the annie diaries

2009-08-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

Did anyone else's mom make these heaven sent little doodie balls in the summer time ? This is the stuff of true genius, people. Chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal all rolled up and made hard in the fridge. and the best part ? noone has to turn on that big stinkin' oven and heat the whole house up ! c'mon ya'll this a/c ain't cheap !!! for those err, challenged in the kitchen as well - they are REALLY REALLY easy. even for moi. bettye crocker i am not. be sure to sip something that reminds you of your childhood.. shirley temple, Old Fashioned, Manhattan, pbr.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa
pinch salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

Preparation:

In large saucepan, combine sugar, milk, cocoa, salt, and butter and mix well. Bring to a boil and cover saucepan for 30 seconds to allow steam to wash sugar crystals down sides of pan. Stir mixture and bring it to a boil that can't be stirred down for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add oatmeal and mix well. Do not use regular or instant oatmeal; quick-cooking oatmeal is essential to the success of this recipe.

Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to let the oatmeal absorb some of the liquid.

Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper . Let cool until you can touch the mixture; then reshape the cookies to make them more a ball shape. or just eat right now. before they've cooled. life's short , people.

2009-07-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

how refreshing to see a real woman's body here (Christina Hendricks) - yes im MAD FOR MAD MEN. a little errrr, late but still a fan, just the same. One of the writers of the Soprano's - matt weiner brings us a brilliant and artfully directed show about an ad agency in the 60's (hello- costumes and props are outta sight !) The vocabulary and nuances of the time will make one guffaw - (don't even get me started on how they spoke to women-what?!!) its hard to believe this was only a short time ago... and if you go into a bananna republic now there is a contest for a 'walk-on' role in the next season... sign me up, Don !

soap on a rope

2009-06-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

im big on scents. and after opening a lovely care package from Paris from dear grandma bettye ( thanks, grandmars!!) i am totally in love with 'Thymes' bath salts - or anything Thymes for that matter. available online and in many stores across the world - soap, room spray, candles -- even a line of baby toiletries, thymes is the way to go.

Oh la la, mon cherie.

2009-06-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

In this economy, who has the moolah for a hotel stay ? craigslists' 'housing swap' is the way to go for a summer vacation. Think of it -- all you have to dish the cash out for is a plane ticket ( nyc - paris is now an incredibly low $780.00 for July- www.kayak.com) and some lovely parisian person stays in your place, watering your plants and feeding Elmo your goldfish. Voila ! everyone wins, even the fish !
search craigslists' 'housing swap', be sure to iron out ALL details with your 'swapper' before you confirm ( location location location! ), google map the actual address of your vacation spot to make sure its near transportation and locales you'd like to visit and Bon Chance !

well its still so darn cold. i'll have a snowball

2009-06-01T13:15:00.001-07:00

did anyone else LOVE these as a child ? i mean its chocolate, cream-filled, hot-pink, covered in coconut - and its called a 'snowball'... genius genius genius.
and they're not bad to boot !
until this summer in nyc starts to feel like real summer temps. im stickin' to schnapps and snowballs. jeez will it just warm up already?? its JUNE.
all right.
got that out of my system.
had a lovely herb-cheese stuffed chicken, cous-cous and blueberry buckle at Hannah Banana's. did some [wishful thinking for warmer temps shopping] - scored 3 great new editions to the ol' wardrobe. (H & M just opened up down the street...) i buy with the guilt of knowing those 3 things just won't look the same come fall, but ahh c'est la vie its so cheap.
looking forward to an evening of African-Amercian dance class at the 92nd st Y tonight. The instructor brings her own 5 piece Jamaican drumming circle - and this class is only $12.00 people ! get there! such an amazing cardio workout you'll be moaning from your sore muscles for days after.
spent the weekend sunning in central park with a girlfriend + adorable dog 'Atilla the Hound' and munching on grilled spicy chicken in McCarren (thank you Chef Billy).
Not much more a girl can ask for - is there ?

god of carnage

2009-04-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

'James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis star in a sharp-edged new play by Yasmina Reza.' One look at that cast and you know this new off broadway play HAS to be phenomenol. "Never underestimate the pleasure of watching really good actors behave terribly." - The New York Times. i can't really say it better. running roughly two hours with no intermission, there wasn't a restless body in the house-everyone hanging on each word and action. Hope Davis plays an uptight and later goofy over protective ocd type mother. her antics were nothing short of pure comedy. my good pal Cary and i made this tuesday night showing, only 'standing room' tickets were available. this was one well heeled crowd - 'mr.big' from sex and the city was there. go now before it becomes the next big thing !! god of carnage site.

get vampy

2009-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

wow. i am so in love with vampire weekend's new song ' White Sky.' i've literally had it on repeat , love at first listen! I did some research on these cute boys--apparently they all met at Columbia University, held steady full time jobs, and managed to write and produce their first album--all on their own. talk about motivation !!! go to www.hypem.com for a looksee.

spring!

2009-03-19T20:19:00.001-07:00

The spring solstice is arriving. in only moments. i for one am. so. pumped. next year? see ya later NY winter. if i have to hock coconuts out of the back of pick up trucks i will GET OUT of ny next winter ! mark my words.
so GI joe is coming to visit moi this weekend. yee haw. i think we'll have some friends over to my (dont gasp) 800 sq foot apartment and we'll be serving up this delicious and EASY (really) appie. - -- courtesty of my pal stef. here it is - i'll call them 'hunnybrie bread'
take one french roll. as fresh as possible.
slice into small bite sized pieces. toast.
while they're warm, smother with brie ( or goat cheese)
drizzle with honey. ( or agave)
add finely sliced almonds or walnuts to taste.
serve with any white wine. sauvignon blanc might be a good bet...
you will have to fight your guests for the last piece. yes for cheese !!

booties

2009-03-09T19:37:00.001-07:00

Recently, my favorite gal pal (a public school kindergarten teacher, she is truly a vision of Patience) and I made a secret trek WAY UP there in harlem to get to one of the city's secrets... a Target. yeah, the red and white bull's eye kind... who knew just a quick train ride uptown gets you into the every girls' cool and thrifty shopping palace?!!!
while studying abroad in London i came across this lovely cosmetics brand, 'Boots No 7' in their local drugstores. the quality was top notch but what really sealed the deal was the super cool and sometimes retro packaging. when you purchased Boots, you didnt have that 'ugh i just had to down grade to the store brand' feeling.... and now, voila it is available in the U.S.--at every Target.

go go goji

2009-02-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

Well i must be on the soapiest soap box but i'm all about health/diet and exercise this month. Call it spring fever. call it wanting to fit into those NYC spring fashion week runway looks ( or more likely - desiring that feeling when you're skinny jeans glide over your hips again...)
I've been reading 'The Flat Belly Diet,' (see below) and 'Eat right 4 Your Type', which explains which foods to eat/avoid according to your blood type. Not surprisingly, almost all the foods for my type are the ones i love, and the foods i am to 'avoid,' are indeed the kinds that mysteriously end up on my love handles...in addition to these two books, i've checked out 'Why Mars and Venus Collide,' which explains how stress, yes just stress, can be the #1 culprit for tension and collision of the sexes. In this book, Dr. John Gray, Ph.D., recommends a morning shake for your brain-all the ingredients are abfab and delicious. He sells it as a powder mix from his site and you add the following ingredients-- goji berries, a few sliced apples (which raise the 'feel good' chemical oxytocin in womens' brains), pure cacao, ground flax seed, coconut, molasses, and almonds, (also a 'brain food'), a little water and ice. Have this shake replace your morning ritual of cereal and coffee...for one week...and watch the results--more energy, fewer hunger pains before lunch, alertness, and higher 'oxytocin' levels. watch the video on his website for tips on the differences in the shake for male and female version. yum! yeah brain food !

shake recipe
Directions/ Ingredients to add to your Shake:
Blend 2 Scoops of Shake mix with the following
Ice (about 1 cup)
6-8 oz. Purified Water
Small handful of Nuts (walnuts, almonds, brazil, or pine nuts/ raw and unsalted)
1TBLS. Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
1TBLS. Pure Cacao (organic chocolate nibs)
1 tsp. Black Strap Molasses
1-2 tsp. Maca Root
1/2 tsp. psyllium seed husk powder
Mix all ingredients together in a blender. ENJOY!

2009-02-16T16:41:00.001-08:00

yes... i dont have a flat belly right now.. you too ?? and its been the bain of my existance...the one area i cannot seem to conquer. this book tells you ladies ( and dudes ) that yes ! you can work out and "eat right" all you want. but some people cannot shed that belly fat..because of your diet .. (you'll be surprised, things like tea and coffee can give you excess 'bloat' , groan ) . decades of health news has told us FAT IS BAD --FAT IS REALLY REALLY BAD ! but, as Liz Vaccariello will explain.. lots of fats are very, very good for you. To my surprise, I'd actually been avoiding just about all of the five 'good fatty' foods she recommends.. check it out ! its 30% off right now at Barnes and Noble. and the best part ? it does not require a work out routine, although recommends it for overall wellness. i am completely insprired and on the road to a No Bloat Belly.

i can't get no satisfaction

2009-02-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Commitment. I've lately been struggling with this subject. Actually all my life. And it wasn't until I took a long hard look at my history and hopes of the future that it occurred to me. I cannot commit (completely) -- to a job, to a career, a bath soap, a city, and until recently, a man. Is it possible in this fast paced and continuously "upgrade" obsessed world to truly be content? To be happy with oneself and position in life? You often hear the phrase, 'noone is ever really satisfied.' Perhaps that's part of it, always trying to improve oneself? But doesn't it just WEAR YOU OUT after a while ?!!!
I am a Sagittarius and encompass its qualities almost eerily to a T, for better and for worse. "Always seeking new adventure, a rolling stone, bores easily of the same..." As with everything, a little of this in ones life can be a positive... But having that "grass is always..." looming over yourself like a neon sign can drive you crazy. Literally. So, as a little prayer to myself, I have vowed to just try (I'm still panicky over the thought) to commit to some personal goals and ....gather more moss. I mean, it is green after all.

didnt america start with some fights over tea?

2009-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

i think so.. but that is neither here nor there, so the boyfriend , the big BF, i'll call him G.I. Joe... suggested my blog was looking a little... like a wal-mart so here is a non capital lettered shout out... im slowly dipping into the murky yet promising waters of.. t e a? .... now i have been a coffee, expresso bean, double, triple, pack on that caffeine -any -way -you- can-NOW- kinda gal.. but as the (cough) years wax on.. i'm learning about all the incredible attributes of tea and how it makes a body good. how could you resist? (theres even a 'tiramisu' flavored tea!) annnnd my latte craving crazies, a lot of cafes are making 'tea lattes'.. you'd almost not know the difference !! heres a nice blog on tea's. with LOTS more credible and scientific knowledge than anniemoxie could dole out. drink on.

nimble fingers

2009-02-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

cozy mittens? subway map wallets? a 40's style apron? the nimble fingers of my good friend has you covered. Stefanie designs and creates all of her own goodies in house, using only the best quality materials, impeccable taste, and love. (i truly think this woman is from another planet.. there is NOTHING she cannot do !!!) shop on her site or visit her blog, vamanos !!!

shades of grey

2009-01-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

eww eww ewww. ive been into grey/purple nails for a while and now there's a fantastic line of colors by OPI for Sephora, exclusively. The names are very New York - 'Arm Candy,' 'Sample Sale,' Cab Fare.' too much !! These colors last longer than the other typical nail polishes i find in nyc salons. check this one out - 'Metro Chic.' ....so rad.

water on steroids

2009-01-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

So my lovely friend Meredith who is a fantastic artist and mother gave me this tip. Add a little Lemonade or Limeade to your water bottle, about 1/3 juice to 2/3 water. This gives a little 'ummph' to your regular water and saves you calories if you had drank only the juice !

vegemite anyone?

2009-01-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

On a visit to Oz i discovered that everyone there (even the diehard Outback/construction worker/sheep herder types) were completely obsessed with this do-it-ALL balm. Lucas' Papaw Ointment. Im talking dry lips/cheeks, burns, scrapes, diaper rash-- probably even sheep rash. (can sheep get a rash?)
Anyhow, if any of your friends are traveling down south to AU, have them bring you back a barrel of this stuff. It has a nice light fruity smell; its made from papaya's and that's about it.
I have one for every nook and cranny of my life. Ladies (and men), this is a uni-sex product so you and your man can have matching balms. how cute.

mississippi secrets

2009-01-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

On my xmas visit to my boyfriends family in MS (cabins, taxidermy, mudboots, the whole 9!) I came into the nifty trick of dolloping a little poof of cool whip ( the tub kind only, no to the can) in your am coffee !! its just a little bit of sugar that goes a long way, making your coffee smooth and delicious. Thank you Mississipi relatives !! and watch out for all those mudpools...

Delicioso!!

2009-01-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

You all have GOT to see this new series on PBS. Four friends including Mario Batalli and Gwyenth Paltrow take a road trip through spain. Sampling and cooking the local flavor, and i mean LOCAL. Mario will pull into a vineyard, snap some grape vines, start a fire and cook the most suculent and fresh fare that was raised on that very farm. I myself am a disaster in the kitchen, but watching this show has inspired me to actually attempt at cooking local, seasonal and organic meals. At first i thought i'd be turned off from these wealthy celebrities zooming through europe in a bmw (how you say, 'recession' in spanish?) but they were seriously real and warm and respectful of all that is 'Spain.' check it ! I watched all four dvd's and wanted more more more. Rumor has it they are signed on for a second season. Bien Bien Bien.

Ahoy Mate!

2009-01-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Doesn't it feel like the country has just let out a collective sigh, 'ahhhhhh' since the changing of the Presidents? Im sure you all had a ball ; ) watching all the parties and ceremony- how could you not ? it was like the superbowl of inaugurations. And my hat off to you Mrs. Obama for wearing that chic and unique Jason Wu gown--it was nothing short of magical.
So onto my latest jean obsession (im guilty too). A place i rarely shop, The Gap, has these amazing 'sailor jeans' on the website only right now, the wide leg and flat front trouser feel is forgiving for those few extra pounds (ugh) you may be ferociously working off right now on your ellipticals !! These jeans are a mere $69.50, you could buy two !! happy happy. xo. -annie moxie

mi amore Flores

2009-01-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

The food drive was a success, lots of folks stopped by to donate or give us a wink. Although it did start to snow--and with a small hole in my wellie (oh no!) i hoofed it to my favorite Brooklyn vintage shop, "Flores Antique Clothing" . Let me tell you, these people are SAINTS. i started to loose some feeling in my hands and feet and Flores set up a heater in a dressing room for me. THANK YOU, FLORES! so of course i had to purchase a handmade bag from Haiti and a vintage hot pink coat ... what else would any girl with moxie do?!
happy tomorrow, inaugural party goers!

i feel like a popsickle today

2009-01-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

brr brr brrr... i think this is the coldest ive even been in my life ... all the cocoa and mittens can not get me warm ! im actually considering a tanning bed (gasp!) visit to absorb some vit K and toast my buns... this is what its come to ! two more weeks of January to go, folks.. surely februrary will bring better days.
we do have one event to anticipate...the big @ss party about to embark on our COUNTRY ( not just dc) come Tuesday... ill be toasting in williamsburg, brooklyn. whohooo!
also. Monday i'll be volunteering with 'moveon.org' at a grocery store in honor of the holiday, connected with NY Cares. onto greener pastures. hallelujah.
Now, im off to find a knock off Moncler (french canadian brand) coat and a kick@ss russian style winter hat...sometimes the only tool to battle winter blues is Retail Therapy !!! oy vey.