Exploring: Curtis Arboretum

Just a few miles away from our apartment is the Curtis Arboretum.  We have been trying to explore public places in our new area so with this weekend's beautiful weather we decided to visit. Now I wasn't sure why it is called an arboretum and not a park so i looked it up (yay Wiki) and all arboretum means is a collection of trees. So yes, there were many trees on the grounds but i would probably just call this place a local park. The property used to belong to the weathly Philadelphia Curtis family and they built on the grounds a hall for musical performances as well as a little church. Today you can rent the hall for a small wedding or similar event. Here are some phone pictures from our walk as well as a little video.

While we were at the arboretum's pond we met this gentleman. This particular video is from a different day but was filmed at the same spot as we were. Bear with the shakiness at the beginning, it gets better.

This video is an example of why I always talk with strangers while out in public. You never know who you might meet or what the do for fun. We got his business card so we could look us his YouTube channel. This is also why Luke never talks with strangers.

I hope that you had a restful weekend and are ready for whatever this week may hold for you. Much love,

Naomi

A day at the shore

We now live close to the ocean!!! How great is that? Clearly my geography is less than stellar because our new proximity to the beach came as a surprise. When I found out that we could depart from our little nest at 9am and be snoozing in the sand by 11am a day trip was immediately planned.

Luke researched the best beaches as I packed our cooler for a lunch picnic. The next morning we departed for the Jersey Shore. After my watching a certain reality show about the shore, and Luke spending a summer living in the less-than-lovely Myrtle Beach, we wanted a calmer beach experience. Luke settled on Ocean City. It was close, had a large boardwalk and many beaches but due to the island's dry beverage restrictions  the crowd looked much more Snoopy than Snooki. Our beach day was just the relaxation that we needed before beginning school, work, and multiple trips to PennDot.

A welcome

My view for a few hours

This place was packed on a Thursday

The crowds thinned as we walked further south

Kites and kids

The houses were amazing! Anyone want to do a beach rental with us next summer?

After dinner walk before heading home

Driving across the George Washington bridge means we are arriving home in Philly

One Ingredient, Two Meals: Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Tapenade

If you are anything like me, you buy a specialty sauce for a specific recipe and then the jar sits in the fridge until the next time you feel like making that same recipe. Since moving and setting up our kitchen again, I have been trying hard to be creative and use what we have in the fridge to create meals. On a recent trip to Trader Joe's I picked up this tapenade to eat on crackers.

It was so good that I knew I wanted to buy another to make meals with. Here are two recipes that I used the spread in and loved.

First up was a recipe from the Trader Joe's website called Some Enchanted Pizza. It is really quick and was a fast lunch for us. To make, heat the oven to 400 degrees, get two Trader Joe's Garlic Naan from the freezer, put on a pizza pan, and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes. After pulling them out, slather with the roasted red pepper tapenade, top with some chevre, and put back into the oven for 5 more minutes. Here is what mine looked like at this point:

Now you could stop here and have a great little meal like the Trader Joe's recipe but I love arugula and had some to use up so I added a handful of arugula on top of the pizza and it back in the oven for a few minutes to wilt slightly. We love these now for a quick lunch. 

For the second meal using the tapenade, I made a warm spinach salad with poached egg and bacon. I am slightly obsessed with warm spinach salads and this one is even Paleo for those of you eating that way if you use the right bacon. In this recipe the tapenade was substituted to make the dressing for the salad.

To make just follow THIS recipe from the lovely Ms. Martha but omit the 1/2 cup of vinegar. Instead of adding  the vinegar to the pan with the cooked shallots and bacon fat, substitute 1/3 cup of the red pepper tapenade and the juice of half a lemon. This recipe serves 4 so I  cut it in half for the Mr and I. It was such a good way to use up our Costco spinach box.  Give these recipes a try or at the very least eat the tapenade on some pita chips or crackers.

So...

Yikes, big blog break there. Sorry.

In other news, we moved!

From

via etsy

to

via etsy

in a big yellow truck.

Here, in a neighborhood just north of Philadelphia, we now live. Luke will be studying at Westminster Theological Seminary come fall. I will be working. Sitting in front of this keyboard, my fingers strain to transcribe the narrative of the last few months for you. To share all the iphone pictures. To fill you into our plans, hopes, and fears. Realistically though, it is not going to happen. It has been too much of a whirlwind, my memory is jumbled, and if I got started on my feelings this post would never end.

Moving forward, I am excited to share a bit of this life with you through glimpses into our meals, home, and explorations. Thanks for reading.

Naomi

.

Be Kind

via Pinterest

Kindness. It's so simple. You probably learned about it very early in life and were taught to practice it often in your early school years. Somewhere along the path of life this life lesson was pushed deeper into the brain's storage unit as we learned about algebra, logic, and British literature. Free hours after school involved a part-time job, instant messaging, and desperately trying to be cool. Well kindness is not just for kindergartners. As a grown-up (mostly), being shown and showing kindness can be even more powerful.

This past Thursday, my husband and I were having an awful day. All morning we were fighting with each other. What about? To be honest I don't even remember the specifics . By mid-afternoon we were just plain tired and crabby. We decided to eat lunch at the Byerly's food court and then figure out what to do next. As we paid for our meals, the cashier struck up a conversation and commented that seeing us together made her day. She explained that she had been married for thirty years and her husband was always so busy working that they never ran errands or got to eat a lazy lunch together. Her husband died a few years ago and she encouraged us to cherish any time that we got to spend together. She said that seeing the love we had for each other made her heart happy (such a cute way to say it) and she felt encouraged for the next generation of marriages that we would focus less on money and more on quality time spent together.

Wow! Talk about feeling like a fraud. Here we were, crabby, and going out to get lunch in a tired act of defeat. To hear those kind words and encouragement changed both our moods and the course of our day. Over lunch we actually enjoyed each others company and talked about how blessed we were to be able to spend time together in the middle of a busy week.  Because of those kind words, we rented a Redbox dvd as we left Byery's and had a movie evening in bed. The course of the day changed because of a strangers kindness. It was the reality check we needed to focus on what was important. 

Today, be kind. Be loving. Encourage those you come in contact with, especially in the daily mundane places like a grocery store.

curried shrimp over Israeli couscous with mango salsa

This winter has felt a little dull here in Minnesota. Yes, I really am grateful for the warmer than usual weather we have had but lately it has just felt wet and gray. Things just need a little zip or something.

When I am restless with the season I find it reflected in my cooking. On the hottest day of this summer, I made a roast in the oven for the first time. Around the end of August when I was looking forward to fall, I began baking everything with pumpkin added in. Today I must have been craving a tropical spring break because all I wanted to eat was mango salsa so i knew I had to figure out a meal to satisfy my cravings. However seasonally askew the ingredients for this meal were, let me tell you that the results were spot-on. Even my husband, who is wary of anything even remotely Indian flavored, declared this dish to be one of his favorite meals that I have ever cooked. The reason that I think this dish "works", is that the Israeli couscous is creamy and mellow, the shrimp hot and slightly curried, and the salsa served on top is cold, crunch, and tangy. If this meal were viewed as a relationship, it would be a case of opposites attracting. So here you go friends and make this meal if you wish. It sure is cheaper than a flight to the tropics this time of year.

Curried Shrimp over Israeli Couscous with Mango Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb medium to large shrimp

2 cups uncooked Israeli couscous

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

one handful of fresh spinach

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 lime, juiced

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

2 Tbs olive oil

2 mangoes, cut and cubed

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

salt

red pepper flakes

Directions:

Salsa- Combine the cubed mango pieces in a bowl with the diced onions, chopped cilantro, red pepper and jalapeno. Cover the ingredients with the juice of a lime. Salt and red pepper the salsa to taste.

Israeli Couscous- This stuff is so fun. The little balls are chewy and it doesn't clump like traditional couscous does. I get it at Cub or Byerlys in the Jewish foods section, Trader Joes might have it but I am not sure. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a pot. Add the couscous to the broth, cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking time, I add a handful of roughly torn or quickly chopped baby spinach leaves to the pot to increase the nutrition content of the meal a tad. This is also when I add the lemon juice.

Shrimp- Dry your shrimp with a paper towel. Put the shrimp into a bowl and cover with the olive oil and curry powder. Add a sprinkling of red pepper flakes if you want a little spice and then mix gently with a spoon or your hands. Heat a large frying pan to medium-high heat and cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side depending on their size.

To plate this meal I spooned the couscous onto a dinner plate, followed by the shrimp, and finally topped with the mango salsa. Making the salsa is the most time intensive part of this meal due to the chopping but it really only takes 10 minutes or less to make. If the salsa is made in advance you can get dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Thanks to Luke's approval this will be on frequent rotation in our little household. 

Wedding Inspiration

I have spent a considerable amount of time looking at beautiful wedding images lately. No, we are not looking into getting married again or a vow renewal ceremony. I need to wait until we are married at least two years before doing that :) Let me just say though that I am really glad there was no Pinterest before we got hitched. I can't image how overwhelming it would have been to try to sort through all the amazing wedding ideas on that site. The reason for my renewed interest in weddings is that I am helping a beautiful bride-to-be style her wedding. She picked a fun vintage theme and here are some of the pictures we have come up with for inspiration:

Here I arranged some of the stuff we have so far to have an idea of how it is looking.

I am not gonna lie, I love it so far! Working on a wedding that is not our own is so much more fun than designing ours was. It must be when it is your own wedding, you are dealing with all the others stresses that engagement brings and you are too close to the subject. Whatever the reason may be, I am really excited to show you how this all turns out in less than a month. Happy Monday friends!

Being Known

Being known and loved is one of the best feelings that we as humans can experience in this life. I listened to a sermon once about how the desire to be known, or understood, affects all our relationships. It is such a powerful force because we were created to be fully know by one person, God, and while knowing us completely He loves us deeply . How amazing is that?

I think that is why feeling known, or understood, by those we have relationships with is so powerful. We were created with this desire and relationships here are just a shadow of what is to come. That thought really struck me after Christmas this year. Why? Well... I really loved the gifts I received for Christmas. They made me so happy! As materialistic as that sounded to me at first, the gifts' impact came from the loved ones who gave them. They were so thoughtful in picking out presents and their gifts reflected my needs, desires, and interests. My gifts allowed me to create a cleaner home with fewer chemicals (Norwex products), provided fun date nights for my husband and I, cultivated my love of cooking and reading, and provided a whole lot of good visual design. Wow! I really felt that my loved ones understood me and loved me. That is the reason we give gifts. So here is a big virtual thank you to all of you, I am so blessed by the people in my life. One goal of mine this year is to better show love to the people in my life. What inspires you in gift giving? Sorry this Christmas inspired post is so late.

Just a little visual of some of the awesome gifts I received. Thanks!

O'Christmas Tree

It is December! Christmas time in Minnesota is my favorite. The cold weather almost seems a little magical. How is your decorating and shopping coming along? Want to see a picture of our tree? Silly question, of course you do! Here she is in all her beauty:

When you have a small place, you make do. The tree is actually a rosemary tree from Trader Joe's and I am a bit obsessed. It fragrance's the whole room with a wonderful herbal scent and I am also excited to try cooking with fresh rosemary. Maybe look for a recipe using it in the coming week. Have a wonderful first weekend of December friends.

Loving the look of driftwood

So while I may be posting mostly recipes these days, because that is about all I have been creating lately, I still really, really, really love interior decorating. Most of the blogs I follow are about design in some capacity. These days it is a little hard to dream about homes due to where we live. Most of our stuff is in storage, so buying new stuff seems a little ridiculous. Plus in our small home these is not really room to add in many more accessories either. That doesn't stop a girl from dreaming though does it? Also if you feel compelled to purchase me anything on this list, I promise you I would find room for it in our abode :)

Here are a few inspiration pictures I have come across lately. Can you tell what has been on my mind?

All images from Apartment Therapy

Yup, driftwood has been on my mind. I really love how it adds texture and earthiness to a more modern design aesthetic. The second picture is good inspiration because I am sure it would be a fairly easy diy project, especially if you used a piece of driftwood found on a vacation to the beach. What a great way to remember the trip every time you hang your thick Minnesota winter parka. Here are a few pieces I found for sale and would love in my home:

Pottery Barn Teen Mirror

Ballard Design Votive

Crate and Barrel Side Table

All images are linked to the online store to purchase. Happy window shopping!

Pumpkin Curry

So I did it. For the last post of pumpkin week I used a fresh pumpkin that I cooked. That was the goal of this whole week anyway... to use seasonal produce. Last time I checked, cans were not quite seasonal. The recipe that pushed me outside the can was a Thai pumpkin curry with asparagus. It is so good!  Besides the extra work of cutting the thing up, it was pretty easy also. The inspiration for this recipe came from two places. My sister makes a great thai coconut curry with whatever veggies and protein she has around and a few years ago was kind enough to teach me the base recipe. The second inspiration, and the idea to use pumpkin, came from a dinner I ate at Mango Thai a year ago. That night I got the seasonal special which was a red curry served inside a large pumpkin. It was tasty and the presentation was over-the-top awesome. 

Since I was going to serve my curry to 6 people, the pumpkin presentation idea was ditched. No thanks to scooping out all those pumpkin guts :) This recipe consists of cubed pumpkin, asparagus, chicken thighs, coconut milk, shallots, garlic, and various seasonings. Served over rice it is a great main dish that went over really well. Here is what the dish looked like, mind you here in Minnesota it is dark by 5 making dinner food pictures terrible, and the recipe follows below. Enjoy, friends!

Pumpkin Asparagus Curry 

Ingredients:

2 cans of coconut milk

2lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into pieces

1 pumpkin cut into bite-sized cubes

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed to used the top half only

3 shallots, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tbs cooking oil, I used coconut

3 Tbs red curry paste

2 Tbs fish sauce

1 lime, juiced

3 tsp firmly packed brown sugar

4 Tbs basil, chopped and saved for garnish

steamed rice for serving

Directions:

1. Bring a larger pot of water to a boil.

2. Peel the skin off a smaller, sweeter cooking pumpkin using a vegetable peeler. Then chop off the stemmed top and cut in half. Scoop out the insides and discard or save the seeds if you are into baking yourself a little snack later. Cut the halves into bite-sized pieces.

3. Add the pumpkin to the pot of boiling water for 7 minutes. For the last 2 minutes add the asparagus. Drain the veggies from the water and set aside.

4. In a wok or large pan heat the oil and cook the chicken until brown on both sides. This took me 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

5. In the wok or pan you used for the chicken cook the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes until they begin to turn translucent. Add the curry paste stirring for 20 seconds to bring out the fragrance. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. 

6. Add the remaining ingredients, including the veggies and chicken, to the pot and simmer on low until the pumpkin is tender and the chicken is cooked throughout. This took me about 15 more minutes. Right before serving add the chopped basil and stir for a minute or so.

7. Serve hot over rice.

Serves 6

Pumpkin Pancakes

So remember that cup of pumpkin puree you have leftover from making pumpkin bread earlier this week? Well if I was you, this is how I would use it up. These were a wonderful start to a chilly morning. Plus I got to add another recipe to my pumpkin heavy collection.

Pumpkin Pancakes
serves (5)

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups milk
2 eggs
2 Tbs. oil (I used coconut)
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 cups flour
3 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

How to:

1.Mix together the wet ingredients (first 5 ingredients) in large box. In separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and sift together. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones until just mixed.
2. Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium high heat. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop the batter into the pan. Brown on both sides and you're done.

We ate ours with pumpkin butter (from Williams-Sonoma), and real maple syrup...YUM

The result... sorry for the picture quality

Pumpkin Week

As I was making a weekly menu plan a few days ago, I was attempting to incorporate more seasonally available ingredients into our meals. Sure I love my morning smoothie with frozen fruits, spinach, and greek yogurt, but I would love to start cooking with the fresh squash, asparagus, and pumpkins that I see in the produce section this time of year. Not only are certain produce items typically available for shorter buying periods but during that time they tend to taste better and are cheaper than their off-season. In order to challenge myself to buy more seasonal items, and to use them before they go bad, I thought I would pick one produce item a week to creates some meals around.

What food first you ask? If you know me, you probably know that I love pumpkins. Eating pumpkins, carving pumpkins, decorating with pumpkins, really you can't go wrong with any of these options in my opinion. Last fall, when my husband and I got married, we received many pumpkin themed gifts. Our relatives found out that one of Luke's pet names for me was pumpkin and now we are blessed with an abundance of sweet pumpkin decor. For one of my bridal showers a dear woman at church gifted me with a cookbook. On one page she covered the author's recipe with her own and I am so thankful she did because hers is now my very favorite quick bread recipe. This pumpkin bread is tasty and has been a hit with whatever group I have taken it to.

I was going to type this recipe out but how cute is the laminated card that she taped into my recipe book? She also changed the index to include her recipe. It makes me smile. Do yourself a favor and make this soon. This recipe makes 2 loaves or you could make half a recipe and save half the can of pumpkin for the next recipe in pumpkin week like I did...aren't you hooked now :) Ohh and I know I was supposed to be using new fresh produce but it was so much quicker to buy an organic can of pumpkin rather than roasting a fresh pumpkin, Maybe next year I will cook my own pumpkins rather than paint them.

Fall Love

Fall and summer are in a competition to win my heart. Right now there is no apparent winner. One of the best things about the fall are the foods we get to eat. Well... foods, beverages, sweaters, and scenery. I wish I could show you the beautiful foliage photos from the little bed and breakfast getaway that the husband and I took, however my phone got erased during a recent upgrade and there went the shots. Does anyone else find themselves only taking pictures on their phones these days?

This past weekend my husband's family and I went to this place:

It was so much fun but also a little bit of a zoo. It seemed like the majority of families from the western suburbs visited the orchard to take advantage of the wonderful weather. Later that evening some of us went to my brother and sister-in-law's place to make a seasonal beverage or two. This was the result:

Excuse the impromptu party supplies because this drink is yummy. If you want to make it just follow the recipe below to taste.

Spiked Apple Cider

1. Fill a cup with an ounce of light rum

2. Follow with a shot of brandy

3. Top with a fresh apple cider and tonic water

(I would guess a 2/3 cider to tonic ratio)

4. Garnish with sliced apples

5. Enjoy

Loving the Look of...

Faux bamboo chippendale chairs! That is what I find myself searching for on Craigslist more than I would care to admit. The lines and texture make the seats so beautiful. Also, painted they add an awesome pop of color to a room. With images like these, can you blame me for my desire to add a few of these chairs to my living space?

(Source: Decorpad)

(Source: Palmer Weiss)

(Source: Decorpad)

The last image is the work of Jonathan Adler and the cover of his book Happy Chic Color. He is pretty much amazing and his book is no exception. So where can you pick up a chair like these you may ask? Well Jonathan Adler also sells them for your convenience. 

The price might not be so convenient for most of us however.

Lots of design bloggers out there have had luck locating vintage versions of the chair from Ebay, estate sales, antique stores, and my personal favorite, Craigslist. Look at what I found on my local search:

(Source: Craigslist)

A set of five of these pretty chairs for just over what one from Mr. Adler would put you back. Yay! You can also find even better bargains for single chairs. Now I am off to dream up a space for these chairs.

Best Banana Bread

Yup, this is the best banana bread recipe, I am sure of it. The result is so moist, flavorful, and beautiful. Pretty too right?

The recipe came from this book. My sweet Mom and sister created it as a gift for one of my bridal showers. It contains all my family's favorite recipes along with some embarrassing pictures of us all eating. What a meaningful gift for a girl just starting to cook. I think the recipe originally came from a newspaper.

Famous Banana Bread (that's what it's called)

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk or yogurt

1 cup mashed browned bananas

2 1/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

optional chocolate chips or chopped walnuts ( none for me, I like this bread simple)

In a large mixing bowl blend butter and sugar well. I do this for the entire time I get the rest of the ingredients prepped and ready. Continue mixing, adding eggs one at a time, then buttermilk, then bananas. Mix the flour, soda, and salt in a small bowl, add to mixer bowl, blending thoroughly. Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or so, until a toothpick comes out clean. This freezes well: wrap in foil, seal in plastic bag. Also makes good muffins.

I hope you enjoy this and really do test the bread to make sure it is finished cooking. My first time trying this recipe last week I didn't and it was still raw in the middle but I had already removed the loaf from the baking pan. It collapsed. I had a little temper tantrum, went to bed, and cleaned it up in the morning. Sad.