Tuesday, November 30, 2010

an experiment with peppers.

i was feeling particularly...something....when i came home from school this evening. a mix between exhaustion, hunger, stress and the desire for coziness. the day was a complete whirlwind, and like most whirlwind days, i forgot to take a moment to eat something. it is at times like these when i scrounge around my apartment for some savory eats. 

here is what i came up with....i will call it something swimmingly creative like: stuffed red pepper with chick peas, orzo and goat cheese.  

sure does look pretty doesn't it?! didn't taste too bad either! 

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

here is another delish dish for you to try: 

this is one of my favorite recipes of all time. i made it most recently for a friend's birthday. it is quite a process to assemble, especially if you don’t have the ingredients readily available in your pantry, but just put on some good tunes and prepare to get messy. it is definitely worth it! people are always impressed with the fusion of flavor and the fact that you took the time to make something homemade. 

Thai Pot-stickers
·         2 small whole green onions
·         1 tablespoon of ginger
·         1 pound of veal, pork or chicken (ground)
·         2 teaspoons of oyster sauce
·         1 tablespoon of Chinese rice wine/dry sherry
·         ½ teaspoon Asian chili sauce
·         ¼ cut of cornstarch
·         3 tablespoons of cooking oil
·         40 thin gyoza or wonton wrappers
Sauce
·         1 tablespoon of basil
·         1 tablespoon of cilantro
·         1 whole green onion
·         ½ cup of unsweetened coconut milk
·         1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
·         ½ cup of Chinese rice wine
·         1 tablespoon of Asian chili sauce
·         ½ teaspoon of curry powder
·         ½ teaspoon of sugar

start by putting on some good tunes and an apron-trust me, if you are anything like me, you’ll need both! 

prepare by putting a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and covering it with the cornstarch. pour your cooking oil in a small bowl, you’ll need it later. (don’t put it too close to the edge of your counter-i spilled the entire contents on my floor the last time i made these…idiot!)

next, get a large bowl and combine the onions, ginger, meat (i prefer ground turkey over what the recipe calls for), oyster sauce, Chinese rice wine & Asian chili sauce. i’ve made them without the Chinese rice wine (and used rice vinegar instead-who knows if they’re ANYTHING alike!?!) and they turned out just fine. make sure you mix this stuff up really well. 


here comes the fun part…take a small dollop of meat-gunk and place it in the middle of your gyoza wrapper. then pinch the top of the wrapper. it should look like a little coin pouch when you’re done. it’s okay if some meat pops out of the top. place each pot-sticker on the cookie sheet, then let them cool in the fridge while you prepare the sauce.

 

combine sauce ingredients.

 

in a large wok (set on medium high-adjust heat as needed), pour a bit of your oil and wait for it to heat up. place the pot-stickers (some…maybe 1/3) in the oil (on their bottoms), cover them in the sauce (don’t use all of it!!) and cover the wok. check them every couple minutes and move them around (so they don’t stick) until you see them brown up a bit. (how long really varies depending on the stove i’ve found….) once they feel a little hard on the outside, toss them around so they brown up all over.you want to make sure the meat is cooked all the way through.


when you’ve made all of your little goodies, use the remainder of your sauce to pour over the top and place sprigs of cilantro on top for affect. 

 

Ta da!!!


looks i'm craving.

i like to put outfits together. do you? 

edgy glamour
urban outfitters
oscar de la renta





***************************** 
bohemian dream


m missoni

anthropologie
The Frye Company




a toy

your best days are ahead of you.

last night i could not sleep. i should have been tired, but my mind was wandering and probing all of my dark and twisty nooks and crannies. 

**like, how did i get to be the way i am? never satisfied. always in search of something new....is everyone like that?**

"It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it." 
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

"Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they need to run free until they find someone just as wild to run with."
Carrie Bradshaw


**or, will i ever get to the point in my life when i am completely content? i've never felt more lost about who i am/where i'm going/how my life will turn out than i am right now. (i'll blame that on law school. it's becoming a catch-all for all of the little nasties in my life. ie: my short temper and back-chub.)**

"I'll never get used to anything. Anybody that does, they might as well be dead."
Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1958, Holly Golightly


**and, why, for pete's sake, is the midnight sky a pale shade of blond haze after a storm?  has the violent squall jumbled the sky particles so much that the black onyx color dissipates leaving nothing but sand up there? i've always wondered....**

***************************************
anyway, enough life-pondering for this blog entry. let's get to the good stuff shall we? i mean, after all, that's why you stop by to visit right?!

did you know that you can purchase all of the classics at Barnes & Nobel for the cheap price of about $5.00??? what a steal!! i discovered this a couple years ago and have been on a mission to read all of the goodies. so far, my favorites have been: pride & prejudice (by the romantic jane austin); wuthering heights & jane eyre (by the dark charlotte bronte); and east of eden (by john steinbeck; another dark book, but deliciously layered and complex). so, i was perusing the stacks the other day and found out something just spectacular (that is definitely going on my christmas wish list)....for about $20.00 you can get the classics in hardback and bound in this beautifully unique fabric. i've also seen them at anthropologie (love!). 



here is a list of the current best sellers @ B&N: 

  1. Pride and Prejudice (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Jane Austen
  2. Art of War (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Sun Tzu
  3. Wuthering Heights (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Emily Bronte
  4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Lewis Carroll
  5. Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Oscar Wilde
  6. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Mark Twain
  7. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Frederick Douglass
  8. Jane Eyre (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Charlotte Bronte
  9. Odyssey (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Homer
  10. The Art of War (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
    by Sun Tzu



next on my list: alice's adventures in wonderland & through the looking glass


speaking of classics....i can't wait for the new jane eyre movie to come out (in 2011). it looks spectacularly haunting! although, i will say that mr. rochester looks a little too handsome...but wait-what am i complaining about?!?!



and speaking of movies that i'm excited for....BLACK SWAN!!!! i'm definitely planning a girls movie day for that one-even if it does fall right in the middle of finals. have i mentioned i used to be a ballerina? have i mentioned that the black swan from Swan Lake is one of the best roles ever created? have i mentioned how fabulous/beautiful/talented natalie portman is?? can't wait!! eek!!

currently listening to: ella fitzgerald's rendition of "mack the knife." i love it b/c she totally butchers it-and yet...flawlessly improvises. such a good ditty.  

and finally, for my last trick: i'll leave you with some summer photos i took a few months ago (i've gotta keep this blog one-of-a-kind after all!)...as we sit inside on this frigid winter day, let's reminisce of the warm sun beating on our backs, the sound of concerts in the park, fresh fruit from the farmer's market dripping from our lips, and the refreshing breeze of a cool summer night.
,
nora jones concert, red butte gardens, salt lake city

piano at the salt lake city farmer's market.

sugarhouse park, salt lake city
walloon lake, northern michigan (the happiest place on earth)

walloon lake, northern michigan

Monday, November 29, 2010

her lips are cherry stained and she tastes of dry champagne

so, i was totally called out today. this blog truly should be called, exactly what it is: a distraction from studying for finals. why oh why must i be forced to do such mundane studying??? i'm bored! was law school the right decision for me?? i go back and forth about my decision every day it seems. 

i want to create! i want to sip champagne, eat strawberries, and watch old romantic italian films. (check out my favorite champagne and a splendid little italian romance i watched this past week by clicking the links).

and on a completely different (but equally as lovely) note: just borrowed my roommate's lip liner and couldn't be more in love...the perfect shade of cherry by MAC.

 "I have an insatiable hunger for all things beautiful. My work reflects what I see in everyday living and I believe in sharing the love and deliciousness in what is truly magic”. 

sometimes i compile photos of homes that i'm obsessed with. here is my dream home. care to come in for a sip of tea???


i love the french doors out to a small terrace, and the eclectic woodwork inside.

my kitchen will never be plain or ordinary.

my favorite books will line the walls. and a spiral staircase with mauve pillars sound nice too!

requirement: must appear cozy. and must live up to that expectation.

exposed brick walls? don't mind if i do. mood lighting? yes please!

i loved both of these bedrooms so much. i just couldn't choose. although...i think i'll need a bed with a little more fluff than either of these have to offer....

wish me luck getting to school today....yesterday turned my life into a winter white wonderland. the little white flakes of snow blanketed the ground like icing on a cake. it reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite holiday films: white christmas.

standing outside, wondering how long this little photoshoot is going to last...it was chilly!

night time outside my apartment.


Sunday, November 28, 2010

walking on a tightrope.

some jammin' music videos for your viewing pleasure:

Love Lost --> Temper Trap
Tightrope --> Janelle Monae
Home --> Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (on Letterman)

and other favorite tunes for your listening pleasure:

**Scarlett Johanssen, Relator
**Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Paris
**Jose Gonzalez, Crosses (Live at Park Ave)
**Fleet Foxes, False Knight on the Road
**Iron & Wine, Teeth in the Grass
**Ray LaMontagne, Jolene
**Florence & The Machine, Dog Days are Over
**Whitley, More Than Life
**Damien Rice, 9 Crimes
**Mumford & Sons, Little Lion Man
**Passion Pit, Moth’s Wings
**Kid Cudi, Up Up & Away
**Mat Kearney,  All I Need 
**Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Home 

Sexy Sexy Grace Potter (not to be confused with Harry Potter)


Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros