An Old Summer Thought

{via}

I don't quite know where I am in relation to where I want to be. It's almost 8:00 on Tuesday evening and my goal is to reach Union Station from a nebulous point in northwest DC. The only thought that has gone into my outfit is an upside down "I <3 NPR" button I've pinned awkwardly over a hole in my 13 year old choir t-shirt, and an afternoon of packing boxes has left me sweaty and generally gross. The elastic in my pants, né full-length diaper quilted out of flesh colored dish rags, has expanded considerably from a large thanks-for-helping-us-move sandwich -- the first half of which was delicious, and the second half of which tasted like regret. I've hidden my terrible homemade bangs underneath a headband, leaving my forehead's constellation of scabby red pimples on full display (I haven't had occasion to wear makeup in days). My conversations of late consist of concerned relations trying to figure out what should be done with my life, while I desperately avoid the topic. Friends are doing glamorous things in glamorous places and I've taken up online Scrabble in my grandmother's basement. I am a frumpish, directionless transient. And I have to pee.

At this moment in my life, I should be miserable.

I start walking eastish. I come upon a very nice hotel that's bound to have a bathroom inside. As I walk through its kempt marble lobby, I see some incongruous souls lounging in velvet easy chairs and helping themselves to complimentary lemonade. The coiffed hotel patrons and employees steal uncomfortable glances and keep their distance, but their aloofness doesn't shame the vagabonds into politely bowing out into a "more appropriate" setting -- it merely facilitates their air-conditioned idle. This scene inspires me deeply. Why give a damn if everyone else assumes you don't? So I stop. I look at my sweaty pock-marked face in the bathroom mirror and decide not to give a damn. I resume my walk -- back straight, eyes high, belly out. I stop at crosswalks and cough loud, phlegmy, empowered coughs behind uneasily neat bussinesswomen. I grin at toothless homeless men and toothy congressional interns, and in return receive bemused looks from both. No one catcalls at me and no one eyes my purse, for I am a persona non grata. I am the one to be avoided. Eventually, I stumble upon Union Station. It's beautiful, and I stand awhile in the middle of the street to admire it.

At this moment in my life, I am very, very happy.

Peach Flurries

Peach, cutting board, bowl, sugar, spoon, vanilla ice cream, milk, vanilla, blender, sliced peaches, glass

Get some peaches. Get a cutting board and a knife. Slice up your peaches (you'll want a lot of peaches -- more than seems to make sense). Put the sliced peaches in a bowl. Add some sugar. Mix. Get some vanilla ice cream. Scoop it into your blender and add some milk. Mix that stuff up. Add some vanilla extract. Taste. Add some more vanilla. Scoop your sweetly marinating sliced peaches into a glass (fill the glass at least half way with peaches). Mash those peaches up something fierce. Fill the rest of the glass with your vanilla ice cream concoction.
Take a sip.
*Swoon*

Repeat.  

{You're welcome}

Going to the chapel...

This week, my former roomie, partner in crime, singledom and one of my very bestest friends got married in upstate New York. Katie and her husband were friends for YEARS. Honestly, I would have thought they were dating the entire time had I not been spending a lot of time with Katie in New York. Finally, last year, they decided to try out the whole romance thing and it seems like it stuck -- in an eternal sort of way. One of Katie's best friends from college is a set designer for Julliard, no less, and she helped stage a perfectly exquisite affair in an old cracker factory in Seneca New York. It was pretty perfect and while weddings aren't really my thing, I was so happy to be well enough to attend this one. 

Congratulations!!!

Marigold and mums; Magical baby spot; Father, mother and sister of the bride; More buds; Best dressed -- she made her dress -- wait for it -- out of the tablecloths from her wedding. I'll get over it eventually; This is not an exit; My man; So pretty; The perfect pair; Bride's family; There was a concert at the wedding. Yes, a concert. And it was awesome. William Joseph was the pianist. He looks like giant David Archuletta and plays like a beast; Books and flowers; Second weddingy thing at a church; The cracker factory; Happy bride!!!

The Hunger Games

Who will win the most Olympic medals, China or the US?

Will Katniss prevail? 

I don't know... Actually, the US did. As for Katniss, you tell me.

But as far as I'm concerned, the winning-est team has been my waistline and my stomach. Yes, friends. After 6 months, my BMI is well into the healthy range. I don't want it to be TOO much healthier, but during my -- errr -- training, I found some seriously delicious dishes that are easy peasie -- actually, there was more cheesy involved than peasie, but I digress. Here are my top bites for summer.

The goodest snack/appetizer involving chutney and goat cheese; The goodest summer soup, a summer take on grilled cheese and tomato soup and a reconstructed caprese salad (really: it has grilled cheese croutons... need I say more?); The goodest grilled veggies;  the goodest asparagus salad (if you look hard, you night actually be able to find that recipe on this blog); the goodest succotash; the goodest lunch; the goodest gouda and pear calzone; the goodest cheese stuffed qiunoa burger; the goodest stuffed kobacha squash; the goodest fishie with ferns; the goodest burratta, grilled peaches and honey 4 ways; the goodest yogurt; the goodest dessert sandwitch; the goodest pretzel with the funkiest caramel mustard dipping sauce; the goodest frozen berry treat; the goodest home made ice cream with figs, sour cream and full fat yogurt.

Now here come Two's own Hunger Game: Which one of these concoctions makes you most hungry? Tell me in the comment section below (or my hunger games will feel rather pathetic. If you don't play along, what's the point?). 

Whichever is the audience favorite, I will tell you how to make -- be that a recipe or a place, I will let you find out in what district or kitchen you'll find the goodest goods. The rest of the recipes will be brutalized and die in my stomach. Unless two of the choices fall in love. Then, I might let both their recipes survive (evil laughter).

As for now, I'm off to Toronto in the beloved "Menace to the North" ... aka Canada. I'll tell you about it when I get back, along with your chosen recipe!

A few random things I learned this weekend

You can replace oil with ground flax seeds in most baking, using three Tbs. flax in place of one Tbs. oil.

This works marvelously well in pancakes.

If you top wholewheat-flax pancakes with homemade fig-blueberry compote and Noosa honey yoghurt, it is sublimely delicious.

If you sleep in and then make wholewheat-flax pancakes and fig-blueberry compote on a Sunday morning, you will be late for church.

You will not be sorry.

The end.

Source

P.S. a little recipe for you!

-slice 8 fresh figs in quarters

-put those and a couple handfuls of blueberries in a small pot

-splash on enough white grape juice to cover half the fruit

-bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until your pancakes are ready and liquid is almost syrupy, (about 15 minutes)

-eat with yoghurt (or ice cream or straight out of the pot)

-swoon

When Life Gives You Lemons, Spraypaint that $#!% Gold

One and I got a little crafty over the past week. And by "a little crafty" I mean "HOLY SHOOT! DO YOU SEE ALL THIS CRAP WE'RE MAKING?! ISN'T IT AWESOME?!!!". Gold leaf, chalkboard paint, jingle bells(?!) -- we've gone full metal glue gun over here.

My summer has been a bit. . . amorphous. With no jobs or internships or grand projects regimenting my days, I've been bouncing around my own head like a pinball. I think that this little nursery was just the valve I needed to release some of that accumulated energy, creative and otherwise, before school starts. (One and I have had a pretty groovy time doing it, too.)

As I'm off to the east, it'll be One's job to finish things up and document the final product.

I'm pretty psyched to see it.

Blackboard-topped learning station

Jinglebell chandelier

Mr. Tiny's unmounted sillouhette

a carat

not even my shoes could escape the spray can (probably because I'm hopelessly slow).

Field Guide to Austin

I was beyond thrilled when Three and Five agreed to visit me at the end of my internship! I knew they were a bit dubious about the prospect of coming to Texas, but I think I speak for all of us when I say the visit was practically perfect in every way. I spent my summer living and working in Houston, but when they came we decided to drive up to Hill Country to explore Austin--which. we. loved. Hit the jump for our complete guide and itinerary.





Despite excessive partying the previous night (have you ever been to a honky-tonk?), we woke up bright and early to begin our Austin adventure. We had planned to pick up donuts on the way, but opted for happy cola, happy hippos and Justin's peanut butter cups instead, cause we're happy, cool and health conscious like that. When we arrived in Austin, we stopped by the pretty little house we had rented for the night. Actually, we spent quite some time attempting--unintentionally--to get into the next door neighbor's house...luckily neighbor didn't seem too concerned when she came home to find four youths scrummaging through her flower pots and under her door mats, trying to find a spare key....Woops! Anyway, after getting into the correct house, we headed to Hopdoddy.

Hopdoddy -
We had heard it was good, but nothing could have prepared us for the flavors which entered our mouths there. Seriously the best veggie burger I've ever had. Think uber fresh, locally sourced ingredients on exquisite homemade bread -- but much better than anything you're imagining. And according to Astro Boy, the meat options weren't too shabby either.

Lunch left us slightly comatose, so--though we had made more ambitious plans to explore the city--we just sort of lumbered around South Congress Street for awhile.

After meandering and recovering from the food orgy, we headed for the Whole Foods Flagship Store.

Whole Foods -
Now, you're probably thinking: "Wow. These kids eat. all. the. time." And you're right. But this place was amazing. Really, truly inspirational. Samples everywhere--cooking classes on-site, maybe 7 legit restaurants inside the grocery store (I may be exaggerating, but 7 actually seems like a conservative guess to me...). It was insane. Obviously, we loved it. Moving on -bats.

Bat Bridge -
There's one bridge in Austin, accurately dubbed "Bat Bridge", which plays host to the largest urban bat colony in North America. We arrived about 30 minutes before sunset and the place was already teeming with people. There was just enough space for the four of us to squeeze in with the crowd on top of the bridge. Beneath us were dozens of kayaks and river rafts, and the bank beside the bridge had another two hundred or so people waiting to spy the bats. All 1.5 million of them. I can't do justice to the experience with pictures, but it was pretty incredible. Really so. darn. cool. We walked back to the car dazed and delighted by the mass of fuzzy flying things we had encountered.

The next morning, after church, Astro Boy found a donut joint for breakfast. If you have a chance to visit Austin, go to Round Rock Donuts. Their plain glazed concoctions were mad-delicious. But only the glazed ones. Also, everyone who worked there definitely thought Astro Boy was very famous. They told us so--many times.

All the donut eating inspired us to do something active, so we headed to Mount Bonnell--which was supposed to be a lovely hike. But, despite its impressive name, Mount Bonnell is more of a scenic overlook than a hike. Seriously, you climb a set of stairs and you're there. Still, we liked it--and the view was spectacular!

Because the "hike" hadn't satisfied our desire to spend time with nature, Astro Boy suggested we explore the Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center. It was a very good idea. Founded by the former first lady, the wildflower center is devoted to protecting and preserving North America's native plants. It was certainly my favorite stop of the trip. 

The grounds could not have been more thoughtfully or beautifully curated. A combination of Spanish, German and Italian inspired structures punctuated the incredibly charming landscape. It was so, very lovely--we even munched on wild Texas persimmons! *Swoon*

Our final stop was the Magnolia Cafe which featured super satisfying comfort food. Favorite treats included the gingerbread pancakes and the veggie reuben. We ate way too much. But we were so happy :)

Probably more information than you ever wanted, but we had so much fun--I had to share!