3 more weeks of school!!!!! Okay now I can add exclamation marks, and here's why. Things are starting to solidify. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before on the blog, but last summer I spent a month living with my grandpa and acting as caretaker for both him and the property. My aunt and uncle began a pretty extensive vegetable garden on the property and while they were away for the month I picked and cooked vegetables like nobody's business. Well they've taken that garden and expanded it tenfold. They began a community garden on another piece of the property, and from what they say, it's the size of three football fields. I am beyond excited to finally go back! That month was one of the best in my life. I got to cook, garden, deepen my relationship with my grandpa, and spend some much needed time with myself. Internet is mostly nonexistent, cell service is spotty, and it's too hot to sit and watch TV. It can be lonely at times, but I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. And now I get to go back, and while the work is going to be ten times harder than last summer, I'm looking forward to it so much. Living in the city makes me crave the outdoors and the heat and extensive physical activity and pretty soon I'll have more than I'll know what to do with! I'm giddy!
On top of that, I'll be going from Sonora to Hawaii for my sister's wedding. I've hardly ever been out of California so this is going to be such an adventure. I'll have plenty of wedding preparations to work on while I'm at my grandpa's so there shouldn't be a dull moment. After the wedding I'll have just a few weeks of August until school starts once again. Things are starting to take shape right before my eyes and let me tell you, I am loving the way it looks.
-LG
4.27.2011
Breakfast.
This wonderful tradition is not something I get to take part in all that much anymore. The mornings that I work don't leave enough time for me to eat before leaving, and now my body has gotten used to waiting until lunch. That means that on days that I don't work, like today, I'm generally not hungry when I wake up. But today was different. Today was going to be glorious. I woke up (at 7:30, since my mom seems to have a sixth sense for when I'm trying to sleep in and promptly texts me) hungry and imagining what delights I could fill my belly with on this fine, beautiful, sunny day. Alas, upon opening the fridge I was met head on by a stench so foul it almost made me lose my appetite. Imagine low tide. Rotten sea weed. Perhaps a dead fish. Now take that scent and mix it with stagnant, rotten, polluted lake water. Apparently that's what spinach smells like when it decomposes in the drawer of our fridge. I 409'd the shit out of our kitchen, hoping to cover the smell of death with the smell of toxic chemicals. So far it's doing the trick, but I might have to do a second layer of Febreeze Passionfruit in a little while.
Like I said, it almost made me lose my appetite. But I'm not easily deterred when I have soft boiled eggs on the brain. For anyone who has never had a soft boiled egg, please get on my level. They are amazing. It's essentially my perfect egg. Cooked whites with a creamy, gooey, salty yoke. Clearly I don't pay much attention to cholesterol. Last year when I was living in the dorms and had access to an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, I had two eggs every morning for breakfast. It's amazing that I haven't needed a triple bypass yet. Anyhow, the soft boiled egg is a tricky one to master. You have to get the timing down perfectly, and I spent many a morning last summer and fall experimenting. Five minutes and thirty seconds. Not a second more. Not a second less. If you don't cok it long enough, the whites will be runny, and let me tell you: there is absolutely nothing worse in this world than watery, runny whites that ruin your perfectly crafted, creamy yoke. "Lauren, what about world hunger? Genocide?" Nope. Runny whites. But I have a system down now that guarantees me the perfect soft boiled egg, and I just might share it with you all.
Along with my eggs I had some Greek yogurt and honey, and I mixed in some of my leftover blackberry compote. It was rather tasty. Although I will say that mixing in frozen fruit (mango chunks, for instance) is more my style. I like it cold. Anyhow, now that I have a free day and nowhere to go, I'm going to continue working on the dress, perhaps watch some more OC, and perhaps even do some of the exercises in my Fitness magazine. How lovely does that sound! Happy hump day all, I hope the sun is shining wherever you are!
-LG
PS Three more weeks until school is over. I'm too excited to add exclamation points (fun fact: when I was little I referred to those as "excited marks". Aptly named, if I do say so myself). This month is gonna go by so. Fast. Hell to the yes.
Like I said, it almost made me lose my appetite. But I'm not easily deterred when I have soft boiled eggs on the brain. For anyone who has never had a soft boiled egg, please get on my level. They are amazing. It's essentially my perfect egg. Cooked whites with a creamy, gooey, salty yoke. Clearly I don't pay much attention to cholesterol. Last year when I was living in the dorms and had access to an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, I had two eggs every morning for breakfast. It's amazing that I haven't needed a triple bypass yet. Anyhow, the soft boiled egg is a tricky one to master. You have to get the timing down perfectly, and I spent many a morning last summer and fall experimenting. Five minutes and thirty seconds. Not a second more. Not a second less. If you don't cok it long enough, the whites will be runny, and let me tell you: there is absolutely nothing worse in this world than watery, runny whites that ruin your perfectly crafted, creamy yoke. "Lauren, what about world hunger? Genocide?" Nope. Runny whites. But I have a system down now that guarantees me the perfect soft boiled egg, and I just might share it with you all.
Along with my eggs I had some Greek yogurt and honey, and I mixed in some of my leftover blackberry compote. It was rather tasty. Although I will say that mixing in frozen fruit (mango chunks, for instance) is more my style. I like it cold. Anyhow, now that I have a free day and nowhere to go, I'm going to continue working on the dress, perhaps watch some more OC, and perhaps even do some of the exercises in my Fitness magazine. How lovely does that sound! Happy hump day all, I hope the sun is shining wherever you are!
-LG
PS Three more weeks until school is over. I'm too excited to add exclamation points (fun fact: when I was little I referred to those as "excited marks". Aptly named, if I do say so myself). This month is gonna go by so. Fast. Hell to the yes.
Alexa's Hearty Pasta With Ground Turkey and Tomato Sauce.
I absolutely love ground turkey because it’s so versatile and healthy. I was craving something hearty so I decided to make up my own recipe with the ingredients I had in my fridge. I knew I wanted pasta and ground turkey so I combined them with a fresh tomato sauce. You can use any kind of pasta, but I used trofie, which takes a little longer to cook so you can use spaghetti, penne or linguine. Whatever you prefer.
I also added arugula and parmesan cheese to the pasta when it was complete. The arugula added this indescribable kick and the parmesan of course gave it a tremendous flavor. Parmesan is one of my favorite cheeses and when you pair it with pasta it’s heaven in your mouth. I was running low on vegetables so the the small amount of arugula was the perfect addition to the pasta. I made a smaller portion for just myself so if you’re thinking about making it for another person or a group of people you can double or triple the recipe. You will want to try this recipe because it’s very fresh, somewhat healthy and mouth watering. Give it a shot!
Ingredients:
-2 Tablespoons of Olive oil
-Teaspoon of salt
-Teaspoon of pepper
-One garlic clove, minced
-Half of a yellow onion, chopped
-1/2 a can of tomato sauce
-Ground turkey ( Your preference if you want it meaty add more)
-Handful of arugula
-½ cup of parmesan
Directions:
Fill up a pot halfway with water and let boil. While you wait for water to boil cook ground turkey in a separate pan until golden brown.
In a sauce pan, heat up olive oil and then add the minced garlic. Let garlic cook and then add the chopped onion. Let that all simmer until the onions are soft. Add the tomato sauce and let it come to a boil then add salt and pepper. Drain the grease from the ground turkey and add to the tomato sauce. Mix that until turkey is drenched in sauce. Once water boils add pasta. Let pasta cook for 12-15 minutes if you use trofie. Then combine sauce and pasta. Add the grated parmesan and arugula and then Bon Appétit!!!!
-Alexa
4.26.2011
So Funny I Forgot To Laugh.
That's how much of my misfortune seems to go. Or idiocy, I should say. I have to laugh at myself because it's just too late to get upset. So it turns out that I have negative funds in my bank account and I do, in fact, possess a beater. I guess that last one isn't so much misfortune as it is me being too lazy to thoroughly check my kitchen. And I guess that first one isn't so much misfortune as it is me being too lazy to frequently check my bank balance. In any case, I just called in sick for work tomorrow, seeing as I have $2 to my name. Enough to get to work, but not enough to get home. And I'd rather not be stuck there, thanks. I thought that I was a "starving college student". One who happened to eat more than enough and shopped. A lot. But I think I just hit rock bottom and I tell ya, the view from down here is not pretty. It's tainted with panic and self-disgust and filled with the echoes of my promises to change my ways. If you're picturing the bottom of a deep, dark well, you're spot on. I get paid on Friday and don't have to go anywhere until then so I'm not panicking too much, but still. The best part is that the first thing I thought was "how am I going to get groceries for this week's recipe?!". Good to know my priorities are in order. I know that's what you were worried about too, but don't fret. I have plenty of ingredients to throw something together, and now I have a beater at my disposal so look out!
Anyway, now that I don't have to get up early for work, and since I'm not tired, I'm going to go watch The OC in bed while deconstructing this dress. I figured out what I wanna do to it, so here's to hoping I don't royally fuck it up. My plan is to make it shorter, take off the sleeves, remove the zipper from the back, and cut both the front and back necklines into V's. Then of course finishing off the edges. I've done something similar to a silky blouse, and it was rather successful. It's a shame I got deep red lipstick all over the back and can't wear it now. How did I manage that? Being an idiot. If you haven't already noticed, it's kinda my thing. ANYWAY! I'm leaving now, to go bask in the gray, murky glory that is my financial negligence. Toodles.
-LG
Anyway, now that I don't have to get up early for work, and since I'm not tired, I'm going to go watch The OC in bed while deconstructing this dress. I figured out what I wanna do to it, so here's to hoping I don't royally fuck it up. My plan is to make it shorter, take off the sleeves, remove the zipper from the back, and cut both the front and back necklines into V's. Then of course finishing off the edges. I've done something similar to a silky blouse, and it was rather successful. It's a shame I got deep red lipstick all over the back and can't wear it now. How did I manage that? Being an idiot. If you haven't already noticed, it's kinda my thing. ANYWAY! I'm leaving now, to go bask in the gray, murky glory that is my financial negligence. Toodles.
-LG
Post Script.
Alexa's recipe will be along shortly. Homegirl is in the middle of midterms and school comes first. So you just hold your horses.
-LG
-LG
Muffin Cake With Goat Cheese Frosting and Fruit Compote.
Alright here it is! Two days later than originally planned but you should be used to my tardiness by now. Pretend that it's endearing. A charming trait. One of my many delightful idiosyncrasies that brings you back again and again.
As I mentioned before, I wanted to make something with goat cheese. I don't know what it is with me lately, but I couldn't get goat cheese off my mind. I always find the stuff enchanting but this was along the lines of an irrational pregnancy craving. No I'm not pregnant. Anyway, specifically the combination of goat cheese and fruit. It's heavenly. So on Saturday morning I decided that I would make cake just so that I would have something to put goat cheese frosting on. The cake itself was made with a gluten free baking mix I already had on hand, and if I'm being completely honest, it was muffin mix. So I'm just gonna call it muffin cake. The muffin cake was provided by Pamela's, the gluten free brand I usually go with.
It's a good brand for mixes for things from pizza dough to cookies. I know that it's sold at Whole Foods. I'm not sure where else but you can always buy it online if you're interested. Anyhow, I used the muffin recipe from this particular mix and it was tasty enough. I'll get into that later.
I made two separate cakes. A nutmeg-cinnamon cake with pear compote, and a plain muffin cake with lemon juice and zest and blackberry-lemon compote.
Cake:
-Use the mix of your choice, or make it from scratch. I would suggest making something slightly more dense (but still moist) as opposed to a light and fluffy cake. I don't know why, I just feel like something too fluffy would clash with the frosting and compote.
-I chose to use bread pans instead of a cake pan or muffin tin. But any of these would work, it all depends on what you want the finished product to look like. I wanted two small two-tiered cakes, hence the bread pan.
-I wanted two different flavors of cake. To the first mix I added about a teaspoon of cinnamon and maybe half a teaspoon of nutmeg, but add to taste. To the second mix I added about a tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice and zested some of the peel, but again, add to taste.
-Bake the cakes as the recipe suggests, and let cool completely before frosting.
Goat Cheese Frosting:
-12 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
-6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
-1/2 cup confectioners sugar
-In a bowl, beat all 3 together thoroughly. You will most definitely have extra and it can be stored, covered, for up to three days. If you're like me and don't have a beater, you can mix by hand. It will be harder and take longer but this is why the ingredients being room temperature is so important. The softer they are, the easier it is for you to mix them.
Fruit Compote:
-Fruit of your choice (I used pears and blackberries)
-Sugar (optional)
-Water (optional)
-Cinnamon (optional but it tastes bomb so go ahead and use it)
-Lemon juice
-Fruit compote is one of those things that turns out to be so incredibly easy and delicious, it leaves you delightfully shocked and wondering why you didn't do it sooner. You will need fruit, sugar, and water. Like all of my recipes before this, I have half-assed measurements that depend on how much you're making and what you're using it for. So I'll say this: compote can be used for a great many things. I used it as cake filling but you can substitute it for jam on toast, add it to yogurt, put it in your oatmeal, or just eat it straight. Therefore if you make more than you need, it's fine. Put it in a container and use it tomorrow for something else. It's healthier than jam as you may not even need to add the sugar. That's really only for fruits that are more tart. The natural sweetness of the fruit is often all you need. The water is for fruits that have a lower moisture content, although off the top of my head I can't think of a good example.
-In a saucepan, simmer your fruit on a low heat and stir frequently. The heat will begin to break the fruit down and give it the consistency of a pie filling. This is also a matter of preference. If you want your compote to have more whole pieces of fruit, cook it for a shorter period of time. I wanted mine to be mushier, so I cooked it longer.
-For the pear compote, I used 2.5 bosque pears (they're crunchier than a bartlett pear, and have a crisper flavor) and chopped them into small cubes. I didn't add any sugar but did add some cinnamon (to taste. Sorry!). I guarantee that you will not need sugar for the pear compote. It's a sweet fruit to begin with and not in the least bit tart. Remember to stir frequently to prevent burning and to make sure it's all cooking evenly. If you wish, use a fork or spoon to mash the fruit as it gets softer if you want a mushier consistency. When the compote is at a consistency you like, remove from heat.
-If you are using a fruit with a lower water content, you can add some water. You don't need a lot! Start with less and work your way up if you feel it still isn't enough.
-For the blackberry-lemon compote, I did end up adding about a tablespoon of water (it turned out to be unnecessary but it didn't ruin anything), a tablespoon of sugar (but it's to taste. You can shoot me if you want) and some fresh-squeezed lemon juice. The sugar is more necessary with a fruit like blackberries since they can be very tart. When the compote it hot, it's more watery. But after removing it from the heat and letting it cool, it thickens up a bit.
-Remove from heat. Set aside.
Now that your cakes have cooled completely, you can begin icing. Mine started out as two rectangular cakes. I cut them in half so that they could later be stacked on top of each other to create two square two-tiered cakes. I frosted the bottom layers with a generous amount of goat cheese frosting. To the cinnamon nutmeg cake, I topped the bottom layer with the pear compote. I put the top layer on, frosted it, and added some pear slices, compote, and sprinkled cinnamon to the top for decoration. Repeat the steps for the blackberry cake. Keep in mind that the blackberry compote is runnier by nature as it is a very juicy fruit. This means that some of the juices ran down the side of the cake. I find this charming and rather pretty. I topped it with a few leftover blackberries and compote juice, letting it dribble down the side. I also added some lemon zest to the top. I then popped both cakes in the fridge to let them set.
If I were to go back and do any of this again, I would change a few things. One, I would use a different cake mix. It didn't taste bad, but gluten free mixes have a tendency to all have a corn-y aftertaste and texture about them. It takes away from the other flavors. Granted, I was using a muffin mix so I can't be too surprised that my cakes came out tasting like muffins. Two, I would wait until just before presenting the cakes to add the compote to the top. It didn't make a huge difference with the pears, but as you can see from the top picture, the blackberry compote bled into the frosting and set there in the fridge. Fresh dribbles and zest would have looked much more attractive. Three, I would have shaved the cakes down a little to make them more evenly square and flat. Four, I would have thought ahead more about what I wanted the finished product to look like. When you make up recipes as you go the way I have been, your focus is all on the individual steps. When you get to the end you realize that you hadn't planned that far ahead and now you have no idea how to make it look as good as it tastes. At least that's what my problem has been. Food styling is a whole new world for me and I'm still figuring out how to incorporate my other styling skills into the kitchen.
Anyhow, there you have it! I'm sorry this was such a novel. I guess that's what happens when you don't use any actual measurements for things. I'll work on that, I promise. If anybody takes any part of this recipe on, please please please share it! Enjoy!
-LG
As I mentioned before, I wanted to make something with goat cheese. I don't know what it is with me lately, but I couldn't get goat cheese off my mind. I always find the stuff enchanting but this was along the lines of an irrational pregnancy craving. No I'm not pregnant. Anyway, specifically the combination of goat cheese and fruit. It's heavenly. So on Saturday morning I decided that I would make cake just so that I would have something to put goat cheese frosting on. The cake itself was made with a gluten free baking mix I already had on hand, and if I'm being completely honest, it was muffin mix. So I'm just gonna call it muffin cake. The muffin cake was provided by Pamela's, the gluten free brand I usually go with.
I made two separate cakes. A nutmeg-cinnamon cake with pear compote, and a plain muffin cake with lemon juice and zest and blackberry-lemon compote.
Cake:
-Use the mix of your choice, or make it from scratch. I would suggest making something slightly more dense (but still moist) as opposed to a light and fluffy cake. I don't know why, I just feel like something too fluffy would clash with the frosting and compote.
-I chose to use bread pans instead of a cake pan or muffin tin. But any of these would work, it all depends on what you want the finished product to look like. I wanted two small two-tiered cakes, hence the bread pan.
-I wanted two different flavors of cake. To the first mix I added about a teaspoon of cinnamon and maybe half a teaspoon of nutmeg, but add to taste. To the second mix I added about a tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice and zested some of the peel, but again, add to taste.
-Bake the cakes as the recipe suggests, and let cool completely before frosting.
Goat Cheese Frosting:
-12 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
-6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
-1/2 cup confectioners sugar
-In a bowl, beat all 3 together thoroughly. You will most definitely have extra and it can be stored, covered, for up to three days. If you're like me and don't have a beater, you can mix by hand. It will be harder and take longer but this is why the ingredients being room temperature is so important. The softer they are, the easier it is for you to mix them.
Fruit Compote:
-Fruit of your choice (I used pears and blackberries)
-Sugar (optional)
-Water (optional)
-Cinnamon (optional but it tastes bomb so go ahead and use it)
-Lemon juice
-Fruit compote is one of those things that turns out to be so incredibly easy and delicious, it leaves you delightfully shocked and wondering why you didn't do it sooner. You will need fruit, sugar, and water. Like all of my recipes before this, I have half-assed measurements that depend on how much you're making and what you're using it for. So I'll say this: compote can be used for a great many things. I used it as cake filling but you can substitute it for jam on toast, add it to yogurt, put it in your oatmeal, or just eat it straight. Therefore if you make more than you need, it's fine. Put it in a container and use it tomorrow for something else. It's healthier than jam as you may not even need to add the sugar. That's really only for fruits that are more tart. The natural sweetness of the fruit is often all you need. The water is for fruits that have a lower moisture content, although off the top of my head I can't think of a good example.
-In a saucepan, simmer your fruit on a low heat and stir frequently. The heat will begin to break the fruit down and give it the consistency of a pie filling. This is also a matter of preference. If you want your compote to have more whole pieces of fruit, cook it for a shorter period of time. I wanted mine to be mushier, so I cooked it longer.
-For the pear compote, I used 2.5 bosque pears (they're crunchier than a bartlett pear, and have a crisper flavor) and chopped them into small cubes. I didn't add any sugar but did add some cinnamon (to taste. Sorry!). I guarantee that you will not need sugar for the pear compote. It's a sweet fruit to begin with and not in the least bit tart. Remember to stir frequently to prevent burning and to make sure it's all cooking evenly. If you wish, use a fork or spoon to mash the fruit as it gets softer if you want a mushier consistency. When the compote is at a consistency you like, remove from heat.
-If you are using a fruit with a lower water content, you can add some water. You don't need a lot! Start with less and work your way up if you feel it still isn't enough.
-For the blackberry-lemon compote, I did end up adding about a tablespoon of water (it turned out to be unnecessary but it didn't ruin anything), a tablespoon of sugar (but it's to taste. You can shoot me if you want) and some fresh-squeezed lemon juice. The sugar is more necessary with a fruit like blackberries since they can be very tart. When the compote it hot, it's more watery. But after removing it from the heat and letting it cool, it thickens up a bit.
-Remove from heat. Set aside.
Now that your cakes have cooled completely, you can begin icing. Mine started out as two rectangular cakes. I cut them in half so that they could later be stacked on top of each other to create two square two-tiered cakes. I frosted the bottom layers with a generous amount of goat cheese frosting. To the cinnamon nutmeg cake, I topped the bottom layer with the pear compote. I put the top layer on, frosted it, and added some pear slices, compote, and sprinkled cinnamon to the top for decoration. Repeat the steps for the blackberry cake. Keep in mind that the blackberry compote is runnier by nature as it is a very juicy fruit. This means that some of the juices ran down the side of the cake. I find this charming and rather pretty. I topped it with a few leftover blackberries and compote juice, letting it dribble down the side. I also added some lemon zest to the top. I then popped both cakes in the fridge to let them set.
If I were to go back and do any of this again, I would change a few things. One, I would use a different cake mix. It didn't taste bad, but gluten free mixes have a tendency to all have a corn-y aftertaste and texture about them. It takes away from the other flavors. Granted, I was using a muffin mix so I can't be too surprised that my cakes came out tasting like muffins. Two, I would wait until just before presenting the cakes to add the compote to the top. It didn't make a huge difference with the pears, but as you can see from the top picture, the blackberry compote bled into the frosting and set there in the fridge. Fresh dribbles and zest would have looked much more attractive. Three, I would have shaved the cakes down a little to make them more evenly square and flat. Four, I would have thought ahead more about what I wanted the finished product to look like. When you make up recipes as you go the way I have been, your focus is all on the individual steps. When you get to the end you realize that you hadn't planned that far ahead and now you have no idea how to make it look as good as it tastes. At least that's what my problem has been. Food styling is a whole new world for me and I'm still figuring out how to incorporate my other styling skills into the kitchen.
Anyhow, there you have it! I'm sorry this was such a novel. I guess that's what happens when you don't use any actual measurements for things. I'll work on that, I promise. If anybody takes any part of this recipe on, please please please share it! Enjoy!
-LG
4.25.2011
Delay.
Apparently our upstairs neighbors (the partiers and early morning masturbators) have turned their living room into a court of some kind. Not basketball, though, no. They are an edgy crowd that enjoys hybrid sports. This one is like extreme frisbee mixed with basketball mixed with golf. From what we can tell, it involves a lot of bouncing of said golf ball (don't be fooled by a golf ball's size. They make quite the ruckus). And chatter. A lot of incoherent yet persistent chatter. So it's a spectator sport. And once again, we are offended. Why weren't we invited! We enjoy Tuesday afternoon beer pong, and who doesn't relish the occasional 3 am bathtub self-pleasure sesh? And now this? The bastards.
Anyway, I am SORRY but the recipes are gonna have to be posted tomorrow. If I'm being completely honest, I'm exhausted. It's a good exhausted, as I spent the last few hours being stuffed to the point of uncomfortable bloating by my friend's cooking. But I'm exhausted nonetheless. Here's the upside: if I post tomorrow (which I will), I will have had a chance to get the pictures of my creations from my sister's phone.
The weather tomorrow is supposed to be a grand improvement from this morning's and I plan on spending the day enjoying the sun with a friend for a late birthday lunch. We're getting Ramen down by the ocean and I'm very much looking forward to it. So now you have even more updates to look forward to! You lucky ducks! Anyhow, congratulations on Monday coming to an end and I hope your Tuesday is magnificent. Splendiferous. Glorious.
-LG
Anyway, I am SORRY but the recipes are gonna have to be posted tomorrow. If I'm being completely honest, I'm exhausted. It's a good exhausted, as I spent the last few hours being stuffed to the point of uncomfortable bloating by my friend's cooking. But I'm exhausted nonetheless. Here's the upside: if I post tomorrow (which I will), I will have had a chance to get the pictures of my creations from my sister's phone.
The weather tomorrow is supposed to be a grand improvement from this morning's and I plan on spending the day enjoying the sun with a friend for a late birthday lunch. We're getting Ramen down by the ocean and I'm very much looking forward to it. So now you have even more updates to look forward to! You lucky ducks! Anyhow, congratulations on Monday coming to an end and I hope your Tuesday is magnificent. Splendiferous. Glorious.
-LG
Drizzle My Nizzle.
It's raining. And I am far from pleased. I do not possess an umbrella. Or a rain jacket. How have I managed to exist in this city for almost two years without either of these items? Good question. Anyway, it's Monday and I have eight hours of work ahead of me. I got ready freakishly fast today so I thought I would use that extra time to let you all know what will be coming up next: my day with Melanie in the kitchen, my weekend with my sisters, my successful goat cheese confections, and Alexa's recipe as well! For some reason unbeknownst to me, my manager scheduled me for 30 hours this week. I'm not complaining, as I have come to really enjoy my paycheck. But this means I will be very unpleasantly busy. My recipe for this week will have to accommodate that. This will be the last week that Alexa and I do random recipes! Starting next week we will be departing on our culinary adventure around the world! This week we'll be discussing what country we want to do first and I am very excited. A friend of mine got me a gluten free cookbook for my birthday that has Mexican, Italian, and Asian recipes so I can't wait to start cooking my way through it. Anyway it's time for me to run. I can't tell you how much I look forward to standing behind a register for eight hours. It's a transcendent experience, truly. Happy Monday! I hope the sun is shining wherever you are.
-LG
-LG
4.23.2011
Someone's In The Laboratory With Lauren.
Hello there. Sorry for my short absence, the past few days have been filled with work and festivities. I am officially the big 2-0, and while I didn't do anything illegal to send my teens off with a bang, I have been spending my birthday week with friends and family and I can't ask for anything better than that.
It is the morning of the Big Sleepover that I'm having with my sisters, and I have only just now decided what I want to make. Last minute inspiration strikes again! And what's even better is that my best friend Melanie has agreed to make the trek from the East Bay to be my Baking Co-pilot today. So here's what I'm planning on making. For tomorrow morning, I will bake a breakfast pizza complete with mango sausages, mushrooms, and monterey jack cheese. The dough has already been made with Italian spices added to it for flavor. Gluten free breads and doughs tend to need all the extra flavor they can get. And I'm thinking of adding garlic cloves to the dough before putting it in the over. And for tonight, I will attempt to bake what is essentially going to be a muffin cake with fruit compote and goat cheese frosting. I got super excited at work the other day when I thought up goat cheese frosting, thinking that I was about to be the inventor of something awesome. Turns out someone beat me to it. Anyway, I want to make a pear compote and a blackberry compote. I'm thinking the pear cakelette will be a savory, cinnamon-y, spicy confection with the tart frosting to cut the sweetness. The blackberry cakelette will be sweeter, and perhaps have lemon zest in it. I will be making up the recipe as I go along, hence the reference to a laboratory. It could all go terribly wrong. I don't have a beater for the frosting, so it's creaminess depends on how jacked I'm feeling today. I don't have one for the cake mix either, for that matter, so Melanie and I will have to tag team. I'm pretty sure she works out though so if anything I'll just make her do it. I don't have cupcake tins but that's fine because I do have bread tins and my plan is to make mini square layer cakes. I have very high hopes for these cakes and very little time to execute them. I'm leaving in a few minutes to fetch Melanie from BART, and from there we're going straight to Trader Joes to get all the necessary ingredients. My sister is picking me up at four and from there we're heading over to Marin. So I am under the gun, people!!! Wish me luck and I'll report back with the full recipe and, I can only assume, delightful anecdotes of my many failures. Happy Saturday everyone!
-LG
It is the morning of the Big Sleepover that I'm having with my sisters, and I have only just now decided what I want to make. Last minute inspiration strikes again! And what's even better is that my best friend Melanie has agreed to make the trek from the East Bay to be my Baking Co-pilot today. So here's what I'm planning on making. For tomorrow morning, I will bake a breakfast pizza complete with mango sausages, mushrooms, and monterey jack cheese. The dough has already been made with Italian spices added to it for flavor. Gluten free breads and doughs tend to need all the extra flavor they can get. And I'm thinking of adding garlic cloves to the dough before putting it in the over. And for tonight, I will attempt to bake what is essentially going to be a muffin cake with fruit compote and goat cheese frosting. I got super excited at work the other day when I thought up goat cheese frosting, thinking that I was about to be the inventor of something awesome. Turns out someone beat me to it. Anyway, I want to make a pear compote and a blackberry compote. I'm thinking the pear cakelette will be a savory, cinnamon-y, spicy confection with the tart frosting to cut the sweetness. The blackberry cakelette will be sweeter, and perhaps have lemon zest in it. I will be making up the recipe as I go along, hence the reference to a laboratory. It could all go terribly wrong. I don't have a beater for the frosting, so it's creaminess depends on how jacked I'm feeling today. I don't have one for the cake mix either, for that matter, so Melanie and I will have to tag team. I'm pretty sure she works out though so if anything I'll just make her do it. I don't have cupcake tins but that's fine because I do have bread tins and my plan is to make mini square layer cakes. I have very high hopes for these cakes and very little time to execute them. I'm leaving in a few minutes to fetch Melanie from BART, and from there we're going straight to Trader Joes to get all the necessary ingredients. My sister is picking me up at four and from there we're heading over to Marin. So I am under the gun, people!!! Wish me luck and I'll report back with the full recipe and, I can only assume, delightful anecdotes of my many failures. Happy Saturday everyone!
-LG
4.19.2011
Heart Via Stomach.
Over the weekend a friend asked me what my favorite kind of cooking is. By that they meant baking versus BBQ, oven versus stove, etc. But the only answer I could give was that what I love most is cooking for other people. Cooking itself is wonderful, but it's only part of the experience. I love trying to pick dishes I think everyone will like, spending a good part of my day preparing and cooking the meal, and finally setting it down in front of them to wait anxiously for their reaction. It has nothing to do with impressing anyone. It's about bringing that person comfort and pleasure on a plate. Giving them a moment to (hopefully) enjoy something outside of what is usually a busy and preoccupying day. It's about getting to a person's heart through their stomach.
This coming weekend two of my sisters and I are having a slumber party. It's years overdue. Being the youngest of four was hard for me growing up. I watched as, one by one, my sisters grew up and on to other, bigger things. My mom would always assure me that we would all become close again when we were older, and that I just needed to be patient. I didn't believe her. But now that we're all growing into/settling into adulthood, we find ourselves settling into each other again. And so this weekend I want to lavish upon my sisters heaps of mouth watering food. I want to fatten them up with love from my tiny, infuriating kitchen. Whatever I make for this week's recipe, I will share with them and hope that they love it. I don't know yet what I want to make, just that I want to get creative and improvise as much as possible. My sister Kaitlin is a successful gluten free eater, and so the recipe will have to be gluten free. Thinking about cooking her a gluten free meal or treat has me thinking about cooking gluten free in general. I desperately need to kick my gluten habit. I think the only way to get me motivated and keep me encouraged (because it can be incredibly discouraging) is if I try to conquer gluten free food. I want to not only try gluten free recipes, but maybe even make some up. I want to become a bomb ass gluten free cook. I'm going to add this to my list of goals for the coming year. If I'm going to be cooking more, I might as well cook gluten free as often as possible.
I'll keep you all posted with what I choose. I want to make something surprising and successfully unusual. I want to combine ingredients that you wouldn't think of combining. I want to make something beyond what an every day meal would be for them. I have much mulling over to do.
This coming weekend two of my sisters and I are having a slumber party. It's years overdue. Being the youngest of four was hard for me growing up. I watched as, one by one, my sisters grew up and on to other, bigger things. My mom would always assure me that we would all become close again when we were older, and that I just needed to be patient. I didn't believe her. But now that we're all growing into/settling into adulthood, we find ourselves settling into each other again. And so this weekend I want to lavish upon my sisters heaps of mouth watering food. I want to fatten them up with love from my tiny, infuriating kitchen. Whatever I make for this week's recipe, I will share with them and hope that they love it. I don't know yet what I want to make, just that I want to get creative and improvise as much as possible. My sister Kaitlin is a successful gluten free eater, and so the recipe will have to be gluten free. Thinking about cooking her a gluten free meal or treat has me thinking about cooking gluten free in general. I desperately need to kick my gluten habit. I think the only way to get me motivated and keep me encouraged (because it can be incredibly discouraging) is if I try to conquer gluten free food. I want to not only try gluten free recipes, but maybe even make some up. I want to become a bomb ass gluten free cook. I'm going to add this to my list of goals for the coming year. If I'm going to be cooking more, I might as well cook gluten free as often as possible.
I'll keep you all posted with what I choose. I want to make something surprising and successfully unusual. I want to combine ingredients that you wouldn't think of combining. I want to make something beyond what an every day meal would be for them. I have much mulling over to do.
Back when I was still the shortest.
Me, age 3; Kaitlin, age 6.
In bossy matching nightgowns, no less.
-LG
Kitchen.
I've added a new page to the blog! It's where I'll be posting the recipes from me and Alexa, and any others I want to add. It's pretty paltry right now but as time goes on that puppy is gonna be loaded. Check it out!
-LG
-LG
Alexa's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
Hello all! So I decided to make my favorite banana bread with an incredible twist. I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com along time ago and found it to be my favorite. If you like bananas and chocolate this is a great recipe to try out. Everyone loves chocolate and whoever doesn’t …well we can’t be friends. Anyways, I decided to add chocolate chips to my famous banana bread to give it that desirable taste. As I’m casually pouring the chocolate chips into the final batter I decide to use the whole bag. Who are we kidding, half a bag of chocolate chips just won’t do it. I’ve made this recipe many times and it is so simple and delicious! The smell of this masterpiece engulfing my apartment was all I wanted after a long day of class and my roommates agreed! Unfortunately since I’m a college student and on a budget I do not own a mixer. So mixing all the ingredients turned into a workout. I usually always have 3 or 4 ripe bananas in my freezer that I keep around just for this special occasion, but overripe bananas you have laying around will do as well. Give this recipe a try! You will not regret it. Here are the ingredients you need for this wonderful treat.
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Semi- sweet chocolate chips (I used the whole bag. It’s your preference)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Semi- sweet chocolate chips (I used the whole bag. It’s your preference)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined.
Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.
And enjoy!
-Alexa
If anybody makes this recipe, let us know how it goes!
4.18.2011
Brown Sugar Continued.
Alright here it is! I apologize, this first recipe is gonna be pretty disorganized. I improvised the whole thing, didn't write down, well, anything, and didn't take pictures. So I fail. Lucky for you, Alexa doesn't suck at life so you know that her recipe comes fully equipped with pictures and precise directions. Anyhow, without further ado, Brown Sugar Chicken with Balsamic Bell Pepper and Cucumber Salad.
The other day on my weekly trip to Trader Joes, I decided to buy a bag of brown sugar. I personally don't like living without some on hand, and figured everybody felt this way until I alerted my roommates to it's presence in the kitchen and they informed me that they don't use it. One even asked what it's for. I had to restrain myself. What is it for? Only everything! Or eating plain when you're really jonesing for some sweets and don't have anything more conventional. Anyway, on the same trip I picked up some whole carrots, whole mushrooms, whole garlic cloves, yellow zucchini, cucumber, balsamic dressing, organic boneless, skinless chicken, and butter. I had no idea what I was gonna do with any of it except that it would involve the word "roast". And roast I did. But a quick word about roasting. It's important to pay attention to what you're roasting. In case that was too captain obvious for you, here's why. Everything has a different roasting speed. Some things take only 30 minutes while others take closer to an hour. Mushrooms and zucchini, for instance, take less time due to the fact that they're much less fibrous than other veggies and have a higher water content. Carrots take closer to an hour if you want them soft. This means that you would roast your carrots for about 30 minutes, add the other veggies, and put it all back in the oven until all 3 are where you like them. I opted to put all 3 in at the same time and for the intents and purposes of this recipe, it worked out well.
I'll just jump in.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: Approx. 30 minutes
You Will Need:
1. Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2. Butter
3. Brown sugar
4. 4 whole carrots
5. 2 medium yellow zucchini
6. Whole mushrooms (I bought the pre packaged kind and used the whole package)
7. Olive oil
8. 1 large cucumber
9. 3 bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow)
10. Balsamic vinaigrette
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make sure your chicken is fully defrosted.
Make sure your butter is at room temperature/easily spreadable.
Roasted Veggies
1. Peel carrots and cut them into large chunks (cutting them in thirds is a good size).
2. Cut zucchini into wedges. Cut into quarters lengthwise, and then cut each quarter into wedges.
3. Rinse off/wipe off mushrooms. Leave whole.
4. In a large ziploc bag, mix veggies with about 2 tbsp of olive oil or however much is necessary to fully coat them. This prevents drying out in the roasting process.
5. Pour veggies in a 9x13 glass pyrex dish.
Chicken
1. I bought two whole chicken breasts and cut each in half lengthwise. This way they take less time to cook.
2. With a paper towel, pat the chicken breasts dry.
3. Spread a generous amount of butter on each side of each breast. The butter spreads much more easily on the outside of the breast. Do the best you can on the inside.
4. Sprinkle a generous amount of brown sugar on each side of the breast. It won't burn in the oven, and if you think you have too much on there, you don't. Add more. Trust. And when I say "sprinkle", I mean create a layer on top of the chicken that prevents you from actually being able to see chicken through it.
1. Place the pyrex of veggies in the oven for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, remove from oven and lay chicken breasts over the top. While roasting, the chicken fats and juices will cover the veggies and infuse them with savory, salty, brown sugar-y goodness.
3. Put back in oven for another 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
Balsamic Bell Pepper and Cucumber Salad
1. Cut bell peppers into slices and cucumber into rounds.
2. Toss in bowl with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
3. Eat!
Depending on how large you want the servings to be, this makes enough to feed 4 people. Mind you, I ate half of it myself quite easily. But that's because it was so damn good, not because it doesn't make a lot of food. It's super easy and all the effort goes into cutting vegetables which is easy peasy. Once the chicken is in the oven, your work is done! If anybody makes this recipe, I want pictures and comments and suggestions or just let me know that you tried it! Enjoy :]
Next up is Alexa's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!
-LG
The other day on my weekly trip to Trader Joes, I decided to buy a bag of brown sugar. I personally don't like living without some on hand, and figured everybody felt this way until I alerted my roommates to it's presence in the kitchen and they informed me that they don't use it. One even asked what it's for. I had to restrain myself. What is it for? Only everything! Or eating plain when you're really jonesing for some sweets and don't have anything more conventional. Anyway, on the same trip I picked up some whole carrots, whole mushrooms, whole garlic cloves, yellow zucchini, cucumber, balsamic dressing, organic boneless, skinless chicken, and butter. I had no idea what I was gonna do with any of it except that it would involve the word "roast". And roast I did. But a quick word about roasting. It's important to pay attention to what you're roasting. In case that was too captain obvious for you, here's why. Everything has a different roasting speed. Some things take only 30 minutes while others take closer to an hour. Mushrooms and zucchini, for instance, take less time due to the fact that they're much less fibrous than other veggies and have a higher water content. Carrots take closer to an hour if you want them soft. This means that you would roast your carrots for about 30 minutes, add the other veggies, and put it all back in the oven until all 3 are where you like them. I opted to put all 3 in at the same time and for the intents and purposes of this recipe, it worked out well.
I'll just jump in.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: Approx. 30 minutes
You Will Need:
1. Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2. Butter
3. Brown sugar
4. 4 whole carrots
5. 2 medium yellow zucchini
6. Whole mushrooms (I bought the pre packaged kind and used the whole package)
7. Olive oil
8. 1 large cucumber
9. 3 bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow)
10. Balsamic vinaigrette
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make sure your chicken is fully defrosted.
Make sure your butter is at room temperature/easily spreadable.
Roasted Veggies
1. Peel carrots and cut them into large chunks (cutting them in thirds is a good size).
2. Cut zucchini into wedges. Cut into quarters lengthwise, and then cut each quarter into wedges.
3. Rinse off/wipe off mushrooms. Leave whole.
4. In a large ziploc bag, mix veggies with about 2 tbsp of olive oil or however much is necessary to fully coat them. This prevents drying out in the roasting process.
5. Pour veggies in a 9x13 glass pyrex dish.
Chicken
1. I bought two whole chicken breasts and cut each in half lengthwise. This way they take less time to cook.
2. With a paper towel, pat the chicken breasts dry.
3. Spread a generous amount of butter on each side of each breast. The butter spreads much more easily on the outside of the breast. Do the best you can on the inside.
4. Sprinkle a generous amount of brown sugar on each side of the breast. It won't burn in the oven, and if you think you have too much on there, you don't. Add more. Trust. And when I say "sprinkle", I mean create a layer on top of the chicken that prevents you from actually being able to see chicken through it.
1. Place the pyrex of veggies in the oven for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, remove from oven and lay chicken breasts over the top. While roasting, the chicken fats and juices will cover the veggies and infuse them with savory, salty, brown sugar-y goodness.
3. Put back in oven for another 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
Balsamic Bell Pepper and Cucumber Salad
1. Cut bell peppers into slices and cucumber into rounds.
2. Toss in bowl with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
3. Eat!
Depending on how large you want the servings to be, this makes enough to feed 4 people. Mind you, I ate half of it myself quite easily. But that's because it was so damn good, not because it doesn't make a lot of food. It's super easy and all the effort goes into cutting vegetables which is easy peasy. Once the chicken is in the oven, your work is done! If anybody makes this recipe, I want pictures and comments and suggestions or just let me know that you tried it! Enjoy :]
Next up is Alexa's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!
-LG
4.16.2011
And When My Mind Runs...
...it runs south. To southern California, that is. I've been thinking for a long while now about moving. Where would I want to go? When? What would I want to do there? How long until I wanted to move again? This is part of being young, and seeking out roots. Tying to find yourself inside a landscape, or a city, or a town. Arriving somewhere and thinking "Yes. Now I'm home." That was how I felt about San Francisco. Coming from a small town, the city felt huge to me and full of possibilities. I still feel this way. Not so much about the size. In reality, San Francisco is a small town compared to other cities of this country. But I still feel a freshness every time I step outside. Like I'm bound to see something new, or stumble upon a street I'd never heard of, or eat food I'd never considered. This is the beauty of a city. It never ceases to be something it's never been before.
I think I found a great part of myself within San Francisco's landscape. But I would be lying if I said I was satisfied with that. Growing up my thought was this: I would live in San Francisco forever, and travel the world with the city as my home base. In fact, up until last year that was still very much my train of thought. And the more I imagined myself staying in San Francisco, the less realistic travel began to feel. But the more I think about moving around and exploring my own country, my own state even, the more likely it seems that I will have the opportunity to find other pieces of myself in other landscapes, and set down multiple sets of roots. A root system that could one day span the globe. You see, I've been limiting myself. I always thought that San Francisco is where I would find my freedom and my feet. But how little sense it makes to aim to stay in one place (an exceptionally small place, at that) while simultaneously aiming to walk the world. I used to think it a waste of time and energy to move from place to place, for only a year or two at a time. But now I think it a waste of time to stay, and do what you've done so many times before.
I feel like I've lived in a pressure cooker my whole life. I've always been high stress, neurotic, and far too responsible. Things needed to get done, get done right, and get done quickly. Over the course of the past year and a half, I've slowly been defrosting. I owe this to San Francisco. I found a more impulsive Lauren here. When you move to a city whose chaos is completely out of your control, you have to learn to relax. And relax I did. And so for awhile I felt "Yes. Now I'm home." But I've been changing, and rapidly. I've always been this way, thirsty for change and the chance to conquer something new. Over the past few months I've been feeling that familiar tug. And this time, the tug is coming from southern California. Perhaps because the cold has begun to get to me. And to be honest, it has. But that's not all of it. I'm ready for a new vibe. I've been saying "that's how we do it in San Francisco" and I'm ready to say something new. I'm ready to find new pieces of myself inside new landscapes. I'm ready to embrace a new way of life. A new, slower speed. I'm ready to learn things from a different breed of people. It may all be one state, but northern California and southern California really are two different worlds. And besides, who can resist this?
I think I found a great part of myself within San Francisco's landscape. But I would be lying if I said I was satisfied with that. Growing up my thought was this: I would live in San Francisco forever, and travel the world with the city as my home base. In fact, up until last year that was still very much my train of thought. And the more I imagined myself staying in San Francisco, the less realistic travel began to feel. But the more I think about moving around and exploring my own country, my own state even, the more likely it seems that I will have the opportunity to find other pieces of myself in other landscapes, and set down multiple sets of roots. A root system that could one day span the globe. You see, I've been limiting myself. I always thought that San Francisco is where I would find my freedom and my feet. But how little sense it makes to aim to stay in one place (an exceptionally small place, at that) while simultaneously aiming to walk the world. I used to think it a waste of time and energy to move from place to place, for only a year or two at a time. But now I think it a waste of time to stay, and do what you've done so many times before.
I feel like I've lived in a pressure cooker my whole life. I've always been high stress, neurotic, and far too responsible. Things needed to get done, get done right, and get done quickly. Over the course of the past year and a half, I've slowly been defrosting. I owe this to San Francisco. I found a more impulsive Lauren here. When you move to a city whose chaos is completely out of your control, you have to learn to relax. And relax I did. And so for awhile I felt "Yes. Now I'm home." But I've been changing, and rapidly. I've always been this way, thirsty for change and the chance to conquer something new. Over the past few months I've been feeling that familiar tug. And this time, the tug is coming from southern California. Perhaps because the cold has begun to get to me. And to be honest, it has. But that's not all of it. I'm ready for a new vibe. I've been saying "that's how we do it in San Francisco" and I'm ready to say something new. I'm ready to find new pieces of myself inside new landscapes. I'm ready to embrace a new way of life. A new, slower speed. I'm ready to learn things from a different breed of people. It may all be one state, but northern California and southern California really are two different worlds. And besides, who can resist this?
Manhattan Beach.
(Not my photo. Got it on Google)
I realize that it's totally unoriginal to want to move to the beach, but I can't control the tug. Anyway, it would be awhile before I went anywhere. I'm not quite finished with this city yet. In all likelihood, I'll end up here again. You see, once you set roots down, it's hard to leave them behind. But like I said, I'm ready. For new roots; new traditions; new stories.
-LG
Brown Sugar.
My first meal of mine and Alexa's cooking marathon was a great success! Unfortunately I was unable to snap any pictures, but hopefully that's the last time that happens. I'll do my darndest to get pictures from now on. I'll be posting the full recipe on Sunday or Monday, but I'll give you a little hint. It includes brown sugar. So you know it's gonna be good.
-LG
-LG
4.13.2011
Someone's In The Kitchen With Lauren.
Okay guys, get ready for something awesome. It's big. And awesome. And I am beyond excited! So I have this friend Alexa. I've known her since we were six years old, so it's safe to say that I'm fond of her. And Alexa is a whiz in the kitchen. She doesn't think so, but I've seen this girl in action and heard her talk the talk (you know, Chef-speak) and I wish I had her skills and natural ability. But the combination of school and disliking school keeps her pretty busy and doesn't leave her very inspired to whip up greatness in the kitchen. We simply can't have this, and I've been trying to find different ways to get her ass in the kitchen where it belongs. And I finally found a winner. I came up with this idea last night but didn't want to say anything until she agreed. How did I do this, you ask? I spent the morning bombarding her facebook inbox with links to food blogs. Hook, line, and sinker. Worked like a charm. Alexa and I are about to embark on a culinary journey around the world!!! Here's how it's gonna work. Every month we will pick a new country to pick recipes from. We'll each do at least one new recipe a week, but of course we can do more if we're so inclined. I'll write about my recipe, and she'll write about hers, complete with pictures and the full recipe so that you all can partake if you're so inclined! Our journey around the world will begin in May, and until then we'll do whatever we happen to think of. I'm so excited! She's already got hers done for the week, and I'm thinkin mine will be done by tomorrow. Our plan is to have them finished by Saturday and posted on Sunday. They can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, whatever. This is so cool because not only will we both be cooking and holding each other to it, but we'll be learning a little bit about each country we do! There may come a time where we need your help for ideas, however. According to the stats of my page, I know that I have some readers from all over the world (which is crazy cool). I'm not sure if these readers are stumbling upon my little blog on accident or if they're coming here intentionally. But if you're an intentional international reader and you have a recipe you want to see either me or Alexa try, please drop a comment or email! The internet is full of ideas but there are always times when it's completely devoid of inspiration.
Anyway, I cannot wait to get started. After lunch with my mom I went to TJs and bought a bunch of random ingredients that I plan on turning into a dinner tomorrow night. I was going to cook tonight but when I got home my roommate and her friend were making dinner. Our kitchen is the size of a closet and it has only one counter, so there was no way I was getting in there. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have better luck. So for now I'm off to find recipes that include the randomness I bought tonight. Toodles!
-LG
Anyway, I cannot wait to get started. After lunch with my mom I went to TJs and bought a bunch of random ingredients that I plan on turning into a dinner tomorrow night. I was going to cook tonight but when I got home my roommate and her friend were making dinner. Our kitchen is the size of a closet and it has only one counter, so there was no way I was getting in there. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have better luck. So for now I'm off to find recipes that include the randomness I bought tonight. Toodles!
-LG
This Is Stupes.
You're an M&M, Hershey's Drops. That's all. And frankly, you should be embarrassed that it took you this long. This is stupes.
Couldn't Think Of A Title.
So I'm still really jazzed about this cooking kick I'm on. I mean, I should be since I just started thinking about it 12 hours ago, but hey this is a sign of good things to come! Anyway, in a few hours I'm going to be meeting up with my mom for dinner but to kill time I decided to turn on the Food Network. Unfortunately Paula Deen was just ending, and for those of you who don't know, Paula Deen is my homegirl. But up next was none other than the Barefoot Contessa, Ina. Before you jump to the conclusion that I was excited by this, let me explain. I watch Barefoot Contessa when I'm feeling particularly masochistic. Ina drives me absolutely insane. She sounds like a pet therapist, talking to her locally grown peaches in soothing tones. Even when her food processor is going at full speed. And the camera crew for this show also really bothers me. Can you get any closer to the bowl? I can't even see what's in there, it's just a brown mass. BAAAAAH it's on right now and I wanna throw my laptop!!! Why do I watch it if it drives me this nuts, you ask? I told you, I enjoy self-torture. Just kidding. I'm watching because it's 1:15 on a wednesday and nothing else is on. Oh, and another thing that drives me nuts is the way she styles her dishes. They always look so clean, prim, and nautical. I know, I know, she lives in an upscale beachy community but still. Come on, Ina, whip off that preppy blue button up shirt and use some colored plates. Get really wild, just let your hair down.
Anyway, I know I just said I'm meeting my mom for dinner but really I'm meeting her around 4 and since I usually stay up until midnight, that is more of a late lunch for me. SO. I'm thinking that perhaps tonight could be new recipe number one. And I'm going back and forth between winging it with a few recipes I already know mixed together (which still counts) (PS Ina is making two dishes in one meal that include capers. Fail)(after every freaking dish she makes she goes "now I gotta take a picture. A picture for my article". Then she asks it to say cheese. K, after the third time, I think we get it! Shit!) or finding a new recipe altogether. But as of right now, this is what I'm picturing: roasting some vegetables with some jazzy vinaigrette, including the rest of my bell peppers, cooking some chicken with butter, garlic, and garlic salt, and eating it over noodles or brown rice. I just ate and I'm not hungry so this does not sound appealing to me at all right now but maybe by 8 o'clock tonight it will. Actually, this will probably be better tomorrow night since (I'm picturing Ina as a child...she hasn't changed a bit) roasting vegetables is a lot of prep time. Either way I have to hit TJ's on my back from seeing my mom, so we'll see what happens! (She just instructed me not to neglect the corners and then neglected the corner. That's what happens when you have a camera up your ass, Ina. We catch you being a cheater).
I had to change it, now I'm watching the Colbert Report. He's one of my TV husbands. Along with Johns Hamm and Krasinski. But nobody beats Peter Gallagher as Sandy Cohen on the OC.
Anyway, I know I just said I'm meeting my mom for dinner but really I'm meeting her around 4 and since I usually stay up until midnight, that is more of a late lunch for me. SO. I'm thinking that perhaps tonight could be new recipe number one. And I'm going back and forth between winging it with a few recipes I already know mixed together (which still counts) (PS Ina is making two dishes in one meal that include capers. Fail)(after every freaking dish she makes she goes "now I gotta take a picture. A picture for my article". Then she asks it to say cheese. K, after the third time, I think we get it! Shit!) or finding a new recipe altogether. But as of right now, this is what I'm picturing: roasting some vegetables with some jazzy vinaigrette, including the rest of my bell peppers, cooking some chicken with butter, garlic, and garlic salt, and eating it over noodles or brown rice. I just ate and I'm not hungry so this does not sound appealing to me at all right now but maybe by 8 o'clock tonight it will. Actually, this will probably be better tomorrow night since (I'm picturing Ina as a child...she hasn't changed a bit) roasting vegetables is a lot of prep time. Either way I have to hit TJ's on my back from seeing my mom, so we'll see what happens! (She just instructed me not to neglect the corners and then neglected the corner. That's what happens when you have a camera up your ass, Ina. We catch you being a cheater).
I had to change it, now I'm watching the Colbert Report. He's one of my TV husbands. Along with Johns Hamm and Krasinski. But nobody beats Peter Gallagher as Sandy Cohen on the OC.
Look at how he smolders. I call those the power brows.
If there are any self-proclaimed Sandy Cohens out there, call me.
I digress. I suppose this is it for now. In case you were wondering, yes I am trying for the 2011 Mundane Blogger Award. Hence this post. Alright, I'll stop now.
-LG
Let Them Eat Cake.
Or, rather, let me eat cake. And scones, and roast chicken and vegetables, and zucchini bread, and soups with fluffy rice. No, not all at once, although to be completely honest with you I'm not entirely opposed to the idea. Here's the deal, guys. I love to cook. In fact, I adore it. Partially because I adore food, and if you want food, you have to cook it. I realize there are many ways around actually cooking (boil in a bag, anyone? For the record, I've never done that), but generally speaking there is some effort required if you want to eat. And I have so much extra time to cook, it's beyond ridiculous that I don't do it more! It's shameful, actually. I have a crazy amount of access to local produce, I live a short walk from Trader Joes where I shop once a week--usually on Mondays, if you were at all curious--and I'm not too shabby a cook, either. Granted, my kitchen is tiny, I have three roommates who also frequent the kitchen, and our selection of appliances and tools is random at best. But still, this is to be expected for a college student's kitchen and I can't in good conscience use those paltry excuses. So here's what I'm thinking. I want to try and make one new recipe every week. It can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, whatever. As long as I'm doing it. Some of my favorite blogs to look at are food blogs and maybe instead of sitting on the couch reading about other people cooking, I should get off my tuchus and join them. My only hangup with this is I'd be cooking for one, and that's a tough job. You end up with leftovers and expiring ingredients that you may not use again before they go bad and I don't like being that wasteful. For instance, I was just thinking that my first recipe could be a roasted beet salad like the one I ate at Jovino and few weeks back. But then I realized that I wouldn't need an entire package of goat or feta cheese for just one salad. Nor would I need an entire bag of spinach. Could I make other meals throughout the week that include those extra ingredients? Of course. But you see my point, I'm sure. Perhaps my goal will be to find recipes that don't make large servings. Or perhaps my goal will be to find a recipe whose ingredients carry over into two or three other new recipes for that week, or at least other delicious meals. I eat a lot of brown rice and black beans, and while I still find it delicious, I need to expand my food horizons a bit. Anyway, this is me thinking out loud...writing out loud?...and I probably shouldn't do that since if I flake you'll all know, as opposed to flaking in private when there's only me to judge myself. But again, this blog is my personal journey and giving you all front row seats to my flakeage is as real as it gets! Anything less would be a lie.
Anyhow, I'm currently exploring the world of cooking blogs. It is as vast and endless as the world of style blogs so it can be overwhelming. But food is so much less intimidating than style. Style can say "I challenge you to be this awesome", while food says "here, nurture your intimidation with the comfort of my bounty". "Um, Lauren, I'm pretty sure that's called stress eating...". Well, you can shut your mouth. Food is kind and forgiving. It fits everybody. I was about to say "it isn't seasonal", but it is. Whatever, you get my point. I'm about to kick my kitchen's ass with this new project. I'll show it things it's never even heard of. Hell, I'll take it's V card. And it's innocence. If violent cooking tickles your fancy, be sure to check out the "Make Dinner Your Bitch" segments over here. You should know that this is my cousin's blog. At first I wasn't going to tell you that so that you didn't all think I was shamelessly promoting a family member. It's not like that. It's really more like I'm shamelessly name dropping. Or I guess in this case blog dropping. I'm hoping that some of her awesomeness will rub off on me via the internets, and awesome by association is my only hope. I used to read her blog while in class but as it usually has me in tears from laughing so hard, that stopped being an option.
Anyway, it's 12:40, I'm exhausted, and my bed is currently piled high with tons of noisy items that sound like a marching band when they're looked at sideways. Roomie is already asleep. This means that in my current sleep-deprived state, I must try to silently navigate the mine field that is my half of the room in hopes that I do not wake her from her slumber. At that, I leave you.
-LG
Anyhow, I'm currently exploring the world of cooking blogs. It is as vast and endless as the world of style blogs so it can be overwhelming. But food is so much less intimidating than style. Style can say "I challenge you to be this awesome", while food says "here, nurture your intimidation with the comfort of my bounty". "Um, Lauren, I'm pretty sure that's called stress eating...". Well, you can shut your mouth. Food is kind and forgiving. It fits everybody. I was about to say "it isn't seasonal", but it is. Whatever, you get my point. I'm about to kick my kitchen's ass with this new project. I'll show it things it's never even heard of. Hell, I'll take it's V card. And it's innocence. If violent cooking tickles your fancy, be sure to check out the "Make Dinner Your Bitch" segments over here. You should know that this is my cousin's blog. At first I wasn't going to tell you that so that you didn't all think I was shamelessly promoting a family member. It's not like that. It's really more like I'm shamelessly name dropping. Or I guess in this case blog dropping. I'm hoping that some of her awesomeness will rub off on me via the internets, and awesome by association is my only hope. I used to read her blog while in class but as it usually has me in tears from laughing so hard, that stopped being an option.
Anyway, it's 12:40, I'm exhausted, and my bed is currently piled high with tons of noisy items that sound like a marching band when they're looked at sideways. Roomie is already asleep. This means that in my current sleep-deprived state, I must try to silently navigate the mine field that is my half of the room in hopes that I do not wake her from her slumber. At that, I leave you.
-LG
4.12.2011
Outside Lands.
This is the year that I will go to Outside Lands. I'm not sure why, but it feels like it's time. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Outside Lands is a massive weekend-long music festival in Golden Gate Park. People travel from all over to make it. Lucky for me I only have to travel a few city blocks. The tickets aren't cheap, however. They're like $200. Yes, that was the sound of my bank account breaking. It's actually not too bad, though, considering the festival isn't until August and if I start saving now I'll be fine. This is unlike me, as I'm usually not a fan of large music festivals inhabited primarily of rabble rousing hoodlums my age walking around in birkenstocks and tie-dye. But a coworker of mine brought it up at work the other day and for some reason all I could think was "I want to go". I hafta listen to that impulse, if only out of curiosity as to why now is the time. Part of it is the lineup. It's ridiculous. Lemme just name a few:
-The Black Keys (What? Yeah.)
-The Arctic Monkeys (I'm sorry, what? Yep.)
-Arcade Fire (Whoa, hold up, what? Yeah, I know.)
-MGMT (Okay, no way. But yes.)
-The Decemberists (My Dad will be supes jealous of this one. He's a fan.)
-Muse (Hold up...Yeah, it's for real.)
That's just a couple. And I am stoked. I'm confused, though, because a few of the bands I saw listed on my coworker's phone aren't listed on the Outside Lands website. And they were some of the bands that made me want to go in the first place. Like The Strokes, for instance, and I have been dying to see them live for centuries! Anyway, if you're interested in learning more about Outside Lands or seeing the rest of the lineup, here's the website.
There's a possibility that going to Outside Lands will be part of a birthday celebration for my bff Chelsea. You met her Disco Queen self here. So I'm mulling over the possibilities for birthday greatness. I don't want to say much here just in case she reads it, but she recently made me aware of the fact that she hardly ever reads my mundane musings. Whatever, Chelsea. I feel like she's my child, a child that I spent 27 hours in labor with to bring into this world and now she's a petulant teenager who spends her days pissing me off. The things we do for the people we love. It's not even worth it.
OMG JUST KIDDING!
-LG
-The Black Keys (What? Yeah.)
-The Arctic Monkeys (I'm sorry, what? Yep.)
-Arcade Fire (Whoa, hold up, what? Yeah, I know.)
-MGMT (Okay, no way. But yes.)
-The Decemberists (My Dad will be supes jealous of this one. He's a fan.)
-Muse (Hold up...Yeah, it's for real.)
That's just a couple. And I am stoked. I'm confused, though, because a few of the bands I saw listed on my coworker's phone aren't listed on the Outside Lands website. And they were some of the bands that made me want to go in the first place. Like The Strokes, for instance, and I have been dying to see them live for centuries! Anyway, if you're interested in learning more about Outside Lands or seeing the rest of the lineup, here's the website.
There's a possibility that going to Outside Lands will be part of a birthday celebration for my bff Chelsea. You met her Disco Queen self here. So I'm mulling over the possibilities for birthday greatness. I don't want to say much here just in case she reads it, but she recently made me aware of the fact that she hardly ever reads my mundane musings. Whatever, Chelsea. I feel like she's my child, a child that I spent 27 hours in labor with to bring into this world and now she's a petulant teenager who spends her days pissing me off. The things we do for the people we love. It's not even worth it.
OMG JUST KIDDING!
-LG
P.S.
I fully intend to be in a band. I've always wanted to, obvi, but lately it's gone beyond being a "what if". Now it's an urge. It's gonna happen.
-LG
-LG
"Aint No Grave...
...gonna hold my body down".
This weekend I gave a friend a mini-tour of the Mission, complete with a walk down Clarion Alley, an alley filled wall-to-wall with amazing graffiti. In an unassuming spot on the ground, scrawled in spray paint, was that quote. I don't know who put it there or what it's from, but I stopped and stared at it for a good minute. Let the word "grave" stand for whatever you want. Aint no anything gonna hold my body down.
On another note, I wanted to apologize again for the slow down of posts lately. I didn't think that spring break ending would be such a sad event but it really was! I have spring fever and am getting impatient. I want the semester to be over. There's been a lot going on lately, mostly all of it in my head but still. I've been experiencing a major slow down in creativity lately. Getting dressed in the morning has been impossible for the past two weeks and that's always a bad sign. I guess the upside is that I've been in a writing mood lately. Just a few lines here and there, but it's something. I'm not sure how to get out of this funk. It's not helping that I'm sick. Son of a nutcracker, I am a mess! It's about to be a good week, though, because I remembered today that I don't work again until Friday!
And finally, it's the big birthday next Wednesday. The big 2-0. I feel like I should leave my teens with a bang. Something to send 19 off in style. Any suggestions?
-LG
This weekend I gave a friend a mini-tour of the Mission, complete with a walk down Clarion Alley, an alley filled wall-to-wall with amazing graffiti. In an unassuming spot on the ground, scrawled in spray paint, was that quote. I don't know who put it there or what it's from, but I stopped and stared at it for a good minute. Let the word "grave" stand for whatever you want. Aint no anything gonna hold my body down.
On another note, I wanted to apologize again for the slow down of posts lately. I didn't think that spring break ending would be such a sad event but it really was! I have spring fever and am getting impatient. I want the semester to be over. There's been a lot going on lately, mostly all of it in my head but still. I've been experiencing a major slow down in creativity lately. Getting dressed in the morning has been impossible for the past two weeks and that's always a bad sign. I guess the upside is that I've been in a writing mood lately. Just a few lines here and there, but it's something. I'm not sure how to get out of this funk. It's not helping that I'm sick. Son of a nutcracker, I am a mess! It's about to be a good week, though, because I remembered today that I don't work again until Friday!
And finally, it's the big birthday next Wednesday. The big 2-0. I feel like I should leave my teens with a bang. Something to send 19 off in style. Any suggestions?
-LG
4.07.2011
These Are My Confessions.
Thought I would quote one of my least favorite songs up thurr with that little Usher number. Anyhow, here they are. There's a good possibility that this is going to be very disorganized and scatterbrained but that is fine with me. And now I'm going over the quick notes I jotted down in my phone to help me remember all this and I'm wishing I had done a little more than jot. I always tell myself that I'll remember things--what page I'm on in a book, the lyrics to a song I want to look up later, the more important details of a rant I plan on sharing with the internet--and alas, I never fail to forget. But I'll try anyway.
Disclaimer: I was about to write "I wrote this in the heat of the moment. I'm sorry if anyone is offended". But to be completely honest, I'm not sorry. If you're offended by something like this then I can't help ya.
Last Thursday, during a long traffic-filled car ride from the city to my wee hometown on the other side of the bay, I passed the time flipping through an old Elle, the most recent edition of San Francisco, and the most recent edition of 7x7 (which really pissed me off because those bastards stole the name of my future business. More on that later) which is a magazine also based out of and on San Francisco. And just like every other time I look through fashion and lifestyle magazines, I found myself getting increasingly irritated and impatient. And annoyed and about a hundred other adjectives that have to do with judging other people's lives. I'm not sure how to build up to this, so here it is. I cannot stand the Fashion World. I hate fashion magazines. I do not frequent Style.Com and on the few occasions that I have, I wanted to throw something out the window. I love style, and exploring style and my personal style and the personal style of other individuals but to me, that's worlds apart from the Fashion World. I have it in caps the way one might put Wall Street in caps. It's an entity. A breathing beast. And in 2 seconds I've managed to turn into Andy from The Devil Wears Prada in the unforgettable scene where Meryl Streep kindly explains to her just where her bargain blue sweater really came from. I get it. The clothes I wear, the clothes you wear, are or were at one time decided into existence by the Fashion World and it's affiliates. I am a piece of it whether I want to be or not. I know. But I felt the need to make my feelings clear here as a way to stop kidding myself into believing that I'm happily suckling at the fashion teet. I don't follow designers. This doesn't mean that I don't respect and revere artistic brilliance when I see it (Alexander Mcqueen, and not just because he is recently deceased. I've never understood why death makes mediocre people geniuses). I don't seek out trends, but I'm aware of their influence on me and try to be as conscious of that as possible. I do not blindly step into a harem pant simply because it is a harem pant and I find it infuriating when people do. I don't appreciate the ploys used by fashion magazines and websites to create an inclusive yet exclusive feeling: "what we're loving right now", "who we're wearing", "how to get our look for less". Screw you. Sorry, it had to be said. I don't like the person I am when I read these magazines. I start feeling like I'm not doing enough, and it won't be enough until random people know my name and my business. I hate that. I feel immediately better when I close the magazine, or get off whatever site I'm on. I don't need 15 minutes of B-list fame to feel like I'm doing what I'm meant to do with my life. Yes, I want to be successful yes I'm ambitious. Yes, I love personal style and panache. And yes, I'm okay admitting that much of what is incorporated into my style is influenced and determined by Karl Lagerfeld and his friends. But I have always been this way. Before I even knew what a fashion magazine was. It's just one of the many ways I express my creativity. So why? Why do I feel the need to tag along behind this beast that I don't particularly like and mock when it's not looking? For the record, I don't judge those who are good friends of the beast. I don't judge the beast itself. I wish I didn't have such strong feelings about the beast because in a parallel universe, I could inhabit it's world easily. But in this universe, the one that I do inhabit, I find it frivolous. And don't think that I don't scrutinize myself for my own frivolity because believe me, I do.
This didn't quite come out as eloquently as I planned but there it is. I'm not going to continue putting fashion content on this blog unless it really strikes a chord with me, and so far that is how it's been for the most part. But I gotta cut the bull shit. That's it for now. I don't feel like checking over it for mistakes so I hope there aren't any!
-LG
Edit: I just reread my poorly jotted notes and realized I left some details out. And then I just tried to fill those details in, but I can't really. This will have to do.
Edit 2: By "fashion content", I mean runway shows that I didn't watch, blurbs on designers that I know nothing about, or trends that I find ridiculous but see everywhere I go. I'll continue posting outfits that I want to share.
Disclaimer: I was about to write "I wrote this in the heat of the moment. I'm sorry if anyone is offended". But to be completely honest, I'm not sorry. If you're offended by something like this then I can't help ya.
Last Thursday, during a long traffic-filled car ride from the city to my wee hometown on the other side of the bay, I passed the time flipping through an old Elle, the most recent edition of San Francisco, and the most recent edition of 7x7 (which really pissed me off because those bastards stole the name of my future business. More on that later) which is a magazine also based out of and on San Francisco. And just like every other time I look through fashion and lifestyle magazines, I found myself getting increasingly irritated and impatient. And annoyed and about a hundred other adjectives that have to do with judging other people's lives. I'm not sure how to build up to this, so here it is. I cannot stand the Fashion World. I hate fashion magazines. I do not frequent Style.Com and on the few occasions that I have, I wanted to throw something out the window. I love style, and exploring style and my personal style and the personal style of other individuals but to me, that's worlds apart from the Fashion World. I have it in caps the way one might put Wall Street in caps. It's an entity. A breathing beast. And in 2 seconds I've managed to turn into Andy from The Devil Wears Prada in the unforgettable scene where Meryl Streep kindly explains to her just where her bargain blue sweater really came from. I get it. The clothes I wear, the clothes you wear, are or were at one time decided into existence by the Fashion World and it's affiliates. I am a piece of it whether I want to be or not. I know. But I felt the need to make my feelings clear here as a way to stop kidding myself into believing that I'm happily suckling at the fashion teet. I don't follow designers. This doesn't mean that I don't respect and revere artistic brilliance when I see it (Alexander Mcqueen, and not just because he is recently deceased. I've never understood why death makes mediocre people geniuses). I don't seek out trends, but I'm aware of their influence on me and try to be as conscious of that as possible. I do not blindly step into a harem pant simply because it is a harem pant and I find it infuriating when people do. I don't appreciate the ploys used by fashion magazines and websites to create an inclusive yet exclusive feeling: "what we're loving right now", "who we're wearing", "how to get our look for less". Screw you. Sorry, it had to be said. I don't like the person I am when I read these magazines. I start feeling like I'm not doing enough, and it won't be enough until random people know my name and my business. I hate that. I feel immediately better when I close the magazine, or get off whatever site I'm on. I don't need 15 minutes of B-list fame to feel like I'm doing what I'm meant to do with my life. Yes, I want to be successful yes I'm ambitious. Yes, I love personal style and panache. And yes, I'm okay admitting that much of what is incorporated into my style is influenced and determined by Karl Lagerfeld and his friends. But I have always been this way. Before I even knew what a fashion magazine was. It's just one of the many ways I express my creativity. So why? Why do I feel the need to tag along behind this beast that I don't particularly like and mock when it's not looking? For the record, I don't judge those who are good friends of the beast. I don't judge the beast itself. I wish I didn't have such strong feelings about the beast because in a parallel universe, I could inhabit it's world easily. But in this universe, the one that I do inhabit, I find it frivolous. And don't think that I don't scrutinize myself for my own frivolity because believe me, I do.
This didn't quite come out as eloquently as I planned but there it is. I'm not going to continue putting fashion content on this blog unless it really strikes a chord with me, and so far that is how it's been for the most part. But I gotta cut the bull shit. That's it for now. I don't feel like checking over it for mistakes so I hope there aren't any!
-LG
Edit: I just reread my poorly jotted notes and realized I left some details out. And then I just tried to fill those details in, but I can't really. This will have to do.
Edit 2: By "fashion content", I mean runway shows that I didn't watch, blurbs on designers that I know nothing about, or trends that I find ridiculous but see everywhere I go. I'll continue posting outfits that I want to share.
Heads Up.
You all have a bit of a rant coming your way. Actually, I take that back. It's more of a confession with rant-like undertones. I would write it now but I'm about to have an awesome phone conversation with a long lost best friend who seems to have fallen down the rabbit hole that we refer to as the California public university system.
Before I go, however, I will give you an education update: my withdrawal from two of my classes is 90% complete, which means that I will officially have a five and a half day weekend until the end of the semester. Also, the community college catalog continues to reveal more and more treasures that I am dying to take over the course of the next two semesters. Some of these include fencing and archery (what?!? I know. Both of which I have always always always wanted to learn), photography, lighting for photography, metalworking, tango, salsa, figure drawing, clothing construction, lingerie construction (which I am stoked for and hope it's available), weaving...I know that there are more but I can't remember off the top of my head. Anyway, it's looking like it's gonna be closer to a two year university hiatus. Shucks, isn't that a shame.
-LG
Before I go, however, I will give you an education update: my withdrawal from two of my classes is 90% complete, which means that I will officially have a five and a half day weekend until the end of the semester. Also, the community college catalog continues to reveal more and more treasures that I am dying to take over the course of the next two semesters. Some of these include fencing and archery (what?!? I know. Both of which I have always always always wanted to learn), photography, lighting for photography, metalworking, tango, salsa, figure drawing, clothing construction, lingerie construction (which I am stoked for and hope it's available), weaving...I know that there are more but I can't remember off the top of my head. Anyway, it's looking like it's gonna be closer to a two year university hiatus. Shucks, isn't that a shame.
-LG
4.06.2011
Build Me Up Buttercup.
It's time for my first update of how I spent my spring break. On Tuesday of last week it was one of my best friend's birthdays and in honor of the day, I decided to make them peanut butter cups. The weather was very warm last week (it was a godsend) so chocolate confections probably weren't the best idea. But they were delicious, albeit rich, and I'm sure I'll be making them again. I used this recipe from Design Sponge. If you haven't already noticed, it's one of my favorite websites ever. And if you haven't already done so, check them out. Here are a few photos I snapped once they were done!
The recipe calls for a mini cupcake tin, and it's great if you have one. However, I found that if I tripled up on the paper cups, they were stiff enough to withstand the chocolate and a tin wasn't completely necessary. I can't get enough of making things like this. It serves as a wonderful reminder that most of the things we go to great pains to buy can easily be made by our own hands in our own kitchens. Turn on some of your favorite cooking music and prepare to snack on the ingredients the whole time you're making them, and enjoy!
The recipe calls for a mini cupcake tin, and it's great if you have one. However, I found that if I tripled up on the paper cups, they were stiff enough to withstand the chocolate and a tin wasn't completely necessary. I can't get enough of making things like this. It serves as a wonderful reminder that most of the things we go to great pains to buy can easily be made by our own hands in our own kitchens. Turn on some of your favorite cooking music and prepare to snack on the ingredients the whole time you're making them, and enjoy!
Sea of Love.
I have made my first pieces of jewelry! I am jazzed. Unfortunately the pictures I took of them are crap since I took them with my phone. I could wait until I get some decent pictures but...I don't want to. I'll take more at a later date, ones that really do these babies justice. But first, a little back story. A recent expedition to the beach had me picking up a few treasures from off the sand. I can't rightly say that I had to dig for these puppies. The gulls do all the hard work. I don't know for sure, but my theory is that they find and eat their mussels and leave the beach littered with the shells. Maybe it's the season, or perhaps it's the particular beach we were on, but you couldn't walk two inches without stepping on another shell. In retrospect I should have picked up a whole garbage bag's worth, but at the time I didn't have a project in mind for them so I only took three. Three. What in god's name is wrong with me? I'm a hoarder by nature. Yeah, I said it. Hoarder. And I only took 3 shells. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go back to the beach! Shucks. Anyway, here they are! Pendants. I don't have chains for them yet, not ones I like for them anyway. That'll be next.
I didn't take a picture of the third one because it's much smaller than the first two and my cell camera just couldn't pick up the details, so that one will have to come later.
I'm rather fond of these. I wore the white one at work today and it was quite the hit. One of my coworkers even wants one! How exciting is that! So I really REALLY need to go back to the beach. Damn! What terrible luck!
-LG
I didn't take a picture of the third one because it's much smaller than the first two and my cell camera just couldn't pick up the details, so that one will have to come later.
I'm rather fond of these. I wore the white one at work today and it was quite the hit. One of my coworkers even wants one! How exciting is that! So I really REALLY need to go back to the beach. Damn! What terrible luck!
-LG
4.05.2011
The Prodigal Blogger Returns.
Hello all! I'm back. Let me apologize for my week-long absence. The only explanation I can offer you is that it was my Spring Break and I wanted to spend as much time soaking up the sun and as little time in front of my computer as possible. It was a great success. The weather was beautiful the entire week and the sun was so energizing! I felt productive and did, in fact, get things done. Like buy a pretty lilac dress, for example. Anyhow, I have a few posts in mind: projects to share with you, some goodies that I made, shopping finds, and (as usual) some musings on life. Or rather, musings on blogging. While the weather today isn't quuiiite as lovely as it has been, it's still technically sunny. So until class tonight I'm going to take this opportunity to get things done inside. I have some more wedding research to do for my sister, perhaps a dress to hem, some painting to do, and some grocery shopping. That last one can only take place after I've retrieved my debit card from the ATM I left it in yesterday. Yeah. I would do that. And that's assuming that nobody took it. So I hope everybody has a wonderful Tuesday and I will be back as soon as I can to start filling you in on my past week. Toodles!
-LG
And PS. I think my experiment is failing. The Michael Kors post is STILL getting more views than any of the others. I think I'll have to reformulate the experiment. I shall be mulling this over today.
-LG
And PS. I think my experiment is failing. The Michael Kors post is STILL getting more views than any of the others. I think I'll have to reformulate the experiment. I shall be mulling this over today.
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