Ice Cream Man

I was only in the city for 48 hours, and this is what I did: walked seven miles in three-inch heels, saw six of my favorite East Coast friends, went to five interviews, ate four of Whole Foods delicious homemade granola bars, and perhaps most impressive of all, saw the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck three times.

Seeing the bright yellow Van Leeuwen truck feels sort of like spotting a celebrity on the streets of New York. They are elusive, thrilling, and often hidden by hordes of people. And in Van Leeuwen's case, for good reason. The man behind the van is a former Good Humor driver who began making ice cream with artisan ingredients, creating something of a sophisticated Mister Softee experience for big kids.

I spent my last afternoon in the city wandering around the West Village, visiting Marc by Marc Jacobs, and catching the Van Leeuwen truck, decked out in Coach, parked in front of the accessory store's downtown outpost. The only thing better than an adorable ice cream truck with stylish scoopers? A free ice cream cone after a whirlwind week.

eating like a king

People like to complain about how expensive things in New York City are. Yes, my bottle of water was $3. Yes, my taxi ride that should have been a 10 minute walk had I not been wearing heels was $10. And yes, my hotel room that is roughly the size of a king bed was, well, too much.

But today I learned that when I move to NYC I can remain well-fed without going broke; I found what must be the perfect food for just a few bucks and a few quarters. A little salty, a little sweet, and perfect for breakfast or lunch (as I enjoyed it today), City Bakery's pretzel croissant is my new favorite food.

Fortunately, the baked good was fresh from the oven. Unfortunately, it was so hot to the touch that I had to buy an iced coffee just to cool my mouth off. Iced coffee and a New York City bakery treat? Best meal ever.

San Francisco, Part One

Birthday cake donuts, the perfect accompaniment to my morning iced latte from the corner Starbucks, also known as my wake up call every morning.
Day one at Coit Tower, an art deco landmark and one of the prettiest views in all of San Francisco. From here we explored Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm wearing a striped tunic (Gap Kids), navy leggings (Old Navy), a cream double-breasted sweater (Gap), and coral Chuck Taylors.
Day two, in front of Ben and Jerry's on the intersection of Haight and Ashbury. This area was the number one place I wanted to visit, because I have a longtime fascination with the 1960s Summer of Love culture. There were no Jerry Garcias roaming the streets, but our taxi driver claimed to have known him, so that was enough for me. I'm wearing a plaid ruffled dress (Gap), denim motorcycle jacket (Gap), navy leggings (Old Navy), and gold gladiator sandals (Coach).The best chocolate chip cookie in the world from Ghirardelli Square. It was the size of a scone, so I shared it with my parents, but the oozing chocolate chips had me fighting for every last crumb (even though lunch, a dungenee crab grilled cheese sandwich for me, was just minutes earlier). In front of Owl Tree, the bar of my dreams. Not only were there adorable owls everywhere, but also every delicious beer in America on tap. From here, we searched the streets for San Francisco sushi and ended up at an Italian restaurant with the tastiest fresh calamari imaginable.

A Sweet Surprise

When I told my brother I couldn't meet him for lunch because I was baking cupcakes from scratch, his response--after laughing for a few seconds--was "Good luck with that." I've had my fair share of baking misfortunes. Once, my oatmeal raisin cookies tasted like fried catfish. Another time, I iced an angel food cake inside the pan, not knowing that the cake has to be flipped onto a platter before frosting.

So in the past, my failures have far outweighed my successes. But then, I've never baked from scratch before. Betty Crocker mixes must be unlucky, because my first batch of homemade cupcakes (ever!) was a shining success. I started the weekend with three dozen cupcakes and have two left. Two!

I used Smitten Kitchen's sour cream chocolate cake recipe topped with old-fashioned buttercream icing, both found via Manda Cooks, one of my favorite cooking blogs that happens to be written by a fellow former Teen Vogue intern.

So with graduation behind me and a batch of homemade baked goods under my belt apron, I might finally be on the path to adulthood. But first, I need to go watch Gossip Girl again.