Here, There, Everywhere: Week 7

Spring has finally arrived in Brooklyn and we’ve been soaking up every last minute of it. We spent the majority of this weekend outside wandering wherever our interests took us. It has been wonderful to get out of the house and let Finn start to play out in the world – he’s become quite a fan of the swings. It has, however, taken me away from my computer which means a lag in posting. Honestly, I’m entirely ok with that. I spend enough time staring at a screen during the week that breaks are welcome. But I have been working on a series I’ll be debuting this week and I have grabbed then tid bits from my browsing. Enjoy!

  • I could not believe how astounding these portraits are was and then I realized how it was made. It’s beyond incredible.
  • I love every aspect of these ads, their retro feel, the actual product and the band.
  • These photos are fantastic – the perfect fodder for someone who loves to dip back in time to see how things were.
  • Speaking of how things are made I spent far too long watching these at by desk last week.
  • While we’re on the ad tip – this piece is brilliant. The message and integrity make for a much needed reminder that marketing can have a soul.
  • And finally, as the previous owner of the greatest black dog of all time, I really, really, really love this project.

 

Here, There and Everywhere: Week 6

So long March, and thanks for all the ish. This month has been an absolute doozy and with the exception of a few highlights – like Finn’s first solo steps – I’m happy to see it go. When I have had a free moment I have managed to grab a few moments to assemble my some real gems from the internets.

  • This app is what I used to create the image above, and my newest obsession.
  • I am by no means the oldest person in my office but this video captures what it is like to overhear some of the conversations that take place during my work day.
  • I’m totally floored by this woman’s cover of Heart Shaped Box.
  • I was introduced to the world alternative lorem ipsum last week. This is by far my favorite.
  • Dogter Who, I couldn’t resist.
  • I have incredible fondness for my memories of mixtapes of yore so I’m mighty tempted to pick up a few of these.
  • This is the exact kind of galette I want someone to make for me this moment.

Granola Breakfast Bars

Granola Breakfast Bar // The World In A Paper Cup

After Finn was born my pregnancy appetite disappeared immediately – it actually took me a few days to regain much of an appetite at all. As I adjusted to breastfeeding my appetite settled into a happy place slightly above my pre preggo hunger norm and way below the non-stop snacking of my insatiable full-term cravings. Now that Finn is weaning off of breast milk though I find myself facing another shift in my appetite. I still find myself dreaming of cookies and chocolate,  both things that are fairly new loves, but in my desire to be eating healthy foods more often is returning.

Continue Reading →

Here, There, Everywhere: Week 5

One of the things I love most about my job is the variety of projects I get to work on. The last few weeks there has been somewhat of an explosion of awesome new opportunities for us to tackle which has been both thrilling and challenging which is just the right yin and yang I need to keep things moving. I hope it’s the standard for the year to come. Continue Reading →

A Family Tradition: Rum Cake

In our family, every year on your birthday you got to pick the meal you wanted made for the family birthday celebration. While I don’t think this is a terribly unique tradition I do think the menus that have graced our family table over the years on the occasion of my or my sister’s birthday are. One year my little sister asked for baby carrots stuck into giant black olives, canned mandarine oranges served in ramekins and eaten with shrimp forks; and her drink served out of a liquid medicine measurement spoon - she is a real unique soul, that one. I often requested supper nachos or egg kaka and my older sister’s menus usually rotated around cheesy mashed potatoes.

As for desserts we’ve each explored different sweets – french silk pie, birthday cake cones, angel food cake, brownies. There is one phase we have all gone through though, the rum cake phase. For as long as I can remember my mother’s rum cake, with it’s dense cake soaked in a sweet boozy sauce, has appeared on the table at least once a year for someone’s birthday. It’s a recipe she learned from her mother that relies on boxed cake mix and when she makes it it’s perfection.

In culinary school I made it one of my projects to recreate the cake from scratch and after a few tries – mostly figuring out the egg factor – I nailed it. It’s the recipe I now use when I’m tasked with making rum cake, as I was a few weeks ago when I made my little sister’s birthday dinner (she’s matured into a rather sophisticated menu of pot roast and salad), which also served as the impetus for this post. If you’re looking to start a new addiction tradition give this a try immediately.

Rum Cake:
Ingredients
Cake:
3 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Rum Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbs – 1/4 cup rum

Preheat the oven to 350˚
Instructions:

  1. Spray one angel food pan with a removable bottom*. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Cut up the butter into 1-inch pieces and place them in the large bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment or beaters. Beat for 3 minutes on medium-high speed until the butter is light and creamy in color. Stop and scrape the bowl.
  4. Add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Add the eggs & yolks one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each egg. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
  5. Reduce the mixer speed. Stir vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the side of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
  6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a knife. Lift up the pan with the batter, and let it drop onto the counter top to burst and air bubbles, allowing the batter to settle.
  7. Center the pan onto the lower third of the oven and let bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake is lightly brown on top and comes away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. While the cake is baking combine the sugar, water and butter for the rum sauce in a pan on the stove. Bring to a boil then add the rum.
  9. Using a skewer poke holes in the fresh out of the oven cake then pour the rum sauce over the warm cake.
  10. Let the cake cool then remove from pan.

*I used a spring form for the cake pictured and it works just fine but if you have the angel food pan I highly recommend using it.

Here, There, and Everywhere: Week 4

We took a long weekend away last week to escape – mid-blizzard – to visit family in central Vermont. We go every year for President’s Day to celebrate the anniversary of my surgery and every year we find a wondrous balance between reading, cooking (in my most favorite kitchen in all the world) playing games and futzing around in the snow. This year was no different, except we got to introduce Finn to this cherished tradition and he loved it, no surprise there. I tried to get away from the computer while we were there but did manage to assemble some fun bits and pieces for your enjoyment. Continue Reading →

People worry about kids playing with guns, and teenagers watching violent videos; we are scared that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobodies worries about kids listening to thousands – literally thousands – of songs about broken hearts and rejection and pain and misery and loss.

Nick Hornby, High Fidelity

Here, There and Everywhere: Week 3

There are few things more glorious this time of year than to have a whole weekend that is almost entirely unscheduled. Coinciding with the start of the Olympics and a nasty bug that hit on Friday night meant we spent this weekend snuggled up in our apartment, and it was lovely. Needless to say a little internet perusing happened too and these were the best of the nets. Continue Reading →

A Playlist for Finn: Sleeps

I’ve been creating playlists for Finn pretty much since I found out I was pregnant. I have a list of music I played for him in my belly almost every night for the last two months of his residency, a list of classic rock that I consider essential to his musical development, even a list of pop songs that make him laugh – yeah, if there is a scenario that warrants a soundtrack I’ve started a playlist for it. Continue Reading →

Here, There and Everywhere: Week 2

I will be honest, I’m not unhappy about this winter weather. I’m from Minnesota so, comparatively this Northeast weather is nothing. I also love winter and have often been disappointed by New York’s usual version of winter lite. We’ll see if I’m singing the same tune after having to deal with it and Fashion Week. Continue Reading →