Food Exploration: Sabih

For Christmas this year we got three new cookbooks and we've slowly been working our way through them. This recipe is called Sabih and it's from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by authors Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. Kevin has been especially found of the recipes in this book. A lot of them are vegetarian which suits our tastes well. Regardless there are generally lots of fresh vegetables involved. I think what we also like about it is that it's gotten us to try ingredients or flavor combinations that we wouldn't have come up with on our own. And then they turn out to be ridiculously delicious. This dish is the perfect case in point. As the author's state, it isn't technically a dish of Jerusalem origin, but rather "incorporates so many elements...that it epitomized the jumble of cuisines of the region"(Jerusalem pg. 91). It's made up of layers of flavor, each one bringing something different to the dish. There's tahini, fried eggplant, hard boiled eggs, and a spicy green chili paste called zhoug. Add to that a fresh chopped salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and parsley and it comes off as both light and filling at the same time. This one's going in the recipe box favorites for sure.

52 Tuesdays: Favorite Thrifts #4

What: Descoware Pie Carrier
Where: Antique store somewhere in Washington
Level of Love: 7 of 10

This may technically be a cake carrier. However, I like to make pie more than cake. Therefore, it is a pie carrier. I had been looking for a pie carrier for a bit when I found this one. Pies are sort of a hard thing to transport. I had been taking them places in our picnic basket, which was fitting since pies and picnics are best friends, but one pie would pretty much take up most of the useful space in the basket. Didn't leave much room for the potato salad if you know what I mean. Now, the pies have their very own vehicle and the picnic basket is free for all those other picnic-y things. Being a cake carrier (yes, I admit it) it's pretty tall, so when I use it in conjunction with an upside down tart pan it can carry two whole pies. Magic. The reason I gave it a seven is because it has one big downside. The little metal clasp things that hold the top onto the bottom are not very powerful. And the handle is attached to the top. Meaning you would carry it by the top. Do you see where this is going? Luckily I discovered this hazard while carrying it out of the shop, still pie-less. As the bottom detached itself from the top by the sheer force of gravity and went crashing onto the concrete, I made a mental note to always carry it by holding it from the bottom instead of using the handle on the top. Or to secure it with some sort of other contraption. Either way, pie-on-sidewalk crisis averted. However, I'm still keeping an eye out for other potential pie carriers that might not have this hazard. I'd probably part with this one if I found that sort of thing. 

52 Tuesdays (on a Wednesday): Favorite Thrifts #3

What: Roper Hiking Boots
Where: Deseret Industries in Shoreline, WA
Level of Love: 10 of 10.

This makes two shoes in a row for my 52 Tuesdays posts; but, they're very different shoes. These are a more recent thrift, and they're a favorite for very different reasons than the yellow pumps I posted about last week. I love these hiking boots because they're super functional but they also fit perfectly with my style as of late. Since moving to Washington, I've been trying to figure out what my "hiking look" looks like and assemble my hiking wardrobe accordingly. I'm not the sort of person who needs to be super stylish all the time...but I need to feel like myself in my clothes, and if I don't, then it really affects my mood and outlook. I've got to be comfortable with how I'm dressed or I don't approach my day in a comfortable way. So. I think these boots complete my hiking look. They're rugged, not fussy, classic if not a little throwback, and made out of real stuff. Fancy dancy brand new duds made out of brightly colored new age synthetic so called wonder materials are not my thing. That's fine if they're your thing. Plenty of people look awesome in tight fitting neon color blocked zip-ups made out of mystery moisture-wicking fabrics. Just not me. I look ridiculous. So, after much experimenting and some selective thrifting which was completed with the purchase of these boots, here's what my complete hiking look looks like: 

The denim shirt, cotton pants, boots, and (hand knit) cowl are the constants. The wool cardigan and hat are interchangeable with others. Lord knows I've got plenty of cardigans in my closet. I like to stick with wool - preferably lambs wool - because it's warm yet breathable and it's water resistent. Most of the time even if there's a light rain the wool is enough to keep me dry without a rain jacket layer. These photos are from a hike we took last weekend on the Oyster Dome trail. It was a new hiking area for us and the views were spectacular. 

52 Tuesdays: Favorite Thrifts #2

What: Liz Claiborne Yellow 80's Pumps
Where: Fremont Sunday Market
Level of Love: 8 of 10. While I do LOVE these little pumps, I have them an 8 because they're not super versatile and they're a teeny tiny bit small. I've got a bad habit of buying shoes that are just a bit too small for me. However, I did wear these ALL night the evening we went to Kevin's company party, and my feet were just fine. My feet were just the tiniest bit squishy. It did feel nice to take them off though ;) I of course couldn't pass them up because they're my favorite color and they have such a beautiful silhouette. Sure, the edgy cut out is pretty 80's but I'm okay with that. There's also a bit of a back story to my endless search for the perfect pair of golden yellow pumps. You see, I had the perfect pair once. They were Cobbie Cuddlers, they were the perfect size, and they were super comfy. I mean, the kind of comfy where I could wear them all day at work on a Friday, then put them on again the next day and wear them straight through a wedding. That's not just a metaphor either. That really happened. However, they met their fate that evening when we got home from the wedding and I tiredly kicked them off and carelessly left them in the middle of the living room. When we all woke up the next morning, they were chewed to bits by a (usually sweet) doggy who was all stressed out from being left home all day while we were all out for the wedding. No worries though, I have no hard feelings against either the doggy or the wedding couple (your wedding so so much fun Deb and Russ!) and I'd like to say once and for all that my yellow pumps have been much satisfactorily replaced! The search has ended.

 

Fresh Outfit & Fresh Breakfast

Lately, I've been feeling a little flat in the wardrobe department. It's not that I feel like I need to go out and buy a bunch of new clothes. Rather, I want to make an effort to "shop my closet" a bit more and really figure out what feels most like my style. I know I have a pretty good wardrobe and a lot of things I love. But, too often I find myself throwing on the same shirts and jeans that I always wear. It's easy. The problem is it also makes me feel sort of frumpy and uninspired sometimes. So, I've decided one way I can figure out what I really like to wear is to take more photos of myself and stay accountable by posting them here. I think I'll be able to look back and say "Wow, I really liked that outfit" or "That shirt is really not me". So, here's my first outfit photo! Kevin snapped this picture for me on Saturday night before we went out to run some errands then see a movie. I think the timing of this is also going to be good because it's starting to feel like spring is right around the corner here in Seattle, which means more wardrobe options.

Sunday morning we had this nice fresh breakfast of grapefruit, coconut, and a grilled muffin. It looked so appealing I just had to snap a picture. The muffins were this recipe from the always reliably good 101Cookbooks. Grilling them (or in our case using our cast iron skillet) is an inspiration from our old time favorite breakfast spot in Wausau. The coconut...well, we've been looking for whole coconuts since our San Francisco trip so that we could recreate our own version of the breakfast we had at Trouble Coffee. They're so good!

52 Tuesdays: Favorite Thrifts #1

Are you familiar with the concept of a 365 project? It's pretty simple. You pick one thing and do that thing for 365 days, and generally you take a photo of it. I first heard of the concept when my good friend Rachel did a 365 portrait project. I really love the concept of it. You make an effort to do and record at least one thing every day and at the end of it you have a record of your year in that one thing. It keeps you accountable. But. 365. That's a commitment. One I'm pretty sure I would not be able to keep. So, I'm going to set my sights a little bit lower: 52 Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, I'll post a picture and a little blurb, and at the end of the year I'll have 52 posts (Because there are 52 Tuesdays in a year. Wait, what's that you say? I've already missed a whole month of Tuesdays? Shush. You are no longer allowed to read this blog). Now, what to pick for my 52 Tuesdays series...

52 knitting projects might be a bit of a stretch. 52 cups of tea would be just plain boring to look at. A photo of myself every Tuesday? I know for sure I'd forget to do that. Which leaves: the thrifts! So, for the next 52 Tuesdays I'm going to take a photo of a favorite thrift / second hand / flea market / antique store / yard sale find and tell you a little bit about it. Sound interesting? I sure hope so.

For this first post, I've decided to start in the kitchen with a classic.

What: Homer Laughlin Striped Medium Bowls
Where: Yakima, WA thrift store (can't remember which one)
Level of Love: 10 of 10. These are my favorite bowls for cereal. They're the perfect size for such things. The color combination is also pretty perfect. That deep golden brownish yellow is my favorite, yet I like how it's offset by the creamy white with these. As much as I adore my Fiesta ware, I sometimes tire of the all-over color and crave a little bit of neutral. The only thing that could make these bowls better? More of them.

All Dressed Up

A few weeks ago we got all dressed up for Kevin's holiday work party. He got to break out the suit and hand knit tie and I got to pull a silk dress and heels out of the back of the closet. Being that it's still winter here, I was struggling to find an outfit that was both pretty and warm. An extensive try-on session ensued. This dress was the obvious choice because it's got elbow length sleeves and I had the tights to match. But what to put over the dress? My normally trusty cardigans were failing me. Enter wonderful neighbor Sarah with this gorgeous cropped silk blazer. It was absolutely perfect with the dress. Thanks again Sarah!

All in all it was a great night out with Kevin's work folk. I met lots of people I had only known before by name and enjoyed their company very much. Good food, good drinks, good people. Holiday party success.