Posh Ganache

Try This Tuesday, Or: To Thine Own Self Be True

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

I habitually hit a kitchen rut every January, this year being no exception. Once Sam went back to work after the holidays, the only kitchen motivation I had was buttering toast, but I soldiered through! I tried five new recipes in the last two weeks, and there were a lot of busts, actually. Here is a weird truth, no matter how much I try (and try!), I just can't get on board with butternut squash. It's related to the whole not-liking-cooked-fruit thing. I suppose I don't like sweet things to be warm, and butternut squash is too sweet. This also goes for sweet potatoes. So the new recipes included a vegan mac 'n' cheese (butternut squash based), and a sweet potato chili. Entire dinners in the trash (wah wah). So the lesson learned is that if you don't like something, don't make it for dinner. Know yourself, know your tastes, and to thine own self be true. Amidst the gross stuff I also found some goodies! Here's a list of things to try.

Quinoa "meat"balls. My dear friend's sister-in-law runs this vegan and allergy-friendly blog, and I thought this dinner was amazing. I often crave spaghetti and meatballs, but just cannot stomach red meat anymore. Problem solved! I ate these meatballs for days on end. Perfect texture (crisp on the outside!) and a great depth of flavor. (Though Sam wasn't as wild about them as I was and kept telling me I shouldn't call them meatballs, because it was deceiving.) The kale featured in this post was pretty cool. I think I just don't like kale though (too bitter), but the coconut/maple/orange flavor was awesome.

Apparently I'm on a quinoa kick, but I fell head over heels for this Thai Fried Quinoa. I tried both of these recipes because it seems all the popular quinoa recipes are for mexican style dishes (tossed with onion, bell peppers, cilantro, and lime), which gets boring. But this Thai fried quinoa was so good, I could have eaten the entire pan in one sitting, no joke. All that coconut milk probably means it isn't the world's healthiest recipe, but it's so good you won't even care. Seriously, make this today.

Of course winter means I want to eat soup every day, and this carrot ginger miso soup really hit the spot. Unfortunately not even Bria liked this soup, which is suspicious, but I loved it. Miso makes my heart sing. (And, just so you don't have to make multiple trips to Whole Foods like I did, I'll tell you that miso is located in the refrigerated section, near all the other vegan stuff.)

And lastly, we met up with Hannah and Rob on Saturday night for sandwiches at Brabo's the butcher block. Not a great place to stay and eat (we brought the sandwiches back to our place), but the sandwiches were fantastic. Right near the king street metro, I definitely recommend it for a quality, gourmet sandwich (and I really want to go back for a cheese plate). (also note they stop making sandwiches at 7pm.)

Steps

2012-01-16T18:09:00.001-07:00

*I wrote this post back in the spring, but never published it. So here it is, getting published. I worked at that office job for exactly one day before realizing it was not right for me. Sometimes you have to get that far into something to really know that it's not going to work. The great resounding lesson of this experience was "to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." Seems like that has been the theme of the last year.

The weather has continued to be lovely-- peppered with hot and humid days and weeks-- this is exactly the kind of spring I could endorse. I bought a pair of sandals for Bria that are too thick-soled, and they make her trip. This means we've had a lot of skinned knees around here. (Check out that mosquito bite too!)
I see my life echoed on a smaller scale in Bria. Growing can be tough. Bria and I try to make an adventure out of life, and some days we do a pretty good job. Some days the only adventure we have is traveling up the street to the Wendy's that smells like low-tide and indulging in a frosty.
Other days I decide to take steps in a new direction. This includes going to Target and buying a new outfit for a job interview. (Which I then take an awkward picture of to text my sister Whitney to get her fashion approval.) (hey, look! my hair has grown! but I'm still making the same faces.)
And those steps resulted in a new job-- the first office job I've had in over three years. It's a very new direction-- one that's scary, but exciting. But I'm hoping that by developing a side of myself that's laid dormant for those 3+ years, I'll be able to more fully enjoy and invest in my adventures with B. Because every moment with a girl like this one should be treasured.

On Expensive Dinners and Dreams

2012-01-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

The very first thing I should tell you about this year is the very last meal I ate last year. It was decadent and very indulgent, and a lovely way to say sayonara to a year that did not agree with me. (Also, brace yourself, it was the most expensive meal I have ever eaten.) We ate at Passion Fish in Reston, which is a sister restaurant to Ceiba and happens to be owned and created by Molly Wizenberg's brother. So, excitement all around. There was a prix-fixe menu for New Year's Eve that did not disappoint. I loved being able to choose from such fun offerings and indulge in more courses than usual. All too often I find myself paying to eat food that is incredibly mediocre. When you go to a restaurant, you want to feel happy that you ate better than you would at home. Don't you hate paying $15 for something you know you could cook better? I think I'd rather save the heartache and save up to eat at Passion Fish on a quarterly basis. Perhaps I should make it a resolution.

So my last meal of the year included sushi, Thai spring rolls, red curry lobster, and a vanilla bean anglaise chocolate mousse praline. (Let us take a moment to notice my choices were all Asian-influenced [save dessert].) There was also a special chef creation of a haddock custard with creme fraiche and caviar before our food arrived and Sam's dessert was homemade donuts which made me want to stow away in the restaurant kitchen for the rest of my life, surviving solely on a diet of those sugar-dusted gems. Sam's dinner was a beautiful piece of tuna with foie gras cotton candy on top. How is that even possible? I don't know, but it was awesome. Do you care to see crappy iPhone photos of our spread? I hate to do the food such injustice, but here we are.

Over two hours we all stuffed ourselves happily celebrating the end of the year and excitedly planning for the new one. This year is going to be great, I just know it. And one thing I hope to do more is be more open and honest, so here I go: I started making plans last summer to really shake things up in my life, and I am happy I started down that path. Since I was working on my undergrad five years ago I wanted to go to culinary school, and I thought maybe this would be the right time for me. When Sam and I visited NYC last fall, the sole purpose of the trip was to visit schools. Our initial plan was to finish our apartment contract here in the spring and then move up there so I could start school. However, it's incredible how quickly things change. A couple changes to Sam's job and some other opportunities have opened up here, so it seems we'll be staying put a while longer. Part of me is sad to have to put off my dreams for a while longer, but getting so far down the path made me realize how attainable my dreams are-- and they will be waiting for me as soon as I'm able to get back to them. In the meantime, I've gotten a taste for excitement and am brainstorming ways to spice things up. I hope to share more of those adventures here while I gain some experience that will only make my eventual culinary career richer.

Cornucopia

2011-11-28T06:34:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving this year was infinitely better than last year. We ate with Sam's one remaining local brother, and it was the best of both worlds. I made several dishes, but I didn't have to host or clean my house or even clean up my cooking mess immediately after. Though I still dream of making a turkey some day.
Since we spend the holidays at home rather than traveling to visit family, it's important to me to make nostalgic dishes. Stuffing was spoken for on the Thanksgiving menu, so I made my mom's stuffing for Tuesday night dinner to make sure I got my fill. And when brainstorming what I could bring to the feast, I found a perfect balance of recreating McPhie traditional dishes and experimenting with new recipes. One of the new ones was the curried brussels sprouts, which were Bria's favorite side dish-- a new tradition perhaps.
Non-photographed dishes contributed included this McPhie family favorite jello and Martha's incredible green bean casserole. Below you will see the evidence of pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie (the ultimate crowd-pleaser of the night), corn custard, and Martha's curry spiced brussels sprouts.

making dents

2011-11-10T14:38:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend Sam and I went to New York. It was a quick and efficient trip. The majority of the time was spent eating-- walking to and from restaurants, planning meals and snacks-- which is exactly my kind of trip. And we made a significant dent in my To Do In NYC list.

We found the world's freshest California Roll at Kiku Sushi in Chelsea.

We had pretty awesome pizza and absolutely amazing banoffee at Co., across the street from Kiku, in Chelsea.

On Sunday morning, I suggested we go to Levain, and Sam seemed wishy-washy about it, since we'd been there before. Shouldn't we go somewhere new? Explore more of the city? I felt pretty devastated about this suggestion until about 15 minutes later when I put my foot down. "I want to go to Levain, so that's where we're going." Sam didn't complain, because really, how could you?

Our friends Mandy and Trent did a NYC trip where they visited restaurants who defeated Bobby Flay in a throwdown. (Genius, right?) One such restaurant was Caracas Arepa Bar in Williamsburg. It was too dim inside for pictures, but the food was out of this world. I definitely recommend it-- order the yoyos for an appetizer.

And then there was Eataly. I think I may have said something along the lines of Eataly being the exact replica of my heaven or something. It was that awesome. Every new counter and aisle I was gasping and clutching my hands together in glee. It was almost more than I could handle. The cheese in particular. Dozens and dozens of variations within each type of cheese. There were probably 20 different kinds of parmesan. The blue varietal caught my eye with its creaminess, and I would have taken it home if not for the logistics of transport. Beautiful I tell you! There was also the world's largest and tiniest apples and some very cool looking sodas. We even saw Andy Richter there buying chocolates with his wife and kids. (I was standing maybe 10 feet from him!) Sam and I each chose a pastry (baba al limoncello and tiramisu) and shared some gelato (stracciatella and hazelnut). If I ever live in NYC, it will take serious self control to not turn Eataly into a daily habit.

try this tuesday: the passing of time edition

2011-11-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

Ready to hear something everyone else is saying today?

I can't believe it's November.

Like, wasn't it just July? or March, for that matter? Ah, the passing of time. I remember being in Kindergarten and thinking (very distinctly): "I have been in Kindergarten for.ev.er." And when I was a Sophomore in high school realizing I was not yet half way through high school, and it really bummed me out (I didn't enjoy high school). Two+ years seemed like eternity to me at age 15, and now it's practically the blink of an eye. (We've now been in Virginia for two years.) And now here I am wondering what the next two years will bring, and . . . I've come full circle to my last post. I spend a lot of mental energy on the passing of time. Can you tell?
Um. Anyway. I've been out of town a lot lately, which is making me feel slightly disconnected from the real world, but it's also really fun. Sam and I are headed to NYC this weekend, and a handful of weeks later, Bria and I are headed to Utah for a week. This year is practically over, and it's freaking me out. In the meantime, I have food to keep me grounded. or something. This is the food I'm obsessed with lately:

This salad will knock your socks off. I keep making it expecting the novelty to wear off, and it has yet to do anything but please me to no end.

Whole Foods brand crumbled blue cheese. In a salad, on slices of fresh pear, or just snitched from the fridge-- I just can't get enough.

This bbq sauce is . . . interesting. Sam and Bria l.o.v.e. it, but I am not wild about the Asian undertones (perhaps I'll omit or reduce the hoisin sauce next time?). It does however, make dinner a cinch. My freezer is packed full of small portions of the sauce, and my favorite quick dinner lately is a slew of oven roasted veggies, black beans, brown rice, and a scoop of this sauce all mixed together.

And because I know you just want more sugary things the day after Halloween on the brink of the holiday season: I dare you to make this carmel sauce and not attempt to drink it straight.

Wisconsin Wins

2011-10-24T18:06:00.000-06:00

In August I was in a bit of a rut. It was too hot and humid to go anywhere, and I was more than a little tired of staying inside. I needed something to look forward to on the calendar to get me through the last hot weeks of summer, so I made good on a promise to visit Matt and Elisa in Wisconsin. I found a screamin' deal on plane tickets, and scheduled the visit for mid-October. Sure enough, it made those last weeks of summer fly by.

There were tornado warnings in DC the night I took off, and we were stuck on the tarmac for almost 2 hours before we were finally given the green light. Once in the air, we encountered some fairly terrifying turbulence. I've been on my share of bumpy flights, but nothing like this. Passengers were screaming, my neighbor offered to hold my hand, and it took a lot of self-control to keep my compsure (and, let's be honest, I'm not sure I succeeded). It resolved itself after several minutes, but it took the rest of the flight for my heart rate to return to normal.

Once I landed and met up with my welcome committee (Elisa, Matt, and Amanda), it was a non-stop party. There was a lot of Wisconsin-wooing, since they all work for a kind of incredible company in Madison, with mind-blowing facilities. (Hence the awesome pictures of me while taking a tour of the campus: on that rocking horse above and fighting Matt in the Dragon's Lair while he was on a conference call below.)

It was only fitting to eat a lot of amazing food, since the idea for this blog was born out of weekly dinners with Matt and Elisa when we all lived in Provo-- our friendship always revolved around food. Of note was the dinner at Graze, in downtown Madison. A soft pretzel served with a local soft cheese spread and three house mustards that changed my opinion of mustard. (from strong dislike to obsessive adoration.)

A cheese board which I failed to picture because we were all to eager to eat it, but which I devoured with my eyes closed (I didn't want any excess sensory stimulation to muddle the experience). A soft brie-like cheese with an ash rind, a cow-sheep-goat cheese that was my fave, a 10-year aged cheddar, and a blue cheese, all accompanied by a rustic house bread and apple butter rounded out my favorite-ever appetizer. I knew I should have taken the cheese list home just to remember the specifics of these show-stoppers.
Our entrees were all delightful, with Elisa's being the star. A gnocchi dish with butternut squash, brussels sprouts, goat cheese, sage (and more), in an aged balsamic brown butter.

Sunday was my last full day, so it was perfect to have a large meal with Matt, Elisa, Amanda, Kjerstin, and James. I felt so nostalgic cooking with everyone-- just like the good ol' days in Provo (though missing Katherine heartily!). I don't think any of us imagined we would be cooking together in Matt's apartment in Madison four years later. Our lives are all so different from what they were back then (and different from what we thought they would be now, I think). In whose kitchen and in what state will we be cooking dinner in another four years? ok. Enough navel gazing...
Matt really took charge on Sunday night and fed us well: two roasted chickens (with potatoes, carrots, and onions), acorn squash roasted with butter and brown sugar and stuffed with an incredible sausage stuffing. Kjerstin treated us to some delightful brussels sprouts, and I made a salad with craisins, candied pecans, pears, blue cheese, and a maple vinaigrette.

After gorging ourselves silly, we sat around chatting, sharing youtube videos, and watching the most recent Parks & Rec episode for the fourth time (treat yo self!), while eating M&E's pots de creme.

I flew home the next afternoon feeling so rejuvenated and happy. I was eager to see Sam and Bria, but really just wished they could come up to Madison to join in on the fun. I absolutely adored Wisconsin and could not have asked for better food (cheese!), better company, or a better autumn getaway.

Bethesda Delight / Bold Bite

2011-09-15T19:36:00.000-06:00

Sometimes we wonder if we chose the right spot to live. I had some serious anxiety about balancing cost, size, DC-proximity, quality, public transportation when we were apartment hunting, but, for the most part, we did ok. I like to daydream and pretend that living on the hill would be practical for us, and sometimes I even entertain thoughts of apartments with more than 200 square feet per person. And, in all honesty, we often laugh about the fact that we probably should have chosen Maryland over Virginia, since Sam's contracts have been split between DC and MD (and never VA).

But regardless of living on the opposite end of the metropolitan area, we have come to love Bethesda. Sam worked there for about a year (he's back in DC now), and it's one of my favorite spots. The neighborhoods are old and super posh, and the drive to Sam's office led us past schools such as Holton-Arms (boasting Julia Louis-Dreyfus as an alumnus-- did you know she's a billionaire heiress?). And besides a significantly less-crowded Georgetown Cupcake, there are plenty of restaurants to try, like Bold Bite.
(Should I be embarrassed that we went out to eat specifically for hot dogs so soon after our hot dog binge? [Because this was in August-- just over a month after the contest.] Well, no! I am not embarrassed! I have never hidden my love for hot dogs!)
Well, I'll tell you this much: I had an all-natural beef frank with ketchup, mayo(!), shredded cabbage, diced onions, and crunchy potato sticks, and it rocked. Sure, maybe after that and tons of fries my arteries were significantly more clogged and my blood sugar spiked, but it was oh, so worth it.

(guys, what is it about hot dogs? why do I love them so much?)

promises, promises

2011-09-10T14:16:00.000-06:00

I don't know, guys. This ol' blog is sure struggling stay alive. But despite it being four years since I graduated college, there is still something about the start of a new school year that makes me want to buckle down and get things done. I apparently never keep my blog promises though, so I am not promising anything. (Because then, when I do come back here, y'all will be super excited-- I just KNOW it!)In the meantime, last week was my sixth wedding anniversary. And Sam and I went out on a real live date, and let me tell you, those are very few and very far between. We went over to Shirlington to finally see Midnight in Paris, and I loved it with all my heart. I am so glad I knew nothing about the plot. It was such a lovely surprise. I kind of want to own it so I can watch it again and again. And now I have been researching plane tickets to Paris all week. (Purely hypothetical at this point.) (Also, random tidbit: did you know I studied French for seven years? C'est vrai.)
After the movie, we wandered over to Thai Shirlington, a place introduced to me by one of my all-time favorite people, Amanda. Even at 9 pm the weather was fantastic, so we sat outside to enjoy our Thai feast.
There was coconut shrimp, tofu musaman, and green curry. All delicious and wonderful.

And then for dessert there was stuffed roti dough. Sam saw the mysterious thing on the menu and wanted to be adventurous. Something about a taro root jam stuffed into deep fried roti dough topped with taro root ice cream and and taro root chip. It was fun and cool, and I would totally get it again, but Sam testifies that it changed his life. It made him a better person, and I almost thought he would begin glowing or crying tears of pure gold he loved it so much. Moral of the story: I love marriage. I love Paris. I love Thai food. Yum.

Proud Mama (as if I have anything to do with this)

2011-08-19T20:10:00.004-06:00

A mom is allowed a good brag once in a while, right? So, I've maintained for quite some time that my darling girl is weird in the best way. She has the most varied and accepting palate of any child I know-- and even of many adults I know. For example, here she is eating a tomato (grown in my neighbor's garden) like an apple.

And this is the lunch she requested one day last month: cucumbers, plain raw spinach, an omelet (with tomatoes, green beans, onions, parsley, gouda, and zucchini), and peaches we picked from the farm. (and all those veggies from a local organic produce delivery service.)

She picks this kind of meal over chicken nuggets or mac & cheese every day, and I love her for it. (Sure makes my life easy knowing she'll never get scurvy.)

Try This Tuesday/ Back from the Dead

2011-08-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

I promise to return shortly with so many posts about all the crazy indulgent foods I've been eating this summer, which is why I have one very key recipe to share with you. For dinner last night (ok, and leftovers for dinner tonight, too), we ate vegan stuffed shells. It's all been a little much-- the burgers, the pies, the hot dogs, the cheesesteaks, the ice cream-- and a wholesome, vegan meal was so incredibly necessary. If anyone else can relate to my summertime gluttony then please let me know-- the buddy system may be in order to finding equilibrium again. The No Red Meat policy is back in full effect, and for the first time, I'm thinking of taking a break from dairy. I would cry if it weren't for those shells that tasted really cheesy. Actually, no. I will probably still cry.

Move Over, Joey Chestnut

2011-07-20T12:40:00.007-06:00

*caution: do not read directly before or after eating.

I am now going to tell you about something a bit gross. It involves a lot of hot dogs.
You may be aware that on the 4th of July, in addition to being Sam's birthday, is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island. Sam has always had a fascination with competitive eating, so we decided to attempt an at-home eat-along this year.
Without thinking, I had created an awesome birthday breakfast, all ready to eat just two hours before the contest. No matter. We pressed forward. We boiled up a bunch of dogs and prepped the eating station.
The contest lasts for ten minutes, during which time you eat as many hot dogs (and buns) as possible. If you, ahem, toss your cookies, you are disqualified. We set some goals-- Sam: 10 Courtney: 2. And then we began.
I started slowly and finished slowly. Two hot dogs was definitely gross, but I didn't feel in any danger of my stomach exploding. I took the rest of the time to bask in my achievement and document Sam's journey.
Most competitive hot dog-eaters dip their dogs in water to help them move on down the gullet. (Nathan's Runner-up, Patrick Bertoletti, dips his in fruit punch.) If the whole thing weren't nauseating already, the thought of eating a soggy hot dog bun is enough to make me dry heave.

And just like that it was over. I chowed down my two with ease. Bria ate 1.5 (we didn't encourage speed with her, since we weren't keen on doing the heimlich). Sam dominated with a hefty SIX hot dogs. To say we all felt a bit disgusting is an understatement. I'm not sure I'll be able to eat a hot dog for another year or so.
But now let's ponder the reigning champion, Joey Chestnut, who pounded 62 hot dogs in ten minutes. SIXTY-TWO.

I'm sorry for ruining your appetite.

The Cake

2011-07-12T11:39:00.006-06:00

Several weeks ago, I emailed Sam a list of possible cake options for his 4th of July birthday. He took a couple days to decide, but predictably went with The Cake that Shouldn't Be Called Cake-- a white cake with a sweetened sour cream filling and sour whipped cream topping with chocolate shavings.The only difference from this cake and the ones I've made before is I made the actual cake from scratch, rather than from a box-- obviously it only made it more delicious. We had a couple friends over for cake, ice cream, and You Don't Know Jack to help Sam ring in the big 2-9. The gathering was probably more for me than for Sam, but it doesn't feel very practical to make a huge cake for three people (especially when one of those three can't even eat a whole piece).The remaining cake stayed in the fridge for another two days while we sneaked bites here and there until the whipped cream was past its prime. I've really gotta learn how to make things smaller. Throwing away 1/3 of a cake just makes my heart hurt.Also, having a birthday on a holiday means this isn't the only dessert we were eating all weekend. Maybe I just need to learn how to stuff more sugary things in my stomach without passing out. Yes. That is a much better aspiration.

Capellini Pomodoro

2011-06-29T11:17:00.006-06:00

If I can admit something, it's that I'm superstitious (against my better judgment). On Monday I said to Sam, "this weather has just been so amazing. I love it!" And BAM. Yesterday was a hot, humid sweat fest. I jinxed the weather, and I'm sorry! And now when dinner time rolls around, I don't want to turn on the oven. Actually, I don't want to move at all. I just want to sit on the couch, sip diet coke, eat watermelon, and watch Downton Abbey. Is that so much to ask? But I have this charming three year-old who requires three meals a day, plus snacks. Enter capellini pomodoro. I have a feeling this will be our go-to dinner all summer (because, it was actually already our go-to dinner all spring).

You kind of can't go wrong here. It's simple, and I think it's best to not follow a strict recipe. But to make things easier, this is how we do it 'round these parts.
1 package capellini (or angel hair)
1 box small tomatoes (cherry, grape, plum, or even roma all diced up will do)
8 cloves garlic (or more! don't hold back!)
1/2 cup olive oil
a handful of fresh basil, torn or cut chiffonade
kosher or sea salt, pepper, and freshly-grated parmesan to taste

Put on a big pot of salted water to boil, and while you wait, begin quartering your tomatoes and mincing your garlic. Before you put the pasta in, tomatoes and garlic should be ready. Put the olive oil in a small sauce pan on medium heat and toss the garlic in to loosen up a bit. Toss the pasta into the water (it only takes about 2-3 minutes). Once it's done, drain it, and immediately toss it into a big bowl with the tomatoes, garlic, and oil. Using tongs or two spoons, gently toss everything together to combine, adding the basil as you go. Season with salt, pepper, and top with parmesan. You can also toss the tomatoes in with the garlic to cook a bit, but I just warn you to not let them cook much. You want the tomatoes to be firm and fresh. Also be sure to cook the pasta al dente. This provides our small family with plenty of leftovers that get better after a night in the fridge and are stealthily eaten by the forkful throughout the day.

I've typed "luck" so often tonight it no longer has meaning...

2011-06-20T19:16:00.008-06:00

I'm getting to those 200 other photos, I swear. But life has been changing a bit in the last couple weeks, and I've been a bit preoccupied. More on those changes later, but in the meantime, let's ponder the universe, shall we?

You have entered to win Oh Happy Day's Trip to Paris, right? Because it would be simply foolish not to! Also, if you win, please take me with you. But if I win, I'm taking Sam. Sorry.

I've been thinking a lot about luck lately. Several blogs I read mention feeling "so lucky" to be living the life they're living. What, in life, would make me feel so lucky? And shouldn't I identify those things and work toward them? I have a sneaking suspicion many of those things would have to do with delicious food (what with my equating luck to homemade pop tarts recently). Certainly having a girl like Bria makes me feel lucky. I mean, seriously, that girl is hilarious.
And, I really want to know, what would (or does!) make you feel so lucky?

Try This Tuesday

2011-06-14T10:51:00.006-06:00

And we're back! I've overcome the intimidation of photo file organization on our computer. I uploaded 200 photos today, and I'm ready to start sharing some incredible things we've eaten in the last two weeks. So, in the sometimes-recurring series, Try This Tuesday is here to save the day.

I think I've perfected the Hawaiian pizza. This crust (add 1T olive oil to the dough); Trader Joe's pizza sauce, canned pineapple chunks, and canadian bacon; and Safeway mozzarella cheese (Lucerne brand, the mozzarella log that is not water packed).

My friend Erica has some great recipes, and this Mexican Tortilla Bake is one of them. It's easy to freeze ahead of time, and adding some homemade pico de gallo on top turns it into a fresh, filling meal. Funny enough, I made this meal during National Vegetarian Week-- along with four other meat-centered dishes that week. We usually average less than one meat dish a week, so the strange carnivorous menu was delightfully ironic.

I just discovered the dreamy 101 cookbooks blog. Do you know it? The photography is delightful, and most of the recipes have me reaching for a pen and my shopping list. This Pappardelle with Spiced Butter was delicious. Warm, earthy, and complex. It was fun to make, though I think I need to steer clear of recipes that require to me to buy ingredients I'll never use again (I'm looking at you, wilting and dead mint plant sitting on my counter). I'm all for branching out and trying new things, but sometimes it's not very economical. It's a delicate balance though, because I'd love to make a permanent leap into new food territories-- one where scary new ingredients become familiar friends-- but it's a long process to create familiarity.

Do you read Cup of Jo? Because you really should. Last week she posted about Greek Yogurt and Berry popsicles and Avocado popsicles. I know, right? So we made them this weekend. They were just as she described them-- the avocado were surprisingly sweet and the yogurt were tart and creamy (we used raspberries). I will be making both again and again (especially the avocado!).

It's no surprise my favorite food blogger continues to be Molly Wizenberg. I can never get enough of Orangette. We tried her Baked Pasta with Homemade Tomato Sauce and Fresh Mozzarella for dinner on Sunday and were absolutely smitten. If I had to commit to one cheese and forsake all others, might I choose fresh mozzarella? I can't say for certain, but it's a definite possibility.

More on this later, but I made a batch of granola for my dear sister Lindsay, who just had a baby (darling, precious Chloe Eve!). Smitten Kitchen's is my favorite granola because it results in a crunchy, clustery granola. Also, pepitas? Yowza. Those things are TASTY when they are all baked up in sugar and honey.

Are you still reading? Wow. You're a trooper. Well, I appreciate it. I also promise more (and shorter!) posts to come in the following days. Now I'm off to frolic in the gorgeous weather (not quite 80 and no humidity!)-- a rare, but greatly appreciated late-spring gift from Mother Nature.

Luck Be a Pop Tart Tonight

2011-06-01T12:59:00.000-06:00

Announcement: I have a new place to take people.

Sam's parents were in town this weekend and wanted to have a food adventure with us, so we trekked out on the hot and humid metro, heading for 7th Hill and the nutella calzone, but . . . it was closed. In a split second I knew we were destined to go to Ted's Bulletin. So we walked the couple blocks over. (This is why I wish we lived on the Hill! We could walk to so many places! Oh well. My waist and wallet thank me.)

(Bria insisted on wearing a single leg warmer all day.)

The very friendly waitress said they were known for their homemade pop tarts, shakes, and peanut butter bacon burger, and I was immediately sold.
We all started sharing some shakes-- peanut chocolate banana and s'mores. I only wish they were larger (and maybe just a touch thicker?), but they were divine-- particularly after our long and hot metro ride.
I told Sam he had to order the peanut butter bacon burger (I clearly am not worried about his arteries). And it was amazing.
I had the campfire burger with a veggie patty, and it was good. I think it would probably be amazing if eaten with a regular beef patty-- only because there are baked beans on it, and the veggie patty is rather soft and is made with a lot of black beans, so it ended up being more of a bean mash burger. I'm not complaining. In fact, I am saying you should definitely try it-- just go for the beef.
Bria had a burger, Diane had fish, Don had meatloaf, and it was all very tasty, until we reach this next and very important finishing detail.

HOMEMADE POP TARTS.

(making the pop tarts!)

Can I admit that I have a serious weakness for pop tarts? Only the brown sugar and cinnamon ones, but the truth remains that I will eat an entire box if it is within my reach. So I ordered their brown sugar pop tart. I savored it. I ate 1/4 after our dinner, and then morseled it throughout the day yesterday. And each bite was out of this world. Regular pop tarts are, you know, kind of gross, right? Like you're really only eating it for the filling and the frosting. The pastry on these gems was flaky and sweet and could stand on it's own as a dessert. And this is why we will go back again and take any friend that will accompany us-- just for the pop tarts.
(Also, I saw HOMEMADE TWINKIES there and almost died on the spot. Twinkies are yet another of my embarrassing obsessions. MUST. GO. BACK. FOR. TWINKIES.)

Revenge of the Nerds

2011-05-20T07:12:00.004-06:00

First of all, I'm highly suspicious that this is incredibly nerdy. But, I made homemade jam. And homemade bread. And then I made homemade butter. It was, like, this incredibly organic process where I just knew everything that needed to come together. Also, Sam has been working nights, which has led to more than one existential crisis late at night, and I start working in the kitchen when I should be in bed.
The strawberries were purchased on an incredible sale-- too many at once, though-- so jam was the logical solution.

The bread was, well, gone, so I needed to make more. And then the butter. I saw this post on Design*Sponge recently, and it latched onto my brain and kept nudging its way into all my thoughts, both night and day: "homemade butter. homemade butter. homemade butterrrrrr." Very haunting.

I didn't even have very much cream to make the butter, but it was easy and beautiful and enough to fill me with the thrill and joy of kitchen success. I may never go back to store-bought.

Try This Tuesday

2011-05-17T07:32:00.001-06:00

Quick! Before it's too hot to use your stove for dinner, make this soup. Even though we're more than half way through May, I promise it won't taste too heavy. Plus, it's beautiful (red lentils!):
It should be noted that I had no Aleppo pepper, so I just skipped it. And I only had plain old paprika, so I used that. And the whole thing was very reminiscent of this soup, but infinitely more simple, which, if you're going to make soup in late May, is kind of a requisite.

Of the United States of Pizza-Eaters

2011-05-13T11:50:00.005-06:00

If I had to choose one single type of food to eat every day for the rest of my life, pizza would put up a good fight for my number one choice, so I'm lucky there are so many places to go in the area. I'm on a (not super-concentrated) mission to try all the pizza places in the DC area and last weekend we finally made it over to We, The Pizza-- another Spike Mendelsohn creation next to Good Stuff Eatery on the Hill.
Besides the fact that the name simply tickles me pink, that is some solid pizza. We shared the Fresh Buffalo Mozz and Roasted Tomato Pie, which, to me, was perfect. It was the kind of thing where you wish you weren't so full because you want to keep eating piece after piece after piece. A large pizza is the perfect size to share with friends, leaving just enough room to head next door for Good Stuff shakes when you're done. It's possible you'll order your shakes and begin waiting. You'll wait and wait and wait. Maybe you'll ask several times when they'll be ready and after 50 minutes you'll finally demand your shakes NOW. You will then be offered a refund, which you will accept and proclaim No Harm, No Foul because them shakes are so tasty. An additional possibility is you will learn that Saturday night on Capitol Hill (or anywhere) is a bit crazy, but the pizza (and shakes!) are worth it. Pizza is always so worth it.

The Return

2011-05-11T08:13:00.004-06:00

If there were one lesson I am in dire need of learning right now, it would be that of Being Happy In The Present. The weather in DC is 100% perfect right now: bright skies, mid-70s, occasional breezes. It is SPRING in its most perfect form. But it's all I can do to fear the heat. I know it's only a matter of time before I'm sweating 24 hours a day and my hair quadruples in size and turns into something resembling the spawn of a tumbleweed and a rat's nest. Please, don't be jealous. But amid the fear and the frantic, frizzy ponytails, there is a promise of something more. And to remind me of the glory of summer foods, we have the return of Fretalian Night.
Fretalian Night was invented last year when Bria and I would visit the farmer's market every Wednesday in Old Town. We would pick up a baguette, tomatoes, basil, and strawberries and then swing by Trader Joe's for some brie on our way home. Dinner was whipped up in no time once we returned home. Brie and bread for the French half and bruschetta for the Italian half of Fretalian Night. The strawberries round it out for the perfect light summer meal.
So am I concerned about how I will survive another summer? Incredibly. But is it a price I am willing to pay for the abundance in fresh berries and basil and tomatoes? Of course.

NYC Take Four: In Which I Apparently Wish I Were Joanna Goddard

2011-05-09T19:14:00.004-06:00

This is it! The last food from our trip worthy of mentioning.
Sunday afternoon we wandered around Chelsea and into Greenwich Village, where we saw this Van Leeuwen's ice cream truck, and I remembered it from a Cup of Jo post that briefly mentioned the husband-wife duo behind the ice cream (talk about romance!).
We decided to come back and find the truck after lunch-- little did we know the walk was way longer than we expected, so it was looking like no ice cream for us, until! . . . they sold little pints of the stuff where we got lunch. Destiny!
Oh yeah, but lunch. In fact, it was in another Cup of Jo post recently about a meat and cheese shop that seemed to fantastic to pass up. So we walked to Murray's Cheese and it was every bit as delightful as I hoped. I stared at these pastas and just drooled and dreamed. This is my heaven.

After I had my fill of eye-feasting, we ordered some custom sandwiches. A hot Reuben for Sam, and a cold Frenchie for me (that would be brie, jambon, dijon, and cornichons).
After sitting and talking and people-watching for quite a while, we realized we were already late to our Mets game in Brooklyn (vs. the Nats!), so we were off at a run to our last activity of the trip. Le sigh.

NYC Take Three: In Which I Curse My Pancreas

2011-05-09T18:58:00.002-06:00

On Sunday morning we wanted to grab a quick bite before heading out for the day, so we stopped in Levain Bakery for breakfast as well as a snack to take with us on the bus.
I chose a cinnamon butter brioche and a chocolate chip brioche. (Apparently I have a thing for brioche.)

The saddest thing in the world for me was having my dumb pancreas that can only process about 30 grams of carbohydrates in the morning. So I just took a couple bites of my cinnamon butter brioche and then squirreled the rest away. It turned out all right because I was starving on the bus ride home, and was delighted to have such a tasty stash.
Sam's breakfast was a blueberry muffin, and his squirreled goody was one of their famous and gigantic cookies-- a chocolate peanut butter chip cookie, to be exact.
It took so much self control to not leap over the glass partition and grab a hunk of the cookie dough I saw them preparing for the oven. It's a good thing I have a sense of social norms. If any friends go to NYC, please bring us back a cookie!

NYC Take Two: In Which I Die and Go to Heaven

2011-05-09T18:46:00.003-06:00

Finally! Back to NYC posts!

On Saturday (the 9th), we saw the matinee of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (starring Daniel Radcliffe!), which was phenomenal, and afterward, we went out for my Fancy Schmancy Birthday Dinner. I had been eager to try one of Bobby Flay's restaurants, so we decided on Mesa Grill. And, you guys? Sam and I have never made a better decision in our six years of togetherness.

(look at us! we're basking in the glow of a choice well made.)

The wait was short, and even though the space was small, it felt spacious and uncrowded. And like any good meal, it started with bread. A plain roll, a jalapeno blue corn muffin (that was actually half yellow/half blue), and some other herbed roll that I wish times a million I had asked what it was. Tarragon? Lime? Mystery spice of the heavens? It was out of this world. Sam and I nearly inhaled the basket.

When we were glancing over the menu, nothing was catching my eye at first. Then I had this realization that I was at Bobby Flay's restaurant-- so probably I could do no wrong. And I ordered the New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with a bourbon-ancho chili sauce and a sweet corn tamale with crushed pecan brown butter. I'm not sure I've ever ordered pork in a restaurant before, so I didn't really know what to expect. It was outrageously tender with the perfect blend of spices. I just sat in silence with my eyes closed after each bite, soaking it all in.
Sam had the Spice Rubbed Bison Filet with corn and ancho chili sauces and crispy red onion. The only report I received was "probably one of the best steaks [he's] ever eaten." I don't really do bison, but it sure looked fancy.

Nothing has ever epitomized more fully the phrase "last, but not least" than our dessert. We chose the Deep Dish Banana Cream Pie with praline wafer and hazelnut brittle. It was a giant bowl full of banana pudding, then freshly whipped cream, fresh bananas, and then the wafer on top. All I can say is, if it hadn't been such a nice place, I would have literally licked the bowl clean.

I know I am loose with superlatives, but I mean this in all seriousness: this was in the top three meals of my life. And I don't take that lightly.

Roughest, Toughest Cowgirl Party

2011-04-26T22:58:00.008-06:00

I promise to get back to my NYC posts, but first, Bria's party. Bria turned three years old on Monday, so on Saturday we had a little party for her. Let's be honest though, the party was more for me. I have this tendency to Think Big-- just to get overwhelmed and in over my head before settling for something small. For Bria's party, I have to say I am proud of myself for having artistic vision and realistic expectations. All this means I accomplished everything I wanted for the party (except for a banner, but I'm ok with that).
We settled on a cowgirl theme months in advance, so there were games like Pin the Badge on the Sheriff, a Shooting Gallery (bean bags thrown at empty root beer bottles), and an Obstacle Course. Our friends down the street were generous enough to offer their backyard, so there was plenty of room for the kids to run around.
But my pride and glory was the pinata. I have not crafted papier mache since elementary school, so I tapped my inner 10 year-old and set to work every night the week before the party. I used this as my guide, and it turned out perfectly. I estimate about 6 hours of labor, but it was worth it. The kids couldn't whack it open (they could only muster light taps), so our friend Trent had to use his adult muscles to knock it open with the bat. (We at least made him do it sans glasses.)

And then there was the food. Besides the pinata, this was the real labor of love: corn cut from the cob, loaves of homemade bread, Swiss buttercream, ganache, homemade ice cream. Let's just say I am still doing dishes.

I forgot to tell my photographer (Sam) to get pictures of the spread, but just use your imagination. The menu:
PW's fresh corn and avocado salsa
My mom's salsa (recipe coming soon)
Taquitos (from Costco)
PB & Js for the kids
Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches
Roast beef and horseradish sandwiches
Fresh strawberries (from Hannahwob)

(the aftermath)

I wanted so badly to make this rainbow cake for the party, but Bria was very insistent on having a chocolate cake. So I went with Orangette's Far-From-Disaster Cake layered with ganache and Swiss buttercream. And, you know what? 1 am the night before the party is the bad time to learn you don't like buttercream, but it was too late to change my mind, so I went with it.

Plus buttermilk frozen custard (and a batch with sweetened strawberry puree mixed in) made the perfect birthday party dessert. If you have an ice cream maker, you simply must try this ice cream. It was so full of flavor. That buttermilk adds the perfect slight tang and a depth of flavor often absent from homemade ice cream.
The main reason I cook and bake is to show my love for people in my life, so it follows that I would bake and cook my little heart out to show this girl how much I love her. And it was the perfect way to celebrate her turning THREE.

Consolation Cupcakes

2011-04-21T18:08:00.007-06:00

I interrupt the NY posts (all one of them so far) to tell you about some cupcakes. There was a day last week when what were planned to be celebration cupcakes turned into consolation cupcakes. And I tell you, consolation has never tasted so sweet. I used Ina Garten's recipe again (it's just so good!) and then dipped the tops in a simple ganache. It was the perfect balance. The cupcakes are sturdy-- not dense or dry, but they are just substantial. The tops even have a type of crust, and that's actually what I love. They don't crumble or fall apart, yet they are still moist and delicate. (And, as a batter-eater, I can tell you, it is worth licking the beaters.) But because the cupcakes could stand on their own, they don't need copious amounts of intensely sugared frosting. A light coating of ganache is just enough to make them interesting and indulgent. The ganache was easy enough: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and some half and half (leftover from making dutch babies). Fill a little dish with the chips then heat the half and half (or cream or whole milk, but let's be honest, I've even used skim milk in a pinch) in the microwave until it is very hot and very steamy. Then poor it over the chocolate-- just enough to not quite cover all the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute or two before using a fork or whisk to slowly bring it all together. Dip some freshly baked cupcakes in it, and there you have it: consolation on a dish.

NYC Take One: In Which We Vow to Never Take a Rush Hour Bus Again

2011-04-19T20:13:00.005-06:00

Instead of one long post detailing every moment and morsel of NYC, I'm going to break it up into pieces. So here we are, part one!
After dropping Bria off at her cousins' house, driving to and parking in Bethesda, taking the metro to DC, and meeting Sam at Union Station, we sprinted through rain to catch our bus to NYC leaving at 4:30. Now let's think this through: 4:30. On a Friday. In the rain. All of this led to a 6.5 hour bus ride to New York. We weren't particularly thrilled-- especially when the wifi didn't work the entire ride. I think we'll try Bolt bus next time.
Anyway, we arrived in the Big Apple at 11 pm and were absolutely famished (note to selves, bring heftier snacks on the bus). We thought about just grabbing something quick and easy, but I stuck to my guns: we had very few meals in NYC, and I wanted to make each one count. We had originally planned to eat at the Burger Joint, so we mapped it on our iphones and hoped it would be a quick subway trip to Midtown, which it was.
The Burger Joint is this little place inside a fancy hotel. Le Parker Meridien bought the space and tried to buy out the Burger Joint, but they wouldn't leave. They had to take down all signage and advertising, but they are still going strong! You have to walk into the luxury hotel, past the fancy concierge and then disappear down a tiny hallway. A tiny neon burger on the wall points the way behind a curtain, and you have a tiny little burger place full of hipsters.
When you combine our level of hunger with the quality of the burgers, you have one tasty meal. We scarfed it down in record time. The burgers were substantial (I couldn't finish my last bite), and we even splurged on a chocolate shake that was out of this world. We sneaked a couple shots before the girl at the register yelled "NO PICTURES!" at me and I tried to play it cool while I turned beet red. (So much for trying to get a picture of the two of us!)
I may have felt sick the rest of the weekend from my red-meat indulgence, but it was totally worth it. So glad we didn't scratch our plan just because of our late bus. A perfect start for the weekend!

In Which I Only Met Half My Goal

2011-04-13T15:39:00.006-06:00

I have a loooong New York post brewing (Sam and I went to New York for my birthday!), but being married to someone who works in film means there is a very, oh, particular way I'm supposed to organize files on our computer, meaning I haven't even learned how to upload pictures from our fancy new camera yet, so you'll have to be patient. Until then, I have a (completely non-food-related) book list.
My sister-in-law Rachel read 365 books last year (really!), and it inspired me to read more. I read a ton the year after Bria was born, because, well, I didn't really have anything to do. But then things got slightly busier, and I just haven't been in the habit of reading like I used to. So sometime last year I decided I wanted to read 25 books when I was 25. Not a lofty goal, sure, but more than I was used to and totally doable. But I didn't do it. I blame it on two really long books (and a little laziness), but whatever. So it may not be 25, but here is the list of books I read in my 25th year. (And I am aiming for 26 books this year, and I think I have a better shot this time around.)
**Also, disclaimer: This is not a book recommendation list. I never recommend books because I know too many people who would probably be offended by my love of postmodern literature. So take from that what you will.

1. The Hunger Games
2. Catching Fire
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
4. The Glass Castle
5. The Time Traveler's Wife
6. When You Are Engulfed in Flames
7. A Brave New World
8. Mockingjay
9. Pillars of the Earth
10. Revolutionary Road
11. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
12. Stress Free Potty Training
13. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

I have linked all the books to Goodreads, so if you're curious about my specific ratings for each book, you can check them out there. It's actually pretty difficult to pick my favorite book. I might say Hunger Games just because it was so exciting, thrilling, and captivating that I read it straight over two days. I was absolutely floored by the quality of writing in Revolutionary Road as well as Kavalier and Clay. I do recommend The Glass Castle to almost anyone, and The Pillars of the Earth is the longest book I've ever read or care to read again.
I am starting the year off with Bossypants by Tina Fey, which is making me laugh my socks off. That woman is a comedic genius. As for the rest of the year, I have a long and ever-growing list of books to read, but I always accept recommendations. So now please tell me books you love!

Ebel what? Ebelskiver.

2011-03-23T17:55:00.005-06:00

The first time I heard of ebelskivers was when I worked at Williams-Sonoma during Christmas a couple years ago. Those pans have been haunting my food dreams ever since. I mean, let's just think about this for a minute: a small, hand-held pancake filled with the confections of your wildest dreams. So a couple weeks ago, Hannah suggested she and Rob come over to make them, and the answer was a clear and resounding YES. a thousand times, yes.
I made some bacon and eggs just to counter the incredible and copious sugar intake, but the true stars were Hannah and Rob. They slaved away at the stove, crafting the skivers, delivering batches for our immediate consumption. The balls of joy were full of various concoctions of jams, cheeses, BACON, apples, carmel, chocolate, and nutella-- the last of which was the (obvious) winner in my book. If you are the lucky owner of an ebelskiver pan, I do highly recommend the bacon (possibly dipped in maple syrup). I also highly recommend inviting me over to help you eat any ebelskivers you happen to make.

give me all the bacon and eggs that you have

2011-03-14T16:06:00.004-06:00

Last weekend Sam, Bria, and I wandered around Old Town before meeting some friends at BGR. It's always a delight to wander down King Street and see this friendly face in one of (yes, one of) the wig shops.
I used to refer to him as Burt Reynolds or John Stossel, but I haven't been to see him since Sam and I started watching Parks & Recreation last fall. So, imagine my delight when I realized the true doppelganger to our mustached monsieur.It was like a gift from the universe.

le jour d'amour

2011-02-25T23:00:00.003-07:00

Remember when it was Valentine's Day almost two weeks ago? Well, it was actually probably the most successful V-Day thus far. We planned a night in. I made a fancy dinner, Sam made dessert, and we Netflixed Breakfast at Tiffany's (which neither of us had seen). A completely delightful, low-key, and romantic evening.
As for dinner, it was nearly everything I hoped for. I went to Whole Foods to find the nicest food I could, and I still wasn't settled on a main dish. I headed over to the fish counter and the fishmonger (I really wanted to say that-- don't know that I've ever had a reason to type it) immediately sold me on the wild Alaskan salmon. And let me tell you, it was the best decision I've made all year. I never buy salmon, and this did not disappoint. It was pricey, but nowhere near ordering it in a restaurant.
Here is an incomplete cast of characters:
The menu:
french onion soup
green salad with herbed buttermilk dressing and homemade croutons
roasted and mashed cauliflower
grilled salmon with lemons
grapefruit italian soda
and s'mores for dessert

And the ugly photo of the food all laid out.
The french onion was soup was a complete and total bust. Like, seriously, so disgusting. I have no idea what happened to it, but it tasted like oily, salty water. We each took a bite and threw the rest out. Fortunately, the rest of the food was so deliciously marvelous, it completely made up for the french onion fail.
I was so happy to make my Sandlot reference when Sam suggested s'mores for dessert via text. "Do you like s'mores?" said Sam. "S'more what?" I replied. Ha. So it wasn't the perfect set-up. I still loved it. And I rarely (if ever) think of s'mores as a treat I would like to make myself, so it was a lovely and simple and surprising. (Though, this is actually the second time in the last year I've eaten s'mores. Before that, I think it dates back to about 2001 at girls' camp.)It should be mentioned, that I also made homemade peanut butter cups, but they went unpictured. But they are every bit as mind-blowing as you could ever hope or dream.
The lesson we learned was we much prefer the low-key holiday to the hyped up craze. I also learned I want to eat salmon every day. (oh wait. I knew that already.)

Link Love

2011-02-07T17:15:00.003-07:00

My own creativity remains in hibernation. So, try these two borrowed lovelies, which constituted our dinner tonight (it is Meatless Monday, after all):

Bran muffins. I promise they are divine.

Soup. Hearty, tasty, filling soup.

So Not Posh

2011-01-21T14:53:00.004-07:00

I think this happened around the same time last year, but I hit a culinary wall. I don't feel like cooking or baking anything. We've been eating a lot of quesadillas and pasta with marinara. One of our go-to easy meals lately has been an amazingly simple burrito.

Is it sad that this is what my food blogging has been reduced to? Meh. Whatever.

If you have only five minutes to feed the hungry people surrounding you, here is the solution:
A bunch of leftover brown rice (found languishing in your fridge)
A heap of cheese
1 can black beans
1 minced garlic clove (or a small spoon of garlic paste, for increased simplicity)
Chili powder
Cumin
Salt
Pepper

Mix it all together and toss it in a tortilla. Roll it up and heat each side in the pan on medium heat until it's hot, gooey, and crispy. Adding some avocado on top makes it even more heavenly.

Strawberry Shortcake saves the day

2011-01-12T13:35:00.004-07:00

It's always this time of year when I think about T.S. Eliot. I mean, seriously, T.S.-- you think April is the cruelest month? I love April. Let's talk about January and February. Gag. I hate these months. They are cruel and boring and awful.

Um. I've been a little bored lately.

My house is (relatively) clean. My to-do list is entirely in control. And it's too cold to spend any time outside.

I've been looking for random jobs on Craigslist (this is what I do when I'm bored). And there was a posting for hair technicians, but you don't need experience, working on former childcare workers, and you get paid $20/hour. What? Something tells me I would show up for an interview and leave with one less kidney.

Something that always brightens my day, however, is a Netflix description of one of Bria's favorite movies: Strawberry Shortcake: Sky's the Limit. Just read this little gem:

Strawberry Shortcake engages her entrepreneurial spirit and opens a sweet Berry Café to booming business in the heart of Berry Bitty City -- until the town's endangered water supply threatens to dry up her business and devastate the region.

Can't you just imagine some poor, bored soul sitting in a Netflix office, being so bored describing movie after movie that he decides to describe Strawberry Shortcake like some drama or action movie? I love it.

drool.

2011-01-04T18:45:00.002-07:00

I need these shoes.

I also need everything else featured in this post. (Is it ok to talk about things I need-- er, want-- so soon after Christmas?)

the new best bread

2010-12-31T05:35:00.005-07:00

When I was feeling ambitious last month, I baked up a storm of bread. My brother-in-law passed along an awesome recipe, and I think we've all eaten our weight in the stuff since I tried it out. And my favorite way to make it is as a cinnamon loaf-- wrap the dough up with tons of butter, cinnamon, and sugar.
But it's great everyday bread, too. My complaint with homemade bread was always that it was too dense and crumbled too easily. Not so with this recipe. It's soft, tender, and sooo tasty.

The recipe seemed a little crazy at first, but it's pretty simple once you run through it. So here we go:

Combine in mixing bowl:
2 1/2 Cups very warm water (my gauge has been 2 cups of the hottest water
from my tap, plus 1/2 C of room temp water )
3 C freshly ground whole wheat flour
1 T plus 1 t. yeast
1 T wheat gluten (ordered from PH grain, though grocery stores carry it)

Stir just until mixed and let mixture stand 10 minutes

Add:
1/3 C half canola oil, half applesauce
1/3 C honey
1 T. lemon juice (no need to be fresh)
1 T sea salt
3 1/2 - 4 C whole wheat flour
1 T dough enhancer

*additional ingredients can be added or subbed for some of the flour: flax meal, millet, oat bran, nuts, etc.

1. Knead bowl of mixer (with dough hooks) for 10 minutes. Do not add any
additional flour until the end. The dough will look sticky and you'll
think, "I need more flour" but wait and it will form a ball. At the end of
kneading, the dough should be slightly sticky to the touch, but not stick to
your hands. Adjust as needed. Use a little flour to lightly coat the
dough, and pull out of the bowl.
2. Immediately divide the dough into two equal portions, and knead each
loaf for 30 seconds forming a loaf with no creases.
3. Place each loaf into a greased and floured pan. Let rise approx 40 min.
(until just above the lip of the pan) Make sure you preheat your
oven according to when you estimate your bread being ready to put in the
oven. (this is critical, bread needs to go in preheated oven...if it is too
risen, it will be airy and fall apart, but if not risen enough it will be
dense and cakey)
4. Bake bread at 350 for approx 30 minutes. When you tap the top of the bread, it should sound hollow.
5. Remove bread from pan and onto a cooling rack immediately. Let cool at
least 15 minutes before cutting into it and eating a big buttery piece, and
let cool completely before bagging (no sweating inside the bag).

*Notes: I didn't have the gluten or dough enhancer at first, so I used white bread flour instead. It has an higher level of gluten and results in a better bread. So, if you don't want to track down those extras, just use bread flour. My next step is to get a wheat grinder so I can use the freshly ground wheat flour for the most nutritious bread. (Something that makes Sam sad. He likes white bread and would probably choose Wonder bread if given the option.) Wheat begins losing its nutrients as soon as you grind it, so the fresher the flour the better.

Healthy Dose of Pride

2010-12-28T09:29:00.005-07:00

Chances are, if you read this blog, you also read my family blog or are friends with me on facebook. Which means, you have seen our (now belated) Christmas video. If not, here is a link.

Speaking of Christmas, I gifted Bria with my big sewing project from last month. Are you ready? PILLOWCASES. I know, I know. So complicated. But I am, nevertheless, very proud of myself. My mom bought this fabric for me a year and a half ago, but I never did anything with it until Thanksgiving, when I was (admittedly) bored out of my head in Utah. I only had to redo the first pillowcase once, and I did the second pillowcase without any supervision from my mom. Three cheers for me!
And now use your microscope vision and check out that top stitch!
Well, Santa didn't bring me a sewing machine (I wasn't really expecting him too), so it will be a while before I continue to hone my fine skillz, but for now I am just floating along on this little bit of pride at my handiwork.

already thinking about 2011 instead of going to bed

2010-12-15T21:38:00.004-07:00

I know I'm about two weeks early, but I have two resolutions for 2011.

1) Make my bed every day

2) Run a 5k

I've never been good at resolutions, partially because I always come up with approximately a trillion of them, so I'm hoping the simplicity with result in success. Also, yes. My resolution is to make my bed every day. This has never been a habit, much to the chagrin of my mother. In fact, I even got scolded when I was in Utah last month for not making my bed. Some people (um, okay, I) never learn. Until now!!
And a goal for 2011 (entirely different from a resolution) is too cook more new things. This includes using certain ingredients I have never before used. Starting with . . .
Leeks
Mushrooms (I know. I really have never cooked with a mushroom)

Speaking of next year, I am already planning a road trip for the spring. I fully intend to return to NYC and take Sam with me this time. I need to hit up all the bajillion restaurants I missed from my trip in May, among other things. In addition (either in another, later trip or on the same one) I am plotting a trip to Niagara Falls and maybe even a drive westward-- as far as Chicago? I don't know.

I do know, however, that I can't believe Christmas is in ten days. Bria is at this perfect age where all the plotting and planning going into present-shopping will result in a wondrous payout come Christmas morning. I haven't been this excited about the holiday since I was probably 10. And, Santa, if you're reading, just know that these are the things on my list:A sewing machine. Maybe you've heard, but I have been awfully crafty lately. Oh, you didn't really hear about that? Well, that's because I forgot to blog about it.

A wheat grinder. Guys. I found the world's best bread recipe this week. I'll share soon.

And the ability to float in my sleep. Or a new mattress. Either one.

So, Santa. Sorry I didn't give you much notice, but you'd better get on that pretty quickly. You only have ten days.

On Gingerbread Houses and Heartbreak

2010-12-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last time I made a gingerbread house was in 2004 with this boy I had a crush on. His code name was the Hobbit (hey, I was 19). And I was slightly obsessed with him, and he gave all sorts of mysterious signals that made it seem my interest was mutual. (Like bringing me graham crackers and frozen cool whip one night because I mentioned once it was a favorite snack.) The gingerbread house was the pinnacle: a boy would surely only craft a gingerbread house with me if he loved me, right? The next day, while showing the house off and suggesting this meant The Hobbit and I were well on our way to coupledom, a mutual friend said, "you know he has a girlfriend, right?" Hopes dashed. Heart broken. That gingerbread house went straight in the trash.

Don't worry, I was married to Sam less than a year later, so it's not like my heart didn't mend quickly.

So, a couple weeks ago I went to a gingerbread making party. It was just me and Bria, since Sam was working, so I let her stay up late, eating more candy than she did on Halloween while I crafted this beauty. I'm quite proud of my handiwork.
My favorite part was using some Trader Joe's candy-coated, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds for the roof. They are super tasty and kind of lovely too.

Darth Deer

2010-12-13T12:35:00.004-07:00

This weekend was mainly spent celebrating the first days off work Sam has had since Bria and I came home from Utah. And it was also spent scheming and planning for the almost two weeks Sam will have off for Christmas (the latter should explain the former). Also included were things like this:
And this pumpkin bread pudding, which I only remembered to take a picture of after the fact (it was soooo good).

Speaking of pictures, there's a chance I took that picture on my brand-spankin'-new, early-Christmas iphone-- which was FREE. I didn't know I cared about technology, but I do.

We also ate soup with Hannah and Rob, who graced the suburbs with their presence for the day. The story of this soup is that it is a replica of the Zuppa Toscana from Oliva Garden. I used to hate that soup-- like seriously loathe it and gag at the very thought of it. Then, when I was pregnant with Bria, I started craving it. And now I love it.

1 lb ground sausage (regular or spicy-- just make sure it's not maple)
3 large red potatoes, sliced in half and then sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 bunch kale, chopped
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in large soup pot. Remove sausage and set aside. To the pot add chicken broth, potatoes, onion, and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and sausage to the pot and warm through. (Do not boil.) Add kale several minutes before serving. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Work

2010-12-08T08:36:00.002-07:00

So, I work for this interior design firm. And we just launched a new website today. It's all very exciting. Check it out. And like us on facebook, if you wish.

I Liiiiiiiiiive!

2010-12-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to admit that the subject of this post is homage to one of Bria's new favorite movies: Blan (known to some as Mulan). Can I also say how happy I am she chose one of the Girl Power Disney movies as her favorite? Granted, I did heavily influence her choices. ("No, no, no, you won't like Sleeping Beauty. And while we're at it, let me tell you about how bras are evil.") (Just kidding. I promise.)

Anyway, I am alive, even though this blog is no proof. But Bria has also not napped since we returned from Utah, and it makes me want to cry Every. Single. Day. But that's ok, because we're deep in the holiday swing. I even made a couple crafty things. (Gasp!) I know! I, the queen of anti-craft have been making things. With my own two hands. I'll be the first to admit that it's strange. I'll take pictures later. For now though, you can see that we have also been shopping for Christmas presents, which has included many trips down the toy aisle at Costco to see what Bria is drawn to:Which is apparently pretending to be a monster while riding a horse.

Also, this morning, I am making this-- one for me, and one for a friend-- (with smoked gouda instead of smoked mozzarella) and I can tell you that the smell of smoked gouda, garlic, thyme, and parsley on your hands will make all your troubles (nap strikes or otherwise) melt away.

Turkey Talk

2010-11-25T19:41:00.002-07:00

Since my entire family (save my brother) was in Utah, we had our Thanksgiving feast last Sunday. It was a low-key meal with the most important staples (stuffing!) and none of the stress-inducing extras (store-bought rolls instead of homemade). And we continued the tradition of going around the table stating what things fill us with thanks. And so today was very much not like a holiday. We had a fancy breakfast-- eaten at lunchtime-- of eggs, hash browns, bacon, and pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Bria even dipped her bacon in the cream cheese frosting-- that girl knows where it's at.
I talked with Sam several times today, who ate dinner at his brother's house. He enjoyed a traditional feast (in the company of a certain football player) and a to-the-point round of expressing Thanks. Apparently most people don't give lengthy orations on their gratitude? We McPhies are known talkers as well as dramatics-- a recipe for lengthy Thanks speeches.
It has been an understated holiday, but a joyous one at that.
My Top Ten Thankful list for 2010:
1. I will be reunited with Sam on Tuesday!
2. Cafe Rio
3. My patient mom who helped me undo a messed-up sewing project today
4. Bria, who finally learned to sleep well in her pack-n-play in Whitney's closet
5. Rolos in my parents pantry to bribe Bria to nap
6. Whitney, my (sometimes) Utah bedmate, who doesn't complain when I hog the sheets
7. Elisa, who drove to SLC last night so we could go see Harry Potter
8. My parents' impressive collection of Disney classics on VHS
9. Lindsay, who hasn't complained that I've flaked out on her a couple times since I've been here in Utah, and who I can't wait to play with tomorrow
10. Sam in general. It's not enough to just be thankful I'll see him on Tuesday. He's my favorite person in the whole world. (cheese, cheese, cheese.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

change of plans

2010-11-21T19:56:00.002-07:00

Well, instead of romping around DC with my mom, I pulled a switcheroo and traveled to Utah instead. Unfortunately, my grandpa passed away, so Bria and I came for the funeral, but fortunately, my entire family was here! It's been so great to lounge around and enjoy the mass chaos that is my nieces and nephews. For a few short hours the original McPhie cast was back together-- my brother stayed about 12 hours total-- but the remaining time has been spent laughing hysterically with my sisters. True bliss, I tell you. Plus, I've already eaten Cafe Rio three times. I'll be here another week before heading back to the balmier Virginia (rain, sleet, snow, AND hail in Utah today!), but it's nice to soak up this family-togetherness for now.

Mama K

2010-11-08T11:48:00.004-07:00

My mom is coming to town on Wednesday! And you want to know what she is bringing us in her carry-on? You better believe it.

Last month my mom and dad went to Japan, and they sent this picture. The first thing I noticed-- I think my mom is wearing jeggings. How should I feel about my mom being more fashionable than I am?

I'm not going to think about it.

While she's here, I think we're going to hit up 7th hill pizza or 2 Amy's, sneak in a little Shenandoah action, shop in Georgetown . . . pretty much everything we couldn't do last time she came because it was too freezing to leave the house.

peter, peter, pumpkin eater

2010-11-07T20:09:00.005-07:00

Yesterday I went to a church activity, and, long story short, I ended up with a gallon-sized ziploc bag of raw, cubed pumpkin in my fridge. I was originally going to just bake it, puree it, and freeze it, but then I remembered a curry recipe my sister sent me in January that would be easily adapted* to accommodate the pumpkin.

So, let's not dilly-dally, shall we?

Pumpkin Curry

1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 small chunk fresh ginger, grated
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t red curry paste
1 t yellow curry powder
1 t cinnamon
2 cans coconut milk
3 T fish sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c water
1 c cubed pumpkin
1/2 c cubed potato
2 carrots, cut into small pieces

Microwave the potato and pumpkin for 4-5 minutes, until it's about half-way cooked, then set aside.
First saute the onion until it just starts to soften. Then, add the ginger, garlic, curry paste, curry powder, and cinnamon. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, and water.
Simmer for about 10 minutes or so, then check the seasonings and add more, as needed.
Add the potato, pumpkin, and carrots and simmer until the veggies are cooked through.
If it's too thick, add more water, just make sure it doesn't dilute the spices too much. If you do need to add more spices, make sure to simmer for a couple minutes to give them time to infuse their flavor into the liquid.
Serve over jasmine rice.

*The recipe my sister sent uses kabocha squash, chicken, red bell pepper, and peas instead of the veggies I used, but that is the beauty of curry: you can really adapt it according to whatever you have in your fridge.

Bria Spills the Beans

2010-11-01T12:54:00.002-06:00

This was actually one of the best Halloweens yet. As predicted, holidays are infinitely more exciting when you get to see your child enjoying the festivities.
Bria was killing the crowds with cuteness as she pranced around saying "I'm the banderina in the whole world!" (She forgot that cutest or prettiest or other superlative part to the statement.)

And, due to trick-or-treating and TWO trunk-or-treats, we are set up on candy for life. The day after our last trunk-or-treat, I thought I was going to die I felt so sick from all the sugar. I'm still not sure if it was worth it. And even though we have candy coming out of our ears, I still made brownies and pumpkin frozen custard last night. What is wrong with me?

Another highlight of the second trunk-or-treat? Bria walking around saying "My dad is the cleaner." And once she got the hang of it, "Mr. Clean is my dad." (Which just sounds a little different from "My dad is Mr. Clean.")

Staycation!!

2010-10-28T16:37:00.005-06:00

Today was a really stupid day. But you know what wasn't stupid? Last weekend. Sam and I had ourselves a little staycation. We took Bria to Sam's brother's house on Friday and picked her up Sunday night. It was fantastic and just so exactly what we needed. The activities that stand out all surround eating, of course. We hit up some great places. It was also mingled with H&M shopping, a walk around Baltimore's inner harbor, and The Book Thing-- a place where people donate books and then anyone can go look around and take home any book they please for free. We took home ten.
And now for the food:
The first night we finally went to 2 Amys. The wait was long, and it was freeeeezing, but I have never been happier with my food. (do you see how I am like huddling under the table? I was so, so cold.) Behold! ricotta and mozzarella balls breaded and fried.
I seriously died. Sam had to scrape me up off the floor so I could then eat my pizza:
And Sam had the best margherita in the world:
On Saturday we went to Baltimore and wanted to have amazing seafood, so we chose the highly google-rated Mama's on the Half Shell. We even ordered oysters, cause, ya know. It sounded fun.
Now. let me talk about my one regret from the whole weekend. Sam and I realized we had a common love for Guster on our very first date, and they were playing in DC on Saturday. We decided to forgo the moderately pricey concert and go to Baltimore instead. Our dinner? twice the price of the tickets. And, I was seriously disappointed with the flavor of our food. I mean, it wasn't gross, but if I'm paying that much for good seafood, I want it to be the best seafood of my life, you know? Boo hoo. I'm still getting over it.
But at least the pear and cardamom gelato we ate afterward at Pitango was delicious.
After two days of eating like our cholesterol didn't matter, we opted for some light salads at Sweet Green. I am currently making up for not liking salad the first 24 year of my life. In the last year or two, I crave salad constantly.
Sam, on the other hand, only eats salad when coerced. He was really sad when we saw a Five Guys next door to Sweet Green. Poor guy.
And, confession, we each ate a total of five Georgetown cupcakes. Does that disgust you? It should.

I think I look condensed in this picture. I blame it on the cupcakes.

Ok seriously, just typing about staycation has improved my mood. I can't even tell you how relaxing and rejuvenating it was. We got stuck in traffic almost everywhere we went, and every time I started to get uptight about it, I just remembered that I didn't have a two-year-old in the back seat to entertain. Ahhhh . . . so relaxing. Why can't every weekend be staycation?

Wish List

2010-10-27T10:14:00.005-06:00

Everyone today is talking about the rain, but I haven't been outside. I'd like to wake up hearing and smelling the rain. Which means I want to sleep with the windows open. Which means I want to live somewhere I can open the windows without fearing a swarm of bugs will invade my apartment.

I think I want to take sewing lessons. I took some back in about 1994, and I learned how to make a scrunchie and a drawstring backpack. I might like to learn to make something more practical. No offense, scrunchies.

I'm also wishing for a little self-control. I think it's time to take a break from meat and dairy, but I'm not sure I have the willpower.

I also want some new boots. Like maybe these:
Lastly, I'd like some cake. Who wants to bake me one?

Closeted Control Freak

2010-10-20T01:08:00.001-06:00

Back in July I was talking to my sister Amy on the phone when she let slip that she thinks I'm a little uptight. Her exact words were, "we're all a little uptight, but you're a special kind of uptight." Now, you might think I was offended, because, that sounds offensive, right? But I wasn't, because it's true. And I didn't even realize it! I used to think all the time about what my family thought was my "thing." Turns out, I'm the uptight one. It's kind of like when my sister Whitney and I told our sister Lindsay that she's dramatic, and she was shocked. (Are you keeping track of all my sisters? Good.) Anyway, this whole thing has led to a revolution of sorts for me. I'm trying to be a little more relaxed and to learn how to go with the flow. It's all very exciting. The funny part is, whenever I tell people about this conversation with my sister (because I think it's funny, so I like to talk about it), everyone is always surprised. "You're not uptight!" they say. And then I laugh, because I really, really am. I think I'm just a closeted control freak, so it's not readily noticed. But not for long! I'm now engaging in Project Hippie-- because, in spite of being uptight, I am also from Colorado, so I'm naturally kind of a hippie-- so I'm embracing it by becoming more of a roll-with-the-punches type of girl.

Speaking of Colorado and people who probably do know I am a closeted control freak:
This picture was taken almost exactly ten years ago. Yes, that's me in the middle. And, no, that's not one of the haircuts I inflicted on myself. Those other girls were two of my best friends growing up. Ashley (on the left) I have known since we were babies, and Jenna and I have been friends since we were 14.
As luck would have it, in our adult years, we all ended up in Virginia. Ashley has a fancy job in D.C., and Jenna lives in Richmond while her husband is in med school. We met up last weekend to catch up over brunch, and it was simply delightful. (We ate at the Carlyle. I've been hearing about their french toast for a while now, and it was not overrated. Yum, yum.) Of course there was plenty of Colorado gossip to be had, and lots of laughter as we entertained/were entertained by the babies. There is something to be said for people who were friends with you during your awkward teenage years. It was so lovely to be with old friends who know everything about me-- and love me anyway. (uptightness an all!)

Tortilla Soup for the Soul

2010-10-18T08:02:00.004-06:00

Today marks the commencement of No Dish Left Behind, a program in which I attempt to conquer my kitchen sink. Due to the ill timing of three simultaneous colds, Bria, Sam, and I trashed the place this weekend, with no energy to clean it up. N0 matter! I have faith sanity will soon be restored at chez Mangum.

To nurse our suffering immune systems, I made tortilla soup. (I haven't posted this recipe yet, have I?) Adapted from my friend Jenna, this is our all-time favorite soup. Last night during dinner, Bria kept saying over and over, "I love this soup! I love dinner!" It's healthy and filling and so easy, you'll cry (in a good way).

1 large bottle Spicy V8
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans black beans
1 bag frozen corn
1 chicken breast, raw, cut into tiny pieces
1 T chili powder
1 T garlic powder
1 T cumin
1 T Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste

Dump it all in a pot, bring to a boil and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. Green onion and cilantro are optional.

courtney, the chocolatier/ not giving up my day job

2010-10-05T09:01:00.009-06:00

For my birthday, back in April, Sam gifted me with a chocolate making class at Cacao, and I finally went over the weekend. I got up really early on Saturday morning and trekked through some of the scarier parts of Maryland to find their industrial kitchen (they have stores in Bethesda and Cleveland Park), and joined several other nervous-looking bleary-eyed folk for the three-and-a-half hour class. We were instructed by the owner/head chef, who immediately charmed me with his French accent. At first it was slightly reminiscent of days spent at Caputo's chocolate counter-- several chocolate samples from around the world (including a sample of straight cocoa butter, which tastes like chapstick). It was a great breakfast. (Thank you, dear pancreas, for taking it in stride.)

Then we got to the chocolate making. We crafted flower petals from tempered chocolate using offset spatulas on parchment paper. It all looked so easy until I was standing at the table with my huge bowl of molten chocolate. It was all I could do to not put myself in the corner wearing a dunce hat. I think everyone was about ten steps ahead of me, and I started to feel that old anxious shame akin to high school algebra, fearing I was the only one in the room to not get it. If a deep-seated fear of embarrassment doesn't get me moving, I don't know what will. When I realized I might be the only person not getting the hang of it, I picked up the pace and slammed out my two sheets of petals with precision. It was awesome . . .
until I learned the chocolate had been too hot, so it wouldn't harden. I had to start all over. Luckily, I wasn't the only one. In fact, I think everyone had to re-start at least once, so my initial fear of shame turned out to be unnecessary. Hooray!

(Also, I got to wear this super-flattering hairnet and apron.)
While the petals were hardening, we filled truffles with passion fruit carmel. Holy cow. Amazing. And, again, super flattering photo documentation.
And it all came together in this fancy flower, which, yes, I am super proud of (and already ate).
Officially the coolest birthday present ever.

third time's the . . . well, not the charm.

2010-10-04T08:06:00.000-06:00

I have cut my own hair a couple times:

1) When I was maybe 11, I decided to give myself bangs. I just grabbed a huge chunk of the front of my hair and cut it straight across. My mom confronted me, and fearing punishment, I lied and said, "I didn't cut my hair." It was a blatantly obvious lie, so when she re-confronted me, I said, "what? that's not a lie. I trimmed my hair." I did receive a stern look, but the only real punishment was my own hideous hair.

2) When I was 16, I had long hair and needed a change. I went into the salon and asked for shoulder-length with layers and got a chin-length bob. I added layers myself, which weren't actually horrible, except that I hadn't discovered a flat iron yet, and I was deep in the throes of a hair-bleaching addiction. I looked like a neon q-tip.

3) A couple of weeks ago, my (trying-to-be) edgy haircut had grown out too much, and then I missed my appointment to clean it up, so I picked up my scissors and went to town. MISTAKE. Somewhere in that moment of decision I forgot that I have a ton of thick hair. Soooo . . . I ended up with this strange blunt cut of thick hair curling under and hitting me right at the chin. Not cute. Not cute at all. When I went to California a couple days later, my dear sister Amy laughed at me and took me straight to the salon where they thinned the whole thing out and reassured me my hair would grow back. And sitting in that chair I promised to NEVER AGAIN cut my own hair. It was then that I realized I ended up with the same hair cut I gave myself when I was 17. AND, I almost cut bangs. Oy. Thank goodness I now have a flat iron. And in order to shake things up and not look exactly like my 17 year-old self, I dyed my hair brown. Then I had a little photo sesh with Bria.

Ok. I actually don't hate it. But all I want for Christmas is for my hair to grow quickly.

sandwich heay-weight champion of the world

2010-09-29T10:12:00.005-06:00

Last month my oldest sister, Amy, called me to ask if I was interested in watching her four kids while she took a much needed vacation to Hawaii. Without much thought, I jumped at the opportunity for a free trip to California, and so it was that Bria and I ended up on a plane two weeks ago. I braved the four days with five kids like a champ, and then had seven extra days to play with my sister and her kids, and my brother and his kids. Plus I have a little crush on the Bay Area-- it's great to have family there so I can visit often. And remember what I wrote in my last post? About how Bria was whiny and grumpy because she didn't have her older cousins to play with? The same is true again. Seriously. I think I bore her to tears/grump/sass.
And of course, I had some amazing food in Cali. Seriously-- the two best sandwiches of my life. While I was eating both sandwiches, I remembered the last time I gave that title to a sandwich. I have no qualms in renouncing my former claim and bestowing the title on these new beauties. They were basically the same: turkey, cheese, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, avocado, (bacon on one), and mayo with a little mustard mixed in. I know this just sounds like your average deli sandwich, but they were so not your average deli sandwich. All I can say is, if you ever find yourself in Palo Alto, please order a sandwich at JJ&F and at Village Cheese House. (On Dutch Crunch bread, which I had never heard of, but is positively divine.)

And lastly, Amy and I went for sushi at Fuki Sushi in Palo Alto. Really classic, conservative sushi, but such high quality. While I tend to favor more experimental rolls, this was some of the best sushi I've ever had. We got five huge rolls (plus vegetable tempura) and stuffed ourselves silly. I paused briefly to make Amy take a grainy iphone picture before we cleaned that platter down to the very last grain of rice. Yum yum yum.
Ok, sometimes I wonder what the point is of my chronicling places I dine and random things I eat. I realized shortly after I started this blog that I am not a recipe creator. I love to cook and eat, but this isn't a recipe food blog. It's more like an I-can't-stand-not-sharing-my-joy-over a-good-meal blog. And I think it might start morphing into more. Anyway. That's all.

I've Won Them Over With Sugar

2010-09-04T16:57:00.003-06:00

Last week we trekked out to Ashburn to watch Marc and Jenn's kids while they took David out to BYU. Yes, we have a nephew who is 18. Isn't that weird? I'm closer in age to David than I am to five of Sam's six siblings. In fact, Sam's oldest brother is closer in age to my parents than he is to me. So, I'm kind of a baby. Anyway, we've watched Marc and Jenn's kids several times, and I kind of love it because they're like dream children. They are helpful and kind, and they always play with Bria so it makes my job super easy.
We didn't do a whole lot because it's the tail end of summer, they were headed to the beach the next week, and it's kind of hard to find things to entertain three kids ages 7 to 15. We kind of just hung around doing nothing (and Amanda roped me into watching Real Housewives of New Jersey and DC) until the last day when we decided to make cupcakes.
I really wanted to take them to Georgetown Cupcake, but Ashburn is like five years away from DC, so it wasn't the best idea to haul the little kids (Bria and Colin) to Georgetown just for a cupcake.
Another benefit of watching Marc and Jenn's kids is they marvel at all the things I make from scratch. I was craving a quality cake and frosting, so we went with Ina's recipe, and it was scrumptious. Also? From-scratch cake batter is soooo worth the risk of salmonella. Seriously.

And then it was back to our regular routine this week. I did, like, 12 loads of laundry at Marc and Jenn's house (which saved me $36 from our coin-op machines in our building), and it's been a little sad to see how fast those empty baskets filled up this week. Plus Bria's been super bored (and therefore whiny) because I'm just not as entertaining as Colin, Myles, and Amanda. I think this means Bria needs some older siblings, which I'm pretty sure isn't possible at this point. Oh well, looks like she's still stuck with just me.

in which we finally go to good stuff

2010-09-03T08:04:00.004-06:00

Sam and I celebrated our FIFTH anniversary yesterday. And we really actually celebrated it, which was a fun comparison to last year when we were on opposite sides of the country. I dropped Bria off at a friend's house and drove in to the city to meet Sam. We finally tried out Good Stuff Eatery, which has been on my list since before we moved.

I opted for the Vegetarians Are People Too 'Shroom Burger
And Sam went with the Prez Obama Burger

And we shared a strawberry shake.

Can I just say how proud I am of myself for ordering a portobello burger? I usually have a frantic fear of mushrooms, but I really didn't want to order a beef burger. Plus, this mushroom patty is stuffed with hot, melty, gooey cheese and then breaded in panko bread crumbs. Oh my. It was good stuff, if you will. (ha.) I feel an intense need to go back and try some more of that good stuff-- namely the cookies and cream milk shake and some of the wedge salads. Yum!

dog days of summer

2010-08-31T11:42:00.002-06:00

I've been in a culinary rut lately. Anyone else? I'm sick of being too hot to turn on the oven. I'm longing for the fall and winter when I can eat soup and hot bread all day every day.
I've decided that summer here in VA is worse than winter. At least when you're cold you can just bundle up before sprinting to the car. In the heat of summer, you are dripping with sweat by the time you make it to the sidewalk. Bria and I are a little stir crazy. I think I need to just embrace the humidity (which means my FRIZZY, CRAZY hair) and go do some fun things. (It's even cooled down considerably, and I am still complaining.)

October sounds so wonderful right now . . .

(p.s. I'm having some weird blogger issues, so, if something ended up weird, forgive me. I hate when that happens. )

2010-08-31T09:22:00.007-06:00

Bria is excited to share the news:

(Don't ask me how she got that knife in her hand.)

Sam got a new job! We went out to celebrate a couple weeks ago when we got the news. And Bria was hammin' it up all night. She even attacked me a couple times because she was just too happy to contain herself:
Sam's started working yesterday at a production company based in Bethesda working as a junior editor on the show American Loggers, which airs on the Discovery Channel.
Three cheers for Sam! We're so excited about this new step.

Fojol at Farragut

2010-08-16T10:31:00.006-06:00

Spontaneity always saves the day, so last week, when I was on my way to Costco and Sam texted me asking us to meet him for lunch, I jumped at the opportunity for a fun outing. We parked at Costco and ran to catch the around-the-corner metro (a perk of frequenting the Pentagon City Costco). The Fojol brothers were at Farragut Square that day, just a couple blocks from Sam's work, so we had ourselves a little Indian lunch.

I love this food truck craze. I love that the Fojol brothers lay out fancy blankets for their eaters. And the food was oh so tasty. I'm a sucker for butter chicken, and it was good. I kind of want to go there every day.

That's their fancy truck which was blasting some fancy tunes. Perfect for getting Bria to dance.
The butter chicken proved to be "too sicy" for Bria, so it was with a heavy heart we trudged across the street to buy her a sandwich from Subway (of which she ate, like, four bites). It always kills me to shell out so much cash for kids meals which Bria rarely eats. I think I need to be better prepared with homemade sandwiches and snacks when we go out to eat. Another thing I should be better prepared for? Diaper situations. The funny part was that I was going to Costco to buy diapers in the first place. Let's just say small packs of diapers at CVS are expensive, they don't always have the right size, and there isn't really a bathroom with a diaper changing station around Farragut Square. Luckily nice shady trees provide ample diaper changing space. Wow. That is an awesome way to end a post about lunch. Cheers!

In A Pickle

2010-08-08T13:47:00.005-06:00

The other day, I made some pickles.

I'm actually not that much of a pickle person. I'm fond of sweet gherkins, and I hate dill pickles. The ones I made are bread and butter chip, which are sweet, but have a tangy bite, thanks to the turmeric, mustard seed, and celery seed. I used this recipe that came through my google reader last month.
I kind of wish I had cut them into little circles, rather than spears, because that would have helped my one qualm: the skin was a little too thick and substantial for the small amount of inner-pickle. Had I cut them into circles, as suggested by the recipe, it would have left much more inner crunch to stand up to the tough outer skin. Oh well. Next time.

They are so beautiful in my fridge. But since I'm more of a gherkin gal and Sam is much more of a dill fanatic, I wonder if we will eat them all. If you live near me and want a jar, just holler. Or comment. Whatever.

The Whole Story

2010-07-23T19:10:00.003-06:00

We're coming up on ten months of living in Virginia, which is just crazy to me. At first, waves of home-sickness were constant, and now they have nearly disappeared. Things like cupcakes, friends, and just the general awesomeness of living near DC make it hard to not love this place. But every once in a while, I feel a sharp pang of, well, not so much homesickness as sistersickness. My sister Lindsay is in California visiting our other sister Amy right now, and I desperately want to be with them. Luckily (oh so luckily!) my sister Whitney lives here too now. Yeah, did you know I have three sisters? I don't know how anyone functions without sisters. I have seriously considered having eighty children just so Bria could have tons of sisters.

Back in April, Whitney surprised me with a visit. She and Sam were scheming since December for her to come visit me for my birthday. Everyday Whitney and I chat online, and I would constantly ask things like, "so, when are you coming to visit?" or, "have you bought your plane ticket to visit me yet?" And, sly fox that she is, she would deflect these questions oh so graciously with a "waah! I miss you too!"
Two days before my birthday, I was driving to Trader Joe's to pick up some last minute things for dinner, and there Sam was, walking with some strange girl down the street. "How odd he didn't call me when he left work!" I thought. And "why is he pushing that strange girl's suitcase?" As I slowly pulled up to them, I felt awkward. Sam was being a gentleman, making friends with someone who apparently lived close to us, and he was helping her with her luggage. Was I going to have to pick her up in our car and drive her to her house before we carried on with our day? I wasn't sure if we had room in our car for her suitcase. Why was that girl smiling so huge at me? She certainly had cute sunglasses and great style. I pulled over the car and rolled down the window. Sam and the strange girl just stood there staring at me while I greeted them. This was really awkward. The strange girl took off her sunglasses, and suddenly it hit me. Whitney! It was Whitney!! Yes, it's true. I didn't even recognize my own sister.
I just started yelling "What?! What?! What?!" and jumped out of the car. (With a very confused Bria still sitting in the back seat.) I burst into tears when we hugged. A girl can only go so long without seeing her sisters, and it had been over six months. Too long! We cried and cried before heading on our merry way to Trader Joe's to begin that great six days together. The best part was when, while Whitney was out here, we decided enough was enough and she was going to just move out here. She found a job and a house that very week, and now she lives here. She babysits, we get frozen yogurt, we swim in her pool-- it's awesome. It took off that last twinge of acute homesickness I was still feeling. Life is so much better with sisters.

Tasty Links Tuesday

2010-07-20T12:42:00.002-06:00

Lots of times I find recipes around the interwebs that I love and want to share with you, so in a new (sure-to-be-sporadic) series, here are some tasty links:

This dish, this pasta with baked tomato sauce, is what inspired me to start sharing some links. I made this for just my own lunch last Friday, and I almost died. I made it in my Le Creuset, and, as I am wont to do, I made it with extra bread crumbs and cheese. Basically, if a recipe calls for bread, cheese, any kind of sauce, or chocolate, you can pretty much guarantee I will double what it calls for. I'm just indulgent like that.

Remember how last summer I was obsessed with all things Orangette? Well, here is my all-time favorite post on Orangette. It includes the recipe for my favorite cookie dough, and it also includes heirloom tomato bread salad, which I made for lunch on Sunday-- again, just for myself. I made Sam get his own lunch, which ended up being cheddar cheese melted on plain penne pasta, poor guy. Usually I am a nice, caring, food-sharing wife. But not this time, and I'm not even sorry. Also, I should state that I grated a little parm cheese on top, because, well, like I said: if I can add cheese to something, I will.

And, lastly, these are the essentials to my favorite stir fry. This recipe taught me what to do with tofu! So exciting. And, one more time, you shouldn't be surprised that I always double the sauce. Also, while this recipe is so, so, so delicious as is, I rarely make it with bok choy anymore, because it tends to be a little pricey, so I make it with broccoli. And carrots instead of mushrooms, because I think mushrooms are gross. (Gasp!)

Enjoy!

the big two-eight

2010-07-15T12:16:00.006-06:00

Sam's birthday is none other than The Fourth Of July, which means for the past five years, Independence Day has been more about Sam gracing the earth with his presence than it is about celebrating our nation's independence. I wouldn't have it any other way. Sam grew up thinking all the fireworks were for him, and I like to pretend they are too.
This year we were in Texas for a family reunion, so Sam's birthday was a little different than it's been in years past. We spread out the birthday fun with a cake in Texas

and I made one of my favorite chocolate cakes a couple days after we got back, which we ate after Sam's favorite dinner and had my sister Whitney over to help us celebrate.
And finally, we went to eat at Coastal Flats, which is a sister restaurant to Sweet Water, which we went to with Marc and Jenn last fall. We saw Coastal Flats had the same flourless chocolate waffle with ice cream and homemade carmel sauce, so, of course, we ordered it again. Bria kind of hogged all the ice cream, but that's what you get for taking a 2 year-old out to dinner.

365

2010-07-11T22:20:00.002-06:00

My sister-in-law Rachel is reading 365 books this year.

Seriously.

We were in Texas for a family reunion last week, and I got to talk to Rachel about how all this reading is going, and it's really just astounding. She recently hit the halfway mark (which is actually July 2nd), and she had read 183 books on that day. And while we were in Texas, she read six books-- all while totally interacting with the family and having a great time. I'm convinced she is magic (or just really smart). My brother-in-law Adam is keeping track of her progress here, so you can see what books she's reading and how she rates them (I recommended book 100!).

She's totally inspired me, and I really want to start reading more. So I am now open for some book recommendations. I have a list a mile long of books to read, but what titles should I bump to the top of my list?

Pesto Pizza

2010-07-06T13:20:00.003-06:00

This is one of my favorite dinners lately:Pesto Pizza!

It all came from some on-its-last-leg basil in my fridge. Throwing away basil is painful. On an average day, you can get about a cup of basil for, like, three bucks. That's a lot when basil is usually one of many ingredients. And let's talk about how pesto also contains pine nuts and then you're wallet's nervous twitch is going to flare up.

But. Pizza.

I'm back to using this trusty recipe for my pizza crust. I split it in two (which means we are averaging two pizzas a week for dinner around here lately). And I top it then bake it at 475 for 10 minutes. It's much lighter and thinner, and it's my new favorite.

So take that crust, and top it:
A generous slather of pesto*
Slices of mozzarella (from an in-water mozzarella ball)
Thinly sliced tomato (I'm currently obsessed with baby romas)
Sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A hefty sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese

It's so delicious. And such a fresh, summery meal. I also think it would be lovely with bacon or prosciutto.

*As for the pesto. Remember this post when I lamented losing my favorite pesto recipe? Well, Kjerstin saves the day because she found my recipe!! She emailed it to me back in January. And it really is just as good as I remembered. Also, I didn't have pine nuts tonight, so I made it with walnuts, and it was just as tasty.

So, the Beloved Pesto Recipe (from Alexandra's Williams-Sonoma Pasta cookbook):
1 C firmly packed basil
1/2 t salt
3T Parmesan
2 T Romano
3 T Pine nuts
2 clove garlic

mix in food processor, then drizzle in

1/2 C Extra virgin olive oil
1 T pasta water

7th Hill Pizza

2010-07-01T12:30:00.005-06:00

For quite some now, 7th Hill pizza has been on my To-Eat list, mostly because of a little something called a nutella calzone.

I know.

Other than the fact that it just sounds delicious, I have it on good authority that it lives up to the hype. And now, let me add a second voice. IT LIVES UP TO THE HYPE. I mean, really, how could it not?

Oh, but we ate pizza first.
So, we knew taking Elisa and Matt there would be a great idea, and in all four of our inabilities to make decisions, we ended up ordering three pizzas to share (which turned out to be the right amount): the Capitol Hill (tomato, basil mozzarella), the Seventh Street (prosciutto, parmesan, roasted red pepper, tomato), and the Stanton Park (zucchini, red onion, garlic, roasted red pepper, eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, pecorino, parmesan).
And it was all just so divine. I mean, truly. The pizza is all freshly fire baked, and the crust was chewy and dry in the best way, which means it was soft and not at all greasy. I want to eat there forever.

And then we got the nutella calzone. It was HUGE and hot and full of nutella deliciousness, and we all died on the spot. (Obviously I forgot to take a picture, because I just had to eat it immediately.) (You can look here for a picture, but just know that, if you go, you won't get pistachios and raspberries because you aren't special.) And by "died on the spot" I mean that I went home and had the worst stomach ache from being a glutton while M&E were visiting, but it was soooo worth it.

The verdict is that I want to go back again and again for the rest of my life.

Gazpacho!

2010-06-24T12:56:00.004-06:00

My mom called me a couple weeks ago and asked if I had a recipe for gazpacho, and I did not! Truth be told, I didn't even know what gazpacho was (but I didn't tell my mom that). I promised to find and send her a recipe. First, I turned to my homegirl Ina, and her recipe looked fantastic. And to give my mom some more options, I also sent along PW's recipe.

And then, all I could think of was gazpacho, which, it turns out, is a cold, tomato-based soup. (But I'm sure everyone else in the world already knew that.) I decided to make it the night Matt and Elisa arrived.
This is the perfect summer meal because it's light but totally satisfying, and (here's the kicker) you don't have to cook anything. It's been like a billion degrees here lately, so when you turn on the stove or the oven, a little part of your soul dies.
So, the thing about gazpacho is that it's made up of tons of finely diced veggies, and if you're not really into chopping veggies, maybe you should use a food processor. I was seriously thinking about this until I realized three things: 1) I was going to make it during Bria's nap. 2) I like chopping vegetables. 3) I don't have a big enough food processor.
So I hand-chopped everything, and it was so delightful to just stand up to my counter and chop, chop, chop while Bria napped the afternoon away. Then, you just combine everything in a big beautiful bowl, and you're done. Seriously. Chop, chop, chop, combine, done.
I served it up with some Trader Joe's cornbread, which resulted in a small part of my soul dying while it baked, but it was soooo worth it. That stuff is good. As was the gazpacho. It tasted exactly how the last days of spring should taste-- vibrant, alive, and fresh. We all gobbled it down, including Bria. She ate two bowls of her own, then she climbed up onto Elisa's lap and demanded Elisa's bowl. And also? I'm going to stop pretending I have any idea whatsoever of how to take pictures of my food. But here's what it all looked like:

And now for the recipe:

Gazpacho
(adapted from Ina Garten and Pioneer Woman)

1 hothouse cucumber, not peeled, seeds removed
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 orange bell pepper
4-5 roma tomatoes, seeds removed
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves
1 zucchini
1 stalk celery
32 ounces tomato juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
dash kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finely dice all vegetables and toss them into a bowl with remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly and refrigerate until cold. Serve chilled with avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and a splash of lime.

Gtown Cupcake twice and thrice

2010-06-22T21:10:00.003-06:00

We went to Georgetown Cupcake again. And again.

First Sam, Bria, and I went a couple weeks ago on a dull Wednesday afternoon. The traffic was awful, and Bria was whining and complaining because she wanted ice cream, not cupcakes-- until she got her chocolate squared.
Then, in her words: "I'm happy now!"
And then Elisa and Matt came for the weekend, so we had to take them, of course. And it was soooo good. I had my own strawberry cupcake (which I thought was ok, but Sam almost died he thought it was so delicious), and I ate half of Bria's vanilla squared AND half of Whitney's vanilla birthday cupcake. Those vanillas are where it's at, my friends. Why do people ever use vanilla to describe something as plain? Seriously, so wrong.

Just you wait, because there's so much more to tell from Matt and Elisa's visit. I think all we did was eat. I did end up super sick one night from all our indulgent meals, but it was soooo worth it.

Closet Pioneer

2010-06-13T20:54:00.004-06:00

On Friday Whitney and I went and picked strawberries at this fantastic farm in Maryland. I swear, there is something about being in the fresh clean air, with acres of green in every direction that just makes the world seem right. I have this secret fantasy of living on a farm and living off the fat o' the land (which is why I loved this book). But the not-so-secret is that I hate bugs more than anything in this world. And I hate yard work. So, unless I could just sit on a bug-free porch year round and enjoy the fruits of other people's farm labors . . . I'm not so sure it's a plausible fantasy.
So, it was, like, the very last day of strawberry season, and the berries were tiny and mostly smooshy and gross, so the picking was slow and nearly fruitless (ha!), but I came home with 4 pounds of strawbs, nonetheless.
Then I found out that Whitney doesn't even like strawberries (or cherries!), and I felt bad for dragging her along, because it was so hot and bright and over an hour away. But she didn't seem to mind. And when I got home and went through the berries, I found that most weren't as good as I had thought. I think I had to toss out about half our loot. With the remaining berries, Sam and I made some fantastic milk shakes, and tonight I relived this post and made some jam, which I feel really happy about. Last year, after making jam, I lamented that I wouldn't be able to keep any of the jam I made because of our imminent move. Three cheers for not having to move this year, because I might just keep all this jam to myself (just to make up for last year).

Of Yogurt and Pancreatic Stability

2010-06-07T20:31:00.007-06:00

When you see the following picture, you will question this post. You will think, "really, Courtney? terrible twos?"
See?

But, I will tell you in response: "Believe me! There were earth-shattering TANTRUMS! I was BITTEN! MULTIPLE! TIMES! There was nothing but WHINING! At times, I thought I would spontaneously burst into FLAMES!"

However, the storm seems to have passed (commence fervent knocking on wood). (Do you wonder why this was my favorite song last week?) So, to celebrate, I will let you in on my new favorite snack.

When Whitney came to visit for my birthday, she left some of this in my fridge:
Ok. I know those letters are backwards, but stick with me.

Now, one of the sad things about my pancreas not returning to normal after having gestational diabetes is that I can't really eat yogurt. Until I met Greek yogurt. Hallelujah! Greek yogurt is low in carbohydrates (this brand has 20g) and high in protein (12g), so it makes for a perfect snack. But up until this point, I hadn't found a Greek yogurt I liked. It's either too sour or too textured. Do you know that gross yogurt consistency? But this Trader Joe's brand is so delightful. It's sweet enough and it's smooth. Plus, it has real vanilla bean specks in it. Sold!

I like to mix it with fresh fruit (strawberries, pineapple, or raspberries are my faves) and handful of honey bunches of oats. Top it off with a handful of almonds, and it leaves me (and my blood sugar) happy until dinner. Three cheers, I say. Three cheers.

2010-06-04T12:24:00.001-06:00

I haven't been a stellar blogger lately. I wish I could say it's because I've been doing lots of cool, adventurous things and eating great food, but we're just dealing with a case of the terrible twos over here. Also, the humid heat of Virginia might be getting best of me. (and it's not even officially summer yet!)

If you don't hear from me again soon, send in replacements. and some ice cream.

NYC food: Rosa Mexicano

2010-05-25T13:25:00.004-06:00

Out of our group of six, my sister Amy had been to New York most recently, which was helpful when it came to planning. For our first dinner in the Big Apple, Amy recommended Rosa Mexicano, which, when I looked up the restaurant, I saw they have in D.C., so that's exciting.

We started with this ginormous bowl of made-at-your-table guacamole. It was really fantastic, and I was so irrationally excited about it, so I started taking a bunch of pictures, and then our guacamolier offered to take one with me. This was kind of embarrassing, but I think this picture makes it quite clear that I didn't care and I have no shame.
One of the best parts of New York was that I ate a lot of seafood. My mom doled out hefty portions of food money to us all on the first night, and it was so delightful to go out to nice restaurants and choose the salmon without feeling like maybe I was choosing fish over winter shoes for Bria or something.

Most of us had dishes that featured mole in one form or another. I have only had one other encounter with mole, and it was not a good one. When I was a sophomore in college, I had a huge (unrequited) crush on this boy I nicknamed The Hobbit. He cooked dinner for my apartment one night (the background to this dinner is a story for another time). He made us an "authentic mexican dinner" which consisted of flour tortillas, boiled chicken tenderloins, and mole. I still can't talk about it without gagging. Anyway, I have no way of knowing if the mole under my salmon was actually good, but I think I was too scarred to even try it. But my sisters did thoroughly enjoy their mole enchiladas.

The mole sorbet (see it down there? at the top of the flan?), however, was intriguing and weird and almost delightful. It kind of tasted like Christmas-- but not necessarily in a magical way. (p.s. Lindsay, thanks for giving your dessert a peace sign/bunny ears.)

And then we have the ice creams. Mexican vanilla. Delicious! Mexican chocolate. Absolutely fantastic. Almost grainy, which I actually enjoyed. And Sweet Potato Rum Raisin. OK. Why did I order that? I don't know. I really don't love sweet potatoes. But the ice cream was actually really scrumptious. It tasted more like a pumpkin ice cream, which saved me from feeling like I was eating a sweet tasting vegetable (*shudder*). I just nudged all the raisins out of the ice cream. Raisins have no place in ice cream. But, my goodness, all three of these ice creams certainly have a place in my heart/mouth/stomach.

Asking for forgiveness.

2010-05-21T13:33:00.004-06:00

So . . . Project Spring? I don't know. It kind of petered out. Will you forgive me?

Also, I can't find my camera cord, so I can't upload any pictures from New York. Sorry. I think it's buried in one of the several piles of stuff in my room.

Speaking of which, I never did finish that spring cleaning (see opening line of this blog post). But I think the time is now, because my dear sister Whitney is moving here! And staying with me for a couple weeks before she can move into her cute new house, which means all this clutter in my apartment needs to go. Seriously. Clutter out! Whitney in!

I've been such a blogging slacker lately. Forgive me? I'm going to try to be better, as long as you don't mind if I don't write as much about food as I used to. I have so many things to say! They just aren't all about food. Is that ok? I hope so.

Highlights

2010-05-15T21:51:00.002-06:00

1. When I packed for NYC, I wanted to be prepared for any of my walking needs, so I packed five pairs of shoes. I came home with ten. (I also added three purses and a wallet to my collection.)

2. As the only one who didn't come from another time zone, I think I actually adjusted to my West Coast family's inner clocks. This morning when my sister Whitney's alarm went of at 5 am (after going to bed after 1 am), I found myself extremely disoriented, so, naturally, I elbowed her in the face.

3. A culinary list: wasabi coconut crusted salmon, cheese tortellini in a lobster cream sauce, avocado parmesan and pine nut sandwich, sweet potato rum raisin ice cream

4. Outrageous, self-given makeovers at Sephora in Times Square, where an ex-NYPD/wannabe actor/Sephora employee accurately guessed our ages.

And can I just say that New York is huge? I don't think anyone could ever run out of things to do there. I am already trying to think of a way to go back (and take Sam with me).

blogging is better than packing

2010-05-11T08:00:00.003-06:00

I am off for the rest of the week for a trip to NYC with my mom and sisters (no husbands! no kids!). You better believe I have a list a mile long of places I want to eat. Probably my sisters will all want to do cultural or touristy or sisterly things and I'll be lagging behind saying, "wait! I want to go to the eighty-second bakery on my list!!"

And I'll leave you all with a link to a fantastic spring salad. I ate it twice this weekend, and it is absolutely delightful (particularly when accompanied by a baguette and some brie). Now, I'd better go pack . . .

Feliz Cinco De Mayo! (whatever you need to tell yourself to justify eating what you want)

2010-05-05T11:00:00.000-06:00

Just over a week ago, this girl turned two:
On Saturday we threw her a party, and, as a result, I went on a serious guacamole binge.
I have to credit Sam for the guacamole, because he came up with a combination I really love. Now, I will eat (and love!) nearly any avocado concoction called guacamole, but I am really loving Sam's simple combination of avocados, garlic, lime, and kosher salt.

For the batch I am currently devouring--
I used two avocados, one finely-minced garlic clove, one who lime, and one pinch of kosher salt. Mashed roughly with a fork (I like some chunks of avocado), I am inhaling it like oxygen on some Costco organic tortilla chips. A delightful snack, if you ask me. Incredibly tasty, and I'll call it healthy too, since it is natural, has protein, and lots of those good kinds of fat or whatever to feed my growing brain. Right? Plus, it's festive. For Cinco de Mayo. I'm cultural like that.

maybe pies will be the next cupcake

2010-05-01T21:30:00.003-06:00

I'll admit; I'm more of a cake-and-ice-cream fan than a pie fan, but this blog has me tickled pink.

(Bonus points for it being written by the wife of good ol' Ryan Simmons-- a cool guy I knew back in my BYU days.)

(thanks, hannah, for the tip.)

Official Statement

2010-04-28T11:56:00.003-06:00

Let it be known that Georgetown Cupcake is not overrated.

(photo via)

it's a hyphen sort of day.

2010-04-21T20:02:00.003-06:00

Speaking of being a project finisher, or, rather, not being one, these somewhat-to-seriously irritating things are on my perpetually-a-mile-long to-do list:

--order pictures from Snapfish so my account doesn't expire and I lose all my pictures stored there

--eat the ripe avocado in my fruit basket before it gets gross (that shouldn't be too difficult)

-- call Blockbuster online and ask why they are still charging us even though we canceled three months ago

--call Skin ID and tell them I don't need more face wash (oops! too late! I hate things on automatic refill.)

--pick up the book on hold for me at the library

--return that laundry basket to Target that was marked $5.99, but was actually $12.99. Or just accept the fact that it was double the price I thought and keep it because it's been over a month.

--pick up the package of new clothes from GAP that has been sitting in my apartment's management office for almost a month (I don't like the manager, so I've been avoiding her, but she is the one who has my package).

Am I the only one who has a to-do list that is constantly plagued by things like this?

birthdays require delicious food, part two

2010-04-19T18:46:00.006-06:00

Before my birthday (and the grand Whitney surprise), we went out for a birthday dinner with some friends to BGR The Burger Joint in Old Town. Before we planned the dinner, for days (weeks even?) Sam had been pestering me to choose a place to go, and I was feeling so stressed about it. We needed to go somewhere close, but I also wanted it to be family-friendly and interesting. We don't go out to eat that often, and when we do, we never go places that fit all three of those criteria (um, hello Costco hot dog). Then I finally remembered a recommendation from Hannah and Rob, and I knew BGR was the place to go.

It did not disappoint! Since I've sworn off red meat (two months and going strong!), I opted for the veggie burger, and it was awesome. Flavorful, great texture, filling, and so much lighter than its beefy counterpart. I forgot to take a picture until I had about three bites left:
We also got sweet potato fries (love!) and grilled asparagus (double love!). Three cheers!

But I'm not going to lie. The best part of the evening was having ice cream cake after. I am slightly ashamed to admit that I am OBSESSED with Dairy Queen ice cream cakes. I have one every year for my birthday, and I think I could single-handedly eat one in about 6 minutes. Sam thinks they aren't great, but clearly he doesn't understand what he's talking about. THEY'RE AMAZING. I love the "whipped cream" on top that kind of tastes like plastic, and the best part is the fudgy chocolatey cookie filling between the chocolate and vanilla layer. It's euphoric. I didn't take a picture this year, because, you know, I was too busy eating it. But here's a picture of my 24th and 22nd ice cream cakes, respectively.

I really wish I could justify buying and eating one for no reason.

birthdays require delicious food, part one

2010-04-18T09:30:00.006-06:00

The first order of business is my birthday, because it was the best one yet. For the big 2-5, my sister Whitney surprised me by showing up at my house for a 6-day visit. Best present ever! We had so much fun, and ate a lot of good food, including my birthday dinner at Paolo's in Georgetown.
When I go to a new restaurant, I always like to ask the waiter what their favorite thing on the menu is, and our waiter had several good recommendations. It's a good sign when there are so many things that sound good on the menu. The three of us were all debating between the same things, so we each got a different dish and shared some bites.

Sam got the margherita pizza. It was huge! And delicious! I loooove margherita pizza, but I think it can be tricky to find a good one. This had a chewy but crisp crust, and a delightful balance between cheese, tomato, and basil. All the pizzas are baked in a brick oven, which you can see from the restaurant (I love seeing into the kitchen from my table.) I'll probably get this when we go back.

I ordered the salmon, and it was so tender. So perfectly cooked. The sauce was flavorful, but not overpowering, and I adored the vegetable "spaghetti" on the side. And the polenta-- slightly crispy on the outside, tender, hot, and soft on the inside. So, so tasty.

Whitney ordered the cayenne and espresso steak salad, and holy cow. It was amazing. The waiter said once people order that salad, they never order anything else ever again, and I have to say, I can totally understand. It was amazing. The salad also had fingerling potatoes and gorgonzola cheese with a punchy but smooth dressing. This picture seriously does no justice to the salad.

I offer a hearty recommendation for Paolo's. Georgetown is such a fun place, and the restaurant was lively, intimate, and fun. And the food. Oh, man. Perfect birthday food. I'm considering asking Paolo's to be my personal chef.

MIA

2010-04-14T20:17:00.003-06:00

I've been busily enjoying a surprise birthday present-- a visit from my sister Whitney. She left today, and tomorrow I am heading down to Richmond for two days to visit my dear friend Jenna and her sweet baby Siena.

Until then, dear readers, happy Tax Day!

more day-seizing

2010-04-09T11:26:00.003-06:00

Something I am trying to do for Project Spring is to be more adventurous. It has a lot to do with Bria's haircut and trying to be a project finisher instead of an avid project starter.
I come up with ideas of fun things to do all. the. time. But I never do them. Kind of like a line from Mamma Mia! when Meryl Streep sings about planning so many things to do and places to go with her daughter, and they didn't end up doing most of things, and why? (she just doesn't know!) (we watch that movie a lot around here.)
But I am trying to enjoy having one child right now-- when it's relatively easy to pick up and go somewhere and have a great time. Sam and I certainly didn't take advantage of that before we had Bria, so I am learning from my mistakes.

So the weather has been absolutely gorgeous out here for over a week now, and I am pleased to say we have been totally enjoying it. Last week, after talking for ages about having a lunch picnic at gravelly point, Bria and I picked up and went. All by ourselves. I usually talk myself out of these things, but I seized the day-- and why not? We had an awesome time.

We picked up lunch at Whole Foods on the way. I didn't realize until we got there that, for Bria's lunch, I had bought her strawberries, strawberry yogurt, and strawberry milk. Good thing she loves strawberries. I filled a box from their salad bar, and it was this perfect, healthy, scrumptious meal. I had been eating junk for, like, a week solid before this, so having a lunch full of greens and peppers and some mysterious superfood thing that looked intriguing (and tasted mostly good), was like heaven.

Since it was the middle of a week day, almost no one was there. Bria was a little afraid of the plane noise

But it was just a glorious morning.

(even if, because of traffic, it took us an hour to get home.)

Inspiration

2010-04-07T06:20:00.003-06:00

Can I just say that I am totally inspired by this video? Bria and I have watched it probably 15 times (mostly because she loves the "baby raffe"). But we watch it not because I love animals (actually, I tend to hate them. sorry.), but because I am loving hearing real stories about people finding their calling in life. I love that she is so honest about her failures being the number one contributor to her ultimately finding success.

illegitimate post

2010-04-06T20:31:00.005-06:00

When I started Project Spring and I said I would "post at least three times a week," I really meant that I would post twice a week or something. This spring weather makes me want to be outside playing-- not sitting on my computer. And I'm ok with that. But I do have some things to share from last week (once I bring camera in from the car) (note to self: BRING YOUR CAMERA IN FROM THE CAR) (especially because it was over ninety degrees today = not good for electronics. yowza).

Anyway.

We went to an Easter Egg Hunt last week for our playgroup, and Bria was delighted to eat so much candy. This is how she smiles for pictures/ shows her excitement these days:
But the other thing is that I cut her hair! And the reason this is post-worthy is that I have the tendency to be all talk. I plan things, talk about things, intend to do things, etc. and I never follow through. So, I had thought about cutting Bria's hair for months, and I finally bit the bullet and did it. Hooray! I'm counting it as a Project Spring Triumph. It is incredibly uneven, so thank goodness she has curly hair to cover that. Although, the curly hair also made it so that, when I got it wet and combed it out, I cut it a little shorter than I intended. When it started to dry, I freaked out a little bit as it got shorter and shorter. Oh well, I think/hope it turned out darling.
Also, lets talk about how one of my Easter projects was to create some kind of beautiful Easter basket for Bria, and then I didn't get around to it, so I just used a purse. I figured that was better than her Halloween pumpkin bucket.

Okay, legitimate Project Spring posts are forthcoming-- including one about trifle. (commence drooling.)

Secret to Happiness

2010-03-31T08:07:00.003-06:00

I've had this saved on my computer for a couple months (it came through on my google reader a while ago). I think I am going to get it printed so I can frame it and hang it above my desk.

Pizza, pressure, and projects

2010-03-29T10:20:00.004-06:00

It's no news that Pioneer Woman is wonderful, but this pizza. Oh, this pizza. It transcends into new levels of wonder and delicious glory. I made it twice in the last week. And it's my new favorite pizza dough.

And I took a picture of it, but blogger won't upload my picture right now (even though it said it did), so I think there's no picture in this post. Or there could be two. Who knows? Anyway. Go make that pizza. It's delicious.

On that note, no. I did not finish my spring cleaning. I'm not going to lie, I didn't even really start it. I work well under pressure and deadlines, but, unfortunately, I think my own self-made deadlines don't create the pressure I thought they did. That's one hard thing about staying at home. There aren't the kind of deadlines you get at work or in school. It's good and bad, really, to have such little structure-- good if you can figure out how to create your own structure and motivate yourself with invisible deadlines, and bad if you can't.
When Bria was first born, and I was trying to carve my own niche, I said to myself over and over, "I can do whatever I want with my time!" but my tone of voice went back and forth between excitement and dread. I've gotten a lot better at creating structure and purpose to my days, but that doesn't mean I always get things done (like spring cleaning) the way I want to.
For my next project (though I'm not giving up on spring cleaning) I am going to take a smaller bite, I think. I tend to dream big and overwhelm myself, so I am going to try something more manageable this week. This week will be more enjoyable too-- I am going to make this Easter Week-- with lots of small, fun projects like dyeing eggs and things. Oh, that is so much better than spring cleaning.

Courting and Cupcakes

2010-03-26T21:42:00.004-06:00

Thanks to my friend Sarah, today Sam and I went on our first, real-live date since we moved here almost six months ago. I dropped Bria off to play and then went straight to the metro to pick up Sam. We spent the next hour wandering around Old Town Alexandria, mourning the sudden disappearance of spring, and enjoying our freedom. It's amazing how just a short time of un-child-interrupted talking and walking can be so rejuvenating. Plus, sometimes it's fun to pretend that Sam and I just started dating.

A picture of warmer times. Like on Wednesday:After dinner at King Street Blues, we headed back to pick up our full and happy Bria, played hide-and-seek at home (Bria loves to be scared), then sent her off to bed. We turned on a movie and then opened our treat. While walking through Old Town, we stumbled across Alexandria Cupcake and decided to pick up some dessert. They were nearing the end of their day, so they only had three kinds of cupcakes left: almond, vanilla bean with cocoa frosting, and coconut. We opted for the first two, and, I have to say, I think they were the best cupcakes I have ever had. That might sound dramatic, but I'm not kidding. I have been craving cupcakes lately (I even had one last week at a church activity, but it was dry and bland), but I haven't been able to justify making an entire batch for no reason. I often find the trouble with cupcakes to be that they all taste the same-- a tasty same, but same nonetheless. I was so happy when our respective cupcakes were full of unique flavor. And there was just the perfect amount of frosting. I am afraid this could become a new addiction.

A bad picture of the tasties:

Project Spring Week One

2010-03-25T11:54:00.004-06:00

When I was planning out the weekly projects for Project Spring, I knew the first week had to be a deep spring cleaning of our tiny apartment. Because, let's face it-- the top of my fridge,

this bookcase,

and this desk

are no longer acceptable.

I made long, lengthy, overly-ambitious lists, dividing our apartment into five zones. I delegated each zone to one week day, then wrote down every. single. thing. I wanted to do to get this apartment all clean and ready for spring.

Um. Yeah.

Haven't done a single thing.

I've actually been a little busy lately. We have our weekly play group and music group. I "played volleyball" on Tuesday (now THAT was a joke!), and Sam started a new work schedule where gets home early in the day. Plus, we've been enjoying the spring weather by going to gravelly point to watch the planes land

and running around Old Town with my dear old friend amanda. (I was trying so hard to keep my eyes open. this was the best I could do.)

But one point of Project Spring is to learn a little balance in my life. I go through busy spurts, but then when things settle back down, I forget how to be a real human sometimes. So I need to work on still getting the cleaning and other projects done even when I'm busy. (I'm hoping Project Spring helps a little with my addiction to procrastination.) So, off I go to conquer my spring cleaning. I will get it done this week so I am all ready for next week's project-- I just might be scrubbing the bathroom floor at 11:59 pm on Saturday.

Project Spring!

2010-03-20T21:44:00.006-06:00

Today I cut my hair.
And it is a fresh start, because today is the first day of spring.

And today is also the first day of Project Spring.

I am going to spend the entire season working on this project as a way of making my life the one I want it to be. I've had several realizations lately that this is my one life, and I better be living the way I want to be. So that haircut is the first of many steps. Project Spring is another step.

Project Spring will be broken down into three main components: Food, Literature, and Lifestyle. I will blog three times a week (at least!) about something from each of these categories. Project Spring will run from the first day of spring (today) until the last day of spring, at which point I will determine if I even like projects.

Food: I still love to cook, and I love that this blog started as a food blog. I will continue to cook and bake my little heart out. I will try one new recipe every week and blog about it. I will blog about kitchen fails or hot dogs or grocery store woes-- all the things I currently blog about-- but more consistently, because I will at least be trying one new recipe a week.

Literature-- I always imagined my days as a stay-at-home mom would be full of books and nothing else (oh, and kids) but, in reality, I surprisingly never read. I am going to start. I will write book, story, and essay reviews. Also, I will document some of my efforts in writing (the non-blog kind).

Lifestyle -- This is the big category. Each week I will focus on one lifestyle task, goal, change, etc. This could be anything from beginning an exercise regimen to establishing household organization techniques to decorating Bria's room or going on adventurous and exciting excursions. But I will find something each week that brings new insight, focus, and excitement to my life (and, ultimately, this blog).

Commence, Project Spring!

In Which I Remember I Have Nothing to Complain About

2010-03-19T18:24:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I adopt a woe-is-me attitude. It's always dumb. The things that chased away that attitude today include

these grapes in my freezer (best. snack. ever.);
this little girl, who, despite having an awful cold right now, is so excited about her new water colors, she won't even look at the camera;
she is also the best eater in the world. sometimes I have to remind her to eat things other than fruits and veggies. what kind of toddler does that?! she's amazing;

last weekend, when I was sick (yes, I passed it on to Bria), Sam came home early from work with these flowers. A better husband does not exist.

And lastly, I'm kicking off my project tomorrow (The First Day Of Spring!).

Bagel Fail

2010-03-18T09:51:00.004-06:00

I saw this recipe for homemade bagels, and I felt so inspired. I mean, doesn't that just sounds so amazing? It took me forever to finally find a store that had bread flour in stock (I think I went to four stores), and then I finally attempted it.

FAIL.

I'm not going to lie, I didn't even try one. Sam ate one, Bria had a bite, and then I threw the rest away. I don't even know what went wrong.

pre-bake:

post-bake:

Don't those just look like the saddest bagels you've ever seen? I guess I should probably say "bagels." Those shouldn't even be called bagels.

Anyway, don't worry, I still have a project brewing, and I will be launching it on Saturday. I hope it will be nothing like these bagels.

Loving

2010-03-11T17:29:00.004-07:00

1. Avocados (still)

2. This recipe

3. The warm spring weather (and the subsequent hours spent outside everyday and a trip to the zoo)

4. Nutella shakes every night

5. Counting down the days until I go to NYC with my mom and sisters (61!)

6. Bria stroking my hair saying "so pretty. so pretty."

7. Planning hypothetical vacations to Europe

8. These pillows (annie, some day I will order one.)

9. Organic pea shoots (from Trader Joe's) on my turkey, pastrami, and swiss cheese sandwiches for lunch

10. Warm spring weather. Yep, I'm saying it again.

Homemade Wheat Thins

2010-03-08T13:39:00.004-07:00

I saw a recipe for wheat thins the other day and decided to give it a go. I often eat cheese and crackers for an afternoon snack, so this was a great way to try something new, save a little money, and ingest fewer preservatives and chemicals. Perfect!

(pre-bake. you can see it was hard to get all the flour off the dough, but it didn't end up being a problem. also, this batch had several oddly-shaped wheat thins, but that is just one joy of baking at home.)

The dough is simple enough: flour, salt, sugar, butter, milk. (I did follow the suggestions from this follow up post as well, which I think facilitated the process.) It comes together easily, although the rolling and cutting part is slightly tedious. I had to bake the wheat thins in three batches to accommodate all the dough, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend cutting the recipe in half because then you wouldn't get as many crackers at the end.

(post-bake, batch 3. I forgot to poke holes in them, but they turned out just fine-- and pretty!)

Bria thoroughly enjoyed the process (she ate several fistfuls of flour):

The result was that I thought the crackers were way too sweet. I would probably reduce the sugar to just over 1/4 cup and slightly increase the salt. (Speaking of which, sprinkling the thins with salt before you bake them is mandatory.) I used more milk than the recipe called for, and I also highly recommend working in small batches, since the dough (or at least my dough) split, tore, and stuck when I moved it from counter to pan. They were fun to make, and I will probably make them again. And, they are great dipped in cream cheese mixed with a little taco seasoning (thanks for that idea, pauline!).

So This Is Love . . .

2010-03-04T13:18:00.004-07:00

Do you see what I see?No. Not the sink so full of dishes they are overflowing into the picture.

That would be five ripe avocados just asking me to eat them. And I will. Because I love them. And our love is a true love that will last forever.

spring is brewing

2010-03-03T20:04:00.002-07:00

It's March now, which is weird. Usually this is the time where spring is brewing a furious storm in my heart, and I feel giddy and anxious at the promise of warmer weather and brighter skies. This year, oddly enough, Sam is the one having to remind me to keep spring in my heart. He's nudged the thought into my brain at least half a dozen times in the last week-- he even shaved his head as a way to welcome spring into the world. I think I'm not working as hard this year to welcome spring because I have it on good authority that spring comes more quickly in Virginia than it does in Utah. I feel like my geography will do the spring-welcoming for me.
I do have a spring project brewing, however, and the plotting of said project might be a more subtle way of ushering in the new season. Details of the project are forth coming, but I see the horizon of this blog changing to fit new aspects of my life.

Until then, dear friends, I am off to bed-- probably having a nightmare about the bagels I made tonight. (poor, sad, lifeless disks of dough.)

this is serious.

2010-02-24T18:32:00.002-07:00

I AM CURSED.

Without fail, I always choose the slowest line at the grocery store. I think the moment I step in line, the Universe aligns (or becomes chaotic-- maybe that's the problem) to curse me into waiting for a year and a day to get through check-out. I have even tried switching lines if I see a shorter looking line, but to no avail, the line will inevitably slow down. I have chosen seemingly-fast lines, and then there will be some catastrophic issue causing the line to reach a halt. I pay attention to people who trickle into other lines after me and consistently watch them package up their order, pay, and leave before I have even reached the conveyor belt. At first, it bugged me. I would grow impatient and frustrated. I would question myself, my reasoning, my ability to gauge checker-efficiency. Then, I learned to accept it. I want you to know that this has been going on for months, if not years. It has become a necessity to accept my line fate. Imagine the stress wrinkles on my forehead I am saving myself from just by relaxing! But sometimes I want to warn the people who get in line behind me-- just so you know-- this line will move slowly, just because I'm in it. I suggest you find a different line. But I'm afraid it might make me seem like a creeper. Yes? No? What do you think?

Say Goodbye to Your Waist

2010-02-23T18:46:00.005-07:00

Can I just say that I am shocked and appalled that I have never posted about curry? I mean, curry is my claim to fame! Curry was the first dish I could make well! Curry makes life worth living! How have I not posted about CURRY?

I know there are some people out there who don't like curry, and let me just state for the record, I don't understand you. Curry is all we will eat in heaven (plus ice cream), and in the Garden of Eden, Eve and Adam and all the animals ate only curry. That is a fact, friends. A fact.

Like I said, curry is the first dish I mastered. When I was 16, I lived with my sister Amy for a couple months, and she became my inspiration. Green curry was a staple on her menu, so we ate it often. I had never eaten curry, and was a little afraid of the unknown, but it was love at first bite. She liked to make it a touch spicy, so I would guzzle glass after glass of water, and then curse my stomach for not being able to hold more curry. Late in the night, after my stomach had acquired more room, I would steal into the fridge, like a thief in the night, to gobble up the leftovers. This should adequately illustrate that I take curry very seriously.

Amy and I have tinkered with the green curry recipe together and on our own, and we've worked things out quite well. The lovely thing about cooking, though, is it doesn't have to be exact. Curry is great because you can modify it to be as sweet, spicy, or creamy as you choose. I like green curry because it has a fairly mild taste-- not when it comes to spiciness (because you can make it super spicy), but it's not the boldest flavor of all the curries. To me it is a soothing, comforting, warm, and wholesome taste. But if green curry isn't your thing, don't worry, I promise to neglect curry on this blog no longer. More curry recipes are coming your way. (But, really, how could you not love green curry?)

Green Curry a la Courtney and Amy

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
about 1-2 inches ginger, grated
1-2 T green curry paste (Asian aisle in the grocery store. I've used Thai Kitchen and World Foods brands and they both work well.)
8 chicken tenderloins, raw, cubed
1 can coconut milk (I prefer Chaokoh brand, full-fat. Light coconut milk only results in sadness.)
1/2 c water
2 T brown sugar
3 T fish sauce (Asian aisle-- this is not an optional ingredient, btw, no matter how much it grosses you out.)
1 small can bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
Peas
Red bell pepper, sliced thin

Saute garlic, ginger, and curry paste in a medium sized pot for a couple minutes to release the flavors. Pour in the coconut milk and let this simmer/heat for a couple minutes. Stir in chicken, water, sugar, and fish sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Taste the curry and add more sugar, curry paste, water, as needed. Add bamboo shoots, peas, and bell pepper, then reheat all the way through. Serve over jasmine rice. The flavors continue to meld together when they sit for a while, so be sure to enjoy the curry as leftovers the next day.

Velkommen Spring!

2010-02-19T17:40:00.005-07:00

I bought strawberries at Costco today. The first purchase of strawberries each year shines like a glistening beacon of hope-- a promise of spring and the rebirth of the world. Last year, when the strawberries first came into season at Costco, we went nuts. By the time my birthday rolled around on April 10, we had already eaten 25 pounds of strawberries. That is not an exaggeration. And that was just the beginning of the strawberry fest, I know 16 additional pounds of strawberries were purchased and eaten for Bria's and Elisa's birthdays alone. Every morning, Bria would eat her weight in strawberries. I would cut and wash them as fast as I could while Bria sat in her seat signing "more." It was not uncommon for her to eat upwards of 12 strawberries a day. We love strawberries around here; that's just the way we roll. So when I bought our first strawberries of the year today and breathed in their light, earthy, fruity goodness, I was filled with the energy and love of spring. It's coming, friends. The winter is dying (or should be), and spring is coming. I can sense it. Now, I will plead with all of you to keep spring in your hearts so that it will come faster. Last year, spring came sooner because I willed it to. It's true. Sam calls this all poppycock, but it's the only way I can make it through the horrid dying winter. So, come now! One and all! Let's will this winter away and start welcoming spring!

True Confessions

2010-02-17T10:13:00.002-07:00

I've been having loads of fun with my sister and two oldest nieces the last couple days, so I haven't had much time for blogging. We've eaten a lot of delicious food-- another trip to Founding Farmers, our maiden voyage to Ray's Hell Burger, and and amazing root beer float-- and we've also ridden the metro tons and gone to museums and trekked in the snow and laughed ourselves silly (Bria is in heaven with her cousins). So, I've been a little busy. But I have to share something I think is ridiculous. I couldn't find anything suitable for lunch yesterday (my sister was out conquering various museums and memorials on her own while I stayed home with a napping Bria), so I paired a Hebrew National hot dog (best brand, by far) with a single thin slice of toasted homemade bread and ketchup. I realize I have mentioned hot dogs about four times too many on this blog now, but holy cow. It was amazing! I even had another one for lunch today-- like five minutes ago. Yum yum yum-- that crispy but chewy bread was a match made in heaven for that all-beef dog.

OK, I know this blog is called posh ganache and I proclaim to be a connoisseur of fine foods and to have a sophisticated palate, blah blah blah. So, really, I'm sorry! I hope we can still be friends even though I love hot dogs so much.