gravity and grace | brooklyn art museum

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Have any of you east coasters checked out the Brooklyn Art Museum recently? I certainly wish I could because I would love to see El Anatsui's "Grace & Gravity" installment. The exhibit features over 30 works in metal and wood that have been created into some pretty amazing sculptures. "Anatsui converts found materials into a new type of media that lies between sculpture and painting, combining aesthetic traditions from his birth country, Ghana; his home in Nsukka, Nigeria; and the global history of abstraction..." I really like how transformative the work is, changing what you think material should/could be used for into something much more and very beautiful too.

If you are in New York, the exhibit is running until the beginning of August, so you should stop by...I know I would!

in the kitchen: morning smoothie

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For the past year and a half, I have tried to incorporate some kind of "green smoothie" into my daily routine. Drinking green smoothies is a great way to get in your fruit & veggies for the day and if you're usually running out the door in the morning,  it can make your morning routine a bit easier since you can just take your breakfast to go! I have been playing around with different fruit combinations and thought I would share my current fave with you so you can try it out too. If you want to read more about the benefits of the green smoothie and other recipes, I recommend checking out Linda Wagner's blog here.

Pineapple-Banana-Blueberry-Kale Smoothie

1/2 banana

1/2 C frozen pineapple

1/4 C fresh or frozen blueberries

large handful of kale (leaves only, remove from stem)

1/3 C coconut water (regular water works just fine too!)

Place all ingredients into blender to mix. Once everything is thoroughly blended, pour into a glass or your to go cup and enjoy!

*note: if you include the blueberries in your smoothie, it won't exactly be a bright green color, but still delicious!

weekend visitor

This past weekend, one of my best friends left her balmy 60 degree weather in D.C. to come for a good ol' fashioned girls weekend in chilly Milwaukee! I was so excited to have her visit-it had been entirely too long since we had been able to spend some real quality time together.

We were able to check out a few local spots-a tour at Lakefront Brewery, lunch at Comet Cafe, sipped on some lattes at Brewed and I finally got to check out The Odd Duck (I highly recommend the scallops or the peanut butter chocolate cake/pie/magic-deliciousness!). And we even managed to get our nails done, making it an official girls weekend ;) Most of all, we talked...caught up on life and all the details that sometimes fall to the wayside when you are catching up on the phone. Definitely a wonderful weekend, spent with a wonderful friend!

in the kitchen: frutti di mare

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On Tuesday, we celebrate Ry's dad's birthday and in a continued effort to broaden their horizons in the food world, Ry decided we would make something with shrimp and scallops. When he asked me for some recipe ideas, I immediately knew we would have to make a traditional Italian dish, frutti di mare!

I referred to a few different recipes and then kind of winged it from there and I think the final product turned out really well. The best part was that Ry's dad and step mom gave it two thumbs up! If you are a fan of seafood and you are looking for a tasty dish for dinner, definitely give this one a try...

Frutti di Mare (adapted from various recipes)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 C fresh basil, chopped

1/4 stick butter (or olive oil)

3/4 C dry white wine

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 carton mushrooms (portabello or white), sliced

1 can crushed tomato

1 C parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 to 1lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 lb scallops (if you have larger scallops, quarter them)

1 box of linguine (or your fave pasta)

1. Place water on to boil for your pasta. Be sure to salt the water! If your pasta finishes cooking before the veggies and seafood, lightly coat with olive oil and set aside.

2. Melt butter in large skillet and then add your garlic, shallots, and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms and onions are slightly softened and then add red pepper.

3. Add white wine to the veggies and let cook for about 5 minutes. Once liquid has been cooked down a bit and peppers are tender, add shrimp to the veggie mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add scallops. Continue to cook until the shrimp are pink and begin to curl.

4. Add can of crushed tomatoes, stirring it in slowly. Add chopped basil. Cover skillet with lid and let the mixture simmer for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occassionally. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add pasta into the the skillet and gently toss until the pasta is well coated with the tomato sauce. (You can also serve the pasta & sauce seperately if people want to spoon on the sauce mixture!)

Garnish with parmesan and serve with tasty bread or a salad (we had ciabatta bread from Breadsmith!)

bon appetit!

we're ready for you spring!

 

Hello spring! Hello?? Anybody there?!

 

With today's high at about 20 degrees, I'd say we are all in serious need of springtime weather. I told Ry this morning that the cold is just plain oppressive. I think he thought I was being dramatic, but even he (who loves wintertime and snowboarding) is ready for warmer weather. So in hopes of kicking this spring season into gear, let's discuss some favorite things about spring! I'll go first....

 

1. Bike rides! I realize that there are some brave i.e. crazy people who ride year-round, but springtime is when the open road calls my name.

 

2. Spring flowers! When those flowers start to bloom and grass finally begins to grow back, there is nothing better than all those great smells in the air. I love seeing everything slowly start to creep up and out of the ground, especially the tulips!

 

3. Picnics! Because who doesn't like a good picnic in a great park...I'm looking forward to checking out the handful of different parks around Milwaukee and of course, the lovely lakefront.

 

4. Out with the old, in with the new...wardrobe! I am lover of boots, but I certainly won't complain when it's not a required item in my daily wardrobe. Same goes for sweaters and lots of layers...give me light and fresh!

 

5. Long walks! Nothing is worse than stepping outside and feeling completely assaulted by freezing temperatures and harsh winds. I have always loved being able to walk around and explore the neighborhoods I have lived in and it's always a million times better when the sun is shining down and birds chirping, don't you think??

 



another weekend, a few pics

just a few shots from the weekend-it was a chilly one, but the sunshine on Saturday during my walk with Bailey was beyond wonderful! Oh and I'm happy to report that my first attempt at making Irish soda bread was a definite success!

currently 4.0

Listening to Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience and l-o-v-i-n-g it! Seriously, JT can do no wrong in my book AND you still have a couple days to stream the entire album for free on iTunes. Just in case you might have any doubts that it isn't going to be another great album. And if you haven't seen some of his performances on Jimmy Fallon this week, you should definitely check it out, especially this one! 

Loving my new kilim rug that I got for the apartment! It was sort of the first big purchase I made for the space and I nervously awaited for it to arrive from Turkey (literally), but it is just perfect! I love how cozy it makes the living room. I will be sharing more pictures next week, so stay tuned...

Excited for St. Patrick's Day! Good food, green beer, great company and of course some cheery Irish tunes to make for a fun celebration. One of my favorite dishes on St. Patty's is Irish Soda bread, with extra raisins of course. My mom has got this recipe down to a science and I am going to give it a whirl this year-you should too! 

Reading or I guess I should say, about to be reading Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryly Sandberg. I have heard all sorts of things, good and bad, about this "feminist manifesto" and  I want to decide for myself whether or not Ms. Sandberg has some worthwhile ideas. As a woman in the workforce, I am always open to learning about ways to improve in the professional world. I have a feeling that it will make for great discussions, which is why I am looking forward to discussing with some of my girlfriends for an impromptu (and cross-country) book club. For more thoughts & opinions on the book and Sandberg, check out this out.

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