menu of the week

(image via Kim Deslandes)

So it's 9:45 and I'm only now getting around to writing my weekly menu post. I've been putting it off since last week was a total bust in terms of cooking. Chief among my problems was that I only made three meals and I didn't like two out of the three. Sigh. This week isn't going to afford me much opportunity to redeem myself either, as we went out for pizza tonight and are probably going out for my brother's birthday in a few days. Any suggestions for getting out of this rut?

omelet with asparagus, greens, and pecorino - Yummy and perfect for spring, this omelet was light and fresh tasting. Just make sure you wash your arugula thoroughly because although I spun mine in the salad spinner it was still a bit gritty.

tortellini and cannellini bean soup - This soup had potential but the dried herbs kind of ruined it for me. Use fresh if you try it and I'm sure it will turn out fine. I felt like I was eating lawn clippings with each bite because the dried herbs were too prevalent. Also, don't burn the first batch of beans or else your house will probably still smell like smoke four days later. Not that I know anything about that...

black rice stir fry - I turned this into a soggy mess and still don't know where I went wrong. The rice was cooked but it was swimming in water and still seemed like a mess even after I drained it. Chopped peanuts improved the dish greatly as they added a much needed crunch.

One night I just defrosted a batch of ginger and lentil soup which was leftover from the last time I made it and another night we went to Stan and Karissa's for dinner. She made the most delicious fries and Stan made hamburgers covered in stinky blue cheese, also known as heaven on a bun. We brought a simple salad and homemade strawberry ice cream. Mmm, mmm good.

hello weekend

(image via Camille Styles)

Last night was the second PVD Lady Project event at Bravo Brasserie... once again Hillary and I met some pretty cool people and I'm looking forward to future collaborations. Also, Erika of Foxtrot Press gifted me with some of her awesome cards and a print, too! Will definitely be sharing those here next week. The weekend is already looking like a busy one - this morning I'm going to a "yard" sale hosted by John Orton Events (it's really much more than that - see details below) and later in the afternoon I hope to make it to the LLL meeting in Providence. Maybe I'll stop by Seven Stars for a pastry. Mmmm. Tonight Matt and I are visiting our friends and their new baby and I can't wait to squeeze his little cheeks. Then tomorrow we plan on finally getting some mulch so I can finish the flowers beds in the front yard. Oh, and I'm making these for Matt's grandmother's birthday celebration on Saturday night. On Sunday it's church as usual. What do you have going on?

- certainly don't need new ones, but I'm drooling over these sneakers
- this wallpaper is making me seriously wish I had an iPhone
- super sweet gift ideas for Mother's Day
- free printable rainbow invitations for your birthday girl or boy
- definitely adding an animal circus train to my list of things to make (and out of empty tea boxes!)

- I want my whole house to look like this bright space
- Matt just unveiled the new bluecube, a revolution in photobooths
- pretty (and free!) printable gift tags

P.S. The weekend yard sale details...

Maybe I'll see you there!

tea with Rose // Felicia's

Felicia's Coffee in East Greenwich was the next stop on my tea tour with Hillary. We headed south because Hillary was on her way to drop off some merchandise at a shop where she'll be selling some of her jewelry.

I ordered a medium blackberry sage tea as soon as we arrived (it's by Republic of Tea) and was disappointed to find out it was black tea after taking a sip. I think I've mentioned it before, but I don't drink anything caffeinated so I was expecting an herbal blend. I added some lemon and that helped, but also masked the flavor. Bummer.

Despite the black tea disappointment, we enjoyed our time at Felicia's. It has a real neighborhood feel and people were constantly streaming in and out the doors throughout the hour we spent there. The noise level was on the moderate to high end - always good when you have a toddler with you. Ezra didn't bother any one since his babbling and shouting just blended in. I think.

It took all my will power to resist a raspberry chocolate chip cookie at 9:30 in the morning. I'm thinking I should have caved...

Read Hillary's post about our morning right here. 

menu of the week

(illustration by Lucile's Kitchen)

It's 9:30 at night and I'm only now getting this post up so please forgive me. My computer was malfunctioning on and off throughout the day but Matt has it temporarily fixed for now. We'll see how long it lasts, so if I disappear this week blame Dell. Here's what we ate last week:


broiled salmon with Israeli cous cous and haricots verts - This meal was thrown together last minute because I had planned on making a new dish with haddock but when dinner time rolled around I realized I took the wrong package out of the freezer to defrost. Salmon it was. I sprinkled the filet with sea salt and ground pepper and then started boiling water to make cous cous. Next I tossed green beans with olive oil, sea salt, and ground pepper and steamed then in a pan on the stove. Once the sides were going I stuck the salmon under the broiler for about seven minutes. Not bad for a last minute dinner if I may say so.

pizza with homemade crust - Obviously we don't get bored with pizza (we had it last week, too) and we even used the same old toppings. What can I say... we love ourselves some pineapple pizza.

cannellini bean soup - Surprisingly simple and tasty, this light soup was quick (if you don't count cooking the beans before hand, that is) and delicious with crusty bread. Fresh rosemary and thyme brightened the flavor and whole beans lent an interesting texture. Ezra had seconds.

baked macaroni and cheese - A classic recipe from The Joy of Cooking that I make over and over again, this mac & cheese was actually the first dinner I ever made when we returned home from our honeymoon. Mild cheddar, mozzarella, and some Parmigiano is my favorite combination of cheeses. Sometimes I add roasted broccoli to the mix.

pot roast with porcini mushrooms over egg noodles - Giada has never let me down so I was confident that this recipe would turn out well although I'd never made it before. The sauce was smooth and perfect for coating the egg noodles. Plus, we had leftovers for two days.

We also ate our way through three heads of lettuce, four peppers, one European cucumber, and about half a can of black olives in salads throughout the week. Olives on fingertips were an almost endless source of entertainment for Ezra one afternoon. A little playing at the table is allowable, right? ;)

hello weekend

(illustration by Caitlin McGauley for Lonny)

Isn't warm weather the best? We've been enjoying being outside all week long and I'm so looking forward to a sunny weekend. On the agenda: a bike ride along the Cranston bike path, maybe a pit stop at Sundaes, and yet another birthday party for one of Ezra's one year old friends.

the list of things that distracted me this week:
- such pretty details at this watercolor shower
- I think my dream home is a converted barn
- these cards for Mother's Day are so great
- doesn't this pecan and coconut granola sound wicked good?
- I'm really loving bright white spaces lately and this nursery is no exception
- the word on the street is that domino's quick fixes special edition is finally on newsstands... have you picked up a copy?
- even though I love my set of matching mugs, these are irresistable
- I would never refuse a gift of cookies in a canister
- check out this new to me blog, pretty light... it's a new fave (look at the little dolls she makes!)

Enjoy the weekend! I know I will.