookies

No Fear. Do you guys remember that clothing brand? It was around in the 90’s/early aughts? Their logo looked like this:

That phrase has become my mantra as of late something I chant in my head (or out loud if no one is home) as I venture down this path of cookie business-dom.

Guys, this is scary.

I’m taking meetings, filing paperwork, making decisions, picking marketing campaigns….all this stuff that is SO foreign to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m SO excited to be walking this path, and I feel it is the right one, but damnit, I don’t speak business and I really don’t want to make any missteps.

Not to mention it is really easy to get overwhelmed. My site needs major revamping, I need a logo, I’ve still got to figure out where I can make the cookies (certified kitchen space is not cheap) and this is all in addition to the rest of my life. I’m still singing and teaching voice lessons (and loving it – that still amazes me). Thankfully, my schedule there is open enough to allow me to take all these meetings and file all this paperwork, but I have to remind myself that i can only take one step at a time.

Rome was not built in a day. Good for me to remember, because I am planning on building Rome only with cookies. Sometimes my grand visions get the best of me and then I get overwhelmed with excitement, possibility, and worst of all, fear, prompting me to leave rambling voicemails in friends’ inboxes (sorry JB). Or, as this case is, write a rambling blog post. 🙂

I guess what I’m saying it, maybe the next time you see me, if you could just say “It’s going to be awesome!”, or “I’ve got your back” or give a comforting smile, I’d really appreciate it.

And stay tuned for a post in the next week, I’ll be telling you all the details so far with how SGC is coming along with being available to you! For right now, wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a hug, because it’s really from me.

They Say It’s Your Birthday 2

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Single Girl Cookies

Today is my birthday. I am 33 years old.

I don’t tell you this to make you wish me a happy birthday, or to garner the attention that telling someone it’s your birthday typically brings. I mention it because it’s a time of reflection for me, and I suspect (especially as we age), it’s the same for many others out there. There were things I had wanted to accomplish by this age. Being married, feeling some amount of financial security, maybe at a different level in my career; things to me that seemed simple and easily attainable to me when I was younger. Don’t worry, I’ve long since let go of those goals as they were with ages attached to them. I’m good with where I’m at, and at least have the wisdom to have the view point on my life that I do. It will happen in it’s own time, fueled by my hard work and everyone else’s grace.

A lot can happen (or not happen) in a year. At this time last year, I was freshly grieving the loss of a pillar of strength and support in my life, my grandmother, while simultaneously bursting with ideas and positivity from my newly given TED talk at TEDx Utica. Since then, was in a car accident with still ongoing medical issues (nothing life threatening, thank the Lord), lost my other grandmother, almost lost my grandfather, and struggled with depression as a result of my concussion from the accident. I never got around to writing that Single Girl Cookies book that I had wanted to write, haven’t truly “auditioned” in months, and dropped the ball at taking the first steps to trademarking SGC, or doing what I really want with it, which is make it a not for profit. This last year has not been a picnic.

And yet, there is good. The lost of my grandmothers brought me familial treasures I couldn’t begin to fathom. One had left us presents and notes for us to find as we went through her belongings after her passing. Notes she wrote years ago, gifts she wrapped years ago, all so we would know she’s still with us. The other gave me back the half of my family that thought was lost for good 20 years ago. When left without a car after mine was totaled, my parents graciously gave me their old one. I may not have auditioned, but through some funny trick of life where I was invited to a reading by one of the first theater people I met when I moved here 5 years ago, I’m now a part of some of the most meaningful work and words that I’ve done and spoken in my adult career, not to mention how incredible the people that I get to work with are. My voice students are having breakthroughs and making me proud at every turn, and today, I will earn my second SAG-AFTRA waiver with my first (small) role on camera. I am still cookie-ing, still loving it, and still finding glimmers of humanity beneath our titanium New York exterior. I have food in my refrigerator, a roof over my head, and people I could call for a favor at 3am if I was in desperate need of something – all things I see as a barometer of a good life.

A good friend said tonight, “33 is young. Think of how you’ll feel when you’re 43 and looking back on 33. That’s how you should be looking at this. It’s the same when you look back to 23. We were babies. You’re still a baby.” She’s right. Of course she’s right, she’s a smart woman, and that’s why she’s my friend 🙂 33 is young.

So today, I’m going to live the advice that I gave to my 10 year old student this week – Give Yourself A Break. Forgive yourself for the things you did not do or accomplish (yet), and promise yourself to do better next time. So maybe I haven’t written that book; that doesn’t mean I can’t. Give Yourself A Break. Maybe this is the year SGC gets a non profit status, or the year I produce some of my finest work on the stage yet. If it’s something you want, keep striving to do better, and focus on your accomplishments, how far you’ve come, not your failures. Give Yourself a Break.

And maybe eat some cake 🙂

Winds of Change/Bridge to Better Days

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Single Girl Cookies

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. The air cools down, we break out our sweaters and all things pumpkin, the leaves start their spectacular color show – it’s really the best. i actually want to get married in the fall some day. Penn Yan and Keuka Lake are stunning this time of year. It also means new beginnings for me and for anyone else whose life follows a scholastic calendar, as mine has for 20 some odd years. Lately, I’ve also noticed these winds of change among the relationships of my friends (and myself). It’s as if everyone is starting to collectively wake up and say, “Enough is enough.”.

I think this conversation is especially pertinent for women. Being the “fairer sex” and still living under the thumb of outdated standards (don’t tell me we don’t) present interesting challenges for us in ways that men don’t have to deal with. Not to mention that, fact is, we’re just different creatures and operate differently. Stuff You Should Know did a really awesome podcast about the neurological differences between men’s and women’s brains – and there are differences. It’s fascinating, you should take a listen. The point being, we don’t react to situations the same, nor do we handle our lives the same way. Speaking from my generational POV, boys were not taught that they have to be nice to everyone. Girls were. We’ve grown up to be women that are good, kind citizens, but sometimes struggle with the limit. How far is too far? When do we say “Stop. Enough is enough”? Is it when that friend cancels plans with you for the 10^th time? Or when a stranger is unnecessarily rude to you? I know I preach kindness above all and giving others the benefit of the doubt (and believe in that), but you don’t have to be a doormat. It’s ok to say, “That’s not acceptable.”. The bottom line is, only you can direct your life, and ultimately, your happiness. And if having that person in your life, or feeling like you’re trampled on brings negativity to your world, change it. Remove yourself from the situation, change your reaction, or you will continue to experience the same feelings of frustration and doormattiness (Even when talking about serious issues, I still make up words)

A great barometer to measure all of this is a wonderful thing my uncle taught me, called the Bank Account Test. It’s hard to be impartial when assessing your relationships, so by putting everything in non-emotional terms like a bank account, it can illustrate what’s really happening. Think of a joint checking account. There are two people that have access to deposit and withdraw as needed. Like in a real bank account, the goal is to deposit as much as you both can so this pile of money (love/respect/trust) grows and grows. It grows so big that when somebody makes a withdrawl, it’s not very noticeable. That’s optimal scenario #1. Now, if you both are only depositing a little bit and the pile isn’t that large, a withdrawl will be much more noticeable and harder to manage the account with such a small pile. Additionally, that assumes that both are making deposits. If only one person is making deposits and the other person is doing all the withdrawing, all you’re left with at the end of each day is an empty bank account. If you find yourself in that situation, that’s when it’s time to make some changes.

Now, before you go out in the world and start telling your boss/irritating coworker/ex-partner/sister/goldfish exactly what you think of them, hold up. All of what I’ve just said comes with a caveat. This is NOT a free-reign excuse to be rude or mean, or to just start living with no filter. The world does not need to hear every thought and opinion you have. Honesty is the best policy, sure, but tact and mindfulness are equally important. Assess the situation thoroughly so you are able to handle it properly. I see no harm in letting others know how you feel, as long as it’s said with kindness, empathy and sincerity, never with spite or malice. Appropriate time and place play a big part too. If someone’s already hurting and going through a rough time, now is not the time to rub salt on the wound. That’s tact and mindfulness. And if that friend invites you out for the 11^th time, you do have the option of declining. That’s removing yourself from the situation. Now, you don’t have to send them a long text telling them what a shitty friend you think they are. (I’ve done it, it does nobody any good, believe me. It’s just hurtful and unnecessary) I’m pretty sure after 10 cancellations, they know they’re not winning first prize at the Friend Fair.

There are very few hard and fast rules I live by. Be kind. Give others the benefit of the doubt. Know your worth. Be the best human I can be today. DON’T be a doormat. It might sound contradictory, and it is a little. Only you will know when enough is enough. If these things that might bother others don’t bother you, by all means, keep doing what you’re doing! (and tell me what you’re doing so I can learn too :)) But if not, well…maybe it’s time for something to change. And since you can’t change your circumstances or the other person, the only thing you can really change is yourself; constant metamorphosis. And that, my friends, is the beauty of living.

Two Can Be As Bad As One

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Single Girl Cookies

Single. Single Girl. Single Girl Cookies. All three very different things to me, all three things I happen to be right now. Y’all know the “single” in Single Girl Cookies stands for the power of one person making a difference, and if you read my FAQs, y’all also know that it’s probably my biggest pet peeve question about this whole experience. Another thing that comes up a lot for me is that surely I must have met someone through SGC, or that I must get asked out a ton. “You bake, you’re talented, you’re so nice!” I know! I’m in as much of a quandary as you guys.

Now, you might be asking yourselves, what does this have to do with cookies? The answer is, nothing! I asked the universe for inspiration to blog tonight, and this is what’s coming, so pre-apologies if it’s not your thing. I won’t be offended one bit if you decide to close your browser or go back to your BuzzFeed quiz that’s waiting. Plus, how would I know?

As busy as I am, and as full as my life is with positives, sometimes the singleness starts to get to me. Recently, I decided to try out Tinder. Now, I know what you’re thinking – isn’t that a hook up app??? I think it is for some, but certainly not for me (I’m a lady, thank YOU!), and I did my best to filter the men that were there for only that. For those of you unfamiliar with the way Tinder works, here’s a crash course: Once you’ve downloaded the app, in order to create a profile, you have to sign in with Facebook, and it links your two accounts. Nothing is posted on FB, it’s just to verify that you’re a real person. The FB linkage also gives you stats in Tinder, like how many friends you have in common, or how many shared interests you have. You can then tweak your Tinder profile to say what you want it to say, or change the pictures is you don’t like the ones that transferred from FB. From there you set your “discover preferences” – age range, gender, and mile radius. That’s IT. There’s no filling out a profile, matching algorithms, having to come up with your favorite movie (Bill Murray has made so many, how can I choose??), or any of that other stuff that traditional dating sites have you do. It shows you all the people that fall under your specifications, then you either “like” or “nope” them. It’s all anonymous until two people “like” each other, then it allows you to chat/text back and forth. aaaaAAAAND OFF WE GO!!!

For a while it was fun, and by a while, I mean a day or two. I’m not known to have the best patience or longest attention span if I’m not thoroughly enamored by something. The app is set up like a game, and you really feel like you’re playing at something. It was a hoot for my married and coupled friends to watch me reject guy after guy, a big NOPE stamp being placed on their picture as I did so. And it was fun when you matched with somebody! You liked them, they liked you, who doesn’t like to be liked? Sure, it’s a little awkward when people you’re actually Facebook friends with already show up in your queue – do you swipe right or left? Chances are, if we’re FB friends and i was interested, I’d be pursuing that path already.

Say you match and start chatting. What do you say? How does one start a conversation? “Hey…how’s your day going?” That was a popular one from most guys. Or, actually, the use of your name. There were a lot of guys big on that. “Hi, Renee, how are you?” I’m well, Chris, I’m not going to ask you how you are because I don’t reeeaaallly care because i don’t reeeaaallly know you yet.

And therein lies my personal problem with anything considered to be online dating. It’s online and not in real life at all.

Sure, you can chat for a while, and exchange numbers, talk on the phone, get to know one another, but then what happens when you meet and there’s no chemistry, no spark? I’ve always been someone that needs that spark, and yes, I’ve heard it all about a slow burning fire vs flash in the pan, chemistry isn’t everything, having things in common is more important to building a lasting relationship. But me, I need that spark. And I can’t know if it’s there until I physically meet you in person and we exchange energies. And no, that is not a euphemism. 🙂

I did take the leap and go on a few Tinder dates, though, I’d made it that far, I had to see it through. After being solidly single for almost three years, I’d say it was good for me to go on dates; it gets me out of the house, and I need to see what dating is like at this age. Plus, I’ve never really ‘dated’, so I need to figure out how to actually do that.

I’ll tell you what I’ve learned: dating is exhausting! Granted, I did go on 5 dates in a week and a half, but having to be “on” and showing your “best self” and all that other bs that silly websites tell you in list form of how you should be on a date. That is exhausting. As good of an actress as I am, pretending to be into these dudes or into the date that I’m on is really hard work! I went in with an open mind, ‘maybe I’m meeting somebody really great, or somebody that would be interested in seeing a movie every once and a while’ but I know when I know, and I know right away if I’m not into it.

After the last date being a second date with one gentleman that dropped the phrase “that’s what I’m with you” twice(we’re not together! you’re not ‘with’ me!), I sent a polite text calling it , and deleted my profile. It just wasn’t fun anymore. And isn’t dating supposed to be just that – fun?

I’ve also learned that I’m pretty content (most of the time) being my “Single Girl” self. I never have to keep unwanted advances at bay (Tinder date #4), I’m never told to”eat that whole salad because I paid for it” (Tinder date #3), or have to spend the evening with someone who doesn’t live in NYC and is just passing through on his way back to Chicago (Tinder date #2). I come and go as I please, and the only person I “check-in” with is my roommate past a certain hour to make sure we each know that the other isn’t dead in a ditch and is coming home that night. I do have the best roommate.

While sometimes one can be the loneliest number, sometimes two can be worse than one, when it’s not right. At least at this age, I know myself, I know where I’ve been, where I want to go, and all of that helps me know what I want. All I’m looking for is a down to earth, passionate, talented, attractive man who loves my cookies, likes to do my dishes and thinks I’m the most amazing woman ever. That’s not too much to ask, right? 😉

In all seriousness, I do think I’ll find that. I’m glad I haven’t settled and dated someone just so I wouldn’t be alone. That’s not really my MO anyway; I’m the first one to do things by myself or have a solo adventure (hello, Single Girl Cookies!). But going on these dates reinforced more than just knowing what I want. Continually introducing myself to new people and telling my story got me excited about what I’m doing with Single Girl Cookies. Every time I laid out what this is and why I do it, my roots grew deeper and deeper into this cause and got me excited about my cookies drops in a way I hadn’t felt since my car accident in December. It’s almost as if you could say this dating experience strengthened and deepened my long-term relationship with Single Girl Cookies. And if that were the only take away from this whole experience, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Except maybe this time, Universe, feel free to send me a Prince Charming 😉

Bella Notte

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Single Girl Cookies

Pizza. It’s such a “New York” thing, am I right? Not that pizza belongs to New York; it’s clearly everywhere you go. Even when I was visiting Brazil some years ago, the pizza there was incredible. Maybe the real root of all of this is that I love pizza. There, I said it. I LOVE PIZZA. I would eat it every time I wanted it if I didn’t also love being a functioning human being. Because if I ate pizza every time I wanted to, let me tell you what would happen: I would gain 50 pounds, never leave my couch (except to grab a few slices) and become a fixture in my living room instead of a functioning human being. Nobody wants that, least of all me.

You can imagine my excitement when I learned that I was to visit Milkflower as next on my chain of kindness. I’d heard such good things about these guys and was really excited to try them out. I swung by one Thursday on my way to rehearsal and met Steven, a gentlemanly ginger who greeted me as I gave him the lowdown. He seemed genuinely surprised and thankful for what I’m sure was an unexpected treat of a plateful of cookies. I told him I’d be back for the plate in a few days and went on my merry way.

I came back, practically salivating and ready to try their pizza. I’d had recommendations from friends of which pizza to try (the one with Brussels sprouts), but I had a craving with a more classic flavor, so I went with the spicy sopressata with tomato sauce, fresh mozz, fresh basil and honey drizzle.

OH. MY. GOD.

This pizza is easily in the top 5 of all pizzas I’ve had, including the ridiculously good pizza I had in Brazil (they seem to take what we do and make everything better – try the X Tudo at Pao de Queijo). This pie came as a 6 slice, 14 (?) inch pie that should’ve been shared. It was so good that I ate three slices while physically there, then ate the remaining three that I took home with me later that night. Yep, that day, I ate A WHOLE PIZZA. (it was worth it.)

Beyond the pizza, my experience with the gentlemen of Milkflower was a memorable one, as they are open, friendly, and charming men. I chatted with Peter, one of the two owners, about the road that led he and his brother Danny, one of the other owners, to owning a pizza shop on Astoria.

Both born and raised in NJ, Danny has been making pizzas in his uncle’s pizza shop since he was a teen, while Peter had a career in finance before opening up Milkflower. Both of them had talked about one day opening up a pizza place, then saw that this space opened up. It wasn’t something either of them were planning on when it happened, but they took the moment and ran with it.

And I’m glad they did! I’ve thought about that pizza many a time and finally went back to get another. My only issue with going there or getting take out is that I know, without a doubt, that I will eat the whole pizza, by myself, in 6 hours tops. It’s that good. I just need to prepare myself and know going in that I’m going to eat an entire pizza, and not feel guilty when I actually do 🙂

I Make a Pizza

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Single Girl Cookies

Astorians, some of you have seen the new signs go up outside what used to be A1 Deli on Broadway at 41st saying “Retro Pizza Cafe”, right? And some of you (like myself who has been on a pizza kick ever since my visit to Milkflower – we’ll get to that) are pretty excited about a new pizza place to come to the neighborhood. You know, out of all the things we have to offer here, that’s one thing that seems to come up in conversation with other Astorians as something that is lacking about the neighborhood no true, so good you would swear by it, New York Style pizza joints in the hood.

photo (36)

Well, on my way back form a run, I saw a young gentleman outside of Retro Pizza, cleaning the windows. I paused, took a step back toward him, and said, “Excuse me, may I ask you a question?” He was very polite and fielded all of my questions I could ask without sounding like a reporter 🙂

I still don’t know a lot about the place, except that they are going to try to open tomorrow (!). He said that, followed by, “but there’s so much to do to be ready, you know? We’ll see.” He told me that his father owns the business, and that he (his father) used to own another food establishment 25 years ago. They came back from being in Cypress for some time and his father just thought, ‘Let’s open a pizza place.’. And so they did! I told him I’d swing by on Thursday to see if they were open and bring them some ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’ cookies. Can’t wait to see what it’s all about!

Help!

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Single Girl Cookies

I’ll make this short and sweet. I need your help. More specifically, my hometown of Penn Yan, NY needs your help. This week there was a flash flood in my small town, washing out roads, taking out people’s homes, collapsing buildings, and wreaking havoc on this proud, historic place I grew up in. Penn Yan is located in the heart of the Finger Lakes and is not seen as a danger zone for any natural disaster, unless you count the heaps and heaps of snow we get every year. Nobody was prepared for this to happen.

Image from The Penn Yan Diner

My parents live up out of the Village of Penn Yan so they and the rest of my family that live in the surrounding areas are fine, but many PY residents are not. They are displaced, many people’s home are ruined, many businesses are suffering huge amounts of damage and loss, and this is not even mentioning the roadways and dangerous debris that need to be repaired and cleaned. For a town of 8,000 people, this seems a daunting task.

Image by Jeff Gifford

I’m not physically able to go up there and help myself, but I need to help somehow. I’m holding a fundraiser this Sunday, May 18th at SingleCut Beersmiths, 19-33, 37th Street, Astoria, at 2pm until the cookies are gone to raise money for those areas that need it most. If you remember from last May, I held a fundraiser for the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes and 100% of the proceeds went to the Red Cross – it is, of course, the same here. It may not go to the Red Cross, but to a local non profit organization – I will check with the town and see where it is needed most, and spread it around if possible.

Image by Meredith Marsh

Why should you care? Because if it weren’t for this little town and the tight knit community contained within, Single Girl Cookies would not exist. If you’ve ever enjoyed hearing SGC stories, or thought, “Gee, what a neat thing!”, then I encourage you to come and give even a little this Sunday. Plus, there will be cookies! And if you’re willing to buy a poorly made, preservative full cookies from Subway where the money goes into the pockets of a profitable business, wouldn’t you be willing to donate a couple of bucks to a good cause, and get a delicious, homemade, one of a kind, chocolate chip cookie? 🙂 And no offense to junk food either, we all know I’m the King of Cheetos over here.

These cookies have forever connected me to Penn Yan, and in turn, connected me to you. Help me help Penn Yan, and bring this full circle, connecting us all through the power of a cookie.

Image by Mike Stein

For Photo Coverage to see the extent of damage, check out my friend Meredith’s blog, In The Finger Lakes.
http://inthefingerlakes.com/explore/finger-lakes-photos/penn-yan-flood-may-14-2014-tons-of-photos/

Some news coverage as well:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/05/14/yates-county-storms/9071965/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2628706/Small-town-Upstate-New-York-washed-disastrous-flash-floods-rain-forecasted-Thursday.

UPDATE: I’ve had a number of out of towners and folks unable to attend the fundraiser on Sunday ask me how they can help. I’ve set up a GoFundMe site here, Penn Yan Flood Relief, where people can donate. THANK YOU!!!

We’re on Each Other’s Team

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Single Girl Cookies

So last night at the Vespa Queens Grand Opening Party, I was having a chat with the lovely Matt of Snowdonia, Vespa Queens, and all around Astoria. He asked me if I had posted my Snowdonia post yet and he had missed it or what, bringing to light how much I have not blogged in the last month. I sheepishly said, “No, you didn’t miss it, I haven’t posted it yet. I know, I know, I’m way behind.”, to which he replied (like the polite gentleman he is) “Oh, no, no pressure, just wasn’t sure if I missed it or not!”. I told him not to feel bad, I needed that pressure to get started on this Mt. Rushmore sized task. Like when your laundry piles up and the only thing that motivates you to do it is when you run out of underwear, or when you finally get around to writing that paper because you realize that if you don’t, you’ll fail that very important class. In this case, nobody’s failing anything, and we’re all good in the underwear situation, so that’s a start 🙂

I believe when we left off, I was going to tell you about my excellent trip to Crescent Grill for my plate, and a special delivery of more cookies. When I first came in, Ryan had told me about a duck confit and pappardelle dish that I just had to try, so on my return trip, I saddled up to the bar, ordered a drink, and prepared myself to be wowed. I was not disappointed.

I forget exactly what I had to drink, but I believe it was a cocktail from their cocktail menu, a house drink, I think. I do remember it being delicious.

My entree came, and was also delicious to match.

Ryan came over and offered me some bread, which ended up being this basket of amazing biscuits accompanied by butter drizzled with honey. I had a friend (or a guy that I think I was dating at the time? I can’t be sure. Oh, labels!) that was meeting me at Crescent Grill for a drink, but by the time he got there, I had had a few conversational exchanges with my fellow bar companion, Jerry.

Over the course of the next hour, my drinks date and I got to know Jerry quite well! We learned that he was in a managerial position at Tom Cat Bakery, lives in New Jersey, loves his wife, comes into town every few weeks to oversee some things, and was staying around the area and had happened upon Crescent Grill. I told him about SGC, he ate a cookie, and seemed to like it! I told him some stories about all the crazy people I’ve met along this journey so far, and the conversation was flowing so much at one point that he interrupted a convo I was having with Drinks Date to make a jokey reference about a story I had told! I loved it.

My entire experience at Crescent Grill was one I can’t wait to repeat again and again. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the people were warm and welcoming. Also, I can’t leave out how beautiful the space is as well.

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned that it’s also an art gallery of sorts, and the pieces I’ve seen hanging there are pretty great.

All and all, this was definitely an A++ drop spot.

I asked Ryan at Crescent Grill for my recommendation and he told me to go to Baroness Bar just down the street. That’s that new(ish) wine bar where they open bottles of champagne with sabers. Yes, you read that right. 🙂 My drop and pick up there were pretty uneventful; I got a chance to briefly meet Melinda, one of the owners, while dropping off and she seemed friendly. I didn’t have a chance to sit down and enjoy a glass of wine while picking up, that was a pretty crazy week for me, but hopefully one day soon! Maybe I’ll even spring for a special bottle of champagne. I did learn that I was to visit neighborhood hot spot, Snowdonia, next.

Now, I’m no stranger to Snowdonia. I first stopped by to check it out with an impromptu meeting of my friend Alex of Cocktail Crate as he was having dinner with a long lost friend of mine from college, Emily, who founded the Astoria Whiskey Society. I hadn’t seen her since college, and didn’t even know she lived in Astoria until I checked out the AWS website as an interested party (I really like dark liquors) and saw her familiar face, as well as others! Turns out Westminster Choir College has quite a representation in our great neighborhood. Adam, another college acquaintance and friend of Emily’s, is the artistic director of the Astoria Symphonic Choir, which I’d like to sing with one day if I ever get the time!

I’m also friends with Dennis and Liz of Astoria Coffee, the coffee that Snowdonia serves with brunch (good stuff, can’t wait for their shop to open!!) and had brunch there some months ago with those two and Dennis from DHAP before our podcast. While we were there, I put out a plate of cookies with a sign that said “free”, and happened to run into Bradley Hawkes, who then wrote a really great article of me that was in BORO! Neither of those last two things are related to each other, just giving context 🙂

Needless to say, I was excited to drop off some cookies to the good folks of Snowdonia and was greeted with a “Hey, it’s the cookie lady!” when I walked in. I love it when that happens. I got to meet the aforementioned Matt, who is the final nudge in making this happen, another owner, and a gentleman whose name I have no idea how to spell, so I’m not going to try, but it starts with a J. Let’s call him J! Anyway, they were all very receptive of me and my cookies when I came in, and couldn’t wait to come back for their Game of Thrones live viewing night for my plate pick up and a GoT Ommegang beer.

I wasn’t able to enjoy either of those things when I went to pick up because I had a two day migraine and didn’t think drinking or being around loud GoT noises was a good idea. I’d never had a migraine until my concussion from the car accident, but I guess I’ve got’em now! Not my happiest moment, and I’m still itching to get back there; it’s been too long since my last visit. Maybe I’ll make to their Monday brunch, which, btdubs, is the best idea EVER. On Monday they do a service industry brunch so those that sling of our food and drinks all weekend have a chance to relax and enjoy being on the other side of the table for once. As a former server at the worst place ever, I can tell you how much I appreciate this idea. Plus, my weekends are spent singing and teaching voice lessons, so, it’s my brunch too!

And as if all that awesomeness weren’t enough, the people at Snowdonia are just great as well. The thing I love most about the whole process of Single Girl is, hands down, the recommendation process. I now know that Matt is both part of Snowdonia, Vespa Queens, and some other Astoria entities. Tom, owner at Snowdonia, is also a involved with Vespa Queens. Yesterday at the VQ‘s Grand Opening Party (check their FB for a pic of me on a Vespa and the goodies I brought!), I started chatting with a gentleman who turned out to be Damian of VQ’s roommate. Then he introduced me to “Willie and John”, who, unbeknownst to me at the time, are the heart and soul of Mundo! I actually ran into them again today at the brand new Astoria Flea and Food, hugged them and thanked them for bringing Mundo back. Do you see where this is going? This crazy red thread that connects us all really does connect us all. Not only that, but it retraces and intertwines in ways I’d never dreamed.

Jane Goodall is quoted as saying “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do make a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” The truth in those words is undeniable. Most of us think about “making a difference” to mean some grand gesture that betters the world. I think that’s pretty daunting. If that’s what I thought making a difference was, I wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning. But the truth is, each of our actions puts something in motion in the environment around of. Even the tiniest one. Now, I don’t know about a butterfly causing a tsunami, but I’ll tell ya, when I smile and say ‘hello’ to someone, I feel good. I’m guessing they do too, and that’s a start.