Tuesday, June 16, 2009

my husband, the style maven


as featured on style.com, in their "capturing the scene at bonnaroo" photo album. he's so hip! and cute! this is likely to be the only fashion-related post i ever make:

Thursday, June 11, 2009

hooray for carolyn!

My pal Carolyn's awesome bookshelf is featured on design sponge today... I am so proud of my super-crafty friend (and jealous of all of her tchotchkes)!



Monday, June 8, 2009

i hear a symphony

separated at birth: nashville symphony conductor giancarlo guerrero and mad men actor bryan batt (salvatore).

i went to see the nashville symphony with my dad saturday night. they did a schumann piano concerto and rimsky-korsakov's scheherazade. it was SO RAD. aside from the separated-at-birth thing, i noticed a few things:
  1. as far as 'fans' are concerned, there's no real diffrence between classical and rock enthusiasts. a girl at our table talked about one of the cellists and the conductor the same way i gush about paul from the walkmen. she noted their enthusiasm and passion and was so excited when the symphony started.
  2. cellos are rad. i like pizzacato strings.
  3. i kind of miss playing percussion. the music-reading, the practices, the concerts. that was a serious part of my life for 10 (!) years, and even though i always just did it "for fun", i still miss the camradarie of playing in a band/drumline/ensemble.
  4. christopher cross is doing a 3-night stint with the symphony in may 2010.
  5. i really don't know much about classical music. i'm familair with a few pieces, but i'd like to learn more. rollum's been obsessed with holst's "neptune" lately. also, neptune in general. that's the picture on our desktop right now.
  6. classical music must've done something right, since it's managed to stay around for so long.
  7. if you ever get the chance to go see the nashville symphony, DO IT. in fact, you should MAKE the chance to go see them. not sure how much normal tickets are though. our seats were free, so i guess that's easy for me to say.
  8. you could get food from a buffet and bring it to your table. i felt kinda funny eating a caprese salad and tortellini as the music was playing.
  9. i'm so ignorant about wine, that i was surprised that my white zinfandel was pink. now i know. (brandon: teach me).
  10. after scheherezade finished, it was absolutely silent for about 5 seconds before they put down their bows and everyone started to clap. no one even coughed. it was a nice moment.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Kasha!

(picture: from the internet)
maybe it's because i'm half jewish. or maybe my distant russian heritage. but this is one of the best comfort foods imaginable. and it doesn't even involve cheese! this is really easy and delicious. don't be afraid of kasha. it rules. (recipe from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kasha-Varnishkes-at-Wolffs-in-New-Jersey-40010)

Kasha Varnishkes at Wolff's in New Jersey

Ingredients
2 large onions, sliced in rounds
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1 large egg or egg white, slightly beaten
1 cup medium or coarse kasha
2 cups water or bouillon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 pound large or small bow tie-shaped noodles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Preparation
1. Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the margarine or chicken fat in a heavy frying pan with a cover until golden. Remove to a plate.
2. Beat the egg in a small mixing bowl and stir in the kasha. Mix, making sure all the grains are coated. Put the kasha in the same frying pan, set over a high heat. Flatten, stir, and break up the egg-coated kasha with a fork or wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes or until the egg has dried on the kasha and the kernels brown and mostly separate.
3. Add the water or bouillon, salt, and pepper to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Add the onions, cover tightly, and cook over low heat, steaming the kasha for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and quickly check to see if the kernels are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cover and continue steaming for 3 to 5 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the bow-tie noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain.
5. When the kasha is ready, combine with the noodles. Adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with the parsley and coriander. If desired, add a bit more margarine or chicken fat.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Gocco'd Thank You Cards

I made these dudes last night, as my contribution for this Gocco card swap.
This is my first time participating in something like this, and I can't wait to see what I get! I need to find a better resource for blank notecards. The ones from Target and Michael's don't really cut it anymore (I used gold-lined Martha Stewart cards from Michael's, and they were $5.99 for 8!) There's gotta be a more affordable way to do it...But I think it looks pretty cute with the gold ink.

In other news, we started a little raised bed garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and lettuce. I've also got an herb {container} garden on the back porch. Having it has made me feel more settled in this house. We've entertained the idea of {trying to} sell this place in Smyrna and move closer to town, maybe Donelson. Get a 50s brick home with a basement. But because of the housing "situation", I don't know if this is a horrible idea or a good one. So I'm afraid to move forward with anything, even calling the mortgage company. We can be so wishy-washy.