Casa Ventura

Tonight’s dinner was a rare midweek meal out and we were not disappointed. The food at Casa Ventura was authentic & delicious. Their menu consists mainly of Puerto Rican dishes with a sprinkling of other Latin cuisine.

We started with colada drinks (made with Barrilito rum) and ate Guacomole with Plantain Chips. Then we moved onto two entrees: Asopao (stew) with Chicken and Shrimp with crispy yuca mofongo. These are two dishes that we have had many times and Casa Ventura versions are at the top of the list.

Buoyed by our culinary good fortune we ordered flan for dessert. It was homemade, smooth to the taste with just the right amount of caramel syrup to accompany it.

We haven’t found many Park Slope restaurants that bear repeat visits but Casa Ventura may change that, especially once they start serving Medalla, a beer from Puerto Rico.

Back to work?

Imagine seeing this when you arrive at the office after a nice long weekend:

Freaky!!

Jeans that fit

I’m taking the Intro to Sewing II class at The Sewing Studio in NYC. My first pair of pants are about 70% complete. Since I’m using a light denim fabric that means my new pair of jeans are 70% done!

The instructor, Kimberli, spent a good portion of class time working with me to get the correct fit. We measured me, we measured the paper pattern, we fit the pattern on the right side of my body. Kimberli used the ‘slash and spread’ method to adjust the pattern. We also lengthen the inseam.

I cut the fabric, sewed the sides & inseam and sewed the crotch (which was remarkably easy and simple). A second fitting found my jean legs to be way too straight and loose. So we went back to the pins and now my task is to slim down the legs. I guess I’m a bootleg cut girl 🙂

In the level 2 class we have the choice of several different clothing items to make. (Everyone makes a skirt in the level 1 class.) I chose pants because I have real problems finding a pair that fits. After having Kimberli custom fit my pattern I started to look at how jeans fit New Yorkers. I can honestly say that NO ONE wears jeans that fit! Not one person. We are a bunch that put together great outfits that don’t fit, LOL.

Finally Birchbox

Birchbox caught my attention after they were mentioned on the Nate Berkus show late last year. The Nate Berkus show you say? In my defense I was homebound with a bad leg – I watched every talk show there was!

For $10 a month you receive a small box of beauty products samples. When you sign up you fill out a form that helps them customized the box. I thought I filled out the survey fairly accurately but my early deliveries included things like green nail polish and lip tattoos, two items that I definitely have no interested in.

But I finally got a box that has samples I’ll actually use! This month box is the Gossip Girl edition. I love the Stila eye liner.I had some of the eye liner on my hand yesterday and it lasted all day without a smudge.

I’m still up in the air about keeping my subscription though it’s probably cheaper than impulse shopping at my local Sephora. I await my next Birchbox.

The Return to Sewing

At the end of 2011 I bought a Groupon for a Beginners Sewing Class at The Sewing Studio in NYC. I took the class and was amazed at how much information was taught in a two hour lesson.

For the last two months I have been attending the Introductory Sewing class and I just finished our last project, a cotton skirt. I love the Kokka fabric I found at Pins & Needles – my eyes would have zeroed in on this fabric if I were shopping in a store.

I am taking the next class (Intro to Sewing II) with the intention to make denim trousers. Pants are the hardest item to make fit well on the female body. I spent almost all two hours of today’s class wearing the pattern pinned to the lower half of my body!!
But more about this project in the coming weeks.

Starting a Stripe Study

I’m knitting Veera Valimaki’s Stripe Study and I’m at the point where I switch colors & work some short rows. I’m using Alisha Goes Around Tracks of Bison fingering weight yarn in Eggplanty (Purple) & Bedroom (Violet).