Time is flying (7 days left)...

Rice to Riches in SoHo
Can't believe how quickly time is flying. Can't believe we only have one week left in New York. Can't believe how much there is still left to do (specifically: packing). On the bright though, more and more things are getting crossed off The List!

Last night after a fun evening of live music at a very cool venue in SoHo (Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken! We got to chat with Derek! He is very small!), we headed to a hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant on Elizabeth Street that I had gone to a few years ago with a friend, and had wanted to go back to before leaving. After that was dessert at Rice to Riches, which is...mmmm...my favorite (and definitely a top priority on The List). Try the chocolate chip and/or coconut. You won't regret it.

There is something about SoHo that feels so very New York to me. Perhaps it is because I don't get down there very often, or maybe it is the cobblestone streets and trendy restaurants and fashion. But some of my fondest and most quintessential New York moments have taken place in that neighborhood, and last night was no exception. It was a perfect summer evening spent with my husband and friends that I have a feeling will stand out in my mind for many years to come.

mmm, pudding...

I interrupt our wedding invitation assembly line to bring you some VERY important news. I have just experienced something that could quite possibly be the Best Dessert Ever. Like, seriously...the best dessert I've ever tasted. Maybe even one of the top 5 FOODS I've ever tasted. And I do not kid.

Ladies and gents, may I present to you...Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding!! Mmmmm...


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Oh. my. gosh.

I'd never had it before, but decided on a whim to pick some up tonight for a little post-stuffing-envelopes pick-me-up. Thank goodness for whims. It is the perfect combination of bananas and sweet pudding and soft, gooey nilla wafer yumminess. MMMMM!!! And apparently everyone else in blogland loves it too, so there are recipes all over the place! YAY!

Here you go:

*1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
*1 1/2 cups ice cold water
*1 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix (Jell-O brand recommended)
*3 cups heavy cream
*1 12-ounce box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (substituting not recommended)
*4 cups sliced ripe bananas
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*Beat water and condensed milk together with an electric mixer until well combined
*Beat in pudding mix for 2 more minutes.
*Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
*Whip the cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
*Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding.
*To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

You're welcome :)