Little Wonder and the Sun Machine

wordless wednesday

2011-10-19T06:24:00.001-04:00

Old Milwaukee

wordless wednesday

2011-10-12T07:12:00.003-04:00

Saskatchewan?

wordless wednesday

2011-10-05T06:30:00.001-04:00

Apple crates, Union Square Greenmarket, New York City

clear waters

2011-10-03T22:15:00.001-04:00

Down a quiet Northwoods road...

Not far from the Wisconsin River...

...An artesian well flows, where thirsty passersby fill as many milk jugs and Gatorade bottles as they can manage. My family has driven past it every time we visit my grandparents. But I never remember stopping -- until Sunday.

Ian and I drove up and had a very pleasant visit. As we headed home, there it was. The spring. I'd stashed a few water bottles in the car for the drive, and now they were empty, so Ian suggested we stop to see what all the fuss was about. He hopped out and filled them up. Even through the plastic, I could feel how cool the water was, and when I took a gulp, I tasted nothing. In my humble opinion, that's simple, sweet perfection.

We're not sure when we'll visit Granny and Granddad next, but we're already stockpiling bottles.

Have you found a place like this?

wordless wednesday

2011-09-28T06:04:00.001-04:00

An arbor of hops at Myrtle Edwards Park, overlooking Puget Sound, Seattle

late-summer salad

2011-09-08T19:11:00.000-04:00

I normally don't report on the meals I throw together when Ian is at work, but this one is too good to keep to myself. I've dubbed it Late-Summer Salad: It's chock-full of in-season produce and tossed in an Asian-inspired dressing to give it that exotic, vacation-y flair. Bonus: According to Lose It (my calorie-counting app), it has a mere 236 calories. It would be a terrific accompaniment to salmon, barbecue chicken or a pork chop.

Late-Summer Salad

(serves 1)

ingredients
1/4 c. dry bulgur wheat
1/2 c. cold water
1 c. cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 medium peach, chopped
1 c. fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 green onion, minced (white parts)
2 Tbl. Newman's Own Low-Fat Sesame Ginger dressing

directions
1) Put bulgur and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 12 minutes. Spoon into a salad bowl.
2) Add all other ingredients to the bowl and toss.
3) Eat!

a vacationing container gardener's saving grace

2011-09-06T19:13:00.001-04:00

Ian and I are recently back from a very refreshing, very lovely, very inspiring week in Washington State. The two of us have quite a bit of freedom because we don't have kids or pets, but as you've read, we are the proud caretakers of several potted plants. So, in order to keep them alive (without anyone's help) while we were gallivanting across Kitsap Peninsula, I set out to devise a fuss-free watering system for container gardens.

I ruled out two popular ideas right away: We don't have access to a spigot, so that nixes the drip system option suggested by many container gardening blogs. I also didn't want to lug all the containers inside and store them in the bathtub, as advised by others. I reasoned that the plants would have been shocked by the darkness, and some would likely have succumbed to root rot. Plus, some pots had been struggling with a bit of a Japanese beetle situation, and I refused to introduce those pretty but nasty bugs into our home. So, that left me to tap into my limited memory of high school physics. And dare I say, it turned out pretty well?

We rescued wine and beer bottles from the recycling -- one for each container, chosen according to pot size. The morning of our flight, I filled them up, tipped them over, and jammed them into the soil. The idea was that, as the soil around the bottle dried out, more water would drip down.

When we returned, I nervously checked the balcony. A few of the plants looked a little droopy, but nothing a hearty watering didn't fix. The tomato fared the worst with a few yellowed branches, but, oddly, some new and well-developed suckers replaced them.

Next time we go away for a week in the summer, I'll probably double up on bottles -- especially if scorching temps are predicted (we reached just 80 degrees). This amount of moisture would probably have been ideal for a five-day trip. But overall, our plants and I are quite pleased with this experiment.

Have you tried a container watering system like this? What did you think?

"reminisce" with me

2011-07-12T10:50:00.000-04:00

And now for a shameless request...

I'm working on a new book about America for Reminisce, a magazine full of memories from the good ol' days of the '20s through '60s. We want to share your memories and photos -- or those of your parents, grandparents, friends or neighbors! Write as much as you'd like, from a few sentences or a few pages.

Here's Reminisce's official request:

Celebrate America! The land we love will be featured in a brand-new book, and we want YOU to be part of it.

Share your life experiences in the USA. Send us your stories, photos and slides, too! Here are some topics to get you started:

Living the American dream and hometown memories
Patriotism: Fourth of July and other patriotic occasions
American heroes: favorite icons from American sports, movies and music
Land of opportunity: mom-and-pop businesses, great schools and other success stories
America's can-do spirit: overcoming adversity, the Great Depression, World Wars, etc.
American inventions and innovations
US destinations: vacations and road trips

Please submit your stories and photos by August 1, 2011, to the attention of America Book. Click this link for Reminisce's mailing address and email. You can also deliver your story to me. Just respond in the comments and I'll send you my contact info.

Please share with any great storytellers you know. I look forward to reading everybody's memories -- thanks for your help!

my view, june

2011-06-27T13:48:00.000-04:00

As the leaves filled in on the tree right outside my office window (above), things got a lot shadier! Now I never have to pull down my shade during the afternoons, when the sun is especially bright here.

Does anyone recognize the tree in the closeup? It has little white flowers and lots of purplish-red berries in the fall and winter. We have looked in every resource we can think of and have had no leads.

this year's garden

2011-06-25T13:15:00.001-04:00

It is already the first official weekend of summer, and I realized that I never told you about this year's container garden. Well, there is one. And it's my best yet, if I do say so myself.

Things started out a little rough. You may recall my post about starting seeds. Well, of all those dozens of little sprouts, two have survived. They're some variety of pepper, but in all the insanity and disorganization (I do not recommend labeling your seeds with generic non-sticky Post-its), I'm not sure which. Maybe we'll get lucky and they won't be the same. Nevertheless, I learned a few things in the process -- most importantly, I think, is that when the editor of Birds & Blooms offers you her spare grow lights, you should take them even if you have a south-facing window. Anyway, I humbly accepted a very robust tomato plant from my dad and purchased two other peppers from the garden center, so we won't go salsa-less this summer (perish the thought).

Once my ego recovered and my thumb started to regain a little tinge of green (and it finally warmed up), I made a few more trips to the garden center. Now we have three herb planters (with a few flowers mixed in), two hanging flower baskets (with a few herbs mixed in) and one pot designed to attract butterflies (no luck so far). Here they are:

Herb planters, clockwise from top left: cilantro,

Tuscan Blue rosemary, chives, Opal Innocence nemesia, mint,
sage, purple viola, Lanai Royal Purple verbena, Italian parsley,
Greek oregano and Angelface Purple angelonia

Butterfly planter, clockwise from top left: Graffiti Purple

pentas, Bandana Pink lantana, fuchsia portulaca, yellow viola
and portulaca foliage

Hanging basket no. 1, clockwise from top left:

Aromatica White nemesia (yeah, really a dud so far),
Supertunia Citrus petunia, Electric Lime coleus, Landmark
Yellow lantana, lemon thyme and Bandana White lantana

Hanging basket no. 2, clockwise from left:

Superbells Saffron calibrachoa, Dark Opal basil,
Superbells Coralberry Punch calibrachoa, Sweet Georgia
Deep Purple sweet potato vine and fuchsia portulaca

Looks like the colors of the year are yellow, purple and pink. Wonder what that means? And what have you planted this year?

PS: I got the idea for these photos from a spectacular book about container gardening, Continuous Container Gardens by Sara Begg Townsend and Roanne Robbins. I've been working with Roanne for an article I'm doing about winter containers...she's fantastic.

my view, may

2011-05-20T13:45:00.001-04:00

Well, my wish for it to warm up came true, but only barely. We're finally enjoying occasionally sunny weather in the 50s and 60s (and today maybe even 70!), and the leaves have popped.

Yesterday, Raeann and I traipsed through the dewy grass to take these photos of the crabapple trees. Their cheerful springtime scent was worth the wet socks. A day later, they're twice as floriferous (I love that word!).

My little corner is getting dimmer by the day, because the tree started to leaf out. I'm hoping it will continue to be a haven for birds, especially our hermit thrush, Flash (an ironic name for a bird who refuses to pose for photos).

Happy May!

PS: See our office bird count in the sidebar on the right. Each species is linked, so you can see photos and read more about them.

my view, april

2011-04-23T13:14:00.006-04:00

Many of my colleagues here in the Home & Garden department joined me in enjoying the great view from my office window. There's a shade tree right outside, along with rows and rows of barberry bushes, making it a natural birdwatching spot. Once in awhile, a passing bird will catch my eye, and soon a crowd of people will form at my window.

Raeann, my designer counterpart who also happens to love photography, suggested that I share the view with you, too, so each month I'll post a few of her shots.

For those of you who don't live around here, April has been extraordinarily cool and wet, which I think has stunted the growth of many of our plants. Sadly, the migrating birds don't know a detour is in order. They certainly seemed surprised by our latest snowstorm: I think there were probably 20 robins huddled in the tree preparing to be buried by snow. It was funny, but I empathized too.

Here's hoping for sunnier, greener days in May!

nesting know-how

2011-03-29T23:00:00.010-04:00

Since we've been having such great bird activity here, I thought I'd treat our visitors to a spring treat: nesting materials. The great thing about a project like this is that it takes next to no time, plus it's free. Just gather a few spare household and garden items and secure them outside for your feathered friends to discover (read more details here). Our neighborhood birds have their choice of cotton yarn and some dried-up strawflowers from last year's containers -- I cut both into 4- to 8-inch pieces. Then, I piled it all in a clean wire suet feeder and hung it on the balcony. So easy.

Come and get it, birdies!

spring fever, part 2

2011-03-18T10:19:00.001-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy to announce our newest development: Five days after being planted, the tomatoes and tomatillos have sprouted! Can you believe they grew this much overnight? I checked at about 11:30 p.m. and nobody was poking out of the soil yet.

spring fever, part 1

2011-03-13T20:52:00.003-04:00

This morning, I woke up and immediately I knew: It was time to defy my winter blahs and do something springy. Today I would plant my tomato and pepper seeds for our container garden. Ian and I had already saved seeds from a bell pepper and a hot chili we cooked with, so I ran out to Stein's (a local garden center chain) and bought container-friendly tomato seeds, plus some tomatillo ones (right...not official tomatoes, but something that's easy to start from seed that we want to make room for on the balcony). Here's how I did it.

These are the supplies I used...pretty self-explanatory except maybe the aluminum sheet cake pan (with a cover) and the circular brown things. Those are cut-up toilet paper tubes that I've been saving for this very purpose. Though peppers and tomatoes transplant pretty well, one can always use an extra safeguard. When the seedlings are ready to be moved into larger containers, I can just plop each tube in the soil without disturbing the root system, and the cardboard will decompose over time.

First, I spread a thin layer of soil in the tin.

Then, I nestled the TP tubes in the soil and arranged them in six rows -- one for each variety: Containers Choice Red tomatoes, Oregon Spring tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers, poblano peppers, and chili peppers.

Next, I filled the tubes with soil using the cute little hand trowel Ian bought me for my birthday.

These are the bell pepper seeds we so lovingly cleaned and dried. My dad taught me this trick. I loved that we could taste what we'd be growing -- no guesswork required.

The seeds need to be 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep, so I just sprinkled a few into each tube, poked them in a tiny bit, and added a thin layer of soil from the tin.

Last step: watering. A slow, steady stream into each tube does the trick. I'll check them daily to be sure the moisture level is good. The soil should be damp, but not soaked.

I covered the tin to keep the moisture in and to reduce the draft. There's a hole on one edge of the cover, so the air should circulate sufficiently. I'll keep an eye on this, too. The tin is in the sunniest window, right next to Sprout. Some of the seeds may germinate in just three days, according to their packets. I'll update you soon!

Have you ever started seeds? What were your tricks?

merry christmas from the badger state

2010-12-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

This birthday being his 30th, Ian and I decided to make a weekend of it. We drove to Madison on Friday the 3rd, right before the day-long snow started, and checked into the Best Western on Capitol Square (our room overlooked it -- see the photo below). The weekend was lovely and included fantastic food, some craft beer, and a bit of sightseeing. I hadn't been inside the Capitol for about 20 years, so we popped in to look around and found that it was already decorated for Christmas. While we were there, a choir was taking advantage of the fantastic acoustics. Not that we minded. If you're ever in town during December, stop by. It's beautiful.

and heaven and nature sing

2010-12-24T17:11:00.002-05:00

baby, it's cold outside

2010-12-02T23:22:00.000-05:00

All is well here in our little corner of the world. I'm about ready for bed (my new job -- which I love! -- requires me to wake up hours earlier than I had when I was freelancing full time), but wanted to share this photo with you. It's our "winter garden," complete with two bird feeders -- their patrons spend as much time playing and fighting among the branches as they do eating. You may say it's a clever way to distract people from them (the apartment rules on them are quite ambiguous).

I'm pretty proud of the planter, which contains an armful of broken boughs donated to my cause by a woman at a tree lot, plus some red dogwood and variegated boxwood branches. Can you think of anything else I can add to it? I'm considering it a work in progress.

first, the good news

2010-11-04T15:37:00.000-04:00

In honor of my friend and mentor Nelia Beth's visit yesterday, I made a treat I'd been craving for quite some time: Butterscotch Blondies. These bars are quite easy, and you probably have everything you need already. Plus, my brother-in-law, Andy, has proven that they're a great base for additions like chocolate chips and M & M's. Hungry? Click here for the (light!) recipe.

And now for the bad news: The day after we bought my car, I got rear-ended by a woman who I highly suspect was talking on her cell phone when she drove into me at a stop sign. Her pickup doesn't have a scratch on it, but my poor car is sporting a pretty big dent (and until this morning, a dangling license plate light, visible at right). I don't doubt the car's great safety rating: I definitely heard the impact but hardly felt it.

Now I just have to wait for her insurance company to approve the ($1,800!) bill. The man who did the estimate told me he thinks it will take two weeks before my car's fixed. Thank goodness I'll have a loaner. Have you ever been in an accident? How long did it take the shop to do the repairs?

zoom zoom

2010-11-01T22:55:00.000-04:00

In honor of my shiny, new job (associate editor of home and garden books at Readers Digest Milwaukee -- woot!), we got a new car. And we thought our experience buying the Civic made us feel grown up... It has nothin' on the Mazda3. The Mazda3 is new -- brand spankin' new. As in, its 16" alloy wheels have only traversed over 88 miles of God's green earth. It is, in fact, so awesome that the camera decided to focus on the car instead of us. But as you can see, we're pretty happy. Full disclosure: I'm crushing a little bit, but I don't feel one ounce of guilt because Ian is, too.

So...what should we name it?

PS: In case you're wondering, we picked up the Silver Bullet (hmm...just trying that out) from the wonderful folks -- especially Jim -- at Concours Motors in the lovely city of Milwaukee.

happy halloween!

2010-10-24T21:55:00.000-04:00

Guess who made which!

over the river and through the woods

2010-10-22T13:24:00.000-04:00

After spending a couple of days in Wisconsin's Northwoods, Ian and I are refreshed and renewed -- and have a couple new favorite beers. We started hatching a plan a few months back when we got this book about Wisconsin craft breweries for our anniversary. Wouldn't it be nice, we thought, to sip and sample our way up to Rhinelander (where my grandparents live)? Well, we finally found a weekend that worked, Granny and Granddad gave it the okay, and we were off.

First stop: Fox River Brewing Co., Oshkosh

This little brewery is attached to a huge restaurant. My family used to take our boat across Lake Winnebago and tether it to the piers on the river outside the brewery, so it was fun to be back. I love the paper-covered tables.

Second stop: Central Waters Brewing Co., Amherst

This gem is truly a diamond in the rough. Our Google map led us to an industrial park, and we were a bit surprised to find that this tasting room is located inside a pole building and surrounded by the brewing equipment. We met two great guys, Dave and John. I hope they're there when we go back.

Third stop: Cozy Kitchen, Stevens Point

According to the friendly associate at La Quinta's front desk, the only place to eat breakfast in Stevens Point is Golden Corral. Fail. We finally discovered this can't-miss spot in the heart of the downtown. The food was delicious and this place oozed down-home charm. The crowning glory was the mismatched mugs: Mine said "World's Greatest Friend" and Ian's commemorated the 1996 county fair.

Fourth stop: Granny and Granddad's, Rhinelander

After driving through an hour and a half of gorgeous landscapes, we arrived at my grandparents' home on the banks of the Wisconsin River. I hadn't been there for about four years and had forgotten how picturesque their property is, complete with Katie the Gordon setter, sheep, spring-fed ponds, and trails cut through the wooded areas.

Last stop: Red Eye Brewing Company, Wausau

Wausau is about an hour from Rhinelander, so we said goodbye to my grandfolks and drove down to meet our friends April and Scott (and their cute little guy, Tucker) for one last beer. Sadly, the camera was being finicky, so our group looks more like an orangish blob. Despite that, it was a great time. We even got ourselves invited to their house the next morning, where Scott and Ian planned a country-roads route home. Yee haw.

Well, I've gotta wrap this up. I'm off to spy on the chickadees that have (finally!) discovered our top-secret bird feeder. But that story's for another day.

last hurrah

2010-10-08T12:11:00.001-04:00

I enjoy shopping at farmers' markets all year 'round, but there's something special about visits in the fall. The air is as crisp as the Macintoshes and Macouns making their annual debuts at the orchard stands -- we grip our cups of steaming cider to ward off the prickling chill. Somehow the mums glow against the backdrop of both azure and gray skies, and the bluegrass trio's songs are softer, slower, more pensive. It's somber in a way, but it also feels like a celebration: Mother Earth's last hurrah before she sleeps.

something of a victory

2010-09-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

For the past seven months, we've felt like we were living in a sort of alternate universe...we love the people that we're spending time with, our careers, and all the Wisconsin-y things to do. Our apartment is really starting to feel like home (despite its lack of crooked hardwood floors, a clanking radiator, and drafty windows). But, boy, do we miss New York.

Recently, we finally admitted that we've been in a grieving process -- something I think a lot of people go through when they leave a place, and a bit of their heart, behind. We've realized that we were making real life here impossible, trying to fashion our lives as closely as possible to the way they had been. Bad idea. So we're starting over with a new outlook, getting fresh ideas and remembering that together, somehow, this to-do-list girl and this shy boy thrive on spontaneity. And it's working.

Photo by Kristin Johanneck of KJL Photography, Milwaukee, Wis.

nose to the grindstone

2010-09-16T15:13:00.000-04:00

I've been working a lot lately. In general, I'm really grateful that my clients are lining up with projects, but as my friend, Kendra, reminded me yesterday, I haven't done any blogging. So, in honor of me finally taking five minutes to put up my postcard collection, I thought I'd give you a peek of the place I spend most of my waking hours.

And in case you were wondering, my postcard collection is on the door to the HVAC unit. I can always use more :) Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far: Mom-Jenny and Dad-Jim, the A-Team, Elizabeth, Ryan, Dad-John, the Feldner family, Liz and Keith, Meredith, and Becky and Mike.

Does anyone else out there collect anything?

back at it

2010-08-17T13:05:00.001-04:00

Yikes! It's been a while since I last posted! Take that as a good sign...business is booming, and I've been able to write and edit to my heart's content. Check out this piece from Birds & Blooms magazine, on newsstands now.

Today I want to show you some photos I shot recently while visiting my folks. They've put a huge amount of work into the gardens at their house, and I like to brag about it to whomever will listen (or read, as it were). We've even spotted neighbors coming over to take pictures.

A few items of note: The next photo features a large wooden structure called a pergola, which we built earlier this summer. More accurately, Dad and Andrew did most of the work while Mom took care of her stomach-flu-stricken daughter (me). Also, they have six finned pets in the pond out back: Carrot Top, Calypso, and the Fab Four -- John, Paul, George, and Ringo. They'll spend winters at their very own basement resort. And with that...

Lastly, since I promised I'd include garden updates, here's one of our hanging baskets. I planted the nasturtium seeds in June (they're the orange-flowered, round-leaved plants), and they've just started to bloom. The other plants are Flambe yellow strawflowers and purple sweet potato vine. In a few weeks, I'll add a color-to-be-determined chrysanthemum to the center of the basket.

something else

2010-07-23T12:43:00.001-04:00

One of the places in New York we miss dearly is Recipe, a restaurant a few blocks from our apartment. The place is adorable, with rustic and vintage decor, and has incredible locally sourced food (and, oh, the Manhattans...). I didn't think I'd care for them, but the pickled veggies served as a sandwich side became something I always looked forward to. When we found cucumbers, carrots, and baby turnips in our CSA box, I knew I had to try to make some for myself. So last night, while most Milwaukeeans were bailing out their basements, I was tinkering with a recipe from Cooking Light and coming up with my best (okay, only) pickled veggies ever. And they're a lot like Recipe's!

pickled veggies

fills a 1-liter jar

ingredients

1 tsp. dill

1 tsp. tarragon

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 Tbl. Dijon mustard with whole mustard seeds

1 c. white vinegar

1 c. white wine vinegar

3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 medium cucumbers, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into sticks

2 baby turnips, peeled and quartered

1/2 small onion, sliced lengthwise

1 large chili pepper (seriously, that's what they were called at Stein's, where I bought the plant), seeded and sliced lengthwise

6 cloves garlic, peeled and pierced

directions

1. Pop dill, tarragon, and crushed red pepper in a tea ball. Smear Dijon in another tea ball.

2. Place the tea balls in a small saucepan, and add the vinegars, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

3. Meanwhile, arrange veggies in a jar that seals tightly.

4. Once the liquid comes to a boil, pour the mixture (including the tea balls) over the veggies and seal the jar. Allow to cool somewhat before refrigerating. Remove the tea balls after the pickling action has gone on overnight. Enjoy!

note

Try other veggies here, too, like squashes (summer squash and zucchini slices, baby pattypan, etc.) and radishes.

What else would be good?

expectedly delicious

2010-07-22T13:25:00.002-04:00

We made pizza -- or, dare I say, we invented something a lot like it. Honestly, it will take a crazy-good margherita to bring me back to the fold of classic pizza aficionados. The whole thing was brought about by last week's CSA box, which contained large amounts of produce we don't eat on a regular basis: mustard greens, baby beets, and zucchini. We supplemented these goodies with onions (caramelized in honey and lemon juice), bacon (a great friend of mustard greens), mozzarella, goat cheese, and healthy shots of salt and pepper; then, sprinkled everything on top of this dough and baked it 'til it smelled good. Wowie wow wow.

Now it's your turn. Next time you're at the farmers' market, get a bunch of stuff, prep it with complementary seasonings, throw it together over some pizza dough, and see what you get. I can (almost) guarantee you'll love it.

Have you done this? Do tell!

weekend at bernie's

2010-07-18T17:11:00.004-04:00

Every year for my dad's birthday, the six of us go to a baseball game. Normally, we drive to Chicago to watch his favorite team, the Sox, but this year we bought Brewers tickets instead. The team isn't stellar this season (though we do have a few All-Stars), so we considered ourselves lucky to witness a win over the Pirates (whose record is even worse). It was a pretty interesting game, if I do say so myself. The clincher? Corey Hart hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. I love this tradition.

Thanks to Dad for sharing his photos!

reunited

2010-07-17T16:49:00.003-04:00

A week ago, three generations of the Martin family from far and wide traveled to Lake Geneva for a fantastically fun afternoon. It was the perfect day for games, picnicking, and all things family reunion. And after we all stayed much longer than we'd planned, Mother Nature gave us our cue to leave: a thunderstorm. Can't wait for next year's gathering. Take a look:

Since it was a potluck, Ian and I decided to bring one of our favorite summer sides. We got a lot of compliments, so I thought I'd share the recipe:

israeli salad

based on a recipe from deb at smitten kitchen

serves 10

ingredients

2 med. roma tomatoes, cubed

1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, diced

2 1-lb. English cucumbers, cubed

1 med. red onion, diced

1/4 c., plus 2 Tbl., finely minced flat-leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4 c. olive oil

1 Tbl. red wine vinegar

3 tsp. sumac powder (you can get this at Penzeys)

Salt and pepper, to taste

directions

1) Mix tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl (preferably one that has a lid for easy storage).

2) In a smaller bowl, whisk parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and sumac powder.

3) Add dressing to salad and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Chill and serve.

notes

This salad can be turned into a yummy dinner by adding shredded chicken or some sort of starch, like bulgur or couscous. Toss in some feta and olives to give it a Mediterranean vibe. Dill and mint are also nice additions.

the red, white & blue

2010-07-07T16:21:00.000-04:00

how 'bout that weather?

2010-06-23T23:16:00.001-04:00

This has been a pretty exciting week for storm-lovers. We've had four of them, two so severe the tornado sirens went off (and, unfortunately, an area town withstood some pretty serious damage).

I haven't always been fond of storms. I remember lying between my mom and dad with my fingers over my eyes and my thumbs jammed in my ears, trying to create my own sensory deprivation chamber. At some point, though, I became smitten and would await them with anticipation. When the leaves showed their pale undersides and the air started to smell like rain, I'd run out to our yard and look on as towering, slate-colored walls of cloud slid in from the west.

I'm not sure what's unique about Midwestern storms, but there's definitely something that sets them apart from the flash floods we endured on the East Coast. The rain here falls sideways and it's accompanied by tree-bending winds. Those are fascinating, but my favorite parts are my erstwhile arch-nemeses: lightning -- long, webbed cracks across the open sky -- and thunder -- booms so powerful they reverberate in my chest. Perhaps the most incredible part of all, however, is that on their tails often come the most incredible sunsets.

Oh, did I say four storms? Make that five. I'd better sign off and find our flashlights. It may be wise for us to incorporate them into our living room decor.

slowly but surely

2010-06-15T12:25:00.000-04:00

We've moved! A million thank-yous to the people who helped us load and unload (and to those who volunteered to help but whose services we didn't actually need because we finished the job in record time). Boy, do we have a lot of stuff -- good thing we have a closet the size of our first non-Union bedroom. The essentials are unpacked, and we're diligently paring down the remaining stacks of boxes. This place is slowly starting to feel like home. What a ride.

so american

2010-06-01T21:28:00.000-04:00

Every year, we Americans set aside the last Monday in May to remember people in the military who have died while serving our nation. I am so blessed to personally know just one of those soldiers. Though I do spend some time each Memorial Day thinking about him and all the other soldiers who have lost their lives, I also like to do something to commemorate the country they were fighting to protect. (Read: While I'm not always a big fan of the things our government does in the name of United States citizens, I am very, very grateful to live here.) So every Memorial Day, I try to let a little extra pride show...and this year, it was by participating in one of America's homegrown pastimes: minigolf. Girls against boys. Hoo ha.

Mom and Dad drove down to visit all their Waukesha-dwelling children for lunch. Afterward, Andrew and I talked everyone into a game of minigolf at Prairieville Park.

Everybody fared quite well despite the hole designs doing everything possible to keep balls out.

Despite Hole 14's best efforts to repel my ball, I shot a hole in one! But I also racked up seven sixes, making me the worst-scoring person on Team Estrogen.

The Trooper Award goes to Ian, who, apparently, is not a big fan of minigolf. Guess we'll be going to the next Rufus Wainwright concert.

in full bloom

2010-05-28T14:49:00.005-04:00

There are only a couple of weeks before Ian and I move into our new apartment. One of the most exciting aspects of the space? A balcony! (Not a fire escape but an actual it's-legal-to-display-things-there balcony.) We've decided to do a little container garden featuring ornamentals, tomatoes, and herbs. My dad gave me three tomatoes he started from seed, and we also got one -- plus a baby rosemary plant -- in last week's CSA box.

Last night, we made a trip to Stein's to buy the flowers. I'm quite satisfied with the results (and am well aware that I've packed a lot in here...it's worked in the past, so we'll see what happens!). Here's what we've ended up with:

Saffron Superbells Calibrachoa: A vine-y plant with little yellow trumpet-shaped flowers with a burgundy circle around the center
Bloodleaf: A purplish-green plant sans blooms
White Geranium: A flowering plant with fuzzy, ruffly green leaves and groups of white flowers
White Madness Petunia: A plant with sticky, prickly leaves and white trumpet-shaped blooms (and don't ask me to give you seeds...the tag prohibits unauthorized propagation)
Magenta Madness Petunia: Same as above, except with (yep) magenta flowers
Tuscany Burgundy Verbena: Another vine-y plant with clumps of deep burgundy flowers with white centers

Can't wait for the plants to fill in! Have you planted anything this year? How's it doing?

playing with dirt, part 2

2010-05-19T19:07:00.000-04:00

I just came in from digging in the compost barrel. Its contents are hardly recognizable, warm and kind of slimy, but somehow not in a gross way. I even found a little worm (see the top left of the newspaper scrap)! The best part, though? The soil smells delicious -- it's rich and moist without the slightest hint of rotting produce. And now for the results you've all been waiting for: After a week and a half, the newspaper is still legible. Only a week and a half to go. Any predictions?

a day in the windy city

2010-05-15T19:08:00.060-04:00

On Friday, Ian and I found ourselves in Chicago and decided to stop in and see my cousin, Chelle, and her family. It's less than two hours from Waukesha, so we've had lots of opportunities to sightsee -- this time, we got a taste of local flavor just by wandering around their cute little neighborhood for the afternoon (we even got to catch up with some of my other cousins who live nearby). I was shocked to learn that our (quite pregnant) friend, Monika's shop is about a block from Chelle and Joe's home. I was relieved that she didn't go into labor when we walked in to say hi. Great day!

I wanted you to see Chelle and Joe's little guy, Colby. He's the one we got to babysit in New York last November. Hasn't he grown?! What a bug!

playing with dirt

2010-05-08T18:33:00.002-04:00

My mother-in-law, Kay, lover of the earth that she is, has a backyard compost barrel. It's a pretty amazing contraption. I like to volunteer to take out our food and yard scraps so I can observe the progress, which is fairly rapid for most materials. After a big discussion about decomposition rates in landfills, we were curious to see how quickly newspaper breaks down into compost. We're betting my father-in-law, John, that the newspaper will be illegible after three weeks. What do you think?

a profusion of color

2010-05-08T16:59:00.005-04:00

If I haven't mentioned it, I've been hard at work on an article for Birds & Blooms magazine, which has kept birds top-of-mind for the last few weeks, and I seem to be noticing them more than ever. In the past 24 hours alone, I've spotted four new spring arrivals.

Yesterday afternoon, while I was sitting here at my desk, a red streak shot across my window. At first, I thought it was a cardinal (there are many in our neighborhood), but then I saw it perched in a nearby locust tree. It definitely wasn't a cardinal -- much too vivid. Ian suggested that it may be an escaped parrot. It turned out to be a male scarlet tanager. (His lady friend was here too, but she's almost exactly the same color as the leaves, so I couldn't find her in my photos.) The birds stayed for more than an hour, so I'm obsessively watching for them today. No luck yet.

And if that first-ever sighting wasn't enough, this morning, the first creature I saw outside was a male rose-breasted grosbeak, one of my all-time favorite birds because of its comic-book coloring. Soon after, a Baltimore oriole appeared at the little thimble of grape jelly John keeps outside for that very reason.

All this observing has led me to discover mystery birds that look quite a bit like Townsend's warblers, but if that's what they really are, they're about 1,000 miles off-course. Is anybody able to venture a guess?

centering

2010-05-03T18:20:00.000-04:00

I first visited Pilgrim Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin, at the tender age of five or six when my mom and I were campers in the aptly named "Mom & Me" program. For the rest of my childhood, I returned to this UCC-sponsored camp almost every year and still keep in touch with people I met there. On Friday, my mom and I stayed there for a women's retreat, and this time Granny joined us, along with Aunt Lonnie, our keynote speaker. Despite a tornado warning and one of the longest power outages in Pilgrim's history, I'm so glad we got to be there together. I hope we can make it a tradition.

If you haven't guessed, I feel a deep spiritual connection with nature. I was grateful to have time to wander around outside (after the storms passed). The grounds are gorgeous.

And if the cook is reading this, could you please, please send your artichoke-sesame tea sandwich recipe?

on, wisconsin!

2010-04-20T21:26:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon in Madison, and it happened to be the first day of the outdoor farmers' market. Capitol Square was packed. It was so gratifying to finally see Wisconsin cheese, Wisconsin maple syrup, and Wisconsin produce instead of the Vermont and upstate New York stuff.

But that wasn't the end of my own little state pridefest. It was all Wisconsin, all day long. Ian and I ate lunch at The Old Fashioned, where everything on the menu -- plus the 18 tap beers -- featured local ingredients (Door County cherries) or was a cult favorite (fried cheese curds). Yum. Go there.

Our day culminated with one more must-do Wisconsin activity: the UW Varsity Band concert. They were as good as ever, and this being our fight song's centennial, we heard "On, Wisconsin!" no less than five times.

I know I've said this already, but it's so good to be back in kinder, gentler Wisconsin (I could do without the redneck-ier part).

What's your favorite thing about the place you live?

happy easter!

2010-04-04T17:46:00.000-04:00

piece of cake

2010-03-31T10:32:00.016-04:00

These beautiful days have me craving warm-weather food. Last Sunday, for a family dinner, I made a Pisticci-inspired coconut cake with cream cheese frosting -- from scratch. The process didn't turn out to be a piece of...you know. The recipes were both fairly simple, but by the time we'd (yep, the whole family pitched in!) figured out how to shave the coconut, my sunny mood was overcast. But then I tasted it.

I don't want to discourage you from making coconut cake for, say, Easter -- but if you decide to, make sure to schedule plenty of time. I'd probably prep the coconut first. Cooking Light's directions do a great job of explaining how to drain and crack it (but, unfortunately, they aren't online yet, so I suggest these):

Draining: After heating the coconut, take it, along with a hammer and a clean nail, outside so as not to ruin your in-laws' brand-new granite counter tops. Then find the eyes of the coconut (it has three indentations in a clover-leaf shape). Balance the coconut on a hard surface, and gently hammer the nail into each of the three eyes. You'll need to wiggle the nail around a bit in each hole so there's enough air circulation for drainage. Once the holes are a quarter-inch wide, let the coconut water drip into a measuring cup. When the water stops flowing, shake the coconut and listen for more. If you hear splashing, you might need to widen the holes. When the coconut is dry, pour the water through a sieve to remove any bits of shell or coconut hair.

Cracking: Wrap a clean dish towel around the coconut, then bludgeon it with a hammer. You'll hear a dull crack when the shell breaks. You may need to pry it open with the hammer's claw. Rinse off the coconut when you get inside.

...But Cooking Light stops there, leaving you to your own devices for shucking, shaving, and toasting. Here's some help:

Shucking: With a sharp knife, score the coconut meat every couple of inches. Then, insert a fork between the shell and the light-brown papery stuff on the meat and pry off the meat piece by piece.
Shaving: If you want smaller shreds, use a veggie peeler to trim off the light-brown papery stuff, then use a hand-crank grater. If you'd rather have wide curls, use a veggie peeler -- no need to remove the brown stuff.
Toasting: Sprinkle coconut shavings onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a preheated, 350-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally for even browning.

The trouble is worth it (especially if you use the tips above). Enjoy!

What are your go-to spring recipes?

that's more like it

2010-03-23T23:50:00.005-04:00

It was a lovely day for a drive, and luckily I had somewhere to go: My aunt, Lonnie, and I met at Millie's in Delavan to get our fix of some of the world's most delicious apricot crepes. On this sunny morning, Mother Nature seemed to be making up for last weekend's thoroughly unfunny practical joke. Along I-43, the trees on the rolling hills are starting to take on the yellow-green hue that comes a few weeks before their leaves pop, and the gardens at Millie's are full of little jewels. Perhaps the best springtime sign of all? That delicious earthy smell in the air. Ah, it's good to be able to breathe again.

What's your favorite sign of spring?

spring snow

2010-03-20T10:47:00.002-04:00

Happy spring! In Wisconsin, we woke to find a fresh white blanket covering our yards after enjoying a few days of no-coat weather. As I write this, the snow is melting and we're headed for temperatures in the 50s early next week. Can't wait for these little daffodils to bloom. I suppose that will be a much more genuine sign of spring than a note on the calendar.

st. patrick's week

2010-03-14T13:27:00.007-04:00

What kind of sister would I be if I didn't rave about the show I saw last night? Amy and I went to watch Andrew's band, The Scrubbers, play at Derry Hegarty's right after the Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day Parade. (Since the people of Milwaukee are exceedingly proud of their sort-of Irish heritage, the commemoration of St. Patrick extends beyond March 17 to take up about a week's time.)

The place was packed, but it was clear that a lot of the revelers had never been to a show like this before (case in point: I got yelled at for standing in front of someone's table...what was this? A dinner theater?). But after a couple more rounds of green beer, some original masterpieces, crazy renditions of Irish folk tunes, and Gogol Bordello covers, much of the crowd -- including the crabby guy at the table -- was full-on dancing.

If you ever get the chance, check out The Scrubbers (promise I'm not just saying this...). They're super-fun. They've got two shows on Wednesday: one in downtown Milwaukee at noon and one at O'Marro's Public House in Oshkosh that evening.

Oh, and what kind of sister-in-law would I be if I didn't plug another (great) local Irish band, Dublin O'Shea? Keith's group is playing a lot this week too -- they'll be at the Delafield Brewhaus on the 17th. Can't wait for a show with both brothers on the same bill.

Meanwhile, sláinte.

in with the new

2010-03-05T11:45:00.005-05:00

Happy March, everybody!

Imagine...seven days ago at this time, we were still Manhattanites. We're pretty much settled here in Wisconsin, and life no longer feels like a vacation. This week has been a whirlwind for us, and we've checked off a lot on our to-do list; a number of "firsts" among them -- our first car is probably the biggest (although my Nordic Track debut seemed monumental too -- whoever compared it to an elliptical has clearly never tried one).

Even though we test-drove a number of makes and models, we just couldn't stop thinking about the sweet Civic at CarMax. It feels and looks nearly identical to the car I was so sad to leave when we moved to New York -- a great transition for me after not having driven for about three years (don't worry, I didn't forget how...no need to pull over if you see me coming).

The car (and the Nordic Track) aren't the only new things happening here: Ian's hooked himself a job and I've made a substantial freelancing connection. Before we know it, we'll be back in the 50-hours-a-week world, and will look back to today and think, We thought that was everyday life? I'd better go enjoy the freedom while I can...it's supposed to be a gorgeous weekend.

It's good to be back!

sigh of relief

2010-02-15T18:42:00.004-05:00

Great news! A man put a down-payment on our apartment. To be honest, this was the only item on our moving to-do list that made me nervous. Because we're leaving before our lease ends, we'd be responsible for the remaining rent payments if our apartment hadn't been re-leased. So, thank goodness it was love at first sight with someone else, too. All the financials should go through tomorrow -- and if he doesn't pass muster, we still have about 10 days to find someone else. Our apartment was only on the market for two days before someone put in an offer. I'm not worried at all that our fantastic broker won't fill it in the end. (If you're ever looking for an apartment in New York, call Laurel Penn!)

PS: My uber-talented brother, Andrew (who owns Regal Creative in Milwaukee), put together an absolutely fantastic website for me: EllieMartinCliffe.com. What do you think?

here we come

2010-02-07T22:01:00.006-05:00

I'm so happy to announce that Ian and I are returning to Wisconsin. We put in our resignations on Thursday (also my birthday -- big day!), and it's such a relief to finally be able to talk about it. We've been actively planning the move for several weeks, and it was odd, when people at work asked what we were up to or wanted to discuss future projects, to pretend that nothing was happening. I'm not very good at that.

Last night, we hosted a bunch of friends for what will be our first and last party in this apartment. Ian's hors d'oeuvres spread included homemade Indian chutneys and naan and a couple of tasty cocktails. Yum. We had an absolutely wonderful time -- and I think everyone else did too -- many stayed til 4 a.m. (Everyone, thank you for coming! Neighbors, if you're reading this, we're sorry.)

So, we're on our way. My heart is willing the end of the month to hurry up, but my brain wants to stop time until we're able to wrap up all the details (we will). We're renting a U-Haul and are stopping in Cleveland overnight so we don't have to drive all the way through, and hope to connect with one of Ian's long-lost college friends. Then we'll be off to Waukesha. Ian's parents have graciously offered their spare room until we've gotten settled. And that's that. Ready or not...

a night at the museum

2010-01-24T11:18:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I got an invitation to join some friends at the Met for drinks. I didn't realize this was even an option! The thought of it was very intriguing, but I had no idea what to expect.

It turns out that on Fridays and Saturdays, the museum is open late (who knew!? I'll be able to go a lot more often). The Great Hall balcony is transformed into a bar complete with dozens of small tables, servers, and a string ensemble. Two days ago, I never thought I'd be sitting next to a display of seventeenth-century Persian dishes, listening to a professional classical music performance, and sharing a bottle of Chianti with Candice and Virginia. I can't wait to stumble on more of these opportunities -- I have a feeling they're not just an only-in-New-York experience, either! What surprising events have you stumbled on?

saron expatriates, unite!

2010-01-18T23:11:00.007-05:00

Two Fridays ago, I was sitting at my desk and felt a hand on my shoulder (people in New York don't touch each other). Then a voice said, "David said that I shouldn't scare you." It was my old down-the-road-and-around-the-corner-neighbor, Joan (!!!), whose son, David, has lived here for a while and who freelances for us sometimes. (And people in New York definitely don't leap out of their chairs to hug someone.) Joan and Carl were in town visiting for the weekend, and they happened to be in the neighborhood. I was stunned -- they were close to the bottom of the list of who I'd ever see in my office, somewhere around to Rue McClanahan and Karl Rove.

So, the four of us, along with Ian and co-Saron expat, Amy, who's been here for several years, made plans to get together to watch the Packers game (valiant effort, gentlemen) and have dinner two days later. It was a lot of fun, and also so weird to see them all together...here.

Definitely a good out-of-the-blue surprise! So, what I'm saying is, come on out anytime. We'd be glad to see you!

ringing it in right

2009-12-31T16:14:00.004-05:00

If I don't get a chance to write before the clock strikes 12, check out the screen shot above. This hasn't happened since we've lived here... Waaaaahooooo!

Happy New Year, everybody! How are you celebrating 2010? (I'm going to sit at Pisticci and drink free wine -- Ian has to work.)

ready or not

2009-12-24T19:24:00.008-05:00

In the words of my favorite Christmas Eve meditation, "the waiting is finally over." Our apartment is (mostly) clean, the tree is lit, the stockings are stuffed, the candles are flickering, Trans-Siberian Orchestra is playing, and our refrigerator Advent "calendar" is up-to-date...

...and our tummies will soon be savoring the holiday as well: the almonds are roasting, the black bean soup is simmering, the Mad Elf is growling, and the gingerbread dough is chilling.

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, I wish you a merry, merry Christmas. We miss you dearly, but don't worry -- we'll be back soon!

So what are you doing, anyway? And are you ready?

hunkering down

2009-12-21T16:36:00.005-05:00

This weekend, we received an early Christmas present: Ian's parents came to visit. Our four days together were quite relaxing with activities sprinkled in, including a skate around Rockefeller Center's rink just as the snow started to pile up on Saturday (shown above). This is the first time we've seen a good accumulation of snow here in the city, and it was -- and still is -- gorgeous. It was so nice to be able to share that with them. (Am hoping to upload more photos for our album and your visual enjoyment soon.)

Poor Ian was sick the whole time John and Kay were here and was such a trooper! (Having his parents here was a big comfort, though, I'm sure.) As soon as they left for the airport, I started to feel awful too. I'm cooped up here at home and have been ordered to stay home another day. So...any movie suggestions?

I just really, really hope we're both tip-top for Christmas. Four days to go! What are you doing for the holidays? We're aiming for something similar to last year's celebration.

a jolly-good fellow

2009-12-06T13:55:00.005-05:00

Ian celebrated his birthday on Thursday. He isn't big on birthdays, but I went to Pisticci to surprise him with a treat anyway. I secretly baked yellow cupcakes (his favorite) the night before and frosted them with homemade chocolate frosting before leaving for the restaurant. His coworkers are such a great group. And since most of them have connections to the Manhattan School of Music, their rendition of "Happy Birthday" was one of the most amazing ones I've heard (in at least six-part harmony!).

The frosting was fantastic...it tastes a million times better than the stuff you get in a tub at the supermarket. And it's quite simple. Try this:

chocolate frosting

modified from the America's Test Kitchens Family Baking Book recipe

(makes enough to cover 24 cupcakes or a 9" x 13" sheet cake)

ingredients

8 oz. chocolate, finely chopped (I used 3 oz. unsweetened and 5 oz. bittersweet)

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 Tbl. light corn syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened and cut into chunks

directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream, corn syrup, and salt to a boil, whisking often. Once boiling, remove from heat.

2. Whisk the chocolate into the cream mixture and stir until smooth.

3. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds. With the beaters still running, gradually add the butter until the mixture looks like pudding, about 2 minutes.

4. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the freezer. Stir the mixture every 10 minutes until the mixture reaches a smooth, thick, spreadable consistency; about 30 minutes.

5. Frost away.

Notes: I had just a dozen cupcakes, so I put the remaining frosting back in the freezer. So far, so good. We used some of it last night as the flavoring for hot chocolate. It was absolutely delicious. So give that a go too.

Do you have a go-to birthday dessert recipe? What is it?

you look like a hipster

2009-11-27T22:55:00.007-05:00

We commemorated the second day of our four-day weekend by seeing A Christmas Carol in 3-D at the IMAX. Given we had on such fancy eyewear (and that we were pretty much alone in the theater as we had arrived 45 minutes early), we took the opportunity to do a photo shoot...naturally.

good

2009-11-26T00:01:00.004-05:00

Well, it's officially Thanksgiving. So, happy day. I hope you have somewhere to feast. Although we're not able to go home this year, we do -- we're going over to Candice and Bryan's to have dinner with them and C's parents (and bringing some food, including this cranberry-apple-bourbon pie). I'm so grateful to have good people to spend the day with -- and if I know them, which I do, there will also be good food and good wine...

Speaking of good food, I got this email from Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB, the other day. She's one of my favorite Catholic writers, in part because her writing and ideas are accessible, and also because she sees the value in other faiths, which, as you probably know, is very important to me (and if not, you do now!). This time, she wrote about the value of feasts. Here a few of my favorites among her "10 Thanksgiving Thoughts."

It's important to dot our lives with unscheduled as well as scheduled feast days. That way we remember that we are able to make joy as well as to expect it...
A Jewish proverb teaches us: "Worries go down better with soup." Treating food as a sacrament rather than a necessity reminds us that, in the end, there is always more good in life than bad. The trick is to notice it.
To love good food is a measure of our love of life. Food preparation teaches us to do everything we can to make life palatable, spicy, comforting, full of love.
One purpose of feasting is to get back in touch with the earth that sustains us, to glorify the God that made it, and to pledge ourselves to save the land that grows our food.
In this country, we are conditioned to think that taking time to eat together, to make a meal an event rather than an act, takes time from the important things in life. That may be exactly why we are confused now about what the important things in life really are...
To be feasted is to live outrageously.

To read the rest of Sr. Joan's thoughts on feasting, click here.

I thank God that I can even think about feasting, something some can't even dare to hope for. I pray that God will use me as an instrument to give others the opportunity to experience this right (not privilege) as well.

Happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are.

actually, a lot of trees grow in brooklyn

2009-11-15T21:58:00.016-05:00

It's been a wonderfully eventful weekend here. On Friday, we got together with my cousin, Chelle, and her husband, Joe, and their three-month-old, Colby (who we were just meeting for the first time). They live in Chicago, so we don't see them much -- it was great to catch up over a leisurely dinner. (Perhaps too leisurely, according to our server...) Somehow, even though we were there for three hours, nobody took any photos. (Argh.)

On Saturday night, Ian and I babysat for Colby so his mom and dad could go on a date. We all had a blast. (Except when he got the hiccups -- twice! -- and we were all miserable. You can't exactly tell a baby to hold his breath...or scare the daylights out of him.) Here are some of our fun moments.

This morning we awoke to loud, incessant tweeting. It was Anita, the female cardinal who lives somewhere in our backyard. (We named the pair of cardinals Bernardo and Anita after the two coolest characters in West Side Story.) We put up a feeder (on Wednesday, I think) right outside our bedroom window. The cardinals let us watch them from our bed, so we're about four feet away, separated only by a window. We've also had a few house sparrows and mourning doves. Now I'm hoping the feeder attracts some of the blue jays we've seen in the trees. I don't know if they will, though, because Bernardo has been chasing away anything else that comes by -- he seriously hops behind the sparrows and tries to peck them. Here's our star pair!

After we finished watching the birds, which we did for a good half an hour, we decided to take a walk around Prospect Park in Brooklyn. First, we stopped for brunch at an incredibly kitchy neighborhood diner called Tom's Restaurant (not to be confused with the mediocre-at-best place of Seinfeld fame). It was fabulous. The service was so good they had a guy that walked up and down the line of people waiting to be seated with free snacks, coffee, and even hand sanitizer. And then we got the food...oh man (the photos say it all).

When we finished eating, we rolled ourselves to Prospect Park, and along the way, we passed some cool Brooklyn landmarks, like the museum, the botanic garden, the main branch of the library, and a roundabout full of monuments dedicated to Americans in battle (we have a lot of those). The park has a much different feel. It's very wild and hilly, and there are a number of old, ornate structures that have been consumed by the wilderness around them...it reminds me of how Narnia might look in the fall. Take a look.

What did you do this weekend?

falling for fall

2009-11-08T18:35:00.007-05:00

I've reconsidered my original ideas about fall in New York. For the first few years we lived here, I hated it. Actually, there wasn't a fall to speak of. The leaves were green in September, green in October, and just starting to turn in November when suddenly it froze and they all fell off after being gorgeous for about two days. This year it's different. New Yorkers are getting to see some lovely color, and the weather has been warm enough that we've been able to enjoy it.

Today Ian and I took a stroll. As usual, it wasn't your normal walk in the park...things seemed almost wild today.

photo finish

2009-11-01T21:18:00.017-05:00

I am excited to announce that Ian and I have finally finished with a household project that's been half-done for ages. It all started in July 2007 (the 11th to be exact), when we were in town for Andrew and Amy's wedding. Ian and I hadn't been alone for the whole week we'd been home, so we took a drive into Sheboygan to grab a coffee at the Weather Center Cafe and then to see what was going on at the lakefront. After we got our caffeine fix (only the best coffee in the city), we decided to park by the cottages at Blue Harbor and walk down to the beach where there's a boardwalk and some grassy dunes (reconstructed, I think -- pretty sure this land didn't exist 10 years ago).

What we found there was absolutely breathtaking. It was about 8 o'clock, and there was fog over the lake, but it was translucent enough to see the clouds and the sun starting to set in the background. Luckily, we'd brought our camera along, so we started shooting. Here are our favorites:

Later, we decided to frame them...and until today (when we found out the new Michaels next to the new Whole Foods has very affordable frames) we'd only gotten around to framing three. Because of this, only a few of the frames match, but they're all black with white mats. They look tres chic, if I do say so myself.

Yay! Another item checked off the list. Now on to putting a bird feeder on the balcony...

a pop of color

2009-10-25T13:12:00.012-04:00

When we were on our apartment search last spring, one of this apartment's features that we couldn't stop thinking about was the great view out the bedroom window. Instead of a cement wall or someone else's living room, there's a courtyard with a number of mature trees. It's like having a backyard (I say "like" because we don't have access to it).

Something about me that you might not know: I love gardening. Love it. And none of our apartments here have been conducive to such a hobby. Until this one. All summer, I'd been talking about putting some flowers out on the patio (aka fire escape), but we couldn't get out there since our old, nasty air conditioner was bolted in. But last weekend, everything changed. Our super came to put it out of its misery. It's true that having anything on your fire escape is against code, but once I was able to stick my head out the window, I could see that all our neighbors already have a pot or two out there. And, when it comes to having things I love (you know, like a fire-escape garden or a hedgehog within the five boroughs), if everybody jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, I'd be right behind them.

So, today we headed out to the farmers' market to get a few mums. It was quite an adventure (really, I could have fallen and died, you know).

The patio -- before. (What a view!)

Me, climbing out the window to start my project.

The photographer at the ready just in case the fire escape were to collapse.

(It didn't.)

Putting the mums in their new home.

Making sure nobody was going to fall over the side.

Relieved that I didn't fall to my death.

My first New York garden!

The patio -- after (and what I'll see every morning when I wake up!).

I could tell the mums were enjoying their new home on the patio so much, I thought I'd let Sprout play outside for the day. (He is our 3-year-old runty grapefruit tree that we started from a sprouted seed I found in my breakfast one day.)

I'm so, so excited to have the opportunity to grow something! Stay tuned...you may recognize the Thanksgiving centerpieces.

chili night

2009-10-18T16:15:00.006-04:00

Chili is one of those foods I crave for days -- probably because I think about it until I actually have time to make a batch (rare these days). Ian must have been tired of hearing about it, because he finally suggested we make a recipe we'd tried last year and loved (good thing I never throw away my cooking magazines). Saturday was dreary, and the perfect time to putter around the apartment while the chili perked in the slow cooker. He even had the ingenious idea to invite some friends over to enjoy it with us (it feeds a crowd). So what could have been a drizzly, boring Saturday ended up being quite fun while we got ready for Candice and Bryan's visit.

Smoky Slow Cooker Chili

modified from this Cooking Light recipe

(serves 8 hungry people)

Our changes:

Use pork loin instead of pork shoulder
Swap in 3 medium onions for the 3 cups
Use 3 poblano peppers instead of a green pepper (if you want extra heat)
Sub 7 oz. tomato sauce and a chopped serrano pepper instead of the spicy tomato sauce (we couldn't find it)

For sides, Ian baked corn bread and I threw together the tangy mandarin orange salad that both of our moms make. Yum yum yum.

The night was a huge hit -- chili included. If you have a slow cooker, I highly recommend you make this. It freezes well too, so you can put that craving to rest in minutes.

milestones

2009-10-12T15:34:00.008-04:00

We just had the best time in Wisconsin! One of my closest friends in the whole world, Mandy, got married, and Ian and I expanded our trip by a couple days so we could see our families too.

We spent parts of two days with my folks, including a fun (but very cold -- as in, it snowed!) morning at their farmers' market. Fortunately, they live fairly close to the wedding festivities, so Ian and I drove back and forth! Even though we had only a few hours here and there, I feel like it's some of the best time we've spent together since we moved to New York.

It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of Mandy's wedding party. I cannot emphasize how perfect she and Jon are for each other, and how welcoming and kind both of their families were to both Ian and me. Mandy and Jon had a beautiful wedding and one heck of a party. I got to spend the evening dancing and catching up with our friends, April and Scott and Katie and John (the three girls and I spent a lot of time together while we lived in Waukesha).

The day after the wedding, we zipped down to see more family. We got to eat a very leisurely lunch with the A-Team, and then went to Ian's parents' house for a tasty family dinner. It was wonderful to be together. A particular highlight: We got to meet our new nephew, Logan!

Thank you to everyone involved for making time for us! These photos don't do justice to the weekend, but they're a good start. (I was just so busy!!!) If you have photos, I'd love to see them.

a pleasant surprise

2009-10-05T22:08:00.007-04:00

On Friday night, Ian came home and told me one of his coworkers would be performing on the Lower East Side the following evening...and that he said we'd try to come. I'd brought a lot of work home, but since it had been a while since we'd ventured that far from our own neighborhood, I plowed through it and finished up just in time.

I'm so glad I did.

Aimee Bayles is refreshing. She has an incredibly versatile voice and makes singing anything seem effortless. If I had to compare her to anyone, I'd say her style is similar to Norah Jones, but she doesn't sound quite as sleepy. Aimee writes and plays her songs, too...I can't get "February" out of my head, even though it's been two days. I hope I can get my hands on a recording soon. Regardless, I'll be at her next show. If you're in the area, you should go too.

Check out Aimee Bayles.

getaway

2009-09-28T23:34:00.005-04:00

I really didn't mean to drop off the face of the earth. If you're one of my coworkers, you know I haven't. In fact, you may want to see less of me. But if you're my husband or another loved one, you might be convinced that I have. Not so.

Where have I been? For nearly a month now, I've been a one-woman team, and it's going much better than I expected. My flash drive has been indispensable, and Ian has been extremely understanding when I have to sit down at my computer to push through a few more Word docs before bedtime (thank you!). We've interviewed several great candidates for the vacant editorial assistant position but haven't decided who'll make the round-two cut -- I'm hoping to make an offer by mid-October...that still seems like a long way off. At least I'm never bored at work!

I'm making a conscious effort not to go insane. When I need a break from the constant stream of content, I take a mental getaway to the cottage pictured above. It was once Washington Irving's home; Ian and I passed by a few weekends ago when we were hiking in the Hudson River Valley. The house is called Sunnyside -- wouldn't it be cool to have a house with a name?! -- and it felt so bucolic, and so, so calm. Time seemed to slow way down there, like I could have just sat and existed, or watched boats sail past on the Hudson, or journaled, or danced barefoot through the garden. This is a place where people can breathe. I feel relaxed already.

Do you have a place like that?

girls' night

2009-09-19T17:32:00.001-04:00

One of my closest friends from back home, April, was in New York this week. I "picked her up" after work on Friday, and the two of us went out to dinner in my neighborhood so she could see our apartment. We had a great time reminiscing about old times and talking about the future...namely, the baby she and her husband, Scott, are expecting in January! April and I don't talk very often, but when we do it's as if we saw each other yesterday. So grateful to have friends like that. Our evening together reminded me that I should get in touch with some other long-lost friends. I hope you'll do the same!

hidden treasure

2009-09-14T21:20:00.023-04:00

If you ever find yourself in Morningside Heights, keep your eyes peeled. On a little street just off Broadway, you'll find my favorite restaurant: Pisticci. Since we discovered it in 2006, we've taken nearly all our visitors there, but I've never blogged about the place, only the people we've eaten with. I thought it was high time to share.

Since he started working there a month or so ago, this is where Ian spends two days and three evenings a week -- but that's okay because they have a really open family policy. I try to visit about once a week, and I've even made friends with some of the other employees' mates. The place is so homey and warm. And the food is delicious (my favorite is the namesake pasta, Penne Pisticci). I wish I could figure out how to make their fresh tomato sauce...but then I guess I wouldn't be tempted to go there as much anymore!

The quaint exterior (notice how the entrance is at the garden level -- it adds to the cozy factor)

The handsomest bartender ever (he loves that he can wear a hat -- I see a few more in his future)

Click here to see Pisticci on the news!

What's your favorite restaurant? Why do you like it?

a spin on shakes

2009-09-12T12:26:00.008-04:00

A couple of days ago, I was listening to a Here on Earth podcast all about milkshakes. Jean Feraca was interviewing food writer Adam Ried, who's just written a cookbook devoted to none other than shakes. The podcast stuck with me, so I finally gave in and made a batch for dessert.

Several of Ried's concoctions sounded delicious, but one in particular caught my attention: a Mexican chocolate shake. This isn't the typical mixture you'd find at an old-fashioned soda fountain...it includes cayenne pepper, an ingredient that appears in the ancient Aztec chocolate recipes. Unfortunately, he didn't divulge any recipes on the show, so I had to figure it out. One tip he mentioned turned out to be the key: Instead of using chocolate syrup, he uses chocolate sorbet for its ultra-concentrated flavor. Here's what I came up with:

Mexican Chocolate Shake

(serves 1)

ingredients
1/3 cup vanilla sorbet
1/3 cup chocolate sorbet
2 Tbl. milk
Splash of vanilla
A few shakes of ground cinnamon
A tiny pinch of cayenne pepper

directions
1) Combine ingredients in glass and blend with an immersion blender (or combine in a blender jar), pulsing until smooth.
2) Enjoy.

They turned out pretty darned good. It won't become my all-time favorite, vanilla, but it was a great dessert after chipotle chicken fajitas!

Here's what I was thinking about a year ago: a few of my favorite things.

fresh-squeezed

2009-09-07T11:45:00.008-04:00

So Ian and I finally ventured inside our neighborhood's new Whole Foods store, something we swore we'd never do. We'd subscribed to the "whole paycheck" moniker that people (even many around here) use. But we were amazed to find that it wasn't a rip-off. In fact, it may be the most reasonably priced grocery in our neighborhood. Of course, some of the specialty items were insanely expensive, but they're specialty items. I was particularly excited about the fruits and veggies, and Ian loved the beer selection. He bought a can of Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues Brewery. I'd been craving lemonade and we found a bag of lemons for $3. Bingo.

Fresh-squeezed lemonade is so quick and easy. I learned how to make it when I worked for my Aunt Ces at her coffee stand, Cespresso. Every Saturday all summer long, I'd squeeze lemons for a constant stream of farmers' market and art fair customers demanding our lemonade (and coffee and mochas and iced chais...). It was the best.

I happen to like the tart stuff, so here's how I put it together. If you like it a little (or a lot) sweeter, you know what to do!

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

(serves 8)

ingredients
10 lemons
4 squeezed lemon halves
2/3 cup sugar
Water
Ice

directions
1) Chop lemons in half and juice them using a citrus reamer or a fork (just jam it in there and twist). I squeeze them over a mesh strainer set in a 2-cup measure. It keeps the seeds out, but a bit of pulp does get through. If you like super-pulpy lemonade, just scoop some out of the strainer. Otherwise, discard the pulp and most of the lemon halves once you've got about 1 1/2 cups of juice. You may have to clean out the strainer a few times depending on how zealously you squeeze.
2) Toss four squeezed lemon halves into a 2-quart pitcher. Add the sugar. Pour in lemon juice and top with cold water until the pitcher is filled. Stir well.
3) Serve over ice. (Garnish with lemon slices, mint leaves, raspberries, gin, whatever's on hand.)

sheep may safely graze

2009-09-06T20:21:00.015-04:00

Happy September! I'm glad that, even though school has started again, the days aren't getting chilly too quickly. (However, I am excitedly preparing for autumn...as soon as I finish this post, I'm buying this and a coordinating fleece zippy jacket to wear under it...I can see myself practically living in this!)

Anyway, yesterday was gorgeous: It was a sunny 80 degrees made comfortable by a light breeze. Perfect weather for heading out to the Central Park Sheep Meadow so Ian could grade his first batch of papers and I could try to finish World Without End (I didn't quite get there -- only about 80 pages to go). We brought our big wool picnic blanket and respective reading materials, stopped off for some sandwiches, and found ourselves a spot under a huge tree. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

How are you enjoying this Labor Day weekend?

Here's what I was up to last year.

not that lucky

2009-08-31T21:45:00.011-04:00

Do you remember last week's poll question? Well, the reason concerts were on my mind was because I'd just scored a pair of tickets to see Britney Spears (my erstwhile arch nemesis). I didn't buy them (I didn't do a complete one-eighty) -- they were a gift from a group I work with in my role as intern coordinator. And although I'm not a huge fan by any means, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about: Her shows are rumored to be amazing. So last Wednesday, my friend, Jill (a true trooper), and I went to Madison Square Garden.

The show was...lacking. Had I known more of the songs, or Britney cracked a smile, or sung even though her mic was off (could you sing and dance for 90 minutes and sound good?), it might have been enjoyable. But I didn't, and she didn't, so it really wasn't. Instead, I just found myself feeling completely sorry for her and even a little bit bored. There were a few interesting parts: the staging, effects, dancing, and costumes were decadent (it was circus-themed), but even so, I felt like I pretty much wasted an evening. At least we'd seen the set list...we left right after "Baby, One More Time" (and, yes, I sang at the top of my lungs), the second-last song, and got home in record time.

Okay, it wasn't a total waste of an evening. Jill's a blast.

it's delectable, it's delovely

2009-08-23T20:41:00.021-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, we treated ourselves to a movie at the theater (hey, they have functioning AC...can you blame us?). Julie & Julia was a wonderful distraction from the super-humid, drizzly day. We both would've been happy with a movie only about Julia, but the Julie part wasn't that bad, and it was fun to see random parts of NYC that we recognize...and she's a blogger. What's not to love?

The movie inspired us to make something exciting for supper (shocking, right?), and we had just the thing...in our freezer. A few weeks back, we made ravioli from scratch. My folks gave us this cool ravioli mold as a gift last spring, and we wanted to put it to the test. It worked flawlessly (not one ravioli blew up in the water!) and the pasta was delicious. Much to our delight, the original batch had such a high yield that we were able to freeze half (just pop raw ones in a Ziploc freezer bag, nothing fancy or complicated). When we cooked them up last night, they turned out just as well as their counterparts had in their debut.

So here's how we made the ravioli...the ravioli recipe was inspired by America's Test Kitchens. We threw together the sauce ourselves.

For the filling:
ingredients
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 oz. low-fat, pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg yolk (set aside the white, you'll need it later)
4 chives, minced
3 oz. prosciutto (we used 18-month aged), chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

directions
Mix it all up and set aside.

For the pasta (sorry, no photos):
ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
3 large eggs, beaten
Water

directions
1. On a cutting board or clean counter, form the flour into a mound. Make a little well on top and pour the eggs into it. Rough it up with your fingers until the dough looks like little peas.
2. Add water, 1/2 tsp. at a time, and start forming the dough into a ball. If it starts to get sticky, add a pinch of flour.
3. Knead the dough until it's smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside and allow to rest for about 15 minutes.

For the sauce:
ingredients
5 red and yellow tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
A good handful of basil, cut into strips (I rolled them in a chiffonade and used a scissors to make this easier)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

directions
While the dough rests, mix up all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Assembling the ravioli:
ingredients
A pinch of salt
1 egg white

directions
1. Fill a large saucepan with water, throw in a pinch of salt, and turn up the burner to high.
2. After your dough has rested, roll it out on a floured cutting board or counter top.
3. Once it's about 1/8 of an inch thick, lay a sheet of it over the ravioli mold. Press the bubbly white thing over the top to make the pockets for the filling.
4. Spoon about one Tbl. of the filling into each pocket. Brush egg white around the edges of the pockets and cover with another sheet of pasta. Press down to seal and cut the edges. Gently flip the mold to remove the ravioli. Set them on a baking rack to dry for a little while (10 minutes, maybe).
5. Once the pasta feels a little bit cool and dusty, drop the ravioli into the boiling water and allow it to cook for around 4 minutes (they'll float, and will look bumpy). Fish them out of the water, top with sauce, and serve immediately.

yaaaa hoooo woooo!

2009-08-17T21:45:00.010-04:00

My brother, Andrew, and sister-in-law, Amy, paid us a visit this weekend. Since Amy had been here before but Boo hadn't, it was a fun challenge to combine touristy things with activities we locals enjoy. So we did things a bit differently this time: cooked a lot, didn't take the train much, relaxed a bit more, and went to a bar or two. Here's what we did:

First thing Friday, we headed toward Coney Island. But first, we stopped at Istanbul Grill, a restaurant Andrew found that serves doner kebabs which are similar to the style common in Australia, where he fell in love with them. How'd they measure up? "Pretty good. Yeah, pretty good."

Next, we took the train to Coney. As soon as we got there, we hopped on the Cyclone, the oldest roller coaster in the US (maybe anywhere). It is seriously frightening, but fun. We also rode the Wonder Wheel (a must) and went to the freak show, primarily to stay cool. Andrew's assessment: "Awesome, but creepy." Then we headed to the Brooklyn Cyclones game, but not before we stopped at Nathan's to have a hotdog.

Boo literally chased down this mascot (there were five costumed characters at this game -- no joke) to get his picture taken with it, and was, by far, the oldest fan to do so. The Cyclones won, there was a fireworks display after the game, and we had a great day all around.

On Saturday, we went to see the Broadway revival of West Side Story. It was beautifully done. I loved the changes the director made in the 50 years since its debut, but of course, the storyline has remained the same. Here we are in Times Square. The city recently closed off the surrounding streets to traffic so people can mill about. They even set up tables.

After the show, we went over to The Pony Bar (our new favorite). There was a great selection on tap, and we ended up eating dinner there, which was the best, most inventive pub food I've ever had (I ordered a pork sandwich with a spicy mango-cabbage slaw on top).

Since it was so close, I insisted that we walk over to see the sun set over the Hudson. It was gorgeous. We walked through a little park on a pier that had fountains for kids to play in and a dog run, and it's also where the USS Intrepid is docked. After a scorching day, the temperature was perfect for an evening stroll.

Sunday found us walking through Central Park. We went to Belvedere Castle (by way of the Shakespeare Gardens) to look over the Turtle Pond (which is covered with green algae) and then over to the Bramble. It was almost too hot to be outside.

To beat the heat, we went to our favorite neighborhood pub, Soldier McGee's, to have some cold drinks and play Golden Tee. Amy had a pretty impressive game for a beginner, and the guys had a good start, but I came out swingin' for the win. I don't like to play golf in real life (well, mini golf obviously, but who doesn't like mini golf?), but for some reason, I love this video game.

This brings us to the end of the weekend! It was wonderful to see the A-Team, as we and so many others so affectionately call them. I'm so glad I'm friends with my brother (and all my siblings-in-law!). It's made my life a lot richer.

One more thing: Little Wonder and the Sun Machine just celebrated its first anniversary! Can you believe it? Whether you've been a loyal reader since the beginning, or you've happened on this blog sometime since then, thanks for reading! Here's what I was up to on this day last year.

operation clambake

2009-08-09T20:50:00.013-04:00

Last night we had the pleasure of getting together with our friends, Candice and Bryan. We met for beers at our favorite new bar, The Pony Bar, and then headed back to their apartment for an at-home clambake.

A couple of weeks ago, Candice asked me if I'd ever done a clambake -- I hadn't. So she experimented with recipes and invited us over once she'd developed a good one. I helped her this time, and it was so easy. We filled a big pot with clams, mussels, shrimp, corn, chicken broth, and a little butter. Then we put on the lid and boiled it for about half an hour.
Meanwhile, Candice, Bryan, and I prepped the rest of the food while Ian made friends with their cat, Shadow.

We lugged it and the rest of our meal (French potato salad, asparagus, rosemary bread, and Prosecco) down to the fourth-floor observation deck and dug in!

It was the perfect night for eating al fresco. We had gorgeous weather, a great location, delicious food, and best of all, fantastic company!

the high line

2009-08-05T21:05:00.010-04:00

We "discovered" the coolest park last weekend. Several blocks' worth of abandoned elevated railroad tracks in Chelsea were recently converted into a park: The High Line. The design is, naturally, very industrial and modern, but instead of including sparse, "clean" landscaping, they chose to create this almost overgrown look with all sorts of native wildflowers which are planted in the track bed -- sometimes the rails are still visible. Given that it's a couple of stories up in the air, the views are fantastic as well. We got to watch as the sun moved over the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson and sank behind the New Jersey hills. If you ever get the chance to go, please do.

And, with that, some photos. (Speaking of high, I don't trust myself to write anymore. My codeine has just kicked in and, as Ian says, I'm feeling "floppy." My lip should start looking and feeling pretty close to normal by this weekend. Yay! Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers, by the way!)

quick, quick, slow

2009-07-29T22:28:00.017-04:00

Three years ago -- right now -- you and I were having our first dance. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe it's been that long (I still feel like a giddy bride), and other times, that short (when you blurt out exactly what I've been thinking). Either way, I am so thankful for every single minute in that time, and for all of those to come. You and I may get out of synch and step on each other's toes for a while, or lead when we should follow, but each time that happens, I hope we remember to take a deep breath, listen carefully, and catch the beat together. Let's never stop dancing.

Photo by Kristin Johanneck

where the heart is

2009-07-28T22:03:00.022-04:00

I don't know if this apartment has ever been as busy as it was last weekend. My folks came to visit and we had a great time, and even though the place is around 500 square feet, the four of us hung out here for a lot of it.

We didn't just have Scattergories marathons or cook up great feasts, though. We ventured out to lands unknown -- namely the Brooklyn Botanic Garden -- and saw some old favorites, too, like Central Park and West Harlem Piers Park.

It was fun to have two very active cameras (I think we took more than 300 photos). Here are some of my favorite shots:

On Friday evening at twilight we three Martin/Dawsons took a walk around our neighborhood (including the Brandeis garden and the Central Park Reservoir) before we stopped down to say hi to Ian who was working at The Libertine.

On Saturday, all four of us spent the day at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Prospect Park. It was gorgeous.

That night there were crazy thunderstorms on Sunday evening, so we stayed in and played Scattergories. It was a blast. Some common themes: lizards, Alan Alda, and Walla Walla, Washington.

Ian needed to work again on Monday, so Mom, Dad, and I spent much of the day out and about in Central Park, where we people- and bird-watched.

It rained again on Monday, but only for a few minutes. Like good New Yorkers, we were prepared.

It's always hard to say good-bye to our loved ones, but maybe a running meter makes it a little easier...but not enough to make the savings worth it. Come back soon, ya hear?

It's weird having two homes now...here and Wisconsin. The longer we're here and the more visitors we have, the more firmly our feet and our hearts will be planted in both places. I don't know if I'll ever get used to that.

38 years and counting

2009-07-22T22:53:00.008-04:00

Sometimes I dream about how I'll spend my retirement years. Of course, being with loved ones, gardening, cooking, reading, and traveling top the list -- but I'm also pretty sure I'll need some sort of job to keep me busy. I often consider volunteer work, but another option comes to mind a lot as well: working at a florist.

I absolutely love flowers...always have. I started working in the garden with my parents, particularly my dad, at a very young age (I even won the W3834 County Road J Junior Rose Gardener Award in the late '80s), and having flowers around the house from time to time is one of the simple pleasures that I let myself indulge in (thanks to Ian's frequent contributions).

At The Knot, I get to think about flowers on a daily basis -- I'm one of the go-to people writers seek out if they're having trouble identifying a bloom for an article. The moments when I get to pore over photos of gorgeous bouquets, centerpieces, and other arrangements are always some of the highlights of my day. Today was a first: I was invited to arrange the three bouquets above for a live broadcast segment that our home director, Krissy, was working on (she decorated the vases!). It was great fun. I hope she'll ask me to do that again sometime. I can always use more photos for my portfolio...even if it won't be unveiled for 38 years.

Photo courtesy of Hayley Schlesinger and The Knot

notables

2009-07-20T21:14:00.006-04:00

Hi there! Just checking in with a few things to report. It has been a good and interesting couple of days.

After a quick turn of events early last week, Ian got a new bartending job at none other than our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Pisticci. In fact, he's training tonight. He had a great run at The Libertine, but he's looking forward to expanding his experience in other cuisines and atmospheres. The Libertine, a new-British/American restaurant, is the epitome of class and refinement, whereas Pisticci is warm and comfortable (and serves, you guessed it, Italian fare).

On Saturday, we went to a music festival: the Psychobilly Luau. Aside from enjoying the music (a mix between the surf, punk, and metal genres), we like the people...they're a rare breed. The guys dress like greasers, the girls dress like pinups -- it's pretty cool. Anyhow, we saw some great up-and-coming bands (my favorite: the Arkhams) and had a wonderful time dancing and people-watching. For me, though, the highlight may have been the photo booth. I don't remember ever getting my picture taken in one before, and we certainly had never done so together, so we took full advantage. In my opinion, they're some of our best photos ever.

What's next for us, you ask? My parents are coming to visit on Friday! It's going to be great. Will report back soon!

What does the rest of the summer hold for you?

playing with food

2009-07-12T22:43:00.029-04:00

This weekend has been particularly notable because Ian and I have managed to finish furnishing our apartment! If I haven't told you, there's a lovely peninsula in the kitchen that serves nicely as a bar. When we signed on this place, we sold our beloved table and chairs and purchased a set of saddle-seat bar stools instead. They finally arrived on Friday, and we put them together yesterday. Now that they're in use, we can once again prepare and eat messy foods (God forbid we get a stain on our new couch!). This prompted tonight's supper: Ian's Beef Teriyaki with Broccoli and Noodles. It's his adaptation of America's Test Kitchens' Beef Teriyaki recipe which can be found in their Family Cookbook. It's absolutely delicious, not to mention cost-effective, quick (30 minutes, start to finish!), and relatively healthy. I highly recommend you get out a pen and paper now or print this blog entry. You'll use it. Promise.

beef teriyaki with broccoli and noodles

serves 2

ingredients

4 oz. or 2 servings of rice noodles (we use the straight cut noodles from A Taste of Thai)

For the sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbl. sherry (the real stuff; not what you can get at the grocery store), or dry white wine in a pinch

2 tsp. grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Red pepper flakes, to taste (we use about 1/2 tsp.)

For the steak:

1/2 Tbl. olive oil

1/2 lb. flank steak

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the broccoli:

1 bunch of broccoli (about 3 small heads, including stems), chopped

1/4 cup water

directions

1. Make noodles according to package instructions for stir fry (soak in a bowl of hot water for 20 to 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the meal).

2. In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients; set aside.

3. Pour olive oil into medium nonstick skillet. Heat to medium-high.

4. Thinly slice flank steak (against the grain) and season with salt and pepper. Add to heated skillet. Saute until done, about about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside. Return skillet to burner.

5. Add broccoli and water to skillet. Reduce heat to low and cover until broccoli is bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until broccoli is tender and water is almost entirely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set broccoli aside with beef and return skillet to burner.

6. Increase heat to medium, re-whisk sauce and add to skillet. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Drain noodles and add to sauce. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Toss in beef and broccoli. Allow to cook until noodles are al dente and ingredients are heated through.

7. Serve. Accompany with Red Bicyclette Chardonnay (or Pinot Noir!), Diana Krall, and 2 pairs of chopsticks.

P.S. On an entirely different topic, we have a new roommate, Domingo the Mouse. Does anyone have any tips on getting rid of him? We are currently using traps baited with peanut butter, and no luck. I refuse to use a glue trap. Talk about inhumane...

mr. cliffe goes to washington

2009-07-08T23:40:00.011-04:00

Ian and I went on our first married weekend getaway in honor of the Fourth of July. Since neither of us has any vacation days to spare, we decided to take advantage of the holiday weekend and buy bus tickets to visit the capital.

Our bus was decked out with outlets, Wi-Fi, movie screens, leather seats, and even cup holders. The four-hour ride was beautiful. It was so exciting to see rivers, cornfields, and forests. We fully intend to take another Bolt Bus (they do additional routes to Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, all of which would be fun to escape to, as well). Here's the Susquehanna River.

Once we arrived in DC, we made our way to our hotel. Donovan House is one of the most posh and comfortable hotels I've ever stayed in (see the foyer below). It's got very mod decor and an extremely courteous staff. If you ever get the chance to stay here, do it. Special thanks to Thompson Hotels for the fantastic rate (I suppose it's the least they can do for such a dedicated employee!).

As soon as we checked in, it was nearly constant sightseeing for three days. We visited numerous museums (mostly of the Smithsonian variety)... These are both from the Museum of American History: C-3PO and Julia Child's kitchen.

Saw lots of great architecture... (the Department of the Treasury)

And monuments... (The Washington, obviously)

And memorials... (my favorite: the Korean War Memorial)

And plant life... (a "real" magnolia, per our friend Kristen)

And Segways... (they did tours!)

And presidents... (We actually saw Barack drive by in a limo. I took a video of it, but I'm still working on freeze-framing.)

And fireworks... (The first shot is what the mall looked like pre-show. It was this crowded all the way to the Washington Monument.)

...And we ate. Well. Here we are at Brasserie Beck, which serves up delicious French-Belgian bistro fare. They know their beers and wine too. The staff were wonderfully nice, and we even got to stop in the kitchen and say hello.

We also got to have dinner with our the Vons, who recently moved to Washington so Jason could pursue his PhD in theology. We met them at Union. This is the view Kristen and I always have when the four of us are in transit.

And, best of all, we really enjoyed ourselves.

welcome, wee hog!

2009-07-07T23:21:00.005-04:00

I'm terribly excited to announce that we have a new family member! While we were getting ready for our weekend getaway on Friday morning, Ian got a voicemail saying we are now an uncle and aunt three times over (and were thusly so excited that we forgot to pack half our stuff). I will post more info if and when I get the okay from the proud parents. In the meantime, since we're not there to meet in person, I'm taking the liberty of posting this nice close-up photo of us. Hello, Baby!

And if you're wondering, we had an absolutely fantastic time in the capital. It's getting late, so paring down our 481 photos to an acceptable number to post will have to wait until another day.

wanderings and ramblings

2009-06-27T19:21:00.008-04:00

Last night, we got the unpleasant, unwelcome news that absolutely nobody else was available to cover the Saturday night bar shift, so Ian was roped into working. Lately his weekly schedule consists of four nights in a row, so I really only see him on weekends. Needless to say, this was a big disappointment for both of us, but we had a nice morning together, and when Ian left for work, I decided to get a manicure, pedicure, and massage.

On my way to the spa, I had a sudden craving for an iced latte, so I stopped at the cafe across the street. It is, in my mind, the essence of what a coffee shop should be. Guns N' Roses was blasting on the stereo and the two baristas were singing along at full volume. They looked the part: One had several tattoos, including an extremely lifelike tattoo of a pineapple spanning from her elbow to her collar bone, and the other looked like she just stepped out of the '50s beat scene. I loved the eclectic assortment of hanging glass light fixtures with exposed bulbs -- the kind with the oversized, old-school filaments -- and the penny tiles, which are sure to make an appearance in our home once we give up on this pseudo-itinerant lifestyle and buy a place. Most importantly, the latte was uber-tasty (undoubtedly because I forgot to ask for no fat, no sugar). And bonus: The place didn't smell like Starbucks. What is that smell? It's rank. And they all have it. Blech.

If I'm not careful, this could be habit-forming. And I have to walk by the place every single day. Good thing I walk by my gym every single day too.

sunday, rainy sunday

2009-06-21T17:04:00.005-04:00

It's been a nice, relaxing Sunday here on Columbus Avenue. This afternoon, we walked down to the flea market to look for a few more pieces of furniture (including desk chairs for both of us -- I'm sitting on a side table right now!). We found a couple of gorgeous pieces, but they would have needed to be refinished. No deal. We also pored through loads of vintage lithographs of maps and artwork. (Yesterday at Housing Works -- a popular thrift store whose proceeds go to end AIDS and homelessness -- we found an amazing drawing of a scene from the Revolutionary War that would have gone perfectly in our colonial-themed bedroom. The frame was hideous, though, so we decided to keep looking. Now I'm obsessed!) When we left the flea market, it was raining. Again. We're making the best of it, and thankfully there hasn't been any flooding (which could be disastrous given the population density), but I can't think of one day when it hasn't rained since we moved into our new apartment! Our umbrellas have become our favorite accessories.

I know I said I'd post photos of the new space, but it's not quite done yet. This week, we'll hang our artwork and shelve the piles of books and DVDs which are littering the perimeter of our great room, and then we'll be all set. Talk soon!

PS You may be wondering why I'm able to post today when Time-Warner told us they'd postponed our installation until Wednesday. So are we. Perhaps it was the combined five hours Ian and I spent on the phone with them last week...

surfacing

2009-06-16T18:36:00.007-04:00

I'm proud to report that we've successfully completed our move! (We've moved four times in four years, and are still pack rats...) Every last box has been unpacked, and Ian, bless him, got rid of our huge pile of cardboard this morning via Craigslist -- here it's abominable to throw away, or even recycle, your moving boxes. Someone else always needs them, no matter how crumpled or flimsy or written-on or dirty they are. So we're just waiting for our couch, which will be delivered (and lugged up four flights of stairs by some poor, unsuspecting deliveryfolk) tomorrow, and cable/Internet/phone, to be hooked up on Saturday (perhaps even more exciting than getting the couch).

This year we're saving on postage and paper by sending "We've Moved" e-notices. So if you want one, please email, call one of our cell phones, or send a message on Facebook. You could also comment on the blog and I'll receive it as an email -- I promise not to post it.

Thanks for bearing with me during the Great Move of 2009. I'm resolving to make posting a priority this summer. Stay tuned!

Update: I'm so angry, I'm near to tears. Time-Warner made a mistake when they set up our installation appointment and has to push it back to the middle of next week. Guess that means I'll be spending part of the weekend editing photos so I have a huge batch ready to post. Sorry.

a new home

2009-05-17T18:57:00.011-04:00

We finally found an apartment. After looking at nearly 50 apartments in Inwood and Washington Heights (not just browsing on Craigslist -- physically being inside every single one), we got a tip from a broker about a space in a neighborhood a couple miles south of here that I actually wrote about in my last blog post: the Upper West Side.

-- By the way, I humbly apologize for my long hiatus from writing. I frequently thought about updating you on our lives here in Manhattan, but never at the appropriate time. The powers that be at The Knot would more than likely frown on such activities during business hours... --

So, we're happy to report that our new apartment is in a neighborhood that we know well -- it's near so many spots we frequent (Central Park, a wide variety of restaurants, the necessary shops, cute frivolous little shops, three train lines, that bar I told you about...). The apartment itself has a great kitchen, an open floor plan (so even though it's just one bedroom, the space is much more usable than in our current one), an updated bath, closets, sound floors, a green courtyard view, a great window for Sprout, and lots and lots of built-in lighting. Enviable.

I took some pics inside, but I decided not to post them to be fair to the girl who lives there now (who must have been robbed shortly before we arrived). I do have these two for you, though.

...Heading to our new apartment to sign the lease. If the world were 2-D, the stoplight would be resting on top of the building where we'll live.

This is our cross-street. That green space in the background? The Park. Come Thanksgiving, we'll be waking up and walking down the street in our PJ's to watch the parade instead of getting up at the crack of dawn, braving the crowds on the train, and still barely being able to see once we get to Central Park West.

We're so excited about our new space. I don't remember apartment hunting being so exhausting. But it's all over and we can resume living again. Summer in the City is a truly unique experience. Can't wait to tell you all about it.

out and about

2009-04-26T19:32:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was beautiful -- 85 degrees and sunny with a light breeze. And like every other New Yorker, Ian and I could hardly wait to get outside. We started by walking through Riverside Park to a mystery destination on 89th Street. Ian found out that the West Side Community Garden was having its annual tulip show and wanted to surprise me by stopping there.

The story of the garden is pretty interesting. The space used to be an abandoned lot covered in rubble, but in the mid '70s, some folks in the neighborhood decided to clean it up. These days, a portion of the garden is an amphitheatre landscaped with bulbs and other perennials, but there's also a section of raised beds where people can cultivate gardens of their own. A number of cultural events are hosted there over the summer, including the Music in a Garden series. I'll certainly be there! Until I can have my own garden, this will be a wonderful substitute. Maybe I can even help out.

When we finished enjoying the garden, we stopped at one of our new favorite pubs, Soldier McGee's, for some Golden Tee and a cold drink. Like a lot of the other restaurants and bars in the city, Soldier McGee's can fold back its front windows making it completely open to the street -- perfect for a day like this.

To finish the day, we met our friends Candice and Bryan for dinner at The Spotted Pig in the West Village. What a cute place! Can't wait for more weekends like this one. Next weekend, though, is reserved for apartment hunting in Inwood and The Heights. Wish us luck!

new york resurrection

2009-04-12T17:16:00.013-04:00

I love it when Easter seems to be timed with the arrival of spring. This year, we in New York have enjoyed just that. The plants are coming out of dormancy and there's vibrant color everywhere. And a lot of this seems to be happening overnight. Sound familiar?

We've had a really nice day so far. We woke up early to make a German apple pancake (highly recommended...and not very difficult!) so we could eat it while we watched Sunday Morning. Then we headed off to church. Here's what greeted us when we stepped outside:

Our church is actually going through a bit of a resurrection itself. At some point in the last century, someone thought it would be a good idea to paint over all the gorgeous murals and mosaics in the chancel. They're finally being restored, and the team is making tremendous progress. It's fun to note the changes each time we go.

Following worship, we walked home because the weather is so gorgeous (albeit a little chilly when the wind whips up). I snapped a few more shots for you. Don't worry...if you haven't seen evidence of it yet, spring really is coming!

(Thank you, Ian, for giving up 68 seconds of your life for this. xo)

Now I'm off to make Easter dinner: spicy roast pork loin with apricot chutney, garlicky haricots verts, and golden onion strata with gruyère and prosciutto. Will report in a comment. In the meantime, happy Easter, Passover, or just plain spring!

pipes and drums

2009-04-11T21:55:00.012-04:00

Last weekend, Ian's parents came to spend a few days with us, and we had great fun catching up, eating great food, sightseeing, and play-going -- but I think my favorite part was the Tartan Days parade (the "Hey, we're Celtic too" answer to St. Patrick's Day). It was chilly, gray, and windy, but that didn't stop hundreds of people from lining 6th Avenue to watch the festivities. It was fun to see a whole lot of people who are so enthusiastic about our heritage.

Now, imagine the lilting, haunting music of a pipe and drum corps playing...

As we were making our way back to the subway after the parade, we happened upon two corps who had started to play together: one of the youngest groups (who was actually from Scotland) and one of the oldest.

It was nothing less than heartwarming.

outen the lights

2009-03-28T21:59:00.004-04:00

We just enjoyed Earth Hour with the help of 21 candles and a backgammon board. The hour between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. must be one of the most "electric" times the day. It felt incredibly unnatural to have to finish what we were doing and settle down. Ironic, considering that people did this for millennia -- and while they were around, global warming wasn't.

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, check out EarthHour.org. And if you happen to be in a part of the world where it's not yet 8:30 p.m. on March 28, do the earth a favor and turn off your lights. It's just an hour. And it's only the lights. The guidelines don't ban playing Barry White.

inwood

2009-03-21T14:34:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday afternoon, we left our cozy apartment in Morningside Heights to explore Inwood, an up-and-coming neighborhood at the very top of Manhattan, because we're considering moving there. We even looked at a couple of apartments, including one with six closets (a treasure trove in New York City).

It's a very pleasant area, with several parks and schools, plus a Revolutionary War fort and The Cloisters (the Met's medieval art collection which is housed in a lovely monastery replica), and has a wonderfully diverse population. I was so excited to see this garden -- and these chinodoxia, or Glories of the Snow, poking out of the ivy. My first flower-sighting of the year. Maybe it was a sign!

When you've moved, how have you decided where to look?

not in a million years

2009-03-11T22:36:00.006-04:00

After eight years, I was reunited with my longtime friend, AJ (Dr. AJ!), today -- long ago I'd resigned myself to the fact that I'd probably never see her again. The way it came about is so bizarre. Do you remember that networking website I wrote about a while back? Well, I found AJ's sister, Becca, and subsequently learned that she's living in the city, and that AJ was coming to visit this week. Well, the three of us arranged to have lunch today!

It was wonderful to have my own little slice of Plymouth right there on Spring Street...best lunch in a long time. And I knew we are still kindred spirits when they told me about typos they'd found at The Met -- which included a lovely bust of King Lois XIV. I really hope we're able to stay in touch this time.

pub and culture

2009-03-10T21:36:00.018-04:00

On Saturday we decided to defy Daylight Savings time and head down to the Lower East Side for an evening out. One of our favorite bands, The Tossers, were playing, and we hadn't seen them in a while. Since the weather is warming up, we've felt more like going out too, so this was the perfect opportunity.

We got to Mercury Lounge just as the opening band (The Mighty Stef -- good stuff) were finishing up, and who did I end up standing beside in a back corner but Bono himself (The Mighty Stef are from Dublin, which might have something to do with it). Anyway, after I'd gotten over the shock that I'd just brushed elbows with one of the most famous people on Earth, Ian and I made our way up to the front so we could stand at the foot of the stage. It was a great show, and we did get to dance in the pit for a little while (long enough for us to get a good workout and then for me to get punched in the jaw -- don't worry, not even a bruise).

I couldn't get to a spot where I could get the whole band at once, but I put the pictures together and voila!

T, the lead singer-slash-mandolin player, stores his cigarette between the strings during songs. I could do without the smoke wafting right in my face, but I think it's ingenious anyway.

When the show ended, we walked over to get a late dinner at Katz's Delicatessen, the famous deli that's been in several movies, like When Harry Met Sally and, more recently, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. The place was packed with people ordering heaps and heaps of food. I hear the pastrami is fantastic. We tried the corned beef, though, and it was chewy and fatty -- not the juicy, tender meat we're used to. It's one of those places every New Yorker should go to at least once. But I'm pretty sure once is enough.

We've walked by this place dozens of times on various excursions, but I never realized this was the Katz's.

You can either sit down and get waited on, or line up like this crazy group here. There are lots of things to look at while you wait, like big tubs of pickles, hanging sausages, and hundreds of celebrity photos.

I thought Ian might like the pickles here...I think I should just give up on him being a pickle guy.

I tried valiantly to bite through this corned beef sandwich, but ended up having to use a knife and fork. Not the way corned beef should be!

When you come in, be sure to grab a ticket. At the end of the meal, you have to turn it in to the cashier marked with what you ordered.

So when we'd had our fill of corned beef sandwiches, pickles, French fries, coleslaw, knishes, and chocolate egg cremes, we turned in our tickets and made our way home. And slept til nearly noon...Eastern Daylight Time.

PS Watch The Tossers play with Andrew's band, The Scrubbers, in Milwaukee on St. Patrick's Day!

my regards to off broadway

2009-03-01T11:01:00.009-05:00

Yesterday we had the pleasure of spending much of the day with my college friend, Janelle, who was up from DC for the weekend, staying with our mutual friend Eric. The original plan was that we'd go to a musical in the afternoon and then see what the rest of the day presented to us -- an exciting prospect because we rarely go to shows. That morning, though, when we confirmed plans with Eric, he told us he had a surprise for the evening.

The musical we'd planned to go to was Enter Laughing, which was simultaneously original and classic, and very clever (with tons of belly laughs). I highly recommend it, so go! It's playing at the York Theatre where Eric often volunteers, so we got to talk with many of the staff which was a cool opportunity. It's gotten tons of acclaim -- as it should.

Eric's surprise turned out to be tickets to another show, Rooms, a "rock romance." Even though it was a preview, the theater was packed, and I could definitely see why. It's very innovative, with a 5-piece rock band playing overhead, and only two actors doing the whole 90-minute show. I'm virtually positive the show will be extremely successful. Eric's roommate, Scott, is the show's production manager and we finally got to meet him (we were convinced he didn't exist!).

It was a fantastic evening! Now I'm really excited to visit Janelle in DC. Even though we hadn't seen each other since graduation (five years ago!), it felt like we didn't miss a beat. Isn't it nice when that happens?

a ma'am about town

2009-02-22T11:28:00.005-05:00

Spring is starting to...spring! Temperatures have been pretty consistently in the 40s and the air is starting to smell more earthy and alive. Love it. While on our errands yesterday, we walked past a garden with pops of green foliage here and there -- nothing new, but plants that had lived through the winter, including this magnificent rose bush that was at least as tall as I am. I looked for daffodil and tulip spikes, but didn't see any, though I'm not sure any bulbs were planted there to begin with.

Our errands took us all over Morningside Heights, and we enjoyed some delicious burgers for lunch at Bistro 1018. Thank goodness we don't have to wait nearly an hour at Shake Shack for a good burger anymore (nobody here beats their frozen custard, though). I picked up my new glasses too -- haven't had a new pair in 10 years! Behold, the new look:

three weeks later...

2009-02-10T21:47:00.002-05:00

When I haven't heard from someone in a while, I jump to one of two conclusions. First, that they're so busy they don't have time to catch up. Or that they are dead (thankfully, that has never actually been the case).

Well, we're doing very well and, yes, are extremely busy. I've been working long hours at The Knot, finishing Hippie Bob's book (coming soon!), and spending time with Ian on one or two weeknights a week. Ian is teaching a world religions class at Manhattan College (he really likes it!), plus working full-time at The Libertine (now running, serving, and bartending!). Luckily, we never have to work on weekends, and it's become especially sacred time for us.

We just spent a wonderful and renewing weekend at my folks' house (but it wasn't long enough!). I'll post some photos as soon as I have them. Just like our last trip, Ian and I were having so much fun that we forgot to take any ourselves! If you have some, please let me know!

Perfect timing...the clothes should be dry. Then it's off to bed for me. I have a dentist appointment before work (wish me luck!).

taking the plunge

2009-01-17T17:51:00.005-05:00

I've been in the throes of a huge internal struggle since Tuesday, when Josh was here. It all started when he asked an innocent enough question: "Why aren't you guys doing any social networking?"

Well, the truth of the matter is, neither Ian nor I have ever really seen the point. At least initially. But lately we've been hearing about people's aunts (like Eric's, who recently called him Schmoopy Woopy right there on his wall) and grandparents having accounts. Okay. No offense to grandparents, but I'm an Echo Boomer. We're the kids who are almost too young to remember Pong, for goodness' sake. I need to set an example! Follow the crowd! "Friend" people who I last saw in kindergarten or who I'd never have the guts to actually speak to in person!

So with heart pounding (really!), I decided to join. But I'm going to use this opportunity to do a social experiment, which will thusly reduce the guilt I'm suffering from caving in. Instead of actively seeking out people, I've set up a profile and will wait and see what happens. That way, the next time someone asks, I can simply say, "Yeah, I have an account, but I don't really use it." But if an old friend gets in touch, I won't complain! It's the perfect compromise. I'm riding on the edge of the bandwagon. Whew. It's not so bad.

Don't hold your breath, though...you're never going to find me on Twitter. Vive la resistance!

a culinary experiment

2009-01-15T20:29:00.019-05:00

After our recent trip to Lupa with our friends Jim and Bob, plus a new Mario Batali cookbook for Christmas, Ian decided it was high time he tried to make some fresh pasta.

fresh fettuccine

(adapted from Mario Batali's recipe on FoodNetwork.com)
serves 8

ingredients

4 extra large eggs
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 1/2 cup for dusting your work surface

directions

Make a mound of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs one at a time. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape. Don't worry that this initial phase looks messy (and it totally is!). The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated. Start kneading the dough with both hands, using your palms. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any leftover crusty bits; discard. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board when necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Note: Do not skip the kneading or resting portion of this recipe. They are essential for a light pasta.

Roll out pasta to about 1/8-inch thick, or use the thinnest setting on a pasta machine if you're lucky enough to have one! Cut pasta into 1/4-inch thick noodles by hand (or with the machine) and set aside. (Some prefer to set under a moist towel, others hang dry.)
Assemble the ingredients for the sauce (we used a combination of red onion, jalapeno peppers, garlic, lemon, butter, and Parmesan cheese found in Molto Italiano).
Bring six quarts of water to a boil and add 2 Tbl. salt. Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until tender yet al dente. Drain pasta well and toss into pan with sauce mixture. Serve immediately in warm bowl, making extra cheese available on the side.
Eat. It's delicious, and not terribly difficult. The entire process took only two hours and isn't extremely labor-intensive, so you can even do other things, say, laundry, in the meantime. Plus, I was able to portion out several days' worth of lunches. You'd never imagine the peppers, lemon, and cheese would complement one another, but they absolutely do. We'll definitely make this again.

carroll college reunion

2009-01-14T22:02:00.006-05:00

We had our second visitor of 2009 on Tuesday night. Our friend, Josh (shown here in the middle), was here for business and took a night off to have dinner with us at Pisticci (our favorite neighborhood restaurant, of course). Eric, our Wisconsin expat friend, was able to meet up with us too, so it was like a little college reunion. I reckon it was Pisticci's first!
Wouldn't it be nice if we continued to have a visitor every two weeks? Book your visit now!

the award for first visitor of 2009 goes to...

2009-01-04T16:35:00.007-05:00

Cesia Kearns!

Cesia was one of Ian's closest friends at Catholic Memorial High School. They were both on the fencing team, and even went to prom together!

Late last week, Cesia tracked us down ("I had an old Hotmail address, but thought, Who still uses Hotmail?" Ian, luckily!). She said she was in New York and hoped we could get together -- we were free! Since she and Ian last hung out nine years ago, the only time we'd seen her recently was at a few weddings, so it was really nice to spend some time together. Last night, we met at a pub in the Village called The Blind Tiger and then took a walk around the neighborhood, stopping at Washington Square. I doubt we'll ever run out of things to talk about.

So that was our first visitor for 2009. Hope every one of you is on the list too!