I had to write a post here that shows how much I love mothers since I'm bashing some of them on my other blog. Don't hate me. Instead, focus on the pretty brunch I threw for my mother.
(More pictures and all the details after the jump!)
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
5.15.2012
Mother's Day
I had to write a post here that shows how much I love mothers since I'm bashing some of them on my other blog. Don't hate me. Instead, focus on the pretty brunch I threw for my mother.
(More pictures and all the details after the jump!)
4.27.2012
Barn Dance
It has been SO long since we danced, no? This week was a bit of a blur. It was also my last week of guitar class...and I didn't go. I skipped class and my recital all because it's been weeks since I practiced and frankly, I was just too tired to go. I'm sitting out the next session. I want to relax a bit and focus on some other things. I'll pick it up again in the summer.
Speaking of summer, I'm thinking about going on a diet in May. Gear up for the summer. I shit you not that the other day a coworker asked me if I'd gained weight since the fall. Can you believe some people? Soooo crazy!
Here's something that's only crazy in the sense that it's crazy beautiful! Emily and Brandon got married at her parents' house, with a big, beautiful barn as the backdrop. This gorgeous country wedding, photographed by Ken Kienow, is simple and rustic. Check it out!
Is that not the most gorgeous, relaxed looking wedding? The details were amazing, but it's not overly fussy. I love weddings like that. Effortlessly beautiful, even though you know it took a ton of effort. : )
Le sigh...what are you up to this weekend? I am trying to convince A.P. to go to this free market for a weekend date feature. Other than that, I'm looking forward to some relaxing/possible Dexter episode watching. We've been on a roll the past few weekends and we're about half way through season 6...finally! Whatever you're doing, I hope it's relaxing and wonderful!
In the mean time, here are your dance moves for the week:
Custom Tap Pants
My thoughts exactly on marathons
Where the fuck should you do your drinking?
For the Star Wars geek in all of us ladies
Wearing aprons outside of the kitchen? What a cute idea!
Pretty prints like this would be so lovely in a bathroom, don't you think?
Pinata Cookies??? TOO FREAKING AWESOME!!
(Friday dance photo by Millie Clinton; Emily and Brandon's Backyard Barn Wedding photographed by Ken Kienow via Green Wedding Shoes)
4.26.2012
Weekend Date: Secret Supper Club
Date Category: Depends
Neighborhood: Who Knows?
Expect to Spend: Around $150 for dinner, drinks are BYOB
I have a confession to make: A.P. and I are total foodies. In case you haven't already figured it out, we love to go out and eat, and we've tackled many of the best restaurants in town: Moto, The Publican, Longman & Eagle, Owen & Engine, Table 52, Les Nomades, MK, EPIC, and oh so many more. We're not snobs about food. We like casual places and neighborhood places just as much as we do fancy joints, but we love interesting, well-prepared food.
So it is no surprise that years ago, when I first heard about the underground supper club, Clandestino, I immediately put myself on the list. What followed was four years of me getting the emails about upcoming dinners, forwarding them to A.P. begging to go, and him never responding or forgetting or not seeming terribly into the idea. Finally, for whatever reason, last week he bit. I was pleasantly surprised to get a response saying he'd made reservations for us for their upcoming dinner event, WTF (Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot...not the other commonly used texting colloquialism). Needless to say, I was SUPER psyched.
2.28.2012
Global Food Disparity in Photos
Have you seen this before? Peter Menzel documented the imbalance between people's diets in various countries in his photography book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. It's amazing to see how much people spend on food. As I've mentioned before, A.P. and I are trying more and more to watch how much we spend on food. We're getting better and better about buying only what we need and will use. Looking at these photos makes you even more cognizant of why that's important.
The Ukitas, a family in Japan spend approximately $317.25 on food each week.
The Sobczynscys of Poland only spend $151.27. It's interesting to see the differences in produce and processed food.
The Revis family of the United States spends $341.98 each week. Love that they're holding two greasy pizzas as part of a WEEKLY food expenditure.
The Namgay family of Bhutan spends only $5.03 to feed a family of 11!!! Wouldn't it be interesting to see what an average nightly meal looks like? 
The Melander family of Germany spends $500.07 a week! Seemingly on a mostly liquid diet. Lol.
The Manzo family of Sicily spends $260.11 a week. Look at all those lovely loaves of bread!
The Casales family of Mexico spends $189.09 a week. Look at all the fruit! But I love that you still see things like Corn Flakes pop up in the background. 
The Ayme family of Ecuador spends $31.55 a week for a family of 9. Amazing. It's also so interesting to see where these families live. 
The Ahmed family of Egypt only spends $68.53 a week! There are so many fresh things in this picture. It's kind of amazing. That and meat. Look at that big old plate the woman in the back is holding. 
This is by far the most startling. The Aboukar family of Chad only spends $1.23 on food each week...for a family of 6.
This makes you grateful you can put food on the table at all.
(Photos by Peter Menzel via Daily Kos)
2.23.2012
More on Menu Planning (and Some of My Favorite New Recipes!)
I got asked some questions last week about how I menu plan, specifically how I plan the meals and make my shopping list and I was hoping to answer the lingering questions, as well share some of my favorite meals we've eaten so far. But first I really want to emphasize to those of you thinking about meal planning that I learned a lot of lessons over time and I still think I can get even better. I'd like to get to the point where my shopping becomes efficient and I use coupons and spend less than $100 a week. I anticipate it will still take me a few months to get really good at this, but I'm totally willing to share some of what I've learned along the way if it's helpful. I honestly love, love, love that we meal plan now. I love that it's saved us money, that we're not wasting food, that we're not eating out nearly as much, and that we're not running to the store to last minute shop. It's definitely a bit of work, but sooo worth it. I really can't emphasize that enough. Listen, if my mother could work a full time job, raise five children, and cook a homemade meal every damn night of her life (we rarely ate out growing up), I figure I can do the same with zero kids. Dammit. : )
When I first started meal planning, I just picked some recipes and made a list. After a couple of weeks, though, this got to be a bit of a pain in the ass. It was a lot of back and forth and a mishmash of a list that wasn't organized in any way. It made shopping annoying and inefficient, which, when you're going weekly, can be frustrating.
Finally, one week, I started to think about organizing my weekly meal plans with my grocery list. I looked around on the web and combined some things I saw and liked into my own Word document. Here's a screenshot of that document, as well as last week's menu/shopping list (you can click on the image to enlarge):
As you can see, I plan out what we'll eat for every meal of the day, including a Misc. category, which would be snacks and desserts, if any. Typically, though, I just plan out dinners, since that's what requires the most work. When he even eats lunch, A.P. eats out and I eat the same lunch almost daily: a Lean Cuisine, a piece of fruit, and a yogurt. So, that and breakfast (we just drink coffee/tea) are super easy to plan. For dinners, though, I research recipes or choose dinners I know how to make that we like. I typically only make 3 big meals a week, subbing in lighter fare on the weekends. Cooking on Fridays used to feel draining and terrible until I started planning light meals, like a grilled cheese sandwich and soup. Or last week, we had quesadillas and a grapefruit, mixed lettuces, goat cheese, and pepper salad (see recipe below!).
I then look at the recipe's ingredients and plug them into my shopping list. If I'm unsure if I have something on hand, I put it on the list, but put a question mark by it (like the Apple Cider Vinegar on this week's list). Then, before I head out, I check the pantry/fridge to see if I actually need to purchase those items. The benefit of planning this way is that my list is much more organized around things that would actually be near each other in the grocery store. I don't have to look through the whole list each time to make sure I catch all the fruits and vegetables that need to be purchased. This list makes it so that I can get in and out of a store in less than an hour. I still like to look for other items of interest, but for the most part I stick to the list.
The final step I take is to align my grocery list with what's on sale at my local grocery store. I go online and look through the weekly ad to see if any of the items I need are on sale. This takes a while, but it is so worthwhile. I also look for 2 for 1 deals so that I'll have things on hand in the pantry for future meals.
The thing I'd like to get good at is using coupons and balancing what to buy where (e.g. what to stock up on at Costco, what to buy weekly at the grocery store). That coupled with store sales and a shorter grocery list each week would really save us money. But that will come with time. This whole thing, as I said before, is really a learning process. The more I do it, the better I get at it. Listen, if crazy ass food hoarders can get groceries for pennies, this sane lady might as well partake, too.
I can't talk enough about the benefits of planning this way! It's been a huge game changer for us in terms of healthy eating, saving money, and, A.P.'s favorite, consistency. He says he's been loving this because he "consistently knows that there is food in the house." The secret is that there was always food in the house, he just had to cook it. But now, there's a list! And a menu! And to his relief, no surprises. : )
If you decide to start meal planning, check out some of these recipes! They have been favorites of A.P. and mine.
Slow Cooker White Bean and Kielbasa Stew (I subbed in chicken sausages for the kielbasa.)
Classic Pot Roast (So, so good!! The meat is incredibly tender!)
Crispy Rosemary Sriracha Chicken (This is spicy and delicious. I marinated the chicken overnight (which saves you time the next day!). Plus, you're eating thighs, not breasts, so you spend a little less on meat.)
Mixed Lettuces with Grapefruit, Goat Cheese, and Black Pepper (Such a quick, easy dish to pair with a sandwich for a laid back, but satisfying Friday night meal.)
Morrocan Chicken with Roasted Acorn Squash and Kale (I forgot to make the squash, but made the chicken and kale. DELICIOUS!! Plus, I used the leftover chicken to make a chicken salad with Greek yogurt, grapes, celery, and onion, plus the same spices as the chicken. Sooo yummy and you save money by reusing last night's dinner for tomorrow's lunch!)
Plus a quick and delicious dessert:
Raspberry Fool (Load up on the actual berries and use pure preserves that only have sugar and berries and you won't feel so guilty about downing this decadent dessert. I made this around Valentine's Day!)
Plus my favorite places to find recipes:
Pinterest (check out my Pinterest food board, My Bell Is Jolly)
12.30.2011
Friday Dance: Best of 2011
Oh what a week! The Half-breed Swede and her man (whose nickname has yet to be determined) are in town and we have been going, going, going (hence no post yesterday and the late posts this week). My brain has become mush as it is heavily swimming in alcohol, tourism, and fun. Next week aims to bring about both jury duty and hopefully sanity. We shall see.
In the mean time, I'm going strong with my Best of 2011. Here are the 10 best Friday dances of the year. These were weddings that wowed me with either the details or the sheer emotion. Enjoy!
A Johnny Cash themed wedding? Go on!
Helen and Lindi's beautifully shot NTMK submission made my list for the amazing venue alone. So rustic and gorgeous!
A engagement shoot that re-imagines the classic children's tale, Red Riding Hood.
A super sweet vintage Philly wedding, complete with adorable couple.
An awesome superhero themed wedding that takes the cake!
This charming, super small wedding hooked me with the bride's plaid shirt and skirt combo!
A budget bride who looks outstanding in not one, but two amazing (and wallet friendly) dresses and a beautiful reception with an amazing dessert buffet.
Michael and Tim's too cool for school Ace Hotel wedding shot by the lovely Noa of Feather Love Photography.
A gorgeous Up inspired wedding complete with autographs from the filmmakers!
We are getting ready for our Classic Hollywood New Year's Eve party tomorrow and hanging out with the Half-breed Swede and her man until Monday. It's been an event-filled week and one which I will gladly recap for you all next week (I've been taking some great photos with my new DSLR). What are you doing New Year's Eve? Whatever it is, I hope it's fun and fabulous and you ring in the New Year with those you love. : ) And I will see you next year with a List for 2011 recap, among many other things.
In the mean time, here are the last dance moves of 2011:
The Curiosity Shoppe...love it!
1940's New York (shot by the amazing Stanley Kubrick, who died on my 18th birthday)
(Friday dance Photo via here; Best of Photos credits linked above)
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