Twenty-seven

What is it about birthdays that make us focus on the negative? I have to admit, 27 may have been my "scary age". You know that age that when you were younger you were sure that you would have it all figured out by, but as the age approached you realized that you probably weren't going to be where you thought you should be. Well, that's where I am today, and I have to admit, it might be easier to complain about the fact that I'm not in the career I had imagined I would be in by now, and we're still in an apartment instead of owning our own house, and we aren't really in the position to have a puppy or a baby, and unlike last year I am not in Italy...okay...maybe that's just me...and maybe last year's birthday was a little special (we were on our honeymoon after all!).

Anyway - I have decided to focus on the 27 things I love about where I am right now :)

1) While I may not be in the career I had imagined when I was 12 (though I suppose the only careers I knew about were doctors and lawyers) I work at a great company, and have the most amazing group of coworkers I could have ever imagined.
2) I married my high school sweetheart, and after 1 year of marriage we are as happy as ever.
3) Just because of some of those things I don't have right now, such as the lack of a house payment, and minimal responsibilities (no children or pets) gives my husband and I the freedom to travel. Las Vegas in December? Chicago in February? Somewhere hot in March? Sure!
4) I love that I have the room in my kitchen and the tools to really experiment with cooking and baking. Also, starting this experimentation in an apartment has allowed me to come up with what might be really important to me when the time comes to buy a house.
5) I have an amazing family - and not just the family I was born with, but also the family I inherited through marriage.
6) I love living in Minnesota. Although it is pretty much the only place I have every lived, except a brief stint in Michigan, I absolutely love it. I love the culture, the variety of things to do, the people, and even the four seasons.
7) I love being able to go to bed when I want and sleep uninterrupted until my alarm goes off. Apparently you lose that with puppies and children...as any parent will quickly tell you.
8) I love that I live a short drive to all the restaurants and entertainment the Twin Cities have to offer, but there is a wooded path outside my back door. And having a balcony that looks out on the trees isn't bad either.
9) I love that I know there is still so much out there to learn.
10) And it is great to have the support to try all those new things.
11) I love the things that I have gotten to experience in these last 27 years. Those things have all shaped who I am now.
12) I love that I have been able to cut out a little bit of room in our apartment to be able to create. The sewing machine and easel have a permanent home and I can use them whenever I am inspired.
13) My husband and I have great friends. Some are couple friends, and some are our own, but they are all wonderful. We can always find something great to do.
14) I live in walking distance to a wine shop...that's attached to an ice cream shop. I don't think you can get much better than that!
15) Even though I don't have children right now, there are plenty of them in my life. I love being able to borrow kids for the day and then returning them when they're tired (or more realistically when I'm tired).
16) I don't feel finished.
17) I love having time to myself...to read a book, to watch my favorite show, to page through a magazine.
18) Most people don't look at me like I'm 12 anymore.
19) My husband and I both have fairly stable jobs in an economy where that isn't necessarily the norm.
20) I love daydreaming about where I am going to travel next, and knowing that the dream can become a reality.
21) That I am much closer to embracing myself than when I was younger.
22) That we live close enough to family to see everyone on a regular basis (but not so close that the regular basis is daily).
23) That I'm in a place where I can start to determine what my decorating style really is...without too much commitment.
24) That I have finally watched Dirty Dancing though it may have taken 27 years.
25) That my husband doesn't mind doing the dishes...seriously...I lucked out on that one.
26) Today I love that even though it is Wednesday - I'm at home. Nobody should have to work on their birthday.
27) Did you know 27 really isn't old? And neither is 30. Frankly I've heard 30 is the new 20...so I guess that makes me 17...except without the braces.

Well, there we have it. And I have to say, I feel a lot better about this getting another year older thing after that exercise.

I'm excited to start out my 27th year from where I am right now.

Daring Bakers Challenge 2

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

The Daring Kitchen must be a mind reader. I've been wanting to make my own donuts (or doughnuts) forever. Interesting fact: donuts might just be my favorite food, and sometimes I dream about owning a bakery...though I may need some practice before making that dream a reality. (and to workout quite a bit more). My husband loved the results, but I would like to experiment a little more with different recipes/glazes.

I chose to use the Alton Brown recipe that can be found here.
This was my first shot at deep frying anything, so I was a little nervous, but overall it went very well. I did have a little difficulty keeping the oil at the correct temperature. For some it was too hot, causing them to fry too quickly, and others it dropped to low, allowing the donuts to absorb too much oil. I'll have to keep a better eye on the thermometer next time!
I rolled some in cinnamon and sugar and topped others with chocolate. I found the chocolate glaze recipe with a quick Google search here, but I think I will try a different recipe next time. It tasted fine, but not amazing.
Here is the yummy inside:
It was a great way to spend a lazy day. Next time, however, I'll invite a few people over, because this recipe makes WAY too many donuts for two people to eat.

One Year Into Forever

One year ago today my husband and I stood up before our family and friends and expressed our love and commitment to each other. One year later, I love him as much as I did that day - and maybe even more if that is possible.

(Photos taken by La Vie Photography)

One Year Later

Last year at this time I was one week away from getting married. The stress leading up to a wedding is amazing. All the worrying about the details...

Will the cake look like I wanted?Will the dress fit?Will all the details fit together the way I envisioned?
But the most important thing, the man you're walking down the aisle toward, was never a concern. I always knew he was the one for me.
All photos taken by La Vie Photography.

Daring Cooks Challenge 2

Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

Half the challenge of the Daring Kitchen is finding ingredients that you might not use in your daily cooking or baking. The October Daring Cooks challenge was no different. Where exactly does someone find grape leaves in Minnesota? The answer, of course, is the Midtown Global Market. So after work one week night I met my mom in Uptown and we were off.

Success!!! Grape Leaves AND Tamarind Concentrate :) (The latter I have never even HEARD of before this challenge - and now I have a whole jar...so I'll be searching the internet for recipes!)
Prior to boiling :)In the saucepan.
I'd be interested in trying real stuffed grape leaves to see if they tasted similar to mine. In the end they weren't really my favorite, but my husband liked them (though he thought they would make a better appetizer than my trying to feed them all to him for dinner...)
Although I followed the directions, I don't think I had enough rice. I'm thinking it might be due to the fact that I wasn't able to locate short grain rice, and therefore there wasn't as much rice in the mixture.

Here is the recipe we used:

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice with Apricot Tamarind Sauce/ Yebra
Adapted from Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck and Michael J. Cohen. Published by Harper Collins, 2007

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients for hashu/filling:

1 pound (455 gm) ground (minced) beef
1/3 cup (80 ml) (2 1/3 oz) (65 gm) short grain rice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) all spice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use ½ tsp.**
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) white pepper
1 onion, chopped **optional**
1 cup (5½ oz) (150 gm) pine nuts **optional**

Directions:

1.Soak rice in water, enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Combine meat, rice, allspice, vegetable oil, cinnamon, salt, white pepper, and if desired, onion and pine nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Ingredients for assembly:

1 pound (455 gm) hashu/filling (see recipe above)
36 preserved grape leaves, stems trimmed, drained, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
6 dried apricots – or more if you desire
3 tablespoons (45 ml) tamarind concentrate **if you can’t find it, you can omit it**
¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (9 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use 1.5 tsp.**

Notes:

If using grape leaves preserved in brine, to remove salt put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers, and leave them soaking for about twenty minutes, then change the water a time or two using fresh cold water.

If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a few seconds only, until they become limp, and lift them out.

Tamarind is actually fairly easy to find. There is a paste that is in package already made up. You can find it at Asian, Mexican or Indian grocers. You can also find the pods (a little more difficult) and make it yourself. It is akin to a sweet/tangy tea flavor. If you can’t find it, you can skip the sauce all togheter. The grape leaves will be just as delicious without the sauce. But we hope that those that can find it will use it.

Directions:

1.Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, vein side up. You can trim the little stem if you would like.

2.Place about two teaspoons (10 ml) of the filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge.

3.Roll the leaf end to end, starting from the stem edge. As you roll, fold the sides of the leaf in toward the center. The leaf should resemble a small cigar, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (50 mm to 65mm) long.

4.Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

a.(You can freeze the stuffed grape leaves at this point. Just line a baking sheet with wax paper. When firmly frozen, transfer to an airtight plastic bag place back in the freezer.)

5.In a medium saucepan put in the vegetable oil and then place the filled grape leaves in the pot.

6.Place apricots in between the stuffed grape leaves. Cover and cook over low heat for 5- 8 minutes or until the grape leaves begin to sweat.

7.Using all three tablespoons, place a little of the tamarind concentrate, if using, over the rolls.

8.Combine lemon juice, salt, and water then add to pan, filling it ¾ full.

9.Weigh down the grape leaves with a heat proof plate or board to prevent them from unraveling. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes.

a.Alternatively, place the saucepan in an oven preheated to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for an hour.

10.Spoon cooking liquid over the grape leaves occasionally. You will know they are done, when the grape leaves are neither soupy nor dry.

11.Tilt pan sideways over serving platter, allowing the grape leaves to tumble out. Try not to handle them individually to reduce unraveling.

a.Alternately you can try spooning them out very gently.

Almost a Success

Most days I hit the snooze alarm too many times and end up running out the door, catching a late bus, and strolling into work 10 - 20 minutes late. On the plus side, my current team isn't a stickler for the 8am start time, but I do believe that such a chaotic morning probably sets the mood for the rest of my day (not to mention the lack of eating a healthy breakfast at home is a large part of the reason why I end up grabbing a banana chocolate chip muffin at 9am). So I goal myself with getting up earlier...though usually with little success.

Today, however, I woke up early. I enjoyed a cup of coffee, and a bowl of oatmeal (with banana, peanut butter and a dash of chocolate chips...) It is based on the oatmeal recipes by one of my favorite bloggers Iowa Girl Eats. She has amazing oatmeal recipes on her sight that often look a little more dessert than breakfast, but that's my kind of breakfast :)
and then I got sucked into an episode of Law & Order: SVU. And by "got sucked into" I really mean "I'm addicted to it and could watch it all day every day". So I still ended up running a bit late (as I was getting dressed I realized I hadn't put any makeup on...oops) and still catching the same bus as usual. On the plus side, I really do think starting out my day with a little relaxing "me time" led to a less stressful, more productive day overall. I guess we'll have to see if I can do it again tomorrow.

It might be hard though since I stayed up too late watching a Law & Order: SVU marathon...
(I did admit I have a problem didn't I...)