Checking in...

I miss you too, I miss you a lot. I promise it won't be too much longer, I'll find some time and when I do, boy, this little blog is going to shine, shine, shine! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so how 'bout you and I cross our fingers that I'm feeling frisky with the camera when dinner hits the table? Ok great, I think we have a deal. See you soon, my lovelies. Very soon.

Lots of Love,

Lyds.

A break...

Don't worry, I didn't disappear or run away. I've just been busy--really, really busy. I hope to be back soon with something delightful and worthwhile, but for now I'm just popping in to say hi and to reassure you that I'll be back and better than ever once school and life have time to s.l.o.w. down. Until then, mes cheres, adieu.

For Dummies...

I've always wanted to write a cookbook. Last night, H.L.G. suggested I do so and Mr. C agreed. Wow. I can't imagine actually doing it, but you know, maybe I should just DO IT. Can you imagine? I can't. I love cooking, I love writing, I love photography (even though mine is terrible) and I love books. It seems pretty simple and pretty natural that I could whip something up, but I suppose I always thought I'd be published as an art critic (that's what this degree is supposed to make me into, you know...) but a cookbook author? This is not to say that I expect to be published at all, regardless of the topic, but hey, anything's possible. It is one of those things on my list of Things to Accomplish in Life, so presumably I plan on trying it out someday.

I think it might be something that makes me feel less ordinary, which is a feeling I've been struggling with a lot lately. If I can find a little passion outside of my everyday blah-di-blah routine, then maybe the ordinary can be redirected creatively and something delightful can come of it. I think I like that plan. So now I wonder, is there a manual for these things? I don't have the slightest idea of where to begin--for the parts outside of the kitchen...

Le weekend

This weekend was busy and delightful. I discovered a new city that I'm crazy about and re-discovered close friendships that I've been missing while we've all gotten a little older and fallen in (and in some cases out of) love. It's kind of crazy how quickly and simultaneously it's happened for each of us--K, J, and me. It's the season in life for weddings and I really do feel so blessed and happy to be a part of that season with my best girls. So this past Saturday we celebrated J's upcoming nuptuals with a surprise shower just outside of Portsmouth, NH and it really was special. From the early morning drive up with K and our gut busting, laughter-filled poetry session, to J's overwhelmingly emotional surprise, and the out of control, hysterical car rides with her soon to be hubby--it was truely fun.

I also can't believe that I'd never been to Portsmouth before! What an absolutely amazing little city. It's so quaint and pretty, with fun little shops, galleries, and restaurants--it's everything I'd want in a place in which to settle down. AND it's on the water--which is just icing on the cake. I can't say enough about how much we all loved it there and I really can't wait to visit again!

While strolling around on Sunday morning, we stopped by a little boutique called Azure, which is right on Market Street in downtown Portsmouth. It's a nice shop, run by a woman transplanted from Manhattan. She sells designer jeans and quirky, fun fashionable tops, dresses, and sweaters. We made J try on about 30 pairs of ridiculous sunglasses, which of course, were all too big for her itty bitty face. My absolute favorite part of this shop was discovering a new clothing line! I need to do a bit more research on who it is who actually designs the line, but for now, I thought I'd share some of my favs from the current collection from Hazel.

woven top w/ beading

pink belted skirt

ivory cropped coat

These are just a couple pieces that I love and there were a bunch of different styles in the store, but I can honestly say that there's nothing in the line that I don't absolutely adore. The styles are a combination of ultra feminine with touches of military stucture. They're flirty, sexy, and soft, with a modern vintage flare that puts me right over the moon. I want everything!

So yes, it was a wonderful weekend and I'm really glad to have had the time away with a couple of my favorite ladies. There's nothing like a little getaway.

Home warming

Our new house has the same windows over the kitchen sink that my grandparents have in their house. They automatically make me feel at home with their old, dark wood and little shelves on either side. This little nook has quickly become one of my favorite special places. I've decorated it with a bunch of little glass jars, including tiny French and Spanish milk bottles, and my favorite tea cup, which I purchased during our Memorial Day trip to Quebec City. The whole arrangement looked so pretty with this happy vase of snapdragons I picked up at the farmer's market last week.

tea cup, french milk bottle, pharmacist bottle, snapdragons

tea cup close up

glass vessel collection, new aloe sprouting

These are some B.E.A.UTIFUL Rainier cherries that I *attempted* to turn into a plum and cherry clafoutis, which ended up more as delightfully sweet and juicy scrambled eggs than the dessert I'd intended. File under *try again* and *needs more practice*. Sigh.

juicy

Move Update...

We've eaten out every single meal for almost a week. It's not feeling so glamourous anymore, but I cannot find my kitchen under all the boxes so it'll have to do.

Last night we ate at the Front Street Bistro, which has a new dinner menu! We eat brunch there so often (I actually ordered take-out lunch there yesterday, too) that I was excited when I saw the new entree selections. Most of the choices were very Italian inspired, the one exception that comes to mind is the 1/2lb burger. Mr. C had shrimp scampi with pistacio breadcrumbs and fresh tomatos over angel hair (yum!) and I had rigatoni bolognese, made with braised veal, beef, and in-season veggies, finished with a touch of cream and shaved parm. It was TO. DIE. FOR. The leftovers are my lunch today and I'm so excited that I keep popping open the take out container and stealing a cold noodle. Mmmmm... So definitely give them a try sometime if you're wondering where to eat in WH Center. The place is quiet and the service is great--though we've had the same waitress a number of times and she's always fabulous.

I'm not sure what's on tap for tonight, though I think it would be great to take advantage of Hartford Restaurant Week. Great food from great restaurants at a great price. Gotta love it.

In regard to moving: it's still painful and tedious. The weather is horrifying, just as late July/early August should be, so we're always sweaty and grouchy. I'm definitely looking forward to finding my shower curtain hooks so that I don't have to sop up water from the floor after each spin in the new tub, which by the way, has AMAZING water pressure--a wonderful and pleasant surprise. There's still drama with the cats--yes that's plural (refer to this for reference) because the ex-roomie has some serious responsibility issues, and I love that little feline oh so much. I sense a custody battle in the near future.

Other than that, we're slowly plugging away and trying to get the house in order. I hope to have pictures of a decorated house and my first home cooked meal (yay!) just as soon as time permits.

Chaos can be rewarding, right? Right.

Ugh. I don't have a single extra second of time to do anything this week, so cooking and anything remotely creative are out, despite having a bit of a deadline for a shadow box I promised to make for the upcoming fundraiser Bestia Phasmatis: Animal Spirits Both Benign and Malevolent which is being held to benefit H.O.P.E. Spay/Neuter Clinic. I'm crossing my fingers I'll get it done before August 2nd so that the lovely Heather G. can keep the event on schedule.

In the meantime, life is all about packing up my things and moving into the new place--2 days sooner than planned. I admit, 2 days doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is. I really haven't done much of anything, other than put some clothes in my giant duffel bag and bring home boxes, which have since been turned into a kitty playground. I procrastinate. Now the landlord has asked that I be out 2 days early so that he can prepare for the new tenants, leaving me with a mess of hurrying and rescheduling movers and work and everything.

I'll get it done and then I'll have pictures of the new house to post! And, more importantly, a new kitchen (with countertops even!) in which to cook yummy food to share with you (all 2 or 3 of you). For now though, I'll leave you with a couple of my newest, most favoritest things.

First, whoever left these in the kitchen at work today is a saint and I love you. Just cold from the freezer and they're crunchy, spicy, sweet little drops of heaven. And I really don't even like sweets...

Also, I've finally finished reading The secret Life of Lobsters and thanks to a recommendation from LB, I've got the perfect book to accompany me through the rest of the summer.

So, I'll be back with move updates and a look at my shadow box just as soon as I can get organized. Stay tuned!

Market Week Meal 2: at least it was pretty.

I'm not doing so well with cooking this week, maybe it's because Mr. C and I are getting ready to move and my head is elsewhere--in boxes and carpet cleaning and weed pulling. In any case, the kitchen has been neglected and for that reason, I blame it, not my lack of enthusiasm, for the failure of last night's meal. I'll spare you the details of the exact recipe, but I'll give you a quick run-down and show you the pictures, because really, the best part about it was how it looked.

Farmer's Market Cassoulet(ish)

1 small carrot, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
fresh oregano
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups fresh arugula, WASHED!
2 andouille sausage links, cut into 1/2" disks
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, reserve a few for garnish
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp unsalted butter, separated
1/4 cup good beer
salt & pepper to taste

Basically, I sauteed the onion, carrot, garlic and oregano in olive oil and 1 tsp of butter and added the andouille, which I sauteed until brown. Next, I added in the beans, arugula and raspberries, s&p, and beer, cooked the whole thing until the arugula wilted down and the raspberries and beer made a nice sauce. I finished the dish off with the remaining butter and a little more s&p. I served it over a peice of charred bread that I smeared with one of the garlic cloves (when you leave them whole, they get all roasty and soft and delish) and topped it with the reserved fresh raspberries. Serves 2.

Now, let me say that I know it sounds fine, and in a lot of respects it was, but I made a few unforgiving mistakes. First, for goodness sake, wash the arugula REALLY WELL, especially if you get it from the farmer's market and it doesn't come in a package that says "pre-washed". I made the mistake of giving it a quick rinse and consequently ate grit. Yuck. Similarly, while the raspberries were possibly the star of the meal and added a great sweetness and pop of freshness, the seeds were a bit too much and made for lots of teeth picking. Double yuck. Lastly, and more of a personal preference, the andouille was too spicy (and I love spicy!) for the dish and over powered the other flavors. Next time I'll probably use a kielbasa or the Smoked Apple and Chardonney chicken sausage from Trader Joe's.

I will say, however, that all of the colors were delightful and made for some good eye candy, so at least there's that!

Market Week begins!

My Market Week started on Saturday morning when Audrey, Mr. C, and I took a trip to the LaSalle Rd Farmer's Market to pick up some goodies. I didn't take any pictures there because it was hard enough holding a leash with a wildly excited dog attached to it while perusing and shopping, but you'll have to take my word that it was a glorious morning and we picked up some equally glorious produce and snacks. We found a bakery there that might make the best bread I've ever tasted and much to my delight, a local dairy that sold their fresh cheese in the next stand over. I tried all 5 varieties-- 2 sheep's milk and 3 cow-- SO. GOOD. I bought one of the cow's milk varieties, which tastes similar to sharp white cheddar (though according to the vendor, it's not "cheddared"-- I didn't even know that was a verb!) Mr. C got some pretty peaches and haricots verts, along with a demi-baguette and I snagged some farm fresh eggs, red kale and sweet cherries to accompany my cheese and 3-grain boule.

Afterward, we met KK and AJ in the park for coffee and fresh blueberry muffins, which AJ made fresh from berries she scored from her parent's house. I supplemented breakfast with my newly acquired cherries-- all was delish.

In any case, I didn't do much cooking for the rest of the weekend, but we did eat quite a bit of our fresh bread and cheese. Yesterday (Monday) I tapped into my goods for a yummy Market Week inspired Meatless Monday lunch of French bistro style baked eggs (I made the executive decision that eggs don't count as meat). Another simple, yet thoroughly enjoyable dish.

Baked Eggs with Herbs and Romano

3 medium farm fresh eggs (or 2 large)
2 tbsp cream or half & half
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp fresh herbs (I used rosemary, thyme, and oregano)
1-2 tbsp grated romano cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Rub the bottom and sides of an oven proof glass dish with butter and leave the remaining butter in the bottom of the dish. Crack in your eggs and add the cream. Top with herbs (I left mine on the stems because I think it's pretty), romano cheese, and salt & pepper. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked through and the edges are brown. *Time may vary depending on how you like your eggs cooked. Serves 1.

I toasted up some of that yummy 3-grain boule to accompany my eggs but it'd also be wonderful with an arugula salad...or both.


I got some beautiful carrots and sugar snap peas last night that are begging to be transformed into something yummy, however, no cooking tonight because we're off to see Jordi Savall and will likely just eat proscuitto and brie sandwiches in the car...

a sad goodbye.

For the last year, Aud, Dusty, and I have had the privilage of living with our Little Lei, the funniest kitty I've come across in a long, long while. Tonight will be the last night we spend with her, as she is moving out to join her owner, someplace that will surely take her out of our lives for good. I'm very sad to see her go and I'm sure the other fluffers will miss her too. Mr. C and I have come to love her as our own and the house will feel very empty in the absense of her mad dashes, spring board jumping, day long closet sleeping, chirpity chirp arrivals and affectionate headbutts. *Sniff Sniff*

Monday: farmer's market dinner

Monday was the farmer's market at the Whole Foods on Raymond Road. Everything looked fab, even at 5:30pm when most of the vendors were getting ready to close up shop and head home for the night. The gentleman from the berry farm was adorable and let me take some photos.






I did my shopping from two different produce stands and came home with some wonderful kale, raspberries, summer squash, zucchini, and whole-stalk green garlic-- the couple working one booth insisted that I buy it and very enthusiastically pointed out all the parts of the stalk that are edible so I couldn't say no, even though a 5ft stalk of garlic is quite intimidating. I haven't tried the garlic from the bulb yet, but the green portion made a lovely addition to my *famous* lime guacamole (recipe to follow at some point, right now it's still "top secret").

As it was my first Meatless Monday, I made a lovely little vegetarian dinner out of some of the goodies I purchased. It was simple AND ohhhh so good.

Spicy Kale and Summer Squash

1/2 bundle of green kale, washed
1 small-medium yellow squash
1 small shallot
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup organic vegetable stock
splash of red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the stems from the kale and tear or chop into managable sized pieces (it should yeild about 3-4 cups). Slice the squash into 1/4" rings. Thinly slice or chop the shallot, whichever you prefer. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until translucent, then add the squash in one layer and saute for a few minutes until the shallot starts to brown. Pile in the kale and add the vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Cover so that the steam starts to wilt down the kale and after a few minutes it will be wilted enough to combine with the squash, which will be cooked through but not mushy. Add a splash of red wine vinegar and cook for just a minute to reduce. Serves 2 generously as a side dish.

I ate the whole thing with a touch of spicy mustard and a big chunk of whole grain baguette. If it wasn't Meatless Monday, I might have added some smokey chicken sausage to make it more hearty. (No pictures of this one, I ate it all.)

welcome!

yes, welcome.

i've been thinking about starting this blog for a while and after watching food inc. this weekend, i feel a specific direction and attitude taking shape, not only in the food philosophy, but also the crafty and daily lifestyle aspects of this blog. i'll elaborate and get to posting soon, but for now i'm sending out a friendly, "hi there!" and hoping you'll come again soon. thanks for stopping by!

oh, and happy meatless monday!