Who doesn’t like mac n cheese? (If you raised your hand, I seriously question your childhood).

For the rest of us, there’s Macbar, a small joint that serves ONLY variations of macaroni and cheese. It’s not the first of its kind that I’ve come across (there’s also S’Mac), but located perfectly for a quick shopping break near Soho.

(Love the lips-shaped tray when you order your mac in medium). Made fresh to order and lots of flavor, it’s the quick-but-gourmet style you might find at some neighboring restaurants. If you are somewhat reminded of the one you find at the neighboring Delicatessen (albeit slightly less toned down with the cheese factor you’d find there) it might be with good reason — this outpost was born from the same chef, Michael Ferraro. I personally love mushrooms and ordered the Mac Shroom (roasted “magic” mushrooms, fontina, mascarpone, truffled essence) but think I actually preferred the Margarita Mac fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, parmigiano, fresh basil since it had a little more flavor.

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**Read til the end of this post for an exclusive Amazon.com sponsored giveaway!! Win a selection of products shown here**
It’s wedding season (although lately, it’s been feeling like when is it NOT?), so it’s the perfect time to tell you about Amazon.com’s updated Wedding Registry which makes it even easier to craft your list! Here are some benefits I learned about recently:

- Room guides: where couples can find all the products they need by each room of their home.
- Similar Registries: Couples can look to the Similar Registries lists on Amazon to see what other couples are registering for based on what is currently on their registry, by region or by wedding month.
- Connect via social networks: share your wedding registry via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
- Easier than ever for guests to find your registry: Guests can simply type in the couples name followed by “registry” in the Amazon.com’s homepage search bar.
- Amazing selections: couples can register for not just kitchen items, but anything from bikes and tents to books and electronics.
- Thank you card manager: stores all the guests who ordered from your Wedding Registry by Amazon in one place for easy reference.

I was invited to learn about 4 specific trends emerging in the wedding gifts market. Amazon had broken them down as the following:

MODERN NOSTALGIA

The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook- $16.96
Cargo Cool Traveler Suitcases, Set of 3- $99.00
Polaroid 300 Instant Camera- $79.99
DII Ric-Rac Botanical Vintage Half Apron- $24.00
Orka Chocolate Fondue Set- $15.00
KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers- $349.99
Huffy Women’s Ocean Deluxe Bike- $149.99
Waring PBB2 Professional Bar Blender- $190.00
Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Mint Green- $280.00
Make My Day Retro Milk Bottle Creamer and Sugar Set- $11.80
Karlsson Wall Clock Mixed Spider Multi Color Steel Chrome- $44.99

THRILL SEEKERS

Bodum Fyrkat 13.4-Inch Portable Charcoal Grill- $80.00
Pierre Belvedere Airplane Travel Journal- $15.95
Panasonic Lumix TS4 12.1 TOUGH Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Optical Zoom- $399.00
Camelbak Classic 70 oz Hydration Pack- $42.69
Texsport Bazaar Armchair- $18.93
The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook- $19.95
Fifty Places to Hike Before You Die- $24.95
Gerber 31-000701 Bear Grylls Survival Series Ultimate Kit- $67.50
TETON Sports Scout 3400 Internal Frame Backpack- $99.99
Bell Faction Multi-Sport Helmet- $40.50
Nathan Stainless Steel 700 mL Flip Straw Bottle- $20.00

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Shy

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I hate starting posts apologizing about not posting. But the combo of traveling, working (BATF, unfortunately, isn’t my only job), and trying to keep up with all the “very important dates” for my friends has been daunting as of late. So yeah, I’m sorry .

Sadly one of the results of all of the above is that I don’t sleep much. My goal is to start a healthy habit of sleeping like a normal person (read this post on Dr. Oz’s Health & Happiness Summit on why that’s so important!). But there are just some weekdays I can’t even begin the day without a boost, and for now, I found a very delicious solution: Starbucks VIA Ready Brew.

I’m always very weary at trying to re-create the same drink that you’d find at a cafe using their brand’s shortcuts, but this is a serious no-brainer that tastes like the real thing. That’s because they use the same quality coffee beans that they do at their cafes. The one I’ve been obsessing over is their new ICED caramel — perfect now that it’s getting warmer out! Just open the packet and pour into iced water, and then add milk to taste. It’s already lightly sweetened so I never have to add more and it wakes me right up. You can smell the crushed coffee beans as you pour it, and it tastes pretty awesome. No coffee machine needed.

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I know what you’re thinking — when I say ‘licorice’ you’re picturing the black confectionery variations. But Welch’s new Filled Licorice snacks are doused with so much more flavor. And if you’re a gummi bear-eating freak like me, you’d appreciate its own gummi-ness. They come in the flavor they made so famous, Concord Grape, and Strawberry. Grape is decidedly my personal favorite, judging by how fast I go through the packs. The fillings contain real fruit juice and fruit pectin, and are available now at stores. Though, if you’re not one to wait, leave a comment below! Welch’s will send two (2) winners four (4) packs of their new Filled Licorice (Moms, this just made packing lunch a wholeee lot easier!). Anddd then, you can tell me which flavor YOU like better .

GIVEAWAY: Be among the first to try them! Win four packs of Welch’s new Filled Licorice (2 of their Concord Grape and 2 Strawberry) by simply leaving a comment below!

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By Sabrina Enayatulla

On an early Sunday afternoon the wait for brunch at The Bluebell Cafe in Gramercy is literally spilling onto the sidewalk. Of course a busy restaurant is always a good sign, but on a weekend with afternoon plans already in place, the Best Friend and I decided to reschedule. Since Bluebell serves breakfast (the meal with our most favorite food choices!) until 11 a.m. during the week, we returned to enjoy the French cuisine fused with traditional American home-style cooking the following day, Monday morning.

Bluebell can be best described as a place that’s reminiscent of a relative’s house where you might go for Thanksgiving. It’s warm and cozy and has the feel of being a favorite local small town drop-in. For breakfast we ordered to share: over-easy eggs, buttermilk biscuits, wheat toast, buttermilk pancakes and blueberry pancakes served with maple syrup and dusted with powdered sugar, and Brioche French toast served with berry compote and lemon curd.

I can be a bit indecisive at times so I almost always ask to mix up the offerings on restaurant menus because I want a little bit of everything. At Bluebell, this started as soon as I saw the pancake menu. Like that pack of butterfly-and-hearts covered cotton undies that your mom left on your bed after a Kmart run back in the ’90s, the pancakes at Bluebell come in a set of three. Problem was, I had to choose between buttermilk and the day’s special: blueberry.

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