Run Lori Run!

Ode To Sugar

Oh yes, I do love my sugar. Unfortunately it has a way of taking over my life and before I know it I find myself baking scones every weekend and finding excuses to celebrate with tiramisu....which is yummy but not good for my waistline!  So I thought I'd share some recipes I've found recently, like the Quinoa vegetable pilaf and  herbed baked salmon  above ~ both very good.

And I've been revamping my family's store & restaurant websites lately so I created this coleslaw recipe using Apple Valley pepper jelly.  It turned out great too! I'll be creating a recipe page there too to share my concoctions....

Did you have a nice Easter?  We made these biscuits and these potatoes which were lovely. 

And ever since I was served the most delicious beef brisket EVER by our friends Colleen & Greg, I have been craving it.  So I used this recipe and it made Easter brunch.

So there you have it, a food post because it's been awhile.  What have you been cooking up lately?

Foodies In Rome

I like to eat. So let's just put that out there.

My brother is a chef and his one goal on our Italian vacation was to eat as much good food and drink as much good wine as possible.  I signed up for that immediately.

Beanie is a carb addict at the ripe old age of 12 and was excited to consume her top three foods with reckless abandon: bread, pasta and Nutella. And Brandi is a woman after my own heart- she was game for any restaurant, any kind of food at any time. I love her.

And then we get to Bert. Bert is a mutant and would be happy eating ramen noodles every night for the rest of his life.

I don't like to talk about it.

So we started our vacation in Rome- 5 days. And these photos just can't do it justice. Look at how beautiful these sandwiches are!  

And by the way, you should have seen the eye rolling I got from the men in our party, "Hold on guys, Lori's gotta take her 537th photo of gelato...."

Yes, the gelato was very photogenic.

And cute shop-fronts, quaint restaurants...

Bars (for coffee not beer), pizzerias and gelaterias are everywhere...

We ate our weight in pizza, I believe, and most was excellent. Generally, if we were in a nicer restaurant the pizza was well worth it. And the toppings were wonderful- anchovies, ham, fresh basil and the quattro formaggi- which was an artery clogger- was sooooooooo delicious!

I may have to buy a red check table cloth...

Did I mention that we had beautifully DRY weather for 98% of our glorious Italian vacation? And dining outside (with a heater of course) provided some great opportunities for people watching!

And did I mention that Italians apparently don't get sick of eating Italian food every day.

There isn't the culinary variety that we take for granted over here. We did see a couple of Chinese restaurants and an Irish Pub but mostly you have small neighborhood restaurants serving fresh pasta, beautiful salads and pizza. (I am spoiled by my beloved Portland: Mexican, Thai, Sushi, Middle Eastern food--and Italian-- all in my neighborhood!)

Food presentation is big here.  This is the little shop beside our condo with its meats and cheeses displayed so beautifully.  The pastries always looked gorgeous, the gelato was piled high and the holiday candy and bakery displays were amazing.  

Next up: the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum in Rome. Brace yourself.

Forty

                              Beanie, me, my brother Justin, Brandi (Bean's sister) and my husband Bert

Today is my birthday.  My fortieth. 

Four. Tee.

Truth be told it has taken me several months to adjust to the word "forty". Why is that? Why is it that my big birthdays- my 30th and 40th- were a bit harder to swallow but birthday 39 was just a walk in the park? Why is it on these birthdays we step back and look our lives and take stock: what should I have accomplished by the age of 40? 

“WHAT I DO TODAY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I AM EXCHANGING A DAY OF MY LIFE FOR IT.” –HUGH MULLIGAN

I googled "bucket list" and man, people have some odd ideas of things they *must* do before the kick the bucket. I have no desire to scuba dive, go to Burning Man or own a Capuchin monkey... but here is my list:

1. Italy
2. Learn to play chess 
3. Learn French
4. Be a good parent. Successfully raise a teenager. (work in progress)
5. Sea kayak in Alaska
6. Go white water rafting
7. Bungee jump
8. Ride a jet ski (well I rode on the back of one, does that count?)
9. Machu Picchu – Cuzco, Peru
10. Killer whale watching in the San Juan Islands
11. Drive across America, coast to coast
12. Try crazy bug food in Asia
13. Celebrate Chinese New Year in China
14. Ride in a helicopter
15. Santa Fe New Mexico
16. Feel an earthquake
17. Yellowstone National Park
18. Get another tattoo 
19. Grand Tetons National Park
20. Yosemite National Park
21. Glacier National Park
22. See a professional tennis match
23. See a professional baseball game
24. See a professional football game
25. See a professional basketball game
26. Switzerland
27. Visit The Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand
28. Hike on a glacier
29. San Francisco, California
30. Key West Florida
31. Pyramids and Sphinx – Cairo, Egypt
32. Australia
33. Nepal/Tibet
34. Grand Canyon 
35. Las Vegas, Nevada
36. London, England
37. Redwoods
38. Guggenheim Museum – New York
39. Walt Disney World – Orlando, Florida
40. Maui, Hawaii
41. Spain
42. Amazon Jungle – Peru/Bolivia/Colombia/Brazil/Ecuador
43. India
44. Chichen Itza – Mexico
45. Athens, Greece
46. Niagara Falls – New York
47. Day of the Dead, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
48. New Orleans, Louisiana
49. Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany
50. Take a photography class

And since I have so many culinary aspirations I decided to come up with a culinary bucket list as well:

1. Homemade bagels
2. Pok Pok's Pad Thai
3. Decent cinnamon rolls
4. Banh Mi sandwiches
5. French Crepes
6. Nigella's Sticky Gingerbread
7. Tikka Masala
8. Triple Layer Salted Caramel Cake
9. Fresh pasta
10. Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole (yes indeedy)
11. Pizza a la Colleen
12. Real sourdough bread
13. Tortillas
14. Paella
15. Cioppino 
16. Homemade Yogurt
17. Thai shrimp salad rolls
18. Graham crackers
19. The cheesecake of all cheesecakes
20. Egg rolls

Today has been a lovely day. Went out to breakfast, saw the latest Sherlock Holmes movie, had ice cream for lunch, got Cold Play tickets (yahoo!) and this cookbook, bought some books, went out to dinner and now am crashing: new books + sugar coma = bliss.

Tomorrow I start a new decade.

Bring it.

New Year's Resolutions: Take 39

Our recent trip to Italy has made me contemplate many things: 

• How do women in Italy walk effortlessly along cobblestone streets in high heels?
• How can I figure out a way to get paid to quit my job and do a comprehensive and exhaustive study of tiramisu?
• How can I incorporate more gelato into my life?

• Is there a height requirement to be a nun? Every nun we saw was 5 feet tall or shorter.

• What is the life expectancy of a person trying to cross a busy street in Rome?
• Would there be life without Nutella?
• Why aren't the city streets filled with overweight Italians? How could I have eaten, for the last 17 days, a brioche every morning, slice after slice of pizza, glorious amounts of gelato and more pasta than I have ever consumed at any point in my life and... I still LOST TWO POUNDS.

 Here are my observations:

• I walked my ass off.  We literally walked aaaaaaaaaaaall day. All day. If we weren't wandering around the city streets we were running to catch a bus. If we weren't on a walking tour we were running to make a train. 
• Every place we stayed had stairs. Not three steps up to the front porch, I'm talking 20-70 stairs up to each apartment. And you're walking up these stairs multiple times a day. And they are old steps, constructed ages ago when steps didn't need to be "to code"-- one step 8 inches, 1 step 11 inches, and the next butt burning step is 15 inches tall. Oh my Lord.
• You will not find Ranch dressing in Italy. Or Thousand Island, Creamy Italian, or Catalina. Italians use oil and vinegar. Period.
• There aren't fast food joints on every corner.  I saw a few McDonald's and one Burger King restaurant and, don't get me wrong, they were packed, but there were no Taco Bells, Arby's, or Jack in The Boxes everywhere.

So while I don't plan to continue to eat pizza and pasta every day (I actually found myself craving broccoli) here are my new year's resolutions:

1. Use my legs more and my car less.
2. Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
3. No more store-bought salad dressing.
4. No fast food.
5. No more Nutella.
6. Buy a snazzy, red Vespa scooter. 

The Year In Review

What I've cooked.

What I've grown.

What I've made.

Another year is winding down. And this post makes me appreciate all my friends in blog land- thanks to you I always have great ideas for projects at the click of a mouse. I have enjoyed seeing what you all have created, grown and cooked over the years. You help me keep the creative juices flowing- whether I need a good book suggestion or a a recipe- I always know where to go. You guys rock! 

So here's to another creative year!

Bird's Nest Christmas Ornaments

I save everything.  Bottle caps, wine corks, plastic flowers, beads, paperclips, wire...birds from the dollar store...I never know when I'm going to need this stuff! Pack rat? Yes, but I always have junk when I need it!  

So I knew I had to get these nests when I saw them in the thrift store the other day. My grandmother made the nest there in the center and I always loved it. Mine, however, are bird's nests on steroids.

Glittery plastic flowers. Check.

Spray glitter. Check.

Butterflies and Birds. Check.

Hot glue gun. Oh baby. Check.

Things are starting to feel festive around here.  Glitter always helps!

I'm so inspired by all you crafty people, making such cool things this season. I love visiting you guys and seeing what you're making! So if you're in need of some crafty holiday inspiration yourself try this list.  And if you want to sneak away for a moment to recharge that warm & cozy holiday feeling, go here. Liesl's collage of photos makes me want to quit my job and move to rural Montana.

Cheers!

Crafty Holiday

Hello my crafty friends!

Did you survive Thanksgiving? Did you eat your body weight in candied yams? Did you deep fry a turkey and almost burn your house down? The fire department wasn't called this year so I have nothing of real interest to report.

All was good but I am just completely unable to get every dish out on the table, hot and at the same time. I kept thinking Gordon Ramsay was going to jump out and start screaming at me because my mashed potatoes were cold and the rolls weren't out of the oven yet...

But alas, the Crack Pie made up for everything. Mmmmmmmmm. Crack.

The best part about the Thanksgiving holiday is the four days off alone with my sewing machine... making Christmas gifts!

You know, Christmas has been different for me the last few years. Less pressure. Even though I am scrambling to pack and be ready to for a blissful Christmas vacation here on December 17th, I am still relatively stress-free. Why? Because I am not paying one bit of attention to the ads on TV. I had no interest in Black Friday or any other occasion where I need to be at Walmart at 4am or any other time. 

I am creating, crafting, canning-- making stuff.  I am seeking small, meaningful gifts for people I love. I am avoiding the stress, the Christmas rush and the crazy expectations I inevitably set for myself.

How are you staying sane this season?

The Plan

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?  This year instead of haphazardly waiting until the last minute to plan and then having to shop late with all the other crazy-stressed-out-haphazardly-waiting-til-the-last-minute-shoppers. Today I am prepared. Tomorrow I will be stress-free...I hope!

So here is my menu:

Appetizers: 

• Onion Dip with crackers and chips

Drinks

• Seasonal Beer
• Apple Cider

Entrees

• Turkey in a bag using this brine. 

Side Dishes

• My Mom's Famous Cornbread Stuffing
• Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
• Creamy Sweet Potatoes
• Bacon wrapped green beans
• Dinner Rolls

 Sauces:

• Gravy
• My nectarine chutney, canned this summer

  Desserts:

• Cheesecake
• Crack Pie

How 'bout that menu for a sugar-fueled, carb-induced coma?

Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving with your families!  I am thankful for all of you, my blogging friends!

Change

So this month's posts are dedicated to gratitude.

I am grateful for autumn; the last fickle bits of this season before we slip into winter.

I'm thankful for obscure varieties of apples and stirring apple butter in a copper pot until my back aches. 

What are you thankful for today?

Dia De Los Muertos

Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday which is a celebration and colorful way of remembering friends and family members who have passed away. Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back to the Aztecs hundreds of years ago. 

Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skills, marigolds, and making the favorite foods and beverages of the departed. 

We have a little nook in our dining room which is the perfect shape for our altar. We have photos out of people we'd like to remember and while I couldn't lay my hands on any marigolds around here, we did try our hand at making Pan De Muerto and it turned out great!

I love the imagery, the colors, and the sentiment behind this holiday.