food adventures

We typically cook a lot, but have been trying to mix up the normal routine lately. Partly to help me remember - and mostly because I love food - I have decided to start documenting some of these food adventures. From earlier this week, a (very Americanized) veggie vindaloo with quinoa:

tofu, sweet potato, onion, cauliflower

plus tomato, chicken broth, and seasoned with curry & chili powders, mint, garlic, salt

And then yesterday, homemade mojitos!





Anddddd assorted deliciousness!

freshly-baked mini croissants, pita crackers, spinach & artichoke dip, prosciutto & mozzarella pinwheel, grapes, capers, homemade olive tapenade

ps. Still searching for the right chandelier to complete the dining nook...

kitchen inspiration

I feel like it has been a while since I have made any home improvements or decorating changes, and that makes me antsy. Although I'm not nearly ready to undertake a kitchen renovation, I have started looking for inspiration. I will have to check whether it's even feasible, but I would like to knock down a wall of the kitchen (at least partially) to open up the space. It's currently a galley kitchen with no natural light. By opening up a wall to the living / dining space, more light would be introduced and the spaces would feel more connected (I could watch tv while washing dishes!)

The downsides: there may be plumbing running through that wall (expensive to change and possibly a deal breaker) and losing that wall means losing the overhead storage. A new solution to the latter recently occurred to me - open shelving! Something like this could realistically work:

(apartment therapy house tour)

And it would actually look similar in here. More research is in order. Feeling inspired!

Ps. Super excited to publish my first post via iPad!

actually there {28}

My actual birthday has come and gone and I must say I don't feel a bit older (just a bit tired, which is perhaps an indication of age..) After the weekend festivities I thought it would be a rather uneventful day, but there were a few surprises. I was ambushed at work with an assortment of cupcakes, cookies, and pastries (red velvet! yumm thanks guys), and the night was finished off with champagne and chocolate-covered fruit! Dark chocolate-covered pineapple is surprisingly more delicious than expected.

Once again I didn't document any of this, so instead here's me on my 2nd birthday:


ps. the "Korean" soup was good!

nearly there {28}

This year, my birthday - or rather, pre-birthday weekend - has been all about food! On Saturday, cocktails and cake at Sel de la Terre with great company (cake skills provided by Sarah). Sunday morning it was brunch at home comprised of bagels with cream cheese, lox, and capers + grapefruit + my typical tea.. super yum! (and even better because I didn't have to do anything but eat!)


And then Sunday night an amaaaaaazing dinner at L'Espalier. It didn't feel appropriate to take photos of all 6 courses (the Winter 2012 Degustation), so I snapped no food at all. It was amazing though, and great to finally see the new location after many, many visits to the old spot - primarily for Wine Mondays which they still have!

I am now attempting to make some kind of Korean beef stew but I really have no clue what I am doing, and in usual form am following no sort of recipe. I hope it's good, and at least remotely Asian-tasting...

not so small anymore

Happy birthday to my baby brother!

(and hooray for the Ravens!!!)