Gooey, butter, and cake... do I have your attention yet?

What a wet and dreary Thursday morning!  Yuck!  But what a deep incredible sleep I got last night... isn't that always the case?  Rain is just the perfect white noise, drowning out traffic and other night noises in the city.  So, I woke up super rested, happy, and, naturally, starving.  It would've been a good morning for French toast but I was simply too lazy for that.  :)  Really, though, I longed for a piece of this cake, except I finished it off for dessert last night.  Dessert for breakfast?  Heck yes.  Especially one that involves the words gooey, butter, and cake.  Think coffee cake but so much better.  So so so much better, friends.  Instead, I ate my fill of warm oatmeal and trudged to work in my rain boots, dreaming of this cake and when I will see it again.

This cake had probably served the longest sentence in the black hole of recipes to make... and what an undeserved punishment that turned out to be.  For months, every time I saw it, my heart began to race and my mouth watered at the very thought of a cake meant to showcase butter and sugar.  Tales of its deliciousness could be found all over the interwebs, and yet it remained unbaked.  Why?  For some unfortunate reason, my brain kept getting the better of me.  "Katy, you need a good reason to bake a full cake.  Wait for a party or occasion."  My heart would argue, "No!  Halve the recipe!  Then it's appropriate for everyday consumption."  And, still, my brain would barge in like a bull in a china shop and dismiss all romantic notions of baking a cake just for the sake of pleasure.  Stupid brain.  You should know that it's since been relegated to a corner in my apartment for an indefinite period of time.

"Whaddya think?" Wednesday

It's getting cooler out there, which means I'm sitting inside more and looking for a crafting project.  I was thinking it's time for new decoration for my front door, something harvest-y and fall-ish that could last through Thanksgiving.  At first, I spotted this and fell in love:

[seen here]

It's totally awesome, surely delicious, and complete with an intricate assembly process that only a type A person could appreciate (this girl) -- ha!  Unfortunately, since I'm a little late on this, I'd only be able to keep it up for a month.  Annnnd I'm not sure how this would fare outside... would it attract bugs?  So, I continued my search for something to replace the pink and yellow summery wreath currently welcoming guests to my apartment...

Chicken gets a Moroccan makeover

I've discovered that being a grown-up has its perks -- shocking, no? :)  The first that comes to mind is that you can have cake (and only cake) for dinner.  Been there, done that, recipe coming this week.  You can also stay up until 2AM watching a hockey game on the West Coast when you need to wake up five hours later for work.  You can even buy whatever groceries you want without having to worry about someone telling you that your sister/father/mother doesn't like that food so please, Katy, try to pick something that everyone likes.  One drawback?  When you're buying the groceries, you will do anything in your power to avoid wasting food because it's directly your money that's going into the trash.  I shudder at the thought.

Though it's not as glamorous as dishes taken from the pages of Gourmet or created from a craving, meals are occasionally thrown together in an attempt to use up an ingredient or two that has been lingering in the pantry for weeks that I refuse to waste.   That ingredient happened to be dried dates.  I know.  "What on earth possessed you to buy dried dates?" 

My day off -- illustrated edition

How was your weekend?  I had a day off on Friday, so I wanted to make this rare three day weekend extra fun.  Please allow me to tell you about it :)  Since Matt doesn't have class on Friday, we decided to spend the day together, starting with a little self-portrait action:

And some shopping at Ross Park Mall.  Look, ma!  I got pants!

After the morning mall stop, we headed to the South Side and picked up our packets for the Great Race.  For a light lunch, we went to Claddagh Irish Pub.  This girl had a coupon for a free appetizer with any drink, so guess what he got:

More stromboli, per favore!

Happy Friday from the comforts of my apartment!  Especially happy since I'm making up for working last Saturday by enjoying a day off today :)   The weatherman predicted a gorgeous "summer" day here in western PA, which is the perfect backdrop for the day I have planned.  I managed a quick run this morning, the last in preparation for the Great Race on Sunday.  After some eggs and errands, Matt and I are going to head over to Bloomfield for Little Italy Days.  Cannoli, ravioli, proscuitto, sausage... yes to all of the above!  I'm going to take my camera, so pictures to come on Monday hopefully!

I've been working through the back log of recipes, and this seemed like a perfect fit for today -- a classic Italian stromboli.  I have yet to meet an Italian specialty I don't like, but I must shamefully admit that I still don't know the difference between some of the terms.  The hundreds of shapes of pasta, whew, I'll never know all of those.  But how about stromboli and calzone?  Until recently I considered them both delicious disguised forms of pizza.  After the jump, the mystery is solved...

Happy autumn!

Goodbye summer, hello fall!

 
I know I'm going to catch some flack for this, but I'm not craaaaaazy about autumn.  Okay, calm down -- it seems like fall is everyone's favorite season and anyone who dares to rock the boat has a full-blown revolution on her hands.  Hear me out, please!  I like it okay enough, but the wide range of temperatures on any given day is my biggest complaint.  Sure, some like the opportunities for fall and summer outfits, but I wind up sporting a jacket on my walk to work and lugging the thing home when it's thirty degrees warmer by 5 o'clock.  Ugh, I feel like I'm in grade school again and my mom is asking why I left my coat at school rather than bring it home :)  Sorry, Mom!

As for what I like about fall?

How to plan meals & grocery shop

Though it's a skill that's taken some time to hone, planning meals for the week is something that I couldn't imagine not doing now.  With or without a busy schedule, I'd recommend this to anyone -- it saves time, money, and gets food into my stomach much faster than the panicked scavenger hunt that would take place if I didn't have a game plan  After a long day at work and the gym, I'm usually starving when I get home.  I can't tell you how great it is to know that within 30-45 minutes of minimal work, I'll be sitting down to enjoy a delicious dinner.  You see, I'm pretty impatient and, if there isn't a hearty meal on the horizon, before I realize it, I'm shoveling eating spoonfuls of Nutella or handfuls of Kashi cereal... hey, gotta feed those tired muscles ASAP :)  I have a feeling I'm not alone in my frantic hunger-driven snacking attacks.

Anyway, last week, a friend/recent graduate/new professional asked me about planning meals.  She said that she and her boyfriend will get inspired to do it but lose motivation when they try to put pen to paper.  They become frustrated with a lack of ideas and doubts as to how they can possibly predict what they'll want to eat days from then.  I promised her that we'd have a nice long chat and I'd spill all of my secrets.  Since we haven't yet been able to have that conversation, here's hoping that she doesn't read this before then and I can use my "notes" when necessary :)

What is Oktoberfest?

This past weekend I got to catch up with my good friend, Bazti (short for Sebastian), in Germany.  We first met through an exchange program at my high school back in 2001, so very long ago.   After his 3 week vacation in the States, we stayed in touch, and I even visited over spring break in 2006.  I opted out of the traditional beach trip for a hop across the pond to visit Germany for the first time, including the girl I hosted back in 2001 and him.  Thanks to the wonders of email and the interwebs (i.e. Skype), we still talk regularly.  When I mentioned that Matt and I were planning to enjoy a little Oktoberfest ourselves since we love Hofbrauhaus so much, this is how the conversation went, word for word:

Bazti: "I have still never been to the real Oktoberfest."
me: "Really?!"
Bazti: "Not all Germans are Bavarians.  Like not all Americans are Texans."
me: "But you've lived in Germany your entire life!"
Bazti: "I've been to the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, but I'd like to experience the real thing."

Which got me thinking -- how many people only know Oktoberfest as a seasonal German celebration involving beer?  There is so much more to it, and since this is the 200th anniversary of the festival, let's start with a little history lesson.

Apple crisp for two!

[oh hello, autumn, you taste like apples!]

Happy Monday!  What a weekend, huh?  Guess that Indian summer heard me and decided to show its face around these parts.  But that won't stop me from talking about all things fall, no sir.  Especially when the mornings are showing the season's true colors, even if the days are doing a semi-decent job of covering up for them.  I was in for a shock on my run early on Saturday morning -- stepped outside to total darkness, heavy fog, and, as I discovered when I returned home, a mercury reading of 48 degrees!  What the what?

The rest of the weekend was nice, albeit a little shorter since I worked on Saturday.  But that's rare and I'll make up for it with this Friday off, so I can't complain.  The weather was nice enough for one last cookout with the family (dear barbequed ribs and potato salad, you will be missed until next summer!).  And there was Oktoberfest to be had.  The cherry on top had to be attending Phantom of the Opera with the family on Sunday evening :)  I've seen other shows before, but this blew them out of the water.  Phenomenal!  Did any of you catch it here in Pittsburgh or have you seen it elsewhere?  If so, what did you think?!

Wait, where was I?  Oh yes!  Fall flavors! ...goodness, maybe I could have benefited from another day of rest...

Turkey meatloaf

Count me in -- I am ready for fall!  That's not to say that I won't enjoy the Indian summer days whenever they arrive.  But, you should know that my stash of jackets and scarves and tights (oh my!) are practically crying out to me, asking when it will it will be their turn to show off.  This, of course, has me incessantly checking the weather forecast for cooler temperatures.  What an absolute tease it has been that the morning air registers in the mid-50s but the days are still creeping into the upper 70s.  So, one must decide between shivering early on her walk to work or getting a bit toasty in the afternoon :)

I've settled for dealing with goosebumps on my walk to work, and it's not so bad if I prep before I leave the apartment.  You'll find me hovering over a big steaming bowls of oatmeal, spiced with vanilla and cinnamon and topped with a sliced banana to serve as a kick-start to my body's heating system.  It's amazing how warm and cozy oatmeal for breakfast can make me feel -- it's like I'm wrapped up in a giant blanket.  The only drawback?  It makes me want to get back into bed, work clothes and all, never to let that feeling go away.

Abs-olutely effective!

Ridiculous corny jokes and it's only Thursday!  Aren't you glad you showed up?  :)

I had to share this with everyone, since I am constantly searching for the "best of" moves when it comes to working out and lifting.  Last week, I tried a routine from a popular women's magazine that promised to shake up my core workout.  Pffff.  Two of the moves were totally impractical to do in a gym with other people around since they required multiple pieces of equipment (I hate being an equipment hoarder) and at least a 6-foot square area.  Not happening.  Another move named after The Matrix, had me clutching my knees in pain and realizing my core felt nothing.  Ultimate fail, Schmomen's Fealth, ahem.  So, what to do?

I picked two!

Yesterday's lunchtime purchases:

What gives?

A dessert to remember

[how on earth I forgot this I'll never know]

How many of you use a planner or calendar to keep track of events?  [raises hand, pointing to both her planner and Google calendar]

And how many of you, despite having said organizational tool(s), manage to overbook your days and nights, leaving you occasionally frazzled and running around like a chicken with its head cut off?  [raises hand emphatically, a la the lovable know-it-all, Hermione Granger]

So last week, I had on my calendar "have Laura and Matt over for dinner."  When I have dinner guests on a weeknight, I try to plan and have most or all of the dishes made ahead of time.  Vegetables can be cooked the night before, and dessert is most certainly complete and waiting to be devoured.  For the main dish, I do fresh that evening, but try to have shortcuts in place.  For example, since I was going to be cooking golden baked pork chops, I had the seasonings mixed, an assembly line of bowls ready, and even the baking sheet lined.

So I got home a little later than usual... I just had to try that new upper body workout at the gym.  And I needed to shower and get cleaned up and head out again after dinner for another engagement.  All with my friends arriving in about 30 minutes.  Then it dawned on me... oh crap!  As for dessert, would you believe that it just slipped my mind?   Listen, I didn't forget about it entirely -- I had something in mind, but I had forgotten to set up properly and allot enough time to bake it.  I became distracted... from dessert... my favorite part of the meal.  May I plead temporary insanity?

Welcome back, fall (TV)!

It's the Monday morning after a fantastic weekend, filled with fun things like the Irish festival, shopping, book club, and great weather all-around... so why was I so sluggish getting out of bed this morning after a quality 8 hours of rest?  It's this thing going on with my head and nose, you see.  It could be a cold, but I'm thinking (read: praying) that it's merely allergies.  But let's be honest, regardless of the cause, I'm going to ignore it and go about my normal routine, hoping that denial is the best medicine :)

So, armed with a chipper self-imposed healthy disposition and a stomach full of a energy-packed breakfast sandwich, I ventured outside, only to be slapped with 50-degree air and drizzling rain!  No thank you!  (If I'm polite, does that mean it'll go away?)  May I go back inside, please?  And curl up in the papasan chair with a cup of hot chocolate?  Mmm... which reminds me, I must share the most amazing discovery of my weekend -- the salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks.  I'm not a coffee drinker and usually not a big fan of their regular hot chocolate (point me toward the peppermint and pumpkin flavors, thank you), but this drink was out of this world!  The salty sweet warm chocolate... you must try it!

Oh, so where was I?  Ah, yes, curling up with one of these on the couch.  And, wouldn't you know it, the season of absolutely nothing being on TV is finally behind us.  Bring on the autumn weather that rushed right in and the fall TV premieres...

Friday musings

Happpppppppy Friday, friends!  Not just any Friday, but a surprise Friday!  I love my surprise Fridays, almost as much as I love planning events and trips.  Word to the wise -- I do not recommend reading the list of 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die after looking at pictures of one friend's cross-country road trip and another pal's vacation to Ireland.  It will make you stir crazy (at the beginning of September... isn't that more of a February thing?) and have you creating multiple Google documents with travel plans.  Where to go, where to go?  At least I can take comfort in the fact that, barring any big hiccups, I'll be seeing this sometime in spring of 2014 (gulp):

The easiest company-worthy dinner you'll ever make, period.

Look at that!  Is that not one of the most colorful, hearty bunch of ingredients you've ever seen?  And who would've thought that the most labor-intensive part of executing this recipe came when I had to photograph this in the wee hours of the morning?  Seriously, people.  There is more work involved in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I'm certainly not knocking the classic duo of PB&J, but I'd venture to say that most people wouldn't think of serving them to company for dinner.  Not having any dinner guests?  Neither did I, but that didn't stop me from making myself a fancy Sunday night or company-worthy dinner.

Bookworm

I've mentioned a few times that I started a book club, wow, a little over a year ago.  Upon hearing that, most people that immediately say, "Wow, you must really love to read!"    I'm quick to correct them -- "Not really, but I like to eat and this seemed like a good way to try out new places that some people have yet to discover in the Pittsburgh area."  In short, we are eaters who occasionally read :)

This month we read This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper.  It was funny and tragic and a bit graphic but overall probably my favorite book pick to date -- I finished in about 5 days.  Since we meet monthly and I was surprisingly on top of things (unlike my habit of waiting until the last minute in high school, hey, I preferred math and science!), I noticed I have been looking for something to read as TV isn't quite cutting it right now.  I don't watch much TV in the summer since I'm usually out and about, but with the weather cooling down, I'm staying inside more often.  I headed to the library and milled around for a while until a catchy cover or title something interesting caught my eye.  This is what I came away with:

Chocolate chip zucchini bread

Happy Monday Tuesday!  Can you believe Labor Day is behind us and we're entering the thick of September?  It may be the last days of summer, but when I look at that bread, I forget that I spent most of the weekend wearing a windbreaker and jeans.  Instead, I think of overflowing gardens and flip-flops and hesitating to turn on my oven for weeks.  It's that time of year when everyone is trying to unload the literal tons of zucchini that have come from their vegetable gardens this year.  Casual friends bring you a grocery bag full of it.  Coworkers leave piles of the green stuff on a community table for the picking.  Me?  I get mine from the local grocery store, on sale at least, since the city isn't exactly the best place to garden for my friends and me.  Attention any zucchini breeders -- if you are looking to find a good home for your veggies, look no further than this girl.

I love zucchini plain, but I've also introduced it to some other friends of mine in the kitchen.

No-labor day!

Hope everyone, professionals and students alike, gets to enjoy a long three-day weekend including today!  If you're heading to a picnic, try some of these dishes to wow your friends and family.  Maybe even try to catch a boy (or girl) with this fantastic dessert.

You know, honor labor today by not doing any at all :)  What are you doing to celebrate the holiday?  (Think about it -- the last one until Thanksgiving for most people!)

Me?  I'm phoning in this post (ha!) and spending the day indulging my id -- sleeping, sitting, and eating, thankyouverymuch.

River-bound

Here you are, Friday!  You were hiding behind Thursday and Wednesday, which seemed to take their sweet old time this week.  A brisk run this morning (is it staying darker longer or is it just me?) and a big bowl of cereal with bananas for breakfast to treat myself.  Yum!  I have a decent list of things to do this weekend, but, thankfully, many of them fall under the heading "fun fun fun!"  After Matt's Saturday class (I know, it's ridiculous and I'm not joking... but at least it's in the afternoon), we are making a return trip to my aunt and uncle's place on the Potomac River!

Speaking of the river and becoming one with nature, how about these great pictures captured of a real wedding in Forks, Washington?

The anatomy of a craving

It's funny how recipes are chosen.  Maybe it's a matter of available ingredients.  Or perhaps it's a certain level of "fancy" needed for an occasion.  It could also be what I experienced yesterday -- a craving of the very serious kind.  It started sometime after lunch and continued for the duration of the work day.  I was even thinking about it during my workout, amidst calf raises and squats.  I wasn't kidding when I said that thinking about food gets me through workouts occasionally.

But seriously, this craving wouldn't budge, even after a delicious dinner: grape tomatoes and artichoke hearts tossed with a little garlic and butter and mixed with whole wheat pasta.  So.unbelievably.good, people.  Rifling through my pantry and fridge for snacks yielded popsicles, cookies from the Oakmont Bakery, Cheez-Its... and none of it seemed even remotely appealing to me.  Anyone who knows me knows that once I become fixated on something, there's no changing my mind.  I've gotta have it!  Still thinking about my craving, I got to wondering how the dictionary would describe this.  Per Merriam-Webster:

Your winter 2011 forecast

Nothing like starting the month off on the wrong (or neither) foot by skipping a morning run!  I'm not making excuses, but the gym finally reopened on Monday and let's just say it's/I've been kicking my butt so far this week and consequently feel wiped out and ready for bed by 8:30.  The run will happen on Friday, I'm making a public pledge so someone please hold me to it :)

So now that it's officially September, that can only mean one thing -- new pencil boxes?  Check.  Flipping a page on the calendar?  Obvs, check.  But how about the release of the 2011 Farmers' Almanac?  Check!  Bet you either a) didn't even know about that, or b) don't care one bit.  Well, I'll give you a reason to care, mister!

Oh goodness, Peanuts cartoons get me every time.  But seriously, the Farmers' Almanac is a nice little set of predictions for the 2011 calendar year, including a forecast of the winter to come.  Think it's total fluff?  An accuracy score of 80-85% says otherwise.  Follow the jump to find out whether we'll be having a paradise-like winter or a repeat of Snowpocalypse...