Home Improvements

A few things I've recently added to my home:

Anthropologie Latte Bowls (one in each of these colors)

Pretty candle holders from Crate & Barrel

medium slate cheeseboard

wine glass holders for picnics at the lake

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Light Italian Wedding Soup

Since getting the Everyday Food Light cookbook, one dish I had been anxious to try was the Italian Wedding Soup.  Since last week was a cold and fairly uneventful week, I decided to try it out and use the leftovers as lunches for the remainder of the week.  The soup was actually super quick to put together, and the meatballs were so tasty that I would like to make them again on their own with just some greens and mashed potatoes.  One note - after stopping at several different grocery stores, I couldn't find escarole anywhere, so I substituted one bunch of kale, which in my opinion was just as tasty.  This made wonderful leftovers all week long and kept me warm for the cold evenings at home.

homemade turkey meatballs

 adding the kale and simmering

 top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Blythe's Blueberry Muffins

While rummaging through my freezer this weekend I came across a bag of frozen blueberries.  Blueberry muffins are some of my favorite treats (I must get it from my dad), so I decided to make a batch.  Since I didn’t have any sour cream to make my most favorite recipe (I’ll make these for you another time, they’re to die for – just ask Holden), I decided to try out a simple recipe from Gwyneth’s cookbook.  Just as she promised, they were perfectly tart and sweet, and while you can’t tell from the pictures, they were baked in “xoxo” muffin papers that my parents got me for Valentine’s Day :)  Enjoy!

Ingredients

8 tblsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

½ cup milk

2 cups flour

¾ cup plus 1 tsp granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 ½ cups blueberries

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with papers.

2.  Whisk the butter, eggs, and milk together in a bowl.

3.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, ¾ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and fold in the blueberries.

5.  Divide among the muffin cups and sprinkle the muffins with remaining sugar.

6.  Bake until a toothpick tests clean and the muffins are golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

And The Oscar Goes To....

Once again, one of my most favorite television events is upon us - the Academy Awards.  Without really trying, I ended up seeing 5 of the 9 Best Picture nominees.  Some were good, some were great, and some - well, I'd rather I hadn't seen.  But here it is - my 2nd annual Oscar review of the movies I've seen.  Enjoy! :)

Midnight in Paris was one of my favorites of the year - one I could watch over and over.  I'm a sucker for anything set in Paris, and throw in Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson and I'm a happy girl.  The story was intriguing (nightly time travel) and the sets were breathtaking.  It made me wish that I had lived in Paris in the 1920's. 

My brother and I went to see Moneyball in Wenatchee the last time I was in town.  He loves sports - I love Brad Pitt.  It was the perfect combination.  I didn't expect to like this as much as I did, but what can really beat a true underdog story?  Though quite serious at times, this movie made me smile in the end, and that's all you can really ask for in a film.

When I rented The Tree of Life, I had high hopes.  I mean, it stars Brad Pitt (see above) and Sean Penn and was nominated for an Oscar.  It has to be good, right?  WRONG.  Don't see this movie, unless you are a hopeless insomniac or are looking for the most boring way to spend 139 minutes.  I get that it's artsy and there's a message in there somewhere, but the movie put me in a bad and confused mood and made me think about all of the other things I could've done with that wasted time.  Sorry, Brad. 

After our dinner date at Revel, Stefanie and I headed over to the theater to see The Descendants, the movie I'd been anxious to see since it came out last year.  George Clooney was perfect as a loving but heartbroken father, but the two girls who played his daughters definitely stole the show.  Though slightly depressing, this movie was one of my favorites, and if George doesn't take home an Oscar, there is something seriously wrong with the academy.

I finally saw The Help this week, after what seemed like months of waiting for it to arrive in the mail.  I simply adored the original book, and the movie did not disappoint (note to self - "long wait" on Netflix = worth the wait).  While the whole cast was exceptional, the real scene stealers were Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) and Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain).  At times a knee-slapper and other times a tear-jerker, this movie is a beautiful yet disturbing portrait of life in the the south in the 1960's.  It's my pick for Best Picture, but we'll have to wait until Sunday night to find out if I'm right!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Revel

Last week, after months of hearing people rave about Revel, Stefanie and I decided to finally try it for ourselves.  We got to the restaurant a bit early, so we started off with a drink at Quoin, their adjoining bar, and chatted up the bartender until the restaurant opened for dinner.  It was hard to narrow it down to just 3 plates from all of the recommendations we had from friends (basically everything on the menu) but in the end we chose one each from the three most intriguing looking categories - pancakes, dumplings, and noodles.  Though they were all delicious, my favorite plate of the night was the dungeness crab, seaweed noodle, creme fraiche, and spicy red curry.  The flavors were to die for.  The dishes at Revel are perfect for sharing, and we left full but craving more.  I can't wait to go back and try everything else on the menu, and perhaps even sign up for one of their cooking classes this spring.

pork belly, kimchi, and bean sprout pancake

cauliflower ricotta, black truffle sesame, and pickled leek dumplings

 dungeness crab, seaweed noodle, creme fraiche, and spicy red curry

 the kitchen is on display in the middle of the restaurant

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Leek, Bacon, and Pea Risotto

Last week I decided to try a new recipe from the Everyday Food Light cookbook that I had been drooling over ever since I got the book - Leek, Bacon, and Pea Risotto.  The instructions were simple enough and with some of my favorite ingredients (leeks and bacon, also seen here) I knew I couldn't go wrong.  While making risotto can often be an arm  workout (you have to constantly stir the mixture for about 40 minutes), it's well worth it in the end to get the perfect consistency.  You can mix up the veggies in this dish if you want, but I would highly recommend sticking to the original recipe, as the flavors compliment each other perfectly.  Pair with a crisp white wine (most likely the leftovers from the one you used in the recipe) and you have a delicious and satisfying meal in less than an hour!

ingredients

 adding rice to the leeks and bacon

 stirring and stirring

adding some lemon juice at the end

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Sunriver 2012

This past weekend was the annual ladies trip to Sunriver.  As you can see, the 8 of us had a great time wandering around Bend, spending a sunny day on Mt. Bachelor, and making the famous Sunriver spaghetti.  We managed to squeeze a lot into this weekend, and here are a few highlights.

 morning walk to the grocery store

 happy hour at Tart in Bend

 busy day at Mt. Bachelor

 erika riding up the tubing lift

 erika and lianna

 me and lizzie

 lianna and lizzie getting ready for the run

speedy

the tubing lanes

 sunriver spaghetti and salad

cheers!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Off to Sunriver

Since I wasn't able to make it last year, I'm really excited to spend this weekend with the girls in Sunriver, OR.  I'm anticipating sledding, hot tubbing, yummy food and wine, horrible chick flicks, snowy walks, and lots of relaxation :)

Enjoy the long weekend!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

diana pic from Sunriver 2010

La Spiga {Valentine's Dinner}

Tuesday night, Liz, Maddie, and I got dressed up and headed out to La Spiga on Capitol Hill.  I hadn't been there in several years, but it was one of the first restaurants I went to when I moved to Seattle and it's always stayed in my mind as one of my favorites.  The food is authentic Italian and the atmosphere is cozy and chic.  We started off with a yummy bottle of wine and delicious burrata cheese with prosciutto and arugula.  Seriously - this cheese was to die for.  We each had unique but equally fantastic pasta dishes and ended the meal with a light sorbet and a stroll up the hill to walk it off a bit.  It was a great Valentine's Day with two wonderful friends - but next year, we're bringing back the piñata :)

 liz and me

 burrata and prosciutto

 tagliatelle al ragu

liz, me, and maddie

xoxo,
stephanie marie

What to Wear for Valentine's Day

Sometimes a girl's gotta step it up a bit when going out with the ladies, and that includes sequins, bright red accessories, and leopard print :)

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

MAC lipstick in Lady Bug, old BP shoes, Kate Spade clutch

Happy Valentine's Day

Tonight, instead of hitting a piñata and watching a Leonardo DiCaprio movie, I'll be heading out on the town with two lovely ladies for lots of wine, pasta, and of course, girl talk.  On nights like this, it's sometimes nice to just hang with the gals :)

Hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

pic of my present from my other valentines - mom & dad :)

Lentil Soup

Last week I promised Holden I would host soup night.  After searching for a new recipe to try and none really jumping out at me, I decided to go with an old standby, Martha Stewart's Lentil Soup.  It's one of my most favorite things to make, as it's so simple to prepare and the flavors are delicious and comforting.  Pepita, my Spanish mama, used to make a version of this for us almost weekly and every time I make it I'm reminded of long and cozy meals around the dinner table in Spain with that family.  If you're looking for something hearty to warm you up on these cold winter nights, I'd highly suggest trying this out and serving it with crunchy bread and a simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette.  You won't be disappointed:)

 bacon, onion, carrots, and garlic (smelled so good!)

 adding tomato paste

 simmering the soup

perfection

xoxo,
stephanie marie