Precious but Not Pricey Gifts from Owl and Thistle General Store

Since it opened its doors in Crown Heights four years ago, Owl and Thistle General Store has stayed true to its “general store” moniker. Owner Keri Cavanaugh has a knack for finding precious, but not too pricey Brooklyn-made, Fair Trade and sustainable gifts for all ages, so you can easily walk in here and cross multiple generations off your list. (Trust us, we’ve done it.)
Cavanaugh also offers terrific crafty classes, too—like a Sew Your Own Stocking workshop this Thursday—so if you’re shopping for a DIY lover, a gift card that they can apply toward any class makes a thoughtful gift.
The shop’s holiday hours are Monday through Friday 11-8pm,  Saturday 10-8pm, Sunday 10-7pm, and you can always purchase gifts online, too. Just order by Dec. 20 for guaranteed Dec. 24 delivery, or choose the next-day shipping option.
Here are five great ideas for holiday gifts.

This leather tote is handcrafted in a standout… Read More

The post Precious but Not Pricey Gifts from Owl and Thistle General Store appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1OAeDTk
via IFTTT

Blue Apron Fall Recipes Warm the Soul

Sponsored By Blue Apron. Blue Apron offers fresh ingredients and great recipes delivered weekly to your home. Created By BlankSlate
It’s harvest season! It’s that time of year where the crisp autumn air makes us yearn for the comforts of home and the sort of rich, hearty food with seasonal ingredients. It’s a time for families to cook together and eat at the table.
With our busy modern schedules, though, it can be cumbersome for families to balance the hectic routines of work and school and still have time to shop for and cook up homemade, nourishing meals. That’s where Blue Apron comes in.
With Blue Apron, people can rediscover the joy of cooking. Fresh ingredients from regional farms and artisans are delivered to your doorstep, along with easy-to-follow recipes that Blue Apron chefs adapt from various world cuisines. And if you sign up now, you’ll receive two free meals on your first order. The fall recipes have included such healthful, hearty fare as zesty Acorn Squash Tempura Tacos… Read More

The post Blue Apron Fall Recipes Warm the Soul appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1lqaGa2
via IFTTT

First Bites: White Tiger

Liz Kwon and Chelsea Altman’s new restaurant, White Tiger, brings Korean flavors to Prospect Heights. Photo: White Tiger
White Tiger, a Vanderbilt Avenue hotspot-in-the-making from chef Liz Kwon and Chelsea Altman, the owner of a host of neighborhoody spots around Brooklyn including Allswell in Williamsburg, doesn’t have a lot of competition in Prospect Heights, or beyond. The restaurant, which opened earlier this fall, seems determined to prove that it’s more than just the only Korean spot around. Prioritizing the inventive over the homestyle, White Tiger eschews tradition and aims to please a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood above all. If Kwon’s menu is somewhat hit or miss, White Tiger–named for the national animal of Korea–is still a solid choice for a memorable night out.
This is in no small part due to the strong–in more ways that one–cocktail list: The namesake White Tiger ($9) is a tropical take on a margarita with coco loco and red chili.… Read More

The post First Bites: White Tiger appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1OzGd30
via IFTTT

Brooklyn Gift Guide 2015

Follow Brooklyn Based’s board Brooklyn Gift Guide 2015 on Pinterest.

As simple as it is to buy a gift from one of the many megastores blasting you with Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers, you’ll actually have a far easier time finding an original present when you shop local. We’ve curated some excellent options for cool Brooklyn gifts that will impress your girlfriend, husband, mom, cousin, co-worker and BFF. Need some more reasons to shop indie this season? Here are 10 good ones:
1. Brooklyn pride runs deep, and these retro knit Ski-doo hats will broadcast neighborhood love all winter long. You can get them for adults or kids at Owl and Thistle, the Crown Heights shop that specializes in Fair Trade and handmade goods for all ages. Their classes make great gifts, too.
2. Make your apartment smell like the holidays now (and all winter long) with Good Candle. With season-appropriate… Read More

The post Brooklyn Gift Guide 2015 appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1MIHoMR
via IFTTT

Your Ideal Week: Nov. 27 – Dec. 2

Hello from the other side of Thanksgiving. We hope you had an exceedingly pleasant time whether you left the city or stayed local. Though the federally-mandated day of gluttony is officially over—at least until next year—we have a nice, long weekend to look forward to and a slew of fun events to mark the beginning of December. There’s bluegrass in Gowanus, live comedy from a Simpson alum, and couple of great holiday markets. Check out the full lineup below to start planning your ideal week.

The Williamsburg Holiday Market will run through Dec. 23 at Diviera Drive on Berry St. Photo: Williamsburg Holiday Market

Friday, Nov. 27 
 While people across America will wake up before dawn on Friday morning to get the best Black Friday deals, those who would rather avoid the fray are invited to drop by the Williamsburg Holiday Market for a more relaxed day of holiday shopping. Starting on Friday and… Read More

The post Your Ideal Week: Nov. 27 – Dec. 2 appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1jnJZkP
via IFTTT

An Orphan’s Thanksgiving

If you’re one of the more practical transplants in New York, then you probably decided to forgo splurging on a Thanksgiving flight just one month before you go home for the holidays. But staying in the city doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a nice, community-building dinner: This Thursday, the folks at Dirck The Norseman are inviting all Thanksgiving “orphans” to eat and be merry for the third year in a row. For just $50, attendees, who are encouraged to bring a family dessert, will enjoy glasses of beer and wine over a home cooked meal prepared by the Dirck staff while kids under age 12 eat for free. Ten dollars of every ticket sold will be donated to the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen. Tickets are available here, doors open at 5pm.
… Read More

The post An Orphan’s Thanksgiving appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1lhKqhK
via IFTTT

A Shoppable Magazine Where the Stories Do the Selling

Seven years ago we published this guide, “Etsy made Easy,” filled with all the knitted Nano cozies and lightbulb salt and pepper shakers you could possibly want. At the time, Etsy felt like the premier source for handmade goods–it was bursting with cool, original items, made by real people.
Fast forward to our present holiday shopping season. Etsy has become so vast and unedited, with mass-produced goods now sold alongside handmade items in its online shops that it’s no longer the first stop on our annual hunt for original gifts. (Though I admit, it does come in handy for my kids’ Halloween costumes.) In the search for that perfect stand for your air plant or a cool geometric necklace to gift your girlfriend, you’d sooner find it at a Brooklyn boutique or the Brooklyn Flea than Etsy. There are also an increasing number of online markets for artisan wares that feel far more accessible… Read More

The post A Shoppable Magazine Where the Stories Do the Selling appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1lfRPyk
via IFTTT

Are Your New Favorite Tacos Made from Jackfruit?

Jackfruit tacos are the new vegetarian thing. Photo: Regina Mogilevskaya
Before last week, I had never considered jackfruit tacos because I never knew such a thing existed. To be honest, I didn’t really know what jackfruit was. Turns out, a tree fruit (the largest in the world!) native to South and Southeast Asia that has been quietly making a name for itself in vegetarian and vegan circles as a useful and potentially delicious ingredient. And jackfruit tacos do exist—at Toro Ironworks Kitchen & Bar in Greenpoint.
Chances are that if you’ve ever searched, “tacos near me” while standing on a corner in Greenpoint (you know who you are), you’ve come across Toro. Such is the case with me, as I’ve found myself in many a New York neighborhood not my own in pursuit of a quick and easy taco fix. The last time I was at Toro was a few summers back for chips,… Read More

The post Are Your New Favorite Tacos Made from Jackfruit? appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1NLdqpe
via IFTTT

Gifts That Teachers and Nannies Will Actually Appreciate

It’s that time of the year, when those of us with school-age and not-yet-toddling kids rack our brains for the best gifts to give our children’s teachers, nannies and regular sitters. Most will tell you they prefer an Amazon gift card or cold hard cash over any other token of appreciation. But sometimes you want to give something a little more personal and thoughtful to express your gratitude for taking such good care of your kids, or making school a place they will gladly leave the house for every morning. I got the following suggestions from a few preschool and elementary teachers and caregivers who divulged their favorite gifts over the years (I admit I skipped the older grades—once kids begin switching every class, you don’t have to worry about gifting every teacher). You’ll note, there is not a tin of cocoa or a candle among their picks.
One to Grow… Read More

The post Gifts That Teachers and Nannies Will Actually Appreciate appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1HcXGyE
via IFTTT

A Ticket Inside the World of Pixar

The Good Dinosaur doesn’t come out in theaters until November 25th, but you can still get a Pixar fix before then. Photo: Meredith Craig de Pietro
If your kids are human, then they (and you) are already familiar with the Pixar brand. Growing up, your daughter was attached to her Buzz Lightyear doll, while your son slept only in his fuzzy Finding Nemo pajamas. Maybe earlier this summer, you sobbed your way through the emotional roller coaster of Inside Out, happy that the family was immersed in darkness. Pixar is known for making  that go deeper than most kids’ flicks, leaving images deeply imprinted on childhoods and uncovering lost memories in adults.
The characters in Inside Out were thoughtfully created by the geniuses at Pixar. Image courtesy of Pixar Animation Studios, © Disney/Pixar
The new exhibit “PIXAR: The Design of Story at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum” breaks down the behind-the-scenes process of… Read More

The post A Ticket Inside the World of Pixar appeared first on Brooklyn Based.

from Brooklyn Based » »Brooklyn Based http://ift.tt/1MZ4SdM
via IFTTT