We're Engaged!

Epicurious.com

A co-worker of mine just bought an i-pad, on which, he had an app which I had never heard of: Epicurious. Apparently, this is a well-known recipe/foodie webpage which had somehow escaped my knowledge of the interwebs. I've had a lot of fun searching its archives and finding new recipes.

Recently we've tried two recipes from Epicurious: Glazed Grilled Salmon and Blueberry Lemon Corn Muffins.

The salmon was challenging. Unfortunately, one downside of our apartment is that we have no yard-space, which means, no grill. We LOVE grilled food, especially in the summer months. We can't even use a stove-top griddle because our burners are varying sizes and not a single one is level. In a desperate attempt to re-capture our previous summer's diets, we decided to try salmon in a pan. At first everything looked great..

But then we quickly learned that the eat was too high and the glaze burned beyond belief. With some heat adjustment, we were able to flip the fish and get the other side cooked to perfection : )


We quickly steamed some frozen brussel sprouts and ended up with a delicious meal.

The Blueberry Lemon Corn Muffins are a new favorite of mine. Straight to the top of the list! I adore these muffins and their perfect combination of sweet, tart, and savory from the blueberries, lemon zest, and cornmeal. They were very easy and cooked to perfection.


We also lucked out and bought some super delicious blueberries.

YUM!

So much time, and so little to do! Strike that, reverse it.

A few days ago, Cupcakes and Cashmere posted a top ten summer to-do list. It seemed like a great idea as I always end up finding myself at the end of August and wishing there were certain things I had accomplished. By posting them on a blog, I will have a constant reminder throughout the summer months. So, I made one!

Summer To-Do list:

1) Visit both families
2) Celebrate our 5 year anniversary
3) Buy a red top and red dress
4) Go for a run on the beach
5) Read five books of my choosing
6) Bike around the Arnold Arboretum
7) Ride the swan boats in the Boston Public Gardens
8) Make curtains for our bedroom
9) Run a 5k
10) Take a sewing, knitting, or crochet class

*image: www.erie.pa.us

I'll have to make a reading list as well : )

Fanny Pack Kingdom

I want a fanny pack.

Yep, a fanny pack.

Let me clarify: I want a fanny pack for cycling. I could pretend to wear it ironically, but I really just need something small to hold my keys and wallet while biking. Messenger bags are too big for me and I hate wearing my backpack unnecessarily. Sometimes I need to bring clothes or larger things with me while on my bike, and a backpack is great for that...but sometimes I don't...and then it is just annoying and cumbersome. Not to mention that I don't need another layer of fabric against my back while riding in the summer.

So I've decided to return to the 80s and get a fanny pack. But which one!

I've narrowed the candidates to the following:


1) subtle plaid and fitted to the body. minimal bulk.



2) similar to option #1. minimal bulk, close fitting, but the color is more versatile.


3) this one is just fun. bright plaids, ruffles, and when slung over the shoulder (off the bike) it could easily transform into a super cute purse. however, this bag is not very versatile and is very bulky. but it sure makes a statement!


4) old school. if i'm going to go for it, i might as well go for it. super bulk, polka dot, and equipped with a super-big yellow plastic zipper.

thoughts?