Tokyo Central – in LA
Posted: November 26, 2025 Filed under: Entertainment, Home and Garden, Neighborhood Anecdotes (NYC) | Tags: Baumkuchen, dievca, Food, Japanese, Life, Shopping, snacks, Tokyo Central, torrance, travel Leave a commentTokyo Central is a Japanese Market in the South Bay Area. The cost of “common” items (butter, milk, eggs) wasn’t stellar, more than NYC prices – but you are not stopping for the common items. It’s ALL about the foods imported from Japan.
dievca went in with no knowledge and left with an adorable shopping bag (Emily Chan – Brightspot Design) full of chances. Master just laughed when he heard about her experience. So far, dievca has not been disappointed in her snack guesses and has loved one exceptional cake option.
The cake is a Baumkuchen: a traditional German cake made by baking layers of batter on a rotating spit, which gives it a unique appearance of concentric rings that resemble tree rings. The name “Baumkuchen” literally means “tree cake” in German. It is often glazed with chocolate or fondant and is popular in Germany, particularly during the holidays, but has also become very popular in Japan after being introduced there in the early 20th century.
Watch only if you are in a Zen Mood – turn the music off after awhile. It’s an interesting process:
thinking about it – etiquette
Posted: November 7, 2025 Filed under: Analysis, Home and Garden, Neighborhood Anecdotes (NYC) | Tags: D/s relationships, dievca, Dining, Etiquette, Food, Humor, leftovers, Life, Master, Stasher, Thai Food, UWS Leave a comment
Master and His dievca went out for Thai Food after a doozy of a day. It was early, casual and relaxed. A couple of older Ladies sat at the next table.
At the end of their meal, one Lady furtively whipped out a “stasher” bag and packed up her leftovers. dievca’s “reduce waste” heart glowed. dievca mentioned something about the stasher bag and the Lady bounced between complete embarrassment and pride.
Should the Lady be embarrassed about bringing a container for leftovers?
dievca knows she shouldn’t have mentioned it, she was just so excited…
It was a casual restaurant.
Master took His leftovers in a plastic container offer by the restaurant….
What is the etiquette?
an Accordion Funnel (something of use)!
Posted: October 25, 2025 Filed under: Accessories, Home and Garden | Tags: dievca, Food, funnel, home, inexpensive, kitchen gadget, Life, practical, Shopping, small, something of use Leave a comment
Features of a folding silicone funnel:
BPA-FREE: BPA-free flexible silicone funnels are suitable for use in the kitchen that are food grade. It is heat resistant from -40°C to 250°C.
PRESERVE KITCHEN SPACE: Foldable design that stores in a drawer! Rubber funnels: expand for usage, collapse for storage.
SIMPLE TO CLEAN: They are safe to throw in the dishwasher and won’t warp or alter color. Very simple to maintain—just give it a quick water rinse, add a little soapy water to remove any oil with ease.
FUNNELS FOR MULTIFUNCTION: The cone’s hole easily fits through many containers. Both liquid and powder can be transferred using them. You can apply some pressure to the funnel to quicken the transfer of heavy liquid and powder due to their soft material.
REUSABLE: Wash this collapsible funnel silicone with warm water and detergent before using it to transfer liquids or powders, and then allow it to air dry. After that, you can store it for later use.
dievca uses it to tranfer coffee or a hot beverage from a large cup to a tight-neck travel flask (her S’well bottles that are still working well!).
CLICK HERE to purchase a two-pack!
National Taco Day – 1st Tuesday of October
Posted: October 7, 2025 Filed under: Entertainment, Home and Garden | Tags: dievca, Food, fun, History, Holiday, Humor, Life, Mexican, taco, tacos, travel, Tuesday Leave a comment
The Tale of the Taco
The story of the taco is deeply woven into the history of Mexico. Anthropological evidence shows Indigenous people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico filled fresh, soft corn tortillas with small fish. The first documented “taco feast” for Europeans was arranged by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. Chronicler Bernal Díaz del Castillo described the meal, served on corn tortillas, that Cortés hosted for his captains in Coyoacán.
The modern word “taco” is believed to have originated in the 18th-century silver mines of Mexico. Miners used charges of gunpowder wrapped in paper, which they called “tacos.” Their lunchtime staple—tortillas wrapped around a spicy filling—looked strikingly similar to these dynamite sticks, and the name stuck.
Tacos were introduced to the United States by Mexican migrants in the early 20th century, with street vendors and taquerias popping up in cities across the Southwest. However, it was the invention of the pre-formed, hard-shell taco that helped launch the food into mainstream American culture.
Americans eat over 4.5 billion tacos each year!
- The hard-shell taco was made popular by Taco Bell in the 1950s.
- The Guinness World Record for the largest taco ever made stretched over 246 feet long and was filled with carnitas (Mexico, 2011).
- Breakfast tacos, filled with eggs, potatoes, chorizo, and cheese, are a morning staple in the U.S. and Mexico.
Just feeling this…on a Tuesday
Posted: September 16, 2025 Filed under: Clothing, Entertainment, Home and Garden | Tags: dievca, Food, Happiness, Humor, Life, Relationships, Shopping, t-shirt, work Leave a comment
You can get the t-shirt on Zazzle.
Made it down the mountain, just to…
Posted: September 1, 2025 Filed under: Disasters | Tags: dievca, disaster, Food, food poisoning, Health, Humor, Life, TMI, travel 1 Comment
experience food poisoning!
Yippie!
Not as bad as it could be, but a little out of commission.
Will be avoiding caffeine and leaning towards a BRAT diet for a couple of days. See Below ↓
Happy Labor Day – USA!
You may have heard of the BRAT diet which stands for Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast. The BRAT diet was often recommended for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but is no longer because of how restrictive it is. Below are lists of foods to focus on and avoid when experiencing nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, but there are many more foods that can be included.
FOODS TO FOCUS ON
Soft fruits: bananas, applesauce, avocado, pumpkin, canned fruit (packed in water not heavy syrup), and melons
Steamed or boiled vegetables: carrots, green beans, potatoes, and squash
Low-fiber starches: white bread, white rice, saltine crackers, cream of wheat, instant oatmeal, and noodles
Unseasoned skinless baked chicken or turkey, scrambled eggs, yogurt and kefir
Drinks: bone broth, apple juice, coconut water, Pedialyte, weak tea
Homemade oral rehydration solution to prevent dehydration: 1 Liter of clean or boiled water, mix in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 6 teaspoons of sugar and stir until both salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Cool down the water to room temperature or cooler before drinking.
FOODS TO AVOID
Avoid milk and dairy products for three days. Yogurt and kefir are okay
Avoid fried, fatty, greasy and spicy foods
Avoid pork, veal, salmon, and sardines
Avoid raw vegetables such as parsnips, beets, sauerkraut, corn on the cob, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and onions
Avoid citrus fruits: pineapples, oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes
Other fruits to avoid: tomatoes, cherries, grapes, figs, raisins, and seeded berries
Avoid extremely hot or cold beverages
Avoid alcohol
Avoid coffee and caffeinated sodas
Avoid added sugars and sweets like candy, soda and most juice
Down the rabbit hole about Protein
Posted: June 18, 2025 Filed under: Body Type, Discussion | Tags: body awareness, change, definition, diet, dietician, dievca, eating, Food, Health, learning, Life, menopause, nutrition, nutritionist, Scheduling, weight-loss 2 Commentsdievca finally was able to connect with a nutritionist. It took a year of juggling as a new patient and trying to stay within a certain healthcare system. Contact dievca if you are a dietician and are looking for a new position – she knows where there are openings…
Note: While both dieticians and nutritionists offer guidance on healthy eating, dieticians have more extensive training and legal recognition, particularly in the context of medical nutrition therapy. A registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) has specific credentials and licensure, while the term “nutritionist” can be used more broadly, and may not require formal qualifications.
That said, the person dievca saw was very good. dievca likes to think she eats semi-well and food journaled for 3 weeks before her visit. she got somethings right and the dietician kindly corrected timing issues and a couple of dievca’s misconceptions about certain foods.
It all came back to eating more protein as a post-menopausal woman.
Basically, protein needs to be added to many of dievca’s meals/snacks to beef up (heh, heh, heh) satiety, so she’s not scrambling for something later. Which brings dievca to the issue of having some form of protein at 5:30 am.
This is funny, but perhaps not an option for dievca:
Look, adding two eggs on avocado toast is easy at 11:00 am…
What is easy, quick, and convenient at 5:15 am?
A protein shake?
How does dievca prep one or which one is good to buy? What tastes ok so dievca doesn’t feel like throwing up. The nutritionist suggested “FairLife”, but dievca dislikes stevia – will stevia trigger a sweet craving? Is having some sugar in a bottled protein shake going to kill the process?
Ugh!
There are going to be some “taste tests” in dievca’s future.
PLEASE – if you have any suggestions, let dievca know. she could use the help.
XO
Something of Use – Silicone Food Containers
Posted: April 5, 2025 Filed under: Accessories, Home and Garden | Tags: dievca, Food, kitchen, leftovers, Life, meal prep, practical, Shopping, silicone, something of use, storage Leave a comment
dievca’s been meal prepping (morning oatmeal) and eating leftovers quite a bit. her stash bags have been great for fruit, nuts and sandwiches, etc. Sometimes you need a more stable container that heats up in the microwave and holds a sauce/gravy on meatloaf without getting messy. Blue Ginko silicone containers offer more stability and a locking lid to store food. They clean easily in the dishwasher. The smaller size has been great for traveling and the larger size works for leftovers!
Something of Use!
Superbowl = heart attack foods
Posted: February 9, 2025 Filed under: Discussion, Entertainment, Home and Garden | Tags: American Football, dievca, Food, Friends, Health, heart attack, hosting, Life, Party, sharing, simple, Super Bowl, traditional Leave a commentBut, they taste so good – a guilty pleasure.
10 Foods Americans Consider Essential for a Super Bowl Event
- Buffalo and/or hot wings—named by 49 percent
- Barbecue (brisket, ribs, BBQ chicken, etc.)—37 percent
- Seven-layer dip—36 percent
- Pizza—30 percent
- Chicken tenders and/or nuggets—30 percent
- Nachos—30 percent
- Cookies—25 percent
- Brownies—24 percent
- Buffalo chicken dip—24 percent
- Potato chips—24 percent
Cheesecake
Wine
Crab Dip in Soughdough Bowl
Buffalo Wings
Rotel Chip Dip
Beer
Vegetable Plate
dievca is hosting a small Superbowl party and she is offering some of the “essential” snacks:
- Rotel Dip and Chips (Nachos)
- Buffalo Wings (on sale from Whole Foods)
- Crab Dip in Sourdough Bowl (not a 7-Layer Dip, but a good dip)
she is adding a vege plate and a Junior’s Cheese Cake as the treat. Fruits are available: Apples, Mandarina Oranges and Bananas. Beer and Wine.
Feels like a heart attack waiting to happen. XO
PS. Who are you rooting for? (Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs)
and the question is…
Posted: January 17, 2025 Filed under: Discussion, Entertainment, Home and Garden | Tags: baking, description, dessert, desserts, dievca, donuts, doughnut, doughnuts, Food, Humor, Life, Opinion, poll Leave a comment
Yeast vs. Caked Donut?
Yeast doughnuts are made from dough leavened with yeast (think brioche), whereas cake doughnuts are traditionally made from a kind of cake batter that uses a chemical leavener (i.e. baking powder or baking soda).
The difference in leavening agent impacts texture and flavor. Yeast doughnuts are lighter: Once cooked, a cross-section reveals a number of air pockets, giving the donut a puffy, malleable quality, and a slightly chewy texture. Cake doughnuts are dense with more compact crumbs and a firm, crisp exterior shell.
Yeast doughnuts are the OGs. They predate cake doughnuts and were likely first introduced to the United States by Dutch immigrants. Cake doughnuts didn’t start showing up in cookbooks here until the 1830s—due to the development of chemical leaveners.
Most important there is flavor to consider. Plain cake doughnuts are more rich and buttery, while yeast doughnuts are a little yeasty. They have a subtle fermented tang. The cake batter donuts are easier to dress up with a wide variety of flavorings. They can handle a thicker coating of icing better suited to secure all your favorite add-ons: sprinkles, nuts, bacon, etc. Yeast doughnuts have a more conservatively flavor with a thin glaze, or a light icing. They might almost pass as the more modest choice if it weren’t for the fact that the style is used to make filled doughnuts: ballooned up with jelly, custard or creams.
dievca sits on the “cake” donut team. Which way do you vote?
A "Thank You" to Maryse Chevriere from the Greatist for a bounce off point.
Inspired by a clementine~
Posted: January 4, 2025 Filed under: Accessories, Clothing, Fashion | Tags: Cold Weather, cozy, dievca, Food, inspiration, Life, Orange, outfit, sick Leave a comment
When you have been floating along on liquids: soup, tea, hot water with lemon – and finally eat a piece of excellent fruit filled with Vitamin C. The clementine with leaves inspired an outfit!
Feeling cozy on the first day venturing out after being sick:
The Recycled Planet Men’s Autobot Down Jacket $450
Eribe Kinross High Neck Sweater Beltnae
COS basic grey t-shirt $15
M.I.H. Paradise Jeans
Smartwool Popcorn Socks
Eddie Bauer Women’s K-6 Boots
Calvin Klein Urban Outfitters Bra and bottoms grey
Kate Spade Air Quote Mittens
Black Cashmere Hat
Puffer Backpack
Repost – Chicken Noodle Soup recipe
Posted: January 3, 2025 Filed under: Home and Garden | Tags: chicken, dinner, Food, recipes, soup Leave a comment01/03/2025 — Have you noticed a lot of people around you getting sick? dievca’s caught a cold – its a bit of a doozy. she sounds like a frog. dievca lazed around the apartment yesterday and is washing sheets/wiping down the surfaces today. she used up all of her frozen soup, so Master is running to Fairway for her to get supplies for a new batch. Its good that she has had a moment to lay low and honestly, the chicken soup was the best. Comfort.
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Chicken Noodle Soup makes you feel better.
Why? (NYT Blog)
Many doctors believe that colds are caused by viral infections. The body responds to these infections by sending over white blood cells to take charge, though they are not really effective in killing the virus.
The Jewish penicillin seems to inhibit the movement of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell that defends against infection. The theory is that the limitation of movement for these cells helps reduce the Upper Respiratory distress.
An exact super food ingredient hasn’t been found, but the combination of vegetables and chicken is most effective.
A second study suggested that chicken noodle soup can affect air flow and mucus in the nose – the increase in movement made the protective cilia more effective in preventing contagions from entering the body. Which works for allergies, too!
In that spirit, dievca would like to share her recipe for healing Chicken Noodle Soup.
It’s become a legend amongst her friends who are ill — who knows, maybe it is just the TLC its made with~
Ingredients (6QT pot):
- 1 – 1.5 lb. whole Chicken
- Vegetables: Onion, Celery, Leek, Parsnips, Carrots, Parsley, etc.
- Bouillon (about 8 cubes for this soup pot)
- Water filled to top/ covering everything. (8+ cups)
- Egg noodles (dievca makes 1/2 a bag for about 3-4 bowls of soup)
- Pepper to taste
Start with the vegetables: Carrots, Leek, Turnips, Parsley, Onions, Celery, Parsnips, etc.
Add bouillon, the whole chicken and cover with water.
Remember, bone broth is rich in minerals that support the immune system and contains healing compounds like collagen, glutamine, glycine and proline. The collagen in bone broth heals your gut lining and reduces intestinal inflammation.
Bring to a boil and let the soup simmer until the chicken meat falls off the carcass (approx. 1 hour 15 minutes). At that point, transfer the chicken carcass to a large bowl for cooling, then remove the skin and bones – keep the meat. You can take out the greens, leek and celery – or not.
Returning the meat t
o the pot, bring the soup to boil and let it simmer while making the egg noodles.
After everything is ready, put together a bowl with noodles, soup broth, meat, vegetables and pepper for taste.
Let the relief begin!
Photos: dievca 2/2017
Good Luck for the New Year!
Posted: December 31, 2024 Filed under: Entertainment, Home and Garden, lingerie | Tags: Color, dievca, Food, Global traditions, Humor, Life, luck, New Year, New Year's Eve, superstition, underwear 1 CommentMaybe this post didn’t make it to you in time for 2025 — keep it in mind for 2026! XO
What are some ways to get good luck on New Year’s?
Eat!
In Spain, those celebrating the New Year eat a dozen grapes, one for each strike of the clock at midnight. According to Spain’s tourism website, it’s good luck if you can eat all the grapes in time. Each grape represents 12 resolutions or wishes for the new year. But make sure to eat all 12, the superstition goes — otherwise, the luck can go sour.
Eating the 12 grapes at midnight to ring in the new year is a Spanish tradition that is hundreds of years old, according to Vogue. It is practiced across the Caribbean, South America and other Hispanic and Latin countries, too.
In Greece, they smash a pomegranate on New Year’s Day to bring life and luck. The ancient Greeks believed that the fruit’s seeds symbolized abundance, fertility and eternity, according to the Greek Reporter.
Eat black-eyed peas and lentils:
Round foods resemble coins and money, Linda Pelaccio, who hosted the culinary radio show “A Taste of the Past,” previously told USA TODAY. Eat these symbolic foods for a financially prosperous new year. On the contrary: Don’t eat the round foods and you could have a year of bad luck!
If you eat peas with greens and cornbread, then that’s even more auspicious, what with green being the color of money and cornbread calling to mind gold.
Black-eyed peas are served with rice in the traditional Southern U.S. dish called “Hoppin’ John” for New Year’s Eve. Or, the peas can be part of a soup. In Italy, lentils mix with pork for a lucky dish.
Pigs have always been considered lucky, so a meal with pork can bring prosperity.
“Pigs take their snout and root forward, as opposed to digging backward,” Linda Pelaccio.
While eating pork is great because they always move forward, try to avoid eating lobster. Lobsters walk backwards!
Smash your plates!
In Denmark, people smash plates on their friends’ or neighbors’ doorsteps on New Year’s Day, according to travel magazine Outlook Traveler. The more pieces that break apart, the better fortune.
Walk around the block with an empty suitcase!
The Latin American tradition is supposed to draw in adventure and traveling to new places in the upcoming year, reported CBS News Miami.
However, some people believe the suitcase should be packed with the things that represent the vacation you want, like sunscreen and pool floaties if your dream vacation is to Miami or Puerto Rico, before going on that walk, according to Amigos International.
Avoid laundry and clean-up on New Years Day!
People avoid doing laundry or cleaning on Jan. 1st as it can cleanse away any good fortunes for the upcoming year, according to Chinese superstition.
Another distressing belief is that doing laundry and cleaning will “wash away a loved one,” meaning someone you love could die in the new year, reported CBS News.
According to superstition, you’ll be sweeping away good luck along with dirt and dust mites, so avoid cleaning until Jan 2nd.
Another distressing belief is that doing laundry and cleaning will “wash away a loved one,” meaning someone you love could die in the new year, reported CBS News.
According to superstition, you’ll be sweeping away good luck along with dirt and dust mites, so avoid cleaning until Jan 2nd.
Use the color of your undies to manifest desires 💘
The color of the undies you wear on New Year’s can bring you your heart’s desires in the new year, according to Sustainable Baddie,
Looking to get that raise or a better-paying job? Well then, you may want to wear yellow panties.
Red panties are said to bring passion and love, while pink brings platonic love.
Blue brings good health, and green undies being freedom, life and nature.
According to Rockland/Westchester Journal News, a part of the USA TODAY Network, wearing different colored underwear for your New Year wishes is common in many different countries, including Spain, Latin America and Italy, where the tradition is said to have originated.
OK, as of this moment – dievca has 12 grapes ready-to-eat, she started the laundry and it will be done before midnight. she has a pomegranate to smash for tomorrow and the decision to wear blue underwear (above photo) has been made by both Master and his dievca!
Oh, yeah, “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit”!
Sending love ~ dievča
Thank you to YahooLife and USA Today.
Dealing with the Leftovers = colcannon
Posted: December 29, 2024 Filed under: Entertainment, Home and Garden | Tags: cooking, dievca, dinner, Food, food waste, fresh produce, Happiness, leftovers, Life, practical, recipe, recipes, vegetables Leave a comment
dievca offered a fresh vegetable platter at the Orphan’s Christmas Eve. The leftover spring onions, sliced peppers and mushrooms made it into a spaghetti sauce. The mini-tomatoes were baked with Cod. That left the carrots, cauliflower and broccoli to be eaten raw – until one cannot eat any more raw veg…
Waste not, want not~
dievca boiled two potatoes and fresh garlic with the carrots for 10 minutes, then added the broccoli and cauliflower for a second 10 minute boiling period. Everything was soft enough to mash with milk, butter and pepper. dievca then added pieces of the leftover ham to add salt and protein.
What the heck was she making? Does it have a name?
A dish of boiled and mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower is called colcannon with a variety of vegetables. Colcannon is an Irish dish that traditionally pairs mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale.
Here are some tips for making colcannon:
You can use different vegetables to mix with the potatoes.
Carrots and parsnips have similar flavors and can outweigh the potatoes.
Scallions are traditional in colcannon, but you can use leeks instead.
If you use parsnips, you can strain the purée or put it through a food mill because they can be fibrous.
Got it! Colcannon – it tastes good and has extended the food excess from dievca’s party for a couple more meals.
Perhaps you might like it, too!
Friendsgiving 🦃🍗🦃
Posted: November 28, 2024 Filed under: Entertainment, Home and Garden, Relationships | Tags: cooking, Food, Friends, Friendsgiving, good wishes, gratitude, Life, Love, Master, sharing, Thanksgiving, traditional Leave a comment
Thanksgiving Day, is an annual national holiday in the United States (4th Thursday of November) and Canada (the 2nd Monday in October) celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Americans generally believe that their Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people.
What is the meaning of Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is celebrated as a means of giving thanks for family, friends, food, health and other positivity. Some families incorporate religion by giving thanks in prayer, but Thanksgiving is a federal holiday and celebrated nationwide.
The word Friendsgiving is, of course, a blend of friend and Thanksgiving, and it refers to a large meal eaten with friends either on or near Thanksgiving. When Friendsgiving first came into use, it was used to describe something much more informal than the traditional Thanksgiving meal. dievca is using the word to convey a celebration on Thanksgiving with friends, plus people who might be holiday orphans, traveling far from home, coworkers, etc. No immediate Family Members, this year.
But just because you can’t go home for the holidays doesn’t mean you have to be alone and leftover-less. Friends, coworkers, neighbors and “holiday orphans” can celebrate a fantastic “Friendsgiving” instead.
—Rebecca Ross, The Pensacola (Florida) News Journal, 27 Nov. 2008
Master and dievca may not be able to share their Friendsgiving meal with you – but they do wish you a Happy Holiday and are grateful for your being a part of their lives.
And for the foodies in dievca’s Life…
The Simple Menu:
- Herb Roasted Turkey (cooked in a Reynold’s Wrap bag) holds the juices and is easy
- Pepperidge Farm Stuffing/Dressing (doctored up with corn, Andouille sausage and walnuts) Can you tell that dievca isn’t a huge fan of stuffing?
- Fresh Green Beans – steamed (butter and salt) A strange note, dievca has never eaten a green bean casserole
- Fresh Mashed Potatoes (herbs, milk and butter) something dievca does like to make
- Turkey Gravy – Heinz jar (adding fresh roasted garlic, drippings and a splash of wine) dievca did not grow up eating gravy, she doesn’t trust her skills
- Fresh Cranberry Sauce dievca is probably the only person who really likes this and she cannot stand the canned option
- Homemade Biscuits dievca does trust her baking skills
- Homemade Granny Smith Apple Pie (with ice cream) dievca does trust her baking skills
Note: Master has a child who has trained as a gourmet cook -dievca cannot compete, so she doesn’t try. she just goes for simple and clean ingredients for items she knows. she gets help (stuffing and gravy) for things she doesn’t know. Its more about the company around the table than the food. Right? Join us. XO
NYC restaurant recommendation: Sugarfish
Posted: November 3, 2024 Filed under: Discussion, Entertainment, Home and Garden, Neighborhood Anecdotes (NYC) | Tags: dievca, Food, friendship, Japanese, Life, Love, Marathon, NYC, recommendation, restaurants, sushi, travel, Upper West Side 2 CommentsThe New York City Marathon is being run this morning. That meant if you were going out in NYC, last evening’s meal should NOT have been carbo-loading unless you were a runner. dievca is not running the marathon and dievca chose sushi.
SUGARFISH is one of many restaurants operated by Sushi Nozawa Group, which also includes KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar and Nozawa Bar. SUGARFISH is a full-service restaurant obsessively focused on the quality of the sushi.
The restaurant is a chain featuring 11 locations in the Los Angeles/Orange County area and 6 locations in NYC. They do not accept reservations. So going on the eve of the marathon was a good choice. dievca chose the new location on the Upper Westside because a young friend is waitering there. her friend was on a double shift making $30/hour. The restaurant does not accept tipping – hence the higher wage.
dievca didn’t know what to expect as she was checking-in on the friend.
The cuts of fish and the rice were SUPERIOR. Why?
dievca loves sushi, she cannot afford to eat at Sugarfish all the time – but its there as a treat.
If you are traveling to NYC from a landlocked area – this is the place to try amazing sushi.
Photo Credit: Friend Chicken Studios
A shiny apple pie! (recipe)
Posted: October 11, 2024 Filed under: Discussion, Home and Garden | Tags: Apple Pie, baking, dievca, Food, Joy, Life, recipe 1 Commentdievca’s friend is still giving her apples from the orchard in upstate New York. It was use them or lose them~ So, this week, dievca decided to make an apple pie. she had time constraints and used a store bought crust rather than making her own. The crust is not the best nor the worst – just middling.
The apples, on the other hand, shine!
dievca mixed MacIntosh apples from the orchard with Comic Crisps from Governors Island. she added Fuji apples and realized her mix may be too sweet – so she cut down on sugar.
If you are asking yourself, “Who is eating all this baked goodness?” It’s not dievca.
she has shared with Master, neighbors, friends from work, colleagues from work.
Here’s the recipe dievca used – its for her Dutch friend who stated that she has too many apples, too!
Ingredients
Servings: 8 people
- 1 recipe for double pie crust
- 2 1/4 lbs apples, peeled, cored 6-7 apples (7 cups thinly sliced)
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg , + 1 Tbsp water, for egg wash
Instructions
- Make the pie crust recipe and chill per instructions while preparing the filling. Preheat oven to 425˚F (218 C)
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 3 Tbsp flour then simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue simmering for 3 minutes, whisking frequently then remove from heat.
- Peel, remove cores, and thinly slice 7 cups of apples and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle the top with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and toss to combine. Pour the sauce over the apples and stir to coat the apple slices.
- Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out the bottom pie crust to a 12″ diameter circle. Wrap it around your rolling pin to transfer it to the 9″ pie plate. Add apple mixture, mounding slightly in the center and being careful not to get the filling on the edges which would make it difficult to seal.
- Roll the second crust into an 11″ round and cut into 10 even-thickness strips using a pizza cutter. Arrange strips in a woven lattice pattern over the top (see video tutorial). Beat together 1 egg and 1 Tbsp water and brush the top with egg mixture.
- Bake at 425˚F in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350˚F (177 C) and continue baking for another 45 minutes or until the apples are soft and the filling is bubbling through the vents.* Rest at room temp 1 hour before serving.
Notes
*Place a sheet of foil on the rack below the apple pie to catch any potential drips from the pie.
-Granny Smith Apples are good apples for apple pie, but you can also use any sweet/tart crisp apple, like Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady.
-Store cooled pie covered on the counter overnight or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, store the cooled pie in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge and then warm in the oven at 350°F for around 20 minutes
– If you need the imperial measurements converted to metric – just let dievca know.
Running errands Uptown
Posted: August 18, 2024 Filed under: Discussion, Entertainment, Neighborhood Anecdotes (NYC) | Tags: Crepes, Food, Life, Love, Master, Midtown, NYC, Street Food, subway, Summer, Upper West Side 3 Commentsdievca took the subway up to Master’s apartment to water plants and collect the mail. Then she took it down to Midtown to drop one item and pick up 5 items from her favorite shoe repair guy. As she was walking out of the shop she spotted a Street Fair on 8th Avenue.
It’s been awhile since she’s seen one – as she lives more towards the Hudson River. Street Fairs open up on 6th Ave, 8th Ave, 23rd Street, etc. dievca is in the “zoo” called Hudson Yards.
Anyways – Master was on the phone with dievca and started laughing when she spotted the Crepe Stand:
It was like the Heavens opened up and gave dievca a gift! An early birthday gift! Pure Joy!
OK, maybe not that good – but after sweating in the subway, doing errands and schlepping bags – stopping to have a crepe and some fresh squeezed lemonade tasted very good! dievca’s crepe of choice? Lemon and sugar, without the powdered sugar on top.
Sometimes dievca really loves NYC!
Schlepping outfit:
Athleta Delancy Cargo Pants
Cafe Grumpy T-Shirt
Air Max 95 Army nwob $35
Nike Swim Backpack Blaze $25 eBay
Photo: Street Fair 6th Ave by Alexandre Tziripoulo
refreshing!
Posted: July 13, 2024 Filed under: Entertainment, Home and Garden, Neighborhood Anecdotes (NYC) | Tags: Chelsea, dievca, drink recipe, Food, friendship, iced tea, Jack's Wife Freda, lemonade, lunch, recipe, restaurant, Summer, Summer heat 3 Comments
On one of dievca’s excursions with a young person, they met up at Jack’s Wife Freda on 8th Ave and 16th in Chelsea. dievca had an excellent Prego sandwich with blueberry tea lemonade. The tartness cut through the summer humidity. The tea wasn’t for dievca’s young friend, so dievca drank both glasses and loved it!
she found a recipe:
Blueberry Iced Tea with Lemon and a Hint of Mint
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 cups sugar This is up to you. Add less or more sugar if necessary.
- juice of one lemon
- 7 1/2 cups water divided
- 3-4 fresh mint leaves
- 4 black tea bags
1) In a sauce pan over medium high heat, add 1/2 cup of water and 2 cups of fresh blueberries. Once boiling cook for about 3 minutes.
2) Mash all of the blueberries as they cook. Pour the mashed fruit juice in a fine strainer into a bowl.
3) Use the back of a spoon to squeeze the blueberry juice into the bowl
4) Pour the strained blueberry juice, the lemon juice, the rest of the water and mint leaves into the pitcher.
5) Mix very well then add the tea bags. Refrigerate for 7-24 hours.
6) Pour ice into each glass then the blueberry juice.
Recipe from the “Whisk It Real Gud” –
Photo: dievca Blueberry Tea Lemonade Chelsea NYC 07/2024
Lobsta’ Bake and a Ball Game
Posted: July 12, 2024 Filed under: Clothing, Entertainment, Home and Garden | Tags: Baseball, closet, cooking, Food, Life, Lobster, Love, Maine, New England, Outfits, packing, recipe, Summer, travel, weekend Leave a comment
Nothing speaks “New England Summer” like a Seafood Bake: Clambake, Lobster Bake.
A New England Lobster Bake dates bake to the pilgrim days. When the first settlers reached New England, lobsters were so plentiful that they were piled two feet high on the shore, thus they were known as the poor man’s protein. The Native Americans taught the settlers to cook the lobster over hot rocks. A true traditional New England lobster bake is usually prepared in a pit on the beach, lined with heated stones. Wet seaweed is layered between piles of clams, lobsters, potatoes and corn on the cob. After cooking, the meal is then piled on a picnic table for a hearty and festive family feast.
Baseball is another summer staple and Fenway Park (Home of the Red Socks) sits in the heart of Boston. dievca is making her way to Boston for a game and continuing up the coast to Maine for a Lobster Bake.
she’s searching her closet for shorts, a t-shirt and rain jacket for the baseball game. Plus a sundress for the Lobster Bake:
Majestic Filatures Striped Tee
Nili Lotan Utility Shorts
OnCloud Monster $119 eBay
Clear Stadium Bag
Ralph Lauren Baseball Cap
ATM Anthony Thomas Melillo Striped T-shirt Dress
Jack Gomme Rock Nappa Leather crossbody Mandarine
Jack Gomme Nuria Nappa Leather Sandals Mandarine
Ray-Ban Clunmaster Glasses
Hunter rain poncho orange
If you are craving a little meat~
Posted: June 18, 2024 Filed under: Clothing | Tags: dievca, Food, hamburger, Humor, kitsch, Master, Moschino, quirky, Shopping, skirt, YOOX Leave a comment
Moschino has got you covered from the 2022 Resort by Jeremy Scott.
Product Details
Multicolor sequin-embellished hamburger skirt from MOSCHINO featuring sequin embellishment, rhinestone embellishment, concealed side hook and zip fastening, hamburger-shaped and padded hamburger details. MSRP $7534
The skirt is silly fun, but Master prefers his dievca’s meat without embellishment.
Finding Chicago-style out West
Posted: June 15, 2024 Filed under: Analysis, Discussion, Entertainment | Tags: Chicago-style, desperation, dievca, eating, Farmer's Market, Food, Hot Dog, Humor, Life, Love, Midwestern, travel, Utah Leave a comment
dievca took a moment after hiking (she’s in UT) to stop by a Farmer’s Market. There wasn’t much “farm” in the market, but more pre-made food and goods for sale. One stand offered Chicago-style Hot Dogs, burgers and the owner (a transplant from Chicago) was trying-out Italian Beef, too. Out of desperation, dievca just wanted the traditional Chicago-Style Dog (NYC does hot dogs poorly), its been over 10 years…so she figured if you are going to kill yourself eating processed meat – let’s make it good.
A Chicago-style Hot Dog is a salad on a Vienna Beef piece of processed meat:
The Chicago transplant did well. The Vienna Beef hot dog had snap, the pickle, peppers and tomatoes were crisp, a hint of salt, mustard and relish were just enough. The bun was solid. Maybe not Portillo’s, but a good solid meal. Now if dievca could just stop rifting…
Coffee on an empty stomach~
Posted: March 18, 2024 Filed under: Analysis, Discussion, Home and Garden | Tags: Acid Reflux, coffee, dievca, Food, GERD, Health, heartburn, Life, Life Changes, Monday, Morning, nutrition Leave a commentdievca had an endoscopy for a “touchy tummy” and acid reflux irritation. No cancer was found, and even after using a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) for two months her stomach lining was still an angry red and had divots which were healing. dievca suspects the challenges started with the stress from dealing with her parents and eating in “rushed blocks” due to work.
she’s still refining her daily habits and had a question:
Also consider the caffeine.
Cortisol, the stress hormone that produces the fight-or-flight response, is usually highest in the morning and, for some people, that shot of caffeine may increase the effect.
Cortisol can also raise blood sugar levels, and coffee drinkers with diabetes may want to pair a protein with a carbohydrate in a morning meal to balance out blood sugar levels.
Research shows that coffee can be acidic and stimulate the production of stomach acid, but that isn’t likely to be a problem for most people. A study of 8,000 healthy individuals found no significant link between coffee consumption and four major upper gastrointestinal disorders, including ulcers and reflux issues.
As for the stomach, it is extremely well equipped to protect itself.
Coffee is not likely to damage the lining of the stomach unless there’s some underlying disease.
What else you should know:
Depending on how your coffee is brewed and served, you may be able to partially sidestep the acidity issue.
Experts suggest:
- Trying a darker roast. They tend to stimulate less stomach acid secretion.
- Drinking cold coffee. Cold brew has been found to have lower concentrations of acidic compounds than hot brew.
- Adding milk or cream to your coffee. The dairy may help buffer the acid in your stomach.
The bottom line:
For most people, drinking a cup of coffee on an empty stomach won’t cause any harm. Even those with sensitive stomachs may be able to reduce the risk of stomach upset by brewing a darker roast or preparing their coffee with a splash of milk.
Adapted from the Washington Post article by Lindsey Beaver
Christmas Eve 2023
Posted: December 24, 2023 Filed under: Entertainment, Home and Garden | Tags: Christmas Eve, dievca, entertaining, Food, Holiday 2023, Life, Love, sharing Leave a comment
May your Family (biological or created) be with you in spirit or person.
Sending Love,
XO your dievca
PS. It was the smallest ham dievca could find….
And then there were three (a dievca disaster – sort of ~)
Posted: December 24, 2023 Filed under: Disasters, Entertainment, Home and Garden, Relationships | Tags: Christmas Eve, dievca, disaster, Food, Holiday 2023, Humor, Life, Love, Orphans, Party Leave a comment
dievca invited “orphans” to a Christmas Eve gathering and yesterday was spent cleaning the house, buying groceries and doing early preparations.
The only problem is of the six people who confirmed, three guests texted – last night, that they have gotten the flu.
Which leaves dievca with the cozy number of three, but also leaves her with a lot of extra food….
Here’s the simple offerings:
- Spiral Ham
- Dutch cheeses
- Chilled Shrimp
- Vegetable plate
- Fruit plate
- Rotel Dip and Tortilla Chips
- Warm Apple Cider
- Wine, Beer
- Cheesecake and Ferrero Rocher/Lindt Lindor Chocolates
Would you like to stop by?
Lovely Lunch
Posted: November 3, 2023 Filed under: Accessories, Clothing, Master | Tags: Autumn, Birthday gift, D/s relationships, Food, Life, Love, Metropolitan Museum, NYC, Presentation Outfit, sharing Leave a comment
Else Blue Bra and Panties
The Elder Statesman Red Cotton Cashemere Tee $30
Micheal Kors Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater $450 eBay
Good American Wide Leg Faux Leather Pants
Bass Weejun Red Pebbled Penny Loafers $120 eBay
Flat Collar Herringbone Coat Gray Black – Lattelier ($299)
Quince Croco Leather Crossbody Bag
Jonathon Adler Eyeglasses
It was 38 F (3.3C) and sunny when dievca hitched a ride on a bus to cross to the East Side. Lunch at the Met with Master. They have a “farm-to-table” restaurant which looks over Central Park – mostly for the “Members of the Met”.
With all their travelling – dievca and Master missed each others birthday, so they decided on a lovely lunch with activities after to celebrate ~ the spontaneous nap in the autumn sunshine was a highlight.
Sometimes it is the simple things that make Life worth living.
How do you like your Apples?!?!
Posted: September 16, 2023 Filed under: Accessories, Home and Garden | Tags: Apples, baking, Clutch, dievca, Dolce & Gabbana, Elegant, Food, Life, Shopping, tastes 2 Comments
You can sport the, 679 Euro ($715), Dolce and Gabbana Leather Apple Clutch Bag.
Or…if your finances are a bit constrained, check out the graphic to buy an apple who’s “tartness” may appeal to your tastebuds for approximately $1.29.
dievca is going for Granny Smith or MacIntosh apples with Almond Butter. Then she’ll mix up the sweetness levels when she bakes an apple pie or crumble.
How do you like your apples?
Pho (NYC -recommended)
Posted: September 10, 2023 Filed under: Neighborhood Anecdotes (NYC) | Tags: Columbus Circle, dievca, dinner, Food, Friends, Joy, NYC, Pho, recommendation, restaurant, Vietnamese Leave a commentOne of dievca’s guests was finished with her Fashion Show earlier than the others (Day Show vs. Evening Shows) so they caught up for dinner. The guest expressed and interest in Vietnamese Food and was wandering the city by Columbus Circle.
dievca checked out Google and came up with Cha Pa’s Noodle and Grill at 314 W. 52nd Street (4.4 Stars out of 992 ratings).
It was an excellent choice!
dievca and her friend decided on Pho:
Pho is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street-stalls, and restaurants country-wide. Residents of the city of Nam Định were the first to create Vietnamese traditional phở.
Origin: Vietnam
Course: Main course
Invented: 1900–1907
Main ingredients: Rice noodles and beef or chicken
Serving temperature: Hot
dievca had the seafood (above photo) and her friend the Vegan option. Yes, it was hot/humid outside – but the hot soup was still a good choice, very fresh ingredients. They shared Mochi Ice Cream balls for dessert.
The restaurant is simple and inexpensive ($14-$16 for the Pho, $7 for three Mochi, $6 for the beer), so a true treat in NYC.
Pier 57 NYC
Posted: August 8, 2023 Filed under: Entertainment, Neighborhood Anecdotes (NYC) | Tags: dievca, Food, Life, Love, NYC, Photos, Pier 57 Leave a commentPier 57 is a long pier located in the Hudson River on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in December 1954, it sits at the end of West 15th Street on Eleventh Avenue, just south of the Chelsea Piers sports complex.
After sitting vacant for 20 years, historic Pier 57 reopened on April 1, 2023 as the newest public space in New York City. Pier 57 market offers a food hall – featuring minority owned and women owned restaurants plus pop-up restaurants, wine bar and coffee shop. The facility includes a beautiful 2-acre rooftop park, community space for events, working and studying, classrooms, interactive gallery and educational event spaces.
Some photos of the rooftop views:
Photos: dievca – Pier 57 Hudson River NYC 08/2023
A recommendation – Casa Dani
Posted: July 30, 2023 Filed under: Entertainment, Home and Garden | Tags: Chef Dani Garcia, dievca, dinner, Food, Life, Love, Master, Midtown West, restaurant, restu, Spanish Leave a comment
Empire State Building
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Hanger Steak
6cepas6 Rosada Producer Bodegas Perica Country Spain Region Rioja DOCa Varietal Red Garnacha, Tempranillo, Viura
Croquetas de Jamón Ibérico
dievca and Master shared a meal at CASA DANI in Manhattan West:
Croquetas de Jamón Ibérico
Cinco Jotas Iberian ham
Spanish Omelette
Caramelized Onion for an additional charge
Oxtail Brioche
Pulled oxtail, Chef Dani’s signature sauce, mushrooms, arugula
Hanger Steak
10 oz. wet aged prime beef
dievca would like to recommend the restaurant to you for your next visit to NYC!
dievca 
