Best of 2011

As every radio station in American features Best of 2011 countdowns, I've decided to make a countdown of my very own. Here's my list of the best songs of this year. A disclaimer: they haven't all been released in 2011, but they've all helped define 2011 for me.

Without further ado,

The 15 Best Songs of 2011 (according to me)
15. Resta Cu' mme- Pino Daniele
14.By Your Side- Tenth Avenue North
13. Talking in Code- Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos
12. Hello- Martin Solveig & Dragonette
11. Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)- Lady Gaga
10. If I Die Young- The Band Perry
9. Farther Along- Anthony Reese
8. Fidelity- Regina Spektor
7. You and I- Ingrid Michaelson
6. Mean- Taylor Swift
5. Rocks and Daggers- Noah and the Whale
4. Somewhere With You- Tyler Ward
3. 5 Years Time- Noah and the Whale
2. El Camino- Amos Lee
and....
1. Umirem 100 Punto Dnevno- Perpetuum Jazzile


Auld Lang Syne by Dougie Maclean is a runner-up. I chose not to include it because I haven't been obsessed with that all year, just recently.
Perpetuum Jazzile took number one by a long shot.

Happy New Year to you!

Something I've Lost

"Really, Gina?" Chris said, interrupting our club meeting to call me out on the two-liter Sprite bottle I had just pulled from my purse and began drinking.

I'd had a huge crush on Chris Smith since freshman year, and this was the most he had spoken to me yet. And it was about my two-liter Sprite bottle.

"Oh,  it's not Sprite, it's filled with water," I said nonchalantly, raising the bottle to my lips and motioning to Peter, our leader, to continue with the meeting.

"Still," Chris replied, still looking at me without blinking, unphased.

The Sprite bottle was a last resort...

Reasons to Love Rosa Mexicano

1. It has a wall adorned with flowing water and little statues of naked men.
2. It was awarded “Best Restaurant 2000” by Interiors Magazine.
3. Frank Bruni of the NY Times had a successful dining experience there with his nephew Gavin, 7, and his niece Bella, 5.
4. Did I mention the water wall covered with naked men??? To be specific, it's a 30-foot iridescent blue tile water wall that spans both levels of the restaurant and is adorned with 240 miniature cliff divers.
5. Yes, that's 240 naked men.

Rosa Mexicano (Jennifer S. Altman for The New York Times)

There's also good food, a guacamole cart that delivers fresh-made guac to each table, plentiful portions, and fair prices. In the end, Rosa Mexicano's good enough to go back to, but not special enough to frequent. Honestly, the best part was the Coffee-Kahlua ice cream, which I'm thinking I'll have to order to-go every now and then. It was pure heaven, and I don't know where else to get it.

   6. Alcohol-infused ice cream and naked men. Now that's a hook.

The Village.

There's nothing like an afternoon in the Village to help me appreciate the sunshine. My camera, comfy shoes, a pear-and-Gorgonzola salad in a cozy cafe, a glass of Riesling. My week was made.

I also ducked into the Cornelia Street Cafe for a screening of the Weimar-era silent film "Mysteries of a Hair Salon" complete with live music. Produced by Morningside Opera, the show was an exploration of the way film competes with, and sometimes upstages, opera. The soprano of the evening was not happy to be upstaged and kept trying to draw the attention away from the movie and unto herself. At one point, this included her musical rendition of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." It was pretty entertaining all in all.

More photos after the jump.

Grits with Mushrooms, Sausage, and Spinach

are delicious! I made this recipe tonight for my mom and it was so tasty and simple. Between reading Merton, a silent retreat, and a hectic lifestyle, I've been appreciating simplicity more than ever lately. This was a breeze to cook with almost every ingredient cooking through in under five minutes, and was also super cheap: I spent less than $20 on the meal for both of us. I adapted the recipe, adding spinach instead of herbs and using the broth from pasta fagioli soup instead of water to make the grits. (I also opted to add the sausage, of course.) A little cooking secret: I always reevaluate when/where a recipe calls for water. For things like rice, grits, cous cous, etc., using soup broth or even chicken stock always makes the result tastier. Using milk instead of water for cake batter makes the cake smoother. Water is just so bland.

Photo and recipe c/o turntablekitchen.com

For dessert.... I'm ashamed to say that I bought Warm Delights. Yes, it's microwaveable cake, and it tastes only slightly better than you'd imagine microwaveable cake to taste. Next time, I'll certainly take "Betty's Tip" (a suggestion on the Crocker packaging) and substitute Irish liqueur for water. I learned long ago that Irish + liquor are the key ingredients to making anything better.

Next on my cooking to-do list are pumpkin pancakes, to which I even intend on adding craisins and pecans. I think I'll save this one for CT, though, where flour, sugar and pans are already in stock. Until then, it's simple cooking and microwaveable cakes all the way.

Happy Almost-2011!

Well, we made it through finals (mostly) unscathed. I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

Photo by me

Now that I don't have school to worry about, I'm listening to the top songs of 2010, both separately and together. Listening to mash-ups is one of my favorite things to do at the end of the year and it's made cooler by the fact that DJ Earworm (the king of mash-ups, in my opinion) visited Fordham last year.

If you haven't already, check out DJ Earworm's mash-up of the top 25 Billboard hits of 2010. His mash-up from 2009 was AMAZING, but I think that DJ 'Dark Intensity's' Pop Got Us Falling in Love has him beat for 2010. Which is your favorite???

Here's to a peaceful, joy-filled 2011!

My Favorite Things

If you watch Oprah, you know that she just had her Favorite Things episode, during which she gave away lots of her favorite loot to hand-picked audience members. I missed the show, but it was apparently so good that it's now officially titled "Oprah's ULTIMATE Favorite Things."

In any case, it inspired me to think about my favorite things. If I had billions of dollars, what would I give away to an audience that my PR reps deemed deserving? What makes me happy on a daily basis?
It's a long list, but here's a glimpse of what I came up with:

My comfy suede/sheepskin flats by Lei ( mine are purple)

The abstract painting above the fireplace that brightens up my room

Hallelujah Here She Comes by U2

Sausage, Beans and Broccoli Rabe Soup by Rachel Ray

Sealy's posturepedic Encompass pillow

It is, of course, unnerving to place importance on material things. However, day-to-day happiness is sometimes about the small stuff: toasty feet, a amazing pillow, a great song. By no means do any of these things make college a great experience, but they bring me moments of joy throughout my days. If you're preparing for college, consider what you can pack along that will bring you bits of happiness, too. Often times, the small stuff makes all the difference.

Here's hoping that you're giving thanks for things big and small this year. Happy Thanksgiving!