Weekly Moment of #Gratitude + Active #Giveaway: Happy Cinco de Mayo Edition!

What I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Girl Time! -  I got to spend some time after an event hanging out with one of my favorite bloggy buddies, Milena from beyourbestmom.com, she tagged me on a great post she wrote called the '10 Things I learned this week'. We spent time hanging out at a pub that I had heard the name of, but had never visited, Pig 'N' Whistle (36th Street in New York City). I highly recommend the Calamari there, and I'm pretty picky about my Fried Calamari! It's definitely enough to share! It's actually not far from Macy's, so if you are shopping and want to wet your whistle, I'd definitely recommend them. I get to hang out with such amazing New York City Bloggers, but mostly at events, which means we don't always get a chance to just have girl talk and really connect, so I'm super grateful that Milena and I got to take a moment that wasn't event related to break bread and just talk! (Well it was somewhat event related, because we hung out after an event, that I will recap here soon!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Veg Time! - I spent some downtime catching up on movies I hadn't seen yet on cable, totally dis-connected and just watching some Movies, just what the doctor ordered!

I have been keeping my own daily list of things I am grateful for and taking time to acknowledge my blessings daily. A bit of concentrated focus on what you do have, instead of on what you lack or need, can make a huge shift in your life!

What are YOU most grateful for today Butterfly?

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What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for, and the more reasons that the universe will send you to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me on Twitter here (@Tracy_Iglesias) Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field at Twitter:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and Active Giveaways!  - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Active Giveaway!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Just in time to get my butterflies ready for swimsuit season, this month's Ascending Butterfly Book Club title is The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy, don't forget to enter, you've got to be in it to win it!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Entries are currently being processed, and we hope to announce a winner soon for the $100 Wilsons Leather Gift Card Giveaway.

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Gratitude Journal Reco:

For those of you who are interested in keeping a gratitude journal this year, here is my recommendation and where to purchase it (I love that it gives you writing prompts for when you feel stuck on what to say!):

Make this Your Best Day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, all opinions are 100% my own. Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

NYC: Sake and the City at Astor Center Event Recap {Photos} #SakeAndTheCity

Introduction to SAKE and Guided Tasting with Sake Samurai Timothy Sullivan of Urban Sake

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a very fun event at Astor Center in New York City, a SAKE tasting! I had the chance to attend not just the walk around tasting that was open only to media during the day and then opened to the public in the evening, but I also attended two seminars where I learned so much about SAKE and about creative food pairings that go beyond Sushi!

My mom introduced me to SAKE and I introduced her to Sushi, so we attended the SAKE And The City Event together and had so much fun!

Timothy Sullivan of Urban Sake gets ready to present an Introduction to SAKE and Guided Tasting

We started with the first seminar which was an Introduction to SAKE and Guided Tasting with Sake Samurai Timothy Sullivan of Urban Sake! If only I had known YEARS ago that my love of SAKE could have been turned into a job with such a fun and funky and job title!

Timothy Sullivan of Urban Sake kicks off an Introduction to SAKE and Guided Tasting

The crowd was definitely excited!

Timothy Sullivan of Urban Sake outlines Sake Ingredients during Introduction to SAKE with Guided Tasing at Astor Center in New York City

We started out by learning the ingredients that goes into SAKE, which are:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Water
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Yeast
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Koji
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Rice

Timothy Sullivan of Urban Sake explains Sake Classifications during Introduction to SAKE with Guided Tasing at Astor Center in New York City

We then moved on to the Classifications of SAKE, they fall into either the 'Fortified Style' or the 'Pure Rice Style' this chart can be read in detail HERE.

Timothy Sullivan of Urban Sake explains the Sake Fermentation Process during Introduction to SAKE with Guided Tasing at Astor Center in New York City

He then discussed the fermentation process of Sake, which brought me back to my tour of the Bacardi Rum Factory in Puerto Rico when the tour took us through the fermentation tanks!

Introduction to SAKE with Guided Tasing with Sake Samurai Timothy Sullivan at Astor Center in New York City

Everyone was excited for the tasting part of course!

Introduction to SAKE with Guided Tasing with Sake Samurai Timothy Sullivan at Astor Center in New York City

I had to snap a shot of the bar that also showed the pictures of the bottles of the SAKE we tasted!

I loved the color of the bottle, and found the Kirin-Zan SAKE to be a mild and mellow SAKE I would definitely serve!

There was time before the next seminar and we hit the walk around tasing room! I wasn't able to get pictures of every single SAKE so I tried to nab shots of the ones I really liked best from each table. The Kirin-Zan pictured above was my favorite from the first table I visited.

Aronia Nigori on the far left was this table's standout SAKE

I learned in the seminar that some SAKE is meant to be served warm and others should be served chilled. The Aronia Nigori, the pink bottle on the far left that is in the ice bucket was my next standout SAKE. This SAKE is meant to be served chilled, and there was a refreshing crispness to this one that I greatly enjoyed!

After trying the Aronia Nigori, I followed the signs to the next table!

Tahei-Zan SAKE

This SAKE is an Award Winner! And I definitely appreciated the enthusiasm in which it was presented! This was a very flexible SAKE and I can see keeping it in stock at home because it's quite balanced on the palate!

Ginkoubai Hannya Tou Plum Sake - THIS WAS OUR HANDS DOWN FAVORITE OF ALL THE SAKE WE TASTED!

We were hearing some major compliments at this point (which was about the mid-point of the tasting) regarding a Plum Sake that was a must try, in fact someone standing next to us asked us if we had tried it yet and we hadn't. He literally walked us over to this station and boy am I ever glad he did! Plum SAKE is actually already a personal favorite of mine, but this is one I had not yet tried. Hannya is this un-expected burst of Plum SAKE with a literal burst of peppery flavor, it's a bit of spice and heat that you don't expect it to have, and while you can certainly pair it with a meal, it's also one I can see you wanting to enjoy on it's own. This one was our hands down favorite, and apparently everyone else's too because when we visited Astor's Cellar later on to purchase it, it was already sold out, and I can tell you I fully understand why! This one is my super standout pick of the entire day, hands-down!

What was also fantastic is that they took so much time with us to show us a photo gallery of their brewery, and they were super personable! And if it's true that someone's passion and enthusiasm can actually be tasted in the final product be it a meal or a rice wine, then you can definitely see this is true with Hannya, they love what they do, you can truly taste it and it really shows!

After finishing up with Hannya, we realized that we lost track of time and it was time for the second seminar of the day!

The second seminar was the SAKE with Specialty Food Pairings by Brushstroke Executive Chef Isao Yamada

The second seminar was the SAKE with Specialty Food Pairings by Brushstroke Executive Chef Isao Yamada and it was fantastic! It took us beyond the obvious which is SAKE and Sushi and challenged us to be more creative with how we pair SAKE with food.

That salad was delish and so was the SAKE it was paired with!

SAKE with Specialty Food Pairings by Brushstroke Executive Chef Isao Yamada

We got to watch as the Chef prepared each dish before and then we were presented with the dish to taste!

This was definitely the most un-expected pairing, I wouldn't have thought a jerky type of meat would have paired so well with a SAKE but I was wrong!

SAKE with Specialty Food Pairings by Brushstroke Executive Chef Isao Yamada

I loved that the pairings went beyond the Sushi and SAKE mindset and challenged us to be a bit more creative and adventurous.

We got to pair the perfect Sake for the food that was prepared!

Below: I asked Timothy and Chef Yamada to pose for a close up and they kindly obliged!

Left: Brushstroke Executive Chef Isao Yamada and Right: 'Sake Samurai' Timothy Sullivan of UrbanSake.com

After the last seminar we went back to the tasting to try hit some of the stations that we missed.

My Take:

I greatly enjoyed SAKE And the City, I enjoyed trying SAKE brands that were new to me and discovering new favorites to add my list. I learned a great deal about SAKE and appreciated the panels by Timothy Sullivan and Chef Yamada greatly. Whether you are a SAKE expert or a novice this tasting definitely had a little something for everyone! I certainly hope that the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) decide to host another one soon. Creative events are another one of the many reasons that I love my city, the 'city that never sleeps', New York City!

Butterfly, Are you a SAKE afficionado? What is your favorite SAKE?

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received to share our event recap, there were no gift bags, and all opinions are 100% my own.

Soup's On! + The Winter Market at Bryant Park’s Fountain Terrace! cc @DuaneReade @CollectiveBias #cbias #cbiasNY #DRAsianMeals

Perhaps it's because I was born in April, but I am a total Spring baby. There is something about the mere thought of Spring that makes me perk up! Me being ever the optimist, I was ever so hopeful when Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early Spring. And I have tried to find signs of Spring being on the way, I really have, but when your streets still look like this:

Snow very much still on the ground around here!

It's a bit hard to think Spring!

Even with this little cutie on the windowsill:

Check out that sweet little birdie on the windowsill!

It is still FREEZING out! The wind was actually so strong today it was pushing me along and I kind of felt like I was skiing along as I ran my errands today!

On my way home I decided to stop off at Duane Reade to pick up some stuff:

Duane Reade, Bronx, New York

Not sure why that happened, but these shots were actually taken at the same time back to back but one looks like it's darker than the other, I guess it's the shooting angle:

Duane Reade, Bronx, New York

This isn't my regular Duane Reade shopping location so I had to check the Aisle names to find what I was looking for, in my usual location I have all the Aisles pretty much memorized. (I could probably shop my usual location blind-folded!)

Aisle 1, Duane Reade, Bronx, New York

I am trying to change my eating habits so I bypassed those tempting bags of chips and since my fingertips still felt like ice cubes I thought I'd check out the soup aisle! And I spotted something new!

Asian Meals Malaysian Noodle Soups are sold Duane Reade!

Asian Meals currently offers 3 varieties of Noodle Soup being sold at Duane Reade, Sesame Ginger, Shitake Mushroom and Lemongrass Noodle. The Sesame Ginger was not available at this location or another one I tried, so I was only able to purchase two out of the three varieties.

Asian Meals Malaysian Shitake Noodle and Lemongrass Noodle Soups

While most soups are way better than any bag of chips, some can be very high in sodium, and while I don't have any dietary restrictions when it comes to sodium, it's still something I try to be very careful not to over consume, so I am definitely a label reader.

Asian Meals Malaysian Lemongrass Noodle Soup

What I loved about the label:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 0 grams trans fat

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No MSG

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No preservatives

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No artificial color

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No 3-MCPD

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Non-GMO

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A portion of every AsianMeals purchase helps children with cancer.

Asian Meals Malaysian Shitake Noodle Noodle Soup

You know just how much I love 'give backs', when I can do something good for me and my family and also give back to others at the same time, it's a total win/win in my book!

Feeling artsy and created a cute vignette with my soups!

A soup that will warm up my heart and my tummy? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me! As you can see I decided to bring them both home! They are super easy to prepare, they can be put in the microwave, or you can just add boiling water.

Asian Meals Malaysian Shitake Noodle and Lemongrass Noodle Soups

I chose to heat mine up in the microwave, don't you just love getting home cooked, simmered all day taste in just minutes?

Asian Meals Malaysian Shitake Noodle Soup

It's B.Y.O.C, yep, bring your own chopsticks, it's that easy! I'm definitely going back to Duane Reade to try and find the the Sesame Ginger, I might add some of my own extra chicken or shrimp to that one, I added a few extra mushrooms to my Mushroom Noodle! Soups are my favorite place for leftover proteins!

My Take:

These are warm and perfect anytime for dinner, you might want throw in some extra proteins or vegetables if you have something in the fridge leftover, or add a nice crusty bread to it. They are also perfect if you brown bag your lunch to work, since you can make them even if your office doesn't have a microwave with just boiling water! I do like to keep readers fully informed, and I think it's important that you are aware that they are manufactured in a facility that uses wheat, peanut, tree nut, soy, fish and shrimp, while they do follow good manufacturing practices to segregate ingredients to help avoid cross contact with allergens, I just thought I'd be sure to point that out. They contain soy and oyster so if you or your children are allergic to either you may want to avoid these. But if you are not allergic to any of the ingredients, go for it!

EVENT:

Just wanted to be sure my New York and tri-state area readers got the heads up about The Malaysian Winter Market at Bryant Park’s Fountain Terrace! On February 20 - 21, 2013 Malaysia Kitchen for the World will host The Malaysian Winter Market at Bryant Park’s Fountain Terrace, featuring a variety  of signature Malaysian dishes and traditional Malaysian food products by restaurants and vendors in New York City and the Tri-State area. The event will be held in the heart of Bryant Park, under large, stunning heated tents near the iconic Bryant Park fountain and skating rink, surrounded by colorful umbrellas and lanterns reminiscent of the street markets of Kuala Lumpur and Penang. The Malaysian Winter Market will be open all day, but be sure to stop by for lunch and dinner on both February 20 & 21 for great Malaysian dishes for up to $8 each:

Lunch: 11:30am – 2:30pm (or until sold out)
Dinner: 5:30pm – 9:00pm (or until sold out)

The event is open to the general public. Chef demonstrations and special performances by an authentic Malaysian dance troupe will take place on an elevated stage throughout the day. 

Participating restaurants include:

• Bentara Restaurant 

• Fatty Crab

• Laut 

• New Malaysia Restaurant

• Nyonya 

• Penang (Upper West Side, NYC)  

• wichcraft

   

Participating vendors include:

• Duane Reade

• Author and Chef Susheela Raghavan

• Auria's Malaysian Kitchen

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Malaysia Kitchen USA on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @MalaysiaKitchen on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Visit the Malaysia Kitchen Website

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Duane Reade on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like @DuaneReade on Twitter

Check out a few more photos that didn't make this post on the Google + album of my shopping trip!

So butterflies, SOUP it's what for dinner! What are you making today?

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FTC Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®. Duane Reade and Malaysia Kitchen #CBias #SocialFabric #DRAsianMeals

Wordless Wednesday: Pictures from Vapiano's 10th Birthday Bash in New York City! {Photos}

On Monday, October 22, 2012 Vapiano's Restaurant celebrated it's 10th Birthday with a Blow Out Bash in New York City where bloggers, patrons, editors and New York's Social Elite enjoyed great food, great drinks and great service in style! Here are my photos from the birthday bash!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash, Wideshot of Bar as guests arrive!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash - The Aperol Spritz and Summer Sangria were the Signature Drinks for the Bash!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Close Up of Aperol Spritz Signature Drink! Prosecco and Bitters and an Orange Garnish are all a part of the magic in this cocktail!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash - And then there were two! Aperol Spritz Signature Event Drink with an Orange Garnish!

Above: Signature Drinks and Appetizers for two at Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Anniversary Birthday Bash! Read more here: 

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash DJ Mixes Music during the Bash!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash - This Little Cutie tried to make off with the Balloons!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Menu!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Pizza Americana - Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Spicy Italian Sausage, Sliced Sicilian Pepperoni

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Granchi De Fiume - Crayfish, Lobster Sauce, Fresh Vegetables and your choice of pasta, I selected the Penne Pasta - YUMMO!

Vapiano Restaurant New York City 10th Birthday Bash Staff and (Center) Managing Partner, Christophe Scherman and patrons mingle during the Birthday Bash!

For my fellow New Yorkers you should definitely check this place out and for those visiting New York City, the proximity of the Restaurant to NYC Landmark Union Square makes this a must visit! I greatly enjoyed the Birthday Bash and thank the team at Vapiano Restaurant for their amazing hospitality and attentive service!

Butterfly Bloggers be sure to link up your Wordless Wednesday Posts as a comment to this thread, and if you haven't already done so, don't forget to enter our Nicole Miller Designer Handbag Giveaway of the 'Addison' Style Crossbody Leather Handbag, you have until October 31st to put in an entry to win, the bag has an ARV of $295 and there will be ONE winner!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received to share my event recap of the Vapiano Restaurant 10th Birthday Bash.