Snow Play

I got my snow day wish today! My sister Hannah and I walked downtown for chai lattés and art supplies. You’ll see the fruits of my labor soon! In the meantime, snow antics were aplenty.

Grown-Up Lessons in the Kitchen: Date Night Gift

I was pretty proud of the way this meal turned out. I cooked for the parents of my charges as a Christmas gift, delivered the meal to their door, and whisked the kids off for a night of pizza and movies at my house.

I served rosemary roast chicken on a bed of barley bean risotto with roasted, spiced carrots. I also made martinis as an apératif and added a French bâtard and a bottle of wine. For dessert, crème caramel with a dark chocolate triangle.

I was worried that the chicken would be too dry because even though it was less than 4 lbs., I cooked it for over an hour but basted constantly with butter and drippings. I was really happy with the color and crispiness of the skin and was later assured that it was succulent! I also tried something new, separating the chicken skin from the flesh and stuffing fresh rosemary in between before replacing the skin. The way the leaves showed through the skin was really pretty.

I’d really like to experiment more with crème caramel. It wasn’t actually that hard to make but it took several tries to remove it cleanly from the ramekin. I had to eat about two-and-a-half of them that I ruined. Boy, my life sure is tough.

Do It Yourself: Embellish A Sweater

In my giant closet clean-up, which is taking me ages, I uncovered this beautiful cashmere sweater, which is one of the most luxurious hand-me-downs I own. Unfortunately I have an abundance of simple sweaters, and since this one has a bit of a looser fit on me, I decided to make it more feminine by doing a bit of embellishing around the neckline.

I bought some glass pearls and beads and strung a necklace-like collar to give it a really whimsical quality. I was really pleased and had spent quite a lot of time first stringing the beads and then sewing the collar on with one stitch between every other bead but the very first time I put it on, pearls flew everywhere! I guess I didn’t tie a tight enough knot. Oh no! The upside is that I have other projects in mind for the beads and plenty of other ideas for the sweater.

My January stats just came in and I’m happy to say that more of you are reading Grown-Up Lessons than ever! Thank you. It’s truly my pleasure to have you visit my humble little blog.

Playing Dress-Up: Two Ways To Wear Neutrals Galore

TWO WAYS: NEUTRALS GALORE

When I was living in France I couldn’t help but notice the amazing ability of French girls to wear tons of neutral shades in one outfit without a single splash of color. Admirable though this feat may have been, it always inspired in me a certain gloom. I occasionally find myself falling prey to this bland outfit recipe. Today is a perfect example. This sweater, which I bought during the seasonal sales in Bordeaux, is actually the same shade as this skirt, which I picked off a rack in my favorite secondhand store this summer, even though the picture makes them look different. I think the near exact pairing of these shades is the only reason this outfit even comes close to working. I’m still not sure if it does.

I also couldn’t decide whether I liked the cardigan tucked in and buttoned or open and not tucked in. What do you think?

Sweater, Kookaï; cardigan, Gap; belt, Forever 21; skirt, thrifted Liz Claiborne; tights, Express; headband, drugstore.

Hang In There

Oh my goodness, I feel I absolutely cannot go on without apologizing for having absented myself for such a long time!

I recently started my final semester of college. This semester consists of only one class, in one of my poorer subjects, so studying is absolutely necessary. Work has also kept me busy as now we are skiing every Tuesday, which not only lengthens my hours and forces me to drive nearly 200 miles, but also makes me sleepy and grumpy (which is not to say that I’m not grateful, because skiing is a lot of fun, I’m learning, and all three of us are improving greatly). Oh, and I started going to the gym again. I’m having trouble reminding my legs that they used to be in shape; they are rather stubborn. But the gym is another time-consuming activity that tears me away from Grown-Up Lessons. But I’m not making excuses for myself. Well, actually I am. But I henceforth promise to do my best to let work and school interfere with blogging as little as possible.

I have lots of fun posts in the works, including one culinary success story, two DIY projects, and I just placed my monthly, budgeted Anthropologie order for February, meaning I’ll have exciting outfit posts soon, too! (Not that I’m not wearing cute things lately - I am! But so unmotivated to take pictures in this disgusting climate. Also lusting after a tripod to make my life easier.)

Hang in there, dear readers. I’ll be back soon.

Playing Dress-Up: Braving Cold and Depressing Weather

I recently bought my very first trench coat, and I already adore all of the fun outfits I can make with it! This morning all of the roads were covered in a thin sheet of ice. I had to take my car to be serviced and didn’t have time to wash my hair, so I resorted to an old high school standby - the ponytail. I always wrap several strands of hair around the ponytail holder to hide it, making it a slightly-more-chic-than-average ponytail. Or at least, that’s how I justify the lack of effort.

I really love this outfit because it’s a little bit gamine because of the striped shirt, a little bit beatnik (this picture doesn’t show my cowboy boots tucked into cuffed jeans), and the high ponytail and neckerchief make it just a little bit 1960’s mod. It’s also undeniably comfy and laid back.

On a weather-related note (I know, fashion bloggers are always on about the weather, but it does have a lot to do with how we dress), I’m so sick of this rainy/sleety cold without snow. I don’t even care whether we get spring or more winter because I’d be just as happy to pull out skirts and dresses and pretty ballerina flats as I would be to squeeze my multiple pairs of socks back into snow boots. I just want something more inspiring than this dull, wet gray and brown landscape.

Trench and jeans, Gap; striped tee, borrowed from Mama’s closet; neckerchief, secondhand.

Do It Yourself: Let Others Pitch In

Don’t be fooled by the title of this post, because it’s not actually going to be about something I did all by myself. Nope, not even close.

You see, tonight my family was invited to dine at the home of some of our best family friends. We were asked to supply an appetizer, which I quickly volunteered to make. It wasn’t that no one else was willing to make it, but I leaped at the opportunity to try a new recipe for an onion tart that I thought would impress.

But with just less than an hour left until our departure, I found myself naked (okay, I was wearing a bathrobe), unbathed, running around the kitchen like a crazy person, chopping onions (and nearly all five of my left hand’s fingers), my bath getting fuller and fuller, too full even, in the next room, tears streaming down my cheeks (from the onions), stuck with dough that hadn’t quite doubled in size, and feeling so flustered and rushed that I was childishly slamming drawers harder than they needed to be slammed and making threats that I’d just have to be late; I’d join my parents later with the tart and other “Oh, woe is me!” kinds of nonsense. In short, I was throwing a temper tantrum.

I’m sad to say I’ve made a reputation for myself in my family as one who throws epic temper tantrums, and also for my historical need to do things all by myself (or “all BAH maself,” as my parents quote me from my toddler years). I’m especially wary of Papa helping me cook, maybe because I feel the need to prove myself without the help of a former professional chef. I know, foolish, right? Maybe I should try to learn something by cooking with him, instead. Anyway, when Papa stepped in and offered to chop onions for me, I only very grudgingly agreed. I took my bath and found the onions sliced and already sizzling away in a pan of hot olive oil and perfectly toasted fennel seeds. WHAT? This was supposed to be my thing. He was completely taking over!

I angrily stormed off, got dressed and returned to the kitchen, only to find Papa putting white wine into the skillet of onions. This was going too far! The recipe didn’t even call for wine! It was supposed to be a fennel and Dijon mustard onion tart, and it was supposed to be my onion tart, mine! Through gritted teeth I passive aggressivly suggested that Papa just finish the whole tart, that I didn’t care, that I didn’t want any part of it, “Oh yeah, you’re the professional, I’m sure you know how to do it best, Papa,” and similarly sarcastic remarks. And rather than share in the experience, I pouted. I let Papa finish cooking, and I checked my e-mail. I took a few deep breaths and drank a glass of water. I realized I was acting like a total baby. I prepared an apology, but one that included an insistence that I not take ownership of the tart in case of its success, that the glory would belong to Papa seeing as he’d saved the [culinary] day once again.

When it was time to pull the tart from the oven, I did it. It smelled wonderful. It wasn’t the same tart I’d set out to make, but it looked fantastic. Papa let me slice it because I’d seen a photo of a fancily sliced tart (the pieces were diamond-shaped). I kind of messed it up, but it was okay, because it wasn’t my tart, right? I’d written it off.

When we arrived at our friends’ house and we were all comfortably settled in with glasses of wine, happily munching on the delicious onion tart, Papa graciously gave me partial credit. More than partial credit - he called me the chef, the visionary, and himself the sous-chef! I tried not to show that I was embarrassed. I’d only made the dough, after all. I’d made such a scene. I’d told him I didn’t want anything to do with the damn onion tart.

But you know what? It feels a lot better to have partial credit than to have no credit at all. I realized that sometime in my life I adopted the attitude that unless a creative vision is exclusively mine, it’s not worth having. Which is just plain silly.

Sometimes I fool myself into thinking that being a grown-up is about being independent, that it’s about doing things on one’s own. I think I’ve been wrong all this time. I think that growing up is really about learning your weaknesses and accepting help when it’s offered. Especially when you’re very dirty and need a bath and are running behind schedule and are in over your head on a recipe whose prep time you’ve underestimated and when you have a father who just happens to be a culinary genius who is also more than willing to chop onions for you and let you wash your hair, for goodness sake.

This time, I’ve really learned my lesson.

Grown-Up Lessons in the Kitchen: Cooking With Carrot Greens

It was just Papa, Hannah and I for dinner last night, and the cupboards were a bit bare. I found some beautiful organic carrots with their greens in the fridge, though, which is perfect since I’m trying to eat as vegan a diet as possible. I remember seeing a Kevin Gillespie make a carrot green purée on Top Chef and decided to try my own hand at cooking with them. Plus, they’re supposed to be super healthy!

THE MEAL: ROASTED CARROTS WITH A CARROT GREEN VINAIGRETTE-TOPPED HERB SALAD AND VEGAN CORNBREAD

First I cut the greens off of six carrots and scrubbed the carrots clean. I am of the opinion (a) that a little dirt only makes you stronger and (b) that the skins of fruits and vegetables should be eaten whenever possible. I then sliced the carrot on a diagonal into inch-and-a-half long chunks, which I tossed in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and about a ¼ each of cumin and cinnamon. I cracked some sea salt and black pepper on top, threw them in a baking dish, and popped them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

In the meantime, I combined the following ingredients in a mixer:

1 cup cornmeal

1/2  cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoons honey

1 cups soymilk

1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

I poured this mixture into a greased 9-inch cake pan and put it in the oven alongside the carrots (still at 400 degrees) for 20 minutes. I recommend cooking it ahead of the carrots at 350 degreed for about 30-35 minutes because mine came out a bit dense. Also, adding a bit more honey or a dash of salt would give it more flavor. Mine was a bit bland (Papa kindly called it “delicate”) but I ate three pieces anyway because I was famished!

Next I combined 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, a small garlic clove, and about 3 tablespoons of chopped carrot greens in a food processor to make a light dressing for the organic fresh herb salad I found in the fridge. I also chopped up a couple more tablespoons of the carrot greens and added them to the salad, but only after I tasted them and made sure I was okay with the bitterness. I think the carrots, sweet as they are, nicely balance the bitter and sour salad, but you may not agree, so taste, taste, taste along the way!

Papa and Hannah made some chicken legs to eat alongside, but I think this is a really delicious and satisfying weeknight meal even if you’re not vegan. The carrots were perfect (the bigger ones could have cooked longer, though they weren’t underdone) and I could have eaten a whole plate of them easily.