I recently sent in a vial full of saliva to the 23andMe company and found out I’m pretty much just your average Irish girl whose family immigrated to America decades before I was born. Learning this, I also realized I’m probably made of potatoes and beer which explains my impeccable taste in food (i.e. I love French fries and other things cooked in a deep fryer). Seemed only sensible to dedicate a whole post to the russet potato, which is so diverse that it just begs to be used for every single course of the day. Really. The russet is
“The Nutcracker” by the Pacific Northwest Ballet – Seattle, Washington
Attending The Nutcracker is almost a rite of passage in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve rarely met a Seattleite who has not seen the show in question, and even rarer to find someone who is disappointed in the performance. I myself saw the show years ago as an eleven year old. It was the Maurice Sendak version and I loved the sugarplum fairy. She was gorgeous, knew how to dance, and had excellent fashion. In my tween years, she was EVERYTHING. Fast forward, and the current rendition being played is George Balanchine. I’m much older now but when I’d heard that
Chocolate Pound Cake
from Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan This ain’t your grandmother’s pound cake. Or maybe it is if she’s French and uses chocolate. And if it IS your grandma’s recipe? You are one lucky grandchild. This pound cake isn’t so much a cake as it is some really good bread that happens to taste like chocolate. It’s not make-you-sick sweet, and it barely registers as dessert… but it satisfies my sweet tooth. I particularly like slicing into this while enjoying a cup of black tea! The two go perfectly together. Will I make this again? Absolutely! As a matter of fact,
My Style Icons: Laura Vandervoort
Laura Vandervoort isn’t the most well known celebrity out there. She once played supergirl on a little show known as “Smallville” or if you are like me, you discovered her on the reboot of “V”. Either way, I’m not here to talk about her career but her ability to rock a dress. She can look like a starlet from the 1940’s or she can modernize and smoke her eye out with the best of them. What I’m trying to say is, the girl has strong game when it comes to picking out the right dress. I live for this dress.
Happy Veterans Day
I hope everyone not only has a restful day, but also takes a moment to reflect on the amazing things are soldiers do for our country. It’s easy to say “thank you” but when you really think about everything a person gives up when they join the military, it becomes overwhelming and “thank you” hardly seems enough. It’s often espoused they risk their lives and limbs to ensure our freedoms. Those are far too heavy a price to pay and yet they do it, bravely. But they also sacrifice their lives. By that I mean, the lives they would be
Week in Review #14
This week feels like its been so easy to get through. How weird is that? Even Monday wasn’t a drag. Missed any posts this week? Find them here: I discussed Fahrenheit 451 and how Ray Bradbury predicted the future. I’ve been hardcore loving on this Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese. I tell you all about my quest for pizza in New York City and my dining experience at Ray’s Pizza. I don’t have much to say on body skincare but I AM loving the Paula’s Choice Resist Skin Revealing Body Lotion with 10% AHA. Tatte was my safe haven in
Vegetable Stock
I bought myself a Breville pressure cooker which has officially become my pride and joy. It doubles as a slow cooker as well, and mind you, I was able to cook up the soup that’s going to get me through the winter. Period. You can mock me for posting this. It’s something that I’m sure is basic and everybody can do it, BUT words cannot explain how excited I was that I was able to make my own vegetable stock using a recipe from those cook booklets that come with gadget you just ordered. Yes. You read that correctly. I
Tatte – A Restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts
Tatte – at least I believe that’s the name of the restaurant – was my saving grace in Boston. It gave me food that felt homemade and full of carbs. Warm, delicious and simple without any millennial hipster vibes thrown in. Tatte came into my life like a beacon of hope–it was the place I ran to after the disaster that was Pressed. It thrived on good ol’ fashioned breakfasts and pastries and made me drool as soon as I stepped inside. Please note, I was famished when I made my way in here so this cafe will probably get
Paula’s Choice – RESIST Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA
I’ve mentioned before on here that I have heinously dry skin. My legs are usually in a state of red alert because I’ll scratch them bloody without even realizing it. Part of this is due to medication and part of it is due to sensitivity to lavender which finds its way into all sorts of skincare products but hides itself behind the ingredient “fragrance”. Ugh. My skin is doing much better due to this lotion BUT, I’ll have to be honest. At first, I didn’t think it worked all that great. And I was all bummed because I was going
Ray’s Pizza – A Restaurant in New York City, New York
One thing that was a must-do in New York City for me and my BAE, was get pizza, which is my other BAE. Clearly, the Before Anything Else idea encompasses lots of areas of my life leaving me with an inability to make decisions. But pizza? It was a must. And would you believe we had a hard time trying to find pizza in New York? Some places were closed, some were jam-packed to the point where the place would be closed by the time our turn came at the register, and some places just had bad health food ratings