Duly Noted

July somersaulted into August as Mike, Misha, and I headed from our cabin weekend to joining Mike's family in the northeast.  There, our days were colored with gray fog rising off the water in the morning and jewel toned sunsets.  Early morning coffee with the baby and rounds of game playing in the evening.  Trips to the local corner store for soft serve coffee ice creams.  Long runs along hilly roads with views of shingled farm houses and adirondack chairs.  Postcard perfect views from mountain trails and steep, careful downhill climbs with precious cargo strapped to my frame.  A cold swim for a little babe in a evergreen shaded lake.  There was a not so satisfying crab cake, and, fortunately, a very glorious oh-so-savory crab cake later on.  With lots of eager arms and quick smiles about, Misha savored the loving attention from his family while Mike and I set off to complete as many crosswords as humanly possible.  :) Preparing to set o...

McCarthy 4th of July tradition lives on...DONUTS! Hipster baby.  Bringing brooklyn to MN. New picnic table arrived on the 4th!  Perfect for a potluck. Bruchetta Sleepy Misha We need new landscaping but we are rocking the American flags.

*invite friends- new and old- over for a home-cooked dinner . *practice good table manners as a guest. *exist as a tourist..even in my own city . *only keep things that I need or I consider beautiful . *make something.  use my hands. *try something just a little exotic . *write something.  document. *Embrace the season .

There's nothing better than whipping up a couple meals for the week ahead (or in the case of this Thanksgiving week, the three days ahead) on Sunday evening. This Sunday I made three recipes: Squash Risotto w/thyme and goat cheese: This is an old standby of mine. Actually, my friend Rose first introduced me to this dish following a chilly winter run together last year. Ingredients: 1 cup risotto 1 onion 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cups vegetable broth 1 roasted squash (Cut squash in half from stem to bottom, scoop out seeds, and spread some olive oil on the inside. Place on baking sheet covered with tin foil. Roast at 425 degrees until you can stick a fork through the skin easily, take out of oven and scoop out squash from skin.) 2 tablespoons thyme Salt and pepper to taste Goat Cheese for topping Procedure: Saute onion in olive oil until soft and transparent, add risotto. Stir on medium heat for a minute. Stir in one cup vegetable broth. Stir occasionally. Once broth is abs...

After an early morning 14 miler with some friends who are training for the Twin Cities Marathon, I gave myself a little pep talk and headed off to do ERRANDS! Woot. The best kind - paper shopping and grocery shopping ala trader joes. One of the best thing about Trader Joe's is the line up of enticing flowers at the entrance. I am typically pulled to the bright colored blooms, but today, I eyed a smart lady pick up a bushel of eucalyptus and a bundle of lavender. Brilliant! I grabbed a few packs and filled several vases around the apartment. I haven't left the apartment yet, but I am hoping that when I reenter, the wild branches will bring me back to running Owl Trail along the Pacific coastline. Later in the afternoon, Mike and I rearranged furniture and CLEANED! Our wedding entourage (ie. friends and family) begin arriving tomorrow! We actually had a pretty nice time of it. And, the apartment looks just lovely if you ask me. We spent our last night as an unmarried co...

An incredible berry custard pie crafted by a beautiful, fearless friend.

Our very first CSA share. Lots of salad greens of all varieties. So far, we've all the spring greens, romaine, oakleaf lettuce, and arugula, but the bok choy and some other kind of spicy lettuce is awaiting the proper recipe. Suggestions? As a former CSA farm intern and a ranch intern, I have some wild notions about the need to wash vegetables immediately. The way I see it is that if you wash and dry right away, and then store in inviting fridge containers, you are more likely to grab that bucket of lettuce and run with it. Alas, without a salad spinner, the washing and drying process calls for some creativity. Later that night, wedding invitation assembly and addressing! Mike assembled, I addressed. What a team. Since I used pretty wet ink for little heart stamp on the envelope, the final invite package needed drying space as well. Again, with no tables left to cover due to the greens amounts, further inspiration was required. I will post the interior invitations and rsvp...

To meeee! My first homemade cake! Ever! Mollie Katzen's Mexican Mocha Chocolate Cake in Vegetable Heaven . Hopefully, the taste will live up to its cuteness. I'll find out soon!!!

Far from the reaches of modern day advertising and supermarkets, this little Wisconsin farm finds success (and JOY) in a weekly pizza night. All pizzas are created from local ingredients (except the olives...although these are local enough for me since they were attained at Bill's Imported Foods on Lake Street- a treasuuure of the cities. Be warned- cash only) and cooked over a wood fire brick oven. Folks are invited to wine and dine on their grounds after ordering. Tuesday night, my former college roommate, the sweet as honeybees- Hannah, Mike, and I made the country trek. A couple hours and many gravel roads later, we found ourselves in this lovely oasis. For us, half the thrill was greeting our good friends and now "farm hands" out in the country. Betsy took our orders as Andrew prepped! They are out there all summer long...maybe more. For me, visiting the farms certainly nurtured second thoughts about farm living.

This mid-July lunch reminded me of the days on the farm when I carried a salt shaker in my overalls in case I found myself in urgent need of a juicy tomato pulled straight off the vine.

This fourth, Mike and I are on our way to Naperville to visit the Vasich fam. Our parents are in tow on interstate 294 headed south after a night in Milwaukee watching fireworks down at the lakefront with old neighbors. Highlights from our Milwaukee rendezvous- *Lunch at an small outdoor bistro in the third ward (man, I would definitely live in that district if we were in milwaukee. So cool.) *breakfasts at the mueller's- fresh fruit, scones and cinnamon rolls, coffee, and guava juice *dinner at a new "french" restaurant in wauwatosa *a fabulous green dress Previous to our Milwaukee jaunt, Mike and I spent more than a few days in the Chicago area. Although I plan to blog more on a few of these experiences soon, here are some brief highlights- *rooftop Orange Mighty Trio concert in Chicago proper *multiple graduation parties *36 hole mini golf extravanganza *cool evenings playing bags out on the Vasich patio *shopping with Mike's cousin Diana * learning the prowess...

For the last six months, I started the day with a bowl of hot cereal with raisins and a cup of coffee. As the humid heat of Twin Cities summertime sets in, stirring bubbling grains on the stove is pretty much the last thing I want to do. Never fear! I acknowledge breakfast is the most important meal of the day! (I learned my lesson a couple years ago when I fainted on my bicycle on the way to work...take note.) So, now, yogurt, fresh fruit, and a sprinkling of granola greets me each summer morning. Refreshing and pretty, I must say.