Quote of the Day

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that's why we call it the present."

-Joan Rivers

Make Your Own Chai

Homemade Chai Tea Latte

1 1/2  cups milk

3 coin sized slices of fresh ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cardamom seeds

1 tsp. black peppercorns

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups water

3 bags black tea

I’m a big fan of Starbucks chai tea lattes, but they are really easy and much less expensive to make at home. If you make a dry spice mixture, you can store it in a tin or jar and it would make a great gift for the holidays.

To make the tea, first combine the cloves, peppercorns, and cardamom seeds. Crush them lightly with something hard such as a pan, then add in the cinnamon and nutmeg. Slice fresh ginger into coin sized pieces and add them to the spice blend.  I bought a reusable tea bag for less than a dollar to put all the spices in, but you can also use a coffee filter or strainer to keep all the bits of spices out of your drink.

Bring the milk to a boil in a sauce pan with the spices steeping in it. Turn the burner off and let it sit for ten minutes. In the mean time, boil 2 cups of water and add the 3 bags of black tea.

Pour the black tea into the milk mixture and stir. Add the sugar or honey, then cool and enjoy!



Pictures via here and here

The Windy City

Today Chicago is living up to it's reputation as the windy city. With over 55 mph winds, I'm staying inside so I don't blow away. I saw this cute commercial awhile back and thought it would be the perfect thing to share today. Enjoy!

Salsa Dancing

Today I had a little adventure and took my first ever salsa class. This is something I probably would have never picked up on my own, but my friend Stav convinced me to try it. Stav lived in Costa Rica while working on a sea turtle rescue program and was feeling a bit nostalgic for Latin culture. She found the website for a place in Chicago called the Dance Academy of Salsa, and it looked authentic enough, so we both signed up for a lesson. The studio was located in a Puerto Rican neighborhood and Stav and I were the only English speaking students in  the class. The instructor, Miguel, was an old salsa pro and coached us patiently as we struggled to find our rhythm. I eventually mastered the basic salsa step, the cross body lead, the half left turn, and the full right turn. Now I just need to convince Don to come to a class or two so I can have a dance partner ...  like that will ever happen.

Rodney Smith

I can't get enough of these pictures by Rodney Smith! I think I have a strange fascination with bowler hats. They just look so cool in black and white. Check out the rest of his portfolio here.

Quote of the Day

 

A room without books is like a body without a soul.

-Cicero

Garden Chef Series

So I'm a bit delayed in writing about this, but a week or so ago, Don and I went to a cooking demonstration as part of the Garden Chef Series at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. It was actually the last one of the season because the weather is getting colder, but it was so much fun. The small outdoor kitchen was so adorable. I would love to have one just like it so I can cook in the garden on a nice day. We had a chef from Trattoria No. 10 teach us how to cook baby pumpkins stuffed with chanterelle mushrooms, cipollini onions and a thyme cream sauce. We got samples at the end and they were delicious! I will definitely need to try making it at home.

Photos via Food Network Magazine

Refugee All Stars

The Refugee All Stars are an band with an incredible story. They formed in a refugee camp in Guinea during the brutal civil conflict in Sierra Leone, which cost many of them their families and friends. The band set out on a mission to help their fellow refugees forget their suffering and heal through the power of music. A documentary crew recorded their journey (see their movie!) and helped bring them to the world's attention. Now, they are touring the globe playing concerts. Don and I had the privilege to see them at Space this weekend, and we had so much fun! Their music is so energetic and upbeat, you just want to get up and dance. As the lead singer said "Dancing to African music, is like therapy. All the bad things will leave your body".  I think everyone should try it sometime :-)


Video: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars from Scott McCambridge on Vimeo.

Fall Foliage

This time of year I get nostalgic for Colorado. When I lived there, my family would drive up to the mountains every fall to see the leaves change colors. Entire mountains of aspen trees would turn stunningly gold. I would highly recommend taking a drive up this way if you get the chance!

Quote of the Day

"Coffee is the sister of time" - Mahmoud Darwish

Stayin' Organized

For some reason, I have a small obsession with school supplies. Every year I look forward to buying new notebooks and pens for back to school time. Now that I've graduated and no longer partake in that  ritual,  I've been dying to buy a new planner/calendar. I think there's just something better about writing down your lists of things to do. Today I found the perfect one by Millimeter/Milligram. Every page of it has a unique little graphic on the bottom. It's so cute, I'm sure it will keep me organized and inspired!

Sukkah City

Tomorrow night begins the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which is one of my favorites. It is a holiday to celebrate the fall harvest by basically building huts in our backyard like the Jewish farmers used to. The sukkah, or hut like structure must be built following these guidelines: it needs three walls (made of any material), and a roof made of organic material that you can see the stars through at night (ie: tree branches). This amazing project called Sukkah City in New York, had an architectural design contest to build modern interpretations of these ancient dwellings. I wish I was there to see these, they are brilliant!!

Quote of the Day

" The sky could be blue, I don't mind. Without you it's a waste of time." - Coldplay

Photo via here

5 Green Boxes

 

5 Green Boxes is one of my favorite stores in Denver. It's actually two stores, both on Pearl street. The small store sells clothing, jewelry, and gifts. The big store sells furniture and home decorations. I got the gray dresser, picture frames and pink vases from the home store and they are my favorite things in my room. I wish I could go back to Denver for a shopping spree at this store!

Renegade Handmade

This afternoon, we went to Wicker Park to check out the Renegade Handmade Craft Fair. I was in craft heaven! There were so many cute things, I wanted them all. I ended up just getting a post card and bracelet that were too adorable to pass up. The post card (top left of my photos) was for long distance couples, and you could stamp hearts on the locations you both lived in. I thought that was such a sweet idea. I also coincidentally ran into a booth for 20K Films, who are producing documentary films in Chicago. I got really excited when I found out about it, and talked to them about getting involved on a shoot or two while I'm in the neighborhood. 

Fighting Flamingos

Today we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. The lions and tigers were mostly sleeping, but the flamingos and butterflies were fun to watch. Looks like there was some flamingo sibling rivalry going on.

Stuffed Grape Leaves, Two Ways

We had the best dinner last night for Rosh Hashanah. Galilla and I collaborated to make some vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, and they were amazing! She rarely measures things when she cooks and knows most of her recipes from memory, so this is the best I could do to write down the recipe. I'm definitely going to make it again sometime. Yum!

I. Cracked Wheat with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

Grape Leaves
* 1 cup cracked wheat (burghul)
* 1 cup water
* 1 cup ground veggie burger
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
* 1 jar of grape leaves
* 1/2 cup onion
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce
* 1 can stewed tomatoes
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 cup finely chopped onion
* 1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
* 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
* 1 teaspoon fresh or dried dill
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Preparation:

Take a cup of cracked wheat and wash it in water and strain. Set it aside in a bowl and pour 1cup of boiling water over it and let it sit for 30 min. Strain the water off and squeeze handfuls of the cracked wheat to get rid of excess moisture. Heat a pan on the stove with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add 1/2 cup of chopped onion and saute for three minutes. Add in the cracked wheat and 1 cup of ground veggie patty. Add the cumin and poultry seasoning and mix together.

Take out a glass baking dish and spray it with cooking spray. Once the cracked wheat mixture has cooled enough to handle, spoon about two tablespoons into each grape leaf and roll it up. Place each stuffed grape leaf into the pan until it is full.

For the sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and saute a cup of chopped onions for three minutes. Add the parsley, mint, dill, and garlic, then saute for several more minutes. Add the can of tomatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Once the sauce is ready, pour it over the grape leaves. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Cool and then serve. 

II. Goat Cheese and Rice

Ingredients:

Grape Leaves
* 1 cup white rice
* 2 cups water
* 1 jar of grape leaves
* 1/2 cup onion
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Filling
* 1 log of goat cheese
* 1 egg
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Take a cup of rice and wash it in water and strain. Boil two cups of water, add the rice, cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, until rice is cooked.In another pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 cup of chopped onion. Saute for three minutes. Add pepper and salt, then mix it into the rice. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, crack the egg and whisk it. Add in the goat cheese and whisk it together with the egg until there are no clumps. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the cooled rice. Take out a glass baking dish and spray it with cooking spray.Spoon about two tablespoons of the rice mixture into each grape leaf and roll it up. Place each stuffed grape leaf into the pan until it is full.

Sprinkle about 1/4 cup water over the top of the grape leaves. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. If you like, remove the foil for the last 5 minutes for a crispier top. Cool and then serve.

Pictures via here and here

Tom-A-to, Tom-AH-to

These home grown tomatoes looked so happy getting some sun in the window. Can't wait to eat them!

Be Happy!

I had a really nice Rosh Hashanah dinner with the Waintraubs last night. There was so much good food and good company. I found this picture awhile ago, but I think it's the perfect mantra for the morning and new year.

Picture Via Here

Shanah Tovah

I found these lovely prints just in time for Rosh Hashanah! Shanah tovah u metuka!

Photos via here

Lisa Hannigan

This is such a clever music video by Lisa Hanningan. Those are some gorgeous pop up books!


Lisa Hannigan - Lille from ATO Records on Vimeo.

Cupcakes!!

Found this awesome cupcake recipe at Design*Sponge. I can't wait to make them, they sound sooo good!

Triple Chocolate Stuffed Mocha Cupcakes

Tip: As an alternative to paper cupcake liners, my number one recipe tester, Lissa McBurney, suggests buttering the muffin cups and dusting with cocoa powder, rather than flour, to get an extra chocolate kick and avoid unsightly white specs.

Ingredients:

3⁄4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
11⁄2 cups flour
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3⁄4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
11⁄2 cups whipping cream
1⁄3 cup cocoa nibs (optional)


To make the cupcakes: In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the espresso and stir until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Preheat the oven to 350°F.In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and beat for an additional minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 1⁄2 of the flour mixture and beat for another minute. With mixer running, slowly pour in 1⁄2 of the espresso mixture and mix until completely blended; repeat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat briefly to ensure everything is homogenized.

Using a 1⁄3-cup measure, scoop the batter into the muffin cups, dividing equally. Bake 18 to 23 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. If necessary, run a thin-blade knife around the edges to release the cupcakes from the pan; cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the ganache: While the cupcakes cool, coarsely chop the chocolate and place in a medium mixing bowl. Heat the whipping cream in a small saucepan until just beginning to bubble around the edges. Whisk the warm cream into the chopped chocolate and continue whisking until completely smooth. Cool slowly at room temperature, whisking occasionally to maintain smoothness. (Don’t be tempted to rush by putting the ganache in the fridge or it will harden around the outer edges and you’ll have to reheat it again to whisk the chocolate lumps back in. If you absolutely can’t resist the temptation or the clock is working against you and you must resort to the fridge, just make sure to stir every 5 minutes or so.) When it reaches a spreading consistency, transfer 1⁄2 of the ganache to the bowl of an electric mixer. With the whisk attachment, whip until light and fluffy.

To fill the cupcakes, transfer the whipped ganache to a pastry bag with a plain or star metal tip. Plunge the tip into the top of each cupcake and squeeze in the filling gently. After filling, frost the cupcakes with the unwhipped ganache, making sure to cover the hole in the top from the pastry bag. If desired, sprinkle with the cocoa nibs.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Home Sweet Home

I love these "home" themed prints! They can be found on Etsy here.

Quote of the Day

 

Slow down

calm down

don't worry

don't hurry

trust the process

-Alexandra Stoddard

My Favorite Places

The three years I spent in college in Boston went by very quickly. My first year there I lived in a hotel, my second year I spent in a dorm, and my third year I lived in Beacon Hill. Beacon Hill was by far my favorite. A walk in the historic neighborhood really takes you back in time. Some notable residents of this neighborhood included John Hancock, Robert Frost, and Louisa May Alcott. Words of wisdom: Don't wear heels. You might twist your ankle on the cobble stones.

A Drop of Rain

Today was a rainy day in Chicago. Just as we left the house to go get lunch, it started to drizzle. And of course the moment we needed to head back to the car, it started to downpour. Don and I ran as fast as we could through the parking lot and ended up getting soaked. I forgot how fun it can be to get caught in the rain. 

It also reminded me of one of my favorite experimental documentaries by Joris Ivens called Rain (or 'Regen' in Dutch). He filmed a rainy day in Amsterdam, capturing the beautiful little moments in the life of the city. 


Joris Ivens - Regen (1929)

Quote of the Day

"When there is no turning back, then we should concern ourselves only with the best way of going forward" - Paulo Cohelo


Photo via free people

Rivers and Tides

Andy Goldsworthy is the artist behind these breathtaking works of art made of natural materials. The video contains excerpts of the documentary film Rivers and Tides, which follows Goldsworthy while he creates his art. I highly recommend checking out the whole film.

River and Tides [1] > Andy Goldsworthy from Riad HATTOUTI on Vimeo.

Paper Art

It blows my mind that these works of art were created from cut paper. Elsa Mora is the talented artist behind these and more can be found here.

Quote of the Day

"Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles." 

- Frank Lloyd Wright

 

Picture via Etsy

Spice Up Your Life

 

One of my favorite places to visit in Evanston is The Spice House. This unique store reminds me of being in a middle eastern spice market. There are jars of spices from around the world lining the walls and the smell inside is overpowering. Great gift idea- they sell collections of spices based on Chicago ethnic neighborhoods. I'd love to try the Greektown "Billygoat" Seasoning or the Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza Pizzazz. 

 Visit the Spice House, image from worldgallery

Tim Walker

These photos by Tim Walker are so enchanting!!

Brodsky and Utkin

My animation teacher this past year shared the genius and creativity of Brodsky and Utkin with my class. They were architects in the Soviet Union during the 1970's. At the time it was impossible for them to fulfill their artistic ambitions, so they resorted to becoming "paper architects", drawing fanciful structures that were never intended to be built. How cool would it be if these bridges were real though?!

 

A Bridge for Real Travelers

“A real traveler needs a real trial. A real traveler must be ready for anything during his journey. This bridge between two islands is invisible but mighty. It connects the islands  but doesn't change the landscape. Walking along it in calm and crossing the conventional boundary the traveler feels himself on the real boundary between sky and ocean.”

Bridge

A bridge above the precipice in the high mountains. A chapel with glass walls, glass roof and glass floor, standing over the fathomless, endless crack between two abysses- upper and lower.

Quote of the Day

"I hope you find someone your height, so you can see eye to eye" - Nickle Creek

Save the Skokie Theatre!

Don and I were on our way to the Skokie Public Library today, when we saw the streets closed off for a festival. We stopped to check it out and discovered that it was Skokie’s Backlot Bash and silent movie festival. Coming from a summer in Los Angeles, I’d seen my share of film festivals, but little did I know that Skokie, IL has it’s own rich film heritage.

The Skokie Theatre was built in 1912 on what was a backlot for some of the first silent films. It exclusively played silent films for many years . It was renovated in recent years and became a venue for all types of music, theatre, and film. Due to hard economic times and lack of grant funding the theatre was being threatened with foreclosure. As part of  an effort to fundraise, they arranged the Backlot Bash with free silent film screenings. Don and I sat in a program including a DW Griffith film, “The Little Tease” which had not been screened since 1913. Though I had seen many silent films as part of my film history courses at Emerson, it was a completely different experience to see it in a theater with live piano accompaniment. We really enjoyed the program, especially the slapstick comedy short similar to a Charlie Chaplin film. Apparently buckets of water falling on peoples heads is timelessly hilarious.

To help save the Skokie Theatre, visit: http://www.skokietheatre.org



Pictures via Skokie History and Annyas

Farmer Don’s Pumpkin Soup

This past spring, Don called me to tell me that he had bought packets of seeds at the grocery store because they were on sale. He said that he wanted to plant them, but did not know how. I told him I was pretty sure they wouldn’t grow, but he was determined to plant a garden. He scattered the seeds all over his yard and forgot about them. After our summer in California, we returned to Chicago to discover a huge pumpkin patch growing in his backyard. I was totally shocked how big the plants got. There were about four large orange pumpkins ready for harvest, so I told his family I would cook one of them for dinner. I scooped out the pumpkin seeds and baked them for a snack, and I made pumpkin soup with the rest.

Here are the recipes:

Easy Pumpkin Seeds

Scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin and place in a bowl. Try to separate the seeds from the stringy part of the pumpkin. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the seeds out on a baking sheet and drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over them. Sprinkle them with salt. Place the baking sheet in the oven. After 15 minutes,use a spatula to flip the seeds and make sure they do not burn. Leave them in the oven for about 30 minutes or until seeds are brown.

Farmer Don’s Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoons butter

1 fresh bay leaf

2 ribs celery chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

2 teaspoons hot sauce

6 cups veggie stock (low sodium)

1/2 of cooked pumpkin, pureed

1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Cut a medium sized fresh pumpkin in half. Scoop out all the seeds and place them in a separate bowl (don’t discard, see pumpkin seed recipe). Take half of the pumpkin and slice it into smaller wedges with the skin still on. Put the wedges in a microwave safe bowl with a lid, and fill with two inches of water. Put the covered bowl in the microwave for 15 minutes, or until pumpkin slices are soft. You can tell when a fork can easily pierce the skin. Once cool, peel off and discard the skin. Put the soft pumpkin pieces in the blender and puree. 

Heat a medium soup pot over medium on medium heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season them with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce, to taste, then cook flour a minute. Whisk in veggie stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in cream.

Adapted from this Food Network recipe. Picture via Flikr