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)