snow day

By jax | Published: January 31, 2010

As I looked over the first page of my blog, I realized it’s been far too long since I posted gratuitous pictures of my child. I’m surprised I haven’t heard the usual outcry from the grandmothers + older uncles.

For your viewing pleasure, here’s Eli with rosy cheeks and a pink nose, enjoying his first encounter with snow. I was so excited when I woke up + caught a glance of white outside my window that I woke him earlier than usual, bundled him up, and took him outside right away. He crawled around with a bewildered look on his face, then turned to me with a look that said, “Should you really have me out here right now?” You can’t tell from the photo, but the snow was still coming down pretty hard at this point.


After our snow adventure, we came back inside and had ourselves a cozy day involving: homemade bread, lots of books, and at least 3 cups of tea. Besides my husband (come home soon!), I can’t think of anyone I’d have rather spent it with.

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“I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals, I’m a vegetarian because I hate plants.” –A. Whitney Brown

By jax | Published: January 23, 2010


As I’ve previously stated, it’s much easier to eat vegetarian when Nathan’s gone. It’s not that he complains — I actually can’t remember him complaining about anything I’ve cooked, ever (and it’s certainly not because I haven’t given him reason to). It’s just that I feel guilty. He’s a big guy, and burns calories for a living, so I hate to feel like he’s not getting enough to eat. However, a meal like this one is perfect for me to eat on a night when I’m bacheloretting it.

A hard-boiled egg (usually two, but I only had one egg left last night), a clean-out-the-veggie-drawer salad of romaine, red leaf lettuce, blanched green beans, red onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes topped with a dijon vinaigrette, and a whole-grain cracker topped with goat cheese. I love eating like this.

And we won’t talk about the four chocolate-chip cookies I ate afterward.

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progress report

By jax | Published: January 19, 2010


I’m sure you’re dying to know how I’m doing with my 2010 Goals. Looks like I’ve made progress on 16/27. Here’s an update:

1. read eli a book every day – We’ve been pretty consistent with this, although he’d still rather eat the books than follow along.
2. write more letters
3. call someone every day (stop being a hermit) — Have called someone every day this week.
4. be purposeful about date nights with nathan, especially after baby2
5. have someone over for dinner at least 2x a month, once we’re in our new house
6. pay off all debt except for mortgage (including car) — Chipping away.
7. establish business as an event pianist — Have continued to practice my wedding music and am playing a wedding in April.
8. tithe regularly — This one is non-optional, so I won’t really be updating on it so much as just DOING it.
9. exercise 5 days a week, even if just a 5-10 minute walk — Started the year off rocky, but worked out 5x last week and have had a good start to this week as well.
10. be able to do 10 chinups again — This will definitely not happen until sometime AFTER I have this baby.
11. continue to do yoga @ least once a week — Have been consistent with this one so far.
12. restrict sugar consumption to weekends (…mostly)
13. travel to a new state (preferably california!)
14. explore museums in raleigh + charlotte
15. learn to use the manual settings on my camera — Dug the camera manual out of storage, but this barely counts as progress.
16. more books, fewer movies/tv shows — Am definitely reading more, but certainly not watching any less TV while N’s gone.
 Currently reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
17. volunteer at local pregnancy center at least once
18. turn off my computer for one full day every week
19. be organized — I bought my planner and have been trying to write things down as soon as I plan them/think of them. So far, so good.
20. learn basic arabic grammar and alphabet — Signed up for an arabic course! It starts next week.
21. cook through a cookbook – I chose my cookbook: How to Eat Supper. More on it later.
22. find the perfect roast chicken recipe/method — As I said in my previous post, I’ve tried one so far + loved it!
23. cook vegetarian 2 days a week so we can afford to eat ethical/healthy meat — This one is pretty easy to do with Nathan out of town. I eat mostly vegetarian when he’s gone.
24. have a designated day for each household chore, and DO it
25. not move anything into my new house that isn’t useful, beautiful, or meaningful — Have already begun going through our apartment, throwing out and donating unnecessary items. When I’ve finished here, I’ll get to work on our storage facility (ominous music)
.
26. sew SOMEthing
27. plant an herb garden and not kill it

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downright southern

By jax | Published: January 18, 2010


Anyone who knows Nathan knows he’s a southern boy, through and through. He may not have that Alabama accent, but he makes up for it with his love of country music, firearms, and all things camouflage. It’s no surprise, then, that he’s a big fan of southern food — which is why I decided to finally try my hand at that low-country classic, shrimp and grits. The result: Plump, perfectly seasoned shrimp and mushrooms atop creamy, cheesy grits. We both loved it, and while it’s not exactly healthy, I have a feeling it’ll show up on our menu every once in awhile.

Shrimp + Grits

from The 150 Best American Recipes, aka my favorite cookbook

for the grits:
4 cups water
1 cup grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)
Freshly ground white pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg

for the shrimp:
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
Peanut oil for frying (I used olive oil)
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry
2 cups mushrooms, wiped clean +patted dry
1 cup sliced scallions
1 large garlic clove, crushed
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Hot red pepper sauce to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

To make the grits: Bring the water to a boil in a large heavy saucepan. Slowly stir in the grits, reduce the heat, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes or until they are thick and tender. Stir in the salt, butter, and cheeses. Add a pinch each of the white pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg, or to taste.

To make the shrimp: Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon until browned at the edges. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and set aside. Add enough peanut oil to the bacon fat in the skillet to make a thin layer of fat. Heat over medium-high heat until the fat is quite hot. Add the shrimp and stir, then add the mushrooms and stir well. Cook until the shrimp start to color, then add the scallions, bacon, and garlic. Season with the lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the parsley. Divide the grits among four warm plates. Spoon the shrimp over the grits and serve immediately. (Note from Jax — there is a good amount of oil in with the shrimp from the bacon + the olive oil, and I made sure I used a slotted spoon to serve the shrimp so there weren’t pools of grease on top of the grits. Because that would be gross.)

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“A good home must be made, not bought.” –Joyce Maynard

By jax | Published: January 13, 2010

We finally closed on our new house about a week ago. Now the real fun begins — renovations! Nathan’s been working over there virtually non-stop, and Eli and I have even put in some quality time ripping down wallpaper. Zulu seems to approve of the house as well, judging by the fact that he’s marked upstairs, downstairs, AND the basement as his own. Lucky for us (and him) we’re taking out the carpet anyway.

Nathan’s family came into town last weekend for a whirlwind Saturday of electrical work at the house — they were troopers, working from early in the morning until midnight, and then driving home the next day. Thanks to them, and of course Nathan’s tireless labor, the electrical wiring in the entire house has now been updated and is up to “code.” There are some silly laws out about how your electricity has to be safe or whatnot, and now our house complies.

Here’s a little photo tour to give you a feel for the place. Don’t get too attached, though — as cute as it is, it’s going to change drastically over the next couple of months.

The entryway:

Downstairs rooms:

Bathrooms (one upstairs, one down):

(We are so lucky that the seller was willing to include the pink fuzzy toilet cover + all window dressings with the house!)

Upstairs bedrooms:

My favorite room in the house — a light-filled sunroom upstairs:

And a couple of pictures of the “grounds”:

I know, I know — the blue carpet, the peeling paint + cracked plaster, small bedrooms + utter lack of light fixtures (several rooms have only a single bulb hanging from the ceiling), 70s appliances and dated bathrooms — for you, it may not be love at first sight. For us, it was. We love so much about it — it’s right downtown, just a couple of blocks from shops, restaurants, and parks. It has high ceilings and original 1920s detailing throughout, including all the original hardwood floors (just waiting to be unearthed from underneath that horrible carpet!). It has a big yard, full basement, and two outdoor buildings that Nathan can’t wait to fill up with tools + projects.

It may not look like a dream home, but just wait until we’re done with it! We’re feeling a little crazy right now for taking this on, but I think when it’s time to move in, it’ll be perfect for our family.

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#22

By jax | Published: January 12, 2010

I’ve begun my quest to find the perfect roast chicken (2010 Goal #22). In my opinion, this would involve three components:

1) Crispy skin
2) Moist, tender meat
3) Great flavor

I’ve been making the same family recipe for years now, and while it definitely hits numbers 2 + 3, its skin is sadly lacking in the crispiness department.

Enter “Zuni Roast Chicken,” from The 150 Best American Recipes cookbook. It involves only a few basic ingredients and very little hands-on time. I followed the recipe exactly, except for the halved lemon I stuffed in the bird just before roasting, just for the heck of it. The end result: super-crispy skin and tasty, chickeny meat that was falling off the bone. I’m not going to post the recipe just yet, because even though I loved it, how can I call this the best roasted chicken when I’ve tried only one other recipe? I’ll try out a few more contenders before declaring any one of them the PERFECT roast chicken.

(P.S. Yes, we bought a house, and yes, it’s ridiculous that I’m posting about chicken before posting about our new home, but be patient — a tour is coming very soon.)

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525,600 minutes

By jax | Published: January 5, 2010

Guess who turned one year old today?
photoshoot5
For Eli’s special day, we took him for a walk downtown, despite the freezing temperatures. Of course we stopped in the little toy store:
toyshop1
After letting him play with the train set, we walked around to see what caught his eye. He got some bigger items for Christmas, so we just wanted to get him a couple of little things that would make his day exciting. Eli immediately became attached to a very LOUD maraca (that only came in purple + pink, much to his macho daddy’s chagrin), as well as a little pinwheel up by the register. We also picked up a small kickball, because really, every kid needs one.

toyshop2
We left the toy store and walked down to the bookstore, but nothing really jumped out at us there. He was still happy with his maraca anyway, so we decided to count ourselves lucky and walk away having spent $10 on his birthday. It’s probably the only year we’ll get away with that sort of thing anyway.

After our shopping, we went to “Downtown Park” (gotta love small town creativity) for some photos and birthday video. Eli got to swing by himself for the first time ever, and he loved it! He couldn’t stop laughing as Nathan pushed him.

swings
Not so much on the slide, though:
slide

Back home + ready for a nap:

frontdoor

I made burgers for dinner, and even a little tiny one for Eli. He loved it, but not as much as what came after:

cake
cake1cake2
cake3cake4
Happy birthday, Eli — thanks for helping to make this the best year I’ve had yet. I love you!

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Write it on your heart that everyday is the best day of the year. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

By jax | Published: January 4, 2010

shirt
I get really excited about my New Year’s Resolutions. The idea of new beginnings/reinvention has always appealed to me, which is why I love new years, new weeks, and even mornings. Each one is an opportunity for change. (Of course, you could change in August, on a Thursday, in the afternoon … but it’s not as exciting.)

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to whittle down my growing list of resolutions. I started out with 16. I now have 27. Despite my incredulous husband (and likely the rolling eyes of anyone reading this), I am sticking with that number, but I AM renaming them my New Year’s Goals instead. Goals are better than resolutions, because you can’t “break” them, you just aspire to them. Hopefully this way I can avoid that mid-January depression when I realize I missed a day of running 10 miles or whatever. Semantics, maybe, but it’s all mental anyway.

Without further ado — a drumroll, please as I present my New Year’s Resolutions Goals for your criticism approval:
(I’ve categorized them in an attempt to get a good start on #19.)

relational:
1. read eli a book every day
2 .write more letters
3. call someone every day (stop being a hermit)
4. be purposeful about date nights with nathan — especially after baby2
5. have someone over for dinner at least 2x a month, once we’re in our new house

financial:
6. pay off all debt except for mortgage (including car)
7. establish business as an event pianist
8. tithe regularly

physical:
9. exercise 5 days a week — even if just a 5-10 minute walk
10. be able to do 10 chinups again
11. continue to do yoga @ least once a week
12. restrict sugar consumption to weekends (…mostly)

recreational:
13. travel to a new state (preferably california!)
14. explore museums in raleigh + charlotte
15. learn to use the manual settings on my camera

personal:
16. more books, fewer movies/tv shows
17. volunteer at local pregnancy center at least once
18. turn off my computer for one full day every week
19. be organized (this should help)
20. learn basic arabic grammar and alphabet

domestication(al):
21. cook through a cookbook (still have to choose one)(it WON’T be Mastering the Art of French Cooking)
22. find the perfect roast chicken recipe/method
23. cook vegetarian 2 days a week so we can afford to eat ethical/healthy meat
24. have a designated day for each household chore — and DO it
25. not move anything into my new house that isn’t useful, beautiful, or meaningful
26. sew SOMEthing
27. plant an herb garden and not kill it

I’m posting these in an effort at accountability — I’ll try to keep the blog updated as I work on each one.

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a wild + crazy New Year’s Eve

By jax | Published: January 3, 2010

plates
New Year’s Eve morning Eli woke up wheezing + my nose was running away with me. Sick as dogs, we decided it was a good idea to ring in the new year at home. I made myself as presentable as possible and ran to Fresh Market while Nathan worked on our new house. (Okay, so it’s not technically OURS yet, and definitely not NEW by any stretch … but it IS a house!)

steakwsauce
I ended up making Filets Mignon with Green Peppercorns and Brandy-Cream Sauce from one of my favorite cookbooks, and it did not disappoint. The preparation of the steaks couldn’t have been easier (salt + pepper, then sear each side for a couple of minutes), and the sauce came together quickly, too. I served it with some crispy roasted potatoes and garlicky green beans, and made individual nectarine tarts for dessert. Now I would never say this myself, but NATHAN says it was amazing. And don’t tell him I said this, but he’s typically right.

mediumrare
P.S. If your steak isn’t this color, you’re really missing out.
drinks
This is what our celebrations look like now, and we love it!
balldrop1
balldrop2
We woke up Eli @ midnight for a bottle — Nathan tried to take a picture of the three of us in front of the ball dropping. Poor sleepy Eli wasn’t quite sure what was going on.
happyny!
I love these guys, and even though Nathan wouldn’t really kiss me at midnight (some nonsense about not wanting to get sick, what’s up with that?), I still wouldn’t have rather spent my New Year’s Eve with anyone else.

Bring it on, 2010!

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feeding the masses…or just two people, over and over again

By jax | Published: December 19, 2009

potroast
I’ve been searching for a really great pot roast recipe to serve to company and I think this may be it. I made it just for Nathan and myself to eat one weeknight, but it makes a lot. They say that meals like pot roasts + stews get better with time, but we found that around the 6-7 day mark, this actually ceases to be true. I recommend you either have company over to help you eat this (as we will do next time), or have lots of children so THEY can help you eat it. That is our long-term plan. Either way, it is delicious the day you make it, and for a few days after.

I did take this picture BEFORE I poured the sauce over, because to be honest, it looks like a bit of a mess once the sauce is on. But that’s what makes it delicious. If you serve this to company, I’d suggest you serve the sauce on the side.

Company Pot Roast

adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

  • 1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • All-purpose flour
  • Good olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
  • 2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
  • 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
  • 1 cup water or chicken stock
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 3 branches fresh thyme
  • 2 branches fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, water, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

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