The Very Best Christmas Gift

After a long car ride from Wisconsin to Detroit, Buster is finally home. So far he is adapting to his surroundings quite nicely.

Holiday Party at the Whitney

We had our holiday work party at the historic David Whitney House in Detroit. The house was built in 1894 and has 52 rooms, 20 fireplaces, a secret vault in the dining room, and a few ghosts (Or so they say).

Bowling at the Majestic

We spent Friday evening bowling at the Majestic theater in Detroit. I'm a terrible bowler but still mange to rock out in bowling shoes.

The D Show

It's hard to find good advertising here in the D. That's why it was so fun to go to the D Show and see all the great work from local agencies. I'm a sucker for a good photo booth series.

Brooklyn Bridge

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothing you can’t do
Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
the lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
-Jay-z

Magnolia Cupcakes

I had to stop when we saw Magnolia Bakery to get a cupcake. I used their recipe before to make cupcakes but the real thing is always better.

Here is the recipe in case you want to try:

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes

• CUPCAKES:

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ICING:

• Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows) or Chocolate Buttercream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.

Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*Note:
If you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
8 to 10 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Macy's Day Parade

We really lucked out that the weather was so warm this year at the Macy's Day Parade. It was so fun to see the balloons up close. We also went the night before to see the balloons inflated.

Katz's Delicatessen New York

Laura & Benoit took us to Katz's in NYC. I got an amazing brisket sandwich. Sooo soo good.

One Week!

In officially one week, I will be visiting Laura in NYC and having a fabulous Thanksgiving with her fabulous family. I can't wait!

Eastern Market

Since 1891 the people of Detroit have been flocking to the sheds of Eastern Market to buy produce, flowers, and antiques. Kevin and I had a wonderful breakfast at Russell Street Deli and picked up some great cheese from the historic R. Hirt Jr., Co. (1893). The market is open all year round and I'm curious to see what winter will bring to the selling floor.

Grand Army of the Republic Building

This building was built in 1897 to commemorate the Michigan Civil War veterans. Currently this building is also left abandoned.

Detroit Dreams

I had fun this weekend testing out my new lens that adds more of a dreamy effect to my photography.

Detroit Love

Aint talkin 'bout Philly, no
Aint talkin 'bout DC., no
Aint talkin 'bout New Orleans, where
they say the funk got started
I'm talkin 'bout the D, i'm talkin 'bout the D y'all
I'm talkin 'bout the D
It's a Detroit thing

Kid Rock

Michigan Central Station

This Detroit train station was built in 1913 by the same architect that created the Grand Central Station in NYC. At the time, it was the tallest train station in the world. Now it sits abandoned with no future plans to restore it.

Meet Buster

Our puppy finally has a name! We chose Buster after a character on our favorite show Arrested Development, Buster Bluth.

It's a boy!

I finally caved in and got a puppy from my uncle's King Charles Cavalier litter. He's a boy! Now I just need to think of a name for him. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Yay! New Spoon Album!

Spoon has announced that their newest album Transference, is due out January 26!

01 Before Destruction
02 Is Love Forever?
03 The Mystery Zone
04 Who Makes Your Money
05 Written in Reverse
06 I Saw the Light
07 Trouble Comes Running
08 Goodnight Laura
09 Out Go the Lights
10 Got Nuffin
11 Nobody Gets Me But You

The band is also giving away free tracks at their site:

http://www.spoontheband.com/

Photo by Autumn de Wilde

One Year One City Endless Opportunites

Time magazine has created a great new blog about Detroit:

http://detroit.blogs.time.com

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Kevin and I took a weekend road trip to Kentucky last weekend. Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, and Wild Turkey bourbon distillery tours were first on our list. The tours were very interesting and I learned the difference between bourbon and whiskey. Bourbon must be:

• Made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn
• Made in the USA
• Contain no caramel coloring or additives
  
• Must be aged in new, charred oak barrels

We also had a great time in Louisville checking out fourth street and finding great sushi. It felt good to be back in the South.

U Pick Apples

Kevin and I had so much fun at the cider mill that we thought we would check out an orchard too. The best part of picking apples is the endless amount of taste sampling you get to do. (Honey Crisp apples are by far the best!) We also picked out a pumpkin. I plan to make a Barak-O-Lantern again to carry on last year's success. The orchard had a ridiculous long line for fresh donuts and Kevin and I now understand why. Yum.