Tattoos and Champagne

temporary downtime

2011-11-23T23:35:00.001-05:00

Sorry I've been absent lately, but I've been holing up in my emotional pillow fort.

I'll return shortly, promise!

xoxo

Adj

Paris Jet'aime! Day 3 & 4 Highlights (Or, my attempt at Ginger Pumpkin Macarons)

2011-10-19T21:33:00.008-04:00

*With Mere away at work, I hang out at the flat waiting for our friend Christa to arrive. I find myself caught up watching (1) the Fiji v. Samoa Rugby World Cup game and (2) Le Destin de Lisa, which is like Ugly Betty, except it's German and I'm engrossed in French-dubbed version for close to 2 hours. (Seriously, it's riveting stuff.)

*The apartment manager arrives to fix the washing machine and mentions passing a blonde girl with a suitcase on the stairs. Turns out Christa's here!

(Christa's shoes, which she insists smell like puppies. I think the jetlag got to her.)

*Christa and I engage in lunch eating and people-watching. She teaches me how to ask for the check in French. Which it seems I have been doing really, really, really wrong.

*My goal for the day is to check out one of the big flea markets in the City, Les Puces in Clignancourt. Thanks to extensive directions courtesy of Jordan at Oh Happy Day, we manage to make it past the UBER-sketch vendor vans and find ourselves exploring one of the largest open-air markets I've ever seen. This place is MASSIVE. It takes several hours to explore all of it, and I'm still not convinced that we did. Both Christa and I manage to score some unique buys for home, friends, and family.

*We head back to the apartment to wait for Mere. No dice. Homegirl texts to say she's been kidnapped by her co-workers for dinner and drinks after work. (She's eventually able to escape around 2:30am.)

*Since Christa and I are on our own we decide to walk around Montmarte for dinner and drinks. Thank God Parisians like to eat late, because it's after 10pm before we manage to sit down.

*The next day we all wake up to the sound of screaming teenagers and rolling garbage bins. What the hell?

*It's apparently some kind of protest taking place at a nearby school, the Lycée Turgo. Despite Christa's investigations, we never do figure out what was going on that morning, except that the bins were stacked up against the protesters' target building. (We later discover that it has something to do with pension reform.) Christa does, however, return with a pain au chocolate for me, earning my most sincere admiration for all eternity.

*Mere is back at work with a hangover, so Christa and I are once again the Dynamic Duo for the day. Armed with the book Parisian Chic (recommended by fellow blogger Shannon over at The Simply Luxurious Life), we decide to do some shopping. Unfortunately, there's a typo in the book and as a result we walk for friggin MILES with no luck.

*We eventually stumble upon the Hôtel de Ville...

*More importantly, we stumble upon one of the shops mentioned in my book: BHV or Bazaar de l'Hôtel de Ville, one of Paris' most iconic department stores. What is it with the French and their super-sized shopping centers? This place is at least 7 floors of merchandise. By the time we make it through 3 floors' worth of shopping, we're about to crash from low blood sugar. Time to eat!

*Lunch is followed by the one museum I'm actually geeked to check out: the Musée Rodin. It turns out that the musée costs 10€ to check out, but the jardin costs 0€. No brainer there. Besides, the jardin is home to some of Rodin's most famous pieces:

*Part of our view of the jardin is blocked by a massive white tent. Christa and I ponder just how much you have to shell out to have your wedding amongst Rodin's artwork. We check out the museum giftshop, where I buy a pen that comes with a moving figure of the Thinker on one end. Classy.

*The kids are still protesting, albeit more silently, in front of the Turgot.

*We, of course, couldn't care less, as Christa has a sudden hankering for macarons. We find some at a local boulangerie - a 6-pack of mini-rainbow-colored delights. Christa is semi-elated, since she's not convinced these were made in-house. Not that this stops her from generously sharing.

*It's a bust. Christa explains how a proper macaron will melt in your mouth, both crispy and creamy at the same time. The search will have to continue. But first: a nap! Followed by dinner at a lovely vegetarian bistro called Soya. I mistakenly order a carafe of rosé instead of a glass. Or did I?

And now, for your recipe......

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This fuss over macarons piqued my interest. I mean, how good could they really be?

Pretty f'ing amazing, as it turns out. (But more about that later.) After returning home, I decided to give making macarons a try.

Unfortunately, an online search for macarons will turn up cooking instructions that put baking these crispy treats on par with neurosurgery. Turns out macarons are temperamental little f*ckers: one misstep and you end up with cracked shells, hollow meringues and broken dreams.

Tasty broken dreams, of course, but fractured nonetheless.

I scoped out a few different bloggers and came up with an amended recipe for Pumpkin Ginger Macarons.

How did they turn out?

Meh.

They were DELICIOUS, granted, but I think I fudged the macronage stage (when you mix the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites). There's a test you can use to see if you've under-mixed the batter, which I've included in the recipe.

Godspeed to you, fellow bakers. And as per usual, enjoy!

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Ginger-Pumpkin Macarons

(Adapted from Bravetart.com)

(NOTE: I STRONGLY suggest you check out Bravetart.com's macaron Myths and Commandments postings. They'll make you a stronger baker, promise.)

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz (115g) almond flour (Red Mill makes a decent one)

8 oz (230g) powdered sugar

5 oz egg whites (144g)

2 1/2 oz (72g) granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp (2g) salt

1/4 tsp (2g) pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp (2g) ground ginger (powdered form, please!)

a few drops of orange food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper (or with a silicone baking mat). Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 300°F/148°C. Sift the flour with the powdered sugar and set that mess aside. (You can go ahead and toss any clump or lumps that wouldn't sift.)

Place the egg whites into the bowl of your standing mixer (you can use a hand mixer here, but be prepared to do some work). Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes, until the egg whites start to look frothy. Add the granulated sugar, the scraped vanilla bean or vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on medium-high speed for another 3-4 minutes. Your egg whites should begin to form soft peaks. Add the pumpkin pie spice and the powdered ginger. Mix at high speed for another 3-4 minutes. Add the food coloring (if using) and whip for another minute. Your egg whites should form nice, shiny white peaks. Go ahead and pick up the bowl. Turn it upside down. If the egg whites stay in place, well done! If not, shower and try again.

Now here's the part where I miffed up a bit. You need to incorporate the dry ingredients into your egg whites. Sounds easy right?

Not so much. This stage, the macronage as it's been called, is where you can make or break your macarons. (Kitchen Musings has some great explanations for this.) Using a rubber spatula, fold in your dry ingredients into the egg whites (break the contents of the bowl into 2 halves to make mixing the dry ingredients a bit easier). Your goal here is to completely incorporate the flour/sugar combo. That means you need to SCRAPE THE SIDES while you're working the batter.

There's no need to sweat with panic, as there's an easy test to check if your batter is done. Every 5 - 10 stirs, spoon a little bit of the mixture onto a plate, making a small puddle of batter. If the puddle has a peak that won't dissolve, you need to keep stirring. If the peak does dissolve quickly (i.e., your batter flows like lava) then you're good to go! Check out Dulce Delight's clip on YouTube for a visual reference.

Spoon your batter into a piping bag. (No bag? No biggie! Just clip the corner off of a quart-sized ziplock bag and be sure to watch your pressure.) Pipe the batter into 1 1/2in discs on the baking sheets, keeping them approx 1-in apart. (Seriously, the batter spreads while cooking, and no one wants a double-macaron. Or DO they???) Rap the pans against the counter a few times to work out any air bubbles and them let them rest for 15 minutes or so (feel free to go longer if you like).

Place the baking sheet in the oven for 12 - 18 minutes. Why the huge time range? Well, basically ovens are like finger prints - no two are the same. (That is to say, some have hot spots while others can maintain a consistent temperature.) To accommodate for this , you'll want to check in on your macarons at the 12 minute mark. Try to pop off a meringue. It should stick a bit to the pan without separating entirely. You can also go ahead and tap one sucker in the middle. If it's super gooey, you need to cook them a bit longer. Close the oven door and check on them every 2 minutes until done. Completely cools the cookies in the pan.

The filling is considerably easier to assemble: Simply blend together 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (aka, canned pumpkin), 4 oz (or half a box) of cream cheese, 2 tbsp powdered sugar (or more to taste), and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.

Pipe or spoon a quarter-sized dollop onto a cooled macaron shell and sandwich together with an unfrosted half.

Now for the hard part: HANDS OFF. No, seriously - macarons need time to "ripen." So stick those suckers in an air-tight container and sit on your hands for a night before snacking.

Even if your first attempt is a bit of a fiasco, I promise that they'll be the best tasting mistake you've ever made. Paula Deen suggested turning failed macarons into a trifle, and that sounds like a better plan than crying over cracked cookies anyday.

Let me know if you need a tissue. Good luck!

Risotto Mexicana (Or, What to Do When MarxFoods Sends Mystery Samples)

2011-10-13T14:08:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I'm lucky enough to enjoy little perks of being a blogger who likes food. I've had a chance to review grass-raised beef from Hearst Ranch and to try out Palm Leaf Plates on a picnic date with BHE.

So you can imagine how big my eyes grew when MarxFoods announced that it would send a box of mystery ingredients to a set of volunteer bloggers, with the challenge of coming up with a recipe based on the contents of mystery package.

Gauntlet thrown, MarxFoods!

My mystery box arrived while I was on my girl-cation. Thankfully, BHE kept it out of Donald's reach. I opened it as soon as I came home and here's what I found:
*Dried Pasilla Negro Chilies
*Dried Lobster Mushrooms
*Diced New Mexico Chilies
*Smoke Sea Salt
*Whole Wheat Couscous

My original idea was to make a dish that consisted of a couscous crust with sauteed lobster mushrooms seasoned with the sea salt and maybe a hint of the diced chilies. But, I decided I wanted something a little heartier.

Soup?
Nah.

Pasta?
Nope.

And then it hit me: Rice! Or, risotto, rather. It's quickly becoming that time of year when my racing needs (i.e., carbs and lots of them) converge with cooler temperatures. I start craving things both warm AND filling.

So risotto it was! But then I began to wonder: what kind of risotto? Most of the dishes I've had tend to be cheesy/creamy with spring veggies in them (think parmesean and asparagus). This dish would clearly need a spicier finish. Maybe something with mushrooms?

I began thumbing through past recipes looking for inspiration. How could I incorporate the pasilla chile without overwhelming the dish? Spice is one thing - but mind-numbing heat is quite another.

Help came in the form of a soup recipe from Rick Bayless, who likes to blend chilies with tomatoes in some of his recipes.

Eur-friggin-reeka!

And so combining this little trick with some risotto-making basics, I came up with my Risotto Mexicana. Hearty and smokey, with a little heat to help you through the increasingly cooler nights.

Now, I am aware that the peeps over at Serious Eats just did a big piece on making the perfect risotto. It involves rinsing the rise with the stock and then preserving the stock for later use...all of which I did not do here. (In my defense, the article came out like 2 days after I had finalized my dish.)

That said, if you want to take the longer route, I'll provide directions for that, too. As for me, well, my evenings can get a little hectic, so I use the quick n' easy routine when necessary.

The dish was a hit and BHE went back for thirds, which is always a good review in our house. Let me know how it works out for you!

And, as always, ENJOY!

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Risotto Mexicana

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium to large dried pasilla negro chile (stem and seeds removed)
1 15oz can diced tomatoes with juice
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2oz dried lobster mushrooms
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups arborio rice
1 medium onion (or 3 shallots), diced
1/4 tsp Diced New Mexico chilies
1/4 tsp smoked sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup mild cheddar cheese or queso fresco (optional)
fresh cilantro to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Reconstitute the mushrooms by placing them in a bowl (preferably glass) and covering them with boiling water. Set aside for 20 minutes or so, until the mushrooms are tender. Strain and dice the mushrooms, but reserve 1 cup of the water for the risotto.

**EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD PRESTEP** Preheat the oven to 400F

Pour the tomatoes and its juice into a blender. Break up the pasilla chile into small pieces and then add it to tomatoes.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over med-high heat in a large pan or skillet. Add the garlic, diced chilies and HALF of the diced onion. Stir frequently, sauteing for about 5 -7 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the garlic golden. (Do NOT burn the garlic.) Add this mixture to the tomato blend and process until smooth.

Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and remaining tbsp of olive oil. Once the foam has subsided, add the diced mushrooms and saute them for 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms (keeping the butter and olive oil in the pan) and set aside. Add the remaining dice onion and continue sauteing for another 3-4 minutes. (Add an extra tsp of olive oil if the pan is a little dry after removing the mushrooms.)

**ADVANCED RISOTTO PREP 101 (via Serious Eats)* "Place the rice into a bowl and pouring the chicken or veggie broth directly on top. Agitated the rice to release all of the starch, then poured it through a fine mesh strainer, reserving the starchy, cloudy broth on the side."**
Add the rice to the onion mixture and cook for 1 more minute, stirring frequently until the grains are a nice golden brown.

**EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD** Add the blended tomato mixture to the pan with the rice. Add the sea salt, reserved liquid (from the mushrooms) and broth. Stir to combine. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take out the dish, add the mushrooms and (if you're using it) the cheese. Stir to combine. Recover and bake the dish another 10 - 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Season with additional New Mexico chilies if desired. Serve with a cilantro garnish.

**NOT-SO-EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD (again, via Serious Eats)* Add the blended tomato mixture to the pan with the rice. Add the sea salt, reserved liquid, and 2 cups of the reserved broth (mix the broth before adding to distribute the starch). Increase the heat to high and cook until simmering. Stir the rice once, cover, and reduce the heat to low.

Cook rice for 10 minutes. Stir once, shake pan gently to redistribute rice, cover, and continue cooking until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender with just a faint bite, about 10 minutes longer.

Remove lid and add final cup of broth and the mushrooms. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring and shaking rice constantly until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and add the cheese (if using) and season with additional New Mexico chilies (if desired) and a cilantro garnish.**

It's a damn tasty dish, if I do say so myself! Enjoy!

Paris Je t'aime! Day Two Highlights

2011-10-12T15:26:00.000-04:00

* We wake up and realize it's Sunday, which means most of Paris will be closed for the day. This is a tad problematic as said closures include supermarkets and several restaurants. So I flip through some of suggestions shared by Parisian-based blogger Jordan of Oh Happy Day! and we opt to hit up the open market.

*Mere and I metro over to the Eiffle Tower to find the market. We find instead several break dance performances (I find out that Mere was a breaker in a past life. Who knew?), the remanents of the something called the Paris-Versailles Le Grande Classique, and something else called the Famillathon.

*We even come across the pools in front of the l'Ecole Militaire, which appears to be quite popular with the locals.

*What we don't find is the market (which, I figure out later, was at least one stop before the Tower. Sorry, Mere!) This doesn't change the fact that we're both starving, so we sit down at a local cafe for brunch. Mere has an AMAZING dish that consists of artichokes and chanterelle mushrooms lovingly bathed in butter and chives, while I did into a salad and a roasted avocado.

*We walk back towards the tower. On the way, we come across a photography exhibit outside along the Seine. We take our time looking at each country's contribution.*Home again! Of course, it's a bit unnerving when we pass some 4 or so vans full of armed police en route. They're just standing around for the moment, chatting. There doesn't appear to be any crisis. For now...

*Since cooking at home is out, Mere and I take a look online for some dinner ideas. We find a place suggested by another blog, HiP Paris. The restaurant is actually open on Sundays. Hooray!

*What the hell is that noise? Mere and I look outside. So that's why the police were out and about: There's a street protest taking place!

*Apparently, there's a fellow named GBagbo who may have been unjustly detained (and taken into custody by French military) in the Cote de Ivoire. The protest is over and out of ear shot within 20minutes.

*Time for wine!

*We make our way to our dinner selection for the evening: Tien Hang. It's hole-in-the-wall joint that serves some 60 vegetarian items, all of which can be prepared as vegan entrees upon request.

*Holy crap this place is AMAZING! I have a black pepper "steak" clay pot that brings a tear to my eye it tastes so good. I also have an order of steamed dumplings and split a spicy papaya salad with Mere. Coconut juice with large shreds of coconut meat to drink. Sticky rice on the side. It's way, way too much food for one person but I persevere.

*We roll out of the restaurant and walk a bit just to aid the digestion process. Also pitching in: a glass of cognac ordered at a bar near the Bastille (Mere opts for champagne). Time to metro home before I fall over again. There's an accordion player at the metro stop. Nice.

THINGS I HAVE NOT SEEN IN PARIS:

Mimes
Unshaven Ladies
Berets

THINGS I HAVE SEEN IN PARIS:

Smoking. SO. MUCH. SMOKING.
Fashion shows (more on that later)
Public Protests
Crazies in the Metro/on the Metro
Little Dogs
Couples mid-Makeout Session
Naked Rugby Players on TV (more on that later, too)

Paris Je t'aime! Day One Highlights

2011-10-11T16:27:00.001-04:00

*Spend the flight squished into my seat. The other seats are occupied by a nice, though portly, elderly couple who are apparently new to international travel. I show them how to use the in-flight entertainment system correctly. Twice. As sleeping becomes increasingly less of an option, I decide to watch Midnight in Paris (yay!) and Something Borrowed (not so yay) instead.

*I make it through customs (which, seriously - do they even bother checking for banned items?) and onto the train. At the metro station I ask a young girl for directions to the Rue des Fontaines du Temple. No luck. I ask again. No dice. I figure my French can't be that bad. I ask an ice cream truck vendor, who (1) corrects my speech and then (2) points me in the right direction. I start walking and realize that I've managed to surface from the Metro right into a Deaf-rights awareness rally. It seems I was using the wrong kind of French in this instance.

*Finally make it to the apartment Mere has rented for the week. We hug and realize that we're wearing matching outfits. Huh. I desperately want a shower, but that may send me straight into a coma so I opt for a change of clothing and we hit the streets instead. We stop for lunch at a cafe, where I place a garbled order for an omelette and a glass of rosé. People watching ensues.

*Commence project Keep Adrienne Awake to Fight Jetlag. Which consists of more walking. Lots more. At least it's nice out - Paris is experiencing an unusual break in the weather this week. Fine by me! We pop into a sports bar quickly so I can ask about the France v. All Blacks game. (Which my team won, thank you very much!)

*We end up at Notre Dame de Paris, which is very cool. And extremely crowded.

* More walking. We explore the Latin Quarter. I almost buy a handmade animated music box for 72 euros but sanity stays my hand. We eventually stop for caffeine and beer, which made sense at the time.
*We start to walk towards the Bastille. We're a few blocks away when my feet start to really, really hurt and I'm having trouble staying awake while standing, which is a new and unpleasant experience for me. We metro back to the apt and I cat nap for a few minutes.

*Using what has to be the slowest Internet connection in the Western world, we find some vegetarian places to eat dinner and some bars to drink in afterwards. Time to put on our fancy clothes before hitting the town!

*Dinner is ...not good. But the drinks - now those are impressive. We first stop at the Experimental Cocktail Club near Montorgueil. It's tiny and there are a LOT of people crammed in there, but the music is all kinds of fantastic. And the cocktails are off the friggin chain. I have a Brunette, which contains something like 6 types of liquor (I'm estimating based on how loopy I felt after just one), while Mere has something called the Experience. All I know is that it contains lemongrass. And a hefty dose of deliciousness.

*The next place is a Brit-rock-like pub. There's no other way to describe. We're definitely out of our age group and the top shelf liquor appears to be Jack Daniels. I settle for a whiskey and make Mere watch some of the soccer game that's played on a big screen in the main room. All kinds of 80s and 90s Brit rock and pop is coming out of a smokey room on the side, which we check out. I last all of 6 minutes before heading for the exit.

*We stumble around some more before I pull a full pumpkin and beg for a cab. We manage to find some in front of the Opéra de Paris, which is beautiful. However, I am just too damned tired to care at this point.

*We make it back to the apt, but Mere is hungry. This proves problematic as (1) it's after two in the morning and (2) Mere is vegan. Most of the kitchens we find serve either meat or cheese (seriously - even the one salad we were offered was a cheese salad). We finally find a fried chicken joint that for reasons I don't quite understand has a veggie burger on it's menu. SOLD. It's a crappy burger, but mine comes with fries and a Fanta, so I'm good and happy.

*FINALLY- we make it home! We watch a dubbed episode of Supernatural and I enjoy another 1/2 glass of wine before completely crashing.

*It's the end of my first Saturday in Paris and I'm equal parts exhausted and stoked.

*I still need that shower though...

A Word from Our Faux Sponsors

2011-10-05T13:34:00.001-04:00

A mini-post before I start recapping Paris...

BHE and I are preparing to celebrate our favorite holiday. The one where we met. The one where it's not only acceptable for us to be simultaneously loaded on booze and refined sugar, it's actively encouraged. The one where we get to throw the kick-butt costume party.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. It's time for Halloween!

Now, BHE and I already have our costumes picked out, but I thought I'd share this article from the Hairpin to inspire others.

Big costume plans this year? Do tell!

Till the, enjoy!!

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Take This Halloween Costume Idea ... Please

By The Hairpin @ 1:00 pm

Cecilia Rebecca Ziko: One year my brother's friend dressed up as The Best Man: disheveled and in an ill-fitted suit, top buttons and tie undone, shirt half untucked. Maybe missing a shoe. He spent the night standing on chairs making toasts, spilling his gin and tonics, putting his arm around people and telling them awkward stories. Doing the worm. Whenever someone asked who he was suppose to be, he would act all offended, "What do you mean 'Who am I?' I'm the best man!" I think he ended the night passed out in a closet.

Drew Zandonella-Stannard: One of my old coworkers once went as a garden gnome. She basically just dressed herself as a gnome (very comfortable and warm) and carried around a plot of fake grass that she would stand on from time to time. Sort of brilliant! This could easily be reinterpreted as a "sexy" garden gnome, but really, who can beat wearing a cozy drinking suit AND having a clean place to plop yourself down?

Jane Marie: The best one I ever saw was on a stranger BUT all my friends were with me so it would be lame for me to copy it. Here's what it was: a door guy. He was a dude dressed up like a regular juicebox wearing sunglasses, and he had a velvet rope, complete with the metal stand thing (where did he get one?) and a clipboard. The best part was that he never broke character and he was such a jerk and kept stationing himself in busy places like in front of the bathroom door. Luckily, his "guest list" had every single "sexy" costume on it: Sexy Nurse, Sexy Vampire, Sexy Zombie. I was Suri Cruise that year so I got in to the bathroom as "Sexy Baby."

Jaya Saxena: There was a girl in an engineering school that went as "Sexy Transistor" and wore a nude bodysuit with this design all over it.

Helen Rosner: My all-time favorite was worn by a UChicago grad student (of course). He had on a t-shirt with a silhouette of the continent of Asia on it, and was wearing one of those forehead flashlights. Get it? ASIA MINOR.

Marie Lodi: Mormon kid on a bike — white button up shirt, bike helmet, backpack and name tags.

Lili Loofbourow: The God of Small Things sported a toga made of a sheet with lots of tiny items pinned onto it: tiny scissors, miniature saw, buttons, etc. Princess Leia hair topped by a crown of laurels.

Bianca Turetsky: My friend Kristen has been trying unsuccessfully since college to get a Donner Party together. Everyone in the group would be wearing ripped and dirty pioneer-style clothing. Some people would be missing limbs and maybe someone would carry a heart on a stick or be eating ribs.

Abe Sauer: My favorite, that I attempted last year but ran out of time, is perfect if you have babies. Dress yourself (dad) up like the Empire State Building. Tall hat with Empire State Building characteristic top. Cardboard flat sides with windows on them (open a few and hang Barbie dolls out for extra awesomeness). Baby dressed as a gorilla (suits are available for this) hangs on the front of the the dad dressed as Empire State Building, as King Kong. Baby King Kong also holds blonde Barbie (obvs). On top of hat, use hard wire to make two or three biplanes circling. Extra credit: Other child (old enough to walk) is dressed as one of the biplanes. Kind of like this, but with an old biplane look to it. That child then runs around the Empire State Building and King Kong. HIGH CONCEPT!

Molly Shalgos: The best one I ever saw was the one my babysitter wore to take me to a costume party in third grade. Not sexy, not sultry, 100% awesome — she came as a gumball machine. Red leggings, red turtleneck, and a little red pillbox hat, and she'd cut arm holes into a huge, clear plastic bag. She tied off the bottom of the bag, and then filled it up with tiny multicolored balloons, and taped a cardboard 25c sign on the front of the bag. The pictures still crack me up.

Erin Sullivan: I’m aways a fan of a conceptual costume, and one of my favorites was A Lightening Victim, where a girl teased the S out of her hair, smeared dirt all over her body, and charred her clothes.

Lisa Richey: The Morton salt girl.

Allie Pape: A was a guy wearing a T-shirt that said "Go Ceilings!", a hat with a big C (might have been a Cubs cap), and a big foam finger with "#1” on it. What was he? A ceiling fan!

Danielle Roderick: The best I've ever seen was "the woman who wants your slot machine." This was a couple of years ago, so she had a big plastic cup full of quarters, some NICE Oscar de la Rentas, and a thriftstore warm up suit, complete with fanny pack and cigs. It was fun because she got to wear major makeup (big lips, mascara city, fake wrinkles), and another dude had dressed up as her husband, who was always circulating the party looking for his crazy wife, who said she was going to the penny slots, but now he can't find her. He had on suspenders, faux belly, and was smoking a cigar. They would shout at each other across the party to shut up, and to meet at the buffet.

Kathleen Walsh: Sexy Gorilla (gorilla suit with bikini on top, high heels).

Katie Heaney: My friend and his group of friends once went as The Baldwins and basically all wore leather jackets and then made duck lips/Blue Steel faces in every picture.

Megan Dietz: Unladybug. Ladybug costume plus cigarettes, ripped stockings, and a bad attitude.

Josh Duboff: A few years back, my friends and I for some reason decided to go to the Halloween parade in Chelsea. On our way back to our friend's apartment afterwards, a beautiful man dressed in a tuxedo (a red rose in his lapel!) biked in front of us. He was holding a white sign that had "I'm sorry" written on it. We all shouted some variation of "What are you?!!" at him at the same time. "I'm... a formal apology," he responded, and we all swooned as he biked off into the distance.

Megan Collins: My favorite — and maybe this has been done, but I thought it was clever? — was a guy dressed up as a kissing booth. I have no idea how he rigged it up, it was kind of like a cigarette girl thing, where there was a strap across his neck and then the flat surface in front of him, but it extended up on both sides and connected at the top where the sign was.

Edith Zimmerman: A sexy lamp. Gold bodysuit, lampshade on her head, tassel coming down from her ear or somewhere. Amazing.

Arianna Stern: A few years back, my brother dressed up as grapes. He stuck a safety pin through the stubby knot-end part of inflated, purple balloons, and attached them to an all-brown outfit. The nice thing about this dirt-cheap getup is that it's able to accommodate hot or cold weather. Beware, though: In a tell-all email, my brother wrote, "People kept running up to me throughout the night and trying to pop them or pull them off. By the end of the night I was literally pushing away drunk strangers."

Nozlee Samadzadeh: The best costume I've ever seen was Miss America in a Parade: the girl in question wore a leotard that she'd bedazzled to look like the top of an evening gown, a sash with MISS AMERICA 2006 written on it, elbow-length white gloves, nude pantyhose, and gratuitous heels. Her hair was upswept, hairsprayed, and tiara'd and she wore a ridiculous amount of makeup. And...there was a tiny papier-mâché red convertible hanging around her waist, with a clear windshield, little doors painted on, working headlights, and everything! She spent the entire night smiling really big and waving with her white-gloved hands.

Must Thing Positive Thoughts

2011-09-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

So what I just found out that my flight if via Continental (boo!) and not Luftansa...

So what that Donald decided to eat all my in-flight snacks while my back was turned (including an entire bar of dark chocolate - that made for an uncomfortable night for him, I'm sure)...

So what that the sky is just pissing down rain in a sky so dark that it looks like it's ten at night when in reality it's only 1:30...

I AM GOING TO PARIS, DAMNIT!

Bring it on!

Quickie

2011-09-14T11:10:00.003-04:00

Honest to God I haven't disappeared or abandoned my blog or suffered a freak jigsaw accident and lost the use of my fingers. I've just been busy.

REEEEEEALLY, really busy.

Legit busy, even. Things involving mortgages and DIY/HGTV-esque projects, (upcoming) trips to Europe, cooing over Baby Button, the Rugby World Cup, and a new place of employment. And wine. Let's not forget the wine!

So I promise promise promise to post a proper update in the coming days. Until then, enjoy my newest music obsession live in mini-concert on NPR: Aloe Blacc.

Or, alternatively, get your giggle on with Ask Vadar and find out the Empire's take on life's questions.

See you soon! Enjoy!

It's Hot Out There, People!

2011-07-25T12:41:00.000-04:00

Science! It says we'll manage as long as we can sweat balls through this heat...

It still bloody uncomfortable, though.

Thanks again for all of the birthday love! Many (many, many) ice cold drinks were had!

BHE and I are staring down the barrel of a VERY big week, so details on bday celebrations, four-century-old pop up books, and Baltimore Comi-con happenings will come later. Promise!

Try not to melt in the meantime...

Monday Blah-buster

2011-07-18T09:55:00.002-04:00

I had a wonderful set of photos and stories about various topics, including:

BHE's and mine questionable decision to celebrate our anniversary by completing a private bar crawl of every joint in our neighborhood. Good times! However, there's a reason we stopped doing these after grad school.
The A-M-A-Z-I-N-G meal BHE and I had at the Woodberry Kitchen to celebrate aforementioned anniversary, which included the C.M.P. (Malt ice cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallow fluff, roasted peanuts). Duff of Ace of Cakes fame drooled about the dish on The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Note: It's not even the best dessert on the friggin menu!

Pics from my time in Chicago, where I got to watch my formerly little cousin kick bum as wing for his rugby 7s team and spent time making Baby Button giggle while hanging out with my BFF and her hubby.

Instead, the ether-verse has once again erased most of my photos, leaving me with the following to entertain you this Monday morning.

In our first installment, BHE and I like to troll garage/yard sales, Salvation Army shops, and Goodwill stores from nifty home items (more on that in an upcoming post). Things like baskets, bar ware, a Julia Homer Wilson original, and a nifty pint glass with Ringo Starr painted on the side (SCORE.). Granted, they can't all be winners...

Is it too much?

Our final piece comes courtesy of the 2011 ArtScape festival here in Charm City. It's apparently America's largest free arts festival, though from what I saw it was mostly food booths and a LOT of people crammed into a small section of Mt. Vernon. Still, we saw some cool stuff. BROS performed on a small stage, BHE found a print that made him smile, and I managed to locate the art car exhibit:

Not too shabby for a week and a half.

This week I plan to partake in the time-honored tradition that is the Birthday Week. Mine, to be specific. I've got plans to enjoy some drinks, to go out for dim sum, and - fingers crossed - to close on our first home.

Of course, work beckons in the meantime. Hope your Monday is treating you with kid gloves, hon! See you at my birthday happy hour Friday. :)

Until then - Enjoy!

Maybe this is how I'll FINALLY learn French

2011-07-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

Another 5 Second Post: What I'm Digging On (Presently)

2011-06-28T12:42:00.000-04:00

1. Podcasts.

Yup! I'm a talk radio listener. Most of my travel time (car/train/shuttle/walking) is spent on the following: The Nerdist, WTF with Marc Maron, RadioLab, Stuff You Should Know, Stuff Mom Never Told You, the Dinner Party Download, the Pop Culture Happy Hour, How to Do Everything - and of course, NPR staples Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! and This American Life.

BHE and I even had a chance to meet one of our podcast heroes, Mr. Ira Glass. (Apparently, he's originally from Baltimore and came down for a fundraising/speaking gig.)

2. Music.

I don't know about you, but I'm winning Grammy's in my car. In my head anyway. The following are the artists whose work I'm currently butchering while on I95 or 83S...

Adele. (LURVE her! And finally got to see her perform in DC. Good show! Made a bunch of new friends, too.)

April Smith and the Great Picture Show.

Fitz and the Tantrums.

And, of course, The Outdoors.

3. Summer Weddings/Travel

We've had 2 weddings and at least one drive South so far with another 3 weddings upcoming. There are also a few more trips to Chicago, Pittsburgh, and a few locations yet to be determined.

Now, I won't sugar coat - driving is a pain in the ass. There's only so much of interstate you can admire while your crawling along in traffic while trying to get your dog to just SIT DOWN QUIETLY ALREADY. If you have any upcoming travels I suggest grabbing a copy of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter for the drive. It's surprisingly entertaining if you like your drama on the Neil Gaiman side of things.

Still, the destination is almost always worth it. BHE gets to pal around with some of his buddies from back in the Cub Scout days, which is always worth the mileage.

At the most recent wedding, these two came back to the hotel with 3 cases of alcohol for us to take home. Craziness...

Summer travel also includes trips to ball games. And while televised baseball is often neck and neck with C-SPAN in terms of entertainment value, nothing encompasses the season like a day at the ball park.

I still can't stand the Phillies, though.

On one last note, if you're in the B'more area and are looking for a quick thrill this fall, might I recommend the Run for Your Lives 5K in October? It's basically an obstacle course where you dodge "actual" zombies. I haven't made up my mind about it just yet (I may just volunteer instead), but who wouldn't want to take part in an event where the FAQs include questions like:

WILL THE ZOMBIES BE CHASING ME SLOWLY OR QUICKLY? ARE THEY THE WALKING DEAD, OR THE RUNNING DEAD?

If we told you every detail, this wouldn't be fun at all. Our best advice: be prepared to run, duck, dive, and dodge.

I HAVE TRAINED MY DOG/CAT/BIRD/YOUNG CHILD TO DEFEND ME IN CASE OF A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, CAN THEY RACE WITH ME?

No. Only registered participants meeting the age requirements will be allowed to navigate the course. Please do not bring any pets to race or to party; they will be eaten by zombies.

WHAT WILL I WALK AWAY WITH?

Warwear performance tee
Racing bib (we know you always wanted one)
Medals to signify your survival (or zombie transformation)
Admittance to the Apocalypse Party
Advanced training for the actual Zombie Apocalypse
One less appendage

AWESOME.

Dang it!

2011-06-15T14:20:00.002-04:00

So, I HAD all these cool photos of our last week, including some awesome Kindereggs that M&M brought back for BHE and I following their trip to Berlin.

AND some photos from the Baltimore celebration of kitsch otherwise known as Honfest.

Instead, the etherverse ate my photos after sending them from my Android. I'd be more upset about it, but I just housed some Spicy Cilantro Chicken from the nearby Hot Mustard, where I foolishly ordered the extra hot. I am now waiting for the heat to burn a hole through my colon and some kind of Alien-like spice monster to burst through.

So as I am now going to hunt down an antacid, I leave you with a quick pic of one of the final scenes from Sunday's final performance of the Baltimore Rock Opera Society's (aka, BROS) presentation of "The Terrible Secret of Lunastus."

Enjoy!

Recovering from Our Time in Dixie

2011-06-06T11:56:00.011-04:00

You know, it only takes a good week away from home before you start to really miss the place.

BHE, Donald and I just returned from a long trip down South (read: South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia), where we worked on our tans and attended an extremely beautiful wedding in Asheville. (Congratulations, Tim & Leslie!!)

Now, Maryland is technically below the Mason-Dixie line. But there's the south - and then there's the South. Once you hit southern Virginia, you become distinctly aware that you're crossed over. As evidenced by a van we noticed in the parking lot of our vacation home.

Colons and punctuation, people. Let's remember to use 'em.

That said, we still had a very lovely time. We got to visit my family, where Donald pulled a frozen steak off the counter in my mom's kitchen and had himself a gourmet lunch. BHE and I both acquired fierce tans/sunburns. We bought vacation hats. I didn't touch my straightening iron once. We had BBQ for multiple meals.

Now that's a vacation!

We also engaged in some of the local culture. During the week, BHE and I headed down to Decatur to check out the CDC Museum. Turns out, that was closed while a new exhibit was being installed. Bummer.

Not to worry though as the Fernbank Museum of Natural History is right down the road. And it had a wicked exhibit on Mythological Creatures.

Warning: Boobs and ta-tas ahead.

The Boob I married.

AND it was free hot dog day at the museum! SCORE!

We putzed about the exhibits for a good while rather than strolling outdoors in the 100+ degree heat. Besides, the museum had an interactive floor where you could play with experiments that you probably tried out in your grade school science class.

HBE doing his best weatherman impersonation.

And, of course, there was food. Thanks to a tip from our buddy Pete, we signed up for a Scoutmob account and went on a discounted feeding frenzy in downtown Decatur. The highlight, by far, were the sandwiches at Sawicki's. BHE had a Tri-tip Beef (served with french fries, Primanti's style), while I had the Roasted Pork with pickled red onions and fried lemon slices.

Oh - my mouth is watering at the memory of it.

We also tried some Coco Vino at my parents' house. For those of you unfamiliar with the product, it's a bottle of red wine that's been flavored/mixed/violated with chocolate. The combo sounds promising, but you know they say about good intentions...

Raspberry flavored. Not good. We should have been tipped off by the "governement warning."

We spent some more money on Ninja-shaped cookie cutters and presents for friends and family next door at Heliotrope. Also came with a Scoutmob discount. Woot!

Trying out "the Watson"

We also made our way to the Chateau Elan for a winery tour and tasting. The tour was only $5 and included LOADS of samples. Best. Tour. Ever.

Post sample hijinks.

The wine source.

BHE and I made the decision to come home on Saturday so we could have a day to recover before returning to work. Sunday consisted of pizza, appeasing some bitter cats who had to stay home during the week, a trip to the cinema to check out X-Men First Class (totally worth the hype, btw), and of course, some QT at the dog park.

Like I said, it was just long enough to make us miss home.

While we here at Tattoos & Champagne are done travelling for a few weeks, Jordan over at Oh Happy Day! has pulled out all the stops and is offering 2 lucky people a trip to check out Paris.

Yes, THAT Paris.

To enter, visit Jordan's site and leave a comment after her post about the contest ( http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris). There are chances for additional entries as well, but you'll have to visit her post to find out the details.

Check out her other posts as well. The woman's kind of a mad genius.

Best of luck! And until next time, Enjoy!

The Warrior Dash (or, Would you like mud with your run?)

2011-05-27T13:59:00.014-04:00

So last Saturday I womaned-up and made the 2hr trek to the Eastern Shore to take place in the 2011 Maryland Warrior Dash.

The Dash is essentially a 5K bred with a butt-busting obstacle course. The result is 3.1 miles of organized chaos. Mud and fire are main components of the course. You have to agree to things on the consent form like:

I understand that the Warrior Dash is a hazardous activity.

I assume the risk of wild animals and insects that may be present on the course.

I understand the Dash presents extreme obstacles including, but not limited to fire, mud pits, cargo climbs, junk cars, and steep hills.

So, of course, I talked about 4 of my friends into it- Two of whom I missed on the course entirely (Lauren, Muffie - I'll see you in Frederick!) and another who wasn't spotted until the post-race hose off and was greeted with a big muddy bear hug.

I spent the race with my buddy, Carla, who graciously walked the course with me after I gave my ankle a slight turn coming down from the hay bale tower. Which was fine, really, since it took the focus off the mud-covered gash on my leg (which happened either during the wooded trail run or during the wall climb).

The mud itself came courtesy of the course designers and Mother Nature, who poured inches of rain on the area in the days leading up to the race. This made the trail run portion of the course a little more interesting since (1) the mud was deep enough that a few people (myself included) lost shoes on the course, and (2) given the smell of the mud, which we had to crawl through for one the obstacles, I'm pretty sure there were considerably less pleasant things than dirt and water in the mix. The rain also flooded parts of the trail, eliciting "Parkour!" proclamations while runners tried to bob and weave through the woods.

Still, I had a great time! And while it looks like I'm the only one out of my friends who would run it again, I'm sure we can all agree that with the free beer and crazy Flintstones Order of the Water Buffalo-like hat it was totally worth it.

I managed to snag pics of some of the course obstacles:

Damn hay bale tower. It looks so innocuous, but hay is deceptively tall. I turned my ankle a bit when I jumped down the second half.

The scene post-race. The inflatable warrior hat tent housed race results. Beer and giant turkey legs were available in the back.

Ah, the rope tower. This one wasn't too bad, really!

The super slide. I was really looking forward to this until I started down and realized the rock pile underneath the plastic basically made the thing into giant cheese grater and my ass was cheddar. I lost a bit of my hand trying to slow down.

The warning before the last obstacle.

The final obstacle: The mud pit! It was actually quite cozy and didn't smell as bad as the mud on the wooded trail.

The fire hurdle!

A (slightly less than legal) screenshot of my taking down the fire hurdle!

This is how you clean up post-race. Volunteers hose you down with freezing cold water.

A happy camper.

See you in 2012?

Here's hoping you all have a kick-butt holiday weekend! I'll be driving down to South Carolina with BHE and Donald to attend a family wedding and to work on my tan poolside. Until next time, Enjoy!

Puppy Tough Love and Our First Vegan BBQ

2011-05-10T12:00:00.008-04:00

Donald is fitting in pretty well at the apartment. Familiarizing himself with our routines and sussing out just how much he can bother the cats before they'll swipe at him. He's also taken the time to figure out where we put our garbage and recycling.

Yeah, I was less than thrilled to come home to the above-pictured destruction. We had to scramble to clean and disinfect the place in time for our first party of the season.

Donald, for his part, quickly recognized that I was displeased with his behavior and made a beeline for his kennel, where he stayed until I was done cleaning. He was the picture of good doggy manners during the BBQ and later on worked his A-game to get back on my good side.

It totally worked. Damn him and his doggy powers...

He's been in the recycling at least once since then and we've consequently moved the bins to the front of the house.

The BBQ was the first fete of the season (thank the good lord for spring!) and after compiling the guest list BHE and I realized that we'd invited mostly vegetarians and vegans. So we decided to try our hand at an all veg-friendly menu:

To Eat:
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Tofurky Beer Brats
Tofurky Kielbasa
Seasoned Grilled "Meatballs" and Potatoes
Arugula Pasta Salad with Roasted Veggies
Apple Crisp

To Drink:
Beer (which, thank god, is always veg-friendly)
Wine
Sage Blackberry Bramble (just muddle some sage before adding the gin)

We also took a crack at black-bean burgers, but they were pretty unforgettable (read: They were that dish the Sugarhill Gang spoke of in "Rapper's Delight").

The Mac and Cheese was a tweaked version of a recipe generously shared by our buddy, Matt (I added several dashes of hot sauce and a tsp or so of mustard powder). Another pal, Mere, lent me her apple crisp recipe:

*************************************************

Vegan Apple Crisp

4 c apples, sliced and peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c water
Mix together and put in a greased 9" square pan

Mix:
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1/4 c oats

Cut 1/3 c vegan butter (I'm a big fan of Earth Balance) into sugar mixture and sprinkle on top of apples. Bake at 350 for 40 mins.

****************************************************

The Arugula & Pasta Salad recipe came by way of Ali over at Gimme Some Oven. (Whom you really ought to check out if you haven't already.) Since BHE has a slight nut allergy, I messed around with the pesto a bit and substituted pistachio nuts, which worked out well for us.

Overall, the food was a hit! Particularly the meatballs and potatoes, which I adapted from an old recipe from Food & Wine magazine:

*******************************************************
Grilled "Meatballs" & Potatoes

1 - 2 packages Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage (ground sausage style), rolled into 1-in meatballs
2 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tbsp pure chile powder, such as ancho
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs small red and white potatoes, cleaned and quartered

1. Bring a large pot/stock pot of water to a full boil. Add the potatoes to the large stock pot boil for 9 - 11 minutes, until you can pierce a piece of potato with a knife while still meeting some resistance. (You want to parboil the potatoes, not completely cook them.) Drain the potatoes and then rinse them with cold water. Let them cool for several minutes and then set them aside in a large bowl.

Alternatively, you can place the potatoes in a covered dish with a few tbsp of water and microwave it for about 5 minutes.

2. On a cutting board, using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic and salt to a coarse paste. Add the caraway seeds and finely chop them. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the chile powder and olive oil. Add the meatballs and potatoes and toss to coat. (You may find this easier to do in 2 separate bowls.)

3. Place a grill pan or a bowl fashioned out of heavy duty aluminum foil (that's how we roll) on a heated grill and grill for 10 - 12 minutes, until the potatoes and meatballs begin to char. Serve and wait for people to lavish praise on the chef.

*********************************************************************

All told, the vegan theme proved successful. So much so that I'm sending this post over to Chez Cayenne to include in its House Favorites: Vegan collection :)

This weekend BHE and I will be in Philadelphia helping man the Ex-boyfriend Collection tent at the Art Star Craft Bazaar along the waterfront at Penn's Landing Great Plaza.

Seriously, stop by and say hello! We'll go grab a beer and you can say "howdy" to myself, Donald and BHE in person.

Looking forward to seeing you there. Until then, as always - Enjoy!

Puppy Love

2011-04-20T12:44:00.005-04:00

This past Sunday was the MDSPCA's Annual March for the Animals here in Baltimore.

BHE and I were part of the Ex-Boyfriend's pack (courtesy of M&M). So bright and not-so-early we made our way to Druid Hill park in the city and reveled in all of the dogs, guinea pigs, iguanas, and pot bellied pigs that were out supporting one of the best charities in the area.

We did it!

I made a new friend at the park that day.

And then - we saw him. Wearing his little "Donations Accepted" harness. BHE and I went up to pet him and he rolled onto his back for a belly rub.

And that pretty much did us in. (BHE even more so than me.) The next day we went to the MDSPCA to meet out little boy again and filled out all the necessary paperwork to bring him home.

Well, first we dropped close to $500 at Pet Smart and Target and set up a space for puppy at our house.

The only hazard label on the dog food container we bought.

Thank god for the warning - I TOTALLY planned on putting our kid in it someday.

24hrs and several hundred dollars later, we had a new family member!

Say hello to Donald!

(aka The Don)

(aka Buddy)

We're still getting accustomed to having a new critter in the house and the cats are...adjusting. Hopefully we'll be able to get the whole gang together peacefully in a few weeks.

BHE already has plans to build a table frame for Donald's kennel.

- Speaking of which, BHE has taken his passion for wood working to new heights. You can actually have him design and carve up a piece for you (made out of recycled materials, of course) at his new etsy site: RRR Furniture.

Discounts for friends, of course.

I've still got a roast chicken recipe to post and tonight we're taking a crack at Shaved Asparagus Pizza. I'll post results shortly.

Until then, Enjoy!

Title FAIL

2011-04-15T14:14:00.005-04:00

An interesting if somewhat (very) poorly titled piece on marathon running posted by NPR today.

Just because more people complete them doesn't make them less special. That's like saying too many college grads deems the value of a university degree...

To recap:

Cramming an a super-sized fried fast food fest into your gob in one setting: COMMON

Managing to complete 26.2 miles in a single outing: DECIDEDLY UNCOMMON SUPER-ACHIEVEMENT

The text of the article is included below. What's your take on the matter?

Marathons, Once Special, Are Now Crowded

by ASMA KHALID

April 15, 2011

The Boston Marathon requires participants to qualify in order to enter — a barrier that once kept the nation's oldest and most elite marathon from filling up. But this year, spots in the race were gone in just over 8 hours.

So, what has changed?

Across the country, a record number of Americans are running marathons. And that popularity is actually a bit of a pain for the sport.

Legend has it that the Greek messenger Pheidippides ran 26.2 miles from Marathon to Athens — and then collapsed and died. That was the original marathon. But what was once an act of rare heroism is now sort of common.

At 25, Rachel Couchenour is training for her first marathon — the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn.

"I only started running a little over a year ago," she says. "I couldn't even run for, like, 5 minutes straight."

After a sorority sister was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Couchenour decided to join the charity running group Team in Training. The organization raises money for leukemia and lymphoma research.

On a recent day, Couchenour is running 20 miles — the longest distance she'll run before the marathon itself.

"I feel like the last six will be mainly mental," she says. "I'm like, what's another hour of running after this? Can't be too bad, right?"

Explosive Growth In Running Marathons

The belief that anyone can run a marathon is a mantra in running circles. And it seems that almost everyone is.

Last year, more than a half-million Americans ran marathons — an all-time record. And that's partly because of groups like Team in Training.

"These training programs are the pipeline for this growth," says Ryan Lampa of the research group Running USA.

"They can take that new runner from unfit to finish a marathon in 3 to 6 months," he says. "They opened up the sport to mainstream America."

Couchenour knows that firsthand. As she crosses the chalk finish line on her training run, she is rewarded with purple Mardi Gras beads and chicken nuggets.

"There's no way I could have ever done this on my own," she says. "I wouldn't know about fueling myself during runs, I wouldn't know about any of that, or pacing. I feel like I would have just been going out blind."

And without that help, Couchenour says, she probably would not make it to the finish line.

In addition to the record number of runners these days, there are a record number of marathon races — more than 625 last year alone.

Take the Country Music Marathon Couchenour is running. The race features live local bands at every mile, and themed water stations.

And as more novices like Couchenour start running, "They are drawn to go out and see how fast they can go," says Tom Grilk, who heads the Boston Athletic Association. The group hosts the annual Boston Marathon.

"Then, people get more excited about how fast they're going, and that's when you see them start aiming to qualify for Boston, as a kind of badge of accomplishment within the sport."

Boston is the pinnacle of all marathons.

Ben Beach is running his 44th consecutive Boston Marathon. When he first started running Boston, no women ran in the race. He says he was one of perhaps 1,000 runners — all men. Now, more than 40 percent of the marathon's participants are women.

Beach says he thinks the current marathon mania is healthy — a sign that more people are thinking about fitness.

And while the folks who host the Boston Marathon are also happy that more people are running, they worry that as mainstream American joins the race, amateurs will dilute Boston's prestige — especially if the fastest runners are locked out because they miss the sign-up.

So, new rules are on the way: Starting next year, the folks with the fastest times can sign up first. That means not everyone who technically qualifies for Boston will get to run. There are just too many marathon runners.

Vegetarian Posers

2011-04-05T11:06:00.005-04:00

This past weekend BHE and I may have overindulged a wee bit too much in the food and drink (and mani-pedi) category. Saturday was spent hanging out in DC with another couple, drinking a LOT Yuengling and snacking on fried potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pickles.

Well, I'm the only one who ate the pickles, but still - you get the idea.

A good and late lasting time was had by all.

BHE likes pandas.

On Sunday BHE and I dragged ourselves out of bed and - determined not to spend the day indoors - made a trip to walk around Ft. McHenry here in Baltimore (where we soon realized that neither of us completely knows the lyrics to the national anthem) and then went out for brunch. More fattening food ensued, including the tots at Regi's, which are apparently the best appetizer in the city according to the Baltimore Magazine.

Why, yes! They ARE covered in Brie and apple-smoked bacon!

We rolled home and promptly fell asleep on the couch. Lesson learned: A weekend of fried stuffs and cheese/beer leads to a slow, painful recovery on the sofa.

My impression of a scrambled egg.

So in an attempt to recover both calories, nutrients and what's left of our entertainment budget, BHE and I are going vegetarian this week. Sunday night consisted of a veggie stir-fry and Grilled Romaine Salad (courtesy of Serious Eats). I forgot to take a photo. Mostly because my brain was still hurting.

Yesterday I took a page (literally) from Susie Middleton's book, Fresh, Fast & Green, and threw together a Double Lemon Ginger Carrot Salad and then tweaked her Simple Avacado and Herb Salad recipe so it had a bit more protein in it.

Cannellini beans - is there anything they can't do?

Tonight Ms. Middleton will be showing me how to make a New Potato Salad with Fresh Peas, Lime, and Yogurt. I'd post the recipes, but I'm pretty sure that be some serious copyright infringement. (And seriously, you need to go out and get a copy of this book for your personal library.)

However, if you ask nicely, I'll be happy to share.

Maybe.

In the meantime, go get some sunshine while you can. And Enjoy!

An Additional 5-Seconds

2011-04-01T09:15:00.004-04:00

(1) Is anyone else enjoying this season of Archer as much as I am? I about fell off the couch in hysterics when Pam revealed that Lord Byron poem tattoo on her back last night.

(2) I haven't been to the Preakness since '08, when some of the drunken hordes took to lobbing full cans of beer in the air. (One of them clipped BHE in the arm - he still has a scar.)

The city has tried to temper the frat-like scene on the field over the years, but drinking has yet to be banned altogether. In fact, this year's race mascot is the Kegasus. That's not a typo.

(3) BHE and I played hooky yesterday and spent the afternoon at the zoo.

There were a surprising number of animals out given the cold weather. The highlight of the trip had to be number of baby critters running around the place.

The pandas had a cub a while back...

The gorillas had a baby last fall...

The lions recently had a litter of cubs...

(I meant to post video of the frolicking cubs, but can't find my phone cable to upload the cuteness.) Even the cuttle fish had kids. It was an overload of adorable!

Here's hoping the weekend can keep up the pace!

5-Second Post

2011-03-30T15:00:00.003-04:00

Laziness, you are my #1 enemy!

I swear, I've been meaning to blog. Really! But life activities and a general refusal to go near a computer after work hours has lent itself to some record slacker blogging.

And now, I'm about to run out of the office (again) in order to tend to some pre-conference activities, which means I STILL don't have time to do a proper entry.

So I'm doing a 5-second recap instead:

(1) Good Idea/Bad Idea: Banana Bread Beer Taste Test Results
In short, it tastes like banana. Not banana BREAD, mind you, but there's a definite banana flavor. Granted, it's nothing you couldn't likely replicate with a shot of 99 Bananas, but given that 99B and I had a very, very, very bad break up following late night while at university, I can't say I recommend attempting it.

(2) Racing Fool
I'm registered to date for the Maryland Warrior Dash (May), the Baltimore Half-Marathon (October), and the Walt Disney World Marathon (January 2012). I had originally planned to run the 2012 Goofy (a half marathon followed the next day by a full marathon through the park), but BHE politely asked that I reconsider. Actually, he said that he didn't want me to die, which I think was a tad melodramatic, but it's hard him down when he begs - he has puppy eyes. Anyway, I need a new training program and mileage tracker, so if you have any suggestions by all means send them my way! I'll make you a cookie if you do :)

(3) Twitterfied
A good friend and I were exchanges stories about married life when we decided that we ought to share (and give others a chance to share) those special moments where it's all you can do to not slap your partner/spouse/loved one. The result is My Ball and Chain. Head on over and feel free to share your story there, in person or anonymously.

Ok, that's longer than 5 seconds. I do have a recipe or two to post, including a tofu dish my sisters and I undertook during a 2 1/2 day cleaning spree in South Carolina.

But that will have to wait until I've finished with my 3 day conference on population research in DC. Try not to be jealous.

For now, I'll leave you with my 2 current musical obsessions: Adele, who I'll be seeing live next month (oh hells yeah!) and Fitz & the Tantrums, whose album I still need to get but I've been wearing out their Facebook site something awful.

Enjoy!

Critters of All Sorts

2011-03-17T11:04:00.004-04:00

I'm back from a quick visit to Chicago for Baby Button's shower and to hang out with my BFF/watch my sleep-deprived BFF pick fights with her equally sleep-deprived husband. I had a great time, but the trip left me very much aware of how ill-prepared I am for motherhood at the moment.

BB chilling on his Mia Grace blanket.

At present, I'm better off getting my mothering fix via taking care of animals.

SPEAKING OF WHICH! (*dramatic lead-in*)

BHE and I are teaming up with the good folks over at ex-boyfriend collection to help out the homeless (animals, that is) by taking part in the MDSPCA's March for the Animals!

The March is the MDSPCA's biggest fundraiser and a rather large event in the city. People come together with their adorable dogs/cats/iguanas/turtles/what have you and take part in various contests, agility courses, and general fun and entertainment.

Our "pack" is trying to raise some funds for the event and - seriously - every little penny helps! So if you like animals and have even $5 to spare, won't you give us a hand (or paw)? If you're really game, feel free to join our pack or simply stop by the event to see the cuteness and support a damn fine cause!

You can support your fellow animal lovers here.

Neco and Lina will be waiting to thank you in person...

Recipe Quickie: Peruvian Chicken

2011-03-09T13:04:00.003-05:00

BHE is out of town this week so I have been alternating between hanging out with friends and attempting to sleep solo. The latter hasn't been too successful. That said, I still have time (aka, caffeine coursing through my veins for the next 15 minutes) to quickly post a recipe recap for some kick ass Peruvian Roasted Chicken.

PRC is hands down my favorite take out meal option. If you haven't had it yet, go. NOW. There's a place called Crisp n' Juicy or Pollo Loco or something similar selling this delectable, fall-off-the-bone charbroiled poultry near you, I'm sure. (FYI: If you're in Baltimore, just hit up Chicken Rico in Highlandtown. Wear loose-fitting pants. Bring a friend.)

The recipe I used came courtesy of Cooks Illustrated, a great site that unfortunately requires users to pay a fee to access videos and such. Which is kind of bullshizz in my opinion, but whatevs.

That said, these guys know what they're doing. The recipe is actually quite easy to throw together. You just need a good 24hrs for the dry rub to do its thing before you put anything in the oven.

Easy-to-use ingredients. Rubber gloves are a must have prior to handling the habaneros, especially if you wear contact lenses. (Just trust me on this one.)

The key seems to be low-temperature cooking and a vertical roaster or, barring that, a hall-full can of beer or soda crammed up the bird's special place. Ultimately, you end up with this AMAZING dinner that comes together in about 80 minutes, complete with spicy aioli and (assuming you remember to make it) chimichurri sauce.

SOOOOO Good!

If you're willing to pay, you can find the recipe (official title: Peruvian Roast Chicken with Garlic and Lime) here.

Or, if you ask nicely, I'll be happy to share it with you. Probably. :)

Enjoy!

My Current Relationship with the Universe

2011-03-02T14:25:00.002-05:00

(aka, Why I haven't been posting lately.)

I'll post again when the universe and I are back on speaking terms. (I've got a Peruvian chicken recipe that's good enough to commit white collar crime for)

Until then, enjoy!

Good Idea/Bad Idea?

2011-02-16T13:21:00.004-05:00

I'm generally a little leery of food items where the phrase "stuffed with" is the highlight of the dish. I find that things can get a bit out of hand and then you're left with an excessive amount of cheese or peanut butter or something that will likely do nothing more than stain a perfectly good outfit or distend one's stomach.

There are, of course, exceptions: tacos, burritos, purses stuffed with a handful of designer accessories. I even enjoy a well made chicken roulade or Tagalong cookie.

So I'm a tad suspicious of a post shared earlier by the good folks at Serious Eats, where they introduced something at once both fascinating and slightly nauseating:

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the Cookie-Stuffed Cookie.

Basically, you take a chocolate chip cookie and impregnate it with an Oreo. Or, in a second recipe contained in the post, you jam a Nutter Butter into a chocolate-chocolate chip cookie.

Yum?

So, I'll leave it to you to decide: Good idea or bad idea? I'll make one or the other based on feedback and then share my personal findings.

(Results from the last poll are to be posted tomorrow. You can check out the Serious Eats post about cookie-stuffed cookies here.)

Enjoy!

Viva (Recovery from) Las Vegas/New Podcast Rec

2011-02-15T12:59:00.006-05:00

Happy post Valentine's, everybody! I hope you had a chance to spend a moment or three with your loved one/partner/BFF/pet goldfish, enjoying each other's company. Or, if you were me and BHE, trying not to vomit during the less-than-steady landing of your Delta flight into BWI.

Today I'm back in the office, slooooooowly trying to recover from a weekend of shenanigans in none other than that beacon of all things decadent: Las Vegas. Home to numerous stage acts, all you can eat buffets, and the occasional C-List MTV reality star.

Keep it classy, Vegas!

During V-day weekend, Las Vegas also hosts the US leg of the International Rugby Sevens. This would be my 5th time at the sevens (my 4th here in the US) and this most recent trip did not disappoint. Well, except for that part where NZ lost to Fiji in the semi-finals, but otherwise it was all good. Sevens Rugby is joining the Olympic lineup in 2016, so this as good a chance as any to see what the fuss is all about. Plus, this is pretty much the only sporting event I've been to where venues encourage interaction between players and fans. Without going into detail about the number of rugby parties attended, let me just say that the English 7s team is an exceptionally

tall bunch.

Seriously, put it on your to-do list for 2012.

Anywho, because most of my time was spent either watching the games, sitting in front of a penny slot, or at a 7s-sponsored party watching girls trying to hit on rugby players, I didn't have a chance to take in much of Vegas' culinary offerings. I did manage to sneak into the Vosges shop at Caesar's Palace.

BHE and his 7s weekend mustache with the Vosges Bacon Caramel Toffee.

Alas, the bacon toffee was bit out of my price range, so I settled for the Balsamico (12-year aged balsamic vinegar mixed with dark chocolate and Sicilian hazelnuts) and Red Fire (Mexican ancho and chipotle chillies with cinnamon and dark chocolate) truffles instead.

We also (finally!) made a side trip for BHE's and my first ever In-N-Out burger! It's no Five Guys, but the burgers held their own. The fries...not so much. My buddy Erin said it best:

"They taste like those potato sticks that come in a can."

Best money I spent that weekend, excluding tickets to see the Lion King (Go. NOW.) and of course my favorite penny slot at the Mandalay Bay:

There's a wild card feature that includes an animated Bruce Lee performing a high side kick. PHENOMENAL!

******************And now, your non-recipe...

Unless you count opening your straw and doing that little knot trick with the wrapper, I was off cooking detail this week. I did, however, come across a new podcast that I think you'll enjoy:

Try it if you like other NPR fare such as Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! or How Stuff Works podcasts like Stuff You Should Know.

On a side note, I'm making a more serious effort to study French and need a practice buddy with an Internet connection and a good bit of patience. If you know of anybody (or happen to be that somebody), just shoot me an email. I'll cook!

Thanks! And Enjoy!

When Things Aren't What Quite What They Seem

2011-02-08T11:37:00.007-05:00

Happy post-Superbowl (with condolences to my fellow Steeler fans out there). BHE is still sulking after the loss, but I find I can't even muster up the anger. Green Bay just plain played better.

Which sucks as I am now responsible for a bet that I made with my BFF, who - in addition to being a very excited Green Bay fan - welcomed the birth of her first child this weekend. Loser has to buy Baby Button (as in "cute as a") the winning team's gear, to be worn next season. Assuming that takes place. Looks I've got some online shopping to take care of...

Funny story: Baby Button came out with a little something extra from the womb. Namely, a penis.

Yup! My goddaughter is actually my godson, which is totally cool by me. Even if this means that I have to take back a few pink items or that his baby blanket is currently embroidered with the name "Mia Grace." I've already promised to teach him about rugby and take him out for his first tattoo, which I'm sure thrilled his mother to no end.

Baby Button, in the (tiniest) flesh.

I can already tell he's a future heart breaker. The kid has dimples for DAYS.

And now, for your recipes..................

For this post I figured I'd throw in some items that, like Baby Button, are not quite what they seem. Little tweaks and such just to change things up a bit.

Except for the creme brulee. That's just a basic. The only thing that may seem different is my thumb, which went numb from trying to work the friggin brulee torch. It was a good hour before I could manage the fine motor skills required to write a text message. Note to readers: When the recipe calls for turbinado sugar, USE TURBINADO SUGAR. I used Cook's Illustrated's recipe for this bad boy, but Alton Brown's version is equally delightful.

The brulees were part of the menu at an annual post-holiday party thrown by a group of grad school friends in the DC area. Last year I was in charge of the entrées, but this year I was put in charge of dessert. In addition to the creme brulee, I also tweaked Paula Deen's recipe to come up with a White Velvet Cake.

(Sorry - I forgot to take a photo before the starving crowds attacked it.)

How do you make a White Velvet Cake you ask? Simply head to the grocery store and promptly forget to pick up red food coloring. Piece of cake! (pun intended)

I usually shy away from Paula's recipes. (I mean how many ways can/should a person incorporate Velveeta into their dish?) But this one was serious winner. The key (I think) is the baking soda and vinegar - the resulting fizz makes the cake extra-light and fluffy.

And finally, the surprise hit of the winter: my Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos!

Potential Vegan Yum!

Simply toast 1 cup quinoa in a mid-sized pot over medium high heat for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, and then cover the pot with a lid. Turn down the head to med-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, go ahead and saute some onions/shallots and green peppers (1 each) with 1/2 tsp canola oil. Add one can of black beans (RINSED, please!) and stir to combine. Add the mixture to the finished quinoa.

Add one packet of your fav taco seasoning (or you can make some of your own) and mix to combine. You can add a bit of water, 1 tbsp at a time, if necessary.

Spoon a few tablespoons of the mixture on a flour or corn tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Attack taco-flavored goodness like a starved wolf or pleasure delay a bit by placing the burrito in a panini press or Foreman grill for 3-5 minutes for some added texture.

As always, Enjoy!

Good Idea or Bad Idea?

2011-02-04T10:44:00.003-05:00

Remember Animaniacs? The cartoon from the 90s about the Warner brothers and the Warner sister? If you like your animation on the subversive side, I highly recommend watching a few episodes online.

Anywho, the show used to have a segment called "Good Idea/Bad Idea" voiced by Mr. Tom Bodett (of the Motel 6 "we'll keep the light on" fame).

Every now and then I come across something that makes me think of this bit. Like the beverage below that BHE and I spotted during a recent grocery outing:

So, I'm going to do a poll and ask you: Good Idea or Bad Idea? And I'll give it a go if it's the former. Hell, I might even give it a go if it's the latter. I'm curious like that.

What do you think?

新年快乐!!

2011-02-03T11:23:00.005-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year! Especially to all you Rabbits out there - which means you were born between...

29 January 1903 – 15 February 1904: Water Rabbit
14 February 1915 – 2 February 1916: Wood Rabbit
2 February 1927 – 22 January 1928: Fire Rabbit
19 February 1939 – 7 February 1940: Earth Rabbit
6 February 1951 – 26 January 1952: Metal Rabbit
25 January 1963 – 12 February 1964: Water Rabbit
11 February 1975 – 30 January 1976: Wood Rabbit
29 January 1987 – 16 February 1988: Fire Rabbit
16 February 1999 – 4 February 2000 Earth Rabbit
3 February 2011 – 22 January 2012: Metal Rabbit

According to Wikipedia anyway!

To celebrate the New Year, I decided to take my younger sister's advice and clean my house. At least I meant to. I mostly cleaned my kitchen, put out the recycling, and then took a much needed bath. Tonight I plan to pack for my weekend trip to Pittsburgh (HERE WE GO STEELERS! HERE WE GO! *clap* *clap*), finish up some gifts for my goddaughter, and paint my nails red for the holiday.

Yesterday in honor of the New Year I took a crack at recipe (also suggested by my younger sister - go, Jo!) featured on NPR's Kitchen Window, which explored Chinese cooking in the Caribbean. Apparently, Chinese culture is pretty well entrenched in the island of Trinidad. Chinese cuisine, however, had to be adapted to accommodate local agriculture, though some dishes remained fully intact.

One such dish is pow, otherwise known as bao - those addictive little pork-filled steamed buns you can usually pick up at any Chinese food stand. We normally have a few bags of frozen bao in our house, but I thought I'd try to make my own for once. You know, for kicks.

...Which is how I ended up spending a good bit of my evening cleaning just my kitchen. Don't misunderstand - the pow were great! But I lack access to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, so I ended up over-mixing my first batch of dough (note to self: dough hooks are a waste of time), and the next batch took a while to mix by hand.

Still, this stuff makes for a tasty treat! Next time I'll be a little more generous with the filling. (I tend to be conservative when I first attempt a recipe.) I'll also make BHE take care of the clean up.

美味对待

You can find the recipe, courtesy of NPR and Ramin Gainshram's book Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago, here.

For dinner tonight, I'm thinking lo mein or some other type of noodle, which symbolizes longevity and can (more importantly) be delivered directly to my apartment.

And remember: The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone. Including that jerk you cut you off on the highway this week.

Peace & love in 2011, people. Enjoy!

A Post-Fall Pick Me Up

2011-02-01T13:07:00.004-05:00

So we didn't get snow last night...

But we did get ice! And let me tell you something about ice: It blends it really, really well with concrete steps. And it just lays there, waiting for you (bonus points if you're wearing heels and it can hear you approach).

Needless to say, I busted my butt (and hip and shoulder and elbow and a little bit of my ankle) on our front porch and have spent most of the day trying not to lean on my arm. Moral of the story: Don't listen to your other half when s/he insists that it looks fine outside; go ahead and salt the crap out of your drive and walkway.

Anywho, I read a post on one of my fav NPR blogs that cheered me up immensely. So now I must share. And also make plans for a drink later with equally bruised friends.

Enjoy!

*****************************

From the Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me! Blog....

by IAN CHILLAG

EnlargeNPR

A s'more, pre-melted.

There are a number of As Seen On TV products that make great sandwiches: the George Foreman Grill, say, or The Thighmaster Thigh-Powered Panini Squeezer. But only one was recently re-gifted to one of our staffers: The Micro S'mores Microwave S'more Making Kit. It's a little plastic box you use to make non-messy s'mores in your microwave.

EnlargeNPR

Intern Nic, who is paid exclusively in s'mores.

Intern Nic: What is the point of S'mores without the fire hazard?

Mike: I know, and it lacks that smokey campfire flavor. It should come with a guy to ash his cigarette into it.

EnlargeNPR

A s'more, about to go in the microwave.

Robert: It says "the plunger" is what makes it work.

Ian: I guess that's the least unappetizing plumbing tool. No good meal ever started with the phrase "try this, I made it with my toilet snake."

EnlargeNPR

Ian: I like any food that has a picture of a crying boy on the box. That's why I love "Fido's In A Better Place Now Cereal."

Eva: This is really tasty. The boy that is my tongue is not crying.

EnlargeNPR

Robert needed to consult the recipe for s'mores.

Peter: It says it uses "core fusion" technology. Pretty high tech.

Ian: Still, you have to feel sorry for the guy whose life was such that he needed to invent a way to make single-serving s'mores.

EnlargeNPR

Intern Nic: It takes just ten seconds. That's much faster than a campfire.

Mike: Yeah, I guess we'll need really fast ghost stories.

Ian: Once there was a woman, and she was calling from INSIDE THE HOUSE. The end.

[The verdict: We doubted the contraption was actually doing anything, so we tried making one without it, and it came out crooked and the marshmallow didn't melt as well. Would we buy this? Of course not. Are s'mores delicious? Of course they are.

Mondays are Fundays

2011-01-31T11:25:00.006-05:00

Courtesy of xkcd

As I mentioned last week we had our first major snow storm of the season, which meant that I had a whole lotta time to kill during the day. So after dodging laundry and enjoying my morning cup of tea, I set up shop in the kitchen while BHE assumed his preferred napping position on the couch.

Lina also in her preferred napping position.,

Meanwhile, I decided to entertain my inner baker and whipped up some homemade Tagalongs using a recipe posted by the lovely ladies over at We Are Not Martha.

For my friends outside the U.S.: We have an equivalent to your Girl Guides, but we call them Girl Scouts. (Well, you start out as a Daisy, and then move up the ranks to Brownie, and then you become a Girl Scout, but you get the idea.) Anywho, much like your GG Biscuits, we sell a nice selection of cookies. Girls join, earn badges, go on camping trips and the like. I made it to Brownie level before losing interest, but I still support the organization during their annual cookie drive. Unfortunately, since the GS HQ decided that sending little girls off to peddle their wares by themselves was perhaps not the best idea, I often miss the cookie sale season. Which makes for a sad Adrienne.

Which is why the Martha posting that made me downright giddy. And while Samoas (aka Caramel deLites) are my favorite, Tagalongs run an extremely close second. The cookies from this recipe are AMAZING!

The recipe actually makes, like, 35 cookies. This is just what's left at my house 4 days later.

Quick notes: Be sure to use a fork or tongs when dipping, otherwise you'll burn your finger pads (lesson learned on my end). Also, like the Sues note, the recipe makes enough batter for some 60 cookies - waaaay more than the amount of peanut butter filling and chocolate dip. Unless you're catering some kind of event or just lack any concept of portion control, go ahead and halve the recipe or simply freeze half of the batter for later use.

You can find the recipe here: http://www.wearenotmartha.com/2011/01/homemade-tagalong-cookies/

We're due for another ice storm tonight, so there's a chance I'll get another day off tomorrow. Which will give me time to come up with a recipe in honor of my soon-to-arrive goddaughter. Any ideas for a starting point would be very much welcome!!

As always, ENJOY!

One last (fairly awesome) thing

2011-01-28T11:53:00.004-05:00

If you like gingers or great music then you, dear Reader, are in for a treat!

The ever-so-talented-you-could-almost-hate-him-for-it Garry Schaaf has teamed up with a group of equally super-skilled musicians. The end result is the latest EP release by the Outdoors, which - lucky for us - is available online at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theoutdoors/the-outdoors-ep-launch-and-tour The quality of the music almost makes up for Garry's attempt at facial hair.

You can check out tracks and find out more about the band (including - fingers crossed- upcoming tour dates) on their Facebook page and Twitter feed. You can also download their EP for free on their homepage.

Check 'em out if you're looking for something in the smooth groovy and Indie vein and enjoy!

Tickle me pūwherowhero

2011-01-28T09:30:00.012-05:00

One snow storm later and I'm still here. (Thankfully.) With a decidedly poor showing of snow in the Baltimore region, I've decided that this winter can't hold a candle to the Snowmageddon of 2010 (*knock on wood*). While I don't look forward to digging out my car/having BHE dig out my car in the mornings, I miss the occasional snow day. It's rare that I get to sleep in, clean house, and bake at random leisurely intervals during the day. Plus, I'm no longer in school, so it's not like I have to make up the class time during the summer.

So imagine my delight when the local meteorologist predicted a 5 - 10 inch snowfall over the course of a few hours. Granted, he skipped over the part where jagged chips of sleet the size and sharpness of thumb tacks would precede the event. Had I known, I might have taken up my boss's offer of a ride home, rather than taking the shuttle and then walking a mile while nature took it's anger out on my face. That shizz hurts!

Snow bully sleet. Not fun.

Anywho, BHE managed to pull into the driveway just as the snow began to fall in earnest and then turned on the tv and hunkered down for the night.

That is, we tried to turn on the tv. We have a satellite dish, which does not hold up well against the elements. So instead of watching normal prime time programming, we surfed the Hi-def channels our tv could pick up. The number of stations was pretty limited, but we did come across something called "Cool TV," which plays music videos and concert clips. Think MTV back when the "M" actually stood for something. That said, I think Cool TV plays a little fast an d loose with its definition of cool. When we first happened on the station, it was playing footage from a Journey concert-- the bassist was a big black dude with a mullet who was wearing tight black leather pants and playing a pink and white polka dotted guitar. The next time we flipped back to the station, we were greeted with this little gem:

Tears came to my eyes we were laughing so hard.

After picking ourselves off the floor, HBE and I bundled up and made our usual snow-storm trek to Fraisers, our fav dive bar in the city. It's not like we had to worry about making it to work the next day, afterall.

And now, your recipes...

The thundersnow (yes, there was thunder) got me thinking about one of my favorite snow time activities: keeping warm via booze. Not to sound like a complete alcoholic, but few things cheer me up on a snow day like a glass of something that warms you up from the inside out. Minus snowball fights and snow angels of course.

I got bored on the walk home from the bar. Apologies to my neighbor.

So imagine my delight when I came across the following during a recent visit to the wine and spirits shop:

WOOT!

Monteith's is brand of beer I used to enjoy when I lived in Wellington. And while I've seen Steinlager sold with growing frequency (usually during the USA Sevens Rugby Festival), this is the first time I've come across a beer that I actually drank while abroad. AND it's the Black brand! I heart the black brand! And it's just in time for the Investec Super Rugby campaign. Preseason games start tonight!! Which is actually tomorrow in NZ but whatevs! GO Canes! (And Highlanders - I love an underdog.)

Try it if you come across a bottle and send a thank you note accordingly. The games you'll have to catch online.

The other adult themed beverage I can rave about comes courtesy of one of my other favorite bars in the city. Bad Decisions is tucked away in the Fell's Point neighborhood. In addition to it's bacon-theme happy hour and prolific collection of in-house board games (seriously - have you ever been to a bar where you can play Axis and Allies should the mood strike?), the staff at BD can custom tailor a drink to fit your mood. I wanted something creamy and Ana (our lovely bartender) came up with this:

Serious yum.

I'm still not sure what the hell's in it, although I do know that the bottom dark half is made up of coffee-flavored tequilla. (Oh yeah.) The above-pictured beverage didn't have a name at the time of service, so I dubbed it the Businessman's Breakfast. I'm hoping it sticks.

I actually have scads of recipes to post. Turns out I should have added"be a more proficient blogger" to my list of New Years resolutions. Is it to late to call for a mulligan?

(Go Steelers!)

Thursday's Food in Print

2011-01-20T10:54:00.005-05:00

I actually DO have a post I've been meaning to drum up (surprise! it's about alcohol!), but in an attempt to be more consistent with my posting, I've decided to dedicate my Thursdays to cool food stories in the media. There's a chance I'll have one or two other themed days, but until then, enjoy this little press hit from NPR...

Gleaning A Harvest For The Needy By Fighting Waste

by BLAKE FARMER

On U.S. farms, gleaning is making a comeback, as a national anti-hunger organization has turned to the ancient practice to help feed the poor. And it also gives farmers a way to use produce that would otherwise be wasted.

In the Old Testament, farmers are told not to pick their fields and vineyards clean, but instead to leave the edges for orphans, widows and travelers. In the modern day, gleaning is more about preventing would-be waste.

Food gets left in the field for all kinds of reasons. Two big ones are that mechanical harvesting misses a lot — and sometimes the crops aren't pretty enough for supermarket shelves.
"The statistics are that 96 billion pounds of food are left, this is pre-consumer food, goes to waste in this country," says Linda Tozer of theSociety of St. Andrew, an organization that coordinates farmers around the Southeast and out West.

And that food-waste estimate, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is going up, not down.
"What we are trying to do is build a network that will take food that would not make it to market for a variety of reasons," Tozer says, "and get it to agencies that are feeding the hungry."

The Society of St. Andrew recently added an office in Tennessee. At Jackson Farms in Pikeville, volunteer Nathaniel Smart, 5, heaved a mesh bag of red and green bell peppers from a scale and dropped it on a growing pile.

Volunteers like Smart and his dad are key to what makes gleaning work — free labor. They went down rows of plants, picking ripe vegetables.

There's nothing wrong with these peppers, but they're not worth farmer Johnny Jackson's time. He says he already has more than he knows what to do with in a chocked-full storehouse.
"You got supply and demand — is the first rule of the deal," Jackson says. "And if you got more supply than you have got demand for it, then it's going to go to waste."

Jackson has nothing to lose. The motivation, he says, has little to do with a biblical command, though he's happy to feed the hungry. He'll also pocket a tax deduction worth the value of what he gives away.

But Jackson also says that it's hard to plan for gleaning. He has just a few days between when he's decided he's sold all he can, and when the produce goes bad.
On short notice, the Society of St. Andrew gathered a preacher, a Girl Scout troop and a few neighbors, like Mary Beth Sanders.

"I just got an e-mail, some farmer friends passing around word of this activity," she says.
Sanders' frayed straw hat gives her away as a part-time farmer. But even she is surprised by how much goes to waste.

"I mean, you pass farms up here all the time, just peppers rotting on the ground, or on the vine," she says. "It's not cool."

On this day, the scales have measured more than a thousand pounds of produce. Volunteers pack the rescued rations in a church van and a pickup truck, bound for a food pantry and the sheriff's office.

Tozer says her gleaners could spend all weekend here picking several thousand pounds more, but she has her own logistics problem. No one else is lined up to take the vegetables.

"Isn't that horrible?" she says. "But we have done this much, and that's more than if we hadn't shown up, so that's the way we've got to look at it."

Tozer's organization gleaned more produce than ever last year — 18 million pounds. But that's still small potatoes compared to how much will never make it to the dinner table

A New Year/A New Touch of Crazy

2011-01-10T10:51:00.003-05:00

The next one's in 2012. Who's game??

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge

Saturday, January 8, 2011 and Sunday, January 9, 2011

Are you looking for the ultimate test of endurance? Then compete in Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge where you will run the Half Marathon on Saturday and then the Marathon on Sunday. If you finish both races in the time limit you will be awarded the coveted Goofy medal.

You must register for Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge to receive the Goofy medal upon completion of both races within the pacing requirements.

Each participant's $310 registration in Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge will include:

Race Registration for both the Half Marathon and Marathon
Official Race Handbook
Commemorative Champion® Race Tech Shirt for Marathon, Half Marathon and Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge
Goody Bag
Disney's Health & Fitness Expo including our world-class Speaker Series
Event Weekend Transportation for ALL WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort Hotels
Special Goofy Personalized Bibs (Register by 11/1/10)
On Course Refreshments
On Course Disney Entertainment
Post-Race Refreshments
Family Reunion Area with live entertainment and characters
Post-Race web site with direct access to your race photos, results and custom finisher certificate
All runners who complete both the Half Marathon and Marathon will receive the special Goofy medal in addition to the Mickey and Donald medals from the individual events!
Disney magic you won't find anywhere else!

**Dates, times and prices subject to change. All races are subject to capacity limits and may close at any time.**

SQUEE!!!

Snow down South: Veganized Eggplant Parmigiana

2011-01-05T14:45:00.007-05:00

Happy holidays from sunny South Carolina, where 2 1/2 inches of snow managed to overtake my parents' neighborhood in a single night and throw off our travel plans by an entire day. Who says there's no such thing as climate change?

Anyway, our holiday traveling has finally, FINALLY come to an end, and now Tony (aka Best Husband Ever, aka BHE) and I can chill out at home for a bit and play with our respective Christmas presents. (Him: new power tools; Me: a Nook)

Prior to taking off for locations up and down the East Coast, BHE and I managed to visit M&M of ex-boyfriend collection fame for some good eats. Well, the Lady M and I had some good eats; the boys had a man date to go and see Tron Legacy. (They both liked it.)

Lady M is a whiz at veganizing recipes, so we took the time this evening to prepare some Panzanella (already a vegan recipe) and a tweaked version of Mario Batali's Eggplant Parmigiana.

The eggplant was SIGNIFICANTLY less involved than the panzanella, the steps to which included roasting tomatoes and reducing the rendered juices with wine for the dressing. It was amazing, as ever - and the eggplant dish pretty much puts itself together. (Daiya makes an tasty vegan mozzarella cheese you can use in the recipe.) BHE thought the slices were too thick to really enjoy, but I thought their size gave them more of a steak-like texture that added to the dish.

Monster Cat kept an eye on things while we were in the kitchen. He later went on to eat a whole mouse, proving veganism is not in fact for everybody.

Check out Mario's recipe and try it for yourself. While I'm afraid I don't have the exact recipe the panzanella we used, I've had good luck in the past with Ina Garten's take on the dish.

We're nearly a week into the new year already. Break any of those resolutions yet? :)

Auld Lang Syne

2010-12-31T19:10:00.003-05:00

I was going to write a nice contemplative piece about the highs and lows of 2010 (there were several), the success and occasionally epic failures, the recipes that were requested after serving and the ones that just stunk up my kitchen.

And then I thought, "Nuts to that!" Instead, I'm going to play with my two sugar-high nephews before heading out to ring in the New Year with a glass of something that bubbles in downtown Pittsburgh. I hope each of you have a chance to celebrate in an equally fitting manner :)

Peace out, 2010!! (Don't let the door hit ya on the way out :) )

Happy Christmas: The Spiked Edition

2010-12-24T11:52:00.005-05:00

Our absolutely fabulous friends and drinking buddies M&M gave Tony and I one of our best holiday presents to date: A homemade spike-your-own-cocoa kit, complete with chocolate and a variety of mixers.

Spiked cocoa is one of my absolute favorite holiday treats and honestly is one of the few things to get me through major winter storm season (aside from Dr. Who and Top Gear marathons on BBC America.)

The bloggers over at Serious Eats have come up with a variety of ways to help you make your hot chocolate a little more "festive." Personally, I like the idea of the Candied Orange recipe, but that's just me.

Check it out here and then experiment on your own. And share the recipes already - it's the season to be giving, afterall.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Much wintery love,
Adj @ Tattoos & Champagne

Shortest Blog Post Ever

2010-12-20T12:11:00.003-05:00

I'm writing this in between pre-holiday trip errands, so rather than recap recent events, I'm just going to summary and provide recipe links where I can.

A quick visit from my younger sister prompted a breakfast run at Miss Shirley's Cafe here in Hampden. If you're a breakfast food purist, I'd suggest hitting up another establishment for your brunch. But, if you're a fan of delicious flavor - specifically in the chicken and waffles vein - then make a beeline for Miss Shirley's as soon as you have pants on.

Tony had the Benne Seed Chicken & Waffles (boneless fried chicken with honey mustard on white chedder & green onion waffles with jalapeno butter).
While I had the What Came First, The Chicken or the Egg? (which consists of a poached egg on a buttermilk buscuit with a pepper sausage and beef gravy).

Jo had eggs and hash browns. And the Savory Grits, which are made with applewood-smoked bacon and marscapone cheese. They'll put you in a food coma approximately 15minutes after ingesting.

This past weekend has been dedicated to one single-minded venture: baking. LOADS of baking. Mostly for parties but also for a few holiday gifts. Friday I managed to turn out several dozen of the Shortbread Bakery's Earl Grey Tea Chocolate Truffles. Note to would-be bakers: Do yourself a favor and invest in some non-latex gloves before rolling the truffles. You'll save a lot of time and water wasted washing your hands repeatedly.

Next, Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. The key to this recipe is melting the butter before mixing in the sugar and using bread (instead of all-purose) flour. If you don't have a #20 ice cream scoop (I know I sure the hell don't) then simply use a 1/4 measuring cup instead.

Finally, to cap off the weekend, I turned to the good folks at Cooks Illustrated for a coconut-free, not too sweet Carrot Cake/Cupcake recipe. Unfortunately, you need a subscription to log into the site, but for $4 a month, the how-to videos alone are worth the expense.

Whew! Ok, I need to motor. I've got at least 13 hours of driving ahead of me and I need to make sure all my playlists are in order prior to my departure. I hope each of you have an AMAZING holiday and an equally kick-ass New Year!

Happy Eating!

The Happiest Place on Earth (if you like kimchi)

2010-12-07T13:36:00.004-05:00

It's no secret that I grew up munching on a variety of Asian dishes. (Still do, in fact.) However, it can be difficult to find a decent Asian foods store. I mean, come on now- any corner store can carry soy sauce and long grain rice. I'm looking for something more substantial. I want some Bao, damn it!

So you can imagine my near-giddy delight when my friends Margi and Jared offered to take me to the mecca of Asian grocery chains: H Mart.

It's a little slice of heaven.
(Or Nirvana.)

H Mart is only located in a few cities in the US, so I was ecstatic when I found out that there's one located just outside of the city. The only kicker is that because it's the only one in a 50-mile radius, the place is PACKED. And for good reason: H Mart has one of the most extensive produce sections I've ever come across. Exotic fruits and veggies for days, man! There was a kimchi counter and a woman making the stuff right there in the store. I hate kimchi (I think it tastes like feet), but couldn't help but be impressed by it all.

The store carries durian fruit. I almost bought it, but I really like not throwing up at the smell of my food.

Margi handling some extra-impressive zucchini.
At least I think that's what they are.

We spent a good amount of time trolling around the aisles, looking at this and that when I came across a box of something I'd never seen before:

A bit weird, right? Turns out these tribble-looking beauties are a type of friut called rambutan. I have never encountered these before (I thought they might be lychee at first), but a woman behind us went all kinds of nostalgic at the sight of them and described how you pick, prepare, and eat them when you want a sweet snack. (Apparently, you cut off the spikey husk and eat the flesh inside.)

I picked up two to try later.

This photo makes my husband giggle every time.

Unfortunately, the rambutan got lost in the shuffle of holiday leftovers, and I wasn't able to get to them in time.

After I spent a good 10minutes making a selection from a wall of soy sauce options, my ride and I picked up some frozen odds and ends and then made it back to the city. I was in Hello Panda heaven the entire trip home.

And now, for your recipe.......

A while ago I decided to use up the last of some farmer's market apples with a recipe I had come across on the Darjeeling Dreams site: Skillet Apple Cake.

It's very easy to make, though I feel the cake part could be a little more moist. However, the dryness in my attempt may be due to the size of my skillet. I suspect the portions in the DD's recipe are intended for an 8-in skillet. Mine is 12in. Next time, I think I'll double the batter.

You can check out the recipe by checking out Darjeeling's site here.

Winter has officially come to Baltimore after sneaking in the back door, so this week it's all about warm foods, spiked cocoa, and stockinged feet. Possibly some crochet projects. In the meantime, I suggest you buckle down, catch up on past episodes of The Walking Dead if you've haven't yet, and then enjoy the musical stylings of Adele's latest single, Rolling in the Deep.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving: The Revenge

2010-12-03T10:37:00.005-05:00

Hey, peeps!

Sorry I suck at staying on top of these postings. (Looks like I've got something to add to my resolution '11 list already.) I promise I've been busy,trying to keep up with a year that is flying by at speeds that would rattle Einstein's grey matter.

Anywho - holiday recap! This year saw Tony and I spending yet another Thanksgiving in separate parts of the country (our families live far apart and work commitments usually restrict our travel time). So we decided to be proactive and host a pre-Thanksgiving for ourselves. Then my need to feed others kicked in and we started inviting people. Lots of people.

About a dozen confirmed invitations later and I found myself lugging home a 14lb turkey with numerous yet-to-be-prepared side dishes. After some unexpectedly intense debate about bird preparation (to brine or not to brine?), I decided to brine the damn thing and be done with it. The bird and brine solution went into a 35 gallon Rubbermaid (kept in the fridge, of course) and from roughly 9pm Saturday night until 4:30pm Sunday afternoon, I was cooking.

Tony - bless him - helped clean the house and made no fewer than 5 trips to the supermarket to pick up various ingredients during the day.

Thankfully, all went well, and everyone was eating by 4:30pm.

The spread.
Also, the striped rugby shirt I will no longer be wearing.
(Seriously, why didn't anyone tell me it looked so wide on me?!?)

The final menu looked something like this:

*Brined Roasted Turkey (using Alex Guarnaschelli's recipe, but Cooks Illustrated's cooking method)

*Carrots with Shallots, Sage & Thyme (Courtesy of Two Cooks, One Kitchen)

*Roasted Sweet Potatoes (using the par-boiling method recommended by Serious Eats)

*Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Gorgonzola, Shallots & Tomatoes (Courtesy of Mango & Tomato)

*The Famous/Infamous Wiley Corn Pudding

*Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cherries & Cloves (shout out to Matt from ex-boyfriend collection for the recipe)

*Stuffing (Stove Top. I was too tired to make it from scratch.)

*Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (Thank you, McCormick!)

*Trader Joe's brand Corn Bread (really, really freaking delicious)

*Italian Bread (via Pillsbury)

*Various pies for dessert

I also need to thank Emily for making a green bean casserole, Suzanne for making that butternut squash & goat cheese tart, and Patti for the sweet potato pie mash. Oh - and props to Paul and Brad for bringing booze. (Bless ya!)

Tony and I are ALMOST done with the leftovers, which have taken the form of a turkey noodle casserole, turkey & rice soup, and - coming for the Ravens v. Steelers game Sunday - Thanksgiving pizza.

And now, we wait for Christmas. Which I can easily countdown to with my handy-dandy, best big sis-to-lil-sis present ever: the pop up Advent calendar.

Each day I get a new ornament to hang on the tree.

Try not to be jealous. :)

I've got a trip to H-Mart (aka, Hanah Reum) (aka, the Asian food mega mart) to recap and possibily some housing news to share in the near future. But for now, enjoy some tunes by my buddy Gary's outstand band, The Outdoors.

Your Foodie Lesson for the Day

2010-11-29T12:34:00.002-05:00

Enjoy and learn.

Pho vs. Faux from Brian wilcox on Vimeo.

Happy Holidays!

2010-11-25T11:32:00.002-05:00

I am WELL late with recipe recaps (including this past weekend's pre-Thanksgiving free for all), but rather than taking up your time, dear reader, I'd prefer to share some holiday well wishes instead.

So happy Thanksgiving - try not to OD on tryptophan!

xoxo,
Adj

WWMD: What would Macguyver do? (aka: How to get by without a corckscrew)

2010-11-17T12:20:00.002-05:00

If you tend to forget small items on trips or just prefer to avoid the extra-special patdown by TSA security hands, you might find the following article by thedailymeal.com especially useful. Each tip links to a video demonstrating the particular cork extraction technique.

(More recipes to come soon, just hang in there.)

5 Creative Ways to Open Wine Without a Corkscrew

Who needs a corkscrew? These resourceful folks give new meaning to "I need a glass of wine now."

Nov 12, 2010 @ 6:08 PM
Posted by Maryse Chevriere, Editor

You wouldn't let a little thing like not having a corkscrew stop you from enjoying that bottle of wine you just bought, right? Seriously, if MacGyver can light a fuse without a match or build a bomb out of a fire extinguisher, there has to be some kind of creative alternative to the corkscrew.

As it turns out, we found five. Watch these videos to see what lengths people will go to to open a bottle wine in a pinch. If necessity isn't the mother of invention, the desire for a glass of wine certainly is.

With a shoe

This concept seems to be fairly widespread among the corkscrew-less wine drinking community. Looks like a few things are key here. One, you have to remove the foil from the top of the bottle first. Two, pick a shoe with a thick sole, and determine the best way to maintain a solid grip on the bottle and the shoe simoultaneously. Three, try and stop before the cork comes completely out so you don't spill any wine.

With a tree

This basically applies the same principles as the shoe methodology (so does the phone book technique for that matter). Hey, if you're out camping or at a picnic, this trick could come in very handy.

With a screw, screwdriver, and a hammer

You might call this the engineer's approach to opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. Fast, efficient, and no mess. You can find several videos of people attempting the feat with just a screw or screwdriver, but the real innovation here is using the back of the hammer.

With a pen and an apron

A lot of sources will recommend simply pushing the cork down into the bottle—either with your thumb, the end of a wooden spoon, or even a pen with a string attached. The technique works, but this method gets extra bonus points for coming up with a way to fish the cork out.

With a chef's knive

Proceed with caution when it comes to this last demo. A little dubious and definitely dangerous, it's the only one that actually breaks the bottle. Still, it gets the job done.

Funny Sports Headlines for the Nerd Set

2010-11-15T15:22:00.002-05:00

Fun fact about me: I love rugby. AND I love books.

So, it tickles me to no end that there's a Holmes-ian villain causing waves in the international rugby circuit. Enjoy...

Moriarty cleared of cheating

15th November 2010 17:09

Click here to bet on Rugby Union with Sky Bet

Cleared: Paul Moriarty

A Moment of Levity

2010-11-11T12:58:00.005-05:00

This is pretty much sums up what I feel like when facing a empty dinner plate after a 12 hour day...

The End.

(Much thanks to the Oatmeal for the laughs!)

Our Quick Brush with Internet Fame: 2 Quick Uses for Leftover Kale

2010-11-08T15:46:00.004-05:00

Check it out: Tony and yours truly were featured on the blog of our favorite e-retailer, ex-boyfriend collection. We sent in a photo from the Rally and they sent us some interview questions to answer.

We divulged details such as pop culture guilty pleasures and regrettable fashion decisions. If you'd like to read the whole thing or just check out the site, you can read the interview here.

This weekend has otherwise been fairly low key. Tony and I took a day trip to Annapolis to check out the city. (It's very lovely. Kind of like Charleston.) We also navigated some of the more abandoned parts of Baltimore in an effort to avoid traffic exiting Sunday's Raven's game .
It was an experience, to say the least. I'm not sure where Baltimore stumbled, but it's having a hell of a time getting back on its feet. It says something when the blighted areas are being reclaimed by nature.

After returning home, we decided to toast our luck and good fortune with a nice wine and some blackberry pie from Dangerously Delicious.

The rest of the week was a series of attempts to make use of some leftover kale Tony had prepared. Not a man known for his portion control, my husband made a LOT of sauteed kale. And then left it up to me to prepare the rest.

Turns out it's not too tricky to come up with some recipes that can handle the slightly bitter crisp of a kale leaf. First off: Poor Gal's Stir Fry.

Quickly followed by Kale and Mushroom Sausage Pizza with Swiss
See? Easy-peezy. The recipes below are pretty generic (I'm not the best at measuring when I'm cooking off-the-cuff), so feel free to personalize and adjust as you see fit!

This weekend, I get to indulge my inner nerd at a live taping of RadioLab in DC. I'm going to know all about symmetry by the end of the night. Woo hoo!

**********************************************************************
Poor Gal's Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
2 - 3 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas
1 1/2 cups cooked kale, chopped
1/2 lb lean ground beef or 1 box firm tofu
2 1/2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp sriracha sauce (more to taste)
1 tbsp black bean paste

1. Place a wok or large pan over high heat. After pan has heated, brown the meat or tofu (add a few tsp of canola oil to the pan if using tofu), adding the sriracha sauce when the meat is done cooking. Remove the meat and wipe out the pan/wok with a paper towel.

2. Add the canola oil to the pan. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the garlic and ginger and saute for about 20 - 30 seconds, making sure not to burn either ingredient. Add the veggies and continue to saute over high heat for 3 - 5 minutes, until the snap/snow peas are sauteed (remember: crisp, not soggy.) Mix in the black bean paste. Add extra sriracha sauce if you're a fan of heat.

3. Add in the cooked meat/tofu and mix until the whole meal is heated through. Remove from heat. Serve over rice.

**************************************************
Kale and Mushroom Sausage Pizza with Swiss

INGREDIENTS:
1 pizza crust(pre-made brand of your choosing)
1 cup cooked kale, chopped
EITHER: 2 links mushroom sausage, thinly sliced (I used Aidells)
or
1/2 cup chopped baby bellas and 2 links andouille/mild sausage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup swiss cheese, grated
olive oil to brush
salt
red pepper flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Brush the pizza shell with olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Evenly spread the toppings, putting down the kale first, followed by the sausage, then the cheese. Dust with a pinch of red pepper flakes (more to taste).

3. Lower the oven temp to 425 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, feel free to use it. Otherwise, place the pizza on the lower rack and cook for 7 - 10 minutes. Let the pie cool before devouring it.

Signage: Poster Favs from the Rally to Restore Sanity

2010-11-02T13:05:00.006-04:00

This past weekend Tony and I (and my sisters and brother-in-law) braved the traffic, the crowds, and the Red Line to take part in the Rally for Sanity on the national Mall. It was pretty epic: epically crowded, epically entertaining, and epically inspiring. There's not much to tell that hasn't been covered by most major media outlets, so instead I'm just posting a few of my favorite shots from the day.

p.s. Favorite overheard quote: "You've got something you want to say to me?? Well, why don't we discuss it over a cup of coffee!!!"

Happy ralliers in our ex-boyfriend finest.

The view of the crowds from 7th and G Streets.

The first of many signs. And more crowds, of course.

A shout-out to one of my favorite Far Side bits.

The wisdom of Yoda.

I did, too!

I was actually trying to get a photo of Jamie and Adam from Mythbusters, but the sign is good, too.

Way to represent, New Zealand!

So the whole thing actually reads: "I found Jesus. (He was hiding from your AK 47s.)" Way to
time a photo, guy in sunglasses.

I'm not sure who this guy was, but he and 3 others were dressed up like aliens seeking equal rights.

"Scary" baby.

Best sign at the event.

Just Say "No" to Ghost Cupcakes: Sage & Roasted Pumpkin Pesto

2010-10-25T12:24:00.003-04:00

Folks, let's make it a point to avoid mislabeling food items this holiday season.

For instance: These are cupcakes decorated as ghosts.

Cupcake Project Ghosts

These are cupcakes that are supposedly ghosts, but are really little cupcake Klansmen.

NOT ghosts.

I realize this guys kind of blurred the lines between the two.

Damn you, Oogie Boogie!

But honestly, you can tell when a spade's a... slightly spectacular dessert fail.

So, to review...

Ghosts:

Well done, Cupcakery!

NOT Ghosts:

Nope.

I'll try and take a crack at them myself, but smart money says mine will look not so much like ghosts as much as Gleep and Gloop from the Herculoids.

And now, your recipe...

***********************************************************
Sage and Roasted Pumpkin Pesto

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sage leaves, loosely packed (cleaned and torn)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper or red pepper flakes (more if you like)
2 -3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds, roasted and shelled
OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley

1. Just throw everything EXCEPT the oil into a food processor and start blending. Slowly add the olive oil into the mix, blending in short bursts. The mix will keep in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

Corn Maze & Relay Success: Asian-Style Carb Loading and Earl Grey Tea Cookies

2010-10-21T11:42:00.012-04:00

This past weekend saw Baltimore host its 10th Running Festival, an annual event that tests the skills of some of the world's top athletes as well as the patience of drivers and local residents trying to navigate around various closed sections of the city.

Last year, I had the "pleasure" of taking part in the half-marathon. Having taken a prolonged break from running since January's marathon, I opted to take it down a notch and run the anchor leg of the team relay - a mere 7.3 miles.

Now, those of you who have seen me know that I am a notoriously slow runner, but I somehow managed to finish in a decent time frame, averaging 12minutes a mile - probably due to the fact that I managed to finish uninjured this year. The only draw back was that I had to take the Light Rail - which was CRAMMED with loads of fellow, stinky, sweaty racers - to the nearest stop to my house. Which is added another mile or so to my race day activities. Still, I had a great time, and somehow managed to score a $500 gift card to Red Star World Wear. SWEET.

Friday night I was able to indulge in my favorite pre-race ritual: carb loading. The trick is to find something pasta-esque that isn't loaded down with things that will sit like lead in your stomach the next day (i.e., cheese, cream, a bottle of wine, etc.). It just so happened that Friday we were also celebrating my good friend Margi's birthday at a local sushi joint. Admittedly, it was a little difficult to refrain from stuffing my face with rolls and sashimi, but my udon entree suited me just fine.

Plus, I got some green tea ice cream out of the meal - not too shabby!

Post-race I hung up my snazzy new medal, showered, napped hard, and then headed out to Frederick to meet up with some peeps at Summers Farm to check out their corn maze, which is shaped like the Washington Redskin's logo. Seriously.

The Farm proved a bit more entertaining than the previous week's orchard trip, with opportunities to snack on just-out-the-fryer apple cider donuts, kettle corn, and hot drinks; bonfire spots available for rental; a petting zoo/live barn (home to the largest sow I have ever and likely will ever lay eyes on); and surprisingly steep and wedgie-inducing slides scattered among the grounds.

Wee!

As for the maze, Tony and I were the first to successfully navigate our way out. I still think they're creepy ( *thank you for THOSE residual nightmares, Mr. Stephen King*), but we had a good time nonetheless.

And now for the recipe:

Earl Gray Tea Cookies (or biscuits, for my UK/NZ buddies) are my go-to recipe when I need to bring a crowd-pleasing dessert to a personal or public function. Seriously - strangers have hugged me after eating these things. The trick, I've found, is to (1) use room temperature butter and (2) try adding already steeped earl grey tea instead of water to the recipe. The only other advice I can add is to line your baking sheet with parchment paper to keep the little rounds from sticking.

Feel free to try out other tea varieties to suit your needs. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm betting chamomile would make a bangin' biscuit.

DO NOT use a slip mat. The bottoms will brown but the rest of the cookie

will take for friggin ever to bake through.

Yum!

Tonight I'm visiting my friend and new momma Monica to introduce her little one to the joys of pumpkin carving. Or the joys of watching adults coo over you while you simply sit there and look adorable. Either way, I'm having pizza and a good laugh before the weekend.

Enjoy!

****************************************************************
Earl Grey Tea Cookies

(Adapted from Real Simple)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons Earl Grey tea leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor until the tea leaves are pulverized.
2. Add the vanilla, 1 teaspoon water/prepared tea, and the butter. Pulse together until a dough is formed. Add more water/tea (1 tsp at a time) if the dough is not forming.
3. Divide the dough in half. Place each half on a sheet of wax paper and roll into a log, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap each log. Slice each log into disks, 1/3 inch thick.
5. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes.
6. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

Tattoos and Champagne

temporary downtime

Paris Jet'aime! Day 3 & 4 Highlights (Or, my attempt at Ginger Pumpkin Macarons)

Risotto Mexicana (Or, What to Do When MarxFoods Sends Mystery Samples)

Paris Je t'aime! Day Two Highlights

Paris Je t'aime! Day One Highlights

A Word from Our Faux Sponsors

Must Thing Positive Thoughts

Quickie

It's Hot Out There, People!

Monday Blah-buster

Maybe this is how I'll FINALLY learn French

Another 5 Second Post: What I'm Digging On (Presently)

Dang it!

Recovering from Our Time in Dixie

The Warrior Dash (or, Would you like mud with your run?)

Puppy Tough Love and Our First Vegan BBQ

Puppy Love

Title FAIL

Marathons, Once Special, Are Now Crowded

Vegetarian Posers

An Additional 5-Seconds

5-Second Post

Critters of All Sorts

Recipe Quickie: Peruvian Chicken

My Current Relationship with the Universe

Good Idea/Bad Idea?

Viva (Recovery from) Las Vegas/New Podcast Rec

When Things Aren't What Quite What They Seem

Good Idea or Bad Idea?

新年快乐!!

A Post-Fall Pick Me Up

Mondays are Fundays

One last (fairly awesome) thing

Tickle me pūwherowhero

Thursday's Food in Print

Gleaning A Harvest For The Needy By Fighting Waste

A New Year/A New Touch of Crazy

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge

Snow down South: Veganized Eggplant Parmigiana

Auld Lang Syne

Happy Christmas: The Spiked Edition

Shortest Blog Post Ever

The Happiest Place on Earth (if you like kimchi)

Thanksgiving: The Revenge

Your Foodie Lesson for the Day

Happy Holidays!

WWMD: What would Macguyver do? (aka: How to get by without a corckscrew)

5 Creative Ways to Open Wine Without a Corkscrew

Who needs a corkscrew? These resourceful folks give new meaning to "I need a glass of wine now."

Funny Sports Headlines for the Nerd Set

Moriarty cleared of cheating

Related links

Teams

Also see

A Moment of Levity

Our Quick Brush with Internet Fame: 2 Quick Uses for Leftover Kale

Signage: Poster Favs from the Rally to Restore Sanity

Just Say "No" to Ghost Cupcakes: Sage & Roasted Pumpkin Pesto

Corn Maze & Relay Success: Asian-Style Carb Loading and Earl Grey Tea Cookies