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LIZ HEATHER

October 1, 2023

September Shenanigans 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes


Simpsons foliage >

Simpsons foliage >

September has come and gone! Welcome to grade 33, as Martin Short would say. Before we can sing the praises of this perfect time of year, here’s what went down last month:

  • The best tweets of September can be found over here.

  • I compiled my favourite photos from the summer.

  • I finally wrote about my dad’s 100th birthday party from June and Global News Canada did a short segment on my dad!

Mom & dad at his 100th party

  • I started a new series (Fall Fridays) and I’m probably more excited about it than you are? And that’s okay?

  • I found 20 new Halloween decor/kitchen things that I need to buy immediately.

  • I recapped how I did with my summer list, then made a new autumn one for the season.

  • Had my favourite meal of the entire season at Shukette.

  • I made this tomato tart and it was pretty good. It felt cool to make the bread base even though I have zero bread-making abilities (though next time I might just stick with store-bought puff pastry since it’s eons better).

Heirloom tomato tart

  • Made this chocolate zucchini banana cake for Nathan’s birthday because he loves it and it’s always so good.

Zucchini chocolate banana cake with coffee cream cheese frosting

  • This batch of pumpkin spice coffee syrup is my new favourite seasonal recipe (especially if you add milk to it before adding to iced coffee).

  • So I made these pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and yes they’re good, but they need some sort of frosting I think. Cookie recipes are so plain these days and someone needs to take a stand against them.

Pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

  • Jimmy Buffett passed away Labour Day weekend, so I finally made my way to Margaritaville in Times Square and it was actually great. The food was rough, but the drinks and the key lime pie were perfection.

Just realized now that I wore funeral clothing to Margaritaville in Times Square, NYC

  • Got drinks at the Chelsea Hotel and saw Matthew Broderick sitting with John Slattery, who were both babes.

  • Caught up with my dear friend Sarah who was visiting from Montreal!

Margaritas with Sarah

  • I went to Shopsin’s in Essex Market and whoa. Any time I’m craving a sandwich, I should always just come here. It’s hard for a chicken sandwich to impress anyone these days, but theirs was memorably fantastic. All sandwich bread should be garlic bread.

Fried chicken sandwich at Shopsin’s

  • Nathan and I went to Shot of Art to paint and it was kind of really fun.

I mean… we’re really cute here

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  • I have been using the scar cream Mederma on this brutal wound that I’ve had since July and it’s almost magical. The scar isn’t completely gone yet, but as soon as it is I’ll do a side-by-side comparison.

  • I met R.L. Stine!

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  • Some things I’ve watched:

    • Night Beast: great. Tubi has such good old horror movies.

    • Tourist Trap: okay, not a great example of a good Tubi horror movie, but definitely unique. Loved the ending.

    • The Black Phone: YIKES. Not good. To everyone who enjoyed this movie: it’s sad that your love for Ethan Hawke has clouded your vision because this was utter trash.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I have to get my hands on these snow globes stamps as soon as heavenly possible, I have to put the final touches on my Halloween costume, seeing The Shark is Broken on Broadway with Nathan and spending Thanksgiving in Canada with the family.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went on in August over here. And my autumn highlights on Instagram can be seen here.

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TAGS: September, September 2023, September Shenanigans, September Shenanigans 2023, monthly roundup, monthly, monthly post, The Simpsons autumn foliage, best tweets, Dad's birthday, Global News Canada, Hassina Heather, Stanley H, Liz Heather, Fall Fridays, Halloween, Halloween decorations, new Halloween decorations, Halloween decor, Halloween kitchen, Shukette NYC, tomato tart, heirloom tomato, chocolate zucchini banana cake, Nathan Macintosh, pumpkin spice coffee syrup, pecan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville, NYC, best of NYC, Times Square, Chelsea Hotel, Matthew Broderick, John Slattery, Shopsin's, Essex Market, fried chicken sandwich, fried chicken sandwich NYC, Shot of Art, Shot of Art NYC, paint NYC, paint class NYC, R.L. Stine, Mederma, scar cream, scar gel, best scar cream, best scar gel, fade scar, Night Beast, Tourist Trap, The Black Phone, movies, Baby Dog


September 5, 2023

August Actions 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television, Travel


I may frame this

I may frame this

Summer is almost over and I think this is the first time in years that I’ve been a little sad to see it go. I was able to visit Scotland with my family, Marla came to see me in New York, I spent the majority of August in Ontario with friends and the kids, we played so much of Wii’s Warioware: Smooth Moves, I’m maintaining the tan of my dreams and I’ve never eaten so much fresh corn in my life. What kind of summer-loving fiend have I become?? In any case, here’s what went down in August.

Friend hang!

More friend hangs!

  • I finished my Summer Saturdays series that I loved doing. I’ll definitely do this again (maybe sooner than you think).

  • The best tweets of August can be found over here.

  • Loving the new Urban Outfitters Cherry ICEEEE nail polish.

The coolest job of life would be to come up with nail polish names

  • Obsessed with making this heirloom tomato toast as long as it’s in season.

  • Made these stuffed summer shells that I’d definitely make again. Summer pasta is underrated.

Summer stuffed shells

  • Went to a Blue Jays game with my brother Robbie and some of his kids and it was so great.

Skydome, August 2023

CN Tower, August 2023

  • I need to bite the bullet and just buy the Lemax pumpkin patch train, right?

  • Maple syrup greek yogurt? I never knew how much I needed you.

  • Also made cake pops for the first time with my niece Maya and they turned out perfect. Halloween cake pops up next.

  • At my parent’s house, I found myself constantly making pizza (with store-bought dough) and it’s so much better than I remember homemade pizza being. Maybe it’s because you need to heat the spread-out dough (on parchment, with olive oil rubbed on top) for ten minutes at 450 degrees and THEN put all the sauce/toppings/cheese on it and put it back in for another ten minutes at 500 degrees.

Sausage pizza >

  • If you’re anywhere near Woodstock, Ontario then you need to get these incredibly squeaky cheese curds.

  • Went to the Humber Bay Shores Farmers Market and got this great honey soda.

Incredible honey soda

Beach sit!

  • My greatest discovery this summer? Sponge toffee is ungodly perfect. NO ONE TOLD ME.

  • In my shopping cart:

    • These gorgeous creamy nude polish collection.

    • Snow globe Christmas stamps from the USPS.

    • Warm Apple Pie candle at Bath & Body Works

    • Witches dancing in the moonlight from Lemax (okay, I legit might have a problem)

  • I’m in love with the Silk Creamy Maple Almond milk flavour for iced coffee.

  • My dad got a letter from King Charles for his 100th birthday, which is a big deal whether you care about the royals or not. And since his coronation was in the middle of May and my dad’s birthday was the first week of June, there’s a very good chance that this was the very first 100th birthday letter signed by THE KING OF ENGLAND, which is absolutely the neatest thing on the planet.

Dad’s 100th Birthday letter from King Charles

  • I went to the CNE with my mom and it was lovely. Tried the footlong freak fries that were texturally amazing. I was intrigued by the street corn soft serve but was unwilling to spend over $5 for it. And nobody should pay over $20 for a pina colada in a pineapple so we made them at home instead.

Freak fries at the CNE

Parents with pineapple pina colada

  • I tried the Benefit brow pencil (because I was temporarily out of the Colourpop one I love) and it was absolute trash. Returned it immediately.

  • Also flew in a Harvard airplane!

The coolest photo I’ll ever be in?

  • Some things I watched:

    • Barbie (for the second time): would honestly go a third time if anyone’s into it.

    • The Summer I Turned Pretty (season two): I think I loved this season even more than the first. I loved that almost every episode had some fun event that took over the entire episode (the carnival one, the house party one, the motel one, etc.).

    • Outer Banks (first two seasons): I can’t explain the grip this show has on me. The disgust-turned-to-love I have for JOHN B confuses even me.

    • Simply Irresistible: so laughably awful, I’m surprised Sarah Michelle Gellar got any work after this. The magical crab was the best character.

    • M3GAN: first of all, it’s not a horror movie so it’s weird it was sold that way. It’s really not good, but also very fun to watch with kids.

    • Who Framed Roger Rabbit: I forced the kids to watch this one because my brothers and I saw it about ten thousand times when we grew up. Heathers love this movie.

    • Junior: how did I never see this 90s classic? It should be law to watch one 90s movie each month. They’re so uncomplicated and good.

    • The last ten minutes of Beverly Hills Chihuahua: I came home to my niece Tianna watching this with my mom and Baby Dog and I saw literal minutes of it and cried. I can’t see pretend-dead-dogs even when they turn out to not be dead. I’M ONLY HUMAN. (The movie itself seemed actually adorable, maybe.)

    • And So It Goes (the Michael Douglas/Diane Keaton movie): ugh! So bad. When you get Rob Reiner to do a job meant for Nora Ephron - you get this piece of shit.

    • And Just Like That (season two): are there people out there who don’t see what a train wreck this show is? I want to talk to them. Also, Carrie is not a cat person. Whoever made that choice truly does not understand this character. Since when does Steve speak Italian? Charlotte was the real winner of the season.

    • Only Murders In The Building (season three): love how it’s starting out so far, but it’s not really as exciting as the previous seasons.

    • Summer Rental: truly the worst John Candy movie of all time.

    • Talk To Me: good/original, but too much gross-out horror for me.

  • Since it’s the first day of school today, I always think of what we should’ve been learning in school instead this time of year.

  • I got Baby Dog’s teeth cleaned for the first time in her life and it was a phenomenal experience. I was at Pet Valu and saw that they worked with an organization that cleans your dog’s teeth without putting them under anesthesia. The team at KissableK9 Care was beyond impressive and kind and the whole thing took thirty minutes. I have before and after photos that are pure insanity. I would post them here, but like… even a chihuahua likes her privacy sometimes. Cannot recommend KissableK9 enough!

  • Visited the Applewood outdoor pool in Mississauga a few times and I can’t wait to try their lane swimming next summer.

My babies! (Yes their boyfriends are my babies too I guess…?)

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: putting the final touches on my Halloween costume, creating an autumn list of things to do, taking Nathan to see The Shark Is Broken on Broadway and I really want to eat the tomato salad at Shukette.

The Harvard flight day

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in July over here. And my summer highlights on Instagram can be seen here.

Romeo & Baby Dog being alarmingly cute

TAGS: August, August Actions, August Actions 2023, Liz Heather, RCAF, Wii, Wario, Smooth Moves, friends, summer saturdays, Urban Outfitters, nail polish, UO nail polish, beauty, heirloom tomato toast, stuffed summer shells, summer recipes, summer pasta, Blue Jays, baseball, Toronto Blue Jays, family, Robbie Heather, CN Tower, Lemax, Lemax pumpkin patch train, maple syrup greek yogurt, cake pops, homemade pizza, sausage pizza, Woodstock Ontario, best cheese curds Ontario, Humber Shores Farmers Market, honey soda, Tianna Heather, sponge toffee, almond milk creamy maple, Silk creamy maple, King Charles, 100th birthday letter, Stanley Heather, Hassina Heather, king of england, CNE, the ex, freak fries CNE, street corn soft serve, pina colada, pina colada in a pineapple, parents, summer, Benefit, Benefit brow pencil, Colourpop, Harvard, Harvard airplane, Barbie, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Summer Rental, Outer Banks, Simply Irresistible, Sarah Michelle Gellar, M3GAN, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, And So It Goes, Diane Keaton, Michael Douglas, And Just Like That, Only Murders in the Building, John Candy, high school, The Things We Should Have Learned in High School, Baby Dog, chihuahua teeth clean, dog teeth clean, Kissable K9 Care, Pet Valu, dog teeth, Applewood outdoor pool, lane swimming, The Shark Is Broken


August 14, 2023

July Jiffs 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Movies, Personal, Recipes


Baby Dog making the most of her summer

Baby Dog making the most of her summer

July was so busy that I barely had any time to loathe this awful time of year! Here’s what went down last month.

  • I started doing Summer Saturdays, which is a weekly roundup of what happens each week.

  • The best tweets of July can be found over here.

  • I can’t stop making this steak salad.

  • Went to the new Superiority Burger and the veggie burger was great, but the rest of the menu wasn’t anything terribly special.

Veggie burger at Superiority Burger, NYC

  • Appeared on Paul’s TikTok again!

  • Went to Shakespeare in the Park (Hamlet) for the first time and it was so, so good. Didn’t even mind the thunderstorm that happened mid-show, that’s how good it was. There was a gentle breeze of mild B.O that also wasn’t even that unpleasant. Had no idea that the Delacorte Theatre is closing after this season, so it’s especially neat that I got to go this year. ALSO I might like Shakespeare?? So many lines were ones I never realized were from Hamlet. And so many lines from Frasier too!

Hamlet at Shakespeare in the Park, NYC

  • Currently living in these green Halara bike shorts with pockets.

  • The greatest chocolate cake recipe I’ve come across.

  • I physically can’t shut up about these great black bean muffins that I just add protein powder to in order to eat homemade protein snacks.

  • Always a solid experience at Amelie in the West Village.

With Jessie at Amelie in the West Village

  • Went bowling at Astoria Bowl 360 and it was great. They’ve updated it a bit so it’s not as grimy as it used to be, which I guess is a good thing.

  • Got the Natori bra that I’ve loved for years (and lasts years) at the Nordstrom sale.

  • Marla came to visit and we did as much as humanly possible, some highlights:

    • Visited the MoMA and the new wing at the Natural History Museum

    • Had the gluten free latkes and french toast sticks at Modern Bread and Bagel and everything tasted ungodly good

    • Saw the Kusama exhibit in Chelsea

    • Stopped by the weekly stargazing event on the High Line

    • Finally ate at Rubirosa

    • Rented row boats in Central Park

    • Saw Six on Broadway and actually liked it (loved Marla saying before it started, “I don’t understand what they’re gonna do for *80* minutes.” Hahahahah)

    • Drinks in the sky at Manhatta will always be a good idea

Kusama exhibit, NYC

Row boats in Central Park, NYC

Stargazing on the High Line, NYC

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  • The duck confit spring rolls at happy hour at Sojourn are wild. Gotta return.

  • For years I’ve wondered who the hell goes to the Uno or Applebees in my neighborhood when you LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY and there are a million better options. But for whatever reason, I found myself in one this month and I’m sorry but $7 martinis are the absolute main reason to go there. I forever remain on my mission to find the deals and drink the deals.

  • New favourite place to eat in Astoria: Figlia.

Figlia in Astoria, Queens

  • I went on a family trip to Scotland! Full post coming this week.

Edinburgh, Scotland

  • Some things I watched:

    • The Summer I Turned Pretty - so unbelievably fun.

    • Dave - so great! How have I never seen it before?!

    • The new Indiana Jones - loved it, except for the end.

    • And Just Like That - okay yes it’s still terrible, but Charlotte has really been shining in the latest episodes.

    • Black Mirror - watched all the new episodes and I really don’t think Ayo Edebiri is a good actress. Loved Joan is Awful since it felt like a more modern Truman Show. And Josh Harnett? A god.

    • It Should Happen To You - I saw this when I was so young and just fell in love with the idea of someone renting a billboard solely to just see their name in big letters. Great movie.

    • Barbie - phenomenal. Would see again. Will continue to buy (almost) any merch.

Hi Barbie by OPI

Barbie socks from Primark in Scotland

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: I’ll continue to do things off of my summer list, I definitely want to try lane swimming at a pool in the area, I’m determined to get Baby Dog in a kiddie pool to see if she would like it and I’d love to go to a Jays game if timing permits.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in June over here. And my summer highlights on Instagram can be seen here.

TAGS: July Jiffs, July Jiffs 2023, Liz Heather, monthly, monthly post, monthly roundup, end of month post, Baby Dog, steak salad, Superiority Burger, veggie burger NYC, Paul Fishman, Shakespeare In The Park, Hamlet, Frasier, Best of NYC, Halara bike shorts, best chocolate cake recipe, black bean muffins, Amelie Wine Bar, Jessie Hooker-Bailey, Astoria Bowl 360, bowling Astoria, Natori, Natori bra, Nordstrom sale, Marla Garvey, MoMA, Natural History Museum NYC, Modern Bread and Bagel, Kusama exhibit, stargazing, stargazing NYC, stargazing High Line NYC, Six Broadway, row boats Central Park, Rubirosa, Manhatta, Sojourn NYC, duck confit spring rolls, Uno NYC, Figlia Astoria, pasta Astoria, best pasta Astoria, pizza Astoria, best pizza Astoria, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Dave, Indiana Jones, And Just Like That, Black Mirror, It Should Happen To You, Barbie, Barbie OPI, Barbie nail polish, Barbie socks, Primark


July 4, 2023

June Jaunts 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Drinks, Family, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television, Travel


Sometimes you need a mini day trip to see a horse in New Jersey

Sometimes you need a mini day trip to see a horse in New Jersey

June was so packed with stuff, I can’t believe it’s actually over. Here’s what went down!

  • I started a new series of posts I’ll do for the whole summer - Summer Saturdays, which is just a summary of what I do each week. Volume 1 posted over here.

  • I recapped how I did with my spring bucket list.

  • I wrote a brand new summer list of things I’d love to do.

  • I finally wrote about seeing the Karl Lagerfeld exhibit at The Met.

  • The best tweets of June can be read over here.

  • I made these strawberry cobbler bars that were pretty good, but I think I liked this strawberry crumble cake recipe a bit more.

Strawberry cobbler bars

  • I bought this Aritzia 1/2 zip sweatshirt in both white and black and I’m really considering getting the pink one now, too. I might have a problem.

  • If you like dark chocolate, then you must make this dark chocolate cake. It’s the absolute best recipe I’ve ever tried. And with this chocolate icing? Unreal. It’s heavenly. (Pro tip: don’t refrigerate it, it tastes incredible at room temperature, even days later.)

Dad’s 100th birthday cake

  • I was about to talk about how great my dad’s 100th birthday went, but there are so many details that I’ll just do a post about it this week instead.

  • I will never get over how incredible the frozen yogurt at Freshii is. Nobody talks about this enough.

Freshii frozen yogurt might even be better than TCBY

  • A great small batch pancake recipe I keep using.

  • I went to Activate and it was surprisingly really fun! It’s kind of like Squid Game but in real life and with less death.

  • I made this basil sangria during a blackout at my parent’s house and it was so strong and perfect.

Basil sangria

  • Did you know about the secret, unadvertised Baskin Robbins deal? On the 31st of every month (on months that have 31 days), they offer 31% of all scoops and pints. Pass it on.

  • I made a lemon blueberry layer cake that was such a great summer dessert, absolutely would make again.

Lemon blueberry cake

  • I ate at the S&P counter and it was only fine? NYC has so many options, I’m angry that anyone ever told me this place was anything special.

  • The duck confit spring rolls at Sojourn however are little bites of luxury. I will return.

  • Here’s one of the recent Zara dresses that I can’t stop wearing.

  • I’m so sick of pants without pockets, so I’m obviously in love with these green Halara bike shorts.

  • A great (updated often) list of carnivals in the NYC area.

  • Always gonna be excited when Trader Joe’s drops a new candle scent.

Trader Joe’s salted caramel and pistachio scented candle

  • I tried some curried fried rice at a friend’s house recently and I can’t stop thinking about it, such a genius way to do fried rice.

  • I’ve been eyeing mattress toppers for a few months now (my mattress is old and springy), but they’re always too expensive. So instead I bought a thick comforter for about $20 and spread that underneath my fitted sheet and it is now the most comfortable bed in this country. It’s a strange feeling to have all the answers and still not be ruler of the world?

  • Officially into rhubarb now since I was introduced to this rhubarb syrup, which is a phenomenal mixer for anything alcoholic.

Rhubarb syrup with club soda

  • Lays, I love you. Never stop with your insane flavours.

Lays Italian Red Meat Flavor

  • I was in Canada for a bit and good god, it was a perfect spring visit.

Dinner in the sunroom during a blackout

Nephews & Baby Dog

These only bloom on my dad’s birthday

Fully recommend having friends who just GET IT

  • I went to Canada’s Wonderland with my nieces and there is nothing more satisfying than the end-of-day funnel cake you’re legally required to have before leaving. Also loved the new(ish) Yukon Striker.

Funnel cake at Canada’s Wonderland

  • I stopped by the new reincarnation of Zellers (it’s in a weird, small section at the back of The Bay) and the deals are wild. Go. If they bring back those Zellers diners with that gravy, they will be unstoppable.

  • The Barbie section at Ulta is wild. I want it all?

  • Truly all the Barbie collaborations are wonderful.

  • I got a “root shadowing” done at Bloc + Mane in Etobicoke (by the lovely Amanda) and it was everything I needed. It’s a process that blends your hair colour if you’ve dyed it in the past year but you don’t want that aggressive grow-out line.

  • The USPS new stamps this year are insanely cool.

USPS Tomie dePaola stamps

  • A gentle reminder: your beach body is already here.

  • Some things I’ve watched & rewatched:

    • Since the new Indy was coming out, I rewatched Temple of Doom and wow is Kate Capshaw so unbelievably bad in it. Sure I’m no expert on great acting, but this is just torture to watch.

    • And Just Like That: I’ve said it before, but we’re in a hate/hate relationship. The dialogue is so horrid that it reinforces the idea that anyone can succeed in the entertainment business. Talent has zero to do with it.

    • The Bear (season two): absolutely LOVED it. Did they use an offensive amount of R.E.M. songs this season? Sure! But once you look past that, it’s a flawless season.

  • I bought these gorgeous olive coloured running shoes from Call It Spring that are beyond comfortable.

Men’s running shoes are eons prettier than women’s

  • I’d love to try any of these summer recipes:

    • Vietnamese Tomato Salad

    • Marinated Zucchini with Hazelnuts and Ricotta

    • Summer Coconut Chickpea Curry

    • Burger Au Poivre (everything should be au poivre, as far as I’m concerned)

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: are you aware that there’s a third My Big Fat Greek Wedding coming out?? And I can’t wait for some reason? Even I don’t really understand why, but I loved that first one so much when it came out. Other things: obviously excited for Barbie, my great friend Marla’s coming for a visit (!), I really want to find some good soft serve and I have a family trip to Scotland that I can’t wait for.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in May over here.

I just told her she isn’t coming to Scotland with me

TAGS: June, June Jaunts, June Jaunts 2023, Liz Heather, monthly post, monthly roundup, Baby Dog, strawberry cobbler bars, recipes, summer recipes, Aritzia, Aritzia sweatshirt, chocolate cake, best chocolate cake, best chocolate cake recipe, dark chocolate cake, dark chocolate cake recipe, dark chocolate icing, best dark chocolate icing, best cake recipe, Freshii, Freshii frozen yogurt, best frozen yogurt, small batch pancake recipe, Activate, Squid Game, basil sangria, basil sangria recipe, best sangria recipe, Canada, Baskin Robbins deal, Baskin Robbins, lemon blueberry cake, lemon blueberry layer cake, best summer recipes, S&P, NYC, best of NYC, Sojourn NYC, Sojourn, Zara, Zara dress, Zara polka dot dress, summer dress, summer dress Zara, Halara, Halara bike shorts, carnivals NYC, carnivals near NYC, carnival list NYC, Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's candles, salted caramel and pistachio candle, curry fried rice, curried fried rice, mattress topper, comfy bed, bed tips, rhubarb, rhubarb strawberry soda, Lays, Lays Italian Red Meat Flavor, June flowers, Clearly Canadian, Canada's Wonderland, funnel cake, Yukon Striker, Zellers, The Bay, Barbie, Barbie Ulta, Barbie collaborations, root shadow, root shadowing, Bloc + Mane, Etobicoke, Etobicoke hair salon, USPS stamps, Tomie dePaola stamps, beach body, beach body ready, The Bear, And Just Like That, Indiana Jones, Kate Capshaw, R.E.M., Call It Spring, green sneakers, green running shoes


June 15, 2023

May Musings 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Reviews, Television


God, I love the spring months. Everyone seems to be in a good mood, the wind is the perfect amount of chilly, the birds can’t seem to shut up and asparagus soup is on every single restaurant menu. Perfect season, no notes. Here’s what went down in May!

  • The best tweets of May can be found over here.

  • I wrote about the book Keep Moving by Dick Van Dyke.

  • I finally got to visit the abandoned City Hall subway station.

  • I flew with Flair Airlines for the first time and say what you will about them, but it’s amazing that they have a system in place so that you can pay for your pet-in-cabin online. ZERO other airlines have that figured out.

  • In love with the Essie polish “sew gifted” even if the name is atrocious.

Love an Essie Easter colour

  • I tried the banana pudding monthly flavour at Magnolia Bakery (brownie caramel) and it was only meh. They really don’t need to be so flashy, the original is perfectly great.

  • I’ve been using the Trader Joe’s facial sunscreen (it’s supposed to be a dupe for the Supergoop one) and it’s wonderful. I mean, I think it is? I’m not smart enough to understand the qualities of good sunscreen.

Trader Joe’s facial sunscreen

  • Are we aware of how great The Smith’s happy hour is? The black truffle arancini? Yowza. So good.

With Irene at The Smith for martini happy hour

  • Here’s a gentle reminder to take photos of good outfits.

Nathan + a fantastic coat

  • I perused Alison Roman’s newest cookbook Sweet Enough and I definitely want to make Nora Ephron’s bread pudding from it.

Nora Ephron’s recipe for bread pudding

  • If you grew up in Ontario in the 90s, then you understand the greatness of Tahiti Treat. The LCBO just released a vodka version of it, and yes it’s as good as you can imagine.

  • I took my niece Tianna to the Spirit Tree Estate Cidery in Caledon and it was so lovely! We had flights of different ciders, insanely good pizza and I bought a jug of coffee milk that blew my mind.

  • My friend Marla made me this heavenly rhubarb syrup for drinks/cocktails and I’m forever onboard with rhubarb now.

  • I returned to Corner Bistro for the first time in years and here’s a thought: a fatter burger doesn’t necessarily equate to a better burger.

  • How the hell am I learning NOW that there’s a Capriotti’s in NYC?! I thought it was only in Vegas. Love knowing that I can get a Thanksgiving sandwich any time I damn well please.

The Bobbie Thanksgiving sandwich at Capriotti’s, NYC

  • I saw Bad Cinderella on Broadway since it’s closing soon and yes I’ll always support ALW - but this was on another level of bad. Hated the lead actress, hated the music.

Bad Cinderella on Broadway, NYC

  • Okay, if you’re not buying wild blueberries then you should be. I’ve had it with the cheap, flavourless blueberries that are the size of softballs. BLUEBERRIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TEENY. The frozen, wild ones from Whole Foods are the best tasting ones I’ve found in NY, but the Canadian frozen ones from the east coast are top tier too. Make blueberries tiny again.

  • In other Liz-Is-Angry news, a “Pittsburgh salad recipe” never needs to see the light of day. Food bloggers really need to take time off sometimes.

  • I went to Scooter’s Roller Palace (grateful that it still exists after all these years) and it was beyond fun.

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  • I went to see the new fashion exhibit at The Met and it warrants a full post, so you can read about it over here. I also saw the new rooftop exhibit that I didn’t love.

The Met rooftop exhibit, May 2023

  • I tried the Holler & Glow self-heating eye mask and it’s incredible. Perfect for headaches and allergies, especially. Gonna buy five more.

  • I read somewhere that the best brownie mix was the Trader Joe’s one, so I got it and it’s great, sure, but mainly because there are added chocolate chips in the mix. So really as long as you add chocolate chips to any brownie mix, it’ll be amazing (but this should already be clear to you - who isn’t adding extra chocolate to brownies? Losers, that’s who).

  • I made this lemon almond pudding cake that was good, but I don’t think I ever need to make it again.

Lemon almond pudding cake

  • But these protein cookies? Will absolutely make again.

  • Love a classic bread pudding and this recipe turned out great.

  • It took me 38 years to discover my love of green curry. I have my dear friend Richard to thank for this, so now I’m on a mission to find the best one in this city.

  • Ate at Cactus Club twice and even if the service is terrible, the food is still pretty good. And the company was even better.

With Marla at Cactus Club in Mississauga, ON

  • Some things I watched:

    • Nora From Queens (newest season): I only watched the first episode and honestly gasped at how bad it was. Struggling to muster the energy to keep watching.

    • Fatal Attraction (the TV series): In all honesty, I only watched this to see Pacey have sex on screen. And I did enjoy the series up until the ending, WHICH WAS SO TERRIBLE that I regret ever having started it.

    • Party Down (newest season): Only watched the first episode and it’s all right. Kind of hate that COVID is apart of it. Might not finish.

    • If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast: Loved it. Everyone should see it. Love that Seinfeld’s mother lived to be 99.

    • Carol: an incredibly slow movie, but fine. Can’t remember why this was on my must-watch list.

  • Baby Dog in a basket will always make me happy.

  • Zara can be the worst or best store, depending on the season. And right now, it’s on FIRE. I think I bought three Zara dresses in the last month alone. (A polka dot midi dress, a strapless tulle dress and a printed tunic dress.)

Zara tulle dress

  • Loving the mango lip scrub from The Body Shop.

  • Does it make sense that Tim Hortons has incredible ice cream? Absolutely not. But their maple crunch flavour? Good god. Better than Häagen-Dazs.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: finishing off some final spring activities, writing my summer list, going to Wonderland with the girls and then taking advantage of strawberry season.

My nephew Romeo!

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in April over here.

Baby Dog, never not posing

TAGS: Liz Heather, May Musings, May Musings 2023, lilacs, spring, Keep Moving Dick Van Dyke, City Hall Station NYC, Flair Airlines, Essie, Essie sew gifted, best nail polish, banana pudding, Magnolia Bakery, Trader Joe's, facial sunscreen, Trader Joe's facial sunscreen, Goop dupe, The Smith happy hour, happy hour NYC, best happy hour NYC, The Smith happy hour NYC, Irene Morales, Nathan Macintosh, Alison Roman, Sweet Enough, bread pudding, bread pudding recipe, best bread pudding recipe, Nora Ephron, Nora Ephron bread pudding recipe, Tahiti Treat, LCBO, Tahiti Treat vodka, Tianna Heather, Spirit Tree Estate Cidery, Caledon, coffee milk, pizza Caledon, cidery Ontario, Sheldon Creek Dairy, rhubarb strawberry soda, Corner Bistro NYC, Capriotti's, Thanksgiving sandwich, Thanksgiving sandwich NYC, best sandwich NYC, the bobbie, Bad Cinderella, Broadway, Canadian wild blueberries, Pittsburgh salad, Scooter's Roller Palace, roller skating rink, family, The Met, The Met rooftop, Holler and Glow eye mask, Trader Joe's brownie mix, lemon pudding almond cake, recipes, best recipes, protein cookies, classic bread pudding, The Cactus Club, green curry, Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, Fatal Attraction, Joshua Jackson, Pacey, Party Down, If You're Not in the Obit Eat Breakfast, documentary, good documentary, Carol, Baby Dog, Zara, Zara dress, mango lip scrub, The Body Shop, Tim Hortons ice cream, Supergoop, Supergoop sunscreen dupe


May 1, 2023

April Activities 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food, Ideas, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television


Central Park, April 2023

Spring is in full force and I couldn’t be happier about it. It usually feels like the shortest season since summer arrives obnoxiously early, but this year it’s been magical. Chilly nights, sweaters instead of winter coats, tons of rain, birds chirping their asses off, there’s nothing better. Here’s what happened in April!

Baby Dog in Central Park

Baby Dog in Central Park, again

  • The best tweets of April can be found over here.

  • I visited a tulip farm in New Jersey and had the greatest meatballs from the Your Sister’s Balls food truck.

Holland Ridge Farms with Diana in New Jersey

  • I toured the gorgeous Kings Theatre in Brooklyn.

The lobby of Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York

Mirrors + me = BFF

  • I went to the Museum of Failure with my friend Casey in Industry City.

  • I helped review some Last Crumb cookies on my friend Paul’s TikTok.

  • I made one of my favourite steak recipes for the first time (steak Diane) and it was really, really good. I didn’t really ignite it properly since that’s the part that scares me the most, but there were partial flames so I’m counting this as a success.

Steak Diane ingredients

  • Notice: you’re using your potato peeler wrong.

  • The Alison Roman chocolate chip shortbread cookies are fast becoming a staple in our home.

Chocolate chip shortbread cookies

  • I physically cannot stop making this asparagus soup (the cream is optional), it’s so good. Best to double up the recipe if you’re making it for more than two people.

  • When will I learn that fancy coffee shops simply don’t do it for me? I went to Ten Thousand Coffee and it was fine, but definitely overrated. One day we’ll all revolt against coffee costing over $5 and I vow to lead the revolution.

  • Speaking of coffee, have I already mentioned the incredible hazelnut beans we order from San Francisco Bay Coffee? Best beans I’ve ever used for iced coffee at home, by far. All you need is a french press, a small spice grinder and beans. The fact that we’re not all making iced coffee at home each day is mind boggling.

  • Some things I watched:

    • Surviving R. Kelly (the newest season): Nathan and I watched two episodes and then abandoned it. It’s so hard to watch and really makes you wonder, “Why the hell am I watching this if it makes me feel this way?”

    • Dave (newest season): Words can’t express how much I love this show. Every episode is better than the last.

    • Succession: Okay, yes I already complained about this show. But the thing is - I haven’t hate-watched a new show in a really long time, so I think that’s why I keep going with it. The dialogue is objectively bad and I think the real appeal of the show is the fact that you can’t binge it all at once, we’re all so desperate for the days of cable and once-a-week viewing. And small side note: Adrian Brody is not a good actor, so of course he had to appear in an episode.

    • The Intern: What is wrong with me? Why was this on my list of movies to watch? It was so bad, but IT LOOKED BAD. Hated Anne Hathaway’s character. There was ZERO chemistry between her and De Niro. And it’s a mind-numbingly boring script. Christ.

    • Who Done It: The Clue Documentary: Okay, if you even kind of liked the movie Clue (1985), then you really have to watch this. It’s fan-made, but it’s so good. I didn’t know that so many playwrights attempted to write it, I had no idea that Carrie Fisher was supposed to be Miss Scarlett but couldn’t because of her drug problem?? Absolutely adored Jonathan Lynn. And loved all of Michael McKean’s anecdotes.

Who Done It: The Clue Documentary

  • How many beach blankets does one person need? And why is this Target one so damn perfect?

  • I’ve made so much green garlic butter, I’m considering starting a butter stand outside my building.

Green garlic from the Union Square Greenmarket, NYC

  • This month in good-but-nothing-special restaurants I’ve tried: Hawksmoor (flashy and beautiful inside, but no real substance) and Pete’s Tavern (space is great, food is fine and service was attentive but odd).

  • That being said, I also ate at some wonderful places! Saint George Bistro in Hastings had great escargot even if the service wasn’t great, Figlia in Astoria was as good as everyone says it is so I’ll definitely return, Sunken Harbor Club was beautiful and had great drinks and it felt like you weren’t in NYC but in a good way, Amelie Wine Bar was perfect and had $13 wine flights with stellar service, and finally Satis Bistro in Jersey City which was so lovely (the duck croquettes, my god, I’ll dream about those until I return).

Outside Saint George Bistro in Hastings, New York with Diana & Crystal

Amelie Wine Bar with Jessie, West Village

  • I got a facial at Glow Bar and I really don’t see the big deal with facials. This sounds psychotic, but maybe my face doesn’t… need… facials…?

  • My brother Gary sent me this Happy & Polly stamp of Baby Dog’s face and I can’t get over it. It’s horrifyingly perfect.

  • I went to a sample sale for Rent The Runway put on by 260 and it was depressing as hell, it was all so disorganized and chaotic. Think that might be the last sample sale for me.

  • I visited the exterior of Alder Manor since I was in the area and it’s so beautiful from the outside, I can’t imagine how gorgeous the interior must be.

Alder Manor in Yonkers, New York

  • Dying over the entire Adidas x Farm Rio collaboration (thanks Marla for telling me about it!).

  • Speaking of my friend Marla, she mentioned how she gives her young sons a small amount of money for birthday gifts for people in their lives and then each kid comes up with an idea based on what that person enjoys and buys the gift. And honestly, what a perfect idea. Gift giving is a skill and absolutely should be taught to young kids (especially boys) since it’s such an important part of living. Love this so, so much. Every parent should be doing this.

  • I am so in love with the rhubarb and strawberry soda from Trader Joe’s that I think I might finally be ready to try rhubarb for real.

Rhubarb and strawberry soda from Trader Joe’s

  • I’d never heard about the children’s book In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak but it was mentioned in that performance about Philip Glass I saw last month, so I bought the book and it’s incredible.

  • And finally, behold my new favourite photo of Baby Dog.

Hahahahah this expression! She’s so sick of my shit I love it.

Things I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going to do a post about my recent visit to the abandoned City Hall subway station, I’m definitely going to go see the new fashion exhibit that opens at The Met, I know that H&M is shit now but I’m gonna have to take a look at this Mugler collab in person, I kinda need to eat these duck fries in Toronto and I absolutely need to track down these Lichtenstein stamps ASAP.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in March over here.

She brought her boyfriend (Walrus) beside her to get some sun

TAGS: Liz Heather, April, April Activities, April Activities 2023, Central Park, spring, Baby Dog, cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms Central Park, tulip farm New Jersey, tulip farm, Kings Theatre, Kings Theatre Brooklyn, Museum of Failure, Last Crumb, last crumb cookies, Paul Fishman, potato peeler, Alison Roman, chocolate chip shortbread cookies, recipes, best recipes, best recipes April 2023, asparagus soup, best asparagus soup, best asparagus soup recipe, Ten Thousand Coffee, coffee, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay Coffee, hazelnut coffee, Surviving R. Kelly, R. Kelly, Dave, Dave on FX, Succession, The Intern, Who Done It, Who Done It The Clue Documentary, Clue doc, Clue documentary, Michael McKean, Carrie Fisher Clue, Jonathan Lynn, best of Amazon, Target beach blanket, green garlic butter, spring produce, Union Square greenmarket, Hawksmoor, Hawksmoor NYC, Pete's Tavern, Saint George Bistro, Hastings New York, Figlia, Figlia Astoria, best Italian Astoria, best Italian restaurant Astoria, Sunken Harbor Club, Amelie Wine Bar, Satis Bistro, best restaurant Jersey City, duck croquettes, Jessie Hooker-Bailey, Glow Bar, Glow Bar facial, Happy & Polly, happy and polly dog stamps, sample sale 260, Rent The Runway, Alder Manor, Alder Manor Yonkers, Adidas, Adidas Farm Rio, gift giving, gift giving skill, kids gift giving, rhubarb strawberry soda, Trader Joe's, best of Trader Joe's, best of Trader Joe's April 2023, In The Night Kitchen, In The Night Kitchen book, Maurice Sendak book, Maurice Sendak, in the night kitchen Maurice Sendak, Philip Glass, monthly post, monthly roundup


April 4, 2023

March Magic 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Recipes, Television


Nothing better than this view.

I do a million things the month of my birthday and I never regret it. Some people roll their eyes at the phrase “birthday week” or “birthday month” but those people tend to be supremely unhappy and I express my sympathy towards them. Here’s what happened in the birthday month!

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  • The best tweets of the month can be found over here.

  • I recapped how I did with my winter list of things to do.

  • I made my new seasonal spring list of things I’d like to do.

  • Loving the new tomato leaf candle from Trader Joe’s as well as the great new sweet carrot cake from Bath & Body Works.

Tomato leaf candle from Trader Joe’s, March 2023

Sweet carrot cake candle from Bath & Body Works, March 2023

  • Ice skating in March with friends? Always a good idea.

75% of us bought skates for this hahahah, it’s called FRIENDSHIP

  • You know the food blog Grandbaby Cakes? She just put out a new cookbook and the two main things I want to make from it? The salted butterscotch apple whiskey snacking cake as well as the chocolate pecan pie shortbread bars.

  • If you have a NYC/Queens/Brooklyn library card, are you aware that you can get free tickets to museums all over the city?

  • I have made this chicken marsala at least three times this month, it might be my favourite way to eat chicken.

Chicken marsala should legally be eaten once a week

  • I bought this Banana Republic Factory funnel-neck sweater in black as well as white because it legit makes me feel like I have a 401k.

  • I know zero about coffee, but I’ve done this heating-the-press up method a few times now when I make iced coffee and I think it might taste better when you do it?? Nathan claims there’s no difference, so I might just be argumentative?

  • In love with the tomato potato chips from Eataly.

Available at Eataly, NYC

  • Will I ever use this pasta mold from Zara Home - or will I watch it sit on a kitchen shelf each day for twenty years while I yearn to be the type of person who uses a pasta mold?

  • Love this short article: Want to Lead a Better Life? The Secret Is in the Cemetery.

  • I had brunch at Quality Eats and the short rib hash was great, but really just inspired me to make it at home.

Short rib hash, Quality Eats

  • In birthday discount news…

    • Are you aware that Target gives you a measly 5% off one item on your birthday?! It’s so insulting, I wish they’d just do away with it altogether, it’s pathetic. Why are brands becoming such ingrates when it comes to customer loyalty?

    • I went to Ulta for my free March birthday gift and they were “out of stock” at TWO locations. And nothing was offered in its place. SWEET.

    • Milk Bar is supposed to offer some kind of birthday something, but since their loyalty “program” is so new, none of the employees have been taught what the benefits of the program even are. WHAT IS HAPPENING?? (Sidenote: am I the only one who think their cookies suck?)

    • You know the bra store I love, Journelle? They got rid of their birthday month discount, too! So I guess all these companies have decided that our collective slow march towards death with include ZERO BIRTHDAY PERKS. Cool cool cool.

  • I tried the crab rangoon March special at Mimi Cheng’s and they were only all right, why is everything disappointing me lately? They weren’t terrible, just too cream-cheesy. While we’re on the topic, on what planet does crab need cheese to accompany it? Seems dumb.

March Special (crab rangoon dumplings), Mimi Cheng’s

  • I also tried this newish Croatian restaurant in Astoria, Selo, and it was absolutely nothing special. I may have to stop giving such credence to the critics at Eater.

  • My niece Layla got me an incredible birthday gift - a ticket to Tao of Glass, which the New York Times called “a fantastical and often moving tribute to the composer Philip Glass and the power of art to flow through our lives.” IT WAS SO GOOD. Philip Glass was even there on opening night, which was too exciting and I was floored by the whole evening. God, I love it when someone knows you so well and can arrange the most perfect gift.

March 2023

  • I bought new jeans after maybe a decade and I can’t be more in love with these ribcage straight ankle Levi’s I got.

  • Some things I’ve watched:

    • Tusk: I absolutely hate when American directors talk about Canada in their films, it’s always embarrassing. And jesus, the dialogue in the scene with the girlfriend: has Kevin Smith ever spoke to a girlfriend before? Needless to say, I severely hated the entire movie. I hate torture stuff. Weird that even needs to be said because doesn’t everyone? Johnny Depp was terrible. One of the most originally awful movies I’ve ever seen.

    • Scream VI: THE WORST SCREAM OF THE ENTIRE SERIES. I vowed not to even see this because I remain #teamneve but Nathan insisted so I begrudgingly went. What a shit show. It was terrible. I’ll never go to another one again, which is a little sad but also fuck everyone involved who thought it was an acceptable idea to move forward without Neve Campbell.

    • Frantic: I didn’t even know it was a Polanski movie until the end since Harrison Ford was the main draw here. It’s actually a great idea for a movie, but it just trails off midway through so I can understand why no one talks about this movie.

    • Succession: So I’ve only seen the first few episodes and here’s the thing… it’s legitimately a bad show. The dialogue is so terribly written, I’m actually confused why people praise it so much. NOBODY CALLS THEIR SIBLING SIS. Words can’t express how much I hate the camera work. Shiv’s American accent is wildly bad. I know we’re all desperate for a good show to watch, but the lies need to stop. This is unwatchable.

  • I’m not sure that I can even speak about it, but I went to a private rehearsal of a play with Michael McKean and good god, I love that man. I met him afterward and he was so kind and lovely, it was unreal. I mean, it’s Mr. Green for god’s sake.

  • So in love with these new USPS railroad station stamps. I may or may not have made a list of where each station is incase I ever find myself in that city so I can see it in real life.

Can I meet and hug the person who came up with this stamp idea?

  • I’ve been looking for a real fur coat for a few years now and I finally found her at Exile Vintage in Toronto. It was such a steal because the inner lining was shred, but my mom sewed it all up and it’s absolutely perfect now. So excited to throw out my faux-fur teddy bear coat from Marshalls that every. single. woman. owns.

  • There was an insane sale at Steve Madden in Soho and I got these new wedge heels for $16. To be clear, that’s $8 PER SHOE.

But can they replace my Terminators? Time will tell.

  • I saw the new Broadway play Shucked and… yikes. Yes, it was corniness taken to a whole new level, but parts of it were okay. If you love Rodney Dangerfield jokes, then this production was made for you.

March 2023

  • I also saw Pictures From Home with Nathan Lane and it was slow at first, but really picked up and got good. Love that man.

March 2023

  • I made a tres leches cake and words cannot describe how heavenly it was. Even if you suffer from dairy issues, I’d recommend that you pound a few Lactaids and eat this immediately.

Tres leche cake

  • I finally had lunch at Wayan (Jean-Georges’ son’s place) and I can’t wait to return. Best dishes: the corn fritters, the spring rolls (maybe my favourite at any restaurant ever), the lamb kebabs and the chocolate chip cookie with cheddar ice cream. The crab fried rice (which I was most excited for) actually wasn’t anything that special, though.

  • I had my birthday dinner at The Grill in the Seagram Building (the office building from Scrooged) and it was so great, if not insanely priced. The pasta appetizer was the most incredible thing we ate - they used this crank-type machine table-side to make the broth for the pasta sauce out of MEAT BONES and I can’t stop thinking about it. The other highlight was the gluten-free zucchini cornbread, which was magical. The only downside? Do not get the crab cake - $50+ for the most underwhelming appetizer of your life.

Pasta appetizer, The Grill (a must order)

Vowing to wear more tulle on a daily basis

  • The Mets promotional giveaways were announced if you care!

  • Some spring recipes I’d love to make:

    • Lemony Green Pea Fritters with Cottage Cheese

    • Banana, Pecan, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Blondies

    • Cadbury Egg Blondies (I’ve never even made a blondie before, but the urge is strong this season)

    • Lemon Almond Pudding Cake (love a texturally weird cake)

    • Carrot Cake Ice Cream (no ice cream maker needed)

    • Spring Couscous Bowls with Lemon Feta Vinaigrette (I made this last year and it’s spring in a bowl)

Things I’m looking forward to: I visited the insanely gorgeous Kings Theatre in Brooklyn so I’ll do a post about it this week, finally trying the bone marrow gravy at Hawksmoor, I have to get my hands on the Easter Dove Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Eggs, I’m trying to get a last minute lottery to see the Phantom of the Opera in its final days, I will find all of the NYC cherry blossoms, seeing the rooftop exhibit when it opens at The Met on the 18th, and finally going on a tour of the old City Hall subway station (this has been a dream of mine for years).

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in February over here.

Baby Dog witnesses snow, March 2023

TAGS: March, March Magic, March Magic 2023, Liz Heather, monthly post, monthly roundup, birthday month, tomato leaf, tomato leaf candle, tomato leaf candle Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's, carrot cake candle, sweet carrot cake candle, Bath and Body Works, spring candles, ice skating, friends, Grandbaby Cakes, new cookbook, library card NYC, free museum NYC, chicken marsala, Banana Republic Factory, funnel neck sweater, French press, coffee, coffee method, tomato potato chips, Eataly, Eataly NYC, Shucked, Pictures From Home, Nathan Lane, Michael McKean, Philip Glass, Tao of Glass, NYU, best of NYC, Zara Home, pasta mold, ravioli mold, want to lead a better life, cemetery, Quality Eats, short rib hash, Target, birthday discount, Ulta, Milk Bar, Journelle, Mimi Cheng's, dumplings NYC, NYC dumplings, crab rangoon, Selo Astoria, Eater, Levi's, jeans, ribcage straight ankle jeans, Tusk, Kevin Smith, Canada, Johnny Depp, Scream 6, Neve Campbell new Scream, Neve Campbell, Frantic, Roman Polanski, Harrison Ford, Succession, Mr. Green, Clue, USPS railroad station stamps, Exile Vintage, Toronto vintage, fur coat, fur coat vintage, fur coat Toronto, Steve Madden, Soho, heels Soho, tres leche, tres leche cake, best tres leche recipe, dessert, Lactaid, Wayan, The Grill, Seagram Building, The Mets, The Mets promos


March 15, 2023

February Feats 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Travel


Backyard snow, February 2023

Forgive the lateness, it will absolutely happen again. Here’s what went down last month!

  • The best tweets of February can be found over here. And my favourite Valentine’s Day ones can be found here.

Nathan at rehearsal for The Tonight Show, February 2023

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The Tonight Show outfit #2

  • Okay, so two biggest things: Nathan did his second Tonight Show and his special GOT REVIEWED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.

Nathan’s NEW YORK TIMES

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  • The French baguette candle from Bath & Body Works? Whoa. I hate how much I love it.

  • Could not be more in love with this black sweater.

  • Had dinner at The Bar Room and the grilled chicken on top of their caesar salad was unparalleled. Another thing I love doing when I’m eating in midtown is going to JG Melon afterward for coffee or dessert. It’s the only move.

  • Speaking of good moves, have you ever sat out on a patio just as the weather’s starting to change and ordered a Peroni? Just one, for the whole afternoon? Might be the answer to everything.

  • I had a blister on my heel and these Band-Aid Hydro-Seal bandages worked perfectly.

  • I got drinks at Nubeluz by Jose Andres at The Ritz-Carlton and it was so lovely. The service is great, the views are wild and the drinks and food were perfect. The only thing that made no sense was the waitress/hostess uniforms, but I’m picky as hell??

View from Nubeluz, NYC

Love when places care about wallpaper, at Nubeluz

  • I tried two products from Hero since I love their blemish patches - the lightening pads and the brightening stick and both were shit. Returned.

  • I made these Greek chicken meatballs and they were so bland, so I think I’ll stick with that sweet and spicy recipe I love.

  • I ate at Golden Unicorn in Chinatown and it was really nothing special. I did love the atmosphere, it was very 90s banquet hall-y. But the food was wildly underwhelming.

Pigs at Golden Unicorn, NYC

Chinatown, NYC

  • Also ate at Olio E Piu and wow was that bad. It was just insanely loud, had way too many 22 year olds with flashes going off, and the dessert was hard as a rock. Never again. Hate getting burned like this.

  • Went to The Guggenheim to see the Nick Cave exhibit and yes it was good/fine, but my dumbass thought it was the other Nick Cave. So that’s on me. I guess I’ll just always be disappointed by the exhibits here until they decide to make use of their central space again like they used to do years ago.

The Guggenheim, February 2023

The Guggenheim, February 2023

  • Some things I watched:

    • The Player: this started out as one of the coolest movies I’ve seen in such a long time (especially the opening twenty minutes) and then as it went on turned into one of the worst? That rarely happens, so that was confusing.

    • Pamela, A Love Story: so great. One thing I especially love about her? At the first sign of abuse in any of her relationships, she’s out the door. You don’t hear that a lot and it makes me love her even more. God, it’s still infuriating that Hulu made that series without her permission.

    • Split: okay, I may be the only person with this opinion (HOW?!). but holy hell did I hate this movie. It should be studied how polarizing M. Night Shyamalan can be. I have absolutely loved some of his movies and I have wanted to vomit at others. How can this be possible? I don’t understand it.

  • I had this stupid little reaction video blow up on Instagram, which is wild. Stay out of the comments though, it’s crazy in there.

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  • I was also in Canada for a little bit, so I went skating, ate that perfect caesar at Scaddabush, shoveled driveways and basked in numerous snowstorms.

Parent’s backyard, February 2023

Ice rink, Etobicoke

Caesar salad at Scaddabush, Mississauga

Baby Dog & Dad, February 2023

I took this while laying in the snow and it might be my favourite photo of all time.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: so many birthday things, it’s almost aggressive.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in January, come on over here.

Winter sunsets, man.

TAGS: monthly roundup, monthly post, end of month post, Liz Heather, February, February Feats, February Feats 2023, winter, snow, snowstorm, Canada, NYC, best of NYC, Mississauga, Nathan Macintosh The Tonight Show debut, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon, The New York Times, French baguette candle, Bath and Body Works, black sweater, Banana Republic Factory, The Bar Room, JG Melon, caesar salad, Peroni, Nubeluz, Jose Andres, The Ritz-Carlton, Hero, Greek chicken meatballs, best meatballs, Golden Unicorn, Chinatown NYC, Olio E Piu, west village restaurant, The Guggenheim, Guggenheim, Nick Cave, The Player, Split, Pamela Anderson, Pam A Love Story, Netflix, ice rink, Dad, Stanley Heather, Baby Dog, snow on trees, winter sunset


February 7, 2023

January Jewels 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television


The best Costco parking lot view, hands down.

Oh my god, this month is the ten year anniversary of this blog.

How.

If you don’t know me very well, let’s just say that I don’t have a great reputation for following through with things, so this seems a little crazy.

Okay, I wrote that last sentence and now I’m thinking about it and lately I do try really hard to follow through with things. What the hell was I talking about? Years ago, I used to be terrible at it and my head still gets stuck in that mindset sometimes. I think it’s really easy to think you haven’t changed since we’re hardest on ourselves, but maybe it’s smart to take a moment to actually see how far you’ve come. Clearly I can follow through with things because it’s ten years later and I still love writing in this space. I’m rambling when I’m really just trying to say thank you for even wanting to read this. Any of this. I do it because I love it, so anyone who even kind of cares about it makes me so happy.

ANYWAY, here’s what went down last month.

  • I finally wrote about the Thierry Mugler exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum, as well as the new Museum of Broadway.

  • I wrote my annual best of the year list.

  • I recapped how my 2022 resolutions went.

  • I found my favourite photos of 2022.

  • I made my resolutions for this year.

  • Nathan’s special came out and it’s so, so good. (If it weren’t, I would’ve “forgot” to mention it here, so you can trust me.)

  • I compiled the best tweets of the month.

  • I stopped by FIT to see the student creations in the lobby.

  • Nathan and I saw Death of a Salesman on Broadway and yes it’s good, but it would’ve been smarter of me to look up the plot beforehand. Sometimes you need to prep yourself for a horribly depressing, but beautifully written piece of work.

Death of a Salesman, January 2023

Before the most depressing play of all time

  • I also saw Moulin Rouge with my dear friend Diana and it was a beautiful spectacle. We had such a fun time, but maybe because we had an edible and we’d have fun anywhere together? The musical itself was like diabolical karaoke. The sets and performers were unbelievably good, though.

You should always dress for the musical/play you’re about to see

  • Sephora birthday gifts are back as well as the always-underwhelming Ulta birthday gifts as well.

  • Made and loved these sweet and spicy chicken meatballs.

  • I’d never made penne alla vodka at home before, so I made the Half Baked Harvest spicy one and it was terrible. Crushed red pepper flakes should be banned as an ingredient, it always tries to bring life to a dish that is seasoned poorly.

  • Okay, so I might need to do goat yoga.

  • Love this list of little changes you can make to your home.

  • There’s never a bad time to head to a pool, so Diana and I went to the one at the TWA Hotel that’s open all winter long.

The pool at the TWA Hotel at JFK, NYC

  • My friend Paul introduced me to apple nachos and after I made fun of him for a few minutes I ate them and now I make them multiple times a week. (Sliced apples, almond or peanut butter, grainless or normal granola pieces and chocolate chips.)

Apple nachos that are unfortunately amazing

  • Speaking of Paul, he has a TikTok account with his husband Richard and it’s perfect, you should take a look.

@thingsmyhusbandlikes Rhymes with “did I stutter?” #thingsmyhusbandlikes #butter #tastetesting #gayfoodie #testofthegays ♬ original sound - Paul + Richard
@thingsmyhusbandlikes Butter girl is her new nickname @thingsmyhusbandlikes #thingsmyhusbandlikes #buttertok #butter ♬ original sound - Paul + Richard
  • I made lasagna soup and it was exactly what’s needed on a cold night. Leftovers were a nightmare because Nathan was out of town so it was just me eating beef soup for four days straight, but nonetheless! Great recipe for a family.

  • God, I love Mercer Street in Soho. I didn’t even know they had a Zimmerman store. I bought one of their swimsuits years ago and it’s still my favourite to this day. Look at these beautiful pieces.

Zimmermann, Soho

Zimmermann, Soho

Zimmermann, Soho

Zimmermann, Soho

  • And are you kidding me with these coats from ZCRAVE (also on Mercer)?? I want a closet full of these beauties. One for every mood.

ZCRAVE, Soho

ZCRAVE, Soho

  • I went to a sale at Showplace Backstage where they sell used/vintage pieces from film & television.

  • Got drinks at the lounge inside the Mandarin Oriental and it was nice, obviously overpriced but still nice.

  • Had dinner at Carne Mare, which has such a beautiful space, it’s perfect for a special occasion. The caviar mozzarella sticks were slightly overrated but everything else was good and the service was stellar. Can't wait to go again.

Mozzarella sticks with caviar at Carne Mare, NYC

  • The Body Shop came out with a new winter scent (Wild Pine) and I’m head over heels in love. I’ve always wanted to smell like a big, beautiful Christmas tree year-round and now I can. (This sounds sarcastic, but I’m deathly serious.)

  • Tried the pistachio cream cold brew at Starbucks and yep, I forgot again how sick that cream makes me. Can they please stop introducing new cream flavours?? I think it’s abundantly clear that I will not learn, so they just need to stop.

  • I know absolutely nothing about wine (other than South African reds taste like trash) but oh my god, the wine brand Josh? Truly putrid.

  • I think I’ve finally learned that hair serums do absolutely nothing for my hair. I’ve been going through all of my hair products that I never use and it’s really wild what we’re told we need for our hair. Getting rid of it all. I can’t wait to have a clearer dresser top.

  • I like to sit and peruse the new cookbooks at Barnes & Noble every so often and the Don Angie one seems kind of great (the spicy crab panzanella and the spiced lamb ragu with marsala and fennel, specifically). The new Via Carota one however was a real letdown. I hated that it was organized seasonally for some reason.

  • So I got a frother recently and wow was it not worth it. Returned it immediately. I think I was expecting espresso-machine-level frothing, so I kind of set myself up for disappointment.

  • I got a new Kipozi straightener after using my niece Layla’s over the holidays and oh my god it’s insanely good. I’m gonna do a short video about it because I still can’t believe how long the curls last.

  • The winter mushroom soup at Giorgio’s of Gramercy continues to be untouchable.

  • Went to Little Ruby’s Cafe in Soho and it was a perfect lunch spot. Also rediscovered Blue Ribbon after completely forgetting about its existence and it remains a great late night place.

Little Ruby’s Cafe, Soho

  • I know it’s pretty dated, but I always love Bistro Les Amis. I hope it never shuts down.

  • I finally went to Bistro Eloise for the first time in Queens and it’s wild that such a great restaurant is in a little plaza mall. Maybe not wild actually, but unexpected. Had the best onion soup in all of NYC (that broth was unreal). Escargots was fantastic, the specials were wonderful and the service was perfect, too. Go, go, go.

  • Had one of the worst banking experiences of life with TD Canada recently, so I’m gonna transfer everything completely to another bank. Don’t fuck with me, CORPORATIONS.

  • I made this short rib bolognese and it was heavenly. I will now always make short rib at home. It’s overpriced when you order it out and the fat is always kept on it when it’s served, so it’s absolutely not worth it. When I made the recipe, I did everything instructed but at the end when the meat is cooked, I separated all of the fatty bits to throw away and it elevated the sauce times a million.

Short rib bolognese

  • Some things I watched:

    • The Banshees of Inisherin - so incredibly good and unexpected. Cannot sing enough praises about it. To anyone who thought it was boring: grow up.

    • The White Lotus (both seasons) - obviously season two is juicier, but both were good. Love Steve Zahn. Is the show as great as everyone laments? Maybe? It’s hard to say because yes it’s good, but aren’t we all so sad and broken right now that anything even mildly good is considered revolutionary? Personally I liked it mainly because I like to watch people on vacation.

    • Jennifer’s Body - holy god did it suck. Why the hell was this on my must watch list for over a decade? SUCKFEST.

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’d love to go ice skating at least once more this season, I know it’s lofty but I’d also love to go skiing and I really want to make a tres leche cake after recently discovering that it’s my favourite cake in the world.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in December, come on over here.

Baby Dog thinks you should come to bed

TAGS: January, January Jewels, January Jewels 2023, Liz Heather, Nathan Macintosh, Baby Dog, monthly post, monthly roundup, Costco, Costco parking lot, Death of a Salesman, Broadway, Moulin Rouge, Broadway NYC, things to do NYC, Sephora birthday gift, Ulta birthday gift, chicken meatballs, penne alla vodka, Half Baked Harvest, red pepper flakes, TWA Hotel JFK, winter pool NYC, goat yoga, Diana Varga, Paul Fishman, Richard Darby, apple nachos, butter, lasagna soup, Zimmermann, Soho, best of Soho, Soho NYC, ZCRAVE, Mercer Street, fur coat, fur coats, Showplace Backstage, Mandarin Oriental, Carne Mare, caviar mozzarella, The Body Shop, wild pine The Body Shop, The Body Shop wild pine, pistachio cream cold brew, Starbucks, Josh wine, hair serums, Don Angie, Don Angie cookbook, Via Carota cookbook, frother, Kipozi straightener, Giorgio's of Gramercy, best mushroom soup NYC, Little Ruby's Cafe Soho, Blue Ribbon, Bistro Des Amis, Bistro Eloise, Queens, Queens restaurant, TD, TD Canada, banking, short rib, short rib recipe, short rib bolognese, pasta, best pasta recipe, The Banshees of Inisherin, The White Lotus, Steve Zahn, Jennifer's Body


January 10, 2023

The Best of 2022

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Halloween, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television, Travel


The very best of 2022.

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TAGS: the best, the best of 2022, Liz Heather, Central Park, Baby Dog, The Met, In America, Birthday Candles, Debra Messing, Broadway, New York Transit Museum, blond, American Buffalo Broadway, Circle in the Square, travel, Mr. Saturday Night Broadway, Billy Crystal, Amityville horror house, Amityville house 2022, Kim's Video NYC, Harmeet Litt, lake house, tea service, Marla Garvey, The Wild Tart, It, Elora quarry, Elora gorge, Halloween episodes, Thierry Mugler Brooklyn Museum exhibit, Museum of Broadway, zucchini lasagna, sour cream banana bread, lemon brown butter salmon, lamb bolognese, soft pumpkin cookies, stuffing waffles, Giorgio's of Gramercy, wild mushroom soup, truffle, Daily Provisions NYC, lemon poppy seed cruller, The Independent NYC, mussels NYC, The Sparrow Tavern, Astoria, The Angelika, chocolate peanut butter pie, best of NYC, best of 2022, french onion soup dumpings, Mimi Cheng's, steak Diane, steak Diane NYC, The Dowlings at The Carlyle, Rezdora, pasta NYC, burger au poivre, Raoul's, corn and couscous risotto, Glass House Tavern, Bar Crudo, crab cakes nyc, Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres, Las Vegas, Sala, BLT, BLT Astoria, best BLT NYC, Golden Girls, The Golden Girls, Malice, Alec Baldwin, Trapped, Nathan Macintosh, Top Gun Maverick, PEN15, The Summer I Turned Pretty, teen show, Barbarian, Bill Skarsgard, The Crown, Bob's Burgers, Bob's Burgers Christmas episodes, Three Ships, The Body Shop, tee tree, wild pine The Body Shop, AG Hair Colour Savour Mask, Zazzle, address labels, Vicks, Vicks bath salts, Vicks bath crystals, Aerie, Aerie leggings, Holler and Glow foot mask, Target, tulle dress, tulle dress Free People, Alidoro NYC, Sullivan Street Bakery, Angelina Bakery NYC, Bryant Park, Kylie Skin, lip oil, Half Baked Harvest, SLT, The Kardashians, Cancel the Kardashians, Halloween Ends, A Christmas Carol Broadway, opinions, year end list, 2022 best of list


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