Happy Halloween!

I might as well go send in an app for Toddlers and Tiaras because I have gone all stage mom up in here. Tiger's going to be in two dog costume contests (best. idea. ever.) and I (I mean we...) am in it to win it. Tiger's a hot air balloon! Just ignore the fact that it took approximately 35 treats for me to get these pictures.

Out With the Old

You were fun sparkles but it's time to move on...

Monday Night Dinner

Yesterday I made dinner for my boss' family and it was fantastic. I'm really loving being able to do this and get the chance to experiment and play more than I usually do. I made a green salad, roasted butternut squash soup, and stuffed zucchinis. 

I have this...thing where I am super amused by making a "green salad." The amusement stemming from the fact that it's a play on words and quite literally the salad is entirely green. I've also found that this is both really beautiful as well as delicious almost no matter what I throw in. This one has greens, including spinach and arugula, cucumber, and avocado. I also made a dressing with fresh Italian parsley incorporated. Other green things that are awesome in a green salad...zucchini, peppers, basil (just incorporate some whole leaves with the other greens and it is fantastic), apple, pear, broccoli, green beans, green onion, artichoke hearts, snap peas...the possibilities are endless!

 The soup I made was amazing and also super simple. I had some compound butter I'd made last week by cutting together butter with thyme, basil, Italian parsley and some garlic powder. I used that and placed pats of it on my butternut squash (cut in half) then sprinkled just a tiny bit of brown sugar over it. I put it in the oven at 400 degrees Farenheit (I know some of you are in Canada) and let it get soft and golden. I did peek in a few times to re-baste the liquid onto it. While that was going on I sautéed some onion with rosemary and thyme. Whenever I have too much of a fresh herb and I know it will go bad before I have a chance to use it I dice it up and put it in a silicone ice cube tray with olive oil then freeze it (I put mine in freezer bags as well so things don't smell). This made it super easy to just pop out one of the rosemary ones and one of the thyme ones to throw in with the onion.

Once the squash was roasted it scooped out of it's skin easily and I threw it in the blender with a splash of cream and the onions. I blended it until smooth and put it into a pot with some vegetable stock I had made and frozen a couple weeks ago. Once it was hot it was done and delicious.

 I worked on my zucchini filling while the squash was roasting and really there was no plan. I sort of just grabbed things we had and needed to use. I cooked lentils and diced potatoes together (the starch from the potatoes helps thicken the lentils), threw in diced tomato, some arugula, mozzarella, and some chilis I roasted.

To make the zucchini fill-able I scooped out the insides with a spoon, put the outsides on a cookie sheet, drizzled with olive oil, ground some salt and pepper over them and threw them in the oven with the squash for about five minutes. When I took them out and stuffed them because the filling was cooked already I really only had to throw them in again long enough to melt the cheese and cook the outsides a little longer, probably another five minutes or so.

Obviously the key was having some things already made in order to do the soup but if you haven't made your own vegetable stock yet you need to. It's incredibly simple and uses up a lot of the waste you have from cutting veggies. Some people cut up vegetables specifically for stock but I just use the "garbage." I take the ends of the carrots and whatever I peel off and the bottoms and tops of celery and the ends of the onion (I made my last stock while making veggie pot pies), throw in some herbs, and let it sit on the stove on loooooow low low for the entire day. It will reduce a lot but you should still have a bunch (use a BIG pot). Afterwards strain it and keep some in the freezer during the fall and winter to make quick and easy soups.

What I'm Wearing Today

I took Tiger to the vet this morning for his last vaccine! Then we stopped at the pet store, grabbed some coffee and cocoa, then picked up Craig for a trip to the park. We actually hit up two parks and got lots of energy out before it rains. This was the perfect cozy running around town weekend outfit. 

This is the dress version of my favorite tank (seriously, I own like 20). It's the double scoop tank dress by BP (at Nordstrom) and sells for $24

Most favorite sweater ever! Laguna Coast Pullover, Free People, $88

Rebecca Side Laceup Moc Boot, Jeffrey Campbell, $138

Croc Lil' Q Satchel, Marc by Marc Jacobs, approx. $400 (I bought this a few years ago but the style is style available in new colors.)

Timeless Chunky Chain Head Wrap, Tasha, $38

Big News (coming soon!)

I know I've not been a good blogger lately but part of that (a very big part) is because I am working on a new project (the other part os the cough that will not die). I'm super excited about it and trying to get all the details worked out at least enough so that I can begin to tell you about it. It's something that combines bunches of the things I'm most passionate about and that make me happy so obviously it's a jumble of fun.

Also I promise it has nothing to do with my pets.

In other exciting but not secret news I had a review at Sur la Table recently and one of the things I brought up was wanting to help design some vegetarian classes. I never follow recipes so it will be a new experience to write recipes. I also think I'll learn a lot about how I cook and become really aware of what I do and the reasons I make food the way I do. What I'd love from any of you that want to help me out are suggestions for vegetarian meals. I have tons of things I like to make but the reason we don't do a lot of vegetarian classes is people don't sign up for them. Soooo...I need to know what people want to make. If you're a meat eater even better. Also, what do you not want to learn how to make? I'm pretty big on leaving tofu and tempeh out of my cooking because I think you can make so much better food without it so those are probably out but anything else you're tired of seeing or think sounds gross or whatever the reason is let me know. I'm pretty sure the world doesn't need any more nut loaves.

Cooking Day!!

Recently at work my boss asked if I may be able to help her do some cooking a few times a week. Obviously since cooking makes me happier than anything and especially more happy than sitting at my desk I said yes. Today I made an amazing soup (I'm eating some right now). It's a roasted red pepper and tomato base then I added potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, black beans, garbonzos, tomatoes, roasted red pepper pieces, fresh corn off the cob and onions. It is to die for. And even more awesome with sour cream, avocado, cheese, and/or green onion on top. Next up are enchiladas!

What I'm Wearing Today

Sparkle and fringe and patent oh my!

October Class Schedule!

I got my schedule for Sur la Table for October and these are the classes I'm assisting with (as well as some skills classes)...I am way looking forward to this month!


Saveur Magazine's Gourmet Tailgating
Deviled Eggs with Pickled Jalapenos - Spinach and Artichoke Dip - Fiery Oven-Baked Chicken Wings - Grilled Bratwurst - Espresso Brownies


Tuscan Vineyard Supper
Grilled Tomato Bruschetta - Panzanella Bread Salad - Tuscan Rosemary and Lemon Chicken - Roasted Garlic and White Beans - Traditional Cantucci Cookies with Vin Santo Ice Cream


The 5 French Mother Sauces
Hollandaise on Poached Eggs - Sauce Tomate on Grill Bread - Roasted Chicken with a Trio of Sauces (Veloute, Bechamel, and Sauce Espagnole)


Rustic Greek
Marinated Feta Greek Salad - Homemade Pita - Lamb Leg Gyros with Tzataki and Pickled Red Onions - Crispy Olive Oil Roasted Potatoes - Toasted Walnut Baklava


Farmer's Market Autumn Harvest
Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Fennel Seed - Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Tahini Sauce - Grill Eggplant Cannelloni with Ricotta - Farro Risotto with Jerusalem Artichokes - Heirloom Apple Tart with Almond Filling and Calvados Cream


Martha Stewart Living Halloween Treats
Brownie Coffin Cake - Halloween Whoopie Pies - Pumpkin Chocolate-Spiderweb Tart - Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats


Saveur Magazine's French Holiday Favorites
Duck Breast with Brandied Fig Sauce - Cranberries with Port - Herbed Haricot Vert - Potato Galette - French Pumpkin Pie

Hair Obsession

Tova was in town this weekend proving to the government she should be allowed to be a US citizen so someday she can come back from Canada. It was so incredibly fantastic to see her even though it made me wish she was still living in Oregon. We decided to do some fall and winter shopping on Saturday and stumbled upon the accessories department at Nordstrom which, in case you didn't know, is filled with the most shiny and fun stuff. The girl working there showed us how to do this...thing. It's a fantastic way to wear your hair up without looking like you don't care about doing it. Even if that's totally the case.

I tried to explain the whole thing to Trista over Google Chat the other night and came up with this.

I sort of doubt she actually understood what I was talking about but apparently she did. And I can't really figure out a better way to explain with the exception of maybe weeding out some of the 'like's and 'sort of's. Here is a picture to help. You can ignore the fact that I am driving in it.

The whole thing seriously takes like 30 seconds and makes you feel like a princess. I've worn my hair like this the past two days and gotten tons of compliments. I have a feeling I'm going to be headband binging soon as well. Here are a few I'm currently lusting after.

Knotted Silk Headwrap, $38, Anthropologie

Ball and Chain Headwrap, $28, Nordstrom

Zina Stone Headpiece, $38, Free People

Shoe Love

I am absolutely 100% obsessed with these shoes. I ordered them online and while I was interested in them I didn't know if they'd actually impress me in person. They're not only gorgeous but also super comfy. I've been running around in them all day and haven't once thought I'd like to take off my shoes and work the barefoot hippie thing. Made by Seychelles, Akomeogi Peep Toes, $128, also available in Taupe at Anthropologie.

What I'm Wearing Today

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Weekend

So, this weekend...what a train wreck. Saturday morning I had a major missing Kevin meltdown with tears and everything. Suprisingly this is sort of the first time since his funeral that's happened. I get sad and I miss him but I think there was some sort of significant relief from being upset once he was buried. Maybe what made being sad this weekend so hard was that it came out of nowhere...

But, one of the good things about this weekend was Tova came back from Canada to do some sort of citizenship thing so we got together Saturday afternoon. We dropped Tiger off at daycare and went on a shopping trip. The plan was for her husband to pick up Tiger and bring him to meet us and some friends for dinner but David called saying Tiger was throwing up and I would have to come pick him up.

Tiger ate chocolate.

Now, I don't want to seem insensitive. I know that he's the one who was throwing up and it's obviously, when you get down to it, my fault he was able to get chocolate (it was a very small amount). But oh my God. The thing is, when dogs eat chocolate yes it's super scary and dangerous and they throw up and have dihrrea but they aren't like children with the flu who want to snuggle up on you and sleep in between rushed trips to the bathroom to vomit. Dogs are fucking insane.

Tiger spent the entire Saturday night and Sunday into the afternoon running around like he would never again get a chance to run. The sugar and caffeine combined in his tiny body to give him the ability to not sleep at all for 24 hours and in turn make it so I could not sleep either. And in his fit of energy Tiger leapt over a table, knocked everything on it off including one of my favorite mugs a friend brought me back from France, and broke it.

And then I stepped on it. And this happened.

I had to assist a cooking class after that which means I had to stand on my weird blood bruise injury for four hours. Then, I think the universe realized I'd kind of been pushed to my limit and decided to give me a break because I got home, Tiger cuddled up with me, fell asleep, and I got to chat with Trista for a long time. And everything seemed okay again.

Times like this though make me so thankful again for therapy and medication. A year ago a weekend like this would just have me a mess. And yeah, okay, I sort of lost it when I hadn't slept at all and my dog knocked a bunch of stuff down and broke something I loved and I totally made him have a timeout and wouldn't accept his kisses like the mature adult I am but I also just had to sort of laugh at the whole thing. Which isn't something I could do before.

I've never been so happy for a weekend to be over or more excited for the next one.

What Tiger's Wearing Today

Obviously this is the cutest thing in the entire world. It's an actual collar so you can clip a leash to it which is fantastic. There are also some other colors. Made by Loyal Luxe.

What I'm Wearing Today

New favorite outfit...

This is one of my "own 8,000 of them" staple pieces. It's the "double scoop tank" by Nordstrom BP and sells for something like $15 but they're always on sale. They also come in about 20 different colors which is awesome.

I fell in love with this top the second I saw it and am so glad I caved and bought it (at 40% off thanks to Lana!) from Free People. It's so dreamy and playful in a sophisticated way and I can't wait to wear it on some of the more dreary Winter days when I need a little pick me up.

I bought these years ago from J.Crew. Probably on sale. I'm all about down to earth sparkle, the glam with the natural.

You've seen this one before but I broke it out in yellow this morning. Another sale item from Anthro plus my 40% off...this may very well be the most thrifty outfit I own!

I'm in love with body con skirts. They look fantastic with a blouse-y top and heels. They're also super affordable if you know where to look. I have a post on them planned but this one in navy is from Nordstrom BP and cost a whopping $22.

The tried and true DV by Dolce Vita sandals from the beginning of Spring...

And the fringe purse that makes me feel like an awesome chic hippie flower child.

Magical Popsicles

I know Septemnber isn't really the ideal time to be writing about frozen treats but here in P-Town it's actually just become summer. Enter Zoku. The instant (7-9 minutes) electricity free popsicle maker. Don't ask me how it works, it's magic. And you need one. Couple things though, the directions tell you to not fill above the fill line and to not put water into it (ie: make ice popsicles). Those are important directions to actually follow. For real. Not that I know from spending 30 minutes trying to get ice out of the popsicle maker or anything...

Manzanita

Back when I used to nanny the family I worked for (for the longest and to whom I was the closest) had a couple beach houses on the Oregon coast. In the Summers I would spend weekends or even entire weeks laying in the sun with a light breeze touching the backs of my legs or walking down to the water with tiny little hands in mine then shrieking and running from the incoming tide. When it got cooler we would bundle up and play for as far into the year as possible. When it got too cold for playing on the beach we would go down for weekends in the Winter and snuggle up in the house with cocoa and movies and just be away for a bit. Some of my favorite memories are from times spent on the coast.

One of the places we stayed often was Manzanita, OR, the perfect beach town. There's a section of the West side of our state that is most frequented by Portlanders looking to escape the city and within that part of the coast most of the weather is pretty similar on any given day. The thing about finding the perfect beach in Oregon has everything to do with the land surrounding the beach. In Manzanita everything aligns perfectly to keep it warm but breezy. It's also one of the few coastal towns I've seen with locals that don't make me feel like I'm in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There are some cute restaurants, a great ice cream parlor with a garden to eat your sweets in, a game store called Overboard, and the requisite super crowded grocery store. And! You can have bonfires on the beach! This past weekend I loaded up on cough syrup, decongestant, nasal spray, and cough drops and decided to show Trista, Johnathan, and Craig the close to my heart Manzanita...check out Tiger helping bring kindling to the fire pit.