free day: the brunch

December 12, 2011 Comments: 2

OK, I’m back for real this time. No more week-long breaks. I apologize for my neglect, but I have a good excuse! You see, today I completed my master’s program. So the last week has been over-the-top crazy for me (especially when you add on that full-time job thing I have, plus my freelance writing, plus piano practice for a church Christmas program, etc.). So I’m feeling pretty good about being done with school. And I would now like to sprawl out on my couch and not move for several days.

But I will get back to blogging. I haven’t been diligent about my daily dollar finds, but I do still have a few New York deals to share. So, let’s go back in time…

One of my most favorite days of the year is Small Business Saturday, which is a magical annual event that falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I’ve never been a fan of Black Friday (there are no deals I’d wait in long lines for or fight crowds for), but I sure love SBS. The whole thing was started two years ago by American Express, and the purpose is, obviously, to support small businesses. All you do is register your Amex on the SBS website, and then spend at least $25 at a small business on that Saturday. And then American Express credits your card with $25! So basically, you get $25 of free anything. What could be better?

Buttermilk Channel brunch menu

To kick the morning off right, Tim and I brunched at Buttermilk Channel in Brooklyn. I eat Eggs Benedict on about an every-other-month basis (I just can’t help ordering it every place we go) and Buttermilk’s is the best I know. Technically, theirs is called Eggs Huntington, but you get the idea. The eggs are perfectly poached every time, and the buttermilk biscuits beneath the eggs are just wonderful. I also appreciate that they use a super thin prosciutto-like ham. And how can you ever go wrong with hollandaise sauce? I’d drink the stuff by the glass if I didn’t think it would give me a heart attack on the spot.

Eggs Huntington at Brooklyn's Buttermilk Channel

Tim tried the fried pork chop with cheddar waffles and maple syrup, and liked it quite a lot. Other favorites there are the pecan pie french toast, the fluffiest ever buttermilk pancakes, and the apple/bacon/cheddar grilled cheese. But best of all is getting $25 worth of delicious food for free. I love Small Business Saturday.

the bubbles

December 6, 2011 Comments: 2

Central Park bubble man

Another dollar recipient in Central Park was this bubble man. Look at the excitement on those children’s faces! These were definitely the hugest bubbles I’ve ever seen. The kids didn’t even seem to mind getting slimed when the bubbles would pop right above them.

bubbles in Central Park

the jokes

December 5, 2011 Comments: 2

Jason Schneider's $1 jokes in New York's Central Park

While walking through Central Park the day after Thanksgiving, we stumbled upon joke teller Jason Schneider, who I heard about a few months ago on NPR (listen here). Though I only paid him $1, he favored us with a dozen jokes. We had two three-year-olds with us, so all his jokes were aimed at the kiddies, but he still got a few laughs out of me.

the canned pumpkin

December 1, 2011 Comments: 7

pumpkin pie toffee cheesecake

Call me un-American, but I do not love pumpkin pie. I mean, it’s fine — I would eat it if it was the only dessert option available (because I would never go without dessert). But I can think of about 10 other pies I’d choose before taking a slice of plain pumpkin. So this Thanksgiving, I used a trusty $1 can of Libby’s pure pumpkin to whip up a layered pumpkin pie toffee cheesecake. (Thanks goes to Our Best Bites for the recipe.) Do yourself a favor and put this on your Thanksgiving list for next year. You won’t regret it.

the shackburger

November 30, 2011 1 comment

Shake Shack in Madison Square Park

We clearly had no trouble spending our dollars in New York. Get ready for at least a week’s worth of posts from our visit there. We hit Shake Shack in Madison Square Park for lunch one day, since Tim always wants burgers and I just always want food. While eyeing the menu, I noticed the Shackburger costs exactly one dollar more than a regular hamburger, so it was a no brainer. Unfortunately, my battery died before our food came out, so the picture below is borrowed from the always-generous Flickr.

Shake Shack ShackBurger(thanks to roboppy for this photo)

Our burgers and fries were wonderfully fresh and delicious. And did you know Shake Shack buys 100% of its electricity through sustainable wind power? And they recycle their grease into biodiesel? Just a green sidenote, in case you were curious.

the bagel

November 29, 2011 1 comment

Court Street Bagels in Brooklyn

When we visit Brooklyn we go on lots of walks and eat lots of bagels. Actually, I go on lots of walks and Tim eats lots of bagels. On Thanksgiving morning we teamed up and did both together. Tim’s first bagel of the morning was from Brooklyn Bread, because he likes them super light and airy. I held out for Court Street Bagels, because I like real bagels. The whole wheat with bacon/herb cream cheese did not disappoint. While we were there, Tim decided to spend my dollar for the day on his breakfast #2 — a pretty cinnamon swirl bagel.

cinnamon bagel from Court Street Bagels

free day: the martha stewart show tickets

November 28, 2011 1 comment

Martha Stewart Show — live taping in New York

Well, it looks like it’s been a week since I last visited this (technically daily) blog. Holidays will do that to you.

We did our annual Brooklyn Thanksgiving, and the week was delightful, as always. We headed into the city on our first morning there, as I had scored two tickets to a live taping of the Martha Stewart Show. My friends and I did the same thing last year, so I guess you could say this is now a tradition of mine. Martha taught us all sorts of neat Thanksgiving tips, and she graciously gifted everyone in the audience her new entertaining book. I was excited to actually recognize one of her guests of the day — Amanda Freitag is my favorite Chopped judge. And as it turns out, the other guest, Alex Guarnaschelli, is the chef of a restaurant I’ve actually been to (Butter). All in all, a great day with Martha. (Also, how good does Martha look for a 70 year old? Am I the only one who is shocked about her age?)

enjoying a live taping of The Martha Stewart Show in New York

Oh, and despite the look on Tim’s face, he enjoyed himself immensely. He was probably just annoyed that I dragged him out of bed at 5 a.m. to go with me to Starbucks so I could get a few hours of work in before we had to be at the studio.

the snow peas

November 21, 2011 No comments

Eat Smart snow peas

I’m always attempting to add more vegetables to my diet, so I was delighted to see this $0.99 bag of Eat Smart snow peas at Shaw’s. Most of the vegetables I buy aren’t very conducive to grabbing from the fridge and snacking, but this ready-to-eat purchase has solved that problem for the moment.

the $1 lunch

November 18, 2011 No comments

Groupon Now! $1 Lunch

It appears that Groupon has picked up on my idea that dollar deals are the key to happiness. Today, in a whole bunch of cities, Groupon Now is offering $1 lunches! Unfortunately, none of the eight “Boston” locations are actually in Boston. And I don’t know if a 45-minute drive is quite worth it for a $1 lunch.

the dessert gum

November 16, 2011 Comments: 2

Extra Dessert Delights strawberry shortcake

Well, it’s my lucky day. I acquired two packs of Extra Dessert Delights gum for a dollar (even though they normally cost $1 apiece) thanks to a coupon for $1 off two packs of Extra gum. The only two flavors available at Market Basket were strawberry shortcake and mint chocolate chip, but the cashier informed me that apple pie is the one to try when it’s in stock.

Extra Dessert Delights mint chocolate chip

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