see. taste. listen.

5.21.12

Pepeiao (wood ear mushroom) is sculptural AND scrumptious. Hm. AND it appeals to all three senses to which this humble blog is devoted, with its intense and saturated color, subtle flavor, and unique crunch-pop-smush sound upon biting into it.

To me, it’s just as essential to cha gio as nuoc mam…it elevates tofu with tomato sauce to new levels of deliciousness…and turns stuffed cabbage into something simultaneously familiar and new.

All hail the mighty pepeiao!

5.20.12

And we’ll call this one “E doesn’t know how to hold or feed a baby.” Poor AJ.

5.4.12

Almost forgot to post the favors I made for the garden party last week. Yes, yes, there were lots of ooh’s and aah’s…after the $@#*! horrible work week I had, it’s nice to remind myself of little successes.

5.4.12

Last night, my friend David had a brilliant and well-timed suggestion: fancy drinks (after all, that’s what they’re known for) at Holeman & Finch. And of course, you can’t go to H&F without having something to eat. Which we did. A lot. Because I also invited my equally nom nom-obsessed pal Abby along, who had appallingly never been, despite being, ya know, in the biz. For shame!

After the cheese sampler (an amazing tomme and some delightfully spicy bizness called red gold were standouts), bone marrow with the softest bread evarrr, spring vegetable salad, deviled eggs (must), AND catfish with grits, we still somehow had room to order The Famed H&F Burger. Since I have only been back on the omnivore wagon for a couple of years, with most of that time spent in Honolulu, I had not yet sampled the burger. Also…I just never crave burgers, they’re just not on my radar.

Well, this beauty lived up to the hype. I mean, damn. Every element was so well executed, I nearly forgot about the beef. Seriously. The pickles were so crunchy and fresh, the fries were nice and plump, and OMG THE MUSTARD and KETCHUP! Yeah. That good.

I ate like a monk today as penance…because I don’t even want to know what that meal did to my arteries. So, soooooo worth it, will definitely be sinnin’ again. ;)

4.27.12

Even though I didn’t make this myself, I feel like I’m being creative by association as I’m helping my friend Abby plan and execute her birthday garden party/BBQ/kegger (kidding, kind of) this weekend.

True to her style, it’s very earthy and floral-y, just like this adorable makeup case she made using her new sewing machine. Side note: I really gotta get on that learn-to-see program. In anticipation of this theme, I went searching for goodie bag items the other night and have come up with some cute and on-theme selections. Oh, just you wait!

4.23.12

It’s not something I’m proud of and is in fact something I’ve vowed to change this year: not reading enough books. With so many magazines and other periodicals, websites, blogs, etc. to be read, I somehow put books…yep, good ol’ fashioned perfect-bound books…at the bottom of my “to read” list.

With the ambitious (for me) yet attainable goal of two books per month, I started 2012 full of promise.

So, um, it hasn’t been going exactly as planned, but I have been reading more than I normally have in the past. So, baby steps. I finished Half-Broke Horses, Jeannette Walls’ cliched and kind of annoying follow up to The Glass Castle, in just a few days. And I’m finally getting around to reading Bossypants (only a year after everyone else!).

Then, during a fun and raucous night out a few weekends ago—not the likeliest of places to get this kind of a book reco, but whatever—I was convinced to get deliberately sidetracked by reading The Four Agreements, which you can pick up pretty cheap on Amazon (or DL if you are, like me, unwilling to spend even a dollar on what sounds like a sappy, women’s retreat, gag-inducing self-help book).

Let me be clear: I. Hate. This. Type. Of. Book. I find the you-can-do-it-ness of these “personal growth” books irritating and their New Age stank…well, stank. But I had been wallowing in a phase self abuse and self loathing and I was getting seriously sick of waking up every day, and then of course spending the entire day, in a vise of self-defeating thought. Many people I love and respect have read this book and strive to live by it. So when my friend Abby shrugged her shoulders and pointed out that it’s a short read and not a very big investment in time, I thought (with an eye roll), why not?

Because of my particular circumstances, I think it was pretty good timing for me to read this book. I don’t agree with everything in it, obviously, but there are some pretty damned good points in it about empowering (another word that gets my gag reflex going) yourself to live a happy life…which I was not on track to do. It really has been life-altering (good grief, who AM I? I don’t even sound like me!) and has changed the way I carry myself and view myself. So I guess what I’m saying…in an embarrassed voice…is it’s worth checking out. It seriously takes maybe one evening to read. Oh, forgot about that—I made the month’s reading quota for the first time this year! Damn, this book IS good!

4.20.12

Calling this a “lovely moment” would be the understatement of the year. Mike + Heather got their sumo baby last night (er…earlier this morning, rather). I am a zombie today but wasn’t going to miss seeing this bruiser make his entrance into the world (10 lbs 7 oz, YOWZA).

4.20.12

Lovely moment 3 //

Watching your friends sample dim sum like chicken feet (which Canton House had), tripe, or tongue (which they didn’t have).

This evening was even lovelier as it proceeded to include several victories playing darts, in 4-inch heels, no less. As well as a late night out with people I see very rarely (getting older and being a grown up…it’s the sucks sometimes).

4.20.12

Lovely moment 2 //

Catching that indescribably delicious early evening light in my friend Abby’s expansive Avondale Estates garden while planning an outdoor party for her birthday.

4.20.12

Some highlights from the past week:

Lovely moment 1 //

Saw this gorgeous Luna moth outside the office as I was returning from a little stroll the other day. S/he was sitting in the middle of the walkway so I sincerely hope no one accidentally smushed the little thing.

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