lovely and bright

paris food journal

7/4/2017

We celebrated our belated ten-year anniversary this year with a trip to Paris and of course, the food was amazing.

We had dinner at La Mandigotte on the first night, in Montmarte. We started off with the tartare saumon and the escargot sur pan de campagne. It was my first time eating escargot on toast and the consistency was like mushrooms and clams -- delicious!

For the main course, my husband had the leg of lamb and I ordered panache de Gambas et St Jacques. I thoroughly loved the prawns in the stew.

I am not generally a lover of creme brulee but I figured if you are going to eat it, it's got to be in Paris.

Breakfast on the terrace.

I love the table/chair arrangement of Paris sidewalk cafes. The chairs do not surround the tables. Rather, the chairs are arranged so as to form rows, alternating with cafe table rows. I love the assumption that you need minimal square footage for sipping wine and coffee, and the purpose is to chat and people watch.

After a visit to the Louvre, check out Les Artizans. I had the salade de saumon et taboule a la menthe. The combination of the o&v, mint and tabbouleh was incredible. [Note: make this salmon/mint/tabbouleh salad at home.] This cafe is primarily a bakery and the pastries are unreal.

After walking miles and miles, the only thing I was craving was steak frites.

We had dinner at Le Clos Bourguinon. The shallot sauce on my steak was perfect and it is something I have to re-create at home for the little boys.

After visiting the Musee d'Orsay, I recommend lunch at Les Antiquaires.
I had the bass filet over spinach and my husband ordered the rump steak with bernaise.

For our last dinner, we ate at Chex Gladines Batignolles, a Basque restaurant. We enjoyed the house specials - the Basque chicken and omelet.

And not pictured -- lots of pain au chocolat, baguettes, wine and coffee. Until next time, Paris!

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spring tables and vegetable inspiration

5/28/2017

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Nourish yourselves and those you love. And happy Memorial Day.

Above, afternoon tea ritual with the boys on the screened porch -- yogurt parfait, melon balls, jam and bread and honey lavender tea

vegan restaurants

Whenever we travel, I love trying vegan restaurants to get ideas for new ways to prepare and serve vegetables. We were in New York a few weeks ago and really enjoyed Blossom.

Below, is the house appetizer sampler: Buffalo risotto croquettes, seitan empanadas, fried pickles with ranch dip, seaweed caviar canapes, spanakopita with cashew ricotta, raw zucchini rolatini.

When my husband and I were in Pittsburgh, we tried Apteka, a wonderful Central European vegan spot with great cocktails.

Top: kartofle z jogurtem: potato, apples, lingonberry and almond yogurt. The bottom dish is the wonderful pierogi.

As a Pittsburgh sidenote, if you find yourself in the Strip District, check out the Caribbean restaurant, Kaya. Above - thoroughly enjoying the poke and white sangria.

try this at home...

Ordinary work lunches have led to some inspiration for nice lunches on the screened porch.

At Busboys and Poets, I had sea bass with the cauliflower salad. The cauliflower was tossed with roasted red peppers, capers, cilantro, olive oil, and lemon vinaigrette. The cauliflower is a great substitute for quinoa or rice.
Below, the fruit, feta and fruit crisp salad at Corner Bakery is a sweet and easy summer dessert.

life lately, food lately

Breakfast in bed for my husband who finally got to sleep in once, til 9, for the first time all year.

We tried the Asian food hall in Annandale. My husband and older son had the Filipino rice bowls with pork belly. The baby and I tried the poke place out. Little one got the kale noodles with tofu, edamame, mango and mandarin oranges.

The next morning, the baby's leftovers became my brunch entree. I tossed it with sauteed spinach and topped it with a poached egg.

Roasted rainbow carrots makes the Annie's so much nicer.

I hosted a rosé tasting party for some of the ladies in my neighborhood. There really are some good, crisp varieties out there.

Nourish yourself, it's going to be a long fight.

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portland with kids, part i: brunch, food trucks & the oregon coast

5/7/2017

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We visited my little brother in Portland and it is one fun city to visit with kids. It's a playground of kid-friendly breweries (with play areas), fantastic and affordable food, lush greenery and a short drive to the Coast.
Above -- Multnomah Falls

salt & straw

Salt & Straw really does live up to the hype. The vanilla is the best vanilla ice cream I've ever had. And the strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper is not some pretentious, inedible concoction---it is a perfect and complex dessert.

powell's books

My boys holding hands while exploring Powell's --

food truck pods!

egyptian

Below - dinner the Tahrir Square food truck

Portland has food truck pods in which the trucks pay rent to a landlord and share utilities and space. My sister was also in town visiting our brother and we had some great times together. Below - dinner with the sibs at the SE Hawthorne pod.

thai street food - chicken and rice

Nong Khao's chicken and rice wasn't life-changing as I've read. But it was perfectly tender and subtly flavorful Thai street food. It's also like a dish that gives you a hug and you crave it weeks afterward. Definitely add it to your Portland list and go during an off hour to avoid the long line.

burmese food

an epic splash fountain

There are terraces at different heights and the water goes high and then drains. You can really swim in there!

We explored Reed College one evening.

kid friendly breweries with play areas!

Below, Laurelwood.

swedish brunch at broder

While delighted at the novelty of weekday brunch everywhere in Portland, my East Coast sensibilities were taken aback when I realized there can even be an hour long wait for brunch at 9 am on a Tuesday morning. But yep, that Portlandia brunch episode is not far off. The first time we tried to go to Cafe Broder, we joined the ranks of the dozen + people sipping coffee outside while waiting to be seated. An hour passed and we had to cross our names off the list because we didn't want to be late to our mid morning plans. We did go back later in the week at 8 am and were able to enjoy Swedish brunch. Pictured below - aebelskivers with lemon curd and lingonberry.

At Broder - My kids know their way around a brunch toast.

the oregon coast

It's an hour and a half drive to Cannon Beach from Portland. Bring your sweaters.

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food journal - family parties and life lately

3/26/2017

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Despite snow coming on the heels of summer and dead cherry blossoms, it's really spring now and our family celebrates with March birthday suppers. Below, my mom's dining room -

Shared birthday celebration for my mom, sister and uncle

Make your own salad bar with salmon and all the fixings

Girls night out with mom and sister - dinner at Pearl Dive followed by a play at the Studio Theater

tea parties with my boys

We love our tea. My six-year old's favorite is a red velvet cupcake herbal blend. I take my tea with milk and sugar and my boys follow suit.

tablescapes with kids

Above - poached eggs on top of spinach and gouda on my favorite Seedtastic bread. Legos permeate my entire existence. Despite half a dozen bins and storage areas, they are in every room, on the table, in my purse, pockets and office at work.

Fast weeknight dinner

throwing things together

I love when random leftovers from different days create a great lunch. Above - roasted sweet potatoes and eggplant and cedar plank salmon made a great salad with fig balsamic vinaigrette.

I invited my cousin over for dinner and a long catch-up chat. I ran to Safeway and picked up 75% marked down shrimp and 50% marked down peach pie and fruit tart. It became the spread below - an easy shrimp scampi, sauteed kale and chard, steamed green beans and desserts as the centerpiece.

picnic with grandma

Happy spring!

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easy trip from dc - weekend in annapolis

3/5/2017

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At less than 45 minutes from DC, Annapolis is an easy weekend or day trip.

crepes

We started our day at Sofi's Crepes.
The boys puzzled about their parcels at first.

Ah, he's got this.

The boys love to run along the lawn at St. Johns College.

kid friendly dining

Go get crabs at Cantler's, a quick drive from downtown. Low key, patios, plenty o' crabs and other good food. Mallets, coloring pages and a good kids menu (the toddler loves fried clams).

weekend getaway without the kids

We spent a winter weekend in Annapolis, just us.

We stayed at the Loews on West St. Below - welcome basket in our room and lunch at the hotel restaurant.

Church Circle

Go get coffee at City Dock. I absolutely love the Nautical blend. It's a smooth, strong dark roast and I always take a few pounds of beans back with me when I visit Annapolis.

We had a great dinner at Iron Rooster. Below - I had Cakes on Cakes (crabcakes on cornmeal pancakes, friend green tomatoes and chipotle Hollandaise) and my husband had biscuits and gravy.

go eat at: level

We had a fantastic dinner at Level, a small plates lounge on West Street.
* Try this cocktail - Bourbonapolis (Woodford reserve, aperol, apple shrub, lemon, bruleed apple)
* The Lobster tail with lemon curd was amazing
* We also enjoyed the fried duck confit with seared bok choy, kung pow sauce and micro cilantro

'Til next time, Annapolis...

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balmy winter, a food journal

2/20/2017

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Around this time last year, I posted our winter cozy food journal. We'd had a balmy Christmas (the boys rode their bikes in t-shirts) followed by a blizzard and five-degree weather. This year we did have one little snowfall.
Below, white bean and kale soup in the snow -

But for the most part, this has been an oddly mild winter.

We had our first picnic on the screened porch in February.

what we've been cooking and trying...

We had dinner at Level, in Annapolis. My favorite dish was the lobster tail with lemon curd. I am going to try to recreate this.

new years banana pudding

We had a little NYE celebration at home with banana pudding for dessert.

I am going to try this banana pudding recipe for our next NYE supper.

brunch

We had my siblings over for a New Years brunch. Above, salmon, shakshuka and macarons.

And speaking of brunch, if you haven't already - check out the podcast, Pod Save America. I recommend starting with the "Protest is the new brunch" episode.

We had brunch at Brasserie Beck a few weeks ago. Attempting the classic white wine mussels (roasted garlic, parsley and cream) is on my to-do list for brunch at home.

A winter brunch spread with beef stew, stuffed squash and spinach omelette.

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my young jedis - star wars movie night and birthday bash

2/13/2017

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My boys are enamored with the Force.
Last Halloween they were Luke and BB8.

star wars movie night

A few months ago we had our first movie night and of course my son chose Episode IV.

Taquitos and fixings, popcorn and treats

Costumes and fun drinks --

star wars birthday party

We threw the party at the rec center with a nice big play area.

I am pretty proud of the Pin the Tail on Yoda that my husband made.

They really couldn't hurt themselves with foam light sabers, right? I closed my eyes and hoped for the best..and they had a blast.
One Jedi training activity was to keep the balloon in the air with the light saber.

May the force be with you, checks on autocracy.

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value of a shared past - my brother & sister

2/8/2017

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This is not normal. None of this is normal. Accepting that it will be a struggle to remain vigilant, but unhesitatingly accepting that in the face of the alternative - we find strength in what is real. Touch the people you love. Feed them and take care of them. Preserve what is good.
In considering how to navigate parenthood in this surreal turbulence, I recall the shared past with my siblings. It affirms that humility, hope, kindness, valued institutions, norms and thoughtfulness are what is real.

In front of the National Gallery, last spring

With my mother, shortly before we emigrated to the United States

Toasting Limoncello with my husband, brother and cousins, Thanksgiving 2012. There are so many more beloved and inspiring cousins and extended family not pictured here.

My son's third birthday party - My husband and brother dressed up like bad guys and stole the presents. The superhero party guests defeated them with silly string.

My two boys on the Oregon coast this past summer -

With my brother, at roughly the same ages -

And twenty years later, with my sister too

At my younger son's tapas and sangria baptism party, 2014

In Portland, this past summer -

Happy to have shared a new years brunch with my siblings that was also a send-off for my brother. Also happy to meet his friend who was inspired to run for office.

Persist.

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a year of birthday cakes

12/29/2016

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Goodbye, 2016. It's been both so joyful, and surreal and difficult. But to focus on the joyful - we started the year off with my son's fifth birthday.

winter

I tried this Food52 recipe for homemade funfetti cake and it is one of my all time favorites.

Instead of buttercream, I whipped up a cream cheese frosting. Perfect birthday cake.

summer

The toddler and I both have summertime birthdays.

My five-year old made me a "robotic turtle" for my birthday, pictured above. The baby (via my husband) gave me smoky scotch.

Treats from the bakery and tall, festive candles...

We were traveling in Portland during my son's birthday and our cousin kindly hosted his birthday celebration.

Chocolate cupcakes and Star Wars...

The boys at Cannon Beach in Oregon -

winter again

We ended the year with my husband's birthday, multiple celebrations and our favorite tall candles atop key lime pie.

On to 2017...

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series: my creative family -- my cousin, purse designer

11/27/2016

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My cousin, Maricel, is a Manila-based event planner, stylist and cake baker. She has now added purse designer to her repertoire and she told me all about her new endeavor, Maggie Leather Crafts.

maggie leather crafts

With the summer tote in chartreuse

How did you start Maggie Leather Crafts?
The business was actually born out of necessity. I was always on a lookout for a simple, high quality leather bag within a reasonable budget. But looking around in the local market and even in other countries, I was not able to find the bag that I wanted that would fit in my budget. This got me thinking to have a bag custom made for me. I was able to meet a leather maker in Marikina (former shoe capital of the Philippines) and explained to him what I wanted. In the process, I felt that maybe it just wasn't me who was looking for this kind of bag with my requirements. I just took a deep breath, prayed about it and ordered my first batch of totes to sell!

I ordered the tote and the black bucket bag.

Ho do you design the bags?
I always design the bags with simplicity and versatility in mind. I want the designs to be classic so that it will last the buyers a long time. I basically design bags that I would love to use that would fit the different activities and roles that I have as a mom and an entrepreneur. I want the bags to be big enough to hold all my essentials (which are a lot!) and would also look great with outfits from casual/everyday to business meetings. Designs that I can transition with for all the activities that I have...

For some bags, I make the patterns myself using felt cloth. I cut out the parts of the "bag"and hand sew it as a sample for my bag maker.

I normally start the design process with a sketch and the measurements and work from there. I normally do this while waiting for my kids during their sport practices!

I love the tote. It is a high capacity bag that I love to use while traveling.

Favorite part about designing the bags?

My favorite part is seeing the prototype of my designs that was just on paper...and now is an actual bag! It is quite exhilarating to hold and smell the leather of the actual bags that came to be from my sketches!

With the bucket bag, above. And pictured below, in red -

New designs coming out?

I am now starting to prepare for the Christmas season. I am designing smaller items that can be given as gifts.

I am also designing a Mini Melody tote, which is a smaller version of the very first tote that I made. This is a request from my daughter. She wants one that she can use for school and can fit her school stuff.

Thanks for talking to us, Maricel!

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welcome!

We're a pair of lawyers (me, looking for a creative outlet and my husband, who likes working with his hands) with two little boys, a beagle and an old house with an unruly yard. We blog about our projects, food, and travel.

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you might also be interested in reading

vegan restaurants

try this at home...

life lately, food lately

you might also be interested in reading...

salt & straw

powell's books

food truck pods!

egyptian

thai street food - chicken and rice

burmese food

an epic splash fountain

kid friendly breweries with play areas!

swedish brunch at broder

the oregon coast

you might also be interested in reading...

tea parties with my boys

tablescapes with kids

throwing things together

picnic with grandma

you might also be interested in reading...

crepes

kid friendly dining

weekend getaway without the kids

go eat at: level

you might also be interested in reading...

what we've been cooking and trying...

new years banana pudding

brunch

you might also be interested in reading...

star wars movie night

star wars birthday party

you might also be interested in reading...

winter

summer

winter again

you might also be interested in reading...

maggie leather crafts

you might also be interested in reading...

welcome!

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