vita nostra

Transitions

2011-12-18T08:35:00.000-05:00

Santorini, Greece

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been awhile hasn't it?

I suppose I owe you an update.

Corfu Architecture

My last update was supposed to be a little overview of my summer vacation - part two. Given that we're decorating Christmas trees, wrapping gifts and sending holiday cards at the moment, I feel that the summer vacation ship has long since sailed. I'll say briefly that I treasure the moments I was able to spend with family new and old. Memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

It has been a season of transitions of almost every variety. I'm still in the midst of it all at the moment, but once I get my new rhythm back, I hope to begin posting again on a more regular schedule and share a little more about what I'm up to. Thanks to all of you who have expressed concern about my disappearance. I promise I'm still around, just temporarily diverted.

Green Door in Greece

Before life took some turns this fall, John and I spent ten wonderful days cruising in the Mediterranean. I like to think of it as the calm before the storm. (Isn't it funny how life is often like this?)

Plaka Street Art, Athens Greece

I've sprinkled some images from this trip throughout this post, many of which are available (shameless plug) at Vita Nostra on etsy. I'll be back soon to give a more comprehensive update for any of you who many be planning an upcoming trip to the area.

See you soon... meanwhile, enjoy your final preparations before the holidays!

Cafe in Athens, Greece

What I Did on My Summer Vacation - Part One

2011-09-12T14:04:00.000-04:00

My little summer break extended into an unforeseen but welcomed long summer break.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

(In the style of a back to school report as I feel like writing in short sentences and showing you lots of pictures. 'Tis the season.)

Part One

First, I took a fun road trip from Wisconsin to Saint Louis.

Roadside oddities made the long drive fun.

The road food was interesting.

We had some of the merely edible variety...

And the.... this is so good I think about it often variety but eating too many of these would make me fat and unhealthy so I will just cherish the memory variety.

(In case you are wondering, that is a bratwurst burger on a pretzel roll with sweet potato fries.)

I went to the zoo and felt sad for this bear. Despite the fact that he might be smiling.

I visited the town where my dad grew up.

And took bad pictures of cows from the car window.

I saw the only five arch bridge in the United States. There are two in the entire world.

It was kind of a let down. (We had more fun building a mock up while sitting in the cafe eating mediocre soup.)

We played hours of roadside bingo. I did not take any pictures of this, but it was fun.

In between all of this excitement on the road, we spent a lot of quality time with family old and new. It was a very special visit. I loved seeing everyone.

(Next time, I won't wait so long to go back.)

A big thank you to everyone who made our visit so special and fun! Next time you are in North Carolina... I'd love to do the same for you!

I would show you some of the family pictures I took, but that might take away from my fun roadside attractions. Maybe in part two.

Do you like road trips? What's your favorite part?

Blueberry Clafoutis

2011-06-22T10:14:00.000-04:00

I cheated.

I peaked in at around 40 minutes. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

Living, breathing, sighing, heaving.

My clafoutis was alive. Billowing sheets of yellow custard. Breathing in and out. Hot, heavy breath.

I closed the oven door and walked away. Tried to forget what I just saw.

Five minutes more. The buzzer.

One more heaving sigh and then silence. A lone blueberry exuded itself through the now thin crust of golden yellow.

This is one hot little dessert.

A classic french dessert, traditionally made with cherries, it is a cross between a baked custard and an airy puffy pancake. Very easy to put together and the results are subtly sweet and light. (Makes great leftovers for breakfast.)

Do you have a favorite blueberry recipe?

Blueberry Clafoutis

Ingredients

1 pint blueberries, rinsed
3 whole eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup flour

butter
mint for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter your baking dish and layer bottom with blueberries. Set aside. I used a 9 inch cake pan.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, cream, sugar and almond extract. Mix in flour to form a smooth batter.

Pour batter over blueberries and let settle to reach all sides.

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until you reach a golden topping. Remove from oven. The clafoutis will naturally puff and deflate. Let sit for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh mint before serving.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2011-06-20T09:46:00.000-04:00

What's with the red hot dogs anyway?

Is this a southern tradition that I need to know about?

With bright red casings and sawdust like filling, I am not a fan.

I am a fan of all beef hot dogs and evening baseball.

Hot summer nights, cold beer, 'real' hot dogs, cotton candy mustaches...

My favorite part is trying to guess the height and weight of the guys on the field and then finding the answer in their playbook bios. (Only during the slow parts of course.)

Do you think they know they are being followed by a giant multicolored chicken?

We try and make a couple of Durham Bulls games each summer. A fun and inexpensive weeknight diversion close to home.

Are you a fan? What's your favorite part of the game?

Tuscan Pork Chops

2011-06-16T18:13:00.000-04:00

The lemon makes these pork chops amazing. It doesn't make an appearance until the very end and could be easily forgotten, but don't, because it brings the herbs and garlic and charri-ness to life.

I asked John to train me on the grill again. Again.

"Are you paying attention this time?"

"Yes, I swear, I'll remember."

"So turn this and then turn this and then turn that and then push this and then step back."

"Okay. Got it."

"Then let it heat up a bit and go to town."

"Easy. I have this. You go sit inside and relax. I will make dinner on the grill."

(A proud moment.)

I put on the random assortment of veggie kabobs. I purposely didn't put things in order. A couple of mushrooms here, some random tomatoes there, a red onion cap on a bald mushroom. I'm in charge tonight.

Grilling is fun.

I put on the sweet potatoes. Our fourth food group.

And then I put on these gorgeous pork chops which had been bathing in a marinade of garlic and lots of herbs and olive oil. Tuscan-like, I think.

I fended off the bugs attacking me on the deck and peaked inside periodically.

When they were done, they looked like this.

The turning-on-the-grill instructions may have gone in one ear and out the other (sorry John), but I did write down this recipe. I hope you will try it. We both said that it was the best we'd had in a long time. Way better (and less expensive) than any restaurant.

(Am I the only one who can never remember how to start the grill?)

Tuscan Pork Chops
serves 2

Ingredients
2 bone-in pork chops
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, halved
salt and pepper

Preparation
Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper. Let sit out at room temperature while you prepare the marinade.

Combine olive oil, vinegar, sage, rosemary and garlic. Pour over pork chops and marinate for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat your grill to medium high (hopefully you already know how to do this!).

Place pork chops on grill. Grill about 5 minutes on the first side. Flip and grill the second side for another 4 minutes. (Note - your grilling times may vary. This timing worked really well for us.)

Let the pork chops rest for a minute or two and then liberally sprinkle each piece with juice of half a lemon.

The Last Hurrah

2011-06-12T08:22:00.000-04:00

Five parties, seven months and more happier moments than I can count later, the wedding season officially draws to a close.

New Hampshire welcomed us with open arms! (Home truly is where the heart is.)

Here's to celebrating and picking up where we left off! Time and space occur, but love and friendship remain.

To great food prepared by great people. (If you are in New England, check out A Day to Remember... can't recommend highly enough! They made our day seamless and are true professionals in every sense.)

To new friends who look fabulous in black and white and whom I'd love to drag along with me on my next trip to Italy!

To two of my favorite men. (that allowed me to pose with them and have given a permanent and unstated consent to have their pictures posted in my blog :)

To family friends who loved my mother dearly and shared this with me in a way that no one else could. (I didn't capture pictures of all of you, but you know who you are, and thank you... your words and memories mean so much to me. And for those that are pictured below, if you squint real hard and look to the upper right...)

To early summer outdoor dining with dear friends and neighbors, great food and lots of laughter and celebrating!

To my kitty babies, who still recognize me after all these years and even offered a pose or two.

To my husband, who indulges my need to take cheesy pictures of myself and loves me anyway.

Cheers to it all! A special thanks to our parents for all of your love and support and lots and lots of fun along the way! We appreciate and cherish each and every moment.

I couldn't have asked for a better visit to New Hampshire. It's been a great week, but I'm ready to return to my new home where I know I will be welcomed by another set of open arms that made all of this possible.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

Summer Quinoa Salad with Fennel, Squash, Peas, Leeks and Corn

2011-05-31T14:40:00.000-04:00

There is something mind numbingly peaceful about shucking peas.

The tug of the string, the snap of the casing, the pop, pop, pop of sweet little peas hitting the bowl. (Or, the floor.)

Feisty little things.

I'm heading out of town again. Visiting the family in New Hampshire. The weather report is predicting mid 70s and sunny. A vacation from the overly balmy 98 we are dealing with in North Carolina today.

I told myself I'd get up early and hit the trail before the sun rose and the cicadas woke up. (Didn't happen.)

What did happen is a sweat soaked mid-day romp through the woods, fending off gnats and breathing in warm jasmine coated air. Sunscreen dripping from my red skin. All the more sweeter for those little gnats. They like me.

I think they might like this salad also. It's sweet. And cool.

Given our pending escape, I did a swing through the fridge to clear out the 'forgotten'. I was rewarded with peas, corn on the cob, leeks, baby fennel and some yellow squash.

They came together to produce a light and fragrant summer salad when combined with quinoa. If you've stopped by here before, you know how much I love quinoa.

The corn and freshly shucked peas add crisp sweetness and color; the fennel and basil in the dressing add fragrance. The leeks provide a little earthiness which together with the olive oil and garlic give this salad a little more depth. This recipe makes a huge bowl of summer salad. Divvy it up into sides or eat as a main if you are looking for a light vegetarian dinner.

Cool and sweet and strangely calming.

Do you do this? The fridge sweep before traveling?

Summer Quinoa Salad with Fennel, Squash, Peas, Leeks and Corn

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, green and white parts only, halved and sliced
1 cup freshly shucked peas*
3 ears corn, kernels removed
4 small yellow squash, chopped
1 baby fennel bulb, sliced thin and chopped

Preparation
Prepare the quinoa. In a medium pot, add 1 cup rinsed quinoa to 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare vegetables. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium low heat. Add leeks and saute for 5 minutes until softened. Stir peas and corn into leeks and saute for another 3 - 5 minutes. Raise heat to medium and add in squash and fennel. Saute for another 3 - 4 minutes until crisp tender. Remove vegetable mixture from heat and prepare dressing (below).

Combine cooled quinoa, vegetables and dressing in large bowl. Use all of the dressing for a wetter salad. If you prefer drier, use less.

Basil Fennel Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, loosely packed
1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds (the dill looking part)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 - 5 turns cracked pepper

Preparation
Add all ingredients to small bowl and whisk together until combined.

*Fresh peas add a special sweetness and crispness to this salad, but you could also substitute with frozen.

Lake House Salad with Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-05-30T14:16:00.001-04:00

Coppertone. Burning coals. Oreo cookies.

Smells like Memorial Day Weekend.

Lathered in lotions to kick start our summer tans, decked out in neon bathing suits, reading the latest issue of Glamour. If I'm honest, throw in some big hair and way too long fingernails. True children of the 80s.

First weekend of summer.

At the lake in New Hampshire, hanging out at the kitchen counter. Feet freshly rinsed clean from sand. Wrapped in towels to keep from soaking the furniture.

With the Indy 500 whizzing by in the background, we dangle our feet from stools and take breaks from the sun. Hot dogs with mustard straight from the grill. Salads doused in Italian dressing. Oreos for dessert. Oreos for a snack. Oreos... just because we could.

Sweatshirts in the evening. Cool lake air. Baseball with our neighbors. Rummy on the porch. Movies on the couch. Sleeping like little babies.

(These days, it's a little less about the oreos and a little more about the salads and the sunscreen.)

What is it about holidays that bring back memories from our childhood? What smells do you equate with summer?

Lake House Salad
serves 6 - 8

Ingredients
Head of lettuce, rinsed, rough chopped
2 cups baby spinach
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup snow peas, chopped
6 - 8 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 large red onion, diced
1/2 cucumber, chopped

Preparation
Add everything to a large bowl and mix. Toss with vinaigrette when ready to serve.

*******************

Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Add all ingredients to small bowl and whisk until combined. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Summer Salad or any other salad that you prefer!

Life Lessons from BlogHer Food 2011

2011-05-27T09:46:00.000-04:00

Life lessons from a food blogger conference? Stick with me... I think you'll find a few nuggets of wisdom.

I've had a few days back from BlogHer Food in Atlanta to unwind/recover/think about the trip. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend a conference with a group of truly diverse, talented, energetic, intelligent and savvy women and men (yes, there were a number!) You can pretty much throw any stereotype you may have of a 'blogger' right out the window. Definitely not one size fits all.

500 bloggers with interests (and locations) all over the map. Baking, travel, history, politics, unique dietary lifestyles, the environment... it was all there. If you can think of it, someone has a passion for it and is writing about it. I'm still working my way through a stack of business cards trying to tie it all together. So much squeezed into two short days. Focused learning intermingled with socializing and a constant growing "to-do" list of ideas to incorporate back at home.

Being surrounded by so much talent is incredibly energizing and empowering and at the same time very overwhelming. I focused my personal agenda on the topics of photography and writing, with a sprinkling of technology and marketing. I arrived home mentally drained after two packed days.

I met several bloggers who are establishing their blogs now and applaud them loudly for their decision to learn before doing. I took a different path. My personality requires that I jump in feet (or head) first (minus the floaties). I had no idea conferences like this even existed. If you are a blogger, new or old, thinking about attending, just do it. For a newbie, I'll admit, it is a little intimidating at first, but I remind myself that newbies attract other newbies and no one really wants to be alone.

I didn't get to see too much of Atlanta. I dined with the very talented Jes from Urban Sacred Garden (check out her blog... beautiful in so many ways...) and field tripped it to the Sweet Auburn Market one afternoon. While brief, I enjoyed my time in this southern city and ate (entirely) too much. Sigh.

This urban market was a visual feast, brimming with pork products, iridescent blue crab, BBQ, ground on site burgers, uniquely flavored popsicles and all kinds of vibrant fruits and vegetables. A great outing if you find yourself in Atlanta with time to spare. Bonus points if you like Yellow Root Tea. There was lots of it. (extra bonus points if you can tell me what it is.)

I'll leave you with a few lessons learned that I hope you will find useful as well:

Learn light. Learn dark.
Be you. Authentically you.
Everyone starts somewhere, usually at the beginning.
You are your own brand.
Dive right in.
Be active, not passive.
Use your senses, all your senses.
Edit yourself. Less is usually more.
Tell your story. Listen to other people's stories.
Ask questions, lots of questions.
Life is a series of chapters.
Be unique, but figure out when you need to color within the lines.
Get closer to the source.
Change starts at home.
Get a little mad sometimes.
Be the King (or Queen) of your household.
Simplicity is good, but sometimes messiness can be very effective.
Strive to be an artist.
Try new things.
Practice, practice, practice.

PS - In case you are wondering, that's a "Soul Roll" in the first picture. Think lots of southern things stuffed into a freshly fried egg roll. I hear it got good reviews.

What life lessons have you picked up in unexpected places?

Tandoori Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

2011-05-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

The trip home yesterday was uneventful.

I woke up. Packed my bags. Looked around the room. Checked out of the hotel. Grabbed a taxi. Chatted with driver on a traffic free trip to the airport. Checked into my flight. Breezed through security. Bought two magazines. Read one magazine. Found my seat at the back of the plane. Ate peanuts. Read another magazine. Took a five minute nap. Landed. Called John to pick me up. Walked outside. Got in car.

Truly. Uneventful.

After all of the buzz and excitement of the past couple of days, my re-entry into normal life was quite calm.

I had a wonderful time at BlogHer Food in Atlanta. Still digesting it all (pun intended).

I'll share some of this with you here, but for now, will share our dinner from last night.

Our conversation in the car ride home:

"I'm tired."

"Okay, so what do you want for dinner?"

"Don't care. What do we have?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Bread, peanut butter and jelly, one egg."

I knew there had to be more to it. Sure enough, my vegetable drawer still held a virtual bounty of last weeks farmers market score. A couple of sweet potatoes, some baby spinach. Carrots. Garlic. Cilantro. A bag of lentils that's been sitting in the back of my pantry waiting for the right day. I started to develop a plan, inspired by Smitten Kitchen's recipe for Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes.

Ignore the fact that it was 90 degrees in North Carolina yesterday. Not exactly soup weather. I cranked the AC inside and was rewarded with some healthy and colorful comfort food, perfect for unwinding after a long weekend away. Sweet and mildly spicy, highly flavorful. The depth of the spices was lightened by liberal use of cilantro and sprinkling of lime. Filling and nutritious. Will definitely make this again.

(As a bonus, this recipe is multipurpose. If you like soup, cook it less. If you like stew, cook it more. Great leftovers too.)

How was your weekend? Has your re-entry into Monday been bearable?

Tandoori Lentils and Sweet Potatoes (6 - 8 servings)

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 medium sized carrots, peeled, sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon tandoori spice*
3 teaspoons grated ginger
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 cup lentils, rinsed
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
garnish - light sour cream, cilantro, lime juice

Preparation

Heat oil on stove in large soup pot until warm. Add carrots and sweet potatoes and saute on medium heat until slightly softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add chopped garlic and ginger and saute another minute or two until fragrant. Stir onion powder and tandoori spice into vegetable mixture until coated.

Pour chicken broth and water into pot and stir. Add lentils and bay leaf and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Add in chopped spinach, salt and pepper and stir. Cook for another 30 - 60 minutes on low heat until you reach desired consistency.

Remove from heat and remove bay leaf. Serve garnished with light sour cream and liberal sprinkling of cilantro and lime juice.

*I use Penzey's Tandoori spice, which can be found online or in local retail shops.

On the Road Again

2011-05-18T16:54:00.000-04:00

I was supposed to post a recipe for this today, before I head out of town.

I wanted to impress you with my superior recipe development skills in the event that any of my soon to be met friends from this upcoming weekend visit my blog. It was the one final thing I was going to post before leaving. Unfortunately, I can't find my beautifully hand written and well tested recipe anywhere. Despite tearing apart the kitchen this morning. You'll just have to trust that I did want to impress you (really, I did).

I am not planning on doing anything else to get ready for this trip. I made a conscious decision to just show up and maybe have a little fun. No pressure. No meeting to prepare for, no presentation, no complicated travel arrangements.

I'm heading to Atlanta to attend the 2011 BlogHer conference. My first trip traveling solo since last year in Europe. Solo and won't know a soul. Fabulous. I am actually super excited about it.

Truth be told, I felt guilty for about two minutes. I had a few flashbacks to a certain "Real Housewife" of "Somewhere" who hadn't traveled anywhere without her husband since they were married. (Think years. Don't ask me how I know this.)

I'm over feeling guilty, because that's kind of lame, but I am back to feeling excited. I've read my 39 page pre conference guide and reviewed the getting ready checklist. Then I worked on some really important stuff like painting the remaining 8.5 of my toenails pink as they haven't seen the light of day since my honeymoon; going for a really long walk in the woods because I've been feeling lazy and exercise is the perfect pre travel happiness drug; making these banana cupcakes with our ever growing collection of brown bananas.

Sounds like I am procrastinating, doesn't it? In any event, I'm looking forward to lots of learning, fun and hopefully some new friends from this trip! I think it will be good for me to get away on my own again.

PS - I want to thank you for all of your fun comments on my sandwich post. I almost didn't write it as it felt a little ridiculous in its simplicity, but I'm glad I did. I got hungry just reading your comments.

I'm curious, what are your thoughts on solo travel? Love it or hate it or somewhere in between?

My Favorite Sandwich

2011-05-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

Do you have a favorite sandwich?

I'm on a crazy egg kick at the moment. Such a perfect little food. The "incredible edible egg" all wrapped up in a biodegradable package, full of protein and so versatile. I've been playing with frittatas and quiches lately but I always come back to the simple fried egg. A little crispy on the edges, but still oozy in the middle. Definitely has to be oozy.

Did you know that the egg has 13 essential minerals and vitamins and only 70 calories? Not too bad.

The egg is really the cornerstone of this sandwich. Add a little avocado and some mustard and you have yourself a great little lunch. I'm not even sure this qualifies as a recipe, given how simple it is, but sometimes simple truly is best!

What's your favorite?

Egg and Avocado Sandwich

Ingredients

1 egg, fried
1/2 avocado, sliced thin
two slices whole wheat bread
Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Fry egg to your usual preference. I recommend sunny side up and soft in the middle, purely for the ooze factor.

Lightly toast two slices of bread. Spread one side with Dijon mustard. Top with avocado slices.

Add egg to second slice. Season with salt and pepper. Put the two parts together and enjoy!

Trip to the Farmers Market

2011-05-11T13:29:00.000-04:00

Beets! Good.

Beets from the Farmers Market! Sooooo good.

Aren't these gorgeous? Everything about them screams earthy perfection. Dirt covered and all.

Enough about the beets. We made it to the NC Farmers Market this weekend for the first time in, well, forever. I don't know why I avoid the Farmers Market in the colder months, seems easier to just order the CSA box. But as soon as warmer weather arrives, this is definitely one of my favorite destinations. So much to choose from, so much eye candy!

We filled our bags to the brim. Spring onions, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, peas...

Check out these potatoes...

They made us giggle (Farmer's Market humor).

We wandered over to the flowers. John and I apparently have different methods in choosing our spring plants. I was all set to pick out bunches of beauties to plant in our yard and garden and display on our front porch. John suggested we make a plan first. Sigh. (Although it means we will be back this weekend!)

Rounded the trip out with a visit to the pork farmer. That's him... the actual farmer. (We picked up a package of fresh bratwurst, which I proceeded to make, Wisconsin style, and they were fabulous.)

All in all, a great visit. Looking forward to our return this weekend.

Do you have a local Farmer's Markets? Any favorite must haves during your visits?

Greens and Beans

2011-05-06T12:56:00.000-04:00

It's Friday. Pretty happy about that. Yesterday was one of those days that I wanted to do a do-over on starting around 3pm. No real reason. Was a beautiful sunny blue sky day, I got lots done, but just wasn't working for me. Some days are just this way.

Last night we took a walk around the neighborhood and talked about ordering pizza for dinner tonight. I can't remember the last time we did that. I should make it myself, but feeling supremely lazy.

One more night of what John calls "Vegetable Surprise".

This one consists of farm fresh arugula, white beans and baby green garlic. Have you tried green garlic before? It has a subtler flavor than regular garlic, but looks more like a leek with an onion attached to the end. Was a nice alternative.

Thanks to all of you for your supportive comments earlier this week. It really meant a lot.

We had a nice night celebrating. The pesto with summer roasted vegetables and whole wheat pasta was better individually than the sum of its parts. Something about the whole wheat and pesto didn't mesh. Plus, it turned a really strange unphotogenic shade of green. The summer vegetables were wonderful though... fresh corn, radishes, grape tomatoes and asparagus, tossed with olive oil and roasted at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes.

The flowers were a gift from me to me and from John to me. I must have been sending out an "I need flowers" vibe that day.

Arugula, White Beans and Green Garlic Wilted Salad

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks green garlic, white and light green parts only, sliced
1 can great northern beans, rinsed
2 bunches arugula
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat olive oil in large pan on medium low heat. Add diced onion and green garlic to pan and saute 3 - 4 minutes. Add drained can of beans to onion mixture and heat for another 2 - 3 minutes.

Add arugula to pan and saute until slightly wilted, 1 - 2 minutes.

Remove immediately from heat and toss with apple cider vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

**************

I happen to love arugula. I love the spiciness and bitterness of it. For those that aren't huge fans, the apple cider vinegar helps to tone it down a bit and round out the flavor with a bit of brightness. This is a refreshing summer side dish that only takes a few minutes to put together.

I'm still looking forward to pizza tonight though...

What are your plans for this weekend?

Birthday Pesto and Memories of Cinque Terre

2011-05-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

Today's is my mother's birthday. Even though she is no longer with us, every year it is easier for me to imagine that she would fully expect us to spend the day celebrating.

As time heals and happier memories replace more difficult times, I've found comfort in doing things she loved. My mom loved to cook and we often cooked together. When I was older this was mostly over the holidays when we'd travel to get together with family. My dad would always politely complain that we would make too much and would warn us to keep it simple. But really, that's not much fun is it?

But today is all about fun and simple and definitely celebration. With warmer (and almost downright hot) temperatures finally here, I start thinking again about summer foods. Fresh pesto tops the list. When the basil is still young, green and fresh and hasn't yet blossomed out of control, or worse yet, wilted and withered into dusty shades of old brown crispy leaves.

This simple pesto begins with the most basic ingredients: spinach, basil, olive oil, lemon, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Thrown into the blender and that's about it.

Tonight this pesto will transform a summer pasta dish I am experimenting with for our little birthday party. Whole wheat pasta tossed with all of the best (almost) summer vegetables I could find, roasted in the oven and bursting with flavor. Treated with a coating of freshly made pesto, I'm thinking this is not only going to be good, but celebration worthy. And that's really what today is all about.

Before we get to the recipe, here's a few images from a family trip to Italy about five years back which inspired this birthday menu. We spent a memorable day together in Cinque Terre, hiking the hills, sipping local wine and eating fresh pesto with even fresher pasta on the edge of the sea. Cinque Terre is everything that good pesto is. Simple, beautiful, fresh, lemony, earthy, and just a touch salty.

Spinach Basil Pesto

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
juice of one medium lemon
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Preparation

Add the first five ingredients to blender or food processor and blend until combined. Add in cheese and blend again. Salt to taste.

***********************

It's that simple!

I'll let you know how the summer pasta turns out. Wishing you a celebration of your own kind tonight!

Farmers Market Frittata

2011-04-27T11:44:00.001-04:00

I'm feeling like my last post was all doom and gloom. I didn't intend for that, but it really was an altering experience. I was talking to John about it after he read my post and he said it was a good thing I closed my eyes when I did. We were truly lucky.

Despite the storm and the disappointment that my family wasn't able to make it in due to weather related travel disruptions, Easter weekend turned itself around. We had a great visit with family, ending with a fabulous Easter brunch filled with gorgeous fruits, eggs, pastries and ham. I wish I had hauled out the camera so I could show you a picture of the beautiful table, but I was preoccupied with eating it all. So good!

The day ended with an Easter egg hunt for all the little ones. We had some tears, white clothes and knees turned muddy, kite flying and tons of nostalgic cuteness. I can remember my own days of Easter egg hunts in the yard on Easter morning. I'm pretty sure my brother and I fought over an egg or two. Kids are funny (and cute).

In keeping with the Easter/spring theme, I thought I'd share a quick and easy recipe that is perfect for a Sunday morning at home. I used a bunch of ingredients we had left over from this weeks CSA box, but you could easily substitute your own "end of week" vegetables in this very adaptable recipe.

Farmers Market Frittata (serves 2)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup red onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
2/3 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups baby spinach, rough chopped
4 large eggs
3/4 shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons skim or reduced fat milk
1/2 teaspoon dill
salt and pepper
1 small tomato, diced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crack four eggs into medium size bowl. Whisk until blended. Add 1/4 cup shredded cheese, dill and two tablespoons milk. Stir and set aside.

Heat medium sized skillet over medium/low heat. Add and melt butter in skillet. Add red onions and saute for 3 - 4 minutes until slightly softened. Add garlic and saute 1 minute until fragrant. Add sliced mushrooms to vegetable mixture and saute 3 - 4 additional minutes. Add spinach and saute until wilted, about another minute. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour egg mixture over vegetables in skillet and swirl pan until fully coated and even. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes over medium low heat on stove until eggs are mostly set. Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Place skillet in oven for another 5 minutes until ready (cheese is melted and slight browning). Remove from skillet and serve with fresh diced tomato.

**********************

On another note, I'm beginning to grow a small addiction to eggs lately. I'm thoroughly excited that I just received my first batch of farm fresh eggs in the box this week. They look like regular eggs, except for being a nice mixture of brown and white. I can't wait to see how they taste! I read an article on the plane this weekend about urban chicken coops. I'm not ready to go that far yet, but this might be a nice alternative.

Calm Before the Storm

2011-04-25T16:01:00.001-04:00

I had been watching the weather forecasts all week. Storm predictions scattered across the midwest did not look promising and I could almost guarantee that my dad and girlfriend, coming from up north, were going to make it into Saint Louis before we did for the Easter weekend with family. They were, in fact, scheduled to land roughly four hours before we were.

Our flight was looking good for an on time arrival until the last ten minutes before touch down. The captain came on to announce that due to storms in the area we needed to make a wide swing and approach from the west to avoid the bulk of it.

From one side of the plane, dark skies and lightening, from the other, this gorgeous pink glow.

We landed and called my dad to make sure he had arrived. He hadn't.

He was stuck in Chicago and his flight was cancelled due to severe weather.

Minutes later we were on the phone with John's dad waiting outside the terminal to be picked up for the ride back home. This is when the sirens started.

John says they call this area Tornado Alley.

I always sit in the front seat of the car, with John's dad driving. When he pulled up, I told John, "I am going to sit in the back seat, for safety reasons."

Being the planner that I am, I added "So, what is our plan if we get hit by this storm?"

Within seconds, the wind struck from one side of the car and the hail began. John calmly instructed the driver (his dad) to pull over, stop the car, get out and get into the ditch. But... it was too late.

The wind was violent. Coming from every direction. As we sat in this little metal box in the middle of the road, the sky took over. We grew quiet and knew we weren't going anywhere unless the storm took us. We were going to ride this out.

The car wouldn't move. Despite acceleration. Everything went dark, like someone turned off the lights in the sky. Debris hurtling by. A container the size of a large household appliance was flying directly at us, almost in slow motion. Everything was moving and yet time stood still.

I took off my heels, zipped up my purse, put my sweater over my head, closed my eyes and crouched down in between the seats in the back of the car and prayed. I did not see what happened next.

And then it was over. The winds calmed, the lights came back on and the car started to inch forward. In front of us, cars that were not there before, were backing up down the road. The road was full of things that should not be there.

We called home. The news said that there was a tornado that touched down at the airport.

I don't know what spared us, but I do know that we were incredibly lucky. I never (ever) want to experience a storm like this again. I pray for all of those that have been impacted by the violent weather over the past couple of weeks. It gives new meaning to life and reminds us of how fragile it all is.

Incredibly, and perhaps ironically, I managed to be out of town on the day the tornado came through downtown Raleigh, only to fly directly into another one the following weekend. I think maybe someone really wanted to teach us a lesson.

Life is truly a gift.

I hope everyone had a safe, healthy and happy Easter weekend with family and friends. We're back home now in very sunny and warm North Carolina and looking forward to a much less tumultuous week ahead.

Thai Basil and Mint Shrimp Stir Fry

2011-04-21T13:44:00.000-04:00

This is my idea of a perfect dinner.

Fresh, healthy, colorful, quick. (With a twist of lime and a sprinkling of fresh herbs.)

Back at home in North Carolina following my quick trip to visit my family up north. Arrived home to a sparkling clean house. A good sign that my husband really whooped it up while I was gone. I was happy.

Time to start doing some personal cleaning. Need to get rid of all the excessive carbs and salt from my travel. Since I consistently gain five pounds as soon as I set foot into a restaurant setting, I usually require some detoxification time, a little damage reversal. I always feel a gazillion times better afterwards, so it is in everyone's best interest to support me in this.

Today's recipe is just what I needed. I love shrimp. They take about two seconds to make (okay, three minutes) and it all ends up being very light. This one throws in some vibrant thai flavors that, along with my super clean house, made me a very happy girl.

And on an adventurous note, this recipe gave me a chance to conquer my fear of Asian Fish Sauce. Perhaps, an irrational one, but a fear nonetheless. Fear, no more.

Thai Basil and Mint Shrimp Stir Fry

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons southeast Asian Fish Sauce
5 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1 inch dice
1 medium yellow pepper, cut into 1 inch dice
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Preparation

Combine soy sauce, water, fish sauce and honey in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat wok on stove over medium high heat. Add olive oil until hot (water droplets should sizzle when added). Add ginger and garlic. Saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add shrimp to wok and stir fry for two to three minutes until just pink on all sides. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon and set aside in medium bowl.

Add onion, pepper and snow peas to wok and stir fry two minutes until just browned. Add soy sauce mixture to vegetables in wok and stir. Add shrimp to mixture and bring to a boil for another minute until shrimp is lightly glazed.

Add tomatoes to wok and stir fry another 15 to 30 seconds until coated.

Remove wok from stove and pour into serving dish. Add freshly squeezed lemon, basil and mint to top and gently mix. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Food Network. Substituted honey for the brown sugar. Substituted olive oil for the peanut oil. Eliminated chili's and jalepeno. Added additional garlic and snow peas. Served with quinoa.

What is your 'go to' detox dish?

A Walk with my Brother

2011-04-18T12:03:00.000-04:00

It is not often that I get to spend an entire afternoon with my brother. It is actually pretty rare that I even get a few hours. The man works more than almost anyone I know, with the exception of my husband. Oh, and maybe my dad. And probably me too, when I was working full time.

I feel lucky that I am able to visit him here in New York. Besides the free place to stay, its been lots of fun watching him move around the city and grow up a bit in the process. So yesterday, as the sun cleared away all the cloudy skies and warmed the spring air, he had a few hours break from his work and suggested we go for a walk through Central Park, one of my favorite spots in New York, actually in anywhere.

We walked the length of the park, talking and catching up on all the usual topics. I tried to sprinkle in little bits of older sisterly advice in the process. I figure someones got to do it.

It was a nice visit that brought back lots of good and some sad memories from the past several years. Even the sad memories are good though.

We ended up in his old neighborhood in the upper west side. Walking for hours can make you a little thirsty!

This is my (currently) single brother. He may kill me for this post and make me take it down immediately, but I think he secretly wants to be famous, so here he is. (He's a good guy.)

After a totally (un)healthy and salt laden dinner of chips, salsa and guacamole, we caught a cab back and dropped my brother back at his office and me back at his place. I settled into the futon for yet another documentary. Food, Inc. Profoundly disturbing and reinforcing. Kept me up for hours.

Today, after a quick and wonderful visit, I'm heading back to North Carolina. I miss home, my husband and my cat. I said my version of prayers for those impacted by the tornadoes this weekend. I'll have to do my own little damage patrol downtown tomorrow to make sure my place is still in tact.

Happy Monday.

Live From New York

2011-04-17T12:05:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday morning.

In New York for the weekend visiting with my dad and brother. It is good to be back.

After arriving on Friday and settling into my brother's place, we made a trip out to Brooklyn to try The Dressler for dinner. Had a wonderful time, would definitely recommend. Fabulous atmosphere, great food, better company.

Coming from North Carolina, I was not prepared for the semi frigid temps this weekend. I got out for a good long walk with my dad yesterday morning before the storms blew through the city last night. We did our usual marathon walk, which typically starts with some version of caffeinated beverage and the New York Times. My dad also started with a green tea cookie, which was surprisingly good, but who eats cookies for breakfast?

Post coffee, we headed north and kept walking until the rain was too heavy to continue. We stopped in the New York Public Library for my dad to look up a book for some work research, poked into Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building, even Macy's. Good stops for a cold and dreary day.

Before heading back home we ducked out of the rain for a bit for some hummus. Yum.

The rain and wind came through in full force once we got back to my brother's place. We decided to cancel our dinner reservations, order take out and spend the night inside watching a documentary marathon on netflix. I wasn't feeling super great anyway, so it was just a good quiet time home with the fam. (I consider the documentary watching an upgrade from previous marathons at my brothers house, which typically consisted of things like The Hills and Jersey Shore. I guess we really are getting old.)

This morning, another coffee stop and dropped my dad off. Beautiful outside. It has warmed up, the sun is out and the flowers are in full bloom. Today is looking much more promising.

Wishing you a great rest of your weekend wherever you may be!

Strawberries and Mangoes and Avocados ...... (oh my!)

2011-04-13T15:43:00.000-04:00

Here's exactly how I know it is officially Spring.

Strawberries, mangoes and avocados all go on sale at exactly the same time. Crazy, right?

The obvious signs of Spring can be sprouting all around me, but it is not officially Spring until this happens. Daylight savings, the obnoxious coat of yellow pollen, the ten foot black snake that appears on my walking trail, the frantic spring cleaning. All great indicators, but they do not have the final say.

I know when it happens because every year I get excited that my favorites are all on sale and I buy too much. And every year, without any sort of master plan, the first thing I always make is my special fruit salsa.

I am going to share it with you today, because I like you and I think you might like it. It is about as non-recipe as you can get. More a lesson in superior chopping skills.

If there's any flaw here, it is in the fresh herbs. Inevitably, by this time each year, I have procrastinated on planting my herb garden pots and have to give in to buying the ridiculously overpriced herbs in the plastic packaging with the dirt and roots. I like to think there's some sort of wash rule in effect where the reduced price of the fruits cancels out the exhorbitant amount of money I spend on basil and cilantro.

What's with those packaged herbs anyway? Is one suppose to plant these or just lop off the leaves? (serious question.)

Strawberry, Mango and Avocado Fruit Salsa

Ingredients

5 - 10 strawberries, diced
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Preparation

Add everything to a medium sized bowl and mix. Add several generous splashes of red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Super easy and very fresh. Everything good about spring in a colorful little fruit salsa. If I don't end up eating it all with spoon, I like to serve it with grilled chicken.

What is your official sign of spring?

The Idea Was Good

2011-04-08T11:37:00.000-04:00

I fell in love with this dessert. Head over heels. (if you squint and look close enough, you can actually see this illustrated in the spoon above.)

I had grand visions of recreating it at home. Bringing back a little taste of Charleston to our dinner table.

On our final night in Charleston, at FIG, we dined lavishly on all kinds of good stuff. I was thrilled that they even made me a "very special" vegetarian plate for my entree. I seriously felt awesome. Who gets to eat a plate full of beets and sunchokes and farro on their birthday? (yay, me.)

But the dessert, the dessert, was fabulous. I couldn't take any pictures as the romantic mood lighting made for some horrendous blur, but trust me when I tell you how good this was.

Chocolate Budino with Sea Salted Caramel and Toasted Hazelnuts

John wasn't super excited about it as he's not a fan of hazelnuts but he definitely jumped in after my first bite. I'd never had a budino before, an Italian pudding. It was light, smooth chocolate silk. As you slipped your spoon through the top layer of chocolate, you uncovered a buttery layer of salted caramel. Topped with toasted hazelnuts and a light dusting of flaky sea salt. I'm sure I say this alot, but we did feel like we had died and gone to heaven.

I knew I was going to try and recreate this at home. A way of celebrating my blog birthday and sharing something completely fabulous with all of you.

I cleared out my calendar, set aside an afternoon, turned on some tunes, laid out my ingredients and got to work. The sun was flooding the kitchen (spring, I love you.) and I was happy happy.

I had the makings of a caramel base going on the stove. The corn syrupy mixture turned a deep shade of amber and I removed it from the burner to 'gently' add the cream and butter and salt.

Here's where everything goes wrong. Apparently, I wasn't gentle enough. My promising caramel base turned into rock hard solid chunks of extremely salty candy like material. So I did what all good cooks do and dumped in a ton more sugar and an equal amount of butter followed by a heart stopping amount of cream. I whisked and stirred. Put it on the burner and took it off. High heat, low heat. Prayed a little.

Eventually, I had what looked like a caramel base. Looks, however, can be very deceiving. (It tasted like gritty, salty, sweet, chewy, stomach rotting, grittiness.)

I crossed my fingers that no one would notice and I buried that lump of caramel like base under an almost perfect layer of silky smooth dark chocolate Italian pudding.

Two seriously bad stomach aches later, one of which morphed into a case of viral like flu and I learned the hard way that sometimes it is just better to start over.

On a more positive note, I've been reading up on food styling and figured my little puddings would at the very least make for a fun photography session.

Any recent kitchen mishaps that you care to share? (Sometimes, it is just best to admit defeat.)

Our Home and Garden Tour in Charleston

2011-04-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

The rest of our lovely spring afternoon in Charleston was just as wonderful as the first part. We did not get tickets to the Home and Garden tour for this visit as we decided to do our own. The flowers were out in full force, adding color and lightness at every corner.

I have fallen a little bit in love with this black and cream house with contrasting grey wall. I love how the budding tree adds a little bit of an Asian feel to this historic property. The subtle pops of yellow and green are so fresh against the stone background.

John and I were planning to avoid lunch as we had a big breakfast and were anticipating my birthday dinner at FIG later that night. But, all that walking and the promise of she crab soup led us to 82 Queen for some time off our feet. I had been here several years earlier with my mother and as we had done at the time, John and I sat in the gorgeous little spring garden in the back at our own little private table for two. I love their sweet butterfly chairs and twinkling lights. We could have sat here all afternoon and the she crab soup was every bit as wonderful as I remembered!

After our rest, we wandered around Charleston some more, heading back to our inn to get ready for dinner. We were sidetracked every few minutes by a stop in one of the little shops. Love this antique shop with the dogs in the window! We made it back just in time as the skies grew increasingly darker as we walked. As we stepped inside, the rain started pouring.

Is it spring yet where you are? Are you enjoying the weather? We're looking at temperatures heading into the 80s again later this week... can't wait!

My Baby Is All Grown Up

2011-04-02T10:53:00.001-04:00

Subtitled: I Can't Believe My Blog Is One Year Old!

With additional Subtitles of: What a Difference a Year Makes; Birthday Weekend in Charleston; Look How Far We've Come and Did I Mention Vita Nostra is Celebrating its First Birthday!

A year ago today I was fumbling around with my suitcase, trying to squeeze two months worth of stuff I didn't need into something sized appropriately for dragging around Europe. As I waved goodbye to my home and new fiance for the final time, I admit, I shed a few tears. Anticipation and a little fear of what was to come. Okay, if I'm honest, a lot of fear.

So I did what I always do when I get a little anxious, I form grand ideas. I dove in and created my blog that first night as I sat all by my lonesome in my little hotel room sipping from a plastic cup of boxed wine and eating a mini frozen pizza from yet another cardboard box. Like most of my crazy ideas, I had no idea what I was doing, but I like a good challenge and knew that I would learn along the way. My primary motivation for starting Vita Nostra was to document my solo journey overseas and capture some memories along the way. I had no idea I'd love it so much and that I'd still be doing this a year later.

A year has passed and much has changed. I've grown as a person, my blog has evolved significantly from those early days of rambling thoughts, I've met lots of great new friends, experienced a life changing trip on my own and got married along the way. It has been a good year. I appreciate all of you who have read my blog and journeyed with me, commenting and providing support along the way. It is the reason I continue this.

It is fitting that on this anniversary of my blogs first birthday, I share some more images from my birthday weekend in Charleston. It was almost a perfect day. The warnings of rain and corresponding doom and gloom were replaced with bright spring air, sunny skies and fluffy clouds. After a grand breakfast at the dining table with our fellow guests and innkeepers, John and I grabbed our cameras and set out to explore.

We spent the morning on a tour of the city, stopping along the way to admire the charming architecture, newly blooming flowers and all the little details that make Charleston so unique. Like Paris, I found myself wishing I had more time to explore every nook and cranny. (But I suppose that is what return visits are for!)

The best kind of day, we walked for hours and hours, stopping in little art galleries, breathing in the fresh spring air, tripping over cobblestones and dreaming of a life of constant travel. Perhaps, some day?

Thanks for celebrating with me! I have an equal sense of anticipation as I delve into year two and can't wait to see what the future holds. For my fellow bloggers who've been at this for some time, any advice to share for someone entering their second year?

PS - Coming up next, another flavor of birthday celebration!

Interstate Pigs and Bean & Leek Soup with Caramelized Radish

2011-03-31T11:43:00.000-04:00

Interstate pigs and bean soup? This might sound a little crazy, but there's a connection, I promise.

I've been having recurring thoughts about pigs lately, spurred by two totally unrelated signs that began with my trip to Charleston this past weekend.

Let me explain.

We were driving, as you do on road trips. Staring aimlessly out the window. Kind of tuning out. I saw a truck ahead of us. Now, you see a lot of trucks when driving, really not that unusual. But this truck was special. It had special cargo.

I spotted little tails poking out the side of the truck as we passed. Piglet tails. Sweet, soft, tiny, curled up little pink pig tails. Awwww. That's when it dawned on me. These pigs were going somewhere. It wasn't just another road trip for them.

I grew sad as I do when I think about animals that we eat. It is why I regularly go back and forth between being a vegetarian and not. The more I read and learn about how animals are 'produced' in this country, I am sickened by the conditions and the fact that this all ends up in our bodies. Don't get me wrong, I do eat meat occasionally and certainly don't judge anyone else who does. I've just been thinking more about what I consume, where it comes from and the effect that it has on my health.

Those little pigs heading to their next stop in the production process were nestled in my memory. I settled back into vacation mode and ordered the pork ribs for dinner that night. And they were amazing. And I temporarily forgot all about the little pigs piled up in the back of the truck.

Until yesterday morning. The pigs reappeared. Back on the interstate again, except this time in a local news story about five pigs who got loose from a truck and ended up in the middle of morning commute traffic. And while admittedly, some of the comments in the article are pretty darn hilarious, the whole thing just makes me sad.
I guess the point of all this is that seeing these pigs triggered something in me that makes me want to re-examine my personal position. I don't know if this will be fleeting or a more solid commitment, but for the moment I'm going to take a little break from meat while I reconcile my feelings.

Long story short, I made bean and leek soup for dinner last night and instead of flavoring it with bacon, I got creative with my seasonings and CSA box and came up with this version instead. The spice mixture, containing natural hickory smoke and ginger, replicated the smoky flavor of the pork. The caramelization of the radish added a little sweetness and a tiny bit of crunch. A wonderful bacon substitute garnish. The salted butter also helps to round out the flavor in this soup.

I didn't miss the bacon at all.

White Bean and Leek Soup with Caramelized Radishes

Ingredients

For the Soup
1 pound dried white beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salted butter
3 leeks, cleaned, halved and sliced thinly
3 celery heart stacks, diced
48 ounces low sodium chicken broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pork chop seasoning (I used Penzey's)
sea salt and pepper to taste

For the Radishes
1 small bunch of radishes, 7 - 10, large dice
2 teaspoons salted butter
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Prepare beans using overnight or quick method as directed on the package. Rinse thoroughly and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons salted butter on medium low heat in large soup pot. Add sliced leaks and celery hearts. Saute vegetables until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes on medium low heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon pork chop seasoning to vegetables and mix for a minute or two until combined.

Add beans back into soup pot. Add the chicken broth to bean and vegetable mixture. Simmer for an hour until flavors are fully combined.

Meanwhile, prepare radishes to finish prior to serving soup. Melt 2 teaspoons salted butter in small saute pan on medium heat. Add diced radishes and saute on medium low for about five minutes. Increase heat to medium and saute until radishes begin to caramelize and form a dark crust, about another five to ten minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. (Radishes are best served just out of the pan as they retain a little crunch.)

After about an hour, blend soup with immersion blender or blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Pour soup into serving bowls and top with radish garnish.

Heading back to Charleston next with less deep thoughts and more on our weekend away!

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you think consciously about where your food comes from and how it is produced? If you do, how does it impact your eating habits?

Walk, Shop, Eat Some More and Sleep

2011-03-30T12:16:00.000-04:00

I warned John prior to our trip that in addition to eating in Charleston, the shopping isn't bad either. Lucky me, I can get away with a little bit of selfish indulgence on birthday weekends.

With time to kill post cooking class and pre check in, we wandered down to the old city market area. I rarely buy anything, but like to poke around and do a little people watching. I love the structure of the market with the white post beams and iron lighting. The seagrass weaving artisans are always fun to watch too.

Apparently that's a blow fish in the photo above. John says they actually look like that, but I'm not convinced that have that evil smile naturally.

My favorite stop outside of the market was a gorgeous little spice shop. I have a slight addiction to spice mixes lately after discovering that Penzey's moved to town. But that's another story...

Left the market area and headed home to Church Street to check in. Was feeling pretty icky from the sun and food and looking forward to relaxing a bit on the porch before dinner.

We stayed at 15 Church Street in an extremely charming home down by the waterfront park. Annelise greeted us at the front door and walked us through front hall to the wrap around porch where she gave us a historical overview of Charleston and their beautiful home. John and I stayed in the carriage house with our own separate entrance. After getting ready for dinner we went back out to the porch to meet our fellow guests (and puppy) and enjoy some wine, music and conversation.

(Truth be told, I was feeling a little anxious at the time as we were about to miss the UNC v. Marquette game. I went to Marquette and John finished his residency at UNC so it was bound to be an exciting game with a good outcome either way. (I felt a little better that we missed it when we heard the half time score was something like 40 to 15. Yikes. Was expecting a little more of a fight.))

I was super excited about dinner though. We were dining at Husk, a relatively new restaurant in Charleston with a James Beard award winning chef at the helm. They are all about the local ingredients. Yup, I'm a bit of a food nerd.

Ignore the horrendous pictures above, I wanted to give you an idea because that simple looking pork rib dish in the lower left corner was seriously the best thing I've ever had. Charred, fatty, smoky, sweet meaty heaven. I am seriously considering going vegetarian again after that dish because I don't think it will ever get better.

Go to Husk if you are in Charleston. Reserve in advance as its pretty popular. Ask for a table in one of the smaller rooms upstairs. Swing by the bar in the building next door for a drink before or after. Its very charming. And the service is some of the best we've ever had. Love this place.

After dinner, the short walk home through the gas lamp lit streets to our cozy little room. Life is good.

Charleston Cooks: Cooking Class

2011-03-29T12:01:00.001-04:00

I'm a sucker for a good culinary store. I love gadgets, especially brightly colored ones. Attach a cooking school to a kitchen shop and I'm in a little bit of heaven.

On my last visit to Charleston with my mom several years ago, we spent time wandering around the Charleston Cooks shop on East Bay, vowing to return and sign up for one of the many classes on our next visit. We never got around to doing it together, but luckily I have a husband who is a really good sport and actually enjoys cooking. We signed up for the first class after our arrival in Charleston, with an emphasis on low country cooking.

After eating our "first" lunch at Slightly North of Broad, which is part of the Maverick Kitchens Group that also owns Charleston Cooks, we popped across the street to the shop next door and browsed until it was time to start.

Our class was demonstration style and we were seated in rows in front of the bright and roomy kitchen. I would have preferred to join in the cooking but we didn't time our visit right for one of the participatory classes they offer. The chef instructor and her team kept it fun though, very engaging and informative.

We learned about the rice of Charleston, pigs, okra and all kinds of other tidbits about low country cooking. Since eating is one of my favorite things to do in Charleston, it was interesting to learn more about its history in the region. Also picked up a great onion cutting technique that I'm looking forward to practicing at home.

The end result of our roughly two hours was a tasting of the dishes prepared during class. We had Pecan Encrusted Catfish, Carolina Aromatic Rice and Vegetable Saute and a Chocolate Chess Pie. All served with a glass of Chardonnay which paired really well with the buttery flavors in the fish and rice.

My first experience with both catfish and chess pie and loved them both! As soon as I can get some really fresh corn and okra in my CSA box, the rice dish will also definitely be making an appearance on the blog. Good stuff.

Highly recommend making a stop here while you are in Charleston (but might skip lunch first!) A list of classes is located here and you can sign up on line.

After class we wandered back out to the shop and picked up a few new gadgets with our class discount for our home kitchen. I love cooking with things I've picked up during my travels.

The sun was back out in full force at this point, so we walked around for awhile, attempting to burn off some calories from our double lunches before stopping back at the B&B to check in and begin the next part of our adventure.

Ever attend a cooking class while traveling? Did it enhance your travel experience?

Charleston, South Carolina

2011-03-28T12:02:00.000-04:00

"We should do this more often. Get away."

"Long weekends are the best. Just enough to get us out of the daily routine, but not long enough to exhaust too much vacation time."

"Charleston next?"

"Perfect, I haven't been there in years."

"Let's go for your birthday. I'll make the plans. It will be a surprise."

Charleston seems to be my birthday destination. I haven't been in about five years, but my first visit was on a road trip with a very special friend who just happens to share the same birthday weekend. We had a great time together, walking around downtown, enjoying the warm spring air, eating lots of good food and celebrating getting older (okay, maybe just celebrating).

My next visit was with my mom, also my birthday weekend. I loved Charleston so much I wanted to bring her. She loved the city too. Walking around this weekend, I saw all the mother daughter combinations and felt a little nostalgic. I'm happy I have that memory though!

We arrived in Charleston just in time for lunch. Too early for check in, we wandered around the park along the water for awhile, just breathing it all in and starting to relax.

Lunch was at Slightly North of Broad. I've had this on my list of places to go forever. John had a grilled reuben with some really yummy (I hate that word, but it works here) chips and I had a duck confit pizza topped with arugula lemon salad. The pizza was good, light. I had to pack most of it up though as we were heading to cooking class after lunch and wanted to save a little room for tasting. (More on that soon!)

Favorite location for a road trip? What's next up on your list?

Road Trip!

2011-03-27T19:25:00.000-04:00

Time for a road trip!

Early morning wake up.
Too much caffeine, too early.
Random conversations.
Fighting over who controls the radio.
Crazy directions. Traffic. Messy car. Cramped legs.
Naps. Magazines.
(sometimes, cheetos :)
(occasionally, singing off tune)
(always, Anticipation!)

Half the fun is getting there. We're back from a long and truly wonderful weekend 'down south'. Anyone want to guess where we landed? (no fair cheating if you are a facebook friend!)

What's your take on road trips? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Have a recent favorite to share?

Hindsight Bride - A Wedding Feature

2011-03-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

They say that hindsight is 20/20.

Images from Visio Photography as seen on Hindsight Bride

It's the reason I spent hours (upon hours) researching real life weddings. I learned so much from other brides while planning my own wedding. I had the benefit of their experiences to help shape my own. Advice from past brides was so incredibly helpful.

I'm honored to have our special day featured in a wonderful wedding blog, Hindsight Bride. Christie O, a past bride herself, has an eye for selecting gorgeous weddings, many with a mountain style or inspiration.

If you've been following along with us here on Vita Nostra, you know that our wedding was set in the beautiful mountain setting of Asheville, North Carolina at the Biltmore. While not your typical mountain setting, the Biltmore brought an added European elegance and a stunning fall backdrop. It is a magical location, captured by our amazing photography team at Visio Photography.

I wish I had known about Hindsight Bride while I was planning my wedding. The site is full of great advice from past brides and all kinds of wedding goodness, all with a mountain twist!

I'd love for you to check out the feature... it is full of my personal hindsight advice and lots of great eye candy!

Past Brides - What is your best advice/lessons learned for anyone who may be currently planning their wedding?

Roman Proposal - A Year Ago Today

2011-03-18T11:20:00.001-04:00

Rose at the Spanish Steps near our Hotel

I can't believe it has been a year already! So much has changed, I hardly feel like the same person. I think that is a good thing.

John and I had just arrived in Rome (a surprise trip for me!) and were wandering around jet lagged taking it all in. It was a whirlwind weekend of a trip, highlighted by a very romantic proposal following dinner at my favorite restaurant. A year ago today!

Thought I'd share a few images from our proposal weekend in Italy. Brings back lots of wonderful memories.

Roman Forum

Man on the Steps

Pantheon Cafe

Etsy Wedding Love

2011-03-17T10:51:00.002-04:00

I'm so happy. Warmer weather is on the way, the sun is out. Spring is finally here! Plus, it's St. Patrick's day and who doesn't love a good holiday?

I thought I'd spread a little etsy love today and share some of my favorites that made their way into our wedding. I would encourage you to check out these sellers. They were all truly wonderful to work with and helped to make my wedding day special with each of their creative and unique touches.

Our ring bearer bowl, by Paloma's Nest. I love that we were able to use this during our wedding and can continue to display it now at home. I'm looking forward to hanging it on our Christmas tree next year. The quote holds a special memory for me and was a subtle way of personalizing our day.

I love lace. I especially love French lace. The French Nest Company is filled to the brim with all kinds of sweet French touches. I want to gather them all up and surround myself with them! We used this lace in our favors.

These bags are fabulous! I was looking for a unique Welcome Bag and stumbled across these beauties. This Love Languages bag in natural and gold by The Bucktoothed Bunny shares love in all of the languages of the world. These fit perfectly with our love of travel, our wedding colors, and were a very practical way to hold all of our welcome items for our out of town guests.

Our Italian Wedding Dinner Menu

2011-03-09T11:41:00.000-05:00

Italian Baked Alaska. Image by Visio Photography

So I know what you are thinking. Italian wedding dinner with french inspired decor? Really?

For us, it makes perfect sense. We love to travel and having spent time together in Paris and Rome, John and I wanted to incorporate some of favorite travel memories into our wedding day.

I knew from day one that the food had to be Italian. We were engaged in Rome a year ago this month following a very memorable meal starting with my favorite carbonara. Italy holds a special place in my heart for many reasons and I wanted my dinner to reflect this.

And the thing about weddings is, it should really be all about the two of you and what you love. It may not make sense to the outside world, but if it makes sense and feels special to you, then there's really no need to explain.

Formal Italian Wedding Dinner. Image by Visio Photography.

Our wedding dinner was truly an experience. White gloved, synchronized service by the team at the Biltmore. The food, the setting, the entire night, was just the elegant and intimate evening I had always imagined.

Italian wedding dinners are long drawn out affairs by their very nature. Multiple courses, one followed by another. We definitely warned our guests to arrive hungry!

Our Wedding Menu

First Course

Italian Wedding Soup with Biltmore Beef Meatballs, Kale, Pearl Pasta and Herbs

Second Course

Spinach, Red Onion, Pine Nut and Goat Cheese Salad with Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette

Focaccia

Third Course

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara with Cracked Black Pepper, Parmesan and Pancetta

Fourth Course

Veal Osso Bucco, Braised Veal Shanks, Gremolata, Creamy Polenta, Haricot Vert

Dessert

Italian Baked Alaska, Espresso Gelato, Marsala Ice Cream, Lady Finger Cake, Toasted Meringue, Raspberry and Chocolate Sauce

The dessert was a special dessert created for us by the Biltmore team. They truly brought the concept of Italian and Baked Alaska to life. I'm looking forward to trying to recreate some of the other dishes at home. Been working on the Italian Wedding Soup and Carbonara recipes, but might need a little more experience before I tackle that Baked Alaska.

When planning your wedding menu, did you incorporate any special dishes unique to you or your family? Any favorites that you've been able to recreate at home? I'd love for you to link up any recipes you have in the comments below!

Italian Wedding Soup

2011-03-03T12:25:00.002-05:00

Fun Fact 1: The Biltmore Estate in Asheville has a Farm to Table Program allowing their chefs to take advantage of the estates gardens and pastures while preparing the menus for each of the on site restaurants.

Fun Fact 2: This program allowed us to have some really neat things, like Biltmore Beef meatballs in the Italian Wedding Soup we selected for our final menu. Yes, the cows were actually 'grown' on site. Cool.

Fun Fact 3: We love Italian Wedding Soup.

Read more »

A Little Taste

2011-03-02T18:41:00.001-05:00

I'm sure I won't completely shock you by saying that planning our wedding menu was one of the tasks in our wedding checklist that I was most looking forward to. The menu tasting fell neatly in line right after that.

The Chef and catering team at the Biltmore did a phenomenal job working with me to understand what I was looking for, offering amazing suggestions and then executing it wonderfully. John and I had so much fun at the tasting. It was one of a series of marathon wedding tasks we were checking off the list on a very memorable weekend in Asheville.

Read more »

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

2011-02-25T11:36:00.002-05:00

File this one away under "Ridiculously Good". I say this without the slightest bit of exaggeration. My pet peeve for recipes that claim to be the best ever (ever. ever. ever.) keeps me cautious on my use of superlatives.

I am one of those strange women who never enjoyed chocolate until my thirties, when some massive hormonal shift took over and swayed my taste. I didn't like ground beef either, but that's a different story and completely unappetizing in the context of chocolate.

The cravings started with those those little volcano chocolate cakes with the melting centers. These did the job until they started appearing on menus everywhere and quality took a nosedive. As a rule, I now only order "the volcano" when the menu requires a twenty minute lead time, otherwise, I don't bother.

Lately, I have been looking for a chocolate dessert that I can serve at home. A dinner party staple. Something easy, but, fabulous. This is the recipe. A layer of buttery chocolaty crust, topped with a truffle like (extremely rich) interior, brushed with a thin layer of fresh raspberry preserves and finished with a smooth dark chocolate glaze.

Smooth, rich, creamy chocolate heaven. Seriously. The best dessert I've ever made.

French Inspired Wedding Table and Decor

2011-02-24T10:17:00.000-05:00

Walking into the Conservatory following cocktail hour was one of several moments in my wedding that took my breath away. I literally shed a tear as I stood at the head of the table with John and scanned the length of the table filled with roses and twinkling with creamy candlelight.

It was the moment when my vision for my wedding became real. From the start of our planning, I wanted our wedding meal to be the highlight, an intimate and formal dinner party with French inspired decor filled with romance, fabulous food and our closest family.

Image by Visio Photography

One of the reasons we chose the Conservatory at the Biltmore in Asheville as our wedding reception venue was the simple gorgeousness of the greenhouse. The backdrop of the lush greenery provided just the right amount of natural elegance for our wedding dinner.

Image by Visio Photography

Our wedding colors were champagne, blush, ivory and gold. Hundreds of roses in muted shades in square vases ran down the length of the central table draped with with champagne and ivory linens and set with gold rimmed place settings. We chose simple ivory candles intermingled among the roses. Menus and place cards in the same soft color scheme. (If you are in North Carolina, both Salutations and Laura at Yellow House Calligraphy were a dream to work with. All flowers by Blossoms at Biltmore Park.)

Everyone says that your wedding day goes by so fast. They are right, of course. So you try and take moments to breathe it all in and mentally capture images to carry with you after it is all over. Looking around at my new husband and family laughing and having fun in this gorgeous setting is a memory I will have for a lifetime.

Image by Visio Photography

I'd love to hear about your wedding and from those of you that may be in the midst of planning now. What moments in your wedding took your breath away? What was or is your vision of your wedding day?

Collards, (Bacon), White Beans and Quinoa

2011-02-22T17:46:00.001-05:00

I could just feel the disappointment as the words came out.

"What's for dinner?"

In hindsight, I might have approached it a little differently. Perhaps a better sales pitch like one might sell broccoli to a kid. But I went for it straightforward.

"Collards. Quinoa. White Beans."

"Oh. Do we have any bread?" (Code for, "I'd like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead.")

"No really. It's good. You'll like it. I put bacon in it."

Romantic Weekend in Asheville

2011-02-16T17:14:00.005-05:00

John surprised me with a return trip to Asheville this past weekend, our first visit since the wedding. All the wonderful memories came flooding back and I am thrilled that we have this special place to come back to. It makes the decision to not be married in Italy all the more worthwhile!

A gorgeous North Carolina weekend. Bright blue skies. Crisp air. (See the moon up there?) I felt like a bear crawling out from hibernation, finally.

Strawberry and Vanilla Cupcakes

2011-02-14T08:53:00.001-05:00

I like pink.

(Not afraid to say it.)

I also like pretty sparkly things and dinner by candlelight.

I like long walks on the beach and romantic sunsets.

(For the record, I like Justin Beiber too. (Yes, I know.))

So, naturally, I love Valentine's day.

Read more »

A Perfect Day in Paris

2011-02-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

For something a little different today, sharing this lovely collection of Parisian photography!

I need to go back. Soon.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Wedding Ceremony - Butterfly Garden Biltmore Estate

2011-02-10T14:48:00.000-05:00

Our ceremony location, the Butterfly Garden at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. A beautiful late afternoon in October. We were so incredibly lucky with the weather that weekend. In my pre-wedding weather stalking, there were constant reports of snow, rain and ice storms, none of which transpired! We did prepare by stocking up on last minute blankets for our guests which we didn't need either, but better to be prepared than not!

I asked my dad and my brother to walk me down the aisle. Partially due to the stairs and the four inch heels, but mostly because I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Finally!

Photography by Visio Photography

Our Wedding - The Getaway Car

2011-02-08T17:26:00.000-05:00

A few more of our favorite wedding images by Visio Photography ... on our way to the the ceremony location at the Biltmore in our getaway car, the personal vehicle of Dan McIntyre in Asheville. (Isn't it beautiful?)

For what its worth, the car wasn't my idea, but I was so very happy that we chose it as we had so much fun driving around Asheville with Dan both before and after the wedding. (It is too bad I can't show you the 'after' images as this part was especially fun!) Thanks to Emily at Occasions by Emily for the recommendation and to Dan for sharing his first love with us!

Our Asheville Wedding - Before the Ceremony

2011-02-01T13:12:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to (finally) start sharing some more of the professional images from our Asheville wedding and some more of the details that I've been saving up! I've gushed in the past about our wonderful photography team at Visio Photography. They are responsible for all of these gorgeous shots!

This first series were taken before the ceremony.

Serenity Eyre from Makeup at the Grove Arcade was truly a dream to work with! HIGHLY recommend if you are looking for a Makeup artist in the Asheville area. A beautiful person inside and out and such a calming presence. One of many who made my day very special.

Had to sneak in a pre-ceremony kiss or two...

Taken right after our "First Look". I am so in love with this shadow image.

At the Biltmore, a few minutes before we met everyone at the ceremony site.

Thanks again to James and Jenny at Visio for the amazing photography and for making our day so very special! Stay tuned for more details in the coming days!

Orange Scented Black Bean Vegetarian Tacos

2011-01-26T10:16:00.002-05:00

I have a terrible record with oranges lately. Love them, just can't seem to eat them fast enough.

January usually has me craving citrus. A month when oranges are actually good and not those dried up flavorless versions you find during non-citrus months.

I also have a small addiction for buying boxes of little cuties clementines. (Whoever came up with the idea of little cuties is a marketing genius.)

So, this week, I found myself with an aging box of cuties and a bag full of fresh from the backyard oranges from a friend. As if this wasn't enough, John arrived home from work with a gift box filled with perfectly wrapped Cushman honeybell oranges which we promptly taste tasted and declared to be some of the juiciest, sweetest oranges we've ever had.
Read more »

Moving On

2011-01-24T10:55:00.000-05:00

Wow. I don't know if it is the New Year, the fact that my wedding, honeymoon and other assorted festivities are now in the distant past, or some other strange unexplained phenomena, but I suddenly have a colossal burst of energy to get things done.

So much to do, but where to begin?

We are in the midst of combining households (I may hold the record for longest move-in ever) and trying to figure out what new married life looks like while balancing the ginormous task of the incredible amount of paperwork, phone calls and planning to be done (okay, I may be making this a bigger deal than it is) and I just feel like playing or doing pretty much anything other than packing boxes and filling in forms.

The sudden burst of energy though has me on a mission to accomplish everything and more in the shortest time possible. The sense of urgency is back, which is super exciting. While planning the wedding and all the fun stuff was, well, fun, there was a little part of me that missed my old self. I'm looking forward to this new post wedding life of mine.

But, first, I must finish this move. The days of bringing over one thing at a time from my old house are over. I swear, I've tried moving numerous times over the past year. It usually consists of me driving to my house, looking around and instantly freezing. Sometimes accompanied by a minor panic attack. Followed by leaving and resolving to coming back "later".

Moving is an emotional task, to say the least. Other than changing my name, which will happen eventually, it is kind of like the final goodbye to my old life. Sad, in a sort of happy, but yet sad, but happy way. Make sense?

Anyway, time to move on. I've been absent for the past week or so as I've finally starting digging in. My days have looked a little something like this:

Putting on my moving clothes and driving a car full of boxes 20 minutes to the old house.
Lugging boxes up three flights of stairs.
Wrapping up a million things in at least as much newspaper. Permanent newsprint on hands.
Lugging one box at a time down three flights of stairs to the car (or persuading John to come over after work and carry the 'really heavy' ones).
Getting temporarily sidetracked with trips down memory lane by looking at old photographs, reading old letters, etc.
Driving back to the new house, slowly, to make sure nothing breaks along the way.
Lugging one box at a time into the house where it sits until the next day. I thought our house was a mess before with all the wedding stuff, boy was I wrong.
Unwrapping each piece and cleaning every single item before it finds a home. I'm sure it was clean before, but now that it has a new home, I suppose it needs to be super clean.
Rearranging cabinets, shelves and drawers, over and over again, until space clears up for new things.
Back to step one.

So much fun... I can hardly stand it.

On a positive note:

I will have a lot more time on my hands when this is done.
Every day is a little like Christmas. Wrapping, unwrapping, repeat.
My things will be really (really) clean.
I finally have my wok back.
The days of the house as "Man Cave" are numbered.

Once this move thing is finally done, I have lots of new things to share and some exciting ideas brewing. Plus some fun new wedding and honeymoon posts on their way soon... Moving on is a good thing!

(now... back to work...)

Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Whole Wheat Pasta

2011-01-12T12:08:00.000-05:00

Lately, you've been seeing a lot of baking showing up here on the blog. There's actually a bit of method to my madness.

I have always been one who expresses my creativity in the kitchen. Helps relieve stress. My zen time. My husband views it as the opposite, affectionately referring to me as the 'little tornado'.

I was thinking that maybe there was some truth in this observation. Perhaps my cooking could use a little more precision. Hence, all of the baking as of late. As you know, following the recipe is pretty critical to achieving the end results. Definitely requires focus.

(A minor, but surmountable, challenge for me as I've never been one to follow directions or play by the rules. That said, it has been a wonderful learning experience and well worth the effort.)

Today's recipe is getting back to my roots, one of those random creations that actually turned out quite well, and I might add, is full of lots of healthy nutrients which for me, is most important. Plus it contains so many of my favorite ingredients... what's not to love?

Before you cringe at the combination of red pepper, avocado and lemon, it is actually very good. The avocado adds creaminess and the roasted red pepper and lemon add extra depth and brightness. Top that with a little feta cheese and green onion... makes for a very striking and vivid presentation.

Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Whole Wheat Pasta

Ingredients
2 roasted red peppers*, sliced and seeds removed
1 medium sized ripe avocado, pitted and quartered
juice of one lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
fat free feta cheese
sliced green onion
1 pound whole wheat pasta (your choice, I used penne)

Preparation
1. Boil water in large pot. Add whole wheat pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving one cup of pasta water and set aside.
2. Add roasted red peppers, avocado and juice of lemon to food processor. Process until creamy and any lumps removed. Set aside.
3. In large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat and saute garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add diced tomato, cook another 1-2 minutes.
4. Add reserved pasta to large skillet and toss with tomato and garlic until warm and mixed.
5. Add roasted red pepper sauce to skillet and toss until heated. Add additional pasta water if needed to thin sauce.
6. Serve with fat free feta cheese and sliced green onion.

*I roasted my own red peppers, but I think this could also work well with drained roasted red peppers in a jar.

Healthy, colorful and hearty enough for a cool winter's evening. Comfort food with a creative twist.

What's your cooking style? Creative, throw stuff together type? Baking queen? A little bit of both?

Culinary Risk Taking

2011-01-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

Do you have a list?

You know the one.

The "list of everything I need to do/accomplish/attempt before 'x'" (insert age of 30, death, baby, marriage or any other significant life milestone).

We all have them. Some lists may be more organized than others. Mine is filed away mentally, although I am seriously considering putting it down on paper one of these days. For two reasons, one, because my memory just isn't what is used to be and two, because if you put it down on paper, then somehow, it is more real. Besides, then you get to check stuff off of it and this is (almost) the best part.

My list is long. It has many things on it. I've been hacking away at it this past year. Some items are big, some not so big. All are things I'd like to give a shot.

Today's post isn't about the big things. Not the skydiving, flame eating, swimming with sharks or public karaoke singing variety. (I lie, none of these are on the list. John's maybe, not mine.)

It is about a small little portion of the list, a tiny corner reserved especially for culinary risk taking. You may laugh, but I am serious. I have a list of things that I have always been a little timid to try. (too many ingredients, challenging technique, just darn impossible, etc.). Most of recipes definitely require a little time, a luxury which I have actually had this past year.

I have been slowly but surely working through my list. Some items I will make public, many I will not, some are still in hold status, requiring a true bout of courage.

(Macaron anyone? I will conquer these ... someday.)

So when John came home before the holidays and announced that he needed a gift for the office... like, tomorrow, (Is this what it is like to have kids? If so, sigh...), a little brain child appeared that softly whispered to me.... "Make Caramel. (Preferably caramel squares wrapped in an outer layer of soft pillowy marshmallow.)"

Huh?

First, I've never made caramel in my life. Wait, I've never made candy in my life. But it is on the mental list and I suppose there is no time like the present and I'm sure John's office won't mind being guinea pigs (yet again).

Did I mention that I do not have a candy thermometer? (Warning One - Please do not try making caramel at home without one. I had no idea what I was delving into.)

Caramel making is a tedious process. It requires time and lots of patience. Lots of time. Lots of patience. Slowly (slowly) but surely the little list of sweet and buttery ingredients will transform itself into what is was always intended to be. (Warning Two - You WILL get sick if you "taste test" too much of this stuff. I am like a little kid with sugar. Too much is never a good thing. Trust me on this.)

In the end, we had a lovely little gift of individually parchment wrapped caramels for the office. I am skipping all of the steps in the middle, because my point here is really about risk taking, not the recipe. The quote I can never remember but that would apply here is the one about if you keep doing the same things over and over again, you will keep getting the same results. And one of my favorites, what's the worst that will happen that if you try and fail?

(PS - If you are wondering, huge fail in the marshmallow wrapping. Huge. Disgusting in fact. I'll leave that to your imagination. Also, incredibly fun to clean up.)

You can apply the lessons above to the little things, in this case, culinary risk taking in the form of a small adventure in caramel, or you can apply them to the big things. As an added bonus, a little success in the way of small things will go a long way in giving you a little extra courage for the big things.

Besides, all of this gives me a nice little answer to those that ask me what I do on my days at home. Culinary risk taking has a nice ring to it, I think. Kind of even makes it sounds important.

So throw caution to the wind and give "it" a shot! What's next on YOUR list?

2010 - A Magical Year

2011-01-06T10:55:00.000-05:00

Some years are pure magic. 2010 definitely made my top ten list, probably top three and quite possibly my favorite year.

So many life changing moments and memories. I am a little saddened to leave it all behind but truly excited about what lies ahead. After several very difficult years, it was a year filled with hope and love and happiness. Five years ago if you would have asked me what I would be doing in 2010, I would have never predicted it. I am a bit of a planner by nature and this year was all about adventure and going with the flow. As we move into 2011, I'm moving back into planning mode again, re-energized from this free spirited year.

A few of my favorite memories!

January

I admit, I've got nothing here. This was my first month as a 'free woman', spent largely cleaning, getting organized and resting. I suppose this is what January is all about. That, and I topped it off with my first ever car accident (no fault of my own, but still a minor milestone)!

February

A visit to one of my favorite cities to see my favorite (and only!) brother, followed by a sweet case of what I like to refer to as my time with the 'swine flu'.

March

The moment we'd all been waiting for (mostly me!) A surprise trip to Rome and a very romantic proposal!

April

An Atlantic crossing, Spain, Portugal, new friends and a lifetime of memories.

May

A month in Rome. Apartment by the Spanish Steps. First time traveling alone. Visits from Dad and John. Words won't do this one justice, an unforgettable experience in my favorite city.

Paris in the Springtime. Is there anything more romantic? (time to head home)

June

Home Sweet Home

July

Celebrating our engagement, introducing family and diving head first into wedding planning!

August

Who can forget the Blueberry Boy Bait? And all of the time behind the scenes trying to work it off...

September

A marathon wedding planning weekend in Asheville, engagement photos, shower in Saint Louis, dress fittings, details, details, details... An incredibly fun month!

October

My Fairytale Wedding. Intimate and small. Surrounded by Family and lots of love. Marrying my best friend. The wedding of my dreams.

November

More Celebrations!!!! The photo doesn't do this justice. This was an incredibly fun party. (and of course, a very exciting first official Thanksgiving)

December

More parties, holidays and a truly wonderful honeymoon! Photos and details will be coming...

Phew. That was a fun little trip through time. Almost impossible to boil that down to a few favorites. I hope you've enjoyed traveling with me this past year! This blog was born in April is an ever evolving labor of love. There will be some exciting changes in the New Year, I hope that you will continue along with me... thanks for all of continued your friendship and support!

Fresh Perspective

2011-01-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

"Look around you. Notice anything different?"

The question was asked last night. The night we arrived home from our most amazing honeymoon. We had nothing to eat in the house and were forced to march our overly tired selves out to the grocery store as we were fairly confident there would be no candlelight dinner awaiting us at home (Sigh).

I won't reveal the exact answer I gave, but the question and the context was the most telling part. Sometimes it takes getting away to really begin to see (again). When everything around you is fresh and new, you can't help but notice the details. Traveling brings out a desire, and often times a requirement, to see and think differently.

As we start this new year, back at home following an amazing honeymoon with my new husband, my goal and wish for you is to bring this fresh perspective to each day, whether you be at home or afar. See things in a different light, as a traveler would. Live each day to its fullest. Dream big dreams and each day put one foot in front of another as you continue along your journey. Bring along a map to ensure you reach your major destinations, but leave time each day to just go where the wind takes you. Sometimes, in these little moments, the smallest of experiences, the details, we find the most joy.

And most importantly, Smile.

Happy New Year! 2011... another step in an ongoing journey. Wishing you a year filled with the hope from the promise of fresh perspectives and new beginnings.

Farewell to Fall

2010-12-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

Certainly was a memorable fall! While the calendar still technically says autumn, the weather in North Carolina and many other areas of the country indicates that winter has arrived. Thought I'd keep it simple today and share a few images from some of our most special (non wedding related) fall moments.

Farewell to Fall! Welcome to Winter!

Wedding Planning Weekend, Butterfly Garden, Asheville, NC

Fearrington House, North Carolina (check out that squirrel going after that wine on the last chair!)

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

Fearrington House, North Carolina (my favorite striped cows!)

Fearrington House, North Carolina

Can't forget Thanksgiving Dinner!

Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina

What is your favorite fall memory?

Lemon Snowflakes

2010-12-14T11:52:00.000-05:00

Lemon Snowflakes. Aren't they pretty?

As I prepare to escape the frigid North Carolina weather, I wanted to leave you with something that I think you might enjoy. Sweet, light, fresh and a little sparkly. Like a cold winters day, but you can enjoy these inside, where it is warm and cozy. Maybe with a cup of tea?

Perfect for a cookie swap or holiday dessert table which is exactly what I made these for. I am looking forward to sharing the entire table of goodies with you, but for now just a little taste.

Originally hearts in this recipe from Good Housekeeping, I swapped these for the beautiful snowflake design and decided that snowflakes are very deserving of a sprinkling of silvery edible glitter.

Lemon Snowflake Cookies

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 tablespoons salt
3 sticks butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon peel
1 and 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Lemon Glaze Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 and 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel

edible silver glitter

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt in small bowl.
3. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer at medium speed. Add in lemon peel and extracts.
4. Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture.
5. Divide dough in half.
6. Roll each half to about 3/8 inch thick.
7. Using snowflake cookie cutter, cut as many cookies from sheet as possible.
8. Place cookies on ungreased large cookie sheet, about an inch apart.
9. Bake about 15 minutes until a pale golden color.
10. Repeat with dough scraps and second half until all cookies are baked.
11. Transfer to rack and let cool about ten minutes.
12. While cookies are baking, make lemon glaze. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice and peel to small bowl and whisk until smooth.
13. Dip each warm cookie into glaze and place back on rack to cool and set.
14. Before fully setting, sprinkle with glitter (optional).

Stay warm and bon appetit!

Handmade Flower Girl Baskets and Other Wedding DIY

2010-12-07T13:01:00.000-05:00

At first I was not sure what I would do with my pretty new lady hammer. The pink one with the flower covered handle and tiny grip. It was a gift from my new sister-in-laws. Part of my emergency marriage kit.

And then I had the perfect thought, as I was covered in flour at 5:00 in the morning, contemplating how to make the stained glass part of the stained glass cookies I was about to attempt. My sweet new hammer. Just right for smashing color coordinated Jolly Ranchers into a gazillion melt-worthy pieces. I know my new sister in laws will be very proud.

I have been knee deep in all kinds of baking fun. Melting chocolate, hand forming kisses, frosting snowflakes, powdering snowballs. Just the kind of thing I expected I would be doing one week out from my honeymoon.

I can't wait to tell you all about my little project and all of the wonderful things I have been up to, but not quite ready yet. Since I am in a bit of a DIY mode at the moment, I thought I would share one of my projects from the wedding.

Advance Warning: You will probably not want to attempt this at home. I would, however, like it to show for the record that I tried.

So the story is this. I am in the midst of intense conversation with my florist, planning centerpieces filled with roses in blush and ivory, lanterns with cream pillar candles, corsages in all shapes in sizes, when the topic of flower girl baskets comes up.

"We'll have two flower girl baskets. Filled with ivory rose petals."

Ah... I'm envisioning my sweet little flower girls dancing up the aisle, tossing petals in the air, smiling sweetly at our guests.

"The baskets will have big bows and flowing ribbons."

Ugh. That sounds so typically bridal and, well, so not me. I have a lightbulb moment. Perfect! I'm a little low on wedding DIY projects. I can surely make flower girl baskets. Hey, maybe I can save a little money in the process.

"I think I'll make them myself."

"Oh, okay. How about I just bring two along anyway? You know, just in case."

"Well, okay, thanks. I'm not going to use them though."

I have visions of beautifully handcrafted flower girl baskets in ivory and french lace. Adorned with pearls in a modern and yet sophisticated little girl way. They would be the most beautiful flower girl baskets every created.

I made John go to the craft store with me where we agonized over shades of cream and ivory, textures and laces. I brought them all home, filled with anticipation.
And there they sat. And sat. And continued to sit. Until the day before we left for the wedding.

"Don't you think it is time to make those flower girl baskets? Or should I call the florist and have him bring the back-ups?"

Right, like that's going to happen. Just the push I needed.

At this point, I'd love to share a flower girl basket making tutorial for all future brides who are looking for a little DIY. But the fact of the matter is, there is not much to share. I wrapped a bunch of pretty ribbons around a couple of baskets. The end.

And truth be told. They had big bows. And yes, they had flowing ribbons. (See photo above!)

But what matters is that I made them myself. With lots and lots of love. And there was no sweeter sight then my beautiful little flower girls (along with our very handsome ring bearer!) carrying their handmade baskets down the aisle. Throwing petals in the air. Smiling sweetly at our guests.

Gorgeous Photo by Visio Photography

Oh, and I didn't actually save any money on these. But I'll never admit that to anyone. Especially not my incredibly patient and understanding florist. (PS - If you are ever in need of a florist in Asheville, check out Blossoms at Biltmore Park).

Advice for future brides - DIY projects are fun. They really are. They bring a very personal touch to the wedding and give you a little extra sense of pride. Just be practical about it. Perfect visions are lovely, but things don't always go as planned. No one else will notice but you, so just relax and have fun with it. Enjoy the process, don't take on too much. And always, always have a back up plan!

Simple Math: A Beginner's Guide to Turkey

2010-11-26T10:51:00.001-05:00

"It's simple math dear."

Words not to be uttered in our house again. I will also never reveal who said them.

How hard can roasting a Thanksgiving turkey be, really?

I mean, it is really just a big chicken, right?

My Thanksgiving holiday preparation was rolling along at an almost perfect clip. Menu planned carefully in advance. Shopping divided among stores and days. Completed in a timely and organized manner. Turkey ordered (early!) and picked up to rest gently in a chilled setting until it was time.

I even had a beautiful new roasting pan (thanks Aunt Bev and Uncle Frank!). Graduated from the kind you have to pick up last minute at the grocery store.

My recipes carefully organized. Cranberry sauce completed Tuesday night. Green beans and brussell sprouts washed and trimmed. Stuffing prepared. Sweet potato casserole awaiting its final topping.

All I had to do was flip on the Macy's Day parade, finalize my fantastic sides and dessert and whip out a fabulous turkey. Really, how hard could it be?

I enlisted John to wash our new friend (we named him, but he shall remain nameless), remove the neck and gizzards (what are these anyway?) and pat him down and lay him to rest in his new pan. Meanwhile, I chopped fresh herbs and rubbed them lovingly all over "him" (don't worry, the turkey... not John).

"So how long does this thing need to roast anyway? Do we have a plan?"

"I don't know. Couple hours. Maybe 3 - 4. We'll just keep checking the temperature. With our new thermometer."

Forty five minutes in, our friend receives a sweet little turkey bath and a fine shield of tinfoil. Feeling pretty good at this point. Santa has made his appearance and we are rounding into Eukanuba dog show territory (am I the only one who actually watches this)?

Sides are positioned for final baking/sauteing/mashing. Looking good.

"Do you think we should check the temperature? You know, just to make sure we're on track?"

"Sure. Let's do that."

"Does this really say 190?"

Enter freak out panic mode. Turkey overdone. Nothing else ready. First Thanksgiving as a married couple. Ruined. Forever. Did I mention RUINED? FOREVER!

"It's simple math dear. Didn't we calculate the total time it would take based on the weight of our turkey?"

Fighting words. Math was never a strong suit. I rely on data.

"Well, I rely on data AND math. It's pretty simple."

Rapid change in plans. We are no longer speaking. We will finish the sides, clean up and sit down to a meal of cold turkey. We proceed.

"I think it is time to carve the turkey now. It has been resting for like, an hour and a half."

"Does this look pink to you?"

"Is that blood?"

"Stop poking it. You are letting out all of the good juices."

"Does it really matter at this point?"

Unbelievably annoying. We break out the red wine. Things begin to look a little more promising. No worries. We'll just stick it back in the oven and hang out by the fire for a bit. It is what it is.

Dinner, when it finally all came together, some hours later, was unbelievably good. Yes, we had a few starts and stops and moments of escalating tension, but in the end, it was a lovely meal. We gave thanks for many things. The turkey and (crack-like) dressing even made it into our post meal top three ranking of Thanksgiving dishes.

My advice for those preparing turkey for the first time (solo or with another non-expert) - It is never that simple. There are so many factors involved.

I am convinced that this is another one of those situations where practice makes perfect. I am looking forward to many more years of practice.

Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Filled with love, good food, good friends and family and whatever else your heart desires!

The Wedding Dress Shopping Experience

2010-11-23T11:07:00.000-05:00

"Say Yes to the Dress" What's not to love? I think John even secretly likes it.

I did not cry. No tears of joy, jumping up and down and hugging of friends and family.

So how did I know it was "The One"?

I just knew. It took me an overnight of lost sleep and another round of trying on dresses to be really sure, but after all was said and done I knew. (Admission - there was another round of doubt after the dress came home with me, but that was just nerves in disguise. Totally normal.)

My dress! ---->

(Priscilla of Boston website)

I went shopping by myself. I like shopping by myself. No pressure. (I did drag in my friends at the very end of the day, for a second set of eyes and to add a little fun to the process.)

I went to one store. I did this over the course of two visits, probably could have done it in one if it weren't such a big decision.

I tried on ten dresses. Four the first day. My dress was the third I tried on.

I got opinions from the consultants at the store. (Priscilla of Boston, by the way, brand new in Raleigh and highly recommend. They were so much fun to work with and always made me feel like a special bride).

They asked me questions about my vision. I explained that I wanted elegant, sophisticated a little romantic, a little European. We used these keywords as questions to "test" the dress.

"Do you feel elegant, sophisticated... etc?" Sounds silly, but it was a helpful double check.

We added fashion forward after I tried on a very traditional cinderella-y dress that made me cringe. Sometimes things are better on paper than they are on your body.

<--- Me, in "The Dress" just minutes before the ceremony. Looking incredibly nervous!

(Visio Photography)

In the end, there were a couple that I liked, but only one that was really me. It was the one I felt most comfortable in. Not in the comfort sense, but in the dress feels like a natural extension of me. Me, but better. Me, getting married.

So, that's what it came down to. In the end, I loved my dress and know that I made the right decision.

My advice for any brides who may just be starting this process -

Bookmark images in magazines and on-line, but do not get overly hung up on a particular style.
Try on all kinds of styles when you first start looking. You will figure out right away what does not work and what you like most.
Be completely open. You may be surprised but what type of dress you prefer.
Trust your instinct. You may not be overwhelmed with emotion and cry tears of joy, but you may just feel content, like yourself, only better.
Have fun! It is an experience like no other.
Start early if you can. I was in a serious time crunch and luckily had a wonderful new store to work with, but this is probably not typical. Ordering the dress and alterations will take more time than you think.
Oh, and keep the fiance in mind as well. You'll want him to like the dress too!

For any already marrieds, I'd love to hear your stories...

How did you find your dress? How did you know that it was "The One"?

Any other advice that you would add?

Interview with a Wedding Planner - Occasions by Emily

2010-11-19T11:26:00.000-05:00

I am so very excited about today's post! The lovely Emily has agreed to stop by and answers some burning questions I had while sharing some of her wedding wisdom with all of us on this Happy Friday.

For purposes of this dialogue, since we share such a fabulous name, I will hereby refer to us in the manner that John did during our wedding planning sessions. He called us E squared. I was E1 and Emily was E2.

<--- E2. Photos of Emily and her team by Nick Breedlove

And now you can imagine E1 and E2 sitting in a sweet little cafe in Paris, sipping drinks and eating perfect little pastries. The weather has chilled up a bit, but we sit outside anyway, wrapped up in pretty little scarves, chatting while the rest of the world passes by.

We'd love for you to join us. Grab a cup and pull up a chair.

E1: So Emily, tell me, how did you get into the wedding planning business?
E2: Event planning seems to be part of my genetic makeup. As a child I dreamed of joining the foreign service, living at the Biltmore House and planning parties for all of my friends and random strangers. I now speak French, plan weddings and occasionally get to work at the Biltmore House. Does it get any better?

E1: I'd say that is pretty great! I'd love to hear what makes a wedding by Occasions by Emily unique and special? I've experienced it first hand, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.
E2: Details, details, details. We are very organized about the details, big and small, which takes stress off our clients. However, we're also "touchy feely" when it comes to the details. We like to help our clients think of ways to make everything unique to their personality and vision.

E1: What has been your favorite wedding or moment that stands out to you and why? I love hearing stories about different weddings!
E2: I planned a wedding this summer that was mainly family and a few close friends. It was a second marriage for both the bride and groom and they each had a set of children. The bride had asked her young teenage son to sing "It's a Wonderful World" during the ceremony, but he got nervous and a little choked up when he began singing. He made a desperate plea to the audience to sing along. The minister (same one you had, by the way), began to sing out whole heartedly, the audience joined in and the violinist picked up the accompaniment without being asked. I had tears in my eyes watching such a sweet family, friends and relative strangers join together to create a happy moment that the bride and groom will remember forever. It's fun to have yummy cake, gorgeous flowers and a great band, but the really important things is the covenant being made the the people who share the moment.

E1: Now I'm a little teary eyed, which, as you know, is not that difficult to make happen with me lately, but what a touching story! I will certainly never forget that one. Let's change topics slightly, I'd like my readers to get to know a little about you. What do you like to do when you are not planning weddings?
E2: Read, read, read. It's one of the few things I can do to make me stop thinking about weddings for half a minute. Can't help it. :) I also love being with my three kiddos, but I seem unable to divide work and family life. Case in point: My four and six year old daughters were recently worried about an upcoming family wedding where there is no assigned seating as it is a dessert reception. The six year old wanted to know how people would know where to sit without place cards. I may have ruined my children....

E1: That is hilarious. I see a future planner in your family! Now for the 20 questions part. Favorite part of job? Most rewarding? Most terrifying?
E2: I love helping clients define their vision and then orchestrating it for them. This can happen through the invitations, florals, lighting and even things like glassware. It's fun to look through the photographer's photos a few weeks later and think about how we helped the bride and groom take a vision from concept to reality.

I am most terrified when trying to send a processional down the aisle. There are all these people whom I've never met before in my life who need to be seated by ushers I've only just met at rehearsal. The order of the processional is so important that I can't bear to mess it up, and of course the rest of the guests are watching the whole thing. It's very nerve wracking and there's no do-over button! Thankfully the nerves keep me on my game and I can't remember ever messing this up too badly. No comments, please...

E1: Well, I'm very happy to report, that my little mini processional was absolutely perfect (Thanks, Liz!). Now, getting my dad to loosen the grip on my arm as we walked down the stairs is another story... :) Okay, how about some advice for anyone who may be interested in event planning as a future career?
E2: Go to college and get a degree in something, anything. Assist with the events for whatever social groups you join or jobs you hold. The more you do, the better prepared you'll be for the future. If you're ready to pursue a career in events, start by getting a job in food service, particularly special event catering. It's a perfect place to learn about customer service, timing and the ins and outs of making a great event happen.

E1: Great advice! What about advice for brides who are just starting the planning process? Any particular words of wisdom for where they should focus their time and/or money?
E2: Make a list of priorities with your fiance. This will help you know how to set your budget. Seek out a planner early to help you have a realistic expectation for costs. A planner will also help you know all of the categories you need to consider.

<--- That's Liz, on the left!

E1: Any interesting trends in the industry that you love or conversely would love to see brides leave behind?
E2: Yikes. This is true confessions! I'm not a fan of the garter toss, mainly because it seems to embarrass people and my goal as a planner is to help people feel as comfortable as possible at the wedding. I suppose the groom needs something to balance out the bouquet toss. Hmmmm... I need to think of a new tradition to suggest here. Maybe a shoe toss?

E1: Another non-fan of the garter toss here. On the other hand, a shoe toss could be a little dangerous. I'm sure you'll come up with something! Okay, one last, but very important question before we end today. Many brides consider going on their own when it comes to planning their wedding. What value does a wedding planner bring that the bride may not be thinking of when she is making this decision?

E1, very happy to have worked with E2,

photo by her wonderful Aunt Lori----->

E2: I'm so glad you asked this. Brides normally want to go it on their own for two reasons: 1. They think they have enough time and skill that they don't need help. 2. They think they don't have enough money to get help. In response to the first reason, I think no matter how much time or skill in design/event planning a bride may have, if she's never planned a wedding, then she is in for a stressful surprise. Weddings are a really big deal and like no other event known to mankind. For this bride, it's best to consider the planner a partner. The planner will support the bride through the planning process, allowing the bride to do as little or as much as she pleases. Then the planner will be there on the big day to make sure the plans are carried out while the bride just enjoys. For the bride with a small budget, a planner can save money--really. I tell the truth. A planner knows where to "shop" for vendors in all different price ranges, and can suggest ways to cut budget to make way for items that are more important to the bride and groom.

E1: You know, I couldn't agree more with what you've said. As a (self confessed) 'minor' control freak, while hard to let go, it was a huge relief for me to have someone else running the show so I could just totally be in the moment, enjoying my new husband and spending my time with family. And I lied, I do have one more question. How should interested brides get in touch with you for more information?
E2: Just give me a call at 828.808.8888 or email emily@occasionsbyemily.com. I love to talk about weddings and get excited about each new client because every bride is unique and has fun, new ideas. Oh, and I'm a HUGE facebooker. Please join the fan page "Occasions by Emily". I post new ideas, photos and more almost every day, sometimes several times a day!

E1: This has been so fun getting to know a little more about you and the business! I really appreciate you taking the time to sit down and talk with us. It truly has been a pleasure.

I hope everyone enjoyed our chat today! I know that Emily would love your comments and / or questions. Feel free to post them here or send directly to her.

Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend!

The Wedding Planner

2010-11-16T09:59:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing I learned in business it is that great ideas really don't matter until they are successfully implemented.

If there are two things I learned in business, it would be the above followed by the understanding that implementation of these great ideas is often best delegated to those with expertise over and beyond your own.

All resulting in learning that the most important job I had was to find the talent to make the great ideas happen. Challenging, but also very rewarding when you get it right.

I found that skill, while certainly a must have requirement, is definitely not the most important factor. I look for a spark, a passion, a drive that not only indicates a strong work ethic, but also a joyous pursuit of success. Hard to find, but oh so worth it.

In my own pursuit of a successful wedding, applying the same principle, I realized I couldn't go it alone. I needed someone who could understand my vision and partner with me to make it happen in a way that I could only dream of.

Another small sneak peak, courtesy of Visio Photography

I needed a Wedding Planner.

My initial requirements were straightforward. I wanted someone with experience, based locally in Asheville, since we were not overly familiar with the area. Beyond that, I went with my gut, seeking out that special spark and passion, someone I could truly partner with and have a little fun with during the process.

I can't recall exactly how I found Emily at Occasions by Emily. It was pretty early on in the process, even before I found my venue. Was looking in Asheville and came across a random blog post with gorgeous pictures from a wedding they had done. Which somehow led me to her blog and website, which led me to this little tidbit:

"Emily earned a BA in French from UNC Asheville and a Master of Public Affairs from Western Carolina University. As a student of culture and people, Emily enjoys multi-cultural events and traveling abroad."

Just the spark, the unique angle, the connection, I was seeking. I reached out to see if she was available. She promptly responded (a non-negotiable criteria) and we proceeded to have a wonderful discussion. It was like I was talking to an old friend. I had a good feeling which was confirmed by the time we traveled to Asheville again to meet both her and her Director, Elizabeth, in person. My instinct was right.

I'd love for you to meet her! I think you'll agree she is just as fabulous as I think she is!

Emily and her team did such a fantastic job with our wedding. They were a dream to work with. Fun, knowledgeable, amazingly responsive and kept us completely on track. They knew exactly what we were looking for and how to work with us, together, but also as individuals. When I reiterated my goal of a near flawless wedding, they didn't even flinch (at least publicly), but just made it happen.

All right... it has been so long since my last post, I at least owe you one more! (Visio Photography)

And for any prospective brides who might be reading this, I highly (highly) encourage the services of a planner. The peace of mind and day of coordination is worth every single penny.

Wedding Inspiration (aka "The Vision")

2010-11-03T11:41:00.001-04:00

One of the first things I did after deciding on our venue at the Biltmore in Asheville was to begin to fine tune the vision for the wedding.

I learned by default that I really needed to figure this out asap, as the first question from anyone I worked with after inquiring about location was always...

"So tell me about your 'Vision'...."

(And, Yes, if I must confess, I was stumped the first time I was asked this.... luckily I am pretty good at making stuff up as I go, but I didn't want my answer to come back and haunt me at a later date!)

Since we decided not to have the wedding overseas, I knew I wanted to bring a little bit of Europe to the even and bring in a classic, elegant, formal ambiance. We had a small guest list, 28 people in total, immediate family members. I wanted the event to feel like an intimate formal dinner party filled with romance, candlelight, music and a touch of glamour.

This image was one of the first I found that really captured the essence of the vision. We decided fairly early on that the dinner would have both an Italian and French feel, places that John and I had visited together and held a special place in our hearts. (More on the menu later... Can't wait to share!)

I picked my colors on the day that I first tried on my wedding dress. Champagne, ivory, blush and gold accents. I wanted the colors to carry out that romantic, Parisian feel that is so soft and elegant. I found a number of images early on that helped to provide a more tangible view into our thoughts.

When I was first engaged, I panicked a little bit. I didn't know where to begin. One of my friends and former co-workers gave me the best advice, reminding me that a wedding is just one big project. If you approach it like a project, it becomes manageable and achievable. So I broke it down into chunks and everything flowed from there.

After we defined the initial requirements (the location, the vision, the inspiration), I knew that the next step was to select the project manager, or in this case the Wedding Planner. Since John and I were planning from afar, we knew that we seriously needed some help on the ground and it was one of the best decisions we made.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Adventures in Wedding Planning...

Banana Creme Brulee French Toast

2010-10-31T13:22:00.002-04:00

First Sunday brunch as Mrs.

(Well, technically, it is the second as we had a lovely goodbye brunch with all of our guests last week after the wedding. I'm not really counting it though as the first as it didn't require any work on my part and truth be told, I was physically exhausted.)

First Sundays call for something special. I also have this philosophy that if you are good the vast majority of the time, every once in awhile you can take a little time out to indulge in something decadent.

John and I spent our first married Saturday Date Night on the couch eating a very healthy dinner of roasted sweet potatoes and broiled chicken thighs while watching the NCIS spook-a-thon (It is the one show we can fully agree upon, and luckily, it is always on). It has been a long week.

Time for a treat. (Not of the Halloween Trick or Treat variety... that was last night too. I should know better than to buy candy too far in advance.)

French toast is always a good Sunday option. I wanted to make it a little more special than usual this time.

John loves Creme Brulee.

I love Bananas Foster. (Check out this recipe for Bananas Foster Gelato that I must also make someday!)

How about a little dessert for breakfast in the form of a modified Creme Brulee French Toast recipe I adapted from Epicurious?

I am hereby calling this new creation Banana Creme Brulee French Toast. It is definitely not your everyday french toast, but I'd serve it again in a heartbeat for a special occasion or when you just need a little something indulgent to end (or start) your weekend. Super easy to prepare and to my credit, I did try and lighten it up a bit by substituting the skim milk and adding some fruit and nuts.

I made it in the morning and therefore did not let it soak the originally required eight plus hours, but it turned out perfect anyway. Light, sweet, custardy and filled with banana almondy custardy brown sugary goodness. No need for syrup with this recipe! Rated "most excellent" by the taster.

Banana Creme Brulee French Toast

Ingredients
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 banana, sliced
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup of skim milk
6 thick slices of sourdough bread
1 teaspoon Cointreau
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs
sprinkle of cinnamon

Preparation
1. Toast almonds lightly in pan on stove. They are done when you smell the nutty aroma, but before they start burning.
2. Sprinkle almonds into 9 x 13 pan and set aside.
3. Melt butter in pan on stove. Add brown sugar. Mix until combined and smooth. When smooth, add in sliced bananas and stir another minute until coated. Remove from heat and pour over almonds in the pan. You will likely need to smooth it out a bit until the sugar mixture reaches all corners.
4. Squeeze together slices of bread into pan. You can remove the crusts, but I left on for extra texture. Set pan aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. In a medium size bowl, add eggs and milk and whisk together until combined. Whisk in vanilla and cointreau until combined.
7. Pour egg mixture over the bread slices in your pan, covering equally. Shake pan until mixture reaches all sides. 8. Set aside pan for 30 minutes to allow egg mixture to soak in. Dust with cinnamon.
9. Place uncovered pan in preheated oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until puffy and golden brown.

Bon Appetit! Wishing you a fabulous Sunday!

Oh, and how could I forget, Happy Halloween!

(PS - If someone can educate me on how to add in the many accent marks I am missing on my recipe title, I'd be forever appreciative.)

Cloud Nine

2010-10-29T10:28:00.000-04:00

I'm back. And I'm married. And it was absolutely the best day of my life.

I am still floating around on Cloud Nine.

I really can't wait to tell you all about it. I have so much to share and so much love to pass on for all of the wonderful people who made it all possible. Sigh... I couldn't be happier. And did I mention... I'm married to my best friend? Can't beat that.

I am so excited to share all of the fun details with you, but we have a few other things to cover first. I do not want to keep you completely in the dark, so for now, I will just share one of my favorite sneak peak images from our truly amazing photographers, the husband and wife team of James and Jenny at Visio Photography.

Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend!

I am going to return to my cloud now.

Italian Wedding Cookies

2010-10-18T09:53:00.000-04:00

My little wedding ticker thing says I'll be getting married in 5 days. Yikes.

I mean that in an "I am so very excited to finally do this" kind of way. I am not good at waiting. This last minute stuff is killing me. I saved up a bunch of mini projects just to take my mind off of the anticipation. I am very grateful that we have had a short engagement period.

To say I have a case of anxiety right now is a major understatement. Anxiety mixed with a sense of calm. Up and down. I'm even driving myself crazy! Ugh... Saturday, just get here already.

When I get this way I need to do things to keep busy. Lately I've been filling my time with some pretty intense 'last chance' workouts. Ever since I brought The Dress home last week and it is hanging on my door I have been feeling it taunting me. Come on... one more work out... you can do it...

Well, these crazy workouts are resulting in an injured knee, unexplainable lower back pain and now a weird throbbing pain in my left hip. I have to cut back a bit and find another diversion to keep me occupied or I risk finding myself limping down the aisle. Luckily, I love to cook and moving myself back into the kitchen is a welcome reprieve (although I realize counterproductive in terms of The Dress, but that's besides the point).

I vowed that October would be the launch of wedding month here on Vita Nostra. Then I realized I probably should not write too much about it or I'll give all the good stuff away in advance of the wedding. So I will be keeping it a little intentionally vague for now, filling this space with little hints of what is to come.

Today I give you Italian Wedding Cookies. We had these every Christmas when I was growing up. Batches stacked up in containers kept cool in the frigid garage (winter in New Hampshire = lots of free refrigeration in unexpected spots) throughout the month of December.

Powdery simple sweetness in a buttery shortbready (not too sweet) way. (Warning: Addictive)

I tried to get my dad to find my mother's recipe, but no luck. This one, on AllRecipes.com was perfect in a pinch. The only thing I changed was a slight reduction in salt. I will definitely be using this recipe again. As far as baking goes, this is really simple and they are fun to make. You could easily go a little haywire with the powdered sugar though, so be careful or you'll be finding it in some very unexpected locations around your kitchen. Not that this happened to me or anything ...

Italian Wedding Cookies

Ingredients
1 and a 1/2 cups unsalted butter
3/4 cup powered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups finely ground almonds
4 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
Lots of extra powdered sugar for rolling

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Add butter and powdered sugar to large bowl. Cream together. Add salt. Beat everything with a hand mixer (if available) until light and fluffy.
3. Add almonds and vanilla extract. Mix. (Note - if you are not able to purchase ground almonds, just do it yourself. Buy the slivered ones and run them through your blender for a minute or two.)

4. Gradually blend in flour until well mixed.
5. Use one teaspoon of dough for each cookie. Shape with your hand into a round ball, crescent, or any other shape that you find appealing. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. You can place these fairly close together as they do not spread.

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove before browning. The color of the cookie should remain light, but should be firm to the touch. I did mine for 16 minutes per batch.
7. Remove from sheet and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Roll each cookie in powdered sugar until fully coated. Set aside for further cooling.

Enjoy!

And that's my little hint for today of things to come...

How I Decided Where to Get Married

2010-10-14T13:33:00.000-04:00

I never really had big visions of my wedding as a little girl (or a not so little girl for that matter). So when it came time to actually having to think about it and quickly move into decision mode (due to my amazing success at procrastination), I had a lot of catching up to do.

I am also not what I would call a traditional bride, so holding a large wedding in my hometown or anything like that is not me and was not going to happen. I do not expect anyone to understand that, just to trust that there are certain things in life that are important to me and this is not one of them.

My rapidly changing visions had me walking down the aisle somewhere a little more my style.

Put it this way, when I was in Italy, I had picked out venues in Rome, Tuscany and along the coast. I spent my mornings drinking coffee and dreaming of my grand, and yet intimate, Italian wedding. It would be very me, a little modern, a little traditional, very italian (ok, so I'm not actually italian), a little regal and a lot small. If I had one inkling of a vision when I was younger, it would have to be this. I even picked out my italian designer dress (which truth be told looks nothing like what I eventually picked, but I was SO in love with it at the time).

And then I went to Paris. Where I spent my afternoons drinking tea with lots of milk and cute little brown sugar cubes, dreaming of a romantic Parisian wedding, filled with lace and gold and lots of pink. My little French Fairy Tale.

And then, well, I came home and reality sort of sunk in. Visions of sugar plum fairies dancing in my head were replaced with the stark reality that I had only a couple of months to plan this little fairy tale of mine, and realistically, running away to Europe probably wasn't in the cards. Sigh. Sigh again. It was a sad time.

I threw myself wholeheartedly into internet research. We had a permanent date for quite some time. Over the course of several weeks, we traveled to California, Maine, Nantucket, South Carolina, Arizona finally ending up with a swing through the North Carolina coast. I could do that. Water is good. Close to home, but not too close. Done. For about a week we were getting married at the coast. Beach houses were scrutinized, finalists prepared for site visits. I envisioned our families bonding on the sand under large umbrellas, taking naps in the afternoon and grilling fun beach food in the evenings. I even considered (briefly) going barefoot.

Another reality check when I really started thinking about everyone staying together under one roof for a week. Good in theory. Not so sure it would be great in practice, especially given my stress level during situations like that. Back to the drawing board.

That's when it hit me. Fall Wedding. Why not the mountains? Asheville? The Biltmore? Where John and I had our very first weekend getaway. Perfect.

From this point on, it was actually quite easy. We were visiting the Biltmore the following weekend, touring the various sites. We saw the Butterfly Garden and Conservatory and looked at each other and knew we were done. It was like the vision I never quite had.

(Here's a few teasers...)

And that is "How I Decided Where to Get Married". It took me awhile, but I think we ended up at the right spot, for us. And now... the real fun begins...

I would love to hear your stories! How did you pick your wedding location? Was it like love at first site or something a little more practical?

Reflections

2010-10-09T10:33:00.001-04:00

This has been one amazing year.

I do not want to jinx it or anything. I do realize we're not quite through.

A year ago at this time, I would never have imagined I would be where I am today. If I am being very honest, I can say that there were moments in the last several years where I wasn't sure I would ever be truly this happy again. Life is funny that way.

I left my job at the end of last year, got engaged on a surprise trip to Rome in March, packed my bags for a two month solo trip through Europe in April and am now in the midst of putting the final touches on my upcoming wedding at the end of October. If I reflect back to a year ago at this time, I would never have imagined that life would take the turns that it has.

I am in somewhat of a reflective mode given the upcoming changes that are taking place. This entire year has really been about reflection and the emerging theme of transformation. Prior to this year, I always thought of transformation in a pure business context, never focusing applying the same principles to my own life. My wake up call was three years ago this past September when I lost my mother to breast cancer. Without drowning in backstory detail, I'll say that this experience was a defining moment in my life.

Everyone who has dealt with losing a loved one and going through the subsequent grief process will understand this journey. Looking back, it was like someone threw my entire life up in the air, slammed it back down to the ground, shattering it into a million pieces and then walked away. There was really no instruction book on how to put it back together.

I do not want today's post to delve into the grief process, but rather to shed a little light on my journey forward. I remember clearly one morning several years ago, my boyfriend, now fiance, sent me an email while I was on a business trip and very clearly articulated that I now had two choices, two paths I could take. I could move forward or I could move backwards. He gave me the gift of hope. He also reminded me that life is about choices.

Truthfully, it was too early in the process for me to make any real decisions and I floundered for quite awhile. There is temporary comfort in sameness. There came a point in time, however, when I realized that something in my life was no longer right.

My mother used to always remind me to "Do what makes you happy." I was increasingly feeling that I had strayed from this path and it was time, and I was ready, to make some choices to realign myself. These choices are never easy. In fact, they are extremely difficult. Leaving my job was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Leaving something behind that defined your identity for so long is very uncomfortable.

It was like a blank slate with no where to go but forward. No risk, no reward. I do believe in this.

Moving forward, making active decisions to change, to transform, is very empowering.

My trip to Europe earlier this year was a significant event in my life, for many reasons, but primarily because it served to create a bridge between where I was and where I am going. Traveling alone gave me time to reflect, heal, and think about my future. I'd be very untruthful if I said I had it all worked out when I returned home, in fact I had none of it worked out, but it did give me time to think and begin to move forward again.

I had serious plans to delve into my next big ideas when I got back, but for good reasons, this has been put on a temporary hold. Conversations after my return home in June went something like this.

"When's the big day?"
"Show me pictures of your dress."
"You must be so excited."

Yes, I was certainly "so excited", but no, I had not completed an inkling of real planning while I was overseas. So, just like that, my path in life took another turn. The past several months have been spent planning our wedding, the details of which I'll be sharing with you over the next several weeks. I am just going with the flow at this point. I know now that everything happens for a reason and when the timing is right I will move on to whatever is meant to be next.

It truly has been an amazing year. I want to thank each of you who have been with me on this journey thus far for sticking around as I explore all of these new paths. Your support has been amazing and I hope that in return I can inspire you just a little bit to think about what makes you happy and remind you that you have your own choices in life when and if you find you have strayed a little from your path.

Homemade Pasta

2010-10-05T10:09:00.000-04:00

And here we are.

Just like that. October.

All right. So my question for you today is, have you tried your hand at homemade pasta?

The mixing of flour and eggs and kneading and rolling and cutting by hand type all while making a glorious mess in your kitchen kind of homemade pasta?

I'd so love to hear how it turned out for you. But first, my story.

I grew up with my mom making fresh pasta at our kitchen table. It was one of those weekend event things, usually in preparation for a dinner party with similarly Italian loving friends. Or sometimes it was just for her family, when she wanted to give us a little extra special love. It was always appreciated and I have fond memories of her having fun doing it, looking forward to the process and results. I know this love for making pasta was amplified by many return visits to Italy, where, of course, they've got this down.

So by now you know that while I was in Rome, I spent a day in a chef's kitchen learning some tricks of the trade. The highlight, for me, was making the pasta from scratch. Despite having watched my mom do it, I never attempted it. Fear, I suppose. I know, dumb reason.

Our results from that class were so fabulous. You could just taste the love mixed up in our dishes, made all the more better by getting to share them with new friends.

With this as background, I decided to try and recreate my experience at home. I have to tell you, I had built it up in my head for a couple months and I was pretty excited. I had visions of delicately tossing the pasta by hand, perfect strands of pale gold, ready to jump into that boiling water and turn into something fabulous. I had high hopes.

First, I'll share the recipe. Seriously, two ingredients. Sounds simple, right?

Fresh Pasta

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 cups all purpose flour, sifted first
4 eggs

Steps

On a cooking sheet, silpat type object or some other surface that is clean and can get a little dirty in the process, dump your flour into a small pile in the center. Turn your pile of flour into a small volcano type object by making a deep hole in the center. Be careful to leave a layer of flour at the bottom.

My Sad Looking Volcano

Crack eggs into the well in the flour. With a fork, very gradually whisk those eggs into the flour. Be patient with this process. It is really meant to go slow with a very gradual taking of flour from the sides of your 'volcano' into the egg mixture. Eventually you will get to a point where it the flour is incorporated and dough like mixture begins to form. Keep going until you have everything incorporated. I used my hands at the end to get everything in there. It is also not an exact science, so you'll have to use a little personal judgment as to when to stop. Don't let things become too dry (this is where practice and experience helps).

So now you have dough.

Dust a little more flour on your working surface and on a rolling pin and start rolling out the dough. You can also do this in a pasta machine if you have one. After you roll it out, fold it over and start rolling again. Keep repeating this process until you achieve the right level of pliability (you will get a feel for this as you go). When 'ready', begin rolling out your dough until very thin, almost transparent. I found this almost impossible, so my advice is just to keep going and get it as thin as you can without tearing it.

Do as I say, not as I do. I wouldn't exactly call this transparent.

When ready, you can begin cutting your dough into thin pasta resembling shapes. I prepared for this by dusting my work surface with a little cornmeal and the top of the pasta sheet with a little cornmeal. This will help prevent things from sticking. Roll your dough very gently until you have something that looks like a jelly roll. From here, you can begin slicing the ends off, each slice producing a new strand of pasta. Cut as thin as you possibly can. Once you have all of your slices, gently open them up and toss them lightly with cornmeal again and lay them out on a surface to rest. Let them 'dry' for a couple of hours in the open air if you can.

Comparing this to our version from class up above makes me giggle.

Now you are ready to make the pasta. Get some water boiling in a large pot. Add your pasta to the boiling water. Stir in a tablespoon of salt. Stir often to prevent from sticking. Taste your pasta after 3 or 4 minutes to see if it is done (it should be!) Drain your pasta and use as you see fit!

Okay, having made this, I am now truly convinced that pasta making is an art that requires skill, practice and lots of love to perfect. I now also understand why my mom got so into it. She too wanted to reach that level of culinary achievement.

She also had a pasta maker which I truly believe is necessary for my novice self. I just do not possess the arm strength to roll out the dough to the perfect thinness. I really did try. And tried. And tried. It just didn't happen. Our pasta was 'thick' and 'chewy' (not in a good al dente way).

It wasn't perfect, but it was made with lots of love and determination, and this found its way into the end product. Kind of like life, I think. You get out of it what you put into it.

And guess who's getting a pasta maker as a wedding gift? Yup, so next time I'm here pontificating about homemade pasta, we may have a slightly different story. Practice makes perfect, but I think strong arms, or a little machinery, will help. I am very much looking forward to my next trial.

I'd love to hear your stories. Successful attempts? Not so successful? The real question is... did you have fun with the process?

Ciao.

Garden Herb and Walnut Pasta

2010-09-27T09:19:00.001-04:00

What on earth happened to September? Just a few days ago it was Labor Day weekend and we are now just moments away from October.

I'm not sure exactly how it got away from me, but here we are. And I'm finally getting to say Goodbye to Summer. North Carolina has been breaking temperature records all month and we are finally getting a reprieve from the 90s. This weekend it was like a light switched off. One day we were drowning in hot and humid summer and the next we dove right into rainy cooler temperatures. So much for smooth transitions, but, finally, Fall!

Saying goodbye to Summer for me means I am one step closer to our big day. Just under a month now until our wedding. I am looking forward to sharing some of the details as we get a little closer. Warning, if wedding stuff bores you, you may want to tune out for a bit.

Before we go there though, I think it is the perfect time to share with you one of those recipes that just epitomizes the turn from summer to fall for me. Woodsy, rustic flavors. Fresh pasta. Herbs. Walnuts. Garlic. I just love this recipe and it gives me a chance to show off my pasta making skills.

You may recall, during my time in Rome, I spent a day at Cooking Classes in Rome with Chef Andrea. We had such a fabulous time and one of the highlights of the day was making fresh pasta. It was a swoon worthy experience, one I wasn't quite sure I'd be able to duplicate at home.

My instincts were right. I gave it my best shot, but my homemade pasta did not live up to the reputation of that we produced in Italy. Not even really close. But, I know this. Practice makes perfect and I am looking forward to lots more practice. And the experience of making fresh pasta is so worth it. It gives me a chance to really get my hands dirty and produce something from nothing. Even if it doesn't turn out, you can't help but feel a little proud.

So today, I'll share with you the recipe that I modified from the Carrboro Farmer's Market here in North Carolina. This is one of those handy recipes that you can really play around with. I made lots of herbal modifications simply by using just those herbs that I actually had on hand. Every spring I put a couple of pots out with fresh herbs and have a small window of opportunity to add them to almost everything I make before the hot sun dries them out and no amount of watering can save.

Garden Herb and Walnut Pasta

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Butter
3/4 Cup Walnuts
1/3 Cup Pine Nuts
1/4 Cup Fresh Dill
1/4 Cup Fresh Thyme
1/2 Cup Fresh Sage
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
3/4 Cup Dry White Wine
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
Fresh Pasta
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation
Melt butter in large pan. Add chopped walnuts and pine nuts and coat evenly with butter. Cook until warm and toasty. Be careful not to burn. Remove nuts from pan and set aside.

Add olive oil to same pan and return to burner. Add garlic, stirring until fragrant. Add the dill and sage to the pan and stir. Add thyme and stir. Once combined, add the wine and stir some more. Add the stock to pan. Simmer for several minutes.

Pour sauce over freshly cooked pasta and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with the buttered walnut and pine nut mixture and toss to combine when serving. Serve hot, warm or cold! Also good with addition of Parmesan and extra drizzle of olive oil.

There really is a lot of flexibility in this recipe and it is a great way to use up extra herbs that you may have sitting around. I think it is a perfect introduction into what I hope will be a Fabulous Fall.

Tomorrow, I'll share the trials and tribulations of my first attempt at making homemade pasta!

Rooftop Paris

2010-09-15T08:47:00.000-04:00

I seriously wasn't expecting to feel sad as I was going through these pictures this morning. But truth be told, I got a little teary eyed. It is not the content, but really the context. I felt the same way while I was up on the roof looking over the most beautiful city in the world.

This was my last day in Paris. Yesterday, I brought you through the Galleries Lafayette which is so amazingly gorgeous with its stained glass cupola. I have never seen anything like it. Truly does make shopping a beautiful experience and not just a crappy trip through your neighborhood mall. (I am not a fan of shopping malls.)

But I had heard that the rooftop of the Galleries Lafayette was not to be missed. You have to trek up quite a few sets of stairs and weave your way to the top, but it is so worth it. The door opens to an expanse overlooking this beautiful city. See... I am getting teary eyed again.

There are so many wonderful spots in Paris to observe the city from. The Eiffel Tower, Sacre Couer, the Arc de Triomphe. All beautiful vantage points. I like to think of the Galleries as a little hidden gem though. A special spot of my own. Before you think it is undiscovered, it is actually quite a popular spot, but I think its unique location sets it apart a bit. Plus, it is free.

I have a distinct memory of photographing a German couple up on the roof. They were so happy in love and clearly enjoying their time in Paris. It made me sad that I was alone, but at the same time, excited to start the journey home and begin my own life as part of a couple. You see, part of this trip was about saying goodbye and preparing to move onto the next phase of my life. I couldn't have asked for a better transition.

If you make it to Paris, please do checkout the rooftop views from the venue of your choice. You will not be disappointed and it gives you a new perspective on just how lovely this city is.

From here we begin to say goodbye again and move forward. Over the next couple of posts, I'll be highlighting some of my final days and sharing some of my early reflections. Au revoir!

Galleries Lafayette Paris

2010-09-14T09:18:00.000-04:00

Shopping in Galleries Lafayette in Paris is such a fabulous experience. I can't believe I waited until my last day in Paris to make it here, but I'm so happy I finally went. Where else can you spend an afternoon soaking up all the latest fashions and design in such an elegant environment? Would be a great way to spend a rainy day in Paris, but honestly, it would not be a waste of your time if you spent some time on a nice day either.

Galleries Lafayette is Europe's largest department store. Opened in 1896, the building has an unbelievably gorgeous stained glass cupola roof. Truly a destination for this alone. So luxurious and beautiful. It is located at 40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France, near the Opera.

Floor after floor of fashion, food (the markets are amazing), everything you could want or need. Unfortunately, as I was heading home the next day, I really didn't need anything. Or more likely, I had no more room in my bags. I did leave with a head full of inspiration. Honestly giddy with it all, I called John on the way out and said we must return here. I know it sounds silly to say this of a mall-like environment, but throw every idea you have of a mall out and trust me, just go here if you are in Paris. Amazing.

Oh... and the views from the rooftop... wait until you see this!