Make Your own Jam

A great summer jam is delicious. Bagels have been a large part of my breakfast this summer, it's time to make some jam to add! Here is a little variation of a simple jam recipe, that makes it even better.

What you will need: 2lbs of Strawberries, 1 1/2 lemons zested and juiced , 2 cups of sugar. This amount made the two jars above and another smaller one, but I ate that one. 

I love a recipe that is delicious and super easy to make. The longest part is the waiting. Cut up your strawberries into small pieces (at first I had mine as big as the picture above but then I cut them even smaller).


 Zest and juice your lemons, and add the lemons and the sugar in your sauce pan. Put the oven top on low and allow for your sugar to melt.After 7-10 minutes add your strawberries in and boost the temperature up to medium heat. After 10 more minutes taste and check your consistency. 

I've checked around and people say that if you put a plate in the freezer you can test your jam by taking a little from the pan and setting it on you cold plate. If it runs easily when you tilt the plate then you need to allow it to cook longer. I tried this and mine was still a more liquid consistency, but I've heard a lot of people using this technique when they make jam.

Even though mine didn't pass the cold plate test it is still delicious. With the added half of the lemon added, it gave the jam an extra lemon taste that I enjoy. If you only add one lemon, or even a half of a lemon the flavor pallet will change. With a simple recipe like this you can exchange strawberries for blueberries or change the lemon for some raspberries. It's up to you. If you make jam let me know, I would love to see the pictures!

My New York Favorites

I feel like I'm in Sound of Music, but here are a few of my favorite things from New York. 
The experience. Apart from my other posts I really loved having breakfast at tiffany's and the carousel in central park.

The people. I loved the people of New York. You see so many girls riding bikes in skirts, love! The guy on the right was sitting right outside central park reading, uh I would love to do that. 
The culture. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) was amazing! Also amazingly huge. Some of the exhibits I completely understood, and others I felt like I was in a department store.

The food. Of course I have to do a collage, following the tradition started in Los Angeles. The food was amazing, enough said! Loved New York so much, I would love to go back!

NBC Studio tour and Top of the Rock

I have no idea why but I didn't connect the dots that the NBC studio and Rockefeller Center were the same building. When we arrived bright and early, being the second tour to leave, Rockefeller Center was so pretty. It would take me months of living in the city to not be as touristy as I am every time I see an enormously tall building. The studio tour was fun; and I loved the gift shop, as you can tell. When one store has my two favorite shows in it, it's going to be a good day.

Also a quick preview of Madam Tussauds wax museum. Such a fun place! I was definitely most excited to see Kate. If I could be related to anyone, it would be her. See you tomorrow!

A Beautiful gift from France and the Empire State Building

The only woman I know who doesn't have a bad angle. The Statue of Liberty is so amazing; the more I stood looking up the more and more grateful I became for my freedom!

Later we went all the way across the city to the Empire State building. Quick shout out to the New York subway; one of the fastest ways to get across the city. The view from the top was spectacular!

It feels weird having this many pictures of me up, haha oh well I'll get use to it. See you tomorrow.

My First Day in NYC!

Seriously New York! I feel like you are actually one entire movie set that people have decided to live in. I've been to the amusement parks where you look down the street and it's the "New York skyline" so when I got there and I looked down the street it looked like a fake skyline, in the best possible way. It was so pretty it looked fake.

Oh and the food! There are definitely your bad places, one day I got a huge piece of plastic in my sandwich, but there are so many delicious places it's so worth it.

The hotel may be pretty tiny but there is a view of the apartments next door that is so cool. Oh and there are rooftop gardens. I'm sorry if you're from New York and I sound super touristy, but I'm so excited to see everything! See you tomorrow