Snow Day

Sunday night Baltimore was lucky enough to miss the 'snow emergency' and escape with only a few inches. I was a little sad that I missed Bostons first big snow fall of the season, but I have a feeling there will be plenty of more snow to come!

Since we were only getting a few inches, I decided to take the risk and drive down to D.C to visit Bailey. I drove like a nervous nancy at a whopping 40 mph in the slow lane until I got down there. Happy to report, I arrived without any accidents!

We spent the night catching up and drinking wine. So happy I was able to get down and see her. Hopefully we will be able to get together in a few months, perhaps someplace tropical?? Who's in??

Christmas 2010

I hope everyone had a great christmas! My Christmas vacay:

Thursday:

1. Fly down to Baltimore

2. Get picked up by Lizzy and head to Dads house

3. Drink wine and catch up until 3 am - I have no idea when the last time I was up until 3 am

Friday: Christmas Eve/ Mere's 25th Bday!

1. Meet up with Abbie and head to Mere's house for her 25th bday brunch

2. Drink champs, and eat delish egg dish

3. Head to Moms house to wrap up last minute gifts

4. Drive down to Dads house

5. Go to cross street market for oysters and beer

6. Head back to Dads for tenderloin and prep side dishes

7. Eat my body weight in delicious food and wine

8. Play monopoly

Saturday: Merry Christmas!

1. Wake up and start making christmas morning breakfast!

2. Make batch of peanut M&M cookies - Dad learned that baking soda and baking powder are in fact different - got to love teaching something new!

3. Head to Mom's to help prep for dinner

4. Open presents- Woohoo I got a TV, see ya later 1997 square tv!

5. Eat body weight in christmas dinner

6. Head to Dads to watch the Towne (which was really good, but strange that you are rooting for the 'bad guy' in the movie...) and play board games

Sunday:

1. Eat brunch at Mothers - obvi got eggs benedict - my go to for brunch

Welp thats what I've been up to so far, hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend! Now I just have to figure out what to do about the 'state of emergency' snow storm that is on the horizons...

Book Club/Cookie Swap

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Last night I ventured out to Davis square to meet up with our Book Clubers! We met at Beth's adorable, festive apartment for wine, apps and of course...lots of cookies. Each person brought a different kind and by the end of the night, we all got to take home 9 different types of cookies - great way to try new recipes!

Check out Beths blog for pics!

Of course, we did talk (a little bit) about the book, which was The Glass Castle - it was a very good, quick read and I would definitely recommend everyone to pick up this book.

Sports Fix

Lately, I've been attending a few sports games that have been a lot of fun. I am not really a sports fans...more there for the excitement of the game/food/beer. And this past Sunday, I got to go to a Ravens game with my Dad!


Notice the purple cowboy hat - Baltimore fans go all out for Ravens Games, including purple camo pants, hats, gloves, sweatshirts, painted faces - you name it, people are wearing it to show their purple pride. I attempted to wear a cute gray hat that has a little bow on the side - everyone vetoed it and said I had to wear a purple and black hat with a huge raven on the front...cute.


Yup, the flames are for Ray Lewis - while the song 'its getting hot in here' is playing...absolutely ridic...


And tonight, I will be attending the BC and IU basketball game!

While in Baltimore, we went to my Dad's favorite place to watch football games, find a wide selection of great beer and delicious oysters is hands down, Nicks Seafood. They are located a few blocks away from my dads place which is awesome, and with great beer prices, how can you say no?


Notice the size of these beers - absolutely insane.

Prepping for Thanksgiving

After a 4 hour trip from Logan to Newark to BWI, I was excited when Dad said he wanted to get Bloody Marys this morning to start the thanksgiving prepping off right!

Bloody Marys - MD Style - Gotta love the old bay:

Then we headed to Cross Street Market to pick up the Oysters. Dad got a little excited and ordered 50 oysters, aka 70 lbs to grill on thanksgiving:

Lizzy trying to pick up the box:

Dad picking up the turkey legs for the oyster stuffing - can you tell we love seafood?

So excited! Happy Thanksgiving!

SC

So last night it was my turn to cook - sorry for the several weeks that I have missed. After being in the laundry mat and reading through a People's magazine, I found a great recipe for a vegetable lasagna by Julianne Moore. The picture looked good and the recipe looked easy, so why not?

It was extremely easy, delicious and I am definitely planning on making it again!

If you cant read the ingredients:
12 sheets of pasta
2 large zucchinni - chopped
1 bunch of asparagus - sliced
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 cups of shredded mozerella
1/2 cup of parmesean cheese
15 oz of ricotta cheese
1 egg
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
6 cups marinara

Steps:
Preheat the oven at 350
1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a skillet
2. Throw in all the veggies
3. Mix the ricotta, egg and Parmesan cheese
4. Line the bottom of a baking dish with marinara sauce
5. Add a layer of 3 uncooked sheets of pasta, ricotta cheese, and veggies - repeat again
6. Add another layer of pasta, marinara sauce and throw on all the mozzarella cheese
7. Bake in the oven for 45 min - and your done!

Jcrew - you have let me down

I purchased this sweater from jcrew the other day and wore it out on Saturday night.



When I got home, 5 of the beads had fallen off! I have to say, I did talk myself into buying this fabulous sweater because it was a little on the pricey side. I did take it back to jcrew and they graciously gave me a new one, but its inevitable - the beads will fall off again. So...what should I get with my $150?



and



or



or



or this skirt:



jcrew.com

Decisions...decisions...

Sorry I have been missing!

Update on my Life:

Weekend of October 8-9:

1. College Friends came into town and we had a fabulous time!
2. Dinner at Pho Basil on Friday night followed by lots of wine and tons of laughs
3. Saturday we walked around Newbery street and did some shopping at Madewell
4. Saturday Night we went to Molly's apartment for a pregame, then out to the Point by the North end for dancing - absolutely amazing time!
5. Sunday we went to brunch at Joe's American grille and gossiped :-)

Supper Club - Nia's Turn

1. She made an absolutely amazing dish of braised short ribs, with polenta and broccoli (sorry N if I butchered any of the names)
2. All I know - it was unbelievable





This past weekend:

1. My Dad came to visit the great city of Boston.
2. We went to brunch, then walked around Fanuiel Hall - Did some of the freedom Trail, but decided ducking into Sissy K's for a nice cold one would be a great idea



3. Then we had dinner in Chinatown - East Ocean City - which by far has the best Chinese food in Boston!
4. Sunday, we went to brunch at Charlies and headed towards Jerry Remy's to watch the Ravens vs. Patriots game. We sadly lost in OT, but it was an awesome game!
5. Then after, we did a little shopping - I got a new winter coat that I am in love with!

Check it out:



It will be perfect for the harsh winter ahead!

Wicked!

Last night I had a great time going with my book club ladies to see the infamous Broadway play, Wicked!

It was an absolutely amazing show, and would definitely recommend everyone living in Boston to see this show - it will truly blow you away!



I'm also very excited to see where our expanded book club will go. There was talk last night of trying to create a culture club where once a month we venture to some place in the city - Wine Tastings, MFA, Festivals, New Restaurants etc. Sounds like fun huh?! Sign me up!

Faux-Fur Vests

I must have this faux-fur vest from Michael Kors - it is absolutely amazing! With the new store opening at the Pru soon and winter right around the corner - I will make it my goal to have this gem!


(via)

Double Rings

I'm obsessed with the double finger rings like these:

Southmoonunder.com





Fun Snake ring from Betseyjohnson.com



Urbanoutfitters.com



Finally, my favorite - rings made by Erica Anenberg:

k-12 online schooling?!

The other day I was watching TV and saw this ad come on about k-12 grade kids having the ability to learn from online courses in the convenience of their homes.

Wow, this was the most absurd thing I've ever heard of, lets give this program a pat on the back for helping childhood obesity and allowing the kids to become anti-social so that one day they will grow up to become some kind of weird lunatic/serial killer...

I'm just sayin...

Dancing with the ....Situation?

Last night I embarrassingly got sucked into watching Dancing with the Stars. This is only because they have the most ridiculous cast I have yet to see on the show. The cast includes David Hasselhoff (yup - Baywatch), The Situation, Palin's daughter - Brisol, Brandy, Audrina Partridge and a few others that I didn't really recognize.

This show is hilarious and if you have nothing else to do on a Monday night I recommend this show for sure!

Trivia Wednesday

Last night was so much fun! I met up with work friends, some have moved on to other jobs so it was great getting everyone together, for McGreevy Trivia Night!



Oh and I have to mention that we actually won - crazy huh?! Definitely planning on using the gift card for next weeks Trivia night!

I do have to confess though...I was there purely for decoration. I in no way contributed to any answers for the big win...but it was fun...haha I guess that's all that matters...right? I just don't have a wide knowledge of subjects like sports or history...

Helllo Thursday

Its almost the weekend! In order to cheer up my chilly Thursday morning I thought it would be a good idea to get a hot pumpkin spiced latte - yum



I love the fall only because of everything pumpkin. I'm not however ready to start wearing tights/closed toe shoes, so until it reaches October I will continue to be a bit on the chilly side in skirts/dresses and sandals!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Last night I decided to try and make one of Jamie Oliver's curry recipes to go along with the 'ethnic'(sorry if this is considered politically incorrect) theme this month.

I picked the chicken Korma recipe because it looked easy, spicy, and I liked all the ingredients so I wouldn't need to substitute anything.

Ingredients:

* 2 - pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, preferably organic and free-range
* 1 - large onion
* 1 - 2 inch piece of fresh ginger root
* 1 - 15 ounce can of chick peas, drained
* 2 - tablespoons butter
* 1/2 - cup of Korma curry paste (or mild curry paste), made by Patak's, or some other good brand
* 1 - 14 ounce can of coconut milk
* 1/2 cup of shredded, non-sweetened coconut
* 2 - cups greek style, plain yogurt
* 1/4 cup sliced almonds
* 1-2 chili peppers (optional)
* 1 - bunch fresh cilantro
* 1 - lemon
* vegetable oil
* kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

The steps for this recipe can be found here.

I also made a side of rice that had Cinnamon and nutmeg in it, making a perfect combination between the spicy curry and the sweet rice!

Also - HAD to have a side of nan bread!

Weekend

This weekend was very relaxing...finally! I feel like ever since my cousin was here in July, I have been going nonstop. So finally Friday night I stayed in and went to bed early. Saturday I met up with Steph and we got our nails and toes down on Charles Street - actually the best place I've been to in a long time! I am def going back!

Then we did a little shopping - got a really soft/warm grey scarf. Then we went to Globe for some good food. After we went to my place and just hung out, watched TV, drank some beers and ordered pizza. It was actually so much fun - even Z made an appearance.

Then Sunday I went to the gym, followed by a trip to Jcrew to spruce up my fall wardrobe! I probably spent too much, but I'm glad I actually have some new fall clothes!

I hope everyone had a good weekend!

Smooth Sailing

Beneteau42...absolutely amazing time sailing around marblehead on Saturday and Sunday!



Hope everyone is having a fantastic Labor Day Weekend!

Upgrading my Fall Wardrobe

I've become obsessed with the idea of getting a better fall/winter wardrobe. Living in Boston means fall/winter is basically 9 months of the year, and ending last years winter, I felt like I wore the same thing everyday. So this year, I want lots of dresses and skirts to wear with my fab boots!

From Jcrew:



From Gap:

New Oval Office

I cant stand the new look of the Oval Office, its just so blah.

What do you think?







I like something more along the lines of this one:



pics via

Book Club Update

Last night we all met up at A's apartment in Brookline - such a cute place! We had chips and salsa, guac, veggies and humus, and baked brie. It was such a fun night. We talked about Wicked - which truth be told, I didn't finish or even start for that matter - sorry M and B! I will totally start/finish it before we go see the play - promise!

I'm such a terrible book cluber. I just got so into the girl with the dragon tattoo and the sequel - the girl that played with fire, that I couldn't put it down!

We did discuss the next book, The Help, which I am super excited about reading. I've heard so many good things about this book, that I will definitely make a HUGE effort to read before next book club!

An Ethnic SC

This months theme is ethnic foods - which is pretty open according to M. She might get crazy and have american food aka hotdogs and hamburgers. haha. So N ventured to Chinatown in search for fresh ingredients and cheap prices. She made delicious 'pockets of love' aka dumplings, two other dishes that reminded me of lo mein and chopped up short ribs (feel free to tell me what the real names are Ni)









All in all - a very good SC. Although I think my clothes still smell like Chinese food, it was worth it!

My Turn for SC

Since its been cold and rainy outside I decided to make a warm comforting meal for supper club. I have never made risotto so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give it a whirl.

I found this recipe from the love of my life - Jamie Oliver! Even the name sounded delicious - Apple and Walnut Risotto with Gorgonzola. The recipe called for three types of cheese - goat cheese, Parmesan cheese and of course Gorgonzola - what could go wrong with all those cheeses and some apples and walnuts?!

For a side I went with this recipe which was also from JO. Seemed easy enough - basically had all the ingredients.

Then for dessert I wanted to make these peach crumb bars.

So I got home, started on the dessert because I was pretty sure that after eating a ton of risotto I wouldn't want to get up and make the crumb bars. So I made the batter and set it aside. Then started on the risotto by measuring out the chicken stock. I started pouring out the chicken stock and without even thinking I dumped it into the first container next to me...aka the BATTER! ugh dammit. Since I used the last of my flour and sugar, dessert had to be scratched.

After a few tears - kidding, but it was still very annoying, I continued on to the risotto. Did you know risotto takes a lifetime to make?! Well - now you know. We didn't end up eating until around 9:00 - oops, but it did turn out pretty well. Very cheesy, and creamy and I now can eat risotto for the next 25 days.

Then when the risotto had about 10 minutes left, I remembered about the carrots - oops, they need 30-40 minutes, well throw them in and crank up the heat...right?

Well basically we had really good risotto, raw carrots with some stuff thrown on them, and no dessert.



I think what will help my cooking skills will be a bigger kitchen. Yup - that's my excuse, try cooking with NO counter tops (I have to put a cutting board over my sink) while balancing items on my frig and on parts of the stove that aren't being used. Its like living on a boat..no joke. Oh well...one day...until then I'll dream of a large kitchen with an island, counter tops, dish washer, microwave and garbage disposal...

Whats your 'Status Bro'?!

This past weekend I went out with some work friends on Friday night to Lir and McGreevys - always a good time.

Then Saturday I took the train up to meet M in Marblehead. We met up with some of her friends and took the boat out - so much fun! I'm terribly awkward on boats, maybe one day I'll feel a bit more comfortable on them, until then...thanks M for helping dodge face first falls off the boat as we are docking!

Then Saturday night M had her Peon Reunion. Even though they only had a couple of weeks to pull this event together, the girls did an amazing job! They had crazy raffle prizes like Burton snowboarding jackets, t-shirts, sun glasses, sailing magazine subscriptions, stickers, calendars, hats...

I was able to win a few things too! I never have any luck, so I'm surprised I actually walked away with anything!

The coolest thing I won, was a tank from Status Bro, stickers and Koozie from them.





These guys M knows from sailing started the business and its already taking off, take a look at some of the items: