Chicken Milanese with Tomato and Fennel Sauce
Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-milanese-with-tomato-and-fennel-sauce-recipe/index.html
Thanks for cooking, buddy!
Thanks for cooking, buddy!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Happy Birthday, Mamasita!
I think it's safe to say we all loved our family-style birthday dinner at the Clay Pit (http://www.claypit.com/) on Friday! Emily introduced all of us to Samosas, golden-fried, flaky triangular pastry puffs filled with the most savory ingredients of your choice (veggies, beef or chicken). We all agreed the chicken was best. What a great way to start dinner with a serious little something! Apparently, Em experienced Samosas in Africa for the first time as there is a large Indian presence in Uganda. For dinner, I recommend the Tikka Masala (Zac's choice, but he shared with all of us), a roasted tomato-based butter cream sauce seasoned with herbs and spices over chicken. We got the hot level (just enough spice to get your taste buds kicking, but not enough to keep you from finishing every last bite) but if you're not a fan of spicy food you can request low or medium heat... or for those really daring, tell your server to make it extra hot - the hottest end of the spectrum for the contemporary food of Clay Pit Austin.
Above: Mom exclaims over her new La Cloche Clay Baker from http://www.breadtopia.com/. In case you don't already know, Mom is a stellar bread baker these days... delicious and healthy, to boot!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Olson-Drew Wedding - Check!
Congratulations to the couple! Beth and Frank's wedding was a blast - a big blast! Here are some snapshots from the weekend (in reverse, as it turns out, seeing as how I uploaded them backwards):
Cuties Mom and Pop boogied down 'til the wee hours. My favorite part?... When the Smallwoods huddled up and
belted out some ABBA when the band broke out into
"Dancing Queen." Love that.
At the reception.(From left) Yours Truly, Bride-ola (not -zilla) Beth, Eleanor.
Bridesmaid duty + hair brained idea =
64 gold and silver helium balloons stuffed into Beth and Frank's get-away ride.
If you ever need to know how many balloons it takes to completely fill a limo
(with just enough room for two people)... that's the number.
Sisters. So glad Em could be there! Love you, bud!
Cuttin' a rug: The couples' first (and very short, I might add) dance.
Best buds. Wow... I guess all those Saturday nights
spent looking at wedding magazines at Barnes and Noble
when we were 16 ;) paid off!
My bouquet. Isn't is lovely?So contemporary and organic. Love it.
So proud of your choice, B!
Best buds. Come back to Austin, Haley! Please and thanks.
Official pictures done. Waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Pre-ceremony picture mania. Very organized, actually.
Mariel and me at the bridal wine and cheese party. Lovely and fun.Glad you mad it Mariel! (She drove almost 5 hours from Austin to Waco...
when it rains it pours - and really messes with traffic.)
If I had a dollar for every picture like this one...
If I had a dollar for every picture like this one... Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Red Bud is for (Dog) Lovers
At least once every weekend, I get to make the short trek to Red Bud (http://www.redbudisle.org/) with Iz and Zac - a dog park located on a peninsula on Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) just west of downtown Austin. Dogs love it and people do too. The tree covered pathways make for a scenic walk and there are lots of nooks and crannies for dogs to explore and smell. The peninsula has formed various coves and waterfronts which make for great play areas for dogs both brave and timid, large and small. Izzy is getting more and more comfortable in the water each week but one thing is for sure... she still owns the shallow swampy area at the end of the walk. As soon as we approach it she darts into the shallow water and runs like a mad woman in circles until she has just enough energy left to meander to the truck and hop into the back for the breezy ride home she loves so much.
How Sweet It Iz(zy)
Some of you have met this sweeter-than-sugar girl, but I think it's about time for her Circle the Good Things in Purple debut! Here are a few moments in the life of our Izzy:
Ranch happiness + stylish reflective orange
Izzy's "puppy pool" makes hot summer
Ranch happiness + stylish reflective orange safety collar, of course.
Izzy's "puppy pool" makes hot summer backyard days a little bit better.
Izzy loves.
Izzy lounges - a lot.
Izzy munches on a bone - or nearly swallows it whole,
Izzy is.
Izzy loves.
Izzy lounges - a lot.
Izzy munches on a bone - or nearly swallows it whole, depending on the day.
Izzy is.Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Lunch Break
I have the pleasure of dining in UT's Jester Dormitory with some frequency (you know, the one with it's own zip code?). I choose to do so for a few reasons:
1. It's only a 30 second walk from my office... versus the 5 minute walk to various, and undeniably tastier, eating establishments on the drag.
2. A 30 second walk is attractive when I'm up against 104 degree heat, business dress and a chaotic schedule.
3. Other faculty and staff rarely spend their lunch hour there... which makes it a perfect mid-day hide-away for me and a book (even if only for a few minutes).
4. It can be a great place to people watch. Some days it even feels a little bit like a sociology lab.
With school back in session again, campus is back to its frenetic pace. It goes from ghost town to ant hill with the turn of just one day each fall. Jester Dormitory, and its surrounding area, provides an especially interesting snapshot of campus activity and student life. Because Jester houses mostly freshmen, everyone in the area seems especially eager for life and well... just plain young. Here's what I observed today as I made the quick walk from my office in the button-up-your-dress-suit-business-school to the newly-found-freedom-think-fame-slash-breakfast-club-movie-home-to-3,300 students-college-dormitory:
- Student organization booths galore: a student-run socialist newspaper, appropriately cheerful sororities, the sailing club, international organizations, political associations, a christian student group, etc.
- The christian student group seemed to have the best crowd-pleasing plan. Ten large bottles of flavored syrup and a snow cone machine sat atop their table, right under a red white and blue banner reading "Jesus for the People" in bubble letters. Nothing on the table about Jesus or people though. Interesting concept.
- The doors to the main entrance, which I have come accustomed to opening on my own in the ghost-town-ness of a UT summer, were held open by two young guys saying "party tonight" to each person who entered and exited (even me, surprisingly) as they handed out post-card sized fliers. They almost sounded like robots, repeating the words over and over so quickly. My immediate thoughts were... in this order: 1) Isn't it Wednesday... a school night? 2) That postcard looks oddly official. What happened to hand-written, photocopied fliers? 3) And this time spoken: "No thanks"... as if it wasn't already clear.
- I grabbed my lunch, the usual - a whole wheat wrap with peppered turkey, provolone and avocado, lettuce and green peppers ("roll it up tight so I can actually maneuver it please"). As I weaved my way back outside, three guys caught my eye as one of them pointed to what I came to learn was the other guy's class schedule and he said with panic, "Dude! You DO have class at Noon!" (It was 12:40pm.) The other guy - the one with the class at Noon - seemed lackadaisical as he sipped a smoothie and said he'd planned to get there by 1pm. I was confused and amused.
- Almost back on b-school turf, I tackled what has become an obstacle course since classes started - the street that runs right in front of the business school. I dodged four bicycles that came out of nowhere and then turned around as if to double check that I had made it. That's when I saw the cutest little exchange between a girl on a greenish old-school bike and a guy on a newer, but just as too-cool-for-school bike. The girl, while continuing down the road on her bike, was dramatically reenacting a close call she had skillfully steered out of moments before in front of the engineering buildings. The guy, now riding in front of her while looking back attentively, said something I didn't hear but I bet it was something celebratory and equally as dramatic as the girl's reenactment.
... and then, only a little more than 5 minutes after I left my office to grab lunch, I was back at my desk. Peace and quiet and much to do. I got to my wrap about an hour and a half later, and it was good. Just like always.
1. It's only a 30 second walk from my office... versus the 5 minute walk to various, and undeniably tastier, eating establishments on the drag.
2. A 30 second walk is attractive when I'm up against 104 degree heat, business dress and a chaotic schedule.
3. Other faculty and staff rarely spend their lunch hour there... which makes it a perfect mid-day hide-away for me and a book (even if only for a few minutes).
4. It can be a great place to people watch. Some days it even feels a little bit like a sociology lab.
With school back in session again, campus is back to its frenetic pace. It goes from ghost town to ant hill with the turn of just one day each fall. Jester Dormitory, and its surrounding area, provides an especially interesting snapshot of campus activity and student life. Because Jester houses mostly freshmen, everyone in the area seems especially eager for life and well... just plain young. Here's what I observed today as I made the quick walk from my office in the button-up-your-dress-suit-business-school to the newly-found-freedom-think-fame-slash-breakfast-club-movie-home-to-3,300 students-college-dormitory:
- Student organization booths galore: a student-run socialist newspaper, appropriately cheerful sororities, the sailing club, international organizations, political associations, a christian student group, etc.
- The christian student group seemed to have the best crowd-pleasing plan. Ten large bottles of flavored syrup and a snow cone machine sat atop their table, right under a red white and blue banner reading "Jesus for the People" in bubble letters. Nothing on the table about Jesus or people though. Interesting concept.
- The doors to the main entrance, which I have come accustomed to opening on my own in the ghost-town-ness of a UT summer, were held open by two young guys saying "party tonight" to each person who entered and exited (even me, surprisingly) as they handed out post-card sized fliers. They almost sounded like robots, repeating the words over and over so quickly. My immediate thoughts were... in this order: 1) Isn't it Wednesday... a school night? 2) That postcard looks oddly official. What happened to hand-written, photocopied fliers? 3) And this time spoken: "No thanks"... as if it wasn't already clear.
- I grabbed my lunch, the usual - a whole wheat wrap with peppered turkey, provolone and avocado, lettuce and green peppers ("roll it up tight so I can actually maneuver it please"). As I weaved my way back outside, three guys caught my eye as one of them pointed to what I came to learn was the other guy's class schedule and he said with panic, "Dude! You DO have class at Noon!" (It was 12:40pm.) The other guy - the one with the class at Noon - seemed lackadaisical as he sipped a smoothie and said he'd planned to get there by 1pm. I was confused and amused.
- Almost back on b-school turf, I tackled what has become an obstacle course since classes started - the street that runs right in front of the business school. I dodged four bicycles that came out of nowhere and then turned around as if to double check that I had made it. That's when I saw the cutest little exchange between a girl on a greenish old-school bike and a guy on a newer, but just as too-cool-for-school bike. The girl, while continuing down the road on her bike, was dramatically reenacting a close call she had skillfully steered out of moments before in front of the engineering buildings. The guy, now riding in front of her while looking back attentively, said something I didn't hear but I bet it was something celebratory and equally as dramatic as the girl's reenactment.
... and then, only a little more than 5 minutes after I left my office to grab lunch, I was back at my desk. Peace and quiet and much to do. I got to my wrap about an hour and a half later, and it was good. Just like always.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thank you, Ted
Watch - Short video about Ted Kennedy's life and legacy: http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/08/26/us/politics/1194817110691/edward-m-kennedy-1932-2009.html?hpSunday, August 23, 2009
Happy Birthday, Pop!
Happy Birthday, Pop!Had a great time celebrating with you and Mom
this weekend at Se Cocina!
Food Adventures
While my sister Emily is living in Africa and literally slaughtering and feathering chickens for dinner (graphic but true), I am having my own food "adventure" here in Austin. No doubt less laborous, and presumebly less humbling an experience, Zac and I are finding some pretty tasty local bites. Simple comfort food was our choice last night (and, no suprise, I added a dessert stop on the way home):
Latest great find - Max's Wine Dive (www.maxswinedive.com/austin), said to be a "Hot 10" Wine Bar in the U.S. by Bon Appetit Magazine. Our choice last night: a burger piled high with brie, pickeled peppers and the biggest slice of tomato you can imagine, paired with a glass of Poema Cava bubbly (for me) and a Stella (for Zac). Local to Texas.
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Another favorite find - The Yogurt Spot (http://www.theyogurtspotusa.com/), a do-it-yourself, pay-by-the-ounce place. I love their unique flavors (like green tea) and toppings (like grapefruit pieces). My fave: 1% fat burrr-berry (blueberry) yogurt with fresh strawberry topping. Best of all, you can taste every flavor for free! Local to Texas.Africa to America - Em's Coming Home!
Emily with kids from the village. Apparently there are two things they love dearly when it comes to Americans:
1) trying on your sunglasses and
2) getting their photo taken and immediately inspecting it
on the camera's little playback viewer.
1) trying on your sunglasses and
2) getting their photo taken and immediately inspecting it
on the camera's little playback viewer.
Em wants to bring a couple friends home. :)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Watch and Listen: One in 8 Million
This is one of the best profile projects I've seen. Simply beautiful. Some of the profiles are extraordinarily ordinary while others are quite colorful! You'll get hooked, guaranteed: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/index.htmlSunday, August 16, 2009
B is for Beth is for Bachelorette is for Bride
Last night the gals celebrated Beth's final days before marriage. Thanks to Anne for coordinating the fabulous festivities and congrats to the soon to be married B and Frank! Cheers, friends!
A Beautiful Thing
While in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area this week for work, my trusty GPS navigator got me from point A to B (... and then to C, to D, to E by way of C and back to A, etc.) with no problems! Although originally sceptical about this piece of machinery, I can say after numerous uses that it's a fabulous investment for anyone on the go in uncertain, or previously unnavigable, territory. Tip: Be sure to get the one that sits on the dash, otherwise you'll spend most of your time mid-drive catching the device as it loses suction from the windshield and comes crashing down (both terribly unsafe and anxiety inducing).
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Good Eats
Portabla's Garbanzo Bean Summer Salad: Delicious, unexpected and colorful!*
Kudos to Portabla (www.portabla.com/) once again. I'll always have a soft spot for this small local eatery on the corner of bustling West 6th. Zac wooed me once in the early days with their chicken tetrazzini take-out. :)
Here's the gist:
garbanzo beans
finely chopped red bell pepper
finely chopped celery
just a bit of finely chopped red onion
minced cilantro
corn
Mix ingredients. Chill and serve cold.
*This picture isn't the real deal, but it gives you an idea I guess. I was too much in love with the dish to stop eating long enough to take a picture to share. I vow to become a better food blogger very soon.
Mix ingredients. Chill and serve cold.
*This picture isn't the real deal, but it gives you an idea I guess. I was too much in love with the dish to stop eating long enough to take a picture to share. I vow to become a better food blogger very soon.
Finally, Rain
It finally rained today! If you know me, you know there aren't too many things I love more than a good rain storm. My umbrella took a trip to New Orleans with a friend so I had to make the trek from the office to my car without it. Not to worry, it was a lovely change of scenery! Best part of my work day? Being in a meeting room with a window (a rare occurrence, unfortunately) during part of the rain storm. I plan on sending my umbrella away on trips more often! :)Purple Circles
I heard a story recently that referenced an author of a book about writing and grammar. (Wait! It gets better, I promise.) The storyteller explained that this author recommends editors and writers circle the good things in purple rather than strike through the bad things with red ink. This simple, yet somehow earth-shatteringly different idea instantly resonated with me and led me to this... the daring decision to start a blog. Who would have thought? Kate? A blog? (I must confess I saw Julia & Julie this weekend and it may have hastened my curiosity about keeping a blog.) But, it's simple really... I heard this story about a month ago - and yet, this idea of circling the good things in purple keeps coming back to me so I've decided to take it on as my mantra. That's right - my Mantra. I will give a nod to all things good and intriguing and leave the less favorable things behind, red ink included. So here I am, putting down my red pen and taking a conscious step to celebrate more fully the good, the grand and the mundane (yet simply wonderful) things in life.
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