I miss Trader Joe's like you wouldn't believe. TJ's was a hop, skip and a jump from our apartment in Boston. Unfortunately, the ENTIRE island of Manhattan has to share ONE Trader Joe's, so it is pretty much not worth your time to go. After you wait 30 minutes in line to get in the door, bump elbows with 5 million other people to grab your items and then wait for 30 minutes in line to check out, the food is infinitely more expensive time-wise.
I am a HUGE fan of Fresh Direct and if you live in New York I would check it out. It's cheap, fast, easy and very high quality.
That said, if you have a Trader Joe's, find one and buy the harvest grain mix. We don't eat a lot of rice or cous cous, but this mix is INCREDIBLE. It's a combination of orzo, Israeli cous cous, red quinoa and baby garbanzo beans. I threw together a salad with it the other night and it was beyond amazing--quite possibly the PERFECT summer meal.
Want to try some yourself? Use Ina Garten's panzanella recipe, but use only 3 Tbsp. olive oil and sub in one cup cooked grains for the croutons. Delish, y'all!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Summer Dinner Party Mix
Friday night we had some fr-amily (that is, friends who just happen to be family) over for dinner. We threw together some deliciously tasty pizza (topped with mozzarella, feta and fresh pineapple), sipped iced white tea with ginger, played a good bit of Six Degrees of Separation and caught up on each other's lives.
Want to recreate a great night like this at your home? You'll need: one batch fresh garlic pizza dough, one batch marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, feta, a pineapple and a great playlist.
Fresh Garlic Pizza Dough (from my friend Jamie)
3 cups flour (give or take)
1.5 tsp salt
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 cup warm water
1 pkg of regular yeast (or if you do an overnight rise, you only need a tsp of yeast
1 Tbsp or so of fresh chopped garlic (feel free to use more--we do!)
Mix 2 cups flour and salt in a bowl. Dissolve yeast in the water and pour into the flour mixture. Add olive oil and garlic and stir until just combined. Dump it all out onto a floured surface, and kneed, adding in the last cup (more or less) until the consistency is right and dough is fully mixed. Then I drizzle some olive oil in a big bowl and slosh the dough ball around in it to keep it moist, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for two hours or so. If you want to get fancy and fabulous, punch it back down and pop it in the fridge over night. The over night rise retards the yeast expansion and lets the flavors really get fabulous. Then pull the dough out of the fridge several hours before using it to let it get pliable again.
We make 2 large, thin crust pizzas out of this. Nathan even throws the dough in the air like a real pizza man for extra flourish!
Marinara sauce (adapted from The Joy of Cooking)
1-28 oz can of tomatoes (I like Muir Glen--already with basil or fire roasted) (You can also use 2 pounds fresh tomatoes)
1/3 cup olive oil
Herbs: basil, oregano, chili peppers, etc.
Combine and let simmer 30ish minutes. To make this more like store-bought pizza sauce, you'll need to add some sugar or honey. We don't bother, but you might be drawn to sweet pizza sauces.
Playlist:
Loves Me Like a Rock - Paul Simon
Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out - Cat Stevens
New Soul - Yael Naim
Do You Remember - Jack Johnson
Summer in the City - The Lovin' Spoonful
And When I Die - Blood, Sweat and Tears
Pencil Thin Mustache - Jimmy Buffett
Little Bit O' Soul - The Music Explosion
Louisiana Saturday Night - Mel McDaniel
Too Many Fish in the Sea - Marvelettes
Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
Dancing in the Moonlight - Van Morrison
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
Octopus' Garden - The Beatles
Out of My Head - Fastball
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
Want to recreate a great night like this at your home? You'll need: one batch fresh garlic pizza dough, one batch marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, feta, a pineapple and a great playlist.
Fresh Garlic Pizza Dough (from my friend Jamie)
3 cups flour (give or take)
1.5 tsp salt
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 cup warm water
1 pkg of regular yeast (or if you do an overnight rise, you only need a tsp of yeast
1 Tbsp or so of fresh chopped garlic (feel free to use more--we do!)
Mix 2 cups flour and salt in a bowl. Dissolve yeast in the water and pour into the flour mixture. Add olive oil and garlic and stir until just combined. Dump it all out onto a floured surface, and kneed, adding in the last cup (more or less) until the consistency is right and dough is fully mixed. Then I drizzle some olive oil in a big bowl and slosh the dough ball around in it to keep it moist, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise for two hours or so. If you want to get fancy and fabulous, punch it back down and pop it in the fridge over night. The over night rise retards the yeast expansion and lets the flavors really get fabulous. Then pull the dough out of the fridge several hours before using it to let it get pliable again.
We make 2 large, thin crust pizzas out of this. Nathan even throws the dough in the air like a real pizza man for extra flourish!
Marinara sauce (adapted from The Joy of Cooking)
1-28 oz can of tomatoes (I like Muir Glen--already with basil or fire roasted) (You can also use 2 pounds fresh tomatoes)
1/3 cup olive oil
Herbs: basil, oregano, chili peppers, etc.
Combine and let simmer 30ish minutes. To make this more like store-bought pizza sauce, you'll need to add some sugar or honey. We don't bother, but you might be drawn to sweet pizza sauces.
Playlist:
Loves Me Like a Rock - Paul Simon
Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out - Cat Stevens
New Soul - Yael Naim
Do You Remember - Jack Johnson
Summer in the City - The Lovin' Spoonful
And When I Die - Blood, Sweat and Tears
Pencil Thin Mustache - Jimmy Buffett
Little Bit O' Soul - The Music Explosion
Louisiana Saturday Night - Mel McDaniel
Too Many Fish in the Sea - Marvelettes
Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
Dancing in the Moonlight - Van Morrison
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
Octopus' Garden - The Beatles
Out of My Head - Fastball
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
Friday, May 22, 2009
5.22.09
I just woke up at the crack of dawn to chop garlic to make pizza dough. It was glorious! I love being awake early in the morning and being able to chop garlic was an added bonus.
Hopefully, I'll make it through the work day after my early rise. I have no idea if we get to leave early this afternoon. I'm hoping we can leave at 4:00. That would be perfect. We have dinner guests coming over at 7:30 and I was hoping to make an apple pie too. Why yes, it does sound as if we're carb loading, doesn't it? We aren't. I just promised Nathan last weekend I'd make him an apple pie and today seemed like a good day to do so since we'll be able to share it with others.
I was planning on having spicy hummus (made last weekend) with carrots as an appetizer, but my carrots spontaneously turned to mush yesterday. Yuck! I think we may have fresh pineapple as an appetizer now.
Y'all, I am so looking forward to this weekend. Starting with breakfast tomorrow, we are being so selfish with our long weekend and not sharing it with anyone but each other. We're planning on walks, possibly some fabric shopping (yes, Nathan is prepared to go fabric shopping with me) and lots of little home projects that are always put aside when we have exciting weekend plans come up.
I've spent the past two weekends running around the city and the New Jersey suburbs with friends and next weekend we have family visiting. A weekend for regrouping couldn't come at a better time.
I hope y'all have a most relaxing or fun or productive or perfect (you choose) weekend you want!
Hopefully, I'll make it through the work day after my early rise. I have no idea if we get to leave early this afternoon. I'm hoping we can leave at 4:00. That would be perfect. We have dinner guests coming over at 7:30 and I was hoping to make an apple pie too. Why yes, it does sound as if we're carb loading, doesn't it? We aren't. I just promised Nathan last weekend I'd make him an apple pie and today seemed like a good day to do so since we'll be able to share it with others.
I was planning on having spicy hummus (made last weekend) with carrots as an appetizer, but my carrots spontaneously turned to mush yesterday. Yuck! I think we may have fresh pineapple as an appetizer now.
Y'all, I am so looking forward to this weekend. Starting with breakfast tomorrow, we are being so selfish with our long weekend and not sharing it with anyone but each other. We're planning on walks, possibly some fabric shopping (yes, Nathan is prepared to go fabric shopping with me) and lots of little home projects that are always put aside when we have exciting weekend plans come up.
I've spent the past two weekends running around the city and the New Jersey suburbs with friends and next weekend we have family visiting. A weekend for regrouping couldn't come at a better time.
I hope y'all have a most relaxing or fun or productive or perfect (you choose) weekend you want!
Friday, May 15, 2009
5.15.09
It's so hard to say goodbye to a television show's characters at the end of the season. Does anyone else feel this way?
We only watch 3 shows together (and I watch The Hills separately--Nathan won't watch until Spencer is no longer a character) and so I have an attachment to "my" shows and "my" characters. Not having a television means I can't mindlessly flip through channels and it also means that I choose to commit to a small, select group of shows.
I will miss Jim and Pam this summer. I will wish once a week on Thursdays that Michael and Holly could somehow live in the same town again. I will wonder what Jack and Liz are up to. I will continue to wonder everyday how the cast of Heroes is going to get out of the mess they created and, more importantly, I will wonder why they got themselves into that mess to start with.***
It's a long summer without my old television friends, but at least I have a long four months ahead of me to re-watch every episode of Friends, read cookbooks, take long walks with my husband and eat fresh tomatoes and blueberries and peaches and watermelon. I suppose summer is worth saying goodbye to television if the trade is fresh produce.
***Yes, I do have a penchant for NBC shows. Why do you ask?
We only watch 3 shows together (and I watch The Hills separately--Nathan won't watch until Spencer is no longer a character) and so I have an attachment to "my" shows and "my" characters. Not having a television means I can't mindlessly flip through channels and it also means that I choose to commit to a small, select group of shows.
I will miss Jim and Pam this summer. I will wish once a week on Thursdays that Michael and Holly could somehow live in the same town again. I will wonder what Jack and Liz are up to. I will continue to wonder everyday how the cast of Heroes is going to get out of the mess they created and, more importantly, I will wonder why they got themselves into that mess to start with.***
It's a long summer without my old television friends, but at least I have a long four months ahead of me to re-watch every episode of Friends, read cookbooks, take long walks with my husband and eat fresh tomatoes and blueberries and peaches and watermelon. I suppose summer is worth saying goodbye to television if the trade is fresh produce.
***Yes, I do have a penchant for NBC shows. Why do you ask?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
5.14.09
Today, I love:
-white grape juice
-getting out of jury duty because I no longer live in Boston
-black beans and peppers and onions
-Google docs and shared online budgets
-raspberry gelato
-white grape juice
-getting out of jury duty because I no longer live in Boston
-black beans and peppers and onions
-Google docs and shared online budgets
-raspberry gelato
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The cold, hard facts
The fact of the matter is that I've been too busy living to recount my life on the internet. It's a good place to find oneself. I am literally bursting with lists of things I want to accomplish and ideas I want to express, but I simply can't find the time to put it out here between all of the wonderful things I've been doing with time.
For one, a Mama cat near our subway stop had kittens and I've had to take time on to my commute to stare at them each day. Yes, I have named them. Yes, I have already asked Nathan if I could have one. No, Miss Marple is not going to get any siblings.
I fall more in love with our neighborhood every day. We are moved away from being DINKs (Double Income No Kids) to being "breeders" without the baby yet. I think this is really the best way to describe us. (Side note: Is breeders a strictly NYC term? Everyone here says it--either with delight or disdain. You either hate or love breeders. I, obviously, love them.) Anyway, our neighborhood is full of breeders and really sweet elderly couples. Y'all--our street is closed during the day from traffic and turned into a mini-playground. We have an honest to goodness crossing guard. It fills my heart with joy to walk outside.
One of the cutest little boys ever, who just so happens to live in our building, asked his mother the other morning on the elevator if Nathan was a police officer. I find this unbelievably charming and hilarious. Nathan was wearing khakis and a polo. I guess he just seemed really tall and friendly?
We said goodbye to our friend Alicia today for a few months. She left today for India. Her advenures can be followed at A Goes East. I'm so excited for her and I can't wait to hear all about India.
So, you know, life is going on. Sorry I keep forgetting to share it with you. I promise I'll try to do better.
For one, a Mama cat near our subway stop had kittens and I've had to take time on to my commute to stare at them each day. Yes, I have named them. Yes, I have already asked Nathan if I could have one. No, Miss Marple is not going to get any siblings.
I fall more in love with our neighborhood every day. We are moved away from being DINKs (Double Income No Kids) to being "breeders" without the baby yet. I think this is really the best way to describe us. (Side note: Is breeders a strictly NYC term? Everyone here says it--either with delight or disdain. You either hate or love breeders. I, obviously, love them.) Anyway, our neighborhood is full of breeders and really sweet elderly couples. Y'all--our street is closed during the day from traffic and turned into a mini-playground. We have an honest to goodness crossing guard. It fills my heart with joy to walk outside.
One of the cutest little boys ever, who just so happens to live in our building, asked his mother the other morning on the elevator if Nathan was a police officer. I find this unbelievably charming and hilarious. Nathan was wearing khakis and a polo. I guess he just seemed really tall and friendly?
We said goodbye to our friend Alicia today for a few months. She left today for India. Her advenures can be followed at A Goes East. I'm so excited for her and I can't wait to hear all about India.
So, you know, life is going on. Sorry I keep forgetting to share it with you. I promise I'll try to do better.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
What's the story, Morning Glory?
It is not a Morning Glory kind of morning here in New York City. It's foggy and drizzly and humid and sticky and, wouldn't you know, I've been up since 7:00 am cleaning.
I'm waiting for the library to open because I have about a hundred thousand books on hold that I need to pick up. Then, oh and I'm so excited, two of my dear friends from Boston are coming into town around lunchtime. We have an afternoon of shopping planned followed by a giant night out with lots of girls. I am beyond excited.
Today while I'm out shopping, I'm on the hunt for: a khaki jacket, comfy heels, a black jersey dress and little gifts and trinkets for my giveaway. Who's the lucky recipient?
Well, I used random.org to pick the winner and it is The Landlocked Mermaid! Y'all, she is going through a tough time right now since her grandmother passed away and I cannot wait to shower her with a little love in the form of a package of goodies. So, LM, email me (nathanandrachelann AT gmail DOT COM) your mailing address and I'll have that in the mail to you soon.
I wanted to answer a few questions from the comments on our Welcome post:
First off, we would love to meet up with anyone who happens to be in New York. We don't have many regular places yet, so we aren't much help there, but we're always up for grabbing dinner or coffee (or cupcakes!). Just let us know when you'll be around. Now, as to when we'll be in North Carolina, who knows. It's so sad, but we have no upcoming trips planned. I am incredibly busy at work right now and probably will be for at least 3-4 months, so I hesitate to buy any tickets.
Also, I'm so excited that so many people that I've lost contact with throughout the years are reading! I've added all of you to my Reader, so hopefully we can keep up with each other now.
Lisa said she was surprised at the size of our apartment. It's true, Lisa, we have a FANTASTIC apartment per NYC standards, but we also live way, way uptown which makes it more affordable. We also looked about, no joking, 50 apartments so we had a lot of choice. I think a lot of people see one or two, fall in love and go for it, but Nathan and I want different things about of living spaces. It took a while to find one that hit on all of our desires.
And yes, Sal, the frames are Bed, Bath & Beyond. I tend to go low end when I buy things like picture frames or, really, anything that doesn't need to really be used. If it hangs or sits, it most likely cheap. For instance, many of the items in our living room were either found at Ikea, Bed Bath & Beyond or, my favorite, the street. We have a few flea market and yard sale pieces too. I like the thrill of the hunt and I find it inspiring that I'm never quite finished.
Hope you all have a fabulous Saturday and a great Mother's Day tomorrow!
I'm waiting for the library to open because I have about a hundred thousand books on hold that I need to pick up. Then, oh and I'm so excited, two of my dear friends from Boston are coming into town around lunchtime. We have an afternoon of shopping planned followed by a giant night out with lots of girls. I am beyond excited.
Today while I'm out shopping, I'm on the hunt for: a khaki jacket, comfy heels, a black jersey dress and little gifts and trinkets for my giveaway. Who's the lucky recipient?
Well, I used random.org to pick the winner and it is The Landlocked Mermaid! Y'all, she is going through a tough time right now since her grandmother passed away and I cannot wait to shower her with a little love in the form of a package of goodies. So, LM, email me (nathanandrachelann AT gmail DOT COM) your mailing address and I'll have that in the mail to you soon.
I wanted to answer a few questions from the comments on our Welcome post:
First off, we would love to meet up with anyone who happens to be in New York. We don't have many regular places yet, so we aren't much help there, but we're always up for grabbing dinner or coffee (or cupcakes!). Just let us know when you'll be around. Now, as to when we'll be in North Carolina, who knows. It's so sad, but we have no upcoming trips planned. I am incredibly busy at work right now and probably will be for at least 3-4 months, so I hesitate to buy any tickets.
Also, I'm so excited that so many people that I've lost contact with throughout the years are reading! I've added all of you to my Reader, so hopefully we can keep up with each other now.
Lisa said she was surprised at the size of our apartment. It's true, Lisa, we have a FANTASTIC apartment per NYC standards, but we also live way, way uptown which makes it more affordable. We also looked about, no joking, 50 apartments so we had a lot of choice. I think a lot of people see one or two, fall in love and go for it, but Nathan and I want different things about of living spaces. It took a while to find one that hit on all of our desires.
And yes, Sal, the frames are Bed, Bath & Beyond. I tend to go low end when I buy things like picture frames or, really, anything that doesn't need to really be used. If it hangs or sits, it most likely cheap. For instance, many of the items in our living room were either found at Ikea, Bed Bath & Beyond or, my favorite, the street. We have a few flea market and yard sale pieces too. I like the thrill of the hunt and I find it inspiring that I'm never quite finished.
Hope you all have a fabulous Saturday and a great Mother's Day tomorrow!
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