Seconds and Minutes and Seasons

About a month ago, we went to the Cape for a long weekend. We watched the waves and tried to spot sharks at Nauset Beach, and then we ate shrimp or fish tacos or lobster rolls and drank wine.

Mornings were for the "breakfast" part of "bed and breakfast," and for coffee and stories. Dennis, the husband part of the husband-wife B & B owners, liked the phrase "a New York second." As in, a seal will kill a fish in a New York second. Or, a shark will get a seal in a New York second. Generally, the New York second came up in the context of the food chain. I always thought the phrase was a New York minute, like the Eagles song, but a New York second sounds even better. It sounds even faster.

Now I'm typing this on the Northeast Regional train as it pulls away from Penn Station and our not even thirty-six hour New York weekend seems just as fast. The days, and the weeks, and the months seem fast, the seasons too. I love every season, equally -- Christmas presents and wool socks in the winter, picnics (but also allergies) in the spring, the beach in the summer, and then apple picking and leaves and plaid and all cliched and all wonderful things New England in the fall. So I am a little sad but not too sad to see the summer go, because here comes another season that I love. The 23rd is the fall equinox. So today is the last Sunday of summer. So this weekend is the last weekend of summer. And so on.

Last Monday was the last Monday of summer. So we went to Hampton Beach. It was that deceptive kind of beautiful, sunny cold. We drove up with hoodies and hot coffee and put our rash guards on to get in the water. We body boarded, rolling to shore on the right wave at the right time and sometimes getting rolled underwater by the right wave at the wrong time, and talked about taking surf lessons next summer.

When we got out of the water for a break, all salty fresh and tired, I looked at my watch. It had only been twenty minutes. It had seemed like longer. But twenty minutes is still a whole lot of of New York seconds.

And there went the last seconds of this summer on the last Monday of this summer; and here go the minutes of this train ride back to Boston, this train ride to fall; and here goes the overlap of the seasons, the fade out of summer and the fade in of fall.

Stolen Summer

We are stealing moments of summer. 

Falling asleep with the windows open to the smell of a bonfire and waking up in smoke scented sheets.

Cracking open lobster claws in Rockport.

Flying a kite on Stratton Mountain after hours of yoga and sunshine. 

Napping on a striped blanket laid out in the shade.

Eating slushy, citrus-y Italian ice on the deck of the ICA.

Grilling corn in the backyard, grabbing the cobs off the grill, and dipping them in queso fresco.

Convincing the dock guys to let me take out the last paddleboard of the day, catching a view, and spinning around in the middle of the Charles.

Getting home and going straight to the freezer for a homemade blueberry popsicle. 

These moments are stolen. But they add up to a summer.

Highlights, High Fives, and Volume on High

The week is over. Let's recap.

Started Monday with the November Project. Casual 8 mile run, 5 minutes of wall jumps and planks, 7 minutes of burpees. BG said to be impressive. I think we nailed it.

I also nailed my shin. See that wall below? I left some skin there. It's cool. No tears allowed. Just high fives and good vibes.

Bought these Lululemon tights. Black mesh panels? Come at me. I will wear them to yoga and I will wear them to the office (yup).

Walked Memorial Drive to Meadhall. 7:30pm looked phenomenal. Boston, you are phenomenal.

Ate hyper-local kale (ugh I feel pretentious just typing that, ugh I'm the worst) at The Sinclair with new friends.

And found this remix. Very much a summer Sunday long run jam. 10 miles down, volume up.

 

Wanderlusting

Wanderlust Oahu. Yoga with Eoin Finn, surfing and swallowing an oceanful of salt water, more yoga, more salt water. We watched the sun set over the North Shore cliffs every night, all eyes on the horizon and the last surfers in the water.

Four months later, back at Wanderlust, this time in Stratton. Three buddies and about 300 miles round trip. We road-tripped, stacked our wrists with bracelets and silvery tattoos, flowed on yoga mats and paddle boards, and road-tripped back.

 

So, tell me... when's the next Wanderlust?

Smoothies in Southie? Sure Why Not.

I wake up Sunday and there are two things I want to do: buy new pillows at West Elm and get a smoothie at Nourish Your Soul. West Elm is in Fenway; Nourish Your Soul is in Southie. Not a great plan. But I do it anyway.

I go to West Elm and buy all of the pillows and then my pillows and I get back on the T. I get off at Broadway and walk to Nourish Your Soul. It's pretty funny walking through Southie on a Pats game day. Everyone is carrying thirty racks or going into the bars and I'm all, "Hey guys! I got pillows! And I'm here for the smoothies!" (I'm hilarious.)

Nourish Your Soul is not exactly central, but it's right across the street from Rue La La headquarters and adjacent to The Club, so the location does make sense I guess. It's a super new, super modern space and one whole wall is glass, overlooking the boxing rings in The Club. This makes for some pretty good people-watching.

To my (admittedly) untrained eye, I don't see sugar all over the menu. I love Life Alive and Blue Shirt Cafe, but so many of their smoothies have sorbet or coconut ice cream in them. I'm all game for non-dairy ice cream and I'm definitely game for dessert, but I don't want a ton of sugar in my smoothies. Smoothies are smoothies and desserts are desserts and I would really like to keep it that way.

I know I should order the Green Glow smoothie (because... spinach), but I get the Chocolate Almond Butter Smoothie instead (dates, almonds, banana, almond butter, cacao, sea salt, and filtered water). Heads up: juices and smoothies are $10 a piece (well, $9.99), so a drink is a commitment. Good thing I like my smoothie. What I really like is that I can taste the almonds.

I also picked up a bottle of cashew milk (for smoothies at home?) and a bottle of Chilmark Coffee Company cold brewed coffee (for my caffeine addiction).

Pillows. And bottles. And I need to stop shopping.

I get on the T with Pats fan headed to the bars and, all the way downtown, their cases of beer are rattling and clinking. And then there's me. Chilling with my pillows and cashew milk. Yup.

P.S. Go Pats!

How Do I Feel About Weekends? I Feel Great.

It was a good weekend, a slow weekend. Cider at Meadhall Friday night, sleeping in Saturday. Saturday afternoon, we saw Wolf of Wall Street, which led to Googling Wolf of Wall Street, which led to watching YouTube videos of Stratton Oakmont parties, which led to downloading the Kindle book. Yup.

Also FYI the song in the trailer is Black Skinhead by Kanye. As T said: "Anything you're doing you can do better if you're listening to that song." The song is completely uncivilized and so is the movie. 180 outrageous, offensive minutes. And that's why it's so good.

Rainy Saturday nights are meant for staying in and staying out of trouble. I Googled Wolf of Wall Street and I made chocolate-coconut "fudge." I call it "fudge" because it's adapted from Sarah Wilson's healthy, sugar-free recipe. It would be a little disingenuous to call it dessert. So I won't. But the fudge tastes pretty rich and the coconut is sweet, so it's satisfying. No photo for you. Fudge doesn't really photograph well. If you can photograph fudge and make it look good, well... let me know. We should hang out.

Sunday? Sunday was for Sunday things and getting Sunday things done: running and working. The sun was out and it was a totally different Boston. I couldn't have asked for a happier or lovelier run.

And that's a weekend.

Chocolate-Coconut "Fudge"
Adapted from Sarah Wilson's Bounty Bars

Coconut layer
1 cup coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Chocolate layer
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
2 tablespoons almond butter

Coconut layer: Melt the coconut milk and oil together in a saucepan over low heat until well combined. Stir in the shredded coconut and take the saucepan off the heat. Pour the coconut mixture into a square glass pan, smooth the top, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set. While you're making the chocolate layer, put the pan in the freezer so the coconut hardens a bit more.

Chocolate layer: Melt the coconut oil and cocoa powder in a saucepan over low heat until well combined. Then add the almond butter and stir until well combined. Let the chocolate mixture cool slightly, then pour it over the coconut layer.

Chill the bars in the freezer 5-10 minutes or until hard to the touch. Cut into squares. Keep refrigerated.

There Is Nothing I Don't Like About Tonight

It's still Christmas in the North End. I love a good creche.

 

Very rare and very delicious at The Wine Bottega. 

 

Magic with a capital M. Outside Mike's Pastry. 

Birds of a feather... well you know. At Modern Pastry. 

Souvenir from The Wine Bottega. Let's play fill in the blank.

Let's Keep It Seasonal: A Recipe For Roasted Carrots

So if you read this blog and follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you already know that I love the holidays. Love love loooooove. I spent last weekend seeing the Nutcracker, going to holiday parties, making eggnog by the pitcher, and baking scones and gingerbread.

When I cook healthy food (which is 95% of the time), I like to stick with the season. I just found pomegranate arils at Whole Foods and I've been adding them to salads and quinoa dishes. And I made roasted carrots as part of Sunday dinner.

But I have an embarrassing confession. I have a case of Sam Adams Summer Ale in my fridge. I bought it last summer and I don't really drink beer often, so it's still there. I get teased about it. It is not just one but two seasons ago.

I made chili roasted squash tacos with avocado, tomato, cilantro, and lime tonight. And I served the tacos with holiday snowflake napkins and the Sam Summer. Because I'm seasonal like that.

But anyway, here's the recipe for roasted carrots. 

Roasted Carrots with Thyme

2 pounds of carrots, peeled, ends cut off
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place carrots on baking sheet and toss with olive oil and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper according to your taste. Roast for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.

Lazy Sunday Nanaimo Bars

Sundays are for cooking. 

I had Shutterbean's Sriracha Mac and Cheese recipe open on my iPhone until last weekend. This is kind of what I do. I see a recipe I like and I leave it open on my iPad or iPhone for months and months and months. Until I finally make the recipe. Last Sunday, I mentioned mac and cheese to S and then S decided we were making it for dinner. Just like that.

Sriracha Mac and Cheese is really serious business. The whole pan must have weighed 10 pounds. It was a massive amount of food. Mac and cheese all around! Mac and cheese for everyone!

What was in it? Cheese, milk, flour, butter, more butter, even more butter, pasta. And Sriracha! The Mac and Cheese had a little kick to it and then I drizzled more Sriracha on top. I mean... why not?

S sauteed some spinach with garlic and dinner was ready.

 

Today I crossed another recipe off the list: Nanaimo bars.

Neh-nigh-mo. Nuh-nai-mo. Did I say it right? Anyone?

Nanaimo bars are impossible to pronounce and totally delicious. I don't really remember when I first heard of Nanaimo bars - maybe sometime last summer - but I've had a recipe open on my iPad ever since.

The bars have different textures and three layers: a crunchy chocolate base layer full of cookie crumbs and nuts, a thick vanilla buttercream, and a chocolate glaze on top. Full disclosure, I didn't have all of ingredients and I couldn't find vanilla custard powder at the store. I'm sorry. It's like 20 degrees out there. If the corner store doesn't have everything I need... well, too bad. So I had to make a few changes and I also copped out on chopping the nuts finely, but my super lazy version of the bars turned out well anyway. They remind me of Rocky Road ice cream.. there's a whole lot going on.

 Make them, won't you? And then holler at me and let me know how to pronounce Nanaimo.

Nanaimo Bars (adapted from City of Nanaimo's recipe)

Bottom layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg beaten
1 1/4 cup cookie crumbs (I used Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Melt butter, sugar, and cocoa powder together in a saucepan over medium heat and combine well. Add the egg, stir well, and cook for five minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the cookie crumbs, walnuts, and coconut. Pour into a 8x8 glass baking pan and smooth the top.

Second layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons heavy cream
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioner's sugar

Using a hand mixer, blend butter, cream, and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and blend well. Smooth the cream mixture over the bottom layer carefully.

Third layer:
4 ounces milk chocolate (I used Hershey's)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and cool. Pour the chocolate over the second layer and smooth carefully. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, preferably two. Cut into squares and keep refrigerated.

A Weekend Away, A World Apart

I spent the weekend taking photos of firepits. There are so many firepits in Denver. And everytime I saw one, I took a photo and texted the specs to M ("This one is gas operated!"). I want a firepit. I don't know where we'll put it. I really don't. But I want one.

Maybe I'll publish a book of firepit photos. I'll call it Real Firepits of Colorado. I am seriously in love with firepits. Seriously.

I love what firepits mean. They mean hiking the mountains and then going to a brewery for a beer. They mean sitting outside, all bundled up, fireside. In Denver, the mountains are omnipresent and being outside is natural. We don't have firepits in Boston and we don't have that life either. Sure, we run outside and some of us row or kayak on the Charles, but we don't get really really REALLY outside. And most of us hate winter. We hate it a lot.

There are so many places to visit. And so many lives to live. And the life in Denver? It's a beautiful one.

I flew back to Boston today. The afternoon light of a Northeastern sunset filtered through the plane windows and, as we descended, the sun was a glowing pink orb hovering just above the horizon line. It became dark quickly. When my cab popped out of the tunnel, all of the downtown city lights were spread out against the sky like twinkly stars.

And I thought: Home is a pretty great place too. Home is a pretty great life too.

Five Things

1. My new neon peach Wunder Unders. They are neon and I love them. I guess it's the season of black yoga leggings, but I wear white after Labor Day and I wear neon yoga leggings year round.

2. La Bayadere at the Boston Ballet. It's an incredibly dramatic performance, though, at two hours and forty-five minutes, it does run long. But the costumes and scenery are visually lush (think draped silks, sequins, and highly saturated colors), so it stays engaging.

3. Phantogram. And when this song plays during yoga class. Class was full of twists, half moon, twisted half moon, and warrior three. Hard stuff. But sometimes the right song plays at the right time and it all comes together.

4. Dia de los Muertos at Taza Chocolate. Never have I ever celebrated Dia de los Muertos... before last weekend. We ate fish tacos, drank Mexican coke, and tried every kind of chocolate. My favorite was the Vanilla Chocolate Mexicano. The bourbon vanilla makes it smooth and sweet.

All dressed up for the occasion.

5. Last weekend. Halloween weekend and the Red Sox parade coincided and it was as if the entire city of Boston decided to rage. Sometimes Boston has just got to celebrate, you know? It was a weekend for the books.

Sunday: Brunch, Boats, and Bars

We went to brunch this morning at Catalyst. I chose it purely based on proximity to Harvard Square and the Head of the Charles Regatta. I also chose it because this is on the menu:

Banana bread with peanut butter Nutella. I was all kinds of hungry and tired. These carbs, plus coffee, made me feel human again.

I had the breakfast burrito, stuffed with fresh salsa, pulled chicken, and avocado. Zero complaints. Zero. And it came with these potatoes. Beautiful, aren't they?

The potatoes are not that big in real life. I blame the zoom button on my camera.

I was over breakfast potatoes long ago. However, these potatoes are game-changing. Butter. salt. pepper. A little parsley. Oh yeah. And would you just look at that cute little cast-iron pan?

The restaurant itself is super cool: It's a big, light-filled space with mid century modern chairs and a two-way fireplace. I thought the glass light fixtures were abstract representations of grapes, until I realized that they are atomic chains. That makes a lot more sense. Can you tell that I wasn't a chemistry major?

After brunch, we walked to Harvard Square and found a spot to sit. And sit we did. The view was good and the weather was even better.

When I got home hours later, I had only a few things on my to-do list. Put pajamas on. Watch the Real Housewives of Orange Country. And, for my 6am pre-workout snack tomorrow morning, make another round of Super Bars. This time, they're gingersnap. A 1/4 teaspoon of ginger brings a kick and the sliced almonds make the bars a little crunchy. I know I'm supposed to save them for tomorrow morning. But I'm going to sneak a bite anyway.

Gingersnap Super Bars

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup tightly packed pitted unsweetened dates 
3 heaping tablespoons nut butter (I used Justin's Almond Butter)

Mix the coconut, almonds, and spices.

Grind the dates in a food processor or coffee grinder for 30 seconds or until they form a rough paste (I grind the dates a 1/4 cup at a time). Add the date paste to the coconut mixture. Then add the nut butter tablespoon by tablespoon, mixing well with your hands. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs and should be very sticky to the touch.

Press the mixture into a glass pan lined with aluminum foil or into a foil disposable pan (I like the loaf pan size). Smooth the top and refrigerate at least two hours. 

There Could Be Nothing Better

There is something about shopping to cook... planning to cook... cooking. There is something about having wonderful food in the fridge and having the time, ability, and opportunity to feed yourself and others. I can't think of anything else in the world that makes me feel as nourished... in all literal and figurative senses.

I wandered through the grocery store, talking on the phone with D, running a mental inventory of my fridge, tossing food in my shopping basket. Chicken breasts, stuffed grape leaves, a gorgeous eggplant.

I came home, cut a thick wedge of focaccia, and heated up a bowl of homemade butternut squash soup. I watched many (too many?) episodes of Gossip Girl; I read my horoscope; I picked out a recipe for no-knead bread; I tied on an apron.

Gossip Girl is still playing. It's dark and cold outside, but so warm in here. I'm wrapped up in the softest hoodie and striped wool socks. My tummy is full of good food. And there is a glass Pyrex full of grilled chicken and eggplant for tomorrow.

Days like this are good for the soul.

Chicken Souvlaki 

Two boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Za'atar spice
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped finely

Cut the chicken breasts into slices about 4 - 5 inches long by 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide. Rub the chicken breasts with the spices, garlic, and olive oil and let them marinate for 45 minutes. Lightly oil a grill pan and heat it up over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken on both sides, approximately 3 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through.

I served my Chicken Souvlaki with hummus, stuffed grape leaves, focaccia bread, and grilled eggplant.

There Is Nothing Better Than Brunch

Action Shot!

The details: Labor Day weekend brunch. Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe. Eggs all around, plus an order of banana walnut griddlecakes. We added chocolate chips. Good move on our part.

Lobster on a Summer Sunday

Summertime means lobster. It's non-negotiable.

L and I made a lunch date for lobster rolls on a sunny, summery Sunday afternoon. We met up at James Hook and Co, just off Atlantic Avenue in the Financial District.

It's a simple lobster roll: just a generous portion of lobster meat and mayo. L took one look at her lobster roll and her eyes got really wide: "There's a whole lobster claw in there!" And sitting outside under the blue sky, at one of the wooden picnic tables, next to lobster traps, made our lobster rolls taste even better.

The regular-sized lobster roll is $13; the large is $17. Be sure to get the bun toasted.

And, then, a few days later at Summer Shack...

Happy Weekend

Santarpio's, Friday, 6pm. 

A short walk from the Maverick T station and a 10 minute wait out front. A big table in the back room, with a breeze coming in through the open window. A waitress who called me "hon." A big, cheesy pizza with mushrooms, olives, and peppers, split three ways. And a carafe of white wine too.

Happy weekend.

Kicking the Weekend Off

Friday night, 8pm, Bistro du Midi. One Grand Marnier souffle, two spoons.

You Get What You Need

It's 5:30, Sunday morning. I shouldn't be awake. I'm wide awake. I try, but can't go back to sleep. You can't always get what you want.

At 6:13, I'm out of bed, pulling on running tights and sneakers. Why not run? I pause at my front door and press play on my shuffle. The first song? Countdown by Beyonce. I'm truly in love with this song. And I love that it came up first. Sometimes you get what you need.

Boston is quiet. I run through Chinatown, past delivery trucks and crates of chickens (feathers still on). There are certain things that you can only see in the very early morning.

In the Financial District, the bars are closed, the streets are mostly empty and the sidewalks are all mine. The arch of Rowes Wharf frames a perfect sunrise... a blue harbor and a blue sky, layered with white clouds and apricot-hued light. Sometimes you get what you need.

A Damn Good Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes

Stack 'em up, knock 'em down.

These Are the Things That Make Me Smile

My new speakers. God help my poor neighbors. Music makes me smile.

Being asked to be a bridesmaid in S's wedding. Love makes me smile.

Brunch plans at my place Sunday morning. The anticipation of blueberry pancakes makes me smile.

Saturday. Saturday always makes me smile.