katie loves

Food From Peru!

2010-03-03T12:25:00.003-05:00

As you know, Rafael and his family went to Peru in January. I think they had a great time. Here is Raf at Machu Picchu. Can you believe there are llamas walking around? I was so surprised!

They visited lots of family members including Rafael's Great Aunt Victoria and a sweet little one. :)

Rafael brought back beautiful decorations and lots of delicious food including tamales made by Aunt Victoria! They were super delicious. I couldn't believe I got to eat homemade food from Peru! Have you ever had tamales? I love them. The Peruvian kind have meat, eggs, and olives.
Yummy!

My New Favorite Marshmallows

2010-03-02T12:27:00.004-05:00

I have three favorite foods. They are tomatoes, macaroni and cheese, and marshmallows. Now homemade marshmallows are my favorite marshmallows. Rafael and I made these for Valentines Day using this recipe. I made them at Christmas too but I forgot to take pictures. We actually made two batches and layered them on top of each other. The top part (pink) was mint flavored and the bottom was vanilla. So yummy! They're fun to make and I would have taken more pictures but it was pretty messy and sticky and I forgot. They were delicious by themselves and in hot chocolate. I want to make more and more! haha

Goodbye February!

2010-03-01T12:43:00.003-05:00

Hi! Did you have a nice February? I did! The best part was Valentines Day. Rafael bought me these beautiful flowers! I couldn't stop looking at them. :)

We made delicious ravioli!

And celebrated at home. It was fun!

The Prudential was red for the day. :) Now I am ready for Spring! I made these springy brownies with this recipe yesterday.I love sprinkles! :)

Some Decorating

2010-01-06T12:05:00.005-05:00

This weekend I was a little bored so I decided to do some decorating. Lots of our decorations are still packed from when we moved and I've been meaning to put them up for a few months now. Hopefully I'll keep going now that I've started. I bought the two paper lanterns in the photo below at Abode in Portsmouth a few weeks ago. It was hard to figure out how to arrange them. I think I like how they look, but they kind of remind me of balloons and I'm not sure how I feel about blocking the window. I think I'll leave them like this for awhile and see how I feel. What do you think?I was making the bed on Saturday and decided that it was time for new sheets, so I immediately walked to the mall and got these:
It's nice to live so close to the mall. :) The sheets are Martha Stewart from Macy's. They don't quite match the yellow blanket we already had, but I think they're close enough. I like how bright they are. I always like things that remind me of summer in winter. Btw, the afghan was made for my by Mom and Grandma (and maybe other people?) when I went to college. I love it, especially how it has my name on it. :) Mom also made the blue flower pillows for me. I finally put up this wall hanging that Sarah brought me from Chile:I love it! Maybe Raf will bring me something similar from Peru (hint hint!). Mom gave me the beautiful plant stand from Abode for my birthday when I lived in Brighton. I think it's so pretty. I finished the little table myself, but, as you can see, it needs a repair. I'll let you know if I decorate more!

Family Fotos

2010-01-04T19:25:00.002-05:00

I have to admit, I'm glad the holidays are over. Sometimes they're just too much! For example, look what happened to Raf: So dramatic! (Just kidding, he really just likes how his new indoor sweater soccer ball feels on his head.) Now that we're past New Years, there's plenty of time to do fun winter activities like getting cozy on the couch! (Unless you're like Sarah and need a pillow barrier.)And eating delicious Florida grapefruits! Yummy!

¡Pixa!

2010-01-03T12:53:00.003-05:00

Mom gave me a really nice pizza making set for my birthday in November. I used it the other night to make a pizza for Raf and me! It was really fun. I forgot how easy pizza is to make! We bought our crust at the grocery store but I want to try making my own sometime. Our pizza had chicken sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, and fresh pineapple. Raf's favorite kind of pizza is sausage and pineapple, and my favorite has ricotta so it was a compromise. :)It was beautiful and delicious! I might have used a little too much sauce. And it had a really big bubble! Here is a close-up:Thanks Mommy for the pizza set! In other news, the sun came out! I can't believe it. :)

Happy Snowy New Year

2010-01-02T12:02:00.004-05:00

Happy 2010! I'm excited for the new year, are you? I have about 30 resolutions, but I like all of them. :) Rafael and I moved to a new apartment this fall on the 3rd floor with a super cool view! We love it, especially when we can watch fireworks like New Years Eve! Here's what it looked like this Fall: In the distance, from left to right, we can see the old Hancock building (with the weather beacon), the new John Hancock building, and the Prudential! Out another window we see this: The little light in the middle is the Zakim Bridge. We can also see the Science Museum and the Cambridgeside Galleria. Out other windows we can see the TD Banknorth Garden, State Street Financial, the Schrafts Building, and Route 93 (how exciting haha). And today, here is what I see:Lots of snow! Blur!!!! (As Raf would say :).) Unfortunately for me, Raf is on his way to Peru today. :( Where, fortunately for him, he will be enjoying Summer weather!But he left me with a beautiful snowflake! (See the cutie d-dog?) Happy Winter everyone! xoxo

Merry Christmas

2009-12-26T16:59:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! We did lots of fun holiday activities this year, but I was bad and barely too any pictures, except for when we went to the Christmas tree farm. We don't have a Christmas tree, but I love to go to the farm to look at the trees and smell them. Isn't that the best smell? Mom and Raf were very nice and went with me. We all had fun! Mom got a wreath. It was really sunny. We had to take this picture like, "One, two, three... OPEN YOUR EYES!!!!" haha The Christmas trees are really pretty and so is the farm.It also has a beautiful view!Happy Holidays everyone!!!! xoxo

Making Pasta

2009-11-25T14:04:00.003-05:00

A few weekends ago it wouldn't stop raining so I decided it was time for another cooking adventure. This time I made pasta because I love home made pasta. I seem to be into carbs lately. :) The only special ingredient I used was semolina flour. I love my blue measuring cups!
I think that traditionally pasta is made by putting eggs in a crater of flour on the counter. I tried it in a bowl because I was nervous. It wasn't as hard as I thought though so maybe next time I'll try the other way.

I also added a little olive oil and mixed it all together. It was fun to see it come together! Since I don't have a food processor I had to knead it by hand for about 10 minutes. My arms were really tired the next day! hahaAfter I let it sit for awhile I rolled out the dough. It was really elastic! I'm not sure if it's supposed to be or not but it seemed okay. Then I rolled it up and cut slices to make fettuccine. I realized that it's better to roll it up loosely so the noodles are easier to unroll. I unrolled them all except a few because I was lazy and I wanted to see if they would unroll themselves while they cooked. They didn't, but they tasted good rolled up too, just thicker. Some of my noodles came out like zig-zags. Then I boiled the noodles. I forgot how much fresh pasta grows! I ended up with some giant noodles. hahaThen I added some sauce and parmesan and we were ready to eat.... at 10. Oops! I didn't realize how long it would take. It was super delicious! I just love the texture and the flavor. Looking at these pictures makes me want to eat it again. :)

Happy Birthday to ME! :)

2009-11-23T18:49:00.003-05:00

I had a super fun birthday celebration at Mom's house this weekend. Everyone gave me really cool presents, including this beautiful afghan made by Sarah and Mom! We ate enchiladas and Grandma Estelle's chocolate cake!
We even had mini sparklers! So cool :)

Baking Challah

2009-11-09T16:48:00.011-05:00

Last week I decided I needed a new project, so I made Challah! It was my first time baking bread and it was really fun! I used the recipe in this article from the New York Times. I wished I had a family recipe, but I did have family dishes! The bowl was Susie's and the spoon was Grandma's. :) Next time I'll have to ask for the recipe.

The recipe says to let the dough rise 3 times: once after everything is mixed together, once after you punch it down, and once after it's braided. I didn't really know how to punch the dough so I looked it up on Youtube, but I'm still not sure if I did it right because it didn't seem to get much smaller. After the dough rose again I started the fun part, the braiding!

I learned how to do a 6 strand braid on Youtube too. I watched this video maybe 7 times, including once mid-braid. It can get confusing!

It was really fun to braid the bread. I even impressed myself with how it looked when I was done! haha.

Then I made a round raisin version, which is usually made for Rosh Hashana, I learned. I guess I was a little late. Here it is with egg wash #1:

Then I let them rise again. I couldn't believe how huge they got this time! It was so exciting. :)

After I gave them egg wash #2 I baked the stick shaped loaf. But....Oops. I forgot to pay attention and baked it too long. I think I have a hot oven. The round raisin version came out much better. I love cooked raisins, don't you? This took a long time, but it was really fun and definitely worth it. I want to make it again and maybe other kinds of bread too! Have you ever made challah? Do you have any tips or recipe recommendations? Thanks!

Cute Animals

2009-10-29T20:17:00.006-04:00

We went to the fair a long time ago, but I've been bad about blogging lately so I didn't post any of my pictures. My two favorite things about the fair are food and animals, especially petting the animals. Petting the sheep is my favorite. It's like petting dogs but they're much more calm and warm and their woolly heads feel nice, even if they're under a jacket. They like to sniff like dogs too, but so much more air comes out!Mom and Sarah patted the sweetest sheep of all. It stood up on the fence to visit them!This one really liked to pose. Such a sweet face. :)The cows are pretty fun to pat too, but they make me more nervous. This one licked Raf:And then it licked me! My bag was a little dirty after but it was worth it.We got to pat these two too. They were really soft. They were about to go in a competition. I think cows (or oxen, in this case) have beautiful huge eyes. I'm always amazed by how bony they are!These cows (or I guess oxen) had a goat friend. It reminded me of Seabiscuit, except I think his friend was a sheep. Remember how they lived in the same stall? That was so cute. Here is the cutest picture I took at the fair. Cows (I mean oxen) kissing! I couldn't believe it. :)

Rafael's Pumpkin

2009-10-29T13:48:00.007-04:00

Rafael carved a pumpkin for a competition at his office. It was fun! He drew a few designs. The first one has diodes for eyes and a resistor for a mouth. :0 I like the mustache on the second one. He went with the bottom one. He drew his design on the pumpkin very carefully. It was a big pumpkin! Then he scooped out the inside very neatly. :) I like the blurry spoon.
I think the pumpkin came out super cool! I love the big toothy smile! Raf's favorite part is the wink.Spiky (the aloe) liked it too.It looks really cool lit up! Great job Raf!!!!!

Vineyard Beaches

2009-09-21T22:16:00.007-04:00

I think the best part of Martha's Vineyard is the beaches. We went to Lambert's Cove first. The sand on the walk in was cool as a cucumber. :)And the beach was really calm and beautiful!We liked going on the big rock:It was a great place to pose for a picture.We had some stormy days but we still went to the beach. I loved Katama. We walked in here:And were greeted by big waves like this! So exciting. The beach is spectacular, even on a gray day! We even saw a cutie seal! We liked it so much we decided to go back when the sun came out. It was so fun to go swimming! It was so nice to have another beach day! I didn't think we would get another one this year. :(
I wish I could go to the beach every day! haha

Slipper Shoes

2009-09-19T11:44:00.005-04:00

I love my slipper shoes! I got them earlier this summer but it was too hot to wear them until now! Yay Fall! They're Earth shoes and the style is called Hedda. They're super soft inside! I think they're cute but they could be ugly like Uggs and I just can't tell. haha. I love to wear comfortable, cozy clothes, especially in the Fall! Happy weekend!

Martha's Vineyard :)

2009-09-17T12:47:00.005-04:00

We went on a mini vacation to Martha's Vineyard last weekend. It was really fun and Rafael was really sweet! He's good at kissing and taking pictures of us at the same time. :) haha Here we are on the ferry:

We stayed in this beautiful room. It was very relaxing and cool.

It had a sink! We liked it. Here is the best part of the room, the ocean view! So beautiful. The coolest part of the bed and breakfast was this: The widows walk! Don't worry, Raf didn't fall off. :) So dramatic. It had great views like this:
I took a lot of pictures up there. Maybe I'll post some more later.

:) I still have a lot more pictures to post, like of us at the beach! I hope everyone is having a nice week.

Amazing Food

2009-09-08T22:39:00.001-04:00

Rafael and I are about to spend a long weekend at Martha's Vineyard, so prepare for lots of posts about that. haha! In the meantime here are some interesting veggies I saw at the farmer's market. These are all cucumbers! I think the little kind are called melon cukes. I didn't try them, have you? Here are some more cucumbers:That long stripy kind is called Armenian cukes! (I know that from the label.) I didn't try these either but they look like the burpless kind. Here are some beautiful tomatoes:Tomatoes are my favorite food. I love heirloom tomatoes but I don't know if they're my favorite. I do think they're the most beautiful.This farmer had a variety of heirlooms. My favorite heirloom tomatoes to eat are the yellow kind. I think they have the best flavor.I also tried the green kind with stripes in the upper left-hand corner of the picture above. They're called Zebra Tomatoes. They tasted a little more tangy than regular tomatoes to me. Here is what I brought home to eat on my new Envirosax bag!

It was a beautiful and delicious meal! Btw, I really like the Envirosax bag. I got it at Abode in Portsmouth, NH. I like to use it as a grocery bag because it's more comfortable to carry than the reusable kind the grocery stores sell. Here is something else amazing that was in the kitchen at work: Have you ever seen such a big box of rice krispie treats?! I was so surprised! Look at how many were inside: I went back 30 minutes later and they were all gone. I think I work in a hungry office. haha. Have a great weekend everyone!

Doggie in the Window

2009-09-06T06:27:00.006-04:00

Rafael and I have been all over Cambridge (and a little of Brookline) looking at apartments like maniacs lately. On Thursday we saw this wild little guy in a window: At first he was just calmly sticking his head out like a dog going for a ride in the car. Then Rafael and I got really excited about seeing him (of course) and he started barking at us. I think we got him in trouble. Sorry little sweetie! He watched us walk all the way down the sidewalk. So cute! Bye bye little guy!

Btw, he could have been a girl, I'm not sure. But dogs are boys and cats are girls, right? :) (Sorry Bruno and Emily!)

A New Friend

2009-09-03T12:40:00.008-04:00

Grandma made this sweetie elephant and gave it to me! I absolutely love it! It's so cute and bright which makes me feel really happy. :)Grandma is an expert knitter. She's also an expert in Florida colors. Don't you love Florida colors? I do. I think I need more of them in my apartment.

Do you think it's a boy or a girl? What do you think I should name it? I need suggestions! :) Here is this it's home for now, right where I can see it in the living room: Unfortunately it wont be here for long because.... we're moving! uuuuugggghhhhh. We don't know where we're going yet, but hopefully we'll find a nice place soon and everyone will be happy again. At least Raf and I have a cheery elephant to take with us! Yay! Thanks Grandma!

P.S. Grandpa doesn't like how it's trunk touches the table and thinks it needs an alteration. haha! I'm not sure how I feel about it yet...

More Beach Time!

2009-09-02T12:37:00.001-04:00

Rafael and I went to Plum Island on another one of our beach adventures. We were planning on going to Crane Beach again until we found out they were having a sandcastle building contest and it was super crowded! So we headed a little further north. Plum Island is half nature reserve and half houses. The house half is really packed with cute little cottages.The beach is spectacular with big waves! It's also not very crowded.It was a great place to relax and cool off.Raf and I use a giant sheet as our beach blanket which is way bigger than we actually need, but I have personal space issues at the beach so it's great! I put mini shells on my knees:We saw lots of cute things on our back at the end of the day. Wouldn't you like to have a cup of tea here?
It was sort of hard to believe we were in New England. Look at this prickly pear cactus!

How did they do that???? (Grandma says maybe they plant the whole pot.) We had lots of fun at Plum Island! I want to go back. :)

Farmers in the City

2009-09-01T12:40:00.003-04:00

I love the Government Center (City Hall Plaza) Farmer's Market. I wrote about it last year, remember? I think I even posted similar pictures. Oh well.I love how the country comes to the city, it's like a little oasis. It's such a nice break during work. Look at all the big buildings:Grandma and Grandpa say that the farmers bring the best of everything to the city. I think it might be true!I love summer because everything is so bright and fresh. I've been trying to eat as many local fruits and veggies as possible. I hope everyone is having a nice Tuesday! :)

Katie's Pizza Adventure

2009-08-31T10:44:00.005-04:00

Yesterday afternoon we got home from a trip to New York and I suddenly wanted to make pizza. Rafael was very nice and walked with me to the grocery store to get ingredients. Then I started my pizza adventure! I made two kinds of pizza - grilled and in the oven. This was my first time eating grilled pizza, but I had seen it and I wanted to try it. The grilling was really fun! I don't have a real grill so I used this cast iron stove top grill that Mom gave me for Christmas. It worked great! I just rolled out the dough and put it on the grill. I liked how it got so bubbly! I put some olive oil on top and flipped it over. I didn't get a picture because I wanted to put the toppings on right away so the cheese would melt. The grill marks look cool and they taste delish. I put on fresh mozzarella, regular mozzarella, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and basil. It came out light and crispy. Next time I think I'll put grilled veggies on the cheese instead of sauce. Maybe I'll add some goat cheese too. Raf and I both really liked it!

I also made pizza in the oven. I had made pizza before on a cookie sheet but I thought that the bottom got too hard so I decided to try something different. If I had a pizza stone I would have used that, but I thought a casserole dish would be similar. I didn't really know how it would turn out but it ended up being sort of like a deep dish pizza, but not so deep and without so much sauce and cheese. I rolled out the dough, put it in the dish, and added tomato sauce, chicken sausage, fresh mozzarella, and regular mozzarella and put it in the oven.Then I realized I forgot the tomatoes and basil so I took it back out of the oven and added them.This one took a lot longer to cook than the grilled pizza, but I think we liked it better. The crust had a really nice texture and tasted great with the toppings. I'll definitely make a pizza like this again.
I really liked my pizza making adventure! Thank you Rafael for being my loyal taste tester!

I <3 Keuka Lake and G&G

2009-08-27T19:51:00.004-04:00

Mom and I went to visit Grandma and Grandpa at Keuka Lake last week. We had so much fun! Everything was really beautiful.We drive to the lake on Pre-Emption Road. :) There is lots and lots of corn!
G&G live in Penn Yan. It's pretty and old. They actually live on the lake but the town looks cool too.We went to the Jolly Green Robber (ha) and got some fresh veggies. Here are G&G picking out corn:Mom liked it.Okay now off to the lake!We went in the sailboat, kayaks, and the big yellow boat!It's the oldest boat on the lake. Actually, not really. haha. But it is old. The lake was super beautiful as always. :)Here is Grandpa waving to is from the dock:Aw! :) We had such a good time. Thanks G&G!

Beach Time!

2009-08-25T15:39:00.005-04:00

Rafael and I have been trying to go to the beach as much as possible this summer. We've limited ourselves to one day per weekend because I get sunburns too easily. We've been trying to go on Saturdays so I have Sunday to recover before going to work, in case I miss any spots with sunscreen, which can be embarrassing. Like around my left eye or my hairline.... omg. Aside from my mini sunburns we've been having lots of fun! One of our favorite beaches is Crane Beach in Ipswich. It's super beautiful! I think it's a nature reserve so there's no buildings, just lots of beach, dunes, and grass. The waves are small but it's still fun because there are lots of sandbars to swim or walk to. Sometimes they're under the water and sometimes they're not depending on the tide. The sandbars divide the water so some parts are a lot warmer than others. Sometimes Raf and I just sit in the warm parts and relax. Sometimes there are little ponds which are super warm. I think they're kind of gross, but other people seem to like them. (Like Raf haha.) It's so pretty and fun we never want to leave. I think that's how I end up with sunburns. Raf even managed to fit in some soccer time:Then we leave and go get some ice cream!

Ice Cream at the Farm

2009-08-11T12:22:00.005-04:00

Rafael and I went to Crane Beach in Ipswich the past two weekends. I'll write more about the beach later. Both times we got ice cream at Russell Orchard on our way home. The orchard is so close to the beach, you can see the marshes from their farm. The ice cream is delicious! We ate chocolate chip:As we were eating we started to notice lots of interesting things around us, like signs to go raspberry and blueberry picking! (These are my kind of directions!)There was also some old red stuff:

Then we noticed the animals! We loved this fatty pig, he (or maybe she) weighs approximately 1000 pounds! His (or her) name is Big Boy! It seemed really relaxed (and not dead, like I was wondering). There were 3 pony's but I only got to take a picture of one at a time because this one was a bully:

I loved the cutie bunnies! This one in the hole was so pretty. They lived in the same house as the chickens, I think. Raf tried to pick up the strawberry rock. If I ever have a yard I want a strawberry rock.In case you didn't know, Raf loves ducks! He really liked these three buddies. They went around everywhere together! So cute. We really had fun at the farm. :) Maybe Rafael will take me back in the fall for some apples and pumpkins.... or maybe he'll take me again this weekend for more ice cream! xoxo

Happy Summer!

2009-08-10T22:36:00.005-04:00

I've been trying to spend as much time outside as possible this summer. Sometimes I eat lunch at this park in the North End during work: It has beautiful views! I went one day to see the Tall Ships that were parked in Charlestown: I didn't know what to expect, but I thought they were really cool! There were all different kinds of ships. I don't know if they were all Tall Ships. I especially liked all of the flags. This is my favorite tree in the Public Garden:Boston is getting tropical!Are you surprised I started blogging again? :)

Fried Plantains

2009-05-27T21:14:00.009-04:00

I really love fried plantains. This was my second time making them. I haven't quite perfected them, but these were much better than my first try. I like fried plantains to be very soft and sweet so I let mine go black! It took a few weeks.
I think plantains are hard to peel, especially when they're not ripe like this one. Peeling them like bananas doesn't work. I cut a slit all the way down the side and took off the peel in portions.

Then I sliced it diagonally. And fried the pieces in some oil.

I was surprised that the plantain got softer as it cooked. I think fried plantains are best when they're crispy around the edges and really soft in the middle. I haven't mastered this yet, but these were still really delicious. Next time I think I'll make more than one.

Here is what I ate for dinner tonight. No plantains but still good!My salad had fresh lettuce (from the farmer's market!), cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, mint, light tofu (just as good as regular, I thought), hoisin sauce, and ground peanuts. I'm definitely making this again! I ground the peanuts with the immersion blender which was probably not a good idea.... but it was fun! ha!

Afternoon Park Time

2009-05-26T18:30:00.004-04:00

Raf likes to play soccer in the park. He hurt his knee last Fall but he's getting better and better. Now he can kick!I like to go with him, even on cold days. I read books and watch him play.It's fun. :)

Hudson Train Ride

2009-05-26T11:14:00.002-04:00

Mr. Cruz's job is at the Metronorth Railroad, which is really cool. He works all over Westchester County and sometimes way down deep in Grand Central Station. He took Rafael and me on a train ride along the Hudson River from Dobbs Ferry to Harlem - 125th Street when we visited him a few weeks ago.
The Hudson River is really wide. I didn't get a good photo, but there are giant cliffs on the New Jersey side. It goes from natural and green to industrial and city-ish.I love going to New York City. I get excited every time. I also love Rafael and Mr. Cruz:So sweet! It was a fun mini trip!

Oops

2009-05-25T22:48:00.004-04:00

The other day I made Mark Bittman's Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding. As you can see, I had a little mishap while I was putting it in the fridge....

HA! I'm not really sure how this happened. Anyway, I recommend the pudding, it's really delicious.... just don't add any tomatoes!

JP Licks!

2009-05-14T00:50:00.000-04:00

After we went to the Arnold Arboretum, Raf and I were hungry so we went to JP Licks! There are a few JP Licks around the city like in Coolidge Corner, Newbury St, and Davis Square, but the original is in Jamaica Plain! (of course....)There was a long line, but I didn't mind because I needed lots of time to decide. There are so many good options!I got Oreo Cake Batter and Strawberry Shortcake with chocolate sprinkles. I forgot to take a picture before I started eating, but here is my ice cream:
I was super good! I especially like the Oreo Cake Batter, I eat that every time I go there. The Strawberry Shortcake was really good too! Raf had a stawberry shake, but he helped me a little with mine. We also saw this cutie: Aw look at those legs and that tongue!

Arnold Arboretum

2009-05-13T19:17:00.005-04:00

Rafael and I went to the Arnold Arboretum last weekend. It was really cool and beautiful. We liked the view of the city:Parts of the Arboretum are forest, and other parts are like a park. It was unlike any place I've been. I really loved all of the trees. It was so peaceful.
I couldn't believe we were in Boston! (Notice the big black dog... there were wild animals! jk)There were a few surprises, like seeing Flash!We only saw one super hero, but we certainly saw a lot of people! Little did we know, it was the Lilac Festival! (I just noticed the girl in this photo has a cool t-shirt: Pho Life!)Yikes bikes! Lucky for me, lots of people = lots of dogs! I was on golden retriever and golden doodle overload.This is Wally. He let me pat him. He was so calm. Cute!Of course, since this is Boston and he was wearing a Red Sox bandana, I quickly figured out his namesake.... Wally the Green Monster!
This is one of the cutest photos I've seen:HAHAHAHA! We had a great day at the Arboretum! I want to go back on a less busy day and spend a relaxing afternoon there. :)

Happy Mother's Day :)

2009-05-10T17:46:00.006-04:00

Mother's Day makes me think of pretty flowers. Here is me carrying home some flowers for Mom last weekend: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOMMY!!!!!! Here are some other flowers at the church in Copley Square (the one across Boylston St from the library) that made me think of Mom::) Raf said "blue hyacinth," which Mom taught him.

Also, Happy Mother's Day to Susie! I hope you're enjoying your day with beautiful Emily... ...and that you're both this happy!(Don't you love her ears in this photo?)

*Update* Here's another nice and cute part of Mother's Day:

Big Papi with a pink breast cancer bat tonight!So sweet. :)

Beach Dog Paparazzi

2009-05-04T13:09:00.000-04:00

The beach was great for dog paparazzi! It was April and the beach wasn't officially open yet, so lots of cuties were allowed to be there. Raf and Mom liked this leggy trio:

This smiling cutie walked all over our blanket and tried to eat our sandwiches! We liked him anyway. He was really soft! Then these two friends showed up and provided hours of entertainment for me: They met another golden retriever. They liked each other.Then they went for a swim. And had a shake:Golden retrievers are great at fetching, but they really don't want to give the ball back sometimes. They are so tricky. The shorty dog waited patiently.Then they ran around really fast a lot more. I wish dogs could always go to the beach. They love it! These two played a lot of ball too. Look at the legs! So happy. :)

Red Quinoa

2009-05-02T09:51:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I made red quinoa using the Red Rice recipes from my Frida's Fiestas book. I think the picture in the book is really cool. I still haven't tried the white rice recipe.
I started by making a puree of the tomato, onion, and garlic. This puree wasn't as weird as the poblano puree, but it was still a little odd. It smelled delicious.Next I sauteed the quinoa in a dry pot for a few minutes. Quinoa looks much different before and after it's cooked. I added the puree and cooked everything for a few minutes.
Next I added chicken broth, celery, and lime juice and let it cook for 20 minutes.

Here is the finished red quinoa:I forgot to take a picture of it on my plate. I think I was hungry. :) I really liked how the red quinoa came out but I think the recipe might be better with rice. Maybe I'll try that next time!

Beach Time!

2009-05-01T09:15:00.000-04:00

We went to the beach last weekend because it was HOT! It was lots of fun. I want to go back a lot of times.Raf, Nathan, and Sarah played bocce. I followed them around and took pictures. Lots of dog paparazzi photos are coming later! An ocean breeze came along and it wasn't that hot anymore. Mom got really cold and made us put a lot of layers on her. She thought that was really funny:
I thought it was funny too. I LOVE the beach!!!!!

Monsters!

2009-04-29T22:27:00.005-04:00

I saw three monsters last weekend. This cookie eating monster was in the best grocery store in New Hampshire (Hooksett Hannaford! but I also really like Tuttles). I really wanted to eat it but I didn't. :(

This is the Bruno monster. He can be used as a pillow for short periods of time. Beware, he might hit or bite. Some people don't mind. (I do, I would never use that little danger dude as a pillow!) Last but not least, here is a closer peak at this mini-monster. Such a cutie monster!!! This wild one is also known as "Monster":

Springy Boston

2009-04-29T21:34:00.006-04:00

Spring is Boston is great! There are lots of fun activities to do like going for walks: Playing ball with friends: Dining al fresco with cutie puppies and views of Fenway Park:Living in baseball world:Spending time on the esplanade:

Kicking the soccer ball:

Looking at spectacular trees:

And rolling in the grass:

Ahhhh!

Paula Deen and the Carters

2009-04-22T20:27:00.003-04:00

This afternoon I watched "Paula's Home Cooking" and it was the sweetest episode ever. Paula Deen went to visit Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, at their home in Plains, Georgia. President Carter gave her a tour of the farm where he grew up and told her about his childhood. Then they cooked dinner together for themselves and Rosalynn and ate on the couch using TV trays because that's what the Carters usually do. They made grits and quail. Paula said, "you have to stir those grits.... now!" haha. The Carters were so sweet, quiet, and funny! Rosalynn was really quiet but almost everything she said made me laugh. Jimmy Carter told really nice stories. I just love his smile. And his clothes! G&G don't even wear jeans. :) Paula on the other hand was as wild as always, of course. She really loves the Carters, and they were so kind to her. I think she started crying at the end. The whole episode was so heartwarming and fun. I really recommend watching it if it's on again!

Green Quinoa

2009-04-19T09:32:00.003-04:00

Quinoa is one of my favorite things to eat lately. I would make it every day, except Rafael might get tired of it. :) It's delicious and I love how it pops when you eat it. It's also very healthy. I made green quinoa last week using the green rice recipe from my Frida's Fiestas book. I started with puree-ing poblano peppers with some water. I DID NOT expect it to look like this: I drained the weird foamy stuff and it got a little more normal. Next I sauteed the quinoa with some onion and butter. The recipe says to soak the rice first but I don't have a strainer so I didn't. Next I added the pureed peppers (not pictured) and let it cook for a few minutes. Then I added chicken broth, lime juice, and cilantro:

Here is the finished green quinoa:I thought it was delicious and I want to make it again. I think I'm also going to try it with Frida's white and red rice recipes too. I want to think of more ideas of how to make quinoa. Maybe a sesame or miso version? I've even heard of breakfast quinoa with raisins and nuts, but I'm not so sure about that yet.

Good News

2009-04-18T14:47:00.004-04:00

There are LOTS of signs of Spring around lately which is very good news for me and everyone else who just survived the super snowy last few months. (It actually wasn't that bad for me since I don't drive, but I got really sick of wearing my boots!) I saw these little white flowers at the mall:
And this beautiful pink tree on Beacon Hill:I just love it when the pansies come out:Purple is my favorite, of course. I think the leaves will be coming out soon:I always want to say, "buuuuuud" like Rudy Huxtable when I see them, but I'm not allowed to around Rafael anymore. I said it too many times one night. oops. :(
This place has lots of daffodils:As you know, the frogs come out in the Spring too (I think?):And so do the dinosaurs:HAHAHAHAHHAAA! Now for a few funny photos. This part is not funny: One of the "Make Way for Ducklings" ducklings was stolen out of the Public Garden a few weeks ago. I think they found it, but it's not back in the park yet. Now for the funny part: We went by today and a golden doodle was sitting in the missing duckling's spot!Can you imagine anything cuter?!?!?! I just love those guys. And last but not least, this came in the mail the other day:(OMG!!!) Have a lovely day everyone!

Love, Girlfriend :)

Florida Favorites

2009-03-25T13:00:00.001-04:00

I just got home from a lovely mini vacation in Florida! Here are a few of my favorite things about Florida:

Grandma and the cutie things she makes:

Grandma and Grandpa (for some reason I didn't take any photos of Grandpa):Hedgehog (or giant green octopus) greetings from sweetie cousin Emily (and Susie!):Picking Grandpa's tomatoes and eating them right away (or eating them in the pool):Eating delicious fresh food for lunch outside:And bright blue water and palm trees::) What are some of your Florida favorites?

A Little Bit More

2009-03-15T20:00:00.000-04:00

Here are just a few more photos of Savannah:The Girl Scouts began in Savannah which is totally cool, in my opinion. I was Girl Scout paparazzi! :) They were all really cute. We had a nightmare-ish trip home but we tried to make the most of it. How often do you get to pose on the runway?I guess it wasn't really the runway, but I don't know what this place is called. I think that's about it on Savannah... for now!Bye!

Live Oaks

2009-03-12T15:21:00.000-04:00

As you can probably tell from previous posts, I pretty much went bananas over the live oaks in Savannah! I think they're beautiful, calm, eerie, and super cool! We drove down lots of streets like this: The Wormsloe Estate has a driveway lined with live oaks:It's amazing and definitely a little scary! Here is the biggest live oak in Savannah: And here is my very own live oak: Sweetie!

Eating in Savannah

2009-03-11T19:42:00.006-04:00

Raf and I had a little trouble choosing where to eat in Savannah, but we ended up eating really good food! We had delicious homemade ice cream at Leopold's:I had strawberry shortcake and Raf had strawberry:We had dinner at The Crab Shack on Tybee Island. It was the closest we got to southern food, I think. We ate delicious crab and a "Low Country Boil" which was sausage, potatoes, corn, and shrimp.It was pretty Disney World-ish but still really cool and fun. They have live baby alligators (which you can see in previous posts) and a deck on the water.We had a delicious lunch at Clary's, where the man with the flies on strings and the vile of poison ate every day in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It was really nice to eat outside. Especially with a sweetie d-dog nearby!Raf and french toast and I had cheese blintzes. Everything was super good and fun and relaxed!
You can see a photo of Raf and me eating there in this post!

Tybee Island

2009-03-11T19:23:00.005-04:00

Tybee Island is near Savannah and has just as much charm. The beaches are very beautiful too. Here is the Tybee Island Light House:Pretty stripes! Palm trees on beaches are a rare sight for me so I was very excited! The island is full of lots of pretty little cottages. I loved all of the colors and plants. Raf thought it was a good place to take a nap::) Cutie. As you can see, it wasn't very warm. I wore 2 sweaters, my vest, and gloves! I still like the beach in cold weather, so I was happy. (And so was Raf.)The GPS wanted us to do this:We didn't. :)

Savannah Houses

2009-03-11T19:08:00.004-04:00

There were some super cool houses in Savannah. Here are a few of my favorites: Lots of ivy, even on the stairs! This one was in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil:Oooohh! Of course I liked the purple house! This one is also a cool color:Lots of houses in Savannah are haunted, but I'm not sure which ones are. I wouldn't want to live in one, but I would like to live on a street like this:I think everything about Savannah is friendly. The people were all super nice and I think even the streets look welcoming! I wish Boston was a little more like that.

Food Break

2009-03-07T23:43:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd take a break from Savannah posts to show you what I've been cooking and eating lately. I made this a few weeks ago: It's green beans and rice noodles with soy ginger sauce and fried tofu with Hoisin sauce. We ordered this delicious Thai food earlier this week:We ate yellow curry, friend rice, Pad Thai, and of course, Thai iced tea! It lasted about 3 meals. A few days ago I made this, which is similar to the meal above:It's rice noodles and tofu (not fried) with Hoisin sauce and garlic baby spinach. I love baby spinach these days! Here's what I made tonight for a special at-home meal:Roasted chicken and whole wheat orzo with cherry tomatoes and homemade pesto. I also made roasted Brussels sprouts but they didn't look very pretty so I left them out of the photo. They didn't taste that pretty either... I think I did something wrong. I liked how the rest of the meal came out!

Savannah Squares

2009-03-07T17:52:00.004-05:00

As you may know, Savannah is a city organized around many squares. They are beautiful little parks and we went on a long walk to all of them! We started at Forsyth Park, which is actually not a square, but it is really nice and has the famous fountain: It also has lots of beautiful plants and paths lined with live oaks. There was a chess/checker board is one of the paths:Cool, right? Thank you Raf for the lovely posing! Then we continued on to the squares. Some of them had really beautiful flowers which I was excited to see since it's still going be a long time until we have blooming here:

Unfortunately, I don't remember which square was which because we saw so many! I'm only including photos of a few. Some of them had really cool fountains:
The squares really make Savannah a beautiful city. I kept telling Raf, "It even smells good here!" I think it was all of the plants. I hope you're enjoying all of my Savannah posts. As you can probably tell, I REALLY loved Savannah! Stay tuned for more!

Savannah Animal Paparazzi

2009-03-07T09:28:00.010-05:00

There were lots of cuties in Savannah! We got to see lots of them in Forsyth Park (including one Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil moment): The owner of this sweetie said that I was the second person to take their picture that day (haha!):
We saw this lovey (my favorite) on Tybee Island: I love how it's acting so golden retriever-ish (like, "I'm going for a walk! Yes!!!")! Not all of the animals were so active: Pobrecitos! Not all of the animals were cute either:Oooooh blue eyes! I made friends with them anyway (in my wild outfit): Oops I forgot this guy:Bruno's southern cousin!

Isle of Hope

2009-03-06T17:32:00.003-05:00

Rafael and I drove around the Isle of Hope which is a community near Savannah on the water. As you probably could have guessed, I loved it!It was beautiful and looked unlike any place I've ever been, but the calm atmosphere reminded me a little of where my grandparents live in New York. Plus, the live oaks could have been willows! :)

Of course, there's no palm trees in New York (I don't think so at least).Some of the houses we big and some were small but none of them seemed new and they were all really cool! The architecture was totally different than here, the houses even seemed sort of friendly! Maybe it was just all the flowers and green though.... I think I'm sick of winter. :)

Bonaventure Cemetery

2009-03-05T19:28:00.008-05:00

I loved our trip so much and I want to share photos Raf and I took of all of the beautiful places we saw, so I'm just going to keep posting about Savannah for awhile! I hope nobody minds. :)

I think Bonaventure Cemetery was the coolest place we went. It was so beautiful and a little bit scary. It's full of graves/sculptures, live oaks with Spanish moss, palm trees, and rose bushes.The cemetery is along a marshy river which is also cool. You can see it in the background of this picture a little:

I just loved all of the live oaks in Savannah! I took as many photos of them as possible. I might do a live oak post later. :)

I thought this statue was eerie and beautiful:

Fleur de lis or skulls?

And here's Raf and me looking all touristy! :)The first photo in the post below was also taken at Bonaventure Cemetery.

Savannah

2009-03-02T22:38:00.003-05:00

Rafael took me to Savannah this weekend for a Valentine's Day gift! It was really, really fun. I loved it there! I have lots of photos to share, but it's late and I'm sleepy now so here are just a few:I can't wait to tell you more about it! Thank you so much lovey Raf!

PS I am back from my blog hiatus and ready to have fun and post! (and this time I mean it!)

Made By Mom

2009-02-04T20:01:00.003-05:00

I am very lucky to have a super creative Mom who is good at everything and makes super cool things for me! Here are a few decorations she made that I keep in the living room:
A beautiful string of felt balls and beads. I love the bright colors! Here is a close-up:I love it!She made this cutie pumpkin for me this fall, and the tree in December, but I'm keeping them out all year because I love them so much. The tree has balsam in it and it smells wonderful. Here is an Incan-inspired pillow she made for Raf:Raf loves it (and I love it too)! As you can see, Mom can get a little wild. :) We love her. I have lots of other beautiful things made for me by Mom and I'll show them all to you little by little. Homemade gifts are the best! Thank you Mommy!

City Wall / Country Wall

2009-02-03T21:47:00.004-05:00

You might remember that I've been working on country and city walls for the living room for awhile now. One wall is all "country" themed prints from Etsy and the opposite wall is "city" themed. I decided what qualifies as country and city. :) Well, I finally hung up all the pictures and then I finally took some photos. I love how both walls came out. Here they are! First the city wall:The prints are (clockwise from top right): Pink Poodle by Vivienne Strauss, Red Cabinet by Wonting, The Downs by Janice J, Brownstone Neighborhood by Sweetbabu, and Olden Days Skyscrapers by Janice J. I made the "mat" on the pink poodle print with paper from The Paper Source. Here is the country wall:The prints are (clockwise spiral from top right): Dot to Dot Blossoms with Bird by Hadley Hutton, Lake Coeur d Alene by VIZart, Palampore Tree by Andrew Daniel, Purple Pine by Sure As Blue, Black Cat Dreamers by Alice in Paris, and Little Purdy Birdy 2 by Kerry Beary. I really love prints by Hadley Hutton. I want to buy more!

I like having country and city walls because I kind of think that's what I'm like. I'm half country mouse because I'm from New Hampshire and I'm half city mouse because I live in Boston. I think Raf is mostly city mouse because he's lived in Lima, New York, and Boston, but he can be a little country mouse when he wants. Either way we both really like the artwork and it was a fun project! Isn't it fun to look at prints on Etsy?

Minnie Mouse Slippers

2009-02-03T21:27:00.004-05:00

My slippers always make me feel a little like Mickey Mouse. Today when I switched from boots to slippers it felt like a normal day. Then I happened to look in the mirror and I realized, WOW I totally look like Minnie Mouse! Haha! So now I'm like, "whose the leader of the band that's made for you and me...." JK! Don't worry, I wore normal shoes to work today. It's definitely fun to have Minnie Mouse moment though!

PS My slippers are awesome even though they look a little funny. They're like down coats for my feet! (And they happen to match my puffy vest.)

PPS My eyes really aren't red!

Puppy Bowl

2009-02-01T18:33:00.004-05:00

Tonight we're watching the Puppy Bowl!Yaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Haida Faces

2009-01-30T12:16:00.003-05:00

I think Haida art is super cool. I learned about it in art history classes I took in college. I actually know very little about it. I always wish I could remember everything I learned in those classes. (Link)

The coolest part, I think, is that the images are made up of many animal faces.(Link)
The Haida Native Americans live mostly in the Pacific Northwest.

(Link)

I think most of these images are by comtemporary artists. Images like these are often carved, sometimes into wooden boxes. (Link)

I always get excited when I see Haida art and I would like to learn more about it.

Terrariums

2009-01-29T15:18:00.006-05:00

I think terrariums are super cool and cute. These are all for sale on Etsy.

I like the little decorations people put in them!

I think this one could go in Amelie's apartment:Some are made with succulents:I love succulents! Isn't that little peep cute?I want to try making one. I know where I could get moss (Mom :) ), but where could I get cute little houses and animals and mushrooms?

Shabu Ya

2009-01-27T22:14:00.003-05:00

Rafael and I went to Shabu Ya in Harvard Square after our dance class tonight. Lovely Katie recommended it and it was super fun! It was really modern and space shipey inside:We tried the sushi. It was beautiful! Don't you love how the little orange fish eggs (I don't know the name) pop in your mouth? The soy sauce tea pot was super cute.Raf never misses an opportunity for a mango smoothie. He loved this one:It really was beautiful and Raf looks so sweet. :) We had shabu shabu (which is Korean) with beef, lamb, and lots of veggies and tofu. It was really delicious, especially the lamb. In case you don't know, shabu shabu is when you get a pot of steaming broth (on a hot plate built into the table... cool!) and raw ingredients which you cook in the broth yourself. There are different flavors of broth. There are also vegetarian options.They gave us some condiments (in the four little boxes) to mix into our sauce. They also brought around a cart of "complimentary veggies." It was so cute. We got some extra watercress and tofu. It was super fun and delicious! So interactive! For dessert we had beautifully presented green tea ice cream: I loooooooooove green tea ice cream! I pretty much love everything green tea flavored, I think. Then Raf played Street Fighter across the street:Totally rad dude!

Happy Birthday Rafael!

2009-01-24T23:10:00.003-05:00

Mr. Cruz came to visit for Rafael's birthday! He gave Raf a soccer ball. Raf LOVES it and he's playing with it in the living room right now! He brought a delicious cake! Raf always does this::) It was a fun birthday party. We're having lots of fun with Mr. Cruz!

There are more birthday celebrations to come! Yay!

Last Chance Harvey

2009-01-24T23:05:00.003-05:00

Rafael and I went to see Last Chance Harvey on Thursday night. We liked it a lot! Dustin Hoffman was really funny and Emma Thompson was really cute!
I liked the end better than the beginning, but I recommend the whole movie! It made Raf and me want to go to London.

Immersion Blender

2009-01-24T22:51:00.004-05:00

I love my immersion blender! It's great for making things like smoothies, milkshakes, and soup! I'm sure there are other good uses too, I just haven't thought of them yet! Last Sunday it was snowy and boring (again) so I decided to make shakes with the orange sherbert I had from the spooky brunch (I know... kind of old ew). I didn't really add the vodka, but I thought it might be good for a nighttime drink sometime. I don't know why I bother with organic milk when I'm just going to eat cool whip but, oh well. Anyway, the drinks came out beautifully:

Then Raf and I started drinking them. For the first minute or two they were pretty good but then we realized.... we didn't like them that much! haha. So they mostly went down the drain. :( It was still really fun to use the blender and I've used it to make really good drinks before with frozen berries or real ice cream.

P.S. The plant in the picture still has cool whip on it. oops

Dim Sum Desserts

2009-01-24T22:15:00.003-05:00

I really love custard desserts at dim sum. I'm a custard fan in general, and these are so good! Rafael and I had a lovely dim sum lunch with Mr. Cruz today. We had two custard desserts:
The first was warm buns filled with thick custard. They are amazing. I can't stop thinking about them. I might have to go back soon!We also had custard tarts like these. They are an old favorite. They have a flaky crust and smooth custard filling. I'm always happy when I eat them.

I really can't decide which dessert is my favorite! Maybe the custard buns.... I think I have to do more taste tests. :)

Mr. Cruz loved dim sum and is going to ask a friend which is the best place to go at the NYC Chinatown. I can't wait to try it! He is working on remembering the name, "dim.... sum!" Cute! :)

P.S. Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. I really want to post more so hopefully I will!

Zaftigs

2009-01-11T19:14:00.003-05:00

Rafael and I had dinner at Zaftigs in Coolidge Corner Friday night. It was super fun and good! They have pictures of this lovely lady everywhere. :)
They serve bagel chips with herb cheese before the meal. I love it. Raf and I ate Zaftigs combos which are noodle kugel (my favorite), a potato knish, a cheese blintz, and a potato pancake. It was really delicious! I've had a few other things on the menu too like matzo ball soup and everything is so good. I love eating there.

I love how it's decorated too. It's totally relaxed and fun (but hard to get into for brunch)!Afterwards I felt a little Zaftig! :)

Traveling Seal

2009-01-09T12:51:00.006-05:00

Did you hear about this cutie? She waddled 2 miles (approximately), even across a mini golf course (maybe), to have a trout feast at a fish hatchery in Cape Cod! So sneaky!

How did she know about it??? I love it when animals are funny!

Obama Cover

2009-01-09T12:47:00.003-05:00

I know I'm a little late, but I saw this New Yorker cover a few days ago. I like it. :)

Cutie Emily

2008-12-31T11:10:00.004-05:00

Emily is a Golden Retriever and she's also my cousin. I think she's super cute! We've been friends since she was a puppy. I was happy to see her and her Mom, Susie, last week. Like most Golden Retrievers, she's very obliging. :) Still, I think she got a little annoyed with me for taking her picture so much. I just can't resist!

I'm so happy to have a cutie dog cousin!

Holiday

2008-12-31T10:55:00.003-05:00

I didn't take that many photos during the holidays but I managed to capture a few moments. Sarah and Nathan gave us Wii Olympics for Christmas. It's really funny to watch people play:

Raf wanted to take a few Christmas-y pictures.

Merry Christmas Babies

2008-12-25T10:15:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I thought I'd celebrate with a few cutie winter babies. :)

Don't you love Knut?

Celtics

2008-12-20T20:42:00.004-05:00

Raf and I went out in the snowy snow to see the Celtics play the Chicago Bulls Friday night. I love going to Celtics games! Basketball is fun to watch and there's also cool lights, effects, and entertainment.The garden is really cool. Raf got us great seats! Can you see the 2008 flag?I like the criss-cross pattern of the court. Of, course I like watching the players too! I love Kevin Garnett. :)They won! :)Now I want to go again!

Muqueca

2008-12-20T12:02:00.004-05:00

Muqueca is a Brazilian restaurant in Inman Square. It's one of my favorite places to eat. The food is amazing. Rafael and I ate there on a weeknight a few weeks ago. Unfortunately it was dark so I didn't get a great photo of the outside.

The inside is warm and cozy. It was a weeknight so it wasn't busy, but on weekends it's hard to get a table.We had fried yucca. We loved it. I also had a beautiful blueberry and papaya smoothie called "Passion Blue."For dinner we had fish Moqueca. It's a simple stew made with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and fish. It's light and full of flavor. It's one of my favorite things to eat.We also had fried plantains that were delicious. Raf and I never miss an opportunity to eat fried plantains. :)They people who work there are very sweet. They gave me this cute magnet which I was very happy about because I have a magnet collection:

The next day I did a lot of indoor gardening. :)

Christmas Tree Farm

2008-12-10T12:40:00.024-05:00

I'm not really that into Christmas, but I love Christmas tree farms! I really like Sidmore's in Deerfield (where Mom lives) because it's so beautiful. Mom was so nice to take me there a few weeks ago. It has a lovely view of a lake:
And lots of pretty trees that smell great!We didn't actually get a tree, but I liked this one:The farm has some animals too. This cutie came to visit us:And this cow was a little shy but I finally got a picture:There were lots of pretty wreaths:I like the one Mom picked.So does Bruno the crazy man:

Pho Pasteur

2008-12-07T09:18:00.003-05:00

Raf and I went out for lunch at Pho Pasteur in Chinatown yesterday. I had a stomach ache so pho seemed like the perfect meal. It was a super good, warm, and cozy lunch. I kind of want to go back today. ha. I had vegetarian pho which had lots of veggies, tofu, cilantro, and vermicelli noodles in broth. It's served with bean sprouts, basil, and lime on the side. It's so delicious. I also added ginger sauce and kimchi (which my stomach didn't like very much) which made it even better. Raf had pork with veggies and a mango smoothie. Raf loves mango. :)Here is another view where you can see the noodles. We also had fresh rolls. They were delicious too. :)

New Purple Things

2008-11-27T09:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went shopping and bought two of my favorite things: pens and a sweatshirt. I'm so excited because they're both my favorite color - purple!
I really like how purple is so popular this season. There are so many good purple options! This sweatshirt, from H&M, is reversible. One side is fuzzy like a teddy bear and the other has butterflies. I think I'm going to wear the fuzzy side out. I love it and it's really cuddly. :) I'm wearing it today. Of course I always love office supplies and having them in purple makes them even more fun. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Birthday Cake

2008-11-26T21:26:00.005-05:00

I was very lucky this year because Mom and Rafael surprised me with two birthday cakes! They're both from Coldstone and they're both super extra delicious! I love everything from Coldstone, don't you?
They got me two because I gave them two flavors to choose from, I think. They are Cake Batter Confetti (left) and Strawberry Passion (right). I really like how my name is written in chocolate. I still have about half of each left, so I'm happy to say I'll be eating them for awhile! (Don't worry - Raf is helping.)

Here is everyone who came to celebrate my birthday with me:
Thanks for coming dudes! And thanks for the cakes Mom and Raf!

String of Pearls

2008-11-22T10:19:00.006-05:00

I love succulents and I think this string of pearls plant is really cool. Do you remember this picture from this post? It's been doing a lot of growing which is so exciting to me! Look at how long it is now!Unfortunately, I'm never home at the time of day with the nice sunlight like the first picture this time of year, but I really wanted to show you how much it grew! So cool!

Sad Day/Cozy Outfit

2008-11-22T09:59:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a very sad day at work. Six people were laid off or transferred to other divisions including everyone else who worked for my boss and my friend Katie. It was really sad saying goodbye and I'm going to miss them all very much. I put this outfit on before I knew what was going to happen, but it did make me feel a little better during the day. I think that if I like my outfit it always makes my day a little better.
My cozy sweatshirt (jcrew) is fuzzy inside and I love my lavender scarf (h&m). I like my new dark jeans (express) too, they're very comfortable. I love my skull and butterfly sneakers too. I forgot I had them for awhile. I love wearing cute sneakers. I think I'm going to wear these all weekend. :)
Raf and I ate comfort food at Bukowski in Inman Square last night. The macaroni and cheese was delicious. I had too many margaritas... ugh. I hope everyone from work who had to leave will find new things to do that they're excited about. I hope I'll be able to stay, but I really don't know. :(

Dunkin Green Tea and Mochi

2008-11-21T14:36:00.023-05:00

I think I would like Dunkin Donuts in Asia. I read about their new stores in China on Boston.com today.
They sell green tea lattes...

...And a variety of green tea donuts, one of which is mochi! I love green tea flavored foods and I love mochi (a rice paste). I think there are other flavors of "mochi rings" like black sesame and red bean too.

Wouldn't you love to eat this donut?

Los Enanitos Verdes

2008-11-17T19:31:00.004-05:00

Rafael and I went to see Los Enanitos Verdes at the Paradise in Allston last night. It was super fun!
They are a band from Argentina that Raf has liked for a long time. I like them a lot too. Everyone was really excited!

We had fun waiting for the show to start too. I had fun with my straight hair. :)
They played lots of songs everyone knew. Raf has videos that he's going to put on his blog.

Aquarium

2008-11-16T10:05:00.002-05:00

Raf and I went to the aquarium yesterday to check out the cuties. Just look at these jelly fish!We saw lots of cool animals. I felt like fish paparazzi!I thought Sarah would like these lovey penguins:We got to hold starfish in the tide pool section. The water was really cold!Mom loves this eel. We saw 3 of them!This picture was inspired by Susie, only she got to hold the real octopus!Raf was cute with the penguins.He really liked the sharks!

Border Cafe

2008-11-16T09:47:00.005-05:00

Raf and I went to the Border Cafe in Harvard Square Friday night.
They have Cajun and Mexican food. We had enchiladas and fajitas.
They also have delicious margaritas! Yum.
I like how it's decorated inside. Kind of cheesy, but cool. I love color Christmas lights.
After we went home and played Smooth Moves!

Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm

2008-11-13T22:40:00.006-05:00

Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm is by far my favorite. They taste and feel great. The best part is how big they are -- much larger than regular lip balm sticks which makes them really fun to use (at least for me.) :)I have Sweet Orange and Creamy Cocoa. I want to get Cool Mint too. I bought mine at the Portsmouth Health Food Store but I've seen them other places like Whole Foods. I bet the best grocery store ever, Wegmans, would have them. If only there was one in the Boston area. :(

Btw, if your lips are really chapped I recommend Blistex Lip Medex, which I also love.

I hope everyone is having a great week! xo

Curly Spider Plants

2008-11-12T22:31:00.005-05:00

I'm very happy that my curly spider plants are growing up! You may remember their baby pictures from here and here. I hope they continue to grow and get big and curly. I love it when my plants are happy! :)

Spain... On the Road Again

2008-11-12T12:56:00.048-05:00

Spain... On the Road Again is my favorite TV show right now (Dancing With the Stars is my second.... I think). It follows Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Bittman (a food columnist for the New York Times), and Claudia Bassols (a Spanish actor) as they travel through Spain. I love it because it shows lots of beautiful and interesting scenery, people, and of course, food!
Some of my favorite moments were when they ate at a floating restaurant, grilled veggies outdoors near windmills, met Frank Gehry, traveled with Michael Stipe (from REM), and visited a Dali museum. They eat lots of seafood, veggies, and ham. It's a really fun show to watch.

PS I learned about Mark Bittman from this show and decided to look for his column, The Minimalist, on the New York Times website. I then discovered his blog, Bitten and I love it! It has so many interesting food articles and recipes.

PPS I love the New York Times website! I could read it all day. There are so many interesting articles.

Snowflake Dress

2008-11-10T18:35:00.004-05:00

I had so much fun wearing my new snowflake dress today. It was cozy and comfortable. I need more outfits like this! Here is me this morning before work:And when I got home tonight!
And here is a variation I wore to make my commute a little warmer (don't worry I wore a jacket too). It's a little matchy matchy, but I liked it.

I wore my snowflake dress (charlotte russe), black turtleneck (target), black tights (express), bossy sneaks (forever 21), black cardigan (old navy), and white scarf.

Snacks and Clips

2008-11-06T21:19:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite after work snacks: sea salt pita chips from Whole Foods and hot pepper jelly. So much flavor -- hot, sweet, and salty! I loooove hot pepper jelly. :)I don't have any bag clips so I started using binder clips to keep things closed. I realized I like them much better! As many of you probably know, I LOVE office supplies. I was so excited when I thought of using these cool clips Sarah gave me in the kitchen.

I need to find more cool office supplies. :)

Bossy Sneakers

2008-11-06T21:09:00.003-05:00

I love my new black shiny Bossy Sneakers for Forever 21. I like to wear them with tights and skirts and dresses. I might wear them with pants too. They're really comfortable and fun to wear.

Spooky Brunch

2008-10-28T17:33:00.003-04:00

This Sunday Mom, Susie, Sarah, and Nathan came over for a spooky brunch. (Of course Raf was here too.) Mom and I made lots of spooky food. It was really fun and delicious. Here is most of the food: Fuzzy pink heads (made by Sarah), jalapeno corn muffins with faces, meringue ghosts, veggie skeleton, and guacamole salad.Graveyard dirt cups. Mom made the grave stones. So cute.
Mango punch with orange sherbet and a frozen orange ring. :) We also had jack-o-lantern mac and cheese, seven deadly sins dip, salty bones bread sticks, mummy dogs, and a pumpkin jello mold. I love these jack-o-lantern lights that Sarah found for me:

Nightmares

2008-10-27T11:21:00.007-04:00

I keep having nightmares and not in a good way. Unfortunately, they're nothing like this:
Does anyone have suggestions for getting rid of/avoiding them?

Picasso Hands

2008-10-24T10:00:00.004-04:00

I love this picture. :)

My First Ebay Purchases

2008-10-23T11:35:00.030-04:00

Shopping on ebay is more fun than I thought it would be. I think I'm going to do it more often now. I just don't like the really competitive part. Sometimes I lose at the very end. :( But these things were easy and fun to win!

I really like my new Fiestaware teapot! Periwinkle is a discontinued color so I was really excited to get it. I love the cover and the round handle. Now I'm going to have a tea party! :)

As you probably already know, I like jello molds. I was excited to win this vintage Tupperware jello mold. I can't wait to try it out!
Ebay is great for finding good prices on video games. This game came last weekend and it's kind of bizarre but super fun! I can't get over how cool the wii is.
I also have Mercury Meltdown Revolution coming! I'm so excited! I love puzzle games.

I also want to get Wario Land Shake-it and Super Mario Galaxy. I'll let you know what else I win on ebay! :)

Like Christmas Lights

2008-10-22T11:40:00.015-04:00

I love how color Christmas lights make such a nice glow, but I decided they would be to "college-y" for my apartment now. I think this would be such a cool alternative:
I would love to try it if/when I own my home someday. I bet Rafael, the electrical engineer, could totally help me with it. :) Don't you just love arched doorways?

We got a Wii!!!

2008-10-12T18:32:00.006-04:00

After months of searching we finally found a Nintendo Wii at the Gamestop in Coolidge Corner today. I'm so excited!!!! I hope everyone will come over and play with us. :) Here is Raf boxing (so cute):

He won!

Mom got a home run:

It's really fun! yayayay!

Apple Crisp

2008-10-12T18:24:00.003-04:00

I got some cool new baking dishes at the Crate & Barrel outlet in Kittery this weekend. Mom and I made apple crisp in one this weekend. I love apple crisp and so does Mom and especially Rafael. Here it is before we cooked it:
And after!It came out really well! I love the new dishes! I also got a small one and a rectangular one. I hope Raf's ready for some casseroles! :)

Scenes From My Walk Home

2008-10-11T08:56:00.004-04:00

When it's light enough, I like to walk home from work every day. Yesterday I took some pictures along the way, so here is a little tour of my afternoon commute! Be prepared, it's kind of a long one.

I start out by the TD Banknorth Garden/North Station. It's an exciting place because there are always lots of people around catching trains or going to watch the Celtics and the Bruins. I like the big Celtics sign. I wish I was going to see Madonna. :)

The green line is my alternate mode of transportation. I like the views of the city from the train.

As a civil engineer, how could I not like the Zakim Bridge? So cool. I also like it when it's lit with blue lights at night.

I cross over the Charles River into Cambridge. See the John Hancock Building and the Prudential Building?

It can get pretty dangerous....

....but these guys under the bridge make me feel safer.I really like this park. The trees are so pretty now too!

I like the mall!

The Lechmere stop. This is where I get off the train in the winter. :(

This was a scary picture to take. You can really see the Prudential from a lot of places!

I like the courtyard at the courthouse. It's one of my favorite parts of my walk. I was through here in the mornings too.

The cutest dog in the neighborhood! The owner isn't very friendly so I had to take this picture with extra zoom. ha.
I like walking through leaves in the fall! I know these aren't pretty like maple leaves, but this is the city after all!

This is a cool church on my street. I'm so happy the fire truck showed up for the picture!

Almost home! I hope you enjoyed my tour! :)

Machu Picchu

2008-10-11T08:43:00.004-04:00

Raf and I ate at Machu Picchu in Union Square last night. It was really fun. I like their dishes and menus.
I ate a fish soup with tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. We had fried plantains on the side and they were so delicious!
Rafael had beef with french fries, onions, tomatoes, and rice. He loved it. We also had chicha morada and a pisco sour to drink.
Rafael was happy. :)
I was happy too. Here is me back home. :)

It was a fun night and I'm happy the red sox won. I like Daisuke!

Fall Food

2008-10-07T19:12:00.006-04:00

Sunday night I ate a delicious fall meal of Cauliflower Soup and hot cider with a cinnamon stick. I just love cozy and warm fall foods. This picture is totally posed. I actually ate while watching the Red Sox, but I wanted to show you the nice food and how happy I was about it.
I guess this isn't really Fall food but last night I made a delicious Guacamole Salad that I saw on the Barefoot Contessa this weekend. I added mango and cilantro to the recipe and it was super delicious! It had lots of lime which I love. I had some tiny cherry tomatoes from the Farmer's Market that popped in our mouths and added nice texture. I also made salmon with sauteed poblano peppers. I really love poblano peppers! Here is Raf's plate:

Click on the pictures to see them a little bigger if you'd like. What have you been cooking this week?

Scenic Drive

2008-10-05T17:25:00.004-04:00

Rafael and I went for a beautiful drive along the New Hampshire seacoast. It made me so happy. I just love the ocean and the New Hampshire beaches are so familiar to me. :)

See the colorful leaves? New Hampshire is so beautiful this time of year.

Rafael and I stopped a few times to look at the pretty views.

More pretty leaves and beach.

After we visited these wild two:

They were cute! We had a fun day. :)

Ole and Olecito

2008-10-04T10:13:00.004-04:00

Rafael and I had an amazing dinner at Ole in Inman Square last night. It's one of my favorite restaurants. The outside is really pretty (and purple!):

We had delicious margaritas and guacamole. I absolutely love their guacamole. It's chunky with tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, and lots of lime! Soooo good! :) They make it fresh for each order which I love.

I had sea bass with polenta and baby spinach. I really love this dish. The texture of the fish is so nice and all of the flavors are so good together.
Rafael had chicken with a blackberry mole, fried plantains, rice, and freshly made corn tortillas. He really liked it. I tried the sauce and it was delicious. Of course, we always love fried plantains.
I was really happy! (Plus, I like wearing my new scarf.)

They have another little restaurant across the street called Olecito. I love the name! They serve delicious burritos and sandwiches. I had a chile relleno sandwich there once. It was stuffed with raisins and nuts which I thought was really cool. The people inside were watching me take their picture. ha.
After dinner I had hot cider around the corner at the 1369 Coffee House. They have a really cool store front and it's a really nice coffee shop. I think fall is great because you can get cozy things like hot cider! :) Can you see Raf in this picture?
Rafael and I were full and tired after so we went home. We're happy the Red Sox beat the Angels last night! :)