Juniper & Ivy

When we were in San Diego we naturally had to make sure that we checked out Juniper & Ivy since I pretty much love Richard Blais (and his hair). Our meal at The Spence  in Atlanta has been so amazing that just the thought of eating some more of Blais' food was mouthwatering-inducing.

Upon arriving the first impression was all about the building and space. It was amazing. Totally my style and felt exactly how I like my upscale, divine eating experiences to feel. Once seated, our first order of business was the wine- which ended up being an excellent selection. We are all about the rosès these days, as they are versatile which is critical when you are eating a meal where you will be doing a lot of sampling.

We usually follow the plan of ordering a lot and sharing it all so we can taste and experience as much of the menu as possible. The menu constantly changes at Juniper & Ivy so I don't have the official names of all of our dishes, but here is what we enjoyed:

 Deviled Eggs- these were so fun! A meringue cup was the "egg" and the filling was beyond delish!

These Oysters. Oh. My. I could live on them. Similar to the ones we had at The Spence, the kimchi cocktail pearls on these were to die for. 

The peaches were a special the night we were there, with a slice of cheese and pesto, they were fresh, clean and full of amazing flavor.

Bone marrow ragu which was good- but we honestly misread the menu a bit and were a tad disappointed based on what we interpreted this as, and what it actually was. Not bad, but we ended up ordering another pasta dish to satisfy our cravings.

The pasta with clams. Show. Stopper. It was so so so good, we almost considered licking the bowl in public.

Pork, onions, and pea puree. This was heaven. I also have to make mention of the plates. Rustic, perfect compliment to the food.

I think this was halibut- whatever it was- it was one amazing piece of fish!

Annnnd dessert. Oh my gawd. Dessert. It was unreal. The Yodel was heavenly (that is that chocolate looking log thing) and that second dessert, oh man oh man. I wish I remembered  exactly what it was, but it was beyond decadent and delightful. 

I am already looking forward to eating there again, and anything that Blais opens, I am sure will be amazing since his food has been nothing short of amazing!

These Are Some of My Favorite Things

♥ "If you’re waiting for the right day, the right time, the right amount of money, the right age of your children to be, the right moment—it will never come. You are going to have to do it knowing you can’t go back. Trust."

♥ We all know I think my state is the most beautiful. But I won't be above it and will fully admit that New Mexico is also pretty freaking beautiful. 

♥ My dream would be to have a space like this where I could create beautiful things and do something creative with myself. 

♥ An easy, beautiful project that I can wait to try on another weekend when it is too hot to do anything but stay in the apartment. 

♥ Sparkles. Unconventional wedding ring that could be a great option for the person who doesn't love a bit stone. 

♥ How common is your birthday?

♥ I want to have an excuse to make a fancy dessert where I can add some of these. 

A Saturday in Boise Dreamin'

The weather has been so nice here in DC ("so nice" being a relative term- but seriously; it is eerily nice this summer!) and there are moments where I even forget I am in this condemned city. Sometimes I even get whiffs (yes, actual smells) that smell just like Idahome and I my brain instantly goes into overdrive planning a day that I quickly realize I can't actually have because I am thousands of shitty miles away from everything good and lovely. But IF I were able to have that lovely day that is in my head, it'd go a something bit like this:

I'd wake up in my lovely little bungalow home, where I could pad to my kitchen and start working on coffee and making some crepes. Meanwhile; I'd let Stanley out in the backyard where he would go like under his favorite big tree and enjoy the fresh air. After breakfast and a shower; we'd head down to the Roosevelt Market; just a short walk away, maybe pick up a smoothie, or additional cup of coffee.

We'd then load up into our bright red Subaru and head to Boise Farmers Market to pick up some fresh fruits and veggies, homemade pasta, and wine from the local vineyards.

After dropping the food goods at home, Stanley would request a walk down the Boise River, so we would go meander for a few miles to get his energy out. Once he was good and tired; he would go home for a nice long nap and I would meet up with some friends for drinks and dinner at this wonderful establishment for some of my favorite beer.

All I can say is...sign. me. up.

Simple Summer Dinner

Between the pup, busy work schedules and the unbearable heat that DC makes the norm, cooking isn't always high on the priority list. Any meal that is quick, simple, and requires minimal heat in the kitchen is high on the appeal list these days. To make this slightly more realistic to accomplish I luckily have an amazing little market that always carries some of the best local and fresh food.

A few nights ago I had some avocados on hand and with a quick trip to pickup some salami and cheese; an epic dinner was created.

If You Don't Like Kale....Try, Try, Again

Kale and I didn't start off on the right foot. 

I read about this "amazing", "life-altering", green of a million health benefits and ran right out to the store to grab a giant bag to incorporate into my smoothies. This was before kale was splattered all over every trendy restaurant's menu and before you could buy it at Trader Joe's- so I was a little....uneducated about the green. 

I dragged that big giant bag home, read that I should pull the leaves off the stems and toss a good hearty handful into my blender with my fruits and chug it down with a post-workout smoothie.

Well THAT was a mistake.

I remember I vaguely interpreted that disclaimer about the stems being super bitter and that a little kale goes a long ways in a smoothie. I ended up washing the smoothie down the sink, throwing the remainder of my kale in the trash and vowing that glare at any person who exclaimed "I LOVE kale!". 

I avoided it for a few years, steering away from it on menus, in smoothies, and it certainly never graced my grocery basket ever again. 

Cue a dinner at Mintwood Place and sharing an appetizer of burrata, kales, hazelnut, apple & tamarind with friends. The crunch baked kale was outstanding. Dare I say I got territorial over the appetizer. Fast forward and a friend brought a kale and brussel sprout salad to a super bowl party. Again...delightful. 

It finally occurred to me that my initial interaction with kale had been a rushed, brash experience that resulted in a less than warranted aversion.

Looking for some healthy, quick snacks I can make to munch on while I am on marathon calls for work, I decided to jump on this kale chip bandwagon (making sure to truly remove all those stems!) and have found a new craving that isn't a samoa girl scout cookie.

Not to be a sell out....but... I LOVE baked kale chips. 

Watch out world...I may just buy a yoga mat now. 

If you are looking for Kale inspiration, I found mine here, and here. 

Atlanta: The Spence, Trey McIntyre, and Baseball

Trey is doing a farewell tour since he has called it quits with his full-time dance company. I've cried just about every day since it was announced. 

The BF knew how much this has hurt and suggested we take a trip to see a final show so I could mourn the loss of one of my favorite pieces of dance the world. We settled on Atlanta and selfishly did so for the addition of some good food and a baseball game to make it a complete weekend. 

We left DC bright at early (maybe not bright- but certainly early) on Saturday morning and were in Atlanta before brunch time had passed. After a brief stop to grab some metro cards (way to go Atlanta for a way better ticket system than DC!) we headed to our hotel and checked-in. A brief nap and a little research we set off to track down some pancakes at Ria's Bluebird. Now I am not much of a pancake lover. I typically opt for bacon, eggs, hashbrowns-those types of things. However, these pancakes were supposed to be epic, and throw in the words "caramelized bananas" and I was sold.

They. Did. Not. Disappoint. Be still my heart-- they were phenomenal. By far the best pancakes I have ever  had. Epic. The bananas created this amazing syrup that I would have drank from a cup if given the opportunity. 

On our way back to the hotel we wandered through a beautiful historic cemetery and also wandered a bit farther than anticipated to see Coca Cola world (can we say diabetes? It was a zoo, but with 9 million bottles of soda and overly caffeinated children). After our minimal sleep the night before, we opted for pulling the black out shades and napping until we had to get ready to go to dinner.

It is no secret that Richard Blais is at the top of my list for favorite celebrity chefs (ok...I'll be honest...he IS my favorite...I mean...can you blame me?!). 

SIDENOTE: I am practically bff's with Richard's sister, so it is just a matter of time until we get to meet.

Anyways, back to the trip. We had been long awaiting an opportunity to eat at The Spence.  It was phenomenal. Even just going to Atlanta for that meeting was entirely worth the trip. Not only is the food fantastic, the space was beautiful, the staff was friendly, and the cocktails were delish.

Did I mention that my love of keys was indulged as well!

Oysters & Pearls

Fried Olives

Bone Marrow

Beet pasta

Short Rib

Sweet Potato "brulee"

And of course we had to have the table-side liquid nitrogen ice cream dessert (how could we not after watching Blais on Top Chef!?!)

The Spence dining room is sunny and beautiful!

Couldn't get enough of the key!

We ubered back to the Rialto Theater, just in time to grab our tickets and make it to our seats for Trey. I can't even begin to tell you about the performance. It haunts my thoughts. 

We saw The Vinegar Works, a work commission on part by the Rialto, which was eerily beautiful and satirical. When Trey nails it--he nails it.

We also were lucky to see Mercury Half-Life, which took my right back to the first time I ever saw work by Trey in a cramp studio theater in Boise Idaho. I remember getting chills. It was the first piece of dance I had seen that made me realize that dance was so much deeper than movement with meaning. His choreography is human, relateable, and emotionally pungent. I can't shake some of the movement that I swear will be seared into my memory forever. It was almost as good as that first time I saw him. Forever I will think of The Reassuring Effects of Form & Poetry, but Mercury half-life was in its own realm of wonderful.

It was a good goodbye. I cried. No joke. Its a close to a period of my life that has such fantastic memories tied to it. I do hope there will be more of TMP in the world, and hopefully some more dance too.

 After a night of emotional recovery- we woke up and headed for a Braves baseball game. All I can say is....Tomahawk chop.

We avoided getting drenched in a horrible rain storm, made it back to the hotel, grabbed a snack and then headed back to the airport to get back to DC so we could pack up and both leave on work trips the next day!

These Are Some of My Favorite Things

✤If you are like me you have a plethora of Instagram photos- but what to do with them? Printic is a great option- but isn't exactly cheap. I stumbled across this tutorial the other day, that I might be willing to give a shot. 

✤I love a good list of advice- particularly when it comes to advice regarding your twenties. This had some particular gems that really hit home for me. 

✤The day-to-day lives of dancers have always fascinated me. I love this side by side comparison of a "normal" life to a dancers life. 

✤A good cup of of chai is one of my favorite warm drinks. With all this blustery winter weather here in DC, this recipe that a friend recommended is on my list of things to make. 

✤Winter always makes me crave pasta, and this recipe is looking pretty tasty. Followed by this dessert, I am pretty sure I'd have a meal made in heaven. 

Parsnip Soup

I haven't been eating very well lately. I also have totally fallen off my working schedule. Partly because I did something to my knee skiing a few weeks ago, so I've been trying to take it easy. There has been a lot of pasta, and cheesy things being consumed. 

Tonight I wanted something will lots of veggies. Something light, and also quick and easy (since I was dining solo). A salad was my first inclination, but being January and all- I wanted something cozier. 

Months and months ago the BF and I shared a bowl of creamy parsnip soup at a local restaurant, and it was so good, I have been thinking about it since then.

Browsing a few recipes I found a recipe for Potato, Carrot and Parsnip soup.

It hit the spot! I halved the recipe, didn't use as much 1/2 & 1/2, and increase the amount of parsnip, and ended up with a really tasty soup that was quick, easy and delish!

Check it out if you need a quick weeknight dinner! 

While we are on the subject of soups...anyone have their own recommendations? I personally love a pureed soup, or lentils! 

I am not sure I could have taken a more unappetizing photo! This does NOT do it justice! But let's all have a laugh at my lame photography, since I was in such a rush to eat my bowl of soup!

Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo

One of two things is going on with my social media habits. 

1) I am either a really good pinner. (You can find me here)

OR

2) Pinterest really does have a plethora of really amazing and fantastic ideas and recipes.

Let's go with both so I can give myself a pat on the back. I've tried a few recipes that I have found interesting from Pinterest, but to-date, the most recent endeavor triumphs over the others.

Cauliflower. Fettuccine. Alfredo. Yes....CAULIFLOWER. 

It was epic. Creamy. Flavorful (and not tasting like purred veggies), garlicy, rich, filling, and at the same time didn't make me feel like a brick after I had eaten a nice size bowl. It also kept WAY better than traditional alfredo and didn't just break down into a whole bunch of oil. This was boyfriend and dude-friend approved. I can't stop raving about it.

I followed the Pinch of Yum recipe with a few minor modifications.

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SAUCE

Author: Pinch of Yum

Serves: makes about 5 cups

 

INGREDIENTS

• 8 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5-6 cups cauliflower florets ( I used one full head of a decent sized cauliflower)
• 6-7 cups vegetable broth or water (I used one box, and seemed to cover my cauliflower, but was only about 4-5 cups)
• 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• ½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
• ½ cup milk (more to taste)- I had some cream on hand, so I used that instead, but a little less than 1/2 cup
• I added two types of cheese- Freshly grated peccorino and parm- I think this is what made the dish! I used probably 1/2ish in total.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Garlic: Saute the minced garlic with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Cauliflower: Bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.
3. Puree: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower pieces to the blender. Add 1 cup vegetable broth or cooking liquid, sauteed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Serve hot! If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.

So I also have to say I am bit embarrassed to admit this...but I was so enamored with this sauce, that I had woofed down almost my entire bowl before I thought to take a photo...so you get a photo of my half eaten pasta. Glamorous. Not. (Also please pardon the blurry photo--again I was too involved with eating)

 I also had been having a cake craving. Which is pretty odd. I usually never crave cake. We even tried a cupcake to see if that would satisfy my craving...it did not. So I whipped up this little gem. An easy cake recipe, that completely hit the spot and satisfied that nagging craving!

 Has anyone else found some amazing recipes on Pinterest? I am excited to try this baked salmon!

A Favorite

Before I moved I had one of the greatest coffee shop/cares in the world about a 3 minute walk from my apartment. Granted, now I am 10 minutes away, but that convenience is missed! Tryst, is as close as you are going to get to the "FRIENDS" coffee shop in real life. Mis-matched furniture of ugly castaway couches and wing backed chairs, mixed with good food, great coffee, and a bar for those after work moments. It is one majorly redeeming part of DC for me. It may beat out many of the coffee shops I haunted in college in Seattle! Seriously!

It is a favorite of mine for studying (pretty sure I passed my PHR because of Tryst), reading, Internet browsing, and hanging out with friends. I can be found at Tryst a lot.

A favorite of mine, is Tuesday nights at 8pm. The musical talents of Wytold are free, and created the perfect atmosphere to sip a glass of white, eat a cookie, or dinner, and unwind. Wytold layers melodies on his 6 string electric cello with the help of a foot pedal that loops melodies, while he layers on top of existing ones. It is beautiful.

If Trey and him were to collaborate...I have one word....magic. (Trey...I'd be glad to hook you up, if you want to hire me ;))

So tonight I am enjoying dinner, a glass of wine, followed with a cookie and diet coke.

If you visit me. Make me take you here.

Hope your Tuesday is just as relaxing!

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Medium Rare

It is no secret that I love me a big piece of red meat with a side of potatoes in some form. Luckily the SO is just as enamoured with red meat and appreciates a fine meal complete with an ice cream sundae. Where did we have such a fantastic meal you ask?

Medium Rare.

With a prix fixe menu, you are guide exactly towards what is perfection:

Artisan Rustic Bread
Mixed Green Salad
Culotte Steak & Hand-Cut Fries w/ Secret Sauce

Sound simple? Simple, but downright scrumptious. Yes. I said scrumptious. That secret sauce is good enough to lick the plate. The bread is good enough to ask for a loaf to take home and smoother with nutella, and the salad....even the salad is so good you want seconds.

Best part is. You get seconds! After your first serving of fries and steak, you are served a second round from a hot pan, straight to your plate. Luckily, they bring a little extra sauce. Let's just say these are the worlds best left-overs.

Top this all of with...you guessed it. Ice Cream Sundae, complete with a cherry on top.

Next time the parents roll into town, this place is a must-go. (Wink wink parents).

A Date at Union Market

This past late summer/early fall the bf and I headed to the new (to me) Union Market, a year round "artisanal marketplace". It features a variety of places to eat, buy local meats and produce, and shops with unique and home-y products. Our first encounter was the crafty-bastards craft fair, that was a scene to say the least. While we would have loved to grab some food that day, there were just too many people and no where to sit. We have been talking about going back for months now, and since the bf is gone this entire week for work- we thought it a nice date space before we had a whole week apart.

As I am sure you remember, I LOVE me some oysters.Whenever the bf asks what I want to eat one my usual responses is "Oysters and watermelon". Needless to say, we have never gotten oysters together and we have certainly never fulfilled my dream of oysters AND watermelon. So after all the times he "poo-pooed" (his words not mine!) my oyster request, he suggested we try the Rappahannock Oyster Co.

We got seats right at the bar, and were able to watch them shuck and plate oysters. We each started with a delish beer, a bowl of oyster chowder (full of awesome, big oysters) and then each ordered six raw oysters to slurp down.

It was pretty stinkin' good. Oysters may easily make it into my favorite food list, I just can't get enough!

After our super yummy food, we wandered the market a little and then headed home and even had to brush a light dusting of snow off the car!

Oyster Cravings and Good Friends

I get these cravings which I am sure are not normal. I've never been pregnant, but these cravings make me scared for when I do have kids!
I love, love, love oysters.
I get cravings for their sweet, salty, briney, cucumber taste and it just gets worse and worse until I can track down some of these delightful creatures for consumption.
After a few weeks of moaning about my latest oyster craving, I was able to rope Ash into heading to Hank's for happy hour before the Thanksgiving holiday.
We easily polished off TWO DOZEN oysters and some glasses of white wine. Mission complete.

Now we just have to see when my next craving kicks in!
Ps you can ask the bf about my rather humorous dining suggestions to get oysters and watermelon. Which always sound good to me. ( yes, together!)

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Something besides cereal for dinner!!

After the fire alarm debacle of 2012, I have been a bit shy to cook anything past a bowl of cereal. Typically the bf is around to help me cook (we do Sunday dinners almost weekly), but with him gone for work, I am left to my own devices. Cereal just wasn't doing it for me tonight so I decided to copy a dish I had a long time ago at Cork Wine Bar. They serve avocado on toasted bread, with pistachios, and olive oil. It is salty, savory, and delightful! I made my own version tonight and it was pretty close to the original!

Under 15 minutes and a perfectly filling and tasty dinner that didn't come out of a box!

Bagellettes

When inspiration strikes, particularly baking or crafting inspiration, I obsess. If I am not obsessed with the idea I can tell you right now it will be years before I ever bake or craft that idea. However, if the obsession strikes....well I will carve out an evening, weekend, wee hours if the morning to make it happen. The latest obsession... bagels.

Homemade bagels.

With a crunchy outer shell, and that chewy, dense-but-flaky inside.

What got me hooked on this bagel obsession? Seeing them on cupcakes and cashmere. (follow the link to get the recipe!)

I was a bit intimidated and also a bit shocked with the very few ingredients needed for these!

it did take awhile. There is a lot of waiting, rising, waiting, rising and then baking. I'm sure you are also wondering if all this effort is really worth it. After all, you can just buy a bagel. It. Is. Worth. It.

They are like a bagel's little sister...the bagellette.

A little peanut butter, and a little milk. A little joy. yum!

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Big Lights Will Inspire You- NY Day 2- Part 1

The next morning we hit up the hotel breakfast after we had a wonderful nights sleep after all of that walking! After filling up on coffee, fruit loops, bananas, and some OJ we headed off in the same direction as day one, but this time to make it to The High Line. After a quick subway and some walking we found ourselves at one end of it. Just from the first glimpse I knew I was going to love it!


And love it did I! This might have been one of my favorite parts of our trip! Such a cool concept and with each little part of this park I kept thinking "OOoOH! I would love to come here with a book (or an iPad!), grab a cup of coffee and people watch, or just walk and chat with a girlfriend". It was peaceful, it was urban, it was design-y, it was modern and classic. I couldn't get enough. If we had stayed for a week I am sure I would have asked to go back every single day.

Inside this tunnel thing there were coffee vendors, gelato and then we found....

Paletas! I had a lime cilantro one sprinkled with a spicy salt mixture. It was delightful!

I would live on these wooden lounge chairs. Book in hand. Girlfriend by side. Coffee in hand.

After exploring THL and being sad to leave we decided to walk to Eataly which is a market, restaurant, everything-Italian-you-can-think-of  which is part of the Mario Batali line of food-goodness. I can say that this was a overindulgence for the part of me that adores food! There were colorful pieces of food everywhere, pasta drying on racks, fresh bread, wine, and cheese for days.

We decided to try one of the mini restaurants that is housed in Eataly and we were lucky enough to snag two bar seats where we ordered olives and a cheese/cured meat platter that was a work of art.

Just outside was the Flat Iron building, which from my 5th grade "States Project" became a fascination of mine for years.

On the top of my New York To-Do list was traveling to the top of the Empire State Building. Again, another part of my 5th grade project that I just never forgot. Add in my love for Sleepless in Seattle- and there we get to my interest in this iconic building. The night before when it was too foggy and raining, we got some cool photos of it at night, but walking closer and closer to it, you start to grasp just how incredibly large and magnificent it is!

It was hard for me to control my photo taking and naturally I have ended up with so many photos from the top, but it was jaw dropping. I love getting skyline views of cities and landscapes.

to be continued.....