Monday Musings

* G overslept and I got him up and moving.  I started his shower, packed his lunch, dealt with the dogs, heated him up apple cider, and got his books for him.  Suddenly I feel useful....but am worried I just performed the duties of a mom to a teenager. :)

* Yesterday at Goodwill I bought a knit cardigan that looks like something my grandma would have worn.  White, bracelet length sleeves.....as long as I can make it last another 70 years I have a cardigan to rock in the retirement community!

* I have been craving peanut butter like crazy lately, so finally we picked some up and G went Medieval on it's oily, shiny a%$ (this is what he says when he has to mix it up).  The result?  Peanut butter on brownies, peanut butter by the spoonful, and today's lunch: Peanut butter and banana sandwich.  Mmm!

* G and I have discussed that we both want to travel more while it's just us two.  We've felt guilty at the idea of spending money that could go towards an adoption, but as we're working on us, we decided that making our relationship stronger is worth having to save a bit longer.  We've discussed Prague as an idea for the fall, with possibly England/France in the Spring.  But I'm really interested in an Alaskan cruise (and G really, really wants to go on one), but since he'd be getting back just in time to leave I'm thinking it should wait until 2012.  Decisions, decisions.

* It's been freeing, getting rid of things in our home that we no longer need or don't love.  And lucky me, there is still a nearly full basement to go through (even though we've already gone through at least a dozen totes!). 

* I'm both worried about my family and the crazy snow in the midwest and envious of the snow in the midwest.  I feel torn.  Part of me wants to say, "That sucks." while the other part of me is thinking, "Suck it up and deal, we survived last winter and you will survive this winter.  And it's pretty, damn it!"

Burger Chic

Sure, going out for a juicy burger sounds appetizing.  But with both G and I reading books on food (Real Food has been read by both, we're moving onto The Omnivore's Dilemma and Fast Food Nation next), we're a little wary of the quality of beef out at restaurants.  Knowing we had grass fed beef at home, we picked up some whole wheat buns and some salad and created this:

It was delicious, and we ended up with enough burgers for 3 meals!  Divided up by price it was something like $1.30 per burger.....almost as cheap as McDonald's and oh so much better (and better for you!). 

G had a cremini mushroom and swiss cheese burger.  It was delicious (we exchanged bites), juicy and flavorful.  I'm making one of these for myself next time!

I had a burger with tomatoes (East Coast vine ripened....not as good as our local ones in the summer, but better than any others you usually get this time of year), onions and brined pickles (made without vinegar.  I gave them a go, but I prefer normal pickles).  Juicy and it hit the spot.

The fries were Alexia frozen fries that started out in the oven and were finished in the grease from the hamburgers.  Served with Muir Glen ketchup they were okay.  I think from now on we'll stick to the Heinz organic (made with sugar), since it's tangier.  I'm not a fan of sweet tomato ketchup, and this was slightly sweeter than I like.....so I added a bunch of cayenne, black pepper, salt and garlic powder.  Not bad at all. 

These burgers were literally so good we were both shocked.  And even estimated at $2.00 a burger (when you take into account bun and toppings) we had to laugh, because they tasted much better than the average burger out that we would pay $8+ for.  Decidedly spoiled, we won't be doing burgers out any time soon. 

Which Ones

G finally got his iPad, and until he leaves we'll be sharing it (and once he's home it will be the thing I lug around rather than the laptop).  So we're looking into apps for it.  I was wondering for those who have an iPad or iPod touch or iPhone, which apps do you absolutely love?  I've planning on getting Stylebook, a way to catalog my closet and even assemble digital outfits for quick dressing.  But I want to know if there are any others I just have to have? (or that G should have.)  Thanks for any advice!

Charm City Chow

It was Restaurant Week here in Charm City and Thursday night I had the pleasure of meeting up with some great people I've met here in the city.  We met up at Blue Hill Tavern, a delicious little place I've been to a few times before.  Waiting at the bar I grabbed a happy hour glass of Malbec, and then we were led to an excellent corner table, not too quiet, but quiet enough to invoke excellent conversation.

Mmm...pork belly!

I love going out to a dinner with people who truly enjoy food.  The woman who organized the get together ordered an extra appetizer of pork belly with braised granny smith apples, red cabbage and a spiced anjou pear sauce.  It was perfectly done, with a crispness to the outside and a melt in your mouth delicious center.  I have every intention of ordering that as a small meal some Sunday when they have their half priced appetizers.  It was a generous portion, well worth it's price.

I had originally planned to order the ahi tuna starter with the mahi mahi entree.  That was to keep it healthy, and while I wanted the steak I had some reservations about it not being grass fed. I did end up ordering the ahi tuna and it was so good I wanted a larger portion as my main course!  Deciding to be bolder I changed my order to the 14 oz. New York strip with the roasted red pepper sauce (most of which accompanied me home to G).

The steak was very nice, enough fat to add flavor, but the chunks of it were easy to cut off and the main portion was juicy.  The potatoes were your average potatoes, nothing special about them.  The haricot vert were crisp and fresh tasting.  A gentleman of the group had ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir (he too had the steak) that went perfectly with the meal.

Forgot to take a photo of dessert, so this photo is from starchef.com

Dessert was included in the cost and I chose the always delicious candy bar.  I took two bites, ate the ice cream and then asked for the rest to be boxed up.  I was extremely disappointed however to find out when I got home and opened it to share with G that while they had boxed up the main bar, all of my delicious marshmallow fluff, which pairs beautifully was missing.  I have e-mailed the restaurant to let them know, because it really wasn't as good.

Overall it was a fantastic experience, a good meal, with people whose company I always enjoy.  There is nothing more chic than a night where the conversation is lively, the company great, and the food delectable.  As I drove off I thought to myself, "I will survive this city on my own just fine."

So Lucky

I have to admit that lately I've been feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.  G and I have been "dating."  What this has meant for us is that neither of us has been wearing our rings (though we've each worn them out to a few social occasions to keep from being grilled) and are acting like silly fools in love again.  You see, we never really "dated."  He came home from tech school, we spent a couple weeks together, then he proposed and flew out the next day to England.  I saw him for a long weekend that Christmas, he came home in May, and we got married 4 days later.  We were both sure we were doing the right thing, but looking back we both sometimes feel like we didn't do it the right way.  I've felt like we missed something from that time we could have dated, and G feels like he's lost when it comes to planning dates because he's never really had to.  But we've been working on that. 

We've been doing a ton of coffee dates, as well as actual dinner dates.  G's brought me flowers and hair pins (I had looked for them days before and he kept checking to surprise me with them).  He's been paying more attention to things I say and I've been biting my tongue and watching my words more.

And he's been cooking more!  The best part about this is that he's told me that he appreciates my cooking more.  I laughed and said, "It's not as easy as I make it look?"  He smiled and said, "No, not quite."  For soup the other night he roasted the chicken (his usual job) but then also picked all the meat off and after I broke the bones he made the stock.  He watched me make the noodles so that he can do it next time.  And he's been making his signature pasta dish (with broccoli, pesto, paper thin potatoes and chicken).  In fact, he downstairs doing that right now.

I lay curled up with him last night and I told him that this month is going to be amazing but that when it gets back it's going to be even better.  Clean slates.  We both agreed that after experiencing this relative peace and love lately that the last few years feel like such a waste.  Like we wasted precious time.  No more.  We're going to really start trying to do this right.  I can't wait to be like newlyweds again when he comes home to me! 

That's months off, so tonight I'm just enjoying that G is in charge of dinner.  Now it's my turn to wonder, who is going to make this dish once he's gone?  I've never been around him when he makes it!

French Date

Last week while G was off we hit up restaurant week in historic Ellicott City and went to the French restaurant I raved about before Tersiguels.  It was a 3 course meals for $21 a person for their lunch time, and very well worth it!  I started out with their restaurant soup,  broth made from when they poached butternut squash and filled with veggies and a drizzle of herbed oil.  It was delicious.  G got the pate that I got last time we came. 

Then for our main courses I ordered their bouillabaisse, a variety of seafood (salmon, a white fish, mussels, clams, shrimp and a lone scallop) on top of squid ink pasta in a broth.  The pasta was slippery and gave me so much trouble, in the end I just gave most of it to G and enjoyed the seafood.  I am not used to having difficulty with food and so I got a wee bit irritated with my noodles!

G ordered their chicken salad--- roasted chicken breast with asian pear, pecans, goat cheese and endive.  It was tasty and we plan to recreate it at home!

For dessert I ordered the creme caramel, forgetting that I didn't take a photo last time either.  It was yummy as always paired with red currants.  G went bold and ordered their homemade ice cream, which that day was coffee.  When it came out it looked like this:

In ice!  Beautiful, it kept the ice cream cold and unmelting the whole time he ate it.  The coffee ice cream with a bite of red currant was delicious beyond words.  G enjoyed the crispy cinnamon wheat thing on the side.

Overall it was a pretty nice time.  We sat and drank coffee with dessert, and just enjoyed a lazy afternoon.

Thundersnow

Today we've had large pea sized hail, followed immediately by snow that's flakes were the size of quarters, with the amazing add in of lighting and thunder.  We braved the snow for Indian food, and were rewarded with a container of kheer (rice pudding) to go because the waiter felt guilty they were closing early.  

 One of the "flakes" of snow.....it was falling in clumps.

A couple of hours ago.....the snow continues.

I love the snow!  Even more I love that most likely will be a snow day tomorrow for G! 

Fleurs

"To create is to go forth with your passion and make it visible." ~ Moi

In an effort to really ramp up my creativity, as well as make pretties for myself and my home I've decided to forcefully make myself make things.  Sounds painful, but in reality I think I'm really going to enjoy it.  To keep it simple and keep me from getting overwhelmed I figure I will set one simple goal that will snowball into much more creativity.

Tutorial here from Creative Little Daisy

Every month this year I am going to attempt to make one flower item.  I love flowers.  My H&M pin I keep on my green coat gets a compliment nearly every time I wear it. And usually I try to explain to the person that it's something that is really easy to recreate.  But they give me that look that tells me that they don't think it's as simple as I'm describing.  And since I've never made one myself I have to admit maybe it's not so easy.  But the tutorials make it seem that way, so I'm going to give it a whirl.

 Tutorial here at Billie Monster

I'm also going to make rolled flowers like the one Daily Chocolate made for the hairpin of hers I have.  I'm planning to add them to hair pins, brooches, t-shirts, headbands, bracelets, and even make a necklace out of a bunch of them.  

 Tutorial here at Mandipidy

I think they're pretty, a little more challenging, and will allow me to add some lovely accessories that keep with my romantic side.

Tutotial here at Mandipidy

I also would like to try making an "inspired by" flower pillow like the ones I see out at Pier One.  The kind where the whole front is one big flower, but also ones with little flowers on them too.  

 Tutorial here at V & Co.

 Tutorial here at Brassy Apple

And I have a table decoration idea that G says sounds nice.  I love a man who lets me decorate with flowers!  And I better get started soon....January is almost over!

*All images belong to their respective bloggers!  I am hoping mine turn out so well!

Less Waste

 A photo of our paprika roasted chicken, unrelated to the post, but it's there because it's beautiful.

Last night as my chicken was in the oven roasting I glanced up at the half loaf of french bread that had been sitting on top of my refrigerator since Christmas.  It's from Trader Joes, and in a perforated (tiny little holes) bag.  They never have molded on me, though they can easily become hard as rocks.

Which is just how I like them.

Random fact about me:  I have always loved stale bread.  My grandma (my Dad's mom) used to leave out slices of white bread for me to get stale and crusty because she knew I loved it.  I strangely like the taste, it's completely different from fresh bread.  And I am sure that is why I have always loved crusty bread, the texture perfection to me.  

I've made bread soup before, thanks to a suggestion from a former blogger who lives in the south of France.  It turned out well and is an easy thing to throw together.  But last night I decided that though I often make croutons from stale bread I don't think I've ever really given instructions here.  So now is as good a time as any.

Croutons from Stale Bread

* Stale bread

* Olive oil

* Parsley

* Herbs and spices

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

You will take your stale bread and chunk it up, tossing the pieces into a med-large bowl (always use a bigger bowl than you think you'll need as mixing can be messy).  It doesn't need to be perfectly squared (in fact, that's mildly creepy to me).  If it crumbles a bit and leaves bunches of crumbs, throw that into the bowl as well.  

Drizzle olive oil over it.  I drizzle a lot because I like the flavor once they're done.  Next toss in a bunch of fresh or dried parsley.  I always use dried because I keep a ton on hand.  After that you add whatever spices you care for on your croutons.  I generally use garlic powder, but we're out of that.  So I sprinkled on onion powder and garlic salt.  Turned out delicious, we're so doing it that way next time!  

Mix in the bowl, using a spatula or your hands (my preferred method!).  Scoop all of it out onto a cooking sheet and put in oven.  Occasionally you can turn the pieces using a spatula or do what I do and shake them up a bit on the sheet.  Toast until they are a nice golden brown and crisp.  

I have no idea how long these last as we eat them almost like crisps.  They're excellent sprinkled on salads, soup, and the crumbs are good mixed into an omelet.  These crumbs would also be excellent for the tops of roasted tomatoes.  

Have you made homemade bread crumbs/croutons before?  Would you consider doing them now that I've shown how simple it is (basically impossible to screw up unless you lose track of time and they burn)?  

Oh, and please share if you can think of any different flavor combinations of seasonings for these....I'm always looking for new things to try!

Real Lunch

Paprika roasted chicken, potatoes (that were under the chicken), peas with butter, an apple, an orange, and apricot (not pictured because I ate it while heating up the potatoes) and some leftover coffee with grass fed half and half and vanilla sugar.  I haven't actually eaten the orange yet because I took a nasty fall down the stairs leaving my rear swollen enough that you can no longer see the bruises....that had shown up immediately.  

Now if you're a stronger person than I you simply find a comfortable position and lie there.  Unfortunately after I was able to get up off the landing (this took a bit, I couldn't move at first which induced quite a bit of panicking on my part), I crawled upstairs and lying on my side proceeded to call G and sob until I was no longer understandable.  I think it's because I had been scared more than I was willing to admit and it just kind of bubbled up.  That being said because of falling on an already hurt tailbone area G came home an hour early and brought with him this:

I've been desiring a Mexican coke for days and so G swung by a local cafe on his way home to get me one.  Not exactly healthy, but at least it uses real sugar!  Almost makes the fall worth it.  Okay, not really. 

Flying High

Last night I attended the BlogLove event here in Charm City at Load of Fun Studio, put on by the lovely Kristin and Chris Ann from LoveFeast.  As you know, I was a bit nervous (and so very thankful for that glass of wine handed to me on arrival!).  But in the end I saw a few people I had met before and adore (like Miss Donna from Relevant), and even met a few people that I thought were absolutely fascinating.  I'm thinking I may be getting the hang of this meeting new people thing (well, except for the rambling I tend to do).

Moi, Donna, and Ashley

We watched Mara Neimanis (who owns In Flight Theater) perform some artistic and interpretive trapeze, as well as a couple of her students who worked together on a single swing.  It was really interesting to see someone so passionate about their art, how they feel sort of lost without it.  I am considering taking some aerial classes once my body is healed up.  

 These are the students, Mara didn't capture on film except as a blur because of my itsy bitsy little camera and trying to film quickly w/o flash!

Joe Squared (voted Baltimore's best pizza) provided pizzas and risottos.  So delicious I was in heaven.  And then as a sweet finish, Golden West Cafe provided to die for banana cupcakes (like a sweet banana bread really) with cream cheese frosting.  So good, I politely asked to grab one for G.  He was very appreciative!  

There were swag bags, with some local treats.  I am absolutely in LOVE with this necklace made by a local artist who uses vintage tins to make jewelry.  I am going to  have to check her out....her store Studio C is super close to Clementine's and Zeke's Coffee!  I was torn about her jewelry because I love old tins so much (I would probably hoard them to just hold stuff if I weren't terrified of hoarding), but I think it's an awesome way to preserve some beautiful pieces.  You can also check her out on etsy, here.  I'm wearing my necklace today actually (photos later). 

Unrelated to the swag, I had won my choice of item from Our Daily Chocolate (one of the girls I think is amazing, who I met at Relevant) from BowMania a while back.  I finally remembered to e-mail Ashley and say I would love a silk hair rosette, and if she could, would she bring it to BlogLove.  I then promptly forgot about e-mailing her until she showed up with it last night.  Needless to say it was love at first site.  Ashley also provided a pair of earrings to each attendee last night!  

Urban Halo provided each of us a gift card to purchase one of their headbands.  I'm torn on which one to get, I'm especially loving some of the bright and bold patterns.  With all the neutrals I wear I need something to pump it up!

And then I got super lucky and was drawn to win one of the new Gussy clutches that she collaborated with Kristen and Chris Ann on.  Super cute and will come in handy when I want a bag I can throw on my wrist with a few items and not worry about it.  I love clutches, but so many of mine are hard to hold when I'm mingling!

The whole night was amazing and about finding your passion and making it a bigger part of your life.  It has given me a push to really start creating more.  I have so many files on my computer of tutorials of things I want to make, from pillows to curtains to jewelry, etc.  And the silly part is that other than items that require sewing, all of them would be simple to do and extremely satisfying.  And on top of that I have my own list of things I want to do/make for our home.  I had bought a canvas way back in May for our anniversary to paint a poem on, but it never got made.  I finally shared another idea I had for it with G and he said he thought it was even better than the poem, that it would be perfect for our home (and it will be coming up soon on the blog, I want it done by the middle of next week).  I think with all the stresses of moving to a place that didn't feel like home and then having all my marital issues finally come to a head I just kind of let the part of me that loves to create kind of hide away.  I had too much on my plate, and felt incredibly inadequate in so much that I just sort of gave up. 

So my biggest goal for while G is gone is to really knock more and more off the things to make list.  Of course it's a never ending list as I'm always adding to it.  But it will be nice to really start feeling more me,  to get back in touch with my very artistic side.  The night was exactly what I needed and I am so happy I went!

Brave Face

I have an event I'm attending tonight, Blog Love here in Charm City.  I am super excited to see some people from Relevant, to meet others I've heard of, and even those I don't have a clue who they are!  However, I get really, really nervous before meeting new people.  Yes, I'm that girl who frets about her outfit, changes it a hundred times and then worries she looks a fool.  I somehow manage to hide this once I'm actually there and part of that stems from a routine I like to call "Putting on My Brave Face."

I take a hot shower and exfoliate my skin.  And then when I step out, on gets slathered the always cold Black Tea Mask by Fresh.  It's an intense hydrating mask, perfect for my dry skin.  I let it sit far past the 10 minutes they tell you to, because I'm usually wearing it while doing something else (such as blogging).  But after I wipe it off on goes La Mer Cream.  My skin is soft, and I feel like I can face anything.  

A touch up on the nails, a mini nap.....little things that help prepare me for having to go out and meet new people.  It's become vitally important since I'm soon to be on my own, exploring this city, and hopefully hosting a brunch or two.  It's hard to let down your guard, to learn that not everyone is faux, not everyone has an agenda.  But tonight I'm going to meet new people in a place I'm slowly accepting as home, and I can't wait to see what the future brings!

Etching

Never show your husband something you're undecided about that you know he might like.  He will.  And he will make it clear that that is the one (of whatever you're looking at)!  We've been debating bedding for when G gets home.  We didn't feel in any particular hurry.  We knew that we're upgrading to a queen sized bed, so we wanted a king sized duvet cover for the look we like.  We knew we had picked up royal purple sheets at Wal-Mart that both of us love enough we're going to get a couple more sets (currently the one set is used for the air mattress for guests).  So we were basically browsing the last few months for a style.  I like white and fluffy, but obviously that can get dirty easily and we have a labrador who likes our bed and sheds.  Not a good combination. 

I really like DwellStudio bedding, and thanks to their line at Target we've come really close to picking up several sets, but always weren't sure.  Of course they're normal sets are gorgeous as well, but at over $300 dollars for a king duvet set it was completely out of our price range.  The most I was willing to spend was $200, and I preferred closer to $150.  So when I saw DwellStudio's Etching bedding I was kind of sad.  But I goggled it to look for reviews and instead found that ABC Home had it on final sale for $160 for the king size set!  We debated it for over a week and tonight I finally decided to go ahead and purchase it.  After all, G's in love, it suits my black and white taste, it looks traditional with a twist, and will easily be made softer with a fluffy ruched pillow thrown on. 

We obviously bought it whoa ahead of time, as I'll be sleeping in the full bed until G returns.  (Even if he builds the bed base beforehand we'll be putting the full mattress set on it for the time being.)  But it was a $150 savings on something we both liked, so it can get put up until it's time to be used.  And we're also getting this pillow to put on a chair in our room because I'm in love and it mimics the etched style while being completely different in theme:

CB2 Jaime Pearl Pillow

Do you ever buy something for 6 months or more in the future? 

S.B.S.

I think this is going to become my favorite made-up acronym.  S.B.S. = Slowly but surely.  So tonight in an effort to make our bedroom more of a retreat, less of a drop things right there because you're exhausted I've been re-organizing our bedroom with what we have for now.  We still have our antique full size bedroom set.  After G gets back we'll be upgrading to a queen with a latex matress (we're saving our pennies) and different side tables.  But tonight even the small thing like making G's bedside table look nice was a pick me up.  

The lamp is the one I won from Young House Love while living in England, with a bamboo style base.  The water carafe is from Pier One. (side note:  Does anyone else get frustrated with the quality of things like these, I swear we visited 3 Pier Ones, several times over and over, messed with hundreds of glasses and carafes until we found one that looked good and sit straight?) Candle is a vanilla clove mercury glass one we bought on clearance after Christmas from Target.  Books are 'Real Food', and Edgar Allan Poe Collection, and our Catholic Bible.  And then the little glass dish with a G etched into it deep?  Picked up for maybe $2 at a thrift store and it's always on the bedside table to collect cufflinks, G's pin from his uniform, our rings, etc.  

I'd still like a bedside table of my own, but for now at least we have a neatly done one for the room.

Great Deal

I was looking for a top coat to help my Vendetta polish last, and I knew I probably needed a good base coat too, since I like dark nails.  Well, the other day at Trade Secret I picked up a winter set (Pack Your Winter Coat) where it had both the OPI base coat and top coat for the price of one, $8.50.  Only when I got to the counter it was half off, so I got both for a quarter of the cost I would have paid for them if I had bought them individually.  I came home, did the base coat, let it dry, did a coat of vendetta (the purple shows up better with just one coat, and yet looks good), and then a top coat.  A few days later and still no chips!  So what's a girl to do, other than go back and buy 4 more sets?  I basically spent $18, for what normally would have cost $68!!!  I saved $50 and with my love for dark polish it will all get used this year.  If you have a Trade Secret near you I urge you to go look for this deal, it's quite frankly amazing!  And at least at my store, the place they put them is low on a side few people really look at, so there were still plenty even after my splurge tonight. 

Novel Idea

I really, really love to read.  And a point that nearly annoys G is that I am a quick reader (he says my eyes move quite quickly and it's interesting to watch me reading).  I never realized this before marrying him.  I assumed that everyone who enjoys reading and has the time for it could read several books in a day.  Hmm.

Last year Missris had a goal and achieved it of reading 52 books.  In fact it was supremely helpful to me because it gave me some book recommendations.  I used to read tons, but easily can turn to the computer to watch a show or read a blog instead.  So, in an effort to rev up the amount I read again I think I should set a goal for this year.  I'm going to say that I will read 200 books this year.  And to keep me honest, in copying Missris I will also post about them occasionally.  The ones that were "eh, okay" will get grouped together in posts, and the ones that were amazing will get their own little review.  I say little because if they're amazing I don't want to spoil them for you!

So to start this out I will tell you about a phenomenal novel I just read, A Reliable Wife.  It takes place mainly in Wisconsin around the turn of the century (beginning in 1907).  The back of the paperback I picked up reads:

"He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for a "reliable wife."  She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman."  She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving herself a wealthy widow.  What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own."

The novel is full of twists and surprises.  Each character is not really all that they first appear.  And I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I even enjoyed reading the interview with the author at the end.  It was Robert Goolrick's first novel and a quick read not because it's short (it's an average book at 291 pages), but because it flows along so beautifully you keep wanting to see what is around the next corner.  If you're on a buying freeze or just prefer to not buy books (I luckily found mine at a thrift store in brand new condition for less than $2, though it was one I looked at at B&N), I would definitely check the library for a copy!

Reusable Chic

I am not a huge fan of throw-away products.  And for those of you who say "But I recycle" I have to say we of course do as well, but plastic is incredibly expensive to recycle and produces toxins.  Glass is easy (grinding, melting, re-forming) and paper is as well.  And so while I occasionally get a plastic water bottle, I'm looking into reusable bottles (I know I'm late to the game).  I was just recommending a glass one to a friend when I thought, I should just get one of these!  It's fairly little, so it would fit into my bag to carry.  I have a glass carafe by the bed that I drink a whole carafe of water every night from, and it's *magically* refilled in the morning (my husband always makes sure I have a glass of water next to my bed and the carafe has made it even easier!).  I then proceed to drink the whole carafe throughout the day if I'm home, but if I go with him I need a better option than a plastic container that's to be thrown into the trash.  

This got me thinking about other items that we use reusable products for.  My husband always takes our stainless flatware with him to work (the set that used to belong to my great great aunt) so that he doesn't have to use the plastic utensils there.  His lunch is in either the plastic rubbermaid containers or our glass pyrex dishes (we're slowly replacing the plastic with glass).  The only thing I've failed to keep on hand for him is some of our older cloth napkins, but with us cleaning and me organizing up a storm those should be ready for him as well starting next week (he's off this week to spend time with me).  

We use cloth napkins in our home.  They just make more sense.  We reuse them for up to a week (obviously depending on whether or not they even got dirty), so it's not a constant cycle.  And for the most part we never have paper towels on hand, using cloth dishtowels for cleanup instead (I say for the most part because we are about to buy a couple rolls for the paint stripping projects we're working on).  

But in an effort to use more and more items that aren't for the trash or recycle I'm asking what you do in your own home on this topic?  Any good tips?  Any re-using ideas?  I'd love to hear them!  After all, using real items always feels more chic and special....as well as helping the planet! 

Push Through

I used to be an exercise addict.  And I do mean that literally.  I can remember being caught in high school running around my room in circles and when my maman asked what on earth I was doing, I told her I couldn't sleep.  It was complete B.S. of course, had she caught me at another time she might have seen me lifting a marble pencil cup I have (I usually stuffed it with other heavy items) or doing jumping jacks.  And my gym teacher used to tell me not to push myself so hard on running.....because I would start to black out from lack of nutrition.  So in my years of effort to keep things healthier, I've actually been quite terrified of exercising too much, of getting too into it.  But with a running goal that is still looming large I'm pushing through the fear (and a nasty sinus issue) and going to attempt a 5K today on the treadmill, along with some distance on the elliptical and some stair stepping (so that someday I might achieve my dream of actually having a butt!). 

I think it's completely important to take down days.  Yesterday we literally did nothing but read, watched some t.v. and we even took an afternoon nap.  My sinus thing had just started, and after being go go go for the last couple of weeks we both needed a day of rest.  But today we slept in, we've had hot tea, and are gearing up to go to the gym.  After all, I have a little 5 lb goal to meet that I am hoping to achieve soon, because Sunday I picked up a nail polish for when I achieve it!  It may have been bought, but G has it and I don't get it until I make my goal.  

Let's face it, most people don't get excited by the idea of going to the gym.  Whether it's a cold, being tired or simply a lack of motivation you have to find ways to push through.  My goals have made that a little easier for me, and I'll be sharing this along the way.  Hopefully it might help motivate someone else to get out there and "just do it already!" (a phrase I tell myself.)    

*EDIT* I did my 5K plus some on the treadmill (I hit cool down and went to 3.41 miles).  So in order to have a nice even number I hit the elliptical and did another 1.59 miles for a total of 5 miles today!   In under and hour and a half I burned over 650 calories!  And the best part was I could have gone longer on the elliptical but G (bless his heart) usually doesn't do them and was dying.  I'm feeling like today was a great day!

*EDIT EDIT*  I totally forgot to mention (and I think it's really healthy that I completely forgot this) that before working out today I was already down 2.5 lbs.  That nail polish will be mine in no time!

Basement Overhaul

My parents brought out a U-Haul of our things back in July, and we are just now really getting to most of it.  We're hoping to really hit it hard this week and clear out the basement, with boxes of items for donation, selling, and keeping.  It's actually been fun.  We went through about 10 totes last night and it went pretty quick, stopping at times to read moody teenage poetry.  Some was written back when I was 15 and my bulimia was as bad as it gets, so some of it was hard to read and remember.  But some of it was just horrific teenage love and whatnot and we giggled a ton.  Oh, and Maman, we found the paper I wrote for my psych class where it was "very insightful"....the one that G calls the perfect example of B.S.....I read the first chapter and then just wrote it like I'd read the whole thing.  Apparently it's an excellent representation of my genius because rereading it I would never have guessed I hadn't read the whole book! 

Some things will be hard to part with, because I hold sentimental value.  But I'm trying something mentioned by Adrienne and taking photos of some things and then donating or discarding it.  For instance, my high school grad cap.  Don't really need to keep it around.  Other things we're limiting how much we keep.  G and I have a lot of memories from our friendship and relationship and have decided to keep a box that we edit occasionally of items that mean something for us.  In goes either the champagne flute or the beer mug from our senior prom, but not both.....and eventually they'll probably both be recycled. 

In the end the basement is going to be lined with the wooden shelving units from IKEA for storage of food and items we're keeping but have no idea where to put right now.  And our old kitchen table and chairs will be in the center of the room as a workstation.  Finally I'm hoping to find a great sturdy solid wood dresser for G to paint and make into his tool station.  It'll be a work in progress, but nice to eventually have done.  We've talked about storing a lot of things like potatoes and squash down there, along with canned goods when we buy them in bulk (or if I can them myself).  This won't be done before G leaves, but by this time next year it should be all finished up (including painting the stairs and floor).  

G said it perfectly tonight when he noticed I was blogging about this: "Streamlined is chic."  And he's right.  It makes me happy, makes his life simpler, and keeps what we truly love around while discarding things we don't need/want.  And a home full of things you love is as chic as it gets decorating wise.

Sustenance

Today was one of those days.  Where you just are and you're not self conscious and you love life.  Where you feel fulfilled.  We went to a brunch at one of our favorite places and while it was a surprising disappointment both food and service wise the conversation was great, and I just felt happy to be right there in that moment.

Then it was off shopping.  I picked up a nail color for my first 5 lbs (not met yet, I don't think, but G's to hold onto it for me), along with baubles, and an ink well taper holder (on clearance at Anthropologie), and a jacket at Ann Taylor that was $195.....I got it for $25!  It fits okay now, but it's a size 8 and will be much better in a couple months.  I've been avoiding shopping lately because I'm positive the weight is coming off so I don't want to buy anything that will be useless or have to be sized down in a couple months, nor do I want to buy anything too small and then stress about fitting into it.  But this I could get into and then get it zipped up so I figure it's fine, especially for such a simple cost.  

Then more coffee with G while we discussed the direction our home is going to go in.  It's a huge topic right now since a lot will be acquired while he's gone, and I want us to be in agreement so he doesn't come home and think, "Where did my home go?"  We discussed possibly buying a ladder to actually paint before he leaves, along with a bunch of huge projects we're undertaking, like possibly building our own bookcases instead of buying the IKEA ones.  And building a bed base to attach a tufted headboard to.  

A simple dinner, now going through boxes trying to get everything nice and tidy and calm.  And I for the first time in a while have a calm heart. 

Rise

 My great grandmother's buttermilk biscuit recipe is one of my husband's favorite acquisitions from marrying me.  He loves them, whether for biscuits and gravy, or with butter and jam/honey.  Hot from the oven, two days old.....he basically eats them until they're inedible.  But two changes I made recently have yielded the best biscuits I have ever tasted, ones that were light and melted in your mouth.

Recently I wanted to try baking powder that was aluminum free.  Of course you might realize by now I have to actually research everything.  So after spying Rumford baking powder at Trader Joes I went home to check out reviews.  They seemed positive, with "food tastes better" being the biggest praise.  Next time I was into the store, into the cart it went.  Reading David Lebovitz's article on Why You Should Use Aluminum Free Baking Powder  I noticed that Rumford is made by Clabber Girl (my previous brand of choice).  And honestly, the packaging swayed me, because I have a thing for silhouettes. 

Since reading Real Food: What To Eat And Why, I've been trying to figure out ways to get away from hydrogenated vegetable oil products (such as crisco) completely.  The only thing I ever used crisco in was my great-grandmother's buttermilk biscuits, because it's what was called for.  But Wednesday night I decided to try something different and use softened butter.  I used a fork to mix it well until it all was crumb like.  

The first thing I noticed was that the dough tasted better overall.  But then into the oven they went and we watched, fascinated.  My previous attempts at using butter when we were first married didn't work out so well.  I guess I didn't get the butter mixed as well (I was using the rubbing method with my fingers), because they just seemed to not rise very well.  This time the biscuits rose and rose.  They got larger than they ever had before, and when taken out of the oven and cut into they were light, fluffy, and melted as you ate them.  The taste was outstanding, and we both heartily agreed they were by far the best biscuits we had ever eaten in our whole entire lives.  

I'm a Rumford convert.  These biscuits rose beautifully (and so have other things we've baked with this brand, much more so than usual) and tasted delicious, not just because of the butter but because there was absolutely no metallic taste whatsoever.  If you're looking to switch, it's very close to the same cost as Clabber Girl, but with far superior results.  

Whole

I know that over the time I've been writing this blog I've been a bit more adventurous in the kitchen than some people think is sane.  I've done frog legs and pigeon and even chopped up a rabbit.  However there are still some things that intimidate me.  Tonight I conquered one of these and roasted a whole fish. 

You see, it started out such an innocent little trip to Whole Foods to pick up some more milk (grass fed whole milk.....it's delicious and we drank a whole half gallon in days).  While walking towards the milk section we stopped at the fresh fish section.  There he was, Fred the whole, wild, fresh caught local rockfish.  He was glossy eyed, all bright and clear looking and he smelled like the ocean rather than fishy.  I asked the lad who works there what to do with him, it sounded simple enough and wouldn't require buying any extra ingredients.  So I had him descaled and wrapped him up to go.

I laid him on aluminum foil, stuffed him with beautiful lemons (even slicing into his flesh to put some there), onion slices, butter and thyme.  I forgot to salt and pepper him, but that's easily added at the end.  Wrapped him up and stuck him in a 350F oven. 

He smelled delicious as he roasted.  I made smashed balsamic red potatoes to go with, and some green beans.  Simple meal.  Time to just enjoy natural tastes and textures.  I now want to try other whole fish, like red mullet.  (it's used in a lot of my french recipes.)

Step by Step

I've been trying to update the tally of running on the sidebar soon after I've done anything, and today I was proud to say I have run over 20 miles these last 8 months.  Definitely not as much as I wanted to, but after yesterday I am positive these next 4 months are going to be a breeze.  

I did a mile on the treadmill yesterday without stopping.  I know for some this is no huge feat, but lately with my feet I haven't been able to keep running the whole mile, I usually have to switch up running with brisk walking.  So there I was and I told myself I could stop at half a mile and get a drink (I get super parched running) but instead was able to signal G to pause his treadmill and run me over his bottle of water (which he doesn't drink while running).  I would have done more than a mile, but I made it to a mile, stopped to stretch and made a huge error when I bent over to reach behind my calves and stretch.....my heart rate dropped too quickly, I got lightheaded and then had to run off to be ill.  

I nearly thought that was the end of my little workout, as I came out and realized all the treadmills were taken.  I spent a few minutes torturing G by bumping up the speed on his treadmill (I tend to play trainer when I go with him).  But then I thought, "I'm bored, where next?"  I jumped on a stair climber and did 14 flights of stairs quickly until my thighs began to burn.  And finally an elliptical opened up and I jumped on and did a half mile on that before G finished his 5K.  

How did I get through such a *grueling* workout?  (hey, it was a little grueling!)  I decided that since I put on about, ahem, 10 lbs recently that it was time to finally drop this last 40-45.  And what better way to do it than while running envision a list of items I could purchase as I hit different markers.  The list is most definitely not finished (I'm rewarding myself every 5 lbs), but this might actually be fun!  First up, once I've lost the first 5 lbs. is an OPI nail polish (I'm thinking the Ski Teal We Drop I've been stalking).  I'm hoping to have that by February 1.  We'll see.  The end goal is the green silk dress, but I told G that I'm not splurging on that until I've lost everything and maintained it for 2 months (I'm an excellent maintainer, but I want to make sure the weight loss is the right weight for my body).  

Have you ever tried a rewards program in increments like this?  I'm actually pretty dang motivated right now, and after yesterday I'm confident that I can begin running a few miles every time I'm at the gym, coupled with pushups and weights done at home.  I see some new JBrand jeans and Agent Provacateur pretties in my future!

Vendetta

For Christmas G got me three things:  The Penguin Classics cloth covered version of Little Women, Erotic Poems by E.E. Cummings (I love this poet), and Chanel nail lacquer in Vendetta.  He bought me the nail polish because I've been stalking it for months, but at $25 for a nail polish I couldn't justify it.  It's a deep, deep purple, nearly black....how I like my dark polishes.  So I looked elsewhere for something comparable to no avail.  I honestly never expected him to get it for me. 

image from You've Got Nail

Well, he did, and this past weekend I put it on (my nails all broke down as short as they could possibly go over Christmas) and I'm in love.  At casual glance the nails look black until the light catches them and a deep royal purple glistens.   I'm a dark nails sort of girl.  I never imagined I would be.  I thought it was too trendy, too "emo."  But I picked up one dark blue last summer and suddenly it was love.  The way it highlights my pale skin (the same reason I ignore any urges to dye my hair blonde) is quite lovely.  And with a name like Vendetta it puts a little edge to my day. 

Do you wear dark nail polish?  Would you ever give it a go? 

Goal Updates

Last year around my birthday I posted a list of petite goals.  I also made a goal to run 250 miles this year and have been keeping track of it in the sidebar.  Well, I figured it was about time for an update. 

The running started off great.  This summer G and I would go run around a lake and enjoyed the time together.  Then my foot happened and while I continued to try and make it work, I ended up making it worse.  I was told I would need surgery eventually.  Instead I backed the heck off.  I'm confident that my condition is reversible as long as I take it easy and slowly stretch my tendons back into looseness.  At first I simply though I was in denial, but it's been very successful!  I actually spent all day Sunday in boots (my favorite shoes that my feet caused me to have to retire), and at the end of the day my feet hurt no worse than normal from heels (where they ache on the balls of your feet).  So I'm slowly easing back into running again.  I told my doctor I had a goal of 250 miles and she looked at me like I was nuts and said it was a lot.  Whereas I looked at her like she was nuts.  Fair enough. 

As for the petite goals, I still can't knit worth a lick, but I'm signing up for classes for when G is gone.  Tap dancing is out until my foot is much better.  Homemade vanilla was unnecessary this winter (I have a ton of Nielsen-Massey), but will be getting made this next summer in order to sit and really gain strength.  Homemade mayonnaise is going to be attempted for our early Easter dinner sometime next month.  Still haven't made a single pillow, though less from lack of wanting to and more from having an entire computer folder of ones to make and not sure where to start!  We're ordering new bedding soon, and I'm planning to make a few pillows to add some feminine touches and punches of color. 

Still eyeing violins but realizing that dropping 3 grand on a violin would mean 3 grand not going toward an adoption, so I'm debating it and think I'll just save up longer.  I will eventually have a nice violin, but I'm in no hurry, I need to work on scales and getting my fingers limber again before dropping that sort of cash.  We never did make it to the orchestra, though I have a gown picked out that next year if all goes well will be made to order for my measurements in a beautiful emerald green silk.  G doesn't own a suit (still, I know!) but we'll be having that done as well, and we also plan to buy him a simple black tuxedo at the same time.  And I already have it written in my planner to check beginning early next November for some very lovely seats to see The Nutcracker ballet. 

I started an etsy shop.....and then never listed anything in it.  But in an effort to downsize my stash of items I will be listing some before G leaves.  I also have plans to open a handmade etsy shop in an effort to raise more money towards an adoption.  Look for that to happen later in the spring.  I have citristrip to strip our black coffee table (I painted it last year, but didn't love it).  It has beautiful wood and so it's going to get stained a dark espresso brown.  I also have a children's kitchen that we picked up recently that G and I will be rehabbing and making cute (right now it looks like a 1980's Montessori reject), and then I plan to sell it to raise money.  See a theme? 

The time during G's deployment I will be squirreling away as much money as I possibly can.  The goal is to have my student loans paid off before next Christmas, and to have put away about $10,000 towards the adoption.  It's a huge goal, but one that I think is entirely possible.  The more we can get squirreled away, the quicker we can begin working towards bringing a child home.  Our dream is to a year and a half from now be parents. 

So there you have it, a very not greatly met update.  However I've put a lot on hold for health reasons, and now to make sure I have plenty of time to spend with G before he leaves.  I've learned an important lesson this year and it's this:  to cut myself some slack.  And on that goal I think I'm doing quite well.

*I wrote this before yesterday's events.  I think that giving myself a break and just taking care of myself and my husband rather than trying to be a renaissance woman has helped tremendously this year on both regards.