One of my favorite things to make during the holidays is chocolate bark.  It’s sooooo easy to make and what a great xmas gift!

Dark Chocolate Bark With Dried Blueberries and Toasted Walnuts

• 3 – 100 g dark chocolate bars (60-70%)
• ½ cup dried blueberries
• ½ cup walnuts
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp coarse Himalayan sea salt

1. Turn oven on to 350 degrees.
2. Break walnuts into smaller pieces and toast in oven for approx 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler on low heat.
4. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, turn off the heat and toss in dried blueberries and toasted walnuts.
5. Add ½ tsp of cinnamon to the mixture.
6. Line 9 x 13 pan with wax paper or foil.
7. Spread the chocolate evenly in the pan.
8. Sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate mixture.
9. Refrigerate for two hours.
10. Remove pan from fridge and slowly peel chocolate off of wax paper or foil.
11. Break off into smaller pieces.
12. Makes 12-15 pieces.
13. Enjoy!

I just got back from 5 days of walking, eating, shopping and loving New York City.  It is such a unique place filled with everything awesome!  Last week’s visit was my sixth time back and still, there is never a dull moment in that city.   I decided to visit the city throughout the week as opposed to the weekend and I’m so glad I did.  I feel that New York on the weekend is like a city on mega steroids, everywhere is packed, tourists abound and it makes me insane.  Even still, going out on a Monday night in the West Village, we still faced restaurants with waiting lists.  Can you believe that?  Monday night in New York City, restaurants are full!  YES, finally, people who go out on Monday nights!

I always come home from New York City like I just had a crazy whirlwind affair; its always passionate, intense, and I feel so alive!

I’m surprised how many people I meet who have not been to NYC.  Even if cities are not your thing, New York City is no ordinary city. Nuh uh.  For those of you planning on visiting, here are my Top 10 Things To Do In NYC (in no particular order).

Enjoy!  I sure did.

• Central Park

This park is one massive park and it is spectacular.  To give you an idea on how big it is; it spans over 50 blocks.  It’s a beautiful place to just be in, hang out and have a tea, and some of my favorite movies have been filmed in the park.  There are free concerts in the summer that bring out big names (remember this city doesn’t do anything small), there is a roller skating rink, skating rink, zoo, baseball field, carousel, plus much more that I’m sure I’m missing.  Just go and love.

• Café Habana

All I have to say is CORN with cheese.  Ridiculous.  This cuban restaurant is one of my favs, I hit this place up every time I’m in NYC.  Go early because there are line-ups, but if you’re in a hurry, you can go to their take-out window and just order yourself some corn.

• Williamsburg, Brooklyn

If you’re up for something not Manhattan then Williamsburg is your answer.  It takes 20 minutes or less by train to reach Williamsburg from Manhattan.  It has cool bars, restaurants, art; you’ll find all the hipsters hanging in this hood!

• Brooklyn Museum:  Target First Saturdays

Where else can you have an alcoholic beverage, dance to one of the world’s best djs and discuss a painting from the late eighteen hundreds?  For free??  Hell yeah, it’s a must, first Saturday of every month.

• Kuma Inn

This is a cute restaurant located in the Lower East Side.  You’d never find it unless you were looking for it since it’s located on the second floor.  The food is filipino fusion.  Call me biased if you want because I’m Filipino, but the night I was there, the restaurant was packed and I was the sole Filipino there.  So take that.  Not only was the food divine BUT it’s BYOB.  Yup, you heard me, BYOB.  Your welcome.

• High Line

Who has an elevated park that goes through the neighborhoods of Chelsea and West Village?  New York does.  The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan’s largest industrial district.  Now, it’s JUST an elevated park.  How friggin’ awesome is that?

• Billy’s Bakery

This place was one of those stumble upon gems.  After many hours of walking, we needed to caffeinate it up and happen to be walking on this small street that landed us in front of this place.  I was so tired that I perched myself on a bench in front of the place and sent my boyfriend in to grab me a tea and something sweet.  Now, if there is someone that you need to sniff out good dessert, it’s my boyfriend.  He rarely gets excited about dessert because there’s so much bad stuff out there, but holy moly, he came out like he won a million dollars or something.  The cupcakes are to die for, he not only went back in again to buy another cupcake, we went back again the following day to one of their other locations.  It’s that good.  GO.

• Yoga

Now, I couldn’t write this without talking about yoga.  One of the things I love about yoga is that you can do it anywhere, anytime.   New York has some amazing yoga studios; I try to always catch a class or two while visiting.  This time around, I went to the Jivamukti studio, which I’ve been to before.  The main studio is located near Union Square and I went to a Monday 10am class, which of course was packed.  Sharon Gannon and David Life are the founders of Jivamukti, they have a really interesting story.  Jivamukti is also where Sean Corne first began her yoga career.  I love taking classes with different teachers I always learn something.  What did I learn from this class?  Memorize something wonderful; a sonnet, a poem, a quote, so that if someone ever asks you to tell them something beautiful, you have something to say!

•  Theatre

Let’s talk about theatre, the razzle and dazzle of broadway, or off broadway or off off broadway.  One of my favorite theatre moments in New York was attending The Vagina Monologues when it first opened back in 2000.  I was so excited to see Gina Gershon on stage and I had heard phenomenal reviews about the play.  Minutes before the play began, a man enters the room and sits down at the back right corner of this small theatre; it was Al Pacino.  I could not contain myself.  There was no doubt it was he as throughout the play, you could hear the ‘Godfather’ laugh, and oh what a distinct and familiar laugh it was.  I always try to catch some theatre while in NYC, this time around I caught the show Relatively Speaking, 3-plays written by Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen.  The theatre must have held at least 1000 people, and of course on a Tuesday evening it was sold out.

• Brooklyn Flea Market

There are flea markets that happen in different areas of Brooklyn, I checked out the one in Williamsburg.  It’s a pretty happening scene.  I grabbed my Mexican fare from one of the many food vendors there that day, and wandered around checking out both new and vintage items.  It has everything from clothing to shoes to furniture.  The people watching is pretty spectacular and there’s something really special when you can look across the river and can see the Manhattan skyline.

Today, I’m not going to talk about the importance of giving.   We’ve all heard how important it is to give. Unconditional giving where we don’t expect anything in return is such a wonderful feeling and for many, comes more naturally and easily than receiving.  The act of receiving can be very challenging for many people.  But, receiving is just as important as giving.  You can’t have yin without the yang.  So, if you’re one of those people who is uncomfortable with receiving, it’s time to get used to it and here’s why.  

Last week I was hanging out with a couple of friends and we got to talking about relationships.  In this particular case, it wasn’t the typical bitching and complaining of a partner, one of my friends talked about the insecurity of losing her partner.  This guy is not a jerk.  She talked about how wonderful her beau was, charming, talented, smart and very caring towards her and their relationship.  So, of course, me being very confused, asked the question, then what are you so insecure about?  She talked about being burned from past relationships.  I said, fair enough, but he’s not anything like your past partners?  He’s this great guy who wants to be with you.

I continued to explain to my friend that her beau is a gift from the universe.  She’s obviously done some great things in the past to have this man in her life.   The universe has given her a gift, and instead of saying thank you, and being happy, she’s acting unworthy of this special gift.

What happens when someone gives you a gift?  You say thank you, you may even give them a hug, and then you revel in that moment of receiving that gift.  It’s a great moment, and it feels good.  You don’t act unsure or think to yourself is this gift meant for me and then maybe return the gift? No, it would be rude and unkind. And most likely, that person will never give you a gift again.

We are given gifts everyday and they manifest in many different ways; a new friendship, a great job, some extra cash, lunch paid for by a co-worker.  When you receive a gift, revel in it, say thank you and act worthy of receiving it. Receiving your gift graciously tells the universe that you are willing and open to receive whatever the universe sends your way.  You are owning up to what is rightly yours.  And guess what, when you do that, you set yourself up for more receiving, MORE ABUNDANCE.

Now, get out there, and go practice.  Remember, it works both ways, to be fully abundant in life; you must balance the act of both giving and receiving.