Long Time No Post

I tell others that successful blogs are like pets; if you don't feed them, they die.

The good news is, I don't have a "successful" blog by anyone's standards, I just have a lovely parking spot on the internet for all the books, artists, projects, and ideas that inspire me.

The next project is on hold; I was trying to create some blocks of time that haven't been and continue to be unavailable to me that I need to make it happen but I'm still stoked about it and it will happen, just not right now.

Until then, I'm back and will be posting regularly (at least as regularly as I used to).

Here are some items since I last posted:

1) Read Hunger Games, it's fine, not spectacular but a really easy summer romp. The movie next year should be entertaining though they picked a really odd director for such an action-packed story—Gary Ross, the guy who did Pleasantville (great movie), Big (yeah, the one from the '80s), Seabiscuit, and Dave...we shall see.

2) Reading The Remains of the Day a poor choice to read simultaneously because Ishiguro's prose can easily outsing any other contemporary voice in writing as it is, let alone a tween author. It's a beautiful novel and I'm savoring it but will have to finish it by book club on Monday. I'm hosting and because the book's all about a butler I'm having everyone dress in black and white and I'll be serving a traditional English meal at Meg Manor.

3) I've decided to never buy wrapping paper ever again. I'm just going to buy huge rolls of brown paper and dress them up in creative ways so I can save money and customize each package for the recipient. "Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things..."





4) I plan to photograph Lincoln more this summer than ever before and how can I help myself? The city is dressed up for farmers market, Jazz in June, First Fridays, and all the doors to all my favorite local haunts stand propped open and inviting. I hate the humidity but I love love love summer.

5) I've been cooking a lot more lately and I'm going to be cooking some delectibles from my wonderful friend's blog, The Test Nest. I've also been commissioned to make a new logo for the blog so I'll be working on that very soon—I'm pretty excited. Recent forays into cooking include a white chocolate bread pudding with fresh berry sauce, down-home beef stew with thyme and a whole bottle of shiraz, and strawberry rhubarb pie from scratch.

More later but for now that's what I've got. If, and I don't flatter myself that there are probably more than two of you, you followed my blog up until I stopped posting there for a while, my apologies and thanks for hangin' tight!

Fall-La-La-La-La

Fall is here and I can prove it:
1) First Husker game (and win) of the season was on Saturday. Sorry we wiped the floor with you, W. Kentucky, can't say you weren't warned!
2) Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Salted Carmel Hot Chocolates are at Starbucks. I've only indulged in the first so far but the second promises to be almost as heart-stoppingly delicious and bad for me as the first so it will happen soon.
3) Squashes are starting to show up at the Farmer's Market and the first crop of apples is sneaking into the grocery store and consequently being swarmed by apple loves (I got the last two honeycrisps on the stand last week).
4) I'm already getting the "winter reading itch" and plotting the books I'll read in Winter 2010/2011
5) The weather has necessitated runs back into the house for cardigans and sweaters
6) My favorite clothing Web sites have been advertising shooties (booties + shoes)

7) Peach pies are beginning to give way to apple pies soon (though, the peach pies were fantastic, if I may say so myself—I acheived a lattice top this year too).












8) I've revived my ghost story I'm writing and it's coming together plot wise—now I just have to write the dang thing.
9) Previews for scary movies are coming out; I tell myself I'll go to all of them but really end up just renting one of the not-so-scary ones six months later.
10) Halloween candy is out and I bought my mother a bag of mallowcream pumpkins yesterday.

'Tis the Season

We live in an age of availability. If you need fresh berries for a salad in January, you can have them. Squash in June? Done. Our produce aisles are lined with pristine varieties of fruits and veggies. Thanks to genetic alterations, irradiation, and chemical ripening we can have whatever we want; but have you ever been disappointed with what you brought home? "It looks so good at the store," mom would apologize as dad made a face at the table. (Our seasoned lawyer in the house sometime reverts to four-year-old tendencies when faced with unpalatable food.)

One can't depend on our nonorganic produce tasting as good as it looks; however, I've found that organic produce is a bit more honest. For the most part, what you see is what you get; which, of course, means it spoils faster, but at what cost wholesome produce?

After watching Food, Inc. I was inspired to buy organic. I learned that each time we choose organic and spend the extra cents to do so, we place our vote. We vote for sustainable, natural fuel for our bodies and the assurance that we know what is in our food.

So, I placed a vote. I bought organic bananas over our usual nonorganic a couple weeks back. At the store, a small selection slighly smaller organic bananas showed some small indications of mottled shades of brown, green, and yellow looked a little sad laid next to the remaining yards of slanted counter given to the perfect nonorganic bananas. I adopted the organic ones anyway. I was surprised when, three days after buying the organic bananas, they were already showing significant browning. Our nonorganic bananas last a week before even starting to brown. I threw the brown organic bananas into the blender for smoothies soon after. But think about it, what is being done to the nonorganic bananas to make them perpetually ripe? I sacrificed shelflife, but I think it's worth it to avoid whatever they're doing to regular bananas.

Though justified in principle, I missed my nonorganic produce. Instead of buying all my produce organic, I did one organic item per week so I could learn and adjust to their shelflife. My organic arugula wilted at an alarming rate (three days vs. the usual week/week and a half), the broccoli got gold at the tips too quickly, and my zucchini got a tiny bit softer than I'd like it. It's frustrating to buy produce that spoils more quickly for more money; it's like losing twice. It wasn't until this weekend that I realized that there was another way to buy organic and ensure better quality produce. Buy in season! [insert "duh" here]

My limited understanding of agriculture only registered berries and watermelon as in season, but the spread at the market told me otherwise. I asked around that day to learn more then I found this fabulous Web site: EatSeasonably.com! All you have to do is go to the calendar and click on the month and it will tell you the very best June has to offer and the other foods that are at their prime too. I learned that June is good fore more than strawberries:
Season's best—peas, broad beans (like kidney beans), and strawberries
Other in season produce—asparagus, zucchini, rhubarb, curly lettuce, cucumber, spinach, and carrots
Also, you can print this handy dandy page and post it in your kitchen so you'll always know what to pick up at the store when (it's designed nicely too).
Finally, to end this very long post, I'll share one of my very best and most favorited meals I make in the summertime. It's from RealSimple (bless 'em, I live and die for that mag). Enjoy and happy summer!
Turkey Burgers With Grated Zucchini and Carrot | Real Simple Recipes

Five Great Things Friday

ecently, I became aware of "The Daily Drop Cap," a Web site devoted to supplying artful capital letters with which one can begin a line of text. This development is thanks to Suzanne's wonderful blog, a graphic designer in Kansas City whom I idolize more than a little and whose life I greatly covet. I don't know her well but I very much wish I did. Cheers to you, Suzy!

Today I share some magnificent new Web sites that have made my life more fun, here are your five great things:
1) from Our Best Bites, single serving pie! I want to make these for a homey, summer soiree I plan to hold soon where we'll wear plaid, eat fresh produce and eat pie from a jar (I hope I can find bigger jars though, not gonna lie).

2) This is a fantatic idea for preventing your cords from sliding off your desk which is a daily occurrence and frustration...no longer!

3) This is adorable. Wish I'd thought of it and would love to have something like this at an ethnic dinner party—flags of the world constructed out of foods indigenous to their respective countries.





4) The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun seem like a good start to the weekend. (Sorry, it's cut off a little, but I can't figure out the coding to make the perimeters bigger, resizing the width isn't working.)

5) Finally, a bittersweet one for all of us who live far from the ocean, I went on a free, mental vacation to these sandy beaches and was most sorry to return to reality. I knew about red, black, and white sand, but didn't know that there were beaches made from purple, pink, green, and even glass pebbles. Enjoy and send me a mental postcard!

Meximeg

Eat your heart out, Alison Rediger. You're not the only one who can do a food posting.

Confession: I have been jealous of Alison Rediger's blog. It is filled with the glow of newly wed bliss, seascapes, and sumptuous dinners. Through it, she keeps those who love her from far far away in touch with her life in Pacific Grove, California artfully and charmingly. In short, she's a pill.

So here's my attempt. I made a Mexican feast for my parents and I, evidenced by the photos below.

We had fajitas with avocado, cilantro, green peppers, sweet onions, sour cream, finely shreadded cheddar, and Tapatio hot sauce served on garden veggie tortillas. We had this with fried plantains, and a very special side salad (see recipe below).

Finally, we had pinapple with chili and lime. This is one of my absolute favorite foods; when living in Mexico, I was known to eat it until my tongue bled (you think I'm kidding? ask my then roommate, Jessica Heinemann).






Ingredients
1 cup walnuts
4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 ears), raw or cooked
2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled Feta (2 ounces)
Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool and roughly chop.
In a large bowl, combine the corn, jalapeños, lime juice, oil, walnuts, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with the Feta before serving. (Note*: do not overdo the feta! You will be tempted to, but don't do it.)

Nom Nom

Ellie Krieger to the rescue! My ah-mazing friend Heather introduced me to Ellie a while back so I asked for her cookbook for this Christmas. Also, I've been jealous of my friend Alison's recipe posts; now that she has someone special to cook for, she's become Pacific Grove's own Julia Child. Well, I have two someone specials for whom I now cook, Mum and Dad, and here's what we had for dinner last night:

Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs (ADAPTATION: used chick. breasts instead of thighs)

Ingredients
4 large bone-in chicken thighs (or breasts), skins removed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons grainy French mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Combine mustard, garlic, marjoram and maple syrup in a small bowl. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard mixture evenly on top of each chicken thigh, being careful to cover as much of the surface as possible to form a "crust." Arrange chicken in a glass baking dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until mustard mixture has formed a crust and is slightly hardened, and juices run clear when the chicken is pierced.
*I served this with white and brown rice mixed with dried chervil leaves. I will tell you that my chicken never formed a crust though the chicken was all done; I think next time I'll add chicken broth to the chicken paste to make it more of a sauce.

"Dirty" Broccoli
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 T. water
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs made from day old whole wheat bread or 1/4 c. plain (store bought) bread crumbs
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
pinch of pepper

Cut the broccoli into spears and place in a large microwave safe bowl with the water. Cover tightly and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli well and set aside. While the broccoli is cooking, heat the oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, until the crumbs are toasted and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, toss to coat with bread crumbs and serve.

Mango Lassi

2 ripe, sweet mangos
1 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups ice (1 tray of ice)
Directions
Peel and dice the mango and puree in the blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and puree until the ice is crushed and the drink is frothy. Serve in tall glasses with additional ice, if desired.
*This was absolutely delicious BUT I like to spice up my food a little; next time I plan to add some citrus or fresh mint in with this for interest. Also, I used no honey and, instead, non-fat vanilla yogurt.

Shake Your Shamrock!

Hold the phone, here's the most significant Web site on the Internet. It helps you locate McDonald's restaurants that are carrying the irresistable Shamrock Shake—a minty milkshake McDonald's carries just for St. Patrick's Day! I went to McD's last year for one and they DIDN'T MAKE THEM! I was devastated. It ruined my whole holiday. But thanks to the shake locator, I now know where I can find them in my hometown! Have a minty and marvelous St. Patty's Day!

Isn't she beautiful?

Five Great Things Friday

Here are five great Web sites I'd never heard of before this week that are super great.

http://www.academicearth.org/
Ever kind of wish you were back in school sitting back and soaking up knowledge? I confess, sometimes I really do. I love a good lecture (they were sometimes few and far between in certain college subjects) and at this Web site, I can pretend I attend Yale, Princeton, Harvard, or MIT by sitting in on these classes by the best in their respective fields. After all, what's the difference between a Stanford student and me if we're getting the same lesson? I paid a whole lot less (i.e., nothing)!

http://www.craiglook.com/
I live and die for craigslist.com, however, every time I first glimpse the site I always thing "Huh, they still haven't prettied this up, huh?," not quite so. At craiglook.com you get all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a site so widely used and loved and it convenientely eliminates the old posts and gives you more surfing options in the side bars. You'll never craigslist again after visiting their site like this.

http://www.etsy.com/
In case I haven't made it abundantly clear, etsy.com is everything and the kitchen sink. Inspirational, entrepreneurial, home-grown, handmade bliss in a Web site. I admit I haven't purchased anything from the site yet but browsing makes me so dang happy I hardly need to thus far. Not like yo mama's craft fair, this site sells everything from one-dollar finger felt finger puppets, to mid-century pristine condition furniture; priceless antiques; one-of-a-kind diamond wedding rings; huge oil paints by soho artists, anything beautiful a person can make with his/her hands is here. Plus I love that they share the love and talent with instructional videos on the blog and interviews with the artists.

http://www.musicovery.com/
I'm proud (a little overly so) to say that I'd discovered Pandora about three years ago before it accumulated much praise (and before commercials filled every other minute of listening...ah I miss those days). I have not found its replacement yet, but I did find a fun site called musicovery.com. Like most streaming music sites, it's better if you're a member (not that I would know b/c I'm too cheap to spend the cash, but this site generously reminds you at every click that it's better if you pay). Anyway, this site works like a mood ring for music; tell it your favorite song or artist of the moment and tell it whether you're feeing calm, positive, dark, or energetic and it will match music to your preferences. Give it a whirl, it's better than pandora commercial pandamonium.

http://www.supercook.com/
This is what living in the 21st century is all about. Period. This is science fiction. You type in whatever you have in your fridge and this site comes up with recipes for what you've got. This is the best thing since sliced bread, end of story. I know what I'll be doing this weekend!

Hope you enjoy these, if you end up using one, let me know what you think. Have a great weekend!

A Folky Farewell

My friend Katie is moving to the East coast tomorrow (Katie if you read this, I send you with lots of blessings and I know you'll be great!), but before she'd gone, she went out in style.


At the sweetest house in San Diego, a organic-food, folky, family event took place Sunday night where all-natural, organic foods adorned the table as the meal and the decorations and we wore rosemary in our pockets and wildflowers in our hair.


Lots of thanks to Lindsey and Sarah for opening their home to us, it's one of my favorite places in all San Diego to be.

Katie did some work on La Milpa farm outside of Escondido, CA and learned all about organic farming, canning, and beekeeping. I'm super jealous of her experience but plan to attend one of their potluck dinners they hold every third Saturday of the month. If you're reading this and in S.D., let's head out there September 19 for a community dinner and an al fresco movie under the stars!




This adorable couple and I had the best conversation about why organic food growing is advantageous; thanks Beth and Shannon for being amazing and teaching me so much!


My girls, Lindsey and Tina are the best!

NOTE: The two large, centered photos aren't mine, a guy at the party did 'em.

Thanks to the Cake Wreckorater

One more, one more; this one was just too good not to post. I about died laughing. Thanks cakewrecks.blogspot.com!



We really do love you, Freymoto.

Better in Buttercream

Last year I brought you all cakes from a contest held next door to my apartment, this year, right in time for Valentine's Day, I bring you cake wrecks. http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
I have discovered the most magnificent blog ever: Cake Wrecks. It's a blog all about cake disasters, almost all of them professional cakes. Here are my absolute favorites (I thought I was going to fall out of my chair laughing).

First, let's take a moment for the typo cakes:



Yes. Happy Valentenis Day everyone.




Then just a few bonus gems:


There are no words.

Look Ma! A precious hunting wedding cake for my sister, I mean, for my wife and me! Shucks, thems deers sure are sweet (Ben, I'm thinking of you and our summer of Cabela's-inspired greeting card line we created).

Laura, this one's for you—no one can carry a child into this world with more love and devotion than Vader.