What a Week!

I can't believe it's already Wednesday and that I haven't posted on here since our date night a week ago!  Time flew by this weekend which is evident by the number of things we did and people we saw over the weekend.  Here's a little breakdown of how I've spent the last week and what I've been doing since I obviously wasn't blogging!

Wednesday night
Dinner at Brasserie was amazing!  It definitely had an upscale French bistro vibe and lots of personal touches that had me drooling.  Everything from the little containers of loose salt and pepper on the tables to the typography on the menu was perfect.  I wish I could have taken photos of the decor and the meal to share with you but I was a little weary of whipping out my camera in front of all the fine patrons there.

I tried some French beer (tasted very similar to a Belgian Whit to me) and J had a German beer I had never heard of before.  We munched on some olives that had been cooked with hot oil, lemon peel and fennel seed while we waited for our main dishes to come.  I had never had hot olives before and the combination of flavors was amazing!  For the main course, J ordered the beef bourguignon which was melt in your mouth delicious.  It was served with silky smooth mashed potatoes.  In keeping with the French theme, I ordered the bouillabaisse which was incredible.  Full of shrimp (head on), pollack, clams, mussels and potatoes and a tangy-sweet broth, I ate all of it and even drank the broth, it was that good.

After that we headed to the park for some jazz and cheese and chocolate danishes.  The night started out pretty warm but we found a shady spot under a tree and our chilled white wine quickly cooled us down.  The weather cooled even more while we were there which made the evening even more enjoyable.  I definitely want to go back before we leave (weather and time permitting)!

Thursday
We left for Omaha after work and due to flooding in northwestern Missouri (Rockport) and southeastern Iowa (Hamburg) a trip that normally takes us 7 to 7 1/2 hours took us 8 1/2 due to a detour.  This time we planned ahead and I packed plenty of snacks (and dinner) for us to limit our number of stops and we even picked up a few audiobooks to listen to along the way.  The drive flew by, faster than any other visit thus far.  I wish I would have discovered the greatness that is audiobooks sooner!

Friday
J studied for the bar exam Friday morning while I finished reading Middlesex (review forthcoming) before we met some friends for lunch.  After lunch, I had several appointments to gather information about graduate school that took up most of the afternoon.  We then met up with Ashlee and JY before heading to my godparents' house for the Fourth of July concert and fireworks in Memorial Park that evening.  It was a hot night weather wise but we had a great time catching up with friends and family!

Saturday
My mother-in-law and I went to the Farmer's Market Saturday morning while J studied.  I was really impressed with the selection there and was happy to know we'd be able to get lots of farm-fresh produce in Omaha when we move back!  After a late brunch, we went to the driving range for a few hours before coming home and making mojitos with mint we had purchased at the Farmer's Market that morning.  Since it was such nice weather, we played ladder ball (or lawn golf depending on who you ask) for a few hours before we met up with JDP and a professor of ours from college for dinner.

Sunday
Sunday morning we watched the Men's Final at Wimbledon and parts of the Casey Anthony closing arguments before I met a friend from college for coffee.  The weather that day started out dark and rainy but had cleared up enough by the afternoon for us to drive out to the lake for some drinks and a swim.  We then headed to a friend's house who lives on a golf course (so cool!) for a cook out and fireworks.  The golf course puts on a show every year which was really great and from their deck we could see lots of fireworks going off all over Omaha.  Because of that, it was a fireworks show that lasted for over an hour!

Source: asimpleldswedding.com via Kt on Pinterest

Monday
We packed up the car and headed to St. Joseph, MO for our second cookout of the trip with J's dad, step mom and her family.  We visited with them for a few hours and even went for a dip in the pool before we headed to our next stop in Kansas City to visit with J's grandpa and his mom's family.  We played croquet and met some of their neighbors for a block party cook-out.   There was so much food, including award-winning pulled pork and barbequed chicken, that J and I left there very full and happy.  We didn't stay for fireworks since we still had a 4 hour drive ahead of us but we saw plenty along our drive home.  We arrived in St. Louis at 11:30 pm tired and full but happy!

Tuesday it was back to work for me and back to studying for J and back to packing for the both of us.  I can't believe we are moving in less than a month!

Do you listen to audiobooks?  If so, do you have any recommendations for me?! How was your Fourth of July?  Did you see any fireworks or attend any cookouts? 

P.S. I'd like to wish a very happy anniversary to my grandparents who today are celebrating fifty-four years of marriage!  Grandma and Papa, thank you for your love and example all these years.  I can only hope that J and I will have the sort of marriage and be the sort of partners, parents, friends and grandparents that you have been to all of us over the years.  I love you!

My grandparents and J and and me at our wedding last year

Over the River and Through the Woods

To Grandmother's house we go!

I used to think that song was written about my grandparents' house.  When I was little and we still lived in St. Louis, we would literally drive over the river (a few, but especially the Illinois River as you come into Peoria) and through the woods (my grandparents live in a heavily wooded area, great for exploring!) to get there.

My grandma does Christmas and Christmas decorating better than anyone I know.  Her house just oozes with the holiday spirit!  When I was there two weekends ago, I asked if I could take some pictures and share with you all some of my favorite tableaux she creates and recreates every year and she said yes. I hope one day my home can look and feel like the holidays the way my grandparents' home does and more importantly, I hope you enjoy this Christmas-themed house tour!


First up, the family Christmas tree.  This thin profile tree is crammed full of ornaments collected over the years.  I helped trim it this year and learned that some of the ornaments date back to my great-grandma's tree (my grandpa's mother)!  This tree is in the family room off of the kitchen and is in view whether you are watching a movie (like Citizen Kane) or visiting with friends and family stop by.  Best of all, you can see it from the driveway as you pull in thanks to the large windows that can be seen behind the tree.

Next, the side table in the family room.  This has always been a place to display pictures of family and friends, but at Christmas time my grandma replaces some of the pictures with Christmas cards for that year or the previous year.  I think this is a great way to display photo Christmas cards and has the ability to make any corner, like this one, special and festive.  The photos are guarded with a trusty Nutcracker and flanked by some red and green candles brought out for the season.

Next up, the dining room.  This room is one of my favorites in the home, perhaps because of all the great food, conversation, friendship and love that has been shared there over the years.  The buffet table features a gold nativity scene, lamp shades she switches out just for the holidays, and gold and green accents everywhere.  I especially love the unique gold nativity scene and the star of Bethlehem behind it!  That stack of china plates in the corner was for the Oyster Stew that didn't happen due to snow, but they are Twelve Days of Christmas china, brought out especially for this time of year!

Also in the dining room is her chandelier, ready and trimmed for Christmas with garland, gold beads, and porcelain ornaments.  Also, notice the cheery wreath and snowy painting on the far right wall.  She even puts up holiday art for the season!  By the way, you can see a close-up shot of some of these ornaments in this post.

 

Here is another example of holiday art that comes out just for Christmas time.  Also, notice the stoic little Santa Claus hiding under the side table in the corner.  There are little touches and details everywhere!

In the front hall between the dining room and formal living room, my grandma has a basket of Christmas books she leaves out for guests and especially her grandchildren.  I recognize some of the titles as Christmas time favorites from when I was growing up and this basket is perfectly positioned for any reader, young or old, who wants to sit by the fire and read a Christmas story.

Speaking of fires, if the weather is cold enough, they almost always have a fire going in the fire place when family and friends come to visit.  My picture came out a bit blurry which makes it harder to see the details on the mantle place but it is trimmed with garland, green lights, gold beads, ornaments and red and green candles.  I love that instead of hanging stockings by the chimney with car, she has hung gold rimmed ornaments that feature Christmas scenes!

Finally, the pièce de résistance: the large Christmas tree.  This tree is trimmed more simply than the one in the family room.  It features gold and red ornaments, gold ribbon and white lights.  That's it.  But when you have a beautiful tree centered in a large bay window for all the neighbors to see, that is all you need!

So there you have it, my grandparents' home come Christmas time.  Thank you Grandma and Papa for sharing your home with me!  

Readers, what was your favorite part of their holiday decor?  Any themes or decor you would love to see in your own home?  Perhaps you too have a grandparent or parent who decorates to the nines for the holidays?  Let's hear it!

Birthday Dinner Recap, or Two New Recipes

As I talked about in this post, I had a birthday dinner at my grandparents' house in Peoria on Saturday night.  J unfortunately had to stay in the Lou and study for finals, while keeping an eye on that mischievous Woods.  J and I celebrated together with friends on the night of my actual birthday with pizza.

I was lucky enough to be able to select the menu for the dinner and I knew immediately what I would request:  French Onion Soup, Caesar Salad and Steak--some of my grandpa's best recipes!  In fact, I am pretty sure this is what my mom or any of her seven siblings would have asked for for their birthday dinner too.  The recipes are that good!

I also got to pick out which china pattern we would have dinner on.  My grandma has several sets of beautiful china, including one she received from my grandpa's mother--I picked their wedding china for my birthday dinner!

First is French Onion Soup.  

There aren't a lot of ingredients, but they come together to make a really hearty and delicious soup for the winter or any time!


Ingredients:
1/4 cup of butter
1 large onion sliced--use a mandolin if you have one but watch your fingers!
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 can beef broth
1 can beef consumme
1 1/2 cans of water (using the beef broth can)
1/2 cup white wine
splash of Madeira
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (palm's worth)
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Swiss, gruyere or parmesan cheese, grated
French bread, cut into rounds (twelve if baguette, six if a larger bread)


Kitchen Supplies:
Mandolin, preferred not required
Can opener
Cheese grater
Wine opener
Stock pot
Ovenproof soup bowls

Melt butter in stock pot over medium-low heat.  Add onions, celery and salt and reduce to low.  Cook slowly until onions caramelize and turn golden brown.

Add remaining ingredients through white pepper.  Cover and simmer for thirty minutes.   While simmering, toast bread rounds in a warm oven.  Spoon into ovenproof bowls and top with toasted bread rounds.  Cover with cheese and place under broiler for 2 minutes until cheese is melted and has started to turn golden.

Just to clarify: the soup bowl is a Christmas bowl.  The gold rimmed china is their wedding china.

Serves 6

Next up is my Grandpa's Caesar Salad. 

This time, we had to borrow anchovies from the neighbors because by that point the roads were getting bad and we didn't want to venture very far.  My grandma got the ingredients Papa needed to make the salad and continue getting things ready for dinner.  My aunt and I were sitting by the fire, reading our books, when we heard my Papa cry out "Mary, Mary, Mary!" (my grandma's name)  We all came running, concerned he had fallen, cut himself, or worse only to find she had given him balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.  At that point he had already poured it in the dressing and we tried to make it work.  After letting it sit for fifteen minutes while we worked on the croutons we finally concluded the balsamic vinegar version was just awful.  We asked Papa to remake it using the red wine vinegar and he did, which we were very thankful for!  The second version came out great, just how we had remembered it!

Ingredients:
1 large bunch romaine lettuce, washed and dried
1 can anchovies and juice
1 egg
1/2 lemon
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
Couple shakes of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce
Ground black pepper
Shot of yellow mustard
Salt
Parmesan cheese


For croutons:
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of butter, cut into two pats
Olive oil--enough to coat bottom of skillet
French bread (about 8-12 slices) cut into 1 inch squares


Kitchen Supplies:
Salad spinner--not required, but it does make the drying of romaine leaves easier!
Salad bowl
Skillet
Whisk

In wooden bowl, mix vinegar, oil, anchovies oil and one crushed anchovie, lemon juice, egg, mustard, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and other herbs and spices.  Allow to sit.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add bread cubes, butter and garlic.  Stir frequently until croutons crisp up and turn golden brown.

Remove from heat.  Break up lettuce, add to dressing in the bowl and mix well.  If the dressing has separated while it was sitting there, give it a quick whisk to recombine.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and mix well.  Add croutons and if desired, additional anchovies.

I love anchovies so this recipe is a no brainer for me.  However, if you are not an anchovies fan, please at least try the croutons on your favorite salad.  You won't be sorry!

A bowl of the French Onion Soup and Caesar Salad would have been more than enough for dinner, but we also had steak and baked potatoes.  We topped it off with Italian wedding cake that a close friend who shared dinner with us had made and brought for us!

Overall, it was a great birthday dinner with some of my favorite people!

How did you celebrate your birthday this year, friends?

When Life Gives You Lemons, Watch Citizen Kane

When I woke up the morning of my birthday (Sunday) in Peoria, I wasn't sure I was going to make it home that night.  As I detailed in this post, the weather was pretty nasty.

J had texted me that morning to tell me that he would be making dinner for me for my birthday and wanted to know what time I would be home.  I took a look at the almost white out conditions outside, the IDOT graphic full of angry red squiggly lines for interstates and thought to myself, I might be spending all of my birthday here in Peoria.

While we waited for the weather to either improve or get worse, which would help me determine whether I would be venturing home or staying the night, my grandparents, aunt and I watched Citizen Kane.  At my birthday dinner on Saturday night, I mentioned that one things on my 130 Before I'm Thirty list was to watch Citizen Kane (part one of two for goal number 124 to be exact) and as fate would have it, they had recorded it a few days prior when it was on Turner Classic Movies.  So, when the opportunity came up to ride out the storm with a movie, they all suggested we watch it!

Borrowed from here

We drank bloody Mary's and bundled up on the couch and watched what was voted by many as the greatest American movie of all time.  My initial reaction was that it didn't quite live up to the hype.  Some of the camera angles that were no doubt revolutionary at the time seemed a bit odd today.  One scene involved the camera peering up at a character from almost the feet of the other character who were engaged in a conversation together.

After the movie ended, my aunt and I sat down and pondered it some more.  We reached the conclusion that our initial lukewarm reaction could be explained by the fact that we were modern viewers with little knowledge of film history.  When you compare Citizen Kane with let's say Gone With the Wind, a movie that came out two years before, you begin to see why this movie was so revolutionary.  From the pace and structure of the storyline to the angles of the cameras and the set design, the film was clearly a break from its peers of the day.

The themes it introduces are timeless as well and feature such ideas as: Money doesn't buy happiness and you can never know someone unless you walk a mile in their shoes.  These probably sound a bit stale and cliche now (think of how many movies have come out between 1941 and now!) but at the time they were probably much more fresh and interesting!

In reading up about the movie on Wikipedia, I also realized how many pop culture references I had missed over the years because I had never seen the movie.  Like Rosebud's appearance in Indiana Jones (and The Simpsons).  So, I definitely recommend the movie to anyone who hasn't seen it.  It's a great little history of film lesson and for me, another goal to check off my list!

Anyone out there seen the film and want to compare notes?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the film!

Winter Weekend Recap

Image borrowed from here and here originally

On Friday I traveled to Peoria to spend some time with my aunt and grandparents for my birthday.  On our itinerary was a fish fry dinner Friday night, a birthday dinner Saturday night (with French Onion Soup and Caesar salad--recipes and pictures to follow) and Grandma's Oyster Stew luncheon (recipe and photos also to follow) on Sunday.  The first two events went off without a hitch, until ice and snow struck the Midwest Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Aunts and cousins who were supposed to travel from St. Louis, Chicago and Peoria could not make it due to poor weather conditions.  The luncheon, which occurs every year in December, was effectively canceled with only a few neighbors who lived in walking distance stopping by later in the day.

I almost didn't make it out of Peoria myself and seriously contemplated staying the night and driving back early this morning.  In retrospect, I probably should have stayed put.  But I did drive home and after a tense five hours (it normally takes just under three), made it back to J safe and sound.  Having grown up in southern California, I am an extremely cautious driver when there is ice and snow on the ground.  It was white-knuckle the whole way home and the highways were filled with cars that had spun out and been left until conditions improved.  I did a lot of praying and was so thankful to have made it home safely, especially because it was my birthday!

No matter, I still got to eat oyster stew, had a wonderful birthday dinner with my grandparents and aunt on Saturday night, and capped off the night at one of our favorite pizza places Dewey's with some friends (who we actually celebrated my birthday with last year too)!  The drive was nothing a cold glass of beer and some warm pizza could fix.

So while my birthday weekend did not go exactly as planned, it was definitely one I'll remember for years to come!

How was your weekend, friends?