Hooray Duvet!

Since the West Elm downtown is going out of business, we decided to take advantage of the sale! And since we had been eyeing the Organic Matelassé Duvet Cover since seeing it in New York, this was the perfect opportunity to get a deal.

The only unfortunate consequence of shopping a clearance is that sometimes other people have the same idea. We originally wanted the dark grey/brown color but they didn't have our size so we settled on "moonshine" (aka light blue). I know Michael was secretly hoping for bright Tennessee orange but that wasn't an option. Oh darn.

Anyway, it's a shame to see it go - West Elm did a great job refurbishing the historic Woodward & Lothrop building. In the current economy, The Washington Business Journal reports that this West Elm location just couldn't generate the volume to stay open.

New Dining Room Chairs!

We finally got our new dining room chairs and tossed out our plastic IKEA chairs. We feel all grown up now!

Next... the grown-up dining room table...

Taking baby steps to get "real" furniture in our apartment. Yay!

The Millennials

If you were born after 1980, you're a Millennial (so I guess I'm barely a non-Millennial).

In short, in addition to being more "expressive" (um, like keeping a blog or facebook page), Millennials “are more ethnically and racially diverse than older adults. They’re less religious, less likely to have served in the military, and are on track to become the most educated generation in American history. Their entry into careers and first jobs has been badly set back by the Great Recession, but they are more upbeat than their elders about their own economic futures as well as about the overall state of the nation.”

One of the favorite programs PBS News Hour did a segment last night on this up-and-coming generation and it was super interesting how they differed from the Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers.

Take the quiz to see how Millennial you are here. I scored a 61... which I guess is ok... Millennials typically score a 73.

The Help

This is also a book we read in my book club and I would give it an 8 out of 10. Loved it and couldn't put it down!

Perhaps I liked it so much because I lived in the south for several years or because I was a journalism major like the protagonist. In any case, I liked the way it made you think "what would I do in this situation" and I liked how the chapters frequently ended in mini cliffhangers that forced you to read just one more chapter before you went to bed.

I just recommended it to one of my best friends that has never lived outside California and not interested in journalism, so it will be interesting what her reaction to the book will be.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

I just finished reading this in my book club. I would give it a 4 out of 10. Yes, and I'm being generous. It was literally a chore to finish (and I wouldn't have finished it had I not had to read it for book club).

It was cute... maybe too cute.
It was emotional... but it tried too hard.
It was an easy read... but only because the storyline was spoon-fed and predictable.

I know, I know... I don't have a dog, I don't like NASCAR, and I don't really relate to the testosterone-laced movie references he makes throughout the book. Still, I know when a book is talking down to me... perhaps the way that I talk down to dogs... and I didn't like it.

Leaving Her Mark

And you thought your family tree had a lot of branches...

According to the NY Times article: when Yitta Schwartz died last month at 93, she left behind 15 children, more than 200 grandchildren and so many great- and great-great-grandchildren that, by her family’s count, she could claim perhaps 2,000 living descendants.

Read more...

Wow - what a woman. Don't make many like this anymore.

Georgetown Cupcake

My cousin, his girlfriend, me and Michael went to brunch in Georgetown on Monday to celebrate President's Day... and the brunch place was good and super cute... but the stop at Georgetown Cupcake post-brunch took the (cup)cake!

Cupcake stores are super trendy nowadays (read NYTimes article before your start your own business) so we've been to a few little shops, but Georgetown Cupcake is the real deal. Every flavor we've ever tried has been delish!
Red velvet (personal fav)
Honey Banana
Chocolate Strawberry
Peanut Butter Fudge

Whenever you want to get a little sweetness in G-town, give us a call. This post is already making me hungry!

Mountain Xpress, February 17 2010

Look who's on the cover?

I think this says a lot for our awesome photographer Meg Reilley. She's wonderful!

And they also mention The Hawk & Ivy B&B in their Where We Stayed article.

Our wedding was truly country chic!

Ever Spill Something at the Dinner Table?

Just saw this on apartment therapy... So cool!

Underfull - the tablecloth that turns spilling into poetry from Kristine Bjaadal on Vimeo.

Still trying to figure out where I can purchase this...

EASY Last-Minute Chocolate Cake

You only need a bowl and a fork to mix this batter and it's to DIE for! So easy and so quick - you have run out of excuses and must make this chocolate cake for your favorite chocoholic!

I was supposed to do dessert for Valentine's Day, but I didn't want to make an old recipe and didn't want to try something new that would take a lot of time. Fortunately around 5 pm, I remembered a simple "go-to" chocolate cake recipe that I read on the Sweet Paul blog a few weeks ago. I had all the ingredients in our kitchen so I thought Hey! Let's give it a try!

This was Sweet Paul's go-to cake recipe and it's now mine too. And once you try it, it will be yours too.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons baking cocoa
3/4 cup plain flour

DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat your oven to 320F, 160C.
Stir butter and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the eggs and mix well.
Stir in vanilla, cocoa and flour.
Pour the batter in a buttered cake tin and bake for about 30 minutes.
The cake is best if its a little underbaked in the middle, like a soft brownie.
Take out and let cool a little.
Serve while still a little hot a la mode or with some whipped cream.

Juniper-Brined Double-Cut Pork Chops

Michael tried another recipe from Food & Wine last night for our Valentine's Day dinner and it turned out fabulous. As you can see, he served it with roasted root vegetables and sauteed asparagus.

INGREDIENTS
1 gallon cold water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
8 juniper berries, lightly crushed
Zest strips from a 1/2 orange
2 rosemary sprigs
4 bone-in double-cut pork rib chops (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
In a large stock pot, bring 4 cups of the water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the salt, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns, juniper berries, orange zest and 1 of the rosemary sprigs until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the remaining 12 cups of water and let the brine cool to room temperature. Add the pork chops and let stand at room temperature for 2 1/2 hours. Drain the pork chops. Pick off the spices and pat the chops dry.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat a large ovenproof skillet until very hot. Add the oil and the pork chops and cook over high heat, turning occasionally, until crusty and brown on both sides, about 10 minutes.

Stand the pork chops upright in the skillet and add the remaining rosemary sprig. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chops for about 35 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone registers 140°. Transfer the chops to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes; reserve the pan drippings.

Using a boning knife, cut the pork chops between the bones, then run the blade along the bones to separate the meat. Transfer the pork chops and bones to plates, spoon the reserved pan drippings on top and serve.

Happy New Year!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Sun Nien Fai Lok!

Michael and I celebrated the Year of the Tiger with dim sum at Mark's Duck House (our favorite dim sum place in the DC metro area) with a couple friends. Delicious, as usual.

And since I'm not familiar with all the Chinese zodiac superstitions, I thought I'd look up the predictions for this year. Hmmm... not too uplifting. According to one website:

The year of the Tiger is traditionally associated with massive changes and social upheaval. Therefore, 2010 is very likely to be a volatile one both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level.

Tigers who thrive on chance and unpredictabilty are best suited to navigating the many upheavals predicted in the year ahead. Those compatible with the Tiger — the Dragon and the Horse in particular — may also find 2010's erratic circumstances inspiring them to ever bolder action, and ultimate success.

Of course, this all depends on what elemental sign you are because since this is a metal tiger year, if you're also a metal element, then this year may not be as bad... you know how it is. But just by browsing the headlines, I don't need a crystal ball (or a chinese zodiac) telling me 2010 is going to be a rough year. Hang in there and let's hope the Year of the Rabbit helps us hop out of this recession in 2011.

Botched Pizza Dough = Fabulous Flatbread

I said that "someday" we may try to make our own pizza crust, but "someday" came quicker than I thought. That's what happens when you can't get to the store and have nothing but time on your hands.

So we used the NY Times recipe but didn't have any bread flour. Oh well... flour is flour, right? Um, not exactly. Our dough hardly rose at all! So if it was any other time, we'd probably just throw it away and buy bread flour and try again... but we couldn't get to the store and had nothing better to do so we experimented... with success!

So here is the recipe for Garlic, Rosemary and Parmesan Flatbread AND Garlic and Chives Flatbread:

First, follow the dough recipe in the NY Times recipe. Don't forget to preheat the oven to 425 degrees while you roll it out and put on toppings.

Then, mince five or six cloves and mix it in a bowl with enough olive oil to cover the garlic. Also mix in some freshly ground pepper.

Brush the olive oil all over the rolled out dough - make sure the get the edges too. Then spoon the garlic evenly over the dough with a spoon.

Lastly, top with fresh, chopped rosemary and fresh, shredded parmesan OR top with fresh, chopped chives... OR just use whaterver you have around that might taste good on flatbread!

Put it on a pizza stone or cookie sheet on the lower rack of that oven for approximately 8-10 minutes - or until it's slightly brown on the edges and not soggy in the middle.

Goes great with soup or pasta, and keeps well in air-tight bag or tupperware. Yum!

Beans, Beans, The Musical Fruit

We all know that your chances of finding a gallon of milk or loaf of decent, non-wonder bread is pretty slim right before a blizzard... but I did not expect the store to be out of canned black beans! Weird! Michael needed the beans to make his delicious black bean soup so I thought I'd try making dried beans! Shoot, I'm snowed in all weekend and how hard could it be, right?

Well, it's not difficult at all but it is definitely time consuming. We soaked the beans overnight, drained them, and then boiled them for a couple hours. The beans were a little firmer than the canned ones, but other than that, I couldn't taste a difference. Some websites claim that there's a nutritional benefit to soaking the beans yourself... but I'm still not convinced it's worth the wait.

Overnight soaking + hours of boiling vs. twisting a can opener?

Easy Knit Baby Hat with Ear Flaps

Another favorite blizzard pastime: catching up on knitting projects!

So I get a call a couple weeks ago from my good friend Jen (whom I've known since 3rd grade) and she's pregnant!!! So what better time to try to knit my first baby hat! It's SO small... I hope his or her cute little head isn't much bigger than this san pellegrino bottle.

Here's the pattern I got from www.knittingonthenet.com:

Gauge:
20 sts = 4 inches

Materials:
Sportweight yarn
Size 5 US (3.75 mm) needles
Tapestry needle

Instructions:
CO 44 sts. Knit every row until piece measures 2 to 2½ inches.
Decrease:
Row 1: K3, k2tog, *(k7, k2tog); rep from *, end k3
Row 2 and all even rows: Knit
Row 3: K2, k2tog, *(k6, k2tog); rep from *, end k3
Row 5: K2, k2tog, *(k5, k2tog); rep from *, end k2
Row 7: K2, k2tog, *(k4, k2tog); rep from *, end k1
Row 9: K2, k2tog, *(k3, k2tog); rep from *, end k1
Row 11: K2, k2tog, *(k2, k2tog); rep from *, end k1
Finishing:
Leave a 6 inch length of yarn and cut.
Thread tapestry needle with yarn and draw through remaining stitches on needle.
Pull tightly and fasten.
Sew center back seam.
Ear Flaps:
With RS facing and working on the bottom of hat, measure 1¼" from center back seam.
At this point pick up 10 sts.
Knit these 10 sts for ¾".
Next Row: K1, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k1.
Knit all even rows.
Continue decreases until 4 sts remain.
Last Row: Slip 1, BO all sts.
Repeat on other side.

NOTE: Instead of binding off, I threaded some extra yarn through the last 4 stitches and braided them... I just love the little ties on the ear flaps so I had to improvise!

Oatmeal, Dark Chocolate, and Craisin Cookies

Blizzards breed boredom... and boredom results in baking... at least for me.

This recipe is unofficially known as Carl's Cookie since it's my father-in-law's favorite breakfast food when he comes to visit us. Yes, breakfast... oatmeal, dried fruit, and healthy dark chocolate chock full of antioxidants (and butter and sugar but shhhhh.... don't tell him that).

You don't need a mixer for this recipe, but the cookies turn out fluffier if you do. If you don't have a mixer, just melt the butter so it's easier to mix.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup craisins
1 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack.
Cool completely (or eat a few while they're warm!)
Store tightly covered.

Blizzard!

Our pictures of today's blizzard are up on our website if you want to take a peak.

It was beautiful and a little exciting... but I'm sure glad it's over. It's going to be a mess the next couple days.

Things Just Aren't What They Used To Be

Michael just sent me a link from our condominium building's website. In the About the Towers section, the last sentence in the third paragraph reads:

"When the Towers was new, according to one long-term resident, patio access to the lobby floor apartments meant that call girls could (and did) rent these units so customers could arrive and depart in privacy."

Wow, isn't that crazy? Unfortunately, now the call girls have to go through the lobby.

All the units also have an extra service door in the kitchen so the help could go in and out of the apartment without disturbing the owners or their guests.

It's just incredible how people lived just a generation ago! Ok, that's my rant... thought I'd share.

Oh, and the penthouse just went on the market if you have an extra $4.3 million. We could be neighbors!!!

In the Red and Brown Water

For Christmas, Michael's boss got us tickets for a three-play series at The Studio Theatre in Logan Circle. Unfortunately, Michael had to work late last night so my friend, Victoria, and I went to see In the Red and Brown Water. It was REALLY good and I encourage all our DC friends to go see it (it's been extended to play through Feb. 28)!

I've always been a fan of community theater because of the intamacy and sense of community it brings to the stage. But by nature of the community concept, sometimes it's hard to recruit top-tier actors. Not the case in this play. The actors, set design, and storyline were all truly captivating beginning to end.

Holy Hominy! That's Good Chili!

I've never heard of hominy, never cooked with hominy and never had a desire to try hominy... but I'm sure glad I did!

Michael and I made another recipe from the February Food & Wine magazine called Winter Vegetable Chili. And you know Michael, he's not one to flock to a vegetarian recipe, but we are definitely making this again.

It's quick (under an hour, which is quick by chili standards), super easy, and healthy! Oh, and it's great for leftovers (I'm having some for lunch today!).

You need a blender or food processor for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, very finely chopped (we just put it in the garlic press)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt
One 14-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes
1 canned chipotle in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon extra adobo sauce from the can
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup canned hominy, drained
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained
Brown rice, chopped red onions, cilantro, sour cream and tortilla chips or bread toasts, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a medium, heavy enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper, parsnips and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chile powder and cumin and season with salt. Cook for 1 minute.

In a blender, puree the tomatoes and their juices with the chipotle, adobo sauce and water until very smooth. Add the mixture to the casserole along with the hominy and beans and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer the chili over moderate heat until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.

It's a tad on the soupy side and has a kick to it so we ate it over steamed brown rice and topped it with chopped red onions, cilantro and sour cream. Delish!