Our First House

After signing our names no less than 1,000 times, Joe and I are now first-time home owners. The below picture was taken a few weeks ago, but that is now our little part of Ann Arbor. Now begins endless hours of cleaning, painting, yard work, trips to Home Depot and a host of other labor-intensive, money-sucking tasks. It also means tailgates, dinner parties, kids' sleepovers and lots of other fun.

Wednesday Thoughts

I really need to be better at posting on the weekends! It's tough since I spend Monday-Friday constantly on a computer I tend not to even look at a computer again until Sunday night when it's time to check in for my flight. I will get better though...as soon as I have a weekend when I'm not traveling or moving...hopefully that weekend will come before I'm 30. This week has been incredibly busy so far with unpacking from traveling, packing for the big move, doing work, and visiting family.

For now, here's a few things on my mind this Wednesday:

• I'm spending 13 days straight at home in Ann Arbor - no work travel, no personal travel - this must be some kind of record.


• Being home allowed me to attend the Wednesday Farmer's Market this morning where I picked up some first-of-the-season asparagus and some eggs. Made my morning wonderful, but I realize asparagus and eggs might not sound terribly exciting to most people.


• The University of Michigan added men's and women's lacrosse as varsity sports today! This means Joe will have yet another Michigan team to obsess over. I have to be honest though and say that I'm excited about it too since lacrosse is one of the few sports I'm ok with watching. This also means that Baby M will be given his/her first lacrosse stick at approximately age 2 and pressured to obtain a lacrosse scholarship to U of M. (sort of, but not really kidding here - tuition to U of M is expensive!)


• Our anniversary weekend in Charleston was wonderful and I'll do a detailed post soon about all the amazing, butter-laden food we ate and all the activities we did to burn off the calories of said food.


• One highlight of the Charleston trip was my purchase of a cookbook called "Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, from Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan". This book is the accompaniment to the cookbook Joe gave me two years ago for my birthday called "Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations". To say I'm excited to start baking some southern pies in an understatement!

Cheddar Chipotle Biscuits

On this day last year, Joe and I had just arrived in Charleston for our wedding weekend. We were in the final hours of working out wedding details and were busy welcoming friends and family as they arrived in our favorite city. It's amazing how much has changed in the past year. A year ago we were living in Bethesda, MD and both working as government consultants. Our main focus was on wedding planning and preparing to move to Michigan. One year later I'm working in NYC, Joe is halfway done with law school, we're pregnant with our first baby and will soon be home owners. In this past year we've traveled to Charleston multiple times, Sea Island, GA, Ashville, NC, Lexington, KY, Cleveland, OH, Chicago multiple times, Annapolis, MD, Baltimore, MD, St. Louis, MO (me for work), New York City, Tarrytown, NY, Traverse City, MI, Glen Arbor, MI, New Orleans, LA, Harbor Springs, MI, plus lots of day trips. It's been a busy year!

I have photo records of all the places we've visited over the past year, but I really wish I had recorded all of the recipes I made. Hopefully I'll be better about that this year. In honor of Charleston and our upcoming anniversary trip I figured I'd post one of my favorite recipes that reminds me of Charleston. Cheddar Chipotle Biscuits are a huge hit every time I make them. The recipe comes from the Baked Cookbook. Baked has locations in Brooklyn and Charleston. Joe and I have visited the Charleston location a couple of times since it's right around the corner from where we often stay. As a side note, the Baked Cookbook is hands down my favorite cookbook, but every recipe in there is fairly labor intensive so the recipes aren't the kind that can be made last minute. And now, after that long-winded intro here's the recipe:

Cheddar Chipotle Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chipotle powder (amount can be adjusted depending on spice preference)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup frozen, unsalted butter
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups lowfat buttermilk
1 large egg
salt for topping

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper, chipotle powder, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt.

Grate the frozen butter using a cheese grater and using your hands work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Add the cheese and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate it into the flour/butter mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Pour into the flour/butter mixture and stir until just incorporated.

Using a small ice cream scoop to scoop the dough and drop it into mounds on the baking sheet, about two inches apart. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through the baking time, until the biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

"Imagining Detroit"

It’s obvious to anyone who knows me well that I love Michigan and I couldn't be happier to be back living there. It took living elsewhere for 4 years to make me appreciate all that Michigan has to offer. When I told my coworkers in D.C. that I was moving back to Michigan and I was excited about it, almost all of them gave me skeptical looks. Even now, my NYC coworkers are amazed that I’m buying a house in Ann Arbor because they find it hard to believe that Joe and I would want to stay there after he finishes law school. Unless they’ve been to Michigan, their impression is of a place with a failing automobile-dependent economy, faced with massive layoffs and rising unemployment and a blighted city of Detroit. I understand where they are coming from because those stories are primarily what the media has chosen to cover over the last few years. In some ways I agree that Michigan is a tough place to be right now. The economy isn’t strong, almost everybody knows several people who have lost their jobs, and it’s difficult to be overly optimistic when local governments are facing bankruptcy. What they don’t know is how beautiful Michigan is and how friendly and resilient the people are. They’ve never seen the vineyards surrounding Traverse City or of the myriad of lighthouses and sand dunes lining the Great Lakes. They don’t know how friendly the people are and in a moderate climate like D.C., they can’t understand how refreshing it is to see green grass and spring flowers after a seemingly never-ending, freezing winter. Whether you see the good or the bad in Michigan, what’s hard to miss is the potential that exists. Detroit is by no means beautiful like other parts of Michigan are. The first word that comes to my mind when driving into Detroit city limits is “devastated”. However, Detroit is ripe with potential for anyone who has imagination and ingenuity and is willing to put in some hard work. This is why I always get excited when I see a positive piece about Michigan and especially Detroit in the news. Yesterday, the New York Times had an opinion piece called "Imagining Detroit" by one of my favorite food authors, Mark Bittman, about Detroit. Bittman talks about how food is central to Detroit’s recovery and can be a piece upon which everyone can unite. In the piece, he doesn’t sugarcoat how Detroit appears, saying, “Imagine blocks that once boasted 30 houses, now with three; imagine hundreds of such blocks. Imagine green space created by the city’s heartbreaking but intelligent policy of removing burnt-out or fallen-down houses”. He points out though that food is an area in which Detroit can take advantage of its vast amounts of empty space and create a unity between residents. I love the example he cites of a woman and her church group who started a fruit and vegetable store in a neighborhood that has 23 liquor stores and only one grocery store. At the end of the piece Bittman includes a quote from a bakery owner that seems utopian considering Detroit’s current state, but also seems entirely possible given the strides that are currently being taken when it comes to urban farming and the local food movement; “’Imagine a city, rebuilt block by block, with a gorgeous riverfront, world class museums and fantastic local food. Everyone who wants one has a quarter-acre garden, and every kid lives within bike distance of a farm’”.

Baby Things

A friend of mine from D.C. recently welcomed her first baby boy. He's adorable so I wanted to send an equally cute baby gift. Since they didn't decide on a name until he was born I figured that he probably lacked items with his name or monogram on them. I've seen Monogram Chick mentioned on several other blogs and twitter so I decided to order something from her website. I was so happy with the results! I chose a burp cloth and bib set. It was reasonably priced and arrived in just a couple of days. I'll definetely be going back to Monogram Chick for future baby gifts.

I am in love with this pink ombre cake. As soon as I get my kitchen put back together I'd like to try to make a version of this. How fun to cut into the white frosting and discover all different colors! This would be a wonderful cake for expectant parents to make in either pink or blue for a gender reveal party. And speaking of gender reveal, in less than 48 hours Joe and I will know if Baby M is a boy or girl! I have resisted buying anyting baby related until we find out so the ultrasound appointment cannot come soon enough in my opinion. My hair colorist told me that while I wait to find out I should look up chinese gender calendars. I don't put much stock in these, but they are kind of fun to look at. Here's one example from here:

And on a final baby related note for today, I'm in love with the blog Lay Baby Lay. She has so many creative nursery inspiration boards.

Weekend Recap

This past weekend Joe and I went to Chicago to visit friends and attend our friend Erin's MBA graduation ceremony. Congratulations, Erin!

On our way to Chicago we made a little detour and stopped in Holland, MI for the last day of the annual tulip festival. I hadn't been to Holland since I was a kid and Joe had never been at all so I was pretty insistent that we turn our 4.5 hour drive into a 5.5 hour drive to see the tulips. It was worth the extra time in the car because the weather was warm and sunny, the tulips were beautiful, and the town was as quaint and charming as I remembered it to be. We walked around the town square looking at all the tulip varieties, visited a few specialty shops downtown and then got back on the road.

By the time we reached Chicago the weather had dropped by 20 degrees and the rain had started. We had planned to meet a friend at a wine bar, but when we found out that was closed, we wound up at down the block at a place called Molly's Cupcakes. I'm so glad we stumbled on this place! Molly's is decorated in a schoolhouse theme and has amazing cupcakes. Joe and I shared a strawberry shortcake cupcake that satisfied a craving I didn't even know I had. I've since found out that Molly's mission is to support local schools and they donate a part of their profits to schools in the community.

Saturday morning we woke up early to fight the freezing wind and walk around Erin's neighborhood since the gym wasn't open early enough. My one criticism of her neighborhood is that nothing opens before 8am! For two people who are usually up in the 6 o'clock hour on weekends, we want to workout and have our coffee and tea early. I do realize that we are the exception though. Anyways, Saturday morning was the graduation ceremony and then we headed to brunch with Erin and her parents at Uncommon Ground. I really liked the look and feel of the place, but I was a little disappointed in what I ordered. I shared granola french toast and mac and cheese with Erin, neither of which were very memorable. Joe on the other hand ordered chilaquiles which I thought were really good. We finished up Saturday by having dinner at Adobo Grill in Old Town with a U of M friend and then headed back to Ann Arbor early Sunday morning.

Wednesday Hodge Podge

I came across this quote on Twitter today and absolutely love it. It really struck a chord with me and I think it would make a great print for a child's room.

"For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

- Benjamin Button, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

On a totally different note, I'm thrilled with some of the award results that came out this week. Garden & Gun, one of my favorite magazines, won the General Excellence award at the National Magazine Awards on Monday night. The magazine title might be a little unusual but it has some of the best photos and writing of any current print publication. Also on Monday night, Zingerman's Roadhouse chef Alex Young won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes. After being nominated four previous times, I'm glad to see he finally won (and happy for an Ann Arbor chef to get some great publicity)! I've only been to Zingerman's Roadhouse once, but I can attest to how wonderful the food is. Here is an interview with Chef Young about his win.

"Lamp/Bear"

Last night I was walking along Park Ave after doing some shopping and I came across this guy:

I just had to take his picture since he was huge and totally stuck out amongst all the gray skyscrapers. Turns out he's up for auction at Christie's tomorrow. Normally I don't have a huge appreciation for modern art but this piece was striking both in it's size and uniqueness. My question is, once you buy it, where do you put it??? Here is some more information about the "Lamp/Bear".

Derby Weekend

This past Saturday truly felt like spring in Michigan with sunny skies and highs in the upper 60s. It appeared to be an equally nice day in Louisville where the 137th "Run for the Roses" was taking place. The Kentucky Derby is easily my favorite sporting event of the year. While I do love Michigan football games and all the tradition involved, I probably love the Derby even more. I love getting dressed up, wearing a hat, and drinking mint juleps (for Joe) and bloody Marys (for me) while watching the horses race and the well-dressed people of the grandstands place their bets. The singing of "My Old Kentucky Home" gives me goosebumps and the trumpeter's call to the post is exciting every time.

We've been fortunate to attend the Derby two of the past four years, but since we couldn't be there in person this year we decided to have a Derby party instead. We invited some friends over and served a Southern-inspired spring menu. Drinks included mint juleps with homemade mint infused simple syrup and lemonade and iced tea with Firefly sweet tea vodka. For dinner we served:

Vidalia onion soup
cheddar chipotle biscuits
fried chicken
asparagus, mushroom, and Gruyere bread pudding
Derby pie (pecan/bourbon/chocolate)
strawberry rhubarb pie

The food turned out well and we had a fun time with friends watching the race. I'll probably post all of these recipes at some point, but for now I'll post what might have been my favorite; the Vidalia onion soup. This soup took a long time to make, but was very easy, and well worth the time involved. The recipe calls for the onions to be simmered for 5 hours which leaves them so sweet that the final product tastes almost like candy.

Vidalia Onion Soup

Ingredients:
8-9 Vidalia onions, diced in large chunks
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4-1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
crisp bacon and chives for garnish

Directions:
Simmer onions in butter and a couple pinches of salt over low heat for 5 hours. Pour onions into a blender or use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add the heavy cream, salt, and pepper to taste. Garnish the bowls with crispy bacon and chives, if desired.

*Source: Garden & Gun

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Almost daily I come across recipes that I can't wait to make. I usually hold off though until I have some sort of occasion where I can share my creations with others. Otherwise, I know that Joe and I will eat all of them and that is not a good thing! On Friday night we got together with some friends to celebrate exams being partially done so I made these cookies. They are decadent and comforting and should definitely be shared. I was very happy with both the soft, but firm texture of the cookies, and the smoothness of the filling.

Ingredients for the cookies:
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats

Ingredients for the filling:
4 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 confectioners sugar, sifted
4 1/2 Tbsp heavy cream

Directions:
For the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir until well combined. In the bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter and blend until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Add the oats and stir until well blended.

Using a small ice cream scoop, place small balls of dough on the prepared baking sheets. Keep them a couple inches apart to allow for spreading. Try to make sure that each dough ball is approximately the same size. Bake 9-10 minutes, rotating the cookies sheets halfway through baking. Let cook on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Once the cookies are room temperature, being matching them up by size until you have all pairs. For the filling, combine the butter, peanut butter, and confectioners sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer. Cream together until smooth and fluffy. Add the cream and mix until well combined and very smooth. Using a knife or spreader, spread the filling onto the flat side of one cookie. Sandwich the other cookie on top and press down so that the filling reaches the edge of the cookies.

*Source: Allrecipes