friday

view from our backyard one evening

dog on the move

fruit in our kitchen

Here are some random, silly pictures for this beautiful, sunny day. They seem to fit my carefree mood today. It's 81 degrees outside. I (finally) got my Dear Nora record in the mail. We're going to our old college tomorrow to see a lot of friends. I'm excited for this weekend.

recent finds

I've had some successful shopping trips lately. All in Madison. Mostly at Good Style Shop.

plaid button-up, $9

high-waisted woolen shorts (rear view), $6

loafers, $11

matt cooks

Poor Matt was left at home until almost 7 while I was finishing report cards at school. He made the entire meal, from searing and roasting chicken thighs to picking the meat off the bones. It was really great (both to eat it and to not have cooked it!). By the way, we did not make the salsa ourselves. The recipe was hard enough already.

New Mexico Style Hacked Chicken Soft Tacos with Salsa Verde, Queso Fresco, Onions, and Cilantro

Matt also grilled bison burgers for our first outdoor meal of the year (see Ollie sniffing in corner).

Bison Burger with Pepper Jack Cheese, Avocado, Tomato, Bacon, Onions, and Greens

weekend

First, deep-dish pizza at Giordano's in Chicago on Saturday night. Mmmmm...

stuffed cheese pizza with pepperoni, green pepper, onion

Then an art show opening for Anders Nilsen at Home Gallery in Hyde Park.

Sunday morning breakfast at Sophia's in Madison. Delicious.

omelette with spicy sausage, roasted red & yellow peppers, caramelized leeks, and asaigo
breakfast potatoes

berry & cream cheese coffee cake (still warm)

And a funny little hair salon.

spring meals

Here are a couple of meals we've made since the spring weather has returned (for awhile).

Chevre-Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Toasted Garlic and Sweet Pea Pappardelle

Spring Salad with Herb Butter Radish Toasts and Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage

The pasta was made with probably my favorite noodles, Trader Joe's Sprouted Wheat Pappardelle. The chicken sausages are from Al Fresco, and the dressing on the salad is a new favorite, Bolthouse Farms' Creamy Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing. The salad and chicken thigh recipes are from Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool and the pasta recipe came from Express Lane Meals by Rachel Ray.

l.a. foods

Fun trip, good food. Matt's brother took us to a salad place called Tender Greens in Culver City. We sat outside on the porch. It was such a lovely day.

Chicken Cobb Salad with Blue Cheese, Egg, Bacon, Avacado, Tomato, and Creamy Dressing

Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Salad with Avacado, Green Onion, Queso Fresco, Tortilla Strips, and
Cilantro Lime Dressing

We had brunch on Saturday at the Omelette Parlor in Santa Monica. So many things looked good, it was hard to decide. The omelettes were gigantic and delicious. The garlicky fried potatoes and wheat English muffin helped to make sure we were stuffed.

Omelette with Bacon, Avacado, Jack Cheese, and Sprouts

Omelette with Salsa, Cilantro, and Cheddar

Matt and I on the Santa Monica Pier

It was a great trip. Windy, but beautiful.

dinners

It's been quite awhile since I've posted about cooking. It's about time I share some tasty meals! Last night Matt grilled some marinated chicken breasts and I made a yummy quinoa side dish.

grilled chicken with yellow quinoa

Tonight I threw together some things I had leftover, making a zucchini side dish and putting it on a flatbread. It was pretty delicious.

flatbread with roasted lemony zucchini & red onions, chicken, pine nuts, and feta

Tomorrow it's off to California for us! Hopefully there will be great food and shopping to post when I get back.

show

Saturday night Matt and I went to see Wavves, Vampire Hands, and Nuclear Woods at the Project Lodge. Wavves put on a fun show and the openers were decent too (that never happens!). It had been so long since I'd been to a show where I could really dance. After the show, we had drinks with our friend Mary at a great bar in Madison called Mickey's. All in all a pretty good night.

the bar at Mickey's Tavern

my reflection while sitting in the lounge at Mickey's

Mickey's jukebox