Walking With Dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History

What did we do during our last visit to New York? Well, we spent a lot of time walking with dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History!

I first encountered the Museum of Natural History in 2002 during my first year as a New York City public school teacher.

I was hired to teach sixth grade English and Drama but two days before the school year began, I was summoned to the principals office. The science teacher had just quit and I was being asked to step in. In addition to teaching English and Drama, I was to teach science as well (and we wonder why the USA is far behind other countries when it comes to STEM education). I panicked. A Theatre and English major, my last science class had been taken in high school and I had passed Physics by the skin of my teeth. I was not qualified in any way to add science to my roster. Luckily, I was teaching in New York City and had one of the finest resources in the world at my fingertips- The Museum of Natural History. Summoning my best Ms. Frizzle (remember her!), my students and I visited the museum twice weekly and worked directly with scientists and curators. We all learned something that year!

Fast forward 14 years, and I found myself walking the expansive marble corridors of the museum once more. This time with my children in search of dinosaurs or "dinersers" if you ask my four year old.

Falling right into step with my former middle school teacher self, I grinned- I still had every turn and permanent exhibit memorized.

The Museum of Natural History overlooks Central Park on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Founded in 1869, the Museum of Natural History is world renowned for it's scientific collections and masterful exhibitions.

We came for the dinosaurs!

We were also intrigued by the mammals!

We left feeling inspired. It was a good day!

The Museum of Natural History is easy to find. It sits opposite the park at roughly 79th street through 81st streets and Central Park West. The C train to 81st will get you there seamlessly!

Admission to the museum is accepted on a donation basis making it wonderfully affordable for anyone who desires the experience. Pay two dollars, twenty or two hundred...

A trip to the Museum of Natural History can stand alone or can be combined with a visit to Central Park which is literally across the street. From there, you can let your feet guide you, or you can grab a nice meal.

There are a host of delicious restaurant options on the Upper East Side that are within walking distance. My favorites are:

Good Enough to Eat (520 Columbus Avenue- walk North and West for amazing comfort food with a farmhouse feel) Cafe Lalo (201 W. 83rd street- walk North and West for to die for pastries, coffee and sandwiches. This restaurant was featured in the movie You've Got Mail) Vai (429 Amsterdam Avenue- walk North and West for delicious Mediterranean food and wine galore...)

On this day, we went to Vai!

It was so good...

A day in the city, well spent!

Pickled Beets! This Recipe is Simple and Unfailingly Delicious!

Picked Beets! This Recipe is Simple and Unfailingly Delicious! I promise you! I I think beets are beautiful!

There's something so grounding and appealing about that deep purple bulbous base, the way the greens sprout lavishly, red veined and glossy, brandishing nutrients and vitality.

Beets are spring and renewal and rebirth and sunshine!

Beets my friends, are simply divine!

Beets are also ridiculously healthy!

Considered to be a super food, every inch of the beet is edible. The greens make a great salad or can be sauteed like spinach. When it comes to the beet itself... there's no end to its uses.

Beets are full of potassium, magnesium, fiber, iron, phosphorus, vitamins A, B and C.

Consuming beets regularly results in a natural liver and blood cleanse.

Beets were even considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac by the ancient Romans...(wink, wink....)

One of my favorite ways to eat beets is to pickle them!

Here's what you'll need:

Beets

Himalayan Sea Salt

Raw Honey

Here's what to do:

Place your beets in a pot of boiling water. Use as many beets as you think will fit inside your jar of choice. I usually use three beets to fill my 6 ounce mason jar.

After ten minutes, reduce your boil to a simmer. Simmer for fifteen minutes.

Rinse your beets in a bowl of ice cold water. The skin will rub off easily at this point.

Once you've removed the skin, chop your beets into cubes. I always include some of the greens and the stalks.

Place your beets into your mason jar or jars (depending upon how many batches you intend to make). You'll want to fill the glass about 75% to the top.

For a 6 ounce jar, I add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of raw honey before pouring my apple cider vinegar over the beets until I've reached the top of the jar. Affixing my metal lid and ring, I shake the beet concoction vigorously  to combine all of the ingredients and I store in the refrigerator.

The beets will last about ten days in the refrigerator.

Pickled beets go well with:

salad (makes a great topper)

hot dogs (pile on top like sauerkraut)

quinoa or rice

Pickled beets also make an amazing stand alone dish. Consume them prior to eating your meal to stimulate digestion. Think chutney or kimchi.

Don't throw away your beet tips!

Place those tips in water and you can regrow the delicious stalks of greens for future salads. Or if you have a green thumb, you can plant the beet tip and grow some more beets!

See, beets really are gifts that keep on giving!

How do you like your beets?