hello friends, hello!

lovely sunday

2013-04-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Can I just tell you how lovely Sunday was?

Sunny and 60 degrees. Perfect spring weather. Love!

Even better was spending the day with my lovely friend Sarabeth. We met up in Greenwich Village for a scrumptious brunch at Elephant & Castle - you must eat there! Should we discuss how wonderful brunch is? I'll save that for another post.

Then we walked up to Chelsea to check out the flower district. It was already 3 pm, so most of the shops were closed but we still saw plenty of flowers and I befriended two fat cats.

It was such a beautiful day that we even had ice cream! Mister Softee trucks are all over the city, but I was pretty skeptical about them because to me, Mister Softee sounds like a toilet paper brand. But in the spirit of trying to be a real New Yorker (whatever that means) I gave it a try. Surprisingly tasty. And sprinkles!

Perfect day.

run run run

2013-04-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

At least once a year a crazy idea pops into my head. Sometimes these ideas are crazy and unrealistic - for example - move to Europe next week and live an awesome life. Other times they are equally crazy, but achievable (at least in theory). The latest of these crazy ideas is to run a half-marathon.

Do I run? No, not really.

Have I gone running lately? Nope.

Total distance I've ran in my life? I'm going to guess maybe 50 miles in the past 25 years. That's a generous estimate.

But this crazy idea took root in my brain and I've decided to run with it (pun intended!). I've registered for the Detroit half-marathon on October 20 - that gives me over six months to train and I am going to need every moment of that to build up to running 13.1 miles. I can't even run 1 mile at this point. Sad? A little bit.

This whole half-marathon thing is a huge challenge for me, but I think I can do it! Go team me!

And so the training begins! Wish me luck! I'd love advice and inspiration, so share away.

buttermilk biscuits

2013-04-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

This week I bring you buttermilk biscuits. They're simple and delicious - simply delicious.

My blackberry and ginger scone extravaganza left me with over half a quart of buttermilk. What to do with it? I wanted to make something simple - biscuits or pancakes? Biscuits won this time. (Confession: this is the first time I've ever made biscuits.)

Flour + Butter. When combined these two ingredients become some of the best baked goods: scones, biscuits, shortbread...

Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 18 2 1/2" biscuits

Adapted from Bon Apetit

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2sticks) frozen butter, grated right before use

1 cup buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Using fingertips, rub the grated butter butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until evenly moistened.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it down until it's 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter for smaller biscuits and a 3-inch for larger to form the biscuits. If you don't have biscuit cutters (like me) use a glass to form those lovely, round discs of dough.

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

These biscuits are best served warm. I topped mine with even more butter and blueberry jam, but feel free to load yours up with whatever your heart desires - eggs, sausage, nut butter, etc. - the possibilities are endless. You can experiment with adding things to to the dough - herbs, cheese - you name it!

Enjoy!

blackberry ginger scones

2013-03-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend I baked you blackberry ginger scones. Mmm so tasty. Try to stop yourself from eating all of them!

No time for experimenting in the kitchen, so all recipe credit on this one goes to the wonderful Joy the Baker whose blog and cookbook are some of my favorite sources for baking inspiration. You should definitely check her out - she's great!

The recipe calls for raspberries, but I subbed in blackberries. Other than that, it's all the same.

Raspberry (or Blackberry) Ginger Scones

From the Joy the Baker Cookbook
Makes 1 dozen scones

Ingredients

1 large egg
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
3/4 cup fresh raspberries or blackberries
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

Directions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Set aside

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ground ginger.

Using a box grater, quickly grate cold butter until it is all shredded. Using your fingers, quickly incorporate the butter into the flower mixture, breaking the butter pieces into the flour.

Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough comes together. The dough should be wet and sticky.

Gently fold the berries and the fresh ginger into the dough, being careful to not completely break down the berries. Five to eight turns of the spatula should be enough to incorporate the fruit and ginger.

Turn the dough out on a floured work surface. Flour your hands and begin to press the dough together into a rough circle about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop (or a 2-inch round biscuit cutter) to portion out 12 scone dough balls. Place on the lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and firm.

Transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes before serving. These are best the same day they are made. Enjoy!

have a great weekend

2013-03-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

I hope you have a great weekend! It's finally spring!

macaron day

2013-03-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

This past Wednesday, March 20, was Macaron Day in New York (and in Paris). What is Macaron Day, you ask? It's a wonderful, magical day when bakeries throughout the city offer free macarons to customers. Even better, if you purchased additional macaroons part of the proceeds went to CityHarvest - a great organization that helps feed New Yorks' homeless.

How could I resist such a tempting offer? And so I took a long lunch to eat my way through Midtown. After stopping at six (yes, I got slightly carried away) bakeries and cafés, I had sampled some of the standard flavors - cassis and vanilla - and more exotic varieties including passionfruit. It was so tasty! I am already looking forward to next year.

I love all of the bright colors - it was a perfect way to welcome the first day of spring.

vegan banana chocolate chip bread

2013-03-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've already posted my favorite banana bread recipe (with bonus chocolate chips), but since I now live with a vegan I've had to switch things up a bit and make a vegan-friendly version sometimes.

It's delicious, chocolately banana bread - need I say more?

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Adapted from the Post Punk Kitchen

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup margarine, at room temp
3 very ripe bananas, mashed well
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk, mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 8×4 bread pan with non stick cooking spray, or lightly coat with margarine.

Mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Cream together the margarine and sugars. Add bananas, soy milk, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips Pour batter into pan. Bake for an hour to an hour 10 minutes.

life lately

2013-03-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Left to right from the top: wine watchdog, tickets to see nick offerman, a snowy day, trying on glasses at the warby parker annex, laughs and beers with a good friend at upright citizens brigade, can't wait for mad men!, broadway date night to see scar jo in cat on a hot tin roof, a delicious cappuccino from blue bottle, and tasty vegan noms at champs

have a great weekend

2013-03-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

I hope you have a great weekend!

Photo from here.

life underground

2013-03-14T20:52:00.000-06:00

Recent New York adventures brought me to the 14th Street - Eighth Avenue A/C/E/L Subway station. At first glance it looked just like any other station, but then I started to see these small, rotund, cartoon-like bronze sculptures. Many were tucked away in corners or in between pillars. Others were perched on the handrail of the staircase. They were all over the station!

These sculptures are part of a permanent public art installation called Life Underground. Commissioned by the MTA, American sculptor Tom Otterness created over 100 pieces for the entire series!

These whimsical sculptures are pretty darn cute, but at the same time play upon the social undercurrent of New York City (past and present). It's an interesting combination.

These are two of my favorites:

This is the first time I've actively looked around a subway station. Usually it's in and out as quickly as possible and if I have to wait I look at a book or magazine rather than my surroundings. I wonder how much I'm missing.

have a great weekend

2013-03-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and spend some time being as cozy as these four are!

Photo from here.

blueberry oatmeal cookies

2013-03-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Blueberries + lemon is one of my favorite flavor combinations. It's light and refreshing and reminds me of warmer weather. After a grey and snowy Saturday, I decided I needed to end my weekend on a lighter note with some tasty cookies. And so I present to you...

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1/4 pound unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon zest

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

3/4 to 1 cup fresh blueberries*

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt - set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix until well incorporated.

Add the flour mixture and combine well. Then add the oats and the blueberries. Fresh blueberries are delicate, so stir gently or your dough will become a gooey mess.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

*Although I used fresh blueberries, I think next time I will try dried. The fresh are, of course, delicious but because they are so juicy the cookies don't hold their form as well as I would like.

weekend flowers

2013-03-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I picked up these beautiful flowers on my way home from work on Friday and they made me happy all weekend. Just thought I would share them with you!

have a great weekend

2013-03-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

This adorable fluff-ball and I hope you have a great weekend!

Image from tumblr.com (found on pinterest).

subterranean homesick blues - hand-lettered edition

2013-02-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I found this video yesterday and I absolutely love it. Two of my favorite things in one place - Bob Dylan and great design.
Inspired by Bob Dylan's original video for "Subterranean Homesick Blues," Brazilian graphic designer Leandro Senna experimented with hand-lettering and created 66 unique cards covering the lyrics of the entire song. He did it all by hand with no computer to retouch his work. I'm impressed - I'm proud of myself when I write addresses straight across the envelope instead of at an angle.

Bob Dylan Subterranean Homesick Blues - A HAND LETTERING EXPERIENCE from Leandro Senna on Vimeo.

Check out Senna's website to learn more about his inspiration and process on this project.

kitchen charts

2013-02-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

These posters by Pop Chart Lab in Brooklyn are the coolest. From the Many Varieties of Beer to the Magnificent Map of Rap Names they have it covered.

We have the Cartography of Kitchenware hanging up in our kitchen and I only wish that we had more wall space so I could get more. They look good and they're informative. When I need to know which tool is best for a recipe all I have to do now is look at the poster on the wall.

It was difficult to decide, but these three are my favorite:

The Cartography of Kitchenware

The Various Varieties of Vegetables

The Compendious Coffee Chart

Would you hang one of these posters in your home?

All images are from Pop Chart Lab.

blueberry, coconut & almond bars

2013-02-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

I'm a grazer - I love to snack throughout the day, especially at work. However, I am rarely prepared for this (you think I would be by now), so I usually end up running out to Starbucks and getting a coffee and some sort of pound cake. It's tasty, but not the best choice - especially not when it happens a few times a week. My wallet (and my waistline) can't take it! So I'm trying to save myself a little bit of money and make tasty and somewhat healthy snacks at home.

This is my first attempt at making a fruit and nut bar (a la kind bars). I think they're pretty great and I hope you do too.

blueberry, coconut & almond bars

Makes 12 1.5"x4.5" bars

Ingredients

1 cup dry roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup crisp brown rice cereal
1/3 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown rice syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment or foil. Set aside.

Mix together the nuts, seeds, brown rice cereal, coconut, and salt. Add the brown rice syrup and vanilla extract, tossing to coat. You don't want to drown the dry ingredients, you just want everything evenly coated so it will stick together.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press it down firmly, evenly distributing the ingredients throughout the pan.

Bake for 18 minutes until the brown rice syrup starts to bubble and your home smells delicious.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes before you cut them. I cut mine into 12 bars, but it's up to you. Let the bars cool completely before peeling them off the parchment/foil. Wrap individually - this is very important otherwise they will meld into one giant chunk (true story). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

These taste like grown up rice krispie treats. Now I just have to keep myself from eating the entire batch in one sitting.

Enjoy!

since i've been gone

2013-02-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

The last time I was blogging, I lived in Denver. Now I live in New York - I moved last August - surprise!
I never thought I would live in New York, but here I am living in what some would say the greatest city on earth and what I would say is "eh, it's okay," but I'm coming to appreciate it (slowly). Big life changes sometimes happen very quickly!

Here's a quick look at what I've been up to in New York City over the past few months:

Left to right from the top: crack pie to go from momofuku milk bar,the flatiron building, a snowy walk, french 75s with friends, holiday nights at greenfield village, 2013! happy new year!, commuter coffee, jumbo pizza from koronet, date nights on Broadway, exploring central park

back again

2013-02-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

In my last post (on June 23, 2012!), I apologized for being MIA. Well, here I am, yet again, apologizing to those of you who still read this for being absent.

I've been baking, reading, crafting (to various degrees of success), stressing out about little things - all the stuff that I love to do - I just haven't been blogging about it.

To be completely honest with you, the quality (and frequency) of my posts greatly deteriorated after graduation. I admit it. Grad school was great for blogging. 20 page paper due in a few days? Oh, I think I'll just make some Nutella crepes before I jump into writing. Exam tomorrow? Time for muffins! Read about human rights atrocities? I think I'll take a break with something a bit lighter. (It also helped that I was single and had about two friends in Denver)

Then I joined the real world. Grad students may try to convince you that they're living in the real world, but most of them exist in a bubble of academic bliss. For me, that means juggling two jobs just to make rent and payments on my student loans (curse you, grad school!). I could whine all day about being an adult, but I'll spare you for now.

I'm going to focus on the positive (butter, sugar, and good books) and share it with you. I'm committing to my blog, just as I committed to flossing in 2013 - two months in and still going strong!

Tasty recipes, book reviews, and rambling coming soon.

coconut mango muffins

2012-06-23T19:34:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

Sorry for being MIA - life has been a bit overwhelming lately. Working two jobs, traveling to New York City and Mexico, spending time with friends...the blog has been at the bottom of my list and I sincerely apologize.

Don't be too mad at me, please.

To make it up to you I bring you deliciousness in the form of coconut mango muffins! An ideal summer muffin. And they're vegan!

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren xx

Vegan Coconut Mango Muffins From Big Vegan by Robin Asbell

Makes 10-12 muffins

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used plain soy milk)

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond or coconut extract (I didn't have this - oops!)

3/4 cup chopped, dried mango

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a muffin tin with papers or grease with vegetable spray.

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Toast the coconut for 5 minutes, stir, and continue to toast for 2 to 4 minutes more. Let the pan cool on a rack and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together both flours, the sugar, coconut, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice, and cloves.

In another bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, canola oil, vanilla, and almond/coconut extract. Stir quickly into the dry mixture, and when almost combined, fold in the mangos. Scoop into the prepared muffin cups (I used approximately 1/4 cup per muffin) and bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool on racks.

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

My suggestions:

Maybe it was my omission of the coconut/almond extract, but I think that these muffins could just a little extra flavor. They're good as it, but I really want something with a stronger flavor. Maybe adding in a little mango juice or coconut milk? Let me know what you think when you try.

remember to

2012-04-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Try not to confuse one defeat with

total defeat.

Whole Living Magazine, April 2012

port of morrow

2012-03-28T10:53:00.000-06:00

I picked up a copy of the Shins new album Port of Morrow at Twist & Shout the other day. I love it. The Shins never disappoint me.

I hadn't listened to them for a while, but last week Turn on Me came up on shuffle and I fell in love with them all over again. Simple Song is one of my favorites from the new album. Give it a listen:

try to

2012-03-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

(via)

A Moveable Feast

2012-03-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

I've tried reading Hemingway before and he just wasn't doing it for me. Those sentences! Just give some adjectives, please. Just a few. Is that so much to ask?

My friend Joanna recommend A Moveable Feast a while back and after seeing Midnight in Paris (If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you stop reading my blog and go watch it, but come back!), I thought I would give it a try.

Hemingway and friends in Paris

(via)

A Moveable Feast is a series of stories about Hemingway's time living the expatriate life Paris in the 1920s. He's quit journalism and is trying to make it as a writer along with other members of the "Lost Generation." Love, loss, hunger, poverty, joy, sorrow - he covers in his pared-down, signature style. I didn't need all sorts of flowery adjectives to visualize all that I was reading.

It was wonderful; what a great read. I enjoyed every moment of it.

I might even read some more Hemingway! Where should I start? Any recommendations?

gogol bordello

2012-03-13T22:14:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday, I went to see Gogol Bordello at the Ogden Theatre here in Denver. Best decision ever.

I first heard them seven years ago as a freshman in college. My roommate played "Start Wearing Purple"- I thought it was great but that was about where my interest ended. A few years ago, my dear friend Beata reintroduced me and so my love affair began in earnest.

Gogol Bordello is amazing live. So fun! So much energy!

I can think of few things better than the combination of Romani music and punk. Never heard them? Take a listen!

Want more? Here you go!

Not only was it a great show entertainment-wise, but they reminded me what I want to do with my life. I want to work on immigration policy/minority rights (ideally in Eastern Europe). It will take time, and I will have to work my butt off to get there, but I will do it. It's worth it and I'm committed to it.