January 2011
40 posts
girl crush of the moment: elizabeth olsen
Here’s why:
She has always wanted to be an actress but unlike her sisters, who were cast on Full House at the age of 9 months, she waited 21 years to start working.
She goes by Lizzie to friends and family, just like my sister.
She’s a graduate of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School in NYC. I’m impressed.
Not only did her first...
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my year in cities ~ 2010
I realize I should have posted this list (inspired by Jen) sooner, but as you can see with my belated NYE and Chopping Block posts, I wasn’t really on top of my game the first week of 2011. The destinations are listed by country in (mostly) chronological order. I have a feeling this year will be much more domesticated, but then again my brother is living in Germany for the next five months...
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the dessert
Pumpkin Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients:
Oil for frying
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
1 cup sugar mixed with 1...
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dinner is served
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the entrée
Sautéed Beef Tenderloin with Herb Butter
Ingredients:
Four 4-5 oz beef tenderloin fillets
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Herb Butter (see recipe here)
Directions:
Allow the steak to rest at room temperature, covered, for 30 minutes before cooking.
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Season the steaks with salt and pepper to taste on both sides and sear in...
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herb butter
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, room temperature
2 tbps parsley, rough chopped
1 tbsp thyme, rough chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix the butter with the parsley, thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Roll into a tube using plastic wrap or parchment paper.
Refridgerate for one hour or until firm. Alternatively, this butter can be frozen up to 6 months.
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the side dish
Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower and broccoli each, trimmed and cut into florets
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 1/2 cups of whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of Gruyere cheese, grated
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of fresh nutmeg
For the topping:
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp parsley,...
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the appetizer
Sausage & Herbed Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. white or cremini mushrooms, clean and steamed
1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
1/2 lb. hot italian sausages, casings removed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4-5 oz herbed garlic cheese, such as Alouette or Boursin
1 tsp. oregano, roug chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup of...
the chopping block
For Christmas, Colin gave me a gift certificate to The Chopping Block. A perfect present because {unbeknownst to him} I had made a new year’s resolution to start cooking real dinners for myself three times a week. And what better day to start a resolution than on January 1st? We were paired up with a really nice couple, Brian and Charissa, who were finishing up their senior year at Emory....
the nutcracker
Scene ~ Mom is skyping with my brother, who is working at an army base in Germany assisting teachers in classrooms from pre-school to sixth grade.
Alex: I got kicked in the nuts today by a kid.
Mom: Oh hunny, that's awful.
Alex: I know, he is the biggest kindergartner in the class.
Mom: (uncontrollable laughter)
Alex: It's not funny- seriously, this kid is huge!
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take me back
Talking to Danielle about her trip to Australia this Spring has me missing all my favorite spots…
Fireworks at the Opera House // Sydney, NSW
Camel rides on Cable Beach // Broome, WA
Jumping crocs on the Adelaide River // Darwin, NT
Sunsets over Uluru // Ayers Rock, NT
Surfing as the sun goes down // Byron Bay, NSW
Sailing the Whitsundays // Airlie Beach, QLD
Finding...
happy birthday alicat
This little girl was the first sister to hold me as a baby. She has a masters from Harvard, but has also been known to put shampoo in the fridge. She treated me to a slice of Mario’s cheese pizza on the way home from school every day. She’s a tarheel. She gave me my first fake ID (and couldn’t keep a straight face when I accidentally told the bouncer I was from Illinois when...
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the fat cat
A week and a half ago, I spent the day in New York City. I was helping Colin move from Maryland to upstate New York and we decided to spend the night in the city with my sister, Jackie. As an added bonus, Alison was also in town before leaving for a week long Egyptian excursion (with fellow tumblr Meg)! We started off our afternoon at Bleecker Street Pizza, eating one too many slices and...
“As many of you may know, I have no goals in life other than to be hot forever,...”
– Liz, my very attractive (& hilarious) friend who recently received her Masters.
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“Think back and replay your year, if it doesn’t bring you to tears either...”
NYE {better late than never}
This was my first ever New Year’s Eve in Chicago. Normally, my family and I go to Mexico to celebrate but it just wasn’t in the cards this year. On the whole, I don’t think many people enjoy NYE, it’s a night of high expectations that never quite seem to deliver. But I must say, mine did. Abby’s friend organized a great deal at Sedgwick’s: the booze flowed,...
true confession tuesday
Last night, I had a dream that I was hanging out with Michael Jordan and my tumblr crush. It was pretty awesome.
Who-oh-who is my tumblr crush? That’s one secret I’ll never tell. XOXO jennifer
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“Making history: Miami is the 1st Division I football team ever to go from double...”
– ESPN on Miami’s bowl game win late tonight.
(via girlchasingthewind)
