Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Tea at the Taj

Last weekend, I went to tea at the Taj with my mom and some of our dearest family friends. It was a lovely and relaxing way to spend a cold Sunday afternoon. I can't wait to go back.

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Cheesecake Monstrosity, part II

Over the weekend, Ben turned 27 (oh man oh man, that means we're getting old, I think.)

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One of my favorite things about Ben's birthday is that it gives me an excuse to make the most ridiculous cake in the history of birthday cakes. Last year, at Ben's request, I made a cheesecake monstrosity. This year, after several texts back and forth, we worked out an even more monstrous cake: a heath bar cheesecake, topped with chocolate mousse, topped with a chocolate cake layer, topped with more chocolate mousse, covered in ganache.

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Basically? This thing was insane. And so much fun to make.

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Happy Happy, friend!
I'm so glad you were born.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Pork Roast

Two days before Christmas this year, my poor mother threw out her back.

Usually after we open presents on Christmas morning, we go to church, then to dinner at a hotel downtown. Given that Mom could barely get up off the couch, however, we decided on Christmas Eve that a change of plans was in order. So I cooked a feast at the last minute.


We had roasted and stuffed pork loin (based on this recipe- so delicious!), roasted potatoes and broccoli and green beans. Dewey graciously let me take over the kitchen, but then stepped in at the last minute to put together some biscuits. Before we ate, my dad taught me how to carve meat.


Cooking food for my family turned out to be exactly the perfect way to spend Christmas morning.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Algiers

On Friday night, Ben and Em and I went to the Algiers Coffee House. It is the kind of place where they let you order a pot of tea and sit for hours and hours, so that's what we did.

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They have insane coffee machines

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Algiers

Friday, January 13, 2012

Have you guys seen this video?


I love it.

In a perfect world (and about 60% of the time), this is how I cook. The music is never quite so on-tune with the activities, though, and everything I do is a little more harried. I think what i like about it is how much care, how much love, she is putting into preparing all of those vegetables, and yet, it's so easy. Meditative, almost.

That's how I'd like my cooking to be: relaxed, meditative, and full of care.
I'm getting there.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

2012

Oh, you guys.

(Well, maybe just you guy. It's been a while.)

Happy New Year! I've missed you.

How was your New Year's? Mine was, basically, the best.

Cabin

We went to a cabin in New Hampshire, where we spent the weekend eating good food and lighting fireworks.

Legwarmers

I didn't take my sparkly legwarmers off, except to go in the hot tub.

I chopped. Mike grilled.

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I rang in the new year surrounded by many of my most favorite people in a gorgeous location.

2012 is off to a fantastic start.